Chapter 15 Chapter fifteen

The three sat in the kitchen eating breakfast.Outside, the sun was rising and it was a clear day.The storm has passed.As the weather changed, so did the mood of the prisoners on the island.They feel like they just woke up from a nightmare.The danger remains, but it is the danger of the day.The atmosphere of fear they had felt as if they were wrapped in thick blankets yesterday when the wind howled was gone. Lombard said: "Today we can try to send a signal with a mirror at the top of the island. I hope some little guy playing on the cliff will have the brains to recognize the SOS signal. At night we can also light a bunch of Bonfires—just running out of firewood—and they probably thought everyone was singing and dancing and having a good time.”

Vera said: "Someone must know Morse code, and someone will get us out before night." Lombard said: "The sky is clear, but the sea is not quite calm. What a wave! Their boats will not be able to land on this island until tomorrow morning." Vera cried: "On this island Just one more night!" Lombard shrugged. "Better face it! Twenty hours is almost enough. If we can make it through, we're victorious." Clearing his throat, Blore said: "What happened to Armstrong, we'd better find out." Lombard said: "Well, we already have a piece of evidence that there are only three little china figures left at the table. It appears that Armstrong is dead."

"Then why wasn't his body found?" Vera said. Blore said, "That's right." Lombard shook his head and said, "That's fucking weird—can't figure it out." Blore said doubtfully, "He might have been thrown into the sea." Lombard said sternly: "Who threw it? You or me? You saw him go out the front door, and you came back and found me in my room. We went out together to find him. Where did I get the time to kill him, Carrying his body around the island again?" Blore said, "I don't understand. But I do know one thing."

"What is it?" said Lombard. Blore said, "That pistol. Your gun. It's in your hand now. There's nothing to suggest it wasn't in your hand all along." "I said, Blore, we searched them all one by one." "Yes, you hid it beforehand and retrieved it immediately afterwards." "My silly brother, I asked you to swear it was put back in my drawer. I was never so surprised in my life when I found it back in my drawer." Blore said, "You want us to believe that! Why the hell did Armstrong put it back where it belonged?" Lombard shrugged resignedly. "I don't understand it at all. It's madness. The most unexpected thing in the world. It doesn't make sense."

Blore agreed. "No, no point. You should probably make up a better story." "It's more proof that I'm telling the truth, isn't it?" "I don't see it that way." "You don't want to," said Philip. Blore said: "Listen, Mr. Lombard, if you're a gentleman, as you're pretending to be..." Philip sneered: "Since when did I call myself a gentleman? No, to be honest, I never said that." Blore said persistently: "If you're telling the truth--there's only one way. You're holding a pistol and that means Miss Claythorne and I are in your hands. The fair way." It is to lock the pistol and those few things together-the key is still you and I each."

Philip Lombard lit a cigarette and puffed on it, saying, "Don't be fooling around here." "Do you disagree?" "Well, I don't agree. The pistol belongs to me, and I'm going to defend myself with it—I've got to carry it." "At that point we'd have to come to a conclusion," Blore said. "What conclusion? I'm UN Owen? Whatever you want. But let me ask you, if that's the case, why didn't I shoot you last night? I can have more than twenty chances." Blore shook his head. "I don't understand—but it's true. You must have other reasons."

Villa has been reticent to comment.Shocked, she said, "I think you're acting like a pair of idiots." Lombard looked at her. "What's the meaning?" Vera said, "You forgot that nursery rhyme. Don't you see that there is another clue here?" She recited meaningfully: "Four little Indian children went out to sea in a boat, and one fell overboard and was swallowed by a herring." .” She went on: "A herring...that's an extremely important clue. Armstrong isn't dead...he took that little china figure to make you think he's dead. Say what you want...Armstrong Still on this island. He was just a herring thrown on the road, just to attract your attention."

Lombard sat down again."Maybe you're right," he said. Blore said, "Yes, if that's the case, where is he? We've searched the place, inside and out, everywhere." Vera said mockingly: "Haven't we all looked for a pistol? Have you found it? But it's always been somewhere!" Lombard muttered: "My dear, there is a difference in size between a man and a pistol. "I don't care about those things, I believe I'm right," Villa said. Blore babbled, "He's hiding himself, to be sure, isn't he? There's a herring mentioned in the poem, and he couldn't have written any more details."

Vera cried: "Don't you understand that he is a madman? This thing is done by a madman, and everything happens as described in the poem, which means madness! Dress up the judge and chop wood at Rogers Kill him at the time... put Mrs. Rogers on poison and put her to sleep... Miss Brent brought a bumblebee when she died! It's like a terrible child playing a game where nothing can go wrong." Blore said, "Yes, you're quite right!" He thought for a moment, "Anyway, there's no zoo on the island, and next time he won't be so easy." Vera cried, "Can't you see? We're animals... Last night we weren't human anymore. We're animals..."

