Lamb to the Slaughter

by
Roald Dahl
THE ROOM WAS WARM and clean, the curtains drawn,
the two table lamps alight - hers and the one by the empty
chair opposite On the sideboard behind her, two tall
glasses, soda water, whis!y "resh ice cubes in the
Thermos buc!et Mary Maloney was waiting #or her
husband to come home #rom wor! $ow and again she
would glance up at the cloc!, but without an%iety, merely
to please hersel# with the thought that each minute gone
by made it nearer the time when he would come There
was a slow smiling air about her, and about e&erything
she did The drop o# the head as she bent o&er her sewing
was curiously tran'uil Her s!in - #or this was her si%th
month with child - had ac'uired a wonder#ul translucent
'uality, the mouth was so#t, and the eyes, with their new
placid loo!, seemed larger, dar!er than be#ore
When the cloc! said ten minutes to #i&e, she began to
listen, and a #ew moments later, punctually as always,
she heard the tyres on the gra&el outside, and the car
door slamming, the #ootsteps passing the window, the
!ey turning in the loc! She laid aside her sewing, stood
up, and went #orward to !iss him as he came in
(Hullo, darling,( she said, (Hullo,( he answered
She too! his coat and hung it in the closet Then she
wal!ed o&er and made the drin!s, a strongish one #or
him, a wea! one #or hersel#) and soon she was bac! again
in her chair with the sewing, and he in the other,
opposite, holding the tall glass with both his hands,
roc!ing it so the ice cubes tin!led against the side
"or her, this was always a bliss#ul time o# day She !new
he didn(t want to spea! much until the #irst drin! was
#inished, and she, on her side, was content to sit 'uietly,
en*oying his company a#ter the long hours alone in the
house She lo&ed to lu%uriate in the presence o# this man,
and to #eel - almost as a sunbather #eels the sun - that
warm male glow that came out o# him to her when they
were alone together She lo&ed him #or the way he sat
loosely in a chair, #or the way he came in a door, or
mo&ed slowly across the room with long strides She
lo&ed the intent, #ar loo! in his eyes when they rested on
her, the #unny shape o# the mouth, and especially the
way he remained silent about his tiredness, sitting still
with himsel# until the whis!y had ta!en some o# it away
(Tired, darling+, (-es,( he said (.(m tired( And as he
spo!e, he did an unusual thing He li#ted his glass and
drained it in one swallow although there was still hal# o#
it, at least hal# o# it le#t She wasn(t really watching him
but she !new what he had done because she heard the ice
cubes #alling bac! against the bottom o# the empty glass
when he lowered his arm He paused a moment, leaning
#orward in the chair, then he got up and went slowly o&er
to #etch himsel# another
/.,ll get it0( she cried, *umping up, (Sit down,( he said
When he came bac!, she noticed that the new drin! was
dar! amber with the 'uantity o# whis!y in it
(1arling, shall . get your slippers+, ($o( She watched
him as he began to sip the dar! yellow drin!, and she
could see little oily swirls in the li'uid because it was so
strong
(. thin! it(s a shame,( she said, (that when a policeman
gets to be as senior as you, they !eep him wal!ing about
on his #eet all day long( He didn(t answer, so she bent her
head again and went on with her sewing) but each time
he li#ted the drin! to his lips, she heard the ice cubes
clin!ing against the side o# the glass
(1arling,( she said (Would you li!e me to get you some
cheese+ . ha&en(t made any supper because it(s
Thursday(
($o,( he said
(.# you(re too tired to eat out,( she went on, it(s still not too
late There(s plenty o# meat and stu## in the #ree2er, and
you can ha&e it right here and not e&en mo&e out o# the
chair( Her eyes waited on him #or an answer, a smile, a
little nod, but he made no sign
/Anyway, she went on, (.(ll get you some cheese and
crac!ers #irst( (. don(t want it,( he said
She mo&ed uneasily in her chair, the large eyes still
watching his #ace (3ut you must ha&e supper . can
easily do it here .(d li!e to do it We can ha&e lamb
chops Or por! Anything you want E&erything(s in the
#ree2er( ("orget it,( he said
(3ut, darling, you must eat0 .(ll #i% it anyway, and then
you can ha&e it or not, as you li!e( She stood up and
placed her sewing on the table by the lamp
(Sit down,( he said (4ust #or a minute, sit down( .t wasn(t
till then that she began to get #rightened
(5o on,( he said (Sit down( She lowered hersel# bac!
