Back in Rocky Beach, sitting alone in the living room of the cottage where he lived with his Uncle Titus and Aunt Mathilda, Jupiter Jones had been pinching his lip and thinking hard for an hour. Now he abruptly straightened up and screamed as loudly as he could. Then pink-faced from the effort, he sat back and waited.
A moment later there was the sound of footsteps outside. The front door biurst open and Konrad, the big, blond yard helper, thrust his head in. Hans, his brother, was in San Diego with the Joneses. Konrad's eyes bulged as he gaped at Jupiter.
"Who was that yelling just now, Jupe" he asked excitedly.
"That was me," Jupiter said. "So you heard me?"
"Sure bet I heard you!" Konrad said emphatically.
"Your window open, my window open, I heard you okay. Sound like you sat on a big tack or stubbed your toe or something."
Jupiter looked at the window behind him. It was wide open. His round face registered vexation.
"What you yell for, Jupe?" Konrad asked. "I don't see anything wrong."
"There isn't anything wrong except I forgot the window was open," Jupiter told him.
"Then why you yell?" Konrad persisted.
"I was practising screaming," Jupiter told him.
"You sure you hokay, Jupe? Konrad asked. "Not sick or something?"
"I'm fine," Jupe told him. You can go back to your cottage now, I won't scream any more to-night."
"That's good ," Konrad said. "You sure scared me."
 |
| Jacques Poirier, 1968. |
A Rocky, dans le salon des Jones, Hannibal, les lèvres pincées, méditait.
Au bout d'une demi-heure, il se leva et poussa un hurlement déchirant. Lorsqu'il n'en put plus de crier, il se rassit, aussi rouge qu'une tomate, et attendit.
Des pas retentirent dans la cour. La porte s'ouvrit, et la tête de Konrad, l'un des deux géants blonds employés par M. Jones apparut.
"Dis donc, Babal, quelqu'un vient de crier comme si on l'égorgeait. Je me demande qui ça pouvait être.
-C'était moi, répondit Hannibal froidement. Donc vous m'avez entendu?
-Un peu que je t'ai entendu! Ta fenêtre est ouverte, la mienne aussi, et tu criais comme si tu t'étais assis sur une punaise."
Hannibal regarda la fenêtre. Son visage exprima le dépit.
"Pourquoi as-tu crié? demanda Konrad. Qu'est-ce qui ne va pas?
-Tout va très bien, sinon que j'ai oublié de fermer la fenêtre.
-Si tout va très bien, pourquoi hurles-tu de cette façon-là?
-Pour m'entraîner."
Konrad parut inquiet.
"Dis donc, Babal, tu n'es pas souffrant, au moins?
-Non, non. vous pouvez rentrer chez vous. Je ne crierais plus ce soir.
-Tant mieux. Tu m'as fait une de ces peurs!"
The Mystery of the Green Ghost/Le Chinois qui verdissait, Robert Arthur. Traduction de Tatianna Bellini/Vladimir Volkoff.
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