By NICTZIN DYALHIS

Seabory Quinn Robert Bloch

 KNOWLEDGE
THAT HAS
ENDURED WITH THE
PYRAMIDS

r A SECRET METHOD FOR

THE MASTERY OF LIFE

W
did its

started
HENCE

first

man on
came the knowledge that built the Pyramids
and the mighty Temples of the Pharaohs? Civiliza-
tion began in the Nile Valley centuries ago. Where
builders acquire their astounding wisdom that
his upward climb? Beginning with naught
they overcame nature’s forces and gave the world its first
sciences 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
AMENHOTEP IV
that produced such characters as Amenhotep IV, Leonardo da
POUNDER OF EGYPT'S
Vinci, Isaac Newton, and a host of others? MYSTERY SCHOOLS
Today it is known and learned to inter-
that they discovered
pret certain Secret Methods for the development of their inner
power of mind. They learned to command the inner forces
within their own beings, and to master life. This secret art of
living has been preserved and handed down throughout the
ages. Today it is extended to those who dare to use its pro-
found principles to meet and solve the problems of life in
these complex times.

This Sealed Book —FREE

Has life brought you that personal satisfaction, the sense of achieve-
ment and happiness that you desire? If not, it is your duty to your-
self to learn about this rational method of applying natural laws for Use this
the mastery of life. To the thoughtful person it is obvious that every- coupon for
one cannot be entrusted with an intimate knowledge of the mysteries of
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one of those possessed of a true desire to forge ahead and wish to make copy of hook
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gation. This Sealed Book tells how you, in the privacy of your own SCRIBE: R. I.. F.
home, without interference with your personal affairs or manner of liv- The Rosicrucians (amorc: i

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ing, may receive these secret teachings. Not weird or strange practices,
Please send free copy of Scaled Book,
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NAME .. ..

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 mm

And ere the tomb-thrown echoings have ceased,

The blue-eyed vampire, sated at her feast,
Smiles bloodily against the leprous moon.
—Sterling: A Wine of Wizardry.

w. Tv— <541
 ” 1

A MAGAZINE OF THE BIZARRE AND UNUSUAL

Volume 30 CONTENTS FOR DECEMBER, 1937 Number 6

Cover Design Virgil Finlay
Illustrating "The Sea-Witch”
The Vampire Virgil Finlay 64
Picture illustrating a passage from " A Wine of Wizardry
The Sea-Witch Nictzin Dyalhis 643
A saga of Heldra the lovely, Heldra the wicked, who came from the sea to compass a weird
revenge
Fane of the Black Pharaoh Robert Bloch 665
Terrible was the destiny revealed on the walls of the red-litten corridors

The Black Stone Statue Mary Elizabeth Counselman 677

The story of a weird deception practised by an obscure sculptor

The Old House on die Hill Winona Montgomery Gilliland 685

Verse
Flames of Vengeance Seabury Quinn 686
A dread horror spawned in India menaced young Pemberton with a strange doom
Child of Atlantis Edmond Hamilton 708
What brooding shape of horror dwelt in the black castle that topped the sinister island?
The Voyage of the Neutralia (part 2) B. Wallis 726
An epic of weird adventures and a strange voyage to other planets

Uneasy Lie the Drowned Donald Wandrei 740

A stark, hideous horror crept over the side of Morse’s canoe

The Keen Eyes and Ears of Kara Kedi Claude Farrere 744
An odd little story about a cat that was telepathic —by a member of the French Academy
Fragment Robert E. Howard 748
Posthumous verse, by a late great master of weird literature
Polaris H. P. Lovecraft 749
The star-watcher could not tell which was dream and which was —a
reality brief weird fantasy
Weird Story Reprint:
Laocoon Bassett Morgan 751
A story from an old number of WEIRD TALES, reprinted by request

The Eyrie 760

A department in which the readers discuss weird tales

Published monthly by the Popular Fiction Publishing Company, 2457 Fast Washington Street, Indianapolis, Ind. Entered
as second-class matter March 20, 1923, at the post oliice at Indianapolis, Ind., under the act of March 3, 1879. Single copies,
25 cents. Subscription rates: One year in the United States and possessions, Cuba, Mexico, South America, Spain, $2.50;
Canada, $2.75; elsewhere, $3.00. English ollue: Otis A. Kline, c/o John Paradise, 86 Strand, W. C. 2, London. The pub-
lishers are not responsible for the loss of unsolicited manuscripts, although every care will be taken of such material while in
their possession. The contents of this magazine are fully protected by copyright and must not be reproduced either wholly or in
part without permission from the publishers.
NOTE —All manuscripts and communications should be addressed to the publishers’ Chicago office at 840 North Michigan
Avenue, Chicago, 111. FARNSWORTH WRIGHT, Editor.
Copyright 1937, by the Popular Fiction Publishing Company.
COPYRIGHTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

WEIRD TALES ISSUED 1st OF EACH MONTH

642
 ^e/>Lwitch
By NICTZIN DYALHIS
Out of the sea she came, this gloriously beautiful woman, to compass a weird
revenge that had been too long delayed a saga of Heldra the—
lovely, Heldra the wicked, written by the author
of"When the Green Star Waned”

H
most
ELDRA HELSTROM
life in

own.
utterly
a
And
manner
entered
peculiarly her
while she was the
damnable woman in all the
my she

A
mering
was the
superbly lovely
sweetest
woman who
and

three-day northeast gale was

at the coast. It was
the most
ever lived.
ham-
late in the
-world, at the same time, in my opinion, fall of the year, and cold as only our
643
644 WEIRD TALES
North Atlantic coast can very well be, Never a shred of clothing masked her
but in the very midst of the tempest I matchless body, yet her flesh glowed
became afflicted with a mild form of rosy-white, when by all natural laws it
claustrophobia. So I donned sea-boots, oil- should have been blue-white from the icy
skins and sou’wester hat, and sallied chill of wintry seas.
forth for a walk along the shore. "Well!” I exclaimed. "Where did you
My little cottage stood at the top of a come from? Are you real — or am I seeing
high cliff. There was a broad, safe path that which is not?”
running down to the beach, and down it "I am real,” replied a clear, silvery
I hurried. The short winter day was even voice. "And I came from out there.” An

then drawing to a close, and after I’d exquisitely molded arm flung a gesture
trudged a quarter of a mile along the toward the raging ocean. “The ship I
shore, I decided I’d best return to my was on was sinking, so I stripped off my
comfortable The walk had at
fireside. garb, flung myself on Ran’s bosom, and
least given me
good appetite.
a Ran’s horses gave me a most magnificent
There was none of tire usual lingering ride! But well for you that you stood
twilight of a clear winter evening. Dark- still as I bade you, while I walked ashore.

ness fell so abruptly I was glad I’d Ran is an angry god, and seldom well-
brought along a powerful flashlight. I’d disposed toward mortals.”
almost reached the foot of my path up "Kan?” The sea-god of the old Norse
the cliff when I halted, incredulous, yet vikings! What strange woman was this,
desiring to make sure. who talked of "Ran” and his "horses,”
I turned the ray of the flashlight on the white-maned waves of old ocean?
the great comber just curling to break on But then I bethought me of her naked
the shore, and held the light steady, my state in that unholy tempest.
breath gasping in my throat. Such a thing "Surely you must be Ran’s daughter,”
as I thought I’d seen couldn’t be—yet I said. "That reef is ten miles off land!
it was! —
Come I have a house near by, and com-
I started to run to the rescue, and forts —
you cannot stand here.”
could notmove a foot. A power stronger "Lead, and I will follow,” she replied
than my own will held me immovable. I simply.
could only watch, spellbound. And even
as I stared, that gigantic comber gently he went up that path with greater
subsided, depositing its precious living S ease than I, and walked companion-
burden on the sands as softly as any ably beside me from path -top to house,
nurse laying a babe into a cradle. although she made no talk. Oddly, I

Waist-deep in a smother of foam she felt that she was reading me, and that
stood for a brief second, then calmly what she read gave her comfort.
waded ashore and walked with free When I opened the door, it seemed
swinging stride straight up the beam of as if she held back for a merest moment.
my flashlight to where I stood. "Enter,” I bade her, a bit testily. "I
Regardless of the hellish din and tur- should think you’d had enough of this
moil of the tempest, I thrilled, old as I weather by now!”
am, at the superb loveliness of this most She bowed her head with a natural
amazing specimen of flotsam ever a rag- stateliness which convinced me that she
ing sea cast ashore within memory of was no common person, and murmured
man. something too low for me to catch, but
 THE SEA- WITCH 645

the accents had a distinct Scandinavian I’d brought from the orient many years
trend. before. A couple of swift motions and
"What did you say?’’ I queried, for I the gorgeous tiring became a wondrous
supposed she’d spoken to me. robe adorning her lovely figure, clinging,
"I invoked the favor of the old gods and in some subtle manner hinting at the

on the hospitable of heart, and on the flawless splendor of her incomparable

sheltering rooftree,” she replied. Then body. A long narrow scarf of black silk

she crossedmy threshold, but she reached whereon twisted a silver dragon w as r

out her arm and rested her shapely white whipped from its place on a shelf and
hand lightly yet firmly on my left fore- transposed into a sash from her swelling
arm as she stepped within. breasts to her sloping hips, bringing out
She went direct to the big stove, which more fully every exquisite curve of her
was glowing dull-red, and stood there, slender waist and torso —and she smiled
smiling slightly, calm, serene, wholly again.
ignoring her nakedness, obviously enjoy- "Now,” she laughed softly, "am I

ing the warmth, and not by a single still a picture for your eyes? I hope so,
shiver betraying that she had any chill for you have befriended me this night
as result of exposure. I who sorely need a friend; and it is such
"I think you need this,” I said, proffer- a little thing I can do —
making myself
ing a glass of brandy. "There’s time pleasing in your sight.
enough for exchanging names and giving "And because you have holpen me”
explanations, later,” I added. "But right I stared at the archaic form she used
now, I’ll try and find something for you "and and befriend
will continue to aid
to put on. I have no women’s things in (for so my spirit tells me), I will love
the house, as I live alone, but will do the you always, love you as Ragnar Wave-
best I can.” Flame loved Jarl Wulf Red-Brand . . *
I passed into my bedroom, laid out a as a younger sister, or a dutiful niece.”
suit of pajamas and a heavily quilted "Yet of her it is told,” I interrupted,
bathrobe, and returned to the living-room deliberately speaking Swedish and watch-
where she stood. ing keenly to see the effect, "that the love
"You are a most disconcertingly beau- given by the foam-born Sea-Witch
tifulyoung woman,” I stated bluntly; brought old Earl Wulf of the Red-Sword
"which you know quite w'ell without but little luck, and that not of a sort
being told. But doubtless you will feel desired by most men!”
more at ease if you go in there and don "That is ill said,” she retorted. "His
some things I’ve laid out for you. When fate was from the Norns, as is the fate
you come out. I’ll get some supper of all. Not hers the fault of his doom,
ready.” and when his carles within the hour cap-
She was back instantly, still unclad. I tured his three slayers, she took red
stared, wonderingly. vengeance. With her own foam-white
"Those things did not fit,” she hands she flayed them alive, and covered
shrugged."And that heavy robe —
in this their twitching bodies with salt ere she
warm house?” placed the old Jarl in his long-ship and
"But ” I began. set it afire. And she sailed with that old
"But this,” she smiled, catching up man on his last seafaring, steering his
a crimson silk spread embroidered in blazing dragon-ship out of the stead,
gold, which covered a sandalwood table singing of his great deeds in life, that
646 WEIRD TALES
the heroes in Valhalla might know who of the Norns ere the world began. We
honored them by his coming.” —
have met before we meet again, here
She paused, her superb bosom heaving —
and now we shall meet yet again; but
tumultuously. Then with a visible effort how, and when, and where, I may not
»>
she calmed herself. say.

"But you speak my tongue, and know "Of

a truth, you are 'fey’,” I muttered.
the old tales of the Skalds. Are you, —
"At times I am,” she assented. Then
then, a Swede?” her wondrous sapphire eyes gleamed
"I speak the tongue, and the old tales softly into my own hard gray eyes, her
of the Skalds, the ancient minstrels, I smile was tender, wistful, womanly, and
learned from my grandmother, who was my doubts were dissipated like wisps of
of your race.” smoke. Yet I shook an admonitory fore-
"Of my race?” her tone held a curious finger at her:
inflection. "Ah, yes! All women are of "Witch at least I know you to be,” I

one race . . .
perhaps.” said in mock harshness. "Casting glamyr
"But I spoke of supper,” I said, mov- on an old man.”
ing toward the kitchen. "No need for witchery,” she laughed.
—
"But no!” She barred my progress "All women possess that power!”
with one of her lovely hands laid flat
against my chest. "It is not meet and
fitting, Jarl Wulf, that you should cook

for me, like any common house-carle!

D
of who
uring the "repast” she spread be-
fore me, I told her that regardless
might have been in a dim and
I

Rather, let your niece, Heldra, prepare remote past of which I had no memory,
for you a repast.” in this present life I was plain John
" Craig, retired professor of anthropology,
'Heldra’? That, then, is your name?”
"Heldra Hclstrom, and your loving ethnology and archeology, and living on
niece,” she nodded. a very modest income. I explained that
"But why call me Jarl Wulf?” I de- while I personally admired her, and she

manded, curious to understand. She had was welcome to remain in my home for
bestowed the name seriously, rather than ever, yet in the village near by were curi-

in playful banter. ous minds, and gossiping tongues, and

"Jarl Wulf you were, in a former evil thoughts a-plenty, and if I were to

life,”she asserted flatly. "I knew you on tell the truth of her arrival
the shore, even before Ran’s horse stood "But I have nowhere to go, and none
me on my feet!” save you to befriend me; all I loved or
"Surely, then, you must be Ragnar owned is out there.” Again she indicated
Wave-Flame bom again,” I countered. the general direction of the reef. "And
"How may that be?” she retorted. you say that I may remain here, indefi-
"Ragnar Wave-Flame never died; and nitely? I will be known as your niece,
surely I do not look that old! The sea- Heldra, no? Surely, considering the dif-
born witch returned to the sea-caves ferences in our age and appearance, there
whence she came, when the dragon-ship can be no slander.”
burned out. But ask me not of my-
. . . Her eyes said a thousand things no
self, now. words could convey. There was eager-
"Yet one thing more I will say: The ness, sadness, and a strange tender-
warp and woof of this strange pattern ness. ... I came to an abrupt decision.
wherein we both are depicted was woven After all, whose business was it? . . .
 THE SEA-WITCH 647

"I am alone in the world, as you are,” rang softly, solemnly, like a muted
I said gravely. "As my niece, Heldra, trumpet:
you shall remain. If you will write out a "Thus, naked and with empty hands,
list of a woman’s total requirements in out of the wintry seas in a twilight gray
wearing-apparel, I soon
will send away as and on a night of storm I came.
cold,
as possible and have them shipped here And you lighted a beacon for my tired
in haste. I am old, as all can see, and I eyes, that I might see my way ashore.
do not think any sensible persons will You led me up the cliff and to your hos-
suspect aught untoward in your making pitable hearth, and in your kindly heart
your home with me. And I will think up you had already given the homeless a
a plausible story which will satisfy the home.
minds of fools without telling, in reality, "And now, kneeling naked before you,
anything.” as I came, I place my hands between your
Our repast ended, we arose from the — —
hands thus and all that I am, and such
table and returned to the living-room. I service as I can render, are yours, hand-
filled and lighted a nargilyeh, a three- fasted.”
stemmed water-pipe, and settled myself I stared, well-nigh incredulous. In ef-
in my armchair. She helped herself to a fect, in the old Norse manner, she was
cigarette from a box on the table, then declaring herself to all intents and pur-

stretched her long, slender body at full poses my slave! But her silvery voice
length on my divan, in full relaxation of went on:
comfort. "And now, I rise and cover myself
I told her enough of myself and my again with tire mantle of your bounty,
forebears to insure her being able to carry that you may know me, indeed your niece,
out the fiction of being my niece. And in as Jarl Wulf knew Ragnar Wave-Flame!”
return I learned mighty little about her. "Truly,” I gasped in amazement when
But what she did tell me was sufficient. I could catch my breath, "you are a
I never was unduly curious about other strange mixture of the ancient days and
people’s business. thismodern period. I have known you
Unexpectedly, and most impolitely, I but for a few hours, yet I feel toward
yawned. Yet itwas natural enough, and you as that old Jarl must have felt toward
it struck me that sheneeded a rest, if any- that other sea-witch, unless indeed you
one ever did. But before I could speak, and she are one!”
she forestalled me. “Almost,” she replied a trifle somber-
With a single graceful movement she ly. "At least, she was my ancestress!”
rose from her reclining posture and came Then she added swiftly: "Do not mis-
and stood before me within easy arm’s- understand. Leman to the old Jarl she
reach. Two and her su-
swift motions, never was. But he went to
later, after
perb body flashed rosy-white, as nude as Valhalla, in the sea-girt isle where she
when she waded ashore. dwelt she mated with a young viking
The crimson silken spread she’d worn whom Ran had cast ashore sorely wound-
as regally as any robe was laid at my feet ed and insensible. She nursed him back
with a single gesture, the black scarf went to life for sake of his beauty, and he made
across my knees, and the glorious creature love to her.
was kneeling before me in attitude of ab- "But he soon tired of her and her
solute humility. Before I could remon- witch ways; wherefore, in wrath she gave
strate or bid her arise, her silvery voice —
him back to Ran and he was seen no
648 WEIRD TALES
more. Of that mating was born a daugh- wardrobe which I had ordered from the
ter, also given to Ran, who pitied her great city forty miles away contained all
and bore her to an old man and his wife any woman’s heart could wish for. But
whose steading was nigh to the mouth of I admit I enjoyed seeing her in that semi-

a fjord; and they, being childless, called barbaric attire.

her Ranhild, and reared her as their At times she would sit on the arm of
daughter. In course of time, she wed, my chair, often with her smooth cool
and bore three tall sons and a daugh- cheek laid against my rough old face, and
ter. . . . her exquisitely modeled arm curved about
"That was long and long ago yet I — my leathery old neck.
had done
The first time she
had demanded ironi-
have dived into Ragnar’s hidden sea-cave that, I

and talked with Ragnar Wave-Flame face cally:

to face. All one night I lay in her arms, "Witch, are you making love to me?”
and in the dawning she breathed her But her sighing, wistful reply had dis-
breath on my brow, bps, and bosom; and armed me, and likewise had brought a
all that following day she talked and I lump into my throat.
listened, and much I learned of the wis- "Nay! Not that, O Jarl from of old!
dom that an elder world termed witch- —
But I never knew a father.”
craft.” "Nor I a fair daughter,” I choked.
For a moment she lapsed into silence. And thereafter, when that mood was
Then she leaned forward, laid her shape- upon her I indulged in no more ironies,

ly, cool hands on my temples and kissed and we’d sit for hours, neither speaking,
me on my furrowed old forehead, very engrossed in thoughts for which there are
solemnly, yet with ineffable gentleness. no words. But on the night whereof I

"And now,” she murmured, "ask me write, she pressed her scarlet lips to my
never again aught concerning myself, I cheek, and I asked jestingly:
pray you; for I have told all I may, and "Is there something you want, Hel-
further questioning will drive me back dra?”
to the sea. And I would not have that "There is,” she replied gravely. "Will
happen yet!” — —
you get a boat one with oars and a sail,
Without another word she turned, but no engine? Ran hates those.”
flung herself at full length again on the "But surely you do not want it now,
divan, and, like any tired child, went in- tonight, do you?”
stantly to sleep. Decidedly, I thought, "Yes, if you will be so kind to me.”
this "niece” of mine was not as are other "You must have a very good reason, or
women; and later I found that she pos- you’d not ask,” I said. "I’ll go and get a
sessed certain abilities it is well for the centerboard dory and bring it to the beach
world that few indeed can wield. at the foot of the cliff path. It’s clear
weather, and the sea is calm, with but a

he gave me another proof of that be- moderate breeze blowing; yet it is colder
S lief, by demonstrating her unholy on the water than you imagine, so you’d
powers, on the night of the next full best bundle up warmly.”
moon after her arrival. "You will hasten,” she implored anx-
was her custom of an evening to ar-
It iously.
ray herself as she had done on her first "Surely,” I nodded.
night —
in crimson robe and black sash I went out and down to the wharves in
and naught else, despite the fact that her the village, where I kept the boat I said
 THE SEA-WITCH 649

I’d get. But when I beached the dory at "Now, take to the oars,” she directed,
foot of the path I stared, swearing softly "and hold the boat just hereabouts for a

under my breath. Not one stitch of ap- while,” and even as I slid tire oars into
parel did that witch have on, save the the oarlocks she made that swift move-
crimson silk robe and black sash she’d ment of hers and stood nude, the loveliest
worn when I left the cottage! sight that grim, ship-shattering, life-de-
"Do you want to freeze?” I was pro- stroying reef had ever beheld.
voked, I admit. "The very sight of you Suddenly she flung up both shapely
dressed like that gives me the shivers!” white arms with a shrill, piercing cry,
"Neither you nor I will be cold this thrice repeated. Then without a word
night,” she laughed. "Isn’t it glorious? she went overside in a long clean dive,
And this a good boat you brought.
is with never a splash to show where she’d
Please, let me sail it, and ask me no ques- hit the water.

tions.” "Hold tjie boat about here for a

She took the hauled in on the
tiller, while,” she’d bidden me! All I’d ever
sheet; the sail filled, and she began sing- loved in this world was somewhere down
ing, with a queer, wild strain running below, in the hellish cross-currents of that
through her song. That dory fairly flew icy water! I’d hold that boat there, if

—and swear there was not enough wind

I need were, in the teeth of a worse tempest

to drive us at such speed. than raged the night she came to me.
Finally I saw something I didn’t ad- She’d find me waiting. And if she never
mire. No one does, who dwells on that came up, I’d hold that boat there till its

part of the coast. planks rotted and I joined her in the

"Are you crazy, girl?” I demanded frigid depths.
sharply. "That reef is dead ahead! Can’t It seemed an eternity, and I know that
you see the breakers?” itwas an hour ere a glimmer of white
"Why, so it is—the reef! And am I appeared beneath the surface. Then her
to be affrighted by a few puny breakers? shapely arm emerged and her hand
Nay, it is in the heart of those breakers grasped the gunwale, her regal head
that I wish to be! But you —have you broke water, she blew like a porpoise;
fear, O Jarl Wulf?” then she laughed in clear ringing tri-
I suspected from her tone that the umph.
witch was laughing at me; so I subsided, "You old dearling!" she cried in her
but fervently wished that I’d not been so archaic Norse. "Did I seem long gone?
indulgent of her whim for a moonlight The boat has not moved a foot from
sail on a cold winter’s night. where I Come, bear a hand and
dove.
Then we hit those breakers — or rather, lift my burden; it is heavy, and I am near
we didn’t! For they seemed to part as spent. There are handles by which to
the racing dory sped into them, making a grasp it.”

smooth clear lane of silvery glinting wa- The burden proved to be a greenish
terover which we glided as easily as if metal coffer — bronze, I —
judged which I
on a calm inland mill-pond! estimated to measure some twenty inches
"Drop the sail and unstep the mast,” long by twelve wide and nine inches
she called suddenly. deep. And how she rose to the surface
I was beyond argument, and obeyed weighted with that, passes my under-
dumbly, like any boat-carle of the olden standing. But how she knew it was down
days. there passes my comprehension, too. But
650 WEIRD TALES
then, Heldra Helstrom herself was an and about her wrists, and an intricately
enigma. wrought golden tiara with disks of en-
She re-wrapped herself in her flimsy graved gold pendent by chains and hang-
silken robe of crimson and smiled hap- ing over her ears, set off her loveliness as
pily, when she should have been shiver- never before. Even her red-gold hair,
ing almost to pieces. braided in two thick ropes, falling over
"If you'll ship the mast and spread the her breasts to below her waist, were
sail again, Uncle John,” she said, surpriz- clasped by gem-set brooches of gold.
ingly matter-of-fact now that her errand "Ragnar Wave-Flame’s gift to me, O
was successfully accomplished, "we’ll go Jarl Wulf,” she breathed softly. "Do you
home. I’d like a glass of brandy and a like your niece thus arrayed?”
smoke, myself; and I read in your mind Norse princess out of an elder day, or
that such is your chief desire, at present.” Norse witch from an even older and
wickeder period of the world whichever —
ack the cottage again, and com- this Heldra Helstrom was, of one thing
B at
Heldra requested
fortable once more,
me to bear the coffer into her room,
I was certain, no lovelier woman ever
lived than this superb being who styled
which I did. For over an hour she re- herself my “niece.”
mained in there, then returned to the And so I told her, and was amply re-

living-room where I sat, and I stared at warded by the radiance of her smile, and
the picture she presented. If she had the ecstatic kiss she implanted on my
always been beautiful, now she was sur- cheek.
passingly glorious. Despite her splendid array, she perched
Instead of the usual crimson robe, her on the arm of my chair, and began toying
lovely body was sheathed in a sleeveless, with my left hand. Presently she lifted
sheer, tightly fitting silken slip, cut at the it to the level of my eyes, laughing soft-

throat in a long sloping V reaching nearly ly. I’d felt nothing, yet she’d slipped a
to her waist. The garment was palest sea- broad tarnished silver ring of antique de-
green, so flimsy in texture that it might sign on my third finger.
as well have been compounded of min- was yours in the ancient days, O
"It
gled moon-mist and cobwebs. Her rosy- Jarl Wulf,” she whispered in her favorite
pearl flesh gleamed through the fabric —
tongue the archaic form of the Norsk
with an alluring shimmer which thrilled language. "Yours again is the ancient
anew my jaded old senses at the artistic ring, now! Ragnar herself carved the
wonder of her. mystic runes upon it. Shall I read them,
A gold collar, gem-studded, unmistak- O Jarl, or will you?”
ably of ancient Egyptian workmanship, "They are beyond my skill,” I con-
was resting on her superb shoulders loot — fessed. "The words are in the 'secret’
of some viking foray into the far South- language that only the 'RJme-Kanaars'
lands, doubtless. A broad girdle of gold understood. Nor was it well for others
plates, squared, and also gem-studded, than witches and warlocks to seek to un-
was about her sloping hips, and was derstand them.”
clasped in front by a broader plate with "Ragnar took that ring from Jarl
a sun-emblem in jeweled sets; from Wulf’s finger ere she set fire to the
which plate or buckle it fell in two broad dragon-ship,” Heldra murmured. "Had
bands nearly to her white slender feet. those runes been on the ring when your
Broad torques of gold on upper arms foes set upon you —
they, not you, would
 THE SEA-WITCH 651

have perished in the sword-play, Jarl smiting on a shield of bronze. There

Red-Sword! was no need to repeat them either on —
"But the sea-born witch knew that you her part or mine. There was no likeli-
would weary of Valhalla in a day to hood of my ever forgetting that runic
come, and would return to this world of charm. I could not, even if Iwould.
strife and slaying, of loss and grief, of "Surely,” I muttered, "you are an
hate and the glutting of vengeance and, — adept in the ancient magic. Well for me
knowing, she carved the runes, that in that you love me, else your witcheries
”
time the charmed ring would return to might
its proper owner. Most amazingly she laughed, a clear,
"It is her express command that I read ringing merriment with no trace of the
them to you, knowing the runes,
for mystic about it.

never shall water drown or fire burn; nor "Let me show you something — a game,
sword or spear or ax ever wound you, a play; one that will amuse me and en-
so be it that in time of danger you speak tertain you.”
the weird words! She fairly danced across the room and
"And for my sake you who are my — into her
tique mirror of
own room, emerging with an an-
some burnished,
'Uncle John’ to all the rest of the world, silver-

but to me are dearer than old Jarl Wulf like metal. This she held out to me. I
was to Ragnar the sea-witch — I implore grasped it by its handle obediently
you to learn the runic charm, and use it enough, humoring this new whim.
if ever danger menaces. Promise me! "Look into it and say if it is a good
Promise me, I say!" mirror,” she bade, her sapphire eyes
Her silvery voice was vibrant with a-dance with elfin mirth.
fierce intensity. She caught my right hand I looked. All I could see was my same
and pressed it against her palpitant body, old face, tanned and wrinkled, which I

just beneath her proudly swelling left dailysaw whenever I shaved or combed my
breast. hair,and I told her so. She perched again
"Promise!" she reiterated. "I beg your on the arm of my chair, laid her cheek
promise! With your right hand on my against mine, and curved her cool arm
heart I adjure you to learn the rune.” about my neck.
"No fool like an old fool,” I grum- "Now look again!”
bled, adding a trifle maliciously, "particu- Again the mirror told truth. I saw my
larly when in the hands of a lovely wo- face the same as ever, and hers as well,
man. But such a fuss you make over a few "Like a rose beside a granite boulder,” as
words of outlandish gibberish! Read me I assured her.
the rune, then, witch-maid! I’d learn "You do but see yourself as you think
words worse than those can be to please of yourself,” she murmured softly, "and
you and set your mind at rest.” me you behold as you believe me to be.”
With her scarlet lips close to my ear,
with bated breath, and in a tone so low I he brought her lips close to the mir-
could barely catch her carefully enunci- S ror and breathed upon its surface with
ated syllables, she whispered the words. her warm breath. It clouded over, then
And although her whisper was softer cleared. Her voice came, more murmur-
than the sighing of gentlest summer ous than before, but with a definite note
breeze, the tones rang on my inner hear- of sadness:
ing like strokes of a great war-hammer "Once more, look! Behold yourself as
652 WEIRD TALES
I see you always; and behold me as I Were those bright glitters in her sap-
know myself to be! And when I am gone phire eyes tear-drops ready to fall? If so,

beyond your ken, remember the witch- I was not sure, for with a cry like that
maid, Heldra, as one woman who loved of a lost soul who has found sanctuary,
you so truly that she showed you herself she buried her face on my shoulder. . . .

as she actually was!” After a long silence, she slipped from

The man’s face was still my
own, but the arm of my chair, and wordlessly, her
mine as it was in the days of early man- face averted, she passed into her room.
hood, ere life’s thunders had graven their After an hour or so, I went to my own
scars on brow and cheeks and lips, and room— but I could not sleep. . . .

before the snows of many winters had

whitened
Her
my
features
hair.

but in her reflected eyes

were no
saw ages and I
less beautiful, T ime passed, and I dwelt in a "fool’s
paradise,” dreaming that it would
last for ever.

ages of life, and bitter experience, and The summer colony began to arrive.
terrible wisdom that was far more wicked There were cottages all along the shore,
than holy; and it came to me with convic- but there were likewise big estates, whose
tion irrefutable that beside this young- owners were rated as "somebodies,” to
appearing girl, maid, or woman, all my put it mildly.
yearswere but as the span of a puling A governor of a great and sovereign
babe compared to the ageless age of an state; an ex-president of our nation; sev-

immortal. eral foreign diplomats and some of their

"That, at least, is no glamyr,” her voice legation attaches —
but why enumerate,
sighed drearily, heavy with the burden of when one man only concerns this narra-
her own knowledge of herself. tive?
I laid my thick, heavy old arm across Michael Commnenus, tall, slight, dap-
her smooth satiny white shoulders, and I per, inclined to swarthiness, with black
turned her head until her sapphire eyes eyes under crescent-curved black eye-
met mine fairly. Very gently I kissed brows; with supercilious smiling lips, a
her on her brow. trifle too red for a man; with suave Old

"Heldra Helstrom,” I said, and my World manners, and a most amazingly

voice sounded husky with emotion, "you conceited opinion of himself as a "Lady-
may be you have just shown me, or
all charmer.”
worse! You may be Ragnar Wave-Flame It was not his first summer in our

herself, the sea-witch who never dies. midst; and although when he was in
You may be even what I sometimes sus- Washington at his legation I never gave
pect, the empress of Hell, come amongst him a thought, when I saw his too hand-
mortals for no good purpose! But be you some face on the beach, I felt a trifle sick!
what you may, old or young, maid or I knew, positively, that the minute he set

woman, good or evil, witch, spirit, angel eyes on Heldra. ... Of course I knew,
or she-devil, such as you are, you are you too, that my witch-niece could take care
and I am I, and for some weird reason of herself; but just the same, I sensed
we seem to love each other in our own annoyance, and perhaps, tragedy.
way; so let there be an end to what Well, I was in nowise mistaken.
you are or have been, or who I was in Heldra and I were just about to shove
other lives, and content ourselves with off in my dory for a sail. It was her chief

what is!” delight, and mine too, for that matter.

 THE SEA-WITCH 653

Casually, along strolled Michael Comm- ries Michael Commnenus dwells again on
nenus, twirling a slender stick, caressing the bosom of
fair Earth! In a body of
a slender black thread he styled a mus- flesh and blood and bone, of nerve and
tache, smiling his approbation of him- tissue and muscle he lives! He lives, I
self. I’d seen that variety of casual ap- say! And 1 have found him!
proach before. As our flippant young "Oh, now I know why the Norns who
modems say: It was "old stuff.” rule all fate sent me to this place. And
Out of the corner of my eye I watched. I shall not fail ye, heroes! Content ye,
The Don Juan smirk faded when his cal- one and all, I shall not fail!"
culating, appraising eyes met her sapphire Was this the gorgeous beauty I’d
orbs, now shining like the never-melting learned to love for her gentleness? Hers
polar ice. An expression of bewilder- was tire face of a furious female demon
ment spread over his features. His for a moment; but then her normal ex-
swarthy skin went a sickly greenish- pression returned and she sighed heavily.
bronze. Involuntarily he crossed himself "Heed me not, Uncle John,” she said
and passed on. The man was afraid, actu- drearily. "I did but recall an ancient tale
ally fear-struck! of foul treachery perpetrated on sundry
"Ever see him before, Heldra?” I que- Norsemen in the Varangian Guard of a
ried. "He looked at you as if the devil Byzantine emperor ages agone.
would be a pleasanter sight. That’s one "The niddering worse than 'coward'—
man who failed to fall for your vivid —who wrought the bane of some thirty-
beauty, you sea-witch!” odd was a Commnenus, nephew
vikings,
"Who is he?” she asked in a peculiar to the Emperor Alexander Commne-
tone. "I liked his looks even less than he nus. ... I live too much in memories
liked mine.” of the past, I fear, and for the moment
"Michael Commnenus,” I informed somewhat forgot myself in the hate all
her,and was about to give her his pedi- good Norse maids should hold toward
gree as we local people knew him, but any who bear the accursed name of the
was interrupted by her violently explo- Commneni.
sive: "Still, even as I know you to be old

"Who?” Jarl Wulf Red-Brand returned to this

"Michael Commnenus,” I stated again, world through the gateway of birth it —
a trifle testily. "And you needn’t shout! would be nothing surprizing if this
What’s he done ” but again she in- spawn of the Commneni were in truth
terrupted, speaking her archaic Norsk: that same Michael Commnenus of whom
"Ho! Varang Chiefs of the Guard the tale is told.”
Imperial! Thorfinn! Arvid! Sven! And "The belief in reincarnation is age-
ye who followed them —Gudrun! Rand- old,” I said reflectively. "And in several
var! Haakon! Smid! And all ye Varangs parts of the world it is a fundamental
in Valhalla, give ear! And ye, O fiends, tenet of religion. If there be truth in the
witches, warlocks, trolls, vampyrs, and all idea, is, as you say, nothing sur-
there
the dark gods who dwell in Hel’s halls prizing anybody now living should
if
where the eternal frozen fires blaze with- have been anybody else in some former
out heat, give ear to my voice, and cher- life. . And that sample of the Comm-
. .

ish my words, for I give ye all joyous neni appears quite capable of any treach-
tidings. ery that might serve a purpose at the mo-
"He lives! After all these long centu- ment! But, Heldra,” I implored her,
654 WEIRD TALES
struck by a sudden intuition, "I beg of fiddle —because I don’t,” I stated flatly.
you not to indulge in any of your devil- "That is a memento of an absurd ambi-
ries, witcheries, or Norse magic. If this tion I once cherished, but which died
Michael is that other Michael, yet that a-borning. I tried to learn the thing, but
was long ago; and if he has not already the noises I extracted were so abominable
atoned for his you may be very sure
sin, that I quit before I’d fairly got started.”
that somewhere, sometime, somehow he "You are teasing,” she retorted, her
will atone; so do not worry your regal eyes sparkling with mischief. "But I am
head about him.” not to be put off thus easily. Tonight
"Spoken like a right Saga-man,” she you will play, and I will dance such a —
smiled as I finished my brief homily. "I dance as you have never beheld even
thank you for your words of wisdom. when you were Jarl Wulf.”
And now, Jarl Wulf Red-Brand, I know "If I try to play that thing,” I assured
you to be fey as well as I am. 'Surely her seriously, "you’ll have a time dancing
he will atone for his sin’ ... oh! a most to my discords, you gorgeous tease!”
comforting thought! So let us think no "We’ll see,” she nodded. "But even
more about the matter.” as my magic revealed to me the where-
I glanced sharply at her. Her too in- abouts of the ’fidel,’ so my spirit tells me
stant acquiescence was suspicious. But that you play splendidly.”
her sapphire eyes met mine fairly, smil- "Your 'magic’ may be all right, but
ingly, sending as always a
of warm glow your 'spirit’ has certainly misinformed
contentment through me. So I accepted you,” I growled.
her assurance as it sounded, and gave "My spirit has never yet lied to me
myself up to the enjoyment of the sail nor has it done so this time.” Her tone
and the sound of her silvery voice as she was grave, yet therein was a lurking
sang an old English love ballad I’d mocker}'; and I became a trifle provoked.
known as a young man. And under the "All right,” I assented grouchily.
spell of her magnetic personality gradu- "Whenever you feel like hearing me
ally the episode of Michael Commnenus ’play,’ I’ll do it. And you’ll never want
faded into nothingness — for a while. to listen to such noises again.”
went into her room laughing
She

A couple
dark, Heldra
of days

from the attic, where she’d been rum-

later,

came down the stairs

just about sweetly,and took the fiddle with her.
After supper she said nothing about
me playing that old fiddle, and I fatu-
maging. In her hand she carried an old ously thought she’d let the matter drop.
violin-case. I looked and grinned rue- But about ten o’clock she went to her
fully. room without a word. She emerged after
"You are abad old Uncle John,” she a bit, wearing naught but a sheer loose
scolded. "Why did you not tell me you palest blue silk robe, held at the waist
played the 'fidel,’ even as Jarl Wulf only by a tiny jeweled gold filigree clasp.
played one in his time? Think of all the Loose as the robe was, it clung lovingly
sweet music you might have made in the to her every curve as if caressing the
past winter nights,and think of the beauteous, statuesque body it could not
dances might have danced for your de-
I and would not conceal.
light while you played —
even as Ragnar She was totally devoid of all ornament
danced for her old Jarl.” save that tiny brooch, and her wondrous
"But I did not tell you that I played a fiery-gold hair was wholly unconfined,
 THE SEA- WITCH 655

falling below her waist in a cascade of properly exposed. So, you see, we can
shimmering sunset hues, against which preserve the picture of my dance.”
her rose-pearl body gleamed through the "Heldra,” demanded sharply, "are
I

filmy gossamer-like robe. you up to some devilishness? All this

looks amazingly like tire stage-setting for
Again she sat and talked for a while.
witch-working!”
But along toward midnight she broke a
"I have sung for you, on different
short silence with:
nights,” she replied in gentlest reproach,
"I’ll be back in a minute. I wish to "and have told old tales, and have attired
prepare for my dancing.”
myself again and again for your pleasure
From her room she brought four an- in beholding me. Have all these things
tique bronze lamps and a strangely ever bewitched you, or harmed anyone?
shaped urn of oil. She filled the lamps How, then, can the fact of my dancing
and placed one at each corner of the liv- for my own satisfaction, before the mys-
ing-room, on the floor. tic Hel-stone, do any harm?”
Back into her room she went, and out
again
flat
with an octagonal-shaped stone,
on both sides, about an inch thick, A s
l
ever, she won.
did queer things to
they looked into
Her
me whenever
my own gray, faded old
sapphire orbs

and some four inches across. This she

placed on the low taboret whereon I usu- eyes — trusting me to understand and ap-
ally kept my nargilyeh. She propped up prove whatever she did, simply because
that slab of stone as if placing a mirror she was she and I was I.

which I decided it couldn’t very well be, "All right,” I said. "But you’re mak-
as it did not even reflect light but seemed ing a fool of me — insisting that I play

as dull as a slab of slate. this old fiddle. —

Well I’ll teach you a
As a final touch, she brought out that lesson!” And I drew the bow over the
strings with a most appalling wail.
confounded old fiddle! And on her scar-
let lips was a smile that a seraph might
And with the unexpected swiftness of
a steel trap closing on its victim, icy fin-
have envied, so innocent and devoid of
gers locked about my wrist, and I knew
guile it seemed.
very definitely that another and alien per-
"What’s this?” I demanded — as if I
sonality was guiding my arm and fingers!
didn’t know!
But there came likewise a swift certitude
"Your with which you will
little 'fid el’
that if I behaved, no harm would ensue
make for your Heldra such rapturous
—to me, at least. So I let the thing have
music,” she smiled caressingly. its way —
and listened to such music as I
"Um-m-m-m!” I grunted. "And what had not believed could be played on any
are those lamps for —and that ugly slab instrument devised by a mortal.
of black rock?” I wish that I could describe that music,

"That black slab is a 'Hel-stone,’ hav- but I do not know the right words.
ing the property of reflecting whatever is I doubt if they have been invented. It

directly before it, if illumined by those was wild, barbaric, savage, but likewise it
four lamps placed at certain angles; and was alluring, seductive, stealing away all
later it will give off those same reflections inhibitions —
too much of it would have
—even as the stuff called luminous cal- corrupted the angels in heaven. I was
cium sulfide absorbs light-rays until sur- almost in a stupor, intoxicated, like a
charged, and then emits them, when hasheesh-CdXct in a drugged dream, spell-
656 WEIRD TALES
bound, unable to break from the thrall- tured; until ultimately her waving arms
dom holding my will, drowning in rap- brought her fluttering hands, in the brief-
ture well-nigh unbearable. est of touches, into contact with the tiny

Heldra suddenly blew out the big kero- brooch at her waist and the filmy robe
sene lamp standing on the table, leaving was swept away in a single gesture that
as sole illumination the rays from those was faithfully recorded on the sullen sur-
four bronze lights standing in the cor- face of the Hel-stone.
ners. Instantly the dancer stopped as if petri-
Her superb body moved gracefully, fied, her arms outstretched as in invita-
slowly at first, then faster, into the intri- tion, her regal head thrown back, show-
cate figure and pattern of a dance that ing the long smooth white column of her
was old when the world was young. . . . throat, her clear, half-closed, sapphire-
With inward horror I knew the why blue eyes agleam with subtle chal-

and wherefore of that entire ceremonial; lenge. . . .

knew I’d been be-cozened and be-japed; The uncanny music died in a sin-

yet knew, likewise, that it was too late for gle sighing, sobbing whisper, poison-
interference. I could not even speak. I sweet . . . the clutching, icy fingers were
could but watch, while some personality gone from my wrist ... my first coherent
alien to my
body played maddeningly on thought was: Had that spell been di-
my and the 'niece’ I loved danced
fiddle, rected at me, the old adage anent "old
a dance deliberately planned to seduce a fools” would have been swiftly justified!
man who hated and feared the dancer And I knew that to all intents and
and for what devilish purpose I could purposes, Michael Commnenus was sunk!
well guess! Just the same, I was furious. Heldra
I saw the on her
light-rays converge had gone too far, and I told her so, flatly.
alluring, statuesque body, saw them ap- I pointed out in terms unmistakable that
parently pass through her and impinge what she planned was murder, or worse;
on the surface of that black, sullen, oc- and that this was modern America where-
tagonal Hel-stone, and be greedily swal- in witchcraft had neither place nor sanc-
lowed up, until the dull, black surface tion, and that I’d be no accessory to any
glowed like a rare black Australian opal; such devilishness as she was contriving.
and ever the dancing of the witch-girl Oh, I made myself and my meaning
grew more alluring, more seductive, more plain.
abandoned. And I knew why Heldra was And she stood and looked at me with
thus shamefully — shamelessly, rather a most injured expression. She made me
conducting! She had read Michael Comm- feel as wantonly struck a child
if I’d
nenus his character very accurately; knew across the face in the midst of its innocent
that his soul had recognized her hatred diversions!
for him, —
and feared her and that her "I don’t actually care if the devil flies

one chance to get him in her clutches lay off with Michael Commnenus,” I con-
in inflaming his senses and she’d even
. . . cluded wrathfully, "but I won’t have him
told me the properties of that most damn- murdered by you while you’re living
able Hel-stone! here, posing as my niece! No doubt it’s

Wilder and faster came the music, and quite possible for you to evade any legal
swifter and still more alluring grew the consequences by disappearing, but what
rhythmic response as Heldra’s lovely body of me? As accessory, I’d be liable to life

swayed and spun and swooped and pos- imprisonment, at the least!”
W. T.—
 THE SEA- WITCH 657

Her and
face lightened as by magic, shut the doer, and I heard the click of
her voice was genuinely regretful, and in the key as she locked herself in, for the
her eyes was a light of sincere love. She first time during her stay in my house. . . .

came to me and wrapped her white arms Next morning, as she’d planned, she
about my neck, murmuring terms of af- departed on the first train cityward. I’d
fectionate consolation. given her money enough for all her re-
"Poor dear Uncle John! Heldra was quirements —more, indeed, than she was
thoughtless—wicked me! And I might willing to take atfirst, declaring that she

have involved you in serious trouble? I intended selling so'me few of her jewels.
am ashamed! But the fate laid upon me And with her departure went all which
by the Norns is heavy, and I may not made life worth living. . . .

evade it, even for you, whom I love.

