A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 84: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Sl ¥ Ae” : ie, Sa, F . rere ve er yer = 2 = or ‘ = al oo ~ = De Keradel struck down his hand like one who has come at last to a decision. “Caranac, I spoke to you of an experi- ment in which I am deeply interested. Instead of being a spectator, willing or unwilling .. . whichever I might de- cide .. .” He paused as though to let the covert menace of this sink in... “I in- vite you to participate with me in this experiment. I have good reason to be- lieve that its rewards, if successful, will be incalculably great to many of us in this field of research. “My invitation is not disinterested. I will admit to you that my experiment has not as yet met with full success. I have had results—but they have not been what I hoped. But what you have told me of Kore proves that you are no barrier to the materialization of these _ Beings—Powers or Presences, or if you prefer, discarnate, unknown energies which can take shape, become substance. In accordance with laws discoverable to man—and discovered. Also, you have within you the ancient blood of Caranac, and the ancient memories of your race. It may be that I have missed some slight detail that your—stimulated—memory will recall, “And it may be that with you beside us this Being I desire to evoke will ap- r in all its power—and with all that implies of power for us.” I asked: “What is that Being of which you speak?” He said: “You, yourself, named it. That which in one of its manifold shapes came to the Alkar-Az of ancient Caranac as it came to the temples of my own peo- ple ages before Ys was built or the stones of Caranac raised—the Gatherer in the Cairn—” If I felt cold creep along my skin he did not know it. It was the answer I had been expecting and I was prepared. I looked long at Dahut, and he, at least, misinterpreted that look, as I had hoped he would. I struck my own hand down upon the table. “De Keradel, I am with y ou. bP] After all, wasn’t that why I had come there? Perhaps with this much under- standing I could accomplish the mission which I hoped to solve with their unknown _aid. A. MERRITT’S FANTASY CHAPTER 17 The Mael Bennique E KERADEL said: “We drink 1) to that!” He dismissed the servants, un- locked a closet and took from it a decanter half-filled with a green liqueur. The stop- per was clamped and difficult to withdraw. He poured three small glasses and quickly clamped the stopper down. IJ raised my glass. He checked me: “Wait!” There were little bubbles rising through the green drink; like atoms of diamonds, like splintered sun rays shot back by crys- tals bottoming still shallows. They arose more and more quickly, and suddenly the green drink fumed; then became quies- cent; pellucid. De Keradel lifted his glass: “Caranac, you join us of your own will?” _The Demoiselle said, her glass close to mine: “Tt is of your own will you join us, Alain de Caranac?” I answered: “Of my own will.” We touched glasses and drank. That was a strange drink. It tingled through brain and nerve, and immediately there was born of it an extraordi sense of freedom ; swift sloughing of inhi- bitions; a blowing away of old ideas though they had crumbled to dust and, like dust, had been puffed from the surface of consciousness. As though I were a ser- pent which had abruptly shed an outworn skin. Memories grew dim, faded away, readjusted themselves. I had an inde- scribable sense of liberation .. . I could do anything, since, like God, there existed for me neither good nor evil. Whatever I willed to do that I could do, since there ~ neither evil nor good but only my will... De Keradel said: “You are one with us.” — The Demoiselle whispered: “You are one with us, Alain.” Her eyes were closed, or seemed to be, the long lashes low upon her cheeks. Yet I thought that beneath them I saw a glint of purple flame. And de Keradel’s hands covered his eyes, as though to shield them, but between his fingers I thought I saw them gleaming. He said: