A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, April 1950 — page 67: what you’re looking at

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

- tastic story of herself: THE NINTH LIFE 67 Perry as they advanced toward the con- stable who came to attention as he faced them, “but batty about ghosts and the supernatural generally. That theory he talked about was no more than leg-pulling —all about the plagues of Egypt and old gods and goddesses. Interesting, but ut- terly ridiculous tripe as far as this case of yours is concerned—or the one in London either.” Thus he pronounced judgment, while Gees let the car’s own weight take it en- gineless down the slope, until where stout iron railing fenced the road on his right, he stopped and got out, to go to the rail- ings and stand with his back to the car, _ looking down into the valley toward which this road tended. A bitter wind struck on him from the northwest ; already there was a shade less light in the leaden sky. He looked over the railings, downward, and saw that he stood at the brink of an almost vertical cliff, with the cottages and two or three larger. houses that made up Barnby so near its foot that he could have tossed stones on to most of their roofs with very little effort. A mile or so beyond them, slightly above the general level of the valley, showed Barnby Grange with its surround- ing moat and few trees masking it not at all at this leafless season. He reflected that the castle which had preceded this - present building on the site must have been a very strong place in the days before artillery could threaten it from the height above him. Now, the square, gray, build- ing appeared somber in the failing light; he could see no smoke over ~any of its chimneys, nor any sign of life about it. He remembered a part of Kefra’s fan- When Barnby Grange was the castle under Hedlington, am the year that Poitiers was fought. SHE laid the darkness on me here in this keep jor the sixth time and renewed her strength by a young girl's life. One had either to accept that story of hers in its entirety, or reject it altogether —it was not a recital of which one could believe parts and dismiss the rest. He might have dismissed it, as practical - sanity dictated, had it not been for his father’s story of her and her knowledge of the names in that story. Then he re- membered his father’s words: “I’m per-_ fectly certain that girl could tempt Saint Anthony himself, if she wished.”’ And the way she had won Inspector Perry to be- lieve in her justified the estimate—he was a very long way from Tott’s distrust of her. But then, she had had no chance to win Tott over. Abruptly Gees found himself facing the completeness with which she had won him over. He had come all this way for no other. reason than to see her and aid her if need arose over the preposterous suspicion that she could be in any way connected with these murders. But now, gazing toward that grim, lone- ly grange in the middle distance, he felt reluctant to go on. The spell-she had laid on him ceased to have power; his prac- tical self demanded resumption of normal aims. The glamor with which for a brief while she had conquered him was not of this earth: it was unreal. . The minute of resistance passed. Con- sciousness of all that she had asked and given, of all that she had promised— ‘one with time and you for ever—”’ sub- merged him like a leaping wave. He got back into the car and went on. He told himself: “‘At least I must see her.” CHAPTER 13 The Hell Cats Purr RAMED in the doorway of the H Grange, waiting for Gees to enter, Kefra stood outlined against the dimness of the entrance hall. When he had stepped over the threshold she closed the door and turned to him ; for a minute, perhaps, she gave herself up to his hold, clung to him with a strength he had not thought she possessed, and he felt her trembling. “T prayed—knew you would come to me,” she said, almost sobbing. Here, he realized, was no mistress of strong magic, but a frightened woman— yet the renewed strength of her spell over him was greater for this weakness in which she told her need of him. He asked: “Where is Saleh? Are you alone here?” “Saleh has gone to Cheltenham,” she comicbhoo <SiGo