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Weird Tales v38n03
Weird Tales v38n03
Weird Tales v38n03
HARDING
DERLETH
SEABURY
Subterranean horror,
dimensional fantasy
**Priestess of the Labyrinth’’
EDMOND HAMILTON
//
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IN A BROAPOASTING |
SO FAST BRIGHT
STATION-'OR IN
AVIATION, SHIP.
POLICE OR GOVERN*
MENT RAPIO
NOVELETTES
PRIESTJ;3S OF THE LABYRINTH Edmond Hamilton 8
Wheit you hear the blood-chilling bull-bellow you*U know you* re tn
the haunt of the Minotaur —
from which no man can escape
REVOLT OF THE TREES . , Allison V. Harding 40
There is one plan for the destruction of civilization too incredible
to believe — yet there is evidence . . . /
SHORT STORIES
SHIP-IN-A-BOTTLE P. Schuyler Miller 27
It was an old shipy a square-rigger y perfect in every detail even
to the midget captain with shining hook for a hand
VERSE
GRAVE ROBBERS Marvin Miller 39
THE CASTLE Glenn Ward Dresbach 65
Except for personal experiences the contents of this magazine is fiction. Any use
of the name of any living person or reference to actual events is purely coincidental.
Published bi-moxithly by Weird Talcs, 9 Rockefeller Plaza. New York 20, N. Y. Reentered as aecond-class matter
Januaiy 26, 1940, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the act of March 6, 1873. Sinsrle copies. In cents.
Sv.bsGription ratea: One year in the United State.s and possessions, 90<*. Forciijn and Canadian postage extra.
English Office: Charles Lavell, Limited. 4 Clements Inn, Strand. London, AV.C.2, England. The publishers are not
responsible for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts although every care will be taken of such material while in their
possession. Copyright, 1344, by Weird Tales. Copyriglited in Great Britain. -u
173
Title registerefl in U. S, Patent Office.
PWUTRD TN THE U. S. A. Vol. 38. No. 3
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—
Washington, I^CITT STATE
j
ij.
y<«*- fe d D. o.
KNOmB15(3B
THAT HAS
ENDURED WITH THE
BYRAMIDS
W
Bid its
HENCE came idse kriOT^Tcdge drat BtiBfdie Pypnnda
and the mighty Temples of the Pharachs?
tion began ia the Nile Valley centuries ago. Where
builders acquire their astounding yrisdom that
ifiist
they overcame nature’s forces and gave the world its first
Bcknces and arts* Did their knowledge come from a race now
submerged beneath the sea, or were they touched with Infinite
inspiration? From what concealed source came the wisdom
thariproduoed such characters as Amenhotep IV, Leonardo da AMENHOTEP IV
Vind, Isaac Newton, and a host of others? Pounder of Egypt*#
MARC;iI\AI.IA
by II* P* Lovccraft
This surprise book has already brought in hundreds of advance orders, so that it can be said
that the edition will not last long. It contains prose fragments, revisions, ghost-written pieces _
among them, Imprisoned With the Pharaohs, Medusa’s Coil, The Thing in the Moonlight,
Notes on the Writing of Weird Fiction, etc. There are appreciations of by Long, Scott, HPL
Wandrei, Derleih, and others. And there arc, too, photographs of HPL, his study, script,
drawings — a “must” book for all the fans. $3.00 the copy.
SLEEP NO MORE!
20 C^eat Horror Tales, edited by Angnst Derletfa
In this illustrated by Lee Brown Coye, there are such titles as M. P. ShiePsThe
handsome volume,
House of Sounds, Robert Chambers’ The Yellow Sign, Alfred Noyes' Midnight Express, and 17
ethers by Long, Bloch, Jacobi, Talman, Blackwood, James, Smith, Burke, Wakefield, Collier, R. E.
^
Howard and others. Published by Farrar Rinehart, distributed by Arkham House at $2.60 the copy.
—
WARNING TO THE FANS! The time to order these books is NOW, WHILE COPIES ARE STILL
AVAILAIJLE. Please do not order any one of our four early titles; all are gone. Ten days after
our advertisement appeared in the last issue of WEIRD TALES, Derleth’s SOMEONE IN THE PARK
.and Lovecraft’s BEYOND THE OF SLEEP joined THE OUTSIDER AND OTHERS and
WALL
Smith’s OUT OF SPACE AND TIME! in the out-of-print column. We have left ONLY 60 copies
of Wandrei's poems, DARK
ODYSSEY, illustrated by bis brother Howard, and stock of all our
new books is sljrinking far more rapidly than we dared to hope. Plans are going forward for an
omnibus bv Robert E. Howard, and collections by Bloch, Long, and others in 1945. Send for our
catalog, and ORDER NOW!
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The ancient world dreaded the Labyrinth for in it strange magic worked
and horror walked curving ways
M
wing.
arlin
and
felt the
shudder like
Lightning buck
a
horse as a shell hit the right
The stunning shock of
smacked him hard against his
the explosion
belt.
wounded
He came
Marlin ripped the cowling open, un-
buckled his belt, and clawed his way up out
of the seat. Then the wind caught his lanlcy
young figure out of the plane, and he was
tumbling head over heels down through the
groggily out of his daze to find tliat his darkness. stretched the northern shore of Crete, a black shepherd the bombers that now were swoop-
plane lacked a wing and was tumbling The discipline of a Texas training field mass. ing toward the target of the city harbor.
downward through the darkness. half the world away held good in Marlin’s That dark cape down there where anti- Marlin’s thin, dark face veas grim as he
"I would have run into flak on my last
to mind. Automatically, he counted, waited, aircraft guns were spitting viciously was waved after the roaring Liberators. "See you
mission!” he thought sickly. and pulled his rip-cord. The white cup of Candia, he knew. He had been watcliing the again some day, boys— I hope!”
No time for further thought! The crippled the parachute unfolded over his head. flak only a minute before, as he helped He turned his attention to his own pre-
plane was screaming down through the night He looked down. A few thousand feet
toward the Nazi-held island of Crete at in- beneath him lay the moon-silvered wash of
creasing speed, the Mediterranean. Beyond to the south Heading by MARGARET BRUNDAGE
8 9
—
30 WEIRD TALES
dicament. He
shortened the parachute cords were ail that was left of ancient Knossos
on one side, trying to drift toward the dark stretdicd on hi.s right Farther inland from
land. him, there y.an'fic.i sii.adowy gorges that ran
Crete was still in Nazi hands, in this back into the hiiis.
early spring of 1944. The ancient island, seat Marlin felt tlie irony of it as he glanced
of the strangest and most mysterious civiliza- at tlie pillared luins. As a student archaeolo-
tion of antiquity, still warded tlie bastions gist, he had drc.imed of coming to this very
of the Balkans against Allied invasion. spot. Its tales of .•‘oagic wonders, of the cruei
Three years before, when Brad Marlin sea-kings, of the sorcerer-scientist Daedalus
had been an archaeological student at Har- and his doomed son Icarus who had been
vard, it had been his dream to visit Crete the first men to fly, of Labyrinth and Mino-
some day. He had envisioned himself delv- taur, liad puzzled the world for four thou-
ing into the ruins of that enigmatic and sand year.-;.
mighty civilization, that great riddle of the And now he w-as here at ruined Knossos
past presented by the uncanny mytlis of —but in mortal danger. He must not fail
Cretan science and power. into Nazi hands. If they' hadn't seen him
But he hadn’t planned to visit Crete this landing, hs could hide out in tliese bills
if
way! Not dropping out of a night made until he found some native fisherman ro
hideous by screaming anti-aircraft shells and smuggle liim out
fiery rockets and the thunderous explosion "Er ist da"’ shouted a sharp voice through
of bombs now hitting the Candia docks. the moonlit ruins at that moment. "SchneW’’
Marlin knew that at the best, he faced a Marlin's hopes shattered like a bubble. He
Nazi concentration camp until the war’s end. had been seen falling. Dark figures were
And his fate might well be worse. Stories running toward him through the ruins.
had drifted back about the treatment of cap- "Stop or we fire!” cried a sharp voice, in
tured Allied fliers. The Nazis feared coming English, as Marlin turned and ran toward
invasion, feared it enough to make them the inviting darkness of the nearest gorge.
ruthless in questioning Aose Allied pilots An automatic rifle let go a moment later
who fell into their hands. and bullets screamed off the stone pillars
"If I could hide out in the hills and get around the running American.
down to a fishing-boat some night, I could The rattle of the rifle was drowned by the
get away,” Marlin sweated.
still successive explosions of bombs falling, rip-
But first he liad to reach tliose hills! He ping the Nazi barracks between Candia and
was drifting down toward the huddled mass Knossos. Marlin heard the roar of the Liber-
of Candia, the big seaport city. ators sw’eeping closer as he ran.
Marlin held the chute-cords tightened un- He was in the gorge. He stumbled along
til they cut his hands, and prayed for an a dry stream-bed with the boots of the Nazi
inshore wind. He hit one at the two-thou- patrol pounding loudly behind him. He
sand-foot level and it swept him beyond the tripped over loose stones, collided with
bomb-rocking city. boulders in the deep shadows.
He saw the silver thread of a river below, He could hear the Nazi officer who com-
and knew it must be the Karaitos that ran manded the small patrol cursing his men and
past the ancient site of Knossos. Then those urging them to greater speed. The stone
white patches of stone columns and walls walls of the ravine, sculptured long ago by
below were Knossos itself, the ruins of the the builders of dead Knossos, held mon-
ancient Cretan capital.’ strous bull-headed figures who glared dov n
at the running pilot in the moonlight.
k FEW minutes later, he alighted on a Marlin heard the Nazi officer yelling to
fc -kridge just beyond the white forest of his men not to fire, to take the Amerikaner
ruins.The Ante dragged him roughly over alive. He knew what that meant. It meant
the bumpy ground until he got it collapsed. a merciless inquisition by the Germans that
Ke stood panting, a lanky young figure in he would probably not survive.
his flying suit, his black hair bare, his dark, Blam! Blam!
thin face strained. Flame and thunder rocked the gorge as
In the moonlight, the white mir.s that a stick of bombs started falling along it from
'
a Liberator a little south off its target. made jour turns all perpendicular to each
Marlin knew the rest of the stick was other!”
coming, and dived behind a big boulder as
tlic explosions rocked along the rest of the
ravine and brought down showers of pebbles That was impossible, for there were
only three dimensions. Three spatial di-
from its split rock walls.
He hoped for a moment that one of the
—
mensions, that is the only fourth dimension
was the abstract one of time.
bombs had got the patrol pursuing him, He swore to himself. ”1 must be getting
but his hopes were dashed when he heard dizzy and imagining things in this darkness.”
that sharp, hateful voice a moment later. Yet Marlin knew he wasn't, that he had
'’SchnclW’ really turned in four mutually perpendicular
Marlin was breathless, his heart slugging directions. For he had the unerring sense
his ribs, as he stumbled on around a curve of of direction and orientation that a fighter-
the moon-dappled, narrow gorge. pilot must have to the last degree.
Pi.ock debris was still sliding from a sculp- "But it’s crazy! You can’t make four dif-
tured cliff that had taken the full impact of ferent right-angle turns when there are only
a bomb. Marlin glimpsed a dark opening or three dimensions.”
cavity in the shattered cliff. Marlin groped mystifiedly onward. Other
He stumbled toward it. It was a possible tunnels forked from the one he followed,
hiding-place. He could not go farther, in he discovered.
any This whole region would soon be
case. He felt utterly baffled. "What the devil
alive with searching patrols, for now' the kind of a labyrinth is this?”
Liberators were leaving. A labyrinth? No, the Labyrinth! He sud-
.He scrambled through the opening, and denly realized it. He had found the long-
W'as surprised to find that was no mere
it hidden and long-sought great secret of an-
cavity in the rock but a high, narrow tunnel cient Crete!
that led back into the cliff. And
it was man- The very words labyrinthine and laby-
m.ade, for the floor and walls were smoothly rinth came from this place. This was the
squared. magic maze built beneath ancient Knossos
He realized instantly w'hat it was. An by Daedalus, legendary scientist of Crete,
ancient passageway of the Cretans, uncov- the man supposed to have invented artificial
ered after ages by the explosion of the wings.
bombs. Marlin remembered those tales of the
Marlin grinned mirthlessly in the dark- dread of all the ancient world for the Laby-
ness. "Hell of a way to make an archaeo- rinth in which strange magic w'orked, in
logical discovery,” he thought. which horror walked curving ways no man
It was pitcli dark in the tunnel. He groped could escape once he entered. Daedalus, they
forward. There was an intense silence, all said, had built the Labyrinth and made it the
the clamor outside now cut off. haunt of the Minotaur, the terrible man-bull.
The tunnel curved. It curved until it was "And that stick of bombs uncovered the
going at right angles to his former course. It entrance to it,” Marlin thought. "Hidden all
went straight a little way, then wound these centuries —
spirally downward in what was actually an- Marlin found himself groping around an-
other right-angle change of course, and then other of the uncanny quadruple curs'es.
again it became a straight passage for a few Again, his head swam with strange dizziness
yards. as he rounded the fourth right-angle. Some-
Then it curved again until it was follow- thing like panic came over him.
ing a course at right angles to aU three of He turned around, to retrace his steps.
the former directions. And as he went Then he stopped and stiffened as a sharp
around this final turn of the quadruple curve. echo came through the dark from the way
Marlin felt a dizzying, sinking sensation he had come.
as though he were falling through infinite "Vorwarts — schnell!”
sp.‘'ces. The Nazi patrol had seen him enter the
Marlin stopped, suddenly startled by reali- tunnel and had come into the Labyrinth after
zation. "Wha.. the devil! I couldn’t h.xve him, he realized!
” — ” ”
12 WEIRD TALES
He gave up thought of turning back
all Marlin’s lanky figure sagged a little from
and ran on gropingly through the dia- fatigue and frustration. “I never knew of
bolically twisting tunnels. The voices echoed the place before, and doubt if anyone did,”
louder behind and he had a dismaying sense he answered. "The bombs that hit the gorge
of being hopelessly trapped in this ancient uncovered it.*
maze. “A likely story!” sneered the Nazi. He
Then came something that brought the glanced along the curving tunnel. Its floor
up on Marlin’s neck. It was a
hair prickling and sides were of smooth, massive blocics.
sound, but not a sound of voices. And it The roof was almost out of sight overhead.
came from ahead of him, not from behind. "An ancient Cretan relic, without doubt,”
A distant, echoing, bellowing sound, im- tlie German muttered. His eyes narrowed. "I
utterably brutish and hideous, boomed begin to understand now. The ruins of
through the darkness of the curving tunnels. Knossos were excavated for years by Sit
Tliat blood-chilling bull-bellow stopped Arthur Evans, the English archaeologist. He
Marlin in his tracks. and his co-workers must have found this
"Good God!” he whispered. “That sounds
like
— place and kept it secret
—
probably it’s been
used by Allied spies and tlie underground
Hecould not finish the sentence, even to right along.”
himself.It was too insanely fantastic. One of the two Nazi soldiers, who had
That hideous bellow had been both hu- been looking nervously along the tunnel,
man and taurine in quality. It had been like ventured to address the officer. Marlin knew
the mingled voice of bull and man. enough German to understand.
“Just an echo!” he told himself thickly. "Lieutenant Preyder, can we not leave?
“Imagination getting the best of me, making —
This place is creepy the giddiness we felt
me think of the Minotaur legend.”
Yet if the Labyrinth itself was now proved heard
—
coming through it, and the cry that Blaun
a reality, might not the dreaded Minotaur be "Blaun heard an echo!” snapped Preyder
real also? The Minotaur, monstrous guardian
'
M arlin
matic
upon him. The
had no
rifles
choice. The two auto-
of the soldiers were trained
flashlight beam made him a
give valuable information, I'm sure, Gestapo
headquarters in Candia will see to that
The man Blaun interrupted by opening
—
perfect target. his mouth and screaming. He screamed like
He helplessly raised his hands. The Nazis a man who has seen the devil rise before
approached. The young lieutenant searched him.
him weapons, and found none.
efficiently for A bull-bellow shook the corridor.
terrific
"Amerikaner, as I thought,” he snapped. Marlin spun, reckless of the rifles. He stiff-
"Who told you about this hiding place ened, like the others, in horror.
the Greek underground? How long have In the shadows beyond the flashlight
they been using it?” beam, a vague, monstrous shape towered up
'The Nazi lieutenant was younger than and was glaring at them with flaming eyes.
Marlin. He was tall, stalwart, superbly mus- Incredible, that monster. The eye saw it but
cled, with a face as cold and merciless and the brain rejected it.
handso.me as a panther’s. It was human, manlike, in bodily form.
—
But the misshaped, massive head, the brutish from other directions in the dark, intricate
jaws, the great horns of the giant skull maze.
they were not human. Bellowing, it charged "Gott, there are otlier of the creatures in
toward them. here!” w’hispered the shaking man Blaun.
"If there are, we can handle them with
II the guns!” snapped Preyder. 'The Nazi offi-
cer’s pale eyes had a gleam in them now.
TVyTARLIN was as frozen as tlie Nazis by "We’ve found something big here a mys- —
^Vi the rush of the monstrous creature. tery that must be investigated. But it’s a
That human form, that massive, taurine, job for headquarters to handle. We’ll get
horned head with itsflaming eyes and gap- out now with this Amerikaner and make our
ing jaws— they coaWwV be real! report.”
Not for a moment had Marlin been able
Then the American was shocked to the
reality of it by the shriek of the Nazi soldier to make a break. Preyder’s gun had covered
beside Blaun. That man had been nearest the him since the disappearance of the bull-
creature, and its lowered horn had caught monster, and now he motioned with the
his side as the thing charged. weapon back along the tunnel by which they
"Gott!” screamed the soldier Blaun, had come.
scrambling frantically to flee. The man Blaun seemed frantically eager
Preyder had whipped out his revolver and to get but of the place, as they started back
was firing. The bullets ripped the shoulder along the curving passage. Preyder followed
of the bull-horned giant, and blood spouted. them closely, the dead man’s rifle in his
That spurt of blood, more than anything hands.
else, convinced Marlin that it was no insane Clamorous echoes of the hideous taurine
nightmare. The crashing echoes of the gun- bellowing w^ere louder about them now,
fire were followed by a terrific bellow of seeming to come from all directions. They
pain from the creature. came to a fork in the curving tunnel.
It turned and with incredible swiftness "To the right,” ordered the Nazi officer
darted back around the curve of the tunnel. confidently. "That is the way we came.”
Its bellowing reached them in a hideous,
But the right fork wound left, as soon as
brutish clamor of rage and pain. they entered it. It curved and curved again
Preyder’s face was pale and glistening in those weirdly dizzying loops and spirals,
with sweat. "Bull-head and man’s body until they seemed going ever deeper into the
baffling Labyrinth.
"But it can’t be
—
the Minotaur of ancient legend!’’ he husked.
’’
Preyder stopped and swore. "We’ll have
His revolver warned Marlin back as the to go back and take the other turn.”
American started to bend over the fallen But they did not seem able to find that
Nazi soldier. Preyder himself stooped over fork when they retraced their steps. For w'hat
the man, picking up his rifle and then ex- seemed hours, they stumbled through the
amining him. The man was dead, for that dark tunnels in vain searcli. And ever the
savage horn had ripped his heart. brutish bellowing was louder, nearer!
'"The thing was real enough to kill that Marlin’s head reeled. The geometry of
this maze was unearthly. That was the only
man of yours,” muttered Marlin, feeling an
icy horripilation along his spine. "This is
word for it. Time and again they would go
the ancient Labyrinth of Knossos, no doubt through one of those uncanny quadruple
of that. Legend always said that it was loops which each time gave Marlin the dizzy-
monster-haunted.” ing sensation of moving through a fourth
"But that thing, monster or not, could dimension.
not have lived in here for four thousand The terror of the man Blaun was now
years!” exclahued Preyder. "It was flesh and extreme. The bellowing followed them, al-
blood, monstrous as it was. And flesh and ways behind. Flaming eyes watched from
biood can’t live that long.” the darkness behind them. Yet when Preyder
Thunderous bawling echoes of the man- turned the beam back, they would never be
bull’s bellow'ing rocked the vaulted tunnel
in time to see anything but a flash of move-
14 WEIRD TALES
''There must bs a dozen of the cieatuies,” tiiey followed her. Her sea-blue eyes wcfc
Preyder mattered, in licii's name are fixed in wide amazement on the three men,
they.^ her face white and startled.
ile specuiated"Genetic experi-
aloud. are men from beyond!” she gasped,
"You
ments might produce sucli monsters. But amazement and dawning terror in her eyes.
why here, in this hidden maze.^ It's too "You have opened the Labyrinth!''
cursed appropriate with the Minotaur Marlin could only vaguely understand her
iegend."
ELis iiashlight beam was dimming,
—
language. It w'as Greek not tlie ancient
tlie bat- Attic he had learned in his Harvard class-
tery failing. Preyder forced a pace of des- rooms but a dimly distorted dialect of that
perate urgency. They stumbled through the tongue.
cur\’ing ways with the little light grov.-ing “What do you mean.^ Who are you? "
he
weaker each moment. And the bull-bcUow- husked in iialting Attic.
ing behind grew louder, nearer, exultant. look at her arms!" clicked Blaun.
’’Golt,
It seemed like a crazy dream, to Mariin. Marlin looked, and felt a deepened se.nse
He'd wake up and find himself badt at of the uncanny. He had noticed that the girl
Bengasi base with the morning sun pouring wore golden, serpent-like orriaments twined
through the tent-flap. He’d draw a long sigh around her arms. Now he saw that t-he
of relief to find himself awake golden serpents ivere alive. They were no:
The light went out! A
wail of terror from metal, but little golden snakes which en-
the man Blaun was echoed by a savage twined each arm and raised their heads to
chorus of taurine bellow'ing from behind. stare at the men with wise, wide yeiiow
“Keep your rifle against the Amerikaner eyes.
and shoot if he tries to escape in tire dark!" A
girl out of mystery, a girl who spoke
exclaimed Preyder to the Nazi soldier. the ancient tongue and wore living serpents
Flaming eyes were coming toward them like the snake-goddesses of the ancient
tlirough the dark, Preyder fired at tliem. world, and who seemed to have no fear cf
But the crashing roar of gunfire was fol- the incredible taurine iiorde .sh ufflin g in the
lowed only by the whine of bullets glancing deep shadows behind her!
olf the curved stone W'alls. Preyder broke in. The Nazi officer ap-i
—
“Look there's a light!" screamed Blaun. pareatly knew the classical Greek of t.hs
Mariin saw. It was a dim, cflulgent white schoolroom also, and he spoke sharply to the
glow that was dawning along the curving girl.
tunnel from behind them. “Are you of the underground?" he de-
It came into view, something tiny and manded of her. “What ate those brutes be-
glowing that was advancing along the curv- hind you?"
ing passageway. The
girl glanced only a moment back a:
"Good God!" muttered Marlin. "It’s a the vague, monstrous forms of the shadowy
girl!" shapes that bulked behind flaming eyes.
The figure approaching almost confirmed 'The Minotaurs? Do not be afraid they —
his belief that he was dreaming. She was will not harm you. They obey me always."
as uncannily beautiful as the buil-mea had The Minotaurs? Marlin’s brain reeled.
been uncannily hideous. Legend was co.ming true before his eyes.
What did it all mean?
HE was tall and fair-haired, a slim figure "I am Luane, priestess of the Temple and
S in low-cut waist and long, flounced white daughter of the high priest," she was sa*.--
skirt. Her yellow hair, falling to her shoul- ing rapidly. The dread in her blue eyes
ders, bound around her temples by a
'vvas deepened as she added, “Your opening cf
golden circlet in tlie front of which was set the L.abyrinth is a disaster neither he nor i
a great crystal that emitted the soft, dim had foreseen: You must' come at once with
glow of light. me to my father Daedalus!"
Marlin's skin crawled as he saw that in '"Daedalus?” Even Preyder was stunned
tlie shadows just behind her the flaming out of his suspicious attitude for a moment
eyes of the man-bulls were advancing also, fay chat name.
and tliat she paid no attention to them as Daedalus, legendary builder of the Laby-
PRIESTESS OF THE LABYRINTH H
rinth? The fabulous sorcerer-scientist of spiral of stone steps that climbed upward
ancient Crete who was even supposed to around it.
have invented artificial human wings that Marlin looked back wonderingly. The
had brought death to his son Icarus? This massive silver door had swung shut behind
girl —
the daughter of Daedalus? them. The monstrous horde of bull-men,
Luane seemed to understand Marlin’s then, had not followed them up out of the
sti' ’refaction, the Nazi’s incredulity. "My tunnels?
fatlier will explain all to you. But you must "They do not leave the Labyrinth,” Luane
come with me at once. There is terrible though guessing his thought.
said quickly, as
danger every moment that yoit linger "They do not like the upper world, those
here!’’ poor children of pain and darkness.”
Her desperate urgency, the dread of mys- "Where are we?” demanded Preyder
terious catastrophe that widened her eyes, harshly, suspiciously, his gaze searching the
penetrated the daze of the men. dim, vaulted room.
"She’s either crazy or lying but she must "In the lowest level of the Temple of
know a way out of tliis devil’s maze,’’ mut- Wisdom,” answered the girl. "Come
tered Preyder. "We w'ill go with her. But quickly!”
you’ll get a bullet in the back if you try an They climbed after her. Daylight, sun-
escape, Amerikaner!” light,showed somew'here above them. Mar-
—
"This way and hurry!” Luane exclaimed, linsaw that the little golden serpents twined
already leading the way forward along the around the girl’s arms now lifted their heads
curving tunnel, the radiant jewel on her eagerly toward the light, preening them-
forehead lighting the way dimly. selves.
