nimmMmrsi

JUNE*1941 TWENTY CENTS

FANTASY FICTION

SHAPE OF DESIRE Cleve Cartmill It was—something. It was an ancient, fabled gem, it was a pair of tailor's sliears. It was a gun, a great emerald, or a hacksaw blade. It was—the shape of desire!

YESTERDAY WAS MONDAY . Theodore Sturgeon Slight error somewhere! He gut behind the scenes, and woke up Wednesday morning although Yesterday was Monday. The Build­ y^i&ieikvissikl^mk''^ ers hadn't finished making Wednesday yet—

NOT ACCORDING TO DANTE . Malcolm Jameson Hell wasn't what it used to be, what with all the imps on relief, and a steady rain of broken shoelaces, inoperable gadgets, and broken-down cars. But there was a very special hell for him—

THE FOUNTAIN Nelson S. Rond Ponce de Leon was right—the Fountain of Youth was there in Florida. But he was wrong—for it was the fountain of death, too!

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"1^ rHEN ugly flakes and scales begin to speck complete disappearance of, or marked improve^ ' ' your elotlies, when your scalp begins to itch nient in, the symptoms. annoyingly, it's time to act—and act fast! If you've got the slightest sym]5toni of this Nature may be warning you that infectious trouble, don't-waste any time. • You may have a dandruff has set in . . . may be telling you'to do real infection, so begin today with Listerine something about it before it gets any worse. . Antiseptic and massage. To save yourself money, Start now with Listerine Antiseptic. Just douse buy the large econoniy-size bottle. V it on your scalp and hair morning and liight LAMBERT PHARMACAL CO., St. Louis, Mo. and follow with vigorous and persistent massage. This is the simple medical treatment which has shown such outstanding results in a substantial THE TREATMENT majority of clinical test cases . . . the easy method used by thousands in their own homes. that brought improvement to Listerine often brings quick improvement, be- 76% of cases in a clinical test cause it giyes both hair and scalp an antiseptic MEN: Douse full strength Listerine on the scalp morning and night. WOMEN: Part bath. The loosened dandruff scales begin to hair at various places, and apply Listerine disappear. Your scalp feels healthier, more invig­ right along the part with a medicine drop­ orated. And meanwhile, Listerine is killing per, to avoid wetting the hair e.xcessively. Always foUow with vigorous and per­ millions of germs on scalp and hair, including the sistent massage with fingers or a good hair queer "bottle bacillus," recognized by outstand­ brush. Continue the treatment so long as ing authorities as a causative agent of the dandruff is In evidence. And even though you're free from dandruff, enjoy a Listerine infectious type of dandruff. massage once a week to guard against in­ Clinical results of this simple, pleasant treat­ fection. Listerine' Antiseptic is the same antiseptic that has been famous for more ment, have been literally amazing. In one test, than 50 years as a mouth wash and gargle. 76% of dandruff sufferers who used Listerine and massage twice a day, within a month showed -

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, CONTENTS FOR JUNE. 1941 . VbL. V NO. 1_ The editorial contents of this magazine have not been published before, are protected bycopyright and cannot be repriniedvwithoutthe publisher's permission.

., ^ NOVEL- ./ -.'^'^~ - ' / -'•••' ,4 THE FOUNTAIN ... . • '• ° • • •-• • Nelson $. Bond • ?"• ^ Ponce de Leon was right! The Fountain of Youth was in Florida • —but it was not quite, the happy thing de Leon thought it to be. ' '.

NOVELETTE . - NiG.HT^ARE ISLAND' E. Waldo Hunger . . 132 . Only a man who'd Ueen in his condition for a long time, could have 0 . understood, accepted, and acted reasonably on Nightmare Island! •

SHORT STORjES ^ NOT ACCORDING T© PANTE .-. . Malcolm Jameson . . 59 Even Hell should be modernized a little once in a while .- ^t makes, for a more effective, more subtle result. " ^ ,THE CREST OF THE WAVE . ... . Jone Rice . . ... 71 He rode the crest—till a Judas and a Delilah tricked him, and dropped him in the river. Thereafter—he rode them! JlHi HOWLING TOWER" . . . . . •' WiH Lciber. Jr. . . . 9® ' On the vast, bleak plain there was only, one , thing^the lone tower. And the tower—hovyled! ' -v,- - . SHAP^E OF DESIRE". . . - ." . . . Cleve Cartmill ...'.101 No man could see what it was—and yet,-to every man . '" ' ~ who saw it, it was whatever thing he most wanteds— ' • i . YESTERDAY WAS'MONDAY ^. . . Theodore SSurgeon .'.112 The Actor slipped behind the scenes—to find the Scene- ' ' shifters at work' building Yesterday and Tomorrow! JOSHUA ...... '. .^'R.Creighton Buck . .124 .A strange old clock, that kept, quite liter- :. ally, marvelous time! It was never wrong.

READERS* DEPARTMENTS ' _' ' OF THINGS BEYOND ...... 5 Concerning Inhabitantstof Mythology. . , —AND HAVING WRIT— ,...... '. . 159 The leaders speak their minds. - "'

.^Illustrations by: Cartier, M. Isip, R. Isip; Kramer and Schneeman

All stories fn this magazine are fiction. .No actual persons are designated either by name or character. Any similarity is coincidental. -.^ Bimonthly publication issued by'Street &'Smith Publications. Incorporated, 79 Seventh Avenue. New* York City. Allen L. Gmmmer, President: He'nry W. Ralston, Vice President; Gerald H. Smith, Treasurer and Secretary. Copyright, 1941, in U. '3. A. and Great Britain by Street &. Smith Publications, Inc. Subscriptions to Countries in Pan American Union, $1.10 per year; elsewhere $f;50 per year. We eannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts or artwork. Any material submitted must include.return postage.

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IN the folklore of most nations there appears some type of "mischievous being —the personified essence of the orneriness of the inanimate. Considering the fiendish skill with which a collar button can conceal itself, or a pencil seen in its proper place not ten minutes ago can vanish, it is abundantly clear that some invisible—and ill-natured—visitant must be at work. • The English—see Shakespeare—called it the work of Puck, the jokester fairy. The Irish seemingly had more trouble; they required a whole race of jokester- tricksters to explain away their difficulties. Ireland had the Leprechaun-r-or at least they were so called in the Leinster district. -In south Ireland they were the Cluricaune, but Cluricaune or Leprechaun, they were a troublesome lot. Normally, they were pretty much solitary beings, unlike the friendly fairy folk who generally went in troops. There were suggestions, as a matter of fact, that the Leprechauns were outcasts from the fairy folk, exiled for their bad dis­ positions, a fact which naturally did nothing to improve those dispositions. Sometimes they were—or became—attached to a place or a family. If such was the case, they'd do many good turns—but cause more than enough trouble to recompense. Many a family moved out of their house to seek a home elsewhere, hoping to escape the unwelcome help of the local Leprechaun, only to discover to their despair that the Leprechaun was attached to the family, not the house. Many are the sad tales of-the hard-working peasant family that packed its bag and baggage, labored twenty or thirty miles across the countryside with, ox-drawn cart to a new home—only to find, as they began the task of unpacking, that high on top of the goods rode the Leprechaun they'd hoped to leave behind. Among the richer members of the community, the Leprechaun, was unpopular- for his sottish tendencies. They couldn't be kept out of a cellar of good wine, no matter how stout the bolts—or such was. the report the lord of the-manor received. One way or another, at least, good wines vanished, and empty bottles remained behind, with many a butler or footman to swear to the inexplicability of the whole affair. Such haunters of wine cellars tended to be dandies, too, if somewhat sottish. The Leprechauns who settled themselves on a peasant family, howevef, tended to adopt a less foppish manner of dress, still with a brave touch withal. One was

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 6 ' STREET & SMITH'S: UNKNOWN : • 7 • ' , seen dressed in a leather aprftn, with i little fed iiightcaport his head, liglit-blue stockings, and shining little shoes with huge silver buckles. His face was like'a withered winter apple, brightened a'bit by a crimsonjiosei'witii a purple-tip;;;' , Still others of the outlaw fairy type were, entirely, solitary; living.alone arid. • oti their own, though frequently seen to be doing cobbling work. - (Perhaps the fairy folk gave their outlaws a bit of help by way of shoe repair?) "One seen so engaged was described as "A bit of an o|d niaii, notaqtiarter so big as a newTbofn.; child, with a.little cocked hat on his head; and. a. stuinp of a little'clay pipe-in his- teeth, smoking away, and a plain, old-fashioned coat with jjig buttons on its back, - and a pair of massy silver buckles on his-shoes, and "he-worked away.a's hard-as . could be heeling a little.pair of brogues." ' ./'"':. ' ' Now evidently so unpopular a type of superiiatural character was fair game for anybody ,who could catch him and make him reveal the secrets his magical , nature made clear to him. They were small, and feared human. strength-^the strength' of giants—if they were once caught. Buried treasures were plainly evi­ dent to their magical ways, but their naturally sullen disposition and general cussedness made them keep it hid^—or hide it somewhere else so the proper owner couldn't find it again. Now if a man could oiice catch a Leprechaun,Jie could be forced to reveal the hiding place of such treasure—unless he slipped away. - But that was the trouble. They were a slippery folk, and let the lucky man take his eyes off the wee one for an instant, and he was vanished for good by his magic. Many and sly were the tricks reported by which the Leprechauns induced the human captor to look the other way for that vital instant—and zvhooosh!.and the wily bit of a fellow was gone! , Or, if he were finally forced to reveal the treasiire, many and sly v/ere tlie tricks by which he made the revelation useless. • One sturdy farmer having caught his Leprechaun, and kept him under eye every instant,, finally forced, him to reveal the secret—a treasure hidden beneath the foots of a small sapling in a nearby forest. Joyfully the peasant tied a scarf about the sapling, and made the Leprechaun swear • not to disturb that marking while the farmer was oflf getting tools to dig. But the sly rascal outwitted the man still, for when' the farmer returned, exactly similar scarves were tied in the identical manner about all the trees in the whole forest! The Cluricaune had one advantage over their Leinster cousins; they were equipped, according to those who had seen them, with a little leather pouch con- taiiiing a single shilHng. But the shilling was there, no matter how many times the Cluricaune might find reason to'spend it.- With the Cluricaune, the dream of ever/man who thought he knew' where one might be, was to get that little leather pouch—but the Cluricaune were no less wily than their northern kin. Now and then a human captor succeeded in laying hands on the precious pouch, but always, to his sorrow, it wound up back in the tiny hands of the Gluricaiuie, by one means or another. - ' But another man was always ready to try, for while most supernatural beings were to be placated, appeased in any needful way, the Leprechauns and Cluricaunes didn't warrant that. Like the famous eveii-tempered man, they were always mad. THE EDITOR.

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PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED ^ There was a Famiitalii of Ydsiith—ami it was ira ^ Fkriia; so far Ponce- ie ieii was oigM. Int—Ike didn't kniaw the strange way ie which it wnrkeifl. IT didn't fool Jonathan Preston one tiny bit to see that misty haze sifting lazily from the swamp beds that lined the road; he was not beguiled by that ruddy, cheerful, lying sun, nor by the galaxy of gaudy-.plumaged birds flashing

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from tree to tree, fluttering and twittering and chirping angrily as the throb of a motor violated their woodland sanctuary. It was cold. The mist was an evil, marrow-chilling fog; the sun's rays thin and feeble; those damned birds just another Chamber of Commerce prop, like the daily temperature reports oh the beach and in the newspapers, like the bathing beauties and the lemonade stands and the palm trees, to make tourists . believe it was warm in Florida. Actually, it was cold. Bitter cold. Preston could feel it in his veins, in his very bones; he shrugged himself more snugly into his camel-hair coat and glared with mingled amazement and anger at Squires who, on the other side of the thick, plate-glass panel that separated the tonneau fi-o'm the chauffeur's seat of the town car, slouched behind the wheel, hatless, topcoatless, uniform jacket unbuttoned, defying the damp, chill winds that ruffled his hair. Only a fool, thought Preston irately, would venture out on a day like this. Especially with other home problems demanding immediate attention. That business about Enid and Ralph, for instance. If they thought for a moment he didn't know what they had up their sleeves— And Robertson, with his glib talk of a merger! And that quack doctor, Foster— "Bah!" said Jonathan Preston. - \ Squires peered into the rear vision glass; his lips sought the speaking tube. "I beg pardon, sir?" • . "Kpthing!".growled Preston. "Keep going!" He a'dded sharply, "And slow down! Watch the road! Are you trying to kill us both ?" For an instant he had glimpsed his-own reflection in the mirror; the sight was a frightening one; it reininded him of a never-absent fear. The fear of death. The face he saw was seamy and lined; his hair was a froSty smudge. Jonathan Preston frowned and looked away swiftly. He dreaded age; he, hated being old. Only a fool, he thought; a fool or—^a man with a purpose. But he had a purpose. Recollection of it came back to him now, suddenly, and he thrust a thin, blue-veined hand into his coat pocket, drew forth a scrap ' of paper. His lips moved as he read its legend for the hundredth time. "Wher stinkinge Feniies a skulle-shoop Tor surrond, Wher Treen are alwey yonges, and Beestes kenne feres, This Playce let him all Men bewair, wher's fond Th' Espayniard's cursed Font that sheddes Men's yeers." THE SLOW PULSE surged unsteadily in Preston's veins as once again he read a hopeful message into the awkward Old English-phraseology. This -was his- purpose—to somewhere in these stinking Florida marshes find a skull- shaped hill, and a spot avoided by animals wherein the trees were always young and green, and a fountain of water— For Jonathan Preston knew, or thought he knew, what this fountain was. The "Font that sheddes Men's yeers"; the precious wellof life which an ancient Spaniard sought vainly, and seeking, died. Juan Ponce de Leon's long-lost Fountain of Youth 1 - It was a fantastic thought, yes. But no more fantastic than that this key

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or threat .or warning, this scrap of paper he'no\y clutched, should have sur­ vived the centuries in the pages ot an old volume recently picked up at a used- book stall. It was no more fantastic, thought Preston defiaittly, than the legend of El.Doi-ado, which modern search had proven to be based on fact, than the elder tales of alchemic transmutation, .now validiiied by twentieth century cyclotrons, or than a thousand otlier newfangled ideas tor the preser­ vation of youth: vitamin capsules,;gland treatments, sulphur compounds. • He held in his hands, believed Jonathan Preston, an'indubitable guide to the location of the one spa at which he' might lave himself of a fear which, each passing day; hovered more darkly about him. The fear of encroaching age— I and. age's dour companion,.Death. •'" • . ' f " Therefore, he dared the bleak and miserable day, the long ride through interminable wastes: therefore, he strained his eves for sight of that skull- shaped hill, half hopiiig'to see it, half fearing to hope— • " And suddenly; rounding a curve—it was there! , . - ' • No't a high hill, for there are no high hills in low Florida. A roiinded rise,-sharp-limned against the sky. Its shape \yas that of a skull, fleshless, with shallow pockmarks for eye sockets, a noseless, slack-jawed thing. But the sight of it wakened a swift, hot gleam in Preston's eyes. Because at its base nestled a patch of vivid, green, 3;oi/7!(7 trees! , ' ' . . Excitedly,- Preston hunched forward and rapped horny knuckles, on the piane.- "Squires!' Stop here!" he said. 'When the'car ground to a standstill, he was alixady furi-ibling with the door handle. Squires.let him"out. ; Despite - his preoccupation,'Preston "noticed that the chauffeur's brow was beaded Avith ' perspiration, arid this was a most, amazing thing, for as he stepped, from" the car the wind that greeted him-was chill. ' But now was no time to worry about trifles. Beyond the road lay the. swamp, beyond the swamp the tor, beyond the tor—what?'. Preston vvas afire with anxiety. Over the swanip hovered a sultry, brooding silence, biit to Pres­ ton it seemed that a myriad of vyraiths peopled these lonely depths. Young figures, all of therii. . Gay, laiighing cavaliers in gaudy silk and bright-plumed bonnets; copper-skinned braves; lean-jawed buccaneers; scouts, lithe in buck­ skin \.ry.\i]-)mg5;'quistadors, breasted and hehned in gleaming silver. These beckoned him to the hidden Fountain, welcomed'him tofellowship in their company of eternaj..youth. A cold wind blew, and Jonathan Preston pulled hiscoat more tightly about himV "Wait here!", he ordered. ^ . Squires, stared at him incredulously. • ... "But, Mr. Preston, sir!" he said. "The damp—" "Wait here!" repeated.Preston pettishly. "Don't go away. I'll be back/ •directly.":'' '.- .•.',•'•''. • .""; • ',''•• ...' '.- "'•' '" •..' •'-.' •/' '• .'• , He stepped from: the'road into the swamp, and toward the distant pa'tch of green—• - ' " '

HE DID NOT at first see the other man. He saw only murky swamp waters* and the fading of golden sunlight as tree boughs; joining above him.

