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What Would You Do

I
9
P you had received thousands of
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world by a tremendous threat against
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zine, what would you do? THE frantic race across the ocean to cir¬
MOON TERROR, by A. G. Birch, cumvent them, the weird and exciting
which appeared as a serial adventures that befell, make
in Weird Tales in 1923, is one of the most gripping
too long to republish in our and fascinating novels ever
magazine consistent with written.
our policy. As a matter
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tional attempt of a group of Chinese
scientists to obtain rulership of the

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 Published the Popular Fiction Publishing Company, 2457 E. Wash-
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NOTE—All manuscripts and communications should be addressed to the publishers’
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FARNSWORTH WRIGHT, Editor.
Copyright, 1929, by the Popular Fiction Publishing Company

Contents for May, 1929

Cover Design_C. C. Senf
Illustrating a scene in “The Scourge of B’Moth”
The Scourge of B’Moth_Bertram Russell 580
A sinister conspiracy against the rule of man, and the up¬
rising of the entire animal kingdom
Within the Nebula_Edmond Hamilton 597
The great nebula expands, threatening to engulf the entire
universe in fiery destruction
The Shadow of a Nightmare_Donald Wandrei 619
From a strange nightmare country in the Himalayas stark
madness found its way into the outer world
The World-Wrecker (Part 2)_Arlton Eadie 625
A stirring weird-scientific serial about a scientist who pulled
the world from its position in the solar system
The Witch Girl_A. LesUe 635
Verse

[CONTINUED ON NEXT PACE]

COPYRIGHTED IN GREAT BRITAIN

 [continued from preceding page]

The Girl Prom Samarcand-E. Hoffman Price 636

A beautiful and fantastic tale of an Oriental rug and the
superb beauty of the girl who crossed the Border

The Thing in the House_H. F. Scotten 645

A fearsome invisible monster wrought dreadful havoc before
it was brought to bay

Folks Used to Believe:

The Cockatrice_Alvin F. Harlow 663
One of the curious animals believed in by our ancestors

The Bed of Shadows_Fred R. Farrow, Jr. 664

A strange horror lurked above the man in the bed, and
night by night the horror deepened

The Pearl of a Queen_A. A. Irvine 667

Down the centuries Dr. Abbas searched for the pearl that
had been given him by Cleopatra

The Laughing Thing_G. G. Pendarves 679

Eldred Werne wielded more power dead than alive—a power¬
ful ghost-story

The Inn in the Wood_C. I. Martin 690

Long leagues the man traveled to escape from his crime,
but it found him out there in that inn in the wood

Weird Story Reprint:

The Cloth of Madness_Seabury Quinn 692
That inaddening design was copied on the walls of the room,
and a gruesome revenge was accomplished

The Haunted House-Cristel Hastings 706

Verse

The Eyrie _ 707

A chat with the readers

Le Revenant-Charles Baudelaire 720

Verse; translated for Weird Tales by Clark Ashton Smith

For Advertising; Kates in WFJItD TALKS Apply Direct to

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W
 “Around him there curled a thin wisp
of yellow vapor.”

T 1. The Fog

HE first inkling that I had of

the gigantic abomination that
“A mental case?” I asked with
quickening interest.
“Yes. And more. It’s got me al¬
most beaten to a standstill. I confess
was soon to smother the world
I’m pretty nearly stumped. I’ve gone
with its saprophytic obscenity was ob¬
over him thoroughly—X-rayed him
tained almost by accident.
and so on—but still I can’t find any
My friend Dr. Prendergast, a gen¬
evidence whatever of organic disturb¬
tleman eminent in his own particular
ance.”
branch of medicine, which included
“Well—can’t it be a functional
all sorts of brain specializations, op¬
neurosis?” I asked in some surprize.
erations, trephining, and so on, called
“If it is, I never saw another like
me personally by telephone from his
it. The fellow seems to be actually
own residence late one night.
possessed. He acts without knowing
It struck me as surprizing that he why he does so. I’ve given him a
should not have had his secretary or rough psycho-analysis, but it reveals
nurse call me during office hours. I nothing more than the repressions and
was not in error when I thought his inhibitions'that every average person
mission an urgent one. has. His unconscious contents show
“Kandall,” he said to me, “I’ve absolute ignorance of the awful ob¬
never seen the like of this in all my session by which his waking hours are
years of experience, and I am pretty beset.”
sure you never did in yours either.’' “There must be a reason for it,” I
680
 THE SCOURGE OF B ’MOTH 581

said. “If a man lias an obsession, road as if a giant had scooped a track
there are unconscious associations to through the heart of the hills.
exorcise it with. It can only lie the A cold perspiration broke out all
symbol for something else-” over me. I could hardly drive. My
“The symbol for something .else. hair tingled at the roots. For it had
You’re right there. But if I can’t seemed to me at that moment that,
find out what this something else hands other than my own had
really is, and pretty soon at that, this wrenched that wheel from mine in a
patient is going to join his Master be¬ demonic lust of murderous intent. Try
fore long. ’ ’ as 1 would, I could not throw off the
“His Master!” I queried, sur¬ hideous thought that a nameless fetid-
prized at what I thought to be a Bib¬ ity had me in its control at that mo¬
lical allusion by Prendergast. ment, and was even now within the
“Yes. Whoever that is. He talks car bent upon my destruction.
about nothing else. This Master rep¬ Was I, a psychiatrist of years’
resents the thing that is dominating standing, versed in all the processes
him, stretching out its slimy ten¬ that produce madness in the human
tacles from the darkest depths of un¬ brain, skilled in treatment of those
fathomable abysses to strangle the within its devouring maw—was I fall¬
desire to live within him. He says ing headlong, powerless to help my¬
now that he is eager to die, and you self, into the awful depths of lunacy ?
don’t need me to tell you what that I fought the very suggestion, but to
means in the neurotic. ’ ’ little avail. The dark night, the wild
“I’ll come over immediately,” I and mountainous nature of the coun¬
said. try (where the hospital had been
“ German-American Hospital, ward erected for the sake of quietness and
3, psychiatric,” he said, giving me the seclusion) combined to produce a
final instructions. feeling of unknown forces, malignant
in their fury toward man and the
T hurriedly donned my clothes—I sons of man, that I could not dismiss.
had been reading Goethe in a But more than all was the nause¬
dressing-gown before retiring — and ating, overpowering effect of that
unlocking the garage, I started the clammy fog, like a breath of evil, that
coupe. Soon I was on my way to the rode with me, enveloping me in its
hospital where my friend had ar¬ chill blast. I laughed aloud at the
ranged to meet me. notion of a presence other than my
The night was exceptionally dark, own in the car, and the laugh, muffled
and a thin, clammy drizzle bad com¬ by the turgid breath that surrounded
menced to fall—not a cold rain, but a me, echoed in weird accents from the
viscid, penetrating dankness like the rear of the car. My voice had sound¬
breath of some Stygian fury. The car ed strange, like the insincere laugh of
was quite closed, yet I felt the clammy an actor who is not interested in his
thrill of it inside. I even noticed that role. I even turned to the rear of the
the instrument board was covered with coupe, as if expecting to see the pres¬
drops of fluid and the wheel became ence there, but my darting eyes re¬
wet and unruly under my touch. I vealed nothing.
almost allowed it to slip out of my “This madness must cease,” I told
hands as the car rounded a sharp myself, as I turned on the electric
curve. I jammed the brakes on. The warmer inside the car. It may have
wheels skidded on the slithery ground. been the comforting heat that this
I had been just in time to prevent the produced, or if may have been an un¬
coupe from careening over the edge, conscious assurance that the laws of
where a dark abyss fell away from the nature still continued to function—
582 WEIRD TALES

my turning the switch had proved springs bent with an ominous crack.
this—I did not know what was the I felt the wheels slithering sideways
true cause, but as the heat within the as though someone -were pulling them
car increased, my spirits warmed, too, from their course, and filially, with a
and I found myself driving with my terrific crash, the coupe turned over
accustomed care, and utterly without and "would have capsized completely
the meaningless fears that had over¬ if the pillars that marked the en¬
whelmed me so few minutes ago, but trance to the hospital had not partly
so many ages since, as it seemed to me prevented it from falling.
then. Dr. Prendergast and two of his as¬
The air inside the car was clear sociates opened the door and dragged
now: the drops of moisture had dis¬ me out, half dazed, into the night.
appeared from the instrument board, "What’s wrong, Randall?” said
and my hand grasped the steering- Prendergast anxiously.
wheel with its accustomed firmness.
I stood there, stupidly, hardly
But it was becoming uncomfortably
knowing what answer to make.
hot. Still, I hesitated to switch off
"We’ve been wratching you for
the heater, arrested by I know- not
some time. We saw your lights five
what unknown fear. It may have
miles away. You’ve been driving like
been a warning from that Great Un¬ a man in a dream. Look — you’ve
known that we are now only dimly
ruined half the flower beds in the hos¬
beginning to understand. I can not
pital grounds.”
say. But, at last, I switched off the
I turned! and saw the tracks of the
heater.
car cut deep into the lawns and flower
As the air cooled, my spirits cooled, beds before me. I had left the drive¬
too. I felt the same senseless dread way and traveled across the hills and
stealing over me, and I watched w ith valleys of the landscape garden. A
intense anxiety for the reappearance chill dread came over me. I could
of those drops of moisture on the see the tracks of the car clear out into
dashboard. Seeming to materialize the road beyond. I could even see the
from nothingness they came. headlights of another car traveling
The air within the car thickened, along the same road that I had come
and again caressed me with its volup¬ —miles away. In the soft air there
tuous and sickly folds. As the lights was no moisture; above, the stars
of the hospital appeared upon the twinkled along their age-old courses.
crest of a ridge ahead of me, I began The fog had lifted!
to tell myself that I had to turn on With a new fear clutching at my
the heater once more. But my will heart’s vitals, I spoke to them.
wras not equal to the act. I drove on ‘ ‘ The fog—the rain—it made it im¬
in a kind of dream, blithely careless possible for me to see. I couldn’t find
of anything in the world. The steer¬ the road half of the time. I never
ing-wheel responded easily to my saw such a night! ’ ’
touch; it even seemed to spring from ‘ ‘ Fog ? Rain ? There’s been no fog
under my hand as I swerved around and no rain. Why, we could see your
treacherous comers where chasms headlights for miles. The night is as
thousands of feet deep yawned below, clear as a crystal. ’ ’
missing the edge by a scant few inches. "But there was fog, right up to a
I drove on heedless, in the dense minute ago. The car was wet with it,
opacity. I could see nothing nowr. But I tell you. ’ ’
the wheel seemed to have a magic of As I spoke, I reached my hand to
its own. I felt the car bumping and the windshield, intending to prove my
undulating like a roller coaster. My assertion. In amazement, I looked at
head crashed against the roof. The it. There was no trace of moisture—
 THE SCOURGE OF B ’MOTH

none at all! I stooped to the grass, far corner of the room. “There he
and buried my hand in it. There was is, ’ ’ he added, to me.
no rain upon it. It was even a little Before us lay a pallid-looking fig¬
dried up, and I could see it had not ure. His black hair was tousled, as
been watered for some time. Again I though he had been tearing at it with
piereed the night. There was not a his fingers. His eyes were surround¬
cloud in the air anywhere, not a bank ed by deep, hollow circles that made
of fog between the hospital and the him look like a grim precursor of
city. death itself. He was talking inar¬
“What you need is a stimulant. ticulately, and holding a disjointed
Come inside, and I’ll give you one,” conversation with some imaginary
said Dr. Prendergast, taking me cau¬ creature that he alone saw.
tiously by the arm. As I sat beside him, he burst into a
Fearful for my own sanity, I stum- frenzied laugh. Lifting his emaci¬
blingly entered the hospital. As I took ated hand toward me, he pointed a
one last look around, I thought I saw a skinny finger into my face.
thin whisp of sickly vapor curling “Ha! ha! Here’s another one to
around the green lawn before me, like rob the Master. You came too late—
a wraith of yellow venom, and while the Master saw to that. Ha! ha! ”
my distraught nerves tingled in every “Quiet yourself,” said Dr. Pren¬
fiber, there came to me the muffled dergast in a soothing voice. “You
echo of a mocking laugh. are going to get well, but you must
Half walking, half sliding, I was not excite yourself in this fashion.”
taken into the hospital. “Going to get well? Oh no, I'm
not! The Master saw to that. I’m
2. The Call of B’Moth going soon, very soon. I’m going to
join the Master. Deep down—where
“FpEEL better?” asked Dr. Prender- he waits for the faithful. That’s
" gast, when I had gulped the stim¬ where I'm going. Why should I want
ulant that he had handed to me. to live? Why should I wait around
In the cheerful air of the doctor’s when there is work to be done?”
private office I felt my fears to be of “What sort of work?” I inquired,
the flimsiest. I even felt constrained hoping to relieve the compression
to laugh aloud at them. But the mem¬ within him by allowing him to talk.
ory of that ride was not so easily ef¬ ‘ ‘ The work of the jungle. The work
faced. However, I made light of my of the deep. That’s what must be
experience, saying that I had had but done. The time approaches. Millions
little sleep, and night-driving did not and millions will help. And I shall
agree with me. Dr. Prendergast gave soon be there. Ha! ha! You came too
me a curious look from his slanted late. The Master saw to that. On the
eyes, but said nothing. storm he rides. His breath is the
We left the office, and taking the breath of the fog. In the rain, he
elevator, were soon in ward 3—the comes to the earth. He stayed you
ward where the mental cases were tonight. Eh? Didn’t he?”
confined. A nurse met us with a chart In spite of myself, I was troubled.
in her hands. Who was this Master who rode on the
“How is the patient?” asked my wings of the storm, and whose breath
colleague, with more than usual in¬ was the fog ? I asked myself how this
terest. lunatic in his ravings knew of my ex¬
“Still delirious, Doctor,” answered perience that night. He was gasping
the trim little nurse. for breath. His efforts had exerted
“We shall take a look at him,” he him unduly, and apparently he was
remarked, walking toward a cot in a about to expire.
584 WEIRD TALES

The nurse brought a glass of water, known the full import of his copy, he
which he gulped greedily. ‘ ‘ Water, ’ ’ would have blazoned the thing in
he said. ‘ ‘ Oceans of it. That’s what block type, and put out a special edi¬
the Master likes. That’s the way to tion of his sheet. But he did not, any
reach him. Into the caves where the more than did I myself at that time,
blue light flames it goes, down, down suspect that soon there was to arise
beneath the bodies of dead men, deep from the deeps a menace whose can¬
—deep. The Master! Ah! B’Moth! cerous sores were destined to spread
Master—I come!” their purulent way into the very heart
His head fell back upon the pillow, of civilization itself. I quote the no¬
and with a rapt expression in his eyes tice verbatim:
he died. I stood perplexed. This ARICA, PERU, May 8—A strange case
could be no ordinary ease of halluci¬ was brought to the attention of police here
nation. The man had seemed, as Dr. today. Alonzo Sigardus, a negro of West
Indian extraction, was haled before Justice
Prendergast said, bewitched, pos¬ Cordero on a charge of attempted euicide.
sessed. I left the cot, in company He was seen to dive into the ocean near
with my friend. Point Locasta by Captain Jenks, the look¬
out at the Marine Exchange station there.
Suddenly he clutched my arm fe¬ Jenks says he rushed to the assistance of
verishly. ‘ ‘Look, ” he cried. “Look!” the man, thinking he had intended to go
I turned in the direction in which swimming and did not know of the treacher¬
he was pointing. The glass of water ous undertow at the point. When he ar¬
rived, however, he saw at a glance that it
was still clutched in the patient’s was a case of attempted suicide, for Si-
hand. The fluid glowed with a lam¬ gardus could not swim, and was merely
bent bluish radiance. It flittered floundering around helplessly in the depths.
across the features of the dead man, Captain Jenks promptly dived into the
which became greenish under its in¬ water at the place known to sightseers as
Devil’s Cauldron, and after a frantic strug¬
fluence. His lips twisted into a snarl gle with the maelstrom, during which the
under the light, and the siiarp fangs negro did his best to drown the two of them,
of his long canine teeth pricked was able to rescue the man.
through his closed mouth. Instead of thanks, however, Sigardus
And the water in the glass was struck Jenks brutally upon the face, cry¬
ing: “The curse of B’Moth upon you! It
bubbling — bubbling as though it was the call of the Master. What right
boiled; and there before my eyes the have you to interfere? I went to join
fluid slowly fell, until the glass was B’Moth, and now you have dragged me back
empty of all save the bluish glow that again. When the time comes, you shall suf¬
fer.”
surrounded it, and not only it, but the The incident has aroused widespread lo¬
bed, the linen, the dead man, and our¬ cal interest, because it is said that the
selves! Devil’s Cauldron upon foggy days is the
meeting-place of spirits of the deep. Leg¬
3. The Unknown end has it that upon such days, and during
the rainy season, the Monster of the Pool
T he pressure of my professional arises from the deep water to claim his own.
Obviously, the distorted mind of the su-
duties served to drive the matter
erstitious negro thought he had been called
from my attention for several days, y the spirit of the Cauldron. It is inter¬
but it was rudely brought to my mind esting to note that a thick haze commenced
in a manner as strange as can well be to overcloud the pool after Sigardus had
conceived. been rescued. Until this time, the sun had
been shining with great brilliance.
I had been carelessly scanning the There is much excitement among the na¬
newspaper, when my eyes were ar¬ tive population here, and talk is common
rested and riveted by a small and ap¬ that the rescue bodes no good for the white
parently unimportant notice that was man. Serious disturbances have arisen in
several inland villages, and police and mili¬
sandwiched in between the account of tary have united forces to protect the white
a big alimony ease and the raid upon population against whom the attacks seem
some bootleggers. Had the editor chiefly to have been directed.
 THE SCOURGE OF B ’MOTH

Apparently, the incident had only I moved slowly toward the instru¬
obtained recognition in the press be¬ ment, my eyes fixed irresistibly upon
cause of the legends which were con¬ the other side of the room. Mechan¬
nected with the Devil’s Cauldron, and ically I lifted the receiver.
which were thought to be of interest A voice came as though from a
to the outside world; and because of great distance. ‘ ‘ Is that Dr. Randall ?
the attempted uprisings against the Please come across to the German-
white people. But to me, the inser¬ Ameriean Hospital immediately. Dr.
tion of that single and apparently Prendergast has gone insane! ’ ’
incomplete word gave a sinister and
terrible inflection to the whole para¬ 4. Madness
graph.
'\X7'hex I arrived at the hospital
Who, or what, was B’Moth? It
' ’ where my friend was being
must be the same “Master” to whom
treated, the condition of my mind was
the dying man had appealed in the
far from equable. That the same ca¬
German-Ameriean Hospital. And
lamity which I dreaded had actually
there was no shadow of doubt that it
befallen my friend came as no slight
was a duplication of the same occur¬
shock. But I resolutely strove to com¬
rence, unconnected with it except by
pose myself as I entered the building.
the subtle influence of the B ’Moth.
If my suspicions were correct, there
I felt my hair begin to tingle when was work to be done, hard work and
I read the news item again and came plenty of it—if this foul thing was to
to note about the fog that overlay the be foiled in its malign purposes.
pool after the negro had uttered his I found Dr. Prendergast in a com¬
curse. This was too close a similarity fortable private room—the best in the
to admit of any such explanation as place. He was sleeping quietly when
mere coincidence. As a psychiatrist I entered. But before I had been
it interested me greatly, and I even there more than a few minutes, he
began to feel in some obscure way that awoke, and looking at me, shook hands
it was my duty to investigate the cordially. He did not have the ap¬
whole business. Perhaps (and far¬ pearance of a lunatic at that time.
fetched as the idea may seem, I He began to speak, in a natural, soft¬
thought of it in all seriousness)—per¬ ly modulated voice.
haps the very sanity of .the world was ‘ ‘ Randall, there’s something strange
at stake. and uncanny about this business.
As I laid the paper aside and pre¬ Ever since that affair when I had to
pared to drive to my office, I felt again call you into consultation, I have had
the oppressive weight of that unspeak¬ an odd feeling that all is not well.
able thing that I was slowly coming I’ve actually been harassed by morbid
to dread, so that I could not drive phobias—if that’s what they are. I
alone in fog or through a rainstorm never dreamed of a psychosis coming
(though I dared tell no one of this to me. The more I think about the
phobia) I felt—Good God, how I felt! matter, the more I have come to be¬
—the weight of that slimy pollution. lieve that you and I are marked out
I seemed to be drawn unresistingly as martyrs to the cause, though why,
into the slavering maw of this foul or how, I can not even begin to under¬
corruption from hell. I stood trans¬ stand.”
fixed, my teeth chattering, unable to “You seem all right now, and cer¬
lift a hand, watching the place where tainly you never gave me the impres¬
I felt absolutely certain the thing was. sion of being neurotic.”
And then into my jangled conscious¬ “That’s just it. 1 ought to be the
ness came the imperative ringing of very last person to lose his mind, but
the telephone bell. though I am as sane as it is possible
586 WEIRD TALES

for a man to be at this time, in a few “And—here is the strange part—it

minutes that Thing may have me in seemed to me that this thought did not
its clutch, and I shall be a raving lun¬ come wholly from myself. It was al¬
atic. It’s funny, Randall, to be able most as if something had whispered
to analyze your own particular form into my ear that foul abomination of
of lunacy—if such it is. I can re¬ regression. I felt that at the same mo¬
member quite well what happened to ment, not I alone, but thousands and
me last night. It is much more real thousands, rather millions, were
than the usual dream associations. dreaming of the time when the cycle
And I dread its return more pro¬ should have been completed. We al¬
foundly because of this. If this is ways learned that things are cyclical,
lunacy, it is a form never before seen. you know. Rome rose; was great;
But I don’t think it is lunacy at all.” fell. So on with the other civiliza¬
‘‘Tell me about it,” I urged. ‘‘Per¬ tions, all of them. So undoubtedly
haps two minds can do what one can will be our own great civilization. It
not. ’ ’ will be the mythical end of the world
that seers have predicted for centu¬
‘ ‘ There’s not much to tell. I had been
ries. There will be no starry cat¬
reading Freud until a late hour last
aclysm, but a return of all life to the
night — his last book, you know.
Thoughts that were assuredly not jungle.
bom of earth came to me. I began to ‘‘Competent authorities state that
feel an immense distaste for life—the if something is not done to stop this
life that we live today, I mean. I approaching catastrophe, we shall be
thought of the days of the jungle, and literally eaten alive by insects—ants,
those primordial memories that lie for instance. There seems to be plenty
dormant within every man came back of scientific basis for this suggestion.
to me. The artificiality of the world, But who has thought of the awful
with its commercial systems, its codes possibilities that may arise if those
of conduct, its gigantic material unknown creatures, bloated to foul
things, that after all have done little enormity, shall in concerted array
else besides making life harder to live, overrun the civilized world?”
and shorter—all these appeared as the “It’s an awful thought, but there’s
flimsiest futility. no foundation for it, ” I said comfort¬
‘ ‘ It seemed to me that man was not ingly; for even in his sane moments
made to live in this fashion. I thought my friend seemed to evideiice a wild¬
that the giant primeval forest with its ness not quite normal.
fierce combat of man against man and “I’m not so sure that there’s no
beast against beast was the fitting basis for it. I’ve had a feeling, lately,
habitat of life. I thought of those that there is a tremendous movement
monsters of the deep, glimpsed occa¬ under way that has as its sole object
sionally by passing vessels—huge be¬ the overthrow of civilization and re¬
yond the conception of man. Once establishment of the life of the jungle.
life had been lived altogether on a “And here’s what appears to be the
gigantic scale like that. I felt, I can’t reason for selecting us. We can exer¬
say just why, a deep kinship, an af¬ cise an enormous control over the
finity with those bloated colossi of the minds of men; you agree? This un¬
sea—the carrion that feed upon the speakable Thing has seized upon us,
bodies of the dead. They seemed to is trying to enmesh us in its filthy net,
me to represent the farthest step to enlist us in the cause, because with
that could be taken in a retrogressive the influence that we can exert we
direction—back from civilization, you should be enormously valuable. Do
see—back from the painfully acquired you follow? We are to be apostles of
things that we count so valuable. this rotten creed!”
 THE SCOURGE OF B’MOTH 587

“What an appalling idea! I’d The newspaper cutting did little more
rather be dead,” I said with a shud¬ than confirm what I already sus¬
der. pected.
“Dead! Who knows what might “Your key is the word of the
happen to you then? You might join Master: ‘B’Moth’. Don’t forget —
the Master-” B’Moth. What it means, I can’t say.
“You, too!” I cried. But the word has been ringing in my
ears for days. That’s the Master—
A spasm of horrible fear crossed my
that’s the name of this cankerous rot¬
friend’s face as the full import of his
tenness that you must destroy! ’ ’
words bore in upon him. His mus¬
cles were twisted in an agony of
5. A Clue From the Past
internal strife, as he fought the insid¬
ious influence that was striving to
warp the straightness of that magnif¬
I left the hospital in a daze. How
was I to destroy this Thing? I was
icent brain. already half in its clutches. I could
‘ ‘ They haven’t got me yet, Randall. do little but flounder in the dark. If,
But they are after me! I ’ll fight them. as Dr. Prendergast and that dead man
I pray that my lucid intervals may be had asserted, there were millions of
frequent enough to enable me to un¬ followers, they kept their doings se¬
ravel this foul mystery. Good God!— cret. “B’Moth”—the word was like a
I’m in a cold sweat all over. Trem¬ voice from another world — without
ors!” meaning.
I started across the room to the I thought, and thought, in an agony
table, and pouring a glass of water, of apprehension. I knew not where to
handed it to my friend. turn for information. I spent hours
He shuddered convulsively, and re¬ in my library, greatly to the detri¬
coiled from it as from a living horror. ment of my practise. I exhausted most
‘ ‘ Away! ” he shouted. ‘ ‘ Take th at of the books of mythology and of
contagion away! It’s after me! It’s anthropology, but still I could find
alive! I won’t drink it. It means nothing that seemed to have any bear¬
madness! ’ ’ ing upon the matter.
With a frantic effort he dashed the One day, when I was going through
glass and its contents upon the floor. an ancient volume of Kane’s Magic
I stared at my friend, aghast. Sud¬ and the Black Arts, bound with a
denly a thought came to me—a recol¬ heavy bronze clasp, and closed with
lection of that night when a certain lock and key, I came upon the follow¬
glass of water had glowed with irides¬ ing:
cent fire; when, through the baneful
There be many who revere the Devourer,
influence of the fog, my own mind
though few have seen the full stature of
had skirted the borderland of lunacy. this great power. It is a vision fraught
I began to understand. with eldritch horror, and much sought by
My colleague was calming himself wizards of early times. One, Johannes of
again. Presently he spoke. Madgelmrg, wise in the lore of the ages,
hath met success greatly in his efforts. He
“It’s going to be a fight for me,” asserteth that the Devourer liveth in the
he said. “But I’ll battle to the last Deep, and is not to he reached by anv means,
gasp. Your part will be to watch, yet he hath been able to feel his breath and
and, if possible, learn more of this know liis will. The secret is in a vaporous
effluvium. For the Devourer hath power to
awful Thing that menaces the sanity manifest himself where there is moisture.
of the world. There must be some way His breath is the fog and the rain. Where¬
to destroy it.” fore, many do account water the elemental,
‘1 How shall I start ? ” I muttered in and do worship it in divers ways.
This Johannes hath told in his book of
puzzled bewilderment. I had only medicine how he did conjure from a heavy
the slightest of clues to work upon. vapor in his retorts the very Essence itself
 WEIRD TALES

upon occasion. The phosphorus light of This monster is of great antiquity, and was
♦lead things did swell into a great bright¬ well perceived by the ancients.
ness and fill the chamber, and withal came In the Hebrew Bible, he is mentioned
the spirit of the Devourer. And Johannes countless times. The seer Job makes much
hath learned that he liveth in the deepest in speaking of him. All men are agreed
Ocean, where he awaiteth only a time auspi¬ that his size is as great beyond a man’s as
cious for his return to earth. Many there a man is great beyond the stature of a
be who joyfully believe the time approach- toad. He has power to reproduce for ever,
eth, yet Johamies'saith that many centuries and after the flood times he was driven into
shall pass ere the Master returneth to claim the ocean, where he lives among the dead
his own. in the caves of crawling things.
Much astonishment hath one remark But the power of his thoughts is over all
which he made produced. He saith that men. He has divers powers of manifesta¬
the Devourer is a familiar of every man tion. Through water, and through mist, is
and every woman. He liveth eternally in he felt, and his thoughts are the thoughts
the Inner Man. He reacheth forth from the of the toad and the snake, wherefore these
Deep, and the Inner Man doth hear. All- reptiles are accounted sacred by many.
seeing is his eye, all-hearing his ear. None There is but one spell that can be cast to
can destroy him, for he is intrinsic in all conjure him back to the ocean, and the
men. In times of evil and lust, of war and parts of it . . .
strife, of man against man, and brother
against brother, the Devourer liveth lustily I dropped the manuscript with dis¬
in men. His ways are the ways of the appointment. In my extremity I was
Deep. There be saints and mysticB who be¬ prepared to work any spell, if it
lieve they have exorcised the Devourer, but would, as Johannes said, be successful
in them, also, he liveth. In the deeps of
the waters, and in the souls of men, he in exorcising this dread Thing. And
sleepeth, and one day will awaken to take the careless handling of the ages had
his own. tom from the manuscript the very
page where the spell was formulated.
I finished the ancient manuscript But now at least I had a clue to the
with a start. Though the Thing was Thing. I snatched up an apocryphal
called by another name, I could not Bible, and read avidly all the ref¬
doubt that the reference was to the erences to the Behemoth in the Old
same. I sought eagerly for the book of Testament. There were many, but
medicine that had been written by they were all agreed upon the devour¬
Johannes of Madgeburg, and after ing quality of the destroyer, and all
hunting all day I at last unearthed a affirmed that he would some day re¬
copy in an antique shop. It was tom, turn from the depths to claim his own.
and badly discolored, the writing in Winslow’s encyclopedia, which I
Latin, and in many places hard to consulted last, placed as a footnote to
decipher, but I found something of an earlier article a paragraph stating
great interest to me. that in many countries an organized
Johannes, after describing his at¬ worship of the Behemoth was prac¬
tempts to communicate with the De¬ tised under various disguises, and that
vourer, told of his success. He had the cult was more prevalent near the
learned the secret from a philosopher equator, and among savage races.
of a still earlier day, a day so far The learned historian suggested that
buried in antiquity that it preceded the animal might be a hippopotamus!
our own era by centuries. I quote, How little did he know of the power
translating as well as I am aljle: about which he wrote! But I gleaned
from this short note another interest¬
Being of a mind to discover the Ultimate,
I sought diligently into the works of his¬ ing fact. As I reflected upon it, it
torians, and wise men of all ages. In my seemed a very natural corollary of the
studies, I chanced upon a manuscript writ¬ proposition. The worship was more
ten by one, Joachim of Cannes. He had prevalent in tropical countries, and
gathered a wealth of lore from men of every
clime. He said the name of the Devourer among the lower races of humanity.
was Behemoth, which, indeed, is translated The reason was obvious: they were
into “he who devours the souls of men.” nearer the jungle, both physically and
 THE SCOURGE OF B ’MOTH

mentally. I also suspected that it proached me and saw that it was a

would be common among the dwellers tank filled with water, and inside the
of savage lands near the ocean. The tank was the slimiest collection of hor¬
isolated incident of the Devil’s Caul¬ rid things that I had ever seen—
dron substantiated this belief. toads, lizards, water-snakes, all the
With some satisfaction in my heart loathsome life of the water was there.
I left the metaphysical library when And as he approached me, eluding his
I had finished my search for the day. pursuers by a hair, I saw that this
As I crossed the sidewalk to the park¬ man in pajamas was the once great
ing-station where I had left my car, I Dr. Prendergast!
stood still in my tracks, gazing with
horror upon the sight that met my 6. Bead Flies
eyes.
A dirty, tousled figure was dashing
B ut what a changed Dr. Prender¬
along the street, pursued by two po¬ gast! His professional manner
licemen. He was clad in the lightest had disappeared. His usually benign
of garments that looked more like face was twisted in a snarl of fury,,
underwear or sleeping-clothes than and his teeth gnashed and champed
anything else. He stumbled occasion¬ like a jungle animal lusting for
ally, but some instinct seemed to en¬ blood. I was horrified at the meta¬
able him to keep out of the grasp of morphosis in my friend.
his pursuers. He was carrying some¬ The policeman explained that they
thing which he balanced with great had caught him robbing a near-by
dexterity. I looked closely as he ap¬ aquarium, and refused to believe his
590 WEIRD TALES

story that he had been ordered to left him, then, and went to the office
take the reptiles that he still carried of, the hospital.
with such a jealous care. The report was the same as usual.
My professional card and reputa¬ Dr. Prendergast had been sleeping
tion, however, satisfied the officers, well, and eating, but his moments of
and, since the doctor refused to part lucidity were fewer and farther apart.
with his treasure, saying he would Even when he was normal, he seemed
die first, I finally agreed to pay for to brood under the weight of the ob¬
the stolen property, and the owner session that was dominating him.
accepting my proposal, my friend He had developed a mania for col¬
was permitted to retain his prize. lecting insects of all kinds. He had
Throughout the journey back to begged the authorities of the hospital
the hospital he babbled unceasingly to procure for him jams and other
about things I could barely under¬ sweetmeats, which, instead of eating,
stand. Hundreds of times he re¬ he placed in appropriate places about
peated the words “Master” and his room. With fiendish delight, he
‘*B’Moth.” He asserted that he waited for the vermin that are bound
had done the Master’s bidding in to be attracted by the preserves.
stealing the reptiles, and called upon His room was overrun with flies,
the Thing to reward him when the ants and mice, but instead of destroy¬
time came. ing them he used every effort to en¬
I questioned him a hundred times courage the horrid things. He had
as to his reasons for stealing the tank constructed boxes that acted as traps,
and its contents, but a cunning look and which the superintendent of the
came into his eyes, and, try as I hospital informed me were filled to
would, I could not elicit from him overflowing with various sorts of in¬
any reason for his act. He clung to sects. He had one box filled with
his statement that he had but done grasshoppers, another with ants, a
the bidding of the Master and that third with flies, and so on.
he was to be rewarded for it. This loathsome occupation was
His look held suspicion and dis¬ something that I could not under¬
trust for me. Like that other poor stand. What was his purpose—for I
creature, he sensed in me an enemy felt reasonably sure there was a pur¬
of his Master. At times I caught pose— in making this collection? I
him leering at me with a murderous could understand the tank of reptiles
expression in his red-rimmed eyes, after my reading of Johannes. They
and I confess that I felt not wholly were undoubtedly symbolic of the
comfortable, there alone in a closed Master himself. Perhaps he had
car with this madman who had been caught' them in the belief that they
my friend. were kin of that loathsome Thing. But
It was with something approach¬ the insects and vermin—these I could
ing a sigh of relief that I drove in at not explain at all.
the broad entrance to the hospital I was not to remain in darkness for
where he was still confined. He long, however. On returning to the
showed no disposition to resist the room, I stood outside for a moment,
attendants who came to take him to and peered through the aperture in
his room, and seemed satisfied in the the door that is frequently used for
belief that he had accomplished his observation purposes in mental cases.
end. The simulated indifference of the doc¬
When he entered his room, he care¬ tor had passed away, and, under the
fully placed the tank and its contents impression that he was now alone, he
upon a table in the center, and appar¬ was working furiously.
ently gave it no further attention. I At first I could not understand his
 THE SCOURGE OF B ’MOTH 591

occupation, but soon it flashed upon vour themselves. Every living thing
me what his horrible object was. In they devour, if it is not of the sea, is
his hand was a box. It was filled with another soul added to their power—to
flies, in a semi-stupor, induced, I sup¬ the power of B ’Moth. ’ ’
pose, by want of food. The great man “Extraordinary!” I ejaculated in
was slowly sprinkling handfuls of the amazement.
pests out of the box where they lay
‘ ‘ That’s the word. But I know—I
too weak to move. He then fed them
can’t say how I know, but I feel it
carefully to the vile creatures within
just the same—that the object of this
the tank! I noticed at his hand other
business is to place an overwhelming
empty cages, and supposed that they
power in the hands of the filthy abom¬
had been filled with ants and grass¬
inations at the bottom of the sea, and
hoppers. With a vile leer, he fed the
in the depths of the jungle. ”
last of the flies to a loathly water-
snake, and with great contentment re¬ “You’re right there. I’ve discov¬
placed the boxes in a neat pile upon a ered that. Is that why you have been
shelf. feeding those land creatures to the
reptiles in that tank?”
Grasping the handle of the door
firmly, I entered the room. He followed my pointing finger,
and shrank from his pets in abject
His face a mask of infamy, my
terror.
friend whirled upon me with a champ¬
ing of teeth. Like a cornered tiger “Did I collect those things?” he
about to strike, he crouched against asked quaveringly.
the wall, but, with a smile, I seated “Yes. Can’t you remember it?”
myself upon a chair. Seeing this, and ‘ ‘ I have some idea of laying out bait
that I did not intend to interfere for insects, under the impress of a
with his pets, he relaxed somewhat, will stronger than my own, but why I
and sat upon the bed. His face was have those snakes, I don’t know. ’ ’
cast in a moody pattern. His brow “You stole them this afternoon,” I
was knit in a frown as if pondering said quietly.
something. “Stole them, eh? I can’t remem¬
Slowly the tensity of his body re¬ ber that at all. This thing is getting
laxed, his face assumed the normal a pretty tight grip upon me. I’m
lines of good humor that I had so afraid that unless we can do some¬
often seen upon it, and he looked up. thing, I am finished. I can’t remem¬
“By heaven, Randall! If what I ber what I’ve been up to at all for
think has happened, I am better off the past few days. I’m losing this
dead ! ’ ’ he said. fight.”
“No matter what has happened, I “We’ll pull you through. My idea
am pleased to see that you are still is that you obtained the reptiles in
fighting,’’ I answered. order to feed the other things to them,
“Yes, but the effort is almost too and thus increase the proportion of
much. I wanted to kill you when you souls for the deep. I can’t explain it
came in. You had better watch me, any better, but you can follow, per¬
for I am liable to do it the next time. haps. You wanted to help this ghast¬
A feeling came over me that you were ly business by strengthening the men¬
in my way, or rather in the way of tal influence of the Master and his
that hideous Thing that has me in its kind.” I shuddered as I found my¬
power, and that you ought to be self using the word “Master” so eas¬
killed and fed to the sharks.” ily and familiarly.
“Why fed to the sharks?” I asked “No doubt you’re right. I can’t
with much interest. imagine any other reason for such an
“Because they are of the sea—de¬ act. The very sight of these green
592 WEIRD TALES

slimy things chills me now. I can’t to the room as fast as my legs would
think of it without a shudder. ’ ’ carry me.
“There’s one thing I want to ask Dr. Prendergast was writhing upon
you.’’ the bed and clawing frantically at the
“Go ahead.’’ said my friend with¬ tenuous wisps of gray mist that
out much enthusiasm. seemed to be stretching out their sin¬
“Are there any particular times uous tentacles to draw him into their
when this thing comes to you? ’’ clutch. They seemed actually indued
with life, as I am convinced they
“No particular times, but on cer¬
were. He lay upon the bed as though
tain occasions. By Jove, I ought to
trying to hide from the relentless pur¬
have thought of it before! It’s when
pose of this unspeakable Thing that
there is fog outside that I experience
strove to blast his sanity.
the drowsy feeling that precedes these
attacks. ’ ’ The alcohol flew from my hand, the
match ignited it, and the flames
I could not repress a cry of pleas¬
licked greedily at the kindling. The
ure when I heard this. I remembered
thin wisps of mist writhed and twist¬
my own experience in the automobile
ed, and gradually vanished as the fire
that night, now so long ago, as it
gained volume and roared a menace
seemed. The drowsy feeling had come
to this evil Thing from the depths.
to me with its stupefying accompani¬
ment when the fog had rolled in Upon the bed lay the racked form
through the cracks of the car. It had of my colleague, shuddering and weak,
disappeared when I lighted the heat¬ but smiling—and in his right mind!
er. An idea came to me—a possible
means of saving my friend in his ex¬ 7. More Light
tremity. e’ve won!” he cried jubilant¬
I rang the bell for an attendant. ly, grasping my hand.
“Lay a fire, and light it immedi¬ “Rather say ‘we are winning’,” I
ately!’’ I ordered. smiled, pleased at the success of my
The attendant looked at me in experiment. “Don’t let that fire out,
amazement. The day was a hot one, no matter how hot it becomes in here,
and my order must have seemed as or you’ll soon find out that this busi¬
crazy as the sick man’s ant-collecting. ness isn’t finished. Look! Can’t you
“Hurry,” I snapped, as I saw the see it out there on the lawn? That
look that I was coming to know mist — twisting and curling like a
spreading across the face of the pa¬ thwarted Thing ? It’s aliv.e, I ’ll swear.
tient. If you let that fire out, or open this
The attendant flew like the wind, window, it’ll be after us again with a
realizing that the matter must be im¬ vengeance! Don’t forget—keep that
portant. While I anxiously watched fire burning night and day! It’s life
the struggle that was, I know, going or death now! ’ ’
on in the mind of my friend, the fire I left immediately, for I had much
was laid. Beads of perspiration stood to do. I hurriedly drove to Brockle-
out on his forehead. His jaw was bank, a small town in the country.
gritted in fierce resolve, as he watched Stopping the car before the portals
the attendant futilely attempting to of a large residence, I rang the bell.
ignite the kindling. The servant, who knew me well,
There was no time to waste. I ushered me without introduction into
dashed out of the room and into the the library of my old friend, Geoffrey
dispensary. My eyes found a bottle d’Arlancourt, a student of antiquities
of alcohol. Snatching this from the and strange beliefs. I wondered that
hand of a startled intern, I ran back I had not thought of him before.
 THE SCOURGE OF B ’MOTII 593

I broached the subject on my mind “I won’t say that, but I will say
without further delay: that it serves a very definite purpose
“What do you know about the wor¬ in filling a gqp that we of civilized
ship of the Behemoth, Jeff?” times have left void. But to return:
He wrinkled his brows quizzically. If you want to find examples of Be¬
“The Behemoth?—well, a little. It’s hemoth worship, look for them among
apparently a mythical monstrosity the lower strata of society—in the hot
that has been the focus of various countries, among the aboriginals of
forms of Satanism, pseudo-religion, New Zealand, and so on. It was in
and downright butchery.” such places that 1 found innumerable
I told him about my investigations instances of it on my recent cruise. I
into the writings of the mediaeval phi¬ confess that I was greatly surprized
losophers, and what I had learned at the prevalence of the thing. It is
about the Thing. spreading at an alarming rate. ’ ’
“In that ease you probably know ‘ ‘ Tell me the details, ’ ’ I said breath¬
more than I can tell you, ’ ’ he smiled, lessly. Apparently I was on the trail
“except that you, perhaps, have never at last.
seen the worship actually practised.”
“Substantially, the worship is the
‘ ‘ No, indeed, ’ ’ I said. ‘ ‘ That’s what
same everywhere, ami its very sim¬
I came to see you about. ’ ’
ilarity gives it the appearance of rep¬
“Well, I have. The name appar¬
resenting a widespread truth. It ap¬
ently has innumerable variations, but
pears to be related to a real, a living
always the main idea is the same. I
thing. The great idea back of it is
have sometimes been tempted to think
that the time is rapidly approaching
that there may be some such thing in
reality. You know, of course, that when the jungle will return to its own,
the so-called savage races are given to when civilization will be wiped out,
all forms of voodooism, animism, and and the law of power will again pre¬
the like. We say, in our sophistica¬ vail.
tion, that this is only because they “Apparently this Behemoth has
have not yet learned a true sense of never been seen, but it can be felt. I
values. I am often inclined to think almost believe I have felt it myself.
that it is because they are freer in Incantations are made in a language
their subjective processes than we are. absolutely unintelligible to anybody;
They think that a tree has power for the medicine men themselves have
good and ill. We say it is not pos¬ told me that they can not apprehend
sible, and yet Bose, for instance, to the meaning except through the me¬
mention only one of the great scien¬ dium of traditional translations. And
tists, has conclusively proved that a here is another strange thing: though
plant lias feeling of joy and pain, and I have seen this worship in New
actually cries aloud when hurt. These Guinea and Peru, in Malaysia and
people, being more readily receptive Finland, the syllables have always a
to influences that we deem spiritual similarity. The incantations are seem¬
(because we can not otherwise com¬ ingly the same. They are merely un¬
prehend them), are naturally those intelligible gibberish, more like the
among whom such a worship might language of apes or the roar qf the sea
find a firm foothold. The nearer we lion than speech, yet they are pro¬
go to life in its bald reality, the near¬ nounced nearly alike by these widely
er we come to the worship of the Be¬ separated races. Randall—they mean
hemoth and other allied things. ’ ’ something!”
“Do you mean to imply that this Again I felt my flesh beginning to
worship is beneficial?” I questioned, creep at the thought of the tremen¬
in some surprize. dous power with which I had to deal.
 WEIRD TALES

How well did I know its obscene in¬ are any relics of this business in
tent, its insidious force! Twentieth Century America. ’ ’
‘ ‘ What is the central feature of the He lifted the telephone receiver,
worship?” I asked. and a chill dread came over me. I felt
‘‘There are two: a mystic union again that nameless and overwhelm¬
with the Behemoth, which means a ing fear that presaged the coming of
pledge to aid in the restoration of the the Thing.
jungle and the overthrow of civiliza¬ D’Arlancourt was speaking. “Sec¬
tion ; and secondly, the objective side, ret service? Give me Ellery. Tell
which includes the sacrificing of un¬ him it is d’Arlancourt. Yes, please.
believers, usually to members of the Hello—yes, this is Jeff. I want to
reptilian species, though I have seen know whether you have any reports
children given to huge and bloated on secret societies that bear a name
jaguars, who were kept as sacred sym¬ like Phemaut, B ’Moth or Behemoth—
bols. ’ ’ a name something similar to that.
‘‘I suppose there arc even places What—good heavens! We ’ll be over,
here where this foul abomination right away.”
holds sway,” I suggested with a flut¬ He turned to me, and his face was
ter of anxiety. gray. “He says there are known to
‘‘Not a doubt of it. The thing is be about a thousand societies going by
apparently gaining currency every¬ the name Phemaut, and many more
where ; why not here ? I could almost with similar names, and that, after
tell you where to look to find the wor¬ raiding them, the police have discov¬
ship practised.” ered tons of bones—human bones,
charred, and in many cases, buried.
I then told d’Arlancourt everything
But worst of all, he says these
that had led me to make these inquir¬
societies have been suspected of de¬
ies. When I had finished, his face
structive intent of the worst kind—
was tense and fearful.
incendiarism, dynamiting, murder,
‘ ‘ This is monstrous! I can scarcely
and the like. Randall, you have put
believe it. If it is true, we must take your' finger upon the worst sore the
steps immediately to root out this can¬
human race has yet had to cauterize! ’ ’
cerous putridity at its very heart.
Wait!” 8. The High Priest
He walked across to the bookcase
and selected a volume. For some min¬ W e found Ellery caressing a beau¬
utes he read in silence. Then he tiful police dog, a pet which he
spoke: had trained from puppyhood.
‘‘There appear to be some secret D’Arlancourt rapidly described to
orders founded upon this worship. the secret service man what I had al¬
The names will, in all probability, be ready told him. Ellery received the
changed, but they may be close information, at first with a quizzical
enough for us to discover more. One is smile, but, under the accumulation of
fhe Macrocosm. Another is the order evidence that we were able to present,
of Phemaut, a very ancient one, orig¬ his face took on a grave mien. He
inating'in Egyptian times, and wor¬ called his secretary, and instructed
shiping as its symbol the hippopot¬ him to obtain a certain address.
amus. If my memory serves me “And send a telegram to the secret
aright, the word for hippopotamus'in service departments of every civilized
the language of the third dynasty was country, in code,” he added. “In¬
P-ehe-maut: very similar to Behe¬ quire if there have been any signs of
moth, you see. an attempt—what shall I say?” he
“Now, we shall ascertain if there stopped, looking helplessly at us.
 THE SCOURGE OF B’MOTH 595

“Ask if there have been any overt he mounted the steps to the rostrum.
attempts that appear to be directed I saw that there was before him a
by secret societies to rehabilitate the tank which glowed with that lambent
life of primitive times at the present blue fire that I had seen in the glass
day, ’ ’ I put in suggestively. when the insane man had died in the
“But they’ll think me crazy. They German-Ameriean Hospital.
won’t know what I mean. ’ ’ I found it impossible to repress a
“They’ll know well enough if they shudder. The place was almost dark,
have run into anything like what we and except for the priest on the ros¬
are dealing with here,” said d’Arlan- trum, we could see nothing but the
court quickly. “If they don’t, they tiny points of green that indicated the
will only think the cable has been colored electric lights.
garbled in transmission.” There appeared to be no ceremonial
“All right, put in something like or ritual in connection with the busi¬
that. Ask particularly if they have ness. Everybody did as he pleased,
had any trouble from groups of peo¬ but always there was that wild jar¬
ple who worship any animal, or any gon, that reminded me of the forest.
reptile, particularly one that resem¬ At my left hand sat a huge negro, and
bles a hippopotamus. ’ ’ close to him was a woman, with pen¬
“Very well, sir,” said the secretary dulous jowl, and huge teeth project¬
with a slight smirk. ing from between thick lips. Her
‘ ‘ That’s all, ’ ’ snapped Ellery. shouts almost rent my eardrums.
We left the office together, and As the affair went forward, the
drove to the meeting-place that the crowd became ecstatic, and many
detective wished us to visit. Ugly threw themselves in transports upon
rumors had been associated with it, the floor, tearing their clothes away
and there was some probability that from their bodies and dancing wildly
we should find what we sought there. in the eery darkness. Many carried
The night was fast falling as we tame serpents which they lovingly
approached the hall. It was in a caressed; others had tiny monkeys
squalid and miserable section of the which they kissed affectionately. Men
city. We parked the car some dis¬ and women alike threw themselves
tance away, and mingling with the upon each other in a frenzy of mad
motley throng that sought admission, abandon. I saw a Malay struggling
we entered the building, and seated in the arms of a white woman, and
ourselves near the rear door. heard their shouts of ecstasy. I saw
The place was almost filled, and others sinking teeth deep into the
very soon after our entry the lights arms, the legs, the shoulders of those
commenced to dim. They dwindled nearest to them in an insane fury of
to mere dots of green flame, and there primeval ferocity. There was a beau¬
arose a chorus of meaningless babble tiful girl, her white body stripped
like the chatter of apes in the forests naked, lying in the brutal embrace
of the Amazon. This was evidently of a bronze figure, drinking in with
the greeting extended to the high passionate abandon the kisses he
priest of Behemoth, who was now en¬ showered upon her. Apes flitted
tering. hither and thither among the crazed
He was clothed in a shining green throng, receiving homage wherever
robe that was apparently made from they passed. Serpents writhed, their
the skin of some monster of the deep. slimy coils encircling the throats of
Like decaying fish, it glowed a bluish the devotees. And the shouting rose
green, and surrounded the repulsive to a bedlam of unintelligible sound.
features of a mask that he wore with The air was becoming thicker every
a fiendish, unnatural light. Slowly minute. I could not understand it
596 WEIRD TALES

at first, but soon it was clear to me. arm to save her! At my side there
I had seen that heavy greenish vapor roared forth a deafening blast. A
before. It was the breath of that spurt of flame pierced the night.
hellish atrocity that these deluded Ellery had fired his automatic. In
wretches worshiped. It seemed to fascinated horror I saw the tank
overhang the whole hall, enveloping splinter as the bullet pierced it.
all in its clammy folds. I felt the Water, tons of it, poured forth,
sickly touch of it, and writhed as iridescent and phosphorescent, cover¬
though in the grip of some loathsome ing the devotees. The crocodile
Thing. My companions sat there with slithered to the floor, and floundered
drawn faces, their muscles tensed in rampant among those nearest him.
an effort to resist the awful spectacle. His red-smeared jaws champed furi¬
The cries rapidly blended them¬ ously at the arms and legs of the peo¬
selves into a rhythmical shouting. ple in the front seats, while Ellery
Into my dazed senses there was borne fired and fired.
the sound of a single phrase: At last he found his mark. The
“B’Moth . . . Master!” It was re¬ crocodile writhed in mortal agony,
peated a thousand times as the heavy flapped his tail, striking half a dozen
pall closed in upon us thicker and men who were bowing before him,
thicker. and died. The priest dropped the
The giant negro sitting at my side girl, and commenced to run. In his
spoke to me in a roar of joy. “The haste, the slimy mask which covered
Master is almost ready,” he shouted his face became dislodged, and fell to
above the din. “A few more days the ground.
and the world will feel his power.” I stared in stark horror at the lust-
He beat his brows, and cried in distorted visage that was revealed to
ecstasy, ‘ ‘ Come . . . B ’Moth . . . Mas¬ me. My brain reeled in loathing. As
ter, come!” I nodded in pretended I gazed, fascinated, at the twisted fea¬
agreement, and he went on with his tures of that face, at the blood-
shouting. frenzied, dilating nostrils, I won¬
A woman threw her arms about me dered how man could sink so low.
and whispered foul things into my For the face into which I looked as
ear. Suddenly the attention of the the priest closed a door behind him
crowd was centered upon the priest and disappeared from the hall was
at the rostrum. He had uncovered the once kindly one of the great Dr.
the tank of water upon the platform, Prendergast.
and to my horror I saw there, with
jaws agape, a huge crocodile. It 9. Jaws of the Jungle
seemed clothed with the sulfurous
glow like everything else.
T hu girl came dashing up the aisle
Into the pandemonium of noise and disappeared into the street.
there was injected a new and start¬ AVc were in a dangerous position. The
ling sound—a shriek, shrill and pierc¬ frenzied mob turned upon us with
ing in its power—the voice of a wo¬ murderous lust, and scratching,
man in mortal terror! I strained my punching and panting we were borne
eyes through the heavy vapor, and to the floor. Again Ellery’s gun spat
saw—good God!—it was a woman lead and flame, and the crowd edged
that this monstrous priest held aloft away from him. In the lull, we
over the tank! His purpose was dashed for the door and escaped
plain. He intended to feed her to across the street into the car.
the filthy thing in the water. We saw the girl standing in the
I stared in horror. Action para¬ street. Hastily telling her to get into
lyzed my limbs. I could not lift an (Continued on page 711)
 WITHIN -the
LBULAss