Marlin followed at her heels, Blaun and They climbed up into a big oblong ball
the officer close behind him. And in the of unstained white marble whose brilliant
shadows behind them came the shuffling, light dazzled their eyes. The light came
trampling footsteps of the monsters the girl from a pillared window at one end, which
had called Minotaurs. opened on a landscape of white sunlight.
Marlin’s brain was beginning to grasp a The man Blaun uttered a hoarse cry.
possible unearthly explanation of this mad "Wliere are we? This is not Crete!”
situation. He was remembering the uncanny Marlin was stunned by the vista too. But
quadruple curves of the twisting maze, that not as mi'ch as the Nazis. He had been half-
had given him the sensation of turning expecting this.
through a fourth dimension. The fourth Outside lay a mighty city, one larger and
dimension of matter was time. Then this far different than any town of modern Crete.
incredible Labyrinth wound its maze not Tens of thousands of unpretentious houses
only through space but also through time? of sun-dried brick, a sea of flat roofs,
Had brought them into past time when stretched toward the blue sea and the harbor
ancient Crete existed? in which were a forest of masts. Far out on
the sea, strange galleys with colored sails
16 WEIRD TALES
colonnades of those giant stairvi'ays
pillars, 'Wes, but not Minos’ spies as we thought,”
•and rounded cupolas, were familiar to Mar- Luane answered. "These are men from
lin asthough remembered from a dream. across time.The Labyrinth has been opened!"
"The palace of Minos!’’ he husked. "And Daedalus blanched, like a man receiving a
Knossos in the great age of Crete!"
this city is shock of terrible intelligence.
Luane had an agony of apprehension in
"You -must not linger here. If
"The La’oyrinth opened?" he whispered.
"But if Minos learns of this, it means
—
her face.
Minos learns of your coming
— Urgent alarm and haste flashed into his
Marlin knew his guess had been right. eyes. "Quick, to my laboratory! Minos’
That alien Labyrinth whose tunnels curved mental vision cannot see there!"
in time had brought them four thousand Marlin dazedly allowed himself to be
years into the past. hustled with the other two through a series
of connecting halls and corridors, by Dae-
Ill dalus and his daughter. The stunned Prey-
der attempted no further resistance.
REYDER had taken the shock of realiza- The Arnerican glimpsed a few white-
P tion even more than Marlin, for the
Nazi had no mental preparation for it. His
robed men servitors of the temple, Cretans
who stared at them wonderingly. ’Then they
•widened eyes turned from the incredible were led into a small, windowless room of
vista outside to glare at Luane. octagonal shape, whose walls were sheets of
"Knossos? That’s not Knossos!” he dull lead. It was illuminated by silver lamps.
snapped. "What kind of trick is this? The room was a laboratory; but not such a
Where have you brought us?” one as he had known in his own time.
His raised rifle menaced her. “Answer, Many instruments were of familiar de-
or I’ll—” sign —
crucibles, retorts and other chemical
Luane made no movement. But the golden apparatus. But tliere were also ancient alem-
snakes that entwined her arms suddenly bics, charcoal braziers, twisted glass tubes
moved, with a swiftness beyond belief. through which bubbled yellow gases, metal
They shot like flying shafts of gold geometrical models of outlandish alienage
through the air toward the Nazi. They tliat made the eye aclie to look at.
whipped around Preyder’s neck and tight- "Not even Minos’ mental vision can pene-
ened. trate these walls of lead,” muttered Daeda-
The Nazi staggered, clawing the air, drop- lus. "But if he should already have learned
ping the gun as his face went purple. "Tlie that the Labyrinth had been opened —
’’
tokened?” he said swiftly to the girl. Daedalus broke in. "The Minotaurs were
—
not of my creation, stranger. Minos made humanities whom Minos called his Mino-
those monsters, out of men. And they tied taurs!
to me for refuge, and I gave it to them.” "Those creatures escaped their master and
Marlin’s brain reeled. "I don’t understand came to me. They hoped that I could make
all this. In my day, it was only wild myth.” them human. But I could not. I could only
Preyder’s eyes had begun to gleam. "What give them refuge here and refuse to return
a secret to stumble upon! A pathway into them to Minos. But I resolved that Minos
past time!” should make no more Cretans into such
Luane was at her father’s side, her blue monsters!
eyes troubledly surveying the three men "I told Minos that if he took any more
as her father rapidly spoke. Cretans to create unlioly races, I would raise
"I cannot explain everything to you,” the whole Cretan people against him 'oy
Daedalus said. "But this I must tell you telling them just what he was doing! He
your coming has threatened Knossos and all had to desist, but from that time forward
our world with dark evil. Yes, and because Minos has hated me.”
you have penetrated the Labyrinth and come Marlin was horrified. So this was why
here, that evil danger threatens even your horror had clung to the name of Minos lot
own far future age!” forty centuries!
"Danger? Danger from what?” de-
manded Marlin, his thin young face puzzled. he Cretan sorcerer-king had engaged in
"From Minos,” came the answer. "The
king who is lord of Crete and who wields a
T blackly evil genetic experiments in his
efforts to create new monstrous races to but-
dark wisdom equalling my own. And who is tress hispower!
evil incarnate in his purposes!” Daedalus was continuing urgently. "I was
He almost spat the words. And Marlin then engaged in a great experiment of my
began to remember now that the old legends own. I believed that I could create a super-
spoke of Minos the king and Daedalus the geometrical pattern that would enter four
scientist as deadly enemies —enemies wield- dimensions and thus would penetrate time,
ing Ihe magic of ancient wisdom. past and future. Beneath this Temple, I buiit
"We have science, we of Crete,” Daedalus the Labyrinth.
was saying. "Perhaps not the same as your "I pierced thus into other ages. I looked
science of the future. I perceive by your forth, and saw Knossos as it will be in future
dress and weapons that you have mastered ages,dead and ruined. I looked even farther
many material forces. We have concentrated and saw strange things of Earth to be tliat
on other problems, on the subtle laws of even you do not know.
time and space and life. "But then Minos learned of my achieve-
"Greatest of scientists in our land are ment. He came to me. He wished me to let
Minos, hereditary king, and I, high priest of him use the Labyrintli. My threat to tell the
this Temple of Wisdom. But the researches people had prevented him from using any
of Minos have always been unholy. For he more Cretans for his hideous life-experi-
has long cherished a black, evil purpose. ments. He proposed to use the Labyrinth
"Minos has always v/ished to breed new, to raid future ages for human subjects!
monstrous, semi-human races who would "I refused! I sealed up every outlet of the
serve him and extend his power over all the Labyrinth into future ages, so that it could
earth! Years ago, he sought for the ultimate not be used. Minos and Pasiphae and their
seeds of life, the tiny germs that control evil followers, much as they wished, could
every aspect of a living creature’s growth and not hope to find the sealed openings of the
formation, Labyrinth even had they taken possession
"He found those controlling germs of of it by force and overcome the Minotaurs
life, and bred horrible new creatures from whom I let dwell in it.”
human stock. Men who had only a travesty Daedalus’ heavy voice rang with dread
of human shape, whom the experiments of foreboding as he concluded his rapid recital.
Minos had caused to grow into bestial forms! "But if Minos learns now that the Laby-
Yes, the beast-headed monsters whom you rinth has been opened from outside our time,
saw in the Labyrinth, the poor mockeries of then he would move at once to seize it and
”
18 WEIRD TALES
use it as a roadway for the raiding of future And this must be done at once, before Minos
ages!" learns that it was ever opened.”
Marlin stared incredulously. “Then what “But my people can offer you riches and
do you intend to do.^ With us?” power for your alliance!” Preyder persisted.
I.uane answ'ered urgently. "Father, they Daedalus looked icily at the Nazi. “Minos
must go back through the Labyrinth to their offered me power and riches, and I refused.
own time, and the Labyrinth must be sealed No, you go back to your own time!”
again.” He turned toward his daughter. “We shall
Daedalus nodded anxiously. “That is the take them at once, Luane. But first—”
But first, we must be sure He stopped. Preyder, turning away to a
only solution.
that Minos is not watching
— little distance, had suddenly whipped out
Preyder broke in eagerly. "Wait! I could his revolver and was covering Luane with it.
help you to conquer Minos!” “This weapon kills instantly,” snapped
Marlin looked at the Nazi in sharp dis- the Nazi. “If those serpents of yours move
trust. Preyder was excitedly explaining to this time, you’ll die at once.”
the old scientist and the girl. Daedalus and Luane were frozen, and so
“In my own future age,” the Nazi de- for the moment was Marlin.
clared, "this island of Crete is held by my "There is a secret here that can mean
countrymen, the Germans. They are de- ultimate victory for the Reich,” Preyder went
fending it against a motley horde of nations on harshly to the old Cretan scientist.
who attacked us. Our soldiers could come “You’re going to help me make use of it,
through the Labyrinth to this time, and help or your daughter will pay the penalty.”
you sweep Minos from the throne!” Marlin jumped! He had been tensing
Preyder added eagerly, “In return, we’d himself for the last few seconds and he
.ask only the privilege of taking refuge in swept toward Preyder in a low, flying tackle.
this time if our enemies invade the island The man Blaun was too dazed by events
— of taking refuge merely until we can go to act quickly. But Preyder whirled with
back and counter-attack them by surprise.” wolf-like swiftness and shot.
Alarlin gasped at the hellish audacity' of The gun went off almost in Marlin’s face.
the Nazi's plan. He saw instantly its terrific He felt a scorching blast of flame, a terrific
menace to the Allied cause. blow, and then nothing.
The Allied forces, sooner or later, would
invade Crete. If the Germans could retreat IV
through the Labyrinth to this past age, they
could wait until a favorable moment and
mount a sudden counter-attack of stunning
surprise. An ambush from time!
M arlin
with the
came back to
salt stickiness
consciousness
of dried blood
on his forehead and a feeling that his skull
“Don’t believe him!” Marlin cried to the had split apart He opened his eyes to find
two Cretans. “His people are not defending that he lay on the floor of the octagonal
the island —
they invaded it and now' oppress laboratory. 'The silver lamps still glowed
its inhabitants, and my country and others softly, but the room was silent.
are seeking to liberate it!” He stumbled up and then saw the
“A lie,” said Preyder flatly. "This Ameri- withered, prostrate figure of Daedalus ly-
can is of my nation’s enemies, and that is ing nearby. The old Cretan scientist was
v/hy he twists the truth.” sprawled in front of a silver cabinet of
Daedalus spoke sternly. “I know nothing instruments, blood seeping from a bullet
of the wars in y'our future age, nor do I wish wound in his side.
to laiow them. I do know that you three Marlin looked wildly around. The two
must all return through the Labyrinth to your Nazis and the girl Luane w'ere gone.
ow'n time as quickly as possible.” He bent and frantically tried to revive the
The old scientist added meaningly, “I old Cretan. "What happened? Where is
shall use hypnotic means to wipe all memory Preyder?”
of it from your minds before you are thrust Daedalus appeared mortally wounded.
out of the La’oyrinth. And I shall seal it Yet the old scientist’s eyes opened, and he
again, so that no others may come through. whispered faintly.
”
phial of blue liquid,” he murmured Daedalus replied. "They will need Luane
"The
hoarsely. "In the cabinet
— be their guide.”
to
Marlin stumbled to the silver cabinet and "Then without her, they could not use the
searched hastily. There were many strange- Labyrinth?” Marlin exclaimed. 'Then we've
looking instruments and vessels in it. But got to get her out of their hands at once!”
he soon found a flat, twisted-necked glass Daedalus nodded swiftly. His eyes were
phial of bright blue fluid. solemn. 'Yes, we must risk all to get Luane
He returned quickly with it to the Cretan. away from tliem and then dose the Laby-
"Break the neck and pour the liquid into rinth again.”
my wound,” whispered Daedalus. Rapidly, he thought aloud. "Your enemy
Marlin obeyed, drawing the old man’s will tell Minos that I am dead. And Minos
cloak aside and letting the blue drug drip will rejoice, and will at once send to seize
into the bullet-hole in the withered flesh. this temple so that they may force Luane
The results amazed him. The lips of the to guide them through the Labyrinth.”
wound drew together as though from a "Then, at once, we’ve got to get into
super-clotting agent affecting tissues as weU —
Minos’ palace and free your daughter and
”
as blood. And strength and life seemed to there’s just tlie two of us, without weapons!
pour back into Daedalus’ pallid face. Marlin exclaim.ed. He was appalled by the
The Cretan sat up in a few moments. dire necessity facing them.
There was an agony of dread in his wide eyes "I have weapons, of a certain kind,” mut-
as he looked up at Marlin. tered Daedalus. He went to the silver cabi-
"Your enemy left us both for dead!” he net, and hurriedly took from it some small
exclaimed. "After he struck you down with copper instruments which he put in an inner
his weapon, he turned it upon me also as I pocket of his cloak. "Now come with me!”
was rushing to call the Minotaurs against The old Cretan seemed to have recovered
him!” miraculous strength from the blue drug tha:
Marlin raised an unsteady hand to his had dosed his wound. Marlin stumbled at
head. Preyder’s bullet had grazed his skull his heels, out of the lamptit laboratory' into
only, but the wound that had stunned him the marble halls of the temple.
would have been interpreted by the Nazi as Night had fallen upon Knossos while thev
a fatal one. lay unconscious. The porticos gave a view
"As consciousness left me,” Daedalus was of the great, dark city, its streets splashed
continuing hoarsely, "I heard the man you with red torchlight, the lighted wdndows of
call Preyder and the other one binding and Minos’ great palace on the distant hilltop
gagging Luane. They were going with her glaring out over the nighted town and sea.
to Minos! Your enemy plans to make with Thin, vague starlight came through the
Minos the bargain that he could not make openings into the temple halls. Marlin
with me!” stumbled over something small and soft and
Terribie apprehension gripped Marlin at looked down to discover tliat it was the dead,
this information.He saw again all the dread crushed body of one of Luane’s little pet
Preyder succeeded in turning
possibilities if golden serpents. The other lay nearby.
the unearthly Labyrinth into a weapon of Daedalus had found the bodies of two
Nazi strategy. of the temple servitors, across the room. The
Preyder’s reasoning was clear. The Nazi men had been shot by Preyder and Blaun.
must have allies in this ancient time-v/orld They were naked except for loincloths, their
if hiscompatriots were to use the Labyrinth. cloaks missing.
Daedalus had refused the unholy alliance. "The Nazis put their cloaks on so that
So he had gone to Minos, who also desired their strange clothingwould not be noticed
to use the road through time for evil pur- going through the city,” muttered Marlin.
poses. "Listen!” Daedalus exclaimed.
"But why would he take Luane with A heavy tramp of feet was approaching
them?” Marlin cried. the Temple of Wisdom. They glimpsed
—
"You forget what I told you that only a long column of bronze-helmeted soldiers
Luane and myself know the Labyrinth well led by torchbearers coming through the
enough to find the openings to other ages,” streets toward them.
” .
20 WEIRD TALES
"Minos’ guards, coming here to seize the will kindle toawakening when you wear the
temple and Labyrinth as I thought!” said tlie wings against your body.”
old Cretan. He showed Marlin by example how to
"Let’s get out of here then before they buckle the strong leather harness around his
find us!” Marlin cried, starting toward the shoulders, so that the flat muscle-mass be-
door. tween the wings was clasped tightly against
"Wait!” Daedalus commanded. "We can his back between the shoulders.
do nothing that way. Minos' palace is always Marlin obeyed unbelievingly. "But it’s
ringed by guards. We could not even ap-
proacli it.’’ matter
—
impossible! The things are just lifeless
"But we’ve got to make the attempt!” He broke off suddenly. He had felt an
Marlin exclaimed desperately. uncanny twitching of that mass of pseudo-
"Yes, but not that way. Come with me.” living muscle clasped against his back.
To the American’s surprise, Daedalus led It was an almost horrible sensation, that
him up a spiral stairway that climbed to the writhing and flexing of powerful tendons
very top of the temple. They emerged onto which a minute before had been lax and
its flat roof. dead.
The Temple of Wisdom was a massive "TTie wings are waking to life from the
octagon building of great height. Up here kindling aura of your own living flesh!”
in the windy darkness, they were far above Daedalus warned. "When they begin to beat
the torchlit streets of Knossos. strongly, run with me along the roof and
Daedalus went to a small shed-like struc- launch yourself into the air.”
ture on the roof, unlocking it and entering. Marlin felt the flexing of the great arti-
He returned in a moment, bringing two big ficial muscles against his back, swiftly in-
denly remembered all those old legends that edge, his wings now flapping powerfully.
told of Daedalus’ invention of a means of
flight and of tlie death of his son in its trial.
For the thing was a pair of big, artificial
wings.
M arlin, feeling more than ever caught
in a fantastic dream, mechanically ran
forward after the other. He was nearly to
They were broad, batlike pinions six feet —
the edge of the roof then he flung him-
in length, made of a dark, skinlike substance self forward into empty space.
stretched on a light interior skeleton. The He did not fall! Instead, he rocketed for-
wings seemed to grow like living ones out ward into the darkness, borne up by the
of a flat, heavj^ mass of muscular flesh cov- powerful threshing of the great pinions at
ered by gray, lifeless skin. To it was attached his back.
a harness. "Steer upward, like this!” Daedalus’ thin
"But these wings surely can't enable you call reached his ears.
to fly!” Marlin protested incredulously. Marlin looked up and saw the old Cretan
"There’s no motive power, no machinery at against the stars, soaring upward on beating
all." wings as he extended his upcurved arms
"I told you before that our Cretan science before him like a rudder. The American
concentrates not on matter and machines but imitated the action with his own arms, and
on the forces of life and space and time,” re- rose rapidly until he was flying close beside
minded Daedalus. "There is pseudo-life in Daedalus.
these wings and in the powerful muscles that Marlin looked down. They were high
operate them. It is quiescent now but it above the dark streets and winking torches
”
of Knossos. Down to the right lay the black careful search along that low, massive wail.
harbor and the lanterns of gliding galleys. was constructed of huge marble blocks.
It
From below, he knew, they could not be seen The Cretan finally fixed upon one of these.
except as batlike shadows against the stars. He groped at it with his fingers, then pulled.
He felt a wild thrill as the throbbing The great block swung silently aside, dis-
wings at his back bore him onw'ard with closing a black opening that led down inside
Daedalus through the upper night, the chill the great wall of the building.
wind roaring around him and hammering Daedalus turned to the American. "I was
at his face. the architect of Minos’ palace,” he explained
'Tve flown a lot in my own time, but this in a whisper. "I thank the gods now for that,
isdifferent and better!” he called. for I know every secret passageway that the
"Yes, but the wings have their limits,” tyrant had built into its walls.”
warned Daedalus. "They can fly only a few He
added, "this is the only road by which
—
hours witliout rest then their pseudo-life we can hope to find Luane. If we succeed
dies and they collapse. It was so my son in doing so, we shall return by this same
Icarus died, trj’ing too long a flight.” way and then when you have gone b.ack
The massive palace of Minos loomed up through the Labyrinth I shall close it for-
on its distant hilltop, ahead of them. The ever.”
old Cretan soared still higher, until at last The Cretan disappeared down into the
they were a thousand feet above the flat black opening. Marlin, following, found that
roof of the monster marble structure. there w'as a narrow, steep stair inside the
Then he turned, using arms and legs as v.'all.
rudder, and Marlin imitated him. They be- They went down many steps, tlren along
garl to glide down through the darkness to- a cr.tmped passage. Daedalus stopped, ap-
ward the palace roof. plied his eye to a tiny aperture in the inner
"Be ready to unharness the wings the mo- wall.
ment we land!” cautioned Daedalus. "They would not have her in the throne-
Marlin glimpsed bronze-armored guards room,” he murmured. "We must search
stationed at every entrance of the great royal further.”
structure. But there was no one on the roof. Marlin, lingering a moment to look
Who would expect intruders from the sky? through the little aperture, saw a vast, torch-
His arms extended dowmw'ard like the lit hall paved with red and white gypsum
Cretan’s, he planed down through the dark- Slabs. Its walls were brilliantly painted with
ness until his feet touched the roof. He had figures of wild bulls and Hons, and swarthy,
the harness of the wings already unbuckled, armored Cretan soldiers stood beside a mas*'
and instantly he slipped it off. sive, empty throne.
He sprawled on his face on the roof from Daedalus led onward, seeming to kno's^'
the shock of the alighting. When he piclced his way without hesitation through the cun-
himself up, he found that the wings he had ning hidden passages of the walls. Presently
hastily discarded had at once ceased their he stopped again at a tiny loophole.
flapping. The strange pseudo-life of their "These are Minos’ apartments,” he began
artificial muscles could only operate when in to whisper, then suddenly stiffened. His thin
close contact with real life. hand gripped Marlin’s arm. "Luane is
Daedalus had landed more deftly. For a here! And Minos and Pasiphae, and your
moment, they listened. There were dim enemy
—
sounds from the palace beneath them, but Marlin almost crowded him bodily from
no sound that betokened discovery of them. the tiny aperture, to see. He looked this time
The old scientist handed Marlin a long, into a mucli smaller room, similarly paved
sharp, bronze dagger. "You may need this in red and white, hung with brilliant silks,
— I have other weapons. Now come with illuminated by swinging lamps.
me.” He instantly saw Luane. The fair-haired
Cretan girl sat in a high chair of carved
He was fumbling with the little instru- forward, the darkness expanded to fill the
ment. It was a circular copper frame in whole chamber.
which four curious black prisms revolved on Instantly Marlin pulled hard, felt the
an axle around a larger black prism whose heavy stones slide inward. He burst through
facets were cut in a baffling design. The old the aperture into the chamber. He was in
Cretan was spinning the rotating prisms absolute, utter pitch-darkness, every r.iy of
rapidly around the central one. light blotted out by Daedalus’ apparatu.s.
"I told you that I was not witlrout weapons He had already taken the bearings of
of a certain kind,” he muttered. "Wait!” every object in the chamber and he plunged
toward the chair in which Luane
tested wildly. "If we
—
"But there’s no time to wait!” Marlin pro- straight
sat bound.
His words froze on his lips. An uncanny "Luane, it’s your father and I!” he whis-
thing was happening. The prisms were rotat- pered as his dagger sliced the hide thongs
ing so fast that they could be seen only as that bound her to the chair.
black blur. And that blur of blackness was He heard her sob of relief as he pulled
spreading. her to her feet. Minos was raging in the
was spreading outward like water
It flow- darkness, Preyder was yelling furiously to
—
ing from a fountain a fountain of utter Blaun.
darkness. Marlin, lunging back with Luane through
In the dim light that came through the darkness, collided with a uniform-clad
tlieloophole of the wall, Marlin could see man and struck with his dagger in wild hope
that flowing darkness seeping out through that it was Preyder. But it was Blaun’s
the solid wall itself, expanding in all di- throaty death-cry that shuddered out.
rections. “Daedalus or his friends are in this cham-
"Wait until the darkness grips the cham- ber!” bellow'ed Minos’ voice. "Range around
ber, then pull open the door by the handles the walls and link hands!”
below the loophole!” Daedalus whispered. But Marlin was already thrusting Luane
"You’ll have a chance to snatch Luane back through the unseen door into the w’all. He
in here, in the dark!” felt the stones slide shut as Daedalus closed
them.
t that
A
the
moment, Marlin standing by
the loophole with one hand gripping
stone handles below it and the other
"Up to the roof at once!” Daedalus ex-
claimed urgently. "The darkness will die as
the prisms stop spinning.”
grasping his long dagger, he heard a sharp "There’s no escape from the roof!” Luane
cry from inside Minos’ cliamber. gasped as they ran. "We’ll be trapped.”
A Cretan captain in plumed helmet and “We have the wings there,” answered her
bronze had burst into the room from a door father swiftly. "They can carry double
opposite. He ran toward Minos. weight for a short distance. We
must get
"Highness, my warriors and I seized the back to the temple and close the Labyrinth.”
Temple of Wisdom as you ordered but we They emerged onto the roof, beneath the
did not find Daedalus’ body in it!” he re- stars. But now the whole great palace was
ported. alive with noises of alarm beneath them.
Minos’ vulpine face raged and he leaped They heard men rushing out from it, heard
to his feet, '"rhen he is not dead, as you Minos shouting.
told me!” he hissed at Preyder. "They’ve slipped away! Bat they’ll make
"He must be dead!” Preyder declared for the Labyrinth. Quick, to the 'Temple!”
bewilderedly. "I shot him myself
— Daedalus and Marlin had grabbed up the
Minos’ furious face stiflfened suddenly as lax wings and were buckling on the
he looked beyond the Nazi. The expanding harnesses.
cloud of darkness, bursting through the solid "You must carry Luane, for my arms are
wall, had already engulfed half of the lamp- not strong enough to hold her,” the Cretan
lit chamber. said swiftly. "Now — fly!”
"Daedalus’ darkness-magic!” yelled the Their wings were already beginning to
king. "He’s here! Guards!” flap strongly as thatweird pseudo-life again
Even as the bewildered Cretan guards ran awoke in their artificial muscles
24 WEIRD TALES
Grippifig Luane’s slight figure in his arms, "Daedalus! The sorcerer is alive!” yelled
Marlin ran with the old Cretan along the the first warrior to glimpse them, and ran
roof and then leaped wildly upward. toward them raising his double-bladed axe.