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filtered the rays to a wan ocher. He saw the black, rich soil and the profuse wealth of living things squandered on this wasteland by a lavish nature. The live oak andj;itrus; the cucumber, pawpaw and custard apple, the wild rubber, the multirhued and delicate orchids, everywhere the razor-edged sedge thrust­ ing its fronds up frorii the mossy slime.- He saw the gray-mourning veils of Spanish moss that hung like faded baniiers of defeat, and.felt the wet mud suck - at his plodding feet. : . . ' Then he felt the mud give wayto more solid ground, and the swamp was" gone; with it had vanished the gray moss and the ancienboaks, and he moved - through a copse that was all "cypress. All sapling growth! He noticed with a swift excitement. All young trees! - Then the sky brightened before him, and he was past the trees, standing in a-tiny, circular glade. The "skulle-shoop" hill was on Kis right, and before- - him— . • - • • • ^ .. The Fountain! . , . There was no'doubt in Jonathan Preston's mind that he had found the spot he sought. For never elsewhere had he looked upon a fountain just like this. Surrounded by a pool of emerald green, rising from a- mossy hillock - fresh and new,' its frail plume wavered and spiraled and played in the restless breeze.like a live thing; now dancing, now twisting—ever tossing its mist,of • molten silver into the pool beneath with the a'bandon-of-awastrel king. _ ., . "With"a choked cry, Preston surged forward. He felt no coldness now, no- slow paralysis of years; there was an'urge within him to plunge his hands, his amis, his face, into these green-flaming waters, to hurl himself into the pool bodily, opening his lips and pores to its. life-giving savor. But 'the silence livened only by the tinkle -of falling drops vvas -broken now by a ruder sound, the sound of a moving body.. Jonathan Preston looked up. It was then that he saw the other man. • ' - " '

. -^ V ! • • THE STRANGER was standing on the other side.of the fountain. Who or what he was, Jonathan Preston could not rightly say; certainly _he had no business in such an out-of-the-way spot as this, for he appeared to be a trades­ man or a peddler of sohie sort. Slung over one shoulder he carried a round vi'heel; Preston,recognized it as the kind of grindstone which, in his youth, ^. itinerant scissors grinders had been in the custom of bearing. ^ Over' the other slioulder was slung aieather bag. andT in his left hand'he .held—though his hand concealed it, and Preston could not be" quite sure—something that looked very much like-^of all things!—an old-fashioned hourglass.' • These things Preston noticed only, subconsciousjy. Consciously, Jie was siiffused with a petulant anger that anyone should be here at this moment to share his hour of triuinph. He spoke, and his voice was harsh. "Who," he demanded, "are.you? And what are you doing here?" The stranger pushed a battered old fedora back from his eyes and.studied Preston calmly. He stroked his cropped-beard with a calloused hand, and his beard was, Preston noted with some disgust, stained and untidy. ' ^ -

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. "I might," he said, "ask the same thing of you, Mr. Preston." Jonathan Preston started; "How—" he began, then paused. If the man knew who he was, it was obvious that he was from, or around, Miami. Every­ one there—even the white trash—knew the wealthy Prestons. And he was in- no )iiood to bandy words with a swamper, A poacher, most likely. "Well, get along with you!" he said roughly. "This is no place for you. Get on about your business!" "Why," said the scissors'grinder, "I am minding my business." And he pawed his untidy beard reflectively. "By any chance, Jonathan Preston," he said, "would you be thinking of taking a little dip in.thatF" He nodded at the pool, and Preston felt a flush staining his cheeks. "I might," he said stiffly, "or I might .riot. But I don't see where that concerns you one way or another. So if you'll move along, my good man—" "I wouldn't if I were you," said the stranger earnestly. "You see—it wouldn't do any good. It would merely complicate matters." Preston glared at him wrathfully. "What? I don't know what you're talking about!" "Oh, yes, you do! We understand each other perfectly, Jonathan Pres­ ton. But, you see, it's this way. Nothing will really help. Your story is already written in the book of time. The beginning and the end. Three score and ten is your allotted span, and not even the.Fountain can help that! Gf course, it may alter things a bit. But I'm not so sure you'd take a dip if you understood the situation. "Now, look, Jonathan Preston," he continued gently, "why don't you give up this nonsense and go home ? You'll be better off in the long run; I guaran­ tee you that. How about it? I don't like to see you make a mistake." "For the last time," said Preston, "will you go ?" "Well," shrugged the scissors grinder, "if that's the way you feel about it. I'm sorry. But, look, Jonathan Preston—you didn't find this place all by yourself. If I go away and leave you alone, will you do me a little favor ? Will you give me the clue that led you here ?" "Any thing,", snarled Preston,- "to get rid of you!" The dancing laughter of the Fountain had roused an echoing tumult within him; he was aflame with the desire to be alone by this wondrous pool. "Anything!" He hurled the scrap of paper at the other man. "And now—" he said. But he was speaking to himself. The scissors grinder had kept his bar­ gain. He was gone. But Preston wasted no time in pondering his departure. The chill had fled from his bones; the air was soft and warm on his naked flesh as he prepared himself for the pool—

How LONG he lingered in that well of lambent green, he could not after­ ward say. Hours, perhaps. Surely hours—for when he finally returned to the road, a dozen cigarette stubs and a crumpled, empty pack littered the road­ way beside the driver's seat, and Squires was dozing. But Preston was not in the least tired. His dip in the Fountain had re-

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 14 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN freshed him enormously; he felt gratefully alive in every fiber and muscle. Warm, too! He carried his topcoat over his arm, wondering why he had ever worn it on a sultry day like this. He felt good, better than usual, but he felt a pang of disappointment, too. Completely unreasonable disappointment, he tried to tell himself. After all, legends of magic fountains, Eternal Youth, were so much poppycock. Yet, in an innermost chamber of his heart he had nurtured a credence in this ancient tale. The hope had budded when he actually saw the skull-shaped hill and evergreen grove, had flowered when he looked upon that strange, woodland pool. • . ' But meeting a stranger—and an insolent mendicant, at that!—had taken some of the,edge off his enthusiasm. And when he had stepped from the emerald waters to study his body carefully, painstakingly, heart-poundingly, to find its flesh still creased and olid, his veins no less swollen, his hair no less scant and silvered, hope had died, and Jonathan Preston realized his quest had been only a mad example of,an old man's folly. Yet—and he shrugged—the afternoon had been good for him. The Foun­ tain might not be magic, but its water was tonic. He stepped forward and tapped Squires' shoulder, and the chauffeur woke with a start. "Oh! Sorry, sir!. I didn't mean to—" "That's all right. Squires. We'll go home now." Squires turned the car. With him.had awakened his curiosity. As he drove, he kept peeking at his employer in the rear-vision mirror. The miles sped by; the tires hummed a soggy reel on the road. Finally he could re­ strain himself no longer. "You were gone quite a while, sir." ( "Yes," said Preston. . "I suppose I was." A moment's silence, then, "I trust you enjoygd your little stroll, sir?"' It amused Preston to ignore the implied query. "Why, yes. Squires, I did. Thank you. Squires." "Not at all, sir. I ... I hope you didn't overexert yourself, sir." Preston smiled. "Not a bit^ thanks. I feel fine." "Yes, sir," said Squires politely. "You're looking well, sir." Again he glanced at his employer in the mirror. There came a faint look of sur­ prise into his eyes,,a greater tone of surprise to his voice. "You . . . you are looking we//^ sir! Fery well!" "Why, thank you, Squires," said Preston, gratified. "I feel—" And stopped suddenly. He. had glimpsed, in the glass panel, that which had elicited rare surprise from the usually emotionless Squires. His own reflection. The sight was—startling. His cheeks seemed somehow rounder, more bright with color. In his eyes was such a sparkle as they had not known for years. And it seemed to Jonathan Preston that his hair was less gray than he remembered it as being! He was not just looking "well." He w:as looking—younger!

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'IT.WAS SATURDAYi-and as usual, Enid was entertaining week-end guests. A cocktail party was in 16ud progress when Preston got home. The liouse, the grounds, the swimming pool, were noisy with people he neither knew nor wanted to meet. •" . .. • . He entered tliroijgh a side door, hoping to escape to his private apart­ ment without Ijeing seen. - He might have succeeded, too, had not an over­ ripe blonde: in an underripe swimsuit, playfully, evading the'pursuit of a •broker old enough—:biit,.not so&r enough^—to know better, bumped into him as he slipped' through;a,darkened hallway. • . ' .: . .She;screanied, and tlre^'commotion brought a throng, of curious people; including Enidvherself;''^'Eiiid's nonrtalrreaction to any situation was to burst into an immediate andmeaningless .torrent of words. She reacted normally. ." "Why, Lana, darling,-.whatever « the matter, sweet? ' What is all the fuss about? Did you hurt yourself? Someone get her a drink. Poor child, ""her nerves—" ". -',/ •,,.•.,-,., • ; . - ',. - " "She's all right,"- snapped Preston,/I'an.d: she didn'tj hurt //i?/-.jt'^ knocked the wind out of ine!' And don't get her a drink; sire's had-too many already.. Young lady, /f/ijojc stop' making those noise.s! You're splitting my eardrums!"' ' ' ' '' .', -...... • .,,.-. V Enid said, "Oh,'it's yoii!'-'..starkly, and for. a split second the tight lines settling about her lips and eyes told her reaHeelings toward her father-in- law. Then she gained possession.of herself-.' Pre.ston folind her effusive ati^ec- , tion more sickening thanhe'r concealed dislike. "Why, Lana, ,dear.^it's just .Popsy! You must be frightened,, honey child! He didn't mean-to scare you,. • did you, Po—-"..' • '., -.' ••' .• -: •. '..•. -• . ^ "For Heaven's sake," exploded Preston, 'klon't call.'me Popsy!" . Efe • glared.. "That child should be,,whipped and put to bed," he said-grimly,, "with an ice pack on her/head! Now, if you'll, all excuse me—" - • lle'^tarte'd"to.elbow his way; through'the glassy-eyed group that had gathered.. He wanted to be alone in his rooms.With his mirror." While he hardly dar^d admit it to himself. Squires' comment and that brief glinipse of his strailgely; altered features- in the glass had reawakened a hope within him that his earlier fancy might yet prove~ fact. . That the green pool might —^might barely possibly—ha.ve been the legendary one he had soiight. But Enid, performing magnificently before her house guests, refused to let him go without loosing a full barrage of daughterly affection. She clung to him, pur.sing her lips in the petit moue which Preston so detested. "Now, Popsy! You mustn't run off. You haven't met all these nice people. Come out into the patio, where it's nice and shady. We'll have-^ Why; Popsy!" .Chiding: reproof in her little.cry. "Your shoes are all .d,amp and niuddyi"; .•.,-. .. • .. : ' ..:'•'.-/ - '.•- ', '.' •.. ' "I like 'em that way!" growled Pixstpn. "And don't call-nie Popsy, damn it I" ."You run right upstairs," insisted Enid, "and put on dry shoes. Right away, now! Before you catch your death of cold. They'll forgive you for

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not staying—won't you ?':' This |ast to .her party,'most'of whom, cpm-- pletely disinterested and jiiore than a little bewildered,'nodded pwlishly" and took another sip. "Now hurry! We ..wouldn't want you' to ,take= a - . chill, Popsy!" "Don't—' Oh, hell!" blurted Preston- petulantly, and fled. . A .a • tr-ifle too precipitately, perhaps, be- . cause he found himself winded at the : . ~' ' second landing. He paused to rest • for a moment. Thus, quite by acci^ dent, he gained-a-vantage, point for the anticHmax to the little playlet" just, enacted below. - • '

THE GROUP dispersed, "and as the last guest w.ent back to the portable bar, Jonathan Preston's son, Ralph, appeared. -RalpU was plump,'pale-and puffy; his bloodshot eyes were supported by dusky, veined lumps of flesh. He walked with a revelatory deliberation. '' >

