A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 96: what you’re looking at

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

, ) ‘Al at rks > yt i” we 4 4 : be af an a > ba Patni #6 FAA I f Fe Hh ot a . HE “s am, wie wy : 3 Ww oa. as UA Rew ER BAG GEA Se BS br ae een gf _ jift Truth’s veil. I think you can do that, _ de Keradel. Therefore—I would stay.” He asked, curiously, “Which of my two stories do you believe?” I laughed. “Both and neither. Other- wise would I deserve to be your acolyte?” _- He said, almost wistfully, “I wish I could trust you... Alain de Caranac! There is much that we could do together.” I answered, ‘Whether you trust me or do not, I cannot see how I, being here, can harm you. If I should disappear re Oty for example, appear to have killed myself . or seem to have gone insane . . . that, of course, might harm you.” He shook his head absently, with a chil- lingly convincing indifference. “I could be rid of you very easily, de Caranac, and there would be no necessity of explana- tions ... but I wish I could trust you.” I said, “If you have nothing to lose by it—why not?” He said, slowly, “I will.” He picked up the bow! of sacrifice in his hands, and weighed it. He dropped it on the table. Stretching both hands out to- ward me but without touching me, he did with them that to which, knowing what was in my heart against him, I could not respond. It was an immemorially ancient gesture, a holy gesture that had been taught to me in Tibet by a lama whose life I had saved . . . and the way de Keradel made that gesture defiled it, although it still held within it the obligation a 2 Oe obligation beyond life . Dahut saved me. A nidden flood of sun- shine poured into the room. She came through it toward us. If anything could - have made me believe without reservation de Keradel’s second and common sense version, it would have been Dahut walk- ing through that sunshine. She had on her riding breeches and boots, and a sea- green silk shirt that just matched the color of her eyes, and a beret on her silver gilt hair that was exactly the same green. Coming through the sunshine toward me like this, she knocked de Keradel and everything else out of my head. She said, “Hello, Alan. It’s cleared. Let’s take a canter.”’ She saw the bowl of sacrifice. Her eyes dilated so that I could see the whites both above and below them . . . and how the orchid hell sparks danced! © A. MERRITT’S FANTASY * “a4 - i Wet ee Pr” aa VS. hat AS is De Keradel’s face whitened. Then com- ~ . a warning, a prehension came into it . message, darted from him to her. The — Demoiselle’s lids drooped, the long lashes — swept her cheeks. All this in a ait a second. I said carelessly, as though I had ob- a served nothing, “Fine. I’ll change my — clothes.” q I had known damned well that de Kera- 4 § | del hadn’t put that bowl of sacrifice beside me. Now I knew just damned well that Dahut hadn't, either. Then who had? I stepped into my room... seemed to hear the buzzing .. ware of Dahut . x Maybe the shadows were going to be kind to me again. a CHAPTER 19 The Hounds of Dahut HATEVER the mystery of the bowl, break I hadn’t hoped for. into my riding togs with haste. I had the idea that the conversation between her a and her father would not be entirely ami- cable, and I didn’t want her to have time to change her mind about that gallop. Probably I would not be able to get tothe village, but I ought to be able to make the rock where the patient fisherman waited. I wrote a note to McCann: rock tonight from eleven until four. If I don’t show up, be there tomorrow night between the same hours. Same holds for — 3 night after tomorrow. If you then haven't heard from me, tell Ricori I say to use his own judgment.” Ricori should have landed in this — country by then. And if by then I had not ~ been able to get a message to McCann, it would mean that I was ina tight corner— = if, indeed, I was in my shape to be in any I banked upon Ri- cori’s resourcefulness and ruthlessness as adequate to meet de Keradel’s own. Also, he would act swiftly. I wrote the note in duplicate, since after all I might be able to get to the village. I put one ina two- corner whatsoever. ounce bottle, stoppering it tightly. other I put in my pocket. x I went downstairs whistling, giving art- 3 less warning of my approach. I went into — the room as though I had not a care nora ~— . again I . Alan, be- Dahut’s invitation was a I got > “Be at the