chapter-4

Chapter 4. But now, said Kemp, looking out of the window.

What are we going to do? He moved towards his guest as he spoke, because he did not want

him to notice the three men who were walking up the hill road.

What were you planning to do in Port Burdock? He asked.

Did you have a plan?

I was going to leave the country, said the invisible man.

Since the weather is hot now, it is easy to be invisible.

So I decided to go south. From there I could get on a ship to France.

Then I could take a train to Spain or Algiers. It would not be difficult.

I could always be invisible there. I see.

But I need my journals, and Marvel has stolen them.

If I find him, I'll... You should get the journals first.

But where is he? Do you know? He's in the town police station. He asked to be locked up.

The rat shouted the invisible man. We must get those books.

Certainly, said Kemp nervously. He thought he heard footsteps outside.

We must get those books, and it won't be difficult.

He was trying to keep the conversation going.

But now that I have found you, my plans have changed Kemp, said the invisible man.

You are a man who can understand. You are a man of science, he paused.

Have you told anyone I'm here? He asked. Kemp hesitated.

Not a soul, he said.

All right, said the invisible man as he stood up.

I made a mistake, Kemp. I tried to do this thing by myself. But now I have you.

Together we can do a thousand things.

Invisibility allows me to do many things.

It allows me to secretly listen to conversations and to get away easily from people trying to catch me.

And best of all, it allows me to kill people.

Kemp tried to act normal. He touched his moustache.

Was there somebody downstairs?

We must start with killing Kemp. Why?

The point is to make people know there is an invisible man.

And that invisible man, Kemp, must spread terror.

He must take some town like Birdock and terrify it to take the control.

He must give out orders and kill people who disobey his orders.

Really, said Kemp.

He was no longer listening to Griffin because he was listening to the sound of his front door opening and closing.

The invisible man had heard it too.

Did you hear that? What's that downstairs?

Nothing, said Kemp, and began to speak loud and fast.

I don't agree to do this, Griffin, he said.

Understand me, I don't agree.

Do you think you can be happy?

Science should be used to help humankind.

You should write about your discovery and experiments and help the world.

The invisible man raised his arm.

I hear footsteps coming upstairs, he said in a low voice.

I don't think so, said Kemp.

Let me see, said the invisible man and went to the door.

After that, things happened quickly.

You betrayed me, cried the invisible man, and suddenly his clothes started moving.

He was taking them off.

Kemp ran to the door, and as he opened it, he heard voices downstairs.

He pushed the invisible man back, jumped outside and shut the door.

He was about to lock the door, but the key fell noisily on the floor.

Kemp's face became white.

He tried to hold the door handle with both hands.

But the invisible man was pulling it from the inside.

They pushed and pulled at the door for some time.

Then the door opened slightly, and Kemp felt invisible fingers around his throat.

He could not hold onto the door anymore.

He tripped and fell.

The empty shirt was thrown on top of him.

At that moment, Colonel Addy, chief of the Birdock Police, was coming up the stairs.

He had received Kemp's letter.

He was surprised to see Kemp push to the floor.

He watched as Kemp tried to get up and was pushed down once more.

Then Colonel Addy was struck hard.

By nothing.

He felt something heavy jump on him, and he was pushed down the stairs.

He heard the two police officers shout downstairs and the front door of the house shut.

Addy sat up.

He saw Kemp moving slowly down the stairs.

His face was red, and his lip was bleeding.

Oh no, cried Kemp.

He's gone.

Kemp tried to explain what had just happened, but he was in a state of shock.

It took some time for Addy to understand the situation.

He is mad, said Kemp.

He's not human.

He is selfish.

He thinks of only himself.

This morning he told me a story of cruelty and selfishness.

He has hurt people.

He will kill people unless we stop him.

Nothing can stop him.

We must catch him, said a die.

But how?

cried Kemp.

And suddenly he had some ideas.

You must begin now.

You must set every man to work.

You must stop him.

If he gets away he will go anywhere.

He plans to kill and hurt people.

He dreams of spreading terror.

The only thing to keep him here is the thought of finding some books.

He says they are very important.

There is a man in your police station, Marvel.

I know, said Addy.

I know.

Those books.

Yes.

He says Marvel has them.

And you must prevent him from eating or sleeping.

The town must be on the watch day and night.

Food must be hidden away.

The houses in the area must be locked up.

The whole countryside must hunt after him.

I tell you, Addy, he is very dangerous.