Tell me,” she demanded suddenly, "if I
should destroy the vile earthworm with-
out any suspicion attaching to you, or to
H eavilydragged my reluctant feet
I

back to the empty shell of a cottage

which until then had been an earthly
me, would you love me as before, even paradise to an old man and the very —
knowing what I had done?” first thing I laid eyes on was that ac-
"No!” I fairly snarled the denial. I cursed Hel-stone, lying on the living-
wanted it to be emphatic. room table.
She smiled serenely, and kissed me I picked it up, half minded to shatter
full on my lips. it to fragments, but an idea seized me.
"I never thought to thank a mortal for I bore it down-cellar, where semi-dark-
lying to me, but now I do! Deep in your ness prevailed, and the Hel-stone glowed
heart I can read your true feeling, and I softly with its witch-light, showing me
—
am glad! But now” and her tone took
— the loveliness of her who had departed
on a sadness most desolate "I regret to from me. And I pressed the cold octagon
say that on the morrow I leave you. The to my lips, thankful that she’d left me
lovely garments you gave me, and the the thing as a feeble substitute for her
trunks containing them, I take with me, presence. Then I turned and went back
as you would not wish that I go empty- upstairs,found an old ivory box of
handed. Nor will I insult you, O Jarl Chinese workmanship, and placed the
Wulf, by talk of payment. Hel-stone therein, very carefully, as a
"When I am gone, you will just thing priceless.
casually mention that I have returned to went to bed
I early that night. There
my home, and the local gossips will not was no reason to sit up. But I could not
suspect aught untoward. And soon I shall sleep. I lay there in my bed, cursing the
be forgotten, and no one will suspect, or entire line of Commneni, root, trunk and
possibly connect you, or me, with what branch, from the first of that ilk whom
inevitably must happen to that spawn history records to this latest scion, or
of the Commneni. "spawn,” as Heldra had termed him.
"But of be very sure: Somewhere,
this Around midnight, being still wakeful,
sometime, you and I shall be together I arose, got the Hel-stone and sat in the
again. . Her voice broke, she kissed
. darkness —
and gradually became aware
me fiercely on the lips, then tenderly on that I was not alone! Looking up, I saw
both cheeks, then lastly, with a queer rev- her I’d lost standing in a witch-glow of
ierence, on my furrowed old brow. Then phosphorescent light. I knew at once
She turned, went straight to her room, that it was not Heldra in person, but
W. T.—
658 WEIRD TALES
"
her scin-laccd’ or "shining double,” a ask you to believe that I bitterly regret
"sending,” and that it was another of her that —now! Yet, despite that reputation,
witcheries. I’d like to ask you a most natural ques-
"But even this is welcome,” I thought. tion, if Imay.”
Then I felt her thought expressed I nodded assent, unprepared for what

through that phantasmal semblance of was coming, yet somehow assured it

her own gorgeous self and promptly — would concern Heldra. Nor was I at all
strove, angrily, to resist her command. disappointed, for he fairly blurted out:
Much good it did me! "When do you expect Miss Helstrom
Utterly helpless, yet fully cognizant of to return, if at all?”
my actions, but oddly assured that about I was flabbergasted! That is the only
me was a cloak of invisibility the — word adequate. I glared at him in a
"glamyr” of the ancient Alrunas I — black fury. When I could catch my breath
dresssed, took the Hel-stone, and passed I demanded:
cut into the night. "How did even you summon up the
Straight to the cottage of Commnenus infernal gall to ask me that?”
I went, pawed about under the door-step, His reply finished flattening me out.
and planted there the Hel-stone; then, "Because I love her!
— Wait” he —
still secure in the mystic glamor, I re- begged "and hear me out, please! Even
turned to my own abode. a criminal is allowed that courtesy.” Then
And no sooner had I seated myself in as I nodded grudgingly, he resumed:
my chair for a smoke, than I realized "The first time I saw her, something
fully the utter devilishness of that witch deep within me shrank away from her
from out the wintry seas whom
I had with repulsion. Still, I admired her
taken into my home and had sponsored matchless beauty. But of late, since her
as my "niece” in the eyes of the world. departure, there is not a night I do not
Right then I decided to go back and see her in my mind’s eye, and I know
get that Hel-stone, and smash it—and that I love her, and hope that she will
couldn’t do it! I got sleepy so suddenly return; hence my query.
that I awoke to find that it was broad "I will be frank —
I even hope that she

daylight, and nine-thirty a. m. And from noticed me and read my admiration with-
then on, as regularly as twilight came, I out dislike. Perhaps two minds can reach
could only stay awake so long as I kept —
each other sometimes. For invariably I
my thoughts away from that accursed see her with head thrown back, her eyes
Hel-stone; wherefore I determined that half closed, and her arms held out as if
the thing could stay where it was until calling me to come to her. And if I knew
it rotted, for all me! her whereabouts I’d most certainly go,
Then Commnenus came along the nor would I be 'trifling,’ where she is
beach late one afternoon. He raised his concerned. I want to win her, if possible,
hat in his Old World, courtly fashion, as my wife; and an emperor should be
”
and tried to make some small talk. I proud to call her that
grunted churlishly and ignored him. But "Very romantic,” I sneered. "But, Mr.
finally he came out bluntly with: Woman-Chaser, I cut my eye-teeth a long
"Professor Craig, I know your opinion while before you were born, and I’m not
of me, and admit it is to some extent so easily taken in. The whereabouts of
justifiable. I seem
have acquired the
to my no concern of yours.
niece are So
reputation of being a Don Juan. But I get away from me before I lose my
 THE SEA-WITCH 659

temper, or I’ll not be answerable for my Sword, I ask that you again enshroud me
actions. Get!” with the mantle of invisibility, the
He went! The expression of my face 'glamyr,’ and allow me to lift that ac-
and the rage in my eyes must have cursed Hel-stone from where you com-
warned him that I was in a killing pelled me to conceal it. Let me return
humor. Well, I was. But likewise, I was it to you, at any place you may appoint,
sick with fear. What he’d just told me so that it can do no more harm.
was sufficient to sicken me — the Hel- "Already that poor bewitched fool is
stone had gotten in its damnable work. madly in love with you, because the radi-
My very soul was aghast as it envisioned ations of that enchanted stone have sat-
the inevitable consequences. . . . urated him every time he put foot on the
door-step beneath which I buried it!

A n
^

purpose.
idea obsessed me, and
shades of night to
I needed the
cloak my and
"Heldra, grant
I will
in all your witch-life.”
condone
me this
all sins
one kindness,
you ever did

Aimlessly I wandered from room to The shining wraith nodded slowly, un-
room in my cottage, and finally drifted mistakably assenting to my request. As
into the room which had been Heldra’s. from a far distance I heard a faint
Still aimlessly I pulled open drawer after whisper:
drawer in the dresser, and in the lowest "Since it is your desire, get the Hel-
one I heard a faint metallic clink. stone, and bear it yourself to the sea-
The four antique bronze lamps were cave at the foot of the great
cliff guard-

there. shrewdly suspected she had left

I ing the north passage into the harbor.
them there as means of establishing con- Once you have borne it there, its work,
tact with her, should need arise. I ex- and yours, are done.
amined them, and found, as I’d hoped, "And I thank you for saying that you
that they were filled. will condone all I have ever done, for
Around ten o’clock I placed those the burden of the past is heavy, and your
lamps in the four corners of the living- words have made it easier to bear.”
room, and lighted them, precisely as I’d The shining wraith vanished, and I
seen Heldra do. Then I tried my talents went forth into the darkness. Straight to
at making an invocation. the house where I’d hidden the Hel-stone
" Heldra.
' Heldra! Heldra!” I called. I betook myself, felt under the step,
"I, John Craig, who gave you shelter at found what I sought, took it with an in-
your need, call to you now, wheresoever ward prayer of gratitude that because of
you be, to come to me at my need!” Heldra’s "glamyr" I had not been caught
The four lights went out, yet not a at something questionable in appearance,
breath of air stirred in the room. A faint- and started up the beach.
ly luminous glow, the witch-light, en- The tide was nearly out; so I walked
sued; and there she stood, or rather, the rapidly, as I had some distance to go, and
scin-laecca, her shining double! But I the sea-cave Heldra had designated could
knew that anything I might say to it not be entered at high tide, although once
would be the same as if she were there within, one was safe enough and could
in the flesh. leave when more
the entrance was once
"Heldra,” I beseeched that witch- exposed.
lighted simulacrum, "by the love you I entered the cave believing that I’d
gave me, as Ragnar loved Jarl Wulf Red- promptly be rid of the entire mess, once
660 WEIRD TALES
and for But there was no one there,
all. Michael Commnenus, an ancient hate
and the interior of the cave was as dark will be surfeited, and an ancient ven-
as Erebus. I lit a match, and saw nothing. geance, too long delayed, will be consum-
The match burned out. I fumbled for mated.”
—
another a dazzling ray from a flashlight "Heldra,” I began, for dread seized
blinded me for a moment, then left my me at the ominous quality of her words,
face and swept the cave. A hated voice, "I will not stand for this affair going
”
suave yet menacing, said: any farther! I
"Well, Professor Craig, you may now "Be silent! Seat yourself over there
hand me whatever it was that you pur- against the wall and watch and hear, but
loined from under my door-step!” move not nor speak again, lest I silence
An extremely business-like automatic you for ever!”
pistol was aimed in the exact direction of A force irresistible hurled me across
—
my solar plexus and the speaker was the cave and set me down, hard, on a
none other than Michael Commnenus! flat rock. I realized fully that I was obey-
Very evidently the mystic "glamyr” ing her mandate — I couldn’t speak,
had failed to work that time. And I was couldn’t even move my eyelids, so thor-
in a rather nasty predicament. oughly had she inhibited any further in-
Then, abruptly, Heldra came! She terference on my part.
looked like an avenging fury, emerging
out of nowhere, apparently, and the aying no further Com-
tables were turned.
cloak or long mantle draped over her
She wore a dark P mnenus for the moment, she crossed
over to me, bent and kissed me on my
attention to

head and falling to her feet. lips, her sapphire eyes laughing into my

Her right hand was outstretched, and own blazing, wrathful eyes.
with her left hand she seized the Hel- "Poor dear! It is too bad, but you
stone from my grasp. She pointed one made me do it. I wanted you to help
finger at Commnenus, and did not even me all the way through this tangled coil

touch him; yet had she smote with an —but you have been so difficult to man-
ancient war-hammer the effect would age! Yet in some ways you have played
have been the same. into my
hands splendidly. Yes, even to
"You dog, and son of a long line of bringing the Hel-stone back to me and —
dogs!” her icy voice rang with excoriat- I would not care to lose that for a king’s

ing virulence. "Drop that silly pistol! ransom. And l put it into yon fool’s
Drop it, 1 say!” head to be wakeful tonight, and see you
A faint blue flicker snapped from her regain the Hel-stone, and follow you
extended finger —the pistol fell from a and thus walk into my nice little trap.
flaccid hand. Commnenus seemed totally "And now!”
paralyzed. Heldra’s magic held him She whirled and faced Commnenus.
completely in thralldom.... I snapped And for all that he was spellbound, in
and scooped up the gun.
into activity his eyes I read fear and a ghastly fore-
"Followed me, did you?” I snarled. knowledge of some dreadful fate about
”
"I'll to be meted out to him at her hands.
"Wait, Jarl Wulf!” Heldra’s tone was She picked up the flashlight he had
frankly amused. "No need for you to do dropped and extinguished it with the
aught! Mine is the blood-feud, mine the dry comment:
blood-right! And ere I finish with yon "We need a different light here the —
 THE SEA-WITCH 661

Hel-light from Hela’s halls!” And at whelming foes, citing in proof their
her word, a most peculiar light pervaded battle-cry:
"
the cave, and there was that about its 'Valhalla! Valhalla! Victory or Val-
luminance that actually affrighted. Again halla!’
she spoke: "Into the harbor of the Golden Horn
"Michael Commnenus, you utterly vile sailed the viking long-ship, the Grettir.
worm of the earth! You know that your Three noble brothers owned her Thor- —
doom is upon you —
but as yet you know finn, Arvid, Sven. With them sailed
not why. O beast lower than the swine! their sister . her fame as an Alruna-
. .

Harken and remember my words even maid, prophetess and priestess, was sung
after eternity is swallowed up in the Twi- throughout the Norse-lands. No man so
light of the Gods! You are a modern, low but bore her reverence. Sin it was to
and know not that the self, the soul, is cast eyes of desire on any Alruna, and the
eternal, undying, changing its body and sister of the three brothers was held
name in every clime and period, yet ever especially holy.
the same soul, responsible for the deeds "Between the hands of the Emperor
of its bodies. You have even prated of Alexander Commnenus, the three breth-
—
your soul when in fact, you are the ren placed their hands,- swearing fealty
property of the soul! for a year and a day. Thirty fighting-men,
"Watch, now!” She pointed to the their crew, followed wherever the three
cave entrance. "Behold there the wisps brothers led. And the great emperor,
of sea-fog gathering; and gradually will hearing of their war-fame from others of
come the rising tide. And on the cur- the Varangian guard, gave the brothers
tain of that cold, swirling mist, behold high place in his esteem, and held them
the pictures of the past —
a past centuries nigh his own person.
old; a past wherein your craven, treacher- "Their sister, the Alruna-maid, was
ous soul sinned beyond all pardon! treated as became her rank and holy
"Look you, too, Jarl Wulf Red-Brand, repute. Aye! Even in Christian Byzan-
so that in all the days remaining to you tium respect and honor were shown her
upon Earth, you may know that his doom by the priests of an alien belief. But one
was just, and that Heldra is but execut- man in Byzantium aspired more greatly
ing a merited penalty! than any other, Norseman or Byzantine,
"And while the shuttles of the Norm had ever dared.
weave the tapestry of the sin of this Com- "A Commnenus he, grand admiral of
mnenus, I will tell all the tale of his Byzantium’s war fleet, nephew to the em-
crimes. peror, enjoying to the full the confidence
"In Byzantium reigned the emperor, and love of his imperial uncle. Notorious
Alexander Commnenus. Secure his for his profligacy, he cast his libertine
throne, guarded by tire ponderous axes eyeson the Norse Alruna-maid, but with
and the long swords of the Varangians, no thought of making her his wife. Nay!
the splendid sons of the Norse-lands, ’Twas only as his leman he desired her.
who had gone a-viking. Trusted and , , .So, he plotted. . , .

loved were the Varangs by the emperor, "The three brothers, Thorfinn, Arvid,
and he boasted of their fidelity,
oft Sven, with their full crew, in the long-
swearing on the cross of Constantine that ship Grettir were ordered to sea to cruise
to the last man would his Varangs perish against certain pirates harrying a portion
ere one would flinch a step from over- of the emperor’s coasts.
662 WEIRD TALES
"Every man of the Grettir’s crew died allthat the Norse-folk hold most sacred!
the deaths of rats
casks! They died
—poison no
as
in the water-
Norseman
"Yet I escaped from that last dreadful
dungeon wherein you immured me
. . .

should die, brutes’ deaths, unfit for Val- how?

halla and the company of heroes who had "By that magic known to such as I, I
passed in battle! And their splendid called upon the empress of the Under-
bodies, warped and distorted by pangs world, Hela herself, and pledged her my
of the poison, were cast overside as prey service in return for indefinitely contin-
for sharks, by two creatures of this grand ued life, until I could repay you and
admiral, whom he had sent with the avenge the heroes denied the joys of Val-
three brothers as pilots knowing the halla —
by you!
coast. They placed the drug in the casks, —
"And now comes swiftly the doom I
they flung over the dead and dying, they have planned for you you who now . . .

ran the Grettir aground and set fire to remember!”

—
her but his was the command and his Heldra spoke truly. Swiftly it came!
the crime!” Sitting where I was, I saw it plainly, a
And as Heldra told the tale, in a voice great dragon-ship with round shields dis-
whose dreary tones made the recital seem played along her gunwales, with a big
even worse —the watching Commnenus square sail of crimson embroidered in
and I saw clearly depicted on the curtain gold, with long oars dipping and lifting
of the mist, each separate incident. . . . in unison — in faint ghostly tones I could
Heldra turned to the wildly glaring hear the deep-sea rowers chanting, "fuch!
Michael. Hey! Sa-sa-sa! Hey-sa, Hey-sa, Hey-sa,
"There was but one person in all Hey-sa!” and knew it for the time-beat
Byzantium who knew the truth,” she rowing-song of the ancient vikings!
screamed in sudden frenzy. "I give back The whole picture was limned in the
for a moment your power of speech. Say, cold sea-fires from whence that terrible
O fool! Coward! Niddering! Who am 1?” viking ghost-ship had risen with its crew
Abruptly she tore off the somber cloak of long-dead Norsemen who were not
and stood in all her loveliness, enhanced dead — the men too good for Hel, and
by every ornament she once had worn for denied Valhalla. . . .

my pleasure in beholding her thus ar- Straight to the mouth of the cave came
rayed. the ghost-ship, and crew disembarked
its

and entered. Heldra cried out in joyous

A
was
CRY of unearthly terror broke from
the staring Commnenus. His voice
a strangled croak as he gasped:
welcome:
"Even from out of the deeps, ye
heroes, one and all, have ye heard my
"The Alruna-maid, Heldra! The red- silent summons, and obeyed the voice of
haired sea-witch — sister to the three your Alruna from old time! Now your
brothers, Thorfinn, Arvid, Sven!” waiting is at an end!
"Aye, you foul dog! And me you took "Yonder stands the Commnenus. That
at night, after they sailed away, and me other concerns ye not —but mark him
you shut up where my cries for aid could well, for in a former life he was Jarl
not be heard; and me you would have Wulf Red-Brand! See, on hand
his left
despoiled —
me, the Alruna-maid sworn is still the old silver ring with its runes
to chastity! Me you jeered at and reviled, of Ragnar Wave-Flame!”
boasting of your recent crimes against The ghost-vikings turned their dead
 THE SEA-WITCH 663

eyes on me with a carious fixity. One and very mist swirled and writhed, percep-
all, they saluted. Evidently, Jarl Wulf tibly taking on the semblance of the body
must have been somebody, in his time. from whence it was being extracted.
Then ignoring me, they turned to There remained finally but a merest
Heldra, awaiting her further commands. thread of silvery shimmer connecting
Commnenus they looked at, fiercely, soul and body. Heldra spoke beneath her
avidly. breath
Heldra’s voice came, heavily, solemnly, "One of you hew that cord asunder!”
with a curious bell-like tone sounding the Adouble-bladed Norse battle-ax
knell of doom incarnate: whirled and a ghostly voice croaked:
"Michael Commnenus! This your pres- •'Thor Hulf!”
ent body has never wrought me harm, Thor, the old Norse war-god, must
nor has it harmed any of these. It is not have helped, for the great ghost-ax evi-

with your body that we hold our feud. dently encountered a solid cable well-
Wherefore, your body shall go forth nigh as strong as tempered steel. Thrice
from this cave as it entered as hand- — the ax rose and fell, driven by the swell-
some as ever, bearing no mark of scathe. ing thews of the towering giant wielding
"But your niddering soul, O most ac- it, ere the silver cord was broken by the
cursed, shall be drawn from out its blade.
earthly tenement this night and given A tittering giggle burst from the lips

over to these souls you wronged, who of the present-day Michael Commnenus.
now await their victim and their ven- I realized with a sudden sickness at
geance! And I tell you, Michael Com- the pit of my stomach that an utterly
mnenus, that what they have in store for mindless imbecile stood there, grinning
you will make the Hades of your religion vacuously!
seem as a devoutly-to-be-desired para- "That Thing,” Heldra said, coldly
dise!” scornful as she pointed to the silvery
Heldra stepped directly before Comm- shining soul, "is yours, heroes! Do with
nenus. Her shapely white arms were out- it as ye will!”
stretched, palms down, fingers stiffly ex- Two of the gigantic wraiths clamped
tended. A queer, violet-tinged radiance their great hands on its shoulders. It

streamed from her fingers, gradually en- turned a dull leaden-gray, the color of
veloping Commnenus—he began to abject fear. Cringing and squirming, it
glow, as if he had been immersed and was hustled aboard the ghostly dragon-
had absorbed all his body could take ship. The other ghost-vikings went
up. . . aboard, taking their places at the oars . ,
Heldra’s voice took on the tone of yet they waited. Heldra turned to me.
finality: "Be free of the spell I laid upon you!”
"Michael Commnenus! Thou accursed Her tone was as gentle as it had been in
soul, by the power I hold, given me by her sweetest moments while she dwelt in
Hela’s self, I call you forth from your my home as my niece.
hiding-place of flesh —come ye out!”
The body never moved, but
living gasped, rose and stretched. I wanted
from out its mouth emerged a faint sil- I to be angry —
and dared not. I’d seen
very-tinted vapor flowing toward the too much of her hellish powers to risk
Alruna-maid, and as it came, the violet incurring her displeasure. And reading
glow diminished. The accumulating sil- my mind, she laughed merrily.
664 WEIRD TALES
Then her white arms went
cool, soft, death. Against my chest I felt the pres-
about my neck, her wondrous sapphire sure of her swelling breasts, and fires un-
eyes looked long and tenderly into mine dreamable streamed from her heart to
—and I will not write the message I mine. Time itself stood still. After an
read in those softly shining orbs. Once eon or so she unwound her clinging arms
again her silvery voice spoke: from about my neck and turned away,
and with never a backward glance she
"Jarl Wulf Red-Brand! John Craig! I
entered that waiting, ghostly dragon-ship.
am the grand-daughter of Ragnar Wave-
The oars dipped. . . .
Flame! And once I went a-viking with
my three brothers, to far Byzantium. You "Juch! Hey! Sa-sa-sa! Hey-sa! Hey-sa!
know that tale. Now, once I said that Hey-sa! Hey-sa!” and repeated . . and .

again until the faint, ghostly chant

Ragnar Wave-Flame never died. Also, . . .

I said that I had dived into her sea-cave

was swallowed by distance. . . .

and lain in her arms and now I tell you — I left the cave.
the rest of that mystery: with her breath The driveling idiot who had been
she entered this my body where ever Michael Commnenus was already gone.
since we have dwelt as one soul. I need- Later, the gossip ran that he’d "lost his
ed aid in seeking my vengeance, for it mind,” and that his embassy had re-

was after I’d escaped the clutches of the turned him to his own land. None ever
Commnenus, and had passed through ad- suspected, or coupled me or my "niece”
ventures incredible while making my with his affliction. And he himself had
way back to the Norse-lands and my — absolutely no memory —had lost even
spirit was very bitter. And when I his own name when his soul departed!
sought her council, Ragnar helped But within a month, I sold my cottage,
me. . . . packed and stored all my belongings un-
now do I ask of you: Do you,
"This til I could find a new location, where I’d

as Ihave sometimes thought, love me as be totally unknown; and then I went

a man loves a maid? Reflect well, ere you away from where I had dwelt for years
answer, and recall what I once showed and with urgent reason.
you in a mirror — I am older than you! The fire with which Heldra had im-
So, knowing that, despite my witcheries bued me from her breath and breast was
of the long, bitter past, and those of to- renewing my youth! My hair was shades
night, would you take me, were you and darker, my wrinkles almost gone; my
I young once more?’’ step was brisker, I looked to be nearer
forty than almost sixty. So marked was
"By all the gods in Valhalla, and by
the change that the villagers stared open-
all the devils in Hela’s halls: yes!” My
ly at what seemed at least a miracle . . .
reply was given without need of reflect-
tongues were wagging . . . old supersti-
ing, or counting cost.
tions were being revived and dark hints
"Then, in a day to come, you shall take
were being bandied about. ... So I final-
me — I swear it!”
ly decided to leave, and go where my

Full upon my mouth she pressed her altered appearance would cause no com-
scarlet lips, and a surging flame suffused ment.
my entire body. Yet it was life not — I wonder if
‘'Those eyes shone through the shad-
ows; unwinking, unchanging, omnis-
cient in this little world of the dead."

£ane Pharaoh
of the Black
^ 13 ~* ,

By ROBERT BLOCH
Terrible was the fame of Nephren-Ka, and more terrible still was the
destiny that Captain Cartaret read on the walls of the
red-litten underground corridors

“T IAR!” said Captain Cartaret. forward into the lamplight, he smiled.

. The dark man did not move, "That is a harsh epithet, effendi,”
^ but beneath the shadows of his purred the dark man.
burnoose a scowl slithered across a con- Captain Cartaret stared at his midnight
torted countenance. But when he stepped visitor with quizzical appraisal.
665
666 WEIRD TALES
"A deserved one, he ob- I think,” the crypt of Nephren-Ka, perhaps I can
served. "Consider the facts. You come show you something that may prove my
to my
door at midnight, uninvited and own knowledge.”
unknown. You tell me some long rig- He thrust a lean hand under his robe
marole about secret vaults below Cairo, and drew forth a curious object of dull,
and then voluntarily offer to lead me black metal. This he flung casually on
there.” the table, so that it lay in a fan of lamp-
"That is correct,” assented the Arab, light.
blandly. He met the glance of the schol- Captain Cartaret bent forward and
arly captain calmly. peered at the queer, metallic thing. His
"Why should you do this?” pursued thin, usually pale face now glowed with
Cartaret. "If your story is true, and you unconcealed excitement. He grasped the
do possess so manifestly absurd a secret, black object with twitching fingers.
why should you come to me? Why not "The Seal of Nephren-Ka!” he whis-
claim the glory of discovery yourself?” pered. When he raised his eyes to the
"I told you, ejfendt,” said the Arab. inscrutable Arab’s once more, they shone
"That is against the law of our brother- with mingled incredulity and belief.

hood. It is not written that I should do "It’s true, then —what you say,” the
so. And knowing of your interest in captain breathed. "You could obtain this
these things, I came to offer you the privi- only from the Secret Place; the Place of
”
lege.” the Blind Apes where
"You came to pump me for my infor- "Nephren-Ka bindeth up the threads
mation; no doubt that’s what you mean,” of truth.” The smiling Arab finished the
retorted the captain, acidly. "You beg- quotation for him.
gars have some devilishly clever ways of "You, too, have read the Necronomi-
getting underground information, don’t con, then.” Cartaret looked stunned.
you? So far as I know, you’re here to "But there are only six complete versions,
find out how much I’ve already learned, and I thought the nearest was in the
so that you and your fanatic thugs can British Museum.”
knife me if I know too much.” The Arab’s smile broadened. "My fel-

"Ah!” The dark stranger suddenly low-countryman, Alhazred, left many leg-
leaned forward and peered into the white acies among his own people,” he said,
man’s face. "Then you admit that what softly. "There is wisdom available to all
I tell you is not wholly strange you do — who know where
moment
to seek it.”
was
know something of this place already?” For a silence in the
there
"Suppose I do,” said the captain, un- room. Cartaret gazed at the black Seal,
flinching. "That doesn’t prove that and the Arab scrutinized him in turn.
you’re a philanthropic guide to what I’m The thoughts of both were far away. At
seeking. More likely you want to pump last the thin, elderly white man looked
me, as I said, then dispose of me and up with a quick grimace of determina-
get the goods for yourself. No, your tion.
story is too thin. Why, you haven’t even "I believe your story,” he said. "Lead
told me your name.” me.”
"My name?” The Arab smiled. "That The Arab, with a satisfied shrug, took
does not matter. What does matter is a chair, unbidden, at the side of his host.
your distrust of me. But, since you have From that moment he assumed complete
admitted at last that you do know about psychic mastery of the situation.
 FANE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 667

you must tell me what you

"First, dwelt in the ruins of Thebes and Mem-
know,” he commanded. "Then I shall phis, or bided in the crumbling tombs
reveal the rest.” below the Valley of Kings.
Cartaret, unconscious of the other’s Nowhere had the past survived as it

dominance, complied. He told the stran- did in ageless Egypt. With every mum-
ger his story in an abstracted manner, my, the Egyptologists uncovered a curse;
while his eyes never swerved from the the solving of each ancient secret merely
cryptic black amulet on the table. It was uncovered a deeper, more perplexing rid-
almost as though he were hypnotized by dle. Who built the pylons of the tem-
the queer talisman. The Arab said noth- ples? Why did the old kings rear the
ing, though there was a gay gloating in pyramids? How did they work such mar-
his fanatical eyes. vels?Were their curses potent still?
Where vanished the priests of Egypt?
2 These and a thousand other unan-
swered questions intrigued the mind of

C artaret spoke of
wartime service in
sequent station in Mesopotamia.
his youth; of his
Egypt and sub-
It was
Captain Cartaret. In his new-found lei-
sure he read and studied, talked with sci-
entists and savants. Ever the quest of
here that the captain had first become in- primal knowledge beckoned him on to
terested in archeology and the shadowy blacker brinks; he could slake his thirsty
realms of the occult which surround it. soul only in stranger secrets, more dan-
From the vast desert of Arabia had come gerous discoveries.
intriguing tales as old as time; furtive Many of the reputable authorities he
fables of mystic Irem, city of ancient knew were open in their confessed opin-
dread, and the lost legends of vanished ion that it was not well for meddlers to
empires. He had spoken to the dreaming pry too deeply beneath the surface. Curses
dervishes whose hashish visions revealed had come true with puzzling promptness,
secrets of forgotten days, and had ex- and warning prophecies had been ful-
plored certain reputedly ghoul-ridden filled with a vengeance. It was not good
tombs and burrows in the ruins of an to profane the shrines of the old dark
older Damascus than recorded history gods who still dwelt within the land.
knows. But the terrible lure of the forgotten
In time, his retirement had brought and the forbidden was a pulsing virus in
him to Egypt. Here in Cairo there was Cartaret’s blood. When he heard the leg-
access to still more secret lore. Egypt, end of Nephren-Ka, he naturally investi-
land of lurid curses and lost kings, has gated.
ever harbored mad myths in its age-old Nephren-Ka, according to authorita-
shadows. Cartaret had learned of priests tive knowledge, was merely a mythical
and pharaohs; of olden oracles, forgot- figure. He was purported to have been a
ten sphinxes, fabulous pyramids, titanic Pharaoh of no known dynasty, a priestly
tombs. Civilization was but a cobweb usurper of the throne. The most common
surface upon the sleeping face of Eternal fables placed his reign in almost biblical
Mystery. Here, beneath the inscrutable times.He was said to have been the last
shadows of the pyramids, the old gods and greatest of that Egyptian cult of
still stalked in the old ways. The ghosts priest-sorcerers who for a time trans-
of Set, Ra, Osiris, and Bubastis lurked formed the recognized religion into a
in desert ways; Horus, Isis, and Sebek yet dark and terrible thing. This cult, led
668 WEIRD TALES
by the arch-hierophants of Bubastis, Anu- that he had constructed a secret under-
bis, and Sebek, viewed their gods as the ground tomb, in which he caused himself
representatives of actual Hidden Beings and his followers to be interred alive.
— montsrous beast-men who shambled on With him, in this vivisepulture, he took
Earth in primal days. They accorded wor- all his treasure and magical secrets, so

ship to the Elder One who is known to that nothing would remain for his ene-
myth as Nyarlathotep, the "Mighty Mes- mies to profit by. So cleverly did his re-
senger.” This abominable deity was said maining devotees contrive this secret
to confer wizard’spower upon receiving crypt that the attackers were never able
human and while the evil
sacrifices; to discover the resting-place of the Black
priests reignedsupreme they temporarily Pharaoh.
transformed the religion of Egypt into a Thus the legend rests. According to
bloody shambles. With anthropomancy common currency, the fable was handed
and necrophilism they sought terrible down by the few remaining priests who
boons from their demons. actually stayedon the surface to seal the
The tale goes that Nephren-Ka, on the secret place; they and their descendants
throne, renounced all religion save that were believed to have perpetuated the
of Nyarlathotep. He sought the power of story and the old faith of evil.
prophecy, and built temples to the Blind
Ape
fices at
of Truth. His utterly atrocious
length provoked a revolt, and
sacri-

it is F ollowing up this exceedingly un-

usual story, Cartaret delved into the
said that the infamous Pharaoh was at During a trip to
old tomes of the time.
last dethroned. According to this ac- London he was fortunate enough to be
count, the new ruler and his people im- allowed an inspection of the unhallowed
mediately destroyed all vestiges of the and archaic Necronomicon of Abdul Al-
former reign, demolished all temples and hazred. In it were further emendations.
idols of Nyarlathotep, and drove out the One of his influential friends in the
wicked priests who prostituted their faith Home Office, hearing of his interest,

to the carnivorous Bubastis, Anubis, and managed to obtain for him a portion of
Sebek. The Book of the Dead was then Ludvig Prinn’s evil and blasphemous De
amended so that all references to the Pha- Vermis Mysteriis, known more familiarly
raoh Nephren-Ka and his accursed cults to students of recondite arcana as Mys-
were deleted. teriesof the Worm. Here, in that greatly
Thus, argues the legend, the furtive disputed chapter on oriental myth entitled
faithwas lost to reputable history. As Saracenic Rituals, Cartaret found still

to Nephren-Ka himself, a strange ac- more concrete elaborations of the Neph-

count is given of his end. ren-Ka tale.

The story ran that the dethroned Pha- Prinn, who

consorted with the me-
raoh fled to a spot adjacent to what is diaeval and prophets of Saracen
seers

now the modern city of Cairo. Here it times in Egypt, gave a good deal of
was his intention to embark with his re- prominence to the whispered hints of
maining followers for a “westward isle.” Alexandrian necromancers and adepts.
Historians believe that this "isle” was They knew the story of Nephren-Ka, and
Britain, where some of the fleeing priests alluded to him as the Black Pharaoh.
of Bubastis actually settled. Prinn’s account of the Pharaoh’s death
But the Pharaoh was attacked and sur- was much more elaborate. He claimed
rounded, his escape blocked. It was then that the secret tomb lay directly beneath
 FANE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 669

Cairo and professed to believe that

itself, from his he betook himself in
fingers,
it had been opened and reached. He peace to his sarcophagus, and there died.
hinted at the cult-survival mentioned in So said Ludvig Prinn, he that consorted
the popular tales; spoke of a renegade with ancient seers. Nephren-Ka lay in his
group of descendants whose priestly an- buried burrows, guarded by the priestly
cestors had They
interred the rest alive. cult that still survived on Earth, and fur-

were said ther protected by enchantments in his

and
to perpetuate the evil faith,
to act as guardians of the dead Nephren- tomb below. He had fulfilled his desires
Ka and his buried brethren, lest some at the end —
he had known Truth, and
interloper discover and violate his resting- written the lore of the future on the

place in the crypt. After the regular nighted walls of his own catacomb.
cycle of seven thousand years, the Black Cartaret had read all this with con-
Pharaoh and his band would then arise flicting emotions. How he would like to

once more, and restore the dark glory of find that tomb, if it existed! What a sen-
the ancient faith. sation —he would revolutionize anthro-
pology, ethnology!
The crypt itself, if Prinn is to be be-
Of course, the legend had its absurd
lieved, was a most unusual place. Ne-
points. Cartaret, for all his research, was
phren-Ka’ s servants and slaves had budd-
not superstitious. He didn’t believe the
ed him a mighty sepulcher, and the bur-
bogus balderdash about Nyarlathotep, the
rows were filled with the rich treasure of
Blind Ape of Truth, or the priestly cult.
his reign. All of the sacred images were
That part about the gift of prophecy was
there, and the jeweled books of esoteric
sheer drivel.
wisdom reposed within.
Such things were commonplace. There
Most peculiarly did the account dwell were many savants who had attempted to
on Nephren-Ka’s search for the Truth prove that the pyramids, in their geo-
and the Power of Prophecy. It was said metrical construction, were archeological
that before he died down in the dark- and architectural prophecies of days to
ness, he conjured up the earthly image come. With elaborate and convincing
of Nyarlathotep in a final gigantic sacri- skill, they attempted to show that, sym-
fice; and that the god granted him his bolically interpreted, the great tombs held
desires. Nephren-Ka had stood before the key to history, that they allegorically
the images of the Blind Ape of Truth and foretold the Middle Ages, the Renais-
received the gift of divination over the sance, the Great War.
gory bodies of a hundred willing victims. This, Cartaret believed, was rubbish.
Then, in nightmare manner, Prinn re- And the utterly absurd notion that a dy-
counts that the entombed Pharaoh wan- ing fanatic had been gifted with pro-
dered amonghis dead companions and pheticpower and scrawled the future his-
inscribed on the twisted walls of his tomb tory of the world on his tomb as a last
the secrets of the future. In pictures and gesture before death —
that was impos-
ideographs he wrote the history of days sible to swallow.
to come, revelling in omniscient knowl- Nevertheless, despite his skeptical atti-
edge till the end. He scrawled the desti- tude, Captain Cartaret wanted to find the
nies of kings to come; painted the tri- tomb, if it existed. He had returned to
umphs and the dooms of unborn empires. Egypt with that intention, and immedi-
Then, as the blackness of death shrouded ately set to work.So far he had a number
his sight, and palsy wrenched the brush of clues and hints. If the machinery of
670 WEIRD TALES
his investigation did not collapse, it was own view of them is mistaken. The 'leg-

now only a matter of days before he end’ you have learned of is true — all of
would discover the actual entrance to the it. Nephren-Ka did write the future on
spot itself. Then he intended to enlist the walls of his tomb when he died; he
proper Governmental aid and make his did possess the power of divination, and
discovery public to all. the priests who buried him formed a cult
This much he now told the silent Arab which did survive.”
who had come out of the night with a "Yes?” Cartaret was impressed, despite
strange proposal and a weird credential: himself.
the seal of the Black Pharaoh, Ne- "I am one of those priests.” The
phren-Ka. words stabbed like swords in the white
man’s brain.
3
"Do not look so shocked. It is the

W hen

ger in interrogation.
Cartaret
mary, he glanced
finished
at the
his
dark stran-
sum-
truth.
cult of
I am a descendant of the original
Nephren-Ka, one of those inner
initiates who have kept the' legend alive.
I worship the Power which the Black
"What next?” he asked.
Pharaoh received, and I worship the god
"Follow me,” said the other, urbanely.
Nyarlathotep who accorded that Power
"I shall lead you to the spot you seek.”
to him. To us believers, the most sacred
"Now?” gasped Cartaret. The other
truth lies in the hieroglyphs inscribed by
nodded.
the divinely gifted Pharaoh before he
"But — it’s too sudden! I mean, the
died. Throughout the ages, we guardian
whole thing is like a dream. You come
priests have watched history unfold, and
out of the night, unbidden and unknown,
always it has agreed with the ideographs
show me the Seal, and graciously offer to
on those tunneled walls. We believe.
grant me my desires. Why? It doesn’t
"It is I have
because of our belief that
make sense.”
sought you out. For within the secret
"This makes sense.” The grave Arab
crypt of the Black Pharaoh it is written
indicated the black Seal.
upon the walls of the future that you shall
"Yes,” admitted Cartaret. "But —how descend there.”
can I trust you? Why must I go now?
Stunning silence.
Wouldn’t it be wiser to wait, and get the
proper authorities behind us? Won’t "Do you mean to say,” Carteret gasped,

there be need of excavation; aren’t there "that those pictures show me discovering

necessary instruments to take?” the spot?”

"No.” The other spread his palms up- "They do,” assented the dark man,
ward. "Just come.” slowly. "That is why I came to you un-
"Look here.” Cartaret’ s suspicion crys- bidden. You shall come with me and ful-
tallized in his sharp tones. "How do I fill the prophecy tonight, as it is writ-
know this isn’t a trap? Why should you ten.”
come to me this way? Who the devil are "Suppose I don’t come?” flashed Cap-
you?” tain Cartaret, suddenly. "What about
"Patience.” The dark man smiled. "I your prophecy then?”
shall explain have listened to your
all. I The Arab smiled. "You’ll come,” he
accounts of the 'legend’ with great inter- said. "You know that.”

est, and while your £’cts are clear, your Cartaret realized that it was so. Noth-
 FANE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 671

ing could keep him away from this amaz- smiled cynically, while he strode to the
ing discovery. A thought struck him. door.
"If this wall really records the details "Follow me,” he commanded.
of the future,” he began, "perhaps you
can tell me a little about my own coming
Will this discovery make me fa-
history.
mous? Will I return again to the spot?
T O CAPTAIN CARTARET that walk
through the moonlit streets of Cairo
was blurred in chaotic dream. His guide
Is it written that I am to bring the secret led him into labyrinths of looming shad-
of Nephren-Ka to light?” ows; they wandered through the twisted
The dark man looked grave. "That I native quarters and passed through a
do not know,” he admitted. "I neglected maze of unfamiliar alleys and thorough-
to tellyou something about the Walls of fares. Cartaret strode mechanically at the
—
Truth. My ancestor he who first de- dark stranger’s heels, his thoughts avid
scended into the secret spot after it had for tire great triumph to come.

been sealed, he who first looked upon the He hardly noticed their passage through
—
work of prophecy did a needful thing. when his companion
a dingy courtyard;
Deeming that such wisdom was not for drew up before an ancient well and
lesser mortals, he piously covered the pressed a niche revealing the passage be-
walls with concealing tapestry. Thus neath, he followed him as a matter of
none might look upon the future too far. course. From somewhere the Arab had
As time passed, the tapestry was drawn produced a flashlight. Its faint beam al-
back to keep pace with the actual events most rebounded from the murk of the
of history, and always they have coincided inky tunnel.
with the hieroglyphs. Through the ages, Together they descended a thousand
it has always been the duty of one priest stairs, into the ageless and eternal dark-
to descend to the secret tomb each day ness that broods beneath. Like a blind
and draw back the tapestry so as to reveal man, Cartaret stumbled down —down
the events of the day that follows. Now, into the depths of three thousand van-
during my life, that is my mission. My ished years.
fellows devote their time to the needful
of worship in hidden places. I alone
rites 4
descend the concealed passage daily and
—
draw back the
Truth.
place.
When
Understand
curtain
I die,

me
on the Walls of
another will take
—
my
the writing does
T
Through
he temple was entered

silver gates
the subter-
ranean temple-tomb of Nephren-Ka.
the priest passed,
not minutely concern every single event; his dazed companion following behind.
merely those which affect the history and Cartaret stood in a vast chamber, the
destiny of Egypt Today, my friend,
itself. niched walls of which were lined with
it was revealed that you should descend sarcophagi.
and enter into the place of your desire. "They hold the mummies of the in-
What the morrow holds in store for you terred priestsand servants,” explained his
I cannot say, until the curtain is drawn guide.
once more.” Strange were the mummy-cases of
"I suppose that there
Cartaret sighed. Nephren-Ka’s followers, not like those
is nothing else left but for me to go, known to Egyptology. The carven covers
then.” His eagerness was ill dissembled. bore no recognized, conventional features
The dark man observed this at once, and as was the usual custom; instead they
672 WEIRD TALES
presented the strange, grinning counte- lathotep, and buried the dead in the
nances of demons and creatures of fable. mummy-cases set here in the niches.
Jeweled eyes stared mockingly from the Then he had gone on to his own sepul-
black visages of gargoyles spawned in a cher within.
sculptor’s nightmare. From every side of The guide proceeded stolidly past the
the room those eyes shone through the looming figures. Cartaret, dissembling
shadows; unwinking, unchanging, omnis- his dismay, started to follow. For a mo-
cient in this little world of the dead. ment his feet refused to cross that grue-
somely guarded threshold into the room
Cartaret stirred uneasily. Emerald eyes
beyond. He stared upward to the eyeless,
of death, ruby eyes of malevolence, yel-
ogreish faces that leered down from diz-
low orbs of mockery; everywhere they
zying heights, with the feeling that he
confronted him. He was glad when his
walked in realms of sheer nightmare. But
guide led him forward at last, so that the
the huge arms beckoned him on; the un-
incongruous rays of the flashlight shone
seeing faces were convulsed in a smile of
on the entrance beyond. A moment later
mocking invitation.
his relief was dissipated by the sight of a
him The legends were true. The tomb ex-
new horror confronting at the inner
doorway.
isted. Would it not be better to turn back
now, seek sane aid, and return again to
Two gigantic figures shambled there,
what unguessed terror
guarding either side of the opening —two this spot? Besides,
might not lair in the realms beyond;
monstrous, troglodytic figures. Great go-
what horror spawn in the sable shadows
they were; enormous apes, carved in
rillas
of Nephren-Ka’s inner, secret sepulcher?
simian semblance from black stone. They
All reason urged him to call out to the
faced the doorway, squatting on mighty
strange priest and retreat to safety.
haunches, their huge, hairy arms upraised
But the voice of reason was but a
in menace. Their glittering faces were
hushed and awe-stricken whisper here in
brutally alive; they grinned, bare-fanged,
the brooding burrows of the past. This
with idiotic glee. And they were blind
was a realm of ancient shadow, where an-
eyeless and blind.
tique evil ruled. Here the incredible was
There was a terrible allegory in these real, and there was a potent fascination
figures which Carteret knew only too
in fear itself.
well. The blind apes were Destiny per-
Cartaret knew that he must go on; cu-
sonified; a hulking, mindless Destiny riosity, cupidity, tire lust for concealed
whose sightless, stupid gropings trampled
on the dreams of men and altered their
—
knowledge all impelled him. And the
Blind Apes grinned their challenge, or
lives by aimless Sailings of purposeless
command.
paws. Thus did they control reality.

bols
These were the Blind Apes of Truth,
according to the ancient legend; the sym-
of the old gods worshipped by
T he priest entered the third chamber,
and Cartaret followed. Crossing the
threshold, he plunged into an abyss of
Nephren-Ka. unreality.
Cartaret thought of the myths once The room was lighted by braziers set
more, and trembled. If tales were true, in a thousand stations; their glow bathed
Nephren-Ka had offered up that final the enormous burrow with fiery lumi-
mighty sacrifice upon the obscene laps of nance. Captain Cartaret, his head reeling
these evil idols; offered them up to Nyar- from the heat and mephitic miasma of
W. T.—
 FANE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 673

the place, was thus able to see the entire blasphemous abominations as Nyarlatho-
extent of this incredible cavern. tep.

Seemingly endless, a vast corridor

He sparred for time.

stretched on a downward slant into the

"Where is the tomb of Nephren-Ka
earth beyond —
a vast corridor, utterly
himself?”
treasure
he asked. "Where are the
and the ancient books?”
barren, save for the winking red braziers
along the walls. Their flaming reflections
The guide extended a lean forefinger.
"At the end of this hall,” he ex-
cast grotesque shadows that glimmered
claimed.
with unnatural life. Cartaret felt as
though he were gazing on the entrance to
Peering down the infinity of lighted

—
Karneter the mythical underworld of
walls, Cartaret indeed fancied that his
eyes could detect a dark blur of objects
Egyptian lore.
in the dim distance.
"Here we are,” said his guide, softly.
"Let us go there,” he said.
The unexpected sound of a human The guide shrugged. He turned, and
voice was startling.For some reason, it his feet moved over the velvet dust.
frightened Cartaret more than he cared Cartaret followed, as if drugged.
to admit; he had fallen into a vague ac- "The walls,” he thought. "I must not
ceptance of these scenes as being part of look at the walls. The Walls of Truth.
a fantastic dream. Now, the concrete The Black Pharaoh sold his soul to Nyar-
clarity of a spoken word only confirmed lathotep and received the gift of prophe-
an eery reality. cy. Before he died here he wrote the fu-

Yes, here they were, in the spot of

ture of Egypt on the walls. I must not

legend, the place known to Alhazred,

look, lest I believe. I must not know.”
Prinn, and all the dark delvers into un-
Red lights glittered on either side.
Step after step, light after light. Glare,
hallowed history. The tale of Nephren-
gloom, glare, gloom, glare.
Ka was true, and if so, what about the
rest of this strange priest’s statements?
The lights beckoned, enticed, attracted.

