Post by qohart on Jun 19, 2010 17:51:10 GMT -8
The Night The Spider Shook The Train
by Cris Hart
James West and his partner Artemus Gordon sat in the parlor enjoying an after dinner brandy. Each was engaged in his own entertainment in the quiet parlor car.
Jim lay stretched out on one settee reading a newspaper while his friend sat at desk idly sketching. The only sounds were the occasional rustle of paper as Jim turned the page and the constant light scratching of Artie’s pencil.
They had no villains to chase, no reports to file, no plans for the evening at all. It was a luxury rare for them but fully appreciated.
“Artie?” Jim called quietly.
“Hmm,” Artie responded absently.
“I just noticed something,” Jim continued in the same quiet calm voice.
“Oh? What’s that?” Artie answered not really paying full attention.
Jim swung his legs over the side of the divan coming to an upright position. He watched Artie for a moment before glancing upward then addressing his friend again.
“Artie, do you see that?” Jim asked in a hoarse whispered anxious tone.
Instantly alert to his partner’s change, Artie stopped sketching and gave his full attention to Jim.
“See what?” he asked.
“That,” Jim answered cryptically with a quick cast of his eyes toward the ceiling.
Artie narrowed his eyes a second wondering if Jim was pulling a prank then put that thought aside and tilted his face upward cautiously, not sure what Jim expected him to see.
He sighed loudly. “It’s a spider, Jim,” Artie said picking up his sketch pad and rising. He moved from the desk to the arm chair across the room.
“Yeah,” Jim drew out the word with a devilish grin on his face, “and it’s a big one, Artie.”
Not rising to the bait, Artie calmly replied, “So it is,” and began to sketch again.
“Aren’t you going to kill it?” Jim’s eyes twinkled as he teased. Artie was not fond of spiders in general and this one was hairy, with a fat, round, brown body the size of a five dollar gold piece. No wonder Artie had moved.
“Nope. Can’t reach it,” Artie commented continuing with his art.
Jim was mildly disappointed and leaned back on the sofa. “Yeah, it is pretty high up there,” he said picking up the discarded newspaper and resuming his reading.
Jim kept one eye on his partner though and noticed Artie glancing surreptitiously at the spider every now and again. If he bided his time, Jim knew that either Artie would give up and try to get rid of his nemesis or he’d retire nervous about where the spider spent its night. He could not help but grin.
The evening progressed quietly and eventually Artie said good night and retired to his room. Jim looked up at the hairy spider and frowned at it. “That was a wasted opportunity, big guy,” he muttered at it and went to bed himself.
WWWWWWWWWW
Artie pulled on his robe and tied it securely as he padded down the corridor to the galley. He started a pot of coffee and returned to his quarters to get ready for the day. A short time later, freshly shaved and dressed in a clean white shirt with the sleeves turned up, he returned to the galley following the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Artie poured a cup and stepped into the parlor. As he raised the cup to his lips for a sip, he cast his eyes at the ceiling as the memory of last night’s ‘visitor’ returned. He sighed, partly in relief, when he did not see the spider. Not that Artie really expected it to still be in the same spot, but out of sight, out of mind, was good enough for him right now.
Artie crossed the room, opened the door and stepped out into the cool morning air. He spent a moment or two reveling in the beauty of the sunrise, then retrieved the newspaper and settled down to read.
Thwump! “Damn!”
Artie set aside the paper and strode down the corridor. “Jim?” he called as he approached his partner’s bedroom. “Everything all right?” he paused then opened the door.
“Yeah, fine,” Jim grumbled. He stood near the door a rolled magazine in his hand looking at a spot above the door.
“What are you doing?” Artie asked perplexed.
Jim just nodded upward with his chin, eyes never leaving the spot he was staring at.
Artie turned and looked up. There was the spider from the night before in all it’s fat hairy glory. Artie smiled and turned back to face Jim.
by Cris Hart
James West and his partner Artemus Gordon sat in the parlor enjoying an after dinner brandy. Each was engaged in his own entertainment in the quiet parlor car.
Jim lay stretched out on one settee reading a newspaper while his friend sat at desk idly sketching. The only sounds were the occasional rustle of paper as Jim turned the page and the constant light scratching of Artie’s pencil.
They had no villains to chase, no reports to file, no plans for the evening at all. It was a luxury rare for them but fully appreciated.
“Artie?” Jim called quietly.
“Hmm,” Artie responded absently.
“I just noticed something,” Jim continued in the same quiet calm voice.
“Oh? What’s that?” Artie answered not really paying full attention.
Jim swung his legs over the side of the divan coming to an upright position. He watched Artie for a moment before glancing upward then addressing his friend again.
“Artie, do you see that?” Jim asked in a hoarse whispered anxious tone.
Instantly alert to his partner’s change, Artie stopped sketching and gave his full attention to Jim.
“See what?” he asked.
“That,” Jim answered cryptically with a quick cast of his eyes toward the ceiling.
Artie narrowed his eyes a second wondering if Jim was pulling a prank then put that thought aside and tilted his face upward cautiously, not sure what Jim expected him to see.
He sighed loudly. “It’s a spider, Jim,” Artie said picking up his sketch pad and rising. He moved from the desk to the arm chair across the room.
“Yeah,” Jim drew out the word with a devilish grin on his face, “and it’s a big one, Artie.”
Not rising to the bait, Artie calmly replied, “So it is,” and began to sketch again.
“Aren’t you going to kill it?” Jim’s eyes twinkled as he teased. Artie was not fond of spiders in general and this one was hairy, with a fat, round, brown body the size of a five dollar gold piece. No wonder Artie had moved.
“Nope. Can’t reach it,” Artie commented continuing with his art.
Jim was mildly disappointed and leaned back on the sofa. “Yeah, it is pretty high up there,” he said picking up the discarded newspaper and resuming his reading.
Jim kept one eye on his partner though and noticed Artie glancing surreptitiously at the spider every now and again. If he bided his time, Jim knew that either Artie would give up and try to get rid of his nemesis or he’d retire nervous about where the spider spent its night. He could not help but grin.
The evening progressed quietly and eventually Artie said good night and retired to his room. Jim looked up at the hairy spider and frowned at it. “That was a wasted opportunity, big guy,” he muttered at it and went to bed himself.
WWWWWWWWWW
Artie pulled on his robe and tied it securely as he padded down the corridor to the galley. He started a pot of coffee and returned to his quarters to get ready for the day. A short time later, freshly shaved and dressed in a clean white shirt with the sleeves turned up, he returned to the galley following the aroma of freshly brewed coffee.
Artie poured a cup and stepped into the parlor. As he raised the cup to his lips for a sip, he cast his eyes at the ceiling as the memory of last night’s ‘visitor’ returned. He sighed, partly in relief, when he did not see the spider. Not that Artie really expected it to still be in the same spot, but out of sight, out of mind, was good enough for him right now.
Artie crossed the room, opened the door and stepped out into the cool morning air. He spent a moment or two reveling in the beauty of the sunrise, then retrieved the newspaper and settled down to read.
Thwump! “Damn!”
Artie set aside the paper and strode down the corridor. “Jim?” he called as he approached his partner’s bedroom. “Everything all right?” he paused then opened the door.
“Yeah, fine,” Jim grumbled. He stood near the door a rolled magazine in his hand looking at a spot above the door.
“What are you doing?” Artie asked perplexed.
Jim just nodded upward with his chin, eyes never leaving the spot he was staring at.
Artie turned and looked up. There was the spider from the night before in all it’s fat hairy glory. Artie smiled and turned back to face Jim.