I must go now and begin planning, said Addy.

But you should come with me.

Tell me, what else can we do?

The two men went downstairs.

They found the front door open and the two policemen standing outside.

He's got away, sir, said one.

We must go to the police station, said Addy.

One of you go find a cab quickly.

And now, Kemp, what else?

Dogs, said Kemp.

Get dogs.

They don't see him, but they can smell him.

Good, said Addy.

The prison officers at Holsteed know a man who has hunting dogs.

We can ask him.

What else?

His food shows, said Kemp.

After he eats, you can see his food for some time.

So he has to hide after eating.

You must keep searching every little corner.

And everything that can be used as a weapon must be locked away.

All right, said Addy.

We will catch him.

And on the roads, said Kemp, and hesitated.

Yes, asked Addy.

Broken glass, said Kemp.

I know it's cruel.

But think of what he may do.

Addy took a deep breath.

It is cruel.

I don't know.

But I'll have broken glass ready.

The man is not human, said Kemp.

He will do anything.

We must catch him.

If he dies, it will be because he deserves it.

The invisible man had rushed out of Kemp's house full of anger.

A little child playing near Kemp's house was picked up and thrown to the ground.

His ankle was broken.

Then he disappeared for several hours.

No one knew where he went and what he did.

But we can guess that he walked up the hill and onto the open land behind Port Burdock

and found shelter in the woods.

He hid there until two in the afternoon.

During that time, large numbers of men were busy looking for him.

He was no longer a legend.

He was now a real enemy that had to be caught or stopped.

The people in the countryside began organizing very quickly.

If the invisible man had left the area in the morning he could have escaped,

but after two o 'clock, this was impossible for him.

Every passenger train travelled with locked doors.

Men with guns and dogs set out in groups of three and four to search the roads and fields.

Policemen on horseback rode on the country roads,

stopping at every house and warning the people to lock up their houses and not to go out.

All the schools had closed by three o 'clock and the frightened children were hurrying home.

Posters were put up on walls informing people about what had to be done.

Food had to be locked away and everyone had to be on the lookout.

Before night the whole countryside was in a state of alarm.

Then came the news of the murder of Mr Wixteed.

We do not know about the details of the event.

It happened near Lord Burdock's house.

Mr Wixteed was a quiet, harmless man about 45 years old.

He worked for Lord Burdock and was walking home for lunch.

The invisible man used an iron bar taken from a piece of fence.

He stopped this quiet man, attacked and beat him.

There was also the story of a voice heard by two men in a field that afternoon.

The voice was crying and laughing and shouting.

It went across the field and died away.

The invisible man must have realized that Kemp was using the things he had told him.

Finding all the houses locked, reading the posters on the walls,

seeing the men with dogs looking for him must have frustrated him.

He was a hunted man.

In the night he must have eaten and slept because next morning he was active again.

He was powerful, angry and ready for his last struggle against the world.

The next day at one o 'clock Kemp received a letter.

It was a strange letter written in pencil.

You have been very clever but you cannot gain anything by it.

You have looked for me for a whole day.

But I have had food and I have slept.

The game is only beginning.

There is only one thing to do to start the terror.

This is the first day of the terror.

I am the new king in Port Burdock.

Tell the police and everyone.

This is the beginning of a new age, the age of the invisible man.

I am invisible man the first.

On the first day, one man will die, a man named Kemp.

He may hide himself away and get guards to protect him.

But death, the unseen death is coming.

The game begins.

Death starts.

Do not help him my people or you will die too.

Kemp read the letter twice.

That's him, he said.

And he means what he says.

He intends to kill me.

He got up leaving his lunch unfinished and went upstairs.

He told his housekeeper to go around the house and make sure all the windows and shutters were closed.

He closed the shutters of his study himself.

He took a small gun out of a locked drawer in his bedroom and put it into the pocket of his jacket.

He wrote several short letters, one to Colonel Adai, and gave them to his maid to take it to the police station.

Then he went back to his lunch.

He ate slowly, thinking.

We will get him, he said out loud.

He went up to his room, carefully shutting every door behind him.

It's a game, he said to himself.

But I will win Mr Griffin, even though you are invisible.

He stood at the window, staring at the hillside.

He must get food every day.

Did he really sleep last night?

I wish we could get some cold wet weather instead of the heat.

He may be watching me now.

He approached the window.

Suddenly something hit the wall above the window which made him jump back.

I'm getting nervous, he said.

Five minutes later, he went to the window again.