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"Whuzzup?" he demanded muzzily., "Whazzall the noise about? Who The old man?" There was no sugariness in Enid's voiee now. "Who else? Your dehghtful father, breaking up one of my parties again. He never fails!" • - Ralph gestured precarious apology with his highball "Skip it! Old boy doesn't' mean any harm. Have a drink!" . "I won't have a drink! I won't have anything. I'm sick and tired of this! Ralph, you've got to do something! We simply can't go on this way, . with that, doddering old wreck snooping around my house, frightening my guests, sticking his nose into everything, simply .... simply haunting the house like a ghost too stubborn to die!" Ralph said cautiously, "Now, wait a minute! Mustn't get-excited. What would we do without him ? Can't just kick him out, y' know. ' He's the moneybags around here." • • "You know what to do! I've told you a hundred times. Speak to your lawyer; have the old man's financial interests transferred to your care. Any court will give you a judgment. Why, he's sixty-nine years old; seventy, week after next! And getting crustier and crabbier and more annoying every single day!" • • ^ • Jonathan Preston stifled a snort of outrage, also a desire to inform Enid that he was listening. He awaited his son's reply. Ralph's voice was wor­ ried. • , "Don't talk nonsense, Enid! The courts won't strip him of his powers just because he's old and crochety. Don't forget, the old man's still pretty keen. He'll f^ght us—" - "We won't get a commitment on those grounds. There are other more convincing proofs that his niind is weakening. Did you see what happened this afternoon ? He came home with his feet soaking with mud! He must have been out walking in the glades. No sane man would do that. And besides—" Enid's tone was suddenly shrill with triumph. "And another thing— did you see what he did to Lana? Caught her in the dark hallway and tried to kiss her! The poor girl was terrified!" ' Ralph said thoughtfully, "He did that, eh?" "Did it?. Why, I have a dozen witnesses—" ".Sure, I know. But how about Lana? Will she swear to it in court? That he tried to kiss her, I mean?" Jonathan Preston could riot see his daughter-in-law, • but in his mind's eye he could see the smug, satisfied smile on her lips. "But, darling! Lana? Why, she and I are just like sisters." There was grudging agreement, now, in Ralph's tone. "Well, maybe,, you're right. Perhaps he would be better off in some institution with men his own age for company. I'll speak to Rodgers tomorrow. No—today's Saturday, isn't it? Monday, then." , - •

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"You will? Grand, darling! Now perhaps, we should join our guests. They'll be wondering where—" A door slammed, and their voices faded away. Jonathan Preston, his face heavy with anger and disgust, stalked to his apartment. He had sus­ pected that something like this was in the wind for some time. Now he knew. So Ralph would get in touch with Rodgers on Monday, eh? Well, Monday would be twenty-four hours too late, as Ralph and Enid would learn to their sorrow. Not without reason had Jonathan Preston at one stage of his Wall Street career been known as Lightning Preston. His legal. representatives were paid fatly to dance attendance at an instant's notice. His wire would bring one flying from Manhattan. Meanwhile, a pen, ink, foolscap, and a brace of servants to witness his signature would stop this nonsense! Preston fumed. If he were a younger man— The thought reminded him of his mission. A younger man! And what —he thought dizzily—and what if he were? With suddenly quickened stride he hastened to his rooms.

FIFTEEN MINUTES later he sat on the counterpane of his bed, staring dazedly before him, weakened not so much by overexertion as by the stu­ pendous discovery he had made. There was no longer any doubt about it! The mirror in the auto had not lied, nor had the several mirrors in his apartment, from one to another of which, in those first panic-strickeri moments of awareness, he had darted frantically. There was no doubt about it. He—Jonathan Preston—had found the true, the veritable Fountain of Youth! And he was getting younger! Oh, he was no beardless stripling, callowly abustle with eagerness; nei- • ther was he the firm-bodied Preston he had been in middle life. He was still an old man, as the world reckons age; he was still lean-shanked and gray, blue-veined and rounded of shoulder. But there were changes. He was, he thought, much as he had been—oh, say a year or so ago! At .the time that a "PIC" photographer had done a full-page tale on his daily-activities. "Retired Tycoon Basks 'Neath Southern Sun—" Yes, that \yas it! It was as though he had sloughed a year off his true ' age. Jonathan Preston remembered, of a sudden, that it had been just about a year ago his eyes had started to bother him. Had begun blurring images, throw.ing a veil about faraway objects. But now—that haze was quite gone. . He sat numbly on the* edge of his bed and read without difficulty the tiny numerals on his desk'calendar. March 3, 1941. Yet yesterday, on March 2, 1941, he could not hav£ read those figures without hunching over them. Some one tiny cell within his brain keened over and over again, "But it can't be! It -is too incredible! Men do not grow younger!" But this tiny message faded into insignificance before the stronger evidence of his eyes. Logic be damned; it was so! "And how far," thought Preston, "will it continue?" He studied the

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE FOUNTAIN 19 glass intently, as though by watching sharply he might see the marks of age dissipating. But he could see no. further change. Perhaps the powers of the pool were limited. Maybe the regaining of his lost vigor required that he batlie regularly in its emerald waters, each time sloughing off another modicum of his age? He laughed happily. Well, why not? lie had a clue, to the Fountain's location. "Wher stinkinge—" What in blazes was that doggerel, anyway? He could not remember offhand. But he had the scrap of parchment; or no! He had given it to someone. Who? Oh, what difference? He could find the place again; would do so tomorrow. Ov the next day. Meanwhile, there was something he should do. About a telephone call to someone. It, too, was vague in his memory. Everything was'^beclouded by the wonder that had overcome him. Deliberately he cast aside all bothersome thoughts. Like an elder Nar­ cissus, he lingered before his mirror, wondering at the change he saw, not daring yet to share his awe with anyone else. Later, dinner was served to him in his room. Still later he bathed and prepared himself for bed. He slept well.

HE WOKE the next morning ravenously hungry. It was an unfamiliar sensation, this feeling of gaunt hollowness in the belly. For a moment fear seized him; this emptiness was another symptom of the creeping age he dreaded. He had not, for a number of years, had a good appetite. His diet was an old man's diet of milk toast and eggs, cereal beverages, and light gruels. Then suddenlj' he recognized the pangs for what they were, and recol­ lection of yesterday's astonishing adventures flooded back on him. He sprang from his bed nimbly, noting as he did so that his clock gave the hour as 10:30. That, too; was surprising. Age had made Jonathan Preston a light sleeper. Not since his retirement from business had he lingered so long abed. He sought the full-length mirror of his closet door. What he saw reflected therein brought a gasp of amazement to his lips. The potency of the Fountain had not failed. This Preston who stared back at him from the glass, gasping, was a younger man than the Preston who had gone to bed last night. He was a Preston who could not possibly be a day over sixty-five! A great exultation welled up within Preston, but he did not have time to savor this moment as he desired. A rap sounded on his bedroom door, and Lorrimer entered, bearing a breakfast tray. It .was one of the unplumbed mysteries of the household how Lorrimer always divined the exact time o£ each member's rising, and appeared instantly with steaming food. He moved directly to Preston's bedside table. "Good morning, sir. You slept well, sir?" "Very well, thanks." Preston moved to the butler's side, eyed disdain­ fully the single, melancholy poached egg that stared back at him with un- UN—2

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 20 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN winking reproach, sniffed the weak, watery coffee substitute. "Ugh!" he said. "I . . . I beg your pardon, sir?" "I said," repeated • Prestoii firmly, "'ugh'! You can march that pap right back to the kitchen, Lorrimer. Bring me some decent food. Real cof­ fee—pancakes—sausage—" "P-pancakes!" said the startled Lorrimer. "S-sausage, sir? But your diet^—" For the first time within the. recollection of man, Lorrimer's aplomb v.-as shaken. He gazed at his employer blankly. Then his brain accepted the testimony of his eyes, and his jaw dropped. . "Well, what are you staring at?" demanded Jonathan Preston testily. "Pancakes, I said." And country sausage—plenty of it! Get along!" - "Y-yes, sir!" said Lorrimer bleakly. He whisked up the tray and scur­ ried to the door. Preston halted him there. "A moment, Lorrimer. My appearance seems to have surprised you. No doubt you think I look younger?" Lorrimer said cautiously, "You look very fit, sir." "There's no need to say anything about it to anyone downstairs," said Preston. "I've been taking a series of . .• . er . . . health treatments re­ cently. This can be our secret for a little while. The others will find it out soon enough." - ' - • "Yes, sir. Very well, sir," said Lorrimer, and was gone. When he returned with the heartier breakfast Jonathan Preston had demanded he was once again the impassive butler who had served the Prestons for a decade. Neither by deed, word, nor expression did he show any signs of. ever hav­ ing seen anything out of the ordinary. - '

JONATHAN PRESTON, however, was finding a great many things out of the ordinary. His bewilderment began when, as he ate, he read his morning . newspaper. The name of the paper was known to him, the format familiar; he found no startling changes in the stock market report to Vvhich, from old . habit, he first turned.. - But the news! The headlines on Page 1 were utterly incomprehensible! Preston stared at the bold-face type, completely at sea. "RAF Blasts Cologne!" read one. "Churchill Hints Nazi Blitz Stalled!" claimed another, and "FDR Repledges American All-out Aid to Britain," a third. "Raf?" muttered Preston. "What in thunderation is a raf? And why should "it blast Cologne?", What, too,-he-wondered, was a "Nazi blitz"? And why was Churchill blowing off his face? Which Churchill, by the w-ay? Old Winnie? But he was practically in retirement. The Conservative mem­ ber from Epping, playing no active part in the good, sound "business-as- usual" Baldwin government. He read the columns avidly, but such information as he gleaned left him even more confounded. When he paused at last, shaken, his forehead was damp with perspiration.

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Something was frightfully wrong! Either the entire world was mad— or he was!f This paper spoke glibly, and as. if all its readers would under­ stand, of a war in Europe! ' It was Great B.ritain against the "mighty armed forces" of that comic-strip jackanapes in Berlin—Hitler! And that was, of course, ridiculous. Everyone knew the French army was the world's great­ est military machine. Yet these articles spoke-of "occupied France"-^and of a Graeco-Roman struggle in Albania—and of Ajjstralian troops in Libya! Preston stared suspiciously at the date line of the paper. Had he some­ how lost track of time ? Was this a crazy April Fool's Day joke ? News­ papers sometimes issued prankish sheets on April 1st. But no! As he had thought, it was March 4, 1941. And this news purported to be true! A sudden dizziriess assailed him, and a brain-chilling fear. The whole world could not be mistaken. It was he who was at odds with mankind, and with mankind's history. A period of.time had elapsed of \yhich he was dohipletely ignorant. It was insanity!, Insanity, or—

AMNESIA! He grasped at the straw.gratefully. Yes, that was it! That must be it. Amnesia. He had suffered a loss of memory—for how long he could 'Hot tell—and awakened in a strange, new world. But his body was sound, more strong and healthj' than for many months, and his brain still retained its vigor, for he could remember a lifetime of experiences. His schooldays—his young manhood—the smile on Beth's face as he stepped for­ ward to take her hand at the altar.'" - ~ Their first child, Walter, and his bursting parental pride at the clutch of the baby's tiny fist about his finger. Then Ralph's coming. Then long years of struggle' in a highly-competitive world. . The first tiny successes— the greater ones that followed. His progress. gathering momentum as he took'unto himself assurance. The frame dwelling supplanted by a brown- stone mansion on Park Avenue. Work and -play and scheming. Grpver Cleveland—^Teddy Roosevelt—the Rough Riders at San Juan Hill. The comer'on wheat that made him a millionaire." Years of business success and prosperity. Happy years. And then—the shadow of an ancient pain hovered in his eyes—less, joyr ous years. Beth's midnight operation, and the numb- lost ache in his heart as he realized she was gone forever. The World War—and its aftermath. His quarrel with Walter, and his command that Walter's name never again be spoken in his presence. Ralph's marriage to Enid. Then his retirement from business. The home in Miami— And then—what? ' It was at this point that a darkness descended over intervening years. His last clear recollection was of a day in 1936. After that—nothing. Un- -til this morning, when he awoke-feeling much the same^ looking much the same, as on that-fateful day when forgetfulness claimed him. • Or—wait a minute! There was something else. Dim recollection of

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 22 ' . ,..'•, STREET & SMITHS-UNKNOWN going.soniewhere—Tineeting someone—^doing-something:unusual.- Green, and a woodland dell—:of course! -The Fountain! • •" , ; n; " • -, Then the full implication of.what had happened burst upon him. The Fountain's miraculous rejuvenescence was not yet at an end. 'AS he slept, more years had been sloughed from him. He was no%y' the Jonathan Pres­ ton he had been back in 1§36. A man of approximately sixty-fi\'e year.s'of^ age! ..: , ' _ . • .-•_. • • • ,,; ./,' • .- • ; Excitedly he rose and studied himsclt'-in.the. glass. He scarcely knew he spoke aloud;_ .,'..-...-.• '.',';,;„.: ;, ,-~.. '. '" "It's true, then!".he'said. •'.'It's true. The.magic still runs.in.my veins. .1 will be young again, and strong!" ...' • - ' ;.;_•, .•.,,";-,.; .- '. •'.; - ' ...- Once again Lorrimer's .poHte rap interrupted him. The.butler ignored;, with polite acquiescence, his employer's'chaiiged appearance. • ,. . • ..: ]^. "I beg your pardon, sir, but Mrs. Preston say.s good morning, and .will .you join them-on the. terrace, sir."; ; .' _ • / -, ...... ^ .. .;. .- . .'.... ." . r Preston nodded. "Tell my daughterr:—" he.-began . , , • ; .-_ ."' • Then he stopped. No—he would.not see them immediatel)'. He would . wait until this'period'of slow change'cn(ffed;:theii lie would; confrpiif.them •with the full,, triumphant-evidence of his'rejuvenation. .'....'• '. "Tell Mrs. Preston," he said, "that.I am sorry, but'I prefen to...i'emain in my jipartment today. - Tell -her-—oh, anything. ; Tell her I- !iave.-;a slight cold, Lbrrimer."- ,,;••; ^^ i: - -- •; '„ -;, .:..;•,,'. .. v '.:':.'- l.:^'-'- ' "Very good, sir."- Lorrimer'-withdrcw. "And Jonatlian-Pre.ston returned to the mirror that, held him like a magnet.- ;;' • -, : ; .,.:;; , ,: :- ^ . ; ; . .-, .- There remained with - him throughout the day a; creeping,, insistent- thought that there was son-ietliing he had meant to .d6 and -had not'done." It \vas not until after he had sought his bed at eleven, however, that; he; sud­ denly remembered-what it was...... ,.'..-. , His lawyers!. He had intended to•\yire them, bring a legal ;representa- tive down fron'i New York. ,Ralph.- Enid. He yawned, -Drowsiness over­ came hin-i and he ^slept. - , .' ' . - - '

HE. WAKENED in an unfamiliar room. A strangely vivid sun-lighted .walls and. furnishings completely new. to him. . He lay there blinking .stupidly '-. for a moment, vainly attempting to orient himself! Then he rose and walked to the window; And looked incredulously upon a .gardei-i riotpiis with rich,. tropical blossoms. -Coconut and palm^flaming-hibiscus—-the, soft,, waxen ' petals of magnolia. -. - ,.••." ,.• ' . '.; ' • , .• ' Why—why this was Florida!—he; thought confusedly. .But .wha.t on earth was he doing.here? tie had business obligations .to,meet in New York.-,,v Conferences'to attend.-,. -Boards-to sit on. ', And-how^had ;he^7-. ;.,-„.- /; -.-:'.-!' ;-A ^novement at the door of his bedroom startled hiiii, spun him* about.'.-"' He was relieved to find his visitor only the butler, Lorrimer. Lorrimer had been with him for just^ few months, but he was a good man. Perhaps he, . cduiid explain?

