Elephant Man - Christine Sparks [19]
“Out of my sight!”
The creature’s ponderous feet seemed to catch in each other as he struggled to move. With his left hand he grabbed the plate of potatoes but this left him nothing with which to lever himself up off the ground. All the time Bytes stood over him, panting with fury at his slowness.
“Now!” Bytes jabbed his victim with the end of the whip, spilling the potatoes and water over the floor.
“You clumsy sod!” Bytes said viciously.
His temper was feeding on itself. He jabbed the poor creature again and enjoyed doing it, releasing his sour resentment that the easy living of the past fortnight was over. Then again, harder, lurching forward to get a better aim. Without warning his foot, which had trod on a potato, slithered from under him. He came down hard, crying out with shock as he hit the stone floor. He stared for a moment at the Elephant Man, who had staggered to his feet and was backing away, whimpering with fear.
“You …” he breathed.
He did not remember rising and crossing the floor. It just seemed that the next thing he was doing was lashing at the thing savagely with the riding crop. Drink and venom drove every blow forward ever harder. The man backed, fruitlessly attempting to shield himself with his arms. Choking whimpers came from him as the whip rose and fell.
It was beyond the Elephant Man’s power to stand upright under this barrage. His clumsy feet struck an unevenness on the floor and he fell backward. The great weight of his monstrous head seemed to be pulling him further and further down forcing his neck to bend, constricting his windpipe. He began to gasp for air, his wheezing becoming more panic-stricken as he felt himself choking. He had not the strength to lift his head, and anyway Bytes was slashing his face in a frenzy.
“Bytes—don’t …”
Tony had watched the mounting scene as though paralyzed. At first he had cared little. Bytes was always beating the creature. But now it dawned on him that if the man didn’t stop there’d be a murder charge in the end—for them both.
“Bytes—Bytes—” he screamed, his hands uselessly pulling at the big man.
But Bytes was beyond hearing. His frenzy of hate and disgust had blotted out all else. Through drawn back teeth he was muttering mindlessly.
“This won’t do, my lad. This just won’t do.”
At last his fury spent itself and the rhythm of his flailing arms slowed. The blows became mechanical, the winding down of a machine that has gone on too long. He gave one final slash and stepped backward. He was breathing heavily and his face streamed with sweat. Tony stared, wide-eyed. Ugly, shuddering gasps shook the Elephant Man as he lay on the floor, unable to help himself up.
“We better get ’im up, Bytes.”
“Who cares about him? Let him lie there.”
“S’pose ’e dies. You’ll ’ave to buy somethin’ else.”
Bytes swore and threw the riding whip away. Together they raised the Elephant Man till he was sitting upright, and propped him against the wall, where his head immediately dropped forward against his knees. The agonized gasps continued unabated.
“Get that doctor,” said Bytes curtly.
“ ’E’ll charge yer.”
“Oh no he won’t.” Bytes’ piggy eyes gleamed. “How can he, when he sent my property back to me in this condition? I’ve a right to protect my investment. Get on with you.”
Tony turned and fled the cellar. It took him six minutes to cover the half mile between Turners Road and the London Hospital, and when he arrived he hurled himself straight into the Receiving Room without stopping to speak to anyone. He knew whom he had come for, and by good fortune he found him at once.
“Our man is sick,” he told Treves without preamble. “Come right away.”
“What is it?” Treves demanded.
“Like this.” Tony made painful heaving movements in imitation of the Elephant Man.
“I’ll get my bag.”
“I’ve gotta get back.” Tony was out of the door before Treves could tell him to wait. He didn’t want to face any awkward questions on the journey. Let Bytes do the explaining.
Treves arrived about ten minutes after the boy, and to Tony’s admiration Bytes went immediately into the