Lamb to the Slaughter

LAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER by ROALD DAHL The room was warm, the curtains were closed, the two table lamps were lit. On the wardrobe behind her on that point were two glasses and some whoop it ups. Mary Mal iy was waiting for her conserve to come al-Qaida from work. Now and again she glanced at the clock, barely with knocked come in(p) apprehension She merely wanted to satisfy herself that each minute that went by do it ne arer the term when he would come home. As she bent over her sewing, she was especially peaceful. This was her sixth month expecting a small fry. Her mouth and her eyes, with their new calm look, seemed larger and darker than before.When the clock said ten proceedings to v, she began to listen, and a few moments later, punctually as always, she heard the gondola tires on the stones outside, the car door closing, footsteps passing the window, the key turning in the lock. She s to a faultd up and went forward to kiss him as he entered. Hello, darling, she said. Hello, he answered. She took his coat and hung it up. consequently she make the drinks, a strong one for him and a weak one for herself and soon she was top again in her chair with the sewing, and he was in the other(a) chair, keeping the tall glass, rolling it gently so that the ice knocked musically against the side of the glass.For her, this was always a wonderful time of day. She knew he didnt want to come up to much until the first drink was finished, and she was satisfied to sit quietly, enjoying his company after the long hours alone in the house. She love the warmth that came out of him when they were alone to affirmher. She loved the shape of his mouth, and she especially liked the way he didnt complain approximately being tired. Tired, darling? Yes, he sighed. Im thoroughly exhausted. And as he spoke, he did an uncommon thing. He lifted his glass and drank it cut down in one swallow although on that point was still half of it left.He got up and went slowly to position himself a nonher drink. Ill lose it she cried, jumping up. Sit down, he said. When he came defend, she noticed that the new drink was a very strong one. She watched him as he began to drink. I think its a shame, she said, that when someones been a policeman as long as you shake, he still has to walk around all day long. He didnt answer. Darling, she said, If youre too tired to give out tonight, as we had planned, I earth-closet fix you something. Theres plenty of smasheds and stuff in the freezer. Her eyes waited to an answer, a smile, a nod, plainly he made no sign. Anyway, she went on. Ill get you some bread and cheese. I dont want it, he said. She moved uneasily in her chair. besides you substantiate to countenance supper. I can easily fix you something. Id like to do it. We can cede lamb. Anything you want. Everythings in the freezer. Forget it, he said. scarcely, darling, you have to eat Ill do it anyway, and and consequently you can have it or not, as you like. She stood up and ensnare placed her sewing on the table by the lamp. Sit down, he said. Just for a minute, sit down. It wasnt until then that she began to get frightened. Go on, he said. Sit down. She lowered herself into the chair, watching him all the time with large, puzzled eyes. He had finished his second drink and was staring into the glass. Listen, he said. Ive got something to tell you. What is it, darling? Whats the matter? He became absolutely motionless, and he kept his head down. This is going to be a biggish outrage to you, Im afraid, he said. But Ive judgment well-nigh it a good deal and Ive decided that the only thing to do is to tell you immediately. And he told her. It didnt take long, iv or five minutes at most, and she sat still through it all, watching him with puzzled horror. So there it is, he added. And I know its a tough time to be telling you this, but there simply wasnt any other way. Of course, Ill give you money and see that y oure taken care of. But there in truth shouldnt be any problem. I hope not, in any case. It wouldnt be very good for my job. Her first instinct was not to cogitate any of it. She thought that perhaps shed imagined the whole thing. Perhaps, if she acted as though she had not heard him, she would kick downstairs out that none of it had ever happened. Ill fix some supper, she whispered.When she walked across the room, she couldnt feel her feet pitiful the floor. She couldnt feel anything except a slight sickness. She did everything without thinking. She went downstairs to the freezer and took hold of the first object she embed. She lifted it out, and looked at it. It was wrapped in paper, so she took by the paper and looked at again a nog of lamb. All right, then, they would have lamb for supper. She carried it upstairs, held the thin end with twain her hands. She went into the living room, byword him standing by the window with his back to her, and stopped. Ive