猛禽”：对当代人问题黑色幽默与超现实探讨.pdfVIP

“BirdofPrey”isadarklyamusingcommentupontherealisticstoryof

contemporarypeopleandtheirproblems:jealousy,adultery,sickpets,etc.JOHN

COLLIERmakesitimpossibletodeterminewhethertheirproblemswere

supernaturallycreatedorwhethermagicalcircumstancesmerelymadethings

worse.Collier,amanwithalimberimagination,wasoneofthefinestfantasistsof

thiscenturyandamasterofironyandhorror.Manyofhisstorieshavebeen

televisedbysuchrespecteddirectorsasAlfredHitchcockandRodSerling.

BirdofPrey

BYJOHNCOLLIER

ThehousetheycalltheEngineer’sHouseisnowdeserted.Thenewmanfrom

BatonRougegaveitupafterlivingsthanamonthinit,andbuilthimselfa

two-roomshackwithhisownmoney,ontheveryfarthestcornerofthe

company’sland.

TheroofoftheEngineer’sHousehascavedin,andmostofthewindowsare

broken.Oddlyenough,nobirdsnestintheshelteroftheeaves,ortakeadvantage

oftheforsakenrooms.Anemptyhouseisnormallyfineharborageforratsand

miceandbats,butthereisnosqueakorrustleorscampertodisturbthequietof

thisone.Onlycreaturesutterlyforeign,utterlyremotefromthemostdistant

cousin-hoodtoman,onlythetermite,thetarantula,andthescorpionindifferently

makeittheirhome.

AllinafewyearsESpalding’sgardenhasbeenwipedout,asifithad

neverexisted.TheporchwheresheandJacksatsohappilyintheeveningsis

rottenunderitsloadofwind-blowntwigsandsand.Ayoungtreehasalready

burstuptheboardsoutsidethelivingroomwindow,sothattheyfanoutlikethe

stifffingersofsomeonewhoisafraid.Inthiscornertherestillstandsastrongly

madeparrot’sperch,thewoodofwhichhasbeenleftuntouchedevenbythe

termiteandtheboringbeetle.

TheSpaldingshadbroughtaparrotwiththemwhenfirsttheycame.Itwasa

so