Midnight Sun (111 page)

I
hurried,
horror-driven,

With
a
corpse
half
hid
that
I
couldn
’
t
get
rid,

of
a
wedding
promise
given;

It
was
lashed
to
my
soul,
and
it
seemed
to
howl:

'You
may
tax
your
brawn
and
brains,

But
you
promised
true,
and
it
’
s
up
to
you
to

cremate
those
last
remains.'

And
I
looked
at
it,
and
I
thought
a
bit,

And
I
looked
at
my
dead
loved
one;

Then
'Here,'
said
I,
with
a
sudden
cry,

'is
my
cre-ma-tor-eum.'

There
are
strange
things
done
in
the
midnight
sun

By
the
men
who
moil
for
gold;

The
Arctic
trails
have
their
secret
tales

That
would
make
your
blood
run
cold;

The
Northern
Lights
have
seen
queer
sights,

But
the
queerest
they
ever
did
see

Was
that
night
on
the
marge
of
Anch
-
or
-
age

When
I
screamed,
“
You
should
’
ve
killed
me!
”

“
Jeez,
”
Tomer
said
,
“
whoever
wrote
that
needs
psychiatric
help.
”

One of the other agents slowly shook his head and said,
“
Obviously
it
’
s
a
threat
from
one
of
the
terrorists.
”

“
No,
”
Marcus
said
.

“
What
do
you
mean
?”
Caufield
asked
.

“
Kharzai,
”
Marcus
replied
.
“
If
I
didn
’
t
know
he
was
in
town
,
I
’
d
think
the
same
as
you.
But
knowing
he
’s
here,
there
is
no
doubt
in
my
mind
it
’s
his
message.
And
it
’
s
not
a
threat.
It
’
s
a
statement.
One
you
should
take
seriously.
He
is
one
of
the
most
dangerous
men
I've
ever
met.
”

“
Marcus
is
right,
”
Hilde
said
as
she
returned
to
the
room.
“
That
was
Under
Secretary
Hogan.
He
just
got
a
communique
from
the
CIA
confirming
that
Kharzai
Ghiassi
disappeared
from
their
radar
several
months
ago.
They
said
his
wife
was
killed
in
an
airstrike
in
Pakistan.
He
blames
his
CIA
handlers
and
may
be
out
to
take
revenge.
”

“
He
knew
we
would
be
coming
here,
”
Marcus
said.
“
O
therwise
,
he
wouldn
’
t
have
left
the
note.
”