A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, April 1950 — page 82: what you’re looking at

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

82 A. MERRITT’S FANTASY drag in. the soft turf as he swung the steering wheel to give the other driver room to pass. But that driver did not ass. He came to a standstill beside the Rolls-Bentley, and Gees too stopped. “Nobody at home, Tony,” Gees said calmly, and blessed the thought with which he had securely closed the front door on emerging from the house, while at the same time he cursed the luck that revealed both his presence and Tott’s: to the man who glared at him. “We've just called, but the house seems empty.” “And what the devil are you two do- fatly here?” Tony Briggs demanded wrath- f CHAPTER 17 By Saleh’s EES took out his cigarette case, (5 unhurriedly, and selected one, while Tott sat beside him, looking straight ahead, and Tony stared at them, angrily. “T asked you a question!” Tony said impatiently. “Well, then, for answer—what the hell are you doing here?” “That's my business.” “Now listen for the echo,” and lighted his cigarette. “Stop fooling !’’ Tony was a wrathful man. “I asked you—”’ “And I told you to listen for the echo to your answer to me,” Gees interrupted. “Take it as my answer to you.” “Inspector—” Tony changed to frigid politeness—“may I ask what you are do- ing here?” “You may, sir,” Tott answered im- perturbably. ‘I am on leave till next Mon- day, and Mr. Green was good enough to drive me this far on my way to Hereford. I’m staying here till the afternoon to see a coin collector like myself, and since Mr. Hand Gees said, Green was going for a drive before he goes . back to London, I came with him to see a bit of the country.” . “So this is the way to Hereford, is it?” “What do you want him to do—go round by Skegness?” Gees asked before ‘Pott could speak. “You heard him say he’s only got till Monday.” Tony opened his mouth, but shut it again. Then he said, “T want a word with you, Gees.” “Then you can turn about on the other side of that bridge and follow me up to Hedlington,” Gees answered equally cold- ly. “I’m getting an early lunch there, and then heading back to London.” He drove on, giving Tony fio chance to reply. Glancing in the rear-view mirror, he saw Tony get out by the entrance and go to the door. Then the curve of the drive. prevented further sight. Tott said: “Bad luck.”’ “He'll draw conclusions, of course,” Gees remarked. “But then, he won’t be the only one to do that.” “I’ve as much right to my conclusions, Mr. Green, as you have to yours,” Tott retorted. “And about us, he’ll draw the right ones.’ “Don’t worry,” Gees area. “T think fT see a way to put him off questioning about you. In fact, I think he’s got too much else on his mind just now to brew over what you do with your leave.” “But he’s already put two and two to- gether,” Tott insisted. “You could tell that by the way he spoke, and the way he looked—”’ “Quite—quite,’” Gees interrupted. “If he should as much as buttonhole you at the end of your leave, just ask him to look up records of forty to thirty-five years back, and see what there is about an agent provocateur named Saleh, operating in Cairo and thereabouts at the time. But don’t quote me on it—tell him anything you like about how you got on to it, as long as you leave me out.” “You mean—this Saleh?” Tott asked incredulously. “T mean this identical Saleh—probably quite young, but snakes don’t take long to develop poison fangs. And I have an idea Mr. Briggs will find enough in ree- ords to make him acquit you of anything he might resent, as far as your being here goes. But, as I said, don’t mention me.” “What “happened thirty-five to forty years ago can’t be dragged up now,” Tott objected. “Mr. Briggs knows I wouldn’t be such a fool as to try dragging it up. Everything’s changed since then—”’ “Murder or accessory to it can be ‘dragged up at any time,” Gees said, as he opened out for the hill leading up to- (e(oygalcel exofe) cS EO