• I, • ,. • "- -• •' '• . .

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"Lorrimer—" he said. "Good morning, sir," said Lorrimer., "Yes, sir?" A bland mask over­ lay the butler's features, but Kis hands were not altogether steady on the tray. There were, Lorrimer was thinking, limits. Yesterday's experience had been unnerving; this morning's was even more so. It was, thought the butler, most disconcerting to look upon a Jonathan Preston who was the exact image of the man for whom you had gone to work ten years ago! "Yes, sir?" he repeated uncertainly. "Where are we?" demanded Preston. "This is Florida, isn't it? How did we get here?" • Lorrimer stared at him blankly. "But we've been here, sir, for almost seven years!" "Seven—" It was Preston's turn to look stunned. "You say we've lived here for seven years?" "Yes, sir. Ever since your retirement, sir." Lorrimer uncovered the tray nervously. He felt a most unseemly desire to do- his duty and get away. "I took the liberty of ordering you a more . . . er . . . substantial break­ fast this moaning, sir. Bacon and omelette. Very tasty, sir)" "Bacon and omelette! Are you crazy, Lorrimer? You know perfectly well I'm under medical orders to avoid greasy foods! Take that bacon away! And where are my tablets?" '.'Y-your—" Lorrimer's voice squeaked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Your tablets, sir? But . ; . but you haven't found it neces­ sary to take tablets for years!" Preston sat down suddenly on the edge of the bed. "I haven't, Lorrimer?" "No, sir." "And this is Florida? We've lived here for almost seven years?" "Seven years come April, sir." "That will do, Lorrimer. You may go," said Preston faintly. The but­ ler said, "Thank you, sir," and slipped away hurriedly. Preston placed his hands to his temples, rocked his head gently. It didn't make sense. Unless— Understanding burst upon him. Of course! That was it! Amnesia. Loss of memory! For ten years he must have been living under a cloud of forgetfulness, from which, this morning, he had suddenly emerged. Ten years of his life a total blank! Preston groaned. Then he was ten years older than at the time this tragedy had befallen him. Ten years farther along the pathway of age he detested; ten years nearer the death he feared! He moved to his mirror, fearful of what he might see there. But the image reflected was that of a lean but well-conditioned man in his late fifties or early sixties. Gray of temple, but still bright of eye, keen of sense. In other words—he had not changed a particle! He was exactly as he remem­ bered himself being! A host of questions flooded his brain. If he was in Florida, where were

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 24 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN o Enid and Ralph? What had happened to his business affairs? What of that deal in Consolidated he had been planning in 1931 ? And had the mar­ ket ever recovei'ed? Or had the whole financial .world gone smash, as every­ one feared? He ate his breakfast hastily, so eager to dress and get out, learn some­ thing about this new world in which he had awakened, that he forgot to worry about'his stomach ulcers-r^which, apparently, the passage of time had cured. He found suits in.a dressing closet. The coats had three buttons, and they looked silly.. " . ,

. HE had just finished dressing v;hen someone knocked on his door. At his invitation, Lorrimer entered dubiously. "A . . . a Dr. Ormerod to examine you, sir." . - "Aah!" said Preston. Then he did still have those ulcers, eh? Am- nesia or no amnesia'. He gliared at Lorrimer. "Well, send him in!" he said. Dr. Ormerod was brusque and noncommittal and coolly efficient. He parried Preston's queries with.evasive grunts and went about the task as­ signed to him with evidence of neither approval nor distaste. He poked and peered and fiddled.; he took Preston's temperature and timed his pulse. "xMl.this," said Preston, "for ulcers?" Ormerod said,' "M-mp!" He wrapped a clammy something around Preston's-arm'and measured his blood pressure; he made Preston jog across the rooni and back; he tapped the.old man's knees with a rubber-tipped mal­ let;- he punctured the tip of Preston's thumb and took a blood smear. Preston said-indignantly, "Times have changed! This is rank nonsense. A little bismuth subcarbonate—" Ormerod stood up. He said, "I don't know anything about your ulcers, Mr. Preston. I was sent here to. examine your general physical condition. It'will probably please you to learn that, considering your advanced years, you are in perfect shape." "Well!" said Preston, gratified. Ormerod unbent. The shadow of a smile touched his lips. "As a medi­ cal man it 'makes me happy to see such physical condition. As a native Floridian, I take pride in the good health our beautiful Sunshine State has endowed on j'bu. Cases like yours almost make one beHeve in the ancient legend of the Fountain of Youth." ' . . The words were like a charm. Suddenly it was as if a mantle had been lifted from some clouded chamber of Preston's mind. He started, the events of yesterday and of the day before yesterday suddenly returning to him in vivid completeness. His reply was spontaneous. "The Fountain! Why, yes—that's it, of course!' I

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now, the words flowed eagerly. "I-m going to be young again, doctor! Xoung again. No fear of age nor deathj Just think, a whole' new* life be­ fore me—" • • • Onnerod siiapped shut the little book in which he had been writing,' His eyes narro>'ed thoughtfully. He said, "You aren't joking, Mr. Preston? Y'ou mean you really be­ lieve this . . . er . . . about the Fountain of .Youth ?" "But of course! . Look at me. Isn't my physical cotulitron proof that I'm telling the truth ? Two days ago I was an old man, just two weeks short of seventy. Today I'm the same Jona­ than Preston ; I was ten years ago. Hale and hearty, strong. Except," addecl Pres­ ton, ','for these danined .ulcers." "I see," said Or- ' merod. "I see." He picked up his bag. "Well, good day, Mr. . Preston. I'll* give a report to your son." "Wait!" said Preston; "You mean Ralph? Is he-

BuT the doctor wa:s gone. Preston stood looking-after him uncertainly for a moment, mind tumultuous with half-formed thoughts. It was as though he possessed ai dual mind, one half of which recalled the days of his years up to 1931, the other half of which'held a dimmed, hazy recollection of the past two days only. •" This shorter second memory was evanescent, hard to grasp, harder to retain. Only by "an effort could he hold-his thoughts upon it. But he made that effort now. And making it, suddenly he. realized who Dr. Ormerod was —and why he had come! ' ^^ He was the physician, employed by Ralph's barristers! The man on

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/ • * .•••.'• I whose testimony Jonathan Treston might be stripped of all his legal rights. And to this man Prestpn had'babbled a fantastic tale of a magic fountain-^— Preston sprang to the door. Up the stairwell tliere drifted the' sound of conferring Voices;, t'w'o masculine voices, one feniiriine. Ormerod was sp'eaking. ' ,, « ' . ' . '.'-—physique and stamina of a fifty-nine-year-old man, Mr. ' Preston. ^ Any doctor would be forced to admire your 'father's superb physical condi­ tion—"•• J ' •• • •. • ,- '. . •':_ Enid's interruption, sharp, incisive* ., • • "'But surely there must be some grounds on which- our case can be built, doctor. A man of that age must have some pliysical disability—" - "Not.physical, Mrs. Preston. But mental! . There is'absolutely no doubt but that your fatlier is suffering, a late, and perhaps.dangerous form of para­ noia. Pie is prey to one of the .most remarkable delusions it has ever been my experience to encounter. The belief that—but never'mind! I need not lipset you by describing its nature. ,_ • ,' '• „ ; ' " •- - : . ; ' "HoAvever, I shjill turn in my report immediately. I thiiik I may assure you that your claim will be sustained." • ' • ^ Raj ph said hesitantly, "And . .!.' and niy fathe.r?"- > ~ •' • "Lshall send an ambulance for him immediately upon fiiy return to the hospital. I consider it most essential that he be placed instaiitly under benevolent.supervision," Ornierpclsaid.i "And now, if you will excuse nic—'•' ,, Preston heard" fio more..' The voices faded away as his son. accon'ipaiiied the physician, to'the door. '-•..• v"' ' • " ' '' -'--^ •. . • . •• -

•FIVE minutes later "Jonathan Preston roused himself from the dazed toi^- ppr iiito-which the overheard conversation had'stunned him. Five full min­ utes he liad wasted in bootless, self-pity. Now, suddenly, a flash of the old . Lightning-in him showed forth; he rose determinedly with the conviction that he'nnist (/o something, and do it itoiv! '' ' Looking back, he realized that it had been stupid-of In'm to confide his secret to the'stranger physician. It did sound like a fantastic story. But he', Preston, knew it was true. And if this reaction continued, for. another day or so, converting him—as he hoped—to a strong, stalwart-man of inid- dle age; he would be able to confront his w'ould-be usurpers and any court, physician, OE corps of pliysicians they chose" to- sunfmon,'with demonstrative proof that he was, indeed, a rejuvenated son of the fabulous font. . - .But—an ambulance was coming for him immediately! -"He could not linger here. Oiice incarcerated in an asylum, his task w-ould become a thou­ sandfold niore difficult. .So he-must remain at liberty until suc-h time .'as he' 'vva's' ready-.'to appear before theiii." 'Furlliermore, he 'miist have liis fi'ecdoni . in order to communicate with'his own" lawyers—' ' - . He did not burden himself with bothersome luggage; He -gathered -up all the money he could find in his apartment and l:or,e a handful of blank checks from his checkbook. A glance at his clock told him it was almost

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noon, another at his mirror heartened him for his flight. Then, fearing lest he meet Enid or Ralph, he slipped down the back stairway and out through the kitchen. No one saw him. He fled across the grounds like a marauder on his own premises, and within a few minutes was boarding a bus for downtown Miami.

FOR ALL he recognized the city in which he found himself, he might have been a visitor from an alien planet. It was not so much the City of Miami ' itself—that he had not expected to remember, having never laid eyeS upon it until his sixty-second year. And Preston had realized by now that the curious bifurcation of his memories was due to the fact that as his body was rejuvenated, so, correspondingly, vv:ere his memories returned down the path­ way of time to that point which corresponded with his apparent age. In other words, at every stage of his backward progress, his mind became exactly that mind which he had possessed at the age he returned to. Per­ haps the. very convolutions of his brain were ironed out; about that he was not sure. There was, though, he knew, only one minor diflference between his mind here, at this moment, as he strode through downtown Miami, and the mind he had possessed when he was a mature man in the year 1930. Superimposed upon his basic memories was a recollection, ever increasingly dim and hard to retain, of those events which had actually transpired since his dip in the magical Fountain. Thus the world in which he found himself was quite new to him, and strange. Fantastic were the buildings, with their black, glistening facades; there had been nothing like that in his knowledge of architecture. More fantastic still were the automobiles that scudded past him on the street like thick, purring beetles. ^ The automobiles of Preston's memory were disk- wheeled boxes, recognizably divided into tonneau, hood and undercarriage. These newer vehicles were all of one piece, all of one glissading form; many of them had no running boards, and the wheels were fat-tired little things concealed beneath huge, dripping fenders. There \vere other changes. An ubiquitous new material called "plastic"— unfamiliar magazines on the corner newsstands—as dusk fell over the city, harsh illumination from.glaring, twisted tubes of glass; crimson, green, blue, gold. He knew, of course, that it was too late to contact his representatives in New York tonight. Nor did he see any particular need for doing so. There was time and aplenty for that. Just now he was enjoying the experience of seeing the world of 1941 through the eyes of a visitor from 1930." He had dinner at seven in the evening; a light dinner, ordered with care­ ful avoidance of greasy foods. He had been right about the ulcers; tiny, gnaw­ ing fangs of discomfort had bothered him all afternoon. Preston. sincerely hoped that when the Fountain's magic ceased, it would be at some period wherein his bodily condition was perfect; he pledged himself that he would.

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 28 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN in the future, take every precaution to avoid any.painful illness to which he' had. in- the past been prey. And that night he engaged rooms in one of the older, quieter hotels. He . used a fictitious name in registering, since he felt positive that before morning Enid and Ralph, alarmed by his absence, would set up a hue and cry. He read his evening paper long before turning out the light. It was no newspaper to him; it was an elaborate tissue of fancy he could admit, but never quite con­ ceive. "A Sino-Japanese war—peacetime conscription in the.United States— Franklin D. Roosevelt president for the third tiine—the Cincinnati Reds holders of the baseball World's Championship— A mad, mad world, thought Preston. Then weariness overcame him. He slept.

WHEN he wakened, his hand stretched automatically to the head of his bed. When it found no button there, he sat bolt upright, unable to compre­ hend the room in which he found himself. This surely was not his home! No sound-proofed walls to bar the din of Manhattan traffic, no servant to answer his signal, no stock ticker conveniently located beside his bed. Blazes! Had he been drunk last night? He couldn't risk such escapades as that. With the market going hog-wild, fortunes being made" by those who bought heavily and wisely, money dirt-cheap and credit unlimited. He had work to do! '• ' • But his head felt all right." And the blanket at the foot of his bed bore the interwoven legend, Fountain House. Fountain House! " The name roused a spark- in the slower, less certain portion of his brain. And instantly it was clear to him that this morning was but a repetition of yesterday morning, and of the morning before that. Again, while he slept, years of his lost youtli had been regained. He was now—he paused to search the knowledge of his "other mind"—he was J. R. Preston. The year was 1926. He was fiftyrftve years of age. And he had much to do! He rose swiftly, phoned room service for his breakfast, showered and dressed before it was brought to him. The fragrance of steaming coffee put an edge to his appetite. He attacked the food with relish. With relish, too, he read the headlines and saw that his premonition of the night before had been verified. Pushing secondary war communiques com­ pletely off Page 1 was a screamer concerning himself. "AGED TYCOON MISSING FROM MIAMI MANSEI" Then, in smaller type, "Jonathan Preston Disappears; Son Posts $1,000 Reward Offer; Retired Financier Feared Victim of Mental Collapse." "Mental collapse!" sniffed Preston. That was some of Enid's work. Clever, though. Femininely, devilishly neat bit' of business. Taking advan­ tage of his disappearance to establish the question of his sanity. "Well, we'll

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soon see about ^/ta?/" snorted, Preston. He reached for the telephone. "Long distance," he said. Then, "New York, operator—"