For a terrible moment, he felt himself Marlin thrust the wings he carried into
falling backward. The added weight of the Luane’s hand and leaped in front of her and
girl seemed pulling him down. Then his the old scientist.
wings seemed to flap even more powerfully The axe came down toward him in a sav-
against the drag, and he soared heavily up age stroke. But the fine-trained reactions of
and outward from the palace roof. a fighter-pilot saved the American. He
As he and his burden launched outward swerved, and as the axe whistled past him
with Daedalus into the dark sky, he glimpsed he struck viciously with his long dagger.
mounted horsemen riding out of a torchlit The blade buried in the Cretan’s neck
And Minos and Preyder
court of the palace. between chin and breast-plate and he went
were in their van. down. Marlin snatched up the heavy axe to
"We’ll reach the Temple ahead of them!” face the other Cretans who were rushing
called Daedalus' thin voice over the rush of forward.
the wind. "But Minos’ guards are already in "Back onto the stair!” he yelled over his
possession of it!” shoulder to Luane and Daedalus. On the
narrow stair, he’d have a slim chance for
their bull-bellows rocking the walls as they so that it might be slid aside to collapse the
charged till horns ripped into flesh. entire pillar if desired. But even the huge
"They are here!” yelled a hoarse voice strength of the beast-men could only budge
from high up on the stair. "After them!” it imperceptibly.
—
"We must get to the heart of the Laby-
rinth,” he gasped. "Only there can it be
"And now the need has arisen! The Laby-
rinth will perish and with it will perish the
closed permanently.” plotters who seek to make use of it for evil
Tordilight from behind reddened the purposes. And my poor Minotaurs will die
corridors at their back, and wolf-voices here with me, for death will be kinder to
shouting sent fierce echoes through the curv- them than life.”
ing ways. "And I too die here with you!” Luane re-
"Minos has brought scores of his men peated wildly. She told Marlin, "Go, make
they’ll search every tunnel until they find your escape while there is time!”
us!” Marlin husked. "How can he escape when he does not
The Minotaurs were sounding their mind- know his way through the tunnels?” ex-
crushing bellow, seeking fiercely to turn back claimed her father. "You must guide him
and give battle to the pursuers. But Daeda- and go with him, Luane.”
lus urged his monstrous followers on. He held her tear-wet face between his
"I shall need them, to close the Laby- hands. "Death is almost upon me, in any
rinth,” he gasped. "We are almost at its case. 'The wound I received was truly mortal
Marlin’s dazed mind that that great, carven Luane led the way into that dark passage.
pillarwas slowly turning. Marlin glanced back and in the shadows
Daedalus laid his hand upon it. could just see the old Cretan scientist ex-
"'This pillar the keystone of the entire
is horting the giant, faithful Minotaurs who
labyrinth,” he said. And tlien, to the Mino- now were sliding the block farther and
taurs, "We must pull out the lowest block farther from beneath the pillar.
of the pillar!” "There is little time!” c.ame Luane’s
Obediently, those giant creatures laid choked voice. "We must hurry!”
hands upon the block that formed the lowest They stumbled around the dizzying quad-
section of the giant column. This basic block ruple curves of the mysterious maze, the girl
was set in a wide groove in the stone floor. leading the way, carrying the lax wings.
26 WEIRD TALES
And Marlin glimpsed an opening
finally, Africa. But in the next hour, as the flap-
ahead and moonlight! He and the girl, a ping wings beat ever more slowly and
moment later, stumbled out of the tunnel tiredly, Marlin knew that they would neve:
into tlie moonlit gorge outside the ruins of make that distance.
Knossos. He scanned the moonlit sea desperately
"I’m back in my own time, my own world for a ship. And finally, when the tiring
again!" Marlin exclaimed hoarsely to the wings were letting them fall lower and
girl."A world in which Crete’s civilization lower toward the sea, he glimpsed a distant
has been dead for forty centuries.” black dot on the silver water.
Tliere came a sudden crashing, prolonged "If we can reach that ship we’re safe,
roar from behind them. The whole cliff Luane! It must be an Allied craft for there
from whose interior they had just emerged are no others in these waters.”
seemed collapsing in upon itself. They W'ere less than a mile from the
Dust rose to veil its broken face, and ship and could see it as a destroyer knifing
the roar died away to silence. Luane sobbed the waves w'estward, when Marlin’s wings
wildly. w'ent dead upon his bade. He shot dow-n
"The Labyrinth
husked.
—gone Daedalus and
"And dead
in it,
Marlin
forever!”
the
like a stone to the w’ater below.
The impact stunned him. He came to
Minotaurs, and Minos and Preyder!” himself and found he w'as floating, sup-
There was a sharp cry from somewhere ported by Luane.
in the distance —a guttural call in German "I came down after you and dragged you
that was answered by other distant voices. to the surface,” she gasped. "But I had to
"The Nazis —
collapse of tlie cliff has
^the discard our wings before they dragged us
attracted their and they’ll soon
attention both back under.”
be here!” Marlin exclaimed. "We’ve got to "Luane, we were seen falling!” Marlin
getaway at once. If these wings will still cried joyfully. 'That destroyer is turning
work
•”
— toward us!”
He and Luane buckled them on. minute A It was a much-puzzled British naval offi-
later, the pseudo-living pinions began their cer who greeted the American pilot and the
powerful threshing. strangely-clad girl whom his boat-crew' had
Marlin and the Cretan girl ran along the just pulled out of the sea.
gorge and leaped, soaring up into the moon- "We saw you jumping,” he told Marlin,
light. He heard a startled exclamation from "but your parachutes didn’t seem to be work-
somewhere below', a wild cry that receded as ing right and we didn’t hear your plane at
he and Luane flew on. all.”
"My plane w'as hit by a shell over Candia
they soared higher, and Marlin headed and its motor was dead,” Marlin told him.
-L southward across the dark, narrow mass "This girl is a refugee from Crete I was
of Crete. bringing back.”
"Can we reach Africa with tliese?” he The explanation satisfied the officer. It
asked the girl flying beside him. would satisfy everyone, Marlin knew, and
"I fear not,” she answered. "It is too far. it was the explanation he would alw'ays have
Nor do I care for life now. ’This is not my to give them about what had happened to
world." him.
"Luane, it’s going to be our world to- No one would believe the truth, if he
ether if we can escape,” he told her, his tried to tell it.
often meet old men and draggled, slatternly two cruinbling warehouses, with a dim gas-
women who remembered him. Many is the lamp halfway down its crooked length. It
Saturday afternoon I have spent in the dark catne out, as we discovered, near the end of
SHIP-IN-A-BOTTLE 29
I could dimlymake out more wonders than make two of my father and have room
vi'ere heaped upon the worn red oak. Three enough left for a boy as big as myself. He
ship’s lamps hung from the ceiling, and their —
was of uncertain age not old certainly, for
vellow light and the light of a thidc candle his shock of hair was wiry and black, and
which stood in a huge hammered iron stick —
not young eitlier and dressed in sun-
DU the counter, were all that lighted the bleached clothes w'ith a pair of rope sandals
place. Their mellow glow flowed over the on his bare feet.
sleek bales of heavy silk and swatdies of My father looked him over, sizing him
brocade and crimson velvet, picking out the up as I had seen him gauge other strangers
fantastic patterns of deep-piled carpets in these parts before opening conversation.
heaped against the wall under the tapestry, He was satisfied, apparently, for he inquired
and caressing the smooth curves of glori- the price of the chessmen and in doing so
ously shaped porcelains in ox-blood and brought another surprise.
deep jade. They half hid, half showed me I suppose that I expected a rolling bass
the infinite marvels of an intricately carven from so big a man — man so obviously a
screen in ebony and ivory which closed off sailor, and one who from his bearing had
the rear of the store, and the grotesque drol- been an officer, accustomed to bellowing his
lery of the figures on a massive chest which commands above the roar of wind and sea.
stood before it, of a family of trollish mario- But it was small and soft and rasping, as if
nettes dangling against it, and of a set of he had swallowed it and could not bring it
chessmen which stood, set out for play, on a up again. It made my backbone creep.
little taboret of inlay and enamel. "They are not for sale,” he whispered.
These chessmen my father saw, and went I had heard that gambit used before, and
CO them at once while I was still moving in was rather surprised when my father did not
sheer wonder from one thing to another, follow it up in the traditional way, but he
drawing the scent of the place into my lungs, turned instead to survey the contents of the
letting my hungry fingers stray over all the counter and the shelves behind it. The shop-
strangeness spread out for their encliant- keeper lifted the iron candlestick and fol-
ment. The men were of ivory, black and lowed as he stooped to examine a curious
red, and of Persian workmanship. I have footstool made from an elephant’s foot, or
them yet, and men who should know say fingered a creamy bit of lace.
diat they are very old and fine. "The boy has a birthday soon,” my father
Have I said that as I pushed open the said casually. I was listening, you may be
great door a silver bell tinkled somewhere in sure, with all my ears. "Perhaps you have
the depths of the shop? I forgot it at once something that he’ll like.”
in the marvels of tlie place, so it was with The man looked at me. He had black eyes
a tlirill almost of panic that I realized that — hard eyes, like some of the bits of carved
die proprietor was watching us. stone on his shelves. His face was cut by
I don’t know what I had imagined he hard lines that made deep-bitten gutters
would be like. A wizened dwarf, perhaps, from his hooked nose to the corners of his
wracked over with the years and full of wide, cruel mouth. But his voice was as
memories. A sleek Eurasian or a Chinese soft and rustling as his own fine silk.
with a beautiful half-caste girl for his slave. "Let him look for himself,” he said.
Or a bearded gnome of a man as jolly as his "Here’s a candle for him. And while he
shop front and as full of sly magic as its in- looks I’ll play you for the men.”
terior. 'We read much the same sort of '
If my father was startled, he never showed
thing then that children do now, although it. He had learned control of his face and
my taste in melodrama may have been a bit tongue as he had been taught control of his
old-fashioned. quick, hard body, of necessity and long ago
in these very streets. "Good,” he said, and
NSTEAD was a huge man, a brown
this drew from his vest pocket the gold piece he
I man with the puckered line of an old carried for luck. It was a Greek coin, I
scar slashing across his throat and clieek, a think, or even older. "Call for white.”
man weathered by sea and wind, who would Tlie coin spun in the lamplight, and I
—
30 WEIRD TALES
heard the man's half-whisper; "Heads.” It casual flasks which had happened to come
fell on the wooden floor, and my father let the maker’s way, with more ingenuity than
him pick it up. "Heads,” he said softly, pride of craftsmanship. This ship was dif-
"but I have a liking for the black.” ferent. Where
the routine ship-in-a-bottle
bowled along under full sail, heeling a bit
They table,
drew up chairs beside the little
and I on my part soon forgot them
with the force of the imaginary gale that
stretched its starched or varnished canvas,
this ship lay becalmed with her sails slack
in the wonders which tlie candlelight re-
vealed. I stood for a long time, I remem- and the sun beating down on her naked
ber, examining the tapestry whicli stretched decks. There was not a ripple in the glassy
all the length of the fartlrer wall —
^its fabric sea in which she lay. The tiny figures of
darkened by age, but full of life and color seamen, no bigger tlian the nail of my little
depicting a history of a mythology which I finger, stood morosely at their tasks, and on
could not and still cannot place. I grew the bridge a midget captain stared up at me
tired of it, and had a moment’s fright as I and shook in my face a threatening arm
caught the empty eyes of a row’ of leering which ended in a tiny, shining hook.
masks watching me from the rafters above I knew then that I wanted that ship more
i'., then I turned back to the clutter on the than I had ever wanted anything in all ray
long counter and began to rummage through life before. It wasn’t the flawless crafts-
it for whatever I might find. The cupboards manship of the thing, or the cunning art
tempted me, but it was with a queer sensa- which had sealed it within that seemingly
tion that I heard the proprietor’s husky voice: flawless globe of glass. It was because
—
"Go on, boy open them.” and I say this after thirty years it was be- —
It was a long game, I think. I was so cause I had Jeep in my child's soul the con-
full of the strangeness of everj'thing, and so viction tliat this ship was somehow real, that
desirous of making exactly the right choice she sailed somewhere in a real sea, and that
in all that mass of untold wonders, that I if only she were mine I could somehow’ find
might never in my life have decided what a way of getting aboard her and sailing away
thing I w'anted most. And then I found to adventures beyond the dreams of any boy
the ship. in all the w'orld.
—or
I iim sure now it was chance
if it was fate, a fate more far-reaching
—pure chance I turned to call my father. The game was
over, and he stood, an oddly thoughtful ex-
tlian anything we know. I had opened cup- pression on his lean face, staring down at
board after cupboard, holding the heavy the final pattern of men. For he had W’on.
candlestick high to see or setting it down The chessmen were his. But the shopkeeper
on the counter behind me to fondle and ex- was looking not at him but at me, and al-
plore. There were deep drawers under the though the light w'as behind him I did not
cupboards, and more under the counter, and like at all what I thought was in his face.
1 b.unted through those, finding new won- I stepped quickly backward. The candle
ders every moment — trays in which gaudy tilted and hot grease splashed my wrist. I
butterflies had been inlaid in tropic woods, think my elbow hit the open cupboard door
trinkets of gold so soft and fine that I could as I jerked it back, for I felt it give and
scar with my nail, jewels of a hundred
it heard it close. Then with tigerish speed
sorts,and the mummies of strange small ani- the brown man was across the shop, leaning
mals. One cupboard seemed to stick, and across the counter. He pulled it open— ^and
w hen I pulled it open the whole wall came there was ho ship there.
with leaving a paneled niche almost five
it, I thought there was a threat in his strange
feet deep. In it, set in an iron cradle, was hushed voice. "Well, boy," he whispered,
a great glass bottle —
a perfect sphere of thin "your father’s beaten me. What do you
—
green glass and in it was the ship. want?”
It was an old ship, a square-rigger, perfect I set the candle down between us and
in every detail. Most ship models that I backed away. I wanted nothing more at that
had seen in the W'aterfront shops were small moment than to get out into the street again,
and rather cmde, stuffed into rum bottles or where there were lights and people and my
SHIP-IN-A-BOTTLE 31
father. All the wonder of the place was slow echo of my footsteps and thinking of
ssvept away in an emotion that was as much nothing at all but the night.
guilt as fear, as though I had pried into for- The street Lamp threw a band of light
—
bidden tilings for tliat was in his voice. across my way, a little brighter than the star-
"N-nothing, sir!" I told him. "Nothing at light. At the same moment I stepped down
all.” from the curb and felt uneven cobbles un-
“Nothing?” It was my father. "Non- derfoot, and somehow the two combined
sense, Tom. Don’t be a fool. This is a won- to break through my revery and bring a
derful place. I’ve done this gentleman out memory up through the veil of years. I
of some very valuable chessmen, and we looked up, and it was there.
must give him his chance at us. Now ^what — In thirty years the lane had grown dingier
do you want?” and darker, and the patch of scrubbed flag-
It was queer how his being tliere changed ging stood out even brighter than it had
everything. There was no more fear and that night when I was nearly ten. One of
there was no reason at all for feeling guilty. the warehouses had burned some years be-
A kind of defiance grew up in me in their fore, and the brick escarpment whidi walled
stead, and I looked straight into those hard the alley on the left was crumbling and
black eyes and answered. broken with the black bones of cliarred tim-
“I'd like a ship, I think — a ship in a bers standing up against tlie night. The
bottle.” houses I passed were dead and boarded up;
That’s almost except that I got a ship.
all, the shop fronts were broken, and the doors
I had asked for one, and my father, feeling of three or four sagged open. But as I came
rather odd at having won so valuable a prize, to Number 52 it was as though nothing had
insisted that I choose. I made a long busi-
ness of it, hunting over all the shelves and
—
changed. Nothing in thirty years.
There was tlie same big window of heavy,
tlirough all the cupboards, and at last I chose leaded panes so old and flawed that it was
a frigate that as I realize now was a master- hard to see through them. There was the
piece for all its lifeless, straining sails and same mellow lamplight shining out into the
plaster wake. But there was no becalmed street, and the same great door with its mas-
clipper with sun-drenched crew, hung in a sive iron latch. And as I had thirty years
green bubble as broad as my arms could before, I opened it and stepped into the
span. And good many years, after we
for a shop.
had moved to another town and I had found tinkled as the door opened
'Tire little bell
a new school and new friends, and eventu- —a
.
it seemed, deep inside the
silver bell,
ally work, I wondered why . . . shop. My
footsteps rang on the scrubbed
pine and the light of the three ship’s
floor,
KNEW the street at once when I saw it lamps shone on the great tapestry that cov-
I again. ered the right-hand wall, and on the coun-
I had been looking for matter ofit, as a ter and the cupboards to the left.
fact —
not actively, but in a casual sort of Under the center lamp, close beside the
way as I walked the old streets along which counter, was a little table of inlay and red
I had trotted with my father thirty years enamel, and on it were a chessboard and
before. They still played chess of a summer —
men ivory, black and red. I looked up
night in the little park where Beekman meets from them, as I had thirty years before, and
the river, but the players I had known were he stood there.
gone. People in those parts do not forget so I knew me. I resemble my
think he
easily, though, and I bought a drink here, father, and it may have been that, but I
and two or three in another place, and talked think he knew me. As it happens I am not
of old times and agreed that the new ones my father, and the game we played that
were decadent and drab. It was near mid- night was a very different one.
night of a glorious night full of stars, so I "You are looking for something, sir?”
turned naturally to the river front and It was the same soft voice, small and hu.sky,
strolled along the empty street with only trapped in his scarred throat. I had heard
my shadow for company, listening to the it often in my dreams during those thirty
32 WEIRD TALES
years. And he was the same, even to the be my forfeit if I should lose. But it was
clothes he wore. I could swear to it. the defiant boy of ten who blurted out: "Yes
He repeated his question, and it was as — I’ll play you. But not for tliese chessmen.
though those thirty years had dissolved and I’ll play you for a ship.”
it was a boy of nine-going-on-ten who stood "There is no ship here,” he repeated. "But
half frightened, half defiant, and answered if there is something else . . .
?”
him: "I'd like to see a ship, I think. A ship "I’ll see,” I said. I turned to the counter
in a bottle.” and glanced over the hodge-podge of curios
He might have been carved out of wood which littered it. They were less wonderful
like one of his own fetishes. But his voice than they had seemed to a child who was not
was not quite so soft and ingratiating as I quite ten, trash mingled with fine workman-
remembered it. "I am sorry, sir. We have ship and beautiful materials. I opened the
no ships.” door of a cupboard, and it seemed to me
I had changed the opening of the game, that the objects on the shelves were exactly
and die play was changing too. Very well; as I had replaced them thirty years before.
it was my move. "I’ll look around, if you I pulled open a drawer, and the same colors
don’t mind. I may see something that I like.” and patterns of grotesque shells and gaudy
He took up the iron candlestick from the butterflies came welling up in my memory.
counter beside the little table. It looked I turned to him then and took the iron
smaller than I remembered, but then I had candlestick. It seemed to complete a kind
been smaller thirty years before. "Do you of circuit in me —
to drop a missing piece
play chess, sir?” he inquired softly. "I have into tlie jigsaw that was shaping in my mind.
some very unusual men here very old. — Time melted away around m.c. and I was
Very fine. Will you look at them?” moving dowm line of cupboards, open-
tlie
as I turned to the proprietor, for I did not As he lurched toward me, I hurled it at his
like what was in his face. It was gone in head.
an instant. ”I had forgotten this, sir,” he Was there a web of unseen forces spun
said. “I will play.” around us, drawing us together after those
thirty years? Was it chance, or fate? 1
nd
A then seemed that there was an-
it
VV
/.nverness Cape
By AUGUST DERLETH
kindly, generous soul with a harmless pas- used to murder someone was nothing more
sion for collecting oddments of one kind or than a chair, and, if anything, it had less
another. He was of independent means, and value than a chair which had not been so
34
—
man had gone proudly into that vast room So, and by, Mordecai discovered
by
opening off his chamber, talking with an enough whet his appetite for more.
to
animation that brought a glow of pleasure The Inverness cape had once been the
to his rounded cheeks. property of a mass-murderer. Mordecai tan-
"My boy, tonight I have to show you the talized himself with the thought that it might
greatest treasure ever to come into my poor have been Jack the Ripper or Troppmann,
house. It is not too much to say that it is but it was manifest even on cursory examina-
the very heart of my collection,” he had said. tion that the cape post-dated those celebrated
Mordecai, knowing of the old man’s fasci- gentlemen. Mordecai, who had no supersti-
nation for the macabre, had expected noth- tions, tried to imagine the look of the un-
I
36 WEIRD TALES
known murderer about his grisly business, recovered himself, made a rousing joke at
certainly wearing the cape. He could see the expense of the story he had just told,
him slinking down the dark alleys and by- and lapsed into a peroration upon the in-
ways of Soho and Wapping, of Limehouse trinsic value of a jew^eled knife he had that
and Whitechapel—yes, indeed, the haunts day acquired from a merchant who assured
of Jack the Ripper, and of his poor victims him it had been used by an Egyptian prince
at the oldest calling in the world! to dispatch a faitlaless wife. Try as he would,
Tlie cape had been especially made by an Mordecai could not get another word out
ancient foreigner in a little shop in the of his uncle on that occasion; the old man
region of the East India Docks. Into it had w'as even guiltj' of a manifest reluctance to
been woven "more than cloth,” said old let him look at the cape once more, but finally
Thaddeus Pierson enigmatically. yielded to his importunings, and led the way
Morecai was feverish with excitement. into the room wdiich housed the collection.
"What in the world do you mean, Uncle There was the cape, as always, almost
Thaddeus? 'More than cloth!' What a fasci- sentient under his eyes. Mordecai laid his
nating thought! What more?” hand upon it and stroked it as he might have
But the old man had shaken his head. stroked a cat. It was uncanny, but the satin
"There are things it is better not to know. lining seemed actually to respond, to grow
You are a weak man, Mordecai; you are weak warm under his touch.
in flesh and weak in spirit. Truth to tell —
should destroy it, but I am weak in that, too.”
"Destroy it!” cried Mordecai, almost in
anguish at the thought. "Destroy that beau-
W HEN he left the house that night he
had the name of the cape’s former
owner, and he lost no time in looking up
tiful garment? You must be out of your Woldner. But Woldner’s case was disap-
mind. Uncle!”
"No, no, far from it. Believe me, it is an
pointingly ordinary
unimportant little
— just a series of petty,
murders; a policeman, an
evil thing.” old beggar, a woman, a little child —-revolt-
"Oh, come; come — the port was not that ing, in short, and murder committed ap-
strong.” parently simply for the pleasure of it. But
The old man had but smiled. And what a there was a curious note in the story the —
smile! How enigmatic! How tantalizing! cape had been made for Woldner as a "peace
Oh, it was maddening! On that occasion, offering” from an old enemy, for Woldner
Mordecai had indeed been very close to had apparently at one time been a respected
learning what he sought to know. officer in the service of His Majesty, assigned
He came as dose on another, but failed to duty at Delhi, where he had mortally
to interpret what he heard properly. The old offended one of His Majesty’s Indian sub-
man had been reminiscing that night, and jects, who, upon coming to London shortly
had himself turned to the subject of the after Woldner’s retirement, had made him-
Inverness cape. self known to Woldner and presented him
"Some of those foreigners have more than with an Inverness cape woven especially for
human craft, I believe,” he said. "Take that him. The point was made because Woldner
fellow who wove the Inverness cape that had been identified by tlie cape and so
brute —
Woldner wore I got tlie cape from apprehended.
him, you know,” he went on, quite as if he The accounts Mordecai read were all
had told Mordecai before, "and he
this to somewhat garbled, subject, no doubt, to po-
told me strange things about it. He said he lice censorship, but they were all agreed that
had woven part of Woldner’s soul into it, Woldner had emphatically disclaimed re-
indeed he had! And the thing had a life of sponsibility for the crimes, crying out that
its own. It ought not to be worn, but once he had been made to commit them, but fail-
w'orn, its wearer is committed to a way of ing to name the source of such heinous
evil from w'hich the cape will not let him pressure on him. Elis disclaimers of respon-
esc.ipe.” sibility had not saved him; the evidence was
Mordecai had made the mistake of inter- clear; he had died for his crimes. The press
rupting him at this point, and, m.oreover, of had made a modest todo about his fine rec-
casting doubt upon his tale. The old man ord in India.
— a
effect on the old man. Thaddeus looked me; I know; it was given me condition
. . ,
sharply at him several times and asked I destroyed it before I died. There is sorcery
that the Inverness cape, far from being a tliis final effort was too much for his over-
peace offering, had instead been something and the old man back into
far different
—
"something malevolent, in
tired heart,
unconsciousness, just as the doctor came in
fell
fact, and planned to be by that fellow whose the front door, and was pronounced dead
brother Woldner had had shot?” shortly thereafter.
"Oh, so that was it! I wondered. There Mordecai left his uncle’s house that Sun-
was just that business about an 'old enemy’ day evening with the Inverness cape swing-
or something of the sort. Why did he have ing about his shoulders. And what a grand
his brother shot?" feeling it was, too! "What a conviction of
"In the line of duty,” said the old man. grandeur and majesty it gave him! If any-
"It was the same fellow who wove the one could have seen him at the moment he
cape, then?” descended tire steps to the street, he would
"Of course. Who
else could it be?” have looked with astonishment at his beam-
"And it would seem that they were the ing countenance; for Mordecai was in seventh
best of friends thereafter,” mused Mordecai. heaven at the success of his bold move, witi;.-
"Wasn’t the Indian among the mourners?” out being in tlie least troubled by the knowl-
"I believe he was.” edge that, technically, he had stolen the cape
There was some oblique talk, but little against his uncle’s wishes.
more from the old man. Once safely at home with his prize, he
This was, in fact, almost the last Mordecai took it off and gloated over it, drawing all
was to get from his uncle, for on his next the shades of his spare apartment, and hold-
visit, which was to prove his last, he came ing the Inverness cape across his knees,
into the house just as the old man sank to stroking and fondling it as if it were a crea-
his bed, the victim of an aging heart which ture for whose existence he was responsi’ole.
had long given him trouble. Mordecai im- Indeed, the cape seemed to bring new life
mediately telephoned for a doctor, but it into his home. There was a feeling of re-
seemed manifest that the old man would not surgent life-force strong in Mordecai, some-
last long enough. He lay there, his eyes thing he had not felt for years; he was no
closed, breathing stertorously, his face color- longer conscious of his parsimoniousness,
ing up to indicate a certain amount of but only of a sense of infinite well-being, as
asphyxiation. As he stood there, thinking of if, by becoming the possessor of this garment,
his uncle’s dying, Mordecai’s natural avari- he had come into a fortune. But, of course,
ciousness pushed boldly to the surface, and he was coming into Uncle Thaddeus’s mod-
instantly he thought: If I am carrying that est fortune; so he had every right to feel
Inverness cape or something —
the doctor’ll pleased with life.
think I came with it on; nobody’ll know the In the morning Mordecai had a caller —
difference! little wizened old man with a swarthy skin
And, quick as the thought struck him, who identified himself speedily as the maker
Mordecai darted into the room of the collec- of the Inverness cape and politely asked
tion —
^he did not even take the time to put Mordecai to surrender the garment.
on the light; he knew his way so well "My uncle gave it to me, I am sorry to
snatched up the Inverness cape, and slipped say,” said Mordecai with Icy steadiness and
back into his uncle’s bedroom. unflinching eyes.