They spent the morning on the cliff, taking turns using a mirror to signal land.There was no indication that anyone had seen their signals, much less answered.The weather was perfect with just some mist.The sea was rough and not a single boat went out to sea.They conducted another search of the island, but found nothing.Still no missing doctor. Vera looked up at the villa. She said, "I feel safer here. It's in broad daylight...let's not go back to the house." Her voice was a little choked up. "Not a bad idea," Lombard said. "We're pretty safe here. Everything is within sight, and no one can sneak up on us."

Vera said, "Let us all three stay here!" Blore said: "There must be a place to spend the night anyway, and it looks like I have to go back to the villa." Vera shuddered. "I can't bear it, and I can't spend the night in that house any more." Philip said, "Lock your door and you'll be quite safe." Vera muttered, "I hope so." Spreading her arms, she murmured, "It's so lovely—to see the light again..." How strange, she thought... I could almost say happy.But I still don't think I'm out of the woods...what the hell—now—seems to care about nothing...the day doesn't care about anything...I feel empowered—I can't die...Blore He looked at his watch and said, "It's two o'clock, what about lunch?" Vera said stubbornly: "I'm not going back inside, I'm going to stay here...in the open air." "Oh, come on, Miss Claythorne, you understand that you need something to keep your strength up." Says Vera, "I get nauseous any time I see a can. I don't want to eat anything. People go on a diet sometimes without food for days." Blore says, "Well, I have to eat on time. What about you, Mr. Lombard?" said Philip: "I'm not particularly interested in canned goods, you know, and I'm staying here with Miss Claythorne." Blore hesitated.Vera said, "I'm going to be fine. I don't believe he's going to shoot me as soon as you turn around, if that's what you're worried about." Blore said, "That's fine. But we agreed not to part." Philip said: "Are you going to go deep into the tiger's den? I will accompany you if necessary." "No, you don't have to go," said Blore, "you stay here." Philip laughed. "So you're still worried about me, aren't you? If I had the heart, I could shoot you twice in one minute." Blore said, "True, but that's not going according to plan. You can only kill one at a time, and in a certain way." "Oh," said Philip, "you seem to know everything very well!" "Of course," said Blore, "I was somewhat uncomfortable going into the house by myself." Philip said kindly: "Should I lend you the pistol, then? No, I won't! It's never that simple. Thank you." Blore shrugged and started to climb the steep wall toward the house.Lombard said pleasantly: "It's feeding time at the zoo! Animals are very obedient." Vera said anxiously: "Isn't he taking too much risk?" "As you think, I don't agree." .Armstrong is unarmed, you know, and Blore is physically stronger than two doctors anyway, and he's very vigilant. There's absolutely no way Armstrong's hiding in the house. I know he's not there." "Then—what's the answer?" Philip said softly: "Blore himself." "Oh... do you really think..." "Listen, girl, you heard what Blore said. In his line, you must admit that I couldn't have had anything to do with Armstrong's disappearance. His story cleared up all my suspicions." , but couldn't write himself off. We just heard him say he heard footsteps and saw a dark figure come down the stairs and run out the front door. He may have made up those words. He may have been there in two hours Armstrong was killed before." "How did you kill it?" Lombard shrugged. "How do we know, if you ask my opinion, we have only one danger now, and that is Blore himself! What do we know about him? Nothing at all! It's fiction, it's all nonsense! He himself is unknown—perhaps a deranged millionaire—a demented businessman—perhaps an escaped prisoner from Broadmoor. But one One thing is certain, every one of these dead people could have been killed by him." Vera's face turned pale, and she was a little out of breath even speaking. "If he's going to—we..." Lombard patted the pistol in his pocket and whispered, "I'll keep an eye on him and tell him to be honest." Then he stared at Vera curiously , "Do you trust me or not, Vera? Do you believe that I won't shoot you?" Vera said, "One has to trust others... In fact, I think you're wrong about Blore. I still think it's Armstrong." She turned her head suddenly, "Don't you think—someone's been watching us all this time, waiting for an opportunity to strike?" Lombard said flatly: "It's our nervousness. " Vera said eagerly, "So you felt it too?" She shuddered and moved closer. "Tell me—you don't think so—" After a pause, she continued, "I read a story once—that two judges came to a small town in America—they claimed to be the Supreme Court. Yes. They uphold justice and impartiality. It turns out that they are not from this world..." Lombard raised his eyebrows and said, "Messengers from heaven, huh? No, I don't believe in supernatural things. This kind of It's all done by people." Vera whispered: "Sometimes... I suspect..." Lombard looked at her and said: "It's your conscience..." After a moment of silence, he added calmly: "So That you did drown that child?" Vera said in a rage, "I didn't! No! You have no right to say that." He smiled casually. "Exactly. You drowned the child. I don't know why you did it, and I can't imagine. Maybe a man was involved, isn't it?" Vera felt suddenly weak and exhausted.She said lazily: "Yes—a man is involved..." Lombard said softly, "Thank you. That's exactly what I wanted to know..." Vera sat up suddenly, and exclaimed: "What's the matter? Was it an earthquake?" Lombard said. "No, it wouldn't be. But it's kind of weird, the ground moved. I thought—did you hear someone shouting? I heard a sound." .” They looked in the direction of the house.Lombard said, "That's where the sound is coming from. We'd better go up and see." "No, I'm not going." "As you please, I'll go." Vera said helplessly: "Okay then, I'll go with you." They walked towards the villa.The sun floods the terrace, giving it a sense of tranquility.They hesitated for a moment, and instead of going in through the front door, they walked cautiously around the house.They found Blore.His head was smashed into a bloody mass by a large piece of white marble, and he was lying on the east stone steps with his arms outstretched. Philip looked up and said, "Whose room is the window directly above?" Vera replied tremblingly, "It's mine. This clock is on the fireplace in my room too... I remember. It's carved into a —in the shape of a bear," she chattered trillingly, "in the shape of a bear..." Philip took her by the shoulders, and said grimly, urgently, "The truth is out. Armstrong must be hiding somewhere in there. I'll go in and get him." Vera clung to him, and cried, "Don't be so foolish, it's just the two of us now! It's our turn too. He's waiting for us to find him! He wants us to go in!" Philip paused. Living."That makes sense," he said thoughtfully. Vera cried, "Anyway, you should admit that I am right." He nodded. "Yes—you've won! It's Armstrong, no doubt about it. But where's he hiding? Let's grate the place like a scourge." Vera said anxiously: "If you You couldn't find him at night, and you won't find him now... It's common sense." Lombard said reluctantly, "Yes, but..." "He must have prepared a secret place in advance—— Exactly—that's what he's going to do. Find a place like one of those old-fashioned mansion back rooms." "It's not one of those old-fashioned houses." "He can have one repaired." Philip Lombard shook his head and said, "We measured the house—the next morning. I promise I didn't find any discrepancies." Vera said: "There must be..." Lombard De said, "I want to see!" Vera exclaimed, "Yes, you want to go in, and he knows that very well! He's in there—waiting for you to go in and die." "You know I have this," said Lombard, drawing the pistol halfway out of his pocket. "You said just now that nothing happened to Blore--Armstrong was no match for him. He was stronger than Armstrong, and he was very alert. But you seem to fail to understand that Armstrong is a madman! A madman is always on the edge , he is twice as cunning as a normal person." Lombard put the pistol back in his pocket and said, "Well, let's go." At last Lombard asked: "What shall we do at night?" Vera said nothing this time.Lombard went on grimly: "Haven't you thought about it?" Vera said hopelessly: "What can we do? Oh God, I'm so afraid..." Philip Lombard said thoughtfully: "The weather Very well. There must be a moon at night. We must find a place on the other side of the cliff, where we can sit all night and wait for the dawn. We must not sleep... Be alert at all times. If anyone climbs up, I will shoot!" He After a pause, she continued, "Maybe you're going to be cold. The clothes are so thin." Vera smiled hoarsely and said, "Cold? If I die, I'll be cold." Philip said, "That's the truth. ..." His tone was calm. Vera moved restlessly."I'm going crazy if I'm going to keep sitting here like this. Let's hang out," she said. "Ok!" They walked up and down the rocks overlooking the sea.The sun was almost setting below the western horizon.The golden light is dazzling.The two of them were completely bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.Vera giggled suddenly nervously, and said: "Unfortunately, we can't take a sea bath..." Looking at the sea below, Philip interrupted her suddenly: "What is that—over there? Do you see Is it? Near the big rock. No, a little to the right." Vera stared where he pointed.She said, "Whose clothes do they seem to be?" "A swimmer, eh!" Lombard laughed. Vera said, "Let's go and see." "It's clothes," said Lombard, coming closer. "A pile of clothes, and there's a boot over there. Come on, crawl over here." They jumped across the rocks.Vera stopped suddenly.She said, "It wasn't clothes—it was a person..." The person was caught between two rocks and had been swept over by the tide.Lombard and Vera finally jumped onto a rock and approached the man.They bent over, a face purple with water, the hideous face of a drowning man... Lombard said: "My God! It's Armstrong..."