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The Invisible Man
Chapter 23. THE PLAN THAT FAILED
"But now," said Kemp, with a quick look out of the window, "what are we going to do?"
He moved closer to his guest as he spoke.
He did this so that the Invisible Man couldn't suddenly see the three men who were walking up the hill road.
They were moving very slowly, it seemed to Kemp.
"What were you planning to do when you were going to Port Burdock? Did you have any plan?"
"I was going to leave the country."
"But I've changed that plan a little since I saw you."
"I thought it would be smart, now the weather is hot and invisibility is possible, to go south."
"Especially because my secret was known, and everyone would look for a man with a mask and heavy clothes."
"You have a line of ships from here to France."
"My idea was to get on one and take the risks of the trip."
"From there I could go by train into Spain, or get to Algiers."
"It wouldn't be hard."
"There a man could always be invisible and still live."
"And do things."
"I was using that tramp as a money box and luggage carrier, until I decided how to get my books and things sent to me."
"That's clear."
"And then the dirty animal tried to rob me! He's hidden my books, Kemp. Hidden my books! If I can get my hands on him!"
"The best plan is to get the books from him first."
"But where is he? Do you know?"
"He's in the town police station, locked up, by his own request, in the strongest cell in the place."
"Cur!" said the Invisible Man.
"But that stops your plans a little."
"We must get those books. Those books are very important."
"Certainly," said Kemp, a little nervously.
He wondered if he heard footsteps outside.
"Certainly we must get those books. But that won't be hard, if he doesn't know they're for you."
"No," said the Invisible Man, and thought.
Kemp tried to think of something to keep the talk going, but the Invisible Man started speaking again on his own.
"Coming into your house by mistake, Kemp,"
He said, "Changes all my plans, because you are a man who can understand."
"In spite of all that has happened, of the loss of my books and I have suffered, there are still great possibilities".
"You haven't told anyone I'm here?" he asked suddenly.
Kemp waited a moment, listening carefully for any sound from the street below.
"That was understood," he said.
"No one?" insisted Griffin.
"Not a soul."
"Ah! Now." The Invisible Man stood up, and putting his arms out to the sides began to walk back and forth in the study.
"I made a mistake, Kemp, a huge mistake, in doing this thing alone".
I've wasted strength, time, chances, Alone.
It's amazing how little a man can do alone!
To steal a little, to hurt a little, and that's the end.
"What I want, Kemp, is a helper, a partner, and a hiding place".
A way where I can sleep and eat and rest in peace, without being suspected.
I must have a friend who works with me.
With a friend, with food and rest, a thousand things are possible.
"Until now I've worked without a clear plan."
"We have to think about what invisibility means, and what it doesn't mean."
"It doesn't help much for listening at doors and such things."
"I make sounds."
"It's not very helpful, a little helpful maybe, for breaking into houses and such things."
"Once you catch me you could easily put me in prison."
"But on the other hand, I'm hard to catch."
"This invisibility, in fact, is only good in two cases."
"It's useful for getting away."
"It's useful for getting close."
"It's especially useful, then, for killing."
"I can walk around a man, whatever weapon he has, choose my spot, hit as I like."
"Move away as I like."
"Escape as I like."
Kemp's hand went to his moustache, Was that a noise downstairs?
"And killing is what we must do, Kemp."
"Killing is what we must do," repeated Kemp.
"I'm listening to your plan, Griffin, but I'm not agreeing, understand. Why killing?"
"Not killing for fun, but careful killing."
"They know there is an Invisible Man, as we do, and that Invisible Man, Kemp, must start a Reign of Terror, yes, it is shocking".
"I mean it."
"A Reign of Terror."
"He must take some town like your Burdock and frighten and control it."
"He must give his orders."
"He can do that in a thousand ways."
"Pieces of paper pushed under doors would be enough."
"And everyone who disobeys his orders he must kill, and kill all who would protect them."
"Humph!" said Kemp.
He was no longer listening to Griffin but to the sound of his front door opening and closing.
"It seems to me, Griffin," he said, to cover his wandering attention, "that your helper would be in a difficult position."
"No one would know he was a helper," said the Invisible Man, eagerly.
And then suddenly, "Shh! What's that downstairs?"
"Nothing," said Kemp, and suddenly began to speak loudly and fast.
"I don't agree to this, Griffin," he said.
"Understand me, I don't agree to this."
"Why dream of playing a game against the whole human race?"
"How can you hope to be happy?"
"Don't be a lone wolf."
"Publish your results."
"Take the world, take the nation at least, into your trust."
"Think what you could do with a million helpers."
The Invisible Man interrupted, his arm was stretched out.
"There are footsteps coming upstairs," he said in a low voice.
"Nonsense," said Kemp.
"Let me see," said the Invisible Man, and moved forward, arm stretched out, to the door.
And then things happened very fast.
Kemp waited for a second and then moved to stop him.
The Invisible Man jumped and stood still.
"Traitor!" cried the Voice, and suddenly the dressing gown opened, and sitting down the Unseen began to take off his clothes.
Kemp made three quick steps to the door, and at once the Invisible Man, his legs had disappeared, jumped to his feet with a shout.
Kemp threw the door open and shouted as he saw the empty hall.
As it opened, there came a sound of hurrying feet downstairs and voices.
With a quick move Kemp pushed the Invisible Man back, jumped aside, and slammed the door.
The key was outside and ready.
In another moment Griffin would have been alone in the belvedere study, a prisoner.
Except for one small thing, the key had been put in quickly that morning.
As Kemp slammed the door it fell noisily onto the carpet.
Kemp's face became white, he tried to hold the door handle with both hands.
For a moment he pulled hard.
Then the door opened six inches.
But he got it closed again.
The second time it was pulled a foot wide, and the dressing gown got stuck in the opening.
His throat was held by invisible fingers, and he let go of the handle to defend himself.
He was pushed back, tripped, and fell heavily into the corner of the landing.
The empty dressing gown was thrown on top of him.
Halfway up the stairs was Colonel Adye, the man who received Kemp's letter, the chief of the Burdock police.
He was staring in shock at the sudden appearance of Kemp, followed by the strange sight of clothes flying empty in the air.
He saw Kemp fall, and struggle to his feet.
He saw him rush forward, and go down again, knocked down like an ox.
Then suddenly he was hit hard, By nothing!
A huge weight, it seemed, jumped onto him.
And he was thrown headlong down the stairs, with a grip on his throat and a knee in his groin.
An invisible foot stepped on his back.
A ghostly sound of footsteps passed downstairs.
He heard the two police officers in the hall shout and run, and the front door of the house slammed hard.
He rolled over and sat up staring.
He saw Kemp coming down the stairs unsteadily, dusty and messy, one side of his face white from a hit.
His lip was bleeding, and he carried a pink dressing gown and some underclothes in his arms.
"My God!" cried Kemp, "the game's over! He's gone!"