The old man looked his disbelief. "Per-
But now
the old man’s eyes were open,
and, seeing Mordecai with the cape in
his hands, he opened them wider still and
haps you would not object to calling on me
tonight, Mr. Pierson? Perhaps we could
come to some agreement about the cape? I
—
gasped, "Mordecai put it back. Destroy it.
For the love of God, don’t wear it! I beg
could always make you another, sir.”
It was on the tip of his tongue to dismiss
you — If once . . . you wear it . . . you v/ill the fellow, but prudence intervened. Mor-
WEIRD TALES
decai said pleasantly that he saw no reason ground bade to his lodgings, but at the
wh}' he should not call. On the threshold moment he was some distance from a sta-
his visitor turned and said he would be tion, there W'as no cab
in sight, and he had
obliged to Mordecai if Mordecai did not to walk.What a pity, he reflected, that there
wear the cape. were so few people about to see him in all
"I shall do as I see fit,” said Mordecai this grandeur! The night w'as damp with
shortly. slowly shifting vapors; house-fronts, street-
But in the evening he did make his way lamp posts, railings — all gleamed yellowly
by cab to the out-of-the-way corner of the in the night, giving off a kind of sheen; and
East India Docks where the Indian had his overhead the night sky was eerie with the
place of business. He wore the cape. Had glow of London in the thickening fog.
lie not been in the cab and traveling swiftly, Small wonder, in view of the increasing
he might never have reached his destination, density of the atmosphere, that Mordecai’s
for he caught sight of a bobby and was pursuer lost him from time to time.
suddenly possessed of the most extraordinary How good the cape felt, how warm it was!
sense of rage which had not subsided until reflected Mordecai as he strode along, feel-
the cab had gone so far that the shining ing like a little king. How its weight pressed
helmet was lost to sight in the rainy night. upon his shoulders, how the clasp and the
slip-knotted cord seemed to snuggle close
T fIS visit, unfortunately for Mordecai, to his neck! Mordecai walked fast, so that
-S-A bore no further fruit. Despite the the cape might billow out behind him a
Indian’s pleading that he be allowed to and so give him the aspect of flight
little, —
v/eave an Inverness cape especially for him, as if he were a great bird, or a bat, or Mr.
Mordecai grew every instant more stubborn; Conrad Veidt performing on the stage in the
he must have this cape, or none. role of Count Dracula.
The Indian urged; he could make an exact Ah, but his little mind was occupied! And
duplicate, except for one thing. how happy he was! And how well for him
"Ah!” cried Mordecai, seizing upon the that he knew this brief happiness, because
point. "Then it would not be the same." suddenly, horribly, incredibly, something
"No, sir.” happened to Mordecai Pierson!
"How would it differ.''” He saw a policeman.
"Your cape, sir, would be entirely of The policeman w.as alone, standing at the
doth.” entrance to a dark alley, just under a feebly-
"And isn’t this one.^” glowing light, trying in vain to read some-
The Indian shook his head, and his black thing he had written into his notebook.
eyes stared almost insolently into Mordecai’s.
"No, thank you,” said Mordecai, and
turned on his hed.
"Sir, I must have that cape before it does
M ordecai caroe to a dead stop. Inside
him there rolled up a great rage against
that helmetted fellow, an insane fury which
more harm. And it does not like remorse caused him to tremble and shake with its
Grave
Robbers
By MARVIN MILLER
Winslow got up muttering half to himself. Me, the best reporter Western ever had and
evolt of the Trees "I knew I should have quit before I took
this rotten assignment.”
they stick me on a Sunday supplement story
on trees.” Harvey Winslow grimaced. "I
"What?” Hodges leaning forward wonder if there’s a bar around this place.”
By ALLISON V. HARDING said
and cupping one hand to his ear. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and
"Oh nothing,” replied Winslow in his Winslow finally found his way to one of
HAT is a tree?” said Professor our Sunday supplement. We’re writing it normal voice. "Thanks, Professor.” those small hidden little taverns that crop
\ /% / Hodges of Brooks Agricultural for people who like trees. You don’t seem Outside the teachers’ residence, Winslow
slammed his battered fedora on the back of
up even in an obscure suburb like Brooks.
T College. "Why simply a low- to think much more of them than I do.” After the fourth drink, Harvey leaned for-
grade form of plant life slowed down to Professor Hodges waved his hand. his head and started disconsolately down the ward and leered at the barkeep.
ioJinitesimal movement of growth too small "Young man, it isn’t that at all. It’s sim- street. "Do you like trees?” he said, drawing his
for us to see or measure.” ply that a tree is one of the lowest forms of "Me trying to do a beauty and the beast. lips back in a near snarl.
Harvey "Tlie Hunch” Winslow, reporter life . . . merely a perennial woody plant In the manner of barkeeps for ages, tliis
for the Western News-Chronicle nodded characterized by its single main stem. 'There obliging fellow leaned forward, his weather-
borcdly. is some beauty, yes. A certain stately dignity beaten face only a few inches from Harvey’s.
"That’s fine, Professor, but I don’t see the about trees but no excitement, no drama, no "Naw,” he muttered.
”
angle. I’m supposed to write this article for what you call ’angle.’ "I’m on a tree story.”
Harvey waggled his head and his whole
body took it up until he swayed precariously
on the stool.
"They call me ’Hunch’ Harvey. I’ve re-
ported some of the biggest crime cases the
city’s ever had and then they send me up
here.”
Heading by
BORIS DOLGOV
41
40
42 WEIRD TALES
"Yeah,” said the barkeep disinterestedly. "Angle, angle, angle. What’s there tu
"Give me another drink of that furniture say about trees.^ 'They were, and they grew,
polish. and somebody chopped them down and
chopped them up and burned them or used
T he way Harvey
furniture-polish line
felt an hour later,
was no longer
the
a
them to make a building or
ball bat.”
well, a base-
. . .
joke. It was a real possibility. He left the "George,” muttered Harvey. "George,
bar, to be sure, mainly under his own power you’re a misguided stupid old man.”
but guided and directed by a couple of fellow George was G. Talmers, citywide editor
habitues who were either immune to the of the Western News-Chronicle and Wins-
furniture-polish liquor or too smart to take low’s boss.
more than one sip of it. "Look at tlie jobs I’ve done on crimes,
As Harvey navigated his somewhat cir- George,” muttered Winslow broken-heart-
cuitous route from the bar, the road and the edly. "Why I’ve got the second sight and the
sky seemed to run together before him. The intuition of a hundred women. Didn’t I get
bright sun blinded and bothered him. He a slant on the Logan case that cracked it
suddenly felt ill and his clothes felt very open, and you get me to do a Sunday sup-
tight and he was even less happy about being —
plement on trees!”
a reporter and in a suburb tw’enty-one miles After a while Harvey stopped muttering.
from his big-city newspaper than before, and The liquor flowed, not diurned through him,
most of all there was that impossible story and deadened his outraged feelings. It was
about trees. cool here among the trees, and on tlie way
A good reporter is good probably for a back to the city tonight he’d think up some-
variety of vague reasons, but one thing is thing on die train. He’d get an angle. He
certain: He usually doesn’t stay being a re- always did.
porter unless he has curiosity and a desire Harvey Winslow’s head fell slackly to one
to get up close to what he’s repotting. This side. His eyes, although open, saw little.
trait was so inbred in Journalist 'Winslow On his face was a set, foolish grin. Tlie
that even now with pints of the ungodly fingers of his hands spread out in the earth.
furniture polish aboard him, he headed in- Through the trees that surrounded him, he
stinctively for the subjects of his story to be could see the football field he’d traversed,
— even though they were trees! and beyond that buildings of the college
Not from the cluster of little build-
far town. Time passed unaccounted-for and
ings that made up Brooks Agricultural Col- Winslow sat there. A slight wind pushed
lege, its satellite structures and the small and tickled at his face but the grin remained
town, was a wooded area. Harvey labored The name of Talmers, city editor, flashed
set.
his way across a football field which now through his mind briefly and was engulfed
lay unicept and deserted under the spring happily in alcohol. The wind rustled some
sky. He lurched in among the trees embrac- more.
ing an oak (not in affection but of necessity
nd
as he lost his balance) Elaborately he started
to tip his hat, laughed
.
at his
and stumbled on a few more paces. The
own silliness A
was
then the rustling came to have a
pattern. It nagged at him and then there
a voice, more voices, many voices. Dis-
brilliance of the sun was gone in here. It tinguishable.
was cool and the cheap burning liquor within "One said; "I hear we’ll be next,”
him didn’t seem to burn and joggle up and "Yes, they’ve decided.”
down as much. His shoulder rammed a "Let’s make this our time then.”
maple and the shock knocked him sideways. "We have waited long enough.”
"Might as well sit down,” he muttered Winslow said "huh” out loud but there
aloud already seated, his back against the was nothing there. There was really no sound.
belligerent maple. It was in his head with the alcohol. He set-
It wasn’t bad here, he thought. Certainly tled against the maple and listened.
iie was right at the source. His befuddled "It’s very simple.”
brain fumed through an alcoholic haze. “The conceit of these creatures.”
—
"Not here and some place else somewhere, tures of huge, tall murdering monsters with
but cver}'W'here.” a hundred branchlike arms reaching out,
"Let it start here but it will be finished in octopus fashion.
all places.”
"We have not sought this battle but now
it’s ours and we will win.”
yet. That was why they called him "Hunch” "Just a day or so more, Talmers. I’ll get
Harvey, and whether they kidded him or not your story in. What else would you be doing
about it, and they usually did, everybody with me anyway? With that short-handed
around the office took it for granted that staff of yours, you’d probably want me to
there was something in it. Winslow had a straighten up the files or clean out the beet
feel for these things. Gjuld that furniture- bottles in your desk.”
polish liquor have upset him to the degree "Now look, Winslow,” bellowed the cit)-
of givinghim these premonitions? editor. "I can’t fool around humoring you
Winslow paid for the coffee and strode dreamers. You get that story in to me and
back to the hotel feeling better. He went get back here pronto, see?"
into a booth and called the Western News- "Yeah, yeah. Chief. You’ll get it. Just
Chronicle. a day or so extra.”
He mumbled an extension number to
the answering voice and waited impatiently
until Talmers’ gruff tones
"Hello George, this is Harvey.”
came on. And before any more orders could come
from the other end, Harvey slammed
up the receiver. He walked around the town
There were a few imprecations from the that morning noting with the avid interest
other end. When they became coherent, the of a city dweller those commonplaces of the
voice said: "What the devil do you think semi-country that are accepted by suburban-
you’re doing up there? Going to school? ites.The grass and the trees did look kind
Look, I sent you out after a story. You don’t of good. The trees in the city were small
need to retire!” and weak and sickly. Those out here were
"Wait a minute, wise guy,” began Wins- strong and huge. Formidable they were. All
low. "You got to let me stay here a day the same family though, the phrase came
or so more. I think I’ve got an angle on to him. All the same family. City trees,
something.” country trees, trees everywhere. Big and lit-
"You were sent up there to get a piece tle. He wrinkled his forehead.
on trees for our supplement! I don’t care In the afternoon Winslow strolled back
if the President is passing through tomorrow. over the athletic grounds of the agricultural
I want your story!” college toward the wooded area beyond. It
"Wait a minute, Talmers. You always was the summer recess and this part of the
were a thick-headed guy. I’ll get your story town was deserted. As best he could, he
on trees but I’m trying to work a new twist retraced the steps he had taken yesterday.
to it. Give me a day or so more. I’ll call you He sat down under an old oak, took a
tomorrow, huh?” cigarette out and lit it. He put his head back
"Suppose this is another one of your in- against the tree. A bird twittered somewhere
spirations, eh ’Hunch’?” above and from the distance the warm sum-
"Have I ever gone wrong on a thing. mer air carried to him the hooting of a
Boss?” train far off and then farther. He wasn't
"What about those horses you gave me uncomfortable out here and yet somehow
last . . .
?” he missed the el and the horns and the noises
"Aw, quit kidding, George. Listen, re- that millions of people together in a small
member the Moran case and I walked in and area of paving stone and brick and iron can
saw the suspects, waited around and talked maice. Another cigarette followed the first
to them for a while and came back to the Doggone it all but it was peaceful in the
office and told you it was the wife that did country. He thought suddenly that this was
it? You laughed at me about tliat, didn’t you? the first time he had really relaxed in
And yet the coppers wised up to her after a months. With the paper short-handed be-
,
otose of the war, it was a terrific grind day cape. Water w’as no obstacle to these huge,
after day with not even mucli of night-time buoyant, bobbing masses. Phrases, voices
or week-end recess. crowded into Winslow’s mind follow'ing so
He leaned his head back against the un- swiftly one after another that they plopped
even knobby bark. He felt drowsy and in and plopped out like a rubber ball thrown
worried vaguely about his supplement story. into an empty bucket.
Then suddenly a small distinct picture flew "The world of trees has come alive.”
into his mind. It grew larger like trick "We have stood silently for ages taking
photography thrown against a screen, W’ith the mistreatment and abuse of human crea-
the center object coming toward you at tre- tures.”
mendous speed. Immediately it was all be- "Our very existence has been threatened
fore him, a picture somehow distorted of by carelessly set fires, by greed, by the
men in bright checked windbreakers and thoughtlessness of little creatures who have
mackinaws sawing and dropping at these climbed us and deformed us by breaking our
trees. They were all around him, their huge limbs.”
cross-saws working away furiously, and even Somehow Winslow fought to his feet
as he watched, the trees came crashing to the against an overpower oppressiorf, against a
ground, their huge still lengths humbled density of evil that came from all sides,
and defeated before him, and in their trunks against voices that were hurled back and
and foliage he seemed to see agonized vis- forth.
ages, distorted expressions of pain, of fear, "When they come to cut us down, that
of death. These men worked on, and then will be the signal.”
almost like a moving picture, except that the And something else that shocked him even
letters did not appear visually before him more. An idea that came to him in words . .
hut only in idea form in his brain, the a voice that was saying:
phrase came. "Look there. There is a creature.”
"We have heard.” "A hated human creature walking belov/
"We know.” there.”
“They are going to cut us down.” "But nothing does he know of the plans
"That is when we must act.” of the trees.”
"We, and other trees all over, every- Winslow staggered from the forest, his
where.” gait unsteady, and unsure —
^this time from
Once again scenes flashed before his eyes horror. He w'ent straight to his hotel and sat
—armies of trees marching in orderly down. For a long time the chill in his body
formation sweeping all before them, the would not go; nor would the coldness of his
human creatures driven, driven, running hands and feet despite the warm air that
and screaming, a sight too horrible to be- gently whispered through the oj>en window.
hold—the revolt of the trees. He got up and looked at himself in the
On and on they would come, stopping mirror.He fingered his white face nervously.
only occasionally to sink their hungry roots He noticed a piece of bark adhered to the
into the earth, to take unto themselves new back of his hand and he shook it off as one
nourishment, and tlaen march on. would a spider.
"This isn’t like me,” he said to his image
H, HUMANS would not give up easily. in the mirror. "What’s got you, Hunch?” He
O There would be airplanes and bombs
and bullets. The men with their axes and
shook his head. He was used to the sinister
aspects of big-city crime and violence. Why
saws. People would try to fire the army of should a bit of small-town bad liquor and
wood and some of the trees would die. But an overexcited imagination knock him off his
imagine the trees in a forest. Imagine the trolley like this?
trees in a whole country of forests. They Still there was something awful about
were too many to be stopped. Bullets do those images of the trees. The macabre idea
no good. Huge edifices of steel and stone appealed to him as good drama. If all the
would be by-passed and their hiding tenants trees should suddenly decide to fight. If they
blockaded to starvation. There was no es- had the power to pull their roots up out of
46 WEIRD TALES
the earth and march together. Good Lord! he was drunk or insane or just a fresh re-
Twice he’d felt these things. There was yes- porter trying to have a laugh at the expen-e
terday after he’d gotten boiled with the bar of an academician.
furniture polish, but then again today. He His steps slowed as he neared the faculty
was drunk yesterday. Had he dozed off com- residence building. What was he to say? He
pletely today? came to a stop for a moment outside the
"I don’t think so,” Harvey muttered aloud building and then resolutely pushed inside,
to himself. "I don’t understand this. I've his mind made up. Of course Hodges would
had these things all my life. Ideas. Flashes. think he was crazy. It was too absurd even
They mean something. They always have. for one of Winslow’s psychical bundles.
What’s tlie point of this though? I can’t The old professor greeted him cordially,
get it. Unless . unless it’s true!
. . 'They talked for a moment about the school.
Winslow’s voice rose almost to a cry. Then Winslow brought up the subject o:
Tiiat was the awful part. That was the worst trees again. Hodges smiled.
thing about this. He hadn’t said it to him- '"There’s so little to say about trees,” he
self, or hadn’t admitted it. He knew it was deprecated. 'They are plentiful and useful
true! He knew it more strongly tlian any- but most uninteresting. They are nothing
thing he'd ever known before in his life. The like flowers.”
trees. They did live. Professor Hodges said Winslow could see with half an eye that
they w'ere Damnit, you knew that if
life. the professor was a flower admirer. His room
you’d been to school at all. What’s a tree? was filled with them.
A seed. A seed somebody puts in the ground “Is it possible that a tree could have a
and it grows. That’s life. That’s a form of mentality' . . . could have any sort of thought
life. What
about those plants somew'here? process of its own?”
Oh, he’d read it somewhere. Plants that ate "Don’t be absurd, my boy,” said Hodges.
flies, even small animals. Professor Hodges "Ah,” he twinkled then. "I suppose you
said they were the lowest form of life. Noth- people have to go to any lengths to think
ing interesting about them, said the Profes- of novel approaches for your reportorial ef-
sor, but what do we know? We
know so very, forts. However, they have given you a hard
very little. TTiat was it. He’d go to see proposition with trees. Things were done
Hedges. He’d tell Hodges what he’d heard. under or near trees, that’s true, historically
Obviously something had to be done. Maybe speaking,” brightened Hodges, "but the
now there’ d still be time if all over the coun- trees themselves are like, well, like great
try men were armed. Fire could stop the boulders on a cliff. Oh, you may quote me
trees before they knew it. Before they on any of this,” Professor Hodges waved
started to march and destroy and kill. He’d airily. "My name, you know, James, Lea,
dim hope
man who liked
flowers and wasn’t
and was dinging to the
interested in trees
he would get his
that possibly
dow moodily toward the forest. The town name in a Sunday supplement feature.
was small, surrounded by trees. He suddenly Winslow was about to leave when the
knew he was trapped. 'Iliey were all trapped. memory of something came to him.
W'len the trees started to march, they would "By the way. Professor, that wooded area
he caught from all sides, caught between back of the athletic grounds,” Winslow mo-
huge wooden juggernauts. tioned with his arm. “I was walking through
On his way over to Hodges’ later, it first there. What sort of trees are those?”
occurred to him that he wouldn’t be believed. "Maples and oaks,” said Hodges absently.
Kc was annoyed at himself for not thinking "That’s a dreary bit of wood in there. You
of that before because it was the most obvi- know they’ve decided to cut down those
ous fact of the whole inexplainable business. trees,” he added more am’matedly.
No one would believe him. Objectively, he Winslow’s mouth went dry. "Cut them
didn’t believe himself. Hodges would think down?” he croaked.
REVOLT OF THE TREES 47
"Yes, yes,” said the professor. "We need The little town had gone to bed
college
to expand here, you lenow.” two hours earlier and there seemed no one
One factor became terribly important to else abroad. The few lights twinkled dis-
Harvey Winslow. consolately in the gloom as he set out toward
"Tell me. Professor. Tell me," he pu.shed. the football field and the forest beyond. A
"Did you tell me this when I was in yes- car passed him on the road, two people sit-
terday?” ting very close together. It was a comforting
"
’Bout the trees being cut down?" said sight and it made Winslow realize how
the teacher. "Why, no, I didn't say anything lonely he felt.
about it. I didn’t know then, anyway. Fact The surface of the football ground gave
is, I learned about it after you left. I’ve spongily beneath his weight. The wet grass
always suggested that area could be put to licked at his ankles as he w'alked on. He came
some good use. A colleague phoned me not to the slight slope beyond which a path led
long after you left, telling me tlie authorities down into the wooded district. The night
had decided to act on my suggestion.” grew blacker as he advanced, and then from
"I see. Well—” out of the core of the blackness loomed the
"Well what, young man?” outer sentinels of the w'ooden army.
"I don’t know how to say this. I just A' new emotion clenched at Winslow’s
wouldn’t cut down those trees. I mean I midriff squeezing his stomach and heart and
think it’s nice over there. I've sat in there a forcing his breathing faster. Many times
couple of times. It’s restful and cool. It he’d been nervous and excited but never
seems a shame to destroy those trees.” before had he knowm anything like this . . .
# # « « *
A
sharp pain stung through the fingers
of his right hand and again he shook the T WAS the fourth telegram from the
last of his matches away. He must keep this I ]Vestern News-Chronicle that upset the
fire going. He must! He must build it until manager of the hotel where Winslow had
the flames reached up and engulfed a tree stayed. The elderly, paunchy constable came
and then the other trees. He blew gently and over by request and went up to the reporter’s
the flame showed yellowish-blue. It tried to roo.m.
encompass the wet leaves he pulled toward "Nope, here’s his bag. He wouldn’t leave
it. A
wind hit the back of his neck. The without that. Yes, he’s got this typewriter
dead leaves rustled and scattered and the up here that would more than pay for the
flames dipped dangerously low. Harvey room rent. Say, here’s an article half-
whimpered. His breathing was heavy. He finished.”
was on all fours now working like one The pudgy defender of the law leaned
possessed. The rustling redoubled and before forward squinting his near-sighted eyes.
"
his eyes the fire smouldered, then it w'as a ’Bout trees, that’s all I can make out.”
pinpoint and finally it was gone even as he The clerk fussed around the room and
frantically held his hands around the last then the tw’o men left.
little glimmer oL warmth and light. "Constable, he went to see Professor
For a moment he stayed on all fours, the Hodges over at the college. Might find out
twigs cooling under his fingers. He didn’t something over there.”
want to turn his head or look up, for a great "Good idea, Ben. I’ll look him up.”
and ominous creaking was above and behind "Okay. I wouldn’t worry though. He’ll
and on all sides of him. Then he was seized be back. Looks like an expensive portable
with only one thought. Get up. Get out. upstairs and they’re hard to get these days.”
Run for the towm. Get out of there as soon Professor Hodges could throw no light on
as he could. In the blackness he knew not Ham'ey Winslow’s disappearance and no-
REVOLT OF THE TREES 49
body was inclined to do much about it until revealed discouragingly that no inmate had
later in the day when the News-Chronicle, escaped within the last two years.
having gotten no satisfaction with telegrams There were no clues, no footprints, just an
and phone calls, sent another and very in- inhumanly battered corpse. State and local
dignant reporter to the college suburb. With policecombed the ground without adding
the opportunity of making the big-town anything to the findings. One of the things
press, Constable Evans than organized a few that intriguedand puzzled the News-Chron-
drowsy deputies, and with Professor Hodges, most, and added the proper
icle reporter the
who also had hopes of seeing his name in speculative note to his yarn, was that
print and the reporter from the News- "Hunch” Winslow’s body was covered with
Chronicle, they set out. bark and splinters of wood, some of these
Two hours later, they came upon Harvey even having been driven into tlie flesh. It
Winslow’s body in the wooded district be- was the most inexplicable, and as the News-
yond the college grounds. Constable Evans Chronicle man filed from the scene of tlie
had various theories of foul play. He sug- tragedy: "Ironically, this is just the sort of
gested that possibly one of tire inmates of a seemingly unsolvable crime that Harvey
neighboring insane asylum had done the Winslow with his uncanny 'sixth sense’
peculiarly brutal job, but a later checkup would have tackled so successfully.
long trailing garlands of southern smilax, "I, Wade; take thee Melanie to be my would have seemed comic. Swaying back passionless, cold little voice that carried to
and forth from toes to heels, from heels to the farthest corner of the death-still church.
the air was heavy with the humid warmth of
summer noon, the scent of flowers and the day forward
—
wedded wife, to have and to hold from this
toes, the bridegroom balanced uncertainly a “Oh, Wade, my beloved!”
moment, then witla a single short, hard, Quickly, with the quiet efficiency bred of
retching cough fell forward like an over- their training, the young Naval officers at-
The demons attend Siva turned image, the gilded hilt of his dress tending the fallen bridegroom wheeled in
in his attribute of Bhirta the Terrible, doing his
foul bidding and, if such a thing be possible, bettering his instructions
Heading by A, R. 'TILBURNE
50
5J 1
” — ” ” ” ”
n WEIRD TALES
thsir places and strode down the aisle to ear, “I loved you so, and I’m your mur-
shepherd panic-stricken guests frour their deress.”
pews. Non, Mademoiselle," de Grandin denied
“Nothin’ serious; nothin’ at all," a lad “You must not say so. It may be
who would not see his twenty-fifth birthday
softly.
we can help you
—
for another two years whispered soothingly “Help? Ha!" she almost spit the exclama-
through trembling lips as he motioned Jules tion at him. “What help
can there be for
de Grandin and me from our places. “Lieu- him —or me? Go
get outaway —of
all of —
tenant Hardison is subject to these spells. you!” she swept the ring pitying faces
Quite all right, I assure you. Ceremony with hard bright eyes almost void of ail
Will be finished in private — in the vestry expression. “Get out, I tell you, and leave
room when he's come out of it. See you me with my dead!”