S TANDING at the controls, be¬

side me, the silent steersman
radiant white sun whose blazing cir¬
cle seemed to fill the heavens before
raised his hand for a moment us, the mighty star of Canopus, vast¬
to point forward through the pilot est of all the Galaxy’s thronging suns.
room’s transparent wall. For all that I had visited it many
“Canopus at last,” he said, and I times before, it was with something
nodded. Together, and in silence, we of awe that T contemplated the great
gazed ahead. white sun, as our ship flashed on
Before and around us there toward it. Its colossal blazing bulk,
stretched away the magnificent pano¬ I knew, was greater far than the whole
rama of interstellar space, familiar of our own little solar system, millions
enough to our eyes hut ever new, a of times larger than our own familiar
vast reacli of deep black sky dotted little star, infinitely the most glorious
thickly with the glittering hosts of of all the swarming suns. It seemed
stars. The blood-red of Antares, the fitting, indeed, that at Canopus had
pale green of great Sirius, the warm, been located the seat of the great
golden light of Capella, they flamed Council of Suns of which I was my¬
in the firmament about us like splen¬ self a member, representing our own
did jewels of light. And dead ahead little solar system in that mighty de¬
there shone the one orb that dwarfed liberative body whose members were
and dimmed all the others, a titanic drawn from every peopled star.
598 WEIRD TALES

In thoughtful silence I gazed to¬ from star to star; and here and there
ward the mighty sun ahead, and for among the swarms of alien ships a
a time there was no sound in the human-manned craft from our own
bridgeroom except for the deep hum¬ distant little solar system. All these
ming of the ship’s generators, whose and a myriad others raced smoothly
propulsion-vibrations flung us on beside and around us as we shot down
through space. Then, against the toward the mighty world beneath.
dazzling glare of the gigantic star Swiftly, though, the traffic about us
ahead, there appeared a tiny black branched away and thinned as we
dot, expanding swiftly in size as we dropped nearer to the planet’s sur¬
raced on toward it. Around and be¬ face. Beneath the light of the im¬
yond it other dots were coming into mense white sun above, its landscape
view, also, changing as we flashed on lay clearly revealed, a far-sweeping
to disks, to globes, to huge and swarm¬ panorama of smoothly sloping plains
ing planets that spun in vast orbits and valleys, parklike in its alterna¬
about their mighty parent sun. And tion of lawn and forest. Here and
it was toward the largest and inmost there on the surface of this world
of these whirling worlds, the seat of sprawled its shining cities, over whose
the great Council, that our ship was streets and towers our cruiser sped
now slanting swiftly downward. as we flashed on. Then, far ahead, a
Beneath us I could see the great single mighty gleaming spire became
planet rapidly expanding and broad¬ visible against the distant horizon,
ening, until its tremendous coppery growing as we sped on toward it into
sphere filled all the heavens below. a colossal tower all of two thousand
By that time our velocity had slack¬ feet square at its base, and which
ened to less than a light-speed, and aspired into the radiant sunlight for
even this speed decreased still further fully ten thousand feet. On each side
as we entered the zone of traffic about of it there branched away a curving
the great planet. For a few moments line of smaller buildings, huge enough
we dropped cautiously downward in themselves but dwarfed to toylike
through the swarming masses of in¬ dimensions by the looming grandeur
terstellar ships which jammed the of the stupendous tower. And it was
upper levels, and then had swept past down toward the smooth sward at the
the busy traffic-boats into one of the tower’s base that our ship was slant¬
great dcseension-lanes, and were mov¬ ing now, for this was the seat of the
ing smoothly down toward the plan¬ great Council of Suns itself.
et’s surface. Down we sped toward the mighty
Around us there swarmed all the structure’s base, down over the great
myriads of inbound ships that filled buildings on either side which housed
the descension-lane, drawn from every the different departments of the
quarter of the Galaxy toward Cano¬ Galaxy’s government, down until our
pus, the center and capital of our ship had come smoothly to rest on
universe. Long cargo-ships from far the ground a hundred feet from the
Spica there were, laden with all the tower itself. Then the ship’s hull-
strange merchandise of that sun’s door was clanging open, and a mo¬
circling worlds; luxurious passenger- ment later I had stepped onto the
liners from Regulus and Altair, filled ground outside and was striding
with tourists eager for their first across the smooth sward toward the
sight of great Canopus; swift little mighty tower. Through its high-
boats from the thronging suns and arched doorway I passed, and down
worlds of the great Hercules cluster; the tremendous corridor inside toward
battered tramps which owned no sun the huge doors at its end, which auto¬
as home, but cruised eternally through matically slid smoothly sidewise as I
the Galaxy, carrying chance cargoes approached. The next moment I had
 WITHIN THE NEBULA 599

passed through them and stood in the there, contemplating ' the gathering
Hall of the Council itself. members. Within another minute all
Involuntarily, as always, I paused had taken their seats, and then a sud¬
on entering, so breath-taking was the den hush swept over them as the
immensity of the place. A single vast Council Chief stepped forward and
circular room, with a diameter of near began to speak, in the tongue that has
two thousand feet, it covered almost become universal throughout the
all the mighty tower’s first floor. Galaxy, his strange, high voice carried
From the edge of the great circle the to every end of the vast room by the
room’s’ floor sloped gently down to¬ great amplifiers which make every
ward its center, like a vast shallow whisper in it clearly heard.
bowl, and at the center stood the small “Members of the Council,” he said,
black platform of the Council Chief. “I have called this meeting, have
Out from that platform back clear to summoned you here to Canopus, each
the great room’s towering walls were from his native star, because I have
ranged the countless rows of seats, to place before you a matter of the
just filling now with the great Coun¬ utmost importance. I have summoned
cil’s thousands of members. you here because there has risen to
Beings there were among those face us the most vital problem that
thousands from every peopled sun in has yet confronted us in our govern¬
all the Galaxy’s hosts, drawn here ment of the Galaxy—the greatest and
like myself each to represent his star most terrible danger, in fact, that has
in this great Council which ruled our ever threatened our universe!
universe. Creatures there were utter¬ “Other dangers, other problems,
ly weird and alien in appearance, na¬ have faced us in the past, and all
tives of the whirling worlds of the these we have overcome, by massing
Galaxy’s farthest stars—creatures all our knowledge and science, have
from Aldebaran, turtle-men of the ruled with more and more power over
amphibian races of that star; fur- the inanimate matter of our universe,
covered and slow-moving beings from our Galaxy. We have saved planets
the planets of dying Betelgeuse; great and their peoples from extinction, by
octopus-creatures from mighty Vega; shifting them from dying old suns to
invertebrate insect-men from the flaming new ones. We have succeeded
races of Procyon; strange, dark¬ in breaking up and annihilating some
winged bat-folk from the weird worlds of the great comets whose headlong
of Deneb; these, and a thousand oth¬ flights were carrying destruction
ers, were gathered in that vast as¬ across the Galaxy. We have even
semblage. forms utterly different from dared to change the course of suns,
each other physically, but able to mix to prevent collisions between them
and understand each other on the that would have annihilated their cir¬
common plane of intelligence. cling worlds. It might seem, indeed,
that we, the massed peoples of the
W itiiin another moment I had Galaxy, have risen to such power that
passed down the broad aisle and all things in it are subject to our will,
had slipped into my own seat, and obedient to our commands. But we
now I saw that on the black platform have not. One thing alone in the
at the room’s center there stood silent Galaxy remains beyond our power to
the Council Chief. A strange enough change or alter, one thing beside
figure he made, for he was of the which all our power and our science
races of Canopus, natives of this giant are as nothing. And that is the
star-system, a great, unhuman head nebula.
with no body and with but a single “A nebula is the vastest thing in
staring eye, carrying himself on tiny, all our universe, and the most myste¬
pipe-stem limbs. Silently he stood rious. A gigantic mass of glowing gas
 WEIRD TALES

that stretches across countless billions rections like the pieces of a bursting
of miles of space, its mighty bulk fly-wheel. And those colossal clouds of
flames in the heavens like a universe flaming gas, flying out through our
of fire. Beside its vast dimensions all Galaxy, our universe, will inevitably
the suns of the Galaxy are but as sweep over and destroy countless
sparks beside a great, consuming thousands of our suns and worlds, an¬
blaze. Here and there in our Galaxy nihilating the worlds like midgets in
lie these mighty mysteries, these flam¬ candle-flame, changing the suns into
ing nebulae, and mightiest of all is nebulous masses of flaming gas like
that one which we call the Orion Neb¬ themselves, smashing gigantically
ula, that gigantic globe of flaming gas through and across the Galaxy and
which measures light-years in diame¬ destroying the gravitational balance
ter, burning in giant splendor at the of its whirling suns and worlds until
Galaxy’s heart. We know that the in a great chaos of crashing stars and
great nebula is growing slowly small¬ planets our universe ends as a vast,
er, that through the eons it contracts cosmic wreck, our organizations and
to form new blazing stare, but what its our civilizations gone forever!”
constitution may be, what mysteries it The Council Chief paused for a mo¬
may hide, has never been known, since ment, and in that moment there was
It would be annihilation for any ship silence over all the great hall, a si¬
to approach too near to its fiery splen¬ lence unnatural, terrible, unbroken by
dor, and all our interstellar traffic has any slightest sound. I saw the mem¬
detoured always far around its flam¬ bers about me leaning forward, gaz¬
ing mass. Because of that inaccessi¬ ing tensely toward the Council Chief,
bility no large attention has ever been and when he spoke again his words
paid to the great nebula, nor would seemed to come to us through that
there be now, had not something been strained silence as though from some
discovered but now by our scientists remoteness of distance.
regarding it which seems to herald “Terrible as this peril is,” he was
the end of our universe. saying, “we must face it. Flight is
“As I have said, this nebula, this impossible, for where could we flee?
gigantieglobe of flaming gas, lies prac¬ We have but one chance to save our¬
tically motionless in space at the heart selves, our universe, and that is to
of our Galaxy. A few weeks ago, halt the spinning of the great nebula
however, it was discovered by our before the few days left ns have
astronomers that the great flaming passed, before this cosmic cataclysm
sphere of the nebula had begun slow¬ takes place. Some extraordinary force
ly to revolve, to spin, and that as the or forces have set the great nebula to
days went by it was spinning faster spinning thus, and if we could ven¬
and faster. Through the weeks since ture out to the nebula, discover the
then our astronomers have watched nature of those forces, we might be
it closely, and ever faster it has spun, able to counteract them, to stop the
until now it is revolving at a terrific nebula’s spin and save our suns and
rate, a rate that is still steadily in¬ worlds.
creasing. And that accelerating spin “ It is impossible, of course, for any
of the huge nebula must result, in¬ of our ordinary interstellar ships to
evitably, in the doom of our universe. attempt this, since any that ap¬
“For our scientists have calculated proached the great nebula would
that within two more weeks the neb¬ perish instantly in its flaming heat.
ula ’s rate of spin will have become so It chances, however, that some of our
great that it will no longer be able to scientists here have been working for
hold together, that it will disintegrate, months on the problem of devising
break up, its gigantic masses of in¬ new heat-resistant materials, materi¬
candescent gases flying off in all di¬ als capable of resisting temperatures
 WITHIN THE NEBULA 601

which would destroy other substances. thick tentaeles of muscle which served
They have worked on the principle both as arms and legs, while set upon
that heat-resistance is a matter of the body was the round, neckless head,
atomic structure. Steel, for instance, with its two quick, intelligent eyes
resists heat and fire better than wood and narrow mouth. A moment the
because its atomic structure, the ar¬ Arcturian paused on rising, then
rangement of its atoms, is more stable, stepped out into the aisle and down
less easily broken up. And following toward the central platform. And
this principle they have devised a new now the voice of the Council Chief
metallic compound or alloy whose cut again across the rising clamor of
atomic structure is infinitely more the members.
stable than that of any material “Jor Dahat of Capella!”
known to us previously, and which is Before me now another figure rose,
able to resist temperatures of thou¬ one of the strange plant-men of
sands of degrees. Capella, of the people who had
“Of this heat-resistant material an evolved to intelligence and power
interstellar cruiser was constructed, a from the lower plant-races there; his
cruiser which could venture into re¬ body an upright cylinder of smooth,
gions of heat where other ships would fibrous flesh, supported by two short,
perish instantly. It had been the in¬ thick legs and with a pair of power¬
tention to use this cruiser to explore ful upper arms, above which was the
solar coronas, but at my order it has conical head whose two green-pupiled
been brought here to the Council Hall, eyes and close-set ears and mouth
equipped for action. For it is my in¬ completed the figure. In a moment he
tention to use this cruiser to venture too had strode down toward the plat¬
out close to the great nebula’s flam¬ form, and then, over the tumultuous
ing fires, which it alone can do, and shouts of those in the great hall, which
make a last effort to discover and had risen now to a steady roar of
counteract whatever force or forces voices, there came the clear voice of
there are causing the accelerating the Council Chief, with the third
spin of the nebula that means doom name.
to us. The cruiser itself is not a large “Ker Kal of Sun-828!”
one, and with its present equipment For a moment I sat silent, my brain
can hold but three for this trip, three whirling, the words of the Council
on whom must rest all the chances for Chief drumming in my ears, and then
escape of our universe. And these heard the excited voices of the mem¬
three I intend to choose now from bers about me, felt myself stumbling
among you, three whose past careers to my feet and down the aisle in turn
and interstellar experience make toward the platform. Beating in my
them best fitted for this hazardous and dazed ears now was the tremendous
all-important ti’ip.” shouting clamor of all the gathered
He paused again, and over the members, and beneath that surging
massed members there swept now a thunder of thousands of voices I
whisper of excitement, a low babel of sensed but dimly the things about me,
a thousand unlike voices that stilled the Arcturian and Capellan beside
suddenly as the Council Chief again me, the figure of the Council Chief on
spoke, his high, clear voice sounding the platform beyond them. Then I
across the great room like a whip- saw the latter raise a slender arm,
crack. felt the uproar about me swiftly di¬
“Sar Than of Areturus!” minishing, until complete silence
As he called the name a single reigned once more. And then the
figure rose from among the members Council Chief was speaking again,
to my left, a bulbous body supported this time to us.
above the ground by four powerful “Sar Than. Jor Dahat and Ker
602 WEIRD TALES

Kal,” he addressed us, “you three are For more than ten days we had
chosen to go where only three can go, watched the vast globe of flaming gas
to approach the nebula and make a largening across the heavens as we
final effort to discover and counteract raced on toward it, in the heat-re¬
whatever force or forces there are sistant cruiser that had been fur¬
causing this cataclysm that threatens nished us by the Council. Days they
us. Your cruiser is ready and you were in which our generators had
will start at once, and to you I have hummed always at their highest
no orders to give, no instructions, no power, propelling our craft forward
advice. My only word to you is this: through space with the swiftness of
If you fail in this mission, where fail¬ thought,- almost—long, changeless
ure seems all but inevitable, indeed, days in which the alternate .watches
our Galaxy meets its doom, the count¬ in the pilot room and the occasional
less trillions of our races their deaths, inspection of the throbbing generators
the civilizations we have built up in had formed our only occupations.
millions of years annihilation. But if On and on and on we had flashed,
you succeed, if you find what forces past sun after sun, star system after
have caused the spinning of the star system. Many times we had
mighty nebula and are able to halt swerved from our course as our me-
that'spin, then your names shall not teorometers warned us of vast meteor
die while any in the Galaxy live. For swarms ahead, and more than once we
then you will have done what never had veered to avoid some thundering
before was done or dreamed of, will dark star which our charts showed
have stayed with your hands a colos¬ near us, but always the prow of our
sal cosmic wreck, will have saved a craft had swung back toward the
universe itself from death!” great nebula. Ever onward toward it
we had raced, day after day, watch¬
ing its glowing sphere widen across
A s the door of the little pilot room
the heavens, until now at last we were
drawing within sight of our journey’s
clicked open behind me I half
end, and were flashing over the last
turned from my position at the con¬
few billions of miles t-hat separated
trols, to see my two companions enter.
us from our goal.
And as the Areturian and Capellan
And now, as we drew thus nearer
stepped over to my side I nodded to¬
toward the nebula’s fiery mass, we saw
ward the broad fore-window.
it for the first tinie in all its true
“Two more hours and we’ll be grandeur. A vast sphere of glowing
there,” I said. light, of incandescent gases, it flamed
Side by side we three gazed ahead. before us like some inconceivably
About us once more there stretched titanic sun, reaching from horizon to
the utter blackness of tbe great void, horizon, stunning in its very magni¬
ablaze with its jeweled suns. Far be¬ tude. Up and outward from the gyeat
hind shone the brilliant white star fiery globe there soared vast tongues
that was Canopus, and to our right of flaming gas, mighty prominences
the great twin suns of Castor and of incalculable length, leaping out
Pollux, and above and beyond them from the gigantic spinning sphere. For
the yellow spark that was the sun of the sphere, the nebula, was spinning.
my own little solar system. On each We saw that, now, and could mark
side and behind us hung the splendid the turning of its vast surface by the
starry canopy, but ahead it was position of those leaping tongues, and
blotted out by a single vast circle of though that turning seemed slow to
glowing light that filled the heavens our eyes by reason of the nebula's
before us, titanic, immeasurable, the very vastness, we knew that in reality
mighty nebula that was our goal. it was whirling at a terrific rate.
 WITHIN THE NEBULA

For a long time there was silence region of heat, we knew, that would
in the little pilot room while we three have destroyed any ship but our own,
gazed ahead, the glowing light from and that thought held us silent as
the vast nebula before us beating in our humming craft raced on. And
through the broad window and illumi¬ now the sky before us, a single vast
nating all about us in its glare. At expanse of glowing flame, was creep¬
last Sar Than, beside me, spoke. ing downward across our vision as the
‘‘One sees now why no interstellar cruiser’s bow swung up. Minutes
ship has ever dared to approach the more, and the whole vast flaming neb¬
nebula,” he said, his eyes on the ula lay stretched beneath us, instead
colossal sea of flame before us. of before us, and then we were drop¬
I nodded at the Arcturian’s com¬ ping smoothly down toward it.
ment. “Only our own ship would Down we fell, my hand on the con¬
dare to come as close as we are now, ’ ’ trol lever gradually decreasing our
I told him. “The temperature out¬ speed, now moving at a single light-
side is hundreds of degx-ees, now.” speed, now at half of that, and still
And I pointed toward a dial that re¬ slower and slower, until at last our
corded the outside heat. craft hung motionless a scant thou¬
“But how near can we go to it?” sand miles above the nebula’s flaming
asked Jor Dahat. “How much heat surface, a tiny atom in size compared
can our cruiser stand?” to the colossal universe of fire above
“Some thousands of degrees,” I which it hovered. For from horizon
said, answering the plant-man’s last to horizon beneath us, now, stretched
question first. “We can venture with¬ the nebula, in terrible grandeur. Its
in a few thousand miles of the neb¬ flaming sea, wre saw, was traversed by
ula’s surface without danger, I think. great waves and currents, currents
But if we were to go farther, if we that met here and there in gigantic
were to plunge into its fires, even our fiery maelstroms, while far across its
ship could not resist the tremendous surface we saw, now and then, great
heat there for long, and would perish leaping prominences or geysers of
in a few minutes. We will be able, flaming gas, that, towered for an in¬
though, to skim above the surface stant to immense heights and then
without danger.” rushed back down into the fiery sea
“You plan to do that, to search beneath. To us, riding above that
above the nebula’s surface for the burning ocean, it seemed at that mo¬
forces that have set it spinning?” ment that in all the universe was only
asked the Capellan, and I nodded. flame and gas, so brain-numbing was
“Yes. There may be great ether- the fiery nebula’s magnitude.
currents of some kind there which are Hanging there in our little cruiser
responsible for this spin, or perhaps we stared down at it, the awe we felt
other forces of which we know noth¬ reflected in each other’s eyes. I saw
ing. If we can only find what is now by the dial that the temperature
causing it, there will be at least a about us was truly terrific, over a
chance-” And I was silent, gaz¬ thousand degrees, and what it might
ing thoughtfully toward the far-flung be in the raging fires below I could
raging fires ahead. not guess. But nowhere was there any
sign of what might have set the great
XTow, as our ship raced on toward nebula to spinning, for our instru¬
^ that mighty ocean of flaming gas, ments recorded no ether-disturbances
the pointer on the outside-heat dial around the surface, nor any other
was creeping steadily forward, though phenomena which might give us a
the ship’s interior was but slightly clue. And, looking down, I think that
warmer, due to the super-insulation we all felt, indeed, that nothing was
of its walls. We were passing into a in reality capable of affecting in any
604 WEIRD TALES

way this awesome nebula, the vastest rocked and whirled crazily beneath
thing in all our universe. the impetus of a dozen different
At last I turned to the others. forces. And as understanding of
“There’s nothing here,” I said. what had happened flashed across my
“Nothing to show what’s caused the brain I cried out hoarsely to my two
nebula’s spinning. We must go on, companions.
across its surface-” “The nebula!” I cried. “That cur¬
With the words I reached forward rent that held us has sucked us down
toward the control levers, then ab¬ into the nebula itself! ’ ’
ruptly whirled around as there came All about us now was only one
a sudden cry from Sar Than, at the tremendous sheet of fire, whose heat
window. was rapidly penetrating through even
‘ ‘ Look! ’ ’ cried the Arcturian, point¬ our heat-resistant walls and win¬
ing down through the window, his dows. Swiftly the air in the little
eyes starting. ‘ ‘ Below us—look! ’ ’ pilot room was becoming hot, suffo¬
I gazed down, then felt the blood cating, and already the walls were
drive from my heart at what I saw. burning to the touch. The ship, I
For directly beneath us one of the knew, could not stand such heat for
vast prominences of flaming gas was many minutes more, yet every mo¬
suddenly shooting up from the neb¬ ment was taking us farther into the
ula’s surface, straight toward us, a nebula’s fiery depths, whirling us
gigantic tongue of fire beside which wildly on with velocity inconceivable.
our ship was but as a midge beside a Born by its mighty interior currents
great blaze. I shouted, sprang to the we were sweeping on and on into that
controls, but even as I laid hands on universe of flame, its vast fires roaring
the levers there was a tremendous about us like the thunder of doom,
rush of blinding flame all about our deafening, awful, a cosmic, bellowing
ship, and then we three had been clamor that was like the mighty shout¬
flung violently into a corner of the ing of a universe made vocal.
pilot room and the cruiser was being On and on it roared, about us, and
whirled blindly about with lightning on and on we whirled into the depths
speed by the vast current of flaming of those mighty fires, toward our
gas that had gripped it. doom. The air had become stifling,
All about us was the thunderous unbreathable, and the walls were be¬
roaring of the fires that held us, and ginning to glow dully. Now, with a
now as we sprawled helpless on the last effort, I dragged myself from sup¬
room’s floor I sensed that our ship port to support until I had clutched
was falling, plunging down with the the control levers, opening them to
downward-sinking geyser of flame the last notch. Yet though the gen¬
that held it. Struggling to gain my erators beneath hummed with highest
feet, while the pilot room spun dizzily power it was as though, they were
about me, I glimpsed through the silent, for in the grip of the nebula’s
shifting fires outside the window the giant fire-currents the cruiser plunged
nebula’s flaming surface, just below madly on. And as its whirling cata¬
us, a raging sea of fiery gas toward pulted me again to the room’s cor¬
which we were dropping plummetlike. ner, where my two companions clung,
Then, as a fresh gyration of the I felt my lungs scorching with each
plunging ship flung me once more to panting breath, felt my senses leav¬
the floor, I heard the thundering roar ing me.
about us suddenly intensified, terrible Then, through the unconsciousness
beyond expression, while now through that was creeping upon me, I heard
the window was visible only a single a grating wrench from somewhere in
solid mass of blinding flame, and the cruiser’s walls, a loud and omi¬
while our cruiser at the same moment nous cracking, and knew that under
 WITHIN THE NEBULA

the terrific fires around us those walls gazed out into that mighty flame-
were already warping, giving way. bounded space, and then I flung out
Another wrenching crack came, and a hand toward it in sudden compre¬
another, sounding loud in my ears hension.
above the thunderous roar of the “We’re inside the nebula!” I
flames about us. In a moment the cried. “It’s hollow! This vast open
walls would give completely, and in space lies at its heart, and those cur¬
the rushing fires of the nebula about rents carried us down into it!”
us we would meet the end. In a mo¬ For I saw now that this was the
ment— explanation. Unsuspected by any in
But what was that? The thunder¬ the Galaxy the mighty nebula was
ous clamor about us had suddenly hollow, its gigantic globe of flaming
dwindled, ceased, and at the same mo¬ gas holding at its heart this mighty
ment our ship had righted itself, was empty space, a space mighty in extent
humming serenely on. Slowly I raised to our eyes, but small compared to
my head, then stared in utter aston¬ the thickness of the great shell of
ishment. The fires outside the win¬ fire that enclosed it. And down
dows, the terrific sea of flame about through that fire, that vast ocean of
us, had vanished, and we were again flame, the currents of the nebula had
flashing on through open space. And brought us, from its outer surface,
now Jor Dahat beside me had seen down into this great space at its heart
also, and was rising to his feet. of which none had ever dreamed, and
“We’re out of the nebula!” he into which we had been the first in
cried. ‘ ‘ That current must have taken all the Galaxy to penetrate.
us back up to the surface—back out While we gazed across it, stunned,
into space again-” our cruiser was racing on into this
He was at the window now, gazing vast hollow, away from the wall of
eagerly out, while I struggled up in flame behind us from which we had
turn. And as I did so I saw awe fall¬ just emerged. And now, as we flashed
ing upon his face as he gazed, and on, Sar Than cried out too, and point¬
heard from him a whispered exclama¬ ed ahead. There, standing out black
tion of utter astonishment. Then I, against the encircling walls of fire
too, was on my feet, with Sar Than, in the distance, was a small round
and we were at the window beside spot, a spot that wa» growing to a
him, staring forth in turn. black globe as we hurtled on toward
it, a globe that hung motionless at the
M y first impression was of vast center of this mighty space, here at
space, a colossal reach of space the nebula’s heart. We were racing
that stretched far away before us, and straight into the great cavity toward
into which our ship was racing on. it, and now there came a low exclama¬
And then I saw, with sudden awe tion from Jor Dahat, beside me, as his
and wonder, that this vast space was eyes took in the great globe ahead.
not the unlimited, unbounded space “A planet!” he whispered. “A
we were accustomed to, but was limit¬ planet here—within the nebula!”
ed, was bounded, bounded by a colos¬ My own eyes were fixed upon it,
sal sheet of flowing flame that hemmed and slowly i nodded, but made no
it in in all directions. Above and other answer as we flashed on toward
below and before and behind us the object of our attention, the black
stretched this mighty wall of flame, a sphere ahead. And now as we swept
gigantic shell of fire that enclosed on we saw that it was a sphere of
within itself the vast space in which truly titanic dimensions, larger by
our cruiser raced, a space large far than any of the Galaxy’s count¬
enough to hold within it a dozen solar less worlds, and that as it hung
systems like my own. Stunned, we there, at the nebula’s heart, it was
 WEIRD TALES

slowly revolving, spinning, as fast or smooth and level as it had seemed

faster than the nebula itself. Black from high above, a black, gleaming
and mighty it hung there, while all plain without an inch-high elevation
around it, millions of miles from it, or depression, an inconceivably
there flamed the nebula’s encircling strange smooth expanse of black
fires. On and on we raced toward it, metal, that stretched evenly away in
and for all those minutes of flashing every direction to the horizon,
flight none of us spoke, and there was smoothly covering this colossal
no sound in the pilot room but the world.
throbbing drone of the generators We looked at each other, a little
below. 1 think that we all felt in¬ helplessly, then down again toward
stinctively that in the grim, colossal the smooth and gleaming surface be¬
globe ahead lay the answer to what low. In that surface was no visible
we had come to solve, and as we opening, no sign of joint or crack,
hurtled on toward it we watched it even, nothhig but the smooth blank
broadening before us in tense silence. metal. Then with sudden resolution
Larger and larger it was becom¬ I thrust forward the levers in my
ing, larger until its great black cir¬ hands, sent our cruiser racing low
cle filled half the heavens before us. across the surface of the giant, metal-
By then I had decreased our speed to sheathed planet, while we gazed in¬
a fraction of its former figure, and as tently across that surface in search
we swept in toward the giant world of any sign that might explain the
I lessened it still further. Slowly, enigma of its existence. On we sped,
ever more slowly we moved, and now while beneath us flashed back the
were circling above the great black smooth metal plain, mile after end¬
planet, were beginning to drop cau¬ less mile. Then, gazing ahead, my
tiously down toward it. Eagerly we eyes suddenly narrowed and I
watched as the mighty world’s sur¬ raised a pointing hand. For there,
face changed from convex to con¬ far ahead, I had glimpsed an open¬
cave, and as we dropped on we saw ing in the gleaming surface, a round
the needle of our atmosphere-pres¬ black opening that was resolving it¬
sure dial moving steadily forward, to self into a vast circular pit as our
show that this strange world had air, cruiser raced on toward it.
at least. Then tfll else was forgotten Nearer and nearer we flashed to¬
as our eyes took in the scene below. ward it, with Sar Than and Jor Da-
I think that we had all half ex¬ hat beside me gazing forward, their
pected to see some evidence of life interest as tense as my own. And
and civilization on this strange now we saw that the pit was of gi¬
world, some building or group of gantic size, its circular mouth all of
buildings, at least. But there was none five miles in diameter, and that from
such. Beneath us lay only a smooth its center there drove up toward the
black plain, extending from horizon zenith a flickering beam of pale and
to horizon, devoid of hill or stream ghostlike white light, so pale as
or valley, in so far as we could see, hardly to be visible, a livid white ray
unnaturally smooth and level. And that stabbed straight up toward the
as we dropped nearer, ever nearer, fires of the nebula far above. We
the surprize we felt rapidly intensi¬ were very near to the pale beam,
fied, until when at last we hung mo¬ now, flashing above the huge pit
tionless a hundred feet above the sur¬ straight toward it. I had a glimpse
face of this world exclamations of of the great pit’s perpendicular
utter astonishment broke from us. black metal walls, dropping down
For seen thus near, the surface of for miles into depths inconceivable,
this mighty planet was as utterly of something in those dusky depths
 WITHIN THE NEBULA 607

that burned like a great white star gency door, sending it sliding back,
of light, and then Jor Dahat sudden¬ admitting a rush of warm, fresh air,
ly uttered a choking ery, flinging and then with my two companions
an arm out toward the livid ray be¬ behind me stared dazedly forth.
fore us. Our battered cruiser was resting
“That ray!” he cried. “It's not now on the great pit’s floor, a vast
light—it’s force! The nebula—stop circular plain ’of smooth metal five
the shipl” miles in diameter, enclosed on all
At that ery my hand flew out to the sides by vertical cliffs of gleaming
levers, but a moment too late. For metal that loomed for miles above
before I could throw them back, us. A dusky twilight reigned here
could slow or stay our progress, we at the great shaft’s bottom, but we
had raced straight into the great saw now that that bottom was cov¬
pale beam. The next moment there ered with countless great machines,
came a terrific crash, as though wc enigmatic, shining mechanisms that
had collided with a solid wall: our covered the pit’s floor completely
ship rocked drunkenly in midair for except for a round clearing at its
a single instant, and then was whirl¬ center, at the edge of which our
ing crazily downward into the depths cruiser rested. From each of the
of the mighty pit below us. massed machines around us ran a
slender tube-connection, and all of
3
these tubes, thousands in number,
M y only memory now of that mad
plunge downward is of the
combined to form a thick black metal
cable which led into a huge object at
pilot room spinning about me, and of the clearing’s center. This was a
the whistling roar of winds outside giant squat cylinder of metal, its
caused by the speed of our fall. The height no more than fifty feet but its
shock of our collision had apparently diameter a full thousand, into the
silenced our generators, and it was side of which the thick black cable
moments before I could struggle up led and whose upper surface shone
to the controls and make an effort with a vast brilliant white light that
to start them, I jerked open the half dispelled the shadows here at
switches and there came a hum of the vast pit’s bottom. It was from
power from beneath; but the next this brilliant upper surface of the
moment with a jarring, grinding cylinder that there sprang upward
shock our cruiser had met the great the great livid ray, a flickering beam
pit’s floor, flinging us once more to of pale light that stabbed straight up
the floor. toward the glowing fires of the neb¬
For a moment we lay motionless ula far above.
there, and in that moment I became It was not on the great cylinder
aware of sounds outside, soft rus¬ or on the massed machines around
tling sounds that were hardly audible, us, though, that our eyes first rested,
as of soft-footed creatures moving but on the shapes, the creatures, who
about. The second shock had again had gathered about our cruiser and
silenced the vibration-mechanism, stood before us. They were crea¬
which I had started the moment be¬ tures of surpassing strangeness and
fore our crash, but I had no doubt horror, even to ourselves, unlike in
that it was only that last-minute ac¬ form as we were. Each of them was
tion on my part that had slowed our simply a shapeless mass of plastic
fall enough to save our ship and our¬ white flesh, several feet in thickness,
selves from annihilation. Now, stag¬ a formless thing of pale flesh without
gering to my feet, I reached for the limbs or features of any kind, the
switch of the pilot room’s little emer¬ only distinguishing mark being a
 WEIRD TALES

round black spot on the body or mass the metal floor below and released
of each. A dozen or more of them there, standing panting with my two
had gathered before us, a dozen companions while our strange cap-
shapeless masses of flesh resting on tors surveyed us. Several of them
the smooth metal floor there, each held in pseudopod arms little square
with the black spot on his body boxes of metal which they held to¬
turned up toward us like some ward us, and one of them, as if for
strange eye, which, we knew in¬ an object lesson, turned his toward
stinctively, it in reality was. a little pile of metal bars not far
As we watched them in horror, we away, and touched a switch in its
saw one of them suddenly move handle. Instantly a narrow little
toward us across the smooth metal. jet of what resembled thick blue
A limbless mass of flesh, he glided smoke sprang out of the thing to¬
across the level floor as a snake ward the pile of bars, and as it
might glide, the flesh of him flexing touched them I saw them instantly
and twisting to bear him smoothly crumbling and disintegrating like
forward. Just beneath us he stopped, sugar in water, disappearing entirely
and there was a moment of tense si¬ in a moment. The meaning of the
lence while the whole scene im¬ action was plain enough, and with a
pressed itself indelibly on my brain half-dozen of the deadly things
—the vast, metal-walled pit, the trained full upon us we gave up all
great ghostly ray that clove up thoughts of a dash back to the
through its shadowy dusk toward cruiser.
the nebula far above, the weird Now the foremost of the creatures
white masses of flesh before us. Then seemed to undergo a series of swift
up from the creature below us there changes in shape, his plastic body
shot a long, slender arm, an arm that twisting and changing from one
formed itself out of the flesh of his— strange form to another with incon¬
body—like the pseudopod of a jelly¬ ceivable rapidity. After a moment
fish, reaching swiftly upward toward of this protean changing his body
us. settled back into its former shapeless
That sight was enough to break mass, but as it did so three of the
the spell of horror that had held us, creatures behind him came forward
and with a strangled cry I fell back toward us, as though in answer to a
from the door, reached toward the silent command. I was later to learn,
controls to send our ship slanting up what I half guessed at the moment,
out of this place of horror. But as that it was by these swift changes in
I did so there came a shout from my bodily shape that the creatures com¬
two companions, and I whirled municated with each other, each
around to see a half-dozen pseudopod such change, however slight, carry¬
arms reach in through the open door, ing to them as much meaning as a
and then by that grip six or more of change of accent in spoken speech
the weird creatures had drawn them¬ does to us.
selves up into the pilot room, and The three that had come forward
were upon us. each held in a pseudopod arm one of
I felt cold, boneless arms twine the deadly box-weapons, and now
swiftly around my neck and body, they placed themselves around us,
struck out in blind rage against the one in front and the other two be¬
twisting masses of flesh that held hind us. Then they motioned elo¬
me, and then felt my arms gripped quently toward the left, and after a
also, felt myself being carried to¬ moment’s hesitation we set off in
ward the door. The next moment that direction, around the clearing’s
I had been swung smoothly down to edge. Past the looming machines
 WITHIN THE NEBULA 609

we went, my own eyes intent on the and Arcturian, three different beings
huge cylinder in the clearing beside from three far-distant stars, we
us, from which arose the great ray swung down that dizzy ladder into
of impenetrable force into which our the dark depths of this strange
ship had crashed. Through the twi¬ world at the fiery nebula’s heart,
light that reigned about us I saw guarded above and below by form¬
that only a handful of these nebula- less beings of weirdness unutterable.
creatures were to be seen on all the Down we clambered, feeling blindly
pit’s floor, and wondered mo¬ in the darkness for our hand and
mentarily at the smallness of their foot-holds, down until at last, far
numbers. Then my speculations below, there appeared a faint little
were driven from my mind as our spot of white light in the darkness.
guards suddenly halted us, several The spot of light grew stronger,
hundred feet around the clearing’s larger, as we climbed down toward
edge from our cruiser. it, until finally we saw that we were
Before us there yawned a round, nearing the shaft’s bottom, at which
dark opening in the smooth floor, a it gleamed. A few minutes more
small, shaftlike pit some ten feet and we had clambered down the last
in diameter, its sides disappearing peg and stood at the bottom of the
down into a dense darkness. As we shaft, a dark, circular well of metal
stared, the guard before us glided to pierced in one side by a doorway
the shaft’s edge and suddenly swung through which came the dim white
himself over that edge, disappearing light. Then we were bunched to¬
from view. And as we stepped gether once more between our
closer we saw that he was lowering guards, and were marched through
himself down the shaft’s smooth the door into a long corridor dimly
metal wall by means of metal pegs lit by a few globes of lambent white
inset every few feet in that wall, light suspended from its ceiling. As
dropping from peg to peg in smooth, we marched along this long, metal-
effortless descent. Now our two re¬ walled corridor I wondered how far
maining guards raised their weapons beneath the great pit’s floor we were,
significantly, motioning toward the estimating by the length of our
shaft. Choice of action there was downward climb that it must be
none, so after a moment’s involun¬ thousands of feet, at least. Then my
tary hesitation I stepped to the edge thoughts shifted as there came from
and grasped the highest peg, swing¬ ahead a deep humming, beating
ing myself over the edge and down sound, and a gleam of stronger
until I had found a foot-hold on a light.
lower peg, then shifting my grasp Before us now lay the end of the
to swing down again in the same corridor, a square of brilliant white
manner. After me came Jor Dahat, light toward which we were march¬
and after him the plant-man Sar ing. We reached it, were passing
Than, who swung easily down by through it, and then we halted in our
grasping the pegs with all of his four tracks in sheer, stunned astonish¬
limbs. Then the two guards were ment. For before us there stretched
swinging down after him, and we a- vast open space, or cavern, of
were dropping steadily down the line gigantic dimensions, its floor and
of pegs into the rayless darkness. sides and ceiling of smooth black
metal, brilliantly illuminated by
T think now that of all the jour- scores of the lambent globes of light.
A neys in the universe that journey For thousands of feet before and
of ours down the shaft was the above us stretched the great space,
strangest. Plant-man and human and in it was a scene of clamorous
610 WEIRD TALES

activity that was stunning after the had come, saw swarms of the nebula-
darkness and silence through which creatures rising from and descending
•we had come. into those shafts by the pegs set in
Ranged on the mighty cavern’s their sides, moving ceaselessly up
floor were long rows of machines the and down from whatever other vast
purposes of which were beyond our spaces might lie beneath us in this
speculation, incredibly intricate titanic, honeycombed world.
masses of great arms and cogs and At last we were across the great
eccentric wheels all working smooth¬ cavern, had entered the comparative
ly with a steady beat-beat-beat of silence of another corridor, and
power, and tended by countless progressed down this until our
numbers of the formless nebula-crea¬ guards turned us through a doorway
tures among them. Some seemed to in its right wall. We found our¬
be ventilating-machines of a sort, selves in a great hall, or room, small¬
with great tubes leading upward er by far than any of the vast cav¬
through the cavern’s ceiling; from erns that honeycombed this world,
others streams of white-hot metal but unlike them quite silent, and
gushed out into molds, cooling in¬ with no humming machines or busy
stantly into wheels and squares and attendants. The great, long hall,
bars; still others appeared to be con¬ perhaps five hundred feet in length,
nected with the great globes of light was quite empty except for a low
above; and some there were, like dais at its farther end, toward which
great domed turtles of metal, that our guards conducted us, gliding be¬
moved here and there about the cav¬ fore and behind us.
ern’s floor, reaching forth great As we neared it we saw that on
pincer-arms to grip stacks of bars each side of the dais was ranged a
and plates and carry them from double file of guards, each armed
place to place. with the deadly weapon we had seen
Only a moment we stared across demonstrated, while upon the dais
that scene of amazing activity before itself rested ten of the formless
our guards were again motioning us nebula-creatures. Of these ten, nine
onward, across the cavern’s floor. were like all of the others that we
Between the aisles of looming had seen, ranged in a single line
mechanisms we marched, whose across the dais. The tenth, however,
formless attendants seemed not to who rested in a central position in
heed us as we passed them. Be¬ front of the nine, was like the others
fore and around us glided the in form or formlessness alone, being
great turtle-machines with their bur¬ at least five times larger in size than
dens, the humming of their operation any of the others we had seen, an
adding to the medley of sounds enormous mass of white flesh resting
about us, only the shapeless nebula- there on the dais and contemplating
creatures being completely silent. us with his strange eye as we were
And as we marched on I saw in the marched down the hall toward him.
great cavern’s distant walls doors I divined instantly, by his strange
and corridors leading away to other size and prominent position, that he
vast brilliant-lit caverns that I could held some place of power above the
but vaguely glimpse, extending others of his -race. For weird and
away in every direction, a great, alien as his appearance was, there
half-seen vista of mighty white-lit yet reached out from him toward us
spaces reaching away all about us, a strong impression of some strange
stupendous, incredible. And as we majesty and power embodied in this
went on we saw other narrow shafts monstrous mass of flesh, some awe¬
in the floor like that down which we inspiring dignity that was truly
 WITHIN THE NEBULA 611

regal, and that transcended all other series of switches, the globe
differences of mind or shape. upon it flashing into yellow light
In a moment we had been halted this time.
before the dais, and then one of our As it did so I saw Jor Dahat’s eyes
guards glided forward, the mass of widening and starting, his whole
flesh that was his body twisting and body reacting as from an electric
changing with lightning-like swift¬ shock. His whole attitude, as the
ness in the strange communication of little apparatus hummed on, was
these creatures. I had no doubt that that of one who listens to incredible
he was explaining our capture, and things, his face a sudden mask of
when he glided back the great crea¬ horror. Then suddenly he uttered a
ture on the dais contemplated us for strangled cry, tore the metal plate
a time in motionless silence. Then from his body, and before any could
his own body writhed suddenly in guess his intention or prevent him
protean change, in silent speech, and had hurled himself with a mad shout
instantly one of the nine creatures straight at the nebula king!
behind him glided from the dais and
through a small door in the wall be¬ 4
hind it, reappearing in a moment
with a complicated little apparatus
T he moment that followed lives in
■my memory as one of lightning
in his grasp.
action. The very unexpectedness of
This was a small black box from Jor Dahat’s mad attack was all
which slender cords led to two shin¬ that saved him, for before the massed
ing little plates of metal. One of the guards about us could turn their
plates he placed upon the body of deadly weapons on the plant-man he
the great nebula king, directly be¬ was upon the dais and the great
neath the strange eye, where it creature there, whirling across the
seemed to adhere instantly. Then, platform with him in wild conflict.
after pausing a moment, he glided Instantly Sar Than and I had leaped
toward Jor Dahat with the other up to his side, glimpsing in that mo¬
plate. The plant-man shrank back ment a half-dozen great pseudopod
at his approach, but as the guards arms form suddenly out of the mon¬
around us raised their weapons he ster with whom the plant-man bat¬
subsided, allowing the creature to tled, wrapping themselves around
place the plate upon his own body him with swift force. Then, before
beneath the head, where it also ad¬ we two could reach his side, we had
hered. This done, the creature been gripped ourselves by the guards
moved back to the little box and on either side of us.
touched a series of switches upon it. A moment we struggled madly in
Instantly a slight whining sound the remorseless grip of those power¬
rose from the box while a little globe ful arms, then desisted as we saw
on its surface flashed into blinding others of the guards grasp Jor Dahat
blue light. The great nebula ruler and pull him down from the dais be¬
on the dais did not move, nor did Jor side us, wrenching him loose from
Dahat, though I saw his face grow his hold on his opponent. Then we
blank, perplexed. For minutes the three faced our captors once more,
little mechanism hummed, and then, panting and disheveled, while from
at a swift writhing order from the the dais the great nebula ruler again
monster on the dais the thing was surveyed us. I looked for instant
switched off. A moment the nebula death as a result of that wild attack
king seemed to pause, then gave an¬ upon him, but whether the creature
other silent order, and this time the intended to reserve his revenge for
creature at the box snapped on an¬ later, or whether there was in that
612 WEIRD TALES

cool and alien mind nothing so At last the stillness was broken by
human as a desire for revenge, he the voice of Jor Dahat, who had been
did not order our deaths at that mo¬ gazing moodily toward the wall.
ment. His body spun again in silent “Prisoners, here,” he said slowly.
speech, and as it ceased a half-dozen “The one place of all places from
of the guards surrounded us and which there is no escape.”
marched us back down the great hall I shook my head. “It seems the
and into the dim-lit corridor outside. end,” I admitted, dully. “We can’t
Instead of conducting us back escape from this place, and if we
down that corridor toward the giant could there’s no time left to do any¬
cavern through which we had come, thing, now.”
though, they led us in the opposite The plant-man nodded, glancing at
direction. A thousand feet or more the time-dial on his wrist. “But
we were marched, and then the cor¬ twelve hours more,” he said, “be¬
ridor widened, while on either side fore the end—before the break-up of
of us now we made out holes in its the nebula, the cosmic cataclysm that
floor, round shafts like that down will wreck our universe. And these
which we had come from above. In things who are our captors, these
the sides of these shafts, though, shapeless nebula-creatures, respon¬
were no peg ladders, and we saw sible for that break-up, that cata¬
that the depth of each was only some clysm-”
twenty-five to thirty feet. While we
We stared at him in amazement,
wondered at their purpose our
and he was silent for a moment, then
guards suddenly halted us before
speaking slowly on. “I know,” he
one of them, and then, taking a flex¬
said darkly. “There in the hall of
ible little metal ladder from a recess
the nebula king I learned—what we
in the wall, lowered it into the metal
came to learn. You saw them put
wall and motioned us to descend.
those plates upon him and me, saw
Slowly we clambered down, and
that apparatus? Well, it is in real¬
when the three of us had reached the
ity a thought-transmission appara¬
well’s bottom the ladder was at once
tus, one which can transfer those vi¬
drawn up. Then came the rustling
brations of the brain which we call
sound of the guards above, gliding
thought, those mind-pictures, from
back down the corridor, except for
one mind to another. When it was
a single one apparently left to guard
first turned on I felt my senses leav¬
us, who moved ceaselessly back and ing me, my brain a blank. I stood
forth above.
there, my knowledge, my memories,
Silently we gazed at each other, my ideas, being pumped out of me
then about our strange prison cell. like water from a well, into the brain
Even in the dim half-light of the cor¬ of that monstrous ruler there. He
ridor we could see that it was quite must have learned, in those few mo¬
unescapable, its smooth perpendicu¬ ments, all of my own knowledge of
lar walls without projection of any the universe outside the nebula, all of
kind. Even the nebula-creatures our own plans in coming to this
themselves, for whom these strange place. And then, at his order, the
cells must have been designed, could machine was reversed, and thoughts,
not have escaped them, so there was pictures, flowed through it from his
small enough chance of our doing so. brain to mine.
Without speaking we slumped to the “It must have been from a sheer
floor of our well-prison, and for a desire to overawe and terrify me that
time there was a dull silence there, the creature sent his thoughts into
broken only by the rustling glide of my brain. I know that the moment
the single guard above. it was turned on I became conscious
 WITHIN THE NEBULA 613

of ideas, thoughts, pictures, rushing the strange race that had grown to
into my mind, of new knowledge power on this world at the fiery
springing whole into my brain. Much nebula’s heart.
there was that was blank and dark, “But slowly, inexorably, destruc¬
ideas, no doubt,, for which my own tion began to creep upon that race.
intelligence had no equivalent; but As I have said, all nebulae contract
enough came to me so that I realized always, and this one was still doing
at last who and what these creatures so, still growing smaller and smaller,
were, and what their part was in its encircling fires closing steadily in
whirling the nebula on to its break¬ upon the spinning world at their
up, and our doom. heart. Hotter and hotter it became
“I knew, with never a doubt, that on that world until life was hardly
this great open space at the nebula’s possible on it for the nebula-crea¬
heart had been formed because the tures, accustomed as they were to a
denser portions of its interior had milder temperature. They must
contracted faster than the outer por¬ escape that heat or perish, and since
tions. As you know, all nebulae con¬ they could not escape to outer space
tract with the passage of time, their through the prisoning fires around
fiery gases condensing to form great them they did the last thing avail¬
blazing stars, the eon-old cycle of able, hollowed out vast caverns in
stellar evolution, from fiei*y nebula the interior of their world and
to flaming sqn. In this cycle this descended into those caverns to live.
great nebula followed, but because of The whole surface of their world
its vast size the inner, denser portions they sheathed with smooth, heat-re¬
had contracted with much greater flecting metal, and then descended in
speed than the outer parts, forming all their hordes into the countless
a great solid world, in time, while the mighty caverns that honeycombed
outer parts were still but fiery gas. all their great world, taking up their
This solid world spun at the center life again in those cool depths, sale
of the great space formerly occupied from the nebula’s heat.
by the gases that had contracted to “Ages passed over them while
form it, and it was warmed and lit they lived thus in their world’s
eternally by the encircling fires of depths, but still the nebula con¬
the nebula all around it, and shut off tracted, closed in upon them, in that
from the outside universe by those vast, remorseless cycle that is na¬
fires. ture’s law throughout the universe.
“Light and warmth had this world Closer and closer crept its fires to¬
in plenty, therefore, and with time ward the metal-sheathed 'world of the
life had risen on it, crude forms nebula people, until at last they saw
ascending through the channels of that soon those fires would envelop
evolutionary change into a myriad their world and annihilate it, unless
different species, of which one they were turned back in some way.
species, the nebula-creatures we have So for a time they bent all their
seen, was the most intelligent. In energies toward the problem of turn¬
time they ruled this strange world, ing back the nebula’s contracting
wiping out all other species, and fires, and at last found a way to do
climbed to greater and greater sci¬ so, one which would take all their
ence and power with the passage of strength and science to carry out.
time, their existence never suspected “In the surface of their metal-
by any in the universe outside. Back covered world they sank a vast,
and forth through the Galaxy went metal-walled pit, and hi that pit set
the great sfar-cruisers of the feder¬ massed machines capable of gener¬
ated suns, but none ever dreamed of ating an atomic ray of terrific power.
614 WEIRD TALES

