Chapter XVIII

The Plan that Failed

“But now,” said Kemp, looking out of the window, “what are we to do?”

He stood near his guest to prevent him from seeing three men who were walking up the hill road.

“What were you planning to do, when you came to Burdock?”

“I was going to get out of the country. I wanted to go to the south where the weather is hot and invisibility possible, to France first, then I could go to Spain, or to Algiers. There a man might be invisible, and yet live. I was using that tramp as a luggage carrier, and then he got an idea to rob me! He has hidden my books, Kemp. Hidden my books! If I find him!…”

“But where is he? Do you know?”

“He’s in the town police station. He asked to lock himself up.”

“Curse him!” said the Invisible Man. “We must get those books!”

“Certainly,” said Kemp, wondering if he heard steps outside. Kemp tried to think of something to keep the talk going.

“When I got into your house, Kemp,” said the Invisible Man, “I changed all my plans. You are a man that can understand. You have told no one I am here?” he asked suddenly.

“No,” Kemp said.

“I made a mistake, Kemp, starting this thing alone. It is wonderful how little a man can do alone!

“What I want, Kemp, is a helper, and a hiding-place. I must have a partner. With a partner, with food and rest, a thousand things are possible. Invisibility is useful in getting away, in approaching. It’s very useful in killing. I can come up to a man, and strike as I like, and escape.”

Kemp heard a movement downstairs.

“And we must kill, Kemp.”

“I’m listening to your plan, Griffin,” said Kemp, “but I do not agree. Why kill?”

“The Invisible Man will establish a Reign of Terror. Yes; a Reign of Terror. He must take some town, like your Burdock, and terrify and dominate it. He will kill all who is against him.”

Kemp was no longer listening to Griffin, but to the sound of his front door opening and closing.

“Your partner would be in a difficult position,” he said

“No one would know he was my partner,” said the Invisible Man. And then suddenly, “Hush! What’s that downstairs?”

“Nothing,” said Kemp, and suddenly began to speak loud and fast. “I don’t agree to this, Griffin,” he said. “Understand me, I don’t agree to this. How can you hope to be happy? Publish your results. Think what you can do with a million helpers.”

The Invisible Man interrupted. “There are steps coming upstairs. Let me see,” said the Invisible Man, and went to the door.

“Traitor!” cried the Invisible Man, the dressing-gown opened, and fell to the floor. Kemp ran to the door and opened it. There was a sound of feet downstairs and voices. Kemp pushed the Invisible Man back, and slammed the door. The key was outside and ready. As Kemp slammed the door it fell on the floor. Kemp’s face became white. He tried to keep the door closed. Then the door opened a little. But he closed it again. Then it opened, and his throat was gripped by invisible fingers, and he was pushed down.

Walking upstairs was Colonel Adye, the chief of the Burdock police. Suddenly he was struck violently. By nothing! Something gripped his throat, pushed him, and he fell. A moment later he heard the two police officers in the hall shout and run, and the front door slammed violently. He sat up on the floor.

“My God!” cried Kemp, “He’s gone!”

Chapter XIX

The Hunting of the Invisible Man

It took Kemp some time to make Adye understand what had just happened.

“He is mad,” said Kemp. “He thinks of nothing but his own power. He has wounded men. He will kill them if we don’t prevent him. Nothing can stop him. He is furious!”

“He must be caught,” said Adye. “That is certain.”

“But how?” cried Kemp, and suddenly became full of ideas. “You must begin at once; he mustn’t leave this district. He dreams of a reign of terror! You must watch trains and roads and ships. The only thing that may keep him here is the thought of getting his diaries from the tramp. He is in your police station – Marvel.”

“I know,” said Adye, “Those books – yes. But the tramp…”

“Says he doesn’t have them. But he thinks the tramp has. And you must prevent him from eating or sleeping. Food must be locked up, all food. All the houses must be locked. The nights are cold, and it rains.”

“What else can we do?” said Adye. “I must begin organising at once. Kemp, what else?”

“Dogs,” said Kemp. “Get dogs. They don’t see him, but they feel him.”

“Good,” said Adye. “What else?”

“His food shows,” said Kemp. “After eating, his food shows until it is assimilated. He has to hide after eating.”

“I’ll do that,” said Adye.

* * *

The Invisible Man rushed out of Kemp’s house in rage. A little child playing near Kemp’s house was thrown away, so that his leg was broken. He was exasperated when he saw that Kemp had betrayed him. The people began to organize themselves. Every train travelled with locked doors. Men with guns in groups of three and four with dogs watched roads and fields. Policemen visited every cottage in the country and told people to lock up their houses and keep indoors.

At half past two, horrible news went through the country. It was the story of the murder of Mr. Wicksteed. He was a man of forty-five, very quiet. It seemed the Invisible Man stopped the man going home to lunch, attacked him, beat him, and smashed his head to jelly. Perhaps, he did it in one of his fits of temper.

He found houses locked, he walked about railway stations and inns, and no doubt he read the leaflets of the police, and realised he was being hunted. In the fields were groups of men with dogs. And he himself had given the information used against him! He was exasperated, furious!

Chapter XX

The Invisible Man Against Kemp

Kemp read a note, written in pencil.