It must have been a bird, he said.

Then he heard the doorbell ring and hurried downstairs.

He unlocked the door and opened it slowly without showing himself.

It was Adia.

Your maid has been attacked, Kemp, he said.

What?

Exclaimed Kemp.

He took away the letters you wrote.

He's near here, let me in.

Kemp opened the door a little and Adi entered.

He stood in the hall waiting for Kemp to lock the door.

The letter was taken out of her hand, he said.

She is scared out of her mind.

She's at the police station now.

What was the letter about?

I was a fool, said Kemp.

I should have known.

What?

Asked Adi.

Look, said Kemp, and gave Adi the invisible man's letter.

Adi read it.

Suddenly the sound of a breaking window came from upstairs.

It's a window upstairs, cried Kemp.

Another window was broken while they were climbing the stairs.

They stopped in the doorway of the study and looked inside.

Two of the three windows were broken, the floor was covered with pieces of glass,

and two big stones were lying on the writing table.

Then another stone came in through the third window.

What's this?

Said Adi.

It's the beginning, said Kemp.

There's no way of climbing up here.

Not even for a cat, said Kemp.

There was a noise from downstairs.

Now he's breaking the windows downstairs, said Kemp.

But he's a fool, the shutters are closed, and the glass will fall outside.

He'll cut his feet.

I have an idea, said Adi.

I'll go down to the police station and have them bring the dogs.

The windows downstairs were being broken one by one.

Do you have a gun, asked Adi?

Kemp's hand went to his pocket, then he hesitated.

This is the only one I have.

I'll bring it back, said Adi.

You'll be safe here.

Kemp gave him the weapon.

Now for the door, said Adi.

As they stood in front of the door, they heard one of the first floor bedroom windows break.

Kemp unlocked it as quietly as possible.

His face was pale.

In another moment, Adi was outside.

Kemp locked the door.

Adi hesitated for a moment.

Then he walked down the steps, passed through the garden and reached the gate.

Something moved near him.

Stop a bit, said a voice, and Adi stopped his hand on the gun.

Well, said Adi.

Go back to the house, said the voice.

Sorry, said Adi.

He thought the voice was on his left front.

What if he tried to shoot him?

What are you going to do, asked the voice?

None of your business, said a die.

Suddenly, he felt an arm around his neck and a knee in his back, and he fell backward.

He fired the gun, but he was struck in the mouth.

The gun was taken from his hand.

He tried to struggle up, but fell back.

The voice laughed.

I could kill you now, but I don't want to waste my bullets, it said.

The gun was in mid -air, pointing at Adi.

Get up, said the voice.

Adi stood up.

Don't try any games, said the voice.

Remember, I can see you, but you can't see me.

Go back to the house.

He won't let me in, said Adi.

That's too bad, said the invisible man.

I don't want to kill you.

Adi looked away from the gun and saw the blue sea under the midday sun, the smooth green hills,

the white rocks, and suddenly he knew that life was sweet.

He looked back at the gun, pointed at him.

What do you want me to do, he said?

You will get help when I let you go, said the invisible man.

The only thing you have to do is to go back.

I will try.

If he lets me in, will you promise not to try to get in?

I have nothing against you, said the voice.

Kemp had rushed upstairs after letting Adi out, and now looking through the broken glass,

he saw Adi talking to the invisible man.

Why doesn't he shoot him?

He asked himself.

Then he noticed the gun.

He realized it was being held by the invisible man.

Promise not to try to get in, Adi was saying.

You go back to the house.

I will not promise anything.

Kemp watched as Adi turned towards the house and started walking slowly with his hands behind him.

The gun was following him.

Then things happened very quickly.

Adi suddenly jumped backwards, tried to catch the gun, missed it and fell forward.

Blue smoke rose into the air.

Kemp did not hear the gunshot.

Adi tried to get up but fell forward and stopped moving.

Kemp stared at Adi for a few minutes.

It was a very hot day, and nothing seemed to move.

Adi lay still on the grass near the gate.

Then came a ringing and a knocking at the front door.

The servants had locked themselves into their rooms so no one answered it.

Then there was silence.

Kemp looked carefully out of the three windows.

Then he went to the staircase and stood listening nervously.

Everything was quiet.

Suddenly he heard a loud noise downstairs.

Kemp hesitated but went downstairs to the kitchen.

The noise was terrible.

Someone was breaking the shutters.

He opened the kitchen door and saw pieces of wood flying into the kitchen.