From each of the gcnerating-ma- handful of the nebula-creatures to

ehincs led a connection carrying attend them.
the power produced by it, all these “It was that handful that cap¬
connections combining into the thick tured us when we came, our ship fall¬
cable we saw which leads into the ing down to the great pit’s floor after
great cylinder-apparatus, generating crashing into the terrific ray. And
inside it the mighty ray that stabs after we had been brought down
up toward the nebula, and into here, after I had learned thus what
which we crashed. Now the great terrible plan of these creatures it
world here at the nebula’s heart is was that was bringing doom to our
already spinning, revolving, and the own universe, I lost my senses,
purpose of the nebula people was to sprang at the nebula king, uncon¬
use the great ray as a connection be¬ scious of all but what 1 had just
tween their spinning world and the learned. And now you know what it
encircling nebula, to set the. nebula was I learned, what we came here to
to spinning also by this means, the learn. But we have learned too late,
ray being equal to a solid connection now, for in less than twenty hours
between the two. And their plan the nebula’s whirling will have
proved a sound one, for after the reached its critical point, will have
great ray had been put into opera¬ sent its vast flaming mass hurtling
tion the vast encircling nebula began out across our universe, our Galaxy,
to move slowly, to revolve, faster and in all directions, to carry destruction
faster as its turning accelerated and death to all the peoples of our
under the constant impetus of the suns and worlds! ’ ’
great ray.
“When the nebula should reach a T he silence of our shaft-cell was
certain speed of whirl, the nebula- suddenly heavy and brooding as
creatures knew, when it should reach the voice of Jor Dahat ceased. From
the critical point of its spin, it would above came the soft rustling of the
be whirling so fast that it would not guard there, gliding back and forth
longer be able to hold its mighty along the dim corridor, and faintly
mass together, and it would break to our ears from the distant vast cav¬
up, disintegrate, its fiery mass flying erns came the clash and hum of the
off through the Galaxy in all direc¬ great machines there, with all their
tions. This would remove all danger clamor of activity. At last, as though
from the nebula people, who could from a distance, I heard my own voice
then live on without fear in their break the silence.
cavern-honeycombed world, using “Twelve hours,’’ I said slowly.
artificial light and heat. They knew, “Twelve hours—before the end.”
however, that once started the whirl¬ Then I, too, fell silent, and silently,
ing of the nebula must be kept up hopelessly, we stared into each other’s
until it had reached its critical point eyes.
and had broken up. since if the Through the hours that followed,
whirling were slackened before then, the same deathly silence hung over
the great ray turned off. the vast, us, a silence intensified by the thing
ponderously turning nebula would in all our thoughts, a silence deafen¬
collapse with the removal of the ray, ing as the rumble of doom. Always
its collapsing fires annihilating the now that scene comes back to me in
nebula world inside it. For this memory as a strange, dim-lit picture
reason the great machines in the pit —the dusky little well at the bottom
that generated the power for the ray of which we crouched, hardly able to
were made completely automatic and make out each others’ faaes, the cease¬
certain in operation, needing only a less humming activity from the great
 WITHIN THE NEBULA 615

caverns beyond, the measured glide clambered up in turn, over the plant-
of our guard above. Hour passed into man and the Arcturian, until the
hour and we moved not, changed not, latter, grasping my own feet, had
sitting on in dull, despairing silence. raised me in turn as high as he could
At last, weary as I was, I drifted off reach. Thus upheld I was just able
into restless sleep, tortured by vague to reach the shaft’s rim above with
dreams of the horrors through which my upstretched hands, and there, in
we had come. that precarious position, we awaited
When I opened my eyes again it the return of the guard.
was to find Jor Dahat gently shaking It could hardly have been more
me, crouched there beside me. As than a minute, at most, that we
he saw me wake he bent his head to waited, but to ourselves, balancing
my ear. “Sar Than has a plan,” he there with muscles strained to the ut¬
whispered to me. “We’ve hardly most, it seemed an eternity. I heard
more than an hour left but he thinks the rustling glide of the guard’s ap¬
that we have a chance that way to proach, now, but at the same time
get out—a million to one chance. If felt the Arcturian’s hold giving, be¬
we could-” neath me, heard the great muscles of
But by that time I was crawling over the plant-man cracking beneath the
to the Arcturian’s side, and eager¬ weight of both of us. I knew that my
ly we listened while in whispers he two companions could hold out for
outlined his project for escaping from but a moment longer, and then, just
our pit-cell. Small enough chance as the Arcturian’s grip on my feet
there seemed that we could carry it began to slip, the returning guard had
out, and even were we to escape from reached the pit’s edge, pausing there,
our well-prison there seemed nothing directly above me, to peer down as
but death awaiting us farther on, but usual. The next moment I had
we were of one mind that it would be reached up with a last effort and had
better to meet our end thus than wait gripped him, and then we four were
in the shaft tamely for death. There¬ tumbling down into the well, pulling
fore, crouching against the wall, we the guard down with us.
waited tensely for the guard above to As we fell I had heard his weapon
pass our shaft. rattle on the floor above, knocked
Pass he did, in a moment more, his from his grasp, but as we reached the
monstrous shapeless body gliding to well’s floor he had already gripped us
the shaft’s edge and peering down with a half-dozen pseudopod-arms
there at us in passing, as usual. Then that formed themselves lightninglike
he was gone, gliding on down the cor¬ out of the shapeless mass of flesh that
ridor, and instantly we sprang to our was his body. Then we were plung¬
feet. At once Jor Dahat stepped over ing about the floor of the well in a
to the wall, standing with his back mad, weird battle, as silent as it was
against it and his feet braced widely deadly.
on the floor. Then Sar Than climbed The thing could not cry out for
nimbly up over the plant-man’s body help, but for the moment it seemed to
until two of his four limbs rested on us that alone it might conquer us, its
the shoulders of Jor Dahat, who now suddenly formed arms coiling swiftly
grasped those two limbs in his own about us, great tentacles of muscle
hands and raised them as high as he that were like to have choked us in
could reach, holding the Arcturian the first moment of combat. Strike
above him by the sheer force of his and grasp as we would there seemed
powerful muscles. no vulnerable spot on the creature’s
With his other two limbs Sar Than slippery body, and weary as we were
also was reaching upward and now I the outcome of the struggle was for a
616 WEIRD TALES

time extremely doubtful. 1 heard wall, and were gliding straight down
Sar Than utter a strangled cry as a its length toward us!
thick arm noosed itself about his body,
felt another striving for a hold on my 5
own head, and then saw Jor Dahat
suddenly grasp two of the slippery 'C'or a single moment death stared us
arms and literally tear the thing's in the face, and we stood there mo¬
shapeless body into half with those tionless, stupefied with terror. As yet
two holds. There was a soft ripping the guards approaching us seemed not
sound and then the creature had to have glimpsed us, owing to the cor¬
slumped to the floor, a limp mass of ridor’s dim light, but with every mo¬
dead flesh. ment they were drawing nearer and it
A moment we stared breathlessly was but a matter of seconds before we
at each other over the dead thing, then would be seen and slain. Then, before
without speaking sprang to the wall, we had recovered from our stupefac-»
where Jor Dahat braced himself to tion, Sar Than had jerked us sidewise
repeat our former procedure. In a toward one of the last shaft-cells in
moment he had raised the Arcturian the floor that we had just passed.
above him, and within another mo¬ “Down here!” he cried, pointing
ment Sar Than was raising me like¬ into its dark depths. “Down here
wise until I had again gained a grip until they pass! ’ ’
on the rim of the shaft above. A In a flash we saw that his idea was
fierce struggling effort and I had indeed our last chance, and at once
pulled myself up to the floor of the lowered ourselves over the dark
dim-lit corridor, where I lay panting shaft’s rim, hanging from its edge
for a moment, then leapt to my feet with hands gripped on that edge.
and over to the recess in the wall We had not been too soon; for a few
from which I had seen the flexible seconds later there came the rustling
ladder taken. A moment I pawed sound of the guards passing above,
frantically in the recess, then uttered gliding down the corridor past our
a sob as my fingers encountered the place of concealment. As they glided
cold metal of the ladder. It wras but by we hung in an agony of suspense,
the work of an instant to lower it into hoping against hope that they would
the well for my two companions to not glimpse our hands on the pit’s
climb up, and then we gazed tensely rim, or notice the absence of the crea¬
about us. ture left to guard us. There was a
The long, dim-lit corridor was quite long, tense minute of waiting, and
empty for the moment, though away then they wTere past. We hung for a
down its length we glimpsed the few moments longer, with aching
square of white light that marked the muscles, then drew ourselves up to the
point where it debouched into the corridor’s floor once more and started
great caverns. That was our path, down its length toward the square of
we knew; so down the corridor we white brilliance in the distance.
ran, between the rows of shaft-cells on Down thft dim-lit corridor we ran,
either side, until wre were just pass¬ past open doors- in its walls through
ing between the last two of those which we glimpsed great halls and
shafts and were reaching the point branching passageways, all seeming
where the corridor narrowed once for the moment deserted. A few mo¬
more. And then we suddenly stopped ments later we had reached the cor¬
short, stood motionless; for, not a ridor’s end, and were peering out
hundred yards ahead, a double file of into the gigantic, white-lit space that
the nebula guards had suddenly lay beyond, a space alive and clamor¬
issued from a door in the corridor’s ous with the same multifarious activ-
 WITHIN THE NEBULA 617

ity as when we had come through it. our breath as another of the turtle-
To venture out into that great place machines collided suddenly with our
of humming machines and thronging own, but in a moment it had glided
nebula-creatures was to court instant away and in another moment we were
death, we knew, yet it must be crossed again in the shadows of a dim-lit cor¬
to gain the single shaft that led up¬ ridor, gliding down its length toward
ward. Then, while we still hesitated, the shaft that led upward.
I uttered a whispered exclamation We reached the corridor’s end,
and pointed to something in the shad¬ sprang out of our machine and
ows beside us, something big and through the door into the well-like
round that lay just inside the broad bottom of the shaft. At once the
corridor’s dusk, and that gleamed plant-man was clambering up the
faintly in the dim light. In a moment peg-ladder, followed by the Arcturian
we were beside it, and found it to he with myself last. Up, up we climbed,
one of the great turtle-machines that putting all our strength into the
swarmed across the floors of the vast effort, for we knew that not many
caverns beyond us, though this one minutes remained for action. Then
was unoccupied, its round door open suddenly as I looked down I stopped
to expose the hollow interior of the and breathed an exclamation; for
dome. standing at the bottom of the shaft
“There’s our way out!” I cried. were two of the nebula-creatures, not
“There’s room in it for the three of more than a hundred feet below us—
two white masses of flesh that were
Within another moment we were in¬ staring up toward us.
side it, crouching together in the A moment we hung motionless on
cramped space of the interior and the pegs, while the two weird beings
swinging shut the little door. I found gazed up, and then we saw one of them
that a narrow slit running around glide back into the corridor, racing
the dome allowed us to look forth, and back to the great caverns to sound
that a little circle of switches grouped the alarm, we knew. The other gazed
around a single large lever were evi¬ up at us once more and then, to our
dently its controls. Swiftly I pressed horror, began to climb swiftly up
these switches in a series of combina¬ after us.
tions, and then there came a welcome
hum of power from beneath and we T think now that of all that befell
were gliding smoothly out of the A us there in the nebula world the
shadowy corridor into the full glare moments that followed were the most
of the thronging, white-lit cavern, my agonizing. Swinging ourselves up by
hand on the central lever guiding our sheer muscular power, from peg to
progress. peg, we clambered up that giddy lad¬
Tensely we crouched in our hum¬ der, through a darkness impossible of
ming vehicle as it moved smoothly description. Somewhere in that dark¬
across the cavern, between the rows ness below me, I knew, the nebula-
of great machines, toward the corridor creature that pursued us was swing¬
opening in the opposite wall. The ing up after me, and I knew that to
thronging nebula-creatures about us such a creature the negotiating of
paid us no attention whatever, taking this dizzy ladder was child’s play.
us for but one of the scores of turtle- Yet, spurred on by deadly fear, I
machines that were busy about us. struggled upward with superhuman
Hearts beating high with our suc¬ speed, a hundred feet, another hun¬
cess we glided on toward the dark dred, until a hope flashed across my
wall-opening that was our goal. A brain that the thing that pursued us
score of feet from it we suddenly held might have given up that pursuit.
618 WEIRD TALES

Then above us I glimpsed a little dot light above broadening as we climbed

of glowing light, knew it for the up toward it. Below us, we knew, the
shaft’s mouth far above. And at the alarm had been given, and within
same moment that I glimpsed it, I a few minutes now a horde of the
felt a tug on my ankles, a powerful nebula-creatures would be rushing up
arm fasten round my body, and knew the shaft. And but minutes were left
that the pursuing creature had for us to act in, so that we put
reached me. every effort into a mad burst of speed
I cried out involuntarily as I felt that within a few more minutes had
my feet twitched off the pegs on brought us up to the shaft’s mouth.
which they had rested, and dangled
for a moment there by my hands
J or dahat, above us, was the first
to reach its level, and I saw the
while the creature below me tightened plant-man raise his head and peer
his grip on my feet and began to pull cautiously forth, then beckon us up¬
me steadily downward. All his force ward. Silently, stealthily, we climbed
he must have put into that effort, and up, crept over the shaft’s edge until
I felt my hands slipping on the peg we crouched on the smooth metal
which they held, knew that once I floor. The scene about us was the
lost my hand-grip the creature below same as before, the vast, metal-walled
would release my feet also and send pit, the massed machines around us,
me hurtling down to death on the the great cylinder at the clearing’s
shaft’s floor far below. In a deathly center from which arose the livid ray,
silence I hung there, striving against the long shape of our battered cruiser
that deadly pull, and then felt one of lying beyond it. A half-dozen of the
my hands torn from its grip, felt the nebula-creatures were gathered near
fingers of the other slipping on the the great cylinder, and we saw their
peg they held, felt my will relax¬ bodies twisting in their silent speech,
ing— but their strange eyes were not turned
Then someone had suddenly swung in our direction.
down past me from above, and I In a moment Jor Dahat crept si¬
glanced down to glimpse in the dim lently to one side, where lay a mass
light from above Sar Than, swinging of tools, and came back with three
swiftly down past me and hanging by heavy, axlike implements of metal in
one of his powerful limbs while with his grasp, long-handled and broad-
the other three he grasped the crea¬ bladed. Silently he handed one of
ture below me. Instantly the latter’s these to each of us, and then with¬
grip on my feet relaxed, there was an out words we crawled silently toward
instant of swift scuffling below me, the gathered nebula-creatures, on
and then I glimpsed the shapeless hands and knees. Inch by inch, foot
body of the nebula-creature forced by foot, we crept toward them. I
from its hold on the pegs, hurtling looked up, once, saw the glowing fires
down into the darkness to strike the of the nebula far above us, knew that
floor far below with a smacking thud. within minutes those fires would be
The next instant Sar Than was up to flying out through our universe in
me and was pulling me up until I flaming destruction unless we could
again clung safely to the pegs. Only act. My grip tightened on my weapon
the Arcturian, with his four strange as we crawled on through the shad¬
limbs, could ever have successfully owy dusk, and then suddenly one of
battled the nebula-creature thus on the creatures before us had turned
that giddy ladder of pegs. and was gazing straight toward us.
But now we were again clambering Before he could turn to his com¬
up, calling on all our strength to bear panions in warning, before he could
us on, watching the little circle of dim (Continued on page 717)
“T HAVE never read,” remarked “What’s the difference?”
I Arthur Marl, “a true horror “This: The best stories of the type
-fi- story.” called ‘Gothic’ may affect a person
We who were with him in a corner temporarily; some may even give
of the club-house looked at him in him nightmares if he is of a nervous
surprize. temperament, but this does not
“Why, you’ve been making a necessarily mean that they are true
study of Gothic literature for twenty horror tales.”
years or more. You surely must ‘ ‘ It depends on what you mean by
have read some,” a member replied. a ‘horror’ story,” someone re¬
“Of course.” marked.
“Then why did you say you “Exactly. And can you tell me
hadn’t?” what a tale of horror is?”
“I didn’t.” “One that makes your spine
We looked at him, puzzled. crawl-”
“For heaven’s sake, will you kind¬ “One that, if read at night while
ly explain yourself?” some one de¬ alone, will make you jump 'for
manded. bed-”
‘1 The thing is obvious, or ought to “One that will make you afraid
be. I said I had read no true horror of the night-”
story, though I have read many “One that you can’t recall except
which seemed so for a moment. ’ ’ with a shiver-”
619
620 WEIRD TALES

“One that you won’t want to re¬ but they all lack something, or at
call-” best have only a temporary effect.
Arthur quelled the babel. “You The Monk in reality does not belong
all are partly right.” to the class; Melmoth is more prop¬
“What’s your own definition?” erly an adventure novel; The Yam-
asked somebody. pyre is as good as its progeny Dra-
He thought for a moment; then he cyla, but vampires are becoming com¬
replied: mon ; Frankenstein is famous mainly
“What I say will apply only to because it was one of the first Gothic
those who have more than a passing romances; Benson is often too def¬
acquaintance with Gothic literature. inite; Poe is the master, of course,
One who reads but little and has though Lovecraft is now writing ter¬
never come across more than one or rific tales.
two specimens of the macabre will “You see, if an author makes his
naturally have received a much story too definite, it descends to the
deeper impression from those stories ordinary or becomes either disgust¬
than would one who is familiar with ing or ridiculous, depending on how
the type. The more tales of terror far he goes. Thus, Wells’ The! Cone
you read, the more inured you be¬ is disgusting, as are tales of canni¬
come. There is always the thrill of balism and torture. Physical pain is
the first few horror stories, of ephemeral; it comes to an end. The
course, but indifference comes quick¬ mind can not be greatly affected by
ly. Life is so comprehensive that finite or material things, because it
little can be new; but the unknown, is acquainted with them. It needs a
the utterly unknown, is the essence tale of hints and whispers that it can
of terror. develop unlimitedly.”
“I have made a study of this field We were silent for a moment, but
for twenty years or so. My collec¬ some one broke out, “Do you expect
tion of such books and manuscripts, ever to read such a story?”
as you know, is one of the best—per¬ “Perhaps,” was his only reply.
haps the only ambitious one—in
existence. A taste for the gruesome, 2
once acquired, is unappeasable, but
although my library contains thou¬ T believe it was two days later that
sands of these volumes, there is not * Arthur took me into his con¬
one among them which T consider a fidence. He did not mention the tale
true Gothic romance. to anyone else, but he told me about
“A tale of horror is one which be¬ it because I myself was quite fond
gins on a low key of foreboding and of Gothic literature.
rises steadily and rapidly like the “There is now on its way to me a
howl of a 'wolf until words of awful manuscript from an agent in India,”
imagery twist across the dead pages he said. “It was purchased from a
in a stream of terror; a tale that native who had stolen it from a col¬
begins in shadow and passes into lection of ancient writings s#me-
darkness until an utter blackness where in the north; exactly where, I
filled with Things surges about the don’t know. My agent could make
reader; a tale that preys on the little of it, but the native claimed
mind, that destroys all but one cen¬ that it had passed into evil legend.
tral part and wraps itself around I have found a reference to the
that part on which to feed. manuscript in a Sanskrit fragment
“As I said, there is no such story over three thousand years old. Even
in all my collection. T have obtained there it is described as being of un¬
many books famed as being horrible, known age.
 THE SHADOW OF A NIGHTMARE

“Think of it!'’ he half whispered extraordinary narrative, and eager

to me. “It was written perhaps a to know more. A torrent of ques¬
hundred or more centuries ago! I tions burst from me, but Arthur had
believe, from the translation of the told me all he knew. He suggested
Sanskrit fragment, that it will be the that I come over, however, when the
key to the forgotten past. For, ages manuscript had arrived.
ago, the fragment states, there arose I did not see him in the meantime,
somewhere in the northern part of but when he notified me a couple ot
India, or beyond the Himalayas, a weeks later that he had received the
civilization of the highest type manuscript, I immediately hastened
among a band of people completely over.
isolated from the rest of their kind. Never before had I seen him so
But they all were madmen—ma¬ excited. His eyes shone and gleamed
niacs ! They were countless cen¬ steadily. He was nervous, and not
turies ahead of their time, but they only were his old mannerisms in¬
were insane! They lived in the days tensified, but he had picked up a
when the world was still young, and dozen new ones. His voice had an
they had access to fores which have unusual tone, an unsteadiness.
passed with the waning of the earth. “Come in. The manuscript’s
And because they were mad, they here.”
had those forces more readily at I followed him inside and we
tlmir control.” walked to the rooms containing his
His eyes were gleaming brighter^ library. A large table covered with
“They developed an advanced, but books stood in the middle, of one
a mad and perverted civilization, room. He motioned me toward it.
with the aid of those evil forces. All the volumes were ancient and
Their architecture was strange and musty; some were riddled with
fantastic; their art was a thing of worm-holes, some had damp-stains
shadows, the reflection of their mad¬ and mold-spots, while others had
ness and their servants; their litera¬ faded or discolored leaves.
ture was the key to all ancient myste¬ “Here it is,” he said, pointing
ries, the portal to the entities which before him.
have remained hidden for epochs and It was almost with awe that I
are now remembered only as myths, looked at the manuscript. The leaves
legends, and fabled lore. They had at of it were fastened between old and
their call terrific implements of worn covers of ivory that once had
power and destruction in those Evil been inscribed with strange, gold
Ones; they kept that secret in their symbols. The characters within, on
literature. But with the coming of parchment of great age, were totally
a now unknown doom, the entire unfamiliar to me. Many of those
country was ravaged, the cities be¬ near the margins had faded or had
came heaps of dust, the inhabitants been thumbed to illegibility, but in
were wiped out, and all their work the centers they were black and dis¬
was obliterated, except one small tinct. The writing was clear and
group of books. And of that group in a fine hand. Yet the manuscript
the only manuscript extant is the aroused in me an immediate distaste.
one I shall receive, written by a mad¬ Something about those ancient
man whose every thought was inspired leaves with their black, unknown
by the ravening Things inseparably characters repelled me in a singular
connected with the Country of the manner.
Mad, and giving somewhere in it the “In what language is it written?”
key to what the world has forgotten! ’ ’ “I’m not sure,” he replied slowly.
I was inflamed, of course, by this “I have been comparing it with the
622 WEIRD TALES

oldest of the Indian tongues, but it He ignored my question and said,

doesn’t agree with any of them. It half to himself, "And you have
resembles Sanskrit most closely, and known him as long as I.”
seems to bear the relation to it that "Longer. But what are you driv¬
Anglo-Saxon does to Modern Eng¬ ing at?”
lish.” Again he ignored my question.
"Whew! It must be one of the “You will keep this to yourself?”
oldest works in existence! Have you ‘ ‘ Of course, ’ ’ I answered. I was be¬
begun to decipher it yet?” ginning to feel slightly alarmed as
“I am just commencing the task, well as puzzled. "But what’s the
which I may not finish for weeks. matter?”
But what a find! I think I have my He seemed to be arranging his
tale at last!” thoughts, when, in a moment, he be¬
gan speaking. His face was almost
3 expressionless, and he talked in a
I did not see him again until two
low tone which did not go beyond
me, though I could hear him dis¬
months later, for I was out of tinctly.
town. The manuscript was not for¬ "Perhaps you can explain this. I
gotten, however; on several occa¬ can’t, though I have spent a week on
sions it came into my thoughts and I it. And I’m beginning to wonder if
wondered how Arthur was progress¬ it will be explained. Well, I saw him
ing, or if it lived up to his hopes. a week ago, Tuesday to be exact. I
But 1 heard nothing from him dur¬ had gone out to his house for the
ing the period, and it had faded evening and intended to pass several
somewhat into the background of hours there. Arthur lives alone, you
memory by the time I returned. know, and we would not be inter¬
The evening after I got back, I rupted but should have the evening
decided to call on Arthur. I dropped to ourselves, since it was the serv¬
in at the club on my way to his ant’s night off.
home, thinking he might possibly be "I arrived about half-past 7, and
there. He wasn’t. But I met an old Arthur himself admitted me. One of
friend and we chatted for a few min¬ the first things he did was to show me
utes. As I left him, to continue my some recent additions to his queer
way, he remarked, "Sorry you’re library. He had acquired some Latin
leaving so quickly. Is it a pressing works on demonology, among them a
engagement ? ’ ’ rather gruesome Sixteenth Century
"Well, not exactly,” I replied. volume that contained several of
"I’m going to see if Arthur’s home.’’ Brueghel the Elder’s nightmare-com¬
I have never seen the face of a man positions, engraved, I think, by Cock.
change as rapidly as his. For a brief There was also a manuscript of great
instant his features altered, and there age which evidently fascinated him.
came into his face an expression of He handled it with a mixture of like
aversion, almost of fear. I looked at and dislike for some minutes while we
him in surprize. He pursed his lips were looking at his new volumes, and
as if to answer my unspoken question, seemed half reluctant, half glad, to
but said nothing, Instead, he mo¬ leave it.
tioned me toward a comer. "When we left the books, we went
For another minute he was silent, to his den, or whatever he calls the
after we had seated ourselves, before room where he keeps his curios. And
asking, "When did you last see it was there that I was first struck
Arthur?” by something—unusual—about his
"About two months ago. Why?” appearance. I had not noticed any-
 THE SHADOW OF A NIGHTMARE 623

thing different before we looked at tried to discount them as mere imagi¬

the manuscript and the books, but I nation. I thrust them away. They
did now. There was nothing definite¬ kept coming back. There was abso¬
ly wrong, but his eyes—you have no¬ lutely no ground for fear or doubt,
ticed them? their sunkenness and but I was really alarmed. Then I got
depth?—well, they were lit curiously angry with myself and stood still.
in a—frightened—sort of way. And But the silence oppressed me and I
he was nervous; he had picked up a walked about the room again. I could
number of mannerisms, and was so not imagine what was wrong with
restless that I thought he must be me. I pulled out my watch. Over
suffering from overwork, or in need twenty minutes had elapsed, and
of a change. At times he fell into an Arthur was still gone.
abstraction, or gazed steadily at some “ ‘I’m an ass,’ I cursed to myself,
vaeant spot as if he saw something. ‘but I can’t stand this any longer.
Once he jerked his head around un¬ He said something about books. I’ll
expectedly as if he thought someone glance in his library, where he must
was behind him. And that frightened be.’
look never left his eyes.
“I left the room immediately and
“ ‘You ought to take a vacation,’ I walked to the library, calling myself
remarked suddenly. ‘You’re wearing a fool as I walked. A light shone
yourself out.’ through the open door and I stepped
“ ‘I know it,’ he replied. ‘Per¬ in. I had guessed right. Arthur was
haps I will soon. I’ve been spending standing near the middle of the room,
all my time translating the manu¬ with his back half toward me.
script, and it was quite a strain. But “ ‘I hope I’m not intruding,’ I
I finished last night, so perhaps I said, ‘but I got restless and thought
won’t need a rest.’ ” something might have happened to
He stopped, but almost immediate¬ you.’
ly continued, as if anxious to com¬ ‘ ‘ He did not reply. Then I noticed
plete his story. that there was something curious in
‘‘It was after 10, I believe, when his attitude; he was swaying, as if
Arthur stood up suddenly with an about to fall. I saw him pass his arm
apology and a remark about books across his forehead and eyes as I
that I didn’t quite catch and left the sprang to his side. As I reached him,
room. I amused myself glancing at he removed it. I met the full stare
some of the curios while I waited. of eyes darkly liquid and suffering
“Five minutes passed. I turned to with a black horror.
the old guns on the wall and examined “ ‘For God’s sake!’ he whispered.
them. Ten minutes came, and I won¬ ‘Brush them off!’
dered at the delay. I looked at. the “I looked at him blankly. His eyes
curios another five minutes. Then I were fastened on some point in the
began to feel slightly puzzled. The air between us. He knew I was near,
room was silent, and my thoughts but apparently did not see me. ‘ Brush
were coursing in strange channels. I what off?’
began to listen in spite of myself, but “ ‘Quick!’ he moaned, in a voice
no sound could be heard. Fancies which had become husky and frantic.
began to intrude themselves into my ‘ I can’t do a thing! They won’t obey
mind and I became vaguely appre¬ me!’
hensive. I could have sworn that the “I stood motionless, too dumfound-
atmosphere of the room had changed. ed for thought. His eyes had taken
Then I felt oddly uncomfortable and on an aspect of utter terror such as I
restless. I began to imagine all kinds have never believed possible in any
of things. I tried to forget them. I human being.
 WEIRD TALES

“ ‘My God!’ he moaned in a low house, but, although I pushed the

voice. He was silent for a moment. bell-button, I could not hear it ring,
Then he caught his breath suddenly and no one answered. Then I remem¬
and gasped—and the gasp turned to a bered that this was the servant’s night
rising moan, the moan to one con¬ off. I decided to presume on our
tinuous terrible shriek. He clawed at friendship as I had done many times
his face. He whipped the air all before, and hence opened the door
around, taking short steps in every myself.
direction but stopping immediately Since Arthur was usually in his
as if he had hit something. His face library at this time, I wasted no more
was hellish and working convulsively time but immediately went toward it.
—his hands now covered his head, A dim light was burning there, but I
now lashed about-—and that fearful could see no one. However, I turned
scream never ceased. ’ ’ the light on full before leaving, in
He paused, and his voice became order to make sure, and—on the floor
steadier. After a few seconds, he con¬ lay Arthur Marl, long dead, his face
tinued. set in a look of the most unutterable
“I got a basin of water, carried it horror I have ever seen. His hands
back in a trice, and hurled it in his were extended, and his entire body
face. Why I did, I don’t know, ex¬ seemed to be thrusting something
cept that I had no physical strength away. Scattered near him were sev¬
compared with that then in him. But eral small leaves of writing which I
at the first shock of the cold water, glanced at briefly and stuffed into my
he stood still, and his face changed. pocket.
A puzzled look came into it; he ab¬ It was not until an hour later that
ruptly became himself, and sank ex¬ I got a chance to read them. I did
hausted into a chair. what I could for Arthur, and made
“ ‘Thanks,’ he said, with a faint, arrangements for proper treatment
ghastly smile. ‘My nerves are worse of the body. Once at my rooms, how¬
than I thought. I believe I shall take ever, I hesitated no longer. I settled
your advice.’ ” myself in a chair and spread out the
leaves. They were mixed up, but even
4 when I had arranged them they did

I come now to the last stage of that

not form a complete record, for the
first pages, and some of the later, were
strange affair. That it may ex¬ missing.
plain all is possible; that it will, I am And there, before the drowsy
not so sure. Perhaps Arthur Marl warmth of the fire, the room behind
was insane, -with a latent malady that me darkened save for its dull glow, I
had always afflicted him, or a sudden read the leaves.
attaek. But I saw the manuscript,
and perhaps. . . . “. . . And so there was a Country
It was getting dark when I left the of the Mad long ago. That first allu¬
dub, but I decided to go to Arthur’s sion, then, was true, and the author
residence at once, and hailed a cab. right.
I thought over what I had heard, as “7. I have now translated the rest
I was carried toward his home, but I of the ancient volume, and part of the
could make little of it. The one thing history of that strange land lies before
I was sure of was that the manuscript me. Was there ever a myth wilder
had something to do with the matter. than the tale of the Country of the
We drew up to his house, and I Mad? Think of it! More than ten
dismissed the cab. It was quite dark thousand years ago, that band of mad-
by now. A light was burning in the (Continued, on page 716)
 The Story Thus Far threaten me with a gun, I would ad¬
vise you to do so elsewhere than in the
munication for publication which threatens that, vicinity of a powerful electro-mag-
unless the present rulers recognize him as the net.” He gave this piece of counsel
Supreme Lawgiver of the World, he will destroy
every living thing on its surface. This he is able in the tone of one who corrects a way¬
to accomplish by means of an anti-gravitation gas
which, he states, he has recognized in the spectra ward child.
of the tails of various comets. Terry Hinton, a
young reporter, is deputed to get the views of For a moment Terry’s eyes, dazzled
Professor Mcrrivale. an authority on the subject. by the fierce electrical discharge,
He gathers the information from Alma Wexford,
the professor's attractive secretary and assistant, could distinguish nothing except the
that there is a possibility of the threat being
carried out. Terry persuades Alma to allow him myriad of many-colored spots caused
to examine Professor Merrivale’s laboratory.
While there, Terry is attacked by the professor; by the reaction of the retina. As his
whereupon he denounces Merrivale as the unknown vision cleared, however, he became
"Autocrat.” only to be half-stunned by a flash of
blinding light and to have his weapon wrenched aware of the novel method by which

P
from his grasp as though by an invisible hand.
ROFESSOR MERRIVALE
uttered a soft, purring laugh as
he had been disarmed. By pressing
the small switch fixed to the table,
Merrivale had rendered active the
his eyes played over the dis¬ large wire-bound magnet which stood
comfited Terry. a few feet away, and the attraction
“Next time it occurs to you to thus induced had drawn the revolver
W. T.—2 This story began in V BIRD TALES for April 625
 WEIRD TALES

to its poles with irresistible force. usually to keep his feet, but Terry
Defeated though he was, he could not did the exact opposite. Slipping to
but admire the ingenuity with which the ground, he gripped the leg of one
the tables had been turned. of his attackers, in an approved
“The first trick goes to you, Pro¬ Rugby tackle, and with a swift shove
fessor, ’ ’ he admitted, shrugging. sent him sprawling backward. A
pistonlike right uppercut to the jaw,
Professor Merrivale bowed gravely.
as he bent over Terry, sent another
“Thank you, Mr. Hinton. Not to
down. Then, ducking under the
be outdone in the bouquet-throwing
hands which hampered each other as
line, I will admit that the trick was
they clawed at him, he broke loose
a fluke. And now may I ask what
and made for the door, only to pause
you are doing on my premises at this
when he found himself facing two
hour of the night ? ’ ’
more men who had just entered.
“Oh, I just dropped in to have a
look at your wonderful observatory, ” “You score again, Professor,” he
said Terry easily. said philosophically, as he felt a rope
“Any other object?” being slipped over his shoulders,
“Yes.” Terry had dropped all pinioning his arms to his sides. ‘ ‘ But
pretense and was looking him straight I should be glad to be enlightened as
in the eyes. ‘ ‘ I came to find the man to the great idea underlying all this
who wants to be boss of the earth. ’ ’ stuff. ’ ’
The professor’s narrow shoulders Merrivale grinned venomously as
shook with noiseless mirth. he personally sawr to the security of
“And have you succeeded in find¬ the knots.
ing this most interesting personage ? ’ ’ “When an armedJintruder enters
he inquired blandly. the house of a citizen at midnight he
“You’ll read the answer in tomor¬ must be prepared to undergo a little
row’s Daily Wire,” said Terry rough usage,” he retorted. “As a
grimly. midnight housebreaker-”
Professor Merrivale slowly stroked “Housebreaker nothing,” snapped
his chin. Terry. ‘11 came in by the door. ’ ’
“Tomorrow . . . tomorrow. ...” The old man’s features twisted into
He repeated the words in a kind of a smile of studied incredulity.
dreamy abstraction. “A stickler for “Dear me, did you really? In that
verbal accuracy might reply that ‘to¬ case you will have a witness to verify
morrow’ never comes.” your statement?”
“It’ll come for you, all right,” Terry nodded, and the other went
Terry grinned cheerfully. on suavely.
“Correct, Mr. Hinton. Tomorrow “Possibly I may not be mistaken
will undoubtedly come—but you may in thinking that the witness is my
not live to see it! ” secretary, Miss Wexford? Ah, I
Merrivale snarled out the final thought so. Well, I will confront you
words with sudden vehemence, at the with her, so that you may see how
same time making a peculiar sign much—or how little—you may rely
with his hand. Instantly Terry was on her testimony to release you from
seized from behind by the servants the very embarrassing, and I fear
who had crept unheard into the room. also very dangerous, predicament into
Prom the very number of his assail¬ which you have fallen. ’ ’
ants he knew that an effective resist¬
ance was hopeless; yet he was not W ithout waiting for a reply, the
one to submit tamely. old professor hurried from the
His first move was certainly unex¬ room, leaving Terry considerably
pected. A fighting man’s instinct is mystified by his words. During the
 THE WORLD-WRECKER

wait which followed, his captors eyed “He being an armed robber, I
him in silence. Endowed with a brain would be quite justified in meeting
that was ever quick to react to his force with force ? ’ ’
surroundings, Terry fancied he could “Yes,” answered the girl.
detect in their lowering glances a re¬ “Even though it were necessary to
sentment far deeper than the average kill him ? ’ ’
servant would evince toward a bur¬ “Even though you killed him.”
glar, even one caught apparently red- Terry strove desperately to reject
handed. By far the most menacing the evidence of his own ears. Could
was the ruffian whose jaw had stopped this cold, inhuman, vengeful thing be
the young reporter’s uppercut. As the girl whose image had haunted him
he tenderly fingered his rapidly swell¬ day and night for the past fortnight ?
ing jowl he glared at his prisoner in Was she being impersonated by an¬
a manner that left no doubt in the other woman ? But his straining eyes
latter’s mind of his willingness to soon dispelled that ray of hope. The
demonstrate his resentment in an un¬ body, at least, was that of Alma Wex¬
pleasantly active form at the first ford. But her soul—merciful powers!
excuse. —what unbelievable change had
Presently the door opened and taken place in that?
Alma appeared, followed closely by Biit there was worse to come. Merri¬
Merrivale. Terry stared at the girl vale slipped his hand behind him,
in wonder as she slowly came toward and when he advanced it again it was
where he was seated in one of the holding an automatic pistol. Placing
chairs. Had he not been certain that the black muzzle to Terry's right
she was the same person with whom ear, the scientist again questioned
he had been dancing an hour or so Alma.
since, he could almost have persuaded “Is it your desire that I should
himself that a stranger stood before kill this spy?” he asked.
him. The form and features, it is A sudden spasm of ferocity dis¬
true, were those of the girl he loved; torted the beautiful face as she almost
but some subtle change seemed to hissed the answer:
have taken place. She was the same “Yes. Kill him! Kill him! Let
—yet not the same. Her expression the vile traitor die! ”
was different. There was a h'ardness Merrivale threw back his head and
about the now pale lips and a dull, laughed long but silently.
defiant stare in usually tender eyes. “You see, my friend, what mercy
Her movements seemed like those of you may expect from her, and how
an automaton actuated by another’s much her evidence is likely to bear
will. out any accusation you may level
Professor Merrivale took his stand against me. But I do not seek your
facing the girl, but behind Terry, and wretched life.” He slipped the pistol
began to speak: back into his pocket, and motioned his
“This man says that you were myrmidons to sever Terry’s bonds.
aware of his intention to come here. “You saved me once—I give you life
Is that true?’’ for life. I do not even ask for your
“It is not true.’’ assurance that you will not seek to
The slowly uttered words fell like harm • me in the future; the soaring
ice on Terry’s heart. eagle can afford to despise the crawl¬
‘' If he asserts that you let him into ing worm. You are free. Go—and
this house,” pursued the professor, look to it that I have no cause to re¬
“then he is a liar?” gret my clemency. ’ ’
“He is a liar,” came in the same Five minutes later, Terry Hinton,
toneless voice. his heart filled with a bitterness far
 WEIRD TALES

greater than that of the death he had eyes into the dun-colored waters of
so narrowly escaped, found himself the Thames.
stumbling homeward across Black- Not for a moment did he doubt that
heath in the gray dawn of the coming he had pierced the veil which hid the
day. identity of the man who was threat¬

I t was a very haggard-looking Terry

ening the world. Everything pointed
to Professor Merrivale. His wealth,
who ascended the staircase leading his scientific attainments, the callous,
to the reporters’ room of the Daily egoistic principles which he had so
Wire some hours later. Even the openly avowed—to say nothing of
bustling McBlair paused in his labors that second “proclamation” which
to comment on his unusual pallor. Terry had surprized him in the act of
‘1 Had a hectic night, Terry ? ’ ’ typing—all alike seemed to confirm
The young reporter nodded. the fact. But, though convinced him¬
self, Terry did not for an instant
“Tolerably so,” he sank his voice
dream that his flimsy evidence would
to a whisper, “considering that I
succeed in bringing the police author¬
spent part of it in the company of the
ities to his way of thinking. Most
future Autocrat of the World.”
probably his theory would be laughed
‘ ‘ The devil you did! ’ ’ News editors at; in which case he must rely on his
are not easily startled, but McBlair own endeavors to bring this scientific
was then. “Is there a story in it?” crook to justice.
“Yes, but you wouldn’t dare to And Alma—what sudden revul¬
print it—yet. I’d like to have a sion of feeling could account for the
couple of days off, if you’re agree¬ change in her? One moment filled
able, Mac.” with a feeling which was at least one
The canny Scot shot a shrewd look of warm friendliness toward him; the
from beneath his sandy brows. next, voicing a hatred, deep, im¬
“Private investigations, eh?” placable and deadly. What fiend had
“Something of that sort,” Terry entered into her during those brief
returned carelessly. moments when the professor had been
McBlair knew his man well enough alone with her? Was it possible that
to sense the dogged purpose that lay Merrivale had added hypnotism to his
beneath the seemingly indifferent very varied accomplishments?
words. A hoarse laugh at his elbow made
“You can take a week if you like.” him turn with a sudden start.
His freckled paw shot out and “Blimy, captin, still on the para¬
gripped that of Terry. “And I wish pet? A bit different to the one we
you good hunting, laddie, and a safe went over at Bois Grenair, eh? But
return. ’ ’ yer don’t ’ave ter keep yer blinkin’
It was but a few minutes’ walk ’ead dahn for whizz-bangs ’ere, thank
from the Wire office to New Scotland Gawd!”
Yard, but Terry Hinton was well Terry instantly recognized the man
enough acquainted with the routine as a good-humored young scamp who
of that great establishment to know at one time had been his batman in
that there was no necessity for haste, France, and as he noted the unshaven
for it would be a good half-hour face and ragged clothes his hand
before the First Commissioner arrived began instinctively to search his
at his office. Sauntering down to the pocket for some small change.
Embankment, he lit a cigarette and, “It’s Dawson, isn’t it?” he said,
leaning his elbows on the broad stone with a not unkindly smile.
parapet, allowed his mind to fall into “Dawson it is, sir. ‘Peg’ Dawson
a revery as he gazed with unseeing they used to call me, becos I always
 THE WORLD-WRECKER 629

was ‘on the peg’ for something or mistaking the eagerness in Peg’s
other. I’ve struck a patch of bad voice.
luck lately, captin. ’ ’ “Here's a retaining fee.” Terry
Terry already knew something slipped a note into his unwashed
about that bad luck. It concerned hand. “Be here in an hour’s time.”
an unattended limousine which Peg “It’s a deal,” said Peg. “But,
had been keeping in running order beggin’ yer pardon, captin, what’s the
for some weeks without informing nature of my future occupation ? ’ ’
its legal owner of the service he was “You’re going to be a crossbreed
rendering him. Terry made a mental between Sherlock Holmes and
calculation. Raffles,” was the answer that made
“You’re just out, then?” Peg stare. “But your chief job will
He did not specify “out of where,” be to keep your mouth shut as tightly
for in the lower stratum of society, as one of those-” He pointed to
no less than in the upper, there are the Egyptian sphinx-headed lions of
certain things which the naming in bronze which flank Cleopatra’s
plain language is not considered good Needle.
taste. Peg gazed after the retreating fig¬
“Yes, guv ’nor, out—and down. In ure of his new employer like a man
other words, down and out. I suppose trying to realize the impossible. He
you ’aven’t-” Then he stopped took out the note and crackled it to
and a slight redness appeared beneath make sure he was not dreaming;
his grime. then, without attempting to exchange
Terry liked him all the better for it for the liquid refreshment which he
his hesitation in asking for the assist¬ felt the occasion called for, he re¬
ance which he evidently so badly placed it in his pocket and sat down
needed. Dawson had not, been such to await his benefactor’s return.
a bad sort, he reflected; if his dis¬ “Peg, old boy, you’ve clicked,” he
tinction between meum and tuum confided to a flock of wheeling gulls
had been a trifle hazy, he at least overhead. “Shades of the company
possessed the merit of unwavering cook-sergeant! what a cushy job! I’m
fidelity toward those who employed to be a ‘Spinks’—a blinking sleuth-
him. In the picturesque metaphor of hound ‘Spinks’!”
the Orient, Peg was “faithful to his
salt,” whatever his other failings S ir Wilfred brendon, First Com¬
might be. missioner of Scotland Yard, was a
Then a thought struck Terry which handsome and extremely well-pre¬
caused his eyes to light up. Here, served man of about sixty years of
cast up at his very feet by some age. A soldier of no mean ability,
chance eddy in the great ocean of life, he had deserved well of his country
was a piece of human flotsam which by reason of the many victories—now
he could turn to good use. Shrewd, forgotten, or nearly so—by which he
not over-scrupulous in keeping the had consolidated the British Empire
strict letter of the law, possessing an in the East. That he was no less suc¬
entree to the underworld that might cessful as a diplomat than he had been
result in an accumulation of un¬ as a warrior was indicated by the
limited information—here was the tactful way in which he received the
very assistant Terry needed in his story Terry Hinton had to tell.
self-appointed task of unmasking “Have you ever seen a mirage?”
Merrivale. was his surprizing question when
“Are you game for a job?” he Terry had finished. “No? They’re
asked the man. things you see in the desert, yon
“Try me, captin!” There was no know—distortion of the heated atmos-
630 WEIRD TALES

phcre, and all that kind of thing. your Lordships that there is, in our
Very interesting—very. You’d swear opinion, no cause whatever for alarm.
that there was something there— Even if it be true that this highly
trees, a town, or what not. But hypothetical gas has been discovered,
when you tried to approach you’d find the preparations which would be
it was nothing — empty air — an necessary to enable a volume sufficient
illusion. ’ ’ to interfere with gravitation to be
Terry reached for his hat. manufactured would have to be on
“I see. But you don’t find mi¬ such a scale, and the gas itself re¬
rages on Blacklicath, Sir Wilfred. ’ ’ leased simultaneously over such a
“Of course not. I was merely in¬ wide area, that the activities of those
dulging in a little analogy. A mental engaged could hardly fail to escape
mirage, now, is a thing that can be notice. According to our findings,
as deceptive as the real thing.” many hundreds of such generating
Terry shook his head. bases would need to be in operation
“I won’t contradict you, because I at a given time, and their activities
don’t happen to have suffered from would have to be spread over an area
’em myself. But I take it that the of many thousands of miles. Such a
meaning of your bright little allegory task, in our opinion, is utterly beyond
is that you refuse to act ? ” the power of any body of men to ac¬
Sir Wilfred spread his hands with complish secretly. ...”
an expression of positive pain on his “It gives me great pleasure, gen¬
aristocratic features. tlemen,” said the chairman of the
“Not at all, my dear sir. We will West Atlantic Shipping Company at
act with the utmost promptness if you the board meeting held at the Cannon
will give us some tangible evidence Street Hotel, “in presenting the bal¬
to act on. What have you got against ance-sheet for the past half-year, to
this very distinguished scientist whom refer to a circumstance which has
you are so wildly accusing? Nothing made, or at any rate has contributed
—absolutely nothing. You must to make, the substantial and gratify¬
really be more careful before you level ing increase in our dividends. The
such charges against well-known peo¬ cost of bunker coal is, as you know,
ple like him. Why, I myself bad the one of the heaviest items of expendi¬
pleasure of dining with the dear old ture that any shipping company has
professor only the other week. I to face. In this respect, however, we
found him delightful company—such have been able to effect a great econ¬
a quick j>erception of humor. He omy. Hitherto the use of patent fuel
absolutely roared with merriment blocks has not been looked upon with
when I explained to him my reasons favor; but there has lately been
for thinking the Chinese insurgents placed on the market a line of patent
to be at the bottom of that threat to fuel which possesses all the merits of
end the world. ’ ’ the best Welsh steam coal at about
“Yes, he would,” said Terry short¬ one quarter of its cost. I refer, gen¬
ly, and took his leave. tlemen, to the article which has been
That same night Peg Dawson so widely advertised as ‘Floxton’s
entered on his new dut ies. Fuel Blocks.’ The report of our
engineer in chief was most enthusi¬
“... In conclusion, ’ ’ ran the report astic, and a trial run of one of our
of the select committee of scientists, vessels proved the matter beyond dis¬
which had been convened with the pute, Therefore we have entered into
object of assisting the government to a contract with the company for a
arrive at a correct estimation of the continuous supply to our numerous
threatened peril, “we !>eg to inform fleet of vessels, and by the beginning
 THE WORLD-WRECKER 631