“You are against me. For a whole day you have hunted me. But I have had food and slept in spite of you, and the game is only beginning. This will be the first day of the Terror. On the first day I shall kill one man – a man named Kemp. The unseen Death is coming.”

Kemp read this letter twice. “It’s no joke,” he said. He told his servant to lock the doors and shutters. From a drawer in his bedroom he took a revolver, and put it into his pocket. He wrote a note to Colonel Adye, and sent it to him with his servant.

He stood at the window looking at the hillside.

“He may be watching me now.”

Something hit the wall near the window, and he stepped back.

He heard the front door bell ringing. He unbolted and unlocked the door, and looked out. It was Adye. “Your servant has been attacked, Kemp,” he said. “He has taken your note from her. He’s near here. Let me in.”

“Planned a trap – like a fool and sent you a note with my servant. To him. Look here!” said Kemp, and showed him Griffin’s letter.

Adye read it.

“And you —?” said Adye.

They heard glass smashed upstairs. “It’s a window upstairs!” said Kemp, and led the way up. When they reached the study they found two of the three windows smashed, and one big stone on the writing-table. Kemp swore as the third window was smashed with a stone.

“I’ll go down to the police station and get the dogs,” said Adye. “Have you got a revolver?”

Kemp hesitated.

“I’ll bring it back,” said Adye. “You’ll be safe here.”

Kemp gave him the revolver.

Kemp unbolted the door as noiselessly as possible. His face was a little paler than usual.

In another moment Adye was out and the bolts were drawn again. He saw grass moving. Something was near him.

“Stop,” said a Voice, and Adye stopped, his hand on the revolver. “Where are you going?”

“Where I go,” Adye said slowly, “is my own business.” Suddenly an arm came round his neck, and in a moment he lay on the ground, his hand pulling the revolver out of the pocket. In another moment he was struck, and the revolver was taken from him.

“Don’t try any games. I can see you, but you can’t see me,” said the Voice. “Go back to the house.”

Adye walked towards the house. Kemp watched him through the window. He saw a revolver following Adye. Then things happened very quickly. Adye rushed back, gripped the revolver, threw up his hands, fell on his face, and lay still.

Kemp stood looking out of the window. He saw his servant and two policemen coming along the road. Everything was still. He wondered what Griffin was doing.

Suddenly he heard heavy blows, and the broken shutters fell inside. The shutters had been cut with an axe, and now the axe was working at another window.

Kemp stood in the passage thinking. In a moment the Invisible Man would be in the kitchen. This door would not keep him a moment, and then —

A ringing came at the front door. These were the policemen. He ran into the hall, let them in.

“The Invisible Man!” said Kemp, “He has a revolver with two shots left. He’s killed Adye. Shot him. He has found an axe —”

Suddenly the house was full of heavy blows on the kitchen door. They heard the kitchen door give.

“This way,” cried Kemp, and ran to the dining-room. He took a poker from the fireplace and gave it to one policeman. Suddenly they saw an axe, and the policeman caught the axe on his poker. The revolver fell on the floor. The axe moved to the passage.

“Stand away, you two,” the Invisible Man said. “I want that man Kemp.”

The first policeman made a step into the passage and fell hit by an axe. But the second policeman, who had taken another poker, hit the Invisible Man. There was a cry of pain, and then the axe fell to the ground. He heard the dining-room window open, and the sound of running feet. The first policeman sat up, with the blood running down his face.

“Where is he?” asked the man on the floor.

“Don’t know. I’ve hit him. Dr. Kemp – sir!”

“Dr. Kemp,” cried both policemen. They looked into the dining-room.

Neither the servant nor Kemp was there.

* * *

Kemp ran down the hill road. The road was very long, and the town was very far away. All the houses were locked, no doubt by his own orders.

He decided to go for the police station. He stopped a little, and then he heard the steps of the Invisible Man behind him.

“The Invisible Man!” he cried. He saw people running to him, some with sticks and knives. Kemp suddenly realised that the situation had changed. He stopped and looked round. He was hit hard on the head, but he kept his feet, and he struck back. Then he was hit in the face, and fell on the ground. In another moment unseen hands gripped his throat. He heard men crying near him, and the grip at his throat suddenly relaxed, as men were hitting his unseen enemy from all sides. Some men were kicking violently at something on the ground.

“Get back, you fools!” cried Kemp. “He’s hurt. Stand back.”

Kemp felt about, his hand seemed to pass through empty air. “I can’t feel his heart,” he said.

An old woman screamed “Look there!” And looking where she pointed, everyone saw a vague and transparent, as though made of glass, hand.

“Here are his feet showing!” cried someone.

And so, slowly, beginning at his hands and feet, the body became visible. Soon there lay, naked and broken body of a young man about thirty. His hair and face were white with the whiteness of an albino. His eyes were wide open, and they could see anger in his face.

“Cover his face!” cried a man. “For God’s sake cover that face!”

Someone brought a sheet from the “Jolly Cricketers,” covered him, and they carried him into that house. And there, broken and wounded, Griffin, the first of all men to make himself invisible, the most talented physicist in the world, ended his strange and terrible career.