De Grandin drew
at the reception
thing’s all right. Quite
—
in a little while.
’’
Every- the slim black brows
that were in such sharp contrast to his
The pupils of de Grandin’s little round wheat blond hair down in a sudden frown.
blue eyes seemed to have expanded like "Mademoiselle," his voice was cold as icy
those of an alert tom cat, and his delicate, spray against her face, “you ask if any one
slim nostrils twitched as though they sought can help you, and I reply they can. I, Jules
to capture an elusive scent. "Mats out, mon de Grandin can help you, despite the evil
nodded approval of the young
brave," he
one-striper’s tact. “We understand. Cer- and rakshash, I can help
—
plans of pisacha, bhirta and preta, shahini
am
tainement. But me, I
tliis is my
a physician,
good friend. Dr. Trowbridge
—and ’’
The girl cringed from his words as from
a whip. “Pisacha, bhirta and preta,” she re-
"Oh, are you, sir.^” the lad broke in al- peated in a trembling, terrified whisper. You
know —
most beseechingly. “'Then for God’s sake go
take a look at him; we can’t imagine
— ’’
“Not altogether. Mademoiselle," he an-
“But of course not, con enfant. Diagnosis swered, “but I shall find out, you may be
is not your trade," the small Frenchman assured.”
whispered. "Do you prevail upon the con- “What is it you would have me do?”
gregation to depart while we attendez-moi. Go hence and leave us to do that whidr
Friend Trowbridge,” he ordered in a iow must needs be done. Anon I shall call on
voice as he tiptoed toward the chancel where you, and if what I have the intuition to sus-
the stricken bride still knelt and nursed the pect is tme, tenez, who knows?”
stricken bridegroom’s head against her She drew a kneeling cushion from the step
bosom. before the altar rail and eased the dead boy’s
"Sucre nom!" he almost barked the excla- head down to it. “Be kind, be gentle with
mation as he came to a halt by the tragic him, won’t you?” she begged. “Good-by,
tableau formed by the kneeling bride and my darling, for a little while," she laid a
"Cest cela mhne.”
supine man.
There was no doubting his terse comment.
light kiss on the pale face piOowed on the
crimson cushion. “Good-by " Tears came
—
In the glassy-eyed, hang- jawed expression at last toher relief and, weeping piteously,
of the bridegroom’s face we read the trade she stumbled to her mother’s waiting arms
mark of tlie King of Terrors. Doctors, sol- and tottered to the vestry room.
diers and morticians recognize death at a
glance.
“Come, Melanie,” Mrs. Thurmond put a
trembling hand upon her daughter’s shoul- “I should think not," he denied with a
“We must get Wade to a doctor, shake of his head. “He was on the Navy’s
der.
and
— active list, that one, and those with cardiac
hell would have been cold beside the tem- "You mean the big red gold band set
perature in here when all those curious ones with a green cartouche?”
were assembled to see this poor one and his "Precisement.”
beloved plight their troth, but did not seem "Not particularly. It struck me as an odd
well enough when he came forth to meet her sort of ornament to wear to her wedding,
at the chancel steps? Men who will fall more like a piece of costume jewelry than an
prone on their faces in heat collapse show
symptoms of distress beforehand. Yes, of
appropriate bridal
modern youngsters
— decoration, still these
course. Did you see his color? Excellent, "That modern youngster, my friend, did
was not? But certainly. Bronzed from the
it not wear that ring because she wanted to.”
sea and sun, au teint vermeil de bon sante. "No? 'Why, then?”
We were not thirty feet away, and could see "Because she had to.”
—
perfectly. He had none of that pallor that "Oh, come, now. You can’t mean
betokens heat stroke. No.” "I can and do, my friend. Did not you
—
"Well, then”' I was a little nettled at notice the device cut into its setting?”
the cavalier way he dismissed my diagnoses "’Why, no. 'What was it?”
— "what d’ye think it was?” "It represented a four-faced, eight-armed
He lifted narrow shoulders in a shrug monstrosity holding a straining woman in
'The great God
that was a masterpiece of disavowal of re-
sponsibility. "Le bon Dieu knows, and He Siva
—
unbreakable embrace.
keeps His own counsel. Perhaps we shall "Siva? You mean the Hindu deity?”
be wiser when the autopsy is done.” "Perfectly. He is a veritable chamelon,
We left the relatively cool shadow of the that one, and can change his form and color
church and stepped out to the sun-baked at a whim. Sometimes he is as mild and
noonday street. "If you will be so kind, I gentle as a lamb, but mostly he is fierce and
think that I should like to call on the good passionate as a tiger. Indeed, his Iamb-like
Sergeant Costello,” he told me as we reached attributes are generally a disguise, for un-
my parked car. derneath the softness is the cruelty of his
"Why Costello?” I asked. "It’s a case of base nature. Tiens, I think that he is best
sudden unexplained death, and as such one described as Bhirta, the Terrible.”
"And those others with outlandish
ment
—
for the coroner, but as for any criminal ele-
names?”
"Perhaps,” he agreed, seeming only half "The pisacha and preta are a race of most
aware of what we talked of. "Perhaps not. unlovely demons, and like them are the rak-
At any rate, I think there are some things shash and shahini. 'They attend Siva in his
about this case in which the Sergeant will be attribute of Bhirta the 'Terrible as imps at-
interested.” tend on Satan, doing his foul bidding and,
We drove a few blocks in silence, then: if such a thing be possible, bettering his in-
to help her despite the evil plans of the is not well, but very bad indeed. A Chris-
thingabobs and whatchamaycallems? It tian maiden has no business wearing such a
sounded like pure double talk to me, but talisman, and when I saw it on her finger I
she seemed to understand it.” assumed that she might know something of
He chuckled softly. "The pisacha, bhirta its significance. Accordingly I spoke to her
and preta? The shahini and rakshash?” of the Four-Faced One, Bhirta and his at-
"That sounds like it.” tendant implings, the shahini, raksash and
'"niat, my friend, was what you call the pischa. Parbleu, she understood me well
enough. Altogether too well, I damn think.”
random shot, the drawing of the bow at ven-
ture. I had what you would call the hunch.” "She seemed to, but
—
"How d’ye mean?” "'There are no buts, my friend. She un-
"Did you observe the ring upon the in- derstood me. Anon I shall understand her.
dex finger of her right hand?” Now let us interview the good Costello.”
”
?4 WEIRD TALES
etective-sergeant jeremiah
D
down
COSTELLO was in the act of putting
the telephone as we walked into his
tragedy as rouge and paint upon the cheeks
and lips of a corpse.
"Miss Melanie is too ill to be seen,” the
office. "Good afternoon, sors,” he greeted butler informed us in answer to Costello’s
as he fastened a wilted collar and began
"
inquiry'."The doctor has just left, and —”
knotting a moist necktie. 'Tis glad I’d "Present our compliments to her, if you
be to welcome ye at any other time, but jist please,” de Grandin interrupted suavely.
now I’m in a terin’ hurry. Some swell has "She will see us, I make no doubt. Tell her
bumped himself off at a fashionable wed- it is the gentleman with whom she talked at
My — grandin
clearly.
like a cauldron
—brain seems seething
Grandin agreed with a vigorous nod. "You dozen times before I saw The Green One.”
have right, my little poor one. The brain, "The Green One? Qui diahle?”
she is astew with all this trouble, and when "At the back of the shop there was a pair
she stews the recrement comes to the surface. of double doors of bright vermilion lacquer
Come, let us skim it off togetiier, tliou and framed by exquisitely embroidered panels.
1” —
he made a gesture as if spooning some- I’d often w'ondered what lay behind them.
thing up and tossing it away. "Thus we shall 'Then one day I found out! It was a rainy
rid our minds of dross and come at last to afternoon and I’d dropped into The Light as
the sweet, unadulterated truth. How did it much to escape getting wet as to shop. ’There
all if you please?
start, What made you was no other customer in the place, and no
know had to happen, and why do you ac-
it one seemed in attendance, so I just wandered
cuse yourself all falsely of the murder of about, admiring the little bits of virtu in the
your amoureux?* cabinets and noting new additions to the
A little shudder shook the girl’s slim stock, and suddenly I found myself at the
frame, but a hint of color in her pallid rear of the shop, before the doors that had
cheeks told of a returning interest in life. intrigued me so. Tliere was no one around,
"It all began with The Light of Asia?” as I told you, and after a hasty glance to
"QuoP” de Grandin’s slim brows rose in make sure I was not observed, I put my hand
Saracenic arches. "You have reference to out to the neater door. It opened to my
the poem by Sir Edw’ard Arnold?” touch, as if it needed only a slight pres-
"Oh, no. This Light of Asia w'as an Ori- sure to release its catch, and there in a
ental bazar in East Fifty-sixth Street. The gilded niche sat the ugliest idol I had ev’er
girls from Briarly were in the habit of drop- seen.
—
ping in there for little curios quaint litffe
gifts for people who already seemed to have
"It seemed to be carved of some green
stone, not like anything I’d ever seen before
everything, you know. —almost waxen in its —and
texture it had
"It was a lovely place. No daylight ever four faces and eight arms.”
penetrated there. Tw'o great vases stood on "Gu’est-ce-donc?”
ebony stands in the shop windows, and be- "I said four faces. One looking each way
hind them heavy curtains of brocaded cloth from its head. Two of the faces seemed as
of gold shut off the light from outside as ef- calm as death masks, but the one behind the
fectively as solid doors. The shop if you— head had a dreadful sneering laugh, and that,
could call it that —
was illuminated by which faced the front had tne most horrible
lamps that burned scented oil and were en- expression —
nor angry, nor menacing, ex-
cased in frames of carved and pierced teak- actly, but —
w'ould you understand me if I
wood. These, and two great green candles said it looked inexorable?”
as tall as a man, gave all the light there "I should and do, ma chere. And the
was. The floors were covered with thick, eight arms?”
shining Indian mgs, and lustrous embroid- "Every hand held something different.
eries hung against the walls. The stock was Swords, and sprays of leafy brandies, and
not on shelves, but displayed in cabinets of —
daggers all but two. They were empty' and
buhl and teak and Indian cedar—all sorts outstretched, not so much seeming to beg as
of lovely things: carved ivories and moulded to demand ao, offering.
silver, hand-worked gold and tortoise-shell, "There was something terrible and terri- —
amethyst and topaz, jade and brass and fying —
about that image. It seemed to be
lovely blue and green enamel, and over demanding something, and suddenly I real-
everything there hung the scent of incense, ized what it was. It wanted me! I seemed
curiously and pungently sweet; it lacked the to feel a sort of secret, dark thrill emanat-
usual cloying, heavy fragrance of the ordi- ing from it, like the electric tingle in the
nary incense, yet it was wonderfully pene- air before a tliunderstorm. There was some
trating, almost hypnotic.” power in this thing, immense and terrifying
56 WEIRD TALES
power (iiat gave the impression of damned- even mote repulsive than before. *I
up forces waiting for release. Not physical shouldn’t think you’d find a quick sale for
power I could understand and combat or it,’I suggested.
“
run from, but something far more subtle; 'We don’t expect to. Perhaps we’ll not
something uncanny and indescribable, and it sell it at all. In case we never find a buyer
was all the more frightening because I was for it, we can put in our spare time wor-
aware of it, but could not explain nor un- shiping at its shrine.’
derstand it. '"The utter cynicism of his reply grated
"It seemed as if I were hypnotized. I on me, then I remembered having heard
could feel the room begin to whirl about that many high Hindus have no more
caste
me slowly, like a carousel when it’s just real faith in their gods than the educated
starting, and my began to tremble and
legs Greeks and Romans had in theirs. But be-
weaken. In another instant I should have fore I could be rude enough to ask if he
been on my knees before the green idol really believed such nonsense, he had gently
v/hen spell was broken by a pleasant
tlie shepherded me away from the niche and was
voice; 'You are admiring our latest acquisi- showing me some exquisitely carved ame-
tion?' thysts. Before I left we found we had a
dozen friends in common and he’d extended
<<TT WAS
a very handsome young man and I’d accepted an invitation to see Life
J- who stood beside me, not more than With Father and go dancing at the Cotillion
twenty-two or -three, I judged, with a pale Room afterward.
olive complexion, long brown eyes under "That began the acquaintance that ripened
slightly drooping lids with haughty brows, almost overnight into intimacy. Kabanta
and hair so sledc and black and glossy it was a delightful playfellow. His father must
seemed to fit his head like a skullcap of pat- have been enormously rich, for everything
ent leather. He wore a well-cut morning that had come to him by inheritance had
coat and striped trousers, and there was a been given every chance to develop. The
good pearl in his black poplin ascot tie. final result was this tall, sender olive com-
"He must have seen the relief in my face, plexioned man with the sleek hair, handsome
for he laughed before he spoke again, a features and confident though slightly def-
friendly, soft laugh that reassured me. 'I erential manner. Before we knew it we
am Kabanta Sikra Roy,’ he told me. 'My dad were desperately in love.
owns this place and I help him out occa- "No” —her listless manner gathered
— ani-
sionally. When I’m not working here I mation with the recital "it wasn’t what
study medicine at N. Y. U.’ you could call love; it was more like be-
"
'Is this image —
or idol, or whatever you witchment. When we met I felt the thrill
call —
it for sale?’ I asked him, more to steady of it; it seemed almost to lift the hair on my
my nerves by conversation than anything head and make me dizzy, and when we were
else. together it seemed as if we were the only
"The look he gave me was an odd one. two people in the world, as if we were cut
I couldn’t make out if he were angry or off from everyone and everything. He had
amused, but in a moment he laughed again, the softest, most musical voice I had ever
and when he smiled his whole face lighted heard, and the things he said were like
up. 'Of course, everything in the shop’s for poetry by Laurence Hope. Besides that,
safe, including the proprietors —
at a price,’ every normal woman has a masochistic
he answered, 'but I don’t thinlj you’d be in- streak buried somewhere deep in her nature,
terested in buying it.’ and the thought of the mysterious, glamor-
“
'I should say not. But I just wondered. ous East and the guarded, prisoned life of
Isn’t it some sort of god, or something?’ the zenana has an almost irresistible appeal
“
It is the Great Mahadeva,
'Quite so. to us when we’re in certain moods. So, one
by far the most important member
third, but night when we were driving home from
of the Hindu Triad, sometimes known as New York in his sports roadster and he
Siva the Destroyer.’ asked me if I cared for him I told him
"I looked at the thing again and it seemed that I loved him with my heart and soul and
THE GREEN GOD’S RING 57
trousers of white satin and bright red leather and tying it in front in a bow knot with the
shoes turned up at the toes and heavily em- ends tucked inside the tight w'aistband of the
broidered with gold, and on his head was trousers. It was astonishing how modest
the most gorgeous piece of silk brocade I’d such a scanty costume could be. Tliere was
ever seen wrapped into a turban and deco- less of me exposed than if I’d been wearing
rated with adiamond aigret. About his neck a halter and shorts, and not much more than
were looped not one nor two but three if I’d worn one of the bare-midriff evening
——
long strands of pearls pink-white, green- dresses just then becoming fashionable. For
white and pure-white and I gasped with ray feet there was a pair of bell toe rings,
amazement at sight of them. There couldn’t littleclusters of silver bells set close to-
have been one in the three strands that was gether like grapes in a bunch that tinkled
worth less than a hundred dollars, and each with a whirring chime almost like a whistle
of the three strands had at least a hundred each time I took a step after I’d slipped them
gems in it. The man wore twenty or thirty on my little toes, and a pair of heavy silver
thousand dollars W'orth of pearls as non- anklets with a fringe of silver tassels that
chalantly as a shop girl might have worn flowed down from the ankle to the floor
a string of dime store beads. and almost hid my feet and jingled every
"
'Come in. White Moghra Blossom,’ he time I moved. On my right wrist I hung a
told me. 'All is prepared.’ gold slave bracelet with silver chains, each
"Tlae shop was in total darkness except ending in a ball of somber-gleaming garnet,
for theglow of two silver lamps that burned and over my left hand I slipped a heavy
perfumed oil before the niche in which the sand-moulded bracelet of silver that must
Green God crouched. 'You’ll find the gar- have weighed a full half pound. I combed
ments of betrothal in there,’ Kahanta whis- my hair straight back from my forehead,
pered as he led me to a door at the rear, drawing it so tightly tliat there was not a
'and there’s a picture of a Hindu woman trace of wave left in it, and then I braided
wearing clothes like those laid out for you it into a queue, lacing strands of imitation
to serve as a model. Do not be long, StarO emeralds and garlands of white jasmine in
of My Delight, O Sweetly Scented Bower of the plait. When this was done I darkened
Jasmine. I swoon for the sight of you ar- my eyebrows with a cosmetic pencil, raising
rayed to vow love undying.’ them and accenting their arch to the 'flying
gull’ curv'e so much admired in the East,
<‘TN THE anteroom was a long,
little and rubbed green eye-shadow upon my lids.
J- three-paneled mirror in which I could Over my head I draped a long blue veil sewn
see myself from all sides, a dressing-table thickly with silver sequins and crowned it
’ ’ ’
58 WEIRD TALES
with a chaplet of yellow rosebuds. Last of "Pativre enfant,” de Grandin murmured.
all there was a heavy gold circlet like a clip- "Ma pauvre belle creature. And then?”
earring to go into my left nostril, and a '"Then came the war. You know how lit-
single opal screw-earring to fasten in the the pretense of neutrality there was. Am.eri-
tight, giving the impression that my nose cans were crossing into Canada by droves to
had been pierced for the jewels, and a tiny, join up, and everywhere the question was
star-shaped patch of red court plaster to fix not 'WUl we get into it?’ but 'When?' I
between my brows like a caste mark. could fairly see my lover in the gorgeous
“There is a saying clothes don’t make the uniform of a risaldar lieutenant or captain
man, but it’s just the opposite with a woman. in the Indian Army, leading his troop of
When I’d put those Oriental garments on I wild Patans into battle, but Kabanta made
feli myself an Eastern woman who had no move. When our own boys were drafted
never known and never wished for any other he was deferred as a medical-student. At
life except that behind the purdah, and all last I couldn’t stand it any longer. One eve-
1 wished to do was cast myself prostrate be- ning at the shore I found courage to speak.
fore Kabanta, tell him he was my lord, my 'Master and Lord,’ I asked him we used — —
master .and my god, and press my lips against such language to each other in private ‘is
the gold-embroidered tips of his red slip- it not time that you were belting on vour
pers till he gave me leave to rise. I was sword to fight for freedom?’
"
shaking as if with chill when I stepped from 'Freedom, White Blossom of the
the little anteroom accompanied by the sil- Moghra Tree?’ he answered with a laugh.
very chiming of my anklets and toe rings. 'Who is free? Art thou?'
"Kabanta had set a fire glowing in a sil- “ Thou art my lord and I thy slave,’ I
ver bowl before the Green God, and when answered as he had taught me.
"
I joined him he put seven
sticks of sandal- 'And are the people of my father's
wood hands, telling me to walk
into my country free? You know that they are net.
around the brazier seven times, dropping For generations they have groaned beneath
a stick of the scented wood on the fire each the Western tyrant’s lash. Now these Euro-
time I made a circuit and repeating Hindu pean dogs are at eacli other’s throats. Should
invocations after him. When this was done I take sides in their curs’ fight? What dif-
he poured a little scented water from a sil- ference does it make to me which of them
ver pitcher into my cupped hands, and this I destroys the others?’
"
sprinkled on the flames, then knelt across 'But you’re American,’ I protested. 'Tire
the fire from him witli outstretched hands The Gemaans
palm-upward over the blaze while I swore to
Japanese have attacked us.
and Italians have declared war on us
—
"
love him, and him only, tliroughout this 'Be silent!’ he commanded, and his voice
life and the seven cycles to come. I re- was no longer the soft voice that I loved.
member part of the oath I took: 'To be one 'Women w'ere made to serve, not to advise
in body and soul with him as gold and the
br.icelet or water and the wave are one.’
their masters of their duty.’
"
'But, Kabanta
—
"
"'XTien I had sworn this oatli he slipped 'I told you to be still!’ he nearly shouted.
a lieavy gold ring tiiis! —
on my finger, — ‘Does the slave dare disobey her master's
and told me I was pledged to him for all command? Down, creature, down upon your
knees and beg my pardon for your inso-
time and eternity, mat Siva the Destroyer
was witness to my pledge and would avenge lence
—
“
my falseness if I broke my vow. It was tlien 'You can’t be serious!’ I gasped as he
for the first time I heard of the pischa, grasped me by tlie hair and began forcing
bhirta and preta, shahini and rakashasha. It my head down. We’d been playing at this
all seemed horrible and fantastic as he told game of slave and master dancing girl and —
it, but I believed it implicitly — tlien.’’ A —
maharajah and Td found it amusing, even
little rueful smile touched her pale lips. "I’m thrilling, after a fashion. But it had only
afraid that I believe it now, too, sir; but for —
been pretense like a ‘dress-up party’ or t.he
a little while I didn’t, and so — so my poor ritual of a sorority where you addressed
lover is dead.” someone vou’d known since childhood as
’ ’
Queen or Empress, or by some other high- “Despite the pain of my bruised lips I
sounding title, knowing all the while that laughed. 'If you think I’ll ever see you
she was just your next door neighbor or a
girl with whom you’d gone to grammar tance
—
again, or let you come within speaking dis-
I began, but his laugh was louder
’
that minute you would be my thing and found my car in the parking lot and drove
diattel —
avowed yourself to Siva as a volun- home at breakneck speed. I suppose Ka-
tary offering, and accepted me as the God’s banta managed to get a taxi. I don’t know.
representative. As Gods are to humanity, I never saw him again.”
so am O
creature lower tlian the
I to you, "Tres hon,” de Grandin nodded approval
dust. You’re mine to do witli as I please, as she completed her story. "That is good.
and right now it pleases me to chastise you ’That is very good, indeed, ma. otstUone.”
for your insolence.’ Deliberately, while he "Is it?” the irony of her reply was razor-
held my head back with one hand in my thin.
hair, he drew one of his moccasins off and "Is it not?”
struck me across the mouth with its heel. I "It is not.”
could feel a thin trickle of blood between my "Pourquoi? Nom d’un chameau enfumS!
lips and the scream I was about to utter died For why?”
in my throat. "Because he kept his word, sir. His
'Down!’ he commanded. 'Down on your
'
heard voices in the distance, and saw a light ''Et puis?” he prompted as her voice broke
60 WEIRD TAI^S
oath,’ He hadn’t signed it, as I said, but I de Grandin interrupted seriously, "but there
are millions who do, and the power of their
knew’ instantly it was from him.
"I tried desperately to get the ring off, believing makes a great force
—
w’ound my fingers witli silk, used soap and “Oh, come!” I scoffed. "You never mean
olive oil, held my hand in ice cold water to tell us that mere cumulative power of
— no use.. It wouldn’t budge. I couldn’t even belief can create hobgoblins and bugaboos?”
turn it on my finger. It is as if the metal "Vraiment," he nodded soberly. "It is in-
had grown to my flesh and become part of deed unfortunately so, my friend. Thoughts
me. I didn’t dare tell anyone about it, are things, and sometimes most unpleasant
they wouldn’t have believed me, and some- things. Yes, certainly.”
how I didn’t have the courage to go to a "Nonsense!” I rejoined sharply. "I’m
jeweler’s and have it filed off, so .” willing to agree that Melanie could have
. .