of next month, I am pleased to say, looking car which had apparently

they will be burning nothing else. developed engine trouble, for the
Nor do we stand alone in this matter. liveried chauffeur had been tinkering
The Cnnard, White Star, and many with it for the past hour.
other large companies have followed “The usual, Peg,” said the tramp,
suit, which goes to prove that our stepping into the rear of the car,
step in adopting this patent fuel has which instantly leapt into motion and
been based on sound policy. Turning sped downhill in the wake of the one
to the question of new ships ...” which had emerged from the Towers.
At first there seems but little con¬ Before the main road had been
nection between the two statements reached, a remarkable change for the
recorded above, yet they were nothing better had taken place in the tramp’s
less than cause and effect. For the appearance. Stripping off his outer
master-mind behind the company who rags and peeling the beard from his
sold its wares so cheaply was Pro¬ face, he now appeared in a neat gray
fessor Merrivale, and the innocent- suit more in keeping with the vehicle
looking black cubes of ‘ ‘ Floxton’s in which he sat. Presently an observ¬
Fuel” contained the potential el¬ er, had there been one, would have
ements of the gas that was to wreck noticed that he was drawing his fin¬
the world. gers meditatively across his upper lip,
and then apparently coughing vio¬
T he modem reporter must neces¬ lently, holding his handkerchief be¬
sarily be something of a detective fore his face as he did so. When, a
as well as a coiner of telling phrases. moment later, he raised his face it
The gleaning of such items of news was adorned with a neat black mus¬
as Terry specialized in had not been tache.
a mere matter of recording the pro¬ Meanwhile Peg Dawson had rapid¬
ceedings of police courts, or of com¬ ly caught up with the car ahead,
piling lists of guests at fashionable though he knew his business far too
gatherings. Often in the past he had well to get close enough to attract the
been called upon to assume an iden¬ attention of whoever might be in it.
tity very different to his own, and Terry, as he noted the adroit manner
the success with which he was able to in which the ex-crook shadowed his
sustain his assumed character, in ap¬ quarry, was more than ever thankful
pearance, voice and gesture, he owed for the chance which had thrown him
in no small measure to his theatrical across his path.
experience. It would have needed a Reaching the crossroads at Green¬
very keen pair of eyes to have wich Church, the car turned east¬
recognized the disreputable tramp ward past the huge stone building on
lying asleep on Blaekheath as the the river bank, and a few minutes
smart young reporter of the Daily later was speeding down the broad in¬
Wire. clined avenue which slopes to the
Eleven o’clock had just chimed entrance of Blackwall Tunnel. For¬
from a neighboring church when tunately there was plenty of traffic
a gray car swung out of the through this artery which connects
gates of Tudor Towers and disap¬ the north and south banks of the
peared down the hill leading to Green¬ Thames, and Peg was able to keep the
wich. Instantly the tramp rose, gray car well in sight. But it was
yawned, stretched himself elaborately, far otherwise when Canning Town
and sauntered across the turf until was reached. Still bearing eastward,
he was hidden from sight by an angle the car plunged into a perfect laby¬
of the wall which encloses Green¬ rinth of the mean streets which abut
wich Park. Here stood a long, swift¬ on the Victoria Docks at Tidal Basin
 WEIRD TALES

an<j Custom House. Peg had stuck to a turn of the steering-wheel and came
his quarry manfully, yet there were so to a halt a few yards off.
many occasions when the car had been Glancing at the driver, Terry rec¬
out of sight in the narrow turnings, ognized the broad-chested ruffian
that both he and Tern' well knew that whom he had floored during the
their efforts had been vain. On a struggle at the Towers. His fleshy
dozen or more occasions there would features were creased in a grin as he
have been both time and opportunity held out a sealed envelope.
for a man to alight from the car anil “With the master’s compliments,”
slip down one of the narrow alleys he said.
which intersect the neighborhood. Keeping a wary eye on the fellow’s
It was with the feeling of pursuing movements, Terry advanced and took
a forlorn hope that they fell into the the missive.
wake of the gray car when it at last “I don’t think as how there’s any
emerged into the Victoria Dock Road answer,” said the man with another
again, making apparently for Wool¬ grin. He let in the clutch as he
wich. spoke, and the gray car rapidly made
“Artful devil!’’ grinned Peg in a off.
tone of involuntary admiration. ‘ ‘ See Glancing at the superscription,
his lay, sir? There’s no tunnel for Terry saw that it was addressed to
cars at -Woolwich—we’ll have to “Mr. Terence Hinton, Amateur De¬
cross by the steam ferry unless we tective. ’ ’ Inside was a sheet of paper
want to lose his trail, and he can bearing the typewritten message:
hardly help spotting us on the boat.” Hope you liked your joy-ride.
“Seems you’re right, Peg,” agreed
Terry. “But carry on. One way Terry smiled bitterly as lie read the
mocking words.
home is as good as another now.”
“Fooled again!” he muttered, and
Once more they crossed the Thames,
grasped the paper to tear it into
this time on the surface; then pur¬ pieces.
sued and pursuer headed westward.
‘1 Hold hard, sir! ” cried Peg, as he
“He’s fooled us all he wants, sir,” stood opposite. “There’s something
said Peg. ‘ ‘ And now he’s making for written on the back.
home.” Turning it over, Terry’s heart gave
When they had passed through a sudden bound as his eyes fell on
Charlton village Terry was forced to some words hastily scrawled in
admit himself beaten. He was just on pencil:
the point of ordering Peg to give up
S. 0. S. Floxton’a Factory, Bow.
the chase, when something happened
that seemed to indicate that there was It was the well-remembered hand¬
still a surprize in store for him. Just writing of Alma Wexford.
past the village is a small patch of
green, with the road running round it
on each side. The car, on reaching
A t 10 o’clock on the night of Sep¬
tember 30th, there was a dis¬
this, did not keep straight on, but, tinguished company gathered in the
making a complete circuit of the large, domed room which houses the
grassy plot, tore back along the road, great eighteen-inch reflecting tele¬
heading straight for Terry’s car. scope which is the pride of the Royal
“Look out, sir! The blighter’s Observatory, Greenwich. The Houses
going to ram us!” yelled Peg, jam¬ of Parliament had adjourned special¬
ming on his brakes and lugging a ly for the purpose of enabling those
spanner from his overcoat pocket. members of the government, who de¬
But the gray car avoided them with sired to do so, to witness the fulfil-
 THE WORLD-WRECKER

ment, or the confutation, of the threat What would you see then? You
which had been uttered by the self- would find that the whole row of
styled Autocrat of the World. posts was visible, because of the fact
There had been some half-hearted that you had—although to a very
attempts at jocularity when they had small extent considering the length
first met; but gradually a more sober of the row of posts—changed your
tone had crept into their conversa¬ position.
tion. Apart from the gravity of the “It is a similar observation that
matter which had brought them to¬ we are about to make now. In our
gether, there was a depressing atmos¬ case the man at the end of the posts
phere about the dimly lighted echoing represents the earth; the nearest post
room, with its weird shadows and is the planet Mars, which revolves
strange-looking instruments. around the sun in a known and cal¬
“I understand that the change— culable orbit as does our ovra planet;
provided, of course, any takes place— the furthermost post is a certain fixed
will be very gradual ? ’ ’ said the prime star. By celestial mathematics, and
minister as he thoughtfully filled his careful plotting of the orbit of Mars,
pipe. ‘1 How then are we to know if we know that at exactly thirteen min¬
we are—er—off the track ? ’ ’ utes past 11 o’clock lonight the fixed
The astronomer royal cleared his star should be occulted, or hidden, by
throat. He was a thin, middle-aged Mars. If that be so, then we shall
man with sandy-gray hair worn rath¬ know that the earth is occupying its
er long, and he seemed a little em¬ usual position in space. But if, on
barrassed by the eminent company the contrary, that fixed star is visible
gathered round. at thirteen minutes past 11, instead
“A detailed description of our of being hidden behind Mars, then
method of determining any change we shall know that one of the orbits
in the earth's orbit might be difficult has changed; and by making other
for the lay mind to grasp,” he said astronomical checks we shall know
with a nervous cough. ‘‘I think, whether it is our own orbit or the
however, I may be able to enlighten orbit of Mars that has been altered.”
you by means of a homely simile. You In the silence that followed, a si¬
will please imagine a row of any ob¬ lence so intense that the slow ticking
jects—let us say telegraph poles—ar¬ of the observatory clock could be dis¬
ranged in a perfectly straight line tinctly heard, he seated himself in the
for, say, a quarter of a mile. Stand¬ padded chair beneath the eyepiece of
ing at one end of the row, you would, the telescope and began to fumble
of course, only see one post, for the among the maze of winces and levers
others, if properly alined, would be which controlled the giant tube.
hidden behind it. The rest would be “And now . . . we shall see,” mur¬
eclipsed—or as we call it ‘occulted’ mured the prime minister. The flame
—by the first. Of course, the same of the match flickered as he lit his
thing would apply if there were only pipe.
two poles, one at each end of the line;
but, the more points, the more accu¬ P ass along, there. Pass along,
rate and simple the observation be¬ please! There's nothing to see.
comes. I think I have made my Pass along. ’ ’
meaning clear so far, gentlemen ? ’ ’ It takes mor ;. than a cosmic catas¬
“Quite—quite,” came the mur¬ trophe to upset the equanimity of the
mured chorus from the shadows. London policeman, and the squad
“Very well then. Now imagine which had been detailed to control the
yourself stepping three paces to the ever-growing crowd which had as¬
right (or, if you like, to the left). sembled in Trafalgar Square repeated
634 WEIRD TALES

their slogan with good-humored per¬ gasp of relief that issued simultane¬
sistence. ously from thousands of throats alone
“Move on, please. What are you showed how great the tension had
all waiting for?’’ been.
“Gam!” shrilled a voice from the “All clear, boys,” eried a voice,
crowd. “We’re waitin’ fer the hend imitating the tones of the familiar air¬
of the world to come, o ’ course. ’ ’ raid bugle. And, as though it had
“You go home and get your old been a pre-arranged signal, a mighty
man’s supper, or it’ll come quicker cheer rose which reached the myriad
than you think for, missus! ’ ’ returned watchers round St. Paul’s Cathedral,
the policeman with a laugh. “Pass who sent it back again and again,
along. Pass along. ’ ’ until the whole city seemed as though
When 11 o’clock chimed from the it were thundering forth a triumph¬
tower of Big Ben the authorities gave ant paean of joy.
up all hope of keeping a path through Then the crowds dispersed, laugh¬
the crowd, and the traffic was divert¬ ing as though they had been enjoying
ed. The low hum which rose from a jest that was all the more piquant
the crowd was punctuated by the by its being spiced with threatened
hoarse cries of the newsboys selling a tragedy.
special edition of the Wire on the out¬
skirts of the square, and the strains of
the band of the revivalist meeting
B ut there was no laughter in the
eyes of the group of men gathered
which was being held somewhere in the darkened room of the observa¬
down Northumberland Avenue. Every tory. The ticking of the clock sounded
now and again the voice of a preacher louder than ever as they watched the
could be heard from the direction of astronomer royal rise from his chair
the steps of St. Martin’s Church, call¬ and calmly snap on the cap of the
ing upon his hearers to prepare them¬ eyepiece of the great telescope.
selves for the judgment to come.
“Well?”
As the three-quarters boomed out
on the night, it was greeted with a It was the prime minister who
asked the question, though the voice
faint, ironical cheer.
was very unlike those ringing tones
“Another quarter of an hour to
that had so often held the House
live,” cried some wit from the press.
spellbound.
“Anyone like to oblige me with a fag,
to ’ave me final smoke ? ’ ’ The astronomer shrugged slightly.
As the minutes dragged on, the “The threat was not an idle one,
laughter and jests gradually ceased. gentlemen, ’ ’ he said. ‘ ‘ Our earth has
Scoffing and incredulou s as they were been deflected from its course. ’ ’
for the most part, the vague appre¬ Someone clutched him by the arm.
hension of what, untold possibilities It was young Lord Heronwood, who
might lie in the next few seconds had just succeeded to his title. His
was sufficient to sober the most reck¬ face was ashy, for he was a man for
less. A sudden hush fell upon the whom a great and illustrious future
crowded Square as the first chimes had been predicted.
of midnight began to sound. “Rot!” he cried roughly. “You
“Extra! End-of-1 lie-world edi¬ are mistaken—you must be! ”
tion!” chanted the distant newsboys. The astronomer shook his head.
* * Eternity! Eternity! ’ ’ came from “Men may lie, but the stars can
the steps of the church. not. Where Mars should have ap¬
Slowly the last vibrations of the peared alone, there is now showing
twelfth stroke died away. ... beside it the fixed star which should
Nothing happened, and the great have been hidden behind the planet.
 THE WORLD-WRECKER

That means that we are every second that it is our own planet, and not
rushing farther into space. Of course Mars, that is leaving the solar sys¬
there is the faint chance that it may tem. ’ ’
be Mars instead of our earth which is Heronwood’s grip grew even
deflected; but in view of the threats tighter.
made by the self-styled Autocrat of “My God! That means-”
the World, there can be little doubt ‘ ‘ Humanity is doomed! ’ ’

The fate of the World-Wrecker and the result of his plot will be
told next month in the concluding chapters of this story

The Witch Girl

By A. LESLIE
They say a leprechaun walked in,
The day that I was bom,
And touched me on the forehead
With a green and pointed thorn;
They say three bats flew through the door
And fluttered out again—
An owl thrice hooted to the sun,
A wolf howled in the fen.

I do not know these things are true,

But I know that I have seen
White shapes flit through the moonmist
With little men in green;
I’ve heard the ghostly Harpers
Make music in the night;
The fretted fires of Mora
Have bathed me in their light.
I know my face is strangely white,
My lips are strangely red;
I know my hair coils coldly black
Like snakes upon my head;
I know my childhood playmates
Were the adder and the frog;
I may not tell of things I’ve seen
Within the lonely bog.

Oh, once I had a lover

Whose hair was like the sun;
Yes, once I had a lover,
But only—only—one!
He kissed me when the stars were white;
He harkened to my croon:
And then my arms were empty,
 Jhe GIRLS''0”7
by C

pmce

“You are lovelier now than you were then, by

that fountain in a garden near Samarcand.”

A HER guest set the dainty bone

china cup on the onyx-topped,
silken witcheries from the looms of
Kashan. Diane saw the wonder per¬
teak tabouret and sank hack meate her friend’s soul and heard it
among the embroidered cushions, surge into words.
Diane knew to the syllable the words ‘1 The rugs ? Why—well, I married
which were to filter forth with the them along with Ham, you might say.
next breath of smoke; for three years Yes, they are rather pretty, aren’t
as Hammersmith Clarke’s wife had they? But they’re an awful pest at
convinced her that that remark was times-”
inevitable. “Naturally,” agreed Louise, who
“My dear, where did you ever get lived in a loft in the Pontalba Build¬
those perfectly gorgeous rugs ? ’ ’ ing, where she could look down into
And Diane, true to form, smiled the Plaza where Jackson reins in his
ever so faintly, and luxuriated in the brazen horse and lifts his brazen hat
suspicion of a yawn: the ennui of in salutation to the French Quarter of
an odalisk hardened to the magnif¬ New Orleans. “You simply couldn’t
icence of a seraglio carpeted with an let the maid clean-”
ancient Feraghan rug, and hung with “Maid? Lord help us, but I daren’t
 THE GIRL FROM SAMARCAND 637

touch them myself! I tried it, once. the closely worn nap of the Feraghan
That heaven-sent prayer-rug”—Diane carpet.
indicated an ancient Ghiordes, a sea- “Look at it! Just a rug, the first
green splendor worth more than his time. But live with it day after day.
right eye to any collector—“looked a See the witchery sparkling in it at
bit dingy. And Ham caught me at it. sunset. Catch yourself losing your¬
What was left of my hair just fell self in the thrill of its three hundred
short of a close shingle. Do you know, years, wondering that all the ecstasy
one day I caught him filling the bath¬ ever lost in the entire world could be
tub with milk-’ ’ imprisoned in a rug. Then see your
“What?” one and only and otherwise adequate
“Precisely. Seems some expert husband sitting of an evening, hours
claimed a milk bath improves the at a stretch, staring at it and dream¬
luster. So the little Bokhara—that ing of all the richness and glamor he’s
blood-red creature beneath your feet lost through becoming civilized, learn¬
—got a treatment fit for a Circassian ing to wear shoes, and having only
beauty. I’m just waiting for him to one woman, and she his wife, about
bring home a duster of bira-of-para- the house. Yes, I called you up to
dise plumes for this venerable wreck. ’ ’ have you listen to me get the indigna¬
tion out of my soul. The truth of it
Diane stroked what was left of the
is, Lou, that if I don’t get out of this
peachblow, sapphire and gold nap of
atmosphere soon, I’ll go utterly mad.
an age-old Senna woven on a silken
Some day I’m going to move in on
warp.
you in your attic—anything to get
“The truth of it is,” continued
away from all this!”
Diane, “I feel guilty of bigamy. The
man was married to his rugs long be¬ “Do you mean to say,” began
fore he ever met me. ’Member how we Louise with wide-spaced deliberation,
speculated on the pros and cons of “that you’d actually leave Ham be¬
polygamy the other day at Amaud’s? cause he likes to mess and poke
Well, here I am, one lone woman com¬ aroimd with his rugs, and spend most
peting with a dozen odd favorites, and of his waking moments talking about
a new rival added to the harem every them? Honestly, now-”
so often.” “Good Lord, I could stand his
‘ ‘ Good lord, Diane, what next! You talking about them. But” — Diane
are unique. Why, one would think shuddered—‘ ‘ Lou, he loves them. Sits
you were jealous of them. ’ ’ there, transfigured, like a saint con¬
“Well, I am!” templating the dewdrop glistening in
“Outlandish as that fantastic hus¬ the lotus cup. ’ ’
band of yours. I don’t know which is “When I suggested, over at the
the more outre, his mania for these Iran Gate, that you move in with me,
beautiful things with the impossible I didn’t know that you were married
names, or your—heavens above, it —they all called you la belle Livau-
does' really seem like resentment daise, and you were the life of every¬
against them. Now, if you’d married thing—and least of all, I never sus¬
Peter”—Louise laughed metallically pected anyone had you enshrined in
—“he’d never have given you time to magnificence like this. Better think
be jealous of a rug.” it over, Di—I’ve been through the
“That’s just it,” flared Diane. “I mill, and I know.”
could forgive flirtations and black
eyes, and a reasonable degree of non¬ D iane from the first had been fas¬
support. But these damned rugs— cinated by the exotic atmosphere
look at that! ’ ’ in which Clarke had planted her after
Diane dug her cobraskin toe into their marriage; but in the end, seeing
 WEIRD TALES

how they had become a part of him, the end really did happen to Ham¬
she half consciously hated them and mersmith Clarke. For, naturally
their everlasting song of Bokhara and enough, neither she nor anyone else
Herat of the Hundred Gardens: an saw or heard the Yellow Girl; that is,
unheard song to which Clarke listened, no one but Clarke: and he saw and
and replied in unspoken syllables. heard too much.
And thus it was that Diane learned Had she suspected—but she couldn’t
that to live in Clarke’s apartment have. For who would imagine Fate
would be to become an accessory to riding to the crossroads in a truck of
those precious fabrics that were his the American Express Company? It
hard-ridden hobby; for no woman just isn’t done; not until one looks
would fit into the dim, smoky shadows back and sees that it could have hap¬
of that titled salon unless bejeweled pened in no other wav.
and diaphanously veiled she could
But unheard-of things happen in
dance with curious paces and gestures
Turkestan; and while one may pause
beneath the sullen glow of the great
for an evening’s glamor beside some
brazen mosque lamp as became the
moon-kissed fountain in the valley of
favorite of a khan in far-off Tartary.
Zarab-shan, and then march on, for¬
From the very beginning, Diane
getting, there is that which does not
fought to keep her individuality un¬
forget, being undying and everlast¬
tainted by the overwhelming person¬
ing ; so that though forgotten, it
ality of those damnably lovely fabrics
reaches forth across time and space,
from Shiraz and the dusty plains of
not only clinging to the pile of a rug
Feraghan.
from Samarcand, but resorting even
And Diane was right; for they to express trucks to carry it the last
dreamed, those old weavers, of the step toward capturing the forgetful
roses of Kirman, of the evening star one. . . .
that danced on the crest of Mount
All this Diane knew without know¬
Zagros, of dancing girls in the gar¬
ing why she knew: and it seemed so
dens of Naishapur, of fountains that
reasonable that there was nothing in¬
sprayed mistily in the moonlit valley
congruous in shuddering and saying
of Zarab-shan; and all this they wove
as she often had, “I’m afraid of the
into what we now learn to catalogue
damned things. ...”
as Sixteenth Century Persian, or
whatever our best guess may be. Into
s the" door clicked behind the
his masterwork the weaver wove his
departing expressman, Clarke
soul; so that whoever lives with one of
clipped the leaden seals of the cylin¬
those imperishable sorceries that come
drical bale, cut its stitching, and
out of the East must in the end feel
thrilled at the thought of the rug he
its presence unless he be somewhat
was about to unwrap; for the bale
duller than the very wood of the loom
was from Siraganian of New York,
on which it was woven.
who by dint of persistent reaching
Look upon wine as often as you into the East must finally have suc¬
wish, but beware of a Bokhara when ceeded in executing Clarke’s impos¬
it is red—red as the blood of slaughter sible order.
—red as the embers of a plundered A tawny, golden silkiness smiled
city—a redness charged with the from the gaping burlap sheath.
quartered octagons of Turkestan—for Just a glimpse of that wonder in
in the end you will become enslaved to buff and cream, with its lotus-bud
the silky splendor that once graced border, and frets and meanders in
the tent floor of a Tekke prince. . . . blue and coral and peach, told Clarke
Diane was right; though Diane that this of all things was as far as
never suspected, even dimly, what in possible from what he had ordered
 THE GIRL FROM SAMARCAND 639

Siraganian to get, cost what it might. “Eglier an Turki bedest ared dili
For in place of Persian intricacies in mar a,” muttered Clarke, forgetting
deep wine reds and solemn green, all but the glamorous perils that had
florid magnificence that Ispahan had lured him far into lost cities and high
given to the world before the splendor adventure. Hafiz was right.
died, Clarke was confronted by an And for a moment the rug from
ancient rug from Samarcand—silken Samarcand, its five by seven feet of
Samarcand in the valley of Zarab- tawny, silken perfection putting to
shan — thick-napped and luxurious, confusion the priceless Feraghan on
mysterious with its Mongolian cloud which it had been unrolled, gleamed
bands and asymmetrical comer pieces, unregarded as Clarke’s mind whirled
bats and dragons, and five-medal- to the sonorous accent with which the
lioned firmaments of blue that could divine Hafiz had enslaved the East
come from none but the vats of Turk¬ and its savage conquerors.
estan.
“Eghcr an Turki-”
“Good God! It’s silk!” marveled
Strange, how after all this time one
Clarke as he stroked the lustrous pile.
would remember. It must be that one
“Silk, and by the Rod, on a linen
could never quite forget.
warp! ’ ’
The telephone rang; but Clarke ig¬
He wondered how Siraganian could
nored it until the jangling became too
have made that incredible mistake,
insistent, when he muffled the bell
sending him such a rug in place of
with several towels and a small cush¬
what lie had ordered. If it were a
ion.
case of sending something just as
good—an unheard-of procedure with “Too bad,” he apologized, as he
that Armenian merchant-prince—he took the cord from his lounge robe
certainly had been crafty enough, for and completed the throttling of the
no connoisseur who once touched that almost stifled annoyance, “but I
rich pile, whose eyes were once daz¬ simply can’t be disturbed. ’ ’
zled by those insinuant colors, whose In which he was wrong: for to con¬
senses were stricken by the sorcery of template that wonder from Samar¬
cabalistical designs, could ever return cand was more disturbing than any
it and say that he had ordered some¬ voice that could creep in over the
thing else. Rather would he thank wire. He fingered the rings of dull,
Siraganian for his error. hand-hammered gold that were sewed
A silk pile on a warp of blue linen, to one of the selvaged sides; he won¬
and woven in the days when Persian dered what palace wall had been en¬
Hafiz was called to account by that riched by that precious fabric—and
fierce Mongol for a verse wherein the with it all came the knowledge that
poet bartered the prince’s favorite that very rug had been a part of his
cities, Samarcand and Bokhara, for own past. The life that had been
the smile of a Turki dancing girl, and knotted into its pile and the sorcery
the mole on her left breast: unbeliev¬ that had been woven into its pattern
able fortune had sent him this incred¬ were speaking to one of Clarke’s for¬
ible rug. gotten selves. Yet he was certain
And then Clarke’s wondering, tri¬ that he had never before seen it; for
umphant eyes clouded as he thought one could never have forgotten such
of a girl beside whom Samarcand and as this, though seen but for an in¬
Bokhara were but the tinkle of brazen stant. Truly, the rug was a stranger,
anklets—a very long time ago, when but the presence that accompanied it
there was no Diane, when Clarke pur¬ was demanding recognition.
sued rugs for that same Siraganian In the meanwhile, Diane tired of
who gow sought them for Clarke. hearing the operator’s “They don’t
 WEIRD TALES

answer, ’ ’ and abandoned her efforts to on its way into the unknown stretches
remind Clarke of an engagement. of Chinese Turkestan; but his ac¬
“I wonder,” she mused, as she quaintance with the colonel was
finally set aside the useless telephone, slight, and he had no friend in the
“what deviltry my bien aime is devis¬ colonel’s train. And what obscure
ing. ’ ’ acquaintance of the “wish you were
here” postal-card banality would
And then she sought the rendez¬
send a rag which in the old days
vous unattended, and made the cus¬
served as a gift from one prince to
tomary apologies for Clarke’s unac¬
another?
countable absence.
Diane’s arrival cut the thread of
He might have retreated into that
fancy.
dusky inner kingdom which from the
very beginning he had held against ‘ ‘ Oh, Ham, but it is gorgeous, ’ ’ en¬
Diane — a silence into which he thused la belle Livaudaise as she en¬
plunged unaccompanied, not lacking tered the roseate duskiness of Clarke’s
appreciative company, but rather lov¬ studio. And to herself, “Another
ing solitude and electing seclusion rival. . . . ”
rather than the sharing of the fancies Then she rehearsed the excuses she
that twisted and the thoughts that had offered for Ham’s absence, and
writhed in his strange brain. hoped he’d absent-mindedly contra¬
As Diane made her well-rehearsed dict her the first time he deigned to
apologies and frothed behind her vi¬ speak for himself. That done, one
vacious mask, Clarke noted the manila must consider the latest addition to
envelope that was fastened to the web the seraglio.
of the rug from Samarcand, and'ad¬ Clarke detailed the story of the rug
dressed to him: a lettei*, doubtless and its riddle.
from Siraganian. “But who in the world would send
“We regret,” wrote the Armenian, you such a gift, ’ ’ wondered Diane.
* * that thus far we have had no success
“Exactly no one, tres chere.”
in finding at any cost a rug of the
weave you ordered. However, we take “Unless,” Diane pointed out, “it
pleasure in forwarding you this rug might be one of your lost loves in
which a caravan stopping at Meshed those Asiatic playgrounds you’ve
left with our agent in that city with never entirely left. ’ ’
instructions to forward it to our New Clarke laughed, but his derision
York office and thence to you. We was unconvincing, and Diane knew
are pleased that your agent saw fit to that he had been deep in the black¬
Use our facilities for forwarding it to nesses of Asian nights; knew that her
you, and wish to congratulate you ou arrival had been an intrusion, that he
having obtained such a priceless speci¬ was but a friendly stranger, babbling
men. Should you at any time care to to her, a friendly stranger, of loveli¬
dispose of it, he so kind as to give us ness whose intoxication forced him to
an option on it, for we are in a posi¬ speak of it to anyone, even her.
tion to offer you a better price than The others were bad enough, with
any dealer or collector in the United their everlasting song of Bokhara,
States. ...” and Herat of the Hundred Gardens—
The rug itself was improbable an unheard song to which Clarke lis¬
enough—but Siraganian’s letter! An tened, and replied in unspoken syl¬
insoluble riddle. It couldn’t be a jest. lables; they were bad enough, they,
Then who-? and those monstrous fancies which at
True enough, Colonel Merbere’s ex¬ times he smilingly expressed with de¬
pedition must have passed through liberate vagueness, but this yellow
Samarcand, Yarkand, and Kashgar witch from Samarcand-
 THE GIRL FROM SAM ARC AND 641

D iane knew that more than a rug

had emerged from that bale whose
you’ve acted like a model for a pet¬
rified forest. Ever since that yellow
burlap winding-sheet still littered the beast-' ’
floor. “Yellow beast?”
At last it seemed that she was in¬ “Exactly! That damned rug is
truding on a tete-a-tete, eavesdrop¬ driving me crazy-”
ping on a monologue; so that when “Is, or has driven?” suggested
Clarke would emerge from his rever¬ Clarke.
ies, Diane resented the inevitable “Lies there like a beast of prey
thought that, he was robbing himself just ready to wake. And you sit
to keej) her company. But patience there, night after night, staring at it
reaches its limit, finally. . . . until you fall asleep in your chair.
She saw it, one night, twinkle and Does it go, or do I ? ”
smile through a lustrous haze that “What do you want me to do?
played over its surface, smile the slow, Throw it away?”
curved smile of a carmine-lipped “I don’t care what you do with it.
woman through the veils of her mys¬ Only I won’t stay in the house with
tery; saw Clarke sitting there, eyes it. It gives me the creeps. You’ve
shearing the veil and half smiling in said entirely too much in your sleep
return, a devotee in the ecstatic con¬ lately—first yellow rugs, and now it’s
templation of a goddess shrouded in a yellow girl. I’m through!”
altar fumes. . . . Clarke’s brows rose in Saracenic
“Ilam!” arches. And then he smiled with sur¬
“Yes,” answered Clarke’s lips. He prizing friendliness and a touch of
had now perfected the trick of having wonder.
his body act as his proxy. “Di, why didn’t you tell me soon¬
“Are you taking me to that show er? I could understand your craving
tonight?” alligator pears at 3 in the morning—I
“What show?” Clarke the simu¬ might have understood that, but hat¬
lacrum stirred lazily in the depths ing a rug is really a new one on
of the cushion-heaped lounge. “The
truth of it is, my dear, ’ ’ he resumed “No, stupid, it’s nothing like that!
after a pause during which some mem¬ I just hate the damned thing, and no
ory of the proposed entertainment more to be said.”
must have returned, “truth of it is “Well, lacking the infallible alibi”
I’m awfully busy tonight-” —Clarke glared and assumed his
“Busy sitting there staring at noth¬ fighting face—“if you mean I choose
ing and sipping Pernod!” flared Di¬ between you and the rug, I’ll call a
ane, the wrath of months flashing taxi right now.”
forth. Then, as she saw Clarke settle “Don’t bother. I’ll walk.”
back into the depths: “Listen, once The door slammed.
for all: this nonsense has lasted too Clarke twisted his mustache, and
long. I might as well have married a achieved a laugh; not merry, but still
mummy! Either get that tiling out a laugh. And then he sank back
of the house, or I’ll leave you to your among the cushions.
pious meditations indefinitely-” “Yellow Girl, I thought you were
“What? Good Lord, Diane, what’s fantastic. ...”
this ? ’ ’
“You heard me. You used to be e vieux carre wondered when the
half human, but now you’re utterly next morning it was rumored that
impossible. And if you can’t show la belle Livaudaise had been seen
me a little attention, I’m leaving here hurrying down Saint Peter Street
and now. For the past many weeks without speaking to any one of the
642 WEIRD TALES

several acquaintances she had met; Diane resisted the temptation to use
but when at the Green Shutter and her key and stage a scene that even in
the Old Quarter Bookstore it was an¬ the imperturbable Vieux Carre would
nounced that Diane was living in a be sensational for at least a week.
loft of the Pontalba Building, wonder Then her pride conquered, and she
ceased. For Diane's friend Louise
achieved a most credible smile of dis¬
had been no less garrulous than she dain.
should have been, so that the habitues
of the French Quarter were prepared “Sly devil, pretending it was a rug
for the news. he was so absorbed in. . . . ”
And then it was said that to gain And, since it was but an amorous
admittance to Clarke’s studio one escapade, Diane’s unbelievable* spec¬
must know the code of taps whereby ulations were replaced by thoughts
someone who at times left a certain reasonable enough not to be terrify¬
side door bearing bottles of Pernod ing.
announced his arrival; for Clarke an¬
swered neither doorbell nor telephone. '"pHAT very night, Clarke was sitting
The vendor of Pernod was certainly a cross-legged on the floor of his
discreet person; yet even a discreet studio, full under the red glow of a
seller of absinthe could see no harm in tall bronze mosque lamp. Before him,
mentioning that his patron found shimmering in the moonlight that
enormous fascination in watching the streamed in through the French win¬
play of sunlight and the dance of dows, lay the rug from Samarcand,
moonbeams on the golden buff pile of mysterious and golden, with its pale
a rug that was more a sleeping, sapphire corner pieces glittering like
breathing creature than any sane a distant sea viewed through a cleft
child of the loom. between two mountain crests.
Finally the courier failed to gain All the witchery and ecstasy that
admittance, despite his tapping in had ever been lost in the entire world
code. And this he thought worthy of were reassembled, pulsing in the silk¬
Diane’s ear. en pile which he contemplated. And
“He starves himself, petite—since this was the night; the Night of Pow¬
three days now he has not admitted er, when Fate stalked through the
me. All the while she lies there, corridors of the world like a colossus
gleaming in the moon, that awful rug just risen from an age-old throne of
—mordieu, it is terrible. . . . ’ ’ granite, resistless and unconquerable.
Diane had stedfastly denied that Clarke had spent so many nights and
which had been clamoring for recog¬ days of staring that it was inevitable
nition. But when this last bit was that there must be such a night. He
added to what had gone before, logic saw more than the wonder before
gave way, and Diane’s fears asserted him: in place of the marvel woven by
themselves. That rug was haunted, was deft, forgotten hands, there gleamed
bewitched, was bedevilling Clarke; enchantinglv as through moon-
logic or no logic, the fact was plain. touched mist a garden in the valley
Driven by that monstrous thought, of Zarab-shan.
Diane exhumed the little golden key¬ Then came a faint, oddly accented
ring and started up Royal Street, de¬ drumming and piping, music to whose
termined to cross the barrier before it tune dead years reassembled their
became impassable. But her determi¬ bones and danced forth from their
nation wavered; and before fitting the graves. And their ghosts as they danced
well worn key into the lock, she ap¬ exhaled an overwhelming sweetness
plied her ear to the keyhole, listened, that made Clarke’s brain reel and
and heard Clarke’s voice. glow, and his blood surge madly in
 THE GIRL FROM SAMARCAND 643

anticipation of that which he knew dreds of years before you and I were
must follow. bom-”
Then out of the blackness just be¬ “Before the last time we were
yond the range of the ruddy mosque born,” corrected the Yellow Girl.
lamp and full into the moonlight ‘ ‘ But the first time—at least, the first
that marched slowly across the rug time that I can recollect—the barred
came a slim Yellow Girl, diaphanous- windows of a prince’s palace failed to
ly garbed and veiled. Her anklets keep you from me. And eunuchs
clicked faintly; and very faint was with crescent-bladed simitars likewise
the tinkle of the pendant that adorned failed. But in the end—why must
her unusual coiffure. all loveliness have an end?—a bow¬
“All these many days I have sought string for me, and a swordstroke for
you, my lord,” she began, as she ex¬ you. ...”
tended her arms in welcome. ‘ ‘ But in The Yellow Girl shuddered as she
vain, until tonight, when at last I stroked her smooth throat with fin¬
parted the veil and crossed the Bor¬ gers that sought to wipe off the last
der.” lingering memory of a cord of hard-
Clarke nodded understandingly, and spun silk.
looked full into her dark, faintly “And from the first,” continued
slanted eyes. the girl, “I knew what our doom
“And I have been thinking of would be. So I started weaving, and
you,” he began, “ever since someone completed my task before they sus¬
sent me this rug on which you stand. pected us and the bowstring did its
It is strange how this rug could work. My soul, my self, being woven
bridge the gap of twenty years and cunningly and curiously into silk rich
bring into my very house a glimpse of enough to hang on the wall of the
the valley of Zarab-shan. And stran¬ khan’s palace, waited patiently and
ger yet that you could escape from wondered whether you and I could
your father’s house and find me here. have our day again. Thus it was in
Though strangest of all, time has not the beginning-”
touched you, when by all reason you “Ah . . . now it does come back
should be old, and leathery, and past to me,” interrupted Clarke, “as in a
forty. . . . Yet you are lovelier now dream dimly remembered. How com¬
than you were then, by that fountain pactly and stiflingly they would wrap
in a garden near Samarcand. ’ ’ me in a bale of silk and carry me past
“It is not strange,” contradicted the guards and into your presence.
the Yellow Girl, as she pirouetted And by what devious routes I would
with dainty feet across the moon- leave you . . . yes, and how pain¬
lapped silk. ‘ ‘ For you see me now as lessly swift is the stroke of a sim¬
I was when I wove my soul into this itar. ...”
very rug. ’ ’ The Yellow Girl shuddered.
Clarke smiled incredulously: which “A simitar truly wielded is really
was illogical enough, since, compared nothing, after all,” continued Clarke.
with the girl’s presence, nothing else ‘ ‘ I might have been sawn asunder be¬
should be incredible. tween planks. . . . Well, and that
“How can that be, Yellow Girl, see¬ meeting in the garden these short
ing that we two met one evening twen¬ twenty years ago was after all not our
ty years ago, whereas this rug was first ... it seems that I knew then
woven when the Great Khan sat en¬ that it was not the first. Though but
throned in Samarcand and reproved for an evening-”
the Persian Hafiz for his careless dis¬ “Yes. Just for an evening. So to
posal of the Great Khan’s favorite what end were we spared bowstrings
cities. This was the joy of kings hun¬ and the stroke of swift simitars, since
644 WEIRD TALES

we had but an evening?” And think¬ ing and less than nothing; and all has
ing of the empty years of luxurious been a dream since that one night in a
imprisonment that followed, she garden of Zarab-shan. ’ ’
smiled somberly. ‘ ‘ For only an even¬ Very little remained of the moon
ing. And then you forgot, until this patch. The Yellow Girl stepped a
rug—this same rug I wove centuries tiny pace forward, to prolong her stay
ago—interrupted your pleasant ad¬ yet another few moments. All but
venturing, and reminded you. the moonlit strip of the rag from
“Death stared me in the face. The Samarcand glowed bloodily in the
end of life more vainly lived than the flare of the brazen mosque lamp.
first. I knew that I was leaving this “No, forgetful lover,” chided the
avatar after having lived but one Yellow Girl, “I can not return. I
stolen evening. So I sent a trusted can not cross the Border again. In
servant to carry1 this very rug to Samarcand, eight hundred years ago
Meshed. For when we met in the we mocked for a while the doom that
garden, you were hunting rugs for hung over us, and in the end called
him who now seeks them for your de¬ the bowstring but a caress of farewell.
light. And I knew that he would find Again, in the garden of Zarab-shan
you if you still lived. Thus it is that we met, we parted, and you forgot:
I have crossed the Border, and stand so this time I take no chances. While
before you as I did once before—this I can not return, you at least can
time on that very rug which I wove follow me ... if you will . . . for
centuries ago, while living in hope of it is very easy. ...”
another meeting and in dread of the She edged along the ever narrowing
bowstring I knew would in the end strip of moon-bathed silk, and with an
find me. ’ ’ embracing gesture, lured Clarke to
The moon patch had marched to¬ rise and follow her.
ward the end of the rug from Sam- “It is so easy . . . move light¬
arcand, and was cutting into the blue ly .. . but be careful not to disturb
web at its end. Clarke knew that your body or overbalance it. . . . ”
when there remained no more room Had Diane not turned away from
for her tiny feet, she would vanish, the door; were she hot even now
not ever to reappear. But Clarke strolling insoueiantly down Royal
hoped against knowledge. Street-
“Yellow Girl,” he entreated, “my “Yellow Girl, you and I have had
door will be barred to friend and enough of farewells! ’ ’
acquaintance alike, if you will but Something left Clarke, tottered
return on whatever nights the moon perilously on the two handbreadtlis of
creeps across our rug. ...” moonlight that remained, then caught
Had Diane, listening at the door, the Yellow Girl by the hand and took
understood, she would have used her the lead.
key. But Diane merely heard: The blue web of the rug from
“And I shall wait for these nights Samarcand gleamed for another mo¬
as long as life remains in me. For all ment in the moonlight, then sweltered
that has happened since then is, noth¬ in the red glow of the mosque lamp.
“T ISTEN!” and lifted him into the car, where he
I I caught, at tlie chief’s arm. sagged down on the rear seat, breath¬
M—J Faintly, but unmistakably, ing heavily. Indistinct words tum¬
across the field came the terror-laden bled from his lips; then plainly came:
scream of a man. The chief tensed to ‘ ‘ Chief!—The Th ing!-—Murdered!—
listen, then reached over and touched Don ’t let it-’’ The man groaned,
the driver of the big police car on the and lapsed into unconsciousness.
shoulder. The chauffeur cautiously The chief, startled at the delirious
applied the brakes; we skidded slight¬ mention of his own title, hastily
ly, and stopped. wiped the mud and water from the
Peering through the driving rain, man’s face, while I held a flashlight.
we strained our eyes across the Surprized recognition forced the ex¬
snow-covered field at the left of the clamation, “Frankie the Frown!”
lonely country road. Presently we Then, to me: “Doctor, this man is a
discerned a dark figure, running, notorious thief. Sounds as though he
stumbling through the slush. He lias information of importance to us.
scrambled over the rail fence a little Any chance of his reviving soon?”
ahead of us, and started down the I made a hasty examination, and
road, his flying, frightened form suggested, “We had better get him to
plainly illuminated by our glaring my office as quickly as possible,
headlights. He slipped, fell, then lay Chief. I am afraid he will need care¬
inert. ful attention.”
In a moment we were beside him, Turning to the chauffeur, the chief
645
646 WEIRD TALES

feaid quietly, “All right, Jim," and hysterical criminal known to the
the car leapt forward toward the city police as Frankie the Frown entered
through the pelting rain. my experiences. In the car with us,
beside the officer driving, w as McDon¬
TTad I the faintest belief that there ald, as likable, intrepid and typical a
is another mind in the country reporter as ever wielded a pencil. He
capable of reproducing the terrible was favored above all others by the
experiment of which I am about to chief, and few' indeed were the in¬
write, I would secretly carry my vestigations in which he did not assist
knowledge of it to the grave. Fur¬ us. On this particular night, we were,
thermore, after reading of the tragic although as yet mercifully unaware of
results of that experiment, no one it, to meet the most incredible and
but a fool would even attempt it. And terrifying adventure of our lives.
now that my companions in that
night’s strange adventure are dead, A rriving at my office, we removed
our unspoken covenant of silence is the still unconscious Frankie from
broken, and I am at liberty to tell of the car and laid him on a couch in the
the most amazing experiment the wrarm room. I set to work with stim¬
mind of man ever conceived. ulants and restoratives, after remov¬
My relations with the police, and ing part of his wet clothing. He had
particularly the detective department, been without hat or overcoat, and was
of which Chief Mandell was the ef¬ chilled through and through.
ficient head, had held for me a con¬ I was gratified, before long, to see
stantly increasing interest. I prac¬ indications of returning consciousness
tised medicine, when I could not in the man. Presently his eyes opened,
avoid that uninteresting phase of my stared vacantly at us; then he weakly
activities, but for the past year had attempted to arise. I helped him to
been applying my knowledge of psy¬ sit up. His puzzled gaze rested for a
chology, metaphysics, and various moment on Mandell; then recognition
other sciences, to the identifying and dawned in his look. He sprang to his
apprehending of criminals. In a feet, and clutched at the chief’s
general way, I might have been sleeve.
termed a criminologist, though my
“Chief! You?” he cried. “The
methods were somewhat novel. After
Thing! Did you kill it, Chief ? Where
an exhaustive study of various crimes
is it?”
and their perpetrators, I had found a
distinct relation between certain The chief forced him back on the
marked features of the crime and the couch. “Take it easy now, Frankie/’
mental and physical characteristics of he said. “ That’s better. Now tell us
its author. This accumulated infor¬ all about it. ’ ’
mation I had built up into a science Full memory, with all its horrors,
that had proved of great value to the then returned to him. “For God’s
police. sake, Chief, come quick; don’t let it
My success in this field, which, no get away. It has killed the professor.
doubt, was the direct result of the I didn’t do it. Chief, honest I didn’t.
fascination it held for me, had fos¬ It was the Thing. The professor made
tered a lasting friendship between it, and now-”
Chief Mandell and me—a friendship “Wait a minute, Frankie; tell it
which needed not the discomforts of straight now,” the chief broke in.
night calls or disagreeable work. We “What professor got killed, and where
had been returning from an attempt was it?”
to identify a suspect held, in a neigh¬ “Professor Huneberg, Chief; and
boring city, when the bedraggled and Dr. Rickston is dead, too, but he died
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE 647

from the shock. It was at The Pines, developing and grafting of tissue, and
where we lived. ’ ’ has probably developed a. hybrid with
I involuntarily exclaimed aloud at savage tendencies, that got beyond
this startling statement. I knew these control. I advise you to take ample
men. precautions in attempting to subdue
“Where we lived?” the chief ex¬ it.”
claimed. “What were you doing “All right. We’ll stop at the sta¬
there ?’ ’ tion and get a few riot guns. They
“I worked for them, Chief, ever ought to be precaution enough,” he
since I got out of jail. ’ ’ answered, grimly.