HIS LEGAL representatives were overjoyed to get his call. They had heard , of his. disappearance. Was he feeling . . . er . . . perfectly'well? Where was he? What was this all about? Was there anything they could do— • "There most certainly is!" snapped Lightning Preston. "For one thing, • you can stop blithering like an old-maid schoolteacher. Fotheringham! This call's costing me money.'"! want you to hop a plane and be down here in jig time. Askior me at the desk of the Fountain House, under'the name of Jatfies Smith." . - • 0 - ' • • Oh, yes, sir! They'd send a man down right away. "You'll send no one, blast you! 'Come yourself! And, by the way—"' Preston was overlooking no loopholes from now on. "Bj' the way—that con­ founded son of mine may attempt to tie up my finances in some way or other. Keep him from doing so.. Stall him. Get an injunction,.or a stay; or a writ of hoopy-coopy or something. But stop him, understand ?" ' Fotheringham understood, and would leave for Florida immediately. Preston said, "Good!" and hung up. I^was almost eleven o'clock. Fotheringham would have missed the daily New York-Miami now; he could not very well get here until late tonight or perhaps not until tomorrow. - ' ' - ' And tomorrow morning might bring Preston another of those temporary fogs of forgetfulness, such as had disturbed him for the past three days. -But he had a-plan to counteract that. He sat down at his desk, cudgeled his brain, and began writing. He'wrote down ever3'thing he could recollect of his experiences during the past three days. „Some of it'*was already, more than a little dim in his meuiory. He knew he had been served by a butler in his own home in Miami, but could not, for. the life of him, remember wiiat this butler's name was, nor .whal he looked like. Only by strenuous effort could he recall the location of his Miami-"home." A curious anomaly, he thought, He had lived in that home for seven years. Yet'this body he now inhabited had never set foot within it, and there was no recollection of it in this body's younger brain. But4)y the dint of niuch effort, he forced his other brain—his three-day- old brain—to relieve his recent experiences. Thus he prepared a diary of the events dating from his ride into the Everglades up to the-present moment. He prided himself on remembering such small details as the name of the s.quawking young woman whom, according to Enid's lie,'he had "tried to kiss." Lana. And he remembered the'name of the restaurant in which he had eaten last night. And there was something about" a stranger—-•a. peddler—a scissors grinder—^^whom he had met at the pool. The scoundrel had threatened him with-7-what? The exact nature of his threat escaped Preston. When this task had be^en completed, he collected the closely written sheets and pinned them securely to the head of-his bed where they would meet his eye

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 30 STREET & SMITHES.UNKNOWN tomorrow morning..' He then set himself to.thetask of devising how, best to cope with Ralph and Enid. • Rage at their perfidy was the one violent emotion of his renascent* existence. Preston was firmly resolved that, come what miglit," froiii this moment henceforward, neither-of the'ni should ever profit one penny from his wealth.' . . • . . \yhen FotKeringham camej he would'alter his will. He was not quite sure whom he would make his beneficiary.-- Both-his sons now came under the shadow of his displeasure. Ralph, becaluse of his recent,treachery; Walter, because of marrying that cheap stenographer in defiance of his father's wishes. How long'.ago, .• •/.:•' •••.'..•' .' _", .^.. .-. thought Preston, had" that been ? Five—ruo,- almpsteight years ago. . .iri^*^* i.^y.t-^-r^-Ak^tJ.:''.*^ ^-i' In '18. - -Right after Walter's return froni Wmism'i^^/H j France. Tlic "shorter half" . of Preston's memory cried correc­ tion, and Preston, smiled grimly^ as he realized the in- ; t e r 1 u d e h a d tal

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humanity. A-mecca for the old to which, journejnng, they might bring their years and exchange them for new ones! Not that Preston expected anything to happen to him. Judging by these past few days,.he vyould soon have regained the youthful health and vigor he had mourned. He would have another life before him. After that, another dip in the Fountain, and again Youth! Perhaps, thought Preston dizzyingly, he was inmiortal! Only by accident— But it was for the possible accident that he must provide. He had found a way to defy Death, but if anything should happen to him, those he despised must not profit by his death. He had sat long in speculation. He rose, now, and left his room. With time to waste, he wished again to taste the enjoyment he had experienced yes­ terday ; that of seeing a new world through the old world's eyes. The clerk was not at the desk when he left.his room key. He went out into the streets.

THE THING that amused him most was that he walked, unnoticed, the white Miami thoroughfares, while his picture blazoned the front pages of news­ papers at every corner stand. Ralph, he noticed with'grim enjoyment, had raised the ante. There was now a $5,000 reward posted for information lead­ ing to the recovery of the missing Jonathan Preston. Preston's photograph was four columns wide across the top of Page 1; newsboys were hawking his name like a litany.' But there was little similarity, thought Preston, be­ tween that newspaper halftone and tl)e face he saw mirrored in shop windows. Thus, unnoticed, he spent the late afternoon strolling the business district of this stranger city, reveling in the scents, the sights and sounds of it. He dined at a quiet restaurant, experiencing a pleasant surprise to learn that wine lists were ofifered along with the menu. There was, then, no Pro­ hibition in 1941. He had a bottle of excellent white burgundy with his fowl, Chablis '29-Sichel et Fils, and even as he savored its dryness, could not help but marvel at the fact that this wine was warming a body three years its junior. His greatest thrill, however, came later that night, when he visited a motion-jjicture house. He was stunned, momentarily, to hear the voices of the actors apparently emanating from their vividly colored images on the screen; then he remembered that both of these devices had been tested experi­ mentally at the period of his last "true" memory. There had even been some talk of an "all-speech" picture in the process of making—a thing called "The Singing Fool,'.' starring a chap named Jolson. Preston wondered, vaguely, if that picture.had ever been finished; if so, had it been successful ?' Then he stopped trying to' rationalize, and surren­ dered himself to the enjoyment of tonight's film. He especially liked the antics of a character named Donald Duck. '' . . . By eleven, he was tired. There was an outside possibility that Fother- ingham might have chartered a special airplane, too. So he hurried back to his hotel, questioned the night clerk at the desk.

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"Has a Mr, Fotheringham of New York come in?" The clerk leafed his records languidly, shook his head. "No, sir." "I feared not. Very well—let me have the key to my room, please?" The clerk stared at him. "I beg your pardon, sir?" "The key," repeated Preston, "to my room. 803." "Eight-oh—" The clerk's lips tightened, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. He said in a cautious voice, "Your name, sir. I'm afraid^—" "Pres—" began Prieston; then stopped. "Why, James Smith, of course! Come, come, my dear fellowrwhat's ailing you? What's all this about?" The clerk's eyes were definitely hard and suspicious now. He made a slight gesture with his hand, and Preston saw a lounging, derby-hatted figure stir from a foyer chair and slouch toward the desk. "That's exactly what I'd like to know," sneered the clerk. "James Smith, eh? Well, it so happens I checked Mr. Smith in last night, and he's a'much older man than you are. I never saw you before in i)iy life!" Then another voice rumbled over Preston's shoulder. "O. K., wise guy!" said the house detective. "Will you scram peaceable, or shall I call the cops ?"

IT WAS that "night, when despite fatigue, Jonathan R. Preston'hunched late over the desk of the new hotel to which he retreated, frenziedly scratching a new diary for the morrow's advisement,.that he first began to feel the cold shadow of fear upon him. It was not so much that he had lost his hotel room, and the portion of his money which he had cached there in the desk drawer. He could still contrive to ineet Fotheringham in the lobby of the Fountain House, and he had blank- checks. . His fear was twofold. First, that should this happen to him again he would not be able to write a "diary" for himself—tonight he found his task ten times as difficult as it had been this morning—and second, that if this sloughing of age continued, he would not be able to convince anyone that he was Jonathan Preston! There was a third fear, an increasingly stronger and more logical fear, that he did not even dare frame mentally. It was too utterly terrifying. He thrust this thought from his brain, forced himself to bed and to sleep. His wakening the next morning was again a moment of agonizing uncer- tainty-^but this time.he took a grasp on normality quickly, with the help of the mnemonic aid on his bedpost. A glance at his watch told him it was nine o'clock. A glance at the bath­ room mirror told him his veins still ran with the magic of the Fountain., His -face—somehow tauntingly familiar to him, only slightly gray of temple, firm- fleshed and ruddy—was that of a hale, well-exercised fifty-year-old man! Fotheringham! Preston went immediately to the Fountain House.. Happily, neither the

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night clerk nor the house detective was on duty. His query brought a nega­ tive reply; Mr. Fotheringham had hot yet come in. ~ Preston went to tlffe Coffee- Shoppe of the hotel, ate his breakfast in reck- . less haste. The waitress brought him a morning paper, but he could not even ° interest himself "in the headlines concerning himself; he let it lie'unopened. His return to the lobby was perfectly timed. Just as he entered the side door, Fotheringham came in the front,' squirreling his head from side to side • anxiously, searching for—Preston supposed^iim. He"hurried forwards , "Fotheringham!" he cried. '. - ,. The little lawyer smiled falteringly, and heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh, it's you. Mr. Preston. I was afraid he might see me first." He added, "You're looking exceptionally well, sir. The Florida climate—',' . "Never mind that! We have more important matters to attend to." Preston literally draggedJiim to a concealed conversation niche. - "You got my telephone call? Did you do what I told you to?" ' • Fotheringham nodded. "Yes, Mr. Preston. It's all taken care of; It's ' strange that you should call just five minutes after he did—" - , "He? Who?" "Wliy, your father, of course. I told you when you spoke to me on the phone—" •" . •

THE IMPACT of the words struck Jonathan Preston like the crush of a '' massive fist.- For a moment, all was confusion. Then, suddenlv, he realized what was in Fotheringham's mind. . , The lawyer thought /le^was Ralph Preston! That was why his face in the glass ha'd been doubly familiar to him this morning. ' He not only looked as he himself had looked in 1921; he also looked like a Healthier, less dissipated image of his younger son! * And apparently Fotheringham, in whom he had placed implicit trust, was no worthier of that trust thaa was this son. He wore the guilty.air of a con- . spirator, and even now he was again craning about to make sure Jonathan Preston was not in sight. - ' Not meaninglessly, however, had Jonathan Preston been called "Light­ ning"" by his business associates. He took the blow to the heart, but didn't crack under it. His quick brain sought a- way to turn this' startling denoue­ ment to his advantage. " • ^ "Yes," he said swiftly. "Yes, of course. I forgot for a moment. I've been so upset about this whole, unhappy affair. But tell me—what did you do?"' - ' ' . - ~ '" ' • . • "Just what you suggested, sir. Got a court order restraining your father from incurring any new obligations, establishing new contracts or disturbing old ones without your consent. His securities are tied up completely. Also his bank capital. The only persons who have not yet been placed under legal restraint are his investment brokers. I couldn't withdraw his powers there . without your signature as power-of-attorney.. I've prepared the document—"

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;• Preston .waved it away. ..'•••. ' " "Forget it!" he ordered. "Tear it up!" . • Fotheringhani stared at him confusedly. "But if*he should take a whim to'dab])le-in the market, sir, he could run through all his financial..resources despite duf other efforts; He—" ••'-•.•• " "1 know that!" thought Jonathaii Preston grimly.. ."I'know'.'that very well, you^lamned, double-dealing blackguard!" }3ut, aloud, he .said, "rm.sure WO'can ignore that angle. Toomiichred'tape to bother with. And with m/^ father's present mental state what it is^-^" Me paused'.significantly. Fother- ingliam looked-ghoulishly eager. -• : ••_ ••".- . .- ...... " ' . ;" • . , . '"Tsjt^' .He licked his iips.^ -'Is hc^^b.adf" • •••-• '.' .-•-•••• • Pix'^ton nodded gravely. ''-'.: / /< '' • ' .) "Awful! He thinks—do you know what he thiiiks?"- . '."'

;: ."No." . :.- . • ••:•,;, .:v -^ .' ; :.-• : .•• •.•; •_'- ' " -• /'He thinks,", intoned Pireston solemnly, ••'•iTe-'s fouiid''the Foiint.un of

Youth'!".. •• - • '- . ••. ..•-••:•.'• '.. ••- ' ."".•• .'. -.'•';. .-..'^ :

FOTB:ERINGH.\M^ gasped, scandalized. ••. • • , • ,• "Gracious! ' .-Vnd tb think that foil years his brain .was so keen!" •'Was!" thought Preston. "Was," you hypocritical dld^ witch? It's still ^ keen. Wait'^and see! ' . ' ' . - • ' •' But:aloud he saidj'in what He thought was'^'^'good limitation'.qf Ralph'.s ., unctuous'voice, ''Yes,-.we're all terribly grieVed about'it.' .'Welk'.Mr.- FotherT.._ •jngliani, I.'ni' sorry to;have caused -j-ou alHhis trouble?" Had'Fkno\vn yesteixlay what 'I know • how, 1- w^uld have ad'i'ised-you • to s'tay.'right.'there in New •

, York—" " .. • ^ -• .' . • - '; ' • : : • ."• ' -y ' ; .";•.•. ,:• -•\.,\ ". : . . „ ' , '•New York?" :^ • ' -- -'-.-. - : ' ' • - ' ''://'.'''••• "Why, yes. You see, the police have picked up his trail: jTlrey've" learned that he took the J^ew- York train .yesterday afternoon:-. y^ApjaWtehtly lie has some idea'of ^visiting you. I think it would be .wisest,"ililTeFfl'dre; if you re­ turned immediately. If he comes to your oflice, call Bellevue—" "But F just got here!" wailed Fotheringham. . • . - " "I know. It's really too bad; But you do want .'to co-operate, don't you? Or—" Preston put an edge.on his voice. "Or don't you? Perhaps you'd rather I i-etaiiied-some other-firnito^—".' . ' ••: ' . '• . ' ; - "dh! nothing of the'sort, Mr. Preston!" Fotheringham-babbled h'astily.;_ . "Of course. I'll be delighted to do'aiiythihg'you'think best.. ..And.wewouldn't think of having you. go elsewhere. •Our'.firhi-has served ^yOtir father faifhfidly and w-ell for more than thirty years—" -. • • ->'' .' ; . •.'•F'aiirh'.fully and "well !'{:^thbiight Preston'. -."Liar !. "• PMijbug !" :' Benedict Arnold in' modern-dre'ss"! : But he -said;"'"That's:setded^-^then'. ;Ypli:take;the. first train back to New York'and wait. Don't attempf.to communicate .with me; I'm'having'our home telephone'watched day and-night.'. If anything comes up, I'll.give you a call: Gobd-by,-Fotheringham!" • . - "G-good-byj" repeated the lawyer iiiiserably; Tie had a vague feeling that

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he was-being shoved around." But there was. nothing he could do about it. Now that old Jonathan was roaiiiing the streets .with the delusion he had' dis-. covered the Fountain of Youth, Ralph Preston was in the ,driver's-scat. "Good-by!". he said. -He started toward the-door, remembered something-, and turned. "Oh, by the way—did yoii kiio\^youV brother was on'his'way to -Miami?"' ' .,' . '. . •_: •..'•.:',-•..'' • . '• For a "moment Preston-was caught off-guard. "What?"-he said. '"Brother? I have no^—oh-!';" Flewasalert again.- -'"You mean Walter?" • .... '•_••.• • . "Yes, "He saw the'newspaper accounts of your.'father's disappearance, phoned me in New York., 1 . . . I gavehim your Miami address.'". '•,; . - The wolves, tiiought'Preston grimly, were descending novs'.' 'Walter was • moving in for liis-sh'ai^e of the spoils,": too'. He said; with-moi-e-'nieaning'than Fothcringh'ani could ever hope to grasp, "Well, I'll'take care of him when he comes. Now I mustgo, Fotheringham. .Good-by!" " . . ' - "S The lawyer trudged away.. Preston let him disappear, then-started to cros.s' the foyer.' He had taken barely a step when the entrance of another figure caused him to duck behind a convenient potted palm. As the' figut^e paused, looked about querulously, then,moved to the desk for-information, Preston sidled swiftly oi'it the side door: • As he hiirried down the street-,-he chuckled at the'confusion he had caused both conspirators. The man who had' arrived a few minutes too late was his,son Ralph. " . .