slowly into the chair, watching him all the time with
those large, bewildered eyes He had #inished the second
drin! and was staring down into the glass, #rowning
(6isten,( he said, (.(&e got something to tell you( (What is
it, darling+ What(s the matter+, He had become
absolutely motionless, and he !ept his head down so that
the light #rom the lamp beside him #ell across the upper
part o# his #ace, lea&ing the chin and mouth in shadow
She noticed there was a little muscle mo&ing near the
corner o# his le#t eye
(This is going to be a bit o# a shoc! to you, .(m a#raid,, he
said (3ut .(&e thought about it a good deal and .(&e
decided the only thing to do is tell you right away . hope
you won(t blame me too much( And he told her .t didn(t
ta!e long, #our or #i&e minutes at most, and she sat &ery
still through it all, watching him with a
!ind o# da2ed horror as he went #urther and #urther away
#rom her with each word
(So there it is,( he added ( And . !now it(s !ind o# a bad
time to be telling you, but there simply wasn(t any other
way O# course .(ll gi&e you money and see you(re loo!ed
a#ter 3ut there needn(t really be any #uss . hope not
anyway .t wouldn(t be &ery good #or my *ob( Her #irst
instinct was not to belie&e any o# it, to re*ect it all .t
occurred to her that perhaps he hadn(t e&en spo!en, that
she hersel# had imagined the whole thing Maybe, i# she
went about her business and acted as though she hadn(t
been listening, then later, when she sort o# wo!e up
again, she might #ind none o# it had e&er happened
(.(ll get the supper,( she managed to whisper, and this
time he didn(t stop her
When she wal!ed across the room she couldn(t #eel her
#eet touching the #loor She couldn(t #eel anything at all -
e%cept a slight nausea and a desire to &omit E&erything
was automatic now - down the stairs to the cellar, the
light switch, the deep #ree2e, the hand inside the cabinet
ta!ing hold o# the #irst ob*ect it met She li#ted it out, and
loo!ed at it .t was wrapped in paper, so she too! o## the
paper and loo!ed at it again, A leg o# lamb
All right then, they would ha&e lamb #or supper She
carried it upstairs, holding the thin bone-end o# it with
both her hands, and as she went through the li&ing-room,
she saw him standing o&er by the window with his bac!
to her, and she stopped
("or 5od(s sa!e,( he said, hearing her, but not turning
round)
(1on(t ma!e supper #or me .(m going out( At that point,
Mary Maloney simply wal!ed up behind him and
without any pause she swung the big #ro2en leg o# lamb
high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could
on the bac! o# his head
She might *ust as well ha&e hit him with a steel club
She stepped bac! a pace, waiting, and the #unny thing
was that he remained standing there #or at least #our or
#i&e seconds, gently swaying Then he crashed to the
carpet
The &iolence o# the crash, the noise, the small table
o&erturning, helped bring her out o# the shoc! She came
out slowly, #eeling cold and surprised, and she stood #or
a while blin!ing at the body, still holding the ridiculous
piece o# meat tight with both hands
All right, she told hersel# So .(&e !illed him
.t was e%traordinary, now, how clear her mind became
all o# a sudden She began thin!ing &ery #ast As the wi#e
o# a detecti&e, she !new 'uite well what the penalty
would be
That was #ine .t made no di##erence to her .n #act, it
would be a relie# On the other hand, what about the
child+ What were the laws about murderers with unborn
children+ 1id they !ill them both - mother and child+ Or
did they wait until the tenth month+ What did they do+
Mary Maloney didn(t !now And she certainly wasn(t
prepared to ta!e a chance
She carried the meat into the !itchen, placed it in a pan,
turned the o&en on high, and sho&ed it inside Then she
washed her hands and ran upstairs to the bedroom She
sat down be#ore the mirror, tidied her #ace, touched up
her lips and #ace She tried a smile .t came out rather
peculiar, She tried again
(Hullo Sam7 she said brightly, aloud
The &oice sounded peculiar too
(. want some potatoes please, Sam -es, and . thin! a can
o# peas( That was better 3oth the smile and the &oice
were coming out better now She rehearsed it se&eral
times more Then she ran downstairs, too! her coat, went
out the bac! door, down the garden, into the street .t
wasn(t si% o(cloc! yet and the lights were still on in the
grocery shop
Hullo Sam7 she said brightly, smiling at the man behind
the counter
(Why, good e&ening, Mrs Maloney How(re you+, (. want
some potatoes please, Sam -es, and . thin! a can o#
peas( The man turned and reached up behind him on the
shel# #or the peas
/8atric!(s decided he(s tired and doesn(t want to eat out
tonight,( she told him (We usually go out Thursdays, you
!now, and now he(s caught me without any &egetables in
the house( (Then how about meat, Mrs Maloney+, ($o,
.(&e got meat, than!s . got a nice leg o# lamb, #rom the
#ree2er( (Oh( . don(t much li!e coo!ing it #ro2en, Sam,
but .(m ta!ing a chance on it this time -ou thin! it(ll be
all right+, (8ersonally,( the grocer said, (. don(t belie&e it
ma!es any di##erence -ou want these .daho potatoes+(
(Oh yes, that(ll be #ine Two o# those( Anything else+ (
The grocer coc!ed his head on one side, loo!ing at her
pleasantly (How about a#terwards+ What you going to
gi&e him #or a#terwards+( (Well, what would you suggest,
Sam+( The man glanced around his shop /How about a
nice big slice o# cheeseca!e+ . !now he li!es that(
(8er#ect,( she said (He lo&es it( And when it was all
wrapped and she had paid, she put on her brightest smile
and said, /Than! you, Sam 5ood night( (5ood night,
Mrs Maloney And than! you( And now, she told hersel#
as she hurried bac!, all she was doing now, she was
returning home to her husband and he was waiting #or
his supper) and she must coo! it good, and ma!e it as
tasty as possible because the poor man was tired and i#,
when she entered the house, she happened to #ind
anything unusual, or tragic, or terrible, then naturally it
would be a shoc! and she(d become #rantic with grie# and
horror
Mind you, she wasn(t e%pecting to #ind anything She
was *ust going home with the &egetables Mrs 8atric!
Maloney going home with the &egetables on Thursday
e&ening to coo! supper #or her husband
That(s the way, she told hersel# 1o e&erything right and
natural 9eep things absolutely natural and there(ll be no
need #or any acting at all There#ore, when she entered
the !itchen by the bac! door, she was humming a little
tune to hersel# and smiling
(8atric!0( she called (How are you, darling+( She put the
parcel down on the table and went through into the
li&ing-room) and when she saw him lying there on the
#loor with his legs doubled up and one arm twisted bac!
underneath his body, it really was rather a shoc! All the
old lo&e and longing #or him welled up inside her, and
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she ran o&er to him, !nelt down beside him, and began to
cry her heart out .t was easy $o acting was necessary
A #ew minutes later she got up and went to the phone
She !new the number o# the police station, and when the
man at the other end answered, she cried to him, (:uic!0
;ome 'uic!0
8atric!(s dead0( (Who(s spea!ing+( (Mrs Maloney Mrs
8atric! Maloney( (-ou mean 8atric! Maloney(s dead+( .
thin! so,( she sobbed (He(s lying on the #loor and . thin!
he(s dead( (3e right o&er,( the man said
The car came &ery 'uic!ly, and when she opened the
#ront door, two policemen wal!ed in She !new them
both - she !new nearly all the men at that precinct - and
she #ell right into 4ac! $oonan(s arms, weeping
hysterically He put her gently into a chair, then went
o&er to *oin the other one, who was called O(Malley,
!neeling by the body, (.s he dead+( she cried
(.(m a#raid he is What happened+( 3rie#ly, she told her
story about going out to the grocer and coming bac! to
#ind him on the #loor While she was tal!ing, crying and
tal!ing, $oonan disco&ered a small patch o# congealed
blood on the dead man(s head He showed it to O(Malley
who got up at once and hurried to the phone Soon, other
men began to come into the house "irst a doctor, then
two detecti&es, one o# whom she !new by name
6ater, a police photographer arri&ed and too! pictures,
and a man who !new about #ingerprints There was a
great deal o# whispering and muttering beside the corpse,
and the detecti&es !ept as!ing her a lot o# 'uestions 3ut
they always treated her !indly She told her story again,
this time right #rom the beginning, when 8atric! had
come in, and she was sewing, and he was tired, so tired
he hadn(t wanted to go out #or supper She told how she(d
put the meat in the o&en - (it(s there now, coo!ing( - and
how she(d slipped out to the grocer #or &egetables, and
come bac! to #ind him lying on the #loor
(Which grocer+( one o# the detecti&es as!ed
She told him, and he turned and whispered something to
the other detecti&e who immediately went outside into
the street
.n #i#teen minutes he was bac! with a page o# notes, and
there was more whispering, and through her sobbing she
heard a #ew o# the whispered phrases( acted 'uite
normal
&ery cheer#ul wanted to gi&e him a good supper
peas cheeseca!e impossible that she ( A#ter a
while, the photographer and the doctor departed and two
other men came in and too! the corpse away on a
stretcher Then the #ingerprint man went away The two
detecti&es remained, and so did the two policemen They
were e%ceptionally nice to her, and 4ac! $oonan as!ed i#
she wouldn(t rather go somewhere else, to her sister(s
house perhaps, or to his own wi#e who would ta!e care
o# her and put her up #or the night $o, she said She
didn(t #eel she could mo&e e&en a yard at the moment
Would they mind aw#ully i# she stayed *ust where she
was until she #elt better+ She didn(t #eel too good at the
moment, she really didn(t
Then hadn(t she better lie down on the bed+ 4ac! $oonan
as!ed
$o, she said, she(d li!e to stay right where she was, in
this chair A little later perhaps, when she #elt better, she
would mo&e
So they le#t her there while they went about their
business, searching the house Occasionally one o# the
detecti&es as!ed her another 'uestion Sometimes 4ac!