already tol d you, he said. Dont make supper for me. Im going out. At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause, she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head. She might as easily have clear up him with a steel bar. She stepped back, waiting, and the strange thing was that he remained standing there for at least four or five seconds. indeed he crashed onto the carpet. The fury of the crash, the noise, the small table overturning, helped to bring her out of the shock.She came out slowly, feeling cold and surprised, and she stood for a few minutes, looking at the body, still holding the piece of mall tightly with both hands. All right, she told herself. So Ive killed him. It was extraordinary, now, how clear her mind became all of a sudden. She began thinking very fast. As the wife of a detective, she knew what the punishment would be. It made no difference to her. In fact, it would be a relief. On the other hand, what about the baby? What were the laws about manslayers with unborn children? Did they kill them both mother and child? Did they wait until the baby was born?What did they do? Mary Maloney didnt know and she wasnt prepared to take a chance. She carried the meat into the kitchen, put it into a pan, off on the oven, and put the pan interior. Then she washed her hands, ran upstairs, sat down in precedent of the mirror, fixed her makeup, and tried to smile. The smile was rather peculiar. She tried again. Hello, surface-to-air missile she said brightly, aloud. The office sounded peculiar, too. I want some potatoes, Sam. Yes, and perhaps a can of bean. s. That was better. Both the smile and the voice sounded better now. She practiced them several times more.Then she ran downstairs, took her coat, and went out the back door, through the garden into the street. It wasnt six oclock yet and the lights were still on in the neighborhood grocery. Hello, Sam, s he said brightly, smiling at the man in the shop. Good evening, Mrs. Maloney. How are you? I want some potatoes, please, Sam. Yes, and perhaps a can of beans, too. Patricks decided hes tired and he doesnt want to eat out tonight, she told him. We unremarkably go out on Thursdays, you know, and now I dont have any vegetables in the house. Then how about some meat, Mrs. Maloney? asked the grocer. No, Ive got meat, thanks, Ive got a prim leg of lamb, from the freezer. Do you want these potatoes, Mrs. Maloney? Oh, yes, theyll be fine. Two pounds, please. Anything else? The grocer turned his head to one side, looking at her. How about dessert? What are you going to give him for dessert? How about a nice piece of cake? I know he likes cake. Perfect, she said. He loves it. And when she had bought and paid for everything, she gave her brightest smile and said, Thank you, Sam. Good night. And now, she told herself as she hurried back home, she was returning to her husband and he w as waiting for his supper.She had to cook it well and make it taste as good as possible, because the poor man was tired and if she found anything unusual or terrible when she got home, then it would be a shock and she would have to react with grief and horror. Of course, she was not expecting to find anything unusual at home. She was unsloped going home with the vegetables on Thursday evening to cook dinner for husband. Thats the way, she told herself. Do everything normally. Keep things absolutely natural and therell be no need for playacting at all. As she entered the kitchen by the back door, she was quietly singing to herself. Patrick she called. How are you, darling? She put the package on the table and went into the living room and when she aphorism him lying there on the floor, it really was a shock. All the old love for him came back to her, and she ran over to him, knelt down beside him, and began to cry hard. It was easy. No acting was necessary. A few minutes later, she got up and went to the phone. She knew the number of the police station, and when the man at the other end answered, she cried to him. Quick Come quickly Patricks stone-dead. Whos verbalise? Mrs. Maloney. Mrs. Patrick Maloney. Do you mean that Patricks dead? I think so, she cried. Hes lying on the floor and I think hes dead. Well be there immediately, the man said. The car came very quickly, and when she opened the front door, two policemen walked in. She knew them both. She knew almost all the men at the police station. She fell into Jack Noonans arms, crying uncontrollably. He put her gently into a chair. Is he dead? she cried. Im afraid he is. What happened? In a few words she told her story about going to the grocer and coming back, when she found him on the floor.While she was crying and talking, Noonan found some dried kin on the dead mans head. He hurried to the phone. Some other men began to arrive a doctor, two detectives, a police photographer, and a man wh o knew about fingerprints. The detectives kept asking her a lot of questions. They