it?”
“What is this Thing, as you call
I n a short time, the police car was
‘ ‘ Some kind of an animal. The pro¬ again roaring through the night.
fessor made it. You can’t-’ ’ We had stopped and obtained guns
“The professor made it?” for all of us, except Frankie. Two
“Yes, he created it, but you-” patrolmen had been added to the jias-
“Where is it now, running around senger list, and we presented a for¬
loose ? ’ ’ midable appearance.
“I don’t know. If it broke out of Frankie, under the repeated admin¬
the laboratory it is probably still istration of stimulants, was becoming
somewhere in the house, if it still ex¬ more self-possessed, as he told ot' his
ists. Oh, Chief, for God’s sake, get relations with the victims of the Thing
out there quick! If it gets loose—it’s we were racing to destroy.
horrible, Chief, oh-” “Chief, it was awful,” he began,
Frankie showed signs of becoming and continued, rather disconnectedly:
hysterical. He had evidently been ‘ ‘ The professor didn’t. mean for us to
shocked into near insanity by some see it kill him, but the blind rolled
horrible spectacle. How horrible, we up and-”
were soon to realize. We waited. He covered his face
“All right, Frankie,” the chief said with shaking hands as though to shut
soothingly, “we’ll go right out. Doc¬ out the vision of that awful scene he
tor, can you fix him up? We will had witnessed. In a moment he went
have to take him along. Sounds like
a rush order to me. ’ ’ ‘ ‘ The doctor fell. I think his heart
My office adjoined my living-quar¬ failed. I ran to my room in the back
ters, so I procured dry shoes, a cap, part of the house and locked myself
and an overcoat for Frankie. His in. I’ve been there since day before
socks and coat had been drying on the yesterday. I was afraid to leave and
radiator, and would serve. While afraid to stay. I felt like a hunted
Mac and the officer with us helped him animal driven into a hole, with some¬
into them, I turned to Mandell and thing about to come in after me. The
said: picture of the professor being—being
“Chief, I knew this Professor killed kept coming before my eyes.
Huneberg and Dr. Rickston. They “The thing was so powerful I was
were old acquaintances of mine. Very afraid it would break out of the lab¬
able scientists, they were, and en¬ oratory and escape from the house. It
gaged in biological and chemical re¬ was awful! I pictured it roaming
search. I had lost track of them since around the country—killing, tearing,
they retired to experiment privately. destroying. Little children, women,
The Professor was noted for his re¬ strong men: all helpless, and no one to
markable success in his chosen work. know what did it! God! I tried to
He, I have no doubt, has been exper¬ force myself to go back into the lab¬
imenting with various animals in the oratory to reassure myself that the
 WEIRD TALES

thing was gone, as the professor said said: “you can give it to us when we
it would be, but I couldn’t; terror get back.”
gripped me at the thought of it.” “Well, anyway, in my letter I told
We let Frankie ramble on, for a you all about it,” Frankie continued,
while, with his disconnected recital. “all about the professor’s experiment,
Handicaped by the rain, slush, and and how it killed him; but this eve¬
slow-moving traffic, it would take us ning, after dark, my lamp bulb
twenty minutes or more to reach the burned out just as I was finishing.
place of tragedy, whieh was, accord¬ When I was left in the dark I went
ing to his directions, a few miles from crazy with fear. I imagined the Thing
was about to grab me. Again I was
the city limits on one of the lesser
sure it was still in existence. I
arterial highways. From it he had
stuffed the letter in my pocket and
fled across more than a mile of dark,
ran from the house, blindly, terror-
rain-lashed country to the point where
stricken. I remembered 'what the pro¬
we found him. I shudder to think of
fessor said about the imagination and
the consequences, had he perished I-”
there without our learning of the
horror we were so dramatically to “Wait a minute, Frankie,” the
meet. chief broke in; “you are getting all
excited again, and we are not getting
‘ ‘ After a few hours, ’ ’ Frankie con¬
the information we need.” And to
tinued, “I became calmer. I tried to
direct his mind into smoother chan¬
think, to reason things out. I began
nels, he said, ‘ ‘ Tell us about when you
to feel foolish to think I had doubted
went to work for the professor.”
the professor’s word. He was a smart
man; he must have been right about I gave Frankie a drink of brandy.
the Thing. It surely was gone. His nerves quieting, he again began to
talk, interrupted now and then by the
“I knew that if I left and ran
screech of the siren as the car tore
away, it would only be a question of
through the wet blackness. He told
time until the bodies would be dis¬
us, briefly, the history of his life from
covered. I knew you would find I had
his earliest recollections; with an evi¬
been living in the house. On account
dent desire to excuse, or at least ac¬
of my record you would think I had
count for, his career of crime. He had
killed the doctor and professor, if
been bom in the slums. Cuffed and
there was no trace of the Thing. The
beaten by a drunken mother who was
evidence was all against me. I de¬
even ignorant of the identity of his
cided to write to you, Chief, and ex¬
father, he grew up in an environment
plain it all, so you could bring men
that molded his criminal career. Un¬
and destroy the monster if it should
dersized, he was bullied by other boys.
still be in existence. I didn’t want to
He learned to hate and distrust every¬
take a chance on that, even though I
one. He played a lone hand always.
was about convinced you would find God knows how he survived a child¬
no trace of it, for there would be no
hood so bitter that his face had never
peace, no sanity, for me or anyone,
relaxed in a smile. He earned thus
should it happen to be there. I was the only name he had ever known,
going to leave this evening, after dark,
“Frankie the Frown.”
and mail the letter to you from some During the war, into which the
other town. I’ve got it in my pocket.
draft had forcibly plunged him, his
Here-” bitter sufferings and privations had
His shaking fingers tried to unfas¬ produced the only longing for human
ten the overcoat, but fumbled futilelv sympathy and comradeship he had
at the buttons. ever known, but his ferret faee and
“Never mind, Frankie,” the chief hate-flashing eyes had turned away
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE 649

any who might otherwise have sentence, perhaps we would have been
“buddied” with him. better prepared to face the awful ex¬
After the war, thievery and prison perience we were racing into!
again. Then his release. On his way What did these seemingly hyster¬
back to the miserable alleys and hov¬ ical words of Frankie’s mean ? I be¬
els he had known as home, walking the gan to wonder if there was something
lonely miles that he might hoard more terribly sinister behind them
against hunger the transportation than we first supposed. I could not
money given him at the prison, he had but believe that he told the truth
stopped at the place that had become about the deaths of the doctor and
for him the only real home he had professor. But if some kind of an¬
ever enjoyed. He stopped to beg food imal killed them, what did he mean by
and found- its “ceasing to exist”? By its elec¬
“He called me ‘son’, Chief,” he trons “flying apart”? Was his mind
said. “Me, with my face, Dr. Ricks- just a little off balance from witness¬
ton called ‘son’! He took me in, and ing the deaths of his benefactors ? The
he and Professor Huneberg fed me. chief regarded part of Frankie’s ram¬
Something seemed to break inside me. bling tale as pure hysteria; his job
I cried. I told them everything about was merely to go out and kill some
myself, but they gave me a job. Pro¬ ferocious beast, check up on the deaths
fessor said my type interested him— of its supposed victims, and call the
he wanted to study my mental ‘re¬ coroner. More and more, as we
actions. ’ Their housekeeper had left, neared the place, I sensed something
so I took her place. I could cook, and mysterious, inconceivable behind it
keep the house clean. They began to all. But speculations were idle: we
teach me things. I studied hard, and would soon know all about it, do our
learned fast. I was happy. ’ ’ duty, and the incident would end.
Frankie had now grown quite calm. “Well, anyway,” Frankie con¬
He went on quietly with his story, tinued with his story, disregarding
looking out into the blackness now and the chief’s admonition to “be calm”;
then to discern landmarks and judge ‘ ‘ I’ve wi’itten it all down in my letter.
our nearness to our destination. You can read it, or I can tell you
“Professor was a wonderful man. about it when we get back to town.
I guess I was foolish to think the But the professor must have been
Thing was still alive. He said the right. He was too smart a man not
electrons would fly apart, when he to know what he was talking about.
died; that the monster would cease to We probably won’t find a thing.”
exist.” Frankie again peered through the
“Cease to exist 1” rain-streaked windshield. Out here in
“Yes. He made it, you know, and the country the slushy snow was
he let it kill him so it couldn’t hurt whiter, and the flying landscape be¬
anyone else. You see you can’t-” came recognizable to him.
“All right, Frankie,” the chief in¬ “There's the place,” he exclaimed
terrupted again, thinking he was once suddenly, pointing, “back off the
more becoming hysterical; “ we ’ll soon road in that grove of pines. They
find out for ourselves, and then we’ll gave it its name on account of those
kill this ‘Thing,’ and everything will trees. Turn in at that stone pillar.
be all right. Just keep calm, now, That’s the driveway. ’ ’
until we get there. ’ ’
If the chief hadn’t been so cock¬ npHE officer driving skilfully skid-
sure we were merely going out to ded the ear into the narrow lane
destroy some dangerous animal! If leading back to the house. The rap¬
he had only let Frankie finish that last idly melting snow was unbroken by
650 WEIRD TALES

the tracks of any vehicle, but the of the door we faced. Through the
headlights of the car illuminated cracks in the drawn blinds we saw the
plainly the footprints of Frankie, left lights flash on. We heard Frankie’s
in his terror-stricken flight from the voice moan,4 ‘ God! There’s Dr. Rieks-
place. ton, just as I put him in that chair.
It looked foreboding. Squatting Oh—Doctor!” Then we heard him
among its guardian pines, the ancient scream: “Look! The glass in the lab¬
dwelling resembled some gargantuan oratory door is broken! The Thing!
monster of the dark. No light showed, It’s broken out! It’s alive! It’s in
but as we pulled up before the front here some-”
entrance, we heard the cries of various A scream! Frankie’s scream! Then
animals coming from the rear. a horrible mingling of animal sounds.
“Those are the professor’s an¬ Roars, snarls, snapping of jaws min¬
imals,” Frankie volunteered, “the gled with agonized human cries in
ones he used in his experiments. Poor a bedlam of blood-chilling noise.
things! I didn’t dare leave my room Thumps, thuds; like the floor being
even to feed them. They are cold and flailed by a human body! Sharp
starving. cracks, as of breaking bones. The
“I haven’t got a key to the front hoarse voice of Jim mouthing inco¬
door, Chief,” lie said as we got out herent words in abject terror. Then
of the car. “I’ll go to the back, and the repeated roars from his gun, as he
come through and open it. No use instinctively and blindly pulled the
you wading through the snow.” trigger.
His fear, by this time, seemed en¬ The chief was battering on the door
tirely gone. In a matter-of-fact way with feet and fists. “Open up!” he
he prepared to admit us to the house. shouted; “open the door, Jim!”
“Wait a minute, not so fast,” the No answer.
chief said, as Frankie started around The sounds within died away. The
the house. ‘ ‘ Jim ’ ’—to one of the offi¬ last we distinguished was a low moan,
cers—“you go with him. McGruder then silence.
and Flynn will station themselves on
each side of the house. Shoot any¬ T he combined strength of the three
thing you see running from it, and of us in one battering rush tore
don’t miss!” off the lock, and the door swung open,
“It’s all right, Chief. If it’s still revealing to our startled eyes a sight
there, it is shut up in the laboratory, ” I hope never to see again. The chief
Frankie said. called out to Flynn and McGruder:
“We’re taking no chances. Go “Stay where you are, men,” and
ahead. ’ ’ turned to survey the gruesome scene.
Frankie and the officer whom the Jim had almost reached the door
chief had called Jim disappeared in his attempt to escape. He lay
around the side of the house. The against the wall in a dead faint, but
other two withdrew a short distance otherwise unharmed. The Thing was
where they could watch all sides, not in sight. Sprawled in a chair in
while the chief, Mac, and I waited at a comer was the body of a man I
the front door to be admitted. instantly recognized as Dr. Rickston,
We heard a door open and close in while in the shadow of a huge library
the rear. The animals in the profes¬ table, over which blazed an electric
sor’s zoo set up a great whining and fixture, lay all that remained of
crying as they heard and scented hu¬ Frankie the Frown. Horribly man¬
man beings moving around them. gled, broken and bleeding, he scarcely
Presently we heard footsteps and resembled a human being. His cloth¬
voices in the room on the other side ing was tom to ribbons, and clutched
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE 651

in his hand were a few scraps of The chief moved cautiously toward
bloody paper. the laboratory door, lips compressed
The chief gently extracted these in deadly determination. We flanked
from the clenched fingers, whispering his movements with ready weapons.
as he did so: “Part of his letter! It was evident that the laboratory and
Where’s the rest of it?” the upstairs rooms furnished the only
possible hiding-place of the beast.
He glanced around the room, but
the pages were nowhere to be seen. Trembling with excitement, we
The chief thrust the fragments of the neared the broken door. The chief
letter in his pocket; there was no time threw a ray from his flashlight
to look for the rest now. An un¬ through the jagged opening. Nothing
known danger surrounded us. was seen of the beast as he swept it
Mae and I stood guard with the about the room. He reached through
and released the lock, cautiously
deadly riot guns, half expecting some
swung open the door, and finding a
inconceivable and horrible monstrosity
to leap on us from some place of con¬ switch beside it, pressed it and flooded
the room with light. We entered and
cealment. Tensely we listened for
sounds indicating its presence. All found ourselves in a marvelously well-
equipped laboratory.
was quiet except for the cries from
small animals somewhere in the rear. A barred window, with rain-
Our eyes roved nervously about the streaked panes, was opposite the door
room, noting the arrangement of we had entered. Another door, open,
doors and furniture. The length of at the left, or back end of the room,
the long library ran crosswise of the revealed an iron grating through
house. At its right end was the fatal which came the distressed cries of
door, the shattered glass bearing mute various animals. This grating was
evidence of the Thing’s escape into closed and locked. I gasped with dis¬
the library. In the wall facing us was may at the litter of broken instru¬
a door leading to the rear, evidently ments, test-tubes, and beautiful scien¬
the one through which Frankie and tific equipment scattered about. The
Jim had entered the room. It was room was a wreck.
closed. At the left end was a huge Looking around, we found the body
fireplace with its dead ashes, occupy¬ of Professor Huneberg crumpled on
ing most of the wall space. Near the the floor between the large work-table
hearth a flight of steps with open and the window. “All dead!” the
balustrade rose, paused at a landing, chief muttered, after his quick glance
and turning, continued upward to the disproved the possibility of the beast’s
right until they disappeared above the presence in the laboratory.
ceiling level. An unlighted wall brack¬ The professor’s cold form had also
et hung over the landing to light the been brutally tom and broken, but
stairs. To our left, heavily curtained like the doctor, he had ceased breath¬
windows broke the front wall of the ing at least thirty-six hours before.
house beside the door we had entered. Saddened beyond measure, I almost
In spite of the more shocking objects, forgot the necessity of quickly finding
my eyes rested on and noted such in¬ and destroying the cause of this car¬
congruous things as an emergency nage. I was visualizing that magnif¬
gasoline student’s lamp resting on the icent physique as it had been in life.
mantel, pictures on the wall, and His six feet of powerful frame had
books and magazines on the table. borne a proud head with its dark
Where was the awful beast? The beard and hair, and eyes that flashed
darkened laboratory at our right, with almost unearthly intelligence
with its broken glass door, held terri¬ from the wonderful brain behind
fying possibilities. them. In appearance he was the very
652 WEIRD TALES

opposite of the doctor, who, with his of shots that would tell of his meeting
mild blue eyes, white hair and beard, with the monster.
and frail form, presented a sharp con¬
trast to his companion. T he sound of his footsteps resumed.
The chief, after his hurried exam¬ Our eyes were glued to that last
ination, abruptly left the room, and visible point of steps where their angle
was followed by Mac. I took one more met the ceiling line. In a moment a
hasty look about, and followed them, foot appeared there, feeling cautious¬
snapping off the light and partially ly for the next step down. He was
closing the door. coming down, backward, without fir¬
The chief was again examining ing a shot!
Frankie’s body. He arose and silent¬ Slowly, uncertainly, the other foot
ly pointed to a narrow streak of appeared, and felt behind its mate
bloodstain that ran in a line toward for a lower step. What did the chief
the stairs. He moved toward them, see? Why didn’t he shoot?
Mac and I following, but I confess Slowly, hesitatingly, grudgingly, he
with less bravado than his stalwart backed down to the landing, and then
form presented. At the foot of the his body came into view, arm rigidly
step he paused, and spoke gravely, holding the gun-butt against his
‘‘Men, we don’t know what kind of shoulder, pointing the weapon up¬
beast this is we are about to face. stairs. He held his flashlight in the
There is not the slightest doubt that other hand. A look of puzzled amaze¬
it is lurking upstairs, probably in the ment shone from his distended eyes.
hall. From the appearance of its vic¬ For a moment he paused at the land¬
tims, it kills differently, more bru¬ ing, and then continued, still back¬
tally, than anything I ever saw before. ward, down to where we stood. Trem¬
You must be right, Doctor; it surely bling slightly, though I was sure not
is a hybrid of the professor’s develop¬ from fear, lie stood still, holding gun
ing. What horrible shape he gave it and eyes on the landing.
we can only conjecture—until we see ‘‘For God’s sake, Chief, what is
it. it ? ” Mae whispered.
“I will go upstairs—there is not He did not answer.
room in the hall for three of us to I was watching that last visible
fight it—and if my shots don’t stop step, momentarily expecting to see a
it, I will retreat. You and Mac stand hairy paw come into view as the beast
where you can shoot through the bal¬ descended. My hands gripped my
ustrade. If it gets past us we still weapon like steel vises. In silence we
have Flynn and McGruder outside.” waited—waited.
We started to protest, but he waved Suddenly, above the landing, ap¬
us to silence, and finding a switch that peared something floating, swaying,
lighted the wall bracket at the land¬ in midair. The light from the brack¬
ing, began to mount the stairs, gun et fell full upon it, a mass of some¬
ready for instant action. He turned thing white and black, with red
at the landing and continued upward, splotches. It was a scrap of cloth and
his head and shoulders disappearing a handful of tom, bloody papers, ap¬
above the ceiling level, but his feet parently held in the talons of some
and legs still visible through the bal¬ monstrous, inconceivable, invisible
ustrade as, step by step, he ap- horror!
pi'oached the top. Now they too were “There’s your animal!” the chief
gone, and we heard his soft footfalls gritted through clenched teeth.
in the hall above. Then silence. “Damn!” Mac whispered. “You
We held our breaths. We listened can’t see it!”
apprehensively for the expected burst We stood paralyzed with astonish-
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE 653

ment. Incredulity, amazement, hor¬ snarls coming from the thin air be¬
ror must have mingled on our counte¬ fore us. Mac did the same. Then
nances, as we waited. the roar of my gun drowned the un¬
A low growling, a snapping of in¬ earthly cries. Piaster and pictures
visible jaws smote our ears. A stench, fell from the wall opposite, but the
putrid, nauseating, spread and filled cloth and papers still hovered above
the room until my stomach retched. the table! Why the Thing did not
Then: “Look,” Mac whispered. The overwhelm us in one savage rush I
light bracket was bending slowly do not know.
downward—bending, as though the We hastily reloaded our guns in the
metal tubing was melting, and too soft face of Mac’s sudden exclamation,
to hold up the socket and shade. It ‘ ‘ My God! You can’t kill it! ”
bent and twisted until the wires were Jim had by this time revived from
short-circuited, a fuse blew out, and his faint, and with a look of unutter¬
the room was plunged into inky black¬ able horror in his eyes, he dashed
ness. headlong from the house, and was
“Light that lamp!” the chief taken in charge by Flynn. McGruder
shouted, and sought to throw the came up on the porch, and staring
beam of his flashlight on the stairs. through the door, watched the unusual
Only a moment it burned, and then battle with unbelieving eyes, too much
failed. Again the darkness, broken astonished to take part.
this time by jets of flame as the chief Again we directed a roaring but
fired blindly at the thing on the land¬ hopeless fusillade at that horrible un¬
ing. He hurled the useless flashlight seen presence. Amid a bedlam of
after the streams of lead. It thudded sound, the roar of our guns comming¬
against the wall and fell to the land¬ ling with screams and shrieks from
ing. With its characteristic stubborn¬ our maddened, invisible target, the
ness it again lit up, and threw a spot lamp was suddenly raised from the
of light against the baseboard. In table, suspended a second in mid¬
the reflected light we saw the mass of air, and sent by an unseen force hur¬
bloody papers and bit of cloth de¬ tling, crashing into the wall at our
scribing grotesque gyrations in the left. There it exploded.
air above the steps. Burning splashes of gasoline scat¬
The Thing was making the air hid¬ tered all over the room, igniting
eous with its screams and awful everything they touched. Frantically
stench. We backed hastily away to we slapped at our burning clothing,
the center of the room. Intermittent sustaining, luckily, but few burns.
flares from Mac’s matches, as he The room was in flames. We removed
struggled with the refractory lamp, our coats, and beat at the fire, but it
only made the almost total darkness was a hopeless task to subdue it.
more sinister, more fraught with the Through the smoke, I saw the float¬
terror of a possible overwhelming ing scraps of cloth and paper move
rush from the invisible monster. swiftly toward the laboratory door.
After what seemed hours, Mac suc¬ The door swung open, the bloody mass
ceeded in coaxing a flame from the disappeared into the darkened room,
mantle of the lamp, and as he placed and the door slammed shut. I heard
it on the table, we saw the bloody the crash of glass in the laboratory.
scraps of cloth and paper floating The Thing was trapped in there. Pos¬
swiftly and jerkily toward us. We sibly the fire would accomplish what
backed to the open front door, and we had failed to do.
halted there. Driven to the open, we were help¬
The chief coolly and methodically less to drag out the corpses, helpless
emptied his gun at the screams and to do anything but watch, as the old
654 WEIRD TALES

mansion became a roaring furnace, public the true facts of the night’s ex¬
and its surrounding guardian pines periences.
flaming torches.
Flames soon burst out from the T he next morning, Mac and I vis¬
barred laboratory window, and as a ited the scene of the fire with the
last high-pitched scream from within coroner. The little that was left of
died away, we were sure, and were the victims sickened me. Mac was
devoutly thankful, that the Thing poking about among the ruins with a
was not invulnerable. The fire had stick. I saw him stoop, turn over a
destroyed it. charred board, pick something from
among the debris and thrust it hast¬
Mac turned to the chief.
ily in his pocket. He came quickly to
“Chief,” he said, “Frankie’s letter where I stood, well out of earshot of
is gone. Now we ’ll never know what the coroner and his helpers.
the Thing-”
“I’ve got ’em!” he whispered ex¬
“But,” interrupted Mandell, “you
citedly; “the pages of Frankie’s let¬
owe your life to the fact that the
ter. The Thing must have broken the
Thing happened to retain the letter in
window and dropped them outside be¬
its claws when it tore Frankie to
fore the fire got to them. A falling
pieces. I shudder to think of our fate
board flattened them into the snow,
had its presence not been made known
and they were saved.”
to us by those bloody papers. ’ ’
What was this inconceivable entity We hastened back to town, and hur¬
whose terrific power we had just ried to the chief’s office to tell him the
seen? What miraculous knowledge news, and read, together, the explana¬
had the professor possessed to bring tion of the Thing’s existence. Again
into being this awful thihg? What we were bitterly disappointed. It was
had been his purpose? Would his impossible to read the story on those
secret ever be discovered? A dozen blood-stained, water-soaked and torn
such unanswerable questions flashed sheets of paper. Only a comparative^
through my mind. The fact that we ly few words were legible.
could not kill it was not so unrea¬ Mac was downcast. “What a
sonable. Any concentrated force story! What a whale of a story! ” he
composed of coherent atoms could grieved. “If only-”
conceivably be of such tenuous con¬ “Yes,” the chief answered, “but
struction that it would be invisible. you wouldn’t dare print it. ’ ’
Electricty, magnetism, and various ‘ ‘ I guess you are right, Chief, but I
rays are all evidences of some invisible, could read it. ’ ’
yet potent forces. The puzzle was, “You may yet have that privilege, ”
how could the professor create a cen¬ I said, gathering up the pages, and
ter of power, and lend it the attri¬ accepting from the chief the other
butes of some hideous beast ? My mind scraps he had put in his desk. “I
wrestled in vain with the problem. will see what the judicious use of a
A few hours later, a trio of mysti¬ few acids will do toward making these
fied men—the chief, Mac, and I—were readable. ’ ’
deciphering the few and half-effaced For days I worked. It was a te¬
words on the scraps of Frankie’s let¬ dious, laborious task, but I succeeded.
ter which the chief had salvaged from Mac called each day, and pleaded to
his dead fingers. Just enough of be permitted to read the pages as I
them were legible to whet still more restored them, but I forced him to
our curiosity regarding the origin of wait until the whole was finished.
the Thing. They were few, indeed, At last it was done, and I held the
but they carried a hint of some ter¬ patched and stained, but legible pages
rible experiment. We dared not make in my hand. What a grisly relic
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE 655

they were! Drenched in their writer’s I must write this, and you must be¬
blood, borne aloft in the unseen claws lieve it, for the safety of thousands
of that awful monster, miraculously may depend on your accepting what
saved from the fire, those pages car¬ I tell you as the truth. Also, there
ried words that were indelibly print¬ mil be no rest for me, no sanity, until
ed upon my memory, until I could I know if this Thing is still alive, or
have quoted them verbatim. Never non-existent. I have tried a dozen
can they be erased from my memory. times to force myself to go back into
That evening I had guests—just that awful room to find out, but I am
two: Mac and Chief Mandell. Well afraid. My legs fail me, my nerves
they knew why they had been invited. collapse. Then, too, when the bodies
Both illy concealed their burning cu¬ are found, and my presence here be¬
riosity regarding the story I was to comes known, I would be hunted,
read them. I could not resist the always, as a murderer, if the monster
temptation to heighten the drama by does not now exist. My black record
keeping them in suspense. Leisurely would be sufficient to convict me; for
I reached into a desk drawer, and you know me, Chief—I am Frankie
then held up to their gaze those the Frown.
gruesome pages. “I can’t stay here much longer. I
Each, for a moment, held the sheaf have no food, and no water. Terror
of papers in a trembling hand. I lurks in the rest of the house; I dare
knew that they were visualizing them not leave this room. But tonight I ’ll
as they had first seen them, floating, run from the house, and mail this let¬
jerking in midair, clutched in the ter to you from another town.
claw of that mysterious entity whose “You must believe this, Chief, and
secret the blurred words were now bring men to destroy this awful mon¬
about to reveal. ster. I don’t know how you will do
it, but I’ll tell all I know about it, and
I took the pages, settled myself in a maybe you can consult some scientist,
chair, and prepared to read. The and find a way.
chief stood on the hearth, back to the “God! I can hardly write.
fire, nervously teetering on heels and “I’ll tell you how I came to be
toes. Mac restlessly paced a short here, Chief, and then you will know
journey between table and bookcase, I did not kill the doctor and professor.
back and forth. You will know that I could not turn
The letter, like a message from the against, and destroy, the only friends
dead, began: I ever had. No, Chief, it was the mon¬
“Chief Mandell: ster. Please believe me.
“For God’s sake, heed these words! “I came here when I got out of
I am hiding in the room of a house in jail, a little over a year ago. ’ ’
which lie the bodies of Professor Here followed a more detailed ac¬
Alexis Huneberg and Dr. Artemus J. count of Frankie’s meeting with his
Rickston. In the laboratory, with the benefactors, an enlargement of the
body of the professor, there lurks, I story he had told us in the speeding
am afraid, the horrible monster of his police car; of how they had befriend¬
creation that killed him. If it still ed him; of his regeneration. He told
exists, and should escape, God pity of his studies under the gentle tute¬
the world! Through the highways lage of Dr. Rickston; of how he as¬
and byways would it stalk, tearing sisted Professor Huneberg in his ex¬
limb from limb all whom it should periments; of how he grew to almost
meet, and none to know what it. was; worship these two venerable men, the
for, Chief, this monster is invisible! first humans to show him any love, to
“I am almost crazed with fear, but call him “son”. We could picture
656 WEIRD TALES

him locked in that little room, blinds “We had retired early; the doctor
drawn, lights burning night and day, and professor in their bedrooms up¬
pitifully terrified, but heroically stairs, and I in my room here on the
writing; that the world might be made ground floor. I could not sleep, and
safe from this Thing, and that the after two hours or so of tossing
stigma of murder be not attached to about, arose and wandered into the
him, whose soul had been cleansed, living-room, thinking to read awhile.
and whose honor reclaimed through Before I could turn on the light, I
the benevolence of his friends. heard a voice in the laboratory. It
I take up the thread of his story was the professor’s. I stepped soft¬
further along in its pages: ly to the open door, wondering
“I had been here about nine months whom he could be talking to. There
when I noticed a subtle change in the were no lights in there either, but
professor. the moon shone brightly through
the barred window, and I could see
‘ ‘ I had by this time laid the foun¬
everything plainly. The professor
dation for a good education. My
was standing by the work-table, one
starved mind seemed to soak up
hand resting on its glass top and the
knowledge as a sponge does water. I
other pointing a long finger at the
became intensely interested in my em¬
iron grating which covered the open
ployers’ work, having grasped, by
door into the zoo. I held my breath.
this time, some understanding of their
He seemed to be talking to the ani¬
various experiments. The professor’s
mals—in his sleep. But no; his eyes
work, especially, fascinated me. He
were bright, intelligence shone from
practised what lie called painless vivi¬
them. What were these strange
section on animal after animal. The
words he was saying? . . .
brain was his especial study. Time
after time I had seen him remove “ ‘Ah, you are there. I can not
parts of the skull from different spe¬ see you, but I know you exist, beast
cies of monkey, carefully parting the of beasts. In my mind’s eye, I see
convolutions of the brain-matter, hold¬ your form taking shape. Would that
ing life in the body until the last pos¬ I could see you in reality, monster.
sible moment, only to shake his head But no; on second thought, perhaps
in disappointment, and plunge again the sight of your hideous form in the
into study. One day I asked him what flesh would be too awful for mere
he was searching for, and he said, human to behold and remain sane.
‘The secret of life, my boy.’ I was Now your presence manifests itself.
not surprized, and such was my confi¬ The monkeys are cowering in para¬
dence in him that I did not doubt he lyzed and silent terror in their
would find it. He did. cages; your horrible stench chokes
“But a change came over him. He my nostrils; your jaws snap; your
became silent, moody. His eyes con¬ claws rake the floor as you throw
tinually carried a far-away look, into your invisible bulk against the
which at times came a glance of fear. bars-’
This became more marked as the days “Chief, I stood frozen to the spot.
went by. He lost weight, ate little, I swear that as he spoke I breathed
seemed to be losing health rapidly. in a reeking stink, like comes from
The doctor was deeply engrossed in a long-dead body taken from the
some important work of his own, and sea. I heard a snapping of jaws and
did not notice it. I began to worry. a furious scratching on the floor be¬
‘ ‘ It was one night in the fall when yond the iron grating. Something
the thing happened that made me shook and rattled the barred door.
doubt his sanity—and mine, too, for The passage on the other side of it
that matter. was plainly illuminated by the moon-
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE 657

beams, but nothing was there; some¬ grotesque footprints! With a shud¬
thing invisible was shaking those dering foot, I obliterated them.
bars! The professor’s voice went on: ‘ ‘ Fearing to cause him unnecessary
“ ‘Ah, what a triumph for the worry, I said nothing of the night’s
mind of man! Created, actually experience to the doctor. The profes¬
created from the emanations from sor looked haggard, but a strange
the chemical of life! You are power¬ light gleamed in his eyes.
ful—oh, how powerful!—but the “For several nights after that, he
mind of man is more powerful still, crept down to the laboratory; there
for I control your existence, and to hold practically the same conversa¬
keep you behind those bars. But I tion with the Thing, which seemed to
am puzzled to know what use to come into being at his will. Each
make of you. If I could devise a night I followed him, and listened
means to multiply and control you, until my trembling nerves forced me
all the armies of the world would be to flee to my room. How he produced
helpless; at my mercy. Ah, what a the phenomenon I did not then learn,
thought! what an instrument for the and I dared not ask him.
abolition of militarism and war “After three or four nights of
would you be! But—I admit it—I eavesdropping came the gruesome end
am afraid of you. I feel a slight of these nightly visits.
weakness in concentrating on the
thought that you are behind those ‘ ‘ T had followed the professor’s clan-
bars. I played with the thought of A destine footsteps as usual, but
what you would do to me if I when I softly crept to the laboratory
materialized you here in the labora¬ door, he was not in sight. A noise in
tory. And the fact that I incor¬ the zoo drew my eyes to the grating.
porated the Horla in your make-up It was open.- Presently he came into
I regret, for the Horla was a nem¬ view leading Chika, the largest of his
esis—de Maupassant could not over¬ collection of monkeys. He then fast¬
come it, and finally committed sui¬ ened the poor beast to the grating
cide. Ah, I wonder if I shall have with a short chain. Stepping into the
to—but not yet, not yet, beast of laboratory, he closed and locked the
beasts!«I must plan first whether it grating, and stood for a moment gaz¬
be safe to give you to the world of ing through the bars at the trembling
science, and-' monkey. The professor moved to the
“That is all that I heard—that work-table, turned, and again faced
night. Finding strength to move, I the grating. Chika, on the zoo side of
fled in silent fear to my room. I the bars, clung to them, whimpering,
could not shut out from my mind the and peered piteously between them at
picture of the professor talking to his master. Instinct must have
that stinking, invisible thing that warned him of a terrible fate.
clawed the floor, and shook the bars of ‘ ‘ The professor began to speak; to
the iron grating. Amazement and summon, from God knows where, that
terror gripped me. I slept little that awful, foul-smelling, invisible horror.
night. In a moment my startled eyes saw
“The next morning, I approached the monkey rise quickly into midair,
the zoo at feeding-time reluctantly, where he hung, suspended, twisting
but everything seemed to be in order. and squirming. Again terror pos¬
The monkeys and other animals sessed me, and I fled, the beast’s
seemed to have forgotten their terror smothered shrieks in my ears.
of the night, but on this side of the * ‘ The next morning, my worst fears
iron grating, plainly imprinted in the were justified: Chika was gone. The
sawdust on the floor, were strange, professor muttered something about
658 WEIRD TALES

the monkey taking sick in the night; nose his ailment, but could learn noth¬
fearing contagion, he said, he had ing, increasingly mystified by the re¬
taken him out and buried him. But current nightmares.
in the sawdust on the floor before the “At last came the incident that pre¬
grating I found a hairy foot, with ceded the tragedy. Day before yes¬
dangling bloody tendons! I almost terday, it was. It seems weeks.
cried aloud in horror at this dis¬
“The professor, looking wan and
covery. I decided that the awful ex¬
haggard, was in the laboratory. The
periment must stop. I would tell the
doctor. I would face the professor doctor sat at one end of the library
with my knowledge of it, and beg and table, examining various medical
plead with him to stop his nightly works, his mind on the professor’s ail¬
creation of the monster. I had ceased ment. At the other end of the table
to wonder how he did it, in face of the I sat studying. I glanced through
increasing horror of the situation. I the open door into the laboratory,
then decided to delay telling the doc¬ where the professor 'was peering
tor about it, but that night I would through the microscope at a bit of
follow the professor to the laboratory, chemical on a slide. Something in his
and boldly present myself before he attitude caught, and held, my atten¬
hjjid time to demonstrate his uncanny tion. He raised his head as if to rest
power. his eyes. I saw him wearily pass his
“After retiring, I lay listening for hand across them, then look absently
his soft footfalls, as he would pass into the zoo. Suddenly he stiffened,
through the hall above my head. I his eyes bulged in horror as though
did not hear them. • Long after the beholding some awful menace. He
usual time for his nightly visit to the suddenly flung out his hands before
laboratory, I listened. He did not go. him in a gesture of defense, and then
Sleep finally claimed me. —screamed! We ran in, caught his
“Abruptly I was thrust back into flailing arms, and, with difficulty,
consciousness by a shrill scream. It finally quieted him. We led him into
was repeated. I leaped from bed and the library, and laid him on the
dashed upstairs. The doctor’s voice couch. The doctor administered a
drew me into the professor’s room, sedative, and he rested quietly for a
where he was soothing and quieting half-hour.
the terror-stricken man. ‘ Nightmare, ’ “We were astonished at this com¬
the doctor said, and after a few mo¬ ing on him in the daytime. Now we
ments’ conversation, we again retired. knew it was no ordinary nightmare.
‘ ‘ This was the beginning of a series We feared the worst: lie was going in¬
of nightly disturbances of like nature, sane. While we were discussing, in
in which it became more and more whispers, his trouble, the professor sat
difficult to rouse the professor from up and spoke:
these awful experiences. They did ' ‘ ‘ This is the end, my dear friends.
not seem like nightmares to me, but I can resist it no longer. Tomorrow I
rather the screams of terror from a shall tell you all. I shall reveal to
man who, wide-awake but helpless, you the most astonishing discovery
sees some nocturnal, but real, horror the world of science has ever known,
about to overwhelm him. and then take my departure into that
“The professor’s clandestine visits spiritual world where the soul is at
to the laboratory ceased, but each peace, undisturbed by the turbulent
night we were awakened by his emotions and ambitions of this mortal
screams. Day by day he declined in mind. And now, Doctor, if you will
health. The doctor, alarmed at his give me a sleeping draft, and stay by
condition, vainly attempted to diag¬ me through the evening and night,
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE 659

I believe I can rest, and disturb you substance is made up of cohering

no more.’ atoms, which in turn are, individ¬
“What did he mean? What was ually, miniature solar systems, with
this discovery? Was he going to die? their planetlike electrons revolving
How? I knew, of course, that this around a sunlike nucleus. Science
horrible experiment was what he has also practically decided that these
spoke of, but why was there no way cohering atoms vibrate at various
out? I still delayed telling the doc¬ rates. Therefore we must conclude
tor of what I knew, thinking the pro¬ that all living creatures, composed of
fessor would reveal all, and then he various substances with their vibrat¬
would know just what to do. ing atoms, depend upon vibrations for
life. Life is vibration.
“The professor rested well that
night, and the next morning he was “ ‘Now, we naturally demand to
more cheerful, although quiet. He know what sets up and maintains
spent most of the day in going over that vibration. Ah, when we find
his private affairs, placing certain the answer to that question, we will
legal papers in a large envelope which have delved as deeply as it is possible
he handed to the doctor, saying, ‘You to go into the secret of life. I am sure
may open them after I am gone, and that I have found that answer! ’
dispose of my possessions not men¬ “The professor paused for a mo¬
tioned therein as you see fit, Doctor. ment, and then went on:
As you know, I have no relatives. ’ “ ‘Imagine a machine, an intricate,
“We were stunned by his calm marvelously constructed machine; for
preparations for death; we couldn’t example, the human body. It is the
believe it. Aimlessly the doctor and I most wonderful we know of. To live,
dragged out the day. A dread of im¬ to move, its atoms must constantly vi¬
pending calamity loaded down our brate. Whence comes, and what is,
hearts. the force that energizes them? My
“Late in the afternoon, the pro¬ theory, which I have proved to my
fessor called us around the big library own satisfaction, is this:
table, and after we were seated, spent “ ‘Deep within the machine, in a
a few moments in silent meditation. hidden compartment probably in the
Then he began his amazing explana¬ brain, lies a bit of intensely radio¬
tion I’ll try to write it in his own active mineral. So intensely radio¬
words as accurately as possible, Chief, active is it, that if we' were to break
for you may have to call in some scien¬ open the machine to find it, it would,
tist to find a way to destroy the mon¬ upon being exposed, immediately dis¬
ster, if the professor was wrong and it integrate. Now let us see how it pro¬
still exists. duces life.
“ ‘I had hoped,’ the professor be¬ “ ‘The bit of mineral, at its normal
gan, ‘to overcome the weakness that rate of disintegration, bombards the
drew my mind into dangerous chan¬ atoms of the machine with constant
nels, but I find it impossible. Volun¬ streams of flying particles, or elec¬
tarily I shall become a martyr to trons, analogous to the comets we see
science, and by so doing remove from flashing through our solar system.
you a very real danger, that—God We have a comparison in the similar
forgive me!—I myself created. action of a bit of radium. However,
“ ‘Doctor, I am confident that I unlike radium, our life-giving mineral
have discovered the true secret of life can never be isolated and analyzed
itself, and that Frankie here may un¬ because of its extreme radio-activity.
derstand it I will word my explana¬ “ ‘Under the ceaseless hammering
tion in the simplest form possible. of the streams of electrons from the
“ ‘Science has determined that all mineral, the atoms in the human ma-
 WEIRD TALES

chine vibrate, the machine moves, and tragedy of it, I am about to give you a
there we have life! Finally the bit practical demonstration of my theory.
of mineral is exhausted. No longer ■‘ ‘As a ehild, I was endowed with
are the atoms bombarded with its fly¬ an unusual imagination. Growing to
ing particles; they cease to vibrate; manhood, this characteristic devel¬
the machine stops, rusts away, disin¬ oped into an ability to concentrate
tegrates ; and there we have death! thought to the nth degree. When I
“ ‘But what becomes of the elec¬ formed my theory of life, I set about
trons thrown off from the bit of life- to prove it. Not being able to find
giving mineral ? Ah, again like those the mysterious mineral in the bodies
mysterious wanderers, the comets, of animals by vivisection because of
they journey on an inconceivable its extreme radio-activity, I went on
orbit. But eventually, as willed or to the next step in the experiment,
directed by some supreme Intelli¬ which was to attempt to arrest and
gence, they come together, collide, are control, and form into some active
fused into a new mass in an embryo, organization, the flying electrons
and again take up the work of pro¬ through intense concentration.
ducing the life-giving vibrations in a “ ‘I had always been interested in
new human machine. Do you not see tales of the bizarre, the mysterious.
how this all fits in with the half-be¬ My imagination would run rampant
lieved theory that our own solar in picturing their grotesque subjects.
system is but an atom in some vast From them I conceived the idea of
cosmic body ? creating a creature whose main char¬
“ ‘Human intelligence—the mind, acteristic would be—invisibility! I
the soul, or whatever name we give selected Bierce’s sharp-fanged and
it—seems to be a force within, yet not colorless enigma, The Damned Thing;
an integral part of the machine. My F. Marion Crawford’s slimy, power¬
theory is that it is an induction, a ful, and noisome horror in The Upper
sort of magnetic field, produced by Berth; and the intangible, persistent
the whirring flight of the flying par¬ Horla of de Maupassant. I imagined
ticles of mineral. We know that an a combination of this horrific trio; I
induced or secondary current of elec¬ concentrated on that mental picture;
tricity, if properly collected and the flight of emanating particles of
brought to bear on the primary or mineral from the lode in my brain
producing current, can materially was arrested; they formed into a
disturb its progress. Now, the mind, gaseous, invisible mass; and—it came
or thought, can have a similar effect into being!
on the flying electrons from the bit “ ‘ I protected myself by visualizing
of radio-active mineral. In fact, in¬ the horror beyond the barred door in
tense concentration can control, to a the passage to the zoo. I saw the saw¬
certain extent, their orbit, or arrest, dust. on the floor fly from under the
temporarily, their flight through scratching claws of The Damned
space. Telepathy, the power of mind Thing! I smelt the nauseating stench
over matter, faith-healing, and other from the creature of The'Vpper Berth
more or less proven powers of the as it shook the iron bars of the grat¬
mind illustrate this. Perhaps this ing ! I felt the terrifying unseen pres¬
proves the Biblical assertion that man ence of The Horla! God! It was un¬
is made in the likeness of God, whose canny; and although I was elated at
supreme Intelligence directs and con¬ the proving of my theory, I was much
trols the electronlike comets of a great afraid, and came quickly from the
cosmic body. Though it grieves me to laboratory. My mind drawn away
be compelled to shock you with the from concentration, the particles or
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE 661

electrons were released from its re¬ ly the incredible story because of the
straining power; they resumed their things I had seen, but the doctor,
flight, and the invisible creature finally speaking, found a flaw in the
ceased to be! professor’s reasoning. With trem¬
“ ‘But I was fascinated by the ex¬ bling voice, he spoke:
periment. Something went wrong “ ‘But, Professor, are you quite
with my usually calm reasoning; my sure the emanations from the mineral
mind ran wild, and nightly I re¬ will be released after death? May
peated, with growing perfection,, the not the electrons continue to form the
creation of that unseen horror. Fi¬ Thing, and it remain in existence, for¬
nally, to test its power, I took the ever presenting an invincible menace
monkey Chika from his cage, tied him to all mankind?’
to the bars of the grating, went into “ ‘Yes, Doctor, I am quite sure,’
the laboratory, and watching, concen¬ he answered. ‘You have seen that I
trating, saw, through the bars, poor have brought it into existence several
Chika literally tom to pieces by the times, yet it does not now exist. That
unnamable terror I had brought into proves your fears are groundless. ’
being! ’
“ ‘ I knoAv that it does not now ex¬
‘ ‘ The professor paused, and mopped, ist, Professor, but may it not have
with shaking hand, a damp brow. ceased to be at the end of each ma¬
The doctor was gazing at him with a terialization because you willed it so?
strange, fascinated look in his wild If the mind could bring it into being,
eyes, but said nothing. The profes¬ it may be necessary for it also to will
sor continued: it out of existence. Thus, if you die
“ ‘That was enough. I quit my with this horror extant, its form may
terrible experimenting — too late! remain indefinitely as you created it,
Then came the nightmares. But you because of the lack of further control
were wrong in calling them that. from your mind. This could easily be
They were the result of my inability possible, as witness the electrons re¬
to keep my mind from the Thing. I volving around the nucleus in an
would, without volition, begin its cre¬ atom, or the comets racing on definite
ation in my bedroom. Terrorized, I orbits through myriad universes;
would cry out; you would come to me, once set on a course, they continue to
and my mind would be drawn away follow it.’
from it. After yesterday’s experience “ ‘No, Doctor, I am sure I am
in the laboratory, I fully realized the right. The time grows short, or I
danger. It was inevitable that the might be able to refute your theory
Thing would get beyond my control. by reasoning. Instead, I will prove
You, Doctor and Frankie, were in its fallacy by demonstration. I am
constantly increasing danger. And so afraid my mind will not remain.much
this is the end. I shall go into the longer in control. To avoid danger, I
laboratory, bring this Thing into be¬ must go; I must say good-bye. ’
ing for the last time, and allow it to “ ‘No! No!’ we cried, springing
destroy this human machine of mine. up in grief-stricken protest. He
After which, of course, the electrons willed us to silence with upraised
forming it will be released from the palm, as he drew his once magnificent
control of my mind, resume their form to its full height. With solemn
flight, and the danger will be forever voice, he again spoke:
removed. That is all. ’ “ ‘Doctor, we have been lifelong
friends. Your companionship has
“npHE doctor and I, when he had meant more to me than I can express
finished, sat amazed, as though in words. Together we have worked
turned to stone. I believed implicit¬ to increase knowledge, and our labors
 WEIRD TALES

have been not all in vain. But to you presence in the room. His mouth
shall be given the honor of announc¬ was opening slowly, forced by an in¬
ing my discovery to the world of sci¬ visible pry. The cords stood out from
ence. It is well; I would not have it his neck, as the muscles involuntarily
otherwise. To me the discovery justi¬ resisted the action. Slowly the lower
fies the end. Sic itur ad astra—thus jaw came down. Wider opened his
one goes to the stars; such is the way mouth, until the bones parted with a
to immortality. ’ sickening crack, and the chin lay
“Turning to me he said: ‘My boy, loosely on the throat.
your life here with us has given the “We gasped in horror, rooted to
lie to those who would say, “Ye can the spot. The doctor pnoaned in sick¬
not be bom again,” and if I had any ened pity. A terrible fascination
part in your regeneration, I have been seemed to hold our eyes on the fright¬
amply repaid by your devotion to us, ful scene.
and your unselfish ministrations to me “Mingled with the inarticulate
in my affliction. I charge you with the cries and moans from the professor,
duty of remaining with the doctor, we heard a continuous snarling and
and comforting him in his declining snapping from unseen jaws. Great
years, which can not be so very blood-spurting gashes appeared all
numerous. ’
over his body, as clothing and flesh
“Then his voice grew stern as he were ripped to ribbons. His legs and
spoke further: ‘Do not, under any arms were moving about, assuming
circumstances, come into the labora¬ tortuous positions, the bones crunch¬
tory until it is all over; until silence
ing and snapping between invisible
within betokens all danger past.
fangs. Mauled and tom, gashed and
Again, my dear friends, farewell! ’
broken, the poor tortured body was
‘ ‘ He gripped our hands firmly, and suddenly flung upward, suspended in
stepped quickly into the laboratory. midair, then began to bend and
Closing the door, he drew the blind double, backward, head and shoulders
over its glass panel. For a moment meeting the hips as the spine broke
we were paralyzed with fear of what with a sickening report. The bleed¬
was about to happen; then with a ing and shapeless corpse of the pro¬
common impulse we sprang to the fessor fell to the floor, and the sacri¬
door, where some unseen power fice was ended.
seemed to hold us back. Of course we
“The doctor released his deathlike
could do nothing, even had we had the
grip on my arm, and staggered back¬
power to think coherently.
ward. Before I could catch him, he
“Within, all was quiet for a few
fainted, and fell heavily, his head
moments. Presently I detected that
striking the library table. I lifted
terribly nauseating odor creeping
him and placed him in a chair, but
from the crack under the door. Then
death was already glazing his eyes.
came a hoarse cry and a dull thud, as
As I saw that, all reason left my be¬
though the professor had fallen. The
numbed brain, and I fled, screaming,
jar released the catch on the blind,
to my room, where I am now hiding
and it snapped up, revealing to our
and writing this.
startled eyes a sight that I hope no
man ever sees again. “But, Chief, maybe the doctor was
“The professor was supine on the right. Maybe that Thing is still in
floor, writhing and twisting into hor¬ there, alive. If it is, God help-”
ribly grotesque attitudes. His eyes,
filled with indescribable terror, were
seemingly gazing into a face just
T hus, abruptly, the letter ended.
At this point Frankie’s light had
above his, but we could see no other burned out, and left him in the dark;
 THE THING IN THE HOUSE

terror had overwhelmed him, and wonder at the pages in my hand. I

snatching up the pages, he had fled. held them toward the fire in a sug¬
As I finished reading the astound¬ gestive gesture. They nodded; I
ing explanation of the horror that had dropped them on the coals. In a mo¬
so nearly overcome us, I raised my ment a little mass of glowing ashes
eyes and looked at Mae and the chief. was all that met our staring and medi¬
They were gazing in open-mouthed tative gaze.

A FABULOUS animal which was

believed in by many until
zoology published in 1759: “The
Cockatrice is called the King of Ser¬
- comparatively recent times pents, not from his Bigness, for he is
was a cockatrice. In the Middle Ages much inferior in this Respect to a
it was supposed to have the head, great many Serpents; but because of
feet, wings and body of a barnyard his majestic Pace, for he does not
cock save that it had scales instead creep upon the Ground like other Ser¬
of feathers; but its body tapered into pents, but goes half upright; for
a long, scaly tail like a dragon's. Its which Cause all other Serpents avoid
origin is thus described in an old him.” The author then describes the
manuscript: production of the beast, substantially
“When a eoek is past seven years as it is given above. “Some are of the
old, an egg grows within him, whereat opinion,” he adds, “that the Cock
he greatly wonders. He seeks pri¬ that leys the Egg, sits upon and
vately a place on a dunghill or in a hatches it himself. . . . The Coekatrice
stable and scratches a hole for a nest, is about half a Foot in length; the
to which he goes ten times daily. A hinder Part like a Serpent, the
toad privately watches him and ex¬ fore Part like a Cock. These Mon¬
amines the nest every time the cock sters are bred in Africa and some
leaves it, to see if the egg yet be laid. other Parts of the World. Authors
When the toad finds the egg, he re¬ differ about the Bigness of it; some
joices much, and at length hatches say it is a Span in Compass and half
it, producing an animal with the head, a Foot long; others will have it tp be
neek and breast of a cock and from three or four Feet long, and some
thence downwards the body of a ser¬ the Thickness of a Man’s Wrist and
pent. And that is a Cockatrice.” proportionable in Length. The Eyes
But by the early part of the Eight¬ of a Coekatrice are red. Its Poison
eenth Century, zoologists agreed that is so strong that there is no Cure for
this idea of a cockatrice was erro¬ it. The Poison infects the Air to that
neous ; it had no feet or legs and was Degree that no other Creature can
more like a snake. live near him. It kills not only by
It is thus described in a book on his Touch, but by Sight and Hissing. ”
What Strange Horror Lurked Above It ?

The Bed of Shadows

By FRED R. FARROW, JR.

ARCH 6th. At last, after most intriguing design of scroll-work

two months of sleeping on a on a dark background. I lay in my
cot, I am back in my own gloomy bed and idly traced out the
room again. It has been completely intricate curves in the wavering fire¬
redecorated and refurnished. First of light.
all, it now boasts a real fireplace, not My book is only fair. I read about
one of those make-believe electric af¬ two chapters and then put it down.
fairs, but one with andirons and a My eyes wandered to the ceiling. I
screen. How cozy it will be to read shall read some more tonight. There
by its flickering light on long winter is a faint musty smell in the air. Per¬
nights! haps the curtains need airing. I
The walls are paneled in driftwood shall speak to Myra about it tomorrow.
oak up to within two feet of the ceil¬ March 8th. It is wonderful tp have
ing, which is papered in some odd a fireplace in one’s room. It seems so
design. The furniture, selected by completely comfortable when the fire
my sister Myra, is of the Early Colo¬ is just barely flickering to watch the
nial period. The bed especially is a little flames leaping up from the
prize: a huge, grim four-poster, with charred logs. I read some more of
dingy dark maroon drapes on the Ghost House. The book gets better as
sides and open at the top. I progress. From time to time I cast
As I have a passion for reading in my gaze up at the ceiling. I don’t
bed, Myra has provided a wrought- know why, but somehow I enjoy look¬
iron bridge lamp which can be swung ing at the odd design of scrolls and
so as to illuminate my book. The spirals. A queer pastime, but fas¬
room is so delightfully gloomy that I cinating. If Myra knew, she would
can hardly wait until evening to lie wonder at it. I wonder myself.
there in bed and begin reading Ghost March 9th. As soon as I retired
House, which I picked up at the store last night my gaze rested on the ceil¬
today. ing. For the first time I seemed to
March 7th. As I had intended, I feel attracted in some vague uncom¬
retired about 11 last night to read. I fortable way by the queer spirals on
'had my bridge lamp on, and -the cur¬ the paper. What was it that I read
tains on that side of the bed were long, long ago about certain cabalistic
drawn back. The interior looked so signs and their power to hypnotize
dark, except where the light shone 'one who looked at them too long? I
through the parted curtains, that it seemed to remember only the one
seemed almost like entering a tomb. called the swastika. Surely there
There was a log fire which cast queer, were none on my paper. Again I no¬
quavering shadows on the ceiling. ticed the peculiar odor. Myra de¬
The ceiling ... I had not noticed clares she airs the room every morning.
before what sort of paper Myra had Just a word about my dreams. For
picked out for the ceiling. It has a the past two nights I have dreamed
664
 THE BED OF SHADOWS

about my room. In the dream room regular outline reappeared after a

there is something indefinably ter¬ few moments.
rible. I can not place what it is as Perhaps I should get rid of the
yet. I wake up with an uneasy feel¬ four-poster. It is sd huge and even
ing that all is not as it should be in sinister with its old red drapes that
my room. Perhaps I shall have the it may be affecting me as I lie there,
same dream again. Strange that I night after night, trying to read, my
have had it now for two consecutive book. Certainly there is a smell as
nights! of old cloth.
March 10th, Sunday. Again I have Myra came in last night. “Can’t
had the same dream. In some odd you sleep, Paul?” she asked.
fashion in my dream I seem to be in “No, dear; I have been reading and
my gloomy old four-poster, the cur¬ have read myself wide-awake. ’ ’
tains tightly closed, looking up at the Dear girl! She would never under¬
ceiling which is fitfully illuminated by stand. She has no imagination. Show
the dying fire. I know definitely that her a fragment of cloth from an air¬
the disturbing influence, whatever it plane wing brought down in battle.
is, is in the ceiling. This morning She would see—simply a piece of
when I awoke I was exhausted. Per¬ cloth, so many inches wide by so long,
haps I do not sleep at all but lie there possibly a bit soiled. She would get
all night tracing out those maddening no thrill at the thought, nor would
curves and spirals by the light of the she even think of that piece of cloth,
fire. Terrible thought, that of not miles above the earth, helping to
knowing whether one is actually sustain the plane, dodging and dip¬
dreaming or lying there in that dim ping around and finally coming down
shadowy void between true slumber with terrible speed after a well-direct¬
and wakefulness! ed shot.
Ah well! maybe she is better off
I must go to bed early tonight. If
without an imagination. Perhaps
my book becomes more exciting I may
most truty happy people are so be¬
be able to keep my eyes from those
cause they lack one.
mocking spirals on the ceiling. I hope
March 12th. This thing is becoming
so.
fascinating. As I undressed last
March 11th. A peculiar thing hap¬ night I looked up at the ceiling—
pened last night. As it was Sunday, ordinary commonplace paper with a
I retired early to read. After an design. As soon as I got in bed,
unsuccessful attempt to rivet my mind though, I looked up and saw the out¬
on my book I put it down in disgust. line of the—shall I say thing ? It has
Eagerly (why do I use the word?) only a vague shape and I can not say
my eyes turned to the ceiling. For just what it resembles. I tried the
the first time, instead of tracing out experiment of leaning out one side of
the little scrolls and whorls, I saw the the bed. Immediately the form dis¬
thing as a whole. It is strange and a appeared. Can it be because of the
little uncanny, for the vague blurred poor lighting and the fact that I in
outline bears a semblance to some my bed lie in comparative darkness,
monster. If I look directly I can not or is it something evil and sinister
see it. If, however, I look out of the that is taking place?
comer of one eye, then it takes shape. I have had no more dreams.
I got out of bed to throw a log on March 13th. Tonight I gave up all
the fire. Immediately the whole fan¬ pretense of reading. The form in the
tastic design seemed to fade away and ceiling fascinates me. Its shape is
became simply the papered ceiling. becoming more and more clearly de¬
Seen from the bed again, the faint ir¬ fined. I am anxious and yet I dread
666 WEIRD TALES

to see what it will resemble if it con¬ darkened bed behind the red drapes,
tinues to grow in clearness. a look of terrible fascination in my
Myra suspects something. She eyes, looking, watching, waiting—for
questioned me several times as to why what?
I look so worn and haggard after what March 16th. I am writing this in
she thinks is a good night’s sleep. If bed, and will make notes of all that
she only knew, she would not wonder. happens. As soon as I closed the
But she must never know or she will drapes, I looked up at the ceiling. It
think I am mad. Perhaps I am. I was already there, a huge, irregular,
wonder. . . . murky blot on the paper with the
March 14th. My work at the office writhing scrolls and spirals.
suffers because of the strange fas¬ The thing is gaining in clarity and
cination of the ceiling. I can not keep definition. Now as I lie here and look
my mind off it for a single moment. up, its form is quite distinct. I am
At night, as soon as I can leave Myra watching it. I can see its ribbed
on a pretext of reading in bed (as wings and its little red eyes (can I be
though anyone could read inside those sane?) evilly glowing. An odor of
old dark drapes!) I slip into my things long since consigned to the
dressing-gown and lie there gazing at grave pervades the air—the smell of a
the ceiling. It is now more than just charnel-house.
interest which draws my attention. The fire has almost gone out. As
It is like an awful attraction which the wood ashes smolder and fall to the
compels us against our very will to hearth, the thing in the ceiling seems
look at some terrible accident or catas¬ suddenly to move. Its great -bony
trophe when we would like to shut our wings flap slowly and clumsily. It is
eyes. crawling, crawling, along the ceiling,
The form is growing clearer. It until it gets directly over my head.
resembles a gigantic bat. It is only a few feet away. Closer,
March 15th. I must get rid of my closer, and—oh God! it’s going to
four-poster. It is exerting some evil jump down. . . .
influence over me, I am sure. Still I
have a morbid desire to see this thing
through to the finish. Last night the npHE young man was found dead in
details of the shape in the ceiling be¬ bed the following morning, an un¬
came more and more pronounced. I forgettable look of horror in his wide,
imagined I saw its eyes. In addition, staring eyes.
some of the scrolls and spirals seemed “Death,” the coroner reported,
actually to writhe. I could not have “due to heart failure, evidently in¬
been asleep. The bridge lamp was on. duced by some violent shock. ’ ’
I have a feeling that soon the pur¬ But engraven in tiny characters in
pose back of all of this will be ter¬ the ugly carved headboard of the grim
ribly revealed to me. Somehow I can old four-poster was found the curious
detach my mind for a time and regard legend:
myself in this grim little drama from Let him that sleepeth in this bed
a distance. I see myself inside my Take heed ere reason leave his head!
760 PEARLgf* QUEEN
By • • A- A-^^w-IRVU

“See how a drop of vinegar can dissolve a fortune.”