THE'CASHING of his last twenty-dollar bill at noon reminded him that he must get some money. The problem of doing so, though, stumped him for a little while. . He had lots of blank checks, but he could not just walk into a bank and present a check bearing his own signature and payable to himself. Nor could he cash a check made out to "Bearer" 'without being known to someone at the bank— '- ' , • . Fotheringham's error gave.him the answ^er. If the lawyer had thought he was Ralph Preston, so, too, might the teller at Ralph's bank! .A. check bearing Preston's signature ^.vould pa.ss uhChallcnged-,; likewise, since Preston had. for years supplied his son with finid's. - • ' The only risk was that of actually'meeting Ralph at tlie bank. That, liowever, was a mild one, and one that must-'be taken. Fie hoped Ralpli's bank was tlie^one on which these: checks \v'ere draw-n. At an\- rate, that was tlie bank he went to,-ai1cl appai-ently--his guess had been coTrect, for as he entered, the uniformed doorman ;n'odded!^politely and said; "Good afternoon, Mr. Preston. Any news of your father yet?" Preston shook his head and moved to the counter. He wrote a check for five hundred—not an unreasonable sum, and. one sufficient totide-liim over until this period of change should come to an end—then presented it to the teller. , ' . • The clerk glatrccd at the chcckr then up at its passer, csj'hen the quick suspicion in his eyes faded. He said, "Oh, it's you, Mr. Preston?" UN—3 ^ -

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"Of course it's me!" snapped Preston. "Please don't keep me waiting. I'm in quite a rush." - , ' . . i' ., ' ''_ The teller nodded sympathetically. "I know you must be, sir; I've been reading about your^ father. Too bad. He was a fine old man. I always said—" ".-' . ' . "Look," said Preston, "I have no time to waste. .May I have the money? Tens and twerities will do."' ^, _ ' • , The teller said, "I know, Mr. Preston. And I'm sure we can fix this up in a few seconds if you'll just wait tillT call.Mr. Flint. Your crfedit is abso- , lutely unlirriited here,^of course, but as a-mere matter of form—". "Wait a minute!" said'Preston. -Lansing^Flint was the last man on earth he wanted to meet'face to,face. Flint was his son's closest, crony, a golfing- drinking-nightclubbing associate; if anyone could pierce his.masquerade, Flint" was the" man. "Mere matter ol poppycock! Is there something the matter, with that check ?" ' - , .. ,, The teller said soothingly, "If you'll forgive my mentioning it, sir, wasn't ^- •, - ' , there something in the" paper about your father's , . . er ._^ . mind being affected just before his disappearance?" .' .. .- "Well?" demanded Preston. "I'm afraid it was beginning to slip," said-the•clerk regretfully, "when he wrote this check." .He tossed it back 'through' the wicket. "We have no authority to honor this .signature,/sir." . Preston gazed at the loose, scrawl-.' ing handwriting -with a sickening sense of failure. Again, his fifty-year-old •habits had betrayed him. The check was signed,. "J. Robert Preston"—^ a signature he had not used for more than twenty years— - ', -

THE REST of' the after­ noon comprised, the least hagpy day Jonathan Pres­ ton *h^d known since his renascence started. Somehow he beat an exit- from the bank before the teller sjjmmoned^ Lan­ sing Flint. He went to the reading room of the Y, tlterc'-wasted several hours and a dozen sheets •i . —

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of paper trying to recall the signature that meant the difference between hunger and solvency. Try as he might, he could not seem to get it. His reflexes were trained to the scrawl that spelled "J. Robert Preston"; they could not smoothly create "Jonathan R. Preston" as some instinct told him it should appear. And he courd not take a chance on being arrested on a forgery charge. To be appre­ hended at this stage of the game would be to give up, forever, all chance of defeating Ralph's aims. , For that matter, he could not go back to that bank again. By this time;. some word may have leaked to Ralph of his "visit" there. And Jonathan Preston's "short-term" mind knew of no other bank used by his son. For the first time in his either existence, Preston went into a sort of fiink. He left the Y and wandered through darkening streets, thinking furi­ ously, viciously, but getting nowhere because his every thought was surfeited with a sense of overwhelming odds. So intense was his preoccupation that he did not even notice the red light, nor hear the cry of warning from the sidewalk, nor the raucous klaxon of the suddenly braking van. His first intirnation of anything amiss was the clutch of a hand on his shoulder—a toppling over backward. Then- suddenly he realized that his ears were deafened witJi tlie scream of grinding brakes, the squeal of tormented rubber on asphalt. A shaken truck driver was leaning down from his cab, swearing jerkily at him through ashen.lips. "Ya wanna git killed, mister? Good goddlemitey, ya bline? Cancha see the lights, mister?" ' . It had all happened so quickly that Jonathan Preston could not,, now, know fright. He felt "ashamed of himself for having thus disturbed, the poise of a fellow man; he said to the van driver, "I'm sorry. It was my fault. I'll be more careful." Then, as the truck groaned away, he turned to the one who had saved him. "Thank you," he said. "Thanks ever so much. I didn't even notice—" "Why, that's all right, Jonathan Preston," said the other man. "That's perfectly all right. Don't give me credit. I just did what I had to." Preston peered at this man who, in a city where noiie recognized him. called him by name. In the gathering dusk the stranger's face .was dim, but there was something vaguely familiar about him. Somewhere he had seen a man in a battered old fedora—a man with a stained, untidy beard, carrying over one shoulder an old-fashioned grindstone, and in one hand a— "I know you!" said Preston suddenly. "You're the man I met at the Fountain!" "That's right," said the scissors grinder. "I see you did take that dip after all, Jonathan Preston. You look remarkably well. I hope you're feel­ ing well?" , - - . "I'm feeling fine," said Preston. "Never.better in my life. You threat­ ened me that day, didn't you? I'm pretty sure yon did, but I can't exactly remember."

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The scissors grinder clucked reproachfully. They were walking down the street together. He said, "Why, now, I wouldn't put it that way, Jonathan Preston. Warned, perhaps. But not 'threatened.' You see, I'knew it would do no good. And I didn't want to see you make a mistake." Preston laughed. ,.It felt good, because it was his first laugh in hours. He said, "Well, that's where you made your mistake, friend. It did do me good. You'll find out. Everyone will see—pretty soon." "Maybe," replied the stranger cautiously. They had come to a street corner. He stopped, and Preston with him. "Maybe so. I hope everything's going to be all right, Jonathan Preston. I like to be friends with everyone, you \ know.. And I don't want to be hard on you." "You talk," said Preston fussily, "nonsense! What do you mean—hard on me? I don't understand—" "But I've got to go now," said the mendicant. "I have a lot of errands to run, a lot of work to do before tomorrow morning. But, look, Jonathan Preston—and remember this. If ever you regret your, little dip, remember what I tell you now. 'All things end in the beginning.' Have you got that, now ? I'll feel much better about it—" Preston demanded irately, "Are you crazy? What do you mean? Why, damn you, fellow,.you don't know what that Fountain did for me! It made me sound again. I'm going to be young again, and strong—" But once again he was talking to himself, for his companion had vanished. There was only one small house on the lane up which he had strode, and he could not have gone in there because Preston; facing the door, had not seen it either open or close. Besides, the only lighted room in the house was one up­ stairs, a bedroom. And, as Preston watched, someone within drew down the blind very gently. He thought there came from within the house the sound of quiet sobbing. He felt better, though, for having talked with someone; He ate and went to his new hotel. He had retained his key this time, and got in without difii- culty. He carefully brought his "diary" up to date, pinned it to his bedpost, and went to sleep.

W.HEN he woke the next-morning, the first thing his-eyes lighted upon was the newspaper placed-under his bedroom door with the compliments of the hotel management. He got a not inconsiderable shock when he read the headlines: "ITALIANS LOOSE COUNTEROFFENSIVE AGAINST BRITISH!". But that was impossible! The British and Italians were allies. Only yesterday he had delivered an address to the Brokers' Club on the necessity for unlimited credit to the impecunious Italian government, so hard-pressed by the Kaiser's Austrian partners-in-crime! Then he saw the other headline, the one devoted to himself, and his "short memory" functioned. He rose, moved to the mirror, knowing what he would

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE FOUNTAIN / 39 - ' ' . sec, for his rejuvenated brain liad already advised him that it was the year of 1916. and that he was a trifle over forty-four, years of age. He gained complete command of Himself by rereading, as he breakfasted, his diary. He supplemented this knowledge'with a careful perusal of-the\, newspaper story. Ralph Preston was becoming increasingly anxious about his father. He-had again raised the reward offer. His wife, ''one of Miami's most charming social leaders," to quote the newspaper, was prostrated with grief and apprehension— ; ^ .. , , s,-.... ^ ; ^ . • . .•. .. -At this point, Preston sniffed'quite: loudly.' If Enid were prostrated, he knew the reason why: • Because his disappearance would delay her "getting her hands on iii.s money for a long time—seven years, wasn't it?—-^mtil tlie courts could declare him legally dead. : ..t:' ' - ' • • '•. •' ,.'• '•• • ' A small." boxed item caught-his eye. '" - ' ' • •' • - - • "-^meanwhile, Walter Preston of Cincinnati; Ohio, his wife^and two children, took up residence in oiic of theJoeal hotels'. 'Though niy father-and \1 iiave been estranged for many years,' Mr. Preston told a reporter, 'I feel I should-be-here tO; help in any way possible. Since my brother does not seem - to, welcqiiie my oQ^er of assistaiice. L. will conduct private inquiry. .•\ny in­ formation will be greatly-appreciated-.' -'- . • "Ralph Preston, explaihiiig. his i;GfusaI to admit his-brother to the palatial Preston mansion; said siniply; 'I but'try to carry out my poor father's wishes. More thaii twenty yearssago he'forbade AValter to ever again set foot within. , his home.'"" .-/yis..^^-;..-,. i-, :•!,.- \ .• : . '• .--...; Preston stfired at the item incVedulbusly. What vvas-that "Estrangecl"? Walter forbidden the Preston hqihe?' But Walter was his first-born, his. favorite son! When had they quaTfeled? And for-what reason? This was some furtliei- proof pf-Ralph's skullduggery. Or; no, it couldn't be that,- since-Walter himself adiTiitted to being at odds with his father. Pres­ ton stopped to puzzle it out. He found the answer finally. His ''long mem­ ory" carried him-forty-four years, up to a day in 1916. His "short memory" . had'..no recollection .whatsoever of a "Walter Preston" save as a name men­ tioned by Fotherihgham, the lawyer. ";:• • - '. . • - There was within the heart of;the-rejuvenated'-PreslQn-no rancor for Jiis son W'alter. There was. indeed, quite-the'-opposite I A great, heartwarining ' affection. Evidently, then, his quafj-el-with Walter had occin-rcd subsequently to 1916; there was-11© recollecfioh" of it in" his present niind." ' • - ^ " Preston-sighed. He was IranScendently happy at his new health and heartiness, he looked forward with joyous anticipation to the conclusion of this rejuvenation process, a settling into normality. But damn it! the magic had its drawbacks, too. Frightful confusion! • • But—his'jaw .stifl'encd—today was the day on which Jic had planned-to .dispose of Ralph. , ITc had pledged himself that should any unexpected fate strike-him, Enid and'her-weak husband would not profit by it: There was \xp • time like the present. He seiit for some breakfast. As he ate, he scanned the pages of the local telephone directory. ••. - ' *^

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\ . * • ' tlE FOUND his party at the fourth hotel, he called. Yes, they had a Mr.. Walter Preston registered. Who was calling, please? . "Nevermind that!" said Preston crisply. "Give me his rooms." A childish-treble answered the'ring. Preston, who had been expecting to . hear-his'son's bass voice, almost dropped the telephone in his astonishment. "Hello'?" someone said. "Hello?" _"Who," demanded Preston, "are ^OM.^" - -, "I'm Johnny," re|)lied-the voice. "Who are you?" • . ' • Johnny! Would that be, wondered-Preston,xa diminutive for Jonathan? A strange, almost forgotten emotion choked him. With difficulty, he spoke again, ignoring the question. . • • ^ • "Let me speak to your father," he said. -^ A moment later, Walter's booming tones rephrased the query. "Hello? Who's calling?" " ^ " Preston said, "Hello, son!" He could almost feel the electric shock of his son's'excitement. ', ... ' . . Walter's voice came back to him in a shout; happy, incredulous, dazed. "Bad!", , • , • ^ , - ' . • "'^ "How-afe^you, boy?" asked Preston. „ - ; ' "I'm fine." But ... but I don't matter. How.are yott? And where are you?. And what in the world is this all about? Did j'ou run away on pur­ pose? Are Ralph and Enid up to something phony? They're acting damned queer. If there's^anything wrong, so help me, I'll tear them apart—" ,"Easy, boy \"' said Preston. .""Easy does it!' Always impatient, aren't • you?" .' - . •• .' -•'•,,. "I'm impatient to see you. Where can I meet—" ' . Preston thought of his changed appearance, realized suddenly that it would be altogether too great a shock to Walter to meet a father whom lie had not seen for over twenty years, and find him younger-looking than he had been.at the time of their parting.' He said, "You can'f, son. . Not just now, anyway. Later, perhaps. Now, listen—" • . He chose, his words carefully. There was lots to be done, and he wanted to getjt over with Cjuickly.. "Listen," he said, "how much .money have' you?" ^ "Money?. .Why ,. .why,,not much ivith me, but my credit is good. I've done pretty well, these past few years." •-. "Good!" said "Preston. "I had to.be. sure. Now I'll tell'you what you must do.. Get in touch With your bankers. Scrape together every, single penny -you can"beg, borrow, and-steal. Tomorrow morning when the market opens, the Preston holdings are going to be thro>vn onto the floor. T want you to get control of those holdings. So start buying from the word go. And continue to buy, buy, buy, until you've bought up every last iota! Do you understand?" "No," said Walter frahkly. "I don't. Why should you do this, Dad? I^ realize you're offering me a tremendous gift in a roundabout way. But- why—',' , ^ . • , , • ' . , . •"Because it's the last ounce of control," explained Preston bitterly, "I .' \. ..'•'-"

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exeicise over my own capital! Ralph and Enid have tied up everything I own but my corporation holdings. But if I milk my estate of those, they'll be left high and dry. Broke! And that's what I want to do. ' "Oh, stop asking questions, will you ? I'm too busy to explain any more now. I'll tell you all about it later. You just do what I say. You can swing it?" Walter said, "I ... I suppose so. Yes. I'm sure of it. But, Dad—if you'll let me come see you—" "Stay away!" ordered Preston. "If Ralph found out where I am, they might spoil the whole scheme. He's trying to have me committed on grounds of insanity. Nonsense. I'm saner than I^ever was. "There's one thing you can'do, tjiough—" he added as an-afterthought. "Slip a couple of hundred dollars in an envelope and send it to me at this address. Robert Thompson is the name I'm using. You will? Good! Well —see you in a few days then, son. You . . , you have a youngster, haven't you?" " •_ Waltei- said proudly, "Two of them. Dad. Johnny and Sue. I want you to meet them. And my wife, too. I'm glad our . . . our fuss is a thing of the past." A thing of the past, thought Preston. To him it was a thing that had never occurred: But he said, "So am I, boy. -Well, don't forget. Buy! and keep buying!" Then he called New York.