$oonan spo!e to her gently as he passed by Her
husband, he told her, had been !illed by a blow on the
bac! o# the head administered with a hea&y blunt
instrument, almost certainly a large piece o# metal They
were loo!ing #or the weapon The murderer may ha&e
ta!en it with him, but on the other hand he may(&e
thrown it away or hidden it somewhere on the premises
(.t(s the old story,( he said, (5et the weapon, and you(&e
got the man( 6ater, one o# the detecti&es came up and sat
beside her 1id she !now, he as!ed, o# anything in the
house that could(&e been used as the weapon+ Would she
mind ha&ing a loo! around to see i# anything was
missing - a &ery big spanner, #or e%ample, or a hea&y
metal &ase
They didn(t ha&e any hea&y metal &ases, she said
(Or a big spanner+( She didn(t thin! they had a big
spanner, but there might be some things li!e that in the
garage
The search went on She !new that there were other
policemen in the garden all around the house She could
hear their #ootsteps on the gra&el outside, and sometimes
she saw the #lash o# a torch through a chin! in the
curtains .t began to get late, nearly nine she noticed by
the cloc! on the mantel The #our men searching the
rooms seemed to be growing weary, a tri#le e%asperated
(4ac!,( she said, the ne%t time Sergeant $oonan went by
(Would you mind gi&ing me a drin!+( (Sure .(ll gi&e you a
drin! -ou mean this whis!y+, (-es, please 3ut *ust a
small one .t might ma!e me #eel better( He handed her
the glass
(Why don(t you ha&e one yoursel#,( she said (-ou must
be aw#ully tired 8lease do -ou(&e been &ery good to
me,( (Well,( he answered (.t(s not strictly allowed, but .
might ta!e *ust a drop to !eep me going( One by one the
others came in and were persuaded to ta!e a little sip o#
whis!y They stood around rather aw!wardly with the
drin!s in their hands, uncom#ortable in her presence,
trying to say consoling things to her Sergeant $oonan
wandered into the !itchen, came out 'uic!ly and said,
(6oo!, Mrs Maloney, you !now that o&en o# yours is still
on, and the meat still inside( (Oh dear me0( she cried (So
it is0( (. better turn it o## #or you, hadn(t .+, (Will you do
that, 4ac! Than! you so much( When the sergeant
returned the second time, she loo!ed at him with her
large, dar!, tear#ul eyes (4ac! $oonan,( she said
(-es+( (Would you do me a small #a&our - you and these
others+( (We can try, Mrs Maloney( (Well,( she said
(Here you all are, and good #riends o# dear 8atric!(s too,
and helping to catch the man who !illed him
-ou must be terribly hungry by now because it(s long
past your supper time, and . !now 8atric! would ne&er
#orgi&e me, 5od bless his soul, i# . allowed you to
remain in his house without o##ering you decent
hospitality Why don(t you eat up that lamb that(s in the
3
o&en+ .t(ll be coo!ed *ust right by now( (Wouldn(t dream
o# it,( Sergeant $oonan said
(8lease,( she begged (8lease eat it 8ersonally . couldn(t
touch a thing, certainly not what(s been in the house
when he was here 3ut it(s all right #or you .t(d be a
#a&our to me i# you(d eat it up Then you can go on with
your wor! again a#terwards( There was a good deal o#
hesitating among the #our policemen, but they were
clearly hungry, and in the end they were persuaded to go
into the !itchen and help themsel&es The woman stayed
where she was, listening to them through the open door,
and she could hear them spea!ing among themsel&es,
their &oices thic! and sloppy because their mouths were
#ull o# meat
(Ha&e some more, ;harlie+( ($o 3etter not #inish it( (She
wants us to #inish it She said so 3e doing her a #a&our<
(O!ay then 5i&e me some more( (That(s the hell o# a big
club the guy must(&e used to hit poor 8atric!,( one o#
them was saying (The doc says his s!ull was smashed all
to pieces *ust li!e #rom a sledge-hammer,(
(That(s why it ought to be easy to #ind
(E%actly what . say( (Whoe&er done it, they(re not going
to be carrying a thing li!e that around with them longer
than they need( One o# them belched
(8ersonally, . thin! it(s right here on the premises(
(8robably right under our &ery noses What you thin!,
4ac!+( And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to
giggle
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