O N A sunny morning toward

the end of June a man sat
section of London’s society, was a
man of striking appearance. He was
writing at a great mahogany in the prime of life, tall, with the
desk in the library of an imposing broad shoulders and slim waist of an
graystone house in Champleyne athlete. His dark, slightly curly
Street. hair and olive-tinged complexion
In front of him a spacious how- hinted that he must first have seen
window afforded a pleasing vista of the light under sunnier skies than
the Green Park. The library was a those of Europe. The firmly molded
favorite retreat of his, a peaceful mouth and chin betokened posses¬
spot into which scarcely any sound sion of a will indomitable and irre¬
could penetrate. There was nothing sistible. Below the intellectual fore¬
to break the silence, save the chirp¬ head the steady, steel-gray eyes, a
ing of sparrows and a faint murmur little sunken in their sockets as
of traffic from the streets where Lon¬ though from intense study, were
don’s millions were jamming them¬ kindly, but a little sad in expression.
selves almost inextricably together Their glance was singularly pen¬
in pursuit, of pleasure or of business. etrating : as a woman had once
Dr. Abbas, to give him the name phrased it, they seemed capable of
by which he was known to a goodly piercing the inmost secrets of a soul.
667
668 WEIRD TALES

The room in which he sat was di¬ wizard, there clung around him, nev¬
vided by a massive pair of folding- ertheless, an atmosphere of mystery
doors into two portions. That front¬ which Society (spelt with a big S)
ing the park had been furnished as found vastly intriguing. He was, un¬
the sanctum of a wealthy scholar. doubtedly, one of the sensations of a
Lofty mahogany bookcases, filled particularly brilliant season. He had
with handsomely bound books on arrived in England some two months
every conceivable subject, and in sev¬ before, from nowhere in particular,
eral languages, lined the paneled with unexceptionable introductions
walls. In the available space left by from personages in high places living
the bookcases hung a collection of abroad. He had purchased Cham-
valuable prints. Roomy armchairs pleyne House, the gloomy mansion of
and priceless Eastern rugs upon the the Duke of Champleyne, at His
polished floor completed this portion Grace’s own price. Messrs. Catley and
of the room’s equipment. Wotherspoon, the well-known house-
That half of the apartment which furnishers and decorators, had been
lay beyond the folding-doors was given carte blanche; and an army of
more remarkable. No one entered it. skilled workmen had descended like a
except its owner and his confidential swarm of locusts upon the somber edi¬
secretary, Mr. Hyrax. It had been fice. As at the touch of a magician’s
fitted up as a laboratory. There, in wand it had been speedily transformed
addition to a complete installation of into a palace. It was said that several
the latest experimental apparatus of the great gaunt rooms had been
known to present-day science, one sumptuously embellished after the
might have observed appliances manner of ancient Egypt; it had even
which would have puzzled even an been jestingly affirmed that nothing but
up-to-date scientist. lack of space had precluded Messrs.
Cately and Wotherspoon from com¬
At the far end of the room, its
pleting their scheme of decoration
porcelain stove-pipe leading into an
with a pyramid!
adjacent chimney, stood an athanor,
that curious furnace of the ancient Directly the house was ready for
alchemists, shaped like the miniature him its new owner had entered into
model of a castle. Scattered about occupation, and had at once become a
upon tables were crucibles and long- celebrity. He had commenced to en¬
tubed, bulbous alembics. There were tertain lavishly, and his gatherings
aludels, and pelicans—queer bottle¬ had been noted for the excellence of
shaped contrivances for heating sub¬ his chef and the perfect taste of the
stances in the furnace. arrangements. He had come prom¬
The mural decoration was equally inently before the public eye by
noticeable: a set of beautifully col¬ reason of a princely donation to a
ored reproductions of the Mystic Pic¬ children’s hospital. For children he
tures from Splendor Solis. Along one appeared to cherish an especial fond¬
side of the chamber ran a bookshelf ness. He delighted in giving parties
loaded with ancient vellum-bound for them; and to one of the grateful
tomes bearing strange, uncanny ti¬ parents he had offered this explana¬
tles; such as The Golden Tractate of tion :
Hermes Trismegistos, The Water- ‘ ‘ Youth!—dear lady! How can we
Stone of the Wise, The Chrysopoeia do enough for it? Youth!—which we
of Cleopatra. all desire, and lose so soon! Surely,
Though there was about Dr. Abbas, that priceless quality which rejuve¬
clad in his well cut light-gray suit, nates this gray old world should be
nothing suggestive of the traditional held sacred! ’ ’
 THE PEARL OP A QUEEN

I t was only natural that about such

a man gossip should have been rife.
ly known famous people in bygone
times-’ ’
Old Mr. Atterthwaite, the society tat¬ The countess broke in again:
tler, chatting with his crony, the “But, good heavens! You surely
Countess of Orpington, commented: aren’t suggesting-? Tell me, what
‘ ‘ A most astounding person! Seems is this Dr. Abbas doing here ? ’ ’
to be richer than Rockefeller! Knows 1 ‘ Oh, well, he makes no secret about
every language under the sun: he was that. He travels a great deal, and
speaking fluent Chinese at the em¬ amuses himself picking up curiosities
bassy reception the other night! for his private collection. If he wants
Really, one begins to wonder—one’s a thing, he doesn’t mind paying for
almost reminded-” it. He gave a huge price for that
Mr. Atterthwaite’s voice trailed unique copy of Robinson Crusoe at
away in a mysterious murmur. Parritch’s the other day, if you re¬
The countess broke in exasperated- member. ’ ’
ly: “Bless the man! What’s all this “I saw something about it in the
havering and hinting? Can’t you say newspapers. ’ ’
what you mean ? ’ ’
Mr. Atterthwaite chuckled again.
Her companion finished polishing “Would you believe it, he actually
his eye-glass, fixed it firmly in posi¬ told Parritclx that the book had for¬
tion, and shot at her the question: merly belonged to him, that he had
“Did you ever hear of the Comte lost it, and that his name had been in¬
de Saint-Germain?” scribed by the author upon the fly¬
“Never, that I’m aware of. Am I leaf!”
likely to have met him somewhere?” “Good gracious! The man must be
Her companion chuckled. “Hard¬ mad!”
ly!—unless our friend Abbas is his “One would think so. And yet—
reincarnation! The count died—or this is the curious part of it—the
rather, disappeared—toward the end name ‘Abbas’ was certainly there,
of the Eighteenth Century. He was written in old crabbed characters! I
a favored friend of Louis XV and the saw it myself!”
Pompadour. No—my point is this: Mr. Atterthwaite paused to enjoy
History teaches us that every century his little sensation. Then he resumed:
provides its Dr. Abbas! Let me see” “As I was saying just now, it is
—Mr. Atterthwaite began cheeking on one of the characteristics, this claim¬
his fingers—“in the Seventeenth Cen¬ ing of acquaintanceship with dead
tury we have a Signor Gualdi sud¬ and gone celebrities. I ’ll give you one
denly turning up in Venice; in the more instance. At the club the other
Eighteenth, the Comte de Saint- evening Rudge, the archeologist, was
Germain in Paris; in^the Nineteenth, talking about the recent Nebuchad¬
a Major Fraser, also in Paris; in the nezzar discoveries on the site of
Twentieth—do you begin to see?” ancient Babylon. Abbas was sitting
“I see that you’re talking arrant close to us, apparently half asleep.
nonsense! ’ ’ Well, I distinctly heard him mutter:
“Ah, but is it such nonsense? At ‘Nebuchadnezzar—ah, yes, he was
any rate, there are interesting points there after my time.’ Now, what do
of similarity about these different per¬ you make of that?”
sons. To begin with, they were all “Obviously, the man’s crazy!” the
great linguists and travelers. Again, countess declared decidedly. She add¬
each of them appeared to possess un¬ ed sententiously: “But you can af¬
limited wealth. Each of them was ford to be crazy, if you’re a million¬
fond of hinting that he had intimate¬ aire!”
670 WEIRD TALES

Cerenely undisturbed by tittle- panion. He leaned back in his chair

^ tattle, Dr. Abbas sat that morning and continued: “Miss Charmion Van¬
writing in his library. ning is, of course, quite unaware that
He finished the last of his letters, she was my informant. ’ ’
and arranged them in a neat pile on Hyrax raised his eyebrows. ‘ ‘ Char¬
the desk. Then he pressed the knob mion ! ” he murmured. ‘ ‘ That is
of an electric bell. Almost immedi¬ strange! ’ ’
ately there came a knock at the door. “Yes, is it not? Strange that she
‘ * Come in! Come in, my dear Hy¬ should bear today the name she bore
rax ! ’ ’ Abbas called, pleasantly. “ I’ve those centuries ago, when first she
a piece of news for you this morn¬ coveted the Queen’s Pearl! It was
ing!” her name that first attracted my at¬
The door opened, and there entered tention. And then, I read her mind
a quaint figure. The newcomer was a —and knew! ”
dwarf, not many inches over four feet “Master! It is wonderful! When
in height. Like his master he was I recall how we have searched the
dressed in ordinary English costume. cities of the world-! ’ ’
In spite of his puny stature, the Abbas, smiling at the little man’s
breadth of his chest and shoulders enthusiasm, finished his sentence for
gave indication of colossal strength. him.
His skin was swarthy, and his gray- “It is wonderful to find our quest
flecked hair and smartly trimmed ended in London? You are right!
beard were those of a man in the early But is it not still more wonderful to
fities. His benignant features some¬ reflect how, throughout the years, her
what resembled those of his name¬ spirit has hovered near the object of
sake, the Syrian cony. its desire? — And now she will be the
He stood for a moment in the cen¬ instrument to restore the Queen’s
ter of the room, his dark eyes fixed Pearl to its rightful owner.”
affectionately on the man at the desk. “How will you manage that?”
Abbas drew a chair closer and mo¬ “There will be no difficulty. She
tioned him to it. will lunch here today to inspect my
“Sit down, my dear Hyrax, and lis¬ jewels, and I shall give her her in¬
ten!” he ordered. “I’ve good news! structions. Her mind will be open to
Another of our lost treasures will influence. She is jewel-mad, like her
soon be restored to us! ” predecessor. One meets them some¬
The dwarf’s face lighted with eager times—women who will sell them¬
interest. selves for diamonds! Think of it,
“Another? Which of them, Mas¬ Hyrax! For diamonds—those nodules
ter?” he queried, excitedly. of pure crystallized carbon which you
‘ ‘ The Queen’s Pearl! ’ ’ and I make when we require them!”
‘ ‘ The Queen’s Pearl! Y on have Abbas waved a hand in the direction
found it?” of the laboratory.
“I know where it is. Its recovery “Will you need my help?” his
is merely a matter of time.” companion asked, after a pause.
“And where is it, then ?’’ “Most certainly! We must have a
“At the present moment it is in replica. We are not robbers, my
the possession of Lady Vanning, the friend, and Lady Vanning must have
widow of the war profiteer. It forms in exchange a pearl of equal intrinsic
the pendant to her new necklace.” value. It will be for you to find me
“How did you discover this?” one. ’ ’
“Through her daughter.” Abbas The dwarf considered for a moment.
reached for a box of cigarettes, lit one, “Vartier, the Paris jeweler, has two
and pushed the box loward his com¬ such pearls,” he said, at length.
 THE PEARL OF A QUEEN 671

‘ ‘ Paragon pearls of a similar size and “It is time for the drops!” he an¬
purity. He hopes to sell them to an nounced.
Eastern potentate. He values each Abbas looked at his watch. “Al¬
of them at seventy-five thousand ready?— But yes, I feel the change
pounds. ’ ’ approaching. ’ ’ He sighed. ‘ ‘ The ef¬
“No more than that? The price fects of the elixir last less long than
has not altered greatly! Four hun¬ they were wont to do: the years are
dred Greek talents was the price the taking their toll!”
queen paid, if I recollect rightly.
Well, see to it, then, my good Hyrax—
and remember, there must be no stint¬
W hilst his companion hurried
into the laboratory, a startling
ing of money.” change came over the figure seated at
The dwarf nodded. Then he said: the desk. It was as though old age
“There is one small difficulty. The were suddenly descending upon it.
setting — the design of the golden The broad shoulders began to droop
clasp ?’’ forward. The clothing began to sag
“That need not trouble you. Miss around the shrinking body. There
Vanning will make for us an exact were lines forming round the slacken¬
drawing of her mother’s pendant.” ing muscles of the firmly cut jaws.
An expression of age-long weariness
Hyrax grinned. “In the magnetic
crept into the steel-gray eyes.
sleep ? ’ ’
But at that moment the dwarf re¬
“Of course! The method of our
appeared through the doorway. In
old friend, Friedrich Mesmer. ’ ’
one hand he held a tiny crystal phial
“I see. And when will the replica filled with bright ruby-colored liquid,
be required ? ’ ’ in the other a tube of shining metal—
“On this day week. The night of the “golden conduit” of the ancient
my Egyptian Soiree. Lady Vanning philosophers. With the deftness of
and her daughter will be among the long practise he inserted the tube be¬
company. I shall stage a little diver¬ tween his master’s lips and poured
sion for my guests’ amusement, and through it the contents of the phial.
at the end of it the Queen’s Pearl will The effect was magical. Whilst he
be once more in our keeping. ’ ’ stood watching, life flowed back into
Hyrax chuckled. “A brief exhibi¬ the shrunken frame. The lines were
tion of collective hypnotism, I sup¬
smoothed away. His master sat be¬
pose ? ’ ’ fore him rejuvenated.
“Precisely! Is it not strange how
Abbas took from him the phial, and
little is known about that subject?
Certain savants have, of course, ad¬ allowed a shaft of sunlight to play on
mitted that it is often easier to hyp¬ the few remaining drops of wine-red
notize a crowd than an individual. It liquor sparklirig at the bottom.
is the true explanation of the Indian “My marvelous elixir!” he cried,
rope trick. To a certain extent all exultantly. “Giver of youth! Re¬
great orators have the power. One ne wer of life! Powerless, indeed, to
has only to consider the enormous arrest forever death which must in¬
sale of patent medicines to compre¬ evitably overcome us all; but mighty
hend the readiness of the human mind enough to postpone death’s onset, to
to receive suggestions! ’ ’ prolong our period for knowledge!
As Abbas finished speaking, the How many illustrious men have
dwarf leaned forward, intently study¬ sought for thee? Hermes, the first
ing his master’s face. He glanced at Master; Avicenna; Roger Bacon—the
the buhl clock on the mantelpiece, and names are legion! Men who have
rose briskly from his chair. grown old seeking to find that ‘per-
672 WEIRD TALES

feet gold’, the Philosopher’s Stone, Abbas laughed again. “Quite pos¬
which is the basis of thy being! ’ ’ sibly! In those days dialectics, like
He abruptly ceased his rhapsody, travel, were less hurried. But I was al¬
and looked apologetically at his com¬ ways argumentative: even as a school¬
panion. boy at Memphis, when Rameses the
Second was king. How I used to hate
•‘Forgive me, my friend!” he
his supercilious face and his ridicu¬
said. “While the spell is on me, I
lously long neck!—But it is nearly
forget that we live now in prosaic
lunch time; our guest will be arriv¬
times! ’ ’
ing.”
“The elixir deserves all that you
have said of it,” Hyrax asserted,
warmly.
W hen Miss Vanning reached the
house ten minutes later, she was
“True! And yet, you would not agreeably surprized to learn that she
fully avail yourself of its powers ? It was to have a tete-a-tete meal with her
was by your own wish that its action
host.
was suspended so as to leave you to
She was a brunette of twenty-four,
outward appearances fifty-five! ’ ’
dressed, coiffured and painted after
Hyrax made a slight gesture of an¬
the fashion affected by the young folk
noyance.
of the ultra-smart set to which she be;
44 Fifty-three! ” he corrected. 4 4 Yes,
longed. On her handsome, discontent¬
it was my wish. I was never young;
ed face had been set the seal of the
and, with my face and form, a few
Great God Jazz.
gray hairs command respect. ’ ’
“Ah, I understand. And, after all, To her host’s secret amusement, it
what does it matter? We have, I quickly became evident that Char-
trust, a long span yet during which to mion Vanning was laying herself out
go down the centuries together—we to fascinate him. As a matter of fact,
who age less in a year than the aver¬ she frankly admitted to herself that
age man in an hour! What are these he had interested her from the time
ordinary human beings to us? No when she had first met him. He was
more than homunculi—those minute handsome, mysterious and, so far as
creatures whom dear old Paracelsus she could judge, the possessor of il¬
hoped to create artificially! You re¬ limitable wealth. He was apparently
member?” unmarried; and though, as she knew,
“He explained his theory the night there were dozens of women ready to
we supped with him at his house in come at his call, he never appeared to
Basle. ’ ’ trouble himself about them. She flat¬
“ So he did! After our return from tered herself that, of late, he had been
Damascus. That was a good many anxious to seek her company. And
years ago ? ’ ’ while she realized that he was, as yet,
Hyrax reflected for a few seconds. not in love with her, she had begun to
“Exactly four hundred and seven wonder. . . .
years on the thirty-first of March During a luxurious repast, of which
next, ’ ’ he replied, gravely. her host ate sparingly, she thought
Abbas laughed. “You were always her mystery man more than ever at¬
meticulously precise about your dates! tractive. He entertained her with
Was it as recently as that? I recol¬ stories of his travels, and described a
lect that after supper we had some Sixteenth Century chateau in France
slight discussion-’ ’ which he was thinking of buying. If
Hyrax interjected dryly: “Your he did, he said, she and her mother
discussion lasted uninterruptedly for must some day pay him a visit.
two whole nights and a day!” He “And now I must show you my
stifled a yawn at the recollection. little collection of jewels,” he wound
 THE PEARL OF A QUEEN 673

up, as he rose and opened the door for Instantly, their fragrance increased,
her. “I keep them in a special room and two of the buds unclosed.
designed to display their beauty to “This tincture will also impart an
the best advantage.” added luster to metals, ’ ’ he remarked.
He led the way up a flight of softly “Watch!”
earpeted stairs, and ushered her into He let fall a drop or two on the
a small room with windows facing the bronze bowl, which commenced to
park. shine with the bright red glow of a
Charmion Vanning stared about fire.
her in astonishment. Never had she In spite of her habitual sang-froid
seen such a place. The floor and Charmion Vanning felt her senses
ceiling wrere of sun-colored Italian reeling.
marble, and the walls of dark green “Are you—are you a magician?”
marble from Africa. At the end she stammered, breathlessly.
farthest from the windows was a pool
Her host’s cheery answer reassured
of snow-white alabaster, in which Jap¬
her.
anese goldfish were swimming lazily
in the water plashing from a fountain “Nonsense!” he exclaimed. “I
of wrought silver. Round the room dabble a little in chemistry, that is
were glass-topped cabinets of polished all! The tincture was discovered by
eedarwood, in which she could see a staid old alchemist several hundred
sparkling and coruscating the facet- years ago. He named it ‘The Red
glint of preeious stones set in brace¬ Lion’. — Do you mind if I draw the
lets, collars and rings of innumerable curtains? I always think that pre¬
designs, modem and antique. cious stones look their best by artificial
Her host smiled at her gasp of light.”
wonder, and crossed over to a window, She nodded consent, and he drew a
where a huge bronze bowl of exquisite pair of heavy blaek velvet curtains
roses stood on a carved ivory table. across the windows. He pressed a
He put a few of them together into switch, and the room became flooded
a bunch, and offered it to her. with radiance from an inverted bowl
“What lovely flowers!” she ex¬ of carnelian-onyx suspended from the
claimed. “But surely, they are not ceiling.
English?” She caught her breath sharply, as
“No. They arrived yesterday by the light was flashed back in scintil¬
air-post from my villa garden near lating, many-colored flame from the
Damascus. ’ ’ ornaments clustered in the cabinets.
Charmion Vanning laughed, a little He began to tell her their histories.
nervously. “You amazing person! That great emerald set in a plaque of
There’s this—this palace; you’ve been solid gold had been the turban-jewel
talking of a French chateau; and now of an ancient Emperor of the East.
there’s a villa at Damascus! How That fire-opal ring had been taken
many houses have you?” from the finger of a dead Aztec chief
“Really, I haven’t counted them by one of the conquistadores in Mex¬
lately,” Abbas replied, uninterested¬ ico. Charmion Vanning listened to
ly. “I find it convenient to have him spellbound. She had quite re¬
some sort of pied-a-terre in several of covered her self-possession. Her lips
the principal cities. But, allow me!— were parted, her cheeks were flushed
those flowers of yours should have a with excitement as she held a glitter¬
sweeter perfume.” ing diamond pendant against the soft
He drew from his pocket a phial, white material of her frock, or
and sprinkled a few drops of liquid clasped a sapphire-studded bracelet
on the bunch of roses she was holding. round a slim wrist.
W. T.—3
674 WEIRD TALES

Now and again, a look of pity over her. Under that unwavering,
mixed with disdain passed over Ab¬ compelling gaze her own eyes closed.
bas' fare as he watched her. How Abbas took her gently by the hand,
many other women had he seen, and led her unresisting to a couch
throughout the ages, ready to sell near the window.
themselves for baubles such as these!
“Sleep!” he ordered. “Sleep un¬
He left her examining them, and til I bid you wake—but answer my
unlocked a small steel safe let into the questions! Do you hear me?”
wall. From it he took a casket of
The reply appeared to come from a
gold filigree-work, and brought it
far distance.
back to where she was standing. He
“Master—I hear.”
opened the lid, and again a cry of
“Then, listen! You will dream of
wonder burst from her.
the Queen’s PearL The great pearl
In the casket were compartments which the queen gave to me in days
filled with cut and uncut gems of gone by. Can you see it?”
every variety. In one compartment “I can see it—Master.”
there was nothing but pearls. “Where is it now?”
She bent over them, gloating. “Oh, “In a house. In our house in Bev-
the pearls! ’ ’ she cried. ‘ ‘ May I touch em Square. It forms the pendant of
them?” a necklace. ’ ’
Without waiting for an answer she “To whom does it rightfully be¬
plunged her fingers into the casket, long ? ’ ’
drew out a handful, and let them pour There came no answer. Abbas’ face
slowly back in a silvery stream, sens¬ grew stem.
ing voluptuously their satinlike tex¬ ‘ ‘ So you will not tell me ?—because
ture as they tinkled into their sanctu¬ your spirit has never ceased from cov¬
ary. eting it? Dare you oppose your will
“The pearls!” she cried again, an to mine ? I command you to tell me—
almost hysterical note in her voice. whose is that pearl ? ’ ’
‘ ‘ There is nothing like them! I coxild The answer came, dragged from re¬
sell my soul for pearls! ’ ’ luctant lips.
‘ ‘ The queen—gave it—to you. ’ ’
Abbas spoke, harshly sardonic. “A
“You speak truly! The queen gave
rash offer! And your soul would not
it to me. It is mine! Will you help
be worth much at such a price!”
me to recover that which is my own ? ’ ’
She did not seem to be listening. “I will do—what you command.”
‘ ‘ Often when I dream, it is of pearls! ’ ’ ‘ ‘ That is well! And now, make for
she went on. “There is something— me an exact drawing of the golden
something that I can’t explain-”, clasp in which the pearl is set. Be
Abbas was regarding her intently. careful! ’ ’
He took a step nearer, and dropped He placed a sheet of paper and a
his voice to a whisper. pencil beside the sleeping girl, and
“Shall I explain to you? It is of waited patiently while she traced the
one great pearl that you dream! And design. When she had finished, he
now you shall dream of it—for me!” tucked the paper into his pocketbook
His tone changed sharply to one of and waved a hand lightly across her
imperious command. 1 ‘ Look at me! ’ ’ face.
She glanced up at him, startled and “Wake, now!” he ordered. “Re¬
mutinous. His steel-gray eyes were member nothing of what has passed;
fixed on her. Their pupils had nar¬ but when the time is come—obey! ’ ’
rowed to points: it was as though a A few seconds later Charmion Van¬
light were shining behind them. A ning found herself seated on the
feeling of intense drowsiness stole couch close to the open window. The
 THE PEARL OF A QUEEN 675

curtains had been drawn aside, and ness something entirely novel. Some
the room was lighted by the rays of people had even gone so far as to hint
the afternoon sun. Her host was darkly at an exhibition of magic; and
bending over her with a look of con¬ on that subject the Countess of Or¬
cern. pington had spoken in no uncertain
“You were feeling faint, I’m manner to her escort, Mr. Atter-
afraid?” he asked, solicitously. “The thwaite, who was looking portly and
heat of the room, perhaps; or the rubicund in the robes of a priest of
scent of the flowers?” Ra.
She passed a hand over her fore¬ “If-this Abbas man turns himself
head, bewildered; then forced a laugh. into the Devil, or anything of that
“How silly of me! I’m not given kind,” she had given warning, “I
to fainting! It must have been the shall send for my car and go straight
heat. I’ve been racketing a good home! ’ ’
deal, lately-” However) it was not until after sup¬
Abbas shook his head reprovingly. per that their host afforded his guests
“Ah, these late nights! Still, I can’t any knowledge of what was in store
help feeling a little guilty!” for them. Then, a tall, imposing fig¬
He took from his pocket a necklet ure in the uniform of a captain of the
of sapphires in an antique setting Ptolemaic body-guard, he addressed
which she had been admiring, and the company.
continued: “Ladies and gentlemen,” he said,
“Will you do me the honor of ac¬ “by means of a method of my own I
cepting this as a memento of your propose to show you some old-time
visit?” scenes of the land of my birth. Scenes
Her eyes sparkled. ‘ ‘ For me ? How from the life-story of Antony and
lovely of you! Do you really mean Cleopatra. ’ ’
it?” ‘ ‘ That sounds interesting! ’ ’ drawled
Abbas inclined his head courteous¬ a pretty woman with the vacuous fea¬
ly. “Certainly, if you will permit tures of a doll. “Didn’t somebody
me. But I must first have the clasp write a play about them? Shake¬
seen to. That’s how these things get speare ? Or was it Shaw ? ’ ’
lost. A defective clasp, the least
Abbas laughed. “I promise you
little jerk, and they drop off and are
that my presentation will be entirely
gone!”
original! May I ask you all to fol¬
T here was an air of expectancy
low me into the room I call my Egyp¬
tian court ? ’ ’
about the guests assembled at
Champleyne House on the night of He conducted them to a spacious
Dr. Abbas’ Soiree which argued well hall, in which were divans and piles
for the success of the entertainment. of silken cushions. Along each side
The invitation cards had borne the of it were carved pillars of cypress-
legend: “A Night in Aneient Egypt” wood, in shape resembling those of
—and, in accordance with their host’s the ruined temple of Kamak. One
desire, most -of those present were in end of it was screened from view by
Eastern costumes. The ladies espe¬ curtains. The only illumination was
cially had let themselves go in the mat¬ a pale phosphorescent light round the
ter of exotic adornment, and the bril¬ tops of the pillars.
liantly lighted salons blazed with a As the guests, amused and chatter¬
dazzle of jewelry. ing, seated themselves, there drifted
Word had gone round that in addi¬ through the curtains an aromatic per¬
tion to the amusements customary at fume, drowsy and enervating. As
such functions, the guests would wit¬ though from afar came faint strains
676 WEIRD TALES

of barbaric music, a haunting melody surface of a lake. Away to the left

of half-tones. the myriad lights of the great city of
In a clear, solemn voice their host Tarsus twinkled against the velvet-
began to speak. shadowed slopes of the hills.
“The hymn to Ra, the Sun God. Anchored upon the shimmering
His emblem was a disk; and gazing bosom of the lake lay the state-galley
upon it his worshipers were wont to of the queen. Only that morning her
pass from the world in which they crew of toiling oarsmen, laboring un¬
lived into another. Come, let me der the whips of their task-masters at
show you.” the triple banks of silver-mounted
He swept aside the curtains. In sweeps, had brought her to her moor¬
the dim light his audience could see age. But now the sails of Tyrian
an arched recess. In the middle of purple, with their cordage and tassels
it smoldered a great four-legged cen¬ of silver, drooped idly, scarcely
ser; .and above the censer, poised in stirred by the soft, warm breeze from
midair, revolved a disk of metal shin¬ the north.
ing with a dull red glow spinning It was a vessel fit for a queen!
round an invisible axis. And, while Cunning artificers, working with rare
they watched, its speed increased: woods and metals and precious stones,
faster and faster it whirled, until had contrived upon it pavilions and
there was no longer any sign of mo¬ saloons, colonnaded courts and
tion, its red glow changing from the shrines. Below the main deck was the
glare of a fire to the dazzling incan¬ banqueting-hall of cedar covered
descence of the electric arc. The thickly with gold-leaf, carpeted with
aroma of incense became stronger. fresh roses into which, a few hours
The minutes passed. From where since, the feet of the banqueters had
he stood facing them Abbas looked sunk ankle-deep as they passed to
down upon his guests. Their chatter their cushioned lounges.
had died away. There was deep Above the stem there towered a
silence. Not one of them moved. shelter fashioned from plates of bur¬
From that room filled with people nished gold. It was shaped like the
there came no sound, save the sound head of a gigantic elephant, its trunk
of their breathing. Like automata upraised in the air. The flickering
they sat, straining forward, their gaze blaze of the torches fixed in their sil¬
riveted on that white-hot point of ver sconces to the bulwarks, flashed
luminosity. Except that their eyes from its plates in shafts of lambent
were wide open, one would have said flame.
that they were sleeping. In front of it, on a massive ebony
He turned, and raised his arms pedestal, a golden thurible filled the
above his head. Instantly, dense still air with the languorous scent of
wreaths of white smoke began to curl kyphi balls—that famed Egyptian in¬
upward from the censer and roll bil¬ cense compounded by myrrh and juni¬
lowing forward into the space between per berries, mastic and honey and
the curtains. Then, as if flung upon a grapes — their perfumes mingling
vast ivory screen, there grew there, with the fragrance of the cedarwood
vivid and distinct, the pictures of an and roses, the powdered cinnamon in
age gone by. . . . the women’s hair.
From the fore-part of the vessel
N ight had fallen. From the full came the sound of music, of flutes
and tambourines, the ripple of seven-
moon riding high in the dark
blue vault there poured a flood of stringed harps, timed by the rhythmic
radiance silvering the waters of a tapping of the drums and the jingling
river where they widened into the still of holy systra, their metal rods rat-
 THE PEARL OP A QUEEN 677

tling in their horse-shoe frames. The ment later an attendant knelt before
song was a chant to Nephthys, sister her proffering a golden chalice.
of Isis, goddess of the dusk. With a. twist of delicate fingers she
Round the great shelter were unfastened one of her earrings, a
grouped the queen’s attendants: offi¬ pearl the size of a small walnut, and
cers of the Guard, gigantic Nubian let it fall into the cup. With cynical
slaves, women with forms such as eyes she watched the pearl dissolve.
Praxiteles might have chosen for his
art. The dark-browed beauty wield¬
‘1 See bow a drop of vinegar can de¬
vour a fortune!” she exulted. Slowly
ing an enormous fan of ostrich-feath¬ she circled the cup, then raised it to
ers, her downcast eyes fixed hungrily her lips.
on the queen’s jewels, might have "To thy health—and thy deeper
been Charmion Vanning. Boys dressed understanding, oh Antony!” she
as cupids flitted among the guests mocked, and quaffed the potion.
bearing goblets brimming with mel¬ Her voice sank to a whisper. "Nay,
low wine — Falemian and the rare that which is more enduring than love
Phenician vintage of Gebal Byblos. or riches is—power! ’ ’
On a gem-incrusted couch, against
pillows of cloth of gold, her rounded 'T'here was a pause while Abbas
limbs gleaming through robes of di¬ again surveyed that silent com¬
aphanous silk, reclined the queen— pany. His gaze sought for and held
Cleopatra, august daughter of the the glassy stare of Charmion Vanning
Ptolemies, ruler of Egypt. Venus in¬ where she sat beside her mother. The
carnate from her dainty, dark-haired lines of his face set grim in an intense
head to her tiny, jewel-sandaled feet. concentration of will. He saw her
Seductive, fearless, radiant in the start and quiver, as though at a shock
pride of her all-conquering loveliness. from an electric battery. Then, slow¬
Her eyes, dark fathomless pools, re¬ ly, one of her hands began to move.
garded quizzically the man seated by Once more he raised his arms, and
her side—a man clad in rich gar¬ the scene changed. . . .
ments with the muscles of a gladiator, In a grove of cypresses and syca¬
a broad forehead and firm mouth, but mores there stood a miniature pavil¬
with something of the appearance of ion, its alabaster dome supported on
an over-grown child. pillars of porphyry. In front was a
Above the sound of the chant her terrace with a marble balustrade; and
voice rang clear as the tone of a bell. far below, beyond the wooded slopes
‘ ‘ Thou speakest of love, mighty of the mountain, stretched the lake on
Antony; and truly, it is what most which the galley still rode lazily at
mortals crave for! But I tell thee, anchor.
there is yet another gift of the Gods It was the hour before sunrise. Al¬
which is more to be desired than ready on the horizon gray skies were
love! ’ ’ breaking into rosy light. There was
He glanced around him at that scarcely a sound: only the distant
scene of splendid, wanton luxury, and croaking of frogs by the margin of
asked: the lake, the chirping of newly awak¬
“ Is it wealth, oh Egypt ? ’ ’ ened birds, the call of a sentry
A scornful smile curved the ex¬ answering the challenge of the guard.
quisite lips. "Wealth!” she cried. The door of the pavilion opened,
‘ ‘ Dost thou indeed believe that wealth and the queen came forth clad in a
is lasting?” A freakish look passed Grecian robe of pure white silk span¬
over her countenance. ‘ ‘ Come, let me gled with gold. She walked toward
give thee proof! ’ ’ the balustrade, and leaned there
She clapped her hands, and a mo¬ watching the dawn.
678 WEIRD TALES

She turned, as a tall figure in the “My pearls! My pearls! Someone

uniform of a captain of the Guard has taken my necklace!”
strode through the bushes, crossed There was a hush of consternation.
the terrace and knelt on one knee be¬ Everyone looked to where Lady Van¬
fore her. ning was standing beside her daugh¬
“Lo, I have come as I was bidden,” ter.
he said, in a voice broken by emotion.
“My necklace is gone!” she repeat¬
“But must it be farewell, oh my ed. “I was so engrossed in watching
Queen?” —but I recollect now that in the
She bowed her head in assent.
darkness I felt as if someone’s fin¬
“It is, in truth, farewell, Abbas, gers-”
my lover! Destiny lies with the Gods;
She spoke sharply to her daughter:
and Egypt hath more need of power¬
“Charmion, did you notice anyone
ful friends than her sovereign of lov¬
touch me?”
ers!—Yet, memory is sweet! I leave
Before her daughter could reply
thee this for a token. ’ ’
she heard her host speaking behind
From a fold in her robe she drew
her.
a great pearl earring, and laid it in
“Fortunately, it has not gone very
his palm.
far, Lady Vanning,” he said, as he
Then, as he sprang erect, she waved
stooped behind her chair, then rose
him imperiously back.
and handed her the necklace with a
“Nay, follow me not!” she com¬
smile. “I’m afraid the clasp must be
manded. Her voice grew swiftly ten¬
der : ‘1 Lest at this hour I prove my¬
self more of a woman than a queen!
defective. You should speak severely
to your jewelers!”
Farewell!”
She passed into the shade of the
A fter his guests had departed, Dr.
Abbas sat for a long while alone
cypresses—and was gone.
in his library. Before him on the
W ith the confused babel of a
table lay the great pearl.
He could see again in fancy the
theater audience transported
galley moored on the lake, the ter¬
back to reality by the fall of the cur¬
raced garden before the dawn.
tain on an absorbing play, Dr. Abbas’
“Shakespeare knew how to word
guests awoke from their trance. And
it! ” he murmured:
this was strange!—not one of them
seemed to realize that he had been “The barge she sat in, like a burnished
through an unusual experience.
The vast hall was ablaze with light, Burnt on the water; the poop was beaten
gold.
and somewhere in the house a band Purple the sails, and so perfumed that
was playing the latest dance music. The winds were love-sick-”
One heard the customary comments:
“Wasn’t it interesting?”—“How do He sighed deeply. “Ah, my Queen!
you suppose it was done ? ’ ’ For thy country’s sake thou chosest
All at once, above the chatter rose power rather than love! Didst thou
the hysterical cry of a woman: choose wisely?”
“T 7"ERY weU> Mr- Crewe! I’ll expensive cigar in his mouth, his big
\f sign the agreement, though frame clad in the smartest of light
T no one but you would drive tweeds, and an orchid in his button¬
such a devil’s bargain.” hole.
The speaker’s tall, emaciated body Jason was an extremely wealthy
vibrated with indignation, and his man, young enough to enjoy his
strange light eyes blazed like in¬ money, and with a son to inherit his
candescent lamps. There was some¬ millions one day. The loss of Mavis,
thing of the brooding menace of the his wife, had been more of an annoy¬
gray sea in the latter, and a note in ance than a grief to him; he felt that
his voice reminded me of the sullen she had died merely to make things
mutter of the wind before a storm. awkward for him—in fact, he added
A little shiver of apprehension her death to the many grievances he
ran through me as I turned from treasured up against her.
him to my brother-in-law, Jason I knew that if there is such a
Drewe. Nothing could have been thing as a broken heart, he broke
more utterly and infuriatingly eom- my sister’s, and I hated him for it.
plaeent than the latter, who was I would have cut off all intercourse
leaning back in the most comfort¬ with him, only that I had promised
able chair my office afforded, with an Mavis to keep an eye on the boy, and
679
 WEIRD TALES

counteract his father’s influence as to it. “I am sure you will never pay
far as possible. Jason knew nothing more in money.”
of this; ho believed I hung on to him “You’re right — dead right,
for the sake of his wealth and Werne,” Jason’s resonant voice
twitted me with it quite openly, in echoed through the room.
spite of the fact that I was never in¬
“And yet—I think you will pay
debted to him for a single dime, and
more in the end. Yes, in the end you
would have cleaned the streets, or
will pay more, Mr. Drewe.”
sold “hot dogs” rather than owe
him a penny. Jason turned to me blustering and
furious.
It seemed absurd to pity him,
especially at this moment of his tri¬ “Aren’t these deeds water-tight?
umph, when he had succeeded in get¬ What does he mean ? If there is any
flaw in these agreements I’ll stamp
ting the land he wanted at the price
he wanted, and was sitting there be¬ you and your fool firm out of exist¬
fore me as pink and pleased as a ence ! ’ ’
prize baby after its bottle. Before I could reply, Werne began
Eldred Werne, whom Jason had to laugh. He sat there and laughed
just cornered so successfully, was long and dreadfully, the bright color
staining his thin cheeks, his gray
the one whom most people would
eyes brilliant and malicious. He
have pitied. But I had only admira¬
tion for anyone as determined and laughed until the cough seized him,
strong of soul as Werne. Poor and and he leant back at last utterly ex¬
hausted, an ominous stain on the
desperately ill though he was, he
was not an object for pity. handkerchief he pressed to his lips.
As junior partner in the firm of “Let me relieve your natural
Baxter and Baxter, real estate anxiety, Mr. Drewe, ’ ’ he said at last,
agents, I was present to witness the his hoarse voice still shaken with
signatures and conclude the deal be¬ mirth. “You Avill pay more, but not
tween Werne and Jason; and I in money! Not in any material sense
wished a thousand times that Baxter at all.”
and Baxter had never had this affair “What in the name of common
entrusted to them. It was a sordid, sense do you mean?” growled Jason.
despicable business altogether. “There is nothing common at all
“ I ’ll sign, ’ ’ repeated Werne, draw¬ in the sense of which I speak. It is
ing his chair closer to my desk, and very uncommon indeed! I refer to
taking up the parchments in his thin, payments which have no connection
blue-veined hands. “The land shall with money—nothing which can be
be yours at your own price—for the reckoned in dollars and cents.”
present! ’ ’ Jason looked uncertain whether to
Anger and instant suspicion call police protection or medical aid,
showed in Jason’s small, heavy- and he watched Werne narrowly as
lidded eyes. the latter signed the documents.
“What the devil do you mean?” When the signatures were com¬
he said. “If you sign these papers pleted, Eldred Werne got to his feet
the land is mine, and there’s no and stood looking down at Jason—
power on earth can make me pay more a long, strange, deep look, as if he
for it than the sum set down there in meant to learn the other’s every fea¬
black and white.” ture off by heart. Behind Werne’s
“I wasn’t thinking of money.” eyes once more a sudden terrifying
Werne’s voice was strangely quiet flame of laughter danced—flickered
and yet so full of menace that again —and was gone!
I felt every nerve in my body thrill “You don’t fear any payment that
 THE LAUGHING THING

will not reduce your bank account, mark. “Moonshine and ghosts!
then?” Seems the right sort of mixture!”
“What other payment is there?” With a last fatuous chuckle, Jason
asked Jason in genuine surprize. opened the door; and, through the
“You’re wonderful!” said Weme. window, I saw him get into his new
“So complete a product of your age coupe and drive off, his face still
and kind. So logical and limited creased in enjoyment of his last
and — excuse me — so thoroughly sally.
stupid! ’ ’ “The descent of man,” murmured
Jason’s fresh-colored face turned Werne, half to himself. “There’s no
a deep purple. doubt that Jason Dr ewe has descend¬
“If you were not a sick man-” ed a considerable way from the
he began. apes! The fool—the blind, besotted
“And one, moreover, whom you fool! ’ ’
have thoroughly and satisfactorily
2
fleeced,” interpolated Werne.
“I should resent your remarks,”
continued Jason pompously. “As it
It was a perfect day in the late
autumn of that same year, when,
is, I see no use in prolonging this for the first time, I saw the Tarey¬
conversation.” town estate.
“Stay!” cried Werne, as Jason I dismissed my taxi at the huge
put on his fur coat and prepared to stone gateway, and walked slowly
depart. “It’s only fair to warn you up through the woods. After the
that if I die Oht there in Denver hectic rush and noise of New York,
City, I shall come back again! I the golden stillness around me was
shall be in a better position then, deeply satisfying; and I thought of
without this wretched body of mine. poor Eldred Werne, who would
I shall come back—to make you pay never know the beauty and healing
—a more satisfactory price for my peace of this place again. I had seen
Tareytown acres.” the notice of his death in Denver
Jason stared, standing in the door¬ City, only a month after he had
way with one plump well-manicured signed away his rights to these love¬
hand on the door-knob, looking like ly Tareytown woods, and I had
a great shaggy ox in his fur coat, thought very often since of the lonely
and with that air of stupid bewilder¬ bitterness which must have clouded
ment on his broad face. his last days.
“Wha-a-a-at?” he stammered. Glimpses of the blue, shining Hud¬
Then, as the other’s meaning slowly son shone between the trees, and
dawned on him, he leaned up against beyond, the flaming russet of the
the door and showed every tooth in Palisades. On all sides the country
his head in a perfect bellow of mirth. stretched out to dim, misty horizons
“Are you threatening to haunt me?” for which Werne’s dying eyes must
he choked, the veins on his forehead have longed in his exile.
swelling dangerously. “Well, my Then, quite suddenly, a chill
good fellow, if it gives you any com¬ passed over me. I became aware of
fort to imagine that, don’t let me the ominous and unusual stillness of
discourage your little idea. You’ll the brooding woods. Neither bird
be welcome at Tareytown any old nor squirrel darted to and fro among
time! The Tareytown specter, eh? the leaves and branches—not even a
It’ll give quite an air to the place! fly buzzed about in the hazy sunshine.
What kind of payment will you I looked around in gathering ap¬
want—mqonshine, eh?” Jason almost prehension. What was it that began
burst with the humor of this re¬ to oppress me more and more ? Why
682 WEIRD TALES

did the tall trees seem to be listen¬ voice sank to a whisper. “There
ing?—why did I have the impulse isn’t time to tell you now, but there’s
to look over my shoulder?—why did something in those woods. Some¬
my heart thump and my hands chill thing you can’t see—that—that is
suddenly ? waiting!”
With a great effort I restrained I stared at the boy, and once again
myself from breaking into a run, as the cold chill I had experienced dur¬
I continued upward toward the ing my walk up to the house crept
house. The path doubled back on over me.
itself across and across the shoulder “Look here, Tony,” I began.
of the hill on which the house, Red “You mustn’t get-”
Gables, was built; and it was fully “There is—there is, I tell you!”
ten minutes before I arrived breath¬ He was passionately in earnest.
less in sight of its red roof and high “Something that laughs—something
old-fashioned chimney-stack. that is waiting!”
In a corner of its wide porch, I “Laughs — waiting!” I echoed
caught a glimpse of a boy’s figure feebly.
and let out a loud halloo, glad of an “You’ll hear it yourself,” he an¬
excuse to break the queer, unnatural swered. “Then you’ll know. Father
silence. won’t let me speak about it to him,
There was an answering hail, and and says if I’d play games instead
my nephew, Tony, came running of reading books, I’d only hear and
down the path to meet me. see half what I do now. ’ ’
“Hello, Uncle John! I was wait¬ “About as much as he hears and
ing for you! Did you walk up sees,” I murmured to myself.
through the woods—alone?’’ The “I am sure Father hears it too,
boy’s voice held an awed note, which only he won’t say so,” continued
was emphasized by the look of fear Tony. “But I’ve noticed one thing
in his dark eyes. —he won’t let anyone knock at the
He was only eight years old, and doors. The servants even go into his
exactly like his mother. Thank study without knocking, and he was
heaven, there was no trace of Ja¬
son’s complacent materialism in his “Exactly!” I said dryly; “I
son . . . mind and body, Tony was an understand. ’ ’
utterly different type. I loved the The small hand in mine gave a
boy, and a real friendship had de¬ little warning pressure, and I saw
veloped between us, despite the dis¬ Jason Drewe’s big frame and mas¬
parity of our years. He was curi¬ sive head loom up in the compara¬
ously sensitive and mature for his tive dimness of the interior, as Tony
age, and it was a great thing for a and I reached the entrance door of
bachelor like myself to have a child Red Gables.
make a little tin god of me, as Tony “Well, John!” boomed my host,
did. as he rose from the depths of a vast
“And why not walk alone through chair and came forward, cigar in
the woods?” I demanded, looking hand. “Made your fortune yet?”
down at him as he rubbed his head It was the form of greeting he in¬
against my arm like some friendly variably gave me; for he was that
colt. irritating type of man who uses a
“I wouldn’t,” he replied simply. limited number of favorite witti¬
“Why not, old man? There aren’t cisms and sticks to them persistent¬
any wolves or bears or even Indians ly, in season and out of season.
left here, are there ? ’ ’ Today, however, his complacent
“Don’t laugh, Uncle.” The boy’s heartiness was obviously an immense
 THE LAUGHING THING 683

effort to him, and I was quite startled thoughts; working himself up into a
by the change in his appearance. pretense of anger to make the blood
He seemed conscious of it himself, run more hot and swift in his veins.
but there was a certain bravado in As far as he was able, within the
the sunken eyes he turned on me, limited scope of his primitive nature,
which defied me to remark on his ill Jason loved the boy, and every hope
looks. and ambition he cherished was cen¬
T was certainly shocked to notice tered round Tony, and Tony’s fu¬
how much thinner he was, how gray ture. I just let him run on. and
his skin, and how hunted and restless speculated with increasing bewilder¬
were his eyes, as he kept glancing ment on the cause of my brother-in-
from side to side with a quick up¬ law’s obvious uneasiness of soul. It
ward jerk of his big head, as though must be something tremendous to
he were listening for some expected have shaken his colossal egotism, I
and unwelcome summons. argued to myself, and moreover it
He motioned me to a chair and was something he was desperately
poured out drinks with a fumbling anxious to hide—some unacknowl¬
sort of touch, which further indi¬ edged fear which had pricked and
cated the change in him since I last wounded him deep beneath his tough
saw him in the office of Baxter and skin.
Baxter. “I’m not satisfied with that school
Tony curled up at my side on the of his—not at all satisfied! ” he went
arm of my easy-chair, as quiet as a on. “I ask you now, what’s the use
doormouse, taking no part in the of filling a kid’s head with all that
conversation, but his precocious in¬ imaginary stuff when he’s got to live
telligence enabled him to follow the in a world of Jews and politicians
drift of it; that I could swear to. He and grafters? How’s he going to
annoyed his father, this silent ob¬ grind his own when his darned
servant child, and in the middle of a school has exchanged it for a silver
discussion Jason turned irritably to butter knife? How’s he going
the boy.
“Why don’t you go off and amuse He broke off with a queer stran¬
yourself out of doors like any other gled groan as a sudden clamorous
boy of your age? You sit round the knocking sounded—a loud tattoo
house like a little lap-dog and waste like the sound of war-drums through
your time with books—always moon¬ the quiet house.
ing about like someone in a dream! The big sunshiny room darkened
Just like your mother—jtfst like suddenly and a puff of wind from an
her,” he finished in an exasperated open window at my side breathed an
mutter. icy chill on my cheek. The horror
When we were alone, Jason turned I had recently experienced in the
to me with a frown. “More like a woods swept over me again, and I
girl than a boy!” he commented saw Jason’s face set in a mask of
bitterly. “About as much pep as a fear and loathing.
soft drink! What’s the use of build¬ Silence held us bound for a per¬
ing up a business and making a ceptible moment, and in the quiet a
future for him, when he’ll let it all loud, echoing laugh rang out.
slip through his fingers later on ? ” It sounded as though someone
He went on talking rather loudly were standing just outside the house,
and quickly on the subject, with no and I had a vivid mental image of
help at all from me, and it struck a figure convulsed and rocking with
me he was talking in order to defeat mirth. But this figure of my imag¬
his own clamorous unpleasant ination did not move me to laughter
684 WEIRD TALES

myself, although as a rule nothing the lonely woods of Tareytown like

is more contagious than laughter— some dark-winged genie.
but not this—not this hateful mirth! I went slow ly and thoughtfully up
I dashed to the window and looked to my room, my mind heavy with
out; then, making for the door in doubt and perplexity, and as the
blind haste, I stumbled out on the night wore on and darkness closed
porch and ran round the house in a in about the house, so did my mind
queer frenzy of desire to learn who grow darker and more fearful.
—or what—had stood there laughing
. . . laughing . . . laughing. 3
I only caught a glimpse of fright¬
“YX7'ell, Soames! Rather a change
ened faces in the servants’ quarters
* ’ from your roof-garden in New
at the back of the house as I dashed
York—eh ? How do you like it here ? ’ ’
past, and saw windows and doors
The old gardener folded his gnarled
being hastily slammed.
hands one over the other on the handle
When I got back to the living- of his spade, and shook his head slow¬
room again Jason was gone, and I ly from side to side.
sat down breathless, and shaken to
“It was an unlucky day for the
the very soul. I had stumbled on to
master when he came to Tareytown,
the secret—or part of it—with a
sir—an unlucky day!”
vengeance; and I sat with my unlit
pipe in my mouth for the better part “How’s that? Won’t your plants
of an hour, until the first overwhelm¬ grow for you?”
ing horror of the episode had faded “You know, sir! I see by your
a little. face that you know already!”
Jason came in just as I was think¬ “I must confess there’s something
ing of going up to my room to a bit depressing about the place,” I
change for dinner, and any idea I answered. “ It’s just the time of year,
might have entertained of asking no doubt. There’s alwaj’s something
him for explanations was foiled by melancholy about the fall.”
the extraordinary change in him. “There’s nothing wrong about the
He was his old self again. Large, time of year,” said the old man. He
pink, and prosperous, he breezed leaned forward and his voice sank to
into the room and stood with his a whisper. “Haven’t you heard it
hands in his pockets, grinning down yet?”
at me from his massive six feet odd. I gave an involuntary start, and he
If there was something defiant in the pursed up his mouth and nodded.
gleam of his blue eye, if his voice “Aye, I see you have!”
was harsh and his grin a trifle too He came closer and peered up at
wide, it needed someone who knew me, his brown face with its faded blue
him as well as I did to detect it. eyes a network of anxious wrinkles.
I never liked or admired him as “Sir, if you can help the master,
much as I did at that moment; and for God’s sake do it! He’sa rare hard
the determination came to me, to one, I know, but I’ve served him
stand by him in this trouble of his, for thirty-five years, and I don’t want
to stay and fight it out. and give to see no harm come to him. He won’t
what help I could to him and the own up that he hears anything amiss,
boy. nor go away from this accursed place
I am not a superstitious man, nor with the boy, before any harm comes
counted credulous by my friends or to either of them. He’s that angry
enemies. But here was something in¬ because he don’t understand—won’t
explicably evil which brooded over understand there’s something more
 THE LAUGHING THING

than flesh and blood can hurt us some¬ way down among the trees, getting
times ! ’ ’ fainter and fainter just as if someone
The old man’s words came out in a was walking away down the path—
flood, the result of long-suppressed and laughing and laughing to himself
anxiety, and I marveled that a man all the time! ’ ’
of Jason Drewe's type should com¬ I listened aghast to the old man,
mand such solicitude from anyone. ;uid a vivid picture arose in my mind
"I'm all in the dark, Soames,” I of Eldred Weme as I last saw him in
said slowly. ‘ ‘ Who is it that knocks— life—the tall, emaciated figure, the
that laughs?” arresting face with its beautifully
The gardener’s eyes grew very chiseled features, and above all the
somber. “ No mortal man—no mortal strange gray eyes as they had dwelt
man, sir.” in that last deep look on Jason, the
burning mocking fire which lit them
“Why, Soames, you’re as supersti¬
and the fathomless contempt of the
tious as they make them,” I said, try¬
strong mouth.”
ing to make light of his words.
“See here, sir,” he said, pulling me “You will pay—you will pay!”
by the sleeve into the deeper shade of The words rang in my ears as if
the shrubbery behind us. “I’ll tell Werne were standing at my side
you what I’ve never spoken a word speaking them at that very moment.
of yet. I’ll tell you what I overheard I sat down abruptly on a fallen
one night when this—this thing first tree, and lit a cigarette with unsteady
came here. I was pottering about late fingers.
one evening, tying up bits of creeper “Now look here, Soames,” I said at
against the wall outside the master’s last. “We mustn’t let this thing get
study. I heard the knock—loud and us seared out of all common sense and
long as if the emperor of the world reason. I admit it’s a beastly un¬
was a-knoeking at the door, and I looks pleasant business, but I can’t—1
up to see who was there. The door won’t believe yet that there is no
was only three or four feet from natural explanation of these things.
where I was standing with bass and Someone who owes him a grudge may
scissors in my hand. And there was be putting one over on Mr. Drewe.
no one at all on the steps nor any¬ It may be a deliberate plot to annoy
where near the house. While I was and frighten him. Thei*e was a—er—
a-staring and wondering I heard the well, a misunderstanding between
laugh! My blood went cold, and I your master and Mr. Weme over the
just stood there shaking like a poplar purchase of this Tareytown estate,
tree in a wind. And since then, night and Mr. Weme was quite capable of
after night, that knock and that laugh planning a neat little revenge to
comes as regular as the sun sets!” square his account a little. He was a
I stared at my companion in in¬ very sick man, remember—and sick
credulous horror. men are apt to be vindictive and un¬
“And one time,” he continued, “I reasonable. ’ ’
heard the master call out. Terrible “I guessed as something had hap¬
loud and fierce his voice was: ‘Have pened between the two,” murmured
you come for your moonshine, Eldred Soames, “but I didn’t rightly know
Wernef—take it!’ And with that, a what it was.”
bottle of whisky comes hurtling “You and I will watch the house
through the window and fell almost from now on,” I said. “We’ll ar¬
at my feet. I felt a wind blow across range to be outside, one or other or
my face same as if it blew right off an both of us, directly after sunset. And
iceberg; and as I stood there afraid to if—if we see nothing, if we find no
move hand or foot, I heard the laugh one there-’ ’
 WEIRD TALES