'Tlie silence that ensued lasted so long one been imposed on. The world is full of other-
might have thought the girl had fainted, wise quite sane people who are willing to
but die short, irregular, spasmotic swelling believe the moon is made of green cheese
of her throat told us she was fighting hard if they’re told so impressively enough. I’ll
to master her emotion. At last: even go so far as to concede she thinks she
"Two days ago,” she whispered so low can’t get the ring off. We’ve all seen the
we had to bend to catch her words, "I had cases of strange inhibitions, people who were
another note. 'He shall never call you his,’ convinced they couldn’t go past a certain
was all it said. There was no signature, but spot —can’t go off tlie block in which they
I knew only too well who the sender was. live, for instance. She’s probably uncon-
'"rhen 1 told Wade about it, but he just sciously crooked her finger when she tried
laughed. Oh, if only 1 had had the courage to pull it off. The very fact she found ex-
to postpone our wedding Wade might be cuses to put off going to a jeweler’s to have
alive now. There’s no use fighting against it filed off shows she’s laboring under a de-
we know
Fate,” her voice rose to a thin thread of
hysteria. “I might as well confess myself
lusion. Besides,
are adepts at hypnotism
all
— those Hindus
defeated, go back to Kabanta and take what- "Ah, bah!" he broke in. "You are even
ever punishment he cares to inflict. I’m hope- more mistaken than usual. Friend Trow-
lessly —
enmeshed, entrapped ensnared! I am bridge. "Have you by any chance read
Siva’s toy and plaything, and Kabanta is the Darkness Out of the East by our good friend
Green God’s representative!” She roused to John Thunstone?”
a sitting posture, then fell back, burying “No,” I confessed, "but—”
her face in the pillow and shaking with "But be damned and stewed in boiling
heart-breaking sobs. oil for Satan’s supper. In his book Friend
"Kabanta is a species of a cockroach, and ’Thunstone points out that the rite of walk-
Siva but an ape-faced piece of green stone,” ing barefoot seven times around a living
de Grandin answered in a hard, sharp voice. fire and throwing fuel and water on it W'hile
“I, Jules de Grandin tell you so, Madamoi- sacred mantras are recited is the most sol-
selle; anon I shall say the same thing to emn manner of pronouncing an irrevocable
them, but much more forcefully. Yes, cer- oath. It is thus the neophyte is oath-bound
tainly, of course.” to the service of the temple where she is
to wait upon the gods, it is so when the wife
<^rpHAT dame’s as nutty as a fruit cake,” binds herself forever to the service and sub-
-E Costello confided as we left the Thur- jection of her lord and husband. When that
mond house. "She goes an’ gits herself in- poor one performed that ceremony she un-
volved with one o’ these here fancy Hindu dertook an oath-bound obligation which
fellies, an’ he goes an’ tells her a pack o’ every Hindu firmly believes the gods them-
nonsense, an’ she falls fer it like a ton o’ selves cannot break. She is pledged by fire
brick. As if they wuz anny such things as and water for all time and eternity to the
man who put the ring of Siva on her finger.
Shivas an’ shahinnies an’ raytors an’ th’ rest
o’ it! Begob, I’d sooner belave in
— While I talked to her I observed the amu-
"You and I do not believe, my friend,” let. It bears the device of a woman held in
” ”
"As for her having the ring filed off she — here he is, as physiologically perfect as an
was wiser than she knew when she refrained athlete,with positively no signs of trauma
from that.” —
of any sort except that he’s as dead as a
"How d’ye mean?” Costello and I chor- herring.”
used.
“I saw an instance of once in Goa,
it tom
—
"You mean you
” I began,
couldn’t find a symp-
and he caught me up be-
Portuguese India. A wealthy Portuguese fore I had a chance to finish.
planter’s femme de la main gauche had an "Just that, Trowbridge. You said it. Not
affaire with a Hindu while her protector a single, solitary one. ’There is no sign of
was away on business. She was inveigled into syncope, asphyxia or coma, no trace of any
taking such a vow as Mademoiselle Thur- functional or organic weakness. Dammit
mond took, and into having such a ring man, the fellow didn’t die, he just stopped
slipped on her finger. When she would have living —and for no apparent reason. What’n
broken with her Hindu lover and returned hell am I goin’ to t^ the jury at tlie in-
as the gold band was sawn asunder.” have one of our own to struggle with. ’There
"You mean she dropped dead of a is that to do which needs immediate doing,
down dead as the gold band came off.” us that th’ pore lad died o’ nothin’ a-tall.
"O.K., sor; if ye say it. I’ll belave it, Mother o’ Moses, ’tis Jerry Costello as don’t
even if I know ’t’aint so,” Costello agreed. know if he’s cornin’ or goin’ or where from
"What’s next?” an’ where to. Can I use yer ’phone, Doc?”
"I think we should go to the morgue. he asked Parnell. "Belike th’ bhoys at Head-
The autopsy should be complete by this quarters would like to know what Tm
time, and I am interested in the outcome.” about.”
We waited while he dialed Headquar-
JASON PARNELL, heard him bark a question, and saw a
D r. the coroner’s
physician, fanned himself with a sheaf
of death certificates, and mopped his stream-
ters,
look of utter unbelief spread on his broad
perspiring face as some one at the other end
ing brow with a silk handkerchief. "I’m answered. ’’’Tain’t so!” he denied. "It
it that
—
"How do you say?” "Ye can bet yer bottom dollar it is, sor,”
“That youngster has no business being tlie Sergeant cut in almost savagely. "It sure
dead than you or I. There wasn’t a God’s- is, or Tm a monkey’s uncle. Miss ’TliurmonJ,
earthly thing the matter with him from a her we just seen layin’ in th’ bed so weak
”
62 WEIRD TALES
she couldn't hold up her head, has taken it wind-whipped awning sluiced a sudden flood
on lam!”
th’ of icy water over him, shook himself like *
"Diable!” de Grandin shot back. "It can- spaniel emerging from a pond, and laid his
not be.” hand upon the brass knob of the highly var-
"That’s what I told ’em at Headquarters, nished door.
scr, but they insist they know what tliey’re
about; an’ so does her old man.
a-t.alkin’
iwas him as put the call in to be on th’
icokout fer her. It seems she lay in a half
Amazingly
his touch
interior of
and
Ihe Light
the door
we
swung open
stepped into the dim
of Asia.
at
stupor when we left her, an’ they’d left her The place was hke a church whose wor-
alone, thinkin’ she might git a bit o’ rest, shipers had gone. Ihe air was redolent of
when zingo! up she bounces, runs to th’ incense, tlie darkness was relieved by only a
garage where her car wniz parked, an’ rushes
down th’ street like th’ divil wuz on her
dim, ruddy light, and all v/as silent — no, not
quite! At die far end of the long room a
trail.” voice was singing softly, a woman’s voice
"Hal" de Grandin’s hard, dry, barking raised in a trembling, tear-heavy contralto:
laugh had nothing whatever to do with
amusement. " Ah-ba-ha\ I am the greatest "Since I, O Lord, am nothing unto thee,
stupid-head outside of a maison de jous, mes See here thy sword, 1 make it keen and
amis. I might have damn anticipated it! bright . .
" Ma moi, cher Sergent, you take the cross-legged on a scarlet cushion, his hands
words out of my mouth," the small French- folded palm-upward in his lap, was a re-
man shot back. "Come, Friend Trowbridge, markably handsome young man dressed in
let us be upon our way?” an ornate Oriental costume, but these we
"Where to?” I asked. passed by at a glance, for in the foreground,
"Whereto? Where in the foul name of kneeling with her forehead pressed against
Satan but to that so vile shop called The the floor, was Melanie Thurmond dressed as
Light of Asia, where unless I am more she had been when she took her fateful vow
greatly mistaken than I think the dove goes and had the ring of Siva put upon her hand.
to a rendezvous with the serpent. Quickly. Her hands w’cre raised above her bowed
Let us hasten, let us rush; let us fly, mes head, and in them rested a long, cur\ed
amisV’ scimitar, the ruddy lamplight gleaming on
The rain that had been threatening since its jeweled hilt and bright blade with omi-
early,afternoon came down in bucketsful as nous redness.
we slowly through East Fifty-sixth
crept "Forgive, forgive!” we heard her sob, and
Street. It poured in miniature Niagaras saw her beat her forehead on the floor in
from cornices and rolled-up awnings, the utter self-abasement. "Have pity on the
gutters were awash, the sidewalks almost worm that creeps upon the dust before thy
ankle-deep with water. feet —-”
"Halte la!" ordered de Grandin, and I "Forgiveness shall be thine,” the man re-
edged the car close to the curb. "My friends, sponded slowly, "when dead kine crop the
we Be make
.ire
no move unless
arrived. quiet, if
I request it, and
you
—
please,
” he broke
grass, when the naked rend their clothes and
when a shining radiance becomes a void of
o.T wlt!i a muttered "noni d’un coq!” as a blackness.,
”
"Have mercy on the insect crawling at blast of wind, then without warning top-
woman man
thy feet,” the
"Have pity on the lowly thing
prostrate
— sobbed. pled from
seated at
its
its
embrasure, crushing the
feet as a dropped tile might
"Have done!” he ordered sharply. "Give crush a beetle.
me sword.”
tlie
"Oom, viani padme hong!” de Grandin The little laughter wrinkles at the outer
cried, his voice a little high and thin with corners of his eyes deepened momentarily.
excitement. "Oom, man padme hong!” "Non, mes amis,” he replied, "violence v/ill
Why I did it I had no
suddenly
idea, but not be required, I assure you. First of all, I
I echoed his invocation, at the top of my assimie youwould be interested to know how
voice, "Oom, mam padme hong!” itwas we overcame tliat green monstrosity
Costello’s rumbling bass took up the and his attendant by your chant?”
chant, and crying the unfamiliar syllables "Nothin’ less, sor,” Costello answered.
in chorus we advanced toward the seated "Bedad, I hadn’t anny idea what it meant,
man and kneeling woman and the great, or why we sang it, but I’m here to say it
green gloating idol. "Oom, mani padme —
sounded good to me I got a kick out o’
hong!” repeating it wid ye, but why it wuz I dunno.”
The man half turned and raised his hands "You know the history of Gautama
in supplication to the image, but even as Buddha, one assumes?”
he did so something seemed to happen in "I niver heard o’ him before, sor.”
the niche. The great green statue trembled Sue! dammage! However” —
he paused to
—
on its base, swayed backward, forward- take a long sip from his glass, then "here
rocked as if it had been shaken by a sudden are the facts: Siddhartha Gautama Buddha
—
64 WEIRD TALES
was born in India some five hundred years God that called Melanie back to The Light
before the opening of our era. He grew up of Asia tonight?”
in a land priest-ridden and god-ridden. "Partly, beyond question. She wore his
Tliere was no hope —
no pride of ancestry ring, and material things have great power
nor anticipation of immortality — for the on things spiritual, just as spiritual things
great mass of the people, who were forever have much influence on the material. Also
fixed in miserable existence by the rule of it might well have been a case of utter frus-
caste and the divine commands of gods tration. She might have said in effect, 'What
whom we should call devils. Buddha saw is the use?’ Her lover had been killed, her
the wickedness of this, and after years of hopes of happiness blasted, her whole world
meditation preached a new and hopeful gos- knocked to pieces. She might well have rea-
el. He first denied the power of the gods soned: 'I am powerless to fight against my
y whose authority the priests held sway, fate. Tire strength of the Green God is too
and later denied their very existence. His great. I am doomed; why not admit it; why
followers increased by thousands and by struggle hopelessly and helplessly? Why not
tens of thousands; they washed the cursed go to Kabanta and admit my utter defeat,
caste marks from their foreheads, proclaimed the extinction of my "personality, and take
themselves emancipated, denied the priests’ whatever punishment awaits me, even
authority and the existence of the gods by though it be death? Sooner or later I must
whom tliey had been terrorized and down- yield. Why not sooner than later? To
trodden for generations. Guatama Buddha, struggle futilely is only to prolong the agony
their leader, they hailedand honored with and make his final triumph all the greater.’
tliis chant: —
'Oom, mani padme hong! Hail, ’These things she may have said to herself.
thou Gem of the Lotus From the Gulf of
1’
Indeed, did she not intimate as much to us
Bengal to the Himalayas the thunder of when yve interydew'ed her?
their greeting to their master rolled like a "Yes,” he nodded like a china mandarin
mighty river of emancipation, and the power on a mantelpiece, "it is unquestionably so,
of it emptied the rock temples of the olden my friends, and but for Jules de Grandin
deities, left the priests without offerings on and the Lord Gautama Buddha assisted by
which to fatten. Sometimes it even over- my good friends Trowbridge and Costello
threw the very evil gods themselves. I mean it might have been that way. Eh hien, I and
that literally. There are recorded instances the Buddha, v.'ith your kind assistance, pat
where bands of Buddhists entering into an end to their fine schemes, did W’e not?”
heathen temples have by the very repetiton "You seriously think it was the force of
of 'Oom, man! padme hong!’ caused rock- the Green God that killed Wade Hardison? ’
Buddha had driven him back to whatever triumphed. He had received a blood-sacri-
hell-pool he and his kind came from in the fice inthe person of the poor young Hardi-
olden days; his strength and power to drive son; he was about to have another in the so
him back was still potent. Did not you see unfortunate Mademoiselle Melanie, then
it with your four eyes, my friends?”
own pouf comes Jules de Grandin and Friend
"U’m,” admitted somewhat grudgingly.
I Trowbridge and Friend Costello to repeat
"You think it was the power of the Green the chant which in the olden days had driven
” — —
The Castle
By GLENN WARD DRESBACH
TF YOU ever intend to buy
A castle, inspect it well
Tliough the walls be strong and high
And hear what the old wdves tell
Of it in the nearby town . . .
on the Threshold
By MANLY WADE WELLMAN
R. CALLENDER, as s’lperintend*
ent of an asylum for the insane,
was by training hard to daunt or
embarrass. But he was not enjoying this
final interview with a newly discharged pa-
tient. His round, kind face showed it.
"You are the second name on my list,
doctor," Rowley Thorne toldhim across the
desk in the office. "It is not a large list, but
everyone implicated in my unjust confine-
ment here shall suffer. You are second, I sa}-,
and I shall not delay long before giving you
my attention." Thorne's lead-colored tongue
moistened his lead-colored lips. "John Thun-
stone comes first.”
"You’re bitter,” said Callender, but neither
his tone nor his smile were convincing. “It'll
wear off after a day or so of freedom. Then
you’ll realize that I never bore you any ill-
will or showed special discri.mination. You
were committed to this institution through
the regular channels. Now that you’ve bec.n
re-examined and certified cured, I feel only
happiness for you."
“Cured!” snorted Thorne. His great hair-
less dome of a head lifted like the turret of
a rising submarine. His eyes gleamed abo\ e
his hooked nose like the muzzles of the
submarine’s guns. "I was never insane. False
testimony and stupid, arbitrary diagnosis
landed me here. It’s true that I had time in
your institution to perfect various knovvl-
edges by meditation. Those knowledges will
help me to deal with you all as you de- —
serve.”
His eyes gleamed palely. Dr. Callender
drew himself up.
"You’re aware,” said the doctor, "that
this kind of talk may well land you back in
the ward from which you’re being released.
—
If I call for yet another board of examina-
tion
Thorne sprang up from his chair. He was time to time, like a healthy sleeper. But his
big and burly in his shabby clothes. He pulse and his involuntary reactions are
straightened to his full height, six feet and feeble, and he doesn’t voluntarily respond to
a little more. No, decided the doctor, six voices or other stimuli more than once or
feet and considerably more. Six feet and a twice a day. Diagnosis not yet complete.”
half — perhaps six feet seven
"You’re growing!” Callender cried, his
"Which means that the doctors don't
know what’s the matter with him,” summed
voice shrill with sudden baffled alarm. up Thunstone. "Here’s my authorization
"Call in your examiners.” It was Thorne’s from his attending physician to see Dr.
voice, though his tight-clamped gash of a Callender.”
mouth did not seem even to twitcli. "Call The interne reflected that he had heard
—
them in to see ^to judge if I am crazy when
— somewhere how John Thunstone could
I claim powers beyond anything you ever secure authorization to do almost anything.
He towered up and up, as if his wide slab He led the way along a hospital corridor and
shoulders would hunch against the ceiling. to the private room where the patient lay,
Dr. Callender, cowering in his chair despite quiet but not utterly limp. Callender’s face
himself, thought a mist was thickening be- was pale, his eyes closed tightly, but he
fore his eyes in that quiet, brilliantly-lighted opened his mouth to allow a nurse to intro-
room. Rowley Thorne’s fierce features duce a spoonful of broth.
churned, or seemed to churn and blur and Thunstone looked, a long strong fore-
writhe. finger stroking his cropped black mustache.
Next moment, abruptly, the illusion of Then he bent his giant body, his dark, well-
height and distortion —
if it was an illusion combed head close to Callender’s.
— flicked away. Rowley Thorne was leaning "Dr. Callender,” said Thunstone, quietly
across the desk. but clearly. "Do you hear?”
"Cive me my release.” He picked up the It seemed that Callender did hear. He
paper from in front of Dr. Callender, who closed his mouth again and Lifted his head
made no sound or motion to detain him. "If a dreamy, lanquid hair’s-width from the pil-
you’re wise, you’ll pray never to see me low. Then he relaxed again.
again. Except that prayer won’t help you.” "You can understand me,” said Thun-
He tramped heavily out. stone. "You sent me a warning wire. It was
Left alone. Dr. Callender picked up his forw’arded to me from New York. I hurried
’
telephone. Shakily he called Western Union, here at once, to learn about Rowley Thorne.
and shakily he dictated a ware. Then he rose "Tliorne,” muttered Callender, barely
and went to a wall cabinet, from which he louder than a faint echo. "Said I w’ould be
took a glass and a bottle. Flouting one of his second.”
most rigid customs, he poured and drank "You sent me a wire," repeated Tnun-
w'hiskey in solitude, and it w'as a double stone, bending still closer, "I am John Thun-
drink at that. Tlien he poured another double stone.”
drink. "Tliunstone,” said Callender, an echo
But he collapsed before he could lift it even softer than before, "He will be first.”
to his moutli. And Callender subsided, with the gen-
tlest of sighs. He did not open his mouth
it’s put to his mouth. He turns over from asylum,” said the interne. "He had just re-
63 WEIRD TALES
leased that man you mentioned. Rowley the grisly little object out, catching it in an
Thorne. Later a dcrk c.une in and found envelope.
him. There was some spilled liquor and at "Standard obeah device,” he decided un-
first they thought intoxication. Then poison- der his breath. "‘Some day I’ll have time to
ing. Now nobody knows. Thorne was do a real research and decide whether this is
checked by New York police, but there's a primitive African method, as Seabrook and
no evidence to hold him.” Hurston say, or a modification of European
"Did Thorne leave New York.^” diabolism. Rowley Thorne
,
will try any-
"He gave a Greenwich 'Village address. thing.”
The police have it. App.arently he’s still Now he studied the jamb and threshold
there. Did you ever see a case like this, for possible smears of black liquid or scat-
Mr. Thunstone? It’s not quite human, some- terings of gray-white powder. He found
how'.” neither, sighed with relief, and finally un-
Thunstone glanced back through the door- locked the door and let himself in.
w ay, eyeing the quiet form on the cot. "No, He made two telephone calls, one to a
not quite human,” he agreed slowly. "More police executive of his acquaintance who
like —
something similar among insects.” gave him Rowley Thorne’s Greenwich 'Vil-
Mr. Thunstone?”
Insects, lage address, the other to room service for
“Tear open a wasp nest.” dinner and a drink to be sent up. The waiter
"Not while I’m in my right mind,” de- who brought the tray brought also a folded
murred the interne, smiling slightly. newspaper. "Left for you downstairs, sir,"
In such nests,” went on Thunstone,
'
he told Thunstone. "Room clerk asked me
mildly lecturing, "you find other insects than to bring it to you.”
wasps. Sometimes caterpillers, sometimes "Thanks,” said Thunstone. "Put it on the
grubs, in some cases spiders. These strangers table.”
are always motionless. They’ve been stung When the man was gone, Thunstone took
into control by tlie wasps.” the salt shaker from the dinner tray and
"Because the wasps lay their eggs in lightly sprinlded a few grains on the paper,
them,” replied the interne. He shrugged his watching closely, then took it up and un-
s'loulders to show that he disliked the idea. folded it. On the upper margin was writ-
"When the eggs hatch, the young start eat- ten a name he knew and which reassured
iiig.” him. He turned, to the classified advertise-
"But in the meantime,” Thunstone said, ments. Under "Personals” an item was
"The prey remains alive but helpless, wait- circled:
ing the pleasure and plans of its conqueror.”
He looked at Gallender, once again. "I won’t New threshold of spirit. You
talk about hypnosis in its very derived forms, may glimpse truths beyond imagina-
or about charms, spells and curses. You’re tion. Demonstrations nightly, 8:45.
studying medicine, and you’d better remain Admission $1.
an empiricist. But don’t worry about the
patient unless you hear that I’ve been de- This was followed by an address, the
stroyed. And don’t w'ait with your breath same Thunstone had just learned from his
held to hear that, either. Goodbye, and friend of the police. .
Thunstone aloud.
the terror of all
"I paid my dollar
—
tional or ridiculous to write about. Get out.
” began the reporter.
Muffling the little thimble-sized object in "It is returned to you,” she interrupted,
his handkerchief, he stowed it in an inside and he flinched, then stared at a crumpled
pocket. By now it was nearly eight o’clock. bit of paper that had sprung into view in
He went out, mailed the letter, and signaled his empty hand. "Go, I tell you.”
a taxi. "I have a right to stay,” insisted the news-
paper man, but even as he spoke he rose. It
70 WEIRD TALES
“Does anyone else come witli enmity or a There were those in the audience who
sneer?’’ challenged tlie woman on the plat- —
wanted to move toward Tliornc, or away
form. “I see a girl on the front row. She from him, or to fall on the floor. But none
thought she would see or hear something moved, and none felt that they could move.
tonight that w'ould amuse her bridge club. Thorne rose like a magnifying image on a
She has her dollar back. Let her leave.’’ cinema screen, higher and more misty, seem-
There was no protest this time. The girl ing to quiver and gesture madly as though
rose and hurried out, clutching in her hand in a sjaasm of agony. One person, or perhaps
had come from nowdiere.
the bill that two, thought he was being lifted on an
'To the rest of you, I think, came a cleat elevator apparatus concealed behind the
resumed tire speaker. “Why else, do
call,'' velvet-draped table. But then he had stepped
you think, you read a vague advertisement, sidewise into full view. No doubts were
and on the strength of it made a journey and possible now, he stood upon great columns
paid money know your hearts or enough — of legs, a gigantic and grotesque figure out
of them to feel that you will listen. All I of proportion beyond any agromegalic freak
have said is mere preparation, as though I in a side show. His eyes glared as big as
had swept humbly with a broom before the peeled eggs, his mouth opened like the gap-
man wdio will now show himself.” ing of a valise, and his hand like a great
She turned toward the door and nodded, spading fork moved toward the candle
or perhaps bowed a little in reverence. Row- flames. At its slap they went out, and there
ley Thorne appeared, and took her place was intense darkness in the room.
on the platform. The music stopped. ’There Quiet in that darkness, save for a woman
was absolute silence. in the audience who was trying to stifle sobs.
Rowley Thorne stood behind the table, Then the candles blazed up again. The
leaning a little forward with his hands on henna-haired opener of the program had
the velvet cover, so that he had a candle on come back through the rear door and was
each side of him. He held himself rigid, holding a twisted spill of paper to light the
as if to photograph himself on the attentions two tags of radiance. Rowley Thorne leaned
of those who watched —
a man in dark against the wall at the rear of tlie platform,
clothes, of great width, with a chest like a gasping and sagging as though after a stag-
keg and a squat-set hairless head. The gering effort. He was back to his own pro-
candle-glow from beneath his face undershot portions again.
him with light and made strange shadows "I did that, not to startle you, but to con-
with the jut of his chin and brows, the vince you,” he said between great gulps of
beaky curve of his big nose above his hard- air. “Does anyone here doubt that 1 have
slashed mouth. His eyelids did not flutter, power? 1 have stood on the threshold of the
but his gunmetal eyes roved restlessly, as —
unthinkable ^but from the unthinkable *1
though searching every face in the audience. bring knowledge for anyone who cares to
“Watch me,” he bade after some seconds. ask. Question, anyone? Question?”
The woman who had sobbed stood up. “1
size and a half now, and swelling. Abruptly lost an emerald-set bracelet that she called
his face lost control, writhing and blurring, a family heirloom. Thorne directed her to
and he lifted his hands fro.m the table to search ir^ a locked trunk in her attic, looking
stra'g’nten himself. for a discarded red purse which held the
”
your intrusion.”
When the door closed, Thorne turned to "You know' so little that we pity you,"
his henna-haired companion. “You got the taunted the red-haired woman.
names?” "Store up your pity for your own needs,”
"Each as they stood up to speak,” she Rowley Thorne told her. “Thunstone does
nodded, above a pencilled list. "I took each not consider himself a pitiable figure. I per-
name as the person came in, and checked mit him to go on talking, for a little while.”
them in their seats. Nobody saw me writing. "The classic demonologists,” Thunstone
Their attention was all for you.” continued, "agree that tliose who attend evil
"Good.” He took the paper from her. "I ceremonies and do not protest or rebel are
count eleven who brought up private mat- therefore sealed communicants of black wor-
ters they might better have kept to them- ship. You’ve collected the beginnings of a
selves. And even the smallest inquiry was
admission of
— following, haven’t you, Thorne? You’re al-
ready planning how to rivet your hold on
He broke off, glaring into the remote rear every person — on this one by fear, on that
corner, where lounged a human bulk as great one by favor, on the other by blackmail.”
as his own. ‘Tm able to stand alone,” grow'led Thorne
"Continue,” said the voice of John Thun- deeply.
stone. "I am listening with the deepest in- “But those you serve demand w'orshippers,
terest.” and you must see to the supply. You hare
Thorne and companion faced savagely
his failed before. I know, because I caused the
toward the big man. The red-haired woman failure. I have disrupted your ceremonies,
drew herself up. "How did you come here?” burned your books, discredited and dis-
she demanded tremulously. “And how did graced you.” Thunstone’s hard smile grew
you remain without my knowledge?” vzider. “I am your bad luck, Thorne.”
“Your mind-reading powers are not as The red-haired woman had stooped,
perfect as you think,” replied Thunstone, twitching up her skirt. From a sheath
rising from where he sat. "When I was a strapped to her leg she drew a slim dagger,
boy I learned to think behind a wall. The but paused, staring at it. “It’s broken,” she
untrained minds of the others were open to muttered.
7 WEIRD TALES
"Even your tools fail you,” pronounced constricted like tourniquets. Thunstone's
Thuiistone. clutch could not be broken.
Thorne, still standing on the dais, drew a Thorne’s hugeness above him heaved and
deep breath. It swelled hina like a hollow struggled. But it did not seem to have
figure of rubber. gained weight in proportion to its size.