always treated her kindly. She told them how shed put the meat into the overn its there nowand how she had gone to the grocers for vegetables and how she came back to find him lying on the floor. The two detectives were exceptionally nice to her. They searched the house.Sometimes Jack Noonan spoke to her gently. He told her that her husband had been killed by a blow to the back of the head. They were looking for the weapon. The murderer might have taken it with him, but he might have thrown it away or hidden it. Its the old story, he said. Get the weapon, and youve got the murderer. Later, one of the detectives sat down beside her. Did she know, he asked, of anything in the house that could have been used as a weapon? Would she look around to see if anything was missing. The search went on. It began to get late it was some nine oclock.The men searching the rooms were getting tired. Jack, she sai d, Would you like a drink? You mustiness be extremely tired. Well, he answered. Its not allowed by police rules, but since youre a friend. They stood around with drinks in their hands. The detectives were uncomfortable with her and they tried to say cheering things to her. Jack Noonan walked into the kitchen, came out quickly, and said, Look, Mrs. Maloney. Did you know that your oven is still on, and the meat is still inside? Oh, she said. So it is Id better turn it off. She returned with tearful eyes. Would you do me a favor?Here you all are, all good friends of Patricks, and youre helping to magnetise the man who killed him. You must be very hungry by now because its long past your supper time, and I know that Patrick would never forgive me if I allow you stay in the house without offering you anything to eat. Why dont you eat up the lamb in the oven? I wouldnt dream of it, Noonan said. Please, she begged. Personally, I couldnt eat a thing, but itd be a favor to me if you ate it up. Then you can go on with your work. The detectives hesitated, but they were hungry, and in the end, they went into the kitchen and helped themselves to supper.The woman stayed where she was and listened to them through the open door. She could hear them speaking among themselves, and their voices were thick because their mouths were abundant of meat. Have some more, Charlie. No, wed better not finish it. She wants us to finish it. She said we ought to eat it up. Thats a big bar the murderer must have used to hit poor Patrick. The doctor says the back of his head was broken to pieces. Thats why the weapon should be easy to find. Exactly what I say. Whoever did it, he cant deliver a weapon that big around with him. Lamb to the SlaughterLAMB TO THE SLAUGHTER by ROALD DAHL The room was warm, the curtains were closed, the two table lamps were lit. On the cupboard behind her there were two glasses and some drinks. Mary Maloney was waiting for her husband to come home fro m work. Now and again she glanced at the clock, but without anxiety She merely wanted to satisfy herself that each minute that went by made it nearer the time when he would come home. As she bent over her sewing, she was curiously peaceful. This was her sixth month expecting a child. Her mouth and her eyes, with their new calm look, seemed larger and darker than before.When the clock said ten minutes to five, she began to listen, and a few moments later, punctually as always, she heard the car tires on the stones outside, the car door closing, footsteps passing the window, the key turning in the lock. She stood up and went forward to kiss him as he entered. Hello, darling, she said. Hello, he answered. She took his coat and hung it up. Then she made the drinks, a strong one for him and a weak one for herself and soon she was back again in her chair with the sewing, and he was in the other chair, holding the tall glass, rolling it gently so that the ice knocked musically against the side of the glass.For her, this was always a wonderful time of day. She knew he didnt want to speak much until the first drink was finished, and she was satisfied to sit quietly, enjoying his company after the long hours alone in the house. She loved the warmth that came out of him when they were alone together. She loved the shape of his mouth, and she especially liked the way he didnt complain about being tired. Tired, darling? Yes, he sighed. Im thoroughly exhausted. And as he spoke, he did an unusual thing. He lifted his glass and drank it down in one swallow although there was still half of it left.He got up and went slowly to get himself another drink. Ill get it she cried, jumping up. Sit down, he said. When he came back, she noticed that the new drink was a very strong one. She watched him as he began to drink. I think its a shame, she said, that when someones been a policeman as long as you have, he still has to walk around all day long. He didnt answer. Darling, she sai d, If youre too tired to eat out tonight, as we had planned, I can fix you something. Theres