He stood in shock.

He could see that an axe was hitting the window frames.

Kemp quickly shut the door and locked it.

He stood there trying to think.

In a moment the invisible man would be in the kitchen.

This door would not protect him.

And then the doorbell rang again.

It was the two policemen with the maid.

He ran to the front door and let them in and then shut the door again.

The invisible man said Kemp.

He has a gun.

He has two shots left.

He's shot Adi.

Didn't you see him on the grass?

He's lying there.

We came round the back way said the girl.

What's that noise?

Asked one of the policemen.

He's breaking the kitchen door.

He has an axe.

The girl stared towards the kitchen shaking in fear and hurried into the dining room.

The others followed her.

They heard the kitchen door breaking open.

Poker's said Kemp as he went to the fireplace and picked up two poker's.

He gave one to each of the policemen.

Suddenly the door opened wide and they saw an axe and a gun in mid -air.

The gun fired a shot and Kemp jumped backward.

One of the policemen bent down and caught the axe with his poker.

The gun fired another shot hitting a painting on the wall.

The other policemen hit the gun with his poker and it flew down on the floor.

The axe was still in the air.

They could hear the invisible man breathing.

Stand back you two, he said.

I want Kemp.

We want you, said one of the policemen.

He moved towards the invisible man and waved his poker at him.

The invisible man moved back and then struck the policeman with the axe.

He was on the floor.

The second policeman now waved his poker towards the space behind the axe and hit something soft.

There was a sharp cry of pain and the axe fell to the ground.

The policeman waved the poker again but hit nothing.

He put his foot on the axe.

Then he stood, listening for a movement.

The other policemen sat up with blood running down his cheek.

Where is he?

He asked.

I don't know.

I've hit him.

He's standing somewhere in the hall.

Dr. Kemp, sir.

Dr. Kemp cried the policeman again.

The other policeman stood up with difficulty.

Suddenly they heard bare feet walking on the kitchen floor.

Hey!

cried the other policeman and threw away his poker.

He went into the kitchen after the invisible man but then he changed his mind.

He went back into the dining room.

Dr. Kemp, he called.

The window was wide open and neither the maid nor Kemp was there.

Kemp and the maid had jumped out of the window.

The maid ran into the bushes and hid there.

Kemp kept on running.

He was running down the hill road just like Marvel had done a few days ago.

Even though his face was white and sweaty, he was quite calm.

The road seemed empty.

The few houses he passed were locked up.

Now he was approaching the town.

He could see people down at the bottom of the road.

The police station was not too far away.

As he entered the town, he slowed down.

Then he heard footsteps behind him.

The invisible man!

He cried.

He decided not to go to the police station.

He turned into a little side street and then into a back street.

Two or three little children were playing there.

They screamed when they saw him.

When he ran back into the main street, he noticed a wild crowd.

People were running in all directions.

Some were holding sticks, spades and other tools to protect themselves.

Spread out!

Spread out!

Cried someone.

He's here!

Cried Kemp.

He's close!

Suddenly he was struck hard under the ear.

He tried to turn around towards his unseen enemy.

Then he was struck again under the jaw and fell.

A knee was pressing on his chest and two hands were holding him by the throat.

Then he saw a man wave a stick in the air and hit his invisible enemy.

The hands let go of his throat.

Kemp freed himself and turned his enemy over on the ground.

I've got him!

He screamed.

Help!

Hold him!

He's down!

Hold his feet!

In another second people rushed by his side.

Only the sound of hitting and heavy breathing was heard.

The invisible man tried to get up, but they held him down and continued beating him.

Then suddenly he gave out a wild scream.

Get back!

Cried Kemp.

He's hurt!

Stand back!

Don't let go of him, Cried a man.

The mouths wet, said Kemp, feeling the body.

More and more people were now gathering to see what was happening.

Very little was said.

He's not breathing, said Kemp.

I can't feel his heart.

Look there, Cried an old woman and pointed.

Everyone watched as a pale and transparent figure slowly appeared.

It looked like glass.

Slowly the hands and the feet became visible.

Then came the chest and the shoulders.

And a few minutes later the whole body was visible.

It was a young man about thirty.

He had an angry and disappointed look on his face.

Cover his face, said a man.

Someone brought a sheet from the jolly cricketers and they covered him.

Then they carried him into the inn.

And there on an old bed the strange and terrible experiments of Griffin,

the first men to make himself invisible, ended.