The Harvard Man

“Oh, I see,” he said with a smile.  “You’re upset because your evening was ruined.  Upset that you were forced to leave the gathering of the Harvard...elite.”  He laughed.  “I almost said ‘hoi polloi,’ but that would not be correct.  You see ‘hoi polloi’ is from the Greek meaning ‘the many.’  In fact, ‘hoi’ actually means ‘the,’ so to say ‘the hoi polloi’ is completely wrong as is using the term when referring to the elite of a particular group because, in point of fact, it means ‘the general masses.’  What I should have actually used in referring the Harvard gathering was the term ‘hoity toity,’ meaning ‘pretentiously self-important.’  Yes, that would be the right thing to say.  So, are you angry that you had to leave your evening with the hoity toity of Harvard, Maggie?”  
When Maggie made no reply, he waited a beat and hurried on. 

“Ohhhh, perhaps you’re wondering how I would know all these intricacies about the uses of language.  Is that it?  Well, I’ll tell you.”  
He hurled the next words at her, raging, spittle accompanying the words, splattering on her as he leaned inward.

“IT’S BECAUSE I AM THE HARVARD MAN!  NOT JUST ANY OLD HARVARD MAN.  OH, NO.  I HAVE CLIMBED BACK FROM REJECTION, BACK FROM HOI POLLOI TO THE TOP OF THE HOITY TOITY AT THIS ESTEEMED UNIVERSITY.  WHO ELSE IS MORE IMPORTANT?  MORE DISCUSSED?  MORE FEARED?  NO ONE!  Did you see my Whore House, Maggie?  Wasn’t it exquisite?  I hope you appreciated the intricacy of its architectural design.  But it is not the last House.  No, I have a design of much larger grandeur in mind.  And I have been executing the House’s abstract design since that day in Harvard Square when we first met.  Can you guess the name of the House, Maggie?”  He laughed, standing straight, strutting as he announced the name.  “IT IS THE DEATH HOUSE!  MY PRESENT TO HARVARD, ITS STRUCTURE ENCOMPASSING THE ENTIRE UNIVERSITY!  AND IS THERE A MASTER OF THE DEATH HOUSE?  YES, IT IS I: THE HARVARD MAN!”

Maggie waited.  She could feel her strength returning, though the heat that rose from her left wrist in throbbing pain threatened to overwhelm her senses and she willed her mind to ignore it, waiting, gathering more strength.

And thinking about the gun. 

The Walther .380 that Deluga had given her was in the bedroom, under her pillow on the bed.  If she could somehow get to it....