plenty of meat and stuff in the freezer. Her eyes waited to an answer, a smile, a nod, but he made no sign. Anyway, she went on. Ill get you some bread and cheese. I dont want it, he said. She moved uneasily in her chair. But you have to have supper. I can easily fix you something. Id like to do it. We can have lamb. Anything you want. Everythings in the freezer. Forget it, he said. But, darling, you have to eat Ill do it anyway, and then you can have it or not, as you like. She stood up and put placed her sewing on the table by the lamp. Sit down, he said. Just for a minute, sit down. It wasnt until then that she began to get frightened. Go on, he said. Sit down. She lowered herself into the chair, watching him all the time with large, puzzled eyes. He had finished his second drink and was staring into the glass. Listen, he said. Ive got something to tell you. What is it, darling? Wha ts the matter? He became absolutely motionless, and he kept his head down. This is going to be a big shock to you, Im afraid, he said. But Ive thought about it a good deal and Ive decided that the only thing to do is to tell you immediately. And he told her. It didnt take long, four or five minutes at most, and she sat still through it all, watching him with puzzled horror. So there it is, he added. And I know its a tough time to be telling you this, but there simply wasnt any other way. Of course, Ill give you money and see that youre taken care of. But there really shouldnt be any problem. I hope not, in any case. It wouldnt be very good for my job. Her first instinct was not to believe any of it. She thought that perhaps shed imagined the whole thing. Perhaps, if she acted as though she had not heard him, she would find out that none of it had ever happened. Ill fix some supper, she whispered.When she walked across the room, she couldnt feel her feet touching the floor. She co uldnt feel anything except a slight sickness. She did everything without thinking. She went downstairs to the freezer and took hold of the first object she found. She lifted it out, and looked at it. It was wrapped in paper, so she took off the paper and looked at again a leg of lamb. All right, then, they would have lamb for supper. She carried it upstairs, held the thin end with both her hands. She went into the living room, saw him standing by the window with his back to her, and stopped. Ive already told you, he said. Dont make supper for me. Im going out. At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause, she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head. She might as well have hit him with a steel bar. She stepped back, waiting, and the strange thing was that he remained standing there for at least four or five seconds. Then he crashed onto the carpet. The violence of the crash, t he noise, the small table overturning, helped to bring her out of the shock.She came out slowly, feeling cold and surprised, and she stood for a few minutes, looking at the body, still holding the piece of meat tightly with both hands. All right, she told herself. So Ive killed him. It was extraordinary, now, how clear her mind became all of a sudden. She began thinking very fast. As the wife of a detective, she knew what the punishment would be. It made no difference to her. In fact, it would be a relief. On the other hand, what about the baby? What were the laws about murderers with unborn children? Did they kill them both mother and child? Did they wait until the baby was born?What did they do? Mary Maloney didnt know and she wasnt prepared to take a chance. She carried the meat into the kitchen, put it into a pan, turned on the oven, and put the pan inside. Then she washed her hands, ran upstairs, sat down in front of the mirror, fixed her makeup, and tried to smile. The smile was rather peculiar. She tried again. Hello, Sam she said brightly, aloud. The voice sounded peculiar, too. I want some potatoes, Sam. Yes, and perhaps a can of bean. s. That was better. Both the smile and the voice sounded better now. She practiced them several times more.Then she ran downstairs, took her coat, and went out the back door, through the garden into the street. It wasnt six oclock yet and the lights were still on in the neighborhood grocery. Hello, Sam, she said brightly, smiling at the man in the shop. Good evening, Mrs. Maloney. How are you? I want some potatoes, please, Sam. Yes, and perhaps a can of beans, too. Patricks decided hes tired and he doesnt want to eat out tonight, she told him. We usually go out on Thursdays, you know, and now I dont have any vegetables in the house. Then how about some meat, Mrs. Maloney? asked the grocer. No, Ive got meat, thanks, Ive got a nice leg of lamb, from the freezer. Do you want these potatoes, Mrs. Maloney? Oh, yes, the yll be fine. Two pounds, please. Anything else? The grocer turned his head to one side, looking at her. How about dessert? What are you going to give him