A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 116: what you’re looking at

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

of the white sea-horses .. — A. MERRITT’S FANTASY a Re . armies of the white horses of the sea . . . the white upturned, hair floating around her like — a silver net, her eyes wide and horror" EB | -_ Se 5 a So, =59 =, = horses of Poseidon . . . line upon endless filled and . . . dying. : _ _ line racing out of the darkness of ocean The shadows were all around her and and charging against the shore. over Het: ; pushing her down .. ,— : The Cairn and the monoliths were The witch-sight was fading from my covered with waters, boiling, spouting, eyes. The witch-hearing stilling in my — smashing at the standing stones. Uproot- ¢ars. Before that sight went, I saw de— ing, overturning them. Keradel lying on the threshold of the The waters rushed back. They licked Cairn, crushed beneath one of its great — up at us as they passed and a wave swirled stones. The stone had pulped breast and | round us knee high. heart of de Keradel as he had pulped the > = Again the mountain arose, hammer breasts and hearts of the sacrifices. There — topped. Again it swept over the ridge was only his head and his arms . . . his and smote the Cairn and the standing face upturned, dead eyes wide and. filled stones. And this time the waters rushed with hate . dead hands held high in on so that the oaks fell before them ... ‘™precation and in—appeal .. . and once more they retreated ... and The Cairn was flat, and of the standing once more they lifted and struck and stones not one was erect. Swept on... and now I knew that the Witch-sight and witch-hearing were — ~ Old house with all its ghosts was gone. gone. The land was dark save for the Through all, the sea-fire shape of Dahut glare of the lightning. The sea was dark had remained unmoved, untouched. I had save for the foaming tops of the waves. heard her merciless laughter above the Their shouting was the voice of waves— bellowing of the sea and the crashing of and _ nothing more. The es of the the hammer strokes... . wind was the voice of the wind. . Back rushed the last waters. Dahut Dahut was dead. held her arms out to me, calling, “Alain I asked Ricori, “What did you see?” . come to me, Alain!” “Three waves. They destroyed all that _ My hand dropped on the hilt of the long was below. They killed some of my men.” » knife. I shouted. “Coming—Dahut!” _ “T saw much more than that, Ricori. 3 McCann gripped me. Ricori struck Dahut is dead. It is ended, Ricori. Dahut down at his hands. He said, “Let him js dead and her witchcraft ended. We go.” must wait here till morning. Then we _ The waters were rushing back, over the can go back... back to Helen...” ridge. A swirl swept out. It coiled around Dahut was dead. F Dahut to the waist. It lifted het. Sh Saad f old, 1 d] | high and high . e€ mas de ea es Oo ong an ca | - And instantly from over her and from ree in kk Gi, y sees sha seth ye | every side of her a cloud of shadows swept By: w ednesses . PSE SEA. 3 -< Se upon her . . . striking at her with shad- — ; -owy hands . enue at her, hurling | "Would t 4 ae vat vith he jong. : themselves at her, pushing her back and “™ a ae eee at ee ee — down .-. . into the sea. erie e cycle had been reborn . . . and ==. ~ 1 saw incredulity flood her face; then it had ended as it had of old, long and outraged revolt; then terror—and then long and long ago... in Ys. é: _ despair. The sea had cleansed this place of her — The wave crashed back into the sea,and gorceries as it had cleansed Ys of them with it went Dahut, the shadows pouring that long and long and long ago. after her . . . Had there been a Helen in Caranac I heard myself crying, “Dahut ... when I set forth from Caranac to Ys to Dahut!” slay Dahut? I rushed to the verge of the rock. Had she cleansed me of the memories There was a prolonge eee of the of Dahut when I returned to her? ie a By it I saw Dahut .. . face Could—Helen? 3 THE END = | comicbooks