The waxwork

THE WAXWORK
Alfred Burrage

Raymond Hewson wanted
to stay the night in the famous Marriner’s Waxworks,
and write a newspaper feature about the Murderers’ Room.

[pic]

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|A new waxwork, Dr Bourdette, had just been moved in, and earlier that day there had been some talk of a fire in the room. The night watchman brought the |
|armchair for Hewson. He tried to make him laugh.|
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|'Where do I put it, sir?' he asked. 'Just here? Then you can talk to Dr Crippen, when you get tired of doing nothing. Or there'sold Mrs Dyer over there |
|making eyes at you. She usually likes to have a man to talk to. Just tell me where, sir.' |
|Hewson smiled. The man's words made him feel happier - tonight's work didn't seem quite so difficult. |
|'I can choose a place for it, thank you,'he said. |
|'Well, goodnight, sir. I'm on the floor above if you want me. Don't let any of these figures come up behind you and put their cold hands round your throat. |
|And look out for that old Mrs Dyer. I think she finds you interesting.'|
|Hewson laughed and said goodnight to the man. |
| |
|After some thought, he put thearmchair with its back to Dr Bourdette. He couldn't say why but Bourdette was much worse to look at than the other figures. He |
|felt quite happy as he put the chair in its place. But as the watchman's feet died away, he thought of the long night in front of him. Weak light lit the |
|lines of figures. They seemed near to being living people. The big dark room was very quiet. Hewson wanted tohear the usual sounds of people talking and |
|moving about, but there was nothing. Not a movement. Not a sound. |
| |
|'I feel I'm on thefloor of the sea,' he thought. 'I must remember to put that into my story.' |
|He looked without much interest at the unmoving figures all round him. But before long, he felt those eyes again, the hard eyes of Bourdette, looking at him |
|from behind. He wanted more and more to turn round and look at the figure.|
|'This is all wrong,' he thought. 'If I turn round now, it only shows that I'm afraid.' |
|And then he heard another person speaking inside his head. 'It's just because you are afraid, that you can't turn round and look.' |
|Thesedifferent thoughts seemed to be fighting inside him. |
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|Finally, Hewson turned his chair a little and looked behind him. Of the many figures...