for dessert? How about a nice piece of cake? I know he likes cake. Perfect, she said. He loves it. And when she had bought and paid for everything, she gave her brightest smile and said, Thank you, Sam. Good night. And now, she told herself as she hurried back home, she was returning to her husband and he was waiting for his supper.She had to cook it well and make it taste as good as possible, because the poor man was tired and if she found anything unusual or terrible when she got home, then it would be a shock and she would have to react with grief and horror. Of course, she was not expecting to find anything unusual at home. She was just going home with the vegetables on Thursday evening to cook dinner for husband. Thats the way, she told herself. Do everything normally. Keep things absolutely natural and therell be no need for acting at all. As she entered the kitchen by the back door, she was quietly singing to herself. Patrick she called. How are you, darling? She put the package on the table and went into the living room and when she saw him lying there on the floor, it really was a shock. All the old love for him came back to her, and she ran over to him, knelt down beside him, and began to cry hard. It was easy. No acting was necessary. A few minutes later, she got up and went to the phone. She knew the number of the police station, and when the man at the other end answered, she cried to him. Quick Come quickly Patricks dead. Whos speaking? Mrs. Maloney. Mrs. Patrick Maloney. Do you mean that Patricks dead? I think so, she cried. Hes lying on the floor and I think hes dead. Well be there immediately, the man said. The car came very quickly, and when she opened the front door, two policemen walked in. She knew them both. She knew nearly all the men at the police station. She fell into Jac k Noonans arms, crying uncontrollably. He put her gently into a chair. Is he dead? she cried. Im afraid he is. What happened? In a few words she told her story about going to the grocer and coming back, when she found him on the floor.While she was crying and talking, Noonan found some dried blood on the dead mans head. He hurried to the phone. Some other men began to arrive a doctor, two detectives, a police photographer, and a man who knew about fingerprints. The detectives kept asking her a lot of questions. They always treated her kindly. She told them how shed put the meat into the overn its there nowand how she had gone to the grocers for vegetables and how she came back to find him lying on the floor. The two detectives were exceptionally nice to her. They searched the house.Sometimes Jack Noonan spoke to her gently. He told her that her husband had been killed by a blow to the back of the head. They were looking for the weapon. The murderer might have taken it with him, but he might have thrown it away or hidden it. Its the old story, he said. Get the weapon, and youve got the murderer. Later, one of the detectives sat down beside her. Did she know, he asked, of anything in the house that could have been used as a weapon? Would she look around to see if anything was missing. The search went on. It began to get late it was nearly nine oclock.The men searching the rooms were getting tired. Jack, she said, Would you like a drink? You must be extremely tired. Well, he answered. Its not allowed by police rules, but since youre a friend. They stood around with drinks in their hands. The detectives were uncomfortable with her and they tried to say cheering things to her. Jack Noonan walked into the kitchen, came out quickly, and said, Look, Mrs. Maloney. Did you know that your oven is still on, and the meat is still inside? Oh, she said. So it is Id better turn it off. She returned with tearful eyes. Would you do me a favor?Here you all are, all go od friends of Patricks, and youre helping to catch the man who killed him. You must be very hungry by now because its long past your supper time, and I know that Patrick would never forgive me if I let you stay in the house without offering you anything to eat. Why dont you eat up the lamb in the oven? I wouldnt dream of it, Noonan said. Please, she begged. Personally, I couldnt eat a thing, but itd be a favor to me if you ate it up. Then you can go on with your work. The detectives hesitated, but they were hungry, and in the end, they went into the kitchen and helped themselves to supper.The woman stayed where she was and listened to them through the open door. She could hear them speaking among themselves, and their voices were thick because their mouths were full of meat. Have some more, Charlie. No, wed better not finish it. She wants us to finish it. She said we ought to eat it up. Thats a big bar the murderer must have used to hit poor Patrick. The doctor says the back of his head was broken to pieces. Thats why the weapon should be easy to find. Exactly what I say. Whoever did it, he cant carry a weapon that big around with him.