The woman stared at him, gasped, and Thunstone’s own solidity anchored it down.
drew away. She could not accustom herself "To me!” Thorne was blaring. "To me,
to the phenomenon. Thunstone smiled no you named and you nameless!”
longer as he stepped up on the dais, close They rallied to his call. Thunstone felt
to Thorne. blinded, and at the same time dazzled, by
I’m not afraid of you in any size or
'
that hot redness; but beings were there,
shape,” he said. many and near, around him. He clung to
the sleeves he had grasped, and Thorne
round Thunstone the air was close could not break away. Stifled, numbed,
A - and hot, as though he had entered a Thunstone yet summoned his strength, and
cave in the side of a volcano. The dimness with a mighty wrench toppled ’Thorne’s
of the room seemed to take on a murky red overgrown form to its knees. That was
glow, but in that glow Thorne’s face and enough for the moment. He let go and
outline grew no clearer. He only swelled. drove a hand under his coat to the inside
He was already a head taller than Thunstone. pocket.
"Moloch, Lucifer, Pem.eoth,” Tliorne was With a full-armed sweep, he swung the
saying, as though to someone behind him, little silver bell.
like animals tiydng to sound like men. ple, I summon the clergy; I weep the de-
Thorne's great gouty fingers had seized parted, I put the pestilence to flight, I shatter
”
Thunstone’s shoulders, and swiftly released the thunderbolts, I proclaim the Sabbaths.’
their grip, while Thorne cursed as if in He looked around for the red-haired woman.
sudden pain. For Thunstone had seized the “A holy man whom once I helped gave me
crumpled sleeves upon the mighty ridged this bell as a gift. It was made long ago,
a-r:..;, twisting them so that they bound and he told me, to exorcise evil spirits. This is
THORNE ON THE THRESHOLD 73
the third time I have used it successfully.” mension, mysticism calls it another plane,
Carefully he returned the bit of silver to religion calls it anSther existence. He could
his pocket. Stepping from the dais, he communicate with entities beyond, and
walked across the room and switched on a claim them for allies. He was able to draw
light that threw white brilliance everywhere. some powers and knowledges, such as his
Turning his head, he looked hard for some ability to prophesy to those dupes who came.
sign that Rowley Thorne ha^d been there. Such powers might have been useful to him,
There was none. Tramping a few steps and rankly terrible to the normal world.”
more, John Thunstone opened two windows. Thunstone produced his pipe. "By the way,
'This place smells most unoriginally of I am heartily in favor of the normal world.”
burning,” he commented. Near'ny stood a telephone on a bracket.
The red-haired woman crouched motion- Without asking permission, Thunstone
less in the farthest corner from the dais picked it up and dialed a number. The
where Thunstone and Thorne had stood to- nurse who answered told him jubilantly that
gether. Stooping above her, Thunstone Dr. Callender had suddenly awakened from
touched her shoulder. She looked up at his trance, very lively, cheerful and hungry.
him, and rose slowly. Her face was as pale "Congratulate him for me,” said Thun-
as tallow. stone, "and say that I’ll join him in a late
“What will you do with me.?” she man- supper.”
aged to ask. He hung up and continued his explana-
"Leave you to think how narrowly you tion.
escaped,” he replied. "You were not a '"Thorne gambled everything when he
lieutenant Thome, only his servitor.
of called his allies into thisnormal region of
Plainly you know little or nothing of what life to help him. 1 wanted him to do that.
he was really trying to do. I recommend Because, when defeated, they would go
that you review the storj' of the sorcerer’s back. And with them they would take
apprentice, and keep clear in the future of Thorne. I don't dare hope that he’s gone
all supernatural matters. For you have used for good, but he’ll have considerable diffi-
up a good deal of your normal luck in culty in returning to us.”
escaping tonight.”
"But what — —
what ” she stammered.
"But where?” pleaded the woman.
“Where did he go?”
"The explanation is simple, if you care to "Tlie lesson to be learned from all I
accept it. Thorne was on the threshold of have said and done,” Thunstone assured her
—something. Science calls it another di- gently, “is not to inquire into such things.”
We ^
O^ms
By RAY BRADBURY
~T V 'T' T V T T yy T v v y
The square of paper was abrilliantly sunlit casement through which one
might gaze into another and brighter land
Heading by A. E. TILBURNE
?4
THE POEMS 75
"It’s good, isn’t it?” he cried. Damn In the unexpected dimness slie clutched
^ood!” and found his arm and held to him. "What’s
The cottage whirled around Lisa in a happened? Is this the dell?”
wooden torrent. Gazing at the paper she "Yes, of course it is.”
experienced sensations as if words were
melting, flowing into animate things. Tire
"But, it’s so dark!”
"Well — —
^j'e.s it is
— ” He sounded at a
paper was a square, brilliantly sunlit case- loss.
meat through which one might lean into "Tlie flowers are gone!”
another and brighter amber land! Her mind "I saw tliem early this morning; they
swung pendulum-wise. She had to clutch, can’tbe gone!”
crying out fearfully, at the ledges of this "You wrote about them in the poem. And
incredible window to support herself from where are the grape vines?”
being flung headlong into three-dimensional "They must be here. It’s only been an
impossibility! hour or more. It’s too dark. Let’s go back.”
"David, how strange and wonderful and He sounded afraid himself, peering into the
— frightening.” uneven light.
It was as if she held a tube of light cupped "I can’t find anything, David. ’The grass
in her hands, through which she could race isgone, and the trees and bushes and vines,
into a vast space of singing and color and allgone!”
new sensation. Somehow, David had caught She cried it out, then stopped, and it fell
up, netted, skeined, imbedded reality, sub- upon them, the unnatural blank spaced si-
stance, atoms — mounting them upon paper lence, a vague timelessness, windlessness, a
with a simple imprisonment of ink! vaammed sucked out feeling that oppressed
He described the green, moist verdure of and panicked them.
the dell, tiie eucalyptus trees and the birds He swore softly and there was no echo.
flowing through their high, swaying "It’s too dark to tell now. It’ll all be here
brandies. And the flowers cupping the pro- tomorrow.”
pelled humming of bees. "But what if it never comes back?” She
"It is good, David. The very finest poem began to shiver.
you’ve ever written!” She felt her heart beat "What are you raving about?”
swiftly with the idea and urge that came She held the poem out. It glowed quietly
to her in the next moment. She felt that with a steady pure yellow shining, like a
she must see the dell, to compare its quiet small niche in which a candle steadily lived.
contents with those of this poem. She took "You’ve written the perfect poem. Too
David’s arm. "Darling, let’s walk down tlie perfect. 'That’s what you’ve done.” She heard
road —
now.” herself talking, tonelessly, far away.
In high spirits, David agreed, and they She read the poem again. And a coldness
set out together, from their lonely little moved through her.
house in the hills. Half down the road she "The dell is here. Reading this is like
changed her mind and wanted to retreat, opening a gate upon a path and walking
but she brushed the thought aside with a knee-high in grass, smelling blue grapes,
move of her fine, thinly sculptured face. hearing bees in yellow transits on the air,
It seemed ominously dark for this time of and the wind carrying birds upon it. The
day, down there toward the end of the path. paper dissolves into things, sun, water, col-
She talked lightly to shield her apprehen- ors and life. It’s not symbols or reading any
sion: more, it’s LWING!”
"You’ve worked so hard, so long, to write "No,” he said. "You’re wrong. It’s
the perfect poem. I knew you’d succeed crazy.”
some day. I guess this is it.”
"Thanks to a patient wife,” he said.
'They rounded a bend of gigantic rock T hey ran up the path together.
came to meet them after they were free
A wind
ana twilight came as swiftly as a purple of the lightle.ss vacuum behind them.
veil drawn down. In their small, meagerly furnished cot-
"David!” tage they sat at the window, staring dowi-
76 WEIRD TALES
at the dell. All around was the unchanged hysterical and Immensely calm. He col-
light of mid-afternoon. Not dimmed or lapsed in a chair. By night, he was smoking
diffused or silent as down in the cup of his pipe, on and on,
eyes closed, talking
rocks. as calmly as possible.
"It’s not true. Poems don’t work that 'Tve got power now no man ever had.
way,” he said. I don’t know its extensions, its boundaries
"Words are symbols. They conjure up or its governing limits. Somewhere, the erv
images in the mind.” chantment ends. Oh, my ^od, Lisa, you
"Have I done more than that?” he de- should see what I’ve done to that dell. Its
manded. "And how did I do it, I ask you?” gone, all gone, stripped to the very raw
He rattled the paper, scowling intently at primordial bones of its former self. And
each line. "Have I made more than symbols the beaut)’ is here!” He opened his eyes and
with a form of matter and~enersy. Have I stared at the poem, as at the Holy Grail.
compressed, concentrated, dehydrated life? "Captured forever, a few bars of midnight
Does matter pass into and through my mind, ink on paper! I’ll be the greatest poet in
like light through a magnifying glass to be history! I’ve always dreamed of that.”
foaissed into one narrow, magnificent "I’m afraid, David. Let’s tear up the
blazing apex of fire? Can I etch life, burn it poems and get away from here!”
onto paper, with that flame? Gods in heaven. "Move away? Now?”
I’m going mad with thought!” "It’s dangerous. What if your power at-
A wind circled the house. tends beyond the valley?”
"If we are not crazy, the two of us,” His eyes shone fiercely. "Then I can de-
said Lisa, stiflFening at the sound of the stroy the universe and immortalize it at one
wind, "there is one way to prove our sus- and the same instant. It’s in the power of a
picions.” sonnet, if I choose to write it.”
"How?” "But you won't write it, promise me,
"Cage the wind.” David?”
"Cage it? Bar it up? BuUd a mortar of He seemed not to hear her. He seemed'
ink around it?” to be listening to a cosmic music, a move-
She nodded. ment of bird wings very high and clear. He
"No, I won’t fool myself.” He jerked his seemed to be wondering how long this land
head. Wetting his lips, he sat for a long had waited here, for centuries perhaps, vrait-
wiule. Then, cursing at his own curiosity, ing for a poet to come and drink of its
he walked to the table and fumbled self- power. This valley seemed like the center
cor sciouslv with pen and ink. He looked of the universe, novr.
at her, then at the windy light outside. Dip- "It would be a magnificent poem,” he
ping his pen, he flowed it out onto paper said, thoughtfully. '"Tlie most magnificent
in regular dark miracles. poem ever written, shamming Keats and
Instantly, the wind vanished. Shelley and Browning and all the rest. A
"'Tlie wind,” he said. "It’s caged. The ink poem about the universe. But no.” He shook
is dry.” his head sadly. "I guess I won’t ever write
that poem.”
/OVER his shoulder she read it, became Breathless, Lisa waited in the long silence.
\J immersed in its cool heady current, Another wind came from across tlie world
smelling far oceans tainted on it, odors of to replace the one newly imprisoned. She
distant w'hcat acres and green corn and the let out her breath, at ease.
s’larp brick and cement smell of cities far "For a moment I was afraid you’d over-
away. stepped the boundary and taken in all the
David stood up so quickly the chair fell winds of the earth. It’s ail right now.”
back Nee an old thin woman. Like a blind "All right, hell,” he cried, happily. "It’s
man he W'alked down the hill toward the marvelous!”
dell, not turning, even when Lisa called And he caught hold of her, and ki.«sed
after him, frantically. her again and again.
When he returned he was by turns Fift)' poems were written in fifty days.
— ” ” ” —
THE POEMS 77
key, a fingernail, a shattered light bulb. David, it’s not really yours, it was only an
coming here
P,ecognition came upon him like a rain
shower. The poems were bought and read
accident
house
— our to the valley
across the world. Critics referred to the Heswore softly. "Who cares whether
masierpieces as
" —
cliunks of amber in it was accident or Fate? The tiling that
which are caught whole portions of life and counts is that I’m here, now, and they’re
— '
— poem window looking — He
living
out upon the
each
world
— a they’re
'"riiey’re
paused, flushing.
what?” she prompted.
He was suddenly a very famous man. It "They’re calling me the greatest poet who
took him many days to believe it. When he ever lived!”
saw his name on tire printed books he didn’t "It’llruin you.”
believe it, and said so. And when he read "Let it ruin me, then! Let’s have silence,
the critics columns he didn’t believe them now.”
either. He stalked into his den and sat restlessly
Then it beg.in to make a flame inside him, studying the dirt road. While in this mood,
groviing up, climbing and consuming his he saw a small brown dog come patting
Body and legs and arms and face. along the road, raising little dust-tufts be-
Amidst the sound and glory, she pressed hind.
her dreek to his and whispered: "And a damn good poet I am,” he whis-
"'This is your perfect hour. When will pered, angrily, taking out pen and paper.
there ever be a more perfect time than this? He scratched out four lines swiftly.
Never again.” ’File dog’s barking came in even shrill
He showed her the letters as they ar- intervals upon the air as it circled a tree and
rived. bounded a green bush. Quite unexpectedly,
"See? This letter. From New York.” He half over one leap across a vine, the barking
blinked rapidly and couldn’t sit still. "They ceased, and the dog fell apart in the air,
want me to write more poems. Thousands inch by inch, and vanished.
more. Look at this letter. Here.” He gave Locked in his den, he composed at a
it to her."That editor says that if I can furious pace, counting pebbles in the gar-
write so fine and great about a pebble or a den and changing them to stars simply by
drop of water, think what I can do when I giving them mention, immortalizing clouds,
— well experiment with real life. Real life. hornets, bees, lightning and thunder with
Nothing big. An amoeba perhaps. Or, well, — a few pen flourishes.
just this morning, I saw a bird It was inevitable that some of his more
"A bird?” She stiffened and waited for secret poems should be stumbled upon and
him to answer. read by his wife.
"Yes, a hummingbird —hovering, settling, Coming home from a long afternoon walk
rising he found her with the poems lying all un-
?” folded upon her lap.
'"ifou didn’t . . .
"Why NOT? Only a bird. One bird out "David,” she demanded. "What does
of a billion,” he said self-consciously. "One this mean?” She was very cold and shaken
little bird, one little poem. You can’t deny by it. "This poem. First a dog. Then a cat,
me that.” —
some sheep and finally a man!” —
"One amoeba,” she repeated, tonelessly. He seized the papers from her. “So
"And then next it will be one dog. one what!” Sliding them in a drawer, he
man, one city, one continent, one universe!” slammed it, violently. "He was just an old
"Nonsense.” His cheek twitched. He man, they were old sheep, and it was a
paced the room, fingering back his dark hair. microbe-infested terrier! The world breathes
"You dramatize things. Well, - after all, better without them!’’
what's one dog, even, or to go one step "But here, THIS poem, too.” She held it
furtl'.er, one man?" straight out before her, eyes widened. "A
” ” ”
78 WEIRD TALES
woman. Tliree children from Charlottes- He sat for ten minutes while she refilled
ville!" his glass. She seemed very happy suddenly,
"All right, so you don’t like it!” he said, for no reason. He sat scowling, thinking,
furiously. "An artist has to experiment. looking at his pen and ink and paper, fiy--
Witii everytliing! I can’t just stand still and ing to make a decision. "Lisa?”
do the same thing over and over. I’ve got "Yes?” She was now preparing supper,
greater plans than you think. Yes, really singing.
"I feel in a mood.
good, fine plans. I’ve decided to write about
even thing. I’ll dissect the heavens if I wish, ering all afternoon and
—
I have been consid-
tip down the worlds, toy with suns if I damn "And what, darling?"
please!” "I am going to write the greatest poem
"David,” she said, shocked. in history —NOW!”
"Well, I will! I will!” She felt her heart flutter.
"You’re such a child, David. I should "Will your poem be about the vallq?”
Isave known. If this goes on, I can’t stay He smirked. "No. No! Bigger than that.
here with you.” Much bigger!”
"You’ll have to stay,” he said. "I’m afraid I’m not much good at guess-
"What do you mean?” ing,” she confessed.
He didn’t know what he meant himself. "Simple,” he said, gulping another drink
He looked around, helplessly and then de- of champagne. Nice of her to think of buy-
d.’.red, "I mean. I mean —
if you try to go ing it, it stimulated his thoughts. He held
all I have to do is sit at my desk and de- up his pen and dipped it in ink. "I shall
scribe you in ink ...” write my poem about the universe! Let me
"You ...” she said, dazedly. see now ...”
She began to cry. Very silently, with no "David!”
noise, her shoulders moved, as she sank He winced. "What?”
down on a chair. "Oh, nothing. Just, have some mere
"I’m sorry,” he said, lamely, hating the champagne, darling.”
scene. "I didn’t mean to say that, Lisa. For- "Eh? He blinked fuzzily. "Don’t mind
”
drinks. "Here’s a toast to the — the universe.” "One at a time.” He made a face. '"That's
He drank. "Good stuff.” He pointed at hers. the way I’ve been doing things and I'm
"Drink up. What’s wrong?” Her eyes looked tried to dandelions and d.aisies.”
wet and sad about something; He wrote upon the paper with the pen.
She refilled his glass and lifted her own. "What’re you doing?” she demanded,
"May we always be together. Always.” catching his elbow.
The room tilted. "It’s hitting me,” he ob- "Let me alone!” He shook her off.
served very seriously, sitting down so as not She saw the black words form:
"On an empty stomach I drank. Oh,
to
Lord!
fall.
’’
planets and suns
—
"Illimitable universe, with stats and
—— ” ”
THE POEMS 79
late. Stop it!” She had expected him to stop her, but
He gazed
at her as through a long dark he was holding his pale brow and looking
tube, and her far away at the other end, pained with the ache in his eyes from the
echoing. "Cross it out? he said. "Why, it’s
”
drink.
GOOD poetry! Not a line will I cross out. She drew a bold line through his poem.
I want to be a GOOD poet!’’ Her heart slowed.
She fell across him, groping, finding the “Now,” she said, solicitously, "you take
pen. With one instantaneous slash, she the pen, and I’ll help you. Start out wdth
wiped out the words. small things and build, like an artist.”
''Before the ink dr'tes, before it dries!’’ His eyes were gray-filmed. “Maybe you’re
"Fool!" he shouted. "Let me alone!” right, maybe, maybe.”
The wind howled outside.
HE The first evening
ran to the window. “Catch the wind!” she cried, to give him
S were still there, and the crescent
stars a minor triumph to satisfy his ego. "Catch
moon. She sobbed with relief. She swung the wind!”
about to face him and walked toward him. He stroked the pen "Caught it!” he bel-
'T want to help you write your poem lowed, drunkenly, weaving. "Caught the
"Don’t need your help!” wind! Made a cage of ink!”
"Are you blind? Do you realize the power "Catch the flowers!” she commanded, ex-
of your pen!” citedly. "Everyone in the valley! And the
’To distract him, slie poured more cham- grass!”
pagne, which he welcomed and drank. "There! Caught the flowers!”
"Ah," he sighed, dizzily. "My head spins.” “The hill next!” she said.
But it didn't stop him from writing, and "The hill!”
write he did, starting again on a new sheet "The valley!”
of paper; "The valley!”
"UNIVERSE VAST UNIVERSE — — "The sunlight, the odors, the trees, the
BILLION STARRED AND WIDE—” shadows, the house and the garden, and the
She snatched frantically at shreds of things things inside the house!”
to say, things to stave off his writing. “Yes, yes, yes,” he cried, going on and
'
8C WEIRD TALES
He fumbled with the pen. "What’ll I word out of them. It was like a rivet flood
say?” had washed through, scraping away tlie
She smootlied his hair, touched his cheek whole countryside! Gone! Washed out! And
with her fingers and kissed him, tremblingly. only three last poems to show for the whole
Then, closing her eyes, she began to dictate: thing!”
"There lived, a fine man n.amed David
— No further word was ever received from
and name was Lisa and
his wife’s the poet or his wife. The Agricultural Col-
Tlie pen moved slowly, achingly, tircdly lege experts traveled hundreds of miles to
forming words. study the starkly denuded valley, and went
"Yes?” he prompted. away shaking their heads and looking
— —
and they lived in a house in the gar- pale.
den of Eden But it is all simply found again.
He wrote again, tediously. She watched. You turn the pages of his last small thin
He raised his eyes. "Well? What’s book and read the three poems.
next?” She is there, pale and beautiful and im-
She looked at the house, and the night mortal; you smell the sweet warm flash of
outside, and the wind returned to sing in her, young forever, hair blowing golden
her ears and she held his hands and kissed upon the wind.
his sleepy lips, And next to her, upon the opposite page,
“That’s all, ”
she said, "the ink is drying.” he stands gaunt, smiling, firm, hair like
raven’s hair, hands on hips, face raised to
he from New York visited
T publishers
the valley months later and went back to
look about him.
And on all sides of them, green with an
New York with only three pieces of paper importal green, under a sapphire sky, w'ith
they had found blowing in the wind around the odor of fat wine-grapes, with the grass
and about the raw% scarred, empty valley. knee-high and bending to touch of exploring
The publishers stared at one another, feet, with the trails waiting for any reader
blankly: who takes them, one finds the valley, and the
"Why, why, there was nothing left at all,” house, and the deep rich peace of sunlight
they said. "Just bare rock, not a sign of and of moonlight and many stars, and the
vegetation or humanitj’. 'Tlie home he lived two of them, he and she, walking through
in
— gone! The road, everytliing! He was it all, laughing together, forever and for-
gone! His wfife, she W'as gone, too! Not a ev'er.
o o A
HHe AMCCENrs OF
ARA0/A 0EUEVEP
THAT IF A HYAEMA .
YEARLY festival OF
THE AZTECS A YOUNG
captive with the most
PERSONAL BEAUTY WAS
CHOSEN FOR SACRIFICE.
-HE WAS ESTEEMED AND
worshipped AS A GOD
FOR A WHOLE YEAR.
•after this year of
REVERENTIAL HOMAGE,
HE WAS ESCORtepfOTlSE
TEA-^PLE WHERE HE VMS
EEiZEP .AMD HELD oam
CM HIS a«CK. ONE OF
THE PRIESTS THEM CUT
OPEN THE VICTIMS BRgAST|
AMD THRUSTING HIS HAND
UfTo THE mUHD W/^/^CA*£D
OUrJ//S//£A^rAA/0//£JLD
/ 7~ /A/£AC^/A7C£ TO
T//^ SUN Q
atiana
T
warmth.
HEY’RE
kind to me here, in their
way, with an impersonal sort of
kindness that has in it nothing of
Today, when I asked for paper and
By HAROLD LAWLOR
”
TATIANA S3
maybe it would sound less like the raving follow in his lead. But before we could move
of a lunatic.”
So today I asked for paper and ink to
away, the girl spoke.
—
"I’m Tatiana. I ” She broke off, looking
write —not a letter, as Myles thought, but faintly surprised. Then the green eyes rolled
a story. upward, and slowly she toppled outs^’ard
This story: toward the sidewalk.
I caught her just before her bright head
through the glass door, turning her uncov- we’d been saving. But I needn’t have. For
ered golden red hair to a shimmering fall she was sitting up, almost at once. So com-
of molten copper. posedly, that Tim looked suspicious, and
There was no room to pass her rain-spat- even I knew a momentary doubt.
tered polo-coated figure, as Tim, after an
incurious glance, proceeded to do. But I
"It’s just —
just that I’m hungry,” she said
apologetically.
stopped. It’s strange now to remember that I nodded, knowing she spoke the truth.
I was the one who stopped. For I was always That greenish-white pallor couldn’t be faked.
the timid one. My
twin brother, Tim, was I looked over to where Tim was lounging
the older (by ten minutes!) and it was as if alertly, warily, against the door frame.
this seniority had always given him the right "Would you mind, Tim? There ought to
to be the leader. Certainly he was invariably be an egg or two in the icebox. And would
the aggressor in any situation. I was the you make some coffee?”
quiet twin —
^the shy one, overlooked in the Even then I remember thinking. "Imagine
background. me, giving Tim orders!”
But I stopped as if even then I sensed the He said nothing. He just looked at me,
eerie, otherworldly quality that I will always and I knew my life would be a minor hell
associate with the memory of Tatiana. Later, for days. Tim could be mean in so many
too,I was to recall the curious reluctance little ways. But now he went kitchenware .
with whicli Tim accepted her from the first. And, looking at the girl, I felt indifferent
Almost as if he’d known that in her strange for once to Tim’s uncertain temper.
wake were to trail love and hate and conflict. "We eat out mostly,” I explained to the
But now I bent over the girl. "Is anything girl,who’d been watching us in silence.
the matter? Can we help you?” "Everything is strictly from bachelorhood
Bright headlights danced on the coppery around here. I’m Kerry Murnane.” I nodded
hair as she shook her head. toward the door through which Tim had
"Come on, Kerry!” Tim was clutching at disappeared. "And that’s my twin brother,
my arm. Tim.”
But I couldn’t seem to take my eyes from "Yes.” She nodded, almost as if she'd
we home?”
the girl. "Can’t
She lifted her head
take you
at that, and I was not
—
known. "Tim, he does not like me. But
you ” She regarded me sagely. "I think you
surprised to see that her face lived up to the will come to love me. And what Tatiana
lovely promise of her hair. thinks, comes true.”
"WTiere do you live?” I persisted, while Well! I blinked. But her slanted green
Tim stood by, fuming. eyes semed to hold no guile.
Her eyes were long and green and in- I said, faintly amused. "And you knelt
scrutable,and held neither appeal nor fright. there in the rain knowing —
I would come
34 WEIRD TALES
Evidently I was to infer that what she’d would be hard, not on the girl, but on n!;
thought had come true. The girl was being for getting us into this.
ridiculous, merely. Then why should I know Presently, with a Gioconda smile, Tatiana
this vague, mounting sense of alarm? again extended her hands. Slowly she
She was smiling secretively as she stood opened them.
up and slipped off the polo-coat to reveal a Tim and I gaped together.
simple, unadorned black dress beneath. It Resting on each white palm was some-
was tight over her tilted breasts
and rounded thing that resembled an unset diamond-
hips,and her waist was incredibly small. diamonds whose facets reflected rainbow
Idiotically,
I found myself wondering fragments from the overhead light.
how it would feel to hold such loveliness in “Take them,” Tatiana said. “They are
my arms. Idiotically, because I was not yours.”
usually so quickly susceptible. —
“But how ?” I faltered. “Where ?” —
Tim's voice called from the
Luckily, She looked away, her eyes narrowing
kitchen to cut through my ridiculous mood, reminiscently. “I thought. The
boys should
not go unrewarded.’ And I thought, 'A dia-
TATIANA 85
can sleep on the living room sofa. I wouldn’t talk about her thoughts coming true?” And
send a dog out into that.” though I didn’t really believe it, I added,
The three of us listened to the rain as if "Because it’s probably nothing. A joke,
it were the most important thing of all, just that she’ll explain in the morning.”
then. As if, by concentrating on the sound But Tim only shook his head stubbornly.
of the drops lashing futilely against the "You’ll see. You’ll be sorry we let her stay.”
pane, could escape the uncomfortable ten- Maybe it was the certainty in his voice.
sion here within the room. Maybe his fear was contagious. Maybe it
I couldn’t understand Tim’s look of was merely the cold damp air blowing
hatred. It seemed far too strong an emotion through our widely opened windows.
for the girl to have caused in him. For what But I shivered again. And a curious con-
had she done? Nothing. Nothing to make viction seized me that one day I would wish
Tim react so violently. And yet it was as if I had listened to Tim.
they continued a quarrel begun before I was
present
know.
—
a quarrel whose origin I did not
ing Tim
against the girl —
as it should have fore us.
warned me. But then I only looked at her Tim seemed more like himself this morn-
and listened to the rain. ing. But his manner was overlaid with some-
"In the morning,” Tim finished, almost
vioously, "get out of here!”
—
thing that was alien to him something I
had to puzzle over before I recognized it for
But "ratiana only smded. what it was. Embarrassment. He wanted me
to forget his odd alarm of the night before.
"V7TT, when we were in our bedroom, And I, eager to see if Tatiana’s strange en-
Tim’s anger seemed to evaporate as
-I- chantment would survive the disillusioning
quickly as it had come, and he appeared less light of day, was only too willing to assume
certain of himself than I had ever known that Tim was once more as he’d always
him. So apparent was the change in him that been.
I even ventured to ask, "Why did you say Tatiana had chosen the chair directly be-
that to her” —
though at any other time I fore the kitchen window, and her hair was
would have been reluctant to risk his possible a vivid blot against a world of white. The
irritation at the question. rain had changed during the night to wet,
Tim rubbed his forehead as if it ached. clinging snow, and the elms back of the
Slowly he divested himself of his clothing, apartment house were gaudily decked out in
tiirew his trousers across the back of a chair. cotton and tinsel.
"Because —
He turned to look at me, and I It started at once.
could almost have sworn that fear lurked in "Good morning,” she said. "And what
the depths of his dark eyes. "We should are you going to do today, Kerr)'?”
have made her leave. Now. Tonight.” Ignoring Tim. Baiting Tim. Not imp-
There was a startled pause, then I went ishly. Motivated by something more omi-
over to rest my hand lightly on his arm. nous than mischief. I felt my heart sinking.
"Tim, what is it? What’s so alarming about Who was this girl? Why
was she here? Or
Tatiana? Why do you seem to hate her so?” had her presence neither meaning nor pur-
He looked at me, puzzled, and he sounded pose? I was never to know.
half-ashamed, half-defiant when he an- Tim must have sensed the implied taunt
swered, "Because I’m afraid. Afraid, and I
don’t know why. But there’s something
in her words, for he rose to
—
it bluntly.
about her
— "You’re getting out. Kerry and
The
I
Explain. .
recollection of a provoking dream which feculty you possess was intended to be exer-
cised— to be used for the mastery of life. There
clings to the mind throughout the day?
are no mysteries in Efe— except those which
There are also times when we are in- prejudice, feat and ignorance keep men ftom
clined by an inexphcable feeling to cast understanding. Let the Rosicrucians (not a
ofl' our obligations and to journey to a religion), aworld-wide fraternity of men and
distant city or to visit a friend. Only women, reveal astounding and useful facts
about yo». Write for the free, fascinating book,
sheer will prevents us from submitting
"The Mastery of Life.” It tells how you may
to these urges. What do these intuitive share in this age-old helpful knowledge.
impressions, these impelling strange feel- Address Scribe: R. R. W.
MEN
This Horseshoe
He came
stood looking
all the way into the room, and
BEUTALURE. Inc •
to go — I stay.”
Wilmington. Detawere Tim put his narrow hips,
fists on his
looked at me challengingly. “Well?”
Getting Up Nights And Tatiana looked at me, and she, too,
Makes
Do
Many Feel from
Old
you feel older than you are or suffer
said "Well?”
Get-
ting Up Nights. liackache, Nervousness, Leg Pains,
Dizziness, Swollen Ankles. Rheumatic I*ains, Burning, T WAS up to me. I’ll always remem-
Bcanty or frequent passages? If so, remember that
your Kidneys are vita! to your health and that these I ber tliat scene, and my deepening sense
Bymptoras may be due to nou-organic and non- of shame because I was playing so unheroic
systemic Kidney and Bladder troubhiS in such —
cases Cysfex (a physician’s proscription) u.sually gives a part. It isn’t easy to change the habit of
prompt and joyous relief by helping the Kidneys flush
out poisonous e.xcess acids and wastes. Get Cystex a lifetime, if, indeed, it’s possible. Old
from your druggist today. Take It exactly as directed
and sec the results in your owui particular case.
Under our guarantee unless completely satisfied you
memories flooded back —Tim and I, always
simply return the empty package and get your together. Not in nearly thirty years had v/e
ey back. So get Cystex to- been separated.And it was 'Tim’s decisions
Three guaranteed sizes:
SSc. 75c, $1.50 at your thathad always been the right ones, always
f gist.
^Complete HOME-STri)Y decided our course of action. I wavered
Courses and self-iustruc- helplessly.
tion books, slightly used.
Rented, sold, exchanged. As if she were reading my mind, Tatiana
All subjects. Satisfaction
guaranteed. Cash paid for said softly, “After all, Kerry, you had to
used courses. Full details and 92-page illustrated
bargain catalog T’rec. LVrite now. fall in love sometime. You know what’s
NELSON COIViPANY really the matter, don’t you? Tim ^he hates —
321 So. Wabash Avenue, Dept. 2-23, CMco^o 4, Ij^ me, because I’ve come between you.”
” :
TATIANA 89
'
You sank into a
don't understand.” I
but
I
it was too late. The will to hate was BALLADS
too strong.” WITH WORDS AND MUSIC.
Tim laughed sharply, like a lash across Now .«itng all tlie famnus cowboy songs, old-
time songs and enjoy famous poems and recitations to your
her words. But we hardly heard him. I heart’s content.
words and music .
These are original iiiuuntain ballads with
the kind lliat our cowboys still sing out
. .
—
"And I I love you,” I said hopelessly.
and will lire forever because they still hold fascination and
alTord wholesome fun and recreation.
come to a decision. She rose, and even I re- ! PICKWICK COMPANY, Dept. 3812
coiled at the look she turned on Tim. Yet 73 West 44th Street. New York 13, N. Y.
Send books clieckcd below at once in plain wrapper. I encloso
her words, when they came, were more sad 5 (cash or money order)
Send all 3 bocks.
than angry. Send books checked
"You’ve succeeded W’ell, Tim. You’ve Famous Cowboy Songs and Mountain Ballads.
Famous Old-Time Songs. Famous I’oeius and EecitaUona,
turned Kerry into a creature without will
But then, you've had a life-
or initiative.
time in which to succeed. How could I STREET
90 WEIRD TALES
of his expression as she slipped into her
rou ARE UNDER ARREST! polo-coat, belted it about her.
THERE'S A THRILL IN BRINGING A CROOK "I understand your satisfaction,” she said
TO JUSTICE THROUGH SCIENTIFIC coldly. "It is not easy to defeat Tatiana.
CRIME DETECTION! You may well look pleased with yourself.
I bare taught thousands this exciting, profitable, pleas-
Aiit Drofessi<H}.Let me teach you, too. iD yMir owo home. But perhaps, even yet, you have not won.”
Leam Finger Printing, Firearms
Icicntlfiealion. Police Photography I made one last attempt, however feeble.
and tiocrot Serrice Methods thor-
oughly. quickly and &t small cost, "Tatiana, don’t go. I love you.”
53% OF ALL AMERICAN BUREAUS ,
Her hand on the doorknob, she nodded,
Idcntiflcalion emplcQ! students or gradnates of
J. A. S. You, too, can fit yourself for a respon* but she might have been looking at a
slble crime detection job with good pay and atrady
—
empl 03Tnent. But doji't delay get tiie details now.
liCt mo sboLT you how easy and completely I can r B
c e t
K t e « I
stranger. "Yes, you do. You always will.”
prepare you for Uiia fascinating work, during spare
ttoe. in your own home. You may pay as you learn,
Send for Thr illing
“BLUE BOOK Her eyes went to Tim, secure in his triumph,
Write today . . . Now ... Be sure to state age. OF CBIMI5." though she continued to tallc to me. "And
INSTITUTE OP APPLIED SCIENCE I think some day, Kerry, you will grow to
1920 Stmnyside Ave., Dept. 1569 Chlca 90 40, III.
hate Tim for coming between us I really —
RUPTURED
CDPP Pain "
SEE THIS NEW PATENT INVENTION
think you will.”
Then she was gone, closing the door be-
ri%b& TOU'Ll. BE AMAZED AT RESULTS hind her, leaving me staring at Tim at —
Discover ho\vyout^c«navoidthe CONSTANT of DANGER
a trnR.s that doesn't hold and makes life miserable. Send for nothing. And for once Tim evaded my eyes.
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|
W AS it that very night?
How can I remember? But there came
a night, and the sound of quiet breathing
Or nights later?
I
^^ddross
•
from Tim’s bed.
I
My feet slid from under the covets,
groped in the dark for my cordovan slip-
wItTMY’eMp'sy?
A
pers, sought their chill depths. I took the
booklet containing the opinions of famous doc- camel’s hair robe from the foot of my bed,
tors on this interesting subject will be sent FREE, and shuffled down
the long
quietly, silently,
while they last, to any reader writing to the Edu-
gallery to the living room. I lit no lamp,
cational Division, 535 Fifth Ave., Dept. NF-12, but fumbled in the leather box on the coffee
New York. N. Y.
table for a cigarette, held a match briefly to
¥0U— invent'
Ouf FREE CCOK tells you what today’s Inventive
market v-ants t.ow to put down, patent and tell your
flect the glowing pinpoint of my cigarette.
I stared into darkness, my thoughts tor-
ideas. Sevres of letters in our files attest to the mod-
—
•rn demand for inventions our long experience as
tured, chaotic. How many nights like this
Ecoistered Patent Attorneys will help you. Get our
FREE {jcok, “How to Protect, Finance and Sell Your had I known since Tatiana’s going? Or
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tion. Write today. No obligation.
McMORRQV/ & BERMAN, Patent Attorneys miserable unhappiness was a pain I’d en-
liOi’ Al'»ee Buildlne, Washiniton, D. C.
dured for eternities.
I shivered and wrapped the robe closer
BE A MAGICIAN! about me. It was cold. And I was alone.
ENTERTAIN FOR FUN OR PROFIT!
Rush 2!)C* for of “102 Magio Tricks.” I needn’t have been. There might have been
This amuzing bock telis how to do easy tricks
with coins. Ciiid-s fifarcltea, watches, mind- slanted green eyes glowing lambently into
reading, etc. —
FitEE with your order, our
catalog «r low-priLtd prcrfcssional magical mine. There might have been hot, moist
apparatus.
D. BOBBINS & CO. lips beneath my own. There might have
152 West 42nd SL-aet. New York 17, N. Y.
been a body, warm, vibrant, alive
STUDY AT HOME for Personal I stiffened.
Success and T.argor Earnings. 35
years expert instruction over — It was Tim’s fault! A whisper, sly, in
KiSJKK) students enrolled. LL.B. my mind. The cigarette was held now, for-
Degree awarded. All text material
furnished. Easy payment plan. gotten, in my fingers.
Send for FREE BOOK-^“Law and Yes, it was all Tim’s fault. My mouth
NOW!
Executive Guidance,”
AMERICAN EXTENSION SCHOOL CP LAW
twitched. I —
I didn’t like Tim. I’d never
4e-N, 64S N. iliehiyan Ave., Chicago M. iU. liked him, really. I hated Tim!
— I
TATIANA 91
—
Then carefully oh, so carefully! I ex- — clean aud help eliminate bad
breath and foreign substances that
collect and cause discomfort.
tinguished it in the black marble ashtray,
and stood up. I must be quiet— so very,
Cautiously I groped my way to
very quiet.
TIGHTENS
the gallery. The stars were not more sound-
less than I. The wall under my hand, guid-
FALSE
HBIIE'S
TEETH or NO COST!
now amazing rmiutli rnmfert wifhoutriskinK n single ct»t. ..
enjoy that feeling of baring your own toeth again. Satisfy yciir de.-?ire
ing my footsteps. The bedroom door. for food eat wliat you want. CKOtVN lUMNIOJl TIOUTENS
. . .
sleeper. and put your toeth back in. They'U fit sls>
smigly a§ over. Inventor a rccoRnizcd
autlioi'ity iu dental field. A patent has been
Sh! applieri for CROWN REI.INER to protect
Perhaps he could hear you —even above you from Imitators. After you
plate with CROWN, ta'ae your
out for cleaning without
rolltio your
false teeth
affecting the
the beating, beating, beating of tliat dynamo, CROWN RELINEU. CROWN HBLlNEa is
guaraiiteoil . . . it’a harmless. It's ta.'^te-
surging, hurting your ears unbearably, fill- less. Has that nataral piiik color. NOT"
A POW*
ing the place with intolerable sound. HER OB 1
PASTE!
Sh! DOriSNOT
JJURN OB
,
I
SENDNOMOHEY
Watch them now. Your hands. Extend- I R R I-
TATE.
not sotiS'
If . for
ing, hovering. Pale vultures in the gloom. ^ ^ fiedcren
No.3 after 4
The pulsations of the dynamo stopped. SQVESE
nioniijs 1
I
Address
I
f
92 WEIRD TALES
prescription, from your druggist; take exactly as di- rinth” some time ago when I was reading Robett
rected and see for yourself how quickly it usually
helps loosen and remove thick strangling mucus, thus St. John’s account of his escape from Crete at
promoting freer breathing and refreshing sleep. You the time the Germans conquered it in early 1941.
be the judge. Unless delighted and entirely satisfied
with results, simply return the empty package and St. John tells how, when the Nazis were
your money back is guaranteed. Don’t suffer another
night without trving guaranteed Mendoco—only Me. sweeping down over the Balkans and momen-
400 trUytDB Sis., St. Lcais, lilo. aware that things were tumbling down around
SONGWRITERS
Place vour song ^nth us. Melodics supplied WITHOUT
his ears. For I've always felt that with one
exception, the Carthaginian, there never
strange and fascinating a civilization as that of
was so
'
!
THE EYRIE 93
oire of wonder and horror, of lights and shad- and eight prizes of a $2$ War Send eocli.
ows, that made me want to write this story Send your entry to Contest
Editor at the address
about Crete. Edmond Hamilton. shovm below.
I READERS* VOTE •
kuthorfi, new bo<^, popular editions, fiction, refer-
ence. medical, mechauit-ai, children's bodis,
I PRIESTESS OF THE 8HfP-iN-A-B0TTLE
etc. m LABYRINTH THE INVERNESS CAPE
at guaranteed savings, ^ad card xlow ter
Clarlison'9 1044 Catalog. = REVOLT OF THE THORNE ON THE
PDpP Write for our great Uluatratedbot^ catalog.
short course In literature. The buying
= TREES THRESHOLD
THE POEMS
guide of 300.000 book lovers. TSie answer lo your Christ- m THE GREEN 60DS
NOW—
mas gift problem. FREE if you write TODAYI I RING TATIANA
^^CLARKSON PUBLISHING COMPANY £ Here’s a eight
list a! stwies
In this tsaue. Won't you =
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= place the numbers: 1, 2. and 3. respec*^lvely, against your P
S three favorite tales —
then clip It out and mail it p
WEIRD BOOKS RENTED S
I
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»
?
Books by Lovecraft, Merritt, Quinn, etc., renled by mail. 3c a day
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|
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THE EYRIE 95
Weity and Katherine Ann Porter, and panoply FOR POST WAR SUCCESS-
my inotlier’s Swedish meatball sandwiches with
large slices of onion. Otherwise my life is calm
except when H.ink Kuttner writes to kick hell
RE PARE
Post war adjustment and job competition
NOW will offee
I
i-VX
ANLY WADE WELLMAN
little note pertaining to John Thunstone’s
sent us this U ASALLE EXTENSION UNIVERSITV
Correspondence Insiiiation
417 S. Deorborn S<.. Dept. 1275-R, Chicago 5, l!l.
latest adventure, “Thorne on the Threshold.”
Writes Wellman: Misery of
Very briefly,
invocations in this story are
let
Where
me say that the
up
demoniac
to a certain Piles Fought
point
orthodox,
accurate.
have changed them deliberately;
I
io*
county aforesaid, personally appeared William J. Delaney,
who, having been duly sworn according to law, deposes
and says that he is the President-Treasurer of SHORT
STORIES, INC.. Publishers of 'WEIRD TALES, and that
the following is. to the best of his knowledge and belief, a
true statement of the ownership, management, etc., of the
aforesaid publication for the date shown in the above cap- Savt money by orderlni
tion, required by the Act of August 24, 1912. as amended glassesyour In own homo.
by the Act of March 3, 1933, em'bodied in section 537, M Many handsame new
<V Low
stylet.
Postal Laws and Regulations, printed on the reverse of Prices.
this form, to wit
That the names and addresses of the publisher, editor,
HtXSEN D NO MONEY
1. I write
Just FREE CATALOG
for
managing editor, and business managers are: Publisher. Take advantage ol BIG money savioge.
SHORT STORIES. INC.. 9 Rockefeller Plaza, Now York We repair broken glasssa. Fill prescrip-
20. N. Y. ; Editor, D. Mcllwraith, 9 Rockefeller Plaza, New tions.
York 20, N. Y. Manaoinp Editor, None ; Bueitiess Mari'-
:
RN STYLE SPECTACLES. INC.
Dept. 901, Cbicago 90.
aper, William J. Delaney, 9 Rockefeller Plaza, New York Jankson Bivd.. III.
20. N. Y.
2. That the owner us; SHORT STORIES, INC., 9
Rockefeller Plaza. New York 20, N. Y. : William J. Delaney,
9 Rockefeller Piaza, New York 20. N. Y.
3. That the known bundholdors, mortgagees, and other Banish the craving for tobacco aa
thousands bare. Make yourself free
security holders owning or holding 1 per cent or more^ of and happy with Tobacco Redeemer.
total amount of bonds, mortgages, or other securities, Write for free booklet telling of *
are: None. jarious effect of tobacco and of a
4. That the two paragraphs next above giving the names treatment which bas re-
of the owners, stockholders, and secmdty holders, if any. lieved many men.
contain not only the list of stockholders and security 30 Tears fn Business
holders as they appear upon the books of the company but THE NEWEU COMPANY
also, in cases where the stockholder or security holder 600 Clayton Sta., SL Louis, Mo,
appears upon the books of the company as trustee or in
any other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or
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also that the said two paragraphs contain statements em-
bracing affiant’s full knowledge and belief as to the circum-
stances and conditions under which stocitholders and
security holders who do not appear upon the books of the
company as trustees, hold stock and securities in a capacity
other than that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant ha.s Train NOW fer imme-
uo reason to believe that any other person, association, or diata future and POST-WAR
M ^. ,
opportunity for jukkI oamiuixs awaits rell-
corporation has any interest dii'eet or indirect in the said I
I
t-.x.
ame. mmtioiis. ni-jc-hanically-mindctl raeo who prepare and NOW
stock, bonds, or other securities than as so stated by him. I
pel lorn uf!ri5:orali'iu anj Air Con'litionin^. Train iu your
spar*
(Signed) W. J. Delaney, President. l»alanc«i Plan of practic.'il training offers you bom*-
a
stuy Tufflo;\cd by actual
Sworn to and stAscribod before me this 22nd day of I practice with real equipment. Since
S l-'Lf L.E.i. iiaa been training tliou.sands of men lo get Ix'Uw pay
September, 1944. f in thia growing field. Get tlie "Know How" that leads to
[seal] (Signed) Hy. J. Paukowski. • opportunltif'. Write fur FilKE eninplote .Uiatls TODAY.
NotaiT Public. Bronx Co. No., 13, Reg. No. 51-P5. Cert, } UTILITIES ENGINEERING INSTITUTE
filed in N. Y. Co.. No. 227. Reg. No 180-P5. ^ Dept. E-l 1314 W. Belden Avenue Chicage 14. lU.
NEWAEK, N. J.—The 58-year-oId The entire cost is only $12 a year, and
North American Accident Insurance that applies to men and women between
Company of Chicago, announces a new the ages of 15 and 64 inclusive. Between
plan that pays $25 a week for 10 weeks the ages of 65 and 75 the cost is only $18
for both stated accidents and sicknesses. a year. No reduction in benefits regard-
Plus an additional $25 a week for 4 less of age. No medical examination is
weeks for accidents I'equiring hospital required.
confinement. Yet the total cost is only Men and women who join the armed
$12 a year. The purpose of this new forces will receive the full benefits of
Premier Limited Double Duty Policy is this protection while in the United
to bring sickness and accident protec- States.
tion within the reacli of men and women
North American Accident Insurance
who do not have large savings with Company of Chicago is one of America’s
which to meet sudden doctor or hospital great insurance companies, the largest
bills, or lost income.
and oldest exclusive health and accident
This new plan also has a double-in- insurance company in this countrj". It
demnity feature covering travel acci- has paid out over $35,000,000 to grateful
dents. You receive $50 a w'eek if dis- policyholders when they needed help
abled by an accident in a bus, taxicab, most. North American is under the su-
street car, train, etc., and $75 a week if pervision of the Insurance Departments
the accident requires hospital confine- of 47 States and District of Columbia.
ment. There is another new special fea- Men and women who would like full
ture that pays up to $25 cash for doctor details about this new plan are urged to
bills, even for a minor accident such as a write a letter or postcard for a revealing
cut finger. In case of death by a common booklet called “Cash or Sympathy.” This
accident, the policy pays one thousand booklet is absolutely free. It will come
dollars cash to your family. Two thou- by ordinaiy mail, without charge or
sand dollars if caused by a travel acci- obligation of any kind. No one will crdl
dent. to deliver it. We suggest you get a free
In addition, it covers many common copy by sending your name and address
sicknesses such as pneumonia, cancer, with i>ostal zone number to Premier
appendicitis, etc., pa 5nng the weeldy Policy Division, North American Acci-
benefits whether confined to home or dent Insurance Co., 830 Broad Street,
hospital. Dept. 1946, Newark 2, New Jersey.
MEN I Build!
title. “The World’s
Most Perfectly De-
veloped Man.“
.
J. Q. O’BRIEN
Atlas Champion
Cup Winner
This is an ordi»
nary snapshot of
one of Charles
Atlas’ Califor-
nian pupils.
What’s My Secret?
r CHARLES ATLAS, Dept. 9M.
“Dynamic Tension!’’ Thsit’s the ticket! The identical natural
method that I myself developed to change my body from the scrawny, 1 115 East 23rd Street, New York 10, N. Y.
skinny-chested weakling I was at 17 to my present super-man I want the proof that your system of “Dynamic Tension” will
physique! Thousands of other fellows are becoming marvelous physical
I
I
help make a New Man of me — give me a liealthy, husky body
specimens my tray. I give you no padiirtx or contraptions to fool ;
and big muscular development. Send me your free book.
trith. When you have learnc<i to develop your strength tlirongh I “Everlasting Health atKi Strength."
“Dynamic Tension" you can laugh at artificial muscle-makers. You
simply utilize the DORMANT muscle-power in your own God-given
body
.solid
—LIVE
watch it increase and multiply double-quick Into real,
Mt'SCLE.
I Name
(Please print or write plainly.)
j
No
My
theory — — “Dynamic
method
every exercise
Tension”
is
— And,
practical.
will turn the trick for you.
man, so easy! Spend
I
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City
Check here If under 16 for
State
Booklet A.
!
I
10 DAY TRIAL OFFER!
* Chicago, Illinois I
I
Send at once (1) “Swiss” Weather House. On arrival T will pay J
Here’s What Weather House Owners Say: I postman $1.69 plus postage with the understanding that the Weath-
I er House is guaranteed to work arcuiately. Also T can return the
‘My neighbors now phone me to find out what • Weather House for any reason within 10 days and get my money •
the weather Is going to be. We
certainly think back.
Mrs. I. S. I I
the Weather House is marvelous.” (HI enclose $1.69. You Pay Postage.
Amsterdam, Ohio. I Send C. O. D. |
“Please rush 6 more Weather Houses. I want to
give them away as gifts. They are wonderfuL’
Mrs. 1. F.. Booth Bay. Maine. Name
‘T saw your Weather House at a friend’s home
and the way they raved about it. I decided to Address
order one for myself.” Mrs. L. R-. Chicago. Illi-
nois.
**Ever since I got my Weather House I’ve been State.
City
able to plan ray affairs a day ahead. It’s wonder-
ful.*’ Mrs. D. L. B.. Shenandoah, Iowa.