• Parlor Time Again •

After supper they retired to a front parlor leaving the Hawkline Monster dangling spoon-like in some gravy. There was a large painting of a nude woman on the parlor wall. Greer and Cameron looked at the painting.

The Hawkline Monster did not follow them into the parlor. It went downstairs to the laboratory to get some rest in The Chemicals. It was tired. So was its shadow. Supper had been very long for them.

“Our father was fond of naked women,” Miss Hawkline said.

Coffee was served in the parlor with snifters of cognac by the Hawkline sisters who looked even prettier if that were possible.

Greer and Cameron kept looking at the nude painting of the woman and then at the Hawkline sisters who knew what they were doing but acted as if they didn’t. They could have chosen a different parlor. They were excited by the situation. The only way they showed their excitement, though, was by a slight increase in their breathing.

“That’s 1 pretty painting,” Cameron said.

The sisters did not answer him.

They smiled instead.

Greer and Cameron while paying attention to the nude painting and the beauty of the Hawkline women had carefully gone over the entire room looking for the monster and it was not there.

They had a couple of cups of coffee and a couple of snifters of cognac as they waited to see if the monster would return but it didn’t and their appreciation of Hawkline beauty increased some.

“Who painted that painting?” Cameron said.

“It was painted in France years ago,” Miss Hawkline said.

“Whoever painted it sure knew how to paint,” Cameron said, staring at the Hawkline sister who had just answered him. She liked the way Cameron was staring at her.

“Yes, the artist is very famous.”

“Did you ever meet him?”

“No, he was dead years before I was born.”

“That’s a shame,” Cameron said.

“Isn’t it?” Miss Hawkline said.