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ing in to taste the blood at the mangled throat。
Kip cried out involuntarily and pulled his hand back； the welder's mask dangling from his fingers。 The body began to turn in a circle； bumping against the side of the basin。 Kip felt the place closing about him； felt the darkness reaching； and beyond the darkness things that grinned and clawed at him with filthy bloodstained fingers。 He backed away from the U…boat； his legs like lead； and then half…walked； half…ran into the fresh air outside； drawing breath after breath to try to clear away the sight of that dead； gray…fleshed face。
〃My God；〃 he muttered brokenly； supporting himself against the shelter wall。 〃My God my God my God。。。〃
For he had recognized the expression on Turk's dead； puffed face。 It was a glimpse into an unnamable horror。
Eight
DR。 THEODORE MAXWELL； a heavyset black in his mid…fifties； let the blood…spattered sheet drop down over the ruin of a face。 He wore a smock smeared with human fluids over his clothes。 Rays of morning sunlight streamed in dusky patterns through the drawn blinds of the Coquina clinic examination room。 He shook his head； pushed his eyeglasses off the bridge of his nose； and let them rest on top of his balding head。 He had seen bad things before： men whose noses had been cut off by rusted razors in barroom brawls； automobile accident victims； the mangled remains of a young child caught in the screw of a trawler。 He was familiar with the ugly wounds of life； and familiar as well with the sight of death。 But in his experience most people died in their sleep； with an expression of peace and almost of relief。 This one was different。 This young man who lay before him had seen Hell before he died。
Maxwell reached for a clipboard and began to jot notes for later reference。
〃What's your opinion？〃 Kip asked wearily； his eyes hollow from lack of sleep。
Dr。 Maxwell looked up quickly； then went back to his clipboard。 He finished writing； then said in a soft； quiet tone of voice that belied the tension he felt； 〃Perhaps the most brutal beating I've ever seen。 All manner of things were used： fists； fingers； some kind of blunt instruments。 Maybe a wrench； and there's indication a hammer was used on his skull。〃
Kip frowned； staring at the outline of the corpse。
〃Any next of kin？〃 Dr。 Maxwell asked。
〃No。 I don't even know where he was from。 He was an island drifter。〃
The doctor put his clipboard aside； steeled himself； and lifted the sheet again。 The muscles of the face had frozen in that hideous grimace； and Maxwell shuddered as he gazed into those staring eyes again。 He took a small penlight from his breast pocket and leaned over the throat。 Yes。 Those marks were unmistakable。
〃What is it？〃 Kip asked。
Maxwell snapped off the light； returned it to his pocket； he placed the sheet back down。 〃This man is missing a great quantity of blood；〃 he said； turning toward the constable。 〃But I believe he was dead before he received that throat wound。〃
〃Then one of the blows to the head killed him？〃
〃I'm not sure。 I want to go into the chest cavity and look at the heart。 The frozen facial muscles； the coloration； the teeth locked through the tongue…all those may indicate instantaneous heart arrest。 Perhaps brought on by a sudden and severe shock。〃
Kip blinked； letting the words sink in。 〃A shock？ Fright； is that what you're saying？〃
〃That I don't know。 I've heard of it happening before； but I've never seen it。〃
Kip shook his head in disbelief。 〃Christ Almighty！〃 he said softly。 〃What could scare a man enough to kill him？〃 He looked into the doctor's eyes for an answer； but the other man had turned away。 Kip crossed the room to a desk with a metal tray which contained items the young man had had in his pockets。 A few coins； a small penknife； a rusted key； cigarette papers； and a bit of ganja。 And also something the doctor had pried from the corpse's rigid fingers。 It was a few inches of filthy cloth； matted with yellow streaks of fungus。 Kip picked it up and held it under the desk lamp to examine it for the third time。 At one time the cloth had either been brown or green； but now it was a sickly； faded color somewhere in between。 What was it？ he wondered。 Something Turk had grabbed at during his horrifying ordeal？
The constable gathered up the items and buttoned them in the back pocket of his trousers。 Coins； a key； enough ganja for a few wild highs； it was one hell of a legacy to leave behind。 What a terrible way for any man to die。
〃Kip；〃 the doctor said quietly； looking from the covered corpse back to the other man。 〃What types of wild animals would you say were out in the jungle？〃
At first he thought he'd misunderstood Maxwell。 Then Kip answered。 〃Not many。 Maybe a few small boar； and if you're not counting snakes； that's it。〃 He narrowed his eyes； seeing the puzzled expression on the doctor's face。 〃Why？〃
Maxwell folded his arms before him and leaned back against the examination table； keeping his gaze steady。 〃There are teeth marks on this man's throat and on the right cheekbone。 Some of them have broken bone； as if。。。 something was trying to get at the bone marrow。 All I can think of at this point is some kind of animal。〃
What kind of animal would do that？ Kip shook his head； ran the back of his hand across his face。 No； he knew of no vicious animals in that jungle； though there were probably several places so choked with growth that anything might be hiding in there。 He had seen a couple of the boar on occasion； but they were too small to be of any consequence。
〃An animal big enough to take on a man？〃 Kip asked。 〃Impossible； not on Coquina。 But。。。 teeth marks？ You're sure it's not the mark of some kind of tool or something？〃
〃Yes。〃
Kip took a step toward the corpse and then checked himself； realizing he couldn't bring himself to look at it again。 Teeth marks？ No； it didn't make sense！ 〃Do this for me； please；〃 he said。 〃I want you to keep that opinion to yourself。 Do whatever you have to； an autopsy or whatever； but I don't want anyone to know about the marks。 At least not until I can figure out what the hell's going on。〃
〃All right；〃 Maxwell said； 〃I understand。〃 He made a move to wheel the table out of the examination room； and as the doctor turned the table around； Kip felt that scrape of nails inside again； and this time a chunk of mortar fell away。 He watched the doctor push the table through a pair of doors into a hallway and then into another room。 Kip had to get out； his mind was numbed and his senses on edge。
Leaving the clinic； he walked in the hot sunlight toward the Square； his brain filled with questions he couldn't begin to answer。 What if there were something out in the jungle that could attack and kill a man by ripping his throat into bloody rags and gnawing on the bone？ But then why hadn't some of the inland farmers seen it？ They'd been out there for years； and if an animal like that prowled the jungle at least one person should have seen it。 But no； no； Turk had been struck by blunt instruments as well as fists； Maxwell had said so himself。 What had probably happened was that someone。。。 or more