“Aye—you won’t, sir!’’ A pale moon sailed serenely over¬

“Then I shall do my best to per¬ head, and I felt a passionate longing
suade Mr. Drewe to leave this place to be as far away from this evil-
and return to the city.” haunted little piece of earth as was
“And that you’ll never do. He’ll the moon itself. Revolt which was al¬
never give in and go away, not if it most nausea seized me, as I looked
means his death. The master is ter¬ around at the shadowy woods, and
rible obstinate, and he fair blazed up felt the unnamable creeping horror
when I kind of suggested he wasn’t which waited there.
looking just himself, and that maybe Slow minutes passed. The shadows
Tareytown didn’t agree with him. ’ ’ grew denser, and the silence so pro-
And remembering Jason’s defiant founded that the falling leaves
eyes and the bluff he put up last eve¬ rattled like metal things on the dry
ning for my benefit, I was inclined to ground, and the creak of the great
agree with Soames. trees made my heart thump furiously
against my ribs.
“I’ll do what I can,” I said, get¬
ting up and brushing off twigs and I could see Soames’ small tense
leaves. figure bent forward in a listening at¬
titude, his face turned toward the
“I’m thankful to know you’re here,
entrance door. He looked like a ter¬
sir. There was no one I dared say a
rier-dog straining eagerly on a leash.
word to until you came. The servants
are in mortal terror, and never a week My eyes roved restlessly to and fro,
passes without one or more of them and fell at last on the long, uncut
leaving. Soon we won’t be able to get grass which grew about the tree-
anyone to stay a night in the place!” trunks. Quite suddenly I saw the
reeds and grasses bend and quiver as
‘ ‘ If your master could be persuaded
if before a strong wind. In a long
to send the boy away for the rest of
thin line they bent—a line advancing
his vacation-”
rapidly from the blackness of the
“He won’t do that,” was the lugu¬
trees out toward the open—toward
brious reply. ‘1 That would be sort of
the house—toward the entrance porch,
owning up that there was something
with its broad steps gleaming silver
here he was afraid of! He’ll never
in the moonlight.
admit that—never! ’ ’
My hand flew to my throat to stifle
4 the cry that rose as I saw that sinister
trail being blazed before my eyes. It
O ur first vigil took place that night. advanced to the extreme edge of the
The boy was safe indoors—he tall grasses in a direct line with the
never went over the threshold of the entrance-door.
house after dusk fell, I noticed. Jason A moment of unendurable suspense
had established himself with his fa¬ —an agony of terrified expectant wait¬
vorite drink, a stack of newspapers, ing! Then it came—loud—thunder¬
and a box of cigars, in his library. I ous—awful as the stroke of doom!
left him looking as immovable as the The knocker had been removed from
Rock of Gibraltar—and as gray! the door, and on the bare wood itself
Soames and I planted ourselves in beat that devil’s tattoo.
strategic positions on either side of I was paralyzed with the shock and
the porch, where we could see both thunder of it, and only when I saw
the big entrance door, and the whole Soames stumbling forward, and heard
of the front porch which ran in front his hoarse cry, did I move—stiff and
of the library, dining-room, and sun- uncertainly as a man might move
paflor. after a long illness.
 THE LAUGHING THING

We clutched each other like two breath of decay, shutting out the sun¬
terrified children when we arrived at lit earth beyond, and the clear skies
the foot of the steps, and I felt above, rolling up around the house
Soames’s body shaking against my with infinite menace and gloom.
own. Louder and more clamorous grew
Then, abruptly, the infernal racket the nightly summons, and the laugh¬
ceased; and in the momentary silence ter which followed 'echoed and re¬
which ensued, a laugh broke out that echoed about the house throughout
sent our trembling hands over our the night, sounding at our very win¬
ears, but we could not shut out the dows, then growing faint and ominous
sound of that demoniac laughter. Un¬ from the depths of the brooding
controlled and triumphant it rang out woods.
again and again, and the vision of
someone rocking with mirth rose as 6
before in my imagination.
But nothing was there on the porch
A t last, the boy’s terror precipi¬
tated a crisis.
in the moonlight!
The whole porch was visible in the Jason, who had brought this cursed
clear white light. No one, no thing, thing upon himself, it seemed, refused
could have escaped our staring, strain¬ to acknowledge that he had been
ing eyes. There was no one there, and wrong, to make any amends which lay
yet almost within touch of our out¬ within his power, or even to move
stretched hands some invisible, in¬ from the place which Eldred Weme
tangible Thing stood laughing—laugh¬ had loved so passionately in the flesh,
ing—laughing. . . . and haunted so persistently in die
spirit.
5 Jason’s courage, though I admired

After that night the horror fell

it in one way, was not of the highest
order. I mean that his conduct was
more and more darkly. guided by no reason, but only by
Soames, who was out all day work¬ blind impulse.
ing in the gardens and shrubberies,
I tackled him more than once about
noticed increasingly sinister signs that
Tony, and only succeeded in rousing
our invisible enemy was marshaling
furious opposition.
his forces, and closing in on the last
stages of the siege. “What the devil are you driving
More and more frequently the old at?’’ he roared at me. “This is my
man would see the grasses bending house, isn’t it? These are my woods
and swaying around him in loops and and my lands. I paid for them ac¬
circles, as though the laughing Thing cording to my bond. No one is going
moved to and fro in the mazes of to drive me out—no one, d’you hear?
some infernal dance. Often Soames —neither man nor devil! ’ ’
felt the chill of the Thing’s passing, “But Tony!” I protested. “You
and noted the shriveled, blighted foli¬ ought to consider him. He hears the
age which marked its trail. servants talking. He hears whatever
The woods grew darker with every it is that comes knocking at your
passing day, despite the thinning of door, Jason—you know best what it
the leaves. The autumn mists which is! The boy is almost beside himself
lay so white and cloudlike in the val¬ with fear. Can’t you see he is des¬
leys of the surrounding country, perate? He doesn’t eat or sleep
drifted in among the trees on the properly. D’you want to kill him as
Tareytown estate like gray, choking you did his mother?” I added bitter¬
smoke, dank and rotten with the ly, remembrance of my sister’s lonely,
 WEIRD TALES

unhappy life with Jason goading me father’s unbounded disgust. The boy
to speech. had spent a sleepless night ancf I had
But Jason was always impervious given him a bromide and persuaded
to anything he wished to ignore, and him to stay in his room to rest.
he brushed aside my last words and “Making a mollycoddle of him!”
returned to Tony. growled Jason, his eyes light and dan¬
“The boy has got to learn—he’s gerous as a wild boar’s above his
got to learn, I say! If this house is flabby, sallow cheeks. He put down
good enough for me, then it’s good his cup with a rattle on the saucer,
enough for him, too. Tony’ll stay and scraping his chair noisily on the
here with me to the end of his vaca¬ polished flooring, he rose and strode
tion. If I give in about this thing, it heavily out of the room, and I heard
will be the thin end of the wedge. the stairs creak under his weight as
He’ll expect me to indulge every he went up to the boy.
girl’s fad and fancy he has—and the Throughout the day, his evil mood
Lord knows he’s full of them! Here grew- on him, and Tony could do noth¬
I stay, and here he stays, and that’s ing right.
all about it. Why on earth do you “Mark my words, sir,” Soames
stay yourself, feeling as you do?” he had said to me as we stood in the
added roughly. “If you’re afraid, potting-sheds that morning. “I’ve a
I’ll excuse you the rest of your visit.” feeling we’ve about come to the end!
I didn’t trouble to deny the fact That Laughing Devil will knock for
that I was afraid, and went off curs¬ the last time tonight—for the last
ing myself for interfering, and prob¬ time! Mark my words!”
ably making Tony’s relations with his And as the day wore on I felt more
father even more difficult. and more assured that Soames was
right.
7 Every hour the sense of imminent

T hat evening Jason seemed abso¬

and immense danger grew heavier,
and every hour Tony grew more and
lutely possessed. Whether he had more nervous and Jason more brutal¬
been drinking heavily, or whether his ly obstinate; for the sight of the boy’s
endurance had reached the breaking- terror goaded his father into senseless
point suddenly in the long, silent anger.
combat of wills with his invisible The sun set that night in a bank of
enemy, or whether the blind gray fig¬ heavy dull cloud, which spread and
ure of Fate had written the last chap¬ darkened until thick impenetrable
ter, and he had no choice but to obey, dusk closed about us.
I do not know. With the coming of twilight we
Everything that happened that last waited in fearful anticipation of our
fatal night seemed obscured and usual visitation; but dusk deepened
fogged with the waves of terror and to night and no summons sounded at
desolation that swept over the house the door, no mocking horror of laugh¬
and the surrounding woods. ter wras heard at all.
From early morning the attack on Yet this silence brought no feeling
us strengthened perceptibly. Every of reprieve. Rather our expectancy
hour I felt we were fighting a losing grew more and more tense, and
battle, and I had no comfort for Tony sat by the fire with cold shaking
Soames when he sought me out, and hands thrust deep into his pockets,
led me off to the potting-sheds after a and tried to prevent his father
pretense of breakfasting. noticing the ague of fear which shook
Tony had remained in bed, to his his thin little body.
 THE LAUGHING THING 689

Jason did not send him to bed at for the staircase, not the door—my
his usual time—we all sat there wait¬ God, not the door!
ing—just waiting! There was the quick rattle of a
The big logs smoldered dully and heavy chain, the groan of a bolt with¬
reluctantly on the hearthstone. drawn—then a long, wailing shriek
Jason’s face was a gray mask; his of terror!
thick lips sneered; his eyes gleamed With one accord Jason and I
between their puffy lids. He was like dashed out into the hall—Soames
a cornered animal of some primeval came rushing from the kitchen-quar¬
age—a great inert mass of flesh ters—and tli ere stood the door flung
slumped down in his big chair by the wide, and from the porch without
dying lire. came a long exultant peal of laughter.
Nine—ten—eleven! The torturing We flung ourselves forward and
hours crept on and still we sat there out into the night. In the distance
like people under a spell, just waiting among the trees we heard the dying
—waiting! echoes of that infernal laughter—
With the deep midnight chime of then nothing more.
the clock in the library, the spell was
broken with a hideous clamor that 8
made Tony leap up with the shriek of
a wild thing caught in a trap. U ntil dawn we searched the woods
Jason got to his feet in one sur¬ of Tareytown, and as the first
prizing movement, and stood with gray glimmer of light broke in the
feet apart and lowered head, as if east we found him.
about to do battle. Have you ever seen anyone dead of
I sat clutching the arms of my a sudden violent poison—such as
chair, held by a blind terror that was prussic acid—with teeth showing in a
like steel chains about me. terrible grin—the muscles of the face
It was the Laughing Thing at last! stiffened in inhuman laughter? It is
Long and furiously the knock re¬ the most dreadful of all masks which
sounded, sinking to a low mutter and death can fix on human lineaments.
rising to a crescendo of blows that So we found Tony!
threatened to batter down the heavy His eyes—awful contrast to his
door. And over and above the thun¬ grinning mouth—mirrored a terror
derous blows rose the high mocking too profound for any words to convey.
laughter—triumphant, cruel, satisfied Eyes which had looked on the un-
laughter! namable—the unthinkable; spawn of
I blame myself—I shall always that outermost darkness which no
blame myself for what happened then. human sight may endure.
I might have held the boy back—
guarded him more closely when he T hat night was the end of my
was too frenzied with fear to guard youth and happiness. Jason
himself. But I did not dream what packed up and went for a prolonged
he was about until it was too late! tour of Europe with his fears and his
When he ran from the shelter of my memories, and I have never seen him
arms, I thought he meant to seek an¬ since.
other refuge! For myself, I live, and will always
But no—the boy was crazed beyond live, on the Tareytown estate, where
all reason and control, and ran perhaps Tony’s spirit may wander
desperately to the very horror which lost and lonely, still possessed by that
had driven him mad. evil which caught him in its net.
I heard his quick, light steps along I must remain at Red Gables, and
the hall, and I thought he was making perhaps here or hereafter I may atone
 WEIRD TALES

for the selfish fear which made me the boy and hold him earthbound and
fail Tony in that desperate crisis. accurst.
Somewhere—somehow, .beyond the I failed Tony once, but I will not
curtain of this life, I may meet the do so a second time. I will offer my
Thing which laughed—the evil, bitter own soul to set him free—and per¬
Thing which once was Eldred Weme haps the high gods will hear me and
—the Thing which may still possess accept the sacrifice.

A Five-Minute Story

The Inn in the Wood

By C. I. MARTIN
I T STOOD by the white, dusty
track which ran through the
strangely chosen, for there appeared
to be a graveyard on one side; dim
gloomy wood down to the wide gray shapes as of tombstones glim¬
gray sea of the Normandy eoast. Be¬ mered in the dusk. But what mat¬
fore the door stood a man with a tered that to him, if he could find
hunted face, and hesitated, glancing warmth and shelter within? Through
over his shoulder at the path which a window he saw a fire leap and glow.
had led him here from the sea-shore. It decided him, and turning to the
Night was falling; in the shades of half-open door he was about to knock,
the wood it was already dark. He when it was flung wide, and the host
was wet and weary. The folds of his stood bowing in the doorway.
long cloak dripped on the dusty path "You are welcome, Monsieur.
as he stood. It was odd, he thought, Would Monsieur be pleased to
that he had not marked the inn when enter?”
he passed that way in the morning. The traveler went in, and the
But then he had not been alone, and plump little man barred the door. He
had had that in his mind which might was dressed in rusty black; a smile
have taken him unheeding past was on his face and his eyes shone as
twenty inns. he looked at his guest, and rubbing
He shivered slightly as if with cold. his hands, predicted a terrible night.
There were many miles between him His manner was almost exulting,
and the little fishing village he had thought the other, and as he gazed
left at dawn, and he had no fancy at him he shivered, and almost
for retracing the path through the wished himself out in the dark wood
woods in darkness, and alone. The again, but that was folly.
trees could hide many things. He He curtly demanded a room, wine
would do better to spend the night and a fire by which to dry his gar¬
here. ments. All these he could have, and
Yet the inn did not look very cheer¬ that speedily. He followed his host
ful. He glanced up at the ereaking up a flight of stairs, and still, though
sign to discover the name, but the let¬ the door was barred below, he glanced
ters were too dim. The site too was with a hunted look over his shoulder.
 THE INN IN THE WOOD 691

At the top they entered a large room Still smiling, his host went out,
hung with faded tapestry. On it was closing the door behind him.
represented the bottom of the sea, Once more he was alone. Drawing
and as the wind stirred it, the fishes up a seat close to the fire he crouched
seemed to swim, and the long coils over it to dry his clothes, but they
of seaweed to wave with the motion dripped—and dripped—and never
of the water. The traveler looked at had done dripping. And the firelight
it with distaste. glanced on the little pools until they
Monsieur did not like the tapestry? looked like blood.
enquired the host. Alas! he had no For a time he sat motionless, then
other empty room, and when Mon¬ groaned, and rising, paced to and fro.
sieur slept it would not trouble him. He stood still at length by the beds.
The other shrugged his shoulders In his trouble he had not before noted
and looked around. A fire leapt on there were two, and he called the host
the open hearth; beside it wine and up to explain.
glasses stood on a table; in a comer “It is the custom of the house,
were two narrow beds, and through Monsieur. No one here sleeps alone,”
the open window came the distant he explained with a sidelong smile.
roar of the sea.
“I share my room with no stran¬
The newcomer looked with surprize ger,” was the haughty reply.
on these preparations, and his host,
“He will be no stranger,” said the
following his gaze, smiled and said,
little man as he closed the door.
“Monsieur sees he was expected.”
“But how-?” stammered the The wind rose, and the sea sounded
other. “I had no thought of coming louder than before. He had not
thought it was so near. He flung
here tonight.”
the window open, expecting to see it
“Monsieur would have found it
through the trees. The sign creaked
hard to pass this door.” below. It was nearer here, and as it
“Leave me!” he exclaimed, angry swung toward him he read in dim
with the smile which seemed to tri¬ letters: “Retribution”; above was a
umph over him. “But first draw sword and scales. And then he saw
that window to. The sea roars too on the road a sight that made his
loudly for me tonight.” heart stand still—a double track in
“Yet Monsieur has been closely the dust. He would fly, but whither?
acquainted with the sea today,” said On one side was the wood, on the
the little man as he advanced to do other the sea. He moaned, and
his bidding. “The sea is strong, Mon¬ crouched in hopeless apathy over the
sieur, but it does not keep all it dying fire.
holds. ’ ’ All was still now, very still. There
The traveler shot a glance of ter¬ was a stir below. Was it the host
ror at him, but the fat round face coming up again? No, it was a step
was as smiling as ever. he knew. It came nearer, and ever
“What do you mean?” stammered nearer, with a plashy sound upon the
the pale lips. stairs. He crouched in the farthest
“Nay, what should I mean save comer of the room, his eyes fixed on
that Monsieur's garments are wet? the door. Now there was but that
It is easy to see he has struggled,” between him and the thing without.
pointing as he spoke to a long rent in It opened, and on the threshold stood
his cloak. the brother he had drowned, with
The traveler shuddered and threw wide, unseeing eyes, and a coil of
the garment from him. wet seaweed in his dead hand.
 The Cloth of Madness*
By SEABURY QUINN

J AMISON ALVARDE, the noted

interior decorator, was dying.
and the deepsct eyes beneath them
were as gray as frosted glass. While
His family physician knew it; his long illness had etched fine lines
the neat, white-starched nurse— about the corners of his eyes and at
almost waspish in her impersonal de¬ the ends of his narrow lips, it had not
votion to her professional duties— robbed his cheeks of their rich, olive
knew it; the eminent graduate of coloring, and even in the antechamber
Hopkins and Vienna, called into con¬ of death his mouth retained its firm,
sultation, whose fee would be more almost cruel, set.
than the annual maintenance of a In a far comer of the room, the
poor ward in the City Hospital, knew family physician whispered fussily to
it; Alvarde’s next of kin, a niece and the next of kin. Waiting for a patient
nephew, hastily summoned from half¬ to die is tiresome business, especially
way across the continent, knew it; when one is hungry and when one ex¬
and—which was most important of all pects to have roast lamb with caper
—Jamison Alvarde knew it. sauce for dinner.
The last rays of the December sun “Yes, yes!” he was saying. “Mr.
slanted through the casement of the Alvarde has had a great deal of
sick man’s room, falling directly upon trouble the last year, a very great
the bed and illuminating his face as deal of trouble. He has never been
though with a rosy spotlight. This the same since that terrible affliction
was fitting and proper, since he was fell upon his wife and his friend at
the principal character in the short his country place in the Highlands.
tragedy about to be enacted. A tragedy, my dear young friends, a
It was not an ill-looking face the very great tragedy; quite enough to
afternoon sun bent its brief valedic¬ break anyone’s health. I’ve no doubt
tory on. Jamison Alvarde’s plentiful that Mr. Alvarde’s present illness is
hair was iron-gray in color and swept directly traceable to that—er—un¬
up from his high, placid forehead in fortunate occurrence; no doubt what¬
an even-crested pompadour. His eye¬ ever. ’ ’
brows were heavy and intensely black, Alvarde’s wasted, nervous hands
paused a minute in their restless
fumbling at the bedclothes. His thin,
straight lips twisted a moment in an
 THE CLOTH OF MADNESS

inscrutable smile, and his pale lids done, Jamison Alvarde lay back upon
slowly lowered till they nearly hid his pillows.
his roving gray eyes. With that un¬ The nurse crossed the room to re¬
wonted sharpening of the senses move the book and pen, paused a sec¬
which often comes to those weakened ond, looking into her patient’s face,
in body, he"had heard the doctor’s then hurried to the telephone to call
whispered conversation. the family physician.
The mention of that June morning She might have saved herself the
when his wife and friend had been trouble and allowed the good doctor
discovered in their rooms, hopelessly to finish his dinner in peace. Jami¬
imbecile, brought no grimace of hor¬ son Alvarde had no need of his serv¬
ror to the sick man’s face. Rather, ices, or of any other physician’s.
he smiled whimsically to himself, as if Jamison Alvarde was dead.
there were something not altogether
unpleasing to him in the memory. T he customary three days elapsed,
and in the morning of the fourth
'T'he afternoon sun sank behind the they took Jamison Alvarde from his
line of hills across the river. The residence on the Drive to a new home
great specialist got into his fur-lined in Shadow Lawns. It was a very
overcoat and his imported motor car stylish and dignified funeral, for Al¬
and drove home. The family physi¬ varde had left a respectable estate,
cian left instructions to be called im¬ and the high-priced funeral director
mediately there was any change in who conducted the obsequies under¬
Mr. Alvarde’s condition and went stood his business thoroughly.
home to his lamb and capers. The- On the fifth evening Alvarde’s at¬
next of kin tiptoed downstairs to din¬ torney—a dapper little man, much
ner, and Jamison Alvarde was left addicted to wing collars and neat,
alone with his thoughts and the white- double-breasted jackets—called and
clad nurse. read his deceased client’s last will and
“Nurse,” Alvarde raised himself testament to the next of kin, who, as
slightly on one elbow, “open the was expected, proved also to be his
lower left-hand drawer of the desk residuary legatees, one-third of the
and bring me the little black book estate having been left the dead man’s
you ’ll find there. . . . wife. Then the lawyer took up the
business of straightening out Al¬
“Now give me my fountain pen,
varde’s affairs.
please, ’ ’ he directed, when the sharp-
‘ ‘ It will be necessary, ’ ’ he informed
featured girl had brought the book
them, stuffing the will back into his
and adjusted the pillows behind his
saddle-leather brief-bag, “to let me
back.
have all your uncle’s papers which
The nurse withdrew to the window, are in the house” ’ ’
watching the last spots of sunlight on “The only papers of Uncle Jami¬
the river, and Alvarde commenced to son’s we found in the house are
scribble on the flyleaf of the book be¬ bound in a little black book,” the
fore him. As he wrote—difficultly, niece remarked. ‘ ‘ He’d been writing
for he was very weak—the same in it just before he died.”
faintly reminiscent smile he had worn When the little book was forthcom¬
in the afternoon settled again on his ing and he had tucked it in his over¬
tight-pressed lips. coat pocket, the lawyer seated himself
Half, three-quarters, of an hour his in his automobile and started on his
pen traveled laboriously over the homeward trip. Before the motor
book’s blank leaf; then, with a faint had traversed two blocks he took out
sigh of satisfaction, as at a task well the slender volume and opened it. He
m WEIRD TALES

•was no waster of time; his capacity is fully completed, and we shall live
for making every minute count had here while the carpenters are finish¬
won him his enviable standing at the ing up.
bar. I have asked Hector Fuller up for
The first words which struck his the week-end. Edith protested against
eye were written in a weak, straggling his coming; for, with every woman’s
hand—the words Jamison Alvarde loathing of the unattainable, she has
had penned on the night of his death. taken his impregnable bachelorhood as
“What the devil!” the lawyer ex- a deliberate affront. But Fuller is my
ekimed as he slowly spelt out the friend, and whether Edith is pleased
sprawling characters of the inscrip¬ with his visit or not is of no moritent
tion. “Did the old fool try to make to me. This is my house and Edith
another will on his death-bed ? ’ ’ is my wife; and I mean to be master
“The old fool” was his late la¬ of both.
mented client, the commencement of
whose ante-mortem writing was such
T^uller came this afternoon. I
as to warrant his assumption that a
* watched Edith narrowly when she
last will and testament had been at¬
greeted him, for I had determined to
tempted.
cut her allowance in two if she were
He read:
discourteous to him. She blushed to
I, Jamison Alvarde, being of sound mind
and memory (which is more than some I the roots of her hair when she gave
know are), but being weakened in body, him her hand, and his face colored,
and about to die, do declare the following too. Fuller looked uncomfortably at
statement to be the true explanation of the me out of the comer of his eye, and I
mental derangement whieh occurred to my
wife, Edith, and my friend, Hector Fuller, caught a sidelong glance from Edith
at my country place last summer. which reminded me of the look
‘•'Vengeance is mine,” saith the Lord; but Regina, my Irish setter, gives me
I anticipated Providence in demanding when she knows I am about to beat
reparation. As a piece of revenge my work
is not devoid of good points. her for worrying the poultry. I was
My one regret in publishing this memoir sorry for Fuller; having to be polite
is that I shall not be present to hear the to a hostess who dislikes you must be
comments of the fools who have sym¬ uncomfortable business.
pathized with me in my “affliction.”
Jamison Alvabde.
“Humph,” the lawyer turned the jC'ULLER is a sly old dog! Pretend-
scribbled fly-leaf over; “so Alvarde’s " mg misogynist that he is, always
mind was wandering at the last, eh? preaching the joys of an Eveless
Wonder how mueh more of this stuff Eden, I’ve caught him red-handed m
he wrote in bed that night?” a flirtation with some silly woman—
The next page answered his ques¬ and, I believe, a married one, at that.
tion. Following the teat upon which This afternoon I came in late from
the scrawling introduction was inspecting the decorations of the
scratched, the book was written in a Grayson mansion drawing-room, and
firm, clear hand, the hand Alvarde as I was about to mount the stairs I
had penned m health. The pages noticed a bit of folded paper lying on
were filled with detached paragraphs, the floor. The sight of this trash on
like diary entries, but undated. The my hall carpet angered me; I hate
first sheet was torn diagonally aeross, such clutter and disorder.
so that the first sentence was incom- I was about to pitch the scrap of
filete. paper in the fireplace when I noticed
*#####
that it was house stationery and was
-somewhat cool for this time of written on. I opened it and recog¬
year. Excepting the tower, the house nized Fuller’s writing.
 THE CLOTH OF MADNESS

My darling: and flirt with them in private. Only

The ordeal was terrible. How I hate to you’re so ungodly absent-minded with
have to pretend; how you hate it; how I
hate to see you obliged to do it! If only your mash notes! I found that
you-know-who would go away, so that we gummy thing of yours lying in plain
could cast aside this hideous mask, how sight on the hall floor. Is your brain
happy we could be! so addled with love of the fair one
My dear, there are not words enough in
all the languages combined to tell you how that you forget to post your letters
I love you. I'd rather kiss the print of to her?”
your little foot in the dust than the lips of He regarded me a moment as a con¬
any other woman on earth. Oh, if only
that brute could be got rid of! demned criminal might the messenger
Only a few more days, dear one, and the who brings his reprieve, and jammed
ghastly comedy we’re ’playing will be fin¬ the note into his waistcoat pocket.
ished. Then I will be at liberty to meet “Thanks, old man,” he gulped.
you once more at the old accustomed place. “Awfully good of you to bring it to
My darling, my darling, I love you!
Hector. me!”
“Oh, that’s all right!” I assured
“H’m!” I muttered, as I shoved him as I started to my own room to
the slushy thing into my jacket dress. ‘ ‘ Don’t bother about thanking
pocket. “ ‘That brute’ they’re so me.”
anxious to he rid of is undoubtedly Funny, what a doddering fool love
the lady’s husband. Abuse the hus¬ can make of a sensible man like
band to flatter the wife, every time! ’ ’ Fuller.
We husbands are always brutes
once we’re pledged, with bell, book T wish Fuller would use more dis-
and candle, to provide a living for *- cretion in his choice of a light o’
some worthless female. We’re pre¬ love. She uses lily of the valley.
cious enough before they’ve put their Lily of the valley is the one thing
halter on us, though, I’ve noticed! I about which Edith has defied me.
dare say Edith thinks me a brute, Time and again I’ve ordered her
though the devil knows it keeps my never to bring the pestilent stuff into
nose to the grindstone, paying for my house, and every time I’ve found
her fripperies. a phial of it on her dressing-table I’ve
I found Fuller in his room, dress¬ flung it out the window; yet her hair,
ing for dinner, and gave him his note. her finger tips and her lingerie fairly
“Next time, don’t be so careless reek with it, despite my commands.
with your billets d'amour, ” I cau¬ I came out late from town this eve¬
tioned. “Someone might find it and ning, and Grigsby, the butler, in¬
pass it along to her husband, you formed me that Fuller had dropped
know. ’ ’ out during the afternoon and had put
The shot went home. Fuller turned up in his usual room. I stopped in
as pale as if a ghost had entered the his quarters for a little chat before
room with me, and faced about with going to bed. He had already turned
a spring, as though expecting me to in, but was still awake. His clothes
attack him. were sprawled all over the room in
“I suppose you’ll demand that I the careless way he always throws
leave the house immediately?” he them when he crawls into bed, and I
asked, when he saw that I had no had no choice but to share the same
immediate intention of assaulting chair with his dinner jacket.
him. I’d scarcely gotten seated and
I laughed. “My dear boy,” I told lighted a cigar when I began to notice
him, “it’s a matter of perfect in¬ the unpleasant proximity of lily of
difference to me how much you pro¬ ithe valley scent. At first I couldn’t
test your hatred of the sex in public make out where the annoying odor
 WEIRD TALES

came from, but a few sniffs localized house were all completed today, but
its source. Fuller’s dinner jacket was I had to stay late catching up a few
redolent with the perfume. loose ends, so that it was well after
“No doubt you find it very com¬ dark when I reached home.
forting to have your lady love rest Fuller was out on one of the visits
her head on your shoulder,” I grum¬ which have become rather frequent of.
bled, “but, for heaven’s sake, why late, and he and Edith had dined
don’t you get her to use some other when I arrived. She was in the music
scent ? I loathe this stuff as the devil room, strumming idly on the piano
does holy water. ’ ’ and singing softly to herself when I
He gaped at me like a goldfish passed through the hall. Fuller had
viewing the sunlight through the gone to his room for some reason or
walls of an aquarium. other. I could hear the sickly senti¬
“What d’ye mean, ‘some other mental refrain of the popular ballad
scent’?” he asked. “I don’t follow she was thrumming as I went up the
you. ’ ’ stairs:
“Why, this infernal lily of the There’s a kiss that you get from baby.
valley.” I tapped the scented shoul¬ There’s a kiss that you get from Dad,
der of his jacket in explanation. “I There’s &. kiss that you get from Mother,
That’s the first real kiss you’ve had.
hate it more than any other smell this There’s a kiss with a tender meaning,
side of H*S. Edith uses it until I Other kisses you recall;
think, sometimes, I’ll have to commit But the kisses I get from you, sweetheart,
suicide—or murder—to get rid of it. ’ ’ Are the sweetest kisses of all.
Fuller’s eyes widened like a cat’s
Something in the spring air, the
in the twilight.
shower of pearl moonbeams I’d just
“D-does Edith—Mrs. Alvarde—use
driven through, or the appealing lilt
that perfume ? ” he stammered.
of the song downstairs—perhaps all
“You’re devilish well right, she
three—set my pulses throbbing at an
does, ad nauseam!” I growled as I
unwonted tempo; I climbed the last
got up. “And for the Lord’s sake,
ten steps humming the silly words
get your woman to use something else.
under my breath:
It’s bad enough to have Edith scent¬
ing up the place, without your lug¬ There’s a kiss with a tender meaning,
ging a lot of the stuff in on your Other kisses you recall. . . .
clothes. ’ ’
In his room across the hall from
I have thought the whole matter mine Fuller was moving about, alter¬
nately whistling and humming the
over very carefully. I shall kill same banal refrain. The words came
them both.
softly through the closed door of his
The scales fell from my eyes to¬
room:
night (perhaps I would better say
they were snatched from my eyes) Other kisses you recall,
and I see what a blind, fatuous, dot¬ But the kisses I get from you, sweetheart,
Are the sweetest kisses of all.
ing cuckold I have been for the fiend
only knows how long. The shame of Strange how a snatch of song on a
it is maddening. spring evening will carry a man’s
Spring has broken early this year mind back to scenes he has never
and summer is upon us; the roses in thought to see reflected on his mem¬
the lower garden are budding out, ory’s screen again. As I knotted my
and the double row of dogwood trees tie I remembered my first sweetheart,
which flanks the drive is festival-clad pretty and blue-eyed and blond. I
in a white surplice of blossoms. used to have a trick of pulling off her
The decorations of the Grayson glove when I brought her home from
 THE CLOTH OF MADNESS 697

some party, and kissing all five of her I went into the music-room, picked
pink little fingers. up Edith’s China-silk scarf, and
Poor Elsie; when her husband died stepped through the French window
he left no insurance and God knows to the lawn.
how many children. She came to me Walking quietly across the short¬
for help, but she had no business cut grass, I approached her from the
qualifications, couldn’t even type; so rear, softly humming the refrain.
there was nothing I could do for her.
“But the kisses I get from you,
Then there was another girl—a
sweetheart, are the sweetest kisses of
slender thing with a painted face, a
all,” I finished aloud, dropping the
robemaker’s manikin-. Her masculine
shawl over her narrow shoulders,
acquaintances had been the sort who
putting my hands over her eyes, and
wear colored derby hats and converse
bending forward to kiss her full upon
in terms of the race-track and pool-
the lips.
room. I was the first man of breeding
she had known, and she was as grate¬ Her white, thin hands flew up from
ful for the common or garden variety her lap and clasped about my neck,
of courtesy as a stray dog for a scrap drawing my cheek close to hers.
of meat. “ Oh! ” she cried, and the exclama¬
She knew only one medium of ex¬ tion was about a sob, “my dear, my
change, and her timid little offers of dear, I’ve been thinking you’d never
passion were pitiful to see. come! I’ve been so lonesome. ’ ’
I gave her three hundred dollars; Then she struck me playfully on
rather a handsome settlement, con¬ the cheek and gave a sniff of disap¬
sidering our respective positions. A proval.
child more or less doesn’t matter to “Hector,” she scolded, “you’ve
her kind. . . . I’ve often wondered been drinking that horrid Irish
what became of her. . . . whisky, and you know how I hate it.
Fuller was still singing to himself He uses it! ”
when I finished dressing and went I released her eyes and sprang
down to the dining-room. Edith had back, livid with fury. So this was
left the house and wgjs sitting on a the explanation of that lovesick note
stone bench at the lower end of the I’d found in my hall when Fuller
terrace, watching the boats go by on was here before! * This accounted for
the river below. In her white dinner the scent on his dinner jacket; this
frock, with the moonlight on her was the clue to his sudden craze for
arms and shoulders, she was almost as coming unannounced to my house—
pale as the marble Psyche at the always when I was from home.
other end of the w-alk. But my mind worked with the
A chilly breath of wind swept up agility of a leaping cat. Before Edith
from the river, rustling the dogwood had time to recover from the horror
blossoms and shaking the scrim cur¬ the discovery of her error had given
tains at the dining-room windows. her, I had landed fairly on my mental
Edith felt it as it passed and shivered feet.
a little. I threw back my head and laughed;
“She’ll be cold without her wrap,” laughed naturally, laughed uproar¬
I speculated as I poured myself a iously.
stiff appetizer of Irish whisky and “By the Lord Harry, old girl,” I
rang for Grigsby to serve dinner. cried, pounding my thigh in a perfect
A bar from the song recurred to paroxysm of counterfeit mirth,
me: “that’s the best joke I’ve heard you
There’s a kiss with a tender meaning . . . spring in years! Everyone knows
But the kisses I get from you, sweet¬ you hate Hector Fuller worse than
heart . . .” a hen hates a rainstorm, and now you
 WEIRD TALES

rail me by his name and pretend you When faithless wives and false
thought you were kissing him!” friends conspire to be rid of an in¬
Again I rocked forward in a spasm convenient husband the number of
of laughter. ‘‘And I can just about his days is appointed. The dockets
imagine how you’d have written the of our criminal courts bear eloquent
ten commandments on his face with testimony of that.
your nails if it really had been
A weakling would seek divorce as
Fuller!”
the easy solution of my difficulty; but
All the while I was watching her as
I am no maudlin fool, ready to efface
a snake does a bird, noting the look
myself, leaving the way clear for
of blank amazement which slowly re¬
them to flaunt their triumph and my
placed the terrified gaze she had first
dishonor before the world. I appeal
turned to me when she discovered her
mistake. from the fool-made and fool-ad-
ministered law that offers divorce, to
‘‘Let’s go in the house and have
the higher law which ruled when the
some music; it’s too cold for you out
winds first soughed through the
here, dear,” I concluded, as soon as
I had calmed down my mock amuse¬ primeval forests; the law which the
ment. wise old Hebrew summed up with his
She rose as obediently as a well- terse, ‘‘An eye for an eye and a
trained dog and accompanied me tooth for a tooth.”
across the lawn in silence. But she I must be very careful in my execu¬
shuddered slightly as I put my arm tion of these two, this man who has
about her. Women have no control ravished away my honor before my
of their emotions. eyes and the woman who has sold my
While I smoked three or four cig¬ good name for a kiss. Except for
arettes, she played and sang for me, them, no one must suspect my ven¬
and then, pleading a headache—the geance ; for it is no part of my plan to
old, threadbare excuse of all her sex die like a felon for having exacted the
since Eve first left the garden— justice which the law denies me.
begged leave to go up to bed.
I must kill them, but I must be
I let her go and went out to the
careful—very careful.
stable. I harnessed the cob to the
village cart and drove furiously
along the country lanes for three I f I were a superstitious man I
hours, lashing the horse fiercely when¬ should say that the Fates have de¬
ever he dropped out of a gallop. The cided to aid me in the furtherance of
poor brute was nearly foundered my plans. While I was lunching at
when I turned him home; but I was the Republique today, Howard En¬
as raging wild as ever. right dropped into the chair opposite
I have thought the whole matter me. I greeted him sourly enough, for
over very carefully. I shall kill them I was in no mood for conversation,
both. but he refused to be rebuffed.

L ast night I said I should kill them

both. Today I know I must kill,
He is just back from an extended
tour of the East, where he has picked
up enough expensive junk for his
them, or they will surely kill me. A house to fill three museums and im¬
sentence from Fuller’s treacherous poverish half a dozen millionaires.
note to Edith has been pounding in Despite my curt answers, he rambled
my head all day with the monody of on about the thousand and one objets
a funeral dirge: de vertu he’d lugged half-way around
“. . . if that brute could only be got the world, until I was ready to believe
rid of I” that he’d brought the whole Arabian
 THE CLOTH OF MADNESS

Nights home with him. Othello’s “They say it did. According to

tales of tradition he had an asylumful of
crazy friends and acquaintances in
. . . anthropophagi.
And men whose heads do grow below less than no time. Anyhow, I
their shoulders, couldn’t get one of the natives to
look at the thing. Rummy lot, those
were hackneyed beside the wonders Indians. ’ ’
Enright would display at his galleries.
I smiled my appreciation of the
He had a jade Buddha that caught
wily old maharaja’s finesse.
and held the sunlight until the be¬
holder was ready to swear that the “What does it look like, this ‘cloth
image was filled with living fire. He of madness’ of yours?” I asked.
had lachrymatories from Persia— “Oh,” Enright spread his hands
tall, spindle-necked bottles, coming wide in preparation for an eloquent
in pairs, into which the Persian description, “it’s—it’s—it’s- Oh,
widows wept, that the fullness of the hang it all, man, I can’t describe the
bottles might be an outward and beastly thing to you! All red and
visible sign of the fullness of their full of funny, twisty black lines, like
grief at their husbands’ taking-off. snakes and lizards and—why, Al¬
He had a great fan from Korea, varde, it’s like an X-ray of a guilty
where there was an ancient custom conscience! Come around to the shop
that no widow might remarry till her and see for yourself; I’d never be
husband’s grave was dry. The fan, able to make you imagine the thing’s
he explained, Was to be used by the damnable fascination. ’ ’
lady in hastening the aridness of her “There might b'e an idea for some
lord’s burial mound. He had bits of bizarre pattern in wall-hanging,” I
porcelain from the dynasties of Han reflected. “New designs are hard to
and Ming—things so fragile that the find nowadays.” So I went with him
Chinese called them “frozen air,’’ to the shop.
and so precious that they were worth He undid several yards of coco-
their weight in rubies. matting wrappings and unfurled a
I was thoroughly bored by his small oblong of crimson cloth for my
graphic cataloguing of the stock of inspection.
his junkshop, and had given up the At first sight of the thing I was
attempt to stifle a yawn, w'hen he ready to laugh in his face; for, save
wound up with: for a rather unusual combination of
“And I’ve something else, Alvarde, involuted and convoluted black lines
that will appeal to you as an interior and stripes on the cloth’s red ground,
decorator.’’ it seemed to differ in no particular
‘ ‘ Indeed ? ” I masked the yawn with from hundreds of other Oriental
my hand. tapestries.
“Yes, sir. Weirdest thing you Enright must have seen the un¬
ever saw; regular old marrow- spoken skepticism in my face, for the
freezer! They call it ‘the cloth of comers of his small hazel eyes
madness, ’ and there’s a legend to the wrinkled in amusement.
effect that whoever looks at it loses “Go ahead and laugh,” he invited,
his reason. Some vengeful old raja “but I’ll bet you ten dollars that
had it woven for the special benefit of you’ll be ready to cry ‘ ’nough’ by the
some friends he suspected of for¬ time you’ve looked at it steadily for
getting that the harem is sacred, in¬ five minutes. ’ ’
violate. ’ ’ For answer I drew a bill from my
“Well, did it work?” I queried, pocket and placed it on a tabouret,
more for the sake of politeness than without taking my eyes from the bit
anything else. of weaving.
700 WEIRD TALES

Enright matched my note with one made a whimpering, fear-crazed thing

of his, and drew back, smiling whim¬ of me in three minutes.
sically at me through the smoke of “How much will you take for that
his cigar. thing, Enright ? ” I asked, when I had
“Hand me your ten when the five recovered my composure to some ex¬
minutes are up,” I ordered, keeping tent.
my gaze fixed on the cloth. “More than you’re able to give,
“Easy now,” he counseled, glanc¬ son,” he replied. “I’ll get a half-
ing at his watch; “you’ve only been grown fortune from some museum for
looking forty seconds, so far. ’ ’ that bit of fancy work or my name
One who has never tried it has no isn’t Howard Enright.”
conception of how time drags while “Well,” I temporized, “will you
the eyes are focused on an immovable rent it to me, then? I’d like to have
object. In the quiet of the storeroom a modified copy of it made by my
I could hear the ticking of Enright’s paper manufacturer. Some client
watch distinctly, and the ticks seemed with a diseased mind might want a
a minute apart. An almost uncon¬ chamber of horrors done, and a de¬
trollable desire to rub my eyes, to natured copy of this cloth would be
shut them, to direct them anywhere just the thing.”
but at the cloth, came over me. The “Promise me on your honor as a
writhing broad and narrow black gentleman not to have a duplicate
bands on the ruby surface seemed to made, and I’ll lend it to you for
be slowly coming to life. They forty-eight hours for nothing,” En¬
wound and twisted, one upon another, right offered.
like the shadows of scores of snakes “Done!” I agreed.
suspended in the sunlight. They I took the tapestry to my paper-
seemed alternately to advance and re¬ maker this afternoon. I have ordered
treat upon their glaring resting-place, two rolls of paper made in exact imi¬
and my eyes ached with the effort to tation of it. I shall paper the unfin¬
follow their serpentine movements. ished tower room with it.
I began to be obsessed with the
thought that there really were rep¬ * I 'he trap is set. Working at night,
tiles—dozens of them, scores of them, and without help, I have hung the
hundreds of them—behind me; that walls and ceiling of the tower attic
they would drop upon me any mo¬ room with the paper. This room is
ment, smearing my body with their small, hardly more than a large closet,
loathsome slime, tearing my flesh and, being originally intended for a
with their fangs, filling my blood lumber room, is without windows or
with their deadly venom. other communication with the outside
“Time up?” I called, my voice except a small fresh-air vent in the
sounding hoarse and croaking in my roof.
own ears. With an idea of obtaining the
maximum amount of room for stor¬
“Only two minutes more to go,”
age purposes, I had dispensed with
Enright answered pleasantly.
all wood trim and had the door made
‘ ‘ I ’ll—stick—it—out—if—it—kills flush with the wall. This renders the
—me!” I muttered between my place ideal for my purpose, for I am
teeth, and, covering my eyes with my able to cover every fractional inch of
hands, fell choking and gasping to wall space with the paper; so that,
my knees. when the door is closed, the madden¬
The infernal cloth had won. Scorn¬ ing design is presented to the gaze
ful and determined as I had been, it from every direction except the floor.
had worn my nerves to shreds and This I have painted white, the better
 THE CLOTH OF MADNESS 701

to reflect the glare from the cluster it been since the same arm which
of high-power nitrogen-filled electric rested on my shoulder had clasped the
lights I have placed in the ceiling. neck of the man who called himself
Early this morning, when I had my friend—and stole my honor like
finally completed my work, I switched a common thief?
on the full force of light and looked I shall invite Fuller to the house
about me. to spend the week-end. My trap is
From above, the glare of the elec¬ set; now to snare the quarry.
tric bulbs beat down like the fires that
destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah; T is done.
from the white floor the reflection Last week I mentioned casuqjly
smote my eyes like splinters of in¬ to Edith that I had asked Fuller up
candescent metal, and from the walls for the week-end. I saw her eyes
and ceiling the writhing, tortuous de¬ brighten at the suggestion, but chose
sign of the demoniacal paper glared to misinterpret the sign.
like (to use Enright’s description) “It’s no use making a fuss about
‘ * an X-ray of a guilty conscience. ’ ’ it,” I told her. “I know you don’t
I had been careful to leave the door like him; but I want him here, so you
open when I tried my experiment. might just as well make the best of
Lucky for me I did; for I had it.”
scarcely glanced once round the hid¬ She made no reply, simply rose and
eous apartment when I began to feel left the room. As a play-actor Edith
the same panic fear I had experienced is a sad failure. I suppose she feared
when I first looked at the cloth in En¬ her joy would be too apparent, even
right’s store. My eyes seemed bulg¬ to a doting fool husband, if she re¬
ing from their sockets; my breath mained.
came hot and quick, like the breath of When Fuller came I made a great
a sleeper bound fast in a nightmare, show of urging her to be courteous
and I all but lost my sense of direc¬ to him, and greeted him cordially
tion. It was with great effort that I myself. •
found the open door and staggered Fuller’s was a charming person¬
through it, with the sweat of mortal ality. Quick-witted, loquacious, well
terror standing on my forehead. read and much traveled, he was an
I have been very good to Edith ideal guest, providing his own and his
these last few days. I have en¬ host’s entertainment. We passed a
deavored to anticipate her every pleasant afternoon together.
wish; have come back from the city I never saw Edith more charming
loaded with bonbons and flowers like than at dinner that night. There was
a country bumpkin wooing his sweet¬ a faint flush in her face, her eyes
heart; I have doubled her allowance were very bright. She was wearing a
of spending money. gown of silver over sapphire, and had
Last evening, after dinner, she a jasmine blossom pinned in the
kissed me, of her own volition. I felt smooth coils of her chocolate-colored
my plan for vengeance weaken a hair.
little as her arms went round my neck. The corners of my mouth flexed
. . . Fool! Her lips are soiled with grimly at sight of the flower. Once,
another man’s kisses; her arms are when I was in South America, I had
tainted with the embraces of her seen a vicious knife duel between two
paramour. men, and when I asked the cause of
I looked into her eyes, warm and the brawl, I was told that one had
brown and bright, and wondered how offered the other’s sister a jasmine
often they had shone with love of bloom. Jasmine, they explained, was
Fuller. How long, I wondered, had the symbol of inconstancy. Strange,
 WEIRD TALES

that of all the flowers in ray grounds it fell to the floor. Fuller leaped gal¬
and conservatory Edith should have lantly to his feet to retrieve it for her,
chosen the badge of infidelity to wear and their hands came together in the
that night! moonlight. I saw his fingers close
From my seat at the head of the round hers and give them a reassuring
table I could see Fuller worshiping pressure.
Edith with his eyes. There was that
“What would you do, Alvarde, if
in his adoring gaze which gave one to
you caught another man trespassing
think of a mediaeval knight kneeling on your wife’s affections?” Fuller
humbly at his fair lady’s feet, while
suddenly shot at me. ‘ ‘ Kill him ? ’ ’
her husband was off to the erusades.
We had coffee in the music room. Edith gave a short little choking
Edith seemed ill at ease, fumbling gasp and put her hand to her throat
with her cup, twirling the stem of her very suddenly. She had always been
afraid of me.
liqueur glass between her fingers,
toying nervously with her cigarette. “My dear man,” I drawled, “do I
Before Fuller and I had finished, she look like such a fool?”
rose abruptly and went to the piano. “Fool?” he echoed wonderingly.
There was no light burning in the “Precisely; ‘fool’ is what I said.
room, and the moon laid a path of Why should I hang for another man’s
mother-of-pearl across the polished sin? I rather think the old raja’s
floor. With the silver radiance of the method of revenge would appeal to
moonlight on the silver meshes of her me.”
gown, Edith was white as a wraith of “But, you know,” he objected,
the night. A snatch from Oscar “the cloth of madness is only a
Wilde’s Salome flashed through my myth.”
mind: “So is my wife’s incontinence,” I
answered shortly. “One is quite as
She is like a dead woman; a dead woman
possible as the other.”
who covers herself with a veil and goes
seeking for lovers. And so we let the talk of betrayed
friendship and its price drop, and
I smiled to myself in the darkness. passed to a discussion of interior deco¬
“She will seek no more after to¬ rations.
night,” I reflected. I told them of my more unusual bits
“Ah, moon of my delight, that know’st no of work for a while, then suggested:
wane, “Let’s go to the tower rooms. I’ve
The moon of heav’n is rising once again; evolved a new seheme in wall-hang¬
How oft hereafter rising shall she look ings for them. One of the rooms
Through this same garden after one—in
vaint” especially will interest you two.”
We went through the larger rooms,
she sang. I rose and began to pace I pointing out the novelties in color
the room. scheme, pattern and wood trim, they
Gradually, taking great pains to be taking only a perfunctory interest in
impersonal about it, I swung the con¬ my designs.
versation to stories of vengeance At the door of the storeroom I stood
wreaked by outraged husbands on aside to let them pass. Edith paused
faithless wives and their paramours. at the threshold, looking questioning-
Incidentally, I recounted the legend ly, fearfully, into the velvety dark¬
of the cloth of madness; how the In¬ ness of the little chamber. Fuller
dian prince had demanded his treach¬ stepped before her.
erous friends’ sanity as the price of “Let me go first,” he said; “it’s
their perfidy. dark in there.”
Edith’s hands fluttered among the “Yes,” I echoed, all the smoldering
sheets of music on the piano; a leaf of resentment I had felt for months
 THE CLOTH OF MADNESS

flaming up in. my voice, “it is dark “Hector, I’m afraid; I’m terrified.
in there, but ’ ’—my words rose nearly Hold me close, dear.”
to a shriek—“we’ll lighten it.’’ I bit my lips. Would that devil’s
I put out my hand, pushing Edith design on the walls never begin to
roughly through the doorway after work?
Fuller, slammed the door, locked it, “ Hector, ” this time the words came
and pressed 'the switch which con¬ quaveringly, as though she were fight¬
trolled the electric lights. Then I bent ing back a chill, “that paper on the
listening at the keyhole. wall—does it seem to you as if the
For the space of a long breath all figures on it were moving ? ’ ’
was silent in the little room; then “Yes, dear.”
there was a deep-drawn sigh, whether “They are like snakes—like hor¬
from Edith or Fuller I could not say. rible twisting snakes. I feel as though
“Well, what’s next?’’ I heard him they were going to spring at me from
ask. “If this is Jamison’s idea of a the walls. ’ ’
joke, I think he’s showing mighty “A-a-h!” I murmured to myself,
poor taste. ’ ’ rubbing my hands together softly, like
An insane desire to chuckle came one who has won a wager. “They’re
over me. They’d see, very soon, beginning to notice now. ’ ’
whether I was joking. I wanted to Fuller took several quick, decided
pound on the door; to shout aloud and steps from the room’s center, walk¬
bid them look about them; to tell ing directly toward the door. I drew
them what lay in store. back and seized a chair, ready to
“Hector,’’ it was Edith speaking strike him down if he.succeeded in
in a still, frightened whisper, “he breaking through the light wooden
knew!” frame. I had not counted on his re¬
Fuller’s steps sounded harshly cm taining his faculties so long, and had
the bare, polished floor of the empty taken no precautions to reinforce the
room as he strode about it, seeking lock, trusting the paper with which it
an exit; his fists pounded the walls in was covered to mask the door
search of the hidden door. I had to effectively.
stifle the laughter in my throat; for Within a foot or so of the door he
I knew how the rounded walls, the paused irresolutely, waited a moment,
unbroken monotony of the crimson and retreated.
and black paper, and the glaring re¬ “I can’t do it!” he almost wailed.
flection from the white floor would ‘ ‘ I can’t bear to put my hands against
eonfound his sense of direction. He that wall! ’ ’
was pacing the room like a blind, ‘ * Hector! ’ ’ This time there was no
caged beast, striking the walls again mistaking the panic in Edith’s voice;
and again in the same place, and every word came with a gasp. “The
meeting with no more success than an paper—the paper on the wall; it—it’s
imprisoned bumble-bee flying at the —the—cloth—of—madness! It’s that
transparent walls of a poison-jar. awful tapestry he told us about to¬
For several minutes he continued night.”
his futile efforts; then I heard him “My God, girl,” his reply came
withdraw to the center of the room. thickly, as though his tongue were
There was a faint rustle of skirts. swollen in his mouth, “you’re right!”
She was shrinking up against him. I could hear them breathing heav¬
“She’s in his arms, now,” I mut¬ ily, like spent runners after a race, or
tered. ‘ ‘ Let her eling to him; let him those in the presence of mortal dan¬
hold her. I wish them joy of each ger.
other. ’ ’ Softly, there came the sound of
Several minutes more. Then: Edith’s sobbing. Very low it was,
704 WEIRD TALES

and very pitiful, like the disconsolate hysteria. In a moment her quavering
heart-broken sobbing of a little child treble was seconded by a deep, mascu¬
who has lost its mother, and is afraid. line baritone. The pair of them were
Oh! ’ ’ she whimpered, ‘ ‘ let me laughing in concert, and from the
hide my face against you, dear. Don’t cracking strain in their voices I knew
let me look at those ghastly things on that they were trying with all their
the walls. You must shut your eyes, strength to keep silence, yet laughed
too, dear; you must not look either.” the harder as they strove.
I waited patiently outside the door. I turned on my heel and descended
Even closed eyes, I knew, could not to the dining-room. No need to listen
withstand the intense glare of those further, I knew. A few hours more,
lights and the fascination of those at most, and my revenge would be
flame-colored walls. complete. I was shivering a little,
Her resolution broke even sooner myself.
than I had expected. Downstairs, I poured out a stiff peg
“I can’t bear the darkness,” she of Scotch. Raising my glass I looked
wailed. “I must look, I must see out into the moonlight, apostrophizing
them—the horrible snakes, the hid¬ the old raja who invented the cloth
eous snakes that are beckoning to me of madness.
from the walls. Hold me, Hector ‘ ‘ Here’s to you, brother! ” I said as
darling; don’t let me move—don’t let I turned my glass bottom up.
me go to them! Hold me fast in your Shortly after midnight I climbed
arms. ’ ’ the stairs to the tower and stopped
Another pause. Dimly I caught before the door of the little room
another noise—one that I had not where I left them. I listened intently
heard before. Sharp and syncopated for a minute. There was no more
it was, like the clicking of castanets sound from beyond the door than if
heard from a distance. It puzzled me it had barred the entrance to a tomb.
at first; then recognition burst upon I pressed the electric switch, re¬
me, and I had to thrust my tongue ducing the force of the lights within
against my teeth to keep from laugh¬ by half, then unlocked the door and
ing aloud. It was a sound I’d heard opened it a crack, peering through
on very cold nights when I’d passed the narrow opening.
shivering newsboys filching a little Inside, everything was still, still as
heat from above some engine-room a nursery at midnight.
grating. It was the sound of chatter¬ Fuller was sitting upright in the
ing teeth. middle of the floor, an inane smirk
It was warm that night; the tem¬ overspreading his face. His collar
perature in that little, poorly ven¬ and tie were undone, his waistcoat
tilated room, with those great lights was unbuttoned, his shirt-front was
burning in it, must have been like partly loosened from its studs, and
the entrance to Avernus; yet their much wrinkled. His tongue pro¬
teeth were chattering like a monk’s truded from his mouth, hanging
clap-dish. Stark, freezing terror had flaccidly over his lower lip, as though
them by the throats. he had lost control of it. Altogether,
I was striding softly across the he was a figure of comic tragedy, like
floor, digging my nails into my palms that character of Victor Hugo’s whose
in an effort to keep from giving face had been so horribly deformed
audible vent to my feeling of triumph, in childhood that, no matter what his
when my steps were arrested by a emotion was, he could do nothing but
titter from the room beyond. Edith grin.
was laughing, not mirthfully, but Nearer the door, just as she had
with the shrill cachinnation of fallen, lay Edith. One arm was ex-
 THE CLOTH OF MADNESS 705

tended, the hand resting palm up on “Oh, no, sir, no!” He wrung his
the floor, the fingers slightly curled, hands together in anguish. “It’s
like a sleeping child’s. Her cheek lay really terrible, sir! Mr. Fuller’s
pillowed on her arms. Her hair was a-sittin ’ on the edge of his bed, a-try-
a little disarranged and the jasmine in’ to put both feet into one leg of
flower had fallen from it. One of her his trousers, sir, and he’s smilin’
satin pumps had dropped off and lay something awful.” And Grigsby at¬
gaping emptily beside her, exposing tempted to twist his heavy features
her narrow, silk-cased foot. I could into an imitation of Fuller’s dement¬
see the veins of her instep showing ed grin.
blue against the white flesh under her I got into my slippers and robe and
silver-tissue stocking. Her lips were started across the hall for Fuller’s
parted very slightly. room, running full tilt into Agnes,
The air of the place was heavy the waitress. When Edith had failed
with the perf ume of lily of the valley. to come down long after her usual
I gathered her in my arms, and she breakfast hour, Agnes had gone up¬
whimpered a little, like a child that stairs to see -what was detaining her,
is disturbed in its sleep, as I carried and had come running to me, fear
her down to her room. written in every line of her face.
It was difficult business disrobing “Oh, sir, something’s wrong with'
her and getting her into bed, for she Mrs. Alvarde! I went in to call her,
seemed to have lost all control of her and she wouldn’t answer me, nor
muscles, even being unable to take the look at me, nor nothing; just lies
pins from her hair. there and laughs and mumbles at her¬
Fuller was a heavy man, but some¬ self, like she was a baby!”
how I managed to drag him down¬ “You’re a pair of fools,” I told
stairs and tumble him into bed, being her and Grigsby. “You stay here;
careful to scatter his clothes about I ’ll go and see for myself. ’ ’
the room as was his custom wrhen It was true. Fuller was as perfect
turning in late. an imbecile as was ever confined in an
Last of all I returned to the tower asylum, and Edith’s mental timepiece
and worked like a fiend, obliterating had been turned back thirty-five
every trace of the wall-paper’s design years. No babe in arms was ever
with the gray paint I had hidden more helpless in body and mind than
away for that purpose. Two hours’ she.
heart-breaking work, and the little
room was as demure in its fresh coat¬
ing of Quaker drab as a nun’s cell.
T he papers and the doctors and
the neighbors made a great fuss
A neat, well-lighted storeroom it was, about it. Everyone sympathized with
nothing more. Every lingering sign
my unfortunate wife and friend and
of the doth of madness was hidden wondered how I could stand my ter¬
away forever.
rible misfortune with such fortitude.
I slept well into the morning next
I closed the house and sold it at a
day, rousing only when Grigsby came
loss several months, later.
rushing into my room and shook me
roughly by the shoulder. Edith is still at a sanatorium, and
“Mr. Alvarde, sir,” he panted, his the physicians look sorrowfully at me
eyes bulging from his face like a when I go out to visit her, and tell me
terrified frog’s, “something terrible that she will never be anything but a
has happened, sir!” grown-up infant, though she will
“What's the matter?” I growled at probably live to a ripe old age.
him sleepily. “Cook gone on a Fuller's malady has taken a turn
strike?” for the worse. Last month they had
706 WEIRD TALES

to restrain him with a strait-jacket. the hell the preachers tell of, I sup¬
He was raving about some strange pose I ’ll go there. At least, I ’ll have
kind of cloth—what it was they to die to do it; Edith and Fuller got
couldn’t make out—and threatening theirs here, and it will last through
to kill me: me, his best and oldest all the long years they live like brute
friend! beasts in their madhouse cells.
“Let me go first, it’s dark in
there!’’ Fuller said when he and
Edith stood at the entrance of the
storeroom. I’ve often wondered
J amison ai.varde’s attorney closed
the little black book with a snap
which one of them went into the and pursed his lips. Anyone looking
darkness of insanity first. Edith, I at him would have said that he was
imagine; women have no control of about to whistle.
their emotions. “Yes,’’ he said meditatively, lap¬
ping his knee with the little book, “if
T am a sick man. The physician tells there’s a hell he’s undoubtedly there
^ me that there’s nothing to worry now! It’s a pity if he isn’t. This
about, but I read my death sentence scheme of things certainly seems to
in his eyes. If there’s such a place as require a hell—a good hot one, too! ’ ’

The Haunted House

By CRISTEL HASTINGS
It stands deserted through the mildewed years;
Its only friends the wind and evening star
And the gray mist that rains its dripping tears
And wonders who its ghostly tenants are.

They say it’s best to take the upper trail

Where sunshine floods the flowered, perfumed way,
Avoiding an old road where thistles sail
And blank-eyed windows stare back, gaunt and gray.

They say the Avails have bullet-tunneled holes,

And that the rats run screeching through the night;
They say queer shapes slip out and Avalk the knolls,
Seeking the souls that long ago took flight.

Queer lights glow where the zero hour sounds,

And Avinds moan through the empty, aching halls;
And as they bend the trees, a shadow bounds
From room to room, and sends its shrieking calls.

Forgotten with each dawn the moaning croon,

The screeching rats, the shadow shapes that strode;
But if I must go by, even at noon,
It’s just as well to take the upper road.
I T IS now more than six years since the first copy ol‘ Weird Tales appeared
on the news stands. The magazine was created to fill a very real demand
for something radically different, something that would let the fancy
escape from the humdrum, everyday life of the world; a magazine whose
stories should plumb the depths of occult horror, as Lovecraft has done in
so many of his tales; a magazine that should not shrink from the terrible
mysteries of madness and wild imagination, but should deal boldly with what
Clark Ashton Smith in one of his memorable sonnets calls life’s

“dark, malign and monstrous music, spun

In hell, from some delirious Satan’s dream.”

Here at last was to be a magazine whose readers could not begin a story with
the bland assurance that the hero would triumph in the final paragraphs, and
all turn out sweetly in the time-honored stereotyped manner, and the heroine
be surely rescued.
The magazine, we believe, has lived up to the aims of the founders, and has
provided a feast of imaginative literature that has entrenched it thoroughly
in the affections of its readers, and assured its continued success as long as we
continue to play fair with you by printing superb weird tales such as we have
given you in the past—stories that reach out into the depths of space and
picture such beings as Donald Wandrei describes in The Red Brain; stories
of such cataclysmic horror as H. P. Lovecraft depicts in The Rats in the Walls;
stories that sound the abysses of physical suffering as H. Warner Munn does
in The Chain; fantastic tales surcharged with beauty and sweetness and light,
such as The Wind That Tramps the World, by Frank Owen; epochal master¬
pieces such as B. Hoffmann Price’s sublime little tale of devil-worship, The
Stranger From Kurdistan, with its audacious close; superb imaginative mas¬
ter-works of literary craft such as A. Merritt’s tale of the revolt of the forest,
The Woman of the Wood. It is our aim to continue to give you such marvel¬
ous weird tales as these; for it is on these stories, and others like them, that
the brilliant success of Weird Tales has been built.
“I have been a reader of your remarkable magazine for six years and I
707
708 WEIRD TALES

can not remember having read a single unworthy story in Weird Tales dur¬
ing all that time,” writes Vernon V. Johnson, of Spokane, Washington. ‘‘My
vote for first choice goes to The Star-Stealers, by Edmond Hamilton. The
story was a remarkable display of imagination and was very well told.”
Writes R. E. Don, of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan: “I turn to Weird Tales
when I feel that my imagination is becoming stagnant. I find it a relief, a
blessed relief, from the actualities and tragedies of life. In fact, I am so well
satisfied with Weird Tales that I often champion it with some success when
discussing magazines and literature in general with the head of the English
department of the college I am attending.”
Mrs. Charles Brandenburg, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, writes to the Eyrie :
‘‘You have heard from me many times, as I have been reading Weird Tales
several years and ever so often I feel the urge to ‘burst forth in a song of
praise’. We are told that certain people possess ‘it’, and I just want to say
that I am certain your magazine possesses ‘it’ to the nth degree, as I can
hardly wait for the new copy each month. I am strong for South Sea stories
and African voodoo.”
‘‘The March issue of Weird Tales is about the best I have read in a long
time,” writes E. Irvine Haines, editor of the National Insurance News. ‘‘I
particularly enjoyed Seabury Quinn’s reprint story, The Phantom Farm¬
house, and it is, I think, one of the best he has ever written. The Immortal
Hand, by Arlton Eadie, and The Deserted Garden, by Derleth, were the best
in order in that issue.”
Fred W. Fischer, Jr., of Knoxville, Tennessee, asks us to bring out further
books of stories from Weird Tales, and makes the following suggestions:
“Besides your The Moon Terror, which I already have in my bookcase, I hope
soon to add these novels, eh?—Stories by Greye La Spina; Weird Tales, by
H. P. Lovecraft; Orientates, by E. Hoffmann Price; The Werewolf’s Clan, by
H. Warner Munn; The Waning of a World, by W. Elwyn Backus; The Phan¬
tom-Fighter, by Seabury Quinn, and The Return of the Ghost-Breaker, by
the same wonderful writer (these would be the adventures of Jules de Gran-
din) ; Wonder Tales, Interplanetary Tales, The Eye of Prophecy, by various
authors; and: Tales of Doom, by Edmond Hamilton—boy, how I crave this
last-named collection! ’ ’
Jerome Fogel, of Brooklyn, writes to the Eyrie: “I have been a reader of
Weird Tales for the past two years, since I was fourteen. Its chief attrac¬
tion for me was then, and is now, its originality not only in subject-matter,
but also in method of treatment. ’ ’
Writes Miss Viola Sheddy, of Burnham, Pennsylvania: “I certainly enjoy
reading Weird Tales, and am always sure not to miss a number. I enjoyed
When the Green Star Waned, also The Oath of Hid Jok, by Nictzin Dyalhis.
A friend of mine, who has been reading W. T. longer than I, mentioned
a story by the same author, called The Eternal Conflict, in flowing language;
(Continued on page 710)
 WEIRD TALES 709

T FUTURE ISSUES
A wealth of fascinating stories is scheduled for early publication in Weird
Tales, the unique magazine. The brilliant success of Weird Tales has
been founded on its unrivaled, superb stories of the strange, the grotesque
and the terrible—gripping stories that stimulate the imagination and send
shivers of apprehension up the spine—tales that take the reader from the
humdrum world about us into a deathless realm of fancy—marvelous tales
so vividly told that they seem very real. Weird Tales prints the best
weird fiction in the world today. If Poe were alive he would undoubtedly
be a contributor. In addition to creepy mystery stories, ghost-tales, stories
of devil-worship, witchcraft, vampires and strange monsters, this magazine
also prints the cream of the weird-scientific fiction that is written today—
tales of the spaces between the worlds, surgical stories, and stories that scan
the future with the eye of prophecy. Among the amazing tales in the next
few issues will be:

THE INN OF TERROR, by Gaston Leroux

stark realism and u •. gripping horror, by tl

THE CORPSE-MASTER, by Seabury Quinn

An eery tale of the dead that walk, and corpses t
amazing story about the fascinating French occv
de Grandin.
THE WISHING-WELL, by E. F. Benson
A vivid story of a weird ^Cornish superstition, black magic, and the gruesome

BLACK TANCREDE, by Henry S. Whitehead

An eldritch story of a ghostly black hand, and an escaped Haitian slave who
was put to death by degrees on an island in the Danish West Indies.
THE ABYSMAL INVADERS, by Edmond Hamilton
A horror out of long-dead ages rises out of an Illinois swamp—a mighty,
resistless menace that crashes gigantically through the night in an avalanche
of destruction and death.
THE DEATH TOUCH, by Chester L. Saxby
Frozen in the ice they found Yardley, there in the southern wastes, and his
crew leaving themBwhiteaaseie ros VUa' magnetisnl from the bodies of the
DEMON DOOM OF N’YENG SEN, by Bassett Morgan
The author of "The Devils of Po Sung” returns again to the South Seas for
another gripping tale of brain-transplantation and horrors unspeakable.
THESE are but a few of the many super-excellent stories in store for
the readers of Weird Tales. To make sure of getting your copy each
month, and thus avoid the embarrassment of finding your favorite news
stand sold out, just fill out the coupon below and let us send it right to your
home. That’s the safest way.

WEIRD TALES,
840 North Michif
Chicago, HI.
Enclosed And $2.50 for 1 year’s subscription t< o begin with the
710 WEIRD TALES

(Continued from page 708)

so naturally I’m very eager to read it. Would you kindly put it in your
monthly ‘reprint’ section for the new readers who have missed a very good
story ? ’ ’
One of our authors, in a letter to the editor, gives us some food for
thought, and we pass his ideas on to you. “I, for one,” he writes, ‘‘grow a
trifle tired of the results of the seeming compulsion under which so many
writers of this type of tale labor to allow the forces of evil almost unlimited
modes of self-expression, while restricting the opposite force to the use by the
hero of such symbols as a holy relic or sprig of some plant, waved under the
nose of the particular devil in the case. Lovecraft and Howard are not ob¬
sessed by the notion, but so many are. I wonder if that is not one of the
reasons for the superiority of the Lovecraft and Howard yarns? I know I
usually get nearly to the end of each de Grandin tale, vowing to myself that
here is the best story in the magazine, and then have the fellow flaunt the toe¬
nail of a saint or some such thing. Then I hunt for a Howard story. Without
casting aspersion on Seabury Quinn or the lesser ones who also suffer that
strange compulsion, I wonder whether a little editorializing on your part in
the Eyrie might not have a good effect, provided you agree with me in the
matter as I am sure many of your readers will. ’ ’
Readers, what is your favorite story in this issue of Weird Tales? Your
first choice in the March issue, as shown by your votes, went to the reprint
story, The Phantom Farmhouse, by Seabury Quinn. Second and third choices
were The Sea Horror, by Edmond Hamilton, and The Rat, by S. Fowler
Wright.

MY FAVORITE STORIES IN THE MAY WEIRD TALES ARE:

Story Remarks

(1)- -

(2)- -
(3)- -

I do not like the following stories:

(1) - Why?_

(2) - -

It will help us to know what kind of Reader’s name and address:

stories you want in Weird Tales if you
will fill out this coupon and mail it to
The Eyrie, Weird Tales, 840 N. Michigan
Ave., Chicago, Ill.
 WEIRD TALES 711

The Scourge of
B’Moth
(Continued from page 596)
MAGIC LAWS
the car, we drove back to the office of
the detective.
OF LIFE
When we arrived, we found the
secretary in great distress. The police
dog that Ellery loved so much ap¬
peared to have been taken suddenly A Remarkable Book
ill. The detective excused himself,
and left the room. LOANED
We heard him outside, calling the
dog. There was a patter of canine To All Seekers
feet, then a snarling growl. We heard
a heavy body thud to the ground, and For Power
a cry of pain. Darting to the door,
we saw a sight that sickened us.
Ellery lay upon the floor, and blood wmTEmMAGrc whildfu^aB 'potent "for s
was streaming from his throat where With the higher occult laws and secre
the infallible instinct of the dog had !”t your attract ‘success,6 h®
happiness^and development oj me
ripped the life out of him. He was your friends. 5 n s 1
dead before we reached him. And as
the dog—half wolf, wholly wild—
stood there, with his slavering jaws, teachings they secreUy
growling at us, his face seemed to be Pyramid in Egypt the marvel of today and
transfigured. The diabolical leer, the alluring places of strange achievements.
unspeakable enmity of those eyes, You may share in this great knowledge if
touched with a devilish light, bespoke tery and magic. If you really desire to
the fiend, the devourer, Behemoth. master the arcane, occult knowledge of^the
Around him there curled a thin wisp
of yellow vapor, twisting and turning
in a glance of eery glee.
D’Arlancourt picked up Ellery’s
revolver from the table and fired at ucians is told
the brute. The dog fell dead, and as
he fell—was it true, or did my dis¬
traught nerves belie my senses?—I
thought I heard an ominous rumble
from the dark recesses of the room, as
the vapor floated out of the window
and vanished.

10. The Scourge of B’Moth

I t did not need the statement of the

girl whom we had brought with us
to convince us that the day was near
when the whole horde of the jungle
CHALLENGE
would attempt to overrun civilization.
The telegrams without exception
told of a series of attempts to the same
712 WEIRD TALES

end. Several of them in fact employed ‘ ‘ I want you to let that fire die out
the word ‘ ‘ B ’Moth,' ’ showing clearly again for a few minutes, ’ ’ I said slow¬
that the incidents were all connected ly and distinctly.
by some strong central purpose. “Good heavens! I can’t do that.
But we were still in the dark, and You know what it would mean.”
ignorant of the time and place of the “Yes, I know. And because the
attempt. The thing was expected to matter is so important, I ask you to
raise its slimy head in Argentina, do this. We will be outside, and
Africa, India, and a dozen other ready to light it again, so you will not
countries. How could we hope to deal be powerless.”
with them all at the same time? ‘ ‘ Why do you want me to do this ? ’ ’
What we did do, however, was to 1 ‘ There is a chance that you may be
cable to the police forces of the entire able to tell us when this invasion will
world, telling them to watch diligent¬ occur. If it is to be soon, all the fol¬
ly and be on their guard for any lowers of the Master will have to
invasion from the jungle or from the know it. You must try to remember
sea. Probably our message sounded all that occurs while the fire is out.
fantastic to them, but we made it as Will you do this?”
convincing as possible. “It’s a lot—but I’ll do it,” he said
This done, we set about for a means resolutely.
to protect our own people from the We hurried over to the hospital,
menace which we felt was imminent. and watched through the aperture of
After some thought, I found a pos¬ the door while Dr. Prendergast al¬
sible means to forestall these hideous lowed the fire to flicker slowly to
things. It was a daring one, and death. His face grayed with fear as
risky; not to be attempted without the the last sparks died down and the
full consent of my good friend Dr. ashes cooled. I could see, even from
Prendergast, of whose whereabouts I that distance, the great drops of per¬
was not even sure at this time. spiration breaking out upon his brow,
However, I telephoned the hospital, as the insidious influence stole over
and asked if he was there. I learned him. The room darkened, and the
that he was, and that the hospital tendrils of vapor slowly gathered
authorities had succeeded in rekin¬ about him. He lay upon the bed like
dling the fire wliich a careless attend¬ one dead, but, by his breathing, I
ant had allowed to die some time could see that he was still alive.
previously. The doctor was rapidly I saw the distorted ferocity that I
recovering. I requested the office to had come to know so well these last
connect me with him, and he replied few days spread over his regular
cheerily enough. features. I heard the grunts that
He was quite unable to furnish me came from him as from some wild
with any information of the sort that animal. He snarled and spat in a
I desired. Finally, I made the proposal very fury of savage lust, as he became
that I had in mind. It was the only metamorphosed from the doctor into
way that offered even a possible solu¬ the demon. No longer did he lie mo¬
tion of the problem. tionless, but he moved excitedly about,
“Are you willing to do something and began to talk in a language mean¬
for the cause of humanity ? ’ ’ I asked. ingless to me. He seemed to be hold¬
“What is it that you want me to ing a lengthy conversation; but at last
do?” he asked rather ‘anxiously. He he struggled, as though attempting to
had already been in dire peril, and I throw off some fearful oppression, and
could well believe that he feared the I knew that it was time to relight the
Thing more than anything else in the fire. I entered the room, resolutely
world. shunning the dampness that sought to
 WEIRD TALES 713

envelop me with its coils. I soon had

a bright fire burning, and slowly the
good doctor revived.
“Do you remember anything?” I
He Gves You
questioned, anxiously.
“Yes, I remember all. I can scarce¬
ly credit it. There will be an invasion
A New Skin
from the ocean with the next full Smooth, Clear and Beautiful
moon. Monsters will attempt to blot
out the whole civilized world, and the
followers of B’Moth are expected to
help in-the destruction. I myself have
been ordered to help.”
“You are sure that it is to be with
the next full moon?” I interjected
earnestly.
“Yes. The next full moon—when
is that?”
I consulted the calendar. “It is a
week from today,” I said. “Have you
any idea where the attempt will com¬
mence?” I suggested.
“None whatever, but I suppose it
will be somewhere in this country, ’ ’ he
said dejectedly.
“Well, we will be on our guard
everywhere,” I said.
D’Arlancourt and I left the hos¬
pital, and hurrying to the secret serv¬
ice offices, we again sent several tele¬
grams, and also radio messages to
ships at sea. We requested everyone
to keep a sharp watch for any accum¬ On Any Part of Your Face, Neck,
ulation of monsters both at sea and on Arms, Hands, Body
land.
We spent some days of enforced READ FREE OFFER
idleness, and were becoming hopeless
of being able to prevent the awful ca¬
tastrophe that was about to over¬
whelm us. We had had great diffi¬
culty in influencing the war depart¬
ment in the matter, but finally they
had consented to order the forts in
various parts of the country to fire
upon anything extraordinary belong¬
ing to the animal world. That was as “BEAUTIFIX NEW SKIN IN 3 DATS”
far as they would go, and the order
was given more out of courtesy than
anything else. And who can blame
them? They were used to fighting
armies, and not spirits. But it was the
714 WEIRD TALES

order that saved the world, as subse¬ the range guns belched a message of
quent events will show. death. Again and again shells were
As the day of full moon approached, hurled into the center of the bloated
the armed forces of a world united creatures. Still they came on, slowly,
for the sake of civilization were mus¬ relentlessly, ceaselessly.
tered and anxious. Then came the The air was a deafening hell of
message. It was from the steamer shrieks and blasts as the guns did
Malolana, plying between San Fran¬ their work. The ocean was red with
cisco and Hawaii. The broadcast that the blood of the Things. And still
we had sent out a few days earlier they came on!
had been effective. The captain re¬ Mines were exploded outside the
ported that he had seen a school of Golden Gate—mines placed there to
monstrous things swimming rapidly blow up battleships. But still the
toward the mainland, directly upon things came on!
the steamer routes forming the great
Airplanes dropped bomb after bomb
circle to Honolulu. There were thou¬
upon the horde, and came baek for
sands of them, like enormous blanket-
more ammunition, but still the ad¬
fish, huge beyond comparison, almost
vance continued! A dense fog that I
as large as his own ship!
had learned to dread was enveloping
During the day, other messages the sea—the breath of Behemoth him¬
came in from various vessels on the self, coming to general his forces!
great circle route to Hawaii, and they Time after time the guns spoke. The
all mentioned this huge array of very hills shook. From Fort Miley
Things. The Presidio at San Fran¬ there came thunder, too. Battleships
cisco was immediately notified, and anchored in Navy Row steamed to the
we caught a fast airplane that took us mouth of the Golden Gate and hurled
to Chicago, and Denver, and so to broadside after broadside at the mon¬
Mills Field. sters. They were slowing up now,
It was the night of the full moon and their number was greatly re¬
when we arrived at San Francisco. duced, but still the advance was not
We motored hastily to the Presidio. halted.
Activity was everywhere. The enor¬ At last came frantic word from the
mous disappearing guns that can coast-guard station at the beach that
shoot a shell thirty miles were ready they were landing. The panic-strick¬
to hurl destruction at the invading en people wex-e leaving their homes, to
hordes from the deep. The scout see them crushed beneath the weight
planes hovered aloft to signal the ap¬ of the horde like so much matchwood.
proach of the invaders. Telescopes The guns laid down a concentrated
were trained anxiously upon the star¬ barrage upon the landing-place of the
lit Pacific. Fort Miley was a scene of monsters and torethe beach to shreds.
activity also. The naval stations at Under the glare of the huge search¬
Bremerton and San Diego were lights I saw streams of sluggish red,
watching for any change of course on where the awful carnage went on; but
the part of the hordes from the ocean. at last they turned back—back to the
And with the full moon, they came! sea whence they came. The fog lifted
The ocean for miles was a seething, —had the Master met his fate?—and
swirling mass of horrid immensity. the filthy things floundered heavily
Green bodies sucked their way away from the shore, jostling the car¬
through the smooth water. The swish casses of thousands of their dead as
of their swimming was plainly audible they did so. Still the thunder of the
to the watchers on the lookouts of the guns followed them, far, far out to
Presidio. sea, to the extreme limit of their
“Fire!” went forth the order, and range; and when it was all over we
 WEIRD TALES 715

sank limp to the ground, speechless

before the peril that had just con¬
fronted us.

11. Conclusion

O f course, the details were never

made public, but on the following
day we received cablegrams from all >aBy toquit with the aid of theKeeleyTreatment.
parts of the world telling of a con¬ --| TREATMENT
certed attempt to regain power by
these creatures of a dreadful past.
Prom India came messages telling
KEELEY, STOPS

the tobacco habit an

of invasions by hordes of tigers and
mammoth elephants; from Africa of JBseL ■58
lions, all the wild life of the forest;
from Burma stories of huge apes that
crushed the life out of men; from
’ Vhat Do You Want?
South America, of all the reptilian Whatever it ie we can help you get it. Just
give ue the chance by writing for
life of the Amazonian forests massed
in relentless array. But thanks to our
knowledge of their purpose, the at¬
“Clouds Dispelled”
Absolutely Free. You will be delighted. A«t
tempts were frustrated. today! Write NOW!!
The stories of incendiarism, of
THE BROTHERHOOD OF LIGHT
course, could not be kept out of the Dept. O. Box 1525, Los Angeles, Calif.
press. The dynamiting of the Mc-
Auliffe Building in New York is com¬ SECRETS!
mon property. The butchery of Pro¬
fessor Atkinson in his laboratory of
experimental hygiene is well known.
Throughout the civilized world, the
police forces were hard put to it to
cope with the threatened overthrow
of civilization.
But, once again, civilization tri¬
umphed, and the forces of destruction
were greatly reduced, although not
destroyed; they never can be de¬ Skin Troubles
stroyed. But my friend Dr. Prender- Cleared Up—often in 24 hours. Pimples, Black¬
heads, Acne Eruptions on the Face or Body,
gast laughs at the fog now, and the Barbers’ Itch, Eczema, Enlarged Pores. Oily or Shiny
rain has no terrors for me. Skin. “CLEAR-TONE” has been tried and tested in
350,000 cases. Used like toilet water. Is simply
Was my surmise correct when those ' ' prompt results.i At All Orvngiats—with
things turned tail and made again You can rely on "CLEAR-TONE"
ir Skin and Complex......
anufactured by GIVENS CHEMICAL CO., 1
for the open sea? Is B’Moth dead? I
wonder!
P WORK ABROAD?
WANT TO TRAVEL? Roi
tic . . . wealthy South<
Coming Soon— tries need you. Want to go'. -
tional opportunities for young fo
Two Remarkable New Tales of Central and S. America, W< '
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to apply for position.” Write today.
author of TROPICAL SERVICE BUREAU

“THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” GARAGE DOOR HOLDERS. LARGE PROFITS.

Specialty Manufacturers, 524 Hall Bldg-
Watch for these stories in WEIRD TALES City. Mo.
716 WEIRD TALES

The Shadow of a Nightmare

(Continued from page 624)
men was collected and carried to a “12. Received a letter from Chel-
secluded mountain valley, and the ton saying he has acquired an ancient
only entrance sealed behind them. manuscript for me and is forwarding
Guards were placed around the val¬ it. He says it is written in a dead
ley, at first, but the years passed, the Indian tongue. Hope it refers to the
story became legendary, and the Country of the Mad.
guards were withdrawn for wars and “25. The manuscript has arrived,
never Returned. The legend itself and I am beginning the translation.
faded in time, and the Country of the It is priceless! A chronicle from the
Mad far beyond the known ranges lay valley itself, written by one of the
forgotten. band! It seems to be the key to some
“But in all the years that the valley rite.
had been sealed, the band had sur¬ “29. John has left. I may never
vived and increased. At first they finish the translation. They are be¬
found it difficult to exist, for they yond my control already, wild from
were all insane and could not unite. their enforced absence of nearly ten
But the valley was fertile, and they thousand years. God! I can’t live
found it easy to live on the wild fruits without sleep. And I was fool enough
and vegetables there, and the various to search for the most horrible
small animals that were in it. They tale. . . .
were people of all stages of insanity, “Aug. 1. I have destroyed the
and of several races. For a while they manuscript and my translation. If
were antagonistic to each other, race only I had never seen the thing! For
to race and individual to individual. I know now what it is that comes to
Their twisted minds could not work him who has opened the door that
together; none could tell what the they discovered. It is three days since I
madness of another might lead him to have closed my eyes; I have not slept
do. Murder, fighting, plot and coun¬ since the night. . . . And drugs won’t
terplot, outbursts that sent them rag¬ keep me awake longer.
ing up and down the valley were com¬ “11 p. m. These may be the last
mon at first. But years passed by, words I shall write. I can hardly
and the young grew up accustomed to keep my eyes open, though I—though
each other’s madness. The children I—ho-hum—though I—seem—though
were almost invariably insane from I seem to feel them—gathering—in¬
birth; normal ones were killed because sane—that are insane—no shape save
they were not like the rest. The races the shape of nightmare and horror
themselves intermai-ried. and rottenness—shapes of corpses and
“And so, in time, their madness staring skulls—shapes indescribable—
became equalized, their insanity a shapes—shapes—I can’t hold out any
thing which affected all alike. The longer—I must sleep—I tell you, I
Country of the Mad flourished, a must. What if they do come again?
nightmare of nightmares. And it I tell you, I’ve got to sleep. Ahhhh-
flourished, not because of the madmen, hhhhh-
but because of what had entered. “My God! They’re coming—
“The volume tells no more. What they’re crawling up my legs—they’re
entered, therefore, remains a mystery creeping up my face—my eyes—God
—but I can guess. save me!—and entering my brain!”
 WEIRD TALES 717

Within the Nebula

(Continued from page 618)

do more than merely glimpse us, we Earn $50 __

week. OIL PAINT
had sprung to our feet and were leap¬ PHOTOS, POR-
ing toward the creatures with up¬
raised axes. The next moment we TURES, etc.
Eleven clearly written lessons, easy to understand,
were upon them, our heavy weapons teach you Art Work, and a thorough lesson on Busi¬
ness Management trains you in the Art Business.
flashing right and left in swift de¬ Professional Oil Painting Outfit—15 tubes of Oil
struction, and when we lowered them Colors. Brush, Medium andall accessories, including
Portraits and Landscapes, FREE, with Art Course.
only masses of dead flesh lay at our Learn this Fascinating Profession
feet. Wildly we looked about, but Become distinguished. Enroll now. Send check or
there seemed no other of the nebula- money order for course today.
creatures on all the great pit’s floor,
nothing but the silent, automatic
machines, and the great cylinder of
the ray. Now we leapt toward that
cylinder, then halted. A half-dozen
pseudopod arms were reaching up
from the shaft up which we had come,
a half-dozen of the creatures pulling
themselves up there. It was the pur¬
suit from beneath!
Jor Dahat cried out, raced toward
the shaft ’s mouth with the Arcturian.
“Cut the cable, Ker Kal!’’ he
shouted. “The cable that runs into
the cylinder—Sar Than and I will
hold them in the shaft! ’ ’
I saw the two of them reach the
shaft’s mouth just as a mass of the
nebula-creatures were emerging from
it, saw their two great axes flash down
and send the shapeless beings hurt¬
ling down to death. Then I had leapt
myself to the great, foot-thick cable
of black metal that ran into the cyl¬
inder’s side, carrying into it the
INVENTIONS WANTED — PATENTED, OK-
power from all the machines about us
jvhich generated the mighty ray. I Hartley, Box 928, Bangor, Maine.
raised my ax, brought it down with SONG POEM WRITERS—"REAL” PROPOBI-
all my force on the cable, but on the tlon. Hibbeler, D-156, 2104 N. Keystone,
Chicago.
hard metal it made only a shallow
cut. Again I swung it, and again, WRITERS: SELL TOUR STORIES, SONGS.
with all my force, while at the shaft’s etc. Send to right market first time. The Au-
mouth I glimpsed the axes of my two Reduced to J2. Somers Learning. Westerly, R. I.
friends flashing in the dim light like
SOUTH AMERICA, WORK! AMERICAN FIRMS
brands of lightning, falling in swift
death upon the shapeless nebula-crea¬ TropfcaT' Service Bureau.014600 Alma. Detroit.
tures as they sought to emerge from
the shaft. I heard the puff of jets of FOR 19*9 NUMEROI.OGICAL FORECAST
send 20c and birthdate to Mrs. Sanchez,
the deadly blue smoke leaping up- Howard St.. Detroit. Michigan.
718 WEIRD TALES

ward, but knew that so long as they wildly about as though in mad,
were held inside the shaft they could frenzied terror, heard a great cry
not reach the Arcturian and the from Jor Dahat, beside me.
plant-man with their annihilating jets. “The nebula!” he cried hoarsely,
Fiercely I swung my own ax down pointing up toward the glowing fires
upon the black metal of the thick above. “The nebula—collapsing!”
cable, in one swift blow after an¬ I looked up, dazedly, saw the vast
other, severing its twisted strands one fires moving now, slowly, majestically,
after the other. The last minutes gigantically, moving down toward us,
were speeding, I knew, and like some toward the nebula world, the whole
soulless automaton I wielded the great vast turning nebula collapsing into
ax in blow after blow, scarcely con¬ the great space at its center with the
scious in that mad moment of any¬ removal of the ray that had whirled
thing but the thick length of metal it on, its mighty, crowding fires rush¬
below me. I was half through it, now, ing down upon us. Then I had sunk
had cut through half its strands, and to the floor, felt the arms of my two
knew that another dozen of blows friends about me, dimly felt myself
would sever it. And even as hope dragged across the floor through the
flamed up in my brain there was a
crazily rushing hordes of nebula-crea¬
cry from Jor Dahat, I saw a sudden
tures into our cruiser, felt it lifting
resistless wave of the nebula-creatures
up out of the great pit with the plant-
pour up from the shaft and force my
man at the controls, as the fires above
two companions back toward me, and
then they were raising their deadly rushed down upon us.
weapons to send annihilation upon us. Then there was a thunderous roar¬
For a single moment the whole ing of titanic fires about us, a vast,
scene seemed as motionless as a set interminable rushing of colossal cur¬
tableau. Then with a wild shout I rents of flaming gas all around us as
whirled the great, ax high above my we plunged upward through the col¬
head, swung it for an instant in a lapsing nebula. More and more dimly
flashing circle, and then brought it to my ears came that mighty roar of
down with the last mad remnant of flame as consciousness began to leave
my force upon the half-severed cable me, but at last, through my darken¬
below, a powerful blow that clove ing senses, I felt that it had ceased,
through its twisted strands as a knife that we were humming through space
might cut through cords. There was once more. With a last effort I stag¬
a flash of light as the cable parted, gered to the window with my two
and then the brilliance of the great companions, gazed down dazedly to¬
cylinder’s upper surface had snapped ward the terrific ocean of boiling
out, and the mighty ray that sprang flame that stretched gigantically be^
from it had vanished! neath us, saw that still its fires were-
The next instant there was utter drawing together, collapsing, con¬
silence, a thick, terrific silence in tracting, condensing. Then suddenly
which we, and all the nebula-creatures up from the collapsing nebula there
that had crowded up onto the pit’s leapt a single mighty tongue of fire,
floor, gazed up toward the mighty as from some titanic conflagration, a
nebula’s fires, far above us. Seconds, vast rush of flame that towered up
minutes, that awful silence reigned, toward the stars, and then dwindled
and then I saw the weapons of the and sank and died.
nebula-creatures before us dropping It was the end forever of the world
from their grasp, saw them rushing within the nebula.
 WEIRD TALES 719

6
I t was more than two weeks later
that with all the thousands of the
great Council of Suns we passed out
of the mighty tower into the starlit
night. They were still shouting, those
thousands, for it was but hours before
that our battered cruiser had swung 30*8 *g.36 *1
down toward the tower out of the
void of space, to meet such a recep¬ ii*4 l:SS l.'sr! 1
tion as never yet had been equaled in !§a ils aJBlis
this universe. And now that the '0x6 4.26 2.45l35*„.vU -.ao
Council’s tumultuous meeting had IFS&SSEI balance *0^0 t}®pos|'a°,^I^“h Tiro —
iRenairKm satisfaction Iiuabant^kdI868'
closed at last, and each of its members withHirpOnior i3S4s.
CHICflG0 T,RE
made ready to depart for his own sun, |wmuureurcer| wabash ave.,&oept.
RUBBER COMPANY
no chicabo. ill.
the shouting applause about us was
redoubled.
At last from out of the darkness a
great star-cruiser swept toward us,
.FREE!
ZWffl WONDER OF THE
20th CENTURY
paused, and then the member from
Antares had entered it and it was
I mind-rTOS^^T^.’^Thia^hoolT^-th*
speeding up into the darkness. An¬
j| order
J33.rU sent !FREE°to'rJo"H°!ro5
oorremarkablB course la Practi-
other drew up before us, entered by
the strange representative from Rigel,
and then it too had vanished and still and easily learned system. Fay only $2.48 on arrival. W e pay postage.
others were sweeping toward us. Out
of the darkness they came, star- I l6E?EYor drug habit
cruiser after star-cruiser, and into
each went one of the members, flash¬
--
ing out to his own star once more.
One by one, we watched them go,
watched the great ships lift into the o *600 EACH
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on long journeys to suns far out at CnARKECCOIN CO.. W^T. nepC^CeKoy, N? 1
the Galaxy’s edge. One by one they
went, until at last there remained 0R snuff Habit I
only we three of all the members, ll UdAVWU cured or no mI
■ Any form, cigar*, cigarette*, *nui£ pipe, chewing. Full treatment ■
with the three cruisers waiting before
us that would carry us back to our
1
2 <nimaL Harmless. Costs $1.50 if cured, nothing if it fails. Over 5
600,000 treatment* used. SUPER BA CO. NT-17. Baltimore, Md. I
own stars. ftft A A| ADlce, $5.00; Cards, $1.25; Inks, I-
Mflla||>Magic Fluid forTranaparents,$3.00;
We paused, then, with a common m«viiww||ite Flash Daubi j3.oe -
impulse gazing upward. Across the Trade Checks, Sales r ' flOc!
heavens gleamed the hosts of suns,
points of brilliant light in a field of
deepest black. Moments we gazed up
toward them, and toward three among
them that were far distant from each
other across the heavens—the magnif¬
icent golden splendor of great Ca-
pella, to the left, and the fiery red
brilliance of Arcturus, to the right,
and above us and between them a
720 WEIRD TALES

smaller star of deep yellow, that little

spark of light toward which the eyes
NEXT MONTH and hearts of men shall turn until
the end of time, though they roam the
limits of the universe. A moment we

THE HOUSE OF gazed up, up toward the three orbs,

and then Jor Dahat raised his hand,
pointing to another star low above the

GOLDEN MASKS horizon, a great, soft-glowing one

that was like a little ball of misty
By SEABURY QUINN light.
“Look,” he said softly. “The
nebula! ’ ’
T he dapper little French scien¬ Silently we gazed out toward it for
a long moment, a moment in which
tist, Jules de Grandin, runs
afoul of an obscene conspiracy- our thoughts leapt out across the gulf
involving ruthless murders and toward the glowing thing at which
frightful ordeals and runs the we gazed, toward that mighty realm
gauntlet of tremendous peril and of fire where we had struggled for
blood-freezing involvements. our universe, in the strange world
inside it which we three had plunged
T his latest story from the pen of
to its doom. Then, silent still, we
gripped hands, and turned toward
■Seabury Quinn is a fascinating our waiting cruisers.
tale, involving a strange mixture of Then they, too, were driving up into
Oriental richness and love of lux¬ the darkness, out from Canopus once
ury with utterly heartless brutality more into the gulf of spaee, into the
and callousness. One of the best of eternal silence of the changeless void,
the stories involving the temper¬ each toward its star.
amental Jules de Grandin, this ad¬
venture will be published in the

June issue of
Le Revenant
By CHARLES BAUDELAIRE
WEIRD TALES (Translated by Clark Ashton Bmith)

On Sale May 1 Like an ill angel tawny-eyed,

I will return, and stilly glide
Clip mi Mail thi» coupon today I With shadows of the lunar dusk
Along thy chamber aired with musk.

And I will give thee, ere I go,

mmgm The kisses of a moon of snow.

And long caresses, chill, unsleeping,
Of serpents on the marbles creeping.

When lifts again the bloodless dawn.

From out thy bed I shall be gone—
Where all, till eve, is void and drear:

Let others reign by love and ruth

Over thy life and all thy youth,
But I am fain to rule by fear.
who i

Weird things are happening! The

ful Caliph Sulaiman ordered that
his mummy be shipped to
And now that he is
mysterious things are
pening among the
that touched
—baffling
tives covertly
every turn as
solve the
Mummy Case. happened ? Has i
murdered ?
In such a If so, WHO IS TI._ _
human greed WHO IS THE MURDERER?
almost anything Never was there such plot and
for there is— counterplot, such Mystery
Zuilika, the Turkish within a Mystery! To solve it
ing her rival with tru
sion; and Major Bui

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of Scotland Yard itself—master tales by with increasing delight’
Britain's greatest writers of detective
mysteries, Hanshew and Wallace!
Here pdepd^ is your rare opportunity to

&s5iSs?'~ A
McKinlay, Slone & Mackenzie, Dept. 317 'jt Occupation
114 East 16th Street, New York, N. Y. / o* for cash). Age:
but when Istarted toplai(
the lauqh was on them !