"EVERYTHING, Mr. Preston?" bleated his broker wildly. "Everything? But . . . but it will knock the bottom out of the whole market, sir? You can't mean to—" "Do as I tell you!" snapped Lightning Preston. "I know what I'm do­ ing, McLeod. Start selling the moment the market opens: And keep selling ulitil I give you the order to stop." - There was a moment's studious silence. Then McLeocl~"said, "There's been some talk up here, sir, I hope you'll forgive my mentioning it but—are you sure you're well, sir?" Preston glanced at his reflection in the mirror of a lowboy and chuckled. "I haven't felt better," he said, "for decades! McLeod, I'll give you a Httle private tip. Start buying this stuff as it goes on the market and you'll clean up big! But don't pass the word around to any of your pals and don't try to _grab too much, or by the pink horns of hell, I'll smash you! Do you under­ stand?" There was relief in McLeod's voice, and admiration. "I think so, sir. It's a return to the good old days, eh ? You're going to show 'em that you can still twist the old cat's tail ?" And the young one's, too, thought Preston grimly. But he grunted assent. "That's right. Now, remember—sell! And keep on selling till I tell you to stop. Understand?" •

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"Yes, sir. But if anything goes wrong—" "Call me here!" Preston gave him the number. "But nothing -mil go wrong."- 'And he hung up. He took,it easy the rest of the day. He wrote his diary with especial details'as to his plan, lest it escape him overnight, then went out for a stroll. He-had'dinner/in town and complained bitterly about the inferior quality of a while burgundy served him. He was thrilled by a motion picture in color, with .speech apparently emanating from the actors on the screen, though a dimly tantalizing pseudomemory advised him he had experienced this same pleasure a,'day or so before. He found an envelope waiting for him upon his return to his room; it contained money from Walter and a plea that they meet "as soon as possible,^' ' - • . • He had beer and sandwiches before retiring. Jonathan Preston, at mid­ dle age, had always been a hearty eater. His doctor had warned him that such midnight snacks'paved the-way for painful stomach ulcers, but this, Preston knew, was so 'much balderdash. Ulcers were the bogy man of weak-bellied hypochondriacs. ,'. . The beer made him comfortably drowsy.

HE WAS WAKENED in the morning by a clamorous jangling at his bedside. He groped for the alarm clock, but it wasn't an alarm; the bedlam came from a telephone. An odd-looking telephone in which mouthpiece and earpiece were curiously joined in.one twisted unit. He snatched it up and growled into what be hoped was the right hole, "Yes ?" he said; The excited voice of his stockbroker yammered into his ear. "Mr. Pres­ ton—are you sure you want me to keep on selling? Somebody's buying up the stuff as fast as I put it on the market! At this rate—" Preston didn't know what the man was talking about, but he had pres­ ence of mind enough to keep his mouth shut until he found out. He said, "I'll call you back in a few ininute's!" and reached for the closely written sheets of paper at his bedside which, some instinct told him, were essential to com­ prehension of this weird affair. A few minutes later he was able to call McLeod with reassurance-that everything was running according to expectancy. The broker mollified, though still apprehensive, Preston called his elder son. Walter was almost as apprehensive as had been the broker. "Dad—is everything going all fight?" . "Perfect!" "I've been buying ever since the tape started. But the more I.buy, the more comes on the market!" "Well, what do you care? You're getting it cheaper now, aren't you?" "That's just it. The Street's panicky. If Preston securities are value­ less, what is worth anything? They're wondering. The S. E. C.-—" "Damn the S. E. C.!" roared Lightning Preston. "Has a man the right

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to diddle his oVvn affairs, «»c or hasn't he ? Keep on buying! The price will stabiHze after a • while. When-it does, you'll be ~ '^^ in the driver's seat." • Walter -said,- "But I'm getting to the bot- ^•- torn • of'. my ; resouixcs, • Dad^': ^^ '•: • • '•-•'• t. "Then borrow ! Or pawn • your ' family - plate or hold up a bank. Get • monej- somehow. • .And huy-7-bm—bi(y!'-::. Jona- fli a n P r e s t o n • a d d e d, more. quietly. '.'You've : got fo get cOinpletc con-. trol. Walter: This is the ' only way I can transfer my wealth to you. Ralph has stripped mc of alP' other, powers."' . • "- "'• "Ralph-^oh,"yes!- . He called me. Hei.'s ' aboiu to .have a nervous breakdown. .He knows you're behind this. Dad." "Good !"^ said 'Pres- " ton. "I wanted hihi to know. • AVell,' good-by, • son,!"' And he hung.up. .

' "' '• . " '• ^' " \WfMm • ; .HE.SOUGHT a n.Mhi^mSi stockbroker's office -. ' shortly thereafter; smm$pt spent the" few re­ %• maining morning *••.• I* hours and the early hoin-s of the after- ' • ... noon watching, with grim satisfaction, the cr\-ptic symbols of high finance slide across" the illuminated screen. , He saw his own corporation holdings drop steadily for hoiu-s. 114—; 1 IZj's—1091^—103—down to 100 even. Walter was making money now, he thought; the'securities had a higher appraisal.value than that! Then 96r—92

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-^—down to ah all-time low of 88, matching the Black Friday price of '29' which , "" Jonathan Preston now no longer remembered. ^ -^ Then the reaction set in. The bulls sharpened their horns, and the bears turned tailf or .cover. Walter's steady-buying began to make its influence" felt; J? a few hopefuls leaped on the bandwagon, and the Street went into a buying . frenzy. -Preston's: holdings, which had led the general collapse, now led^ the upward surge. ' . A sudden leap to 95! Another to 100, a.s the- investors belatedly realized , they had. let a good thing slip through their' fingers. -Tben 105^—^lOSj/^— - 110— "No Preston stocks available !" Preston heard the.local• stockbroker . wail to a hundred eager would-be buyers. ' "No Cbnsohdated^—nO:,Apex—not a share at any price!" 113—114—-then oz'cr-yesterday's quotation—1-16— 120—122— ^ • ' , ^ . - ' ' - - . The juggled holdings were stabilized at 122 when the market closed. Jonathan Preston returned to his hotel. The gamblers in,the board room did not recognize in the neatly dressed, thirty-nine-yeap-old stranger wlio had stood quietly watching the rise-and-fall of the-market, the Jonathan Preston they were so wholeheartedly cussing out. • -• • "His phone was screaming ma'dly when he got .back to hi.s room. .It'was McLeod. McLeod's yoice was the worse for wear. Hecroaked hoarse-relief vat finally getting Prestop,. ^ • • ., ' "Mr. Presfon, where have you been?.- I. tHed "to get you all afternoon. Have, you seen the papers?" '• ' - ' "I've'seeii the,tape," .said Preston. "Come, my dear fellow! Don't cha.tter like .that!" ,-, v ' ' ' •• -^ i - -, ' "B-but you don't understand, Mr. Preston,! It's awful! ^ou . . . you've lost everything! -Your tail-twisting plan didn't work. Soineone

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"When, Dad? Now? Shall I come over?" "No! Don't try to find me. I'm checking out of here in a few minutes:" Preston, seeing in the mirror that faced him the image of a man little beyond the prime of life, did not want his son to meet him without being prepared for a shock. If this constant rate of rejuvenescence continued, Preston figured that by tomorrow it would have reached its conclusion. He would have re­ gained, then, the youth and vigor for which he had yearned. That was the time to meet Walter. "Perhaps tomorrow, Walter. Surely not later than the next day." "Very Avell, sir. As you say." Preston said, "By the way, son—don't be surprised if you notice some .. . er . . . change in me when we meet." "Change?" Walter was suddenly anxious. "You're not ill, Dad?" "Far from it. . But you'll see. Good-by, boy!" He had, he felt, lived a full and glorious day. He deserved a rest. So he spent the rest of the afternoon and evening luxuriously enjoying the fruits of his newfound well-being. He took a long, sweat-bringing walk through - Miami's lovely and extensive suburbs, thrilling keenly to the feel of young, springy muscles beneath him, savoring to the full the rich, tropical scents~^of orange, palm and mimosa that mingled with the salt of nearby ocean air. And at night, as he sought his bed in the new hotel to which he had gone, lest Walter impatiently seek him, out, he read and reread the columns devoted to this latest evidence of Lightning Preston's financial acumen.

TREMENDOUS COUP ROCKS WALL STREET EDIFICE! Walter Preston, Son of Missing Financier, Seizes Control of Father's Empire in Daring Attack!

Jonathan Preston chuckled heartily over tliat. He gained even more pleasure from a brief addendum to the story, though.

Reporters were unable to get a statement from the younger son of Jonathan Preston at the time the paper went to press. Ralph Preston, who was reduced from riches to rags in this afternoon's four-hour cataclysm, was reported to be hovering on the brink of a nervous collapse.

HE HAD HOPED that when he wakened the next morning it would be to look in the mirror upon a Jonathan Preston little changed from the Preston who had gone to bed. That hope, however, was blasted. His reflection showed him a man of thirty-four, a young man, black of hair and keen of eye, somewhat too heavy for the garments he wore, and certainly too youthful in appearance to be wearing an Oxford gray business suit with a piped vest. He would, Preston knew, have to do something about the clothing situa­ tion. It was vitally essential that he be inconspicuous for a while; he could not be so in clothes too old for him and so tight that they strained at every seam.

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He went to a clothier's. The salesman looked disapprovingly at the style of suit Preston was wearing, but with approval at its cut and cloth. He said, "A nice suit, sir. Lancaster Brothers, New York, isn't it? The touch is unmistakable. But too old for you, sir! Oh, ihuch too old! A young man like you needs—" He brought forth a dazzling creation of. angular hues gone mad—and Preston shuddered. They compromised finally on a somewhat less gaudy, but still rather blatant, three-button, job in shark's-tooth gray, with peaked lapels and welted seams. It needed alterations. The salesman called the shop's tailor; the tailor sketched soapmarks and mumbled around a mouthful of pins, "You wan dit by dumorrow, mebbe ? Or nexd day?" "This afternoon," said Preston. . The tailor looked pained. "I god ten, perhabs twelf, odor suids come first? Dumorrow morning first thing?" "Never mind," said Preston, shrugging off the coat. 'T'll go some­ where else." The salesman had sudden visions of seventy-five dollars winging blithely into a competitor's pockets. He said hastily, "It will be ready this afternoon, Mr. Er-umm! Won't it, Jake? Won't it?" he repeated dangerously. Jake sighed but nodded. "Hokay," he assented glumly. "Bud tree o'clock. Can'd ged dit done sooner." Preston went to a movie. His "short memory" classified these pictorial interludes as a pleasant form of amusement, but his "long memory," which every day seemed to waken fresh and new and startlingly naive, interpolated a motif of surprise. One part of him thoroughly enjoyed the heroic antics of the handsome Hollywood juvenile and his lissom companion; the other half commented acidly that this form of entertainment could never replace the legitimate stage. These monstrously aggrandized Titans, weaving across a screen in a blaze of light, were no match for the theater of his day. His day? What was his day? That thought, intruding on him, spoiled his pleasure, Furthermore, he did not feel particularly well. But he re­ mained to the end of the picture, then returned to the clothing store. The salesman bustled forward buoyantly. "Right on time, Mr. Hrrumph! Your suit's all ready for you. Beautiful suit, sir! You're going to like it. - Here you are—" He thrust it upon Preston, who carried it into the telephone-booth-sized dressing room and struggled into it. It didn't feelexactly right. He didn't know just how poor a fit it was until, a few minutes later, he looked into a full-length mirror. Then he, like the salesman and the tailor who stood beside him, stared hopelessly at a coat which draped on him; like a quilt, at trousers too full in the waist which literally bagged at seat and knee. / The tailor wailed aloud, and pins flew. "Vot is id ? Tventy years I been dailoring gloze; never in my life did I such a misdake make ? Id can'd be! Either the wrong suid god aldered, else you been shringink, misder!"

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"It . . . it's the suit!*".faltered Preston., "You must have altered the wrong suit!" he said desperately. But in his heart of hearts, even as he'spoke, he knew he lied. He under­ stood, because he knew something that these two men did not. He under­ stood, because the Preston whom he looked upon,in the mirror was leaner of, face and body-than the Preston who had risen this morning. He'understood, for he remembered with a dull, sickcniiig clarity that the young Jonathan Preston had always been .slender—^that it was^not until his thirty-fifth year that he had begun to gain weight!- •' • - ' •

•' HE-BOUGHT a smaller .suit. one. that did not require alterations, .and-wore it from the store. He dumped-his old suit into £t Bundles for Britain con­ tainer.and seti an.Kious-e}ed. about his search. • . • ,. , . For he knew only too well, now;, what he must do.- This thing had gone too;far. The. Fountain's magic was working-not. only up to but far. beyond his expectations. He had hoped to find his youth. Well, he.had found it. Thirty, or thirty-one; he thought, was the perfect age. • • ,. •. . • • But the necromancy showed no signs of coming to an end. Would it, tomorrow say, when he was twenty-five? Or the_next da}', when he was -twenty? Any age beyond that— . ^ • • -He must find the mysterious stranger whom he had met at the Fountain. Somehow and dimly-he felt that-this queer-talking old codger, with his un­ sightly beard and'old-fashioned:grinder, knew the answer to his riddle. Could advise him what to do. Perhaps there-was something he had not done right? Perhaps another dip in the Fountain? He kne\t where it was, or—he stopped in his tracks—did he? The glades. It was somewhere in the glades. A' piece of doggerel verse— o But, of course! lie had given that to the old chap. He must get it. Thus he began searching; His search was necessarily an aimless, hap­ hazard o|ie. He did not know the old chap's name, nor did he have a par­ ticularly clear mental picture of.him. 'To further complicate matters, he dared not risk" going to the police for aid. He did not fear identification. The change had gone too far for that, nowl But he feared questioning. W'ith his altered mind in its present chaotic state, there was no telling what fantastic thing, he miight say, whatanachronism Of speech or deed might rouse their suspicionsr ' • • „, •^ But he had strength and youth and vigor and unlimited time. He began searching Miami for a sign of the old inan. ' ' . , -

His QUEST was even more hopeless than he had feared. He did not find him tliat day nor the next. After the first few fearful hours, he began asking- questions. Guardedly, of course. "Excuse me, friend—have you seen an old chap with a dirty white beard around here? Scissors grinder?" Always the shake of the head, often the blank response. "No^. can't say that I have. Sorry. But I'm a stranger here myself."

