“Never mind that stuff,” Myra snapped, bouncing up and down on the bed. “Get me undone. We can have our little cry together later on.”
“I’m right with you,” I said, going over to her. “They haven’t hurt you, have they?”
“Don’t talk so much,” Myra returned. “They haven’t had time, but they’ve promised all kinds of things.”
I examined the cords that bound her. Whoever tied her had made a swell job of it. But when I found my knife, it didn’t take long to free her.
“There you are, sugar,” I said, sitting beside her. “How does it feel?”
“Lousy,” Myra said moving her legs and wincing. “I’ve got a cramp.”
“I’ll fix that,” I said, pushing back my cuffs. “I’ll get some life in them.”
“Hands off!” Myra said sharply. “I like to do my own massaging.”
“That’s a pity,” I returned. “I was looking forward to that.”
While she began restoring her circulation, I glanced round the room. It was empty except for the bed and a table. On the table stood an odd looking contraption. There were two large springs, a handcuff on a long chain and one or two cogwheels. They were all joined up together and they intrigued me.
“Someone’s going to pay for this,” Myra said angrily. “Why should they want to kidnap me?”
“I’ll tell you in a second,” I said, picking up the handcuff, “what’s this thing?”
Myra gave a little scream, “Don’t touch it!” she cried.
“Why not… is it a man-trap?”
There was a sudden sharp click. The springs moved forward, the cogwheels spun and I found the handcuff on my wrist.
“You big sap!” Myra said furiously.
“Why, it is a man-trap!” I said, admiring the thing. “That’s smart. There might be a fortune in it.”
Myra swung her legs off the bed and hobbled over to me. “Didn’t I tell you not to touch it?”
I took hold of the handcuff and jerked at it. “I’ll get it off,” I said calmly. “I was glad to see it work.”
“You won’t get it off,” Myra said, nearly crying. “Oh, I could brain you!”
And she was right. The handcuff had me tight round the wrist and nothing I could do would shift it. The chain to which it was fastened only allowed me a few feet from the wall.
“Hey!” I said in alarm, “get this off, will you?”
“But I can’t,” Myra wailed. “You stupid dope! What am I going to do now?”
I wrestled with the thing silently. After a while, I gave up. “Don’t let’s get into a panic,” I said. “If this chain thinks it can hold me… why it’s crazy!” I put my feet against the wall and holding the chain in both bands, I threw my weight backwards. It ought to have wrenched the staple that held the chain out of the wall. But it didn’t. But it did nearly give me a hemorrhage. I sat on the floor and mopped my brow.
“You’re right, sugar,” I said in disgust. “I’m a sap and a dope!”
“They’ll kill you if they find you here,” Myra said anxiously. “Don’t talk that way,” I said hastily. “Someone might hear you and get ideas. Now listen, you’re in a jam and I’m in a jam, but it’s a lot worse for you than for me.”
“What do you mean?”
So I told her in a few words about Doc Ansell and the cops and how they were looking for her.
“So you see,” I said, “you’ve got to hide some place. Don’t wait for me. Get going. Take Whisky with you and tell him where you’re going. He’ll tell me later.”
“I’m not leaving you here,” she said, “I’ll get a file or something and break that chain.”
“You’re wasting time. Find me a rat to talk to and I’ll pretend I’m in jail. Go on. They won’t do anything to me.”
“I’m not leaving you,” she said, and then she gave a sudden sharp cry.
“What’s the matter? Why are you looking like that?” I asked as her expression changed. She put out her hands towards me and I saw she was shivering.
“You’re not going to faint, are you?” I asked in alarm. “Here, hold up, kid,” and I tried to reach her.
“Something’s happening to me,” she said wildly.
The look in her eyes scared me and then I saw something that made me start back. You won’t believe this. I didn’t believe It myself. It was like something had gone wrong with my eyes.
Myra was becoming blurred. Her figure was smudgy, like a blurred photograph and even her features seemed to be dissolving.
“What’s happening to you?” I exclaimed, feeling my heart pounding.
She didn’t say anything, but just stood swaying before me. I could see something filmy in front of her. Something that moved. Then a shadowy figure stepped from her.
You’ve seen those trick films where people become transparent? Well, that’s exactly how this figure looked. It sent my blood pressure up and gave me the scare of my life.
As I watched, the figure became more distinct and then there she was—Myra the second, the spitting image of Myra except she was dressed only in white satin panties and brassiere.
I knew it must be Arym. But, even seeing the two together, it didn’t make it possible.
Myra backed away. She was as startled as I. Then she clutched at her frock and gasped.
“You—you’ve got on my underwear!” she said.
Arym admired her figure. “Well, I had to have something,” she returned airily. “After all we aren’t alone.” She looked at me archly. “Aren’t you staring a little too much?” she asked.
I hastily averted my eyes. “You’re not a sight for anyone to pass up,” I said feebly.
“But… you’re me!” Myra exclaimed, looking stunned. “Of course, I am,” Arym said. “At least, we share the same body.”
Myra put her hands to her face. “This is awful,” she said, “what am I going to do?”
“It’s all right once you get used to it,” Arym returned with a giggle. “Every one has two sides to their natures.”
“I know,” I put in, “but they don’t have two bodies. This is driving me batty.”
“Oh, that’s Quintl,” Arym went on, “he had a swell sense of humour. In a way, it’s been a good thing. I’ve got tired of sharing a body with someone else It’s nice to have one of my own.”
Myra came over and clutched at me. I put my arm around her. “Take it easy,” I said. “We’ll wake up in a minute and find this is just another nightmare.”
“Oh no, you won’t,” Arym said. “Why don’t you get wise? I’m just part of you and I’ve decided to leave you.”
Myra looked at her fixedly. “You’re bad,” she said quietly. “I can see you’re bad.”
“What of it?” Arym said, shrugging. “We can’t all be good, besides no one would be interesting if they didn’t have a little bad in them. Think how prissy you’re going to be now that I’ve left you.”
“So you’re the one who’s been making a mess of my life,” Myra said, stepping away from me and confronting Arym.
“It’s been mighty hard work. I tell you, it’s quite a relief to get away from you for a while.”
“You’ll never get back again,” Myra said. “So don’t you think you will.”
“If I want to, I shall,” Arym returned, wandering over to the bed and sitting down. “You can’t get along without me.”
“Yes, I can… and I’m going to.”
“How do you think you’ll live?” Arym scoffed. “I made all your money by stealing it. Remember Joe Krum? What a time I bad to get you to break the ice!”
Myra flushed scarlet. “Oh, I wish I’d never listened to you.”
“You’ve got quite a strong character really,” Arym admitted reluctantly.
“You won’t need to worry about my character now,” Myra said grimly. “I’ve got you out of my system, and this time I’m keeping you out.”