The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep

The Big Sleep
by Raymond Chandler
retold by Rosalie Kerr

1
Marlowe meets the Sternwoods

It was about eleven o'clock in the morning, one day in October. There was no sun, and there were
rain−clouds over the distant hills. I was wearing my light blue suit with a dark blue shirt and tie, black
socks and shoes. I was a nice, clean, well−dressed private detective. I wasabout to meet four million
dollars.
From the entrance hall where I was waiting I could see a lot of smooth green grass and a white
garage. A young chauffeur was cleaning a dark red sports−car. Beyond the garage I could see a large
greenhouse. Beyond that there were trees and then the hills.
There was a large picture in the hall, with some old flags above it. The picture was of a man in
armyuniform. He had hot hard black eyes. Was he General Sternwood's grand− father? The uniform
told me that he could not be the General himself, although I knew he was old. I also knew he had two
daughters, who were still in their twenties.
While I was studying the picture, a door opened. It was a girl. She was about twenty, small but
tough−looking. Her golden hair was cut short, and she looked at mewith cold grey eyes. When she
smiled, I saw little sharp white teeth. Her face was white, too, and she didn't look healthy.
`Tall, aren't you?' she said.
`I apologize for growing.'
She looked surprised. She was thinking. I could see that thinking was difficult for her.
`Handsome, too,' she said. She bit her lip and half−closed her eyes. She waited to see what effect
that had on me. When Idid nothing, she asked, `Who are you?'
`I'm a detective.'
`What?'
`You heard me.'
`I don't believe you.' She giggled suddenly, and put her thumb in her mouth like a baby. `You're so
tall,' she said.
Then she turned away from me and fell backwards into my arms. I had to catch her to stop her
from crashing to the floor. She held on to me and giggled again.
`You're cute,' she giggled. `I'mcute, too.'
I said nothing. At that moment the butler came in. He didn't look surprised.
He was a tall thin silvery man of about sixty, with expressionless blue eyes. He moved towards us
like a much younger man. In a moment the girl had gone.
The butler said, `The General will see you now, Mr Marlowe.'
`Who was that?' I asked him.
`Miss Carmen Sternwood, sir.'
`I think she should see a doctor.Does she often fall over like that?'
He looked at me coolly, but said nothing.
We went out and walked across the grass. The young chauffeur was cleaning a big black car now.
The butler opened a door, and we went into the greenhouse.
The Big Sleep

1

The Big Sleep
It was hot in there, the air thick and wet and the light green. The place was full of plants with
heavy flowers and leaveslike dead fingers. From a wheelchair in the middle of the greenhouse an old
man with black eyes watched us. Although it was so hot, he was covered in blankets.
The butler said, `This is Mr Marlowe, General.'
The old man didn't move or speak. He just looked at me. Then he said, `Brandy, Norris. Please
bring some brandy.'
The butler went and the old man spoke again. He used his weak old voiceas carefully as a poor
actress uses her last good pair of shoes.
`I used to like champagne with my brandy. Cold champagne. I can't drink now. Please allow me to
enjoy watching you drink. Take off your coat, sir. It's too hot in here for a healthy young man. You may
smoke. I like the smell of cigarettes.'
I took off my coat and lit a cigarette. The butler brought me brandy and I drank some. TheGeneral
watched me, with his eyes half−closed.
`Tell me about yourself, Mr Marlowe.'
`There's very little to tell. I'm thirty−three. I used to work for the District Attorney. His chief
investigator, Bernie Ohls, told me you wanted to see ,me. I'm not married. I don't like policemen's
wives.'
`Why did you stop working for the District Attorney?'
`I was fired. I don't enjoy taking orders...