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 48 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN Stopping people in downtown Miami. "Excuse me, but have you seen an old scissors grinder around here?" ^ _ "Sorry, bud!." • -— ' "Excuse me. A scissors grinder. He might be carrying something like •an hourglass." ' ' • '. ^. • . " ' • - " "Sorry."^ People looking at him strangely. ^ • •. _ He almost found him-once. 'That was on the afternoon of the third day of his search. By then he had sloughed off all signs of his once withered age. He was now the slender, tousle-haired Bob Preston he had been at the age- of twenty-four. And by now, tormented by fatigue, despair, and' a growing - anxiety he hardly dared consider, he was willing to ask flwyoM;;hi s question. He asked a traffic officer at a main intersection. - "Pardon me, officer, but have you seen a bearded old fellow around here lately? Scissors grinder chap?" , The policeman bawled, "0. K., wise guy!. Cancha see the lightsf What say, mister?-A scissors grinder? Why, it seems like I did see him. -Just a few.minutes ago.". • . Preston's heart leaped. "You did? Which'way did he go?" "I didn't notice. Think it was down that way. " Hey, buddy! Walk in the lanes!" - . - , . • ". • "Please try to rgmember,"'pleaded Pr^estpn-. "Can't you? ,.It's very important, officer. Well—down that way?" And he started to run in the direction the officer had designated.' But the policeman grabbed his arm.. "Hold it,' mister! Don't go b"stin,'.out into the trafficJike that! Seen a guy get knocked off here no more'n ten minutes ago doin' the same crazy thing!"' ' " ' ~" • . -

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PRESTON did not find his mysterious friend that day. He did not find him the next morning, either. But he solved his problem. And the manner of its solution was strange. - He woke at seven, his sensations oddly torn between those of superb well-being and a deep-rooted melancholy. He knew, even before he glanced into the mirror which was fast becoming a horror to him, that he would look upon a stripling barely out of his teens. He was right. The Preston he saw was the young, volatile Bob Preston he had been at the age of twenty. His faithfully kept diary was more than ever needful these days. Only with its aid could he each morning rebuild about him a recognizably logical world. Otherwise his 1896 brain would have been strained to insanity by the strangeness into which he stepped when he left his room. He read the diary, realizing with certainty that he must, today, find the stranger in whose hands lay the answer to his problem. After breakfasting, he turned his footsteps toward the one remaining section of town as yet un­ combed; the tenement district. " All inorning he subjected its residents to the query now grown loathsome to his lips. "Excuse me, but—" And all morning he Ustened to the inevitable reply. "Sorry—" Noontime was approaching when he came upon a small, heavy-eyed Italian sitting upon the steps of his tenement home. Preston almost didn't stop. There was such dejection in the little for­ eigner's attitude that he was inclined to pass him by. But force of habit, the desire to leave not a single stone unturned, the pressing urgency of his own need, halted him. "Excuse me, friend—'" he said. The little man looked at him, and Preston saw that his eyes were red. He had been weeping. "Yes?" "I'm sorry to bother you. But—have you happened to see an old fellow around here ? Bearded man with a grindstone slung over one shoulder." "Yes," said the little man in a lackluster voice. "YesT I saw him. He was here." "You saw him!" Preston's hopes flamed. He gripped the Italian's shoulder fiercely, "You mean this is where he lives ?" "No, signor. He visited. Last night he was here. I passed him on these steps. But he is gone now. He called on one of my neighbors perhaps; who knows? I have not seen him today." "But if he visited here," exulted Preston, "someone in these flats knows him! I'll find him how!" He pushed by the Italian, started up the steep steps. But the man halted him. "¥\t3iSt, signor! There is no one there now but . . . but my wife," "Perhaps she knows? Women know all the peddlers—" The little man shook his head. "I am sorry, signor. But my wife, she is dead. She died last night." , It was then that Jonathan Preston terribly knew the identity of the man he had been seeking—

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 50 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN HE COULD NOT afterward account for the remainder of the afternoon hours. All he knew was that he walked. And as he walked, there walked with him a cold, brain-maddening comprehension as weighty as the brazen scales of doom. He should have known! That was the one tormenting cry that returned to him ever and again, beating at him with the insistence of a recurrent sym.phonic motif. How could he have been so blind? He should have guessed in the beginning. An old and bearded man—a scissors grinder—a sharpener of scythes—who bore in one concealed hand an hourglass— ^ The death of the sun, and the cool, scented breezes of evening soothed the chaos of his brain. His madness left him, and he sat down on a park bench to take calm appraisal of his situation. ^ With the application of reason, all things which he had considered mys­ teries now became clear. The old scissor grinder's warning. The frightening- . swift action of the Fountain. His own rejuvenation, and.its only logical end. The Fountain he found had been the Font of Ponce de Leon. That, now, was undeniable. And it did, as legend and the verse betold, "shedde men's yeers." But not as most men thought. Not in the way Jonathan Preston had hoped when; an aged semi-invalid, he had bathed, in its lambent green water. . ,. ^ What it did was turn backward the clock of life for him who dipped in it! Stayed evolution toward age, returning the bather back through the days he hacLlived. Back to the day of his beginning! To some men, a dip in the Fountain would be a boon. Preston could see where a man of, say, forty, with an allotted span of eighty^.years, would benefit magnificently by the pool's magic. The days of his years would halt and reverse themselves; he would relive; day for day and hour for hour, twenty years of youth and twenty years of childhood. How many men, long gone, thought Preston, had done just that? How many of those shadowy figures his imagination had conjured from the depths of the evergreen glade had lost their years through the Fountain's "cursed" necromacy? Many, perhaps. Some, of a certainty, else there would have been no legend, no cryptic warning—"Let hini all men bewair!" There were folk tales, too, of changelings. Were these once-mature men upon whom the Fountain had worked its magic? But in his case, time had not returned upon itself at a leisurely pace. The days of his years had sped by like lightning—Preston stopped to calcu­ late the rate of speed at which the years had sloughed from him—and since his dip in the Fountain, he had been whirling back to infancy at a rate of five years per day! . • Five years per day! Two and a half months per hour—thirty-odd hours each minute—each breath he dixw into his lungs sped him backward in time, inexorably, toward that which was now at once the beginning and the end! That was what the old scissor grinder, whose other name Preston now knew, had meant when he said, "Nothing will really help. Your story is

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE FOUNTAIN 51 already written in the book of time—not even the'Fountain can help that!" He had known that the return of youth, to Preston, could be but a brief, dizzy moment of gladness. And then—the finale. The book of time closed Pres­ ton's chapter in his seventieth year; it was but a monstrous joke that he should relive his entire sixty-nine years, eleven months and two weeks in fourteen days' time! • Yes, that was how it was. That was how it must be. No other explana­ tion so perfectly dovetailed with Preston's experiences. And having gone thus far, he took the last remaining logical step. He computed the little time that was left to him. Even as he sat here pondering, precious moments of this time had slipped away. It was now seven o'clock on the evening of Tuesday, March 13th. He was Jonathan R. Preston, whose age was perilously close to seventy, but whose brain and body were those of Bob Preston, aged eighteen. There remained to him, figured Preston, approximately three days and sixteen hours. After that— He stood up. He dared not think beyond -that point.

Now that he ultimately knew what lay before him, it was as though a great, oppressive burden had been lifted of¥ his shoulders. All his life, Jonathan Preston had lived beneath a cloud. The secret, dark-flowering fear of Death. It was a fear that had dulled the keen edge of every joy, every triumph and excitement, he had ever known. It had stolen the pleasure of his business successes, had stilled the delights of travel and adventure; its gall had flavored every bite of food he ever ate, fouled every scent he smelled, thrummed an undertone to every music he heard. Fear of Death had been a dark, unwelcome guest wherever Preston had gone. But now it was gone. It was gone—and his house was in order! His last great fiing in busi­ ness had avenged him of a present wrong, atoned an older one. Ralph's treachery was punished. Enid was broken. Yet Preston knew, somehow, that Enid and Ralph would never know need. Walter would see to that. This, too, pleased Preston. In his present mood he harbored no resentment toward anyone. He did not want his younger son's fate to be too harsh— Yes, his house was in order. And an ancient dread was gone from his heart. And time was a precious nectar he must drink in haste and riotously before it drip away. __ ITis last night of warm-flowing youth was a night to long remember. What places he went, what sights he saw. and what sounds he heard, what things he -did with wild, lavish abandon, what joys of youth he embraced' feverishly before it should be too late—these were memories to braven a man's heart whatever might afterward come. But Preston did not remember them. When he wakened .the next morn­ ing, clear-eyed and quick with health though he had been but three hours abed, his memory was that of young Bobby Preston—whose age was fifteen years. UN—4

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IT WAS in leaving his hotel, steahng furtively "out by a side entrance lest the desk clerk question his right to be there, that Preston realized there was one loose end left dangling in the skein of his waning existence. The diary he had left in the room of the Fountain House! It must not be found. If Jonathan Preston must fade from the knowledge of man, it were better that his fate forever remain a mystery. The diary must still be where he had left it. The Fountain House was a quiet hotel, and his room rent had been paid in advance; apparently 803 was still reserved in the name of the absentee, James Smith. It took some little doing. Bobby Preston lingered.for more than an hour in the lobby of the Fountain House, trying to figuresome way of getting the key to 803 from its pigeonhole. It was impossible. The day clerk hovered before the- racks like a brooding mother hen. Bobby even went to the manager, applied for a job as beillioy. He had some idea of getting hold of the master key— But the manager laughed at him and patted his back pleasantly. "Contie back in a couple of years, sonny. You're too young. You should be in school—say, why aren't you in school, anyway ?" Preston fled, fuming indignantly. He dared not use the elevators, but he went around through the music room-and climbed the back stairway to the eighth "floor. Legitimate means were vain, therefore he must force an entrance to the room. He remeriibered, suddenly; that the maid was accus­ tomed to "airing" the rooms about this tirne of day. The windows would be open. Blind luck played into his hands. Beneath the windows of the eighth- floor rooms ran a foot-wide ledge. Plenty wide enough for an agile youngster to walk oiit upon, skirting the sharp corner of the building'after he had gained an exit through the corridor window, facihg-the wall, pressing hands' hard against too-smooth stone, sliding one foot at a time forward, not daring to look down at the streets below, where pygmy humans scurried back and forth, darted in and out of buildings like restless ants. And then—he was in the room! It was just as he had left it except that his few spare articles of clothing, now. valueless to a boy who had that morning been forced to swap "his brother's"- new suit for wearing apparel, had been hung tidily in the wardrobe. The money he had left in the drawer was untouched; Bobby stuffed it. hastily into his pocket. - Better yet, his diary still lay, sealed and unfolded, on his bedside table. He picked it up—r And at that moment a key grated in the lock 1

IT WAS instinct rather than reason that made Bobby Preston leap to the door,.slam on the deadlatch. As he did so, he heard a startled exclamation from without; a woman's voice cried shrill alarm. The chambermaid, slip- slopped down the hall, bleating. The ten-day-old brain of Jonathan Preston growled, "Damn!" and the

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word sounded strange in the jpiping voice of Bobby Preston. He was in for it now! But tliey mustn't find these sheets—'• He struck a match and cupped it to the envelope—felt the licking flame scorch his fingers, then tossed the blazing pages out the window. They drifted lazily downward, shedding black, feathery scales as they fell. Bobby ducked '• for the window ledge. _ ~ , But even as he did so,, the babble of voices sounded behind him, a head popped from the window of the room he had just quitted, startled eyes gleamed angrily'as they saw him. . ' - "Why, it'sa kid! A lousy-little sneak thief. You can't get away; kid! Head' him ofi: at the hall window,' Bill. You might as well come back, you , little punk!" '• He was trapped, no doubt about that. There, was no way out save down. And down was a long, long way. Bobby Preston gave up. ' Meekly he crawled back and surrendered himself to the ear-cuffing ire of the hotel , detective. . • Tl\e ride through Miami's bustling thoroughfares in a bright-ixd police car was thrilling! Bobby Preston would have enjoyed it much more if the gruff, burly officer who drove had let him sound the siren. But he wouldn't. Bobby decided maybe he wouldn't become a cop, after all; he'd be a fireman, instead. Cops were darn old grouches. " • . — .. Thus svviftly, as the efferyesceiit thought-processes of boyhood claimed him,'did Bobby Preston forget the reason.for his being kere. A few minutes later he stood studying with wide-eyed interest the interior of the city hoosegow as an harassed desk sergeant grumbled violentlj^ "There ain't no kid's court till tomorrow morning! We can't keep him here! If anybody "found out about it, they'd raise— W'hat's your name, kid?" • "Huh ?" said Preston. "My name? Why—"'He stopped. There w,as some reason he should not tell.^ He didn't know why not, but there was Some reason. , - • ' \ "See?" complained the sergeant. '"A feeb! He don't even know his own name.. Ain't'that flatfoot got nothin' better t(fdo than nip half-wit youngsters? Lock him up overnight, Flannigan. We'll send him up to J. C. in the morning—." - • . . Thus, three days short of his seventieth,birthday, at the apparent age of fourteen^Jonathan-Preston, lifelong member of the Civic Purity League and outspoken exponent of firm treatment for petty criminals, was for the first time in his dual existence heaved into durance vile. Bobby ^Preston thoroughly enjoyed it. The barred cell was glamorous, and. he liked the funny folding cot. that, hung from the wall.. It made him itch, though, when he went to sleep that night.

WHEN HE-WOKE in the morning he was scared, because he didn't know where he was. Everything was,alLwrong. He was not in his room, and

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 54- STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN ^ instead of the soft farm sounds he heard mysterious, frightening noises from outside