Argosy All-Story Weekly, April 16, 1921 — page 23: what you’re looking at

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

14 entrance wall that screened its gate. It lay before me, a limpid pool in a basin of lemon stone like onyx save that it was neither mottled nor veined. It shimmered in the Sirian ray an oblong of water as brilliant as a bit of polished silver, inside the ex- panse of the enclosure, paved with alternat- ing squares of rock-crystal and pure white stone. I stood gazing upon it, recalling that it was here Croft had once met Naia of Aphur—the first time when in defiance of all social custom on Palos, she had yielded him her lips. Then I went back to the front of the house, and seated myself on a carven stone bench. I lifted my eyes to the light-filled heavens. This was Palos—and up there somewhere or down or sidewise—or however you chose to call it—was earth. It was like Omar as to direction when he says: For Is and Is not though with rule and line And Up and Down without, I can define— Anyway, out there somewhere in the void there floated the mundane sphere, where the body of me might even now be exciting consternation among the staff of the hos- pital, where it had moved and held a little prestige in its work. And here wasI. Sud- denly there stole over me the sensation that the whole thing was a dream excited by Jason’s stories——a feeling that I ought to — rouse myself and get about my business. I rose. I felt all at once restless, vaguely disturbed. I turned and found Jason beside me. “T was longer than I meant to be, Mur- ray,” he said. “ And, see here—I know you'll understand me when I tell you it’s past ten o’clock on earth.” I nodded. It was.no time for misunder- standing or niceties of speech. More and more I was finding myself filled with a vital urge—to be away from-here and about my own affairs. “To tell the truth, with all respect to your feelings and those of Naia, I was getting impatient of your coming,” I replied. “She sends you her deepest thanks, and the blessings of Zitu and Ga the Mother,” he responded quickly. “I know you know how I feel, old fellow. Now fix your mind on your body—and try to open its eyes.” laid it on his shoulder. ing to try a pretty broad jump, ARGOSY-ALLSTORY WEEKLY. I was ready. I put out a hand and He replied. We looked into one another’s faces. ‘“‘ Sometime—-you’ll come again,” Croft told me. ‘“ And—now that we’ve estab- lished the astral power, I'll come to you, Murray—and when I speak you will an- swer. Don’t forget it. Man—mayhap we'll build Tamarizia up together—at least, I can come to you like this from now on for knowledge—conversation. Can you see where the thing may lead to?” “Ves,” I said. “It’s big, Croft—big. But if I don’t get out of here now it may lead a very important part of me to the graye. Make my adieus to Naia. I’d envy you, man, if you weren’t my friend. Now »—lo what you can to help me, for I’m go- things are considered.” I closed my eyes. A sound like splintering wood assailed my ears. A blended sound of voices beat upon them. “ Murray—Murray—doctor!” There was no doubt about it. A very human voice was calling to me—a hand laid hold upon my shoulder—only it wasn’t the hand Jason Croft had laid upon it in farewell. The thing bit into the flesh. seemed trying to shake me. With an effort I lifted my lids and stared up into the face of a hospital orderly, strained and anxious. I was back on earth. There wasn’t any doubt about it. I was on earth, in my room in the Mental Hos- pital, and in bed. | ‘“ Yes,” T said; &é yes.” The man’s breath actually hissed as he let it out. He stammered. “ You'll excuse us; doctor, but you didn’t show up and you didn’t answer when we rapped—and— well—we broke in the door at last. seemed best.” — His use of the pronoun arrested my at- tention. I made another effort and sat up. The orderly had fallen back from my bed- side as he spoke, and beyond him I saw a nurse—a woman—not blue-robed like those I had seen in Naia of Aphur’s apartments, but crisply gowned in white—and back of her the door of my own chamber, sagging open with a broken lock. It GO NOOK as such It C©@