What about the Walls of Truth, on which

"Look at us,” they commanded. "See,

the Black Pharaoh had recorded the fu- dare to see all.”
Cartaret followed his silent conductor.
ture, had foretold Cartaret’s own advent
on the secret spot?
"Look!” flashed the lights.
Cartaret’s eyes grew glassy. His head
As answer to these inner whis-
if in
throbbed. The gleaming of the lights
pers, the guide smiled.
was mesmeric; they hypnotized with their
"Come, Captain Cartaret; do you not allure.
wish to examine the walls more closely?” "Look!”
The captain did not wish to examine Would this great hall never end? No;
the walls; desperately, he did not. For there were thousands of feet to go.
they, if in existence, would confirm the "Look!” challenged the leaping lights.
ghastly horror that gave them being. If Red serpent eyes in the underground
they existed, it meant that the whole evil dark; eyes of tempters, brit gers of black
legend was real; that Nephren-Ka, Black knowledge.
Pharaoh of Egypt, had indeed sacrificed "Look! Wisdom! Know!” winked the
to the dread dark gods, and that they had lights.
answered his prayer. Captain Cartaret did They flamed in Cartaret’s brain. Why
not greatly wish to believe in such utterly not look —
it was so easy? Why fear?
W. T.—
5674 WEIRD TALES
Why? His dazed mind repeated the ques- ency of it; the calculated picturization of
tion. Each following flare of fire weak- the most vital and important phases of
ened the question. Egyptian history could have been set

At last, Cartaret looked. down in such accurate order only by a

historical authority or a prophet. Ne-
5 phren-Ka had been given the gift of
prophecy. And so . . .

M ad minutes passed before he was

able to speak. Then he mumbled
in a voice audible only to himself.
As he ruminated
Cartaret and his guide proceeded.
that he had looked, a Medusian
in growing dread,
Now
fascina-
"True,” he whispered. "All true.”' tion held the man’s eyes to the wall. He
He stared at the towering wall to his walked with history tonight; history and
left, limned in red radiance. It was an red nightmare. Flaming figures leered
interminable Bayeux tapestry carved in from every side.
stone. The drawing was crude, in black He saw the rise of the Mameluke Em-
and white, but it frightened. This was no pire, looked on the despots and the ty-
ordinary Egyptian picture-writing; it was rants of the East. Not all of what he saw
not in the fantastic, symbolical style of was familiar to Cartaret, for history has
ordinary hieroglyphics. That was the ter- its forgotten pages. Besides, the scenes
rible part: Nephren-Ka was a realist. His changed and varied at almost every step,
men looked like men, his buildings were and it was quite confusing. There was
buildings. There was nothing here but a one picture interspersed with an Alexan-
representation of stark reality, and it was drian court motif which depicted a cata-
dreadful to see. comb evidently in some vaults beneath the
For at the point where Cartaret first city. Here were gathered a number of

summoned sufficient courage to gaze he men in robes which bore a curious simi-
stared at an unmistakable tableau involv- larity to those of Cartaret’s present guide.
ing Crusaders and Saracens. They were conversing with a tall, white-
Crusaders of the Thirteenth Century— bearded man whose crudely drawn figure
yet Nephren-Ka had then been dust for seemed to exude an uncanny aura of black
nearly two thousand years! and baleful power.
The were small, yet vivid and
pictures "Ludvig Prinn,” said the guide, softly,
distinct; they seemed to flow along quite noting Cartaret’s stare. "He mingled
effortlessly on the wall, one scene blend- with our priests, you know.”
ing into another as though they had been For some reason the depiction of this
drawn in unbroken continuity. It was as almost legendary seer stirred Cartaret
though the artist had not stopped once more deeply than any other hitherto re-
during his work; as though he had untir- The casual inclusion of
vealed terror. the
ingly proceeded to cover this gigantic hall infamous sorcerer in the procession of ac-
in a single supernatural effort. tual history hinted at dire things; it was
That was it — a single supernatural ef- as though Cartaret had read a prosaic bi-
fort! ography of Satan in Who’s Who.
Cartaret could not doubt. Rationalize Nevertheless, with a sort of heartsick
all he would,was impossible to believe
it craving his eyes continued to search the
that these drawings were trumped up by walls as they walkedonward to the still
any group of artists. It was one man’s indeterminate end of the long red-illu-
work. And the unerring horrid consist- mined chamber in which Nephren-Ka
 FANE OF THE BLACK PHARAOH 675

was interred. The guide —doubted

priest, now, Cartaret was looking at truths inspired
for Cartaret no longer — pro- by a demon. . . .

On and on, to the flaming fane of wor-

ceeded softly, but stole covert glances at
the white man as he led the way. ship and death at the end of the hall.
History progressed as he walked. Now
Captain Cartaret walked through a
he was looking at a period of Egyptian
dream. Only the walls were real now:
lore that was almost contemporary. The
the Walls of Truth. He saw the Othmans
figure of Napoleon appeared.
rise and flourish, looked on forgotten bat-
tles and unremembered kings. Often The battle of Aboukir the massacre . . .

there recurred in the sequence a scene de-

of the pyramids ... the downfall of the

picting the priests of Nephren-Ka’s own Mameluke horsemen the entrance to

. . .

Cairo.
furtive cult. They were shown amidst the . . .

disquieting surroundings of catacombs Once again, a catacomb with priests.

and tombs, engaged in unsavory occupa-

And three figures, white men, in French

tions and revolting pleasures. The cam-

military regalia of the period- The priests

era-film of time rolled on; Captain Car-

were leading them into a red room. The
companion walked on.
Frenchmen were surprized, overcome,
taret and his Still
slaughtered.
the walls told their story.
It was vaguely familiar. Cartaret was
There was one small division of the recalling what he knew of Napoleon’s
wall which portrayed the priests conduct- commission; he had appointed savants
ing a man in Elizabethan costume
and scientists to investigate the tombs
through what seemed to be a pyramid. It and pyramids of the land. The Rosetta
was eery to see the gallant in his finery stone had been discovered, and other
pictured amidst the ruins of ancient
things. Quite likely the three men shown
Egypt, and it was very dreadful indeed to
had blundered onto a mystery the priests
almost watch, like an unseen observer, of Nephren-Ka had not wanted to have
when a stealthy priest knifed the English- unveiled. Hence they had been lured to
man in the back as he bent over a mum- death as the walls showed. It was quite
my-case. familiar —
but there was another famili-
What now impressed Cartaret was the arity which Cartaret could not place.
infinitude of detail in each pictured frag-
ment. The features of all the men were
almost photographically exact; the draw-
ing, while crude, was and real-
life-like
T hey moved on, and the years rushed
by in panorama. The Turks, the
English, Gordon, the plundering of the
istic. Even the furniture and background pyramids, the World War. And ever so
of every scene were correct. There was often, a picture of the priests of Nephren-
no doubting the authenticity of it all, and Ka and a strange white man in some cata-
no doubting of the veracity thereby im- comb or vault. Always the white man
plied. —
But what was worse there was — died. It was all familiar.

no doubting that this work could not Cartaret looked up, and saw that he
have been done by any normal artist, and the were very near to the black-
priest
however learned, unless he had seen it ness at the end of the great fiery hall.
all. Only a hundred steps or so, in fact. The
Nephren-Ka had seen it all in pro- priest, face hidden in his burnoose, was

phetic vision, after his sacrifice to Nyar- beckoning him on.

lathotep. Cartaret looked at the wall. The pic-
676 WEIRD TALES
tures were almost ended. But no just — late into hideous reality. The priests of
ahead was a great curtain of crimson vel- Nephren-Ka protected their own. This
vet on a ceiling-rack which ran off into tomb of their dead leaders was also their
the blackness and reappeared from shad- fane, their temple. When intruders stum-
ows on the opposite side of the room to bled onto the secret, they lured them
cover that wall. down here and killed them lest others
learn too much.
"The future,” explained his guide.
And Captain Cartaret remembered that Had not he come in the same way?

the priest had told how each day he drew

The priest stood silent as he gazed at

back the curtain a bit so that the future

the Wall of Truth.
was always revealed just one day ahead. "Midnight,” he said softly. "I must
He remembered something else, and has- draw back the curtain to reveal yet an-
glanced at the of other day before we go on. You ex-
tily last visible section
the Wall of Truth next to the curtain.
pressed a wish, Captain Cartaret, to see

He gasped. what the future holds in store for you.

It was true! Almost as though gazing

Now that wish shall be granted.”
With a sweeping gesture he flung the
into a miniature mirror he found himself
curtain back along the wall for a foot.
staring into his own face!
Then he moved, swiftly.
Line for line, feature for feature, pos-
One hand leapt from the burnoose. A
ture for posture, he and the priest of Ne- gleaming knife flashed through the air,
phren-Ka were shown standing together
drawing red fire from the lamps, then
in this red chamber just as they were
sank into Cartaret’s back, drawing redder
now.
blood.
The red chamber . . . familiarity. The With a single groan, the white man
Elizabethan man
with the priests of Ne- fell. In his eyes there was a look of su-
phren-Ka were in a catacomb when the preme horror, not born of death alone.
man was murdered. The French scientists For as he fell. Captain Cartaret read his
were in a red chamber when they died. future in the Walls of Truth, and it con-
Other later Egyptologists had been shown firmed a madness that could not be.
in a red chamber with the priests, and As Captain Cartaret died he looked at
they too had been slain. The red cham- the picture of his next hours of existence
ber! Not familiarity but similarity! They and saw himself being knifed by the
had been in this chamber! And now he Nephren-Ka.
priest of
stood here, with a priest of Nephren-Ka. The priest vanished from the silent
The others had died because they had tomb, just as the last flicker of dying eyes
known too much. Too much about what showed to Cartaret the picture of a still
—Nephren-Ka? white body his body lying in death —
A terrible suspicion began to formu- before the Wall of Truth.
 "The droning voice ringing in his ears issued
from this nightmare creature."

Vhe
/3lack Stone Statue
By MARY ELIZABETH COUNSELMAN
An amazing tale —
of weird sculpture the story of a weird deception
practised on the world by an obscure artist by the—
author of " The Three Marked Pennies”

D
Gentlemen:
irectors,
Museum of
Boston, Mass.
Fine Arts,
as one might ask it of a true genius! if
I would do a statue of myself to be placed
among the great in your illustrious mu-
seum. Ah, gentlemen, that cablegram
—

was to me the last turn of the screw!

Today
I have just received aboard the I despise myself for what I have done
5. S.Madrigal your most kind cable, in the name of art. Greed for money and
praising my work and asking —
humbly, acclaim, weariness with poverty and the
677
678 WEIRD TALES
contempt of my inferiors, hatred for a had folded her arms stubbornly. A
world that refused to see any merit in my week’s rent in advance, or ye don’t step
work: these things have driven me to my rooms!”
foot into one o’
commit a series of strange and terrible On impulse I moved forward, digging
crimes. intomy pocket. I smiled at the young
In these days I have thought often of man and thrust almost my last two dol-
suicide as a way out — a coward’s w'ay, lars into the landlady’s hand. Smirking,
leaving me the fame
I do not deserve. she bobbed off and left me alone with
But since receiving yoiy cablegram, laud- the stranger.
ing me for what I am not and never "You shouldn’t have done that,” he
could be, I am determined to write this sighed, and gripped my hand hard.
letter for the world to read. It will ex- "Thanks, old man. I’ll repay you next
plain everything. And having written it, week, though. Next week,” he whis-
I shall then atone for my sin in (to you, pered, and his eyes took on a glow of
perhaps) a horribly ironic manner but anticipation, "I’ll write you a check for a
(to me) one that is most fitting. thousand dollars. Two thousand!”
Let me go back to that miserable sleet- He laughed delightedly at my quizzical
lashed afternoon as I came into the hall expression and plunged out into the
of Mrs. Bates’s rooming-house — a crawl- storm again, whistling.
ing, filthy hovel for the poverty-stricken, In that moment his identity struck me
like myself, who were
too proud to go on like a blow. the young
Paul Kennicott —
relief. Whenstumbled in, drenched
I aviator whose had been on the
picture
and dizzy with hunger, our landlady’s front page of every newspaper in the
ample figure was blocking the hallway. country a few months ago! His plane
She was arguing with a tall, shabbily had crashed somewhere in the Brazilian
dressed young man whose face I was cer- wilds, and the nation mourned him and
tain I had seen somewhere before. his co-pilot for dead. Why was he sneak-
"Just a week,” his deep, pleasant voice ing back into New York like a criminal
was beseeching the old harridan. "I’ll penniless, almost hysterical with excite-
pay you double at the end of that time, ment, with an air of secrecy about him
just as soon as I can put over a deal I to hide himself here in the slum district?

have in mind.”
I paused, staring at him covertly while climbed the rickety stairs to my shab-
I shook the sleet from my hat-brim. Fine I by room and was plying the chisel
gray eyes met mine across the landlady’s half-heartedly on my Dancing Group,
head —haggard now, and overbright with when suddenly I became aware of a
suppressed excitement. There was peculiar buzzing sound, like an angry bee
strength, character, in that face under its shut up in a jar. I slapped my ears sev-
stubble of mahogany-brown There beard. eral times, annoyed, believing the noise
was, too, a firm set to the man’s shoulders to be in my own head. But it kept on,
and beautifully formed head. Here, I told growing louder by the moment.
myself, was someone who had lived all It seemed to come from the hall; and
his life with dangerous adventure, some- simultaneously I heard the stair-steps
one whose clean-cut features, even under creak just outside my room.
that growth of beard, seemed vaguely Striding to the door, I jerked it open
familiar to my sculptor’s-eye for detail. to see Paul Kennicott tiptoeing up the
"Not one day, no sirree!” Mrs. Bates stairs in stealthy haste. He started vio-
 THE BLACK STONE STATUE 679

lently at sight of me and attempted to goes out tomorrow. I was just keeping it

hide under his coat an odd black box he for a friend.”

was carrying. "Eh? Well ” She eyed me sourly,

But it was too large: almost two feet then sniffed and went on back down-
square, roughly fashioned of wood and stairs, muttering under her breath.
the canvas off an airplane wing. But this I strode to Kennicott’s door and rapped
was not immediately apparent, for the softly. A key grated in the lo'ck and I was
whole thing seemed to be covered with a admitted by my wild-eyed neighbor. On
coat of shiny black enamel. When it the bed, muffled by pillows, lay the black
bumped against the balustrade, however, box humming softly on a shrill note.
it gave a solid metallic sound, unlike
cloth-covered wood. That humming noise,
"I n —n n— —ng!” rig it went, exactly
like a radio tuned to a station that is
I was sharply aware, came from inside temporarily off the air.
the box.
Curiositywas gnawing at my vitals.
I stepped out into the hall and stood
Impatiently I watched Kennicott striding
blocking the passage rather grimly. up and down the little attic room, strik-
"Look here,” I snapped. "I know ing one fist against the other palm.
who you are, Kennicott, but I don’t know "Well?” I demanded.
why you’re hiding out like this. What’s
And withobvious reluctance, in a voice
it all about? You’ll tell me, or I’ll turn
jerky with excitement, he began to unfold
you over to the police!”
the secret of the thing inside that onyx-
Panic leaped into his eyes. They plead- like box. I sat on the bed beside it, my
ed with me silently for an instant, and eyes riveted on Kennicott’s face, spell-
then we heard the plodding footsteps of
bound by what he was saying.
Mrs. Bates come upstairs.
"Who’s got that raddio?” her queru- ,(
r\ ur
$
plane,” he began, "was demol-
lous voice preceded her. "I hear it hum- ished. We made a forced landing
min’! Get it right out of here if you in the center of a dense jungle. If you
don’t wanta pay me extry for the ’lectric- know Brazil at all, you’ll know what it
ity it’s burnin’.” was like. Trees, trees, trees! Crawling
"Oh, ye gods!” Kennicott groaned insects as big as your fist. A hot sicken-
frantically. "Stall her! Don’t let that ing smell of rotting vegetation, and now
gabby old fool find out about this -it’ll — and then the screech of some animal or
ruin everything! Help me, and I’ll tell bird eery enough to make your hair stand
you the whole story.” on end. We cracked up right in the mid-
He darted past me without waiting for dle of nowhere.
my answer and slammed the door after "I crawled out of the wreckage with
him. The droning noise subsided and only a sprained wrist and a few minor
then was swiftly muffled so that it was cuts, but McCrea —my co-pilot, you
no longer audible. know —got a broken leg and a couple of
Mrs. Bates puffed up the stairs and bashed ribs. He was in a bad way, poor
eyed me accusingly. "So it’s you that’s devil! Fat little guy, bald, scared of
got that raddio? I told you the day you women, and always cracking wise about
”
come something. A swell sport.”
"All right,” I said, pretending annoy- The aviator’s face convulsed briefly,

ance. "I’ve turned it off, and anyhow it and he stared at the box on the bed be-
680 WEIRD TALES
side me with a peculiar expression of though somebody had turned out the
loathing. lights and yet you could still distinguish
prompted.
"McCrea’s’ dead, then?” I the formation of every object around you.
Kennicott nodded his head dully, and It was uncanny!
shrugged. "God only knows! I guess "There was black sand on the ground
you’d call it death. But let me get on as far as I could see. Not soft jungle-

with it. soil, damp and fertile. This stuff was as

"We slashed and sweated our way hard and dry as emery, and it glittered
through an almost impenetrable wall of like soft coal. All the trees were black
undergrowth for two days, carrying what and shiny like anthracite, and not a leaf
food and cigarets we had in that make- stirred anywhere, not an insect crawled. I

shift box there.” almost fainted as I realized why.

A thumb-jerk indicated the square "Itwas a petrified forest!

black thing beside me, droning softly "Those trees, leaves and all, had turned
without a break on the same high note. into a shiny black kind of stone that
"McCrea was running a fever, though, looked like coal but was much harder. It
so we made camp and I struck out to find wouldn’t chip when I struck it with a
”
water. When I came back fallen limb of the same stuff. It wouldn’t
Kennicott choked. I stared at him, bend; I simply had to squeeze through
waiting until his hoarse voice went on holes in underbrush more rigid than cast
doggedly: iron. And all black, mind you — a jungle
"When I came back, McCrea was gone. of fuliginous rock like something out of
I called and called. No answer. Then, Dante’s Inferno.
thinking he might have wandered away "Once I stumbled over an object and
delirious, I picked out his trail and fol- stopped to pick it up. It was McCrea’s
lowed it into the jungle. It wasn’t hard canteen —
the only thing in sight, besides
to do, because he had to break a path myself, that w as not made of that queer
7

through that wall of undergrowth, and black stone. He had come this way, then.
now and then I’d find blood on a bram- Relieved, I started shouting his name
ble or maybe a scrap of torn cloth from again, but the sound of my voice fright-
his khaki shirt. ened me. The silence of that place fairly
"Not more than a hundred yards south pressed against my eardrums, broken only
of our camp I suddenly became aware of by that steady droning sound. But, you
a queer humming sound in my ears. Posi- see, I’d become so used to it, like the

tive that this had drawn McCrea, I fol- constant ticking of a clock, that I hardly
lowed it. It got louder and louder, like heard it.

the drone of a powerful dynamo. It "Panic swept over me all at once, an

seemed to fill the air and set all the trees unreasonable fear, as the sound of my
to quivering. My teeth were on edge own voice banged against the trees and
with the monotony of it, but I kept on, came back in a thousand echoes, borne on
and unexpectedly found myself walking that humming sound that never changed
into a patch of jungle that was all black! its tone. know why; maybe it was
I don’t
Not burnt in a forest fire, as I first the grindingmonotony of it and the un-
thought, but dead-black in every detail. But
relieved black of that stone forest.
Not a spot of color anywhere; and in that my nerve snapped and I bolted back
jungle with all its vivid foliage, the effect along the way I had come, sobbing like
really slapped you in the face! It was as a kid.
 THE BLACK STONE STATUE 681

"I must have run in a circle, though, the last hair of his eyelashes, was a per-
tripping and cutting myself on that rock- fect mask of black rock set in an expres-
underbrush. In my terror I forgot the sion of puzzled curiosity.
direction of our camp. I was lost

abruptly I realized it — lost in that hell of “T got to my feet and walked around
coal-black stone, without food or any the figure, then gave it a push. It

chance of McCrea’s
getting it, with toppled over, just like a statue, and the
empty canteen in my hand and no idea sound of was deafening in that
its fall

where he had wandered in his fever. silent forest. Hefting it, I was amazed
to find that it weighed less than twenty
"For hours I plunged on, forgetting to
pounds. I hacked at it with a file we had
and cursing aloud because Mc-
back-track,
Crea wouldn’t answer me. That hum- brought from the plane in lieu of a
ming noise had got on my nerves now, machete, but only succeeded in snapping

droning on that one shrill note until I the tool in half. Not a chip flew off the

thought I would go mad. Exhausted, I

statue. Not a dent appeared in its pol-
ished surface.
sank down on that emery-sand, crouched
against the trunk of a black stone tree.
"The thing was so unspeakably weird
that I did not even try to explain it to
McCrea had deserted me, I thought
crazily. Someone had rescued him and myself, but started calling McCrea again.

he had left me here to die —which If was a gag of some kind, he could
it

explain it. But there was no answer to

should give you an idea of my state of
mind. my shouts other than the monotonous
hum of that unseen dynamo.
"I huddled there, letting my eyes rove
"Instead of frightening me more, this
in a sort of helpless stupor. On the sand
weird discovery seemed to jerk me up
beside me was a tiny rock that resembled
short. Collecting my scattered wits, I
a butterfly delicately carved out of onyx.
started back-trailing myself to the camp,
I picked it up dazedly, staring at its hard
thinkingMcCrea might have returned in
little legs and feelers like wire that
my absence. The droning noise was so
would neither bend nor break off. And
loud now, pained my eardrums unless
it
then my gaze started wandering again.
I kept my
hands over my ears. This I
on something a few dozen
"It fastened
did, stumbling along with my eyes glued
paces to —
my right and I was sure then to my own footprints in the hard dry
that had gone mad. At first it seemed
I .
sand.
to be a stump of that same dark mineral.
“And suddenly I brought irp short.
But it wasn’t a stump. I crawled over to Directly ahead of me, under a black stone
it and sat there, gaping at it with my
bush, lay something that made me gape
senses reeling, while that humming noise
with my mouth ajar.
rang louder and louder in my ears.
“I can’t describe it —
no one could. It
"It was a black stone statue of Mc- resembled nothing so much as a star-
Crea, perfect in every detail! shaped blob of transparent jelly that
"He was depicted stooping over, with shimmered and changed color like an
one hand holding out his automatic opal. It appeared to be some lower form
gripped by the barrel. His stocky figure, of animal, one-celled, not large, only
aviator’s helmet, his makeshift crutch, about a foot in circumference when it
and even the splints on his broken leg stretched those feelers out to full length.
were shiny black stone. And his face, to It oozed along over the sand like a snail.
682 WEIRD TALES
groping its way with those star-points Thing struck me like a blow. That black
and it hummed! stone the creature’s touch created from
"The droning noise ringing in my ears any earth-substance —by rays from its

issued from this nightmare creature! body, by a secretion of its glands, by God
"It was nauseating to watch, and yet knows what strange metamorphosis —was
beautiful, too, with all those iridescent indestructible! Bridges, houses, build-

colors gleaming against that setting of ings, roads, could be built of ordinary
dead-black stone. I approached within a material and then petrified by the touch
pace of it, started to nudge it with my of this jelly-like Thing which had surely
foot, but couldn’t quite bring myself to tumbled from some planet with life-
touch the squashy thing. And I’ve forces diametrically opposed to our own.
thanked my stars ever since for being so "Millions of dollars squandered on
squeamish! construction each year could be diverted
"Instead, took off my flying-helmet
I
to other phases of life, for no cyclone or
and tossed the goggles directly in the flood could damage a city built of this
path of the creature. It did not pause or hard black rock.
turn aside, but merely reached out one
"I said a little prayer for my martyred
of those sickening feelers and brushed co-pilot, and then and there resolved to
the goggles very lightly.
take the creature back to civilization
"And they turned to stone! with me.
"Just that! God be my witness that
"It could be trapped, I was sure
those leather and glass goggles grew
though the prospect appealed to me far
black before my starting eyes. In less
less than that of caging a hungry leopard!
than a minute they were petrified into
I did not venture to try it until I had
hard fuliginous rode like everything else
studied the problem from every angle,
around me.
however, and made certain deductions
"In one hideous moment I realized the
through experiment.
meaning of that weirdly life-like statue
of McCrea. I knew what he had done. "I found that any substance already
He had prodded this jelly-like Thing petrified was insulated against the thing’s
had turned power. I tossed my belt on it, saw it
with his automatic, and it

him —and everything in contact with him freeze into black rock, then put my

—into shiny dark stone.

«
wrist-watch in contact with the rock belt.
"Nausea overcame me. I wanted to My watch remained as it was. Another
run, to escape the sight of that oozing phenomenon I discovered was that petri-

horror, but reason came to my rescue. I faction also occurred in things in direct

reminded myself that was Paul Kenni-

I contact with something the creature

cott, intrepid explorer. Through a hor- touched, if that something was not al-

rible experience McCrea and I had stum- ready petrified.

bled upon something in the Brazilian "Dropping my glove fastened to my
wilds which would revolutionize the civ- signet ring, I let the creature touch only
ilized world. McCrea was dead, or in the glove. But both objects were petri-

some ghastly suspended form of life, fied. I tried it again with a chain of
through his efforts to solve the mystery. three objects, and discovered that the

I owed it to him and to myself not to touched object and the one in contact
lose my head now. with it turned into black rock, while the
"For the practical possibilities of the third on the chain remained unaffected.
 THE BLACK STONE STATUE 683

“Tt TOOK me about three days to trap He stopped, eyeing me anxiously. I

the thing, although it gave no more stared at him and rose slowly from the
actual resistance, of course, than a large bed. Thoughts were seething in my
snail. McCrea, poor devil, had blun- —
mind dark ugly thoughts, ebbing and
dered into the business; but I went at it flowing to the sound of that "/ n n — —
in a scientific manner, knowing what —
n n g n n g!” that filled the shabby
danger I faced from the creature. I room.
found my way again to our camp and For, I did see the possibilities of that
brought back our provision box yes, the — jelly-like thing’s power to turn any ob-
one there on the bed beside you. When ject into black stone. But I was thinking
the thing’s touch had turned it into a as a sculptor. What do I care for roads
perfect stone cage for itself, I scooped it or buildings? Sculpture is my whole life!

inside with petrified branches. But, To my mind’s eye rose the picture of co-
Lord! How the sweat stood out on my pilot McCrea as Kennicott had described

face at the prospect of a slip that might him—a figure, perfect to the last detail,

make me touch the horrible little organ- done in black stone.

ism! Kennicott was still eyeing me anxious-
"The trip out of that jungle was a ly—perhaps reading the ugly thoughts
nightmare. I spent almost all I had, hir- shadows behind my eyes.
that flitted like
ing scared natives to guide me a mile or mum?” he begged. "Do
"You’ll keep
so before they’d bolt with terror of my that for me, old boy,and I’ll set you up
humming box. On board a tramp steam- in a studio beyond your wildest dreams.
er bound for the States, I nearly lost my I’ll build up your fame as what are —
captive. The mate thought it was an
first you?”
infernal machine and tried to throw it His gray eyes fastened on my dirty
overboard. My last cent went to shut smock.
him up; so I landed in New York flat "Some kind of an artist? I’ll show you
broke.” how much I appreciate your help. Are
Paul laughed and spread
Kennicott you with me?”
his hands. "But here I am. I don’t dare Some kind of an artist! Perhaps if he
go to anyone I know just yet. Reporters had not said that, flaying my crushed
will run me ragged, and I want plenty of pride and ambition to the quick, I would
time to make the right contacts. Do you never have done the awful thing I did.
realize what’s in that box?” He grinned But black jealousy rose in my soul
with boyish delight. "Fame and for- jealousy of this eager young man who
tune, that’s what! McCrea’s family will could walk out into the streets now with
never know want again. Science will re- his achievement and make the world bow
member our names along with Edison at his feet, while I in my own field was

and Bell and all the rest. We’ve dis- no more to the public than what he had
covered a new force that will rock the called me: "some kind of an artist.” At
world with its possibilities. That’s why,” that moment I knew precisely what I
he explained, "I’ve sneaked into the wanted to do.
country like an alien. If the wrong peo- I did not meet his frank gray eyes. In-

ple heard of this first, my life wouldn’t stead, I pinned my gaze on that droning
be worth a dime, understand? There are black box as my voice rasped harshly:
millions involved in this thing. Billions! "No! Do you really imagine that I
Don’t you see?” believe this idiotic story of yours? You’re
684 WEIRD TALES
insane! I’m going to call the police Then footsteps were clumping up the
they’ll find out what really happened to stairs again. I realized that Mrs. Bates
McCrea out there in the jungle! There’s would surely have heard the violent
nothing in that box. It’s just a trick.” droning that issued from the open box. I

Kennicott’s mouth fell open, then shut it swiftly, muffled it, and shoved it

closed in an angry line. The next mo- under the bed.

ment he shrugged and laughed.
"Of course you don’t believe me,” he was at my own doorway when the
nodded. "Who could? — unless they had I landlady came puffing up the stairs.

seen what I’ve seen with my own eyes. My was calm, my voice contained,
face
Here,” he said briskly, "I'll take this and no one but me could hear the furi-
book and drop it in the box for you. ous pounding of my heart.
You’ll see the creature, and you’ll see this "Now, you look a-here!” Mrs. Bates
book turned into black stone.” burst out. "I told you to turn that raddio
stepped back, heart pounding, eyes
I off. You take it right out of my room
narrowed. Kennicott leaned over the this minute! Runnin’ up my bill for
bed, unfastened the box gingerly with a Tectricity!”
wary expression on his face, and mo-
I apologized meekly and with a great
tioned me to approach. Briefly I glanced
show carried out a tool-case of mine,
over his shoulder as he dropped the book
saying it was the portable radio I had
inside the open box.
been testing for a friend. her
I saw horror —a jelly-like, opalescent
for the moment, but
It satisfied

later, as I was carry-

thing like a five-pointed star. It pulsed
ing the black stone figure of Paul Kenni-
and quivered for an instant, and the room
cott to my own room, she caught me at it.
fairly rocked to the unmuffled sound of
that vibrant humming. "Why,” the old snoop exclaimed. "If
that ain’t the spiffin’ image of our new
I also saw the small cloth-bound book
roomer! Friend of yours, is he?”
Kennicott had dropped inside. It lay
half on top of the squirming creature — thought swiftly and lied jauntily. "A
I

book carved out of black stone. model of mine. I’ve been working on

"There! You see?” Kennicott pointed. this statue at night, the reason you

And those were the last words he ever haven’t seen him going in and out. I
uttered. thought I would have to rent a room for

Remembering what he had said about him here, but as the statue is finished

the power of the creature being unable now, won’t be necessary after all. You
it

to penetrate to a third object, I snatched may keep the rent money, though,” I
at Kennicott’s sleeve-covered arm, gave added. "And get me a taxi to haul my
him a violent shove, and saw his muscu- masterpiece to the express station. I am
lar hand plunge for an instant deep into ready to submit it to the Museum of Fine
the black box. The sleeve hardened be- Arts.”

neath my fingers. And that is my story, gentlemen. The

I cowered back, sickened at what I had black stone statue which, ironically, I
done. chose to Fear of the Unknown, is not
call

Paul Kennicott, his arms thrown out a product of my skill. (Small wonder
and horror stamped on his fine young several people have noticed its re-
face,had frozen into a statue of black semblance to the "lost explorer,” Paul
shiny stone! Kennicott!) Nor did I do the group of
 THE BLACK STONE STATUE 685

soldiers commissioned by the Anti-War earth should be exterminated.

of ours,
Association. None of my so-called As soon as darkness falls I shall stand on
Symphonies in Black were wrought by deck and balance the box on the rail so
—
my hand but I can tell you what became that it will fall into the sea after my hand
of the models who were unfortunate has touched what is inside.
enough to pose for me! I wonder if the process of being turned
My real work is perhaps no better into that black rock is painful, or if it is

than that of a rank novice, although up accompanied only by a feeling of leth-

to that fatal afternoon I had honestly be- argy? And McCrea, Paul Kennicott, and
lieved myself capable of great work as a those unfortunate models whom I have
sculptor some day. passed off as "my work” — are they dead,
But I am an impostor. You want a as we know death, or are their statues
statue of me, you say in your cablegram, sentient and possessed of nerves? How
done in the mysterious black stone which does that jelly creature feel to the touch?
has made me famous? Ah, gentle-
so Does it impart a violent electrical shock
men, you shall have that statue! or a subtle emanation of some force be-
I am writing this confession aboard the yond our ken, changing the atom-struc-
S. S. Madrigal, and I shall leave it with a ture of the flesh it turns into stone?
steward to be mailed to you at our next Many such questions have occurred to
port of call. me often in the small hours when I lie
Tonight I shall take out of my state- awake, tortured by remorse for what I
room the hideous thing in its black box have done.
which has never left my side. Such a But tonight, gentlemen, I shall know
creature, contrary to all nature on this all the answers.

Vhe
O By
Id House on the
WINONA MONTGOMERY GILLILAND
Hill

From the wide valley, I looked up and saw

The house upon the hill, that I had seen
So many times before. By every law
It should have seemed, just what it long had been,
An old house that someone, with loving care,
Had painted white; at doors and windows hung
Green-painted shutters. But it had an air
Of difference, today. The wind had flung,
Or some hand closed, the shutters on the doors,
French-doors, with windows over them; the trim
Between shone white, through pines and sycamores,
To form two crosses, and my eyes grew dim.
I thought, "There is no home without its cross

Hidden about it somewhere; pain or loss.” —

 Jmmes of Vengeance
By SEABURY QUINN
A strange doom hung over young Pemberton and his wife, a brooding horror
spawned in India and transplanted to America in all its murderous
potency —a brilliant exploit of Jules de Grandin

W ITH
lips
intently
pursed
de Grandin stood envel-
Jules
in

oped in a gayly flowered apron while he

measured out the olive oil as an apothe-
narrowed
concentration,
eyes,
"
"Indade an’ ye’ll not,” protested Nora.
’Tis meself as’ll take me hand off’n th’
side of

row,”
’is

"I’d better leave

I
face—
—
you with your
broke in as I tiptoed toward the
sor-

cary might decant a precious drug. In door. "It’s probably a patient, and I
the casserole before him lay the lobster can’t afford to have you commit mayhem
meat, the shredded bass, the oysters, the on my customers.”
crab-meat and the eel. Across the stove "Doctor de Grandin?” asked the
from him Nora McGinnis, my household young man at the door. "I’ve a letter to
”
factotum and the finest cook in northern you from
Jersey, gazed at him like a nun breathless "Come into the study,” I invited.

with adoration. "Doctor de Grandin’s occupied right

"Mon Dieu,” he whispered reverently, now, but he’ll see you in a minute.”
"one little drop too much and he is The visitor was tall and lean, not thin,
ruined, a single drop too few and he is but trained down to bone and muscle,
simply spoiled! Observe me, ma petite, and his face possessed that brownish
” tinge which tells of residence in the trop-
see how I drop l’ essence de l’ olive

The door-bell’s clangor broke the si- ics. His big nose, high cheekbones and
lence like a raucous laugh occurring at a sandy hair, together with his smartly
funeral service. Nora jumped a full six clipped mustache, would have labeled
inches, the olive oil ran trickling from the him a Briton, even had he lacked the
cruet, splashing on the prepared sea-food carelessnonchalance of dress and Oxford
in the sauce-pan. Small Frenchman and accent which completed his ensemble.
big Irishwoman exchanged a look of good of Sergeant Costello to
"Jolly
consternation, a look such as the Lord give me a chit to you,” he told de Gran-
Chancellor might give the Lord Chief din as the little Frenchman came into
Justice if at the moment of anointment the study and eyed him with cold hatred.
the Archbishop were to pour the ampul- "I’m sure I don’t know where I could
la’s on the unsuspecting
entire contents have looked for help if he’d not thought
head of new-crowned king.
Britain’s of you.”
The was ruined!
bouillabaisse De Grandin’s frigid manner showed
"Bring him here!” bade Jules de Gran- no sign of thawing. "What can I do
din in a choking voice. "Bring the vile for you, Monsieur le Capitaine
?”
—or is it

miscreant here, and I shall cut his black lieutenant he asked.

heart out; I shall pull his so vile nose! The caller gave a start. "You know
”
I shall me?” he demanded.
ms
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 687

"I have never had the pleasure of be- "It’s a funny, mixed-up sort o’ thing,”
holding you before,” the Frenchman an- the other answered. "You’re right in
swered. His tone implied he was not saying that I’ve been in India; I was out

anxious to prolong the scrutiny. there almost twenty years. Chucked it

"But you knew I was in the service?” up and went to farmin’; then a cousin
"Naturally. You are obviously Eng- died here in the province of New Jersey,
lish and a gentleman. You were at least leavin’ me a mass o’ rock and rubble and
eighteen in 1914. That assures one you about two hundred thousand pounds, to
were in the war. Your complexion shows boot.”
you have resided in the tropics, which The look of long-enduring patience
might mean either India or Africa, but deepened on
de Grandin’s features.
you called the sergeant’s note a chit, "And what one to do?” he rejoined
is

which means you’ve spent some time in v/earily. "Help you find a buyer for the
India. Now, if you will kindly state your land? You will be going back to Eng-
business ” he paused with raised land with the cash, of course.”
eyebrows. The caller’s tanned complexion deep-
688 WEIRD TALES
ened with a flush, but he ignored the left two sons, and they died trying to
studied insult of the question. "No such live out the year at Foxcroft. So did their
luck. be takin’ up your time if
I’d not two sisters, and their husbands. The
things were simple as that. What I need chap I take it from was the younger
is someone to help me duck the family daughter’s son, and not born on the
curse until I can comply with the will’s property. There’s never been a birth in
terms. He was a queer blighter, this the old manor house, though there have
American cousin of mine. His great- been twelve sudden deaths there; for
grandfather came out to the provinces every legatee attempting to observe the
the States, I should say —without so dictates of old Albert’s will has died. Yet

much as a pot to drink his beer from or each generation has passed the estate
a window he could toss it out of; cadet down with the same proviso for a year’s
of the family, and all that, you know. residence as condition precedent to in-
He must have prospered, though, for heritance. Seems as if they’re all deter-
”
when he burned to death he left half the mined to defy the curse
bally county to his heirs at law, and pro- "Mille tounnents, this everlasting
vided in his will that whoever took the curse; what is this seven times accursed
estate must live at least twelve months curse of which you speak so glibly and
in the old mansion house. Sort o’ period tellus absolutely nothing?”
of probation, you see. No member of For answer Pemberton reached in his
the family can get a penny of the cash jacket and produced a locket. It was
till he’s finished out his year of resi- made of gold, slightly larger than an
dence. I fancy the old duffer got the old-time watch, and set with rows of
wind up at the last and was bound he’d seed-pearls round the edge. Snapping it
show the heathens that their blighted open, he disclosed two portraits painted
curse was all a lot of silly rot.” with minute detail on ivory plaques. One
was of a young man in a tightly-buttoned

D e grandin’s air of cold hostility

had been moderating steadily. As
the caller finished speaking he leant for-
jacket of white cloth, high-collared, gilt-
braided, with insignia of
rank upon the shoulders. Upon his head
some military

ward with a smile. "You have spoken of he wore a military cap shaped something
a family curse. Monsieur; just what is it, like the kepi which the French wore in
if you please?” Algeria about the middle of the Nine-
An embarrassed look came in the teenth Century, hooded in a linen sheath
other’s face. "Don’t think that I’m an which terminated in a neck-cloth trailing
utter ass,” he begged. "I know it sounds down between his shoulders. Despite the
a bit thick when you put it into words, mustache and long sideburns the face
but — well, the thing has seemed to work, was youthful; the man could not have
and I’d rather not take chances. All right been much more than three and twenty.
for me, of course; but there’s Avis and "That’s Albert Pemberton,” our visitor
the little chap to think of. announced. "And that’s his wife Maria,
"Old Albert Pemberton, my great- or, as she w as originally known, Saras-
r

grandfather’s brother and the founder of tai.”

the family in America, left two sons, "Parbleu!”

John and Albert, junior. They were will- "Quite so. Lovely, wasn’t she?”
ing enough to pass their year of resi- She was, indeed. Her hair, so black
dence, but neither of ’em finished it. John it seemed to have the blue lights of a
W. T. —
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 689

cockerel’s ruff within its depths, was "Non, non,” he answered with a
smoothly parted in the middle and laugh, "that is the beauty of the tropics
brought down each side her face across which we see upon her face. She was
the small and low-set ears, framing an correct me if I err,
— Monsieur” he —
oleander-white forehead. Her wide- bowed to Pemberton "she was an
spaced, large, dark eyes and her full- Indian lady, and, unless I miss my guess,
lipped mouth were exquisite. Her nose a high-caste Hindoo, one of those in
was small and straight, with fine-cut whom the blood of Alexander’s conquer-
nostrils; her chin, inclined to pointed- ing Greeks ran almost undefiled. N’est-
ness, was cleft across the middle by a ce-pas?”
dimple. Brows of almost startling black "Correct!” our visitor agreed. "My
curved in circumflexes over her fine eyes met her just before the
great-great-uncle
in the "flying gull’’ formation so much Mutiny, in 1856. It was through her that
prized by beauty connoisseurs of the he came here, and through her that the
early eighteen hundreds. Pearl-set pend- curse began, according to the family
ants dangled from her ear-lobes nearly legend.”
to the creamy shoulders which her low- Lights were playing in de Grandin’s
necked gown exposed. One hand was eyes, little flashes like heat-lightning
laid upon her bosom, and the fingers flickering in a summer sky, as he bent
were so fine and tapering that they and tapped our caller on the knee with an
seemed almost transparent, and were imperative forefinger. "At the begin-
tipped by narrow, pointed nails almost as ning, if you please, Monsieur,” he bade.
red as strawberries. She was younger "Start at the beginning and relate the
than her husband by some three or four tale. It may help to guide us when we
years,and her youthful look was height- come to formulate our strategy. This
ened by the half-afraid, half-pleading Monsieur Albert Pemberton met his lady
glance that lay in her dark eyes. while he served with the East India Com-
"Que c’est belle; que c’est jeune!” de pany in the days before the Sepoy
Grandin breathed. "And it was through Mutiny. How was it that he met her,
”
her and where did it occur?”
Our caller started forward in his chair.
"Yes! How’d you emberton smiled quizzically as he
I looked at
guess it?”
them in wonder. That P Frenchman prof-
lighted the cigar the
they understood each other perfectly was fered. it from his journal,” he
"I have
obvious, but what it was they were agreed replied. "They were great diarists, those
on I could not imagine. old boys, and my uncle rated a double
De Grandin chuckled as he noticed first when it came to setting down the

my bewilderment. "Tell him, mon ami,” happenings of the day with photographic
he bade the Englishman. "He cannot detail. In the fall of ’56 he was scout-
understand how one so lovely morbleu, ing up Bithoor way with a detail of
my friend,” he turned to me, "I bet my- North Country sowars mounted troops, —
self five francs you do not more than —
you know henna-bearded, swaggering
half suspect the lady’s nationality!” followers of the Prophet who would
"Of course I do,” I answered short- cheerfully have slit every Hindoo throat
ly. "She’s English. Anyone can see between the Himalayas and the Bay of
that much. She was Mrs. Pemberton, Bengal. They made temporary camp for
”
and tiffin in a patch of wooded land, and the

W. T.—
690 WEIRD TALES
fires had just been lighted underneath the off Pemberton’s reply. "I make the
troopers’cook-pots when there came a wager with myself. I bet me twenty
sort ofominous murmur from the road- francs I know the answer to his conduct
way which wound past the woodland ere you tell it. the wager is re-
Bon,
toward the river and the burning-ghats corded. Now, you please, proceed.”
if

beyond. Little flickers of the flame that A boyish grin was on the Briton’s face
was about to burst into a holocaust next as he replied: "It was a tight fix to be in,
year were already beginning to show, and but I think the old boy used his head,
my uncle thought it best to take no at that. First of all, he bundled his dis-

chances; so he sent a file of troopers with patches in a packet and told a sowar off
a subadar to see what it was all about. In to take them to the Residency. It was no
came back,
ten or fifteen minutes they child’s-play to select a messenger, for
swearing such oaths as only Afghan every man in his command itched to sink
Mussulmans can use when speaking of a saber-blade in Hindoo flesh; so finally

despised Hindoos. they compromised by drawing lots.

" They’re a bunch of johnnies,
'Wah, it is a burning, Captain Sahib,’ fatalistic

the subadar reported. 'The Infidels —may those Mohammedans, and the chap who
Allah make their faces black! — drag drew the short straw said it was the will

forth a widow to be burnt upon her hus- of Allah that he be denied the pleasure
band’s funeral pyre.’ of engaging in the shindy, and rode away
"Now the British Raj forbade suttee without another murmur. Then my uncle
in 1829, and made those taking any part told the men to stand to arms while he
in it accessories to murder. Technically, leftthem with the subadar and took two
therefore, my uncle’s duty was to stop others togo scouting with him.
the show, but he had but twenty sowars "At the forest edge they saw the
in his detail, and the Hindoos probably Hindoos coming, and it must have been
would number hundreds. He was, as you a sight, according to his diary. They
Americans say, in a decided spot. If he were raising merry hell with drums and
interfered with the religious rite, even cymbals and tom-toms, singing and wail-
though the law forbade it, he’d have a ing and shrieking as if their luncheon
first-class riot on his hands, and probably disagreed with them. In the van came
lose half of his command, if the whole Brahmin priests, all decked out in robes

detail weren’t massacred. Besides, his of state and marching like a squad of
orders were to scout and bring reports in sergeants major on parade. Then came a
to the Residency, and he’d not be able crowd of gurus— they’re holy men, you
to perform his mission if he lost too know, and my uncle knew at once that
many men, or was killed in putting down these were specially holy; for whereas
a riot. On the other hand, here w as a
r
the average fakir shows enough bare hide
crime in process of commission under his to let you guess at his complexion, these
immediate observation, and his duty was fellows were so smeared with filth and
” they were
to stop it, so ashes that you couldn’t tell if

"Morbleu, one understands!” de Gran- black or white, and you could smell ’em
din chuckled. "He was, as one might half a mile away if you happened to get
say, between the devil and the ocean. down-wind of ’em. They were jumpin’
What did he do, this amiable ancestor and contortin’ round a four-wheeled cart
of yours, Monsieur One moment, if you to which a span of bullocks had been

please ” he raised his hand to shut harnessed, and in which stood a ten-foot
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 691

image of the goddess Kali, who’s sup- "Two Brahmins held her elbows, half
posed to manifest the principles of love leading and half dragging her along, and
and death. If you’ve ever seen those her head swayed drunkenly, now forward
idols you know what this one looked like on her breast, now falling to one shoul-
—
-
black as sin and smeared with goat’s der or the other as she lurched and stag-
blood, four arms branchin’ from its gered on the road.
shoulders, tongue hangin’ out and all a- "Last of all there marched a company
wash with betel- juice and henna. There’s of men with simitars and pistols and a
a collar o’ skulls strung round its neck few long-barreled muskets. In their midst
and a belt of human hands tied round its they bore a bier on which a corpse lay in
Avaist. Not an appetizin’ sight at any full-dress regalia, pearl-embroidered tur-
time, when it’s plastered thick with half- ban, robe of woven silk and gold, waist-
dried blood and rancid butter it’s enough shawl set with diamonds. From the rich-
to make a feller gag. ness of the widow’s jewels and the mag-
"Followin’ the Kali-cart was another nificent accouterments the corpse dis-
crowd o’ Brahmins, all dressed up for a played, as well as by the size of the es-
party, and in their midst they dragged — cort, my uncle knew the dead man was of
for she could scarcely walk — a girl as great importance in the neighborhood;
white as you or I.” certainly a wealthy landlord, probably an
"A white woman, you say?” I inter- influential nobleman or even petty
rupted. prince.”
"You ought know, you’ve just
to
looked at her picture,” answered Pem- “13 OOR child!” I murmured. "No won-
berton, raising the locket from his knee -l der she was frightened to the point
”
and holding out the sweet, pale face of fainting. To be burned alive
for my inspection. "That was my Aunt "It wasn’t terror, sir,” said Pemberton.
—
Maria or Sarastai, as she was then. "You sec, to be salt, that is, to offer one-
"I suppose she must have looked a self as a voluntary sacrifice upon the fun-
little different in her native dress, but I’ll eral pyre, was considered not only the
wager she was no less beautiful. My most pious act a widow could perform,
uncle’s diary records that shewas fairly it enhanced her husband’s standing in the

loaded down with jewels. Everywhere a future world. Indian women of that day
gem could find a resting-place had been —and
-
—
even nowadays had that drilled
devoted to her decoration. There was into them from infancy, but sometimes
a diadem of pearls and rubies on her the flesh is weaker than the spirit. In
head; a 'golden flower,’ or fan-like orna- Sarastai’s case her husband was an old
ment of filigree in which small emeralds man, so old that she had never been his
and seed-pearls were set, had been hung wife in anything but name, and when
in her nose, and dropped so low across he died she flinched at the decree that
her lips that he could hardly see her she must burn herself upon his funeral
mouth. Her ears and neck and shoulders pyre. To have a widow backslide, es-
and arms and wrists and ankles and every pecially the widow of such an influential
toe and finger bore some sort of jewel, man as he had been, would have cast dis-
and her gold-embroidered sari was sewn honor on the family and brought undy-
about the border with more gems, and ing scandal to the neighborhood; so they
even her white-muslin veil was edged filled her up with opium and gunjah, put

with seed-pearls. her best clothes on her and marched her

692 WEIRD TALES
to the burning-ghat half conscious and all commanded them to take the widow
”
but paralyzed with drugs down.
"Ah, one comprehends complete-
yes, "The thing the blighters didn’t know
ly,” broke in Jules de Grandin. "But was that nineteen Afghan cavalrymen
your uncle, what of him? What did he were waiting in the underbrush, praying
then do?” as hard as pious men could pray that the
"You can’t use cavalry in wooded ter- Hindoos would refuse to heed my uncle’s
rain, and the forest came down thick orders.
each side the road. Besides, my uncle "Allah heard their prayers, for the
had but two men with him, and to at- only answer that the Brahmins gave was
tempt a would have meant sure
sortie a chorus of shrill curses and a barrage
death. Accordingly he waited till the of stones and cow-dung. The dead man’s
procession filed past, then hurried back son ran forward to complete the rite, but
to his command and led them toward the before he could apply the torch my uncle
burning-ghat. This lay in a depression drew his pistol and shot him very neatly
by the river bank, so that the partly through the head.
burned corpses could be conveniently "Then all hell broke loose. The guard
thrown into the stream when cremation of honor brought their muskets into play
rites were finished. The Hindoos had a and fired a volley, wounding several of
quarter-hour start, but that was just as the crowd and cutting branches from the
well, as they took more time than that trees behind my uncle. But when they
to make their preparations. The funeral drew their swords and rushed at him it
pyre had been erected, and over it they was no laughing-matter, for there must
poured a quantity of sandal-oil and have been two hundred of them, and
melted butter. Paraffin was not so com- those fellows are mean hands with the
mon in the Orient those days. bare steel.
"
"When all had been prepared they 'Troop advance! Draw sabers! Trot,

took the dead man’s costly garments off gallop, charge!’ When the natives heard
and stripped the widow of her jewels and my uncle’s order they halted momentar-
gorgeous sari, wrapping each of them in ily, and it would have been a lot more
plain white cotton cloth like winding- healthy if they’d turned and run, for be-
sheets and pouring rancid butter over fore they could say 'knife’ the Afghans
them. They laid the corpse upon the were among ’em, and the fat was in the
pyre and marched the widow seven times fire.

around it with a lighted torch held in her

" 'Yah
Allah Allah Allah!” cried
,
—
hand. Then they lifted her up to the the suhadar, and his men gave tongue to
pyre, for the poor kid still was only semi- the pack-cry that men of the North Coun-
conscious, made her squat cross-legged, try have used when hunting lowland
and laid the dead man’s head upon her Hindoos since thedays when Moslem
knees. A Brahmin gave the signal and missionaries first converted Afghanistan.
the dead man’s eldest son ran forward "There were only nineteen of them,
with a torch to set the oil-soaked wood and my uncle, while the Hindoos must
afire, when my uncle rode out from the have totaled half a thousand, but” the —
woods and ordered them to halt. He pride an honest man takes in his trade

spoke Hindustani fluently, and there was shone in his eyes asPemberton grinned
no mistaking what he said when he told at us "you don’t need more than twenty
them that the Raj had banned suttee and professional soldiers to scatter a mob of
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 693

scum like that any more than you need descendants died. The first fire killed old
even numbers when you set the beagles Albert and his wife; the second took his
”
on a flock of rabbits!” eldest son, and
"A merveille!” de Grandin cried. "I "One would think rebuilding with ma-
knew that I should win my bet. Before terials impervious to fire would have oc-
”
you told us of your uncle’s actions you curred to them
recall I made a wager with myself? Blen.
I bet me that he would not let that lot * IT a!” Our visitor’s short laugh was
of monkey-faces commit murder. Tres AA far from mirthful. "It did, sir.

bon. Jules de Grandin, pay me what you In 1900 Robert Pemberton rebuilt Fox-
owe!” Solemnly he extracted a dollar croft of stone, with cement walls and
from his trouser pocket, passed it from floors. He was sitting in his libr’y alone
his right hand to his left, and stowed it at night when the curse took him. No
in his waistcoat. "And now — the curse?” firewas burning on the hearth, for it was
he prompted. early summer, but somehow the hearth-
"Quite so, the curse. They took Sarastai rug got afire and the flames spread to the
from the funeral pyre and carried her to armchair where he dozed. They found
safety at the station, but before they went him, burned almost to a crisp, next
a guru put a curse on all of them. None morning. Cyril Pemberton, from whom
should die in bed, he swore. Moreover, I take the estate, died in his motorcar
none of them should ever take inher- three months ago. The thing caught fire

itance of land orgoods till kinsman had just as he drove in the garage, and he
shed kinsman’s blood upon the land to be fried like an eel before he could so much
inherited. as turn the handle of the door.
"And the maledictions seemed to "See here, Doctor de Grandin, you’ve
work,” he ended gloomily. "My Uncle just got to help me. When little Jim was
Albert married Sarastai shortly after he born I resigned from the army so I could
had rescued her, and though she was as be with Avis and the kid. I bought a
beautiful as any English girl, he found little farm in Hampshire and had settled

that he was ostracized, and had to give down to be a country gentleman of sorts
up his commission. English folk were no when Cyril died and news of this in-
more cordial when he brought his 'tar- heritance came. I sold the farm off at a
brush’ bride back home to Surrey. So he loss to raise funds to come here. If I fail
emigrated to the States, fought the full to meet the will’s provisions and com-
four years of your great Civil War, and plete the twelve months’ residence I’m
founded what has since become one of ruined, utterly. You see the fix I’m in?”
the largest fortunes in New Jersey. Still, "Completely,” Jules de Grandin nod-
see the toll the thing has taken. Not one ded. "Is there any other of your family
of Albert Pemberton’s descendants has who could claim this estate?”
long enjoyed the estate which he built, "H’m. Yes, there is. I’ve a distant
and death by fire has come to all his cousin named John Ritter who might be
heirs. Looks as if I’m next in line.” next in line. We were at Harrow to-

De Grandin looked at him with nar- gether. Jolly rotten chap he was, too.
rowed eyes. "Death by fire. Monsieur?” Sent down from Oxford when they
"Quite. Foxcroft’s been burned down caught him cheatin’ in a game o’ cards,
eight times, and every time it burned fired out o’ the Indian Civil Administra-
one or more of Albert Pemberton’s tion for a lack of recognition of meum
694 WEIRD TALES
et tuum where other fellows’ wives were keep a fowl in the hen-house overnight.
concerned. Now, if Avis and I don’t "Not only that; we’ve heard the
make good and live in this old rookery damn’dest noises round the house
for a full twelve months, we forfeit our things crashing through the underbrush,
succession and the whole estate goes to bangings at the doors and windows, and

this bounder. Not that he could make the most infernal laughter from the
”
much use of it, but woods at dead of night. It’s got us nervy
"How so? Is he uninterested in as a lot o’ cats, sir.

money?” "My wife and I both want to stick it,

"Oh, lie’s interested enough, but he’s as much from principle as for the money,
in jail.” but Annie, Avis’ old nurse, not to men-
"Hein? In durance?” tion Appleby, my batman, are all for
"Quite. In a Bombay jail, doin’ a life chuckin’ the whole business. They’re sure
stretch for killin’ an outraged husband the curse is workin’.”
in a brawl. Jolly lucky he was that the De Grandin eyed him thoughtfully.
jury didn’t bring him in guilty of wilful "Your case has interest, Monsieur Pem-
murder, tob.” berton,” he said at last. "If it is conven-
"One sees. And how long have you ient, I will come
Doctor Trowbridge and
resided at Foxcroft?” to Foxcrofttomorrow afternoon.”
"Just six weeks, sir, and some dam’ We shook hands at the front door.
queer things have taken place already.” "See you tomorrow afternoon,” I prom-
”
"By example ised as our caller turned away, "if any-
”
"Our first night there the bedroom thing
furniture caught fire. My wife and I W hir-r-r-rr! Something flashing silver-

were sound asleep, dog-tired from gettin gray beneath the street lamp’s light came
things in shape, and neither of us would hurtling past my head, and a dull thud
have smelled the smoke until it was too sounded as the missile struck the panel

late, but Laird, my Scottish terrier, was of the door.

sleepin’ by the bed, and he raised such a "Ha, scelerat, coquin, assassin!” cried
row he woke us up. Queer thing about de Grandin, rushing out into the dark-
it, too. There was no fire laid in the ened strgst. "I have you!”
room, and neither Avis nor I’d been But he was mistaken. The sound of
smokin’, but the bedclothes caught fire, flying footsteps pounding down the street

just the same, and we didn’t have a sec- and vanishing around the corner was the
ond’s spare time standin’ clear. Two days sole clue to the mystery.

laterLaird died. Some stinkin’ blighter

much
poisoned him.
"The second week I was ridin’ out B reathing hard with rage
from exertion, he returned and
wrenched the missile from my scarred
as as

from the village with some supplies when

something whizzed past my head, almost front door. It was the blade of a cheap
cuttin’ the tip o’ my nose off. When I iron knife, such as may be bought at any
dismounted for a look around I found a ten-cent store, its point and edges ground
knife-blade almost buried in a tree beside to razor sharpness, its wooden helve re-

the road. moved and the blade-heel weighted with

"We’d stocked the place with poultry, ten ounces of crude lead, roughly welded
so that we could have fresh eggs, and on.
every bloomin’ chicken died. We can’t "Ah-ha!” the little Frenchman mur-
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 695

mured as he balanced the crude weapon change cars at a small way station, and
in his palm. "Ah-ha-baJ One begins to when the local finally came we found
understand. Tell me. Monsieur, was the ourselves unable to get seats together.
other knife thrown at you like this one?” Fortunately for me there was a vacant
"Yes, sir, just exactly!” gasped the place beside a window, and after stow-
Englishman. ing my duffle in the rack I settled down
"One one comprehends; one un-
sees, to read an interesting but not too plaus-
derstands. be out of India, my
You may ible article on the use of tctraiodophenol-
friend, but you are not away from it.” phthalein in the diagnosis of diseases of
"What d’ye mean?” the gall bladder.
"Me, I have seen the knife-blade Glancing up from my magazine once
weighted in this manner for assassina- or twice while the baggage car was being
tion, but only in one place.” filled, I noticed several young yokels,
"Where?” asked Pemberton and I in white and black, lounging on the station
chorus. platform, and wondered idly why two
"In the interior of Burma. This weap- young Negroes failed to join the laugh-
on is as much like those used by dakaits ing group. Instead, they seemed intent on
of Upper Burma as one pea is like an- something down the track, finally rose
other in the pod. Tell me, Monsieur le from the luggage truck on which they
Capitaine, did you ever come to grips lounged and walked slowly toward the
with them in India?” train. Beneath the window where I sat

"No, sir,” Pemberton replied. "All my they paused a moment, and I noticed they
service was in the South. I never got were thin almost to emaciation, with
over into Burma.” skins of muddy brown rather than the
"And you never had a quarrel with chocolate of the Negro full-blood. Their
Indian priests or fakirs?” hair, too, was straight as wire, and their
"Positive. Fact is, I always rather liked eyes slate-gray rather than the usual
the beggars and got on with ’em first brown of Africans.
rate.” "Odd-looking chaps,” I mused as I
"This adds the moutarde piquante to resumed my reading.
our dish. The coincidence of strange Like most trains used in strictly local
deaths you relate might be the workings service, ours was composed of the rail-

of a fakir’s curse; this knife is wholly way’s almost cast-off stock. Doors would
physical, and very deadly. It would seem not stay shut, windows would not open.
we are attacked on two sides, by super- Before we’d gone two miles the air with-
physical assailants operating through the in our coach was almost fetid. I rose
thought-waves of that old one’s mal- and staggered up the swaying aisle to
edictions, and by some others who have get a drink of water, only to find the
reasons of their own for wishing you to tank was empty. After several unsuccess-
be the center ©f attraction at a funeral. ful efforts I succeeded in forcing back
Good-night again, Monsieur, and a the door to the next coach and was in-
healthy journey home.” serting a cent in the cup-vending machine
when a furious hissing forward told me
oxcroft lay among the mountains someone had yanked the emergency cord.
F almost at the Pennsylvania border, The train came to a bumping stop within
and after consulting road maps we voted its length, and I stumbled back to our

to go there by train. It was necessary to coach to find de Grandin, a trainman and

696 WEIRD TALES
several passengers gathered in a knot he ordered as we reached the window
about the seat I had just vacated. where I had been seated.

"This is hideux, my friend!” the little Upon the car-side was the crude out-
Frenchman whispered. "Observe him, if line of a grinning skull drawn in white

you please.” crayon.

I looked, and turned sick at the sight.

—
"Good Lord those brown men at the
station!” I jerked out. "They must have
The big countryman who had shared the
seat with me was slumped down on the
—
drawn this it seemed to me they were
”
not Negroes
green-plush covered bench, his throat so
"But no. But yes!” he nodded in agree-
deeply gashed the head sagged horribly
ment. "Indubitably they were not Afri-
upon one shoulder. A spate of blood
cans, but Burmans. And very bad ones,
from a severed jugular smeared clothing,
too. This skull is the official signet of the
seat and floor. The window beside which
goddess Kali, patron deity of thags, and
I’d sat was smashed to slivers, and bits
the cult of thaggee makes its head-
of broken glass lay all around.
"How —what ” I stammered, and
quarters in Burma. It is useless to at-
tempt to apprehend the thrower of the
for answer Jules de Grandin pointed to
knife. By now he has had time to run
the floor. Midway in the aisle lay some-
half-way to Burma. But it behooves us
thing that gleamed dully, the counter-
blade which
to be careful how we step. know We
part of the lead-weighted
not where to look for it, or when the
had been thrown at Pemberton as he left
blow will fall, but deadly peril walks
my house the night before. with us from time on. I do not think
this
"Good heavens!” I exclaimed; "if I
this task which we have undertaken is a
”
hadn’t gone for water very healthy one, my friend.”
"Mai r. de Grandin interrupted.
out,”
"For the time in a long and useful
first

life I find that I can say a word for water

as a beverage. Undoubtlessly that knife

D ressed in shabby Oxford bags and a
khaki shooting-coat, Pemberton was
waiting for us at the little railway sta-
was meant for you, my friend.” tion.

"But why?” "Cheerio!” he greeted as we joined

"Are you not a friend of Monsieur him. "All quiet on the jolly old Potomac,
Pemberton’s?” what?”
”
"Of course, but "Decidedly,” de Grandin answered,
"No Friend Trowbridge. Con-
buts, then told him of the tragedy.
sider. There were two of those assassins "By Jove!” our host exclaimed; "I’m
at your house last night; at least I judge shot if I don’t feel like cutting the whole
so from the noise they made in flight. rotten business. Taking chances is all
You stood directly in the light from the right for me, just part of the game,
hall lamp when we bid our guest good- but to lug my wife into- this hornets’
night; they must have made a note of nest ” he cranked the antiquated
your appearance. Apparently we have flivver standingby the platform, and we
been under surveillance since then, and it drove in moody silence through the
is highly probable they heard us say that groves of black-boughed, whispering
we would visit him today. Voila.” pines that edged the roadway.
We descended from the car and British genius for getting order out of
walked along the track. "Regardez-vous!” chaos was evident as we arrived at Fox-
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 697

croft. The lawn was neatly

straggling her cast a frightened glance across her
trimmed, the raffish privet hedge was shoulder as her husband turned to help
clipped, on the small grass plot were us drag our duffle from the car.
several wicker chairs with brightly col- Dinner was a rite at Foxcroft, as din-
ored sailcloth cushions. A line of lush- ner always is with Britons. A flat bou-
green weeping willows formed a back- quet of roses graced the table, four tall

ground for the weather-mellowed, ivy- candles flickered in tall silver standards;
covered house with its many gables, mul- the soup was cool and underseasoned, the
lioned windows and projecting bays. As joint of mutton tough and underdone,
we chugged and wheezed between the the burgundy a little sour, the apple tart
tall posts of the gateless entranceway a a sadly soggy thing which might have
young woman quit a gayly-colored canvas made But
a billy-goat have nightmares.
hammock and walked toward us, waving Pemberton looked spick and span in din-
cheerful greeting. ner clothes and his wife was a misty
"Don’t say anything about what hap- vision in rose lace. Appleby, the "bat-
pened on the train, please,” begged Pem- man” who served Pemberton as servant
berton as he brought the coughing motor through three army terms and quit the
to a halt. service to accompany him in civil life,

Though definitely brunette, Avis Pem- served the meal with faultless technique,
berton was just as definitely British. She and brought something he called
us
had wide-spaced, slightly slanting hazel coffee when the meal was over and we
eyes, straight,dark hair smoothly parted congregated on the lawn beneath a
in the middle and drawn low across her spreading poplar tree. De Grandin’s air
ears, a broad, white forehead, a small, of gloom grew deeper by the minute.
straight nose set above a full-lipped, When the servant tendered him a Sevres
rather wide and humorous mouth, and a cup filled with the off-brown, faintly
small and pointed chin marked with the steaming mixture, I thought he would
faint suspicion of a cleft. When she assault him. Instead, he managed some-
smiled, two dimples showed low in her thing like a smile as he turned to our
cheeks, making a merrily incongruous hostess.
combination with her exotic eyes. She "I have heard Monsieur Pemberton
was dressed in a twin sweater combina- speak of your son, Madame; is he with
tion, a kilted skirt of Harris tweed, Shet- you in America?” he asked.
land socks and a pair of Scotch grain "Oh, dear, no; he’s with my father at
brogues which, clumsy as they were, Lerwick-on-Tyne. You see, we didn’t
could not disguise the slimness of her know just what conditions here might
feet. Every line of her was long, fine- be, and thought that he’d be safer at the
cut, and British as a breath of lavender. vicarage.”
"Hullo-hullo, old thing,” her husband "Your fatherchurchman, then?”
is a
greeted. "Anything untoward occur while "Very much so. It was not till after
the good old bread-winner was off?” we had Little Jim that he managed to
"Nothing, lord and master,” she an- forgive me; even now I’m not quite sure
swered smilingly as she acknowledged that he regards me as a proper person to
his quick introductions, but her hazel have custody of a small boy.”
eyes were wide and thoughtful as the "Madame, I am confused. How is it
”
little Frenchman raised her fingers to his you say
lips at presentation, and I thought I saw The girl laughed merrily. "Father’s
698 WEIRD TALES
terribly
He
lics,
low church and mid-Victorian.
classes foreigners and Anglo-Catho-
heathens, actors and Theosophists
W E rushed around the angle of the
building, through the neatly plant-
ed kitchen garden and up the three low
together. When I joined a troupe of steps that reached the kitchen door.
unit dancers at the Palace he said public "What is it —who is here?” cried de

prayers for me; when

went out to the
I Grandin as we paused upon the big
colonies to dance he disowned me as a room’s threshold.
vagabond. I met Big Jim while dancing In the corner farthest from the door
in Bombay, and when I wrote I’d mar- crouched an aged woman, or perhaps I
ried him the only answer Father sent was should have said a creature with a
a note congratulating me on having woman’s body, but a face like nothing
found an officer and gentleman to make human. Seamed and lined with countless
an honest woman of me. I almost died wrinkles, yellowed teeth bared in a

when Little Jim was born, and the doc- senseless grin, she squatted by an open
tors said I could not stand the Indian casement, elbows stiffly bent, hands hang-
climate, so Big Jim gave up his commis- ing loosely, as a begging terrier might
sion and we all went back to England. hold its paws, and mouthed and gibbered
Father wouldn’t see us for almost a year, at us as we stared.
but when we finally took our baby to him "Good God!” our host ejaculated.
”
for baptism he capitulated utterly. He’s "Annie
really an old dear, when you penetrate "Annie! Oh, my
poor dear Annie!”
his shell, but if he ever saw me do an cried our hostess as she rushed across the
”
Indian dance lamplit kitchen and threw her arms
around the human caricature crouching in
"You’d have from scratch
to start
the angle of the wall. "What’s wrong
again, old thing,” her husband chuckled
with her?” she called across her shoul-
as he lit his pipe.
der as she hugged the mouthing crone
"She used to sneak off every chance against her bosom. "What’s —O God,
she got and take instructions from the she’s mad!”
native dancers. Got so perfect in the The woman cringed away from the
technique that if she’d been a little
encircling arms. "You won’t ’urt ole
darker-skinned she could have passed in Annie, will ’ee?” she whimpered. "You
any temple as a deva-dasi —by Jove, I
won’t let the black man get ’er? See”
say!” He looked at her as though he saw she bared a skinny forearm
— "
’e ’urt
her for the first time. me! ’e ’urt me with a shiny thing!”
"What is it, Jim?” DeGrandin drew his breath in sharply
as he examined the tiny wound which
"I say, you know, I never noticed it

you
showed against the woman’s wrinkled
before, but there’s a look about like
skin. "Up to the elbow, mes amis,” he
Sarastai. Fine and beautiful, and all that
” told us solemnly. "We have stepped in it
sort of
up to the elbow. Me, I know this mark.
"Oh, Jim darling, stop it! Anyone But yes, I have seen him before. The
would think —what’s that?”
devotees of Kali sometimes shoot a serum
"
’elp, somebody
’elp, ’elp!” the — in arm with such results. I
a victim’s
shriek came from the house behind us, know not what this serum is and prob- —
each quavering syllable raw-edged with ably no white man does but the Indian —
terror. police know it. 'Whom the gods destroy
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 69 9

they first make mad’ is no idle proverb large, impressive bundle which clanked
with the /hags of Burma. Non. There is mysteriously each time he shifted it.
no antidote for it. This poor one will be When the papers were removed he
gone by morning. Meantime”- he put — showed a set of heavy padlocks, each
his hands beneath the woman’s arms and complete with hasp and staple. Together
raised her —
-"she might as well die in bed we went round the big house, fixing locks
in Christian fashion. Will you lead us at doors and windows, testing fastenings
to her room, Friend Pemberton?” repeatedly; finally, when our task was
De Grandin on one side, I on the done, repairing to the lawn where Apple-
other, we half led, half carried the chuck- by awaited us with a teacart-load of
ling, weeping crone along the passage- toasted muffins, strawberry preserve and
way. A gust of wind swung the long steaming oolong.
casement open and I crossed to close it. "What was in that old beer bottle that
From the night outside where thickly you stood beside the bed?” I asked. "It
growing rhododendron shut the moon- looked like ordinary water.”
light out there came a laugh like that the "Water, yes,” he answered with a grin,
fiends of hell might give at the arrival "but not ordinary, I assure you. I have
of a new consignment of lost souls. " Ha- the —what you call him? hunch? my — —
ha. —ha-ha-ha!—ha-ha!" friend. Tonight, perhaps tomorrow, we
"Sacre nom, I’ll make you laugh upon shall have use for what I brought out
the other side of your misshapen face!” from the village.”
de Grandin cried, dropping the old "But what
”—
woman’s arm and rushing to the window "Hullo, there, ready for a spot of tea?”
where he leant across the sill and poured called Pemberton. "I’m famished, and
the contents of his automatic pistol at the the littlewoman’s just about to haul her
shadows whence the ghostly laughter colors down.”
came. "You are distrait, Madame?” de Gran-
A crash of twigs and the flapping- din asked, dropping into a willow chair
back of displaced branches answered, and and casting a suspicious glance upon the
from the further distance came an echo tray of muffins Appleby extended.
of the wild, malignant cachinnation: "Indeed, I am. I’ve been feeling devils
"Ha-ha! —ha-ha-ha!—ha-ha!” all day long.” She smiled at him a little

wearily above her teacup rim. "Some-

“A ND now, my friends, it is for us to thing’s seemed to boil up in me it’s —
-Lv formulate our strategy,” de Grandin the queerest thing, but I’ve had an urge
told us as we finished breakfast. "From to dance, an almost irresistible impulse to
the things whichwe have seen and heard put an Indian costume on and do the
Fd say we are beset by human and sub- Bramara — the Bee-dance. I know it’s

human agencies; possibly working inde- dreadful to feelso, with poor old Annie’s
pendently, more probably in concert. body lying by the wall and this menace
First of all I must go to the village to hanging over us, but something seems to
make some purchases and notify the cor- urge me almost past resistance to put my
oner of your lamented ”
late servant’s costume on and dance
death. I shall return, but” —he
me— "not
cast the "Tiens, Madame, one comprehends,”
phantom of a wink at for he smiled agreement. "I, too, have felt
luncheon.” these so queer urges. Regardez, s’il vous
He was back a little after noon with a plait: We are beset by mental stress, we
700 WEIRD TALES
look about us for escape and there seems —my Gawd, wot’s that?” He pointed to
none; then suddenly from somewhere a little mound of earth beside the bam
comes an urge unbidden. Perhaps it is to foundation.
take a drink of tea; maybe we feel im- De Grandin took a step or two in the

pelled to walk out in the rain; quite pos- direction of the little hillock, then
sibly the urge comes to sit down and paused, his small nose wrinkled in dis-
strum at the piano, or, as in your case, to gust. "It has the perfume of corrup-
dance. Reason is a makeshift thing, at tion,” he remarked.
best. We have used it but a scant half- "W’y, hit’s pore hold Laird, the mas-
million years; our instincts reach back ter’s dawg, sir,” Appleby returned ex-
to the days when we crawled in primeval citedly. "Who’s done this thing to ’im?

ooze. Trust instinct, Madame. Something Hi dug ’is gryve meself, sir, w’en we
boils within you, you declare? Tres bien. found ’im dead, hand Hi took partic’lar
It is your ego seeking liberation. Permit pynes to myke hit deep hand strong,
the boiling to continue; then, when the ’eaped a thumpin’ boulder hon ’im, sir,
”
effete matter rises to the top, we skim Hi did, but now
him off” —with hand he made a ges-
his
— "One and smells,” de Grandin in-
sees,

ture as of scooping something up "and terrupted. "He has been resurrected, but
throw him out. Voila. We have got rid not restored to life.”
of that which worries us!” The cockney leant above the violated
"You think I should give way to it?” grave to push the earth back in. "Picked
"
"But certainly, of course; why not? clean ’eis, sir,” he reported. ’e couldn’t

This evening after dinner, if you still be no cleaner hif a stinkin’ buzzard ’ad
have the urge to dance, we shall delight been hat ’im.”
to watch you and applaud your art.” The little Frenchman tweaked the
needle points of his wheat-blond mus-

T
We
ea finished, Appleby, de Grandin
and I set out on a reconnaissance.
walked across the grass plot to the
tache between a thoughtful thumb and
forefinger.
able,”
"It
he murmured.
is possible — quite prob-
"They have im-
copse of evergreens from which the ported every other sort of devilment; why
weird laughter came the night before and not this one?”
searched the ground on hands and knees. "What?” I demanded. "Who’s im-
”
Our search was fruitless, for pine needles ported what
lay so thick upon the ground that nothing "Zut! We have work to do, my friend.
like a footprint could be found. Do you begin here at this spot and walk
Behind the house stood barn and hen- in ever-widening circles. Eventually, un-
coops, the latter empty, Pemberton’s less I miss my guess, you will come upon
archaic flivver and two saddle-horses ten- the tracks of a large dog. When you have
anting the former. "It’s queer the place found them, call me, if you please.”

should be so much run down, considering I followed his instructions while he

the family’s wealth,” I murmured as we and Appleby walked toward the house.
neared the stable. In fifteen or twenty minutes I reached
"The former howner was a most hex- a patch of soft earth where pine needles
"
centricman, sir,” Appleby supplied. ’e did not lie too thick to cover tracks,
never seemed to care about the plyce, and and there, plain as the cannibals’ mark
didn’t live ’ere hany more than necess’ry. on the sands of Crusoe’s island, showed
Hi’ve ’eard ’e honly used hit as a sort o’ the paw-print of a giant dog.
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 701

"Hullo, de Grandin!” I began. "I’ve “ Y> ut good heavens, man, if this keeps
found -U U p there won’t be one of us to tell
A crashing in the undergrowth near the tale!” cried Pemberton as we com-
pleted ministering to Appleby’s remains.
by cut short my hail, and I drew the
pistol which de Grandin had insisted that
"Twice they almost got me with their
me. knives; they almost murdered Doctor
I carry as the thing or person neared
Trowbridge; they’ve done for Annie and
The rhododendron branches parted as poor Appleby
”
a pair of groping hands thrust forth, and
"Exactement,” de Grandin nodded.
Appleby came staggering out. "Th’ black
"But this will not keep up. Tonight, this
’un, sir,” he gasped in a hoarse voice.
very evening, we shall call their prom-
"Hi passed ’im ’fore I knew it, sir, then
ontory non, I mean their bluff. The co-
seen ’is turban shinin’ hin th’ leaves.
incidences of your kinsmen’s deaths by
I myde to shoot ’im, but ’e stuck me
fire, those might have been attributed to
with a forked stick. Hi’m a-dyin’, sir,
” Hindoo curses; myself, I think they are;
a-dy
but these deliberate murders and at-
He dropped upon the grass, the fatal tempts at murder are purely human do-
word half uttered, made one or two ”
ings. Your cousin, Monsieur Ritter
convulsive efforts to regain his feet, then
"Not an earthly!” Pemberton smiled
slumped down on his face.
grimly. "Did you ever see a British
"De Grandin!” I called frenziedly. "I Indian jail? Not quite as easy to walk
”
say, de Grandin out of ’em as it is from an American
”
Hewas beside me almost as I finished prison
calling, and together we cut the poor "Notwithstanding which, Monsieur
chap’s trouser leg away, disclosing two —— the Frenchman smiled sarcastical-
little

small parallel pin-pricks in the calf of his ly Monsieur Ritter is at large, and
"this
left leg. A little spot of ecchymosis, like probably within a gun-shot of us now.
the bruise left by a blow, was round the When I w'as in the village this forenoon
wounds, and beyond it showed an area I cabled the police at Bombay. The
of swelled and reddened skin, almost answer came within three hours:
like a scald. When de Grandin made a
John Ritter, serving a life term, escaped four
small incision with his knife in the months ago. His whereabouts unknown.
bruised flesh, then pressed each side the
"You see? His jail-break almost coin-
wounds, the blood oozed thickly, almost
cided with the passing of your kinsman
like a semi-hardened gelatin.
in America. He knew about the family
"C’est fini,” he pronounced as he rose undoubtlessly, and determined to
curse,
and brushed his knees. "He did not have make profit by it. But he was practical,
a chance, that poor one. This settles it.” that one. Mats out. He did not intend to
"What settles what?” wait the working of a curse which might
"This, parbleu! If we needed further be only fanciful. Not he, by blue!
real or
proof that we are menaced by a band of He bought the service of a crew of
desperate dakaits we have it now. It Burman cutthroats, and they came with
is the mark and sign-manual of the all their bag of villain’s tricks their —
criminal tribes of Burma. The man is knives, their subtle poisons, even an
dead of cobra venom but these wounds — hyena! That it was your servants and not
were not made by a snake’s fangs.” you who met their deaths is not attribut-
702 WEIRD TALES
able to any kindness on his part, but or great Dane but — taller, heavier, with
merely to good fortune. Your turns will a mane of unkempt hair about its neck.
”
come, unless Pointed ears cocked forward, great eyes
"Unless we hook it while we have the gleaming palely phosphorescent, it

chance!” pressed against the slowly yielding win-

"Unless you do exactly as I say,” de dow-frame. And now I caught the sil-

Grandin finished without notice of the houette of its hog-snouted head against
interruption. "In five minutes it will be the window, saw its parted, sneering lips,
ten o’clock. I suggest we seek our rooms, smelled the retching stench that emanated
but not to sleep. You, Monsieur, and from and went sick with horror. The
it,

you, Madame, will see that both your thing was a hyena, a grave-robber, offal-
doors and windows are securely fastened. eater, most loathsome of all animals.
Meantime, Doctor Trowbridge and I will Slowly, inch by cautious inch, it crept
repair to our chamber and eh bien, I — into the room, fangs bared in a snarl that
think we shall see things!” held the horrible suggestion of a sneer.
"Help, de Grandin —help!” I shrieked,

D espite de Grandin’s admonition,

fell fast asleep. How
I do not know, nor do I recall what wak-
long I’d slept
I leaping from
tangled blankets with
The hyena
the

sprang.
bed
me
With
and
as a shield.
a
dragging

cry that
ened me. There was no perceptible was half growl, half obscene parody of a
sound, but suddenly I was sitting bolt- human chuckle, it launched itself through
upright, staring fascinated at our win- the intervening gloom, and next instant I

dow’s shadowed oblong. "Lucky thing was smothered underneath its weight as

we put those locks on,” I reassured my- it worried savagely at the protecting
”
self; "almost anything might blanket.
The words died on my tongue, and a "Sa-ha, Monsieur I’Hyene, you seek a
prickling sensation traced my spine. meal? Take this!” Close above me Jules
What was I did not know, but every
it de Grandin swung a heavy kukri knife as
sense seemed warning me of dreadful though it were a headsman’s ax, striking
danger. through the wiry mane, driving deep into
"De Grandin!” I whispered hoarsely. the brute’s thick neck, almost decapitat-
”
"De Grandin ing it-

I reached across the bed to waken him. "Get up, my friend; arise,” he ordered
My hand encountered nothing but the as he hauled me from beneath the bed-
blanket. I was in that tomb-black room clothes, already soaking with the foul
with nothing but my fears for company. beast’s blood. "Me, I have squatted none
Slowly, scarcely faster than the hand too patiently behind the bed, waiting for
that marks the minutes on the clock, the the advent of that one. Morbleu, I

window-sash swung back. The heavy lock thought that he would never come!”
we’d stapled on was gone or broken. I "How’d you know about it ” I

heard the creak of rusty hinges, caught began, but he cut me short with a soft
the faint rasp of a bar against the outer chuckle.
sill, and my breath went hot and sulfur- "The laughter in the bush that night,
ous in my throat as a shadow scarcely the small dog’s ravished grave, finally

darker than the outside night obscured the tracks you found today. They made
the casement. the case complete. I made elaborate show
It was like some giant dog — a mastiff of opening our window, and they must
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 703

have found the others fastened; so they was made. Upon a chair she set a small
determined to send their pet before them hand-gramophone, needle ready poised,
to prepare the way. He was savage, that then hurried to her room to don her
one, but so am I, by blue! Come, let us costume.
tell our host and hostess of our visitor.” "Ecoutez, s’il vous plait,” de Grandin
begged, tiptoeing from the drawing-

T
came
he next day was
deputies
in
and
a busy one. Sheriff’s
coroner’s
almost ceaseless streams, ques-
assistants
room, returning in a
water-filledbeer bottle which he had
moment with

brought from the village, the kukri knife

the

tioning endlessly, making notes of every- with which he killed the hyena, and a
thing, surveying the thicket where Apple- pair of automatic pistols. One of these he
by was killed and the kitchen where old pressed on me, the other on our host.
Annie met her fate. At last the dreary "Have watchfulness, my friends,” he
routine ended, the mortician took away bade in a low whisper. "When the music
the bodies, and the Pembertons faced us for the dance commences it is likely to
solemn-eyed across the dinner table. attract an uninvited audience. Should
"I’m for chucking the whole rotten anyone appear at either window, I beg

business,” our host declared. "They’ve you to shoot first and make inquiries
”
got two of us afterward.”
"And we have one of them,” supplied "Hadn’t we better close the blinds?”
”
de Grandin. "Anon we shall have I asked. "Because if we’re likely to be
”
"We’re cutting out of here tomorrow,” watched
broke in Pemberton. "I’ll go to selling "Mais non,” he negatived. "See, there
cotton in the city, managing estates or is no light here save that the central

clerking in a shop before I’ll subject Avis lamp casts down, and that will shine di-
to this peril one more day.” rectly on Alculame. shall be inWe
"C’est I’enfantillage!” declared de shadow, but anyone who seeks to peer in
Grandin. "When success is almost in through the window will be visible
your hand you would retreat? Fi done, against the moonlight. You compre-
Monsieur!” hend?”
"Fi done or otherwise, we’re going in "I’d like to have a final go at ’em,”
the morning,” Pemberton replied de- our host replied. "Even if I got only
terminedly. one, help to even things for Appleby
it’d

"Very well, let it be as you desire. and Annie.”

Meantime, have you still the urge to "I quite agree,” de Grandin nodded.
dance, Madame?” "Now s-s-sh; silence. Madame comes!”
Avis Pemberton glanced up from her The chiming clink of ankle bells an-
teacup with something like a guilty look. nounced her advent, and as she crossed
"More than ever,” she returned so low the threshold with a slow, sensuous
that we could scarcely catch her words. walk, hips rolling, feet flat to floor, one
"Ties bien. Since this will be our last set directly before the other, I leant for-
night in the house, permit that we enjoy ward amazement. Never had I thought
in

your artistry.” that change of costume could so change a

Her preparations were made quickly. personality. Yet there it was. In tweeds
We cleared a space in the big drawing- and Shetlands Avis Pemberton was Brit-
room, rolling back the rugs to bare the ish as a sunrise over Surrey, or a Christ-
polished umber tiles of which the floor mas pageant Columbine; this sleekly
704 WEIRD TALES
black-haired figure rippling past us with in a swift, shuffling step, setting ankle
the grace of softly flowing water was a bells palm tree
a-chime, swaying like a
daughter of the gods, a temple dera-dasi, in the rising breeze. She took the folds
the mystery and allure and unfathomable of her full skirt between joined thumbs
riddle of the East incarnate. Her bodice and forefingers, daintily, as one might
was of saffron silk, sheer as net. Cut with take a pinch of snuff, spread the gleam-
short shoulder-sleevesand rounded neck ing, many-pleated tissue out fanwise, and

it terminated just below her small, firm advanced with a slow, gliding step. Her
breasts and was edged with imitation head bent sidewise, now toward this sleek
emeralds and small opals which kindled shoulder, now toward that; then slowly
into witch-fires in the lamplight’s glow. it sank back, her long eyes almost closed,
From breast to waist her slim, firm form like those of one who falls into a swoon
was bare, slender as an adolescent boy’s, of unsupportable delight; her red lips

yet full enough to keep her ribs from parted, fell apart as though they had
showing in white lines against the creamy gone flaccid with satiety after ecstasy.

skin. A smalt-blue cincture had been Then she dropped forward in a deep
tightly bound about her slender waist, salaam, head bent submissively, both
emphasizing gently swelling hips and hands upraised with thumbs and fore-
supporting a full, many-pleated skirt of fingers together.
cinnabar-red silken gauze. Across her I was about to beat my hands to-

smoothly parted blue-black hair was gether in applause when de Grandin’s

thrown a of deep blue with silver
sari grip upon my elbow halted me. "Les
edging, falling down across one shoulder jlammes, mon ami, regardez-vous — les

and caught coquettishly within the curve flammes!” he whispered.

of a bent elbow. Silver bracelets hung Across the vitric umber tiles that made
with little hawk-bells bound her wrists; the floor, a line of flame was rising,
heavy bands of hammered silver with a flickering and dancing, wavering, flaunt-
fringe of silver tassels that flowed rip- ing, advancing steadily, and I could smell

pling to the floor and almost hid her feet the spicy-sweet aroma of burnt sandal-
were ringed about each ankle. Between wood. "It is the flame from that old,
her startlingly black brows there burned cheated funeral pyre,” he breathed. "The
the bright vermilion of a caste mark. vengeance-flame that burned the old one
to a crisp while he lay in a fireproof
emberton pressed the lever of the room; the flame that set this house
P gramophone and a
music flowed into the room. Deep, plain-
flood of liquid eight times; the flame of evil genius that
pursues this family. See how
afire

easily I con-

tivechords came from the guitar, the quer it!”

wept and crooned by turns, and the

viols With an agile leap he crossed the
drums beat out an amatory rhythm. She room, raised the bottle he had brought
paused a moment in the swing-lamp’s and spilled a splash of water on the
golden disk of light, feet close together, crackling, leaping fire-tongues. It was

knees straight, arms raised above her as if a picture drawn in chalks were
head, wrists interlaced, the right hand wiped away, or an image on a motion-
facing left, the left turned to the right, picture screen obliterated as the light be-
and each pressed to the other, palm to hind the film dies; for everywhere the
palm and finger against finger. The drops of water fell, the flames died into
music quickened and she moved her feet blackness with a sullen, scolding hiss.
W. T.—
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE 705 .

bullets crashed against the glass, sent it

shattering in fragments, and bored

straight through the scowling coun-
tenances, making little sharp-edged pits
in them like those a stream of sprinkled
water makes when turned upon damp
clay, except that where these little pock-

marks showed there spread a smear of

crimson.
There was something almost comic in
the look of pained surprize the faces
showed as the storm of bullets swept
across them. Almost, it seemed to me,
they voiced a protest at an unexpected
trick; though they’d come to witness
as
an amusing spectacle, only to discover
that the joke was turned on them, and
they had no relish for the role of victim.

Back and forth across the line of fire he

es, it’s Ritter, all right,” Pember-
hurried, throwing water on the fluttering, JL ton pronounced as we turned the
dazzling flares till all were dead and cold.
bodies over in the light of an electric
"The window, mes amis, look to the torch. "Of course, he was a filthy rotter
window! Shoot if you see faces!” he and all that, but— hang it all, it’s tough
ordered as he fought the dying fire. to know you have a kinsman’s blood
”
Both Pemberton and I looked up as upon your hands, even if

he called out, and I felt a sudden tighten- "Parbleu; tu paries, mon ami!—you’ve
ing in my throat as my eyes came level said it!” cried de Grandin in delight.
with the window. Framed in the panes
were three faces, two malignant, brown
and scowling, one a sun-burned white,
but no less savage. The dark men I re-
membered instantly. It was they who
stood beside the train the day the knife
was thrown to kill the man who shared
the seat with me. But the frowning, curs-
ing white man was a stranger.
Even as I looked I saw one of the
brown men draw his hand back and
caught the glimmer of a poised knife-
blade. I raised my pistol and squeezed
hard upon the trigger, but the mechan-
ism jammed, and I realized the knife-
man had me at his mercy.
But Pemberton’s small weapon an-
swered to his pressure, and the stream of
W. T.—
706 WEIRD TALES
"The ancient curse has been fulfilled, the worried. Anon they hear the strains of
wicked one’s condition met. A kinsman Indian music in the house. This are not
has shed kinsman’s blood upon the prop- the way things had been planned by
erty inherited!” them. There should be no celebration
”
"Why here. They wonder more, and come to
"
'Why’ be doubled-damned and see what happens. They observe Madame
stewed in Satan’s sauce-pan; I tell you it concluding her so lovely dance; they also
is so!” He swung his arm in an all-com- see us all unharmed, and are about to use
prehensive gesture. "We have at once their knives when you forestall them
disposed of everything, my friend. The with your pistol.”
human villains who would murder you "But there were two Burmese at the
and Madame Pemberton, the working of railway station the other day, yet some-
the ancient curse pronounced so many one threw tire knife intended to kill Doc-
years ago — all are eliminated!” tor Trowbridge,” objected Pemberton.
He leant above the body of a prostrate "That would indicate a third one in re-
”
Indian, searching through his jacket with serve
careful fingers. "Ah-ha, behold him!” he De Grandin touched the white man’s
commanded. "Here is the thing that sprawling body with the tip of his small
killed your so unfortunate retainer.” He shoe. "There was, my friend, and this is

held a length of bamboo stick fitted at he,” he answered shortly. "Your charm-
the end with something like a tuning- ing cousin, Monsieur Ritter. It was he

fork to which a rubber bulb was fixed. who hid beside the tracks and hurled the
"Careful!” he warned as I reached out to knifewhen he beheld the mark of Kali.
touch it. "The merest prick of those sharp The Burmans knew friend Trowbridge;
points is certain death.” had it been one of them who lay in am-
Pressing the queer instrument against bush he would not have wasted knife or
the wall, he pointed to twin spots of energy in killing the wrong man, but
viscid, yellow liquid sticking to the Ritter had no other guide than the skull
stones. "Cobric acid — concentrated es- chalked on the car. Tenez, he threw the
sence of the cobra’s venom,” he ex- knife that killed the poor young man to
plained. "One drives these points into death.”
—
body the sharp steel pen-
his victim’s "How do you account for the fire that
through clothing where a snake’s
etrates broke out just as Mrs. Pemberton had
fangs might not pierce and pouf! — finished dancing?” I asked.
enough snake-poison goes into the poor "There is no scientific explanation for
bne’s veins to cause death in three it, at least no explanation known to

minutes. Tiens, it is a clever little piece modern chemistry or physics. We must

of devilment, n’est-ce-pas?” seek deeper — farther — for its reason.

"D’ye think we got ’em all?” asked Those Hindoo gurus, they know things.
Pemberton. They can cast a rope into the air and
"Indubitably. Had there been more, make it stand so rigidly that one may
they would have been here. Consider: climb it. They take a little, tiny seed and
First they set their foul beast on us, place it in the earth, and there, before

some one of us, at

believing he will kill your doubting eyes, it grows and puts
least. He
does not return, and they are forth leaves and flowers. Me, I have seen
puzzled. Could it be that we disposed them take a piece of ordinary wood —my
of him? They do not know, but they are walking-stick, parbleu! — make passes
 FLAMES OF VENGEANCE IZO 1

over it, and make it burst in flames. Now, and the fist. For the ghostly enemy
pistol
if their ordinary showmen can do things we need a subtler weapon.
like that, how much more able are their "Accordingly, when I go to the village
true adepts to bring forth fire at will, or to obtain the locks for doors and win-
on the happening of specific things? The dows, I also stop to visit with the cure of
rescue of the Hindoo girl Sarastai left the little church. Fortunately, he is Irish,
the funeral pyre without a victim, and so and I do not have to waste a day convinc-
the old priests placed a curse on her and ing him. 'Mon pere,’ I say, 'we are con-
hers, decreeing fire should take its toll fronted with the devil of a situation. A
of all her husband’s family till kinsman crew of monkey-faces who give worship
had shed kinsman’s blood. That was the to the wicked ones of India are menacing
fire that followed every generation of the a Christian family. They will undoubt-
Pembertons. This fire burned this house lessly attempt to burn them up with fire
again, and yet again, burned one when he —not ordinary fire, but fire they make by
lay in safety in a fireproof room even — wicked, sinful, heathen incantations.
set a motorcar afire to kill the late pro- Now, for ordinary fire we use the or-
prietor of the estate. dinary water; what should we use to put
"Tonight conditions were ideal. The out fire that comes from hell, or hell’s
sacred music of the temple sounded assistants?’

from the gramaphone, Madame Avis "That old priest smiles at me. He is
danced in Hindoo costume; danced an no fool. 'My son,’ he say, long, long
old, old dance, perhaps the very dance ago the fathers of the Church discovered
Sarastai used to dance. Our thoughts were that it is hot work to fight the devil with
—
tuned to India indeed, there is no doubt fire. Therefore they invent holy water.
the urge which prompted Madame Pem- How much of it will you be needing for
berton to dance a Hindoo dance in Hin- your work?’
doo costume came directly from the
"He was a good and hospitable man,
thought-waves set in motion by those old
that priest. He had no whisky in the
priests in the days of long ago. The very
house, but he had beer.So we made a
stones of this old house are saturated in
lunch of beer and cheese and biscuit, and
malignant thought-waves thoughts of — when we finish, we clean a bottle out
vengeance —
and Madame Avis was
and fill him to the neck with eau benite.
caught up in them and forced along the "
pathway toward destruction. All was pre-
’Bonjour, mon fils,’ the old priest
say, 'and when you win your fight with
pared, conditions were ideal, the victims
Satan’s henchmen, remember that our
waited ready for the flames. Only one
church could use a new baptismal font.’
thing that old priest forgot to foresee.”
You remember that, I trust, Mon-
will
"Jolly interestin’,” murmured Pem- sieur, when you get your inheritance?”
berton. "What was it he forgot?”
"By George, I’ll build a new church
"That you would ask advice of Jules for him, if he wants it!” promised Pem-
de Grandin!” my little friend grinned berton.
shamelessly. "There it was he missed his
trick. I am
uation over and saw
very clever.
we were confronted
by both physical and ghostly menaces.
I looked the sit-

T he locomotive gave a long-drawn,

mournful wail as the train drew near
the station and the smiling porter hur-
For the men we have the sword, the ried through the car collecting luggage.
708 WEIRD TALES
"Well, we’re home again,” I remarked be considered! I speak of something far
as the train slid to a stop. more hideous we have escaped. That
dreadful English cooking, that cuisine of
"Yes, grace a Dieu, we have escaped,”
de Grandin answered piously. the savage. That roast of mutton, that
hell-brew they call coffee, that abom-
"It did look pretty bad at times,” I
inable apple tart!
nodded. "Especially when that fellow at
"Come, let us take the fastest cab and
the window poised his knife, and those
hasten home. There a decent drink
”
devilish flames began to flicker
awaits us, and tonight in hell’s despite I
"Ah bah,” he interrupted scornfully. shall complete construction of the per-
"Those things? Pouf, they were not to fect bouillabaisse!”

Child of Atlantis
By EDMOND HAMILTON
What brooding shape of horror dwelt in the black castle that topped the
sinister island on which a young American and his wife
were shipwrecked on their honeymoon

T
Steadily
HE

it
little yawl clove
waters of the sunlit sea, its white
sails taut with a strong wind.
the

crept eastward across the vast

blue jumped down
side.
into the cockpit to his

She nodded, her uplifted eyes adoring.

"It’s the best honeymoon anyone ever
wastes of the Atlantic, toward the Azores, had, David. Just you and me and tire sea.”
still hundreds of miles away. In the cock-
He grinned. "I felt a little guilty about
pit at the stern, David Russell stood over dragging you on a risky cruise like this,
the wheel, his lean, brown, bareheaded but you’ve been the best sailing partner
figure bent forward, his smiling gray I ever had. And the only one who could
eyes watching his wife. really cook.”
Christa Russell was earnestly coiling He added, "Speaking of cooking, sup-
ropes on the deck forward. Now she pose you get down in that galley and
finished and came back toward him, a exercise your talents, gal. I’m hungry.”
slim, boyish little figure in white slacks Christa said dismayedly, "Oh, I’d for-
and blue jersey. Her soft, dark eyes, gotten all about lunch. I’ll only be a few
always oddly serious beneath her childish minutes.”
forehead and smoothly brushed black She disappeared hurriedly down the
hair, met her husband’s and returned his companionway. Left alone, David Rus-
smile. sell drew a long breath of utter content-

"Happy, kid?” he asked, his arm ment. His gray eyes swept the horizon
going around her slender waist as she happily. Sunlight and sea, a good boat
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS 709

and a good wind, and his young wife tracks. The whole area just ahead of the
what more could any man want? onward-racing yawl seemed flickering

They had been married in Bermuda oddly like that.

two weeks before. And David had pro- He sudden tinge of dim fear, of
felt a
posed this cruise to the Azores in his yawl alarm. He moved his hand on the wheel
as a honeymoon. Fine weather and fa- to guide the yawl away from that weirdly
voring winds had made it a dream flickering area. But before he could do
voyage of sun-drenched days and moon- so, the speeding boat had run directly
silvered nights. into the edge of the queer area. The next
David suddenly stiffened at the wheel. moment
He had glimpsed something just ahead A big island loomed dead ahead in the
thatwas—queer. It was a strange, great sea!
a wavering of light like
flicker in the air, It was like hell-born magic to David’s
the refraction of air above hot railway stunned brain. One moment he was sail-
7.10
[
WEIRD TALES
ing with no speck of land in sight in the His right shoulder grazed hidden rock,
vast blue waste. Next moment, without his shirt ripping and a brand of fire

warning, this island had suddenly clicked seeming to sear along his arm. As he was

into sight, not a hundred yards ahead of whirled around by the wild waves that
the yawl. were tossing them, he glimpsed the yawl,
David’s stupefied eyes glimpsed the piled on the outer rocks, being ham-
isle as a heavily forested mass of land, mered by the smashing waves.
several miles across, towering to frown- The waves were hurling them on
ing black cliffs at its center. The shores toward those menacing black teeth with
were fringed with cruel, jagged rocks the swiftness of a mill-race. A flat, jag-

that showed broken black fangs

like ged ledge rose a few feet from the foam-
through the foam of wild waves break- ing waters just ahead. The charging
ing over them. waves flung them hard against it.
The yawl was running headlong onto David took the impact on his right
these rocks, without chance of being shoulder, and felt the flesh bruise from
turned in time. David, his face a gray the savage blow. With his numbed right
mask of stupefied horror, dropped the arm he clawed wildly to cling to the
wheel and yelled hoarsely. edge of the ledge, a foot above his head.
"Christa! Quick!” His fingertips gained the rim, then were
She came darting up the companion- torn loose as the receding waves sucked
way, face white with alarm. "David, the two helpless humans back.
what
”
Back and back —and then again they
He grabbed her. At that instant, with bore them forward, like raging stallions
terrific, grinding shock, the yawl struck of the sea, toward the ledge of rock.
the rocks. David felt his strength leaving him,
They were thrown clear of its wildly knew desperately that he could not hold
tilting deck by the impact. And almost Christa longer, that if the waves swept
instantly they were sinking in the roar- them back out again, they would sink
ing waters, David still blindly gripping together.
his wife. The rushing waters again flung them
like floating puppets against the rock.

T
down
hunder of the rushing waves was
in his ears as they
in the cold currents.
went down and
He shifted his
David’s head hit the wall and he saw
blinding light, felt the last remnants of
from the stunning blow.
strength melting
grip on Christa, and fought frantically Yet knowledge of death close at hand
with his other arm to rise. He came up, made him claw frenziedly for the ledge.
half strangled, to be nearly smothered His fingers again gripped its brink
by white foam and deafened by the roar- but his nerveless body had not the
ing bellow of breaking waves. strength to haul them up onto it.
They were flung like chips toward the Through the bellowing din, icy death
jagged shore rocks. David struck out seemed stooping to enfold them in his
with his free arm in mad strokes to keep cold shroud. Then before the waters
them away from the cruel stone fangs sucked back, a wave higher than thes
upon which the waves would hammer others lifted David and the girl a little.

them to pulp. His left arm still gripped With a supreme effort, he used that
Christa with frantic strength as they were moment to roll with her onto the ledge.
hurled forward. He lay there, hearing only dimly the
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS 711

raging of the baffled seas just below him, As he up the slight grade of the
toiled
the splatter of salty spray on his face. beach, David’s mind was still dazed by
He was aware that Christa was bending the suddenness with which the whole in-
frantically over him, as his consciousness credible thing had happened. This island
darkened. had been utterly invisible to his eyes until

"David! David dear!” Her sobbing the yawl had almost run onto it, had
voice came thinly and remotely to his reached tire edge of that strange flicker-

fading hearing. "David, we’re safe now. ing area. Then the island had clicked
”
I’ll get help —get someone
And then there was only darkness in
suddenly into sight.
He turned his head and looked wildly
David Russell’s brain. back out to sea, as he hastened on. David
received another shock. He could not see
T was the steady showering of the more than a few hundred feet out from
I stinging spray on his face that finally the island! He could look that far out
revived his overtaxed body and brain. over the rocks and waters, but beyond
He opened his eyes, and weakly struggled that limit he could see nothing but a
up to a sitting position. weird flickering. His vision seemed to be
He was still on the ledge at the island’s repelled at that limit, to be turned back
shore. The incoming combers were still upon itself.

smashing a few inches below him, fling- He looked upward. The sky had
ing up great geysers of feathery foam, changed too. It was a strange, flickering
and a hundred yards outward the yawl sky of very dark blue, and the sun could
lay grinding on the outer rocks where it not be seen in it. This nightmare island!
had been tossed. It could not be seen by anyone outside

Where was Christa? She was nowhere —

it and neither could anyone on the
in sight along the rocky, wave-dashed island see outside.
shore. David’s clearing brain remembered It was all crazy, incredible. But his

now her frantic attempts to revive him. dazed mind clung frantically to the
She had gone to look for help, and she thought of finding Christa. David
was not back yet. How long had she reached the edge of the forest, and stood
been gone? Had something happened to staring haggardly into its dark depths.
her on this hellish island that had ap- Huge, black-trunked trees rose for
peared so magically in the mid- Atlantic? hundreds of feet, mighty columns sup-
Cold fear for his bride clutched at porting a canopy of green foliage high
David’s heart, and forced him to stagger overhead. Thickets of brush and snaky
weakly to his feet. Wildly he looked creepers that bore enormous white
along the shore of the island. blooms, choked the space between the
From the sea-beaten, jagged rocks, a trees.This forest loomed strangely silent
narrow strip of beach lifted toward the in the weird, sunless day. And he saw

edge of the dark, great forest that seemed beyond the waving tree-tops the tower-
to cover most of the island. He saw ing central cliffs he had already glimpsed
tracks in the sand, leading toward the from the yawl. On those distant, frown-
forest. Christa must have gone that way. ing bluffs of dark rock crouched a mon-
He stumbled after her, spurred by ap- strous square black castle.
prehension. This island, a mysterious David stared and stared over the great
place that should not be —what danger trees at that somber structure of mystery

might not Christa meet on it? on the distant heights, his gaze fascinated
712 WEIRD TALES
by its domes and towers and un-
black "Twenty years?” cried David, ap-
broken, windowless walls. Then he tore palled.
his eyes from it and peered frantically The Teuton nodded. "I am Leutnant
along the forest edge for some trace of Wilhelm von Hausman, of U-Boat 321
his wife. of the Imperial German Navy. In the
"Woher kommst du?” The voice came spring of 1918 our boat, running on the
from close behind him, with startling surface to recharge our batteries, sighted
unexpectedness. a strange flicicering just ahead. The next
David spun around. Two men had moment, this island appeared, we crashed
come up behind him on the beach with- into it, and I, who was on deck, was the
out his observing them. They were star- only one saved.”
ing at him suspiciously. He motioned toward the giant blond
The man who had asked the question Scandinavian seaman. "This is Halfdon
in German was a solidly built, sandy- Husper, first mate of a Norwegian
haired man of forty, with searching eyes. freighter that ran onto the island in 1929.
He was clad in a time-worn, ragged and There are a couple of hundred such sur-
stained gray uniform.
The other man was a huge, broad-
vivors from similar wrecks we have a —
little village over yonder in the forest.”
shouldered Scandinavian in sweater and
David "But why haven’t you
cried,
sea-boots almost as ragged, his weather-
tried to get away? And what kind of
beaten Viking face a older than that
little
hellish place is this island, anyway, that
of the German, his blond head bare.
it’s completely invisible until you’re right
Both men carried steel-pointed spears.
on it?”
David Russell said, with difficulty, "I
Von Hausman know no
— I don’t understand you.” Then he
more than you how the
shrugged. "I
island is made
cried, "In God’s name, what kind of
invisible to the outside world. The Mas-
place is this?”
ter has made it so, but how he does it, I
The German’s suspicious face cleared
can’t guess.”
and he exclaimed in English, "You’re
new here, then? Did your ship run onto "The Master?” repeated David. "Who
the island? Were any others saved?” is that?”

To his excited questions, David an- Von Hausman pointed to the black
swered, "We were in a yawl my wife — castle brooding on the distant cliffs.
and This hellish island suddenly ap-
I. “That is the castle of the Master. He is
peared right in front of us. Our boat supreme ruler of this island, but who or
struck —
there it is out on the rocks. We what he is, I cannot say, for none of us
got to shore, but I passed out, and when who live here have ever seen him.”
I came around, Christa was gone for —
"You mean he never comes out of
help. And now I can’t find her. I’ve got that place?” David asked wonderingly.
to find her!” he cried. "To get her away "But then how do you know he exists?”
from this devilish place!” The German shuddered a little. "We
The German shook his head sadly. know well he exists, because from time
"There is no escape from this island to time he calls one among us to the
none except death or whatever horrible castle, and whoever goes into that black

fate the Master deals out to those whom place never comes out again.”
he calls to his castle. I myself have been The torturing anxiety uppermost iri
here on the island for twenty years,” David’s mind burst forth. "But whafi
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS 713

about my wife? I must find her — at two or three score huts, built
village of
once.” of logs and bark. The little village
The big Norwegian, Halfdon Husper, seemed to huddle there like a thing
spoke for the first time in rumbling, crouching in fear, beneath the black bat-
heavily accented English. He said to the tlements of the cliffs and the Master’s
German, "Some other of the men may mysterious castle.

have found the girl and taken her to the At the center of the village milled an
village.” excited crowd of men. The din of their
Von Hausman nodded rapidly, his shouting voices reached David and his
keen eyes narrowing. He told David, two companions as they hurried forward.
"It’s possible some of the others took The lips of the German U-Boat officer
your wife to the village, as Halfdon says. tightened.
I think you’d better come with us, at "It’s as I feared — they’ve got your
once.” wife here,” he rasped. “You’re probably
going to have to fight.”

H
ragged
alf mad with torturing worry,
David Russell started with the two
men at a trot through the forest.
"Fight?” cried David.
Von Hausman nodded tightly. "Very
few women ever get ashore alive on the
There was a faintly marked trail which island from the wrecks —
only at long in-
the others appeared to know, that wound tervals. And the women go to those wdio
inward between the great trees and can fight for them and keep them.
around huge fallen logs. Quick!”
Even in the tense stress of his anxiety, They raced forward, between the rows
he could not help noticing that the trees of rude huts.Now David saw that there
and vegetation around him were totally were perhaps two hundred men in the
unfamiliar. He had never seen such trees, throng milling in shouting excitement
such huge flowers, such grotesque orange- ahead. He could see only a dozen or so
podded fruits. It all seemed like a strange women — ragged, frightened women —
dream into which he had suddenly been peering out of huts here and there.
plunged. But the mob of men! A ragged, hard-
Von Hausman was telling hina, "The bitten throng that had been cast ashore
village is not far ahead. It’s a miserable here by the ships of every nation that had
little where we eke out life by
place, wrecked on this mysterious island. Red-
gathering fruits and hunting the small faced British sailors, brown, snake-eyed
animals, until the time comes when we Lascars, stalwart Scandinavians like Hus-
die or the Master calls us.” per, swarthy Spanish and Italian and
He added somberly, "Almost I wish Portuguese seamen, bearded Russians and
sometimes that the Master would call me guttural-voiced Teutons, a score of other
and put an end to this wretched existence races, all milling excitedly around one
from which there is no escape.” central point.
They emerged soon into a shallow, David Russell and his two companions
unwooded valley at the center of the crashed through the shouting throng,
island. At the farther side of the valley David unnoticed by the ragged mob in
rose the black, frowning cliffs, upon its excitement. He burst into a small clear
whose highest point squatted the brood- space at the center of the crowd. There
ing ebon castle. he stopped, and shouted aloud.
David saw that in the valley lay a rude "Christa!”
714 WEIRD TALES
She was there, a slim, shrinking, boy- hairy chest bare, his great fists balled, ad-
ish figure in her wet slacks and sweater. vancing slowly on David.
A stocky, simian, red-headed man of David thrust the white-faced Christa
thirty with hard blue eyes and a button- back to von Hausman and Husper, at the
nosed, craggy face, was holding her edge of the crowd. The ragged mob was
struggling form with one arm. He was shouting now with increased excitement.
shaking his other fist at the crowd and "Kill him, Red — tear the young squirt
roaring belligerently, "I say this girl is apart!” exultant voices bawled.
mine! found her there in the forest and
I Von Hausman told David swiftly,

if anyone else wants her, he can fight me "Try to finish him before he gets to you,
for her, here and now.” or you won’t have a chance.”
David stepped out meet the grimly
to

A
lenge.
sudden
mob at
Von
silence descended on the
the redhead’s roaring chal-
Hausman muttered in
advancing O’Riley. As he looked at the
redhead’s huge shoulders, barrel chest
and simian arms, David’s heart sank
David’s car, "It’s Red O’Riley a gun- — within him. He was still half exhausted
runner whose schooner ran ashore here from the battle through the waves an
ten years ago. He’s the toughest customer hour before, and he knew that even in
on the island.” the best of condition he would be no

But David wasn’t listening. Flaming match for O’Riley. Yet if he were killed,
with rage, he had burst from the crowd Christa’s possible fate in this weird,

and, with a savage twist, tore O’Riley’s brutal place — the thought filled him with
arm away from Christa and sent the red- a wild, desperate frenzy.
head sprawling. He suddenly rushed, his left fist driv-
ing out with every ounce of his strength.
He gritted, "Damn you, this girl isn’t
She’s my It smashed against O’Riley’s craggy jaw,
for you or anyone else here.
and the Irishman rocked for a moment.
wife.”
David leaped in and smashed with right
Christa clung to his arm, sobbing with
and left at the redhead’s face with every-
relief. "David, I was afraid you were
thing he had, and his enemy clawed for
dead! I went to try to find help and was
balance.
”
caught
A wild howl went up from the mob,
O’Riley had got to his feet, in a dead
but David’s heart was cold with knowl-
silence of stunned amazement on the part edge that he had hit O’Riley with every-
of the crowd.
face split in a wide,
The gun-runner’s craggy
menacing grin at
thing he had —
and had failed to knock
him down. With a bear-like snarl of rage,
David. shaking his head as though to clear his
"So she’s your wife, is she?” the red- eyes, the redhead rushed forward. David
headed man mocked harshly. "That’s tried to sidestep but his foot slipped on
a good one! She may have been your wife the loose gravel. Then something hit
by law outside, but there’s devil a law him a blow on the mouth, and
terrific
on this cursed island except what the everything was in a red mist, and he was
strongest man makes. I’m going to tear dimly aware that his back was lying on
you apart and then take her.” the damp ground and that something hot
The stocky gun-runner was savagely and sticky was running on his lips. And
peeling off his raggd coat and shirt as he O’Riley was standing there, snarling
spoke, and stood now with gorilla-like. down at him.
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS 715

"Get up! Get up before I beat you to met, this man is dead on his feet! You
”
death lying there.” can’t
"David!” That heartbroken sob was in Bardoff swept him aside with a growl,
Christa’s voice. He recognized it through and the ragged mob cheered. "You fight,
the mistiness that had seized his brain. or I take her!” the Russian growled at
He staggered to his feet, lunged for- David.
ward with fists balled. Crash! The crunch- Halfdon Husper, the huge Norwegian,
ing blows seemed to explode out of shouldered forward with pale eyes blaz-
nothing against his face, and he knew he ing. "You’ll fight me first if you try
had gone to his knees this time. His that,” he warned Bardoff.
brain was rocking —he
he was donefelt "And me also!” snapped Von Haus-
for. There wasn’t an ounce of strength man.
left in his nerveless body. "Yes, and me too!” roared a third, un-
"David!” That agonized cry again steady voice. It was Red O’Riley. He had
pierced his numbness of mind and body, staggered to his feet, his battered, bruised
making him somehow struggle up again. face still bleeding, but his eyes were rag-
As though through crimson fog, he ing at the Russian. The redhead bel-
saw O’Riley’s snarling face. David lowed, "By heaven, this lad whipped me
hitched drunkenly to one side, drove his fairly and it’s me
with him.” that’s
right with clumsy aimlessness. The blow Bardoff yelled furiously to the motley
connected with something—there was a mob, "Do you allow them to do this?
grunt of pain from O’Riley, and the big Why shouldn’t we take the woman from
redhead staggered, clutching his solar them?”
plexus. "Yes, let’s take her!” howled a score
him!” Von Hausman was
"Finish of brutal voices.
yelling somewhere in the shouting mob. David Russell, swaying, hardly able to
David summoned his last spark of stand, saw Von Hausman and Husper
strength, swayed forward and jabbed and the bruised O’Riley bunch together
both clenched fists at a staggering, dimly- and raise their fists and rude spears.
seen O’Riley. His fists crashed onto hard The ragged mob surged toward them,
bone with stinging pain —and there was with Bardoff in the lead. Christa hid her
a wilder shout as O’Riley slumped from face on David’s shoulder. Then suddenly
his feet, collapsed to a sitting position a strange, an awful thing, happened.
and looked up with stunned, half-con- Bardoff, the Russian, suddenly stopped
scious gaze of utter bewilderment. short, his whole body stiffening as
though turned to stone. Then slowiy,

D avid stumbled over to where

Hausman held Christa.
he tried
ing, almost unable to stand, but
He was
Von
reel-
mechanically, he turned and began to
walk away with strange, stiff strides to
walk toward the frowning black cliffs.
—
to quiet her sobbing. Suddenly a great And as he walked, he shrieked wildly to
hand tore him around, and he faced one the suddenly transfixed mob, "The Mas-
of the brutal mob, a black-bearded, ter! His will is on me —
he is calling me!”
wolf-faced Russian. The mob shrank back in dread. David
"You fight me now for the girl,” the saw that the Russian’s face was now that
Russian grinned evilly. "I want her, too.” of a soul in hell as he marched stiffly on
Von Hausman’s face flamed with rage like a human automaton toward the cliffs.
and he cried, "No, Bardoff! Gott in Him - "Gott!” breathed Von Hausman,
716 WEIRD TALK
white-faced. "Another of us, called by Red O’Riley’s bruised face grinned ap-
the Master!” proval.
"Save me!” the receding Russian was "I’m with you there, lad,” he declared.
screaming wildly. "Save me from the "Ten years I’ve been on this devil’s place,
Master!” ever since my schooner that was loaded
Not one person made a move toward with guns for Abd-el-Krim piled up
him; all shrank back in horrified dread, here in the. night. I’ve seen a plenty of
toward the shelter of the huts. The Rus- men called up there by the old Satan that
sian strode stiffly on, and now had lives in that castle, and I’m damned if
started up a steep path that climbed the I’ll sit around here longer twiddling my
cliff toward the brooding castle. thumbs waitin’ for him to call me. I’ll

David, staring with Christa terrifiedly risk anything to get away.”

clinging to him, and with the German Von Hausman shrugged hopelessly.
and Husper and O’Riley the only others "It is useless to talk of it—you know
now left in the clearing, saw the doomed what happens to anyone who tries to
man climbing straight toward the front escape from the island. However, we can
of the monstrous black castle. He saw a discuss that later. These two must have a
door appear in the blank, black front of place to live, so Halfdon and I will give
the building. The Russian strode stiffly them our hut.”
through, his last wild despairing cry float-
ing faintly down
ture closed after him.
to them. Then the aper-

Through the three men beside David

H e led the way along the street of
wretched huts. It was growing
dusky now. There was no sun or sunset
and Christa went a sigh of horror. Von visible in the flickering sky, but that sky
Hausman’s keen eyes were haunted as he steadily was darkening into a thick,
told David, "You seenow why we all strange twilight. The great forest loomed
dread the Master so. We never know at in deep shade now, gloomy and forbid-
what moment he will call us, nor what ding. Up on the cliff above the valley,
dark, unholy doom he deals out to those the black stronghold of the dreaded
whom he summons into the castle.” Master bulked ominously against the
"But why did the man go up there, dusking sky.
when he didn’t want to?” David pro- Von Hausman led them into a small
tested. "He was terrified, yet he walked bark cabin. It was unfurnished, save for
straight on.” beds of boughs, and a pile of strange-
Halfdon Husper told him solemnly, looking fruit in one corner. They sat
"The will of the Master was on him and down together in the dusky interior, and
he could not resist —
no human can re- ate the fruit. David found it tasted as
sist when that call comes.” queer as it looked. Christa nestled nerv-
"fa,” said the German darkly. "What- ously at his side, silent, still over-
ever thing it is that lairs up in that un- whelmed.
holy place, it can throw its will on any David could hardly yet believe in the
of us, call us to it, whenever it wishes. reality of this strange place, this island
It is so we shall all end in time, if we invisible to the outer world, peopled by
do not die first.” survivors of a hundred past wrecks,
"Not David declared
Christa and I!” ruled by the mysterious, unseen occupant
passionately. "I’m going to get her away of the black castle. Yet Von Hausman
from this hellish island, somehow.” and Husper and O’Riley ate with quiet
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS i717j

matter-of-factness. The redheaded gun- But one thing I am sure of —the Master
runner had apparently forgotten all ani- is immortal.”
mosity against David. And as David and Christa stared at
When he had finished, O’Riley tossed him incredulously, the U-boat officer con-
the fruit-husks outside and stretched tinued, "I believe that this island has
back, groaning, "What I wouldn’t give existed here, invisible and unsuspected
now for a pipe and something to put in by the world, for countless centuries; for
it. I swear if I ever get away from here along its shores I have found old, rotted
I’ll smoke for six months without stop- wreckage and metal objects from ships of
ping even to sleep.” many centuries back, from Eighteenth
David asked the German, "Why do Century frigates and Sixteenth Century
you say it’s impossible to escape from slavers, and Spanish caravels like those
the island? It seems to me that it of Columbus —
even wreckage of a Greek
shouldn’t be hard to make some sort of galley that must have ventured into these
raft dugout canoe, and launch it.
or western seas more than two thousand
Once away from the island, out where years ago.”
you could be seen by passing ships, you’d Von Hausman added, "That shows
have a good chance of being picked up.” the island has been here, invisible, for
Von Hausman laughed mirthlessly. centuries. Now the only thing that can
"A good many men on this island have keep this island invisible to the outside
thought that and have tried to get away world is some force or power exerted by
in rafts or rude boats. And sooner or the Master. Therefore the Master must
later in each case, before they could have dwelt here during all those cen-
start, the Master called them. Whatever turies.”
it is that dwells up in the castle, it does David made an impatient gesture.
not want anyone to escape from this "After all, I don’t care who or what the
island—no!” Master is. What I want to do is to get
"That is so,” rumbled the great Nor- Christaaway from this unholy place. I’m
wegian. "And that is why we no longer going to do that somehow, Master or no
try to escape. It is hard to live here as Master.”
we do —but it is more terrible to feel the "And it’s me that seconds the motion,”
will of the Master on you, to answer his promptly declared O’Riley. "What the
call and go up into his castle never to devil! —this isn’t any place for a man of
return.” action like meself to be moldering away
Christa, peering out through the door- his life. We’ll build ourselves a boat and
way with wide eyes at the enigmatic launch it, and the back of our hands to
black structure looming in the dusky the Master if he tries to stop us.”
sky, clung to her husband in shivering "We wouldn’t need to build a boat,”
dread. "David, I’m afraid!” David said eagerly. "My yawl it was —
He soothed her, yet felt as though a tossed up onto the outer rocks down at
cold, alien wind of dread had blown the shore. I think the hull is stove in a
over him, too. He asked, ’"But who or little and the masts are snapped, but
what is the Master? You say you don’t there are tools in it and we could patch it
—
know but you must have some idea.” up enough to be seaworthy, in a few
Von Hausman said thoughtfully, "We days.” He added passionately, "Isn’t it
Ho not know because those who see the better to try it than to sit here and do
Master up there never come out again. nothing? It may be true that before we
.718 WEIRD TALES
can escape in it, the Master will call us it had been tossed. David fished axes,

as he has done the others who tried to saws and other tools from its hold, and
eescape. But if we just sit here, it seems they began the work. Halfdon Husper,
that sooner or later we’ll be called to the most experienced of them, took charge as
same fate anyway. So why not try to get they rudely patched the holes in the hull.
away?” Ever and again through the day, David
"Sure, and why not?” echoed O’Riley. glanced tensely over his shoulder at the
"We’ve got nothin’ to lose but our lives.” distant cliffs and castle.
Half don Husper said slowly, "I say, Von Hausman noticed that and said
try it then. I have a wife in Oslo, if she quietly, "Do not fear, mein freund, the
still lives. And I am weary of waiting for Master is watching us. That is sure.”
death here.” "Let him watch!” rasped David des-
They all looked at Von Hausman. perately. "We’ll get away we will!” —
After a moment, the German said quiet- But when they returned into the vil-
ly, "I have been here longer than any of lage that evening, they saw that the rag-
you. I am quite certain that this attempt ged motley mob there now looked at
to escape will mean death for all of us. them with awe and dread. These others
And not quick, easy death, but some hor- had discovered during the day that they
rible fate at the Master’s hands. It is were working on the yawl.
sure that, before we can ever launch that "They already look on us as doomed
boat, we shall be called up there to that by the Master, as dead men,” commented
fate.” His keen eyes smiled. "Yet I the German.
also say, let us try it. I too am weary of O’Riley bristled. "Anyone who tries
waiting idly for death here.” anything on me will find out that it’s a
"Then we four will go down and start damned tough dead man I am,” he de-
work on the yawl in the morning,” David clared. "And that goes for the old devil
declared. He added troubledly to his up in the castle, too.”
young wife, "Christa, you’re going to stay Christa cried softly in David’s arms
here while we work. No one here will that night. "David, I feel that something
bother you now, and if you do not go terrible is going to happen to you. And

with us there is less chance of the Mas- if it did, I wouldn’t want to live.”
ter’s doom falling on you, if it does fall.” "Nothing’s going to happen to me,”
"I want to be with you, David!” she he insisted despite the fatal foreboding
cried. But after a little, at David’s in his heart. "We’ll get away.”
anxiety', she gave in and consented to re- By the end of the next day, the four
main in the hut while they worked. men had completely, if crudely, patched
the holes in the yawl’s hull. They got it

N ight passed quickly, a strange, star-

less and moonless night, with only
the unceasing flickering visible in the
afloat,
Halfdon
secured it by cables to the rocks.
Husper regarded
with satisfaction.
their work

dark sky. And when dawn came

it was a "Tomorrow we will cut and fit new
gray, sunless dawn, a slow, gradual in- spars,” the Norwegian said. "Then
crease in light. Leaving Christa in the
hut, the four

the beach.
made their way quietly out
of the village and through the forest to D ay was beginning
they
looked stricken,
returned to
deserted
to fade eerily as
the
—no
village.
one was
It

The yawl still lay; on the rocks where abroad in it, but from the doors of thd
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS 719

huts, horrified faces stared silently at waiting for him to destroy you one by
them. Christa was not in the bark cabin. one?”
Nor did she answer David’s calls. A fierce yell burst from the men before
"Something’s happened to her!” he him, hard-bitten, brutal men from all the
” seven seas, whose smoldering hate and
cried. "Some of these brutes
Gripping the ax he had brought back
fear of the Master had been fanned to a
quick blaze by David’s raging words.
from the yawl, he ran wildly down the
rude street. He plucked a man out of the
A flashing-eyed Italian sailor waved
door of one of the huts, a loutish Breton
his spear aloft and cried, "By the saints,

sailor who stared at him with ignorant,

he speaks truth! Why do we not pull
horror-widened eyes.
down the demon that crouches up there?”
"That’s the stuff, lads!” cried Red O’-
"What’s happened to my wife?”
Riley exultantly.
snarled David, raising the ax menacingly.
"Aye, death to the Master!” boomed
"If some of you have harmed her. I’ll
Halfdon Husper’s great voice, the huge
kill you!” Norwegian’s eyes flaming with long-re-
The Breton, gasping in David’s furi- pressed hatred.
ous, choking grip, stammered an answer. "Death to the Master!” burst a raging
"It was not us — the girl is gone for chorus of two hundred voices, as rude
ever. Anhour ago the call of the Mas- spears and swords waved thick from the
ter came upon her, and she climbed the maddened men.
cliff and passed up into the castle. She did David, his face half crazed with rage,
—
not want to go- she screamed as all they shook his heavy ax and cried, "Up the
who feel the call scream, but she could cliff, then! We’ll storm the Master’s
not help herself.” castle before he can claim my wife as an-
David felt the blood leave his heart as other victim!”
the ghastly truth penetrated his mind.
He saw infinite pity
three friends, and heard
whisper, "Gott, the
on the

Master has sum-

faces of his
Von Hausman T
men from
hey poured out of
roaring, raging mob
every nation, every
the village,
of savage sea-
man
a

with
moned her. We shall never see her his weapon, every man afire to destroy
again.” the mysterious being whom they had
"I will see her again!” raved David dreaded so long.
wildly. "I’m going up there and try to David ran at their head, his face white
get her out, if I have to go alone!” and set, his ax gripped in his hand, with
He suddenly turned on the ragged, the exulting O’Riley and the blazing-eyed
motley men staring from the huts, and Norwegian and Von Hausman, curiously
lashed them with raging words of vol- calm, behind him. Close after the four
canic fury. —
"You men are you really streamed the wild mob. David led them
men or are you sheep, that you sit here straight to the cliff and up the steep,
and let whatever creature is up in that narrow path in single file. He knew that
castle killyou at his will? Whoever the if they had time to recover from their
Master is, he must be living, and that rage, the old dread of the Master would
means that he can be killed! Why don’t rapidly repossess them.
you try to kill him, instead of submitting Above them bulked ominously against
humbly to his will? Why don’t you storm the dusky sky the mysterious black castle.

Jhe castle and destroy him, instead of It seemed to David that as they neared
720 WEIRD TALES
the top of the cliff, the raging roar of his move back down the cliff, walking with
mob of followers lessened a little, their stiff, mechanical strides down the path.
pace slackened. "O’Riley! Halfdon! Come back!”
O’Riley yelled back to them, "On, yelled David hoarsely. "We can still
comrades! In a minute we’ll be inside break in and destroy that demon inside.”
the Master’s castle!’’
The big Irishman, his face white and
"Death to the Master!” thundered beaded with sweat, called thickly back,
back the wild, climbing horde. "Lad, we can’t!”
Now David and the three friends
And Von Hausman, as they marched
close at his heels climbed onto the sheer
stiffly away down the path, cried back up
The
rock shelf in front of the castle.
huge square structure loomed black and
to David, "The Master — his will is mak-

ing us return to the village!”

somber before them, doorless and win-
Stiffly striding, shouting in their terror
dowless.
now, David’s ragged followers descended
"There’s a door somewhere in front
the path up which they had raged a few
here!” David cried. "We’ll find it!”
moments before, and stiffly his three
He led them at a run toward the
friends followed despite their struggles.
towering, black wall of smooth stone that
David was left standing alone in the
was the front of the citadel.
flickering dusk before the enormous
Suddenly he stopped short, and at the
citadel.
same moment every man behind halted
in his tracks. He could not go forward! Suddenly his legs began to move under
him. Stiffly as those of a dead man, they
He wanted to, for every fiber in his body
was aflame with raging desire to rush stalked forward with him toward the
forward and break into this structure front of the great building. He could not

into which Christa had gone. But he control that movement — it was another
could not take a single step forward. It brain that was directing his forward
was as though his legs had suddenly strides. But he did not try to fight it now,

ceased to obey his brain’s commands, and for in his throbbing brain was only the
desire to get into the castle where
were under outside control.
Christa was. Still gripping his ax tightly
The men behind him, smitten to a halt
by the same weird phenomenon, were in his hand, he strode forward with those
struck silent with stupefaction for a mo- mechanical steps.

ment. Then a cry of horror and dread As he neared the blank black wall of
went up from the ragged mob. the citadel, round aperture ap-
a tiny
"The Master’s will is on us!” peared in it. The
aperture expanded
"God save us — the Master has us in rapidly, likean opening camera shutter,
his grip!” into a round door beyond -which he saw a
David fought to move forward, mak- great hall filled with misty blue light.
ing a tremendous effort of his will to David strode on, into that blue-lit hall,
move his legs even one step. Sweat stood and heard the door close with a sighing
out on his forehead, but he could not sound after him.
move. Tramp, tramp—the steady strides,
He heard a confused cry of terror from which he did not himself will, took him
the mob behind him. Then he saw that across the great hall. He saw through the
the ragged horde, and also Von Hausman light-mists, massive, shining mechanisms

and Husper and O’Riley, had begun to of unearthly design standing about him,
W. T.—
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS 721

He passed on through them, into a huge stared at, that metal throne whose base
vaulted corridor. could just be glimpsed through the curl-
him on down that
David’s legs took ing blue light-mists that surrounded it.

Somewhere in this building the

corridor.
Master was drawing David to him, con- avid gripped his ax tighter. Yet he
trolling his body by super-hypnotic felt utterly helpless, powerless,
force. He passed other halls and corri- standing with the girl before that shroud-
dors, all flooded with pale, misty blue ed throne and before the colossal crystal
luminescence, holding weird instruments of throbbing light.
and mechanisms of unfathomable pur- Out of the light-mists around the
pose. Then he emerged into a colossal throne spoke the voice of the Master, a
domed central hall. metallic voice of chill, measured accents.
He with fascinated, stupefied
stared "Man from outside, you interest me,”
eyes as he was drawn forward. At the the passionless, cold voice of the Master
center of this mighty chamber poised a told David. "You tried to do what no
ten-foot crystal sphere inside which other here ever tried to do, attack me in
pulsed a throbbing core of living azure revolt. I am sorry now I did not call

fire, like a miniature, misty blue sun. —

you here sooner I meant in any case to
In front of this titan crystal of pulsing call you and your friends because of your

light was a throne-like metal chair he childish attempt to escape the island.”
could just glimpse through a shroud of David tried to keep his voice steady.
concealing light-mists. And he glimpsed "You can do what you want with me,”
or sensed someone, something, sitting he told the Master. "I know that. But I
upon that metal throne. Facing the will submit willingly, gladly, if you will
throne stood allow the girl to go.”
"Christa!” cried David hoarsely. "No, David!” cried Christa. "I share
The girl stood, a wild terror frozen your fate! If you die, I die!”

upon her face, her slim, childish body The Master’s metallic voice told them,
silhouetted against the blue light. "Your argument is purposeless. My will
She turned at David’s cry, tried to run and not yours it rules even
rules here —
toward him but could not move, rooted your own bodies, as you have learned.
by the same force that was drawing him My actions are not to be disturbed by
stiffly forward. Anguish had leaped into your tiny clamor. It is my intention to
her eyes at sight of him. use the body of this girl at once as ma-
"David!” she uttered in a sobbing terial for certain interesting experiments
"You came
cry.
”
after me —came to your which I have long been performing on
doom humans whom I called from the village.
He was beside her now. And there, As for you, man who dared attack me,
without command of his own brain, his you will have the same fate, a little

stiff strides suddenly stopped. He tried later.”

to step to Christa and take her in his "You’re not going to use Christa’s
arms, but could not. He could only body for your experiments,” said David
reach out with one hand, and touch her in a thick, hoarse voice. "You’re not!”
trembling, cheek. Fie was slowly, stealthily, raising the
She stared ahead once more, horror heavy he could throw it,
ax. If if he could
unveiled in her eyes. David turned his hurl it into the shrouding mists at the
head and looked forward to what she thing on the metal throne
W. T.—
i722 WEIRD TALES
His hand flashed up for the wild cast the races of men had readied their high-
— and froze in midair, gripping the ax! est civilization.

He could not throw the weapon! "The scientists of Atlantis had built
The veins on David’s neck corded many wonderful mechanisms, some of
with tremendous effort, but his arm and them completely automatic and self-sus-
shoulder muscles would not obey his taining in operation. And they dreamed
will. finally of creating a machine with brain
“You fool!” scorned the cold accents and mind.
of the Master. "Did you not think that I "I was that machine. There in Atlantis,
could read your intention in your mind, ages past, I was born in the laboratories
that I could hold your arms powerless by of the greatest scientists. My body was
my will as easily as your legs? Do you easy to build, but for decades they
think me a stupid, blundering creature worked on the metal brain they meant to

of flesh and blood like yourself? Look, give me.

human, and see!” "That brain, when they finished it, was
The light-mists drifted swiftly away incomparably more complex in its metal
from the seat of the Master as he spoke. neurone structure than is the human
There on the metal throne before the brain. Because of that, it could receive
great crystal of throbbing light, he sat and classify an incomparably greater
unveiled. number of thought-patterns. That meant
David felt his brain reeling as he that I had the capacity for infinitely great-
stared. He heard a choking of horror er knowledge and memory than any hu-
from Christa. man.
The Master was a metal robot — a me- "The scientists instructed me, proud of
chanical creature of coppery metal, my progress. But very soon I had learned
formed like a horrible travesty of human- all that they could teach me, and as I

ity,with metal arms, legs and cylindrical passed beyond them in knowledge and
body, and a bulbous metal head or brain- power, they began to realize that they had
case out of which two glittering, unwink- created a being greater than themselves.”
ing eye lenses watched them. There was a brooding note of undying
"God, a robot!” cried David. "A ma- hate in the metallic voice of the robot.
”
somebody
chine, created by "I became great in power in Atlantis,
“And a machine greater far than its the final oracle in all problems. To the
creators!” came the cold voice of the populace was a god, and as such I was
I

Master. worshipped and had my temple. Power

There was a strange note of pride in I loved, its own sake, but only
not for
the robot’s chill accents.It was as though because enabled me to continue my
it

it was speaking, out of that resonator quest for new knowledge.

mouth below its eyes, not to the trans- "Then the Atlantean scientists who
fixed David and Christa but to itself. had created me regretted their work, and
“Yes, they were men like you who wished to destroy me. They aroused the
created me,” he was saying, "though men populace against me and attacked my
wiser far than you in the craft and skill temple with the most powerful weapons
of science. Long, long ago that was, long they could muster. I repelled them, but
ago in ancient Atlantis whose fertile con- they attacked me again. At last I grew
tinent stood here in the sea where now weary of their harrying, and I resolved
only this little island stands, and where to destroy all Atlantis and its people, ex-
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS 723

cept for the land on which my temple only one reason — it is because I am
stood. lonely.
"Yes, I, the child of old Atlantis, long
"In a single night, I did the thing. For
long I had gathered my powers and on more and more for contact with a mind
that night I unchained them, and they equal to my own. I have resolved to
create one, a metal brain as intelligent
smote down into the earth’s structure far
beneath the continent of Atlantis, and as mine. That is the purpose that en-

touched off great earth-faults that I knew gages me, and it is upon issues connect-

existed there in the depths. And in that

ed with that purpose that I am experi-
one night, all the continent of Atlantis menting upon the bodies of humans like
and all its people sank downward and the you and this girl.”
sea crashed over the land and hid it for
"Not upon Christa’s body no!” —
ever.
shouted David hoarsely.
"Do you think to frighten me by
"All but one small portion of the con-
mouthing futile threats?” asked the ro-
tinent, the portion around my temple!
bot calmly. "Man from outside, you
That did not sink, for I had provided
humans begin to weary me. I think it is
against that, setting up certain radiated well that the girl go now to the labora-
forces which sustain that small bit of
tories, where you will follow in due
land as an island above the waves. That
course.”
great crystal of blue fire which you see
Christa uttered a heart-torn cry.
behind me, man from outside, is the ”
"David, good-bye
source of the radiation which still up-
"No, you’re not going there!” David
holds the island. Were it not for that
cried. He was making tremendous men-
crystal's radiation, the slender pinnacle
tal effort to free his arm from the hyp-
of rock which bears up this island must
notic grip of the Master, to hurl his ax.
have collapsed long ago.
But the Master’s super-hypnotism held
"Also there is a force mingled in the him powerless.
crystal’s radiation whidi refracts light Across David’s brain seared a lightning
around the island, keeping it invisible to expedient, a thought that he suppressed
the outside world, so that I will not be as soon as he was aware of it. He des-
annoyed by the curiosity of the barbarian perately began to think, to think a lie.
races of men. Occasionally ships have He began to think of stirrings in the
crashed onto my invisible island as yours dim ocean depths below where wrecked
did, and men have gained its shore. I Atlantis lay entombed, of mighty scien-
have suffered them to live down there in tists emerging from tight chambers where
their wretched village because I some- they had lain sleeping, and not dead. He
times need their bodies for my research- thought of them vowing vengeance upon
es.” the robot they had created, of assembling
great weapons, of sending him, David

T he
glittering lens-eyes of the Mas-
seemed to muse upon the strick-
ter
en Christa and upon David, still standing
Russell, ahead as a spy
The Master read the lie
mind and for a moment was deceived by
upon the
in
robot.
David’s

petrified with his ax upraised. it. For the robot leaped wildly upright.
"Man from why do I speak of
outside, "Then they of Atlantis are not all

these things to you who can little under- dead!” cried the metallic voice. "They
”
stand them?” asked the robot. "It is for come again against me
724 WEIRD TALES
For that single moment of wild excite- the gap out into the day. They stopped
ment, the Master’s mind relaxed its re- on the shelf of the cliff, for a moment
morseless hypnotic grip upon David and appalled.
Christa. The whole island was heaving and
That one instant was enough. In it, rocking like a ship on a stormy sea. The
David’s muscles exploded in mad action thunderous earth-shocks were following
and sent the ax in his hand flying straight each other at intervals of seconds, and
toward the robot’s head. there was a long, grinding roar from deep
The heavy ax-head crashed squarely beneath that told of shifting, settling

into bulbous metal brain-case, be-

the masses. The sun had appeared in the sky

tween the lens-like eyes. The steel blade since the light-refracting force had died,

drove deep through the outer casing into but the heavens were instantly overcast
the interior of the head, deep into the with an ominous crimson pall.
metal brain that had been created ages The two fled down the path into the
ago in the laboratories of dead Atlantis. valley,David feeling nausea from the roll
The Master His metallic
staggered. and buck of the earth beneath him. In
voice uttered an awful, broken scream. the valley, the huts were in ruins and
their ragged occupants were running
"Tricked! Tricked by a barbarian crea-
destroy you
about in mad panic. Von Hausman and
ture of flesh! But I will
” O’Riley and the great Norwegian came
all
running wildly up to David and the girl.
Even he uttered that dying scream,
as
"Gott in Himmel!” yelled the German.
the Master was whirling, was falling. ”
"What is
But he fell with outstretched metal arms
crashing purposefully down against the
"The island is sinking into the sea!”
screamed David over the roaring crashes.
giant crystal of blue behind him, the
fire
"I killed the Master, and in dying he
crystal whose radiated force alone held
from sinking beneath the acted to make the island sink. Our only
the island
chance is to get to the yawl!”
waves.
The crystal shivered beneath the crack- "To the yawl, then!” shouted Husper,
his face crimson with excitement.
ing impact of the dead robot’s falling
body. The blue fire inside it dulled and They sprinted forward, into the forest,

died instantly. David heard Christa cry the earth still rolling and heaving wildly
out, run into his arms. under their feet.

Then they were thrown from their feet "Saints in heaven, look!” cried O’Riley,

by a terrific earth shock. They heard a glancing back horrified.

thunderous roar from the earth beneath With terrible, reverberating roll of
the castle, and the crash of the castle’s thunder, the cliff and ruined castle of the

black walls as they were riven by the aw- Master were collapsing in masses of rock
ful shock. onto the valley they had just quitted.
"On!” yelled Von Hausman.

D avid grabbed his wife and plunged

corridors
desperately across the huge halls and
whose walls were collapsing and
Fissures
as they
opened on either side of them
plunged through the wild-waving
woods. Terrific tremors crashed down
crashing around him. He glimpsed day- trees and twice knocked them from their

light through a great gap in the outer feet.

wall, and he leaped with Christa through They burst out onto the beach. The sea
 CHILD OF ATLANTIS 725

before them was wild, great waves rush-

ing madly in to shore and then out again,
threatening to tear from its cables the
W hen he awoke, brilliant
light was in his eyes. He was lying
on the deck of the yawl, and Christa and
sunset

mastless yawl that bobbed crazily on the his friends were bending anxiously over
waters. him. Husper had a great bruise on his
face, but the others did not seem injured.
They waded out through the rising
waters,smashed by inrushing waves, David struggled to sit up, his dazed
shaken by the shifting of the rocks be- eyes sweeping the waters. The sea was
neath their feet, and finally clambered still heaving and troubled, but the terrific
onto the pitching yawl. currents had vanished. There was no sign
"Cut loose!” shouted Halfdon Husper. of the island or of any other land any-

The yawl where in the tossing blue waste.

David’s ax sliced the cables.
whirled crazily like a cork, then was David stammered, "The yawl — it

sucked far, by the

far back out to sea wasn’t sucked down by the currents,

waters now receding at mill-race speed then?”

from the island—out and out, until the Von Hausman, his quiet face still pale,
waters halted for a moment in awful said, "No, but it must have been only a
dead calm. And from that distance they reverse under-current that snatched us
glimpsed the whole island, with solemn, back out of the maelstrom. The yawl was
grinding drum-roll from far beneath, actually under water when that current
sinking down into the waters. gripped us.”
The last black mass of the island O’Riley, drawing a long breath, nod-
plunged down under the sea. Then the ded his flaming head in corroboration.
waters around the yawl boiled terrifically "It’s me that was saying my prayers that
and raced wildly with the little boat to- minute!”
ward the spot where the island had been, Christa was crying eagerly, "David,
a mad maelstrom of converging currents. we’ve sighted the smoke of a ship coming
Halfdon Husper thrust the others by — we’re going to be picked up!”
main force down into the cabin of the His arm encircled her tightly. But for
yawl, leaped in after them and slammed the moment his eyes were not looking at
the hatchway shut. Next moment they her, but gazing fascinatedly at the heav-

were tossed violently against the walls of ing waters, into whose green depths the
the dark cabin as the yawl seemed to lifeless metal form and shattered castle

stand up on its stern. David, still hold- of the Master had sunk for ever. The
ing Christa tightly, felt his head strike child of old Atlantis, he had gone down
the cabin wall and knew nothing more. at last to rejoin his creators in death.
 voyage of the
Neutralia
By B. WALLIS
'An exciting story of weird adventures and a strange voyage through space to
other planets —
by the author of " The Abysmal Horror”
and other fascinating thrill-tales

The Story Thus Far Carscadden and Flint recovering, all

return, and the prisoners are locked in

A YLMER CARSCADDEN, eminent the storeroom. Then the shell is headed
/% American scientist, discovers and for Mars. Traveling at a million miles
** manufactures metal impervious an hour they arrive and alight. They find
to gravitation, and also under intense the surface is covered with a network of

cold repelled by other substances. He is great cables. A curious carriage comes

financed by Hugh Burgoyne. They con- racing along a cable, and its occupant im-
struct a large shell, christened Neutralia, mediately attacks them with electrified
with which to explore beyond our plan- wires. Other carriages arrive and join in
et’s atmosphere. The two, with Jacob the attack.
Flint, an old employee, set out for our The story continues
satellite. After starting, two former em-

ployees,Kobloth and Whipps, discharged

for spying, are found stowaways in the tartled by its strangeness, the voy-
storeroom. S agers halted involuntarily, and in-
After some experiments in arresting stantly saw that along all the cables, con-
the stupendous speed of the shell they verging toward the spot beneath which
arrive safely at the moon. Finding an at- lay the Neutralia, hundreds of the spider-
mosphere, though rarefied, capable of Martians were racing. The air was rent
supporting life, they alight in the great with their weird shrill cries, and
crater of Copernicus. Moss and giant throbbed with the drone of their power-
cactiare the sole vegetation; but gold ful propelling mechanisms. In a few sec-
and diamonds are found in large de- onds the nearest would be directly above
posits. them!
While the scientist is inspecting these, "Quick, into the globe!” snapped Car-
Kobloth and Whipps suddenly attack scadden. "Give me a lift up and I’ll
Carscaddcn and Flint, stunning them with throw out another ladder. I can find one
rocks. The treacherous pair instantly dash at once. See that Kobloth and Whipps

for the shell, hoping to make off with it are the last to ascend. Quick! here come
and later return to exploit the vast wealth their wires!”
they have seen. Burgoyne, however, ar- Burgoyne had the scientist
Instantly
rives on the scene and at point of his gun on his shoulders, and the globe being a
compels them to surrender. little tilted toward them Carscadden eas-

726 This story be gran in WEIRD TAXES for November

 THE VOYAGE OF THE NEUTRALIA 727

lly swung himself into it. A second more "Look out, Hugh! Jump for it!”
and a rope ladder had fallen beside the But he was too late; for a bright thin
big sentinel, who, revolver in hand, held wire had dropped from aloft, caught in
off the two scoundrels who had tried to the ladder’s middle, and instantly had
seize it. dragged it away from the globe, with
"Stand back! You two go last — or stay Burgoyne hanging by one hand to its last
as dead men!” he shouted angrily. "Up step.
you go, Flint,” he ordered in the same "Jump for the door, Hugh! Quick!”
breath. shouted Carscadden desperately.
At once Flint scrambled up the sway- "Sure!” muttered Burgoyne to himself.
ing steps, and Burgoyne, still threatening "But it’s a cent to a million dollars I miss
the desperate pair of ruffians with his it.” And as the end of the ladder dan-
leveled revolver, was on the point of gling from the rapidly updrawn wire came
following his example, when from above abreast of the door, he twisted around
came a cry: with a supreme effort and made a flying
728 WEIRD TALES
leap for the open door, where with out- effect, apparently, for the fiery red star
stretched hands the two already there at once fell harmlessly to the red sand.
awaited to snatch at him. He only just With a frenzied strength the Austrian
managed to clutch the outer flange of the snatched his companion’s grip from the
doorway, but in a breath the two had rope, and shouted, "Haul up! He shall
hauled him to safety. Looking back he die first,”and as he shouted he sprang
saw what he had so narrowly escaped. A with astounding agility high up and
score of gleaming wires w'ere uncoiling caught the line far up its length. But
and falling toward the globe. Whipps, too, made a desperate leap—
"What are we to do about the two leap to evade a fiery star that swung to-
down there? We can’t leave them to that ward him.
sort of death! Got any more rope, Ayl- He was too late; the point of light fell
mer?” cried Burgoyne, staring at the two on his shoulder. With a wild cry of
wretches below, who, crouching close to agony he fell back on the sand, his face
the in-curving wall of the globe, were and body contorted horribly, as one elec-
trying to evade a perfect rain of wires trocuted. In a flash a clawing wire had
which were descending upon it. seized him, and his rigid body was hauled
"Help! For God’s sake, help!” they aloft into the network of cables. In a
screamed in a frenzy of terror, and there moment Kobloth was dragged inside the
was very good reason for even such fears globe, and the fear in his eyes was un-
as theirs. For already, not far off, Kob- forgettable.
loth had seen several of the bat-like crea-
tures captured, and drawn up by the
wires, and heard their shrieks of agony B urgoyne had
immediately,
his
when
hand on the door
the scientist

abruptly silenced as their captors pre- stopped him.

sumably devoured them immediately. "No! not yet. We
must keep it open
The ladder, of course, had been ripped for a little,” he warned him. "We have
away and aloft, as though it were no nearly exhausted our compressed air

more than pack-thread. tanks, and must replenish them before

"Look out for the rope!” warned Bur- the door is have already set the
closed. I

goyne, flinging an end of the line Car- electric pumps going —

it will not take

scadden had snatched from a handy cleat more than an hour at the outside; but we
by the doorway. "Only one of you at a dare not make a start with nearly empty
—
time it won’t bear more than that!” tanks. Moreover we must try and hold
Both men clutched the rope together on until daylight.”
and clung to it fiercely. "Why?” asked his friend in surprize.
"Let go, one of you!” shouted the sci- "Because before daylight we should be
entist angrily. The clawed and hooked leaving Mars on the side opposite to the
wires were hovering near them, and fran- earth, and going still farther away from
tic with terror neither of the unfortunate our planet.”
men would relinquish his grip. "Well, we have our guns and plenty
"Let go! One must die —or both!” of shells, and may be able to stand the
shouted Burgoyne, as a wire with a fiery brutes off. But I don’t fancy those fiery
red star at the end of it was cast by a stars. Is it possible they could electro-
Martian toward them. The crack of a re- cute us through the steel walls?" he asked
volver rang out behind him; Carscadden gravely.
had fired at the car above. The shot took "No, I don’t think so. Just now we
 THE VOYAGE OF THE NEUTRALIA 729

have the neutralium shell above us, and them. But we must fight for that thirty
the outer steel wall is insulated from the minutes. Kobloth had better have his
inner lining; you remember I thought it gun back; we can’t worry about trifles in
advisable in case of electrical disturb- such a tight corner,” said their captain
ances we might encounter. Of course coolly.
what other offensive resources they have "Thank you, Mr. Carscadden; I’ll do
at their command we cannot tell. We my best. I’m quite a fair shot,” replied
can only keep our eyes open, and if we the Austrian gratefully.
have to start, well, we must chance it,” "Better get busy,” advised old Flint.
declared Carscadden philosophically. "As "Those uglies are trying to throw a net
for the clawed wires, have something
I all over us.”
here that will fix them if they menace True enough, amaze of
perfect
us,” he added quietly, as he stepped to a clawed, disk-ended and star-tailed wires
near-by chest and extracted from it a was enmeshing the great globe. Many
couple of short-handled and very large- fell on the neutralium cover, and failed
headed instruments. "These things are to grip it, but numerous others attached
carbons, insulated from the handles. themselves to the uncovered steel half.
When we switch on all the current at The four men at once commenced to rain
our command, the heat of the electric bullets amid their foes, and the cries of
arc between them will be quite consid- rage and pain that answered the volleys
erable. I think it will melt their wires told of the damage being wrought.
without much difficulty.” Shortly half a dozen cars and their weird
"Fine! Here’s your chance to experi- occupants had crashed to the sand; and
ment — a couple of the infernal things many of the wires lay broken and tan-
sticking to us just outside the doorway!” gled. All that came near the door were
cried Burgoyne, as pleased as a boy at the fused instantly by the carbons, and for a
possibility of a really effective offensive. little it seemed as if the battle favored

"Right! Here, get the wire between the voyagers. But at the globe’s side,
the carbon points, and I’ll switch on the away from the door, many disks attached
juice,” cried the scientist, handing him an themselves and could not be come at by
instrument. the defenders; and these began to draw
A moment, and Burgoyne raised a the Neutral/a along at a good pace. The
hand in signal. The switch was moved, strength of the wires and their grip must
a flash of vivid light leapt between the have been enormous, for the globe
points, and instantly the wire was fused plowed a deep rut through the sand as
and fell apart. At once the second wire though steam winches and giant cables
was so treated with a like result. At this had hold of it. Luckily the door faced
an excited shrill whistling broke out the canal, so that they were drawn away
among the Martians in their cars above. from it.
"That’s got them guessing!” cried Bur- "Another ten minutes,” said the sci-
goyne jubilantly. "Reckon they thought entist anxiously. "Then, night or no
no one knew anything about electricity night, we must go.”
but themselves.” With redoubled fury the revolvers
"Likely, but I’m afraid they’ve got spat their deadly missiles among the be-
other things up their sleeves to try out on siegers, and car after car came crashing
us yet. However, in another thirty min- from the high cables. The execution
utes we can close the door and leave caused even these fearless monsters to
730 WEIRD TALES
halt their proceedings. Suddenly the by a strong effort of will recovered suf-
globe’s movement stopped, the wires ficiently to drag the scientist farther back

were drawn upward, and the

rapidly in the chamber. Kobloth and Flint too
ranks of the enemy parted and left a got a taste of the malignant stuff as it
clear right of way between them. A reso- wafted about, but were not seriously af-
nant clang, like the sound of a huge fected.
gong, came from the western cliff, and "What’s to be done?” cried Burgoyne.
a bright object, flashing along a cable at "Carscadden, I think, will soon recover
terrific speed, rushed between the two he is breathing quite normally again. But
groups of now silent Martians, and came heaven knows we should get out of this
to a stop directly over the Neutrcdia. instantly; and only Carscadden knows

"What now?” cried Burgoyne. "What anything about this aerial navigation.”
devils’ game is this?” “Yes, we must not delay a minute. I

Even as he spoke, from this new arri- understand the registers —we must chance
val there was let down, by thick wires, a our direction. You can work the wheel,
large cylindrical object. Swaying to and and Flint attend to the captain,” replied
fro, as though being carefully adjusted, Kobloth, his technical and scientific train-
it finally came to rest exactly opposite
ing aiding his natural resolute hardihood.
and a few feet from the globe’s open At that moment a terrific crash, as of
door. A speck of bluish flame glowed some heavy body falling on the cover
in the center of its only visible end. above, filled tire globe with a deafening
"Look out! Close the door!” screamed clamor.

the Austrian. "That looks like a bomb, "That settles it!” shouted Burgoyne.
with its fuse lit!” "We chance it! Are you ready, Kob-
loth?”

T
ions.
he scientist, being nearest, reached
the closing-lever before his compan-
But even while throwing his weight
"Go ahead!” cried the Austrian,
ready at the registers. "Himmel! over
with the cover!” he ordered impatiently.
al-

on it, his scientific instincts compelled The great neutralium cover turned,
him to peer forward to obtain one the swinging platform rocked violently,
glimpse of this unknown offensive. That and the fog-obscured windows of the
little part of a second’s delay was his un-
lower half were hidden; while the un-
doing. covered upper lights exposed a cloudy
Before the steel rod slid home there sky, barred by a network of gigantic
came a burst of vivid flame from the cables along which hundreds of the Mar-
pointing cylinder, which seemed to tians moving were visible. A pause, as
shrivel up and vanish as a vast cloud of the cover pushed its way through the
coal-black vapor poured from it. A sand beneath the globe; a shock, as the
dense, stinking, poisonous fog rushed globe rocked, then righted itself; then
through the narrowing slit left by the Mars was sinking rapidly away from
closing door, and Carscadden was for an them. Up through the cables, tearing
instant immersed in its strangling folds. a great gap in the network as though it
As the door thudded softly home, he were mosquito veiling, soared the Neu-
fell to the floor, gasping and insensible. tralia, passing with a roar and a thrill of

Burgoyne, who was nearest him, reeled heat through the Martian atmosphere.
a step away, coughing and choking, but And so out into the cold and soundless
 THE VOYAGE OF THE NEUTRALIA 731

night of space it shot, away from Mars, still he remained unconscious; living,
away from the sun, and away from our breathing, but otherwise inert as a log.
planet. Meanwhile the Neutralia sped silently on
through trackless space, speeding out of
8. Ten Million Miles an Hour! the profound abyss where the greater
planets swing in their vast and solitary
“TIT ell,
W
locked the wheel.
that’s

"We
settled,”
Burgoyne philosophically
observed
as
are out in space,
he
orbits. Already the pointers recording in
tens of thousands on the speed registers
seemed but faint blurs of shadow on their
sure enough, but where bound for I dials. Already the globe was clear of the

haven’t the slightest notion. Still, any- long, conical shadow cast by Mars, and
thing is better than that devilish world the sun was but a small and fiery disk
we have left behind us.” that shone steadily to the eastward in a
"At present we are receding from jet-black sky; while the earth was now a
Mars at more than fifty thousand miles mere speck of dim light hardly discern-
an hour, and gaining pace every mo- ible.

ment,” said the Austrian, consulting the Forty-eight hours went by in this man-
registers. "The cold of space is acting ner; watching the changeless sky, the
as a tonic to the Neutralia. Where we humming registers, and attending to the

are heading for I cannot say. Some of unconscious man. Forty-eight hours of
these instruments, not to mention astro- the most intense anxiety; little wonder
nomical navigation, require an expert’s they slept but in short snatches, and their
handling. We
can only hope that Mr. bloodshot sunken eyes betrayed that the
Carscadden will soon recover and be able strain was becoming unendurable. Then

to take charge again,” he added fervently. it happened, the sick man’s eyes abruptly

Since the awful fate of his companion, opened, and he was staring at his com-
the Austrian had seemed a changed man. panions quite sanely and naturally.
Possibly he realized that he had taken his "What’s the matter, Hugh?” he mut-
life in his hands in the pursuit of his evil tered weakly. "I suppose that infernal
and vindictive purposes, and that now he fog stuff knocked me out. Have you
stood alone, one man among three who shut the door? What are the Martians
had every reason to regard him with doing?” he queried more strongly, his
aversion and distrust. He realized, too, eagerness of spirit fast overcoming his
probably far more deeply than Burgoyne sickness.
and Flint, the hopeless nature of their "The Martians!” laughed Burgoyne as

plight if their captain’s stupor did not he bent and joyfully over
affectionately
shortly leave him. The fate of all de- his "Don’t worry about them.
friend.
pended absolutely on the brain of the They must be a good many million miles
man who alone of all mankind had made astern by this time. But how do you feel
the probing of space possible. — thirsty? hungry?” he queried anx-
Each of the three men, Kobloth as iously.
earnestly solicitous as the others, did his "What, you have started?” cried Car-
best for the unconscious man, but it scadden, sitting bolt-upright in his sur-
seemed as though would
all their efforts prize. "Why, how long have I been in-

be unavailing; his whole system must sensible?”

have been saturated with the poisonous "Just forty-eight hours, though it
draft he had quaffed. Hours passed, and seems like years,” replied his friend with
732 WEIRD TALES
a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank heaven have thought Kobolth could have told
you are better, and will soon be able to you that,” said Carscadden in surprize.
skipper the Neutralist again. All I know "He’s been sleeping for several hours
for certain is that we are somewhere out —and that queer star has grown much
in space, and the pointers haven’t been larger in my watch. I was getting a bit

visible for ages.” worried about it, to say the truth,” de-
"Forty-eight hours!” echoed Carscad- clared Burgoyne apologetically.
den. "Here, give me a hand; I must see "No wonder it’s been growing larger
to this. Forty-eight hours, and going full rapidly. Do you know we are rushing to
steam ahead!” he repeated, as though it at nearly ten million miles an hour?
dazed by the notion. Over 150,000 miles a minute! And as

W
the planet is a little to the eastward of
ITH a litle assistance, for he was Mars, we have traversed an arc of its

not in any way injured, and the orbit, of about six hundred million miles!
poison seemed to have worked its way Does that satisfy your ambitions?”
completely out of his system, he walked "That’s breaking records!” cried Bur-
across to his beloved registers, and bent goyne with raised eyebrows. "Since we
over, studying them earnestly for several are so near to this planet Jupiter, why
moments. When
he looked up again, his not have a look at it. A few hours more
eyes held a queer expression, an expres- or less cannot make much difference to
sion of mingled amazement, pride, and us, surely.”
consternation. echoed Kobloth and Flint
"Jupiter!”
"Why didn’t you move the cover in the same breath. For the two sleepers
about, and check the speed?” he asked. had now awakened, and had hastened to
"Well, we were in the dark as to your their captain with many expressions of
calculations, and were afraid of either surprize and relief at his welcome recov-
falling back to Mars, or into the sun. I ery. "Jupiter! Yes, I thought that blaz-
reckoned we were safer out here, and ing orb was the huge planet, but I could
Kobloth said there was enough air to not credit we had hurtled through space
last us a month,” replied Burgoyne. so quickly as all that. Yes, I should like
"Yes, perhaps you were safer—that to have a closer look at Jupiter. Does it

cover requires delicate manipulation. But make much difference to our safety if we
it’s high time I woke up. Do you know hold on for a few hours longer?” and a
where we are?” asked the scientist. light came into Kobloth’s dark, strong
"Somewhere out in space. Beyond that eyes that was not entirely inspired by
I haven’t a notion,” replied Burgoyne as greed and selfish ambition; for at heart

lightly as though he spoke of a car ride whose

the Austrian was really a scientist,
over some new country in his own home evilinstincts had been so uncontrolled

state. and dominant that they had wrecked

"As a matter of fact, and to be more what might have been a notable life.
precise, we certainly are out in space. "No, I don’t think it can make much
At a rough estimate, we are about ten or difference to us. I may frankly admit
eleven hours’ run from the planet Jupi- that our chances of hitting the earth
ter. When you left Mars it was night, again from this vast distance are quite
and Jupiter being the nearest large plan- a gamble. But seeing that we have evi-
et, you were naturally attracted by it. dence of the stupendous speed the Neu-
See, that’s Jupiter, over there. I should tralist is capable of, the matter of time
 THE VOYAGE OF THE NEUTRALIA 733

hardly needs to be considered, and the captain. "It revolves around the planet
problem of return simply resolves itself in forty-two hours. It is nearly four
into a matter of our ability to evade or times as large as our own moon. We
turn to our advantage the various centers shall try and land on it.”
of attraction we shall encounter,” replied Nearer and nearer sank the globe to
the scientist thoughtfully. the huge glowing orb, and distinctly vis-
And so after a little more discussion ible were the curious belts of alternately
it was decided, and the great steel globe liquefying and vaporizing elements.
was permitted to continue its headlong Steadily it was growing larger and soon
rush through the black abyss toward the it dominated the black sky like a vast

huge orb of Jupiter. That giant of our crimson sun.

planetary family, whose diameter exceeds Suddenly a tremendous crash resounded
85,000 miles, whose day is no more than on the globe’s exterior, and in a moment
five hours, and night no longer, whose it was subjected to a tremendous bom-
four moons race round his great girth bardment, as though batteries of heavy
with a speed far in excess of our own artillery were playing upon it. The globe
placid luminary’s sedate behavior, and vibrated and trembled with the incessant
whose year contains 4,332 of its brief blows, and great scratches appeared on
days. Luckily there are no inhabitants to the outer surface of the windows. The
suffer the inconvenience of such things, temperature at once rose considerably,
for the huge orb is, like the sun, still in a and the globe’s occupants panted and
gaseous condition, and its heat and light perspired with every movement.
ofits own making, though its texture is Carscadden hastily wrote on a piece of
much more concentrated than the sun’s paper and passed it around, for it was
tenuous immensity. impossible to hear a word in that deafen-
In less than two hours from his recov- ing uproar.
ery Carscadden ordered his friend to re- "We are passing through a swarm of
verse the cover, and Jupiter, now a large, meteorites,” he had written. "They are on
glowing disk of fast-increasing bright- their way to Jupiter. I think the Neutra-
ness, went out of sight beneath them as lia can safely stand it, unless we meet an
they dropped with terrific but shortly unusually large fragment. However, we
abating speed toward it. Exactly eleven can only carry on and chance to the luck
hours after he emerged from his stupor that has so far befriended us.”
he gave the command to reverse the The supply of missiles seemed inex-
cover again. haustible, and the bombardment contin-
ued for over an hour. But at last, ab-
9. Near to Destruction ruptly as it had started, the crashing up-
roar ceased. Shortly after, on the vast

A s IT swung back, letting light through

c the lower windows, the intrepid voy-

agers saw the giant planet below them, a

glowing disk a faint scintillation broke
out in one particular location. It was the
cloud of myriads of meteorites rushing to
huge whirling orb of glowing cloudiness, their destruction, fused into vapor by the
with tormented eddies of super-
vast, friction of their passage through the plan-
heated gas spinning and leaping within et’s gaseous envelope.
it. Across this expanse of titanic activity Now the black speck of the inner
a blade speck moved quickly. moon loomed larger, and it could be seen
"The inner moon,” explained their as a round dark object on the dull fiery
734 WEIRD TALES
mass of Jupiter.
their captain the cover
to shut out
At the
was tilted
somewhat the direct
command
a
pull of
of
little N
fully
earer came the
globe, so near that the men, fear-
watching it,
hurtling

braced themselves for

black

Jupiter. the final second of dissolution. Plunging

them into darkness, it hid Jupiter from
The Neutralia, as though tired after
long voyage, sank down slowly toward
its
their view as and then light!
it passed, —
They lived! The moon had rushed past,
the rapidly moving moon. All going
though the clearance could not have been
well, their paths would soon intersect.
expressed in distance; it was a matter of
Absorbed in watching this satellite, the
split seconds only.
watchers for a little overlooked the fact

that Jupiter had other moons to reckon "That was worse than the Martian spi-
with. It was Kobloth who first reminded ders!” exclaimed old Flint, wiping the
them of their oversight. perspiration from his forehead.

"Another moon!” he shouted excited- "I’m not stuck on another such stunt
ly,pointing to a side window. "It is com- as that, myself!” agreed big Burgoyne

ing direct for us —

we shall be run with the deepest conviction.
down!” The landing on the inner satellite was
With one hasty glance at the approach- comparatively easy, and they grounded
ing menace, Carscadden leapt to the safely on its western* edge, where both
wheel. Every breath was held as the. Jupiter and the distant sun were visible.

scientist swung the cover, and it never But there was no landing on that little
seemed to move so slowly; for each had world for the disappointed voyagers, the
seen that the Neutralia, dropping now test-tubes showing no trace of atmos-

but slowly, was almost directly in the phere.

path of this rushing Obviously the

peril. "There is no air whatever on this little
satellite would overtake the globe unless —
world at least none that our tubes can
it could be moved quickly aside from its detect. We shall have to remain inside

present path. Was this to be the end? while we do it,” announced their captain.
to be shattered to fragments by a chance "Do what?” asked Kobloth.
collision with this passing moon? Gradu- "Make the circuit round Jupiter. We
ally, under their captain’s expert hand- shallhave to travel rather slowly; for the
ling, the Neutralia came to a standstill, cover will need some very fine adjust-
and hung poised in space awaiting the
ment to hold our position as we make
fateful moment. Nearer and nearer
the circuit,” explained the scientist.
rushed the satellite, bulking dark and "And after that?” queried Burgoyne.
enormous as it came for them. "After that we must try and return
"It may miss Kobloth in a
us,” said to our own planet. I say 'try’ because it

low voice, and his face was drawn and w ill

r
be a very difficult task— in fact, a
haggard. pure gamble. It is only right that you
"I have done all I can do,” muttered should all be aware of that fact,” replied

Carscadden. "We are now isolated from Carscadden gravely.

all attraction save that of Jupiter, and "You have navigated us safely so far,
we shall begin to fall toward it again Aylmer, and I’ll put my last cent on your
directly the satellite has passed — if we making it. Now I think I’ll take a
live to see it,” he whispered under his snooze. I haven’t had a real nap since
breath. you were bowled over. Is there anything
 THE VOYAGE OF THE NEUTRALIA 735

to do, or see, that is more than usually is now nearly 700,000,000 miles. Our
interesting?” said Burgoyne. air supply, I find, will last the four of us
"No. We shall remain on this satel- just seventy-nine hours; that is using up
lite,and be carried round with it. It’s the compressed stores and the reserve ox-
not safe to approach any closer. If any- ygen. That means that we shall have to
thing happens I will call you; my long travel at express speed, in spite of the
sleep has left me quite fresh, so I shall risk; we have no margin of safety for
take a number of photographs,” replied possible emergencies at the end of our
the scientist, turning to his array of cam- long journey. Your presence, Kobloth,
eras. is most inconvenient, not to say danger-

Burgoyne and the Austrian were soon ous. Three would be able to exist in the
enfolded in their rugs. But Flint, always Neutralia for over a hundred hours. If
deeply interested in his master’s work, we can avoid the one danger that I fear,
watched and aided him with his cameras. we need not use the ejector door for un-
From one of the windows they looked desirable passengers.” His voice was
directly down on the heaving, gaseous quite courteous, very grave, and yet hard
surface of the monster planet; from an- as granite.
other the sun was visible, but appeared
"And that one danger is ?” asked
littlemore than a star of intense brilliancy Kobloth, whose face had grown gray and
amid a host of other lesser points of lumi- anxious.
nosity. As the satellite moved round its
"The danger of starting the Neutralia
parent orb, Flint remarked in surprize
at a wrong angle. If we do not go abso-
that it always appeared in the same rela-
lutely straight to the earth we shall in-
tive position to them.
evitably be drawn into the sun. And with
"Should have thought it would have
so small a reserve of air we cannot afford
gone out of sight,” said he, referring to
to check our terrific pace in time to avert
the vast globe.
that fate,” replied Carscadden quietly.
"But this moon is like our satellite,”
explained his master. "It always keeps
"When do we start?” inquired Bur-

the same hemisphere facing inward — it’s

goyne,
er’s
who was impressed by their
quiet statement.
lead-

a peculiarity moons have.”

As the hours sped by they noted that "In half an hour—if we can.”

though the huge planet shone with the

dull light of its own fiery gases, yet it was 10. An Error of a Decimal
markedly brighter where the sunlight fell
upon it. It was new, crescent, half, and “T'T T hat’s to hinder us starting?”

full, in turns.
V asked Flint, first voicing the sur-
Ten hours after their grounding Car- prize of the three listeners.

scadden made a careful study of his reg- "Our path — I have just found that
isters and instruments, and afterward it will take us directly across the path of
was busy for a little while with his pencil. Jupiter’s fourth satellite. In half an hour,
Then he made the following announce- when we must cross its path, it will be
ment: there, or very nearly so. At least it will
"Since we landed, Jupiter, as well as be no more than .10513 of its diameter
Mars and the earth, has moved and al- away from the point of intersection. I
tered its relative position considerably. need not say that the margin is far too
From here to our planet, in a direct line, narrow for safety.”
73 6 WEIRD TALES
"Can we not wait, and give it time to ratus did not work altogether satisfac-

pass by?’’ queried Kobloth. torily.

"Yes, we shall have to. But that means At the end of the sixtieth hour both
missing our straight line earthward. But Mars and the earth loomed large again,
we shall have to move as soon as this and the sun had regained much of its
satellite has passed the critical spot, and splendor. It was evident that they would
even then it will be a mere chance if we pass Mars at a good distance to one side;
miss it,” said Carscadden. and it was also evident that their course
"Devil take a planet with four moons!” would take them a long distance from the
grumbled the stolid Burgoyne, who longed-for earth, and the Neutralia would
seemed by far the least moved of the be governed entirely by the pull of the
three listeners. sun’s vast mass.
More waiting in silent suspense; then, Carscadden worked out his calculations
eye to telescope, their captain gave the anew, going a long way back in his for-
signal. At once the was
great cover mulas to make certain that no loophole
turned, and the satellite on which it had of error had evaded him, and it was then
rested sank from beneath their feet, and that he discovered the little slip in a deci-
they saw passing above them the huge —
mal point a slip a careless schoolboy
dark ball of the outermost of Jupiter’s might have been guilty of, but quite un-
attendant satellites. Only for a moment looked for in one who regarded calculus
was it visible, so rapid was the pace as a mild form of recreation. The discov-
the Neutralia at once attained; then they ery hurt his pride far more than the fact
were out in the darkness and emptiness of the terrible danger it had led them

of space, homeward bound —

if all went into. Such a trivial error was as a deadly
w'ell. sin to the scientific mind.
During the following hours there was The others, when he told them, did not
nothing to mark their progress save the seem to appreciate the gravity of his con-
spinning pointers on the speed dials of fession.
the register —
no sense of movement "But a point? I don’t see anything to
within or perception of motion without worry about,” said Burgoyne a little con-
the globe. They were apparently hanging temptuously.
in the center of a vast sphere of jet-black "No?” sneered Carscadden with a
darkness, a sphere dusted with points, most unusual bitterness. "I hardly
and streams, and clusters of starry light; thought you would. Nevertheless I think
yet each man knew that he was being it has signed our death warrant. When I

hurled through this terrible darkness at delayed our departure from Jupiter’s in-
nearly 10,000,000 miles every sixty min- ner satellite, it was to allow another of

utes, and each man feared that the end the four moons to pass clear of our
of this daring venture would be death. course. The clearance I then stated w'as
At last sixty long hours had crawled but .10513 of its diameter. That was
by. Now the men were inclined to be dull an error; it should have been 1.0513. On
and querulous; for as w ell as the nerve-T
that footing there would not have been
racking suspense, the air was more than the least danger, and we could have
a little vitiated. For the tanks did not started at the exact second requisite to
release a fraction more than the amount reach our planet safely. Now w’e shall

needful to sustain the vital spark of ex- most certainly miss it.”
istence, and the carbon-consuming appa- "Miss it?” echoed Burgoyne. "But
W. T.—
 THE VOYAGE OF THE NEUTRALIA 737

cannot we stop the Neutralia, and make can stop us, and we are now isolatedfrom
a fresh start?” every attraction save his. I ought to have
"You mean just cruise about until the foreseen and prepared for such a misfor-
right moment comes round again. Cer- tune.”
tainly we could, but for our air supply; "How? What has happened?” asked
long before that moment arrives the sup- Flint, incredulous that any misfortune
ply would have been exhausted. No, it should long defy his master.
is out of the running; nevertheless we "Well, it seems to me that very likely
must stop the Neutralia at once, as there a small meteorite fragment has forced
is just a ghost of a chance that by very its way between the steel globe and its

careful manipulation we might be able cover, and so made it jam. Unfortunate-

to edge into the gravitational field of the ly we have no means of finding out if
planet Venus — I mean into its effective this is the case, or combating it if we
range so far as we are concerned. But knew was the trouble,” said Carscad-
this

it is only a chance, and a mighty slim den rather wearily. "If there was any
one,” affirmed the scientist coolly. "How- hope of saving ourselves,” he continued,
ever, let us try it. Turn the cover, Hugh,” "we might prolong existence a little by
he commanded with decision. removing Kobloth. But what is the use,
when in a few hours our end is certain
urgoyne we
B newed
leapt to the
cheerfulness; it
wheel with re-
was a relief to
unless
can do is
can move the cover?
to face with resolution the in-
All we

be doing something. His nature craved evitable, as befits men.”

activity, and he became uneasy and irri- "How will it be, this plunge into the
tablewhen denied such expression of his sun?” asked Kobloth slowly.
superabundant energy. But for the first "Instantaneous. At the rate we shall
time the w'heel seemed very hard to start rush into the huge corona of flaming
in motion. Surprized, he put out his full gases we shall be fused into incandes-
strength and strained at it. Still there cence quicker than a moth is consumed
was no movement. in a furnace,” replied the scientist.
"What the devil has come to it?” he Even Burgoyne looked startled.
stolid
exclaimed angrily. "Here, you fellows, Fused into incandescent vapor in a frac-
give me a hand,” he called to his com- tion of a second! It might be merciful
panions hastily, as his face abruptly paled and absolutely painless, but it was a sin-
at the thought which had suddenly come gularly unpleasant fate to contemplate.
to him. Ten hours went by. Haggard-faced,
That thought was also known to the breathing heavily in the vitiated air, the
threemen who flew to his assistance. four men sat silent, moodily staring into
But no man voiced it. In silence they vacancy, and each affecting a stoical in-
pulled, pushed, and strained until the per- difference he was far from experiencing.
spiration streamed from them. But all in The slave of science, by force of habit
vain — the cover would not budge a sin- their captain made occasional inspections
gle inch! registers. A moment ago
of his dials and
"Something has happened! We are he had pointed to one of the windows
doomed!” cried Kobloth. and announced without emotion:
"I am afraid that is the truth,” said "We are now making 12,000,000
their captain grimly. "If we fail to move miles an hour. We have passed the
the cover, nothing short of the sun itself earth’s orbit already, missing our planet.
W. T.—
738 WEIRD TALES
See, it is there, like a huge crescent moon! hands were bleeding and bodies bruised
In about another seven or eight hours we —
-
but the cover was moving!
shall be in the sun —
and the voyage will "She’s free! We’ve done it!” cried
be ended!” the four men hysterically.

They were quickly on their feet again,

11. A Last Effort! Venus
and rushed to a window. The sun was
now beneath them, and hidden from
“TJ ow long will the air supply last?”
view, and in the sky overhead shone the
A J- asked Burgoyne after a little.
earth, a brilliant star, and much nearer an-
"Nearly eight hours, just enough to
other as brilliant, the white disk of Ve-
reach the sun,” replied the scientist.
nus. Now but half a million miles dis-
"And if the cover would move, what tant, it gleamed like a great full moon,
would you do?” a glaring circle of light cut out of a black
"Try and land on the planet Venus, background. Would they be able to
Hugh. We should be passing its orbit, reach it in time, and had it a breathable
and not very far from the planet itself, atmosphere? Each brain was concen-
in another hour,” replied his friend. trated on these two queries.

"Well, here goes for one last effort; "We have barely seven hours’ air left,
I’ll either break that gearing or move and we must now endeavor to greatly re-
the blasted thing,” declared Burgoyne duce our speed, but our pace is so awful
with a sudden wrath that overstrained that I cannot be sure we can effect this
nerves are prone to exhibit. in time to avail us. But we have this in
our favor: the Neutralia, isolated from
Without a word Kobloth leapt to his
the sun’s attraction, will begin to be re-
feet and joined him, and the two began
pelled at once, so saturated with cold has
tugging viciously at the obdurate wheel.
The energy and despair inspired every
the cover now become; and so near are
ounce of muscle in the two attackers, and
we Venus that its pull will be very
to
strong. Between these two forces, both
the gearing rattled and trembled under
impelling us in the same direction, we
the tremendous strain they subjected it

to. Suddenly Burgoyne gave a wild shout; may be able to manage. We can do no
more now, just wait,” declared the sci-
the wheel had seemed to move the merest
entist impassively.
trifle.

Minute by minute the time sped by,

Instantly Carscadden and Flint flung
and still, though with ever lessening ve-
themselves also upon it. This way and
locity, the Neutralia sped sunward. De-
that, the four desperate men fought with
spite the asbestos lining, the heat grew
the gearing, and at once a faint harsh
intense. Slowly the white disk of Venus
grinding sound was audible below them.
Itwas the cosmic fragment being forced receded. Two hours passed before the
register pointers came to rest. For a mo-
between the steel wall and the cover.
ment the globe was hanging motionless.
"An ounce more — she’s coming!”
Then the pointers again moved; the Neu-
shouted Burgoyne fiercely.
tralia had commenced its retrograde
A loud, rasping, shattering noise, and movement back toward Venus, and away
the wheel spun round with a jerk that from the seething cauldron it had been
sent the men hurtling over one another; heading for.
 THE VOYAGE OF THE NEUTRALIA 739

R elieved from the awful

their former peril,
• the
talked and joked boisterously,
strain
voyagers
of their evil genius,
‘upon them. It
and had forced himself
was but simple justice that
he should be sacrificed for the common
weal, and he had richly earned his fate.
"Any points of interest about this dame
Venus?” asked Burgoyne flippantly.
Burgoyne and Flint staggered toward
him. Himself gasping and choking, the
"Only this known with any certainty. Austrian read his doom in their eyes,
Venus lies 24,000,000 miles nearer the and shrank away from them.
sun than the earth, her day is forty min-
utes shorter than ours, and her year only
At that moment a shrill shriek, that

224 days long; while her diameter is rose to a loud roaring, filled the Neu-
tralia.
nearly 400 miles less than the earth’s.
There is an atmosphere of some descrip- "Stop!” gasped Carscadden. "We are
tion, whether breathable or not we shall in the atmosphere. We land in a min-
soon discover. And a few mountains ute!”
have been noted, but little is known of The windows whitened and dulled,
the surface. Also she has no moons.” and ran with steam as the Neutralia fell
"No moons! Thank heaven for that!” headlong through the damp cloudy lay-
cried Burgoyne fervently. ers, shrieking and glowing with the last

remnants of its great pace. Luckily the

Little by little the reserves of air and
atmosphere of Venus was extensive and
oxygen sank steadily nearer to exhaus-
dense and aided in arresting their descent.
tion. The Neutralia had not yet reached
the atmosphere of Venus when their cap-
The roar abated, the windows cleared,

tain announced the end of the seventh

and a forest of waving tree-tops was vis-

hour. Already he spoke, and breathed,

ible beneath. Then with a terrific jar
that threatened to loosen every bolt-nut,
with much difficulty. "We are very near
plate, and rivet, the Neutralia struck the
the journey’s end; in ten minutes we shall
ground, rocked violently a little, and
be a mere few miles from the surface of
then was at rest.
Venus. Then either the air is breathable,
or ” and he left the sentence unfin- "The test-tube!” gasped the scientist
ished. hoarsely.

Now the planet loomed gigantic be- "The door — we die for it!” choked
if

neath them, blotting out everything save Burgoyne as he swung madly on the
its vastness. A pleasant-hued world it lever, and before Carscadden could in-
was, shaded and by various markings
lit terfere, Kobloth had staggered to the
as of land and water, wherever its sur- lever also. The great door swung open,
face could be glimpsed between heavy and a blast of damp, dense air, chilly by
cloud masses. It was so wasnear, but so comparison with the fetid air within the
extinction; the last breath of oxygen had globe, but pure as liquid life to the suf-
been released, and in a few moments their focating men, swept upon their faces.
lungs would be gasping and strangling They breathed in gulping inhalations
for lack of it. The three friends turned they breathed and lived!
dull, fierce eyes on Kobloth; but for him
the air supply would have been ample You will not want to miss the interest-packed chap-
ters that bring this story to an end in next month's
and From the start he had been WEIRD TALES. Reserve your copy at your magazine
to spare. dealer’s now.
 % neasy Lie the Drowned
By DONALD W ANDREI

Crossing the lake in a canoe, Morse ran into a horror a stark, hideous horror —
that crept over the side of his canoe

H E WATCHED the graying sky

anxiously, but without fear,
kept his ears attuned to the gusts
of wind that pulled the waves higher.
and
The water
afternoon,
peared.
blue,
The
itself, leaf-green at mid-

darkened as the sun disap-

green turned to a sodden
and went down to a dull black.
He had made many direct crossings of And far under that black, four hundred
lakes in the past, alone, both in high rid- feet and more, lay the solid rock that
ing and heavily laden canoes. This lake formed the deep-gouged bed of all these
was new to him. It was miles across. He northern lakes. Rock, and the sediment
did not know its depths and shallows, its of centuries, saturated logs, perhaps the
lily clusters, beds of weeds, or the way it wrecks of sunken boats and bodies of
responded to squalls. the drowned for the pike and the mus-
The sky had been clear when he started kellunge to forget.
out. A deep, rhythmic stroke of the pad- Even the stillness had given way to dis-

dle, and a twist of the blade. Out and turbing sound. The constant, quiet slur
forward. Down and back again. Each of waters divided by the canoe became a
time that he brought the paddle astern, slap, at irregular intervals, and with

an expert drag on the blade kept the mounting force. The canoe, no longer
canoe on its straight course. It was a sim- gliding at even balance, began to rise a
ple trick. He could go on for hours, little, dip a and the lake smacked
little,

stroking steadily on the right, but mid- the fore keel. From the far distance came
way to his goal, and still unwearied, he the advance echo of a mighty rushing
switched over to the left. howl. The dark mass of pine and spruce
As often happened in fall along the that lined the shore, now less than two
border lakes, a squall was brewing. A miles ahead, stirred with mournful un-
mass of slate-black clouds bloomed out of rest. The air grew colder.

Canada and swallowed the setting sun. During all the summers that Morse
He changed his pace, increased the power Calkins had spent canoeing and hunting,
of his thrust and pull, sent the canoe camping and fishing through the lakes
skimming more swiftly across the waters. and forests of northern Minnesota, he
The lake, hitherto calm, began to had not until now experienced a doubt of
spawn groups of nervously racing ripples. his mastery. His alarm crept up from his
The wind chased them in all directions heart to his brain because he could not
over the surface. They vanished, and left account for the apprehension. He had
a deceptive tranquillity, until more of the been lost in the woods, had rescued him-
uneasy whirls and lines skittered along. self from a capsized canoe, outdistanced

A swell gradually made its presence, in forest fires, escaped the charge of a full-
slow undulations, then in an occasional grown moose. He had survived many a
small wave that broke, and always higher squall. Yet the germ of an obscure panic
swells, and more strongly marked crests. haunted him. Less than two miles to the
740
 UNEASY LIE THE DROWNED 741

camp where the three companions of this A pair of hands — well, why not? A
expedition awaited his arrival. swimmer whom he hadn’t noticed — or
There came a lull. the exhausted survivor from a boat that
As though a gigantic, invisible hand —
had foundered but the hands wouldn’t
closed over the canoe, it lost momentum. have inched their way up with so stealthy
Instantly aware of the drag, he could an approach. These thoughts floated
not understand it. None of the possible vaguely somewhere in back of his reeling
causes that he was familiar with seemed consciousness. No swimmer, no living
adequate reason. A bed of weeds there — human being, ever possessed hands of
was no shallow here, only bottom hun- such soapy fatness.
dreds of feet down. An added weight— They slid along the side, those plump,
he had not yet shipped water. The pres- bloated fingers, and found a grip. He
sure of wind —
the wind blew fitfully, not couldn’t make out a trace of knuckles or
steadily, not enough to retard him. A joints or veins. The nails were entirely
drift of current
were more common to
—perhaps, but currents
rivers than lakes.
missing. Only thick coils remained, like
enormously pudgy, gray-white worms.
Above the stern rose a tangle of hair.

T he canoe lagged further. His senses,

alert to every mood of the craft,
warned him of pressure For some astern.
Itwas wet, matted. Then the forehead
and eyes and face, except that of these
there existed only a swollen, fissured
strange, incomprehensible motive, he kept blob, the features of one drowned and
his eyes glued on the dark forest and the immersed for months.
black mountains of clouds ahead. The To Morse, it seemed that his arms and
prow of the canoe tilted upward higher legs would never carry out his command,
than it should rise to crest a wave. that his body drifted through lazy ges-
He stroked suddenly, deeply, the mus- tures akin to a slow-motion picture. Yet
cles knotting at his shoulders, and the he found himself bringing the oar blade
veins rising on his arms, while his down again and again on those horrific
knuckles stood out in naked, bony lumps. hands. He was not aware of having made
The canoe slowed to a standstill. The a mad lunge forward that almost capsized
bow rode still higher. All his strength his craft, or of whirling around and lift-

and power, his hardest paddling, could ing the oar above his head. Only his
not move the canoe. He saw the sweat hammering upon the fingers and head of
seep from wrinkles at his wrist, but the the corpse, there in all that tumult of
swart hairs were half erect. Odd. Hot wind and waters, formed a positive
—
and cold he couldn’t be both. reality.

Morse turned and glared all at once, He could not pound or pry them loose.
as if expecting to find someone else in The lips curled around the distended,
the canoe, someone to curse. protruding tongue — an illusion bred of
There was no one else in the canoe darkness and terror. It couldn’t be. Nor
yet. But there was a hand clutching the the gasped whistle of an inarticulate at-

stern, and the fingers of another hand tempt at speech, like the hiss of steam
crawled into sight, sliding over the rim. escaping. He didn’t hear it. He couldn’t
Morse watched them with an expression hear it above the rumble and boom of
of detachment. It was almost a silly ex- thunder.
pression, for the anesthetic of shock had —
Thunder of course. In the old days,
paralyzed him in one instantaneous flood. cannon had been fired to roil quiet waters
742 WEIRD TALES
and bring to the surface bodies of the would scream down a million-fold louder
drowned. The thunder, the roaring, re- and blast into oblivion those corrupt
verberating claps and wild wind over the words and that hoarse voice.
lake had raised this dead thing from its
lodging.

He
The rest was imagination.
Mustn’t let his nerves go.
heard a husky, gurgling rattle.
M orse panted
time to doubt
persuasive answer
—and he himself found
he made such
if
— don’t want
"I
soft,
to

Once he had listened to a dying soldier know you, whatever you are.”

whose message bubbled away upon the "But I want to know you, Morse Cal-
bullets that had punctured his lungs. kins. You see, if I hadn’t drowned
This was a sound more appalling, be- —
months ago was it months? I don’t re-
cause of its deliberation, and the words member. Time doesn’t mean anything to
choked on the wind, "Don’t, Morse. I me now. If I hadn’t drowned, if I had
came up to see you. I had to see you. I managed to -get across the lake safely,
was Pete LeRoy.” I’d have known you well by now. So

Morse didn’t know that he shouted. when I felt you pass over me, something

There was frenzy in his voice. It rode the tugged me. You pulled me up where I
”
storm. "Go back where you came from! could see you
I don’t care who you are! I’ve got to "No! No! I didn’t have anything to
make camp —
a storm’s coming up get — do with it! Get back!”
away from here, damn you! Why don’t "Oh yes, you did, Morse. You com-
you go back?” pelled me to come up. Pete LeRoy you —
The oar thudded, slipped off those fat never heard the name before, did you?”
fingers. Morse wondered what insane im- "I don’t want to hear it again. Let me
pulse drove him to talk aloud. You can’t go. I’ve got to reach camp before the
talk to the drowned. storm breaks at its worst. Why don’t you
"I can’t go back, Morse. I’ve got to just let go and drop back?”
know you. I’ve got to talk to you. I had I have something
"I will, but not yet.
to come up. You see, my canoe sank and to do that I didn’t have time to do when
”
I drowned I was Pete LeRoy and living. I’m dead
"No! No! Go down where you be- now. Maybe I’m not Pete LeRoy. But
long!” Was that crazed babble his? the part of me that remembers Pete Le-
What made him answer ghost-words Roy knows what he would have done if
that he dreamed? he’d kept on living. That part of me felt
"I will, but not yet. I drowned by ac- you coming over the surface of the lake.
cident, Morse. It shouldn’t have hap- I had to rise up. I had to come as I am,

pened. I wasn’t prepared. I hadn’t lived and I’m here as I am, because there’s a
as long as I was supposed to. I ought to
mission I’ve got to carry out. It’s the

have gone on If I had, I’d have

living. same mission that I couldn’t carry out
met you. I’d have become a friend of when I drowned, but that I must have

yours. We would have made plans to- carried out if I’d gone on living.”

gether. We would have seen a lot of each Morse was hitting, slashing, jabbing
other.” again with the oar. The flat of the blade
The thick, blurry speech submerged struck the monstrous head with sickening,
the gusts that now began to lash the ris- mushy thuds. He pried at the rotten fin-

ing waters. Morse wished that the gale gers, but they slid along the side and
 UNEASY LIE THE DROWNED [743

clung as though glued to the withes. He There was a gagging in his throat that
was breathing harshly. The spray that he couldn’t gulp away.
had begun to blow made his own hands
"Yes, to kill you. You see, Morse, if
slippery, and glistened wetly on the gray-
I’d gone on living my natural life, I’d
white thing at the stern.
have got to know you. We’d have been
"Please,” Morse said thickly, and friends for a while. And then we’d have
again, "Go away, go down,” and then quarreled and turned bitter enemies.
suddenly his voice went screeching up to We’d have hated each other as much as
a high, thin crescendo, "Let go, damn we liked each other before. But we’d
you! You’re dead and drowned! Get have tried to suppress our hatred, be-
down and rot where you belong!” cause we’d have been on this long camp-
ing-trip. And then today we’d have start-
The fingers, bashed into loathsome
pulp by the blows from the oar, curled ed across this lake, and our hatred would
over like talons. What was left of Pete have flared into the open, and you’d have
LeRoy said in the same guttural drawl made a dive for me, and I’d have knocked
as before, "Yes, Morse, I’ll go when I’ve
you overboard and paddled away, leaving
accomplished my mission. I’ve got to go you to drown.
down where I belong, then. I haven’t "It’s you who should have gone down,
why
told you I came. Don’t you want to Morse Calkins, and / who should have
know?” gone on living.”
"You said you had to see me. You’ve
seen me. Isn’t that enough? Are you go-
ing to hang on till Doomsday?” T he slow, creepy speech died away.
Morse saw tiny rivers running down
the face and the hands from the torrents
"Don’t you know why I came? What
my mission is?” of rain that now
deluged the lake. The
wind had stormed up to a gale, and the
"For God’s sake, let go!” Morse’s
waves had begun to crash in foaming
voice was getting raw. His howl ended
white-caps. Into the dips dropped the
on a sort of piping whistle. His eyes
canoe, and slid up the and
six-foot crests,
were beginning to glare. He had for-
shipped the breaking spume.
gotten the storm. He didn’t realize how
dark it had become, how blackness came Morse lurched drunkenly. His eyes
rushing across the lake to merge with the felt like flaming coals. His hair was plas-
tered to his scalp. Streams of rain trickled
rioting waters. His whole world had
narrowed to those pulpy hands and the down his face, sloshed down his back,

fat, featureless face that lay under the

squished into his boots.
tangle of hair. The gray-white visitor bobbed with the
The horrible voice gurgled again, with riseand fall of the canoe. The soft, fat
a noise of drowning, a rattle of death. hands did not relinquish their grip. The
"It’s a strange destiny that drives me, dead, decaying head stayed always at the
Morse. I don’t understand it any more stern.

than you do. Sometimes I think I almost With a cry that was more like a hoarse
know. Then it slips away from me. In bleat,Morse dived for the fingers, yam-
the life that I should have lived, I would mering as he tried to pull them loose.
be here now to kill you.” Their touch was a dreadful sensation that
"To — — to kill ” Morse choked. made him gag in crazed horror. He beat
744 WEIRD TALES
and pounded them while the rain glis- how enfolded him and he was beating
tened like tears on his yellow face. frenziedly at something that had long

The double weight on tire stern stood been pulp.

the canoe straight on end as it started to His last upward glance showed him
mount a roaring white-cap. It plunged only raging blackness and the drive of
beneath the surface. Morse pitched out. rain.

The pudgy hands, oddly, seemed to be He was still fighting when the waters
clinging to his. And then they had some- closed over his head.

een Eyes and Ears

of Kara Kedi*
By CLAUDE FARRERE
An odd little story about a cat that u'as telepathic —by a member
of the French Academy

January 13, 1937 cat.” I didn’t waste a great deal of

imagination in naming him. Kara Kedi
HAVE
been writing all the evening, was born in Turkey, at Stamboul, in the
alone in my room, alone in my little
I house in the uncomprehending city
holy suburb of Eyoub.
in the days when I
That was back
was deep in love with
of Toulon, the lonely refuge I have crept Ah, how blond her
the Circassian girl.
into to get away from the world. When hair was, and how brown her skin was!
a man tires himself out, when he takes
And how sweet her kisses were!
too strenuous a part in the various pain-
But there is no burning passion in my
ful agitations of active life, he grows old
cottage tonight. Kara Kedi’s chair is
rapidly. Ihave not yet lived fifty years
comfortable, and he sleeps very soundly,
on this earth, but my hair is white and
so that Iam really alone in my room,
my thoughts are as gray as ashes. . . .

alone in my dreary little house.

I am writing in my room, all alone.
My little house is a gimcrack of a
Alone in a sense, that is. My black cat
place, with a little garden that runs all
is with me. He is asleep, curled up in
around it. To the right and left are little
his armchair, which is an exact duplicate
gardens very much like mine, about tiny
of mine. He and I spend a great deal of My
little houses very much like mine.
time together in these great, heavy twin
neighbor on the right is a very dirty,
chairs, upholstered in tan velvet. My very polite, and very deaf old sailor. My
black cat’s name is Kara Kedi, which is
neighbor on the left is a pretty little
Turkish for just that — I mean, for "black
young woman, very charming and very
• Translated by Roy Temple House. candid, who is constantly laughing and
 THE KEEN EYES AND EARS OF KARA KEDI 745

rattling her gambols

bracelets, as she great fig-tree at the end of my garden,
about in her sunny little garden. She has my little neighbor on the left says he

a great many friends, all of them gentle- makes her nervous. She tells me that she
men, and I am afraid they do not all is almost afraid of him, and since her

come merely for the sake of a look at her zoological attainments are not extensive
pretty face and the pleasure of hearing enough to include black panthers, she
her silvery voice. But of course it isn’t reproachfully calls him a big awful bear.
any affair of mine what they come for.
And they are reasonably quiet about it, am writing at this journal of mine . . .

so that I scarcely know when they come I there is a great feeling of calmness
and go. and peace about me in the room and in
the house ... in the garden, and in all
At night, our part of the city is abso-
the quiet night that reaches out be-
lutely quiet. It is so still at night that
yond.
even when the sea is calm I can hear it
. . .

lapping For the

lazily against the rocks. I my pen is empty. I
discover that
sea is not many
away from me. I
feet raise myhead and reach out my hand,
could see itwindows, if my win-
from my for the inkwell ... Ah! Kara Kedi is
dows were not so low. But as it is, the not asleep any longer. His head has sud-
cabins of the fishermen’s families hide denly emerged from the placid ball of
the sea away from me. dark fur. His head moves upward and
forward, and his glaring eyes fix them-
But tonight, for some reason or other,
selves on the dim rectangle of the win-
I can’t hear asound of any sort, not even
dow. And I can see that his pointed
the caressing whispers of the waves. It
ears have turned straight upward. He is
is too calm even for that. There is not
listening with all his might.
a hint of a breeze in the air, not a ripple
on the surface of the sea. The winds "Kara Kedi, old fellow, is there some-
and the waves are asleep, quite as soundly thingwrong out beyond that window?”
asleep as Kara Kedi, my black cat. Kara Kedi is still motionless and si-

lent. But I can see his ears twitch, in a

Kara Kedi, in his velvet-upholstered
armchair, is as completely motionless as
gesture that tells me he has heard me,
if he were cast in bronze. I can’t see his
but implores me to be quiet. He is right.

paws or his tail, or the exact shape of his There no reason why I should distract
is

head. He is rolled up into a tightish ball, his attentionfrom the faint and distant
noises which may mean much, by the
with a soft outline of ink-colored fur.
Kara Kedi is an enormous cat. I think noisy futilities of human speech. . . .

he is probably the biggest cat I ever saw. They do mean much, I am sure of that.
You could scarcely call him fat. He is Something is wrong, mysteriously wrong.
not one of those round, formless cats Kara Kedi rises upright on his four long,
you see sometimes, who doze day and strong legs, his head held straight for-
night because they have more fat flesh ward and his long tail standing straight
than they have energy. He is longer, out behind him. He has disdained the
larger-boned, taller on his feet, than the thousand-year tradition of cats awakened
ordinary house-cat. When he crosses my from a nap. He has not stopped to arch
garden, gravely, gracefully, but with un- his back, to yawn, to stretch himself mag-
mistakable evidence of personality and nificently. There must be something
power, to meditate in the branches of the ominous in the air, or at least it must
746 WEIRD TALES
seem ominous to Kara Kedi . . .
perhaps feeling of superstitious, dazed terror. I
it might seem less so to me. . . . am Kara Kedi is that something
as sure as
It is a serious matter in Kara Kedi’s ghastly happening out beyond that
is

opinion; there is no longer any doubt wall. It is a feeling, nothing more. There
about that! Kara Kedi descends from the is no trace of rational knowledge. . . .

armchair and walks toward the window. Kara Kedi, phosphorescent from his
He walks resolutely, determinedly, like a tail to his mustache, moves entirely away

strong nature meeting a crisis. When he from the window. Then he begins to
left his chair, he did not leap down from creep straight along that left wall, as if

the chair to the floor. He lengthened he were following, step by step, some un-
himself out, muscle after muscle, until he known being which moved or was moved
touched the floor with one paw, then slowly along on the other side of the
with a second, then with a third, and a wall. Kara Kedi is making no apparent
fourth. ... I realize perfectly by this use of his sense of smell. He is listen-
time that I must maintain an absolute ing with all the intense keenness of his
silence. Kara Kedi’s head moves for- ears, and he is looking, looking with all
ward till his nose touches the strangely his eyes. . . . The wall is covered with
disquieting window-pane. Then, very a plain gray paper, and I can’t remember
slowly, the great body swings around ever to have seen anything on that wall
till it faces toward the wall which lay to or that paper which had anything unusual
the animal’s left before. My windows about it. . . .

are so low that I can see the great pan- Oh — oh!

ther-profile now, standing out rather dis- Kara Kedi draws himself together,
tinctly against the faint light of the win- and with all the power of his marvelous
dow. I should not be able to see him so muscles he flings himself backward into
distinctly if the animal’s hair had not the room, away from the wall. He runs
suddenly risen to a perpendicular all over around in a bewildered circle, his tail

his body and begun, as I had seen it do thrust out perfectly stiff. He looks this
once or twice before on very stormy days, way and that for a place to flee to. I can
to emit a myriad of tiny crackling electric see that he is driven by blind and agoniz-
sparks. ing terror. He is so troubled that his
"Kara Kedi! Kitty! What’s the mat- mind and his memory are not function-
ter with you?” ing; he has forgotten that I am there to
"Miau!” guard and protect him as I have done
It was not Kara Kedi’s usual "miau” so many times before. It is only after a
of inquiry, petition or complaint; it was long period of anguish and dashing
merely an expression of impatience. Kara madly hither and thither, that his dazed
Kedi, so courteous on most occasions, is eyes chance to meet mine. The message
nervously irritated at my foolish prattle. of my presence reaches his poor fuddled
I accept his rebuke, in all meekness. I brain at last. And suddenly, like an ani-
shall not breathe another sound. mal hunted for prey, he flings himself
Kara Kedi’s eyes are fixed on that left toward me, he leaps to my knees, but he
wall with glaring insistence. The eyes are does not stop there. He crawls deep into
two green flames of dazzling glory. All at my arms, up against my breast. He buries
once the great feline turns his head and his head between my neck and my
gazes at me, and —
it sounds supremely shoulder, but he is unable to resist the

foolish —and I am unable to ward off a wretched fascination that keeps drawing
 THE KEEN EYES AND EARS OF KARA KEDI 747

his eyes toward that miserable wall, that gayly in her sunny garden, is dead. They
wall of pain and horror. found her body this morning.
And his trouble has taken possession Nobody has the slightest inkling of
of me. The frightened cat has driven his what the motive of the crime may have
fear into the very marrow of my bones.
been. The assassin does not appear to
I am paralyzed with craven foreboding. have taken anything. The poor little
Like the cat, I am unable to move my corpse still wears all its gaudy jewelry.
eyes from the mysterious gray wall, the Nor was there any sign of a struggle or
wall which is hiding from me some of violence. An extraordinarily long
blood-curdling happening that I have not gold pin,an ornament but a deadly
the courage to try to imagine. Kara Kedi weapon was found driven into
at need,
trembles and shivers in the protecting her body below the fifth rib. And the
grasp of my two cold hands. Then sud- eyes of the dead woman, wide open and
denly an even more terrible thing staring, are dilated with a horror that is
happens. one of the most dreadful things I have
Kara Kedi tears himself free from my ever seen.
embrace, drops from my knees, leaps
into the air three or four times and falls
Everybody is mystified. Nobody saw
anything, nobody heard anything. It is
to the floor in violent convulsions. His
likely that the mystery will never be
throat is torn by raucous cries, cries
solved. Till the body was found, nobody
which are no more like the familiar
had any suspicion that anything was
miauing of his normal life than the sin-
wrong.
ister gurglings of an epileptic in the
midst of a seizure are like the healthy Nobody, that is, but Kara Kedi —Kara
human voice. . . .
Kedi and I.
* * * * * Kara Kedi followed me over when I
think suffered a temporary period
went into the little cottage to look at the
I I

of derangement. I have a feverish recol-

body. He glanced carelessly at the pathetic
little corpse; then he looked away. It ap-
lection that I seized my revolver and
pears that dead people have no particular
stood a long time with the weapon
pointed at the ominous wall, waiting for
interest for Kara Kedi. But he did look
the wall to open and admit some shape at me again, with a strange earnest
expression in his eyes.
of terror. . . .

Then he walked out of the open door,

fan. 14. crossed the garden pensively, and moved

M y poor,
giddy
pretty
little

dating virtue whose bracelets rattled so

young neighbor, the
person of accommo-
out on a branch of the great fig-tree to
meditate. To meditate
ruminate his memories.
perhaps to —
 I ragment
By ROBERT E. HOWARD
And so his boyhood wandered into youth,
And still the hazes thickened round his head,

And red, lascivious nightmares shared his bed

And fantasies with greedy claw and tooth
Burrowed into the secret parts of him—
Gigantic, bestial and misshapen paws
Gloatingly fumbled each white youthful limb,
And shadows lurked with scarlet gaping jaws.

Deeper and deeper in a twisting maze

Of monstrous shadows, shot with red and black.

Or gray as dull decay and rainy days.

He stumbled onward. Ever at his back
He heard the lecherous laughter of the ghouls.
Under the fungoid trees lay stagnant pools
Wherein he sometimes plunged up to his waist
And shrieked and scrambled out with loathing haste,
Feeling unnumbered slimy fingers press
His shrinking flesh with evil, dank caress.

Life was a cesspool of obscenity

He saw through eyes accursed with unveiled sight
Where Lust ran rampant through a screaming Night
And black-faced swine roared from the Devil’s styes;
Where grinning corpses, fiend-inhabited,
Walked through the world with taloned hands outspread;
Where beast and monster swaggered side by side,
And unseen demons strummed a maddening tune;
And naked witches, young and brazen-eyed,
Flaunted their buttocks to a lustful moon.

Rank, shambling devils chased him night on night,

And caught and bore him to a flaming hall,

Where lambent in the flaring crimson light

A thousand long-tongued faces lined the wall.
And there they flung him, naked and a-sprawl
Before a great dark woman’s ebon throne.
How dark, inhuman, strange, her deep eyes shone!
748
 By H. P. LOVECRAFT
The watcher could not tell which was dream and which was reality —a brief
weird fantasy by a late master of eery fiction

NTO the north window of my cham- domes, and pavements. In the marble
ber glows the Pole Star with uncanny streets were marble pillars, the upper
I light. All through the long hellish parts of which were carven into the
hours of blackness it shines there. And images of grave bearded men. The air
in autumn of the year, when the
the was warm and stirred not. And overhead,
winds from the north curse and whine, scarce ten degrees from the zenith,
and the red-leaved trees of the swamp glowed that watching Pole Star.
mutter things to one another in the small Long did I gaze on the city, but the
hours of the morning under the horned day came not. When the red Aldebaran,
waning moon, I sit by the casement and which blinked low in the sky but never
watch that star. Down from the heights set, had crawled on a quarter of the way
reels the glittering Cassiopeia as the hours around the horizon, I saw light and mo-
v/ear on, while Charles’ Wain lumbers tion in the houses and the streets. Forms
up from behind the vapor-soaked swamp strangely robed, but at once noble and
trees thatsway in the night wind. Just familiar, walked abroad, and under the
before dawn Arcturus winks ruddily from horned waning moon men talked wisdom
above the cemetery on the low hillock, in a tongue which I understood, though
and Coma Berenices shimmers weirdly it was unlike any language I had ever

afar off in the mysterious east; but still known. And when the red Aldebaran
the Pole Star leers down from the same had crawled more than half-way around
place in the black vault, winking hid- the horizon, there were again darkness
eously like an insane watching eye which and silence.
strives to convey some strange message,
When I waked, I was not as I had
yet recalls nothing save that it once had
been. Upon my memory was graven the
a message to convey. Sometimes, when vision of the city, and within my soul had
it is cloudy, I can sleep.
arisen another and vaguer recollection, of
Well do I remember the night of the whose nature I was not then certain.
great aurora, when over the swamp Thereafter, on the cloudy nights when I
played the shocking coruscations of the could sleep, I saw the city often; some-
demon light. After the beam came times under the hot, yellow rays of a sun
clouds, and then I slept. which did not set, but which wheeled low
And it was under a horned waning around the horizon. And on the clear
moon that I saw the city for the first nights the Pole Star leered as never be-

time. and somnolent did it lie, on a

Still fore.

strange in a hollow betwixt

plateau Gradually I came to wonder what
strange peaks. Of ghastly marble were might be my place in that city on the
its walls and its towers, its columns, strange plateau betwixt strange peaks.
749
750 WEIRD TALES
At first content to view the scene as an advance of the great ice sheet (even as
all-observant uncorporeal presence, I now our descendants must some day flee from
desired to define my relation to it, and to the land of Lomar) valiantly and victori-
,

speak my mind amongst the grave men ously swept aside the hairy, long-armed,
who conversed each day in the public cannibal Gnophkehs that stood in their

squares. I said to myself, "This is no way. To me Alos denied a warrior’s part,

dream, for by what means can I prove the for I was feeble and given to strange

greater reality of that other life in the faintings when subjected to stress and
house of stone and brick south of the sin- hardships. But my eyes were the keenest
ister swamp and the cemetery on the low in the city, despite the long hours I gave
hillock, where the Pole Star peeps into each day to the study of the Pnakotic
my north window each night?” manuscripts and the wisdom of the Zob-
narian Fathers; so my friend, desiring not

O
ing
NE

many
night as I listened to the dis-
course in the large square contain-
statues, I felt a change; and per-
to doom me to inaction,
with that duty which was second to noth-
ing in importance. To the watch-tower of
rewarded me

ceived that I had at last a bodily form. Thapnen he sent me, there to serve as the
Nor was I a stranger in the streets of eyes of our army. Should the Inutos at-
Olathoe, which lies on the plateau of Sar- tempt to gain the citadel by the narrow
kia, betwixt the peaks of Noton and pass behind the peak Noton and thereby
Kadiphonck. It was my friend Alos who surprize the garrison, I was to give the

spoke, and was one that

his speech signal of fire which would warn the wait-
pleased my was the speech of
soul, for it ing soldiers and save the town from im-.
a true man and patriot. That night had mediate disaster.
the news come of Daikos’ fall, and of the
Alone I mounted the tower, for every
advance of the Inutos; squat, hellish yel-
man of stout body was needed in the
low fiends who five years ago had ap-
peared out of the unknown west to ravage
passes below. My brain was sore dazed
with excitement and fatigue, for I had
the confines of our kingdom, and many
to besiege our towns. Having taken the not slept in many days; yet was my pur-

fortified places at the foot of the moun- pose firm, for I loved my native land of

tains, their way now lay open to the pla- Lomar, and the marble city Olathoe that

teau, unless every citizen could resist with lies betwixt the peaks of Noton and Kadi-
the strength of ten men. For the squat phonek.
were mighty in the arts of war,
creatures But as I stood in the tower’s topmost
and knew not the scruples of honor which chamber, I beheld the horned waning
held back our tall, gray-eyed men of Lo- moon, red and sinister, quivering through

mar from ruthless conquest. the vapors that hovered over the distant
Alos, my friend, was commander of all valley of Banof. And through an open-
the forces on the plateau, and in him lay ing in the roof glittered the pale Pole
the last hope of our country. On this oc- Star, fluttering as if alive, and leering like

casion he spoke of the perils to be faced, a fiend and tempter. Methought its spirit

and exhorted the men of Olathoe, bravest whispered evil counsel, soothing me to

of the Lomarians, to sustain the traditions traitorous somnolence with a damnable

of their ancestors, who when forced to rhythmical promise which it repeated over
move southward from Zobna before the and over:
 POLARIS 751

Slumber, watcher, till the spheres. Noton and take the citadel by surprize;
Six and twenty thousand years
Have revolv'd, and I return
but these creatures are demons, for they
To the spot where now I burn. laugh at me and tell me I am not dream-
Other stars anon shall rise
To the axis of the skies
ing. They mock me whilst I sleep, and
Stars that soothe and stars that bless whilst the squat yellow foe may be creep-
With a sweet forgetfulness:
Only when my round is o’er
ing silently upon us. have failed in my
I

Shall the past disturb thy door. duty and betrayed the marble city of Ola-
thoe; I have proven false to Alos, my
Vainly did I struggle with my drowsi- friend and commander. But still these
ness, seeking to connect these strange shadows of my dreams deride me. They
words with some lore of the skies which say there is no land of Lomar, save in my
I had learned from the Pnakotic manu- nocturnal imaginings; that in these
scripts. My head, heavy and reeling, realms where the Pole Star shines high,
drooped to my breast, and when next I and red Aldebaran crawls low around the
looked up it was in a dream; with the horizon, there has been naught save ice
Pole Star grinning at me through a win- and snow for thousands of years, and
dow from over the horrible swaying trees never a man save squat, yellow creatures,
of a dream swamp. And I am still dream- blighted by the cold, whom they call
ing. Eskimos.
In my shameand despair I sometimes And as I writhe in my guilty agony,
scream frantically, begging the dream- frantic to save the city whose peril every
creatures around me to waken me ere the moment grows, and vainly striving to
Inutos steal up the pass behind the peak (Please turn to page 759

By BASSETT MORGAN
AS THE little trading-schooner drew strangely repellent. Willoughby, who
/-% nearer the shadowy fringes of the had impulsively answered the offer of
^ island, the talk on deck fell to si- Professor Denham to spend a year or so
lence. The tropic beauty of Papua was helping the scientist in his investigation

in deep sea lore off these shores at a sal-

From WEIRD TALES for July, 1926.
752 WEIRD TALES
ary of three thousand dollars a year, He had no sooner stepped ashore than
rather regretted his acceptance. He felt a Chinese in oil-stained dungarees ap-
as if mysterious tentacles of miasmic jun- proached him and spoke:
gle swamps breathed poison in the per- "You allee samee Mista Will’ bee, you
fume-laden off-shore wind. It was like come ’long my boat.”
the breath of a black panther. He took He had scant time to bid farewell to
Professor Denham's letter from his pock- his acquaintances of the trading-vessel
et and read it again. when he was led to a launch lying on
Five years before, Willoughby had water so clear that she seemed to be float-
been a student under Professor Denham ing on air. Her propeller churned foam
in the University of California, and had and she careened a little as they rounded
gained a name for himself as a football the point; then for hours the launch raced
star. He had regretted the circumstances along the where jungles brooded
coast,
which prompted Professor Denham to re- and river mouths showed no banks, but
sign the chair of science under the storm only trees rooted in swamp. Fighting a
of ridicule and protest resulting when a loneliness he could not analyze, Willough-
newspaper featured the scientist’s asser- by watched sea gardens beneath and tried
tion that sea-serpents really existed. The to reason away a lowering depression.
article was illustrated by a cartoon of Pro- The Chinese ignored his tentative ap-
fessor Denham and Chueng Ching, a proaches to conversation by unbroken and
Chinese student who was his especial stoical silence.
protege and devoted to Denham, in the In the late afternoon, with her engines
coils of a serpent labeled "Public Opin- slowed to half-speed, the launch entered
ion,” depicting the agony of the Laocoon. a lagoon, where echoes of her pulsations
There was the account of class experi- disturbed boobies on the wreck of an old
ments in transplanting the brain of one ship pronged on coral spurs. The lagoon
rat to the head of another, and of the water held gaudy little fish scattering like
practical joke perpetrated by a student sparks between skeleton-white roots of
assistant in substituting the brain of -a fe- drowned trees. Sea life had made the
male rat for that of a male, which led to wreck its prey. White decay crept up her
riotous speculation on the campus as to sides and she was rooted to abysmal
the outcome of the experiment. depths by weeds. A small wharf sagged
Willoughby had been sorry for Pro- under forest creepers with tendrils trail-
fessor Denham. It was, however, the ing in the sea. The planks creaked alarm-
three thousand dollars salary that decided ingly as Willoughby trod them following
him Denham’s offer and take
to accept the boatman, and met the shrill hum of
the next steamer from San Francisco east, insects. The heat was like a furnace blast.
re-embarking on a trading-schooner for He was aware of a throb like tic-doulou-
Papua, and Denham was to send a boat to reux pulsing incessantly, as if on distant
take him to his own habitation. hills the heat had a voice.
The which he re-read within
letter, What had once been a path leading
sight of landing, had emphasized the ne- from the wharf was now overgrown. The
cessity of "a strong fearless man, with- Chinese, lathered with sweat, slashed
out nerves.” Willoughby interpreted the with a knife at trailing vines. Orchids
phrase with a new meaning, now that he quivered like flames. The incessant hum
recognized the repellent fascination of of insects rose in loud crescendo, but as
Papua. they progressed the trail became less con-
W. T.—
 LAOCOON 753

fused with looped lianas. Sunlight fil- "Boss-man, he come bimeby,” ven-
tered through brandies overhead. And tured the Chinese plaintively.
ever nearer came that slow beat of sound, "Where’s Chueng Ching?” Willough-
touching nerve centers as insistently as by knew the Chinese student had accom-
the insect humming irritated the ear- panied Denham to his retreat and, it was
drums. rumored, provided funds for the scien-
tist.
Then the jungle was ended and Wil-
"Him gone long time. I not know
loughby saw a bamboo palisade enclosing
much.” The reply brought a grimace
ground that had once been cleared and
from the house-boy, as of apprehension.
under cultivation; yet the jungle, beaten
"You got one piecee ship, I go out
back, had swarmed again, choking the
’longside,” he added plaintively, then
garden, creeping over the palisade and
darted back at the sound of steps, as
the crushed coral walk which led to a
Professor Denham entered.
substantial dwelling with nipa-thatched
Willoughby was shocked at the change
roof and a vine-covered pergola leading
in him. Denham’s skin seemed stretched
to shore rocks which rose abruptly at one
over his bones, his eyes shone like those
side. It was then that Willoughby under-
of a madman, the hand extended to Wil-
stood that diapason of sound, the shock
loughby felt cold and lifeless as that of a
of outer seas breaking in subterranean
corpse in spite of tropic heat.
caverns.
"Glad you arrived, Willoughby,” he
"You’ve come too late to see Chu-
T he Chinese who had guided him
not enter the gate, but darted beside
the palisade. Willoughby heard no sign
did
said.
eng Ching today, but he’ll be here to-
morrow. We’ll eat, then you can rest.
You’ll excuse me if I write a few notes
of human presence save the "shir-rr”,of
right away. I’ve just come from Chueng
his boot-soleson the coral. Then a Chi-
Ching and I must get them down at
nese wearing the white ducks of a house-
once.”
boy appeared in a doorway cut through
Willoughby was a little surprized, but
luxuriant bougainvillea vines purple with
he followed the house-boy to a room with
bloom. He stood staring at Willoughby,
a bed screened by netting, took off his
with his hands twisting together. For a
shoes, collar and coat and dropped on the
moment Willoughby felt again that sense
cotton covering and dozed. He was awak-
of helplessness bred by the jungle, the
ened by the clink of dishes. In the living-
fear of encroaching death.
room a table was set for two, but Den-
"Tell your boss-man that Willoughby ham did not appear.
is here,” he said. The house-boy hovered near, serving

He followed the Chinese into the Willoughby eagerly, and when the coffee
house. The large living-room was shaded was brought voiced again his wistful plea,
and cool. Chinese matting covered the "You got one piecee ship, I go out ’long-
floor. Sea-grass chairs offered ease. There side.”
were wall cases filled with labeled speci- He seemed hang on Willoughby’s
to

mens of sea denizens, a table holding a answer. was in the

Plainly the Chinese
typewriter and note-book and some loose grip of fear, and the white man remem-
pages of script. The house was clean and bered again the encroaching jungle and
orderly, yet he still felt as if the jungle the derelict rooted to sea gardens. He
lay too close for safety. wished Denham would return, and went
W. T.—
754 WEIRD TALES
on the porch to look for his host. He did tween wall cases. A table held metal
not mind the lack of courtesy, but the si- tubes, with sealed endsand addressed to
lence and oppression were affecting his the Royal College at Pekin. Willoughby
nerves. Tropic night had fallen, the mos- heard the squawking of hens and ran out-
quitoes were vicious. Beyond the mur- side into the pergola of vines. A lantern
mur of sea caverns he heard nothing, and stood beside a bamboo coop and Profes-
returned to the house, to look at the speci- sor Denham was wringing the neck of a
mens in wall cases, then to reach the hen and tossing on the ground while he
it

typewriter stand where he glanced at a reached for others. He looked at Wil-

sheet still in the carrier. Without con- loughby, and it seemed to him that Den-
sciousness of reading something not in- ham’s eyes held mingled fear and mad-
tended for him, Willoughby glanced at ness.
the typing in view: Then he heard the sound of water
"There is now no
doubt but that phys- threshed as if by storm, although there
ical coarseness of the beast has absorbed was no wind and not a leaf of the vines
the fine mentality of Chueng Ching. I stirred.

fed him double the usual amount of "Chueng Ching,” said Denham. "Hun-
chicken yesterday, and he was in a fine gry again. Such gluttony! I wish you’d
rage for more. His roarings are bestial. arrived earlier, but it’s difficult to see him
The pool was lashed to foam by his fury. at night. Go into the house, Willoughby,
And I am assured that his rage was di- and read those notes you’ll find. I’ll re-

rected toward me, his friend and com- turn presently and tell you all about
panion. It is scarcely a year since he was him.”
sorrowful at the thought that I should Denham gathered the slaughtered hens
die before he died and leave him alone. and darted down the vine-covered pas-
Now he is all brute and I am punished. sageway of the pergola. There was the
He no longer heeds my voice .” . . sound of an iron door banged shut, the
As if the writer had been interrupted repeated noise of water threshed violent-
at his task, the sentence was left unfin- ly,and Willoughby returned to the house,
ished. Willoughby read with mingled where he took up the typed script, ar-
rage and horror. Evidently Chueng Ching ranged the pages according to numbers
had gone insane and he had been hired and glanced over them. Fear, horror, fas-
to care for a madman. He resented it. cination held him. He forgot where he
Yet he was virtually a prisoner on the was. He was unaware of the house-boy
island unless he could find the boatman standing mute near his chair, seeking
who brought him. He stood a moment, companionship in a fear that was sapping
wondering what to do. The little house- his life. Willoughby sat on the edge of
boy lingered near him constantly without his chair, hair slowly rising, scalp prickly,
giving the impression of watching, but his palms moist with cold sweat.
shook his head when Willoughby de-
manded to see Denham. have now the evidence that ocean
"No can do,” he said plaintively. A depths are a desert of ice-cold water
Willoughby went through the cur- with no living organism; soundless, still,
tained doorway into a room evidently be- dark nothingness. A
ship sinking to
longing to Chueng Ching, to judge by the those depths would cease to be, ground
embroidered tapestries moving in the into molecules on the ocean bed. The si-
draft. Chests of carved teak stood be- lence must be fearful. But greatest satis-
 LAOCOON 755

faction of all is the proving of my theory of one rodent for those of another. But
that sea-serpents, as they are popularly I could not do such a thing. Chueng
called, do exist, and that their armor of Ching is a man, a brother to me, a fine
scales and longevity has preserved some mentality, a higher organism."
of them to this day. The cavern pool is Willoughby ripped open his shirt,
an ideal spot for such a sea denizen to longing for a cooling breath on his skin.
lurk. Chueng Ching told me that he had The shadow of the house-boy fell across
heard rumors of this haunted cavern, his feet; the brown hands were twisting
when we were both in California, and he mutely. The page he had just read fell
is as delighted as I, that we have found and he seized the next.
to the floor,
the thing, and my years of research are "Chueng Ching has worked out an ar-
rewarded. . . . rangement by which he is confident we
"It is three months since I added to can manage the operation. The steel net

this diary. Chueng Ching is despondent. will confine the sea-serpent, a collar of
The white spot which he tells me has steel will hold his head while I shoot
been spreading for a year is only too ether from a spray-gun. The bench, the
plainly evidence of leprosy. Chueng instruments, the cauterants, are ready.
Ching is accursed, doomed to a lingering Only, I am afraid. If itwere not that
death, a tragedy for both of us. He feels Chueng Ching's fingers and toes are al-
it keenly because we have found what we ready sloughing away, I could not do this
sought, and for him there will not be thing. He pleads all day, and moans ali

time to pursue the study of the sea-ser- night. Tomorrow I shall be alone save
pent. Wespoke, last night, of the re- for the house-boy Wi Wo and the boat-
strictions of man’s limited span of life, man who is hired to call here at regular
the pity that we are not given enough intervals.”
years, even centuries, for research. One There was the rustling of the page
envies the sea-serpent, which is undoubt- which Willoughby crushed in tense fin-
edly older than whales, older than the se- gers as he took it up, and the sound of
quoias of California, much older than the his heavy breathing.
Christian era. To judge by his length and "Chueng Chin wakened with a great
the size of his armor plates, our dragon fear, although he assures me that he went
is centuries old. I said to Chueng Ching under the anesthetic not only reconciled
that I wished I could inhabit his body, but even rejoicing in a resurrection of
and not only live indefinitely but also ex- which he felt surer than I did. He felt
plore the ocean depths, learn his man- no pain, only fear and the sense of a great
ners of living and perhaps find his rela- weight dragging him down. No doubt
tives. Chueng Ching seemed startled ra- the serpent body is not yet under control
ther than amused. . . . of nerve telegraphy of the mind. I at-
"Two months This morning later. tribute his fear to the same cause. Time
Chueng Ching asked a terrific thing of will cure both troubles. Today, I made
me. He
pleaded the growing decay of out the first of his attempts to communi-
his flesh. His fingers are already numb. cate with me. There is no doubt he
He believes that I could give him the speaks, but I scarce understand his words,
magnificent body and strength of our roared in that tremendous voice. I spent
sea-serpent, a thought suggested no doubt hours with him, and had Wi fetch Wo
by those experimental tamperings of mine my meals. I asked questions to which he
in college surgery, substituting the brains Could reply by a nod or shake of his great
756 WEIRD TALES
crested head. What a pit} those fools
7
in his endeavor to enlighten me. The
who ridiculed my assertions that sea- finer details would be invaluable, but I
dragons do exist, cannot see this triumph! hoped too greatly. I cannot understand
his fear, and his rather pathetic regret at
"The vitality of Chueng Ching’s body
prodigious. He revived quickly from the the loneliness he will find when I am
is
dead. But one thing comforts me: he is
ether. The leprousshell of my poor
taking food, and prefers rather under-
friend is in the ocean depths, sewn in
cooked chicken and pork. I must keep a
canvas, weighted with iron. The sea will
stock on hand, as his appetite is pro-
sing a requiem. But Chueng Ching is
digious. .
now invulnerable and magnificent. Noth-
. .

"Six months since I last wrote these

ing could harm that marvelously con-
some notes. Chueng Ching has furnished me
structed coat of mail unless it is
with priceless specimens and data of the
device of man, the destroyer.”
ocean depths, the notes of which I seal
Willoughby lifted his head and daily in metal tubes to be sent to Pekin.
brushed his hand across his eyes. He was But I notice a change in him. While at
entering into horror that drilled his flesh, first he was afraid of the depths, he now
a nightmare he could not and would not goes fearlessly and remains for a longer
believe. He abominated the crime of period each time. The silence down there
Denham, yet was fascinated. must be fearful, but he seems to like ex-
"He will not take meat, yet we fed the ploring, and has even identified geo-
he now inhabits, at regular
sea-serpent graphic indentations of continent shores,
on raw flesh. But since the
intervals, and recognizes the chill of polar seas. . . .

change Chueng Ching will not touch it. "Three months from my last entry.
No doubt the higher mentality of an Another period of change has come over
esthete has subjugated the beast body. Chueng Ching. The little fish spewed
Today I prepared another roll of notes from his jaw's are spoiled by carelessness.
for the Royal College of Pekin, a rare Things are not going so well. There is a
collection of data which will receive con- change of temperament and his articula-
sideration from Chinese savants that I tion is thick. For a time he spoke clearly,
could not wrest from my own people. although in a voice like a church organ.
Chueng Ching and I have proved the ex- Now he roars in sullen rage when I re-
istence of sea-dragons and the ability of fuse to feed him before I obtain an ac-
science through martyrdom to penetrate count of his wanderings. I believe it was
to the mysteries beneath the waters.” a mistake to feed him flesh. Better to

W illoughby mopped
Wo held a tray
his face.
toward him and he
took a bottle it held and poured himself
Wi
have left him to find sea-food only. I
wonder if the brute body is in ascendance,
or if meeting other monsters of his ow n
kind has upset him. He would know no
7

a peg of brandy, then seized the next means of communication w'ith them, and
page. no methods of defense, but what a spec-
"Chueng Ching is timid of the dark. tacle it would be to view a battle of sea-
His fear throttles our investigations. And dragons! I wish it had been my lot to
much that he would impart is lost change from a human to this saurian. I
through my faulty understanding of his am past middle age and the passions
articulation. The curse of Babel rings which plague a youuger man. Chueng
down the ages. He breaks into Cantonese Ching, who in his human shape was
 LAOCOON 757

vowed to celibacy and had devoted his Ching laughed when I told him my plan,
seeking a mate. He was
life to science, is but promised to entice another male of
never more lucid than when he roared to his kind to the pool where Willoughby
me that he had found a 'sweetie’, the col- and I shall trap him by means of the
lege slang of old days for a sweetheart, iron-barred gateways dropped behind this
and demanded more food for strength he sea-dragon we used as a body for the
would need to fight off other males of brain ofChueng Ching. I have not talked
his kind. With great sorrow, I must ad- to Willoughby about it, but I noticed he
mit the end is in sight. He is indifferent seemed as well set up and fit as in college
to our researches and I gained nothing days. His reward shall be a share of
today but the account of this female sea- Chueng Ching’s wealth, and the fame
”
dragon, which seems coy and exhibits of
greater speed and endurance than Chueng
Willoughby crushed the sheet in his
Ching, as they tear through the depths, hand, every nerve in his body on edge,
circling islands, lashing a riot of phos-
his breathing sounding loud in the silence.
phorescence in the night. Oh, to see The chair crashed over as he rose and
them! To find another and change from stared past Wi Wo at the curtained door-
body hampering
this me to a saurian like
way. The embroidered dragons seemed
Chueng Ching!” to move with malignant life. And a more
Cold sweat broke out on Willoughby’s terrible dragon inhabited this place, the
forehead as he took the last sheet from madness which had caught Denham and
the typewriter, and re-read the bit which made of him a priest of more dreadful
had fascinated him a little while before. rites than voodoo of the jungles.

He understood perfectly what Denham Willoughby realized now for what he

had written, of the change over this had been summoned by the scientist. He
thing.The brute body had conquered the must escape or be caught in a trap from
mind of Chueng Ching. The ferocity of which there was no escape. He would
the sea-dragon was in ascendance. He find Denham, and tell him that he was
had turned on Denham, no longer obey- going; Denham was at that moment near
ing the voice of the scientist. The re- the pool. Willoughby remembered the
mainder of the page held no less of hor- chickens he had been killing, and his
ror, a prophetic intimation of Denham’s words: "Chueng Ching, hungry again.
fear. Such gluttony!” He remembered the
"Chueng Ching is a fiend. He struck
sound as of water threshed by storm.
at me today with open jaws. I have Denham feared the thing, yet he had
sealed the complete notes to date, and gone to it again. He might be in danger
addressed the results of my researches to of his life. Common decency demanded
that Willoughby try to save the man. As
the Royal College at Pekin, where they
for remaining under the conditions to be
will act on the instructions to use the bal-
ance of Chueng Ching’s wealth to pursue
imposed, his body shivered as if with
this investigation in case anything should nausea at the thought.
happen to me. But Willoughby has ar- Under the vine-covered pergola, he
rived, and I am confident that the skill was startled by the sight of Wi Wo in
he displayed in the science class can be his white ducks. The hand of the Chi-
enhanced by practise so that he can per- nese fell on his arm, the man’s teeth
form the operation 1 desire. Chueng chattered like castanets. And above the
758 WEIRD TALES
chattering and Willoughby’s breathing, the rock wall. Willoughby looked again
came the sound of water crashing on at the pool, straining his vision to see
rocks, threshed under flails of no wind what had thralled Wi Wo and turned his
that ever was. yellow skin green with terror.

came gushing

W
It like light in the
illoughby stalked down the per- depths, stirring the black water, a radi-
gola, gripping his courage in his ance of glittering unrest, undulating flit-

hand, assuring himself the typing was the ter and shadow, faintly phosphorescent;
fantasy of a madman, and that the worst then coils broke a moving swirl in the
he would find would be Denham in the gloom.
violence of insanity brought on by lone- Willoughby turned to run up the steps.
liness and the eery mystery of the island. The Wi Wo hissed between his
breath of
The heelless slippers of Wi Wo shuffled teeth. There was the silken slur of water
reluctantly as they came near an iron washing the rock, and in another moment
door, with light from beyond shining Willoughby was crowding the Chinese on
through the space between heavy bars. the steps, for the water parted and a crest-
Willoughby saw the lantern on the stone ed head was upreared, water dripping
floor. Steps led down. There was the from fanged jaws, red tongue quivering,
crash of waves subsiding gradually, and large glassy eyes regarding the two men on
a low moaning audible. the steps with malevolent glaring. Coils of

Willoughby opened the iron door, a serpent body upreared. Willoughby saw
snatched up the lantern and began to the great scales like iridescent metal

descend the steps. A cool wind swept plates. There was that threshing hiss of
upward, a smell of sea-wrack and cavern water, tremendous in the cavern walls.
Willoughby’s heart was pounding in his
chill. He saw the oily luminance of
throat and wrist. Fear paralyzed him.
water where the sea filled a natural cove.
It was stirred as by violent upheaval from Then he screamed. From that great
beneath. The rock ledge below glistened throat came a roar that swelled and
with minute sea life. He saw something boomed, and in that sound Willoughby
resembling a huge horse-collar slung to heard unmistakably the name of "Den-
iron rings in the cavern roof, and a steel ham” howled in wrath.
net dependent from ropes, the apparatus His own scream seemed to be echoed
of that operation performed on the sea- by the flapping white thing on the ledge.
dragon. Along one side was a litter of For the first time he realized that he had
things scarcely discernible by the faint lost the chance for what he came to do:
lanternlight. to save Denham. That was Denham
that mad disheveled thing clad in white
With his scalp prickling, Willoughby
ducks which was bent nearly double,
held the lantern at arm’s length, to learn
what manner of gigantic bird it was thaf waving its coat-tail over its head. It stood
erect, laughing horribly.
ran to and fro on the ledge, uttering
squawks of fear which the cavern echoed. "Chueng Ching,” it called, "did you
He saw a heap of dead chickens on the bring your sea-dragon? See, Willoughby
ledge; then a movement of Wi Wo is here, Willoughby who will make me
caught his eye. The Chinese was retreat- invulnerable so we can rove the deeps
ing up the steps, backward, his eyes star- together. ...”
ing at the pool, his hands groping along The rest was drowned in that howl of
the sea-dragon, a burst of laughter
boomed through a gigantic throat, and
the crested head swooped at Denham.
The sea leaped, a wave shot by those
armored coils crashed up the steps and
over Willoughby. The lantern fell from
his numbed fingers, the sea was in his
mouth.
Then he felt the hands of Wi Wo
clutching him. They were crouched in a
heap on the steps. The pool was dark N OW you can travel round the world with the most daring ad-
venturers. You can see, with your own eyes, the weirdest peoples
on earth. You witness the strangest customs of the red, white,
brown, black, and yellow races. You attend their startling rites,
and the seas fell quiet. Willoughby felt their mysterious practices. They are all assembled for you in these
five huge volumes of The Secret Museum of Mankind.
his way a few steps lower and saw the WORID'S GREATEST COLLECTION
OF SECRET PHOTOGRAPHS
outer archway of the cove. Dawn had Here is the World's Greatest Collection of Strange and Secret Photo-
graphs. Exotic Photos, Harem Photos, Torture Photos, Female
bloomed, early tropic dawn shone silver. Photos, Fetish Photos and hundreds of others. There are almost 600
LARGE PAGES of photographs, each page being 62 square Inches
in size!
The ledge was empty. Denham had dis- FIVE IMMENSE VOLUMES
appeared. You see savage love and courtship in
every quarter of Africa, Europe, Asia, Volume 1
America and Oceania. You see Orien- The Secret Museum
Willoughby turned and pushing the tal tortures and female slavery in An- of Africa
num, Bhutan, Nepal, Oman, Sinkang, Volume 2
terrified Chinese before him went up the and other qifeer places where the foot of The Secret Museum
a white man has rarely trod. Through of Europe
steps, clanging and bolting the iron door. the intimacy of the camera you go Volume 3
sight-seeing in China and Japan, in The Secret Museum,
India, and In a thousand other places.
He strode through the house, looked These live Immense volumes (conven-
of
Volume 4
Asia
iently hound together) contain OVER The Secret Museum
at the sealed tube of notes addressed A THOUSAND LARGE PHOTO- of America
GRAPHS. And you gaze
the gor- at Volume 5
geous beauty of 130 full-page photos,
ready to send, and at the typed account each one over 37 square inches in
The Secret Museum
size
of Oceania
of Denham’s crime. Then he went to
I

HUNDREDS OF SHORT STORIES

the porch. Specimen Photos Dip into any one of these large
volumes, and as you turn its daz-
Nudity Round the World
A voice at his shoulder startled him: Savage Love and Courtship
Witchcraft in Melanesia
zling pages, you will find it dif-
ficult to tear yourself away. You
will be bewildered at these start-
"You got one piecee ship, Igo out ’long Marriage by Purchase
Harem Life and Types
ling photographs, absorbed in the
short stories that accompany them.
Murder by Cannibal Magio
you.” The plaintive wail was chattered Female-Slave Hunters
You actually witness Cannibal
Rites, Mysterious Orgies, Female
Mystery Rituals Beauty Round the World, Voo-doo
through quivering lips. Civilized Love vs. Savage Religions, Weird Customs, Trop-
Arawak Natives of Nature ical Dress and Undress, etc. These
"Come on,” snapped Willoughby and Undraped Beauties of Bali
Flagellants of Philippines
hundreds of large pages will give
you days and nights of thrilling
Polygamy among Primitives
ran down the path. and 1,000 other Secret
entertainment and instruction, and
make your friends envious of your
Photos knowledge.
Along the palisade sauntered the Chi-
SEND NO MONEY
nese boatman. Willoughby took money Each volume, of 5 volume sot, is 9 %
inches high, and opened, over
a foot wide! Bound in expensive "life-time” linen. Contents iden-
from his pocket and offered it. tical with former $10 edition. SEND NO MONEY.
JuBt mail
rounon with name and address today.
"Take us back to port,” he com-
manded. "Quick!”

Polaris
( Continued from page 751)
shake off this unnatural dream of a house
of stone and brick south of a sinister
swamp and a cemetery on a low hillock;
METRO PUBLICATIONS,
70 5th Ave., Dept. 1911, New York
the Pole Star, evil and monstrous, leers Gentlemen:
Send me “The Secret Museum of Mankind'* '5 large vol-
down from the black vault, winking hid- umes bound together) I will pay pustman $1.98, plus post-
.

age on arrival. If In 5 days I am not more than delighted,

I will return the hook and you will refund my $1.98. (No
eously like an insane watching eye which foreign orders accepted at this low price !

strives to convey some message, yet recalls Name

Address
nothing save that it once had a message City State
[ ] Check here if you are enclosing $1. 98, thus saving the
to convey. mailing costs.
W E

feature
TAKE pleasure
attention of our readers to a
that we
in

inaugurating
are
this month: a series of full-page pictures by
Virgil Finlay, illustrating famous weird pas-
calling the
new
Lovecraft’s works, the more I see in them
the modern Poe
every angle
built the
plot of
—
house
ground
—
by his minute detail of
the history of the family which
—the
in
exact description of the
which this ancient dwell-
ing stood (a person could almost draw a
sages of verse. The first of these is based on
a passage from George Sterling’s A Wine of —
map of the site) on such things I find HPL
—
Wizardry a passage so striking that Am- so very like Poe. I caught myself gasping
brose Bierce gave it rank alongside those a bit when reading of the containers of
famous passages from Coleridge’s Kubla sulfur being emptied on that blasphemous
Khan and Keats’s Ode to a Nightingale slime and of the resulting fumes. Dear me,
which Dante Gabriel Rossetti called the two how awful it would be if such really hap-
Pillars of Hercules of modern human imagi- pened! (And then the question comes to
nation. One of these Finlay illustrations will my mind that perhaps it did occur.) Al-
appear in each issue. He will draw his sub- though The Homicidal Diary was not the
jects from the whole realm of weird litera- type of tale I now associate Earl Peirce, Jr.,
ture. Poe’s melancholy Raven will appear with, I did find it fascinating —
very. What
here, and the angel Israfel, "whose heart- strange things dreams can do to one and —
strings are a lute;” the Weird Sisters from what strange dreams a person can have
Shakespeare’s Macbeth; the Belle Dame Sans and what strange things hypnosis can make
Merci of Keats; Longfellow’s grisly Skele- one do. Gruesome? Yes — retch ingly so.

ton in Armor; Burns’s Tam o’ Shanter pur- But why can’t we have another on the order
sued by the warlocks; and many other gems of The Last Archer? What about it, EP?
of weird literature. Let us know what you —
Well, now, lemme see dunno just what to
think of this feature. say about The Long Arm —
the whole thing
just sorta disappointed me —
wasn’t quite
nasty enough for my gluttonous taste. Gosh,
Here It Is
I’m getting to be a real fiend. Thrills and
Gertrude Hemken, of Chicago, writes: —
adventure galore do I like this Lake of
"Once again I present myself in epistle- Life! Am looking forward to the next in-
form. This time with thanks to David H. stallment and then for more yarns like it.
Keller for his Tiger Cat —
the leddy in the Darkest Africa holds so many strange se-
tale had a fine way of getting revenge for crets— I find it more fascinating than the
that sad instance in New York —
I appreciate Orient. Mr. Hamilton has me on my toes
Doctor Keller’s finesse in letting the read- wondering what the Guardians are and what
ers know how a woman can feel about being force they have released on the ring of
mistreated. One would almost believe a mountains to discharge instant death to tres-
woman had written the story. I am all in passers. Wellman writes the most curious
sympathy with the Tiger Cat, although her tales of the oddest things coming to life
demise did not sadden me. Icky- one
. . . — well, sort of a tangible existence. Last time
of those slimy tales —
and by HPL wooeey! — it —
was a parchment now it’s fat and bulging
The Shunned House was something far be- cherubs that just ain’t cherubs. Nasty things,
yond my imagination. The more I read of weren’t they? Here Lies was a laugh-getter
760
 WEIRD TALES 761

—but! —what was weird about so my it? Is

mind The outstanding
getting dull? story in
this
of
month’s
Rich’s
those terrible
— me—was your
The Purple
glowing
issue

—angry
to
could Cincture.
colors
I
reprint

colors
see Man Can Now
I could see them and could
so plainly see
—my nerves
the suffering
twitched
severing my
of those
though
as searing pain were
and hand—
foot
that
dare
afflicted

I didn’t
Talk With God
think of my Now neck. — can for the Eyrie I
SAYS NOTED PSYCHOLOGIST
add no more your answer
to G. M. Wil- to ”A new and revolutionary religious teaching
son on astonishing
his —the very accusation based entirely on the misunderstood sayings of the
idea of him— how dare he do such WT! to Galilean Carpenter, and designed to show how we
—my gawsh—he read the magazine
doesn’t may find, understand and use the same identical
thoroughly enough. Good gosh —
power which Jesus used in performing His so-
if a per-
called Miracles," is attracting world wide attention
son isgoing to read WT
with a grain of to its founder. Dr. Frank B. Robinson, noted
salt, how the deuce can he get any pleasure psychologist, author and lecturer.
out of it? The idea is to leave one’s mind
"Psychiana,” this new psychological religion,
open to all possibilities and forget how it’s
—
gonna end the day is past and gone when
believes and teaches that it is today possible for
every normal human being, understanding spiritual
the fair-haired boy rescued the beauteous law as Christ understood it, "to duplicate every
maiden from a fate worse than death just in work that the Carpenter of Galilee ever did” it—
the nick of time. Some stories must end that believes and teaches that when He said, "the
things that I do shall ye do also,” He meant what
way, but the people these days demand va-
riety —and variety is what they get. One He said and meant it literally to all mankind,
through all the ages.
time the hero or she-hero dies or is overcome
— next time they escape, but not unscathed Dr. Robinson has prepared a 6000 word treatise
on "Psychiana," in which he tells about his long
and mebbe the third time they run true to the
how he finally came to the
old-fashioned style. If has any old GMW search for the Truth,
full realization of an Unseen Power or force "so
copies of WT
and should he glance through dynamic in itself that all other powers and forces
them, he will find that he has been very un- —
fade into insignificance beside it” how he learned
just. I can say no more. Reginald A. Pryke to commune directly with the Living God, using
of Kent, England, writes so grandly of How- this mighty, never-failing power to demonstrate
ard what I have never been able to express. health, happiness and financial success, and how

Should I never keep a copy of I’d WT— any normal being may find and use it as Jesus did.
He is now offering this treatise free to every
keep this one for the fine tribute he has reader of this magazine who writes him.
paid Howard and his incomparable creations
of mankind. Let me take this opportunity to If you want to read this "highly interesting,

thank Mr. Pryke for a fine letter I’ve read — revolutionary and fascinating story of the discov-
ery of a great Truth,” just send your name and
few as good in the Eyrie. Once again I address to Dr. Frank B. Robinson, 418 12th St.,
ask — who is WC, Jr.? Sort of a Walter WT Moscow, Idaho. It will be sent free and postpaid
—
Winchell? eh wot? I liked the random without cost or obligation. Write the Doctor
biography WC, Jr., gives of Clifford Ball today. —
Copyright, 1935, Dr. Frank B. Robinson.
it’s such things as these that we readers want

to know of the authors —

just bits of human
news which we know will make them seem A new thriller by <

more real to us. Will we have more of such

inside stuff —please?” SEABURY QUINN appears
From a Spanish Friend
in WEIRD TALES
i

Jorge Thuillier writes from Havana, i

Cuba: "I have been a reader of Weird every month <

Tales for several years. I read it every

month in Spain, my native country, and now kA
that the great Spanish tragedy has driven me
out of my home and to this island, I have Subscribe to Weird Tales
762 WEIRD TALES
kept on reading it here, as enthusiastically as and participate in the action of other periods.
there. I never wrote to you before, mainly I am most grateful to Weird Tales for do-
because the great distance between our coun- ing this for me. And these modern masters
tries discouraged me, but also because I think of weird fiction so far outshine Poe and his
all these readers’ letters must be a bore to contemporaries that there is absolutely no
you. So I shall be brief. I only want to comparison. It is as though a twenty-watt
congratulate you for the ever increasing bulb were expected to shine the dazzling
quality of your magazine, which now stands light of a carbon arc. Such tales as Sham-
as unique in its kind. Being an artist, though hleau, The Three Marked Pennies, The
not a professional one, I am really delighted Black God’s Kiss, all the barbaric adventures
by the very good drawings that illustrate the of Conan the Cimmerian, of Jirel of Joiry,
stories. I wish to congratulate Madam Brun- of King Kull, and such others as the fasci-
dage in particular, for the splendid picture nating Globe of Memories, The Last Pha-
she made for the October issue. The girl is raoh, which was one of tire greatest stories
the most fascinating representation of a I have ever read, Red Nails, the masterful

woman I have ever seen. You forget the Clicking Red Heels, The Carnal God, The
ghastly thing she is doing, when you look Hounds of Tindalos, all of the Northwest
at her loveliness. Generally speaking, the Smith stories, and in the present issue, the
whole magazine is a priceless gift for all best of the Jules de Grandin stories, I be- '

lovers of the unusual and weird. I hope I lieve, Pledged to the Death, which impressed
shall be able to read it for many years to me very favorably, all of these and numerous
come.” others will live for ever in my imagination,
Orchids to Mr. Pryke and I often go back and read them over to
recapture their mood. Weird fiction has lost
Pete Thompson, of Seattle, writes: "My
firstfan letter. I have been reading Weird perhaps its two greatest masters, Howard
Tales for about three years off and on and Phillips Lovecraft and Robert E. Howard,
really think you have finally reached the
and with them the heroes which they created
acme of perfection. Tiger Cat by D. H. have died. No more will Conan the bar-
barian fight from one end to the other of
Keller was tops in the October issue, as was
those mysterious half-legendary lands, no
The Homicidal Diary. . Orchids to you,
. .

my dear Reginald A. Pryke of Kent, Eng- more will he woo and win fair maidens in
his inimitable fashion, no more will he defy
land —
your harangue on reasons for not re-
viving Conan, or any of the other brain
warrior and king alike, for the master pen
which created him is no more and with that
children of our past master WT
authors,
passing Conan is likewise gone for ever. I
hits the spot. Really I’ve wanted to say the
cannot conceive of his being recreated by
same things. Thanks for putting into words
anyone with the mastery of Robert E. How-
what I’ve wanted to but lacked the ability.”
ard, and hence would rather see Conan dead
as he had lived, a fighting-man who per-
Poe Outshone
ished as he would have wished, sword in
George W. Skora, of Tucson, Arizona, hand, the grim smile of desperate battle on
writes: "A devoted reader of weird and his lips, in his ears the din of clashing blade
science fiction, I have been reading Weird and shouting men who felt its cunning edge.
Tales for the last eight years. Although I That world of his is gone. It would be
am a singularly imaginative person, I do not blasphemy to attempt the rebuilding from
read our magazine for the revolting, shud- dead ashes. And in closing, let me mention
dery, terrifying aspect of its stories, but for one more story which I will long remember:
the occasional tales, becoming more numer- The Fire of Asshurbanipal, a thrilling story
ous of late, which translate me, mind and ifever there was one. On rereading this let-
body, to some other age, or to some other ter,I once more feel the futility of mere

world, where I can indulge my fancy in words to say the things or express the
sword’s-play, in adventure, in the mystery, thoughts that I really feel. You have one of
romance, and superstition of another time or the finest magazines, one of the finest staffs
another dimension. Perhaps such reading of artists and authors, of any publishing
forms an escape for me from reality and company in this country. And I do not say
allows me, in my mind at least, to indulge this with intention of flattery. I really mean
 WEIRD TALES 763

it and with sincerity. I would buy Weird way. He seems to be so human and lovable.
Tales if it were a dollar a copy, much as it Now, even if this is my first letter, may I
would strain my pocketbook. I have no please make one little criticism? Brundage’s
faults to find other than the desire that gals are really delightful in form and color-
Brundage would give us an occasional bru- ing, and I love to copy them to see how
nette on the cover of the mag, and I would nearly I can approximate her figures but —
personally like to see one cover in black and her expressions are so terribly monotonous.
white merely for the striking effect it would I always know just what the faces will look
give.” like before I see the cover. It’s the eyes that
Like Rare Old Wine do the dirty work. No horror, no nothing in
them. They look as tho’ they were all
Natalie Rockwell, of Syracuse, New York,
poured from the same mold. Please, please
writes: "How does an ungrateful little
for the sake of those who like to see really
wench like myself express her gratitude for
expressive features, put some life in the eyes.
the really great pleasure you’ve given her in
your incomparable magazine, I’ve WT? Now I’ve my ranting and raving
finished
and can only and wistfully think of the
sit
been reading your mag. for years (tho’ I’m
only 18), but I’ve never screwed up enough
next WT away. Give us more
that’s so far
and more weird, woeful tales of the same
courage to tell you about it. Just finished
excellent quality of the past. Your mag. is
your October issue to the accompaniment of
like good wine that mellows with age and
a luscious thunderstorm. I always try to keep
leaves a better taste every time it’s quaffed.
from reading it 'till I have the proper atmos-
phere. (It’s a darned hard job tho’ not to
take a little peek at the intriguing book
Trudy, Beware of Oliver!
waiting my pleasure on the table.) The Lake Henry Kuttner writes from Beverly Hills,
of Life and Pledged to the Dead are tops California: "My vote for the best story in
in that issue. I’ve always liked Jules any- the October WT goes to Here Lies, a de-

BACK COPIES
Weird Tales, the publishers do their best
Because of the many requests for back issues of
to keep a sufficient supply on hand to meet
all demands. This magazine was established early
on the supply of back copies ever since. At present,
in 1923 and there has been a steady drain
we have the following back numbers on hand for sale:
1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937
Jan. Jan. Jan. Jan.
Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb. Feb.
Mar. Mar. Mar. Mar.
Apr. Apr. Apr. Apr.
May May May May
June June June June June
July July July July July
Aug.
.... Sept. Sept. Sept. Sept.
Oct. Oct. Oct. Oct.
Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov. Nov.
• ••• Dec. Dec. Dec.

These back numbers contain many fascinating stories. If you are interested in obtaining
any of the back copies on this list please hurry your order because we can not guarantee that
the list will be as complete as it now is within the next 30 days. The price on all back issues
is 25c per copy. Mail all orders to:

WEIRD TALES
840 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, Illinois, U. S. A.
764 WEIRD TALES
lightfully satirical little and I espe-
piece; Nowadays the conte cruel is a little passe,
cially liked the illustrations for The Shunned for the horrors of war narrated in any news-
House and The Long Arm. Trudy Hem- paper far surpass the artificial horrors.
ken’s reference to my bad grammar did not Quinn’s tale is better than usual, almost in
pass unnoticed, and Trudy may expect a call the vein of his The Phantom Farmhouse
from Oliver, my pet ghoul, some fine even- Wellman again rings the bell with The Gol-
ing. He told me he thought he’d drop in otha Dancers, and Habl’s The Long Arm is
for a bite.” ifferent. More European writers should be
represented in Weird Tales. I read with
It Happened One Night distaste Peirce’s The Homicidal Diary, an
hysterical and cheap melodrama; to dem-
Manly Wade Wellman writes from New
onstrate its inadequacy, compare it with Mrs.
York City: "Mr. Joseph Allen Ryan’s letter
Belloc Lownde’s brilliant handling of a simi-
in October WT, anent the idea back of my
lar theme, The Lodger, or with such motion
short story. The Terrible Parchment, impels
me to give die real genesis of the thing pictures as Mand Night Must Fall. It oc-
curs to me that the Eyrie readers might be
even more unusual than Mr. Ryan’s account.
interested in some statistics. For instance,
The idea came to me all of a sudden, rather
which writer has appeared most frequently
late one night. I sat down at once and

wrote it out roughly, with my apartment for

in WT? Quinn? Derleth? Howard? Why
not give a chart, listing the most printed
setting and my wife and myself for char-
writers, and giving such data as number of
acters. It was almost morning when I wrote
serials, number of novelettes, number of
'The End,’ and I laid it aside, then polished
short stories,number of 'short shorts,’ num-
it up the following evening. After that I
ber of poems, number of reprints?” [We
took it to Julius Schwartz, my agent. With
fear that such statistical data would interest
him was Mort Weisinger. They glanced over
only a select few of our readers, and would
the story, and their mouths fell open. 'Look
take up space that could otherwise be used
here,’ diey said, both at once. ’Not five days
ago we were discussing After that they
’
for stories. The Editor.]
told the story Mr. Ryan tells, of how they Happy vs. Unhappy Endings
imagined the Necronomicon materializing
Clifton Hall, of Los Angeles, writes: "I
through the combined mental effort of many
thought the second part of Hamilton’s new
readers of Lovecraft’s tales. Yet neidier had
serial, The Lake of Life, was the best story
communicated with me, as both will be
in the October number. It reminds one a
ready to testify. We laughingly decided it
was a case of thought-transference an un-— little of a dime thriller, but makes fasci-
nating reading. Tiger Cat, by Keller, stands
conscious mental message sent and received.
second, in my estimation, although I think
I wonder if anybody has a better explana-
it was a mistake to reveal the nature of the
tion.”
cellar’s contents by means of the blurb and
A Conte Cruel the two illustrations. Third spot, I think,

J. Vernon Shea, Jr., of

Pittsburgh, writes: should go to Quinn’s Pledged to the Dead.
"The October number is another good issue. However, have one criticism to make in
I

I read The Shunned House with a feeling of connection with the de Grandin series: if
sadness, for the many references to Provi- I’d had as many dozen hair-raising experi-
dence made it seem a post-delayed letter ences with creatures from another world as
from H. P. L. The story is not quite of his Trowbridge has had, I don’t think I’d have
best, for it has the over-slow approach and to be convinced during every new adventure
the lingering on technicalities that marked that 'such things are possible.’ Yet I cannot
some of his iast work; nevertheless, the cul- recall a de Grandin story in which the
mination is startling, and the artistry veri- Frenchman has not had to argue for some
tably impeccable. I doubt if any of your minutes with his skeptical friend before the
writers will ever quite attain the high stand- latter realizes that the improbable is not
ard of Lovecraft at his best. Tiger Cat is one necessarily the impossible. Lovecraft’s last
of the best things Doctor Keller has done, was okay, I guess, but I didn’t think the

but the story falls into the genre of the conte climax stupendous enough to justify the
cruel rather than of the weird tale proper. long and at times tedious building-up proc-
 WEIRD TALES 765

ess. The Homicidal Diary I considered to

be the best of the others. The orange-haired
creature on the cover stood out brightly The Cream of
against the dark background —
an arresting
Weird Fiction
bit of work. But how about another Finlay
cover? It’s been four months since his last. ® Weird Tales prints the best weird
And now for G. M. Wilson, who says that fiction in the world today. The high
Weird Tales is not an interesting book be- literary quality of its stories is evi-
cause everyone knows that everything will denced by the comparatively large
come out hunky-dory! I checked back over number of stories from Weird Tales
the stories —
exactly 90 of them, including that have been reprinted or awarded
reprints —that have appeared in the ten is- honorable mention in annual best fic-

sues dated 1937, and found out a surprizing tion anthologies. You are assured of
fact. The" was an exact split 45-45
1
— reading the best when you read Weird
between the happy and unhappy endings! Tales, The Unique Magazine.
Of course, it was difficult to definitely place
many yarns in either classification, but in
the end the advantage lay on neither side. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS
It is improbable that in any other magazine SMALL ADS WORTH WATCHING
can you find such an amazing balance in Authors 9 Service
endings.”
MANUSCRIPTS WANTED. Books, Stories, Plays and
Articles for placement in U. S. and foreign countries.
The October Issue Motion picture rights placed. Circular T-1237 describ-
ing UNIFIED SALES PLAN free on request. OTIS
Julius Hopkins, of Washington, D. C., ADELBERT KLINE. Authors’ and Publishers' Rep-
resentative, 430 W. 34th St., New York City.
writes: "The October WT is a real treat
Books
for any lover of weird fiction. Two excel-
lent stories vie closely for first place, namely: FOUR CLEVER BOOKS 15c “Will Rogers’each.
Jokes and Witticisms.” “The Art of Dancing.”
The Shunned House by H. P. Lovecraft and “Knock Knock Book.” “Simplified Card Tricks.” All
four books 50c prepaid. Send for them now. Gco.i
The Homicidal Diary by Earl Peirce, Jr. I Freas, 820 KImber St., Camden, N. J.
am giving the slim edge to Mr. Peirce be- THE MOON TERROR — A stupendous weird-scientific
novel of Oriental intrigue to gain control of the world!
cause in his story the horror is still at large Cloth-bound with handsome colored jacket 50 cents
WEIRD TALES, 840 N. Michigan Ave.,
—
and, furthermore, is of great current interest postpaid.
Chicago.
because actually the famous Cleveland be-
header has not been captured yet, and not Business Opportunities
even any clues as to his identity have been NEWSPAPER clippings pay. Write: Goodall Com-
pany, 742 Market St., San Francisco.
found. The Homicidal Diary is written in
NEED MONEY. Practical opportunities for everybody.'
plain convincing language and certainly does 3c stamp brings reply. Write today. Quality Prod-
ucts Co., P. Q. Box 164, Hampton, Va.
make your heart beat fast, especially in that
scene where Jason Carse is rapidly becoming Farm and Garden
over-excited and the sharp butcher knife is BULBS FREE I To spread the fame of our bulbs
close at hand. That’s a real spine-chilling
everywhere, we will send you FREE a nice assortment
of HYACINTHS, TULIPS, NARCISSI, IRISES, CRO-
scene for you. The Shunned House is an- CUS, 350 bulbs in all, all guaranteed to flower
etc.,
next spring and summer. It suffices to send us for
other typical Lovecraft tale written as only carriage, packing, etc., a one-dollar note by registered
letter, and to mention your name and full address in
H. P. L. could ever have done it. The slow block letters. Please do not send coins or stamps, and
summation of facts builds a solid foundation kindly mention that you saw the advertisement in
“Weird Tales” magazine. Dispatch carriage paid all
for the surprize ending. Tire big horrible over the world without increase in price. JAN VAN
surprize, though so terrible it seems unbe- GALEN, Bulb Grower, VOGELENZANG near Haar-
lem, Holland, Europe.
lievable,becomes a reality under the master-
Indian Belies
ful handling of this marvelous writer who
has sadly passed on into die great beyond.
INDIAN RELICS. Bead work. Coins. Stamps. Min-
erals. Books. Old West Photos. Weapons. Curios.-
I award second place to The Shunned House, Temple Mound Birdpoint 15c. Knife, ancient, 15c.
Catalogue 5c. In dian Museu m, Northbranch, Kansas.’
but this time second place is really a second
Miscellaneous
first place.For third place I pick The Long
Arm by Franz Habl. I enjoyed this yarn be- WHO IS THE MYSTERIOUS “ITWO”? The solution
to this baffling mystery
is thrillingly told in one of the
cause it is something a bit different and it most startling ever written
stories THE MOON —
TERROR, in book form. Price 50c. WEIRD TALES,
leaves in your mind the question of whether 840 North Michigan, Chicago, Illinois.
7 66 WEIRD TALES
or not Banaotovitch is still alive. That’s the STATEMENT OF THE OWNERSHIP, MAN-
AGEMENT, CIRCULATION, ETC., RE-
kind of a thrill I like.” QUIRED BY THE ACT OF CONGRESS
OF AUGUST 24, 1912,
Of Weird Tales, published monthly at Indianapolis
Indiana, for October 1937.
Hamilton’s Serial 1,

State of Illinois 1
County of Cook sa -

/
B. M. Reynolds, of North Adams, Massa-
Before me, a notary public in and for the State
chusetts, writes: "You were certainly for- and county aforesaid, personally appeared Wm. R.
Sprenger, who, having been duly sworn according
tunate in securing that splendid yarn The to law, deposes and says that he is the Business
Lake of Life by Edmond Hamilton, an ex- Manager of the Weird Tales and that the following
is, to the best of his knowledge and belief, a true
ceptional piece of fantasy of the A. Merritt statement of the ownership, management (and if
a daily paper, the circulation), etc., of the aforesaid
type, worthy of taking its place beside those publication for the date shown in the above caption
two fine fantastic novels: Williamson's Gol- required by the Act of August 24, 1912, embodied
in section 411, Postal Laws and Regulations, printed
den Blood and Kelley’s The Last Pharaoh. on the reverse of this form, to wit:
I believe that these stories will always be 1. That the names and addresses of the pub-
lisher, editor, managingand business man-
editor,
remembered by us, the readers. Second
. . . ager are:
best story in September was The Ho-Ho- —
Publisher Popular Fiction Publishing Company,
2457 E. Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind.
Kam Horror. Stories of this type are par- —
Editor Farnsworth Wright, 840 N. Michigan
ticularly effective when written in diary form, Ave., Chicago, 111.

and Mr. Bryan did a good job with this Managing Editor None. —
one. Good build-up and abrupt ending. Michigan Ave., Chicago, 111.
—
Business Manager William R. Sprenger, 840 N.

Not a bit far-fetched, either, as Superstition 2. That the owner is: (If owned by a corpora-
tion, its name and address must be stated and also
Mountain, the heaven of the rattlesnakes, is immediately thereunder the names and addresses
of stockholders owning or holding one per cent or
a very real and tangible locality, as any more of total amount of stock. If not owned by a
Pueblo or Navajo Indian will attest, and the corporation, the names and addresses of the indi-
vidual owners must be given. If owned by a Arm,
place is most certainly ’taboo,’ at least for company, or other unincorporated concern, its name
and address, as well as those of each individual
the white man. Psychopompos by the late member must be given.)
genius H. P. Lovecraft was certainly unique, Popular Fiction Publishing Company, 2457 E.
Washington St., Indianapolis, Ind.
serving to make us realize still more the Wm. R. Sprenger, 840 N. Michigan Ave., Chi-
cago, 111.
great talent that was lost by his untimely Farnsworth Wright, 840 N. Michigan Ave., Chi-
death. ... Oh yes, I nearly forgot to com- cago, III.
George M. Cornelius, 2457 E. Washington St., In-
pliment Henry Kuttner on H. P. L., his dianapolis, Indiana.
George II. Cornelius, 2457 E. Washington St.,
grand tribute to Lovecraft, the finest piece Indianapolis, Indiana.
of poetry since Howard wrote A Song Out P. W. Cornelius, 2457 E. Washington St., Indian-
apolis, Indiana.
of Mid tan about ten years ago!” 3. That the known bondholders, mortgagees, and
other security holders owning or holding 1 per cent
or more of total amount of bonds, mortgages, or
other securities are: (If there are none, so state).
End of the Abyss None.
4. That the two paragraphs next above, giving
the names of the owners, stockholders, and secu-
J. A. Murphy, of Augusta, Georgia, rity holders, if any, contain not only the list of
writes: "My, my, now just look what you have stockholders and security holders as they appear
upon the books of the company, but also, in cases
gone and done! Last month upon reading where the stockholder or security holder appears
upon the books of the company as trustee or in any
The Abyss Under the World I just knew other fiduciary relation, the name of the person or
that you had found another one that could corporation for whom such trustee is acting, is
given; also that the said two paragraphs contain
be placed with the best of them. I went by statements embracing affiant’s full knowledge and
belief as to the circumstances and conditions under
the news stand every day or two waiting for which stockholders and security holders who do not
the September issue to come in, and when appear upon the books of the company as trustees,
hold stock and securities in a capacity other than
I did get it, I had to read the finis of The that of a bona fide owner; and this affiant has no
reason to believe that any other person, association,
Abyss Under the World before I even came or corporation has any interest, direct or indirect,
home. And what do I find upon reading in the said stock, bonds, or other securities than
as so stated by him.
it but that you let
J.
Paul Suter go and put 5. That the average number of copies of each
issue of this publication sold or distributed, through
an ending like that on it! Why does any- the mails or otherwise, to paid subscribers during
one have to be like that? Now if they had the twelve months preceding the date shown above
is (This information is required from
really been transplanted into another world, daily publications only.)
and had followed the priest in his jump into WM. R. SPRENGER,
Business Manager.
the abyss, I think everyone would have been Sworn to and subscribed before me this 23d day ofi
happier, because there would have been more September, 1937. J. G. WING,
[SEAL] Notary Public.
thrills to come.” My commission expires February 15, 1940..
 WEIRD TALES 767

Random Notes by W. C., Jr.

What a break for the Washington Weird
Tales Club! Seabury Quinn, who reads the
NEXT MONTH
fashion magazines so his heroines may be
clothed stylishly, is shipping the furniture
from Brooklyn to Washington. ... As if to
The
compensate for the Old Marster’s absence
from die skyscraper
Bruce Bryan may migrate to
city, Earl Peirce,
NYC,
Jr., and
taking
Hairy Ones
up writing as a regular profession. . . H. P.
Lovecraft’s Psychopompos, "a tale in rime,”
.
Shall Dance
was one of his earliest efforts, dating from
Virgil Finlay seldom uses models,
By Gans T. Field
1917. . . .

—the
but refers occasionally to photographs to get
the right effect in picturing various textures.
Virgil was born in Rochester, New York,
A STRANGE
•
story
a stage magician
is this
whose
tions of spirit seances precipitated
story of
investiga-
him
twenty-three years ago. His first attempt at
drawing occurred at the tender age of three, into the midst of an astounding situa-
when the magnificently limned equine of his tion. It is a tale of terror and sudden
imagination was labeled "doggy” by his death, a tale of the hideous, stark hor-
mother. He attended several grammar ror that struck during a seance, a tale
schools in and about Rochester; and his first
real claim to fame was established when
of the frightful thing that laired in the
block-print caricatures of his teachers were Devil’s Croft.
reproduced in the John Marshall High
School paper. He studied at Mechanics In-
stitute classes and the gallery in Rochester.
He has exhibited in oils, pen and ink, pencil,
and block-print, and also works in tempera,
T
est
his is an unusual story indeed,
and one that will hold your inter-
throughout by the spell of its weird
transparent water color, charcoal, wood-cut, happenings. This shuddery novel will
stone, chalk, —
and clay preferring pen and
ink to them all. Virgil is a quiet young man,
begin

unmarried, with a serious face that often

in the January issue of
lights up with a broad smile. Athletics in
earlier years won him
a fourteen-inch bicep
and stubby, powerful
fingers. He often
spends two or three days on a single draw-
WEIRD TALES
ing for Weird Tales, beginning work
around noon and ceasing only when dawn on sale December 1st
tinges the night sky. A
dreamless sleep then
shuts him from the material world until noon To avoid missing your copy, dip and mail this
again, when he repeats the process. He has coupon today for SPECIAL SUBSCRIPTION
OFFER, j ^.-issZii (You Save 25c) —
a keen sense of humor. And the way he
plays practical jokes on his fellow Weird-
ists! For instance: Clifford Ball once stated
in a letter to the Eyrie, previous to publica- WEIRD TALES
840 N. Michigan Ave.
tion of his first story, that the ridiculous Chicago, lil.
theme of a woman’s being captured and car- Enclosed find $1.00, for which send me the next
ried off by a giant ape was passe. With this
five issues of WEIRDTALES, to begin with the
January issue. (Special offer void unless remittance
in mind, Virgil selected that particular scene is accompanied by coupon.)

in illustrating Ball’s Thief of Forthe! . . .

What is perhaps his most famous drawing,

Name
the strange, dark illustration for Robert
Address
Bloch’s The Faceless God, was the result of
a dilemma: In the story there was little ac- City State.
tion which could be portrayed graphically,
768 WEIRD TALES
so as the only alternative Virgil took lines R. N. Nicholaieff, of Chicago, writes:
which Bloch had used purely as atmosphere! "Lovecraft’s The Shunned House rates first
Virgil’s favorites among his own drawings— place in the October issue. I read this tale
of which he has done more than one hun- three times just because I liked the way it
dred for Farnsworth Wright, including the was written. Lovecraft was indeed a master
—
Shakespeare work include those for Sea- of weird fiction.”
bury Quinn’s Witch-House, Pearl Norton
Seymour Kapetansky, of Detroit, writes:
Swet’s The Medici Boots, and of course
"No two writing styles could have been fur-
Bloch’s The Faceless God. He considers his
ther apart than those of H. P. Lovecraft and
conception of Sterling’s vampire (in this is-
Robert E. Howard, yet both were masters of
sue) about the best he has done for WT,
weird fantasy. It’s lucky we have such tal-
and is most enthusiastic over the poetry ented writers as Henry Kuttner and Robert
series it introduces. He is a Shakespeare and
Bloch to carry on.”
Milton fan. He generally does considerable
research and experimentation in preparing A. V. Pershing, of Anderson, Indiana,
for any particularly difficult piece of work. writes: "Hamilton’s The Lake of Life is
Before painting the cover for Speer’s Sym- weird and extremely interesting. As fine as
phony of the Damned, he modeled the three he already is, he’s getting better.”
figures in clay and played lights on them Edward Landberg, of Brooklyn, writes:
from below in order to get the correct light- "In 1931-32 you published two reprint nov-
ing effect. . Paintings and other samples
. .
els, Frankenstein by Mrs. Shelley and The
of the media he employs are to be seen W olf -Leader by Dumas, of which the read-
everywhere in the Finlay residence. His ers disapproved. You then stated that you
studio, of course, is full of them. An excel- would cease to publish serial reprints. That
lent portrait of his mother adorns the upper was a mistake. If you don’t mind my saying
hallway, and still-life paintings hang down- so, it was not the idea of the serial reprints
stairs in parlor and dining-room. The attic that the readers disliked, although at first
shelters a whole flock of them, while scores glance it would seem so, but it was the
of drawings rest under tables and benches in stories you chose. They really were not fit
the wood-working shop outside. The bath- for a modern reader’s consumption.”
room chest-of-drawers resembles a portable
art gallery. . . Virgil is a favorite cor-
Henry Kuttner writes from Beverly Hills,
.
California: "I enjoyed most of the tales in
respondent of many notables in the fantasy
the September issue, and the ones I did not
field, as evidenced by the remarks they have
shall go unnamed. Bruce Bryan makes a
passed in letters to me. To them he is weird-
highly auspicious debut, and his familiarity
ly known as "Monstro Ligriv.” His high-
with his subject lent a pleasing air of authen-
school nickname was, curiously, "Hyphen”—
ticity to The Ho-Ho-Kam Horror. As for
an abbreviated form of the salutation, "Hi,
Finlay!" He says his biggest thrill came School for the Unspeakable, I’ve developed
into an ardent Wellman fan since reading
when an old Italian he knew, after seeing
such little masterpieces as this and The
some of Virgil’s drawings, turned his back
and crossed himself. Kelpie.”

Concise Comments Most Popular Story

Richard F. Jamison, of Valley Park, Mis- Readers, whatis your favorite story in this
souri, writes: "If anyone is fated to equal issue? you have any likes and dislikes,
If
Lovecraft’s genius Henry Kuttner is that we be glad to hear about them. Write
shall
man. His have that indescribable
stories a letter to the Eyrie, Weird Tales, 840 N.
something that every truly weird story must Michigan Avenue, Chicago, or send us a
have.” postcard, telling us what you think of this
Jean Van Wissink, of Chicago, writes: magazine. In the October issue, three stories
"If all pages of the October issue but those are exactly tied for first place as this issue
of The Dike of Life had been blank, I’d goes to press. They are Tiger Cat by David
still have had my money’s worth Edmond ! H. Keller, Pledged to the Dead by Seabury
Hamilton seems especially worth hanging Quinn, and The Shunned House by the late
on to.” H. P. Lovecraft.
W. T.—
COMING NEXT MONTH
K LAUS

.
kicked aside the curtain at the doorway and looked into the darkness of the
little

her
house. A
woman crouched cross-legged on the earthen floor, her hair unbound,
ripped open to expose her breasts. On her knees, very quiet, but not sleep-
gown
ing, lay a baby boy, and on the little breast there flowered a crimson wound. Klaus recog-
— —
a sword-cut. Half a hand’s-span
a gladiator knew
nized it the trademark of his calling !

long, ragged at the edges, sunk so deep into the baby flesh that the glinting white of breast-
bone showed between the raw wound’s gaping, bloody lips.
"Who hath done this thing?” The Northman’s eyes were hard as fjord-ice, and a grim-
ness set upon his bearded lips like that they wore when he faced a Cappadocian netman
in the circus. "Who hath done this to thee, woman?”
The young Jewess looked up from her keening. Her eyes were red and swollen with
much weeping, and the tears had cut small rivulets into the dust with which her face was
smeared, but even in her agony she showed some traces of her wonted beauty.
"The soldiers,” she replied between breath-breaking sobs. "They came and smote and
slew; there is not a man-child left alive in all the village. Oh, my son, my little son, why
did they do this thing to thee, thou who never did them any harm? Oh, woe is me; my
”
firstborn, only son is slain
"Thou liest, woman!” Klaus’s words rang sharp as steel. "Soldiers do not do things like
this.They war with men, they make no war on babes.”
The mother rocked her body to and fro and beat her breast with small clenched fists.
"The soldiers did it,” she repeated doggedly. "They came and went from house to house,
”
and slew our sons
"Romans?” Klaus asked incredulously. Cruel the Romans were at times, but never to
his knowledge had they done a thing like this. Romans were not baby-killers.

marching into town, and —-

—
"Nay, the soldiers of the King. Romans only in the armor that they wore. They came

"The soldiers of the King? Herod?” . . .

You cannot afford to miss this mystic story of the Yuletide and a barbarian from the
North in the Roman army; a reverent tale of the Crucifixion, and Pontius Pilate, and a
hetaera from the house of Mary the Magdalene. This fascinating and unusual novelette
will be published complete in the next issue of Weird Tales:

ROADS
By Seabury Quinn
Also
THE HAIRY ONES SHALL DANCE TOEAN MATJAN
By Gans T. Field By Vennette Herron
A novel of a hideous, stark horror that struck It happened in the island of Java, that strange,

—
during a spirit seance a tale of terror and sud- weird, incredible thing that the natives fully be-
—
den death, and the frightful thing that laired in lieve, but the white man refuses to credit the
the Devil's Croft. story of a tiger and a woman.

THE WITCH’S MARK THE HOUSE OF LIVING MUSIC

By Dorothy Quick By Edmond Hamilton
Shamus O'Brien risked his very soul for the red, A with a tragic
red lips of Cecily Maltby —
a strange and curious
strange
denouement
weird-scientific
—about
story
a great composer who could
story about a beautiful, evil woman with red-gold
hair. recreate all visible things in sound.

January Issue Weird Tales . . Out December 1

Special Bargain Offer

YOURS
While They Last

At Reduced Price

Only Fifty Cents

Beautifully
bound in rich blue
cloth with attractive orange-
colored cover jacket.

T he moon terror, by a.
Birch, is a stupendous weird-scientific
novel of Oriental intrigue to gain control
g. DIMENSION,
an uproarious
by Farnsworth Wright,
skit
theories of the mathematicians,
on the four-dimensional
and inter-
is

of the world. planetary stories in general.

ALSO-OTHER STORIES LIMITED SUPPLY

In addition to the full-length novel, this Make sure of getting your copy now before the
book also contains three shorter stories by close-out supply is exhausted. Send your order
today for this book at the special bargain price
well-known authors of thrilling weird-
of only 50c.
scientific fiction:
Note : This book for sale from the publishers
OOZE, by Anthony M. Rud, tells of a only. It cannot be purchased in any book store.
biologist who removed the growth limita-
tions from an amoeba, and the amazing I WEIRD TALES, Book Dept.
8.J N. Michigan Ave., Chicago, III., U. 8. A.
I
catastrophe that ensued. ! Enclosed find 50c for cloth-bound copy of THE
PENELOPE, by Vincent Starrett, is a |
MOON TERROR as per your special offer.

fascinating tale of the star Penelope, and Name.

the fantastic thing that happened when the
star was in perihelion. Address

AN ADVENTURE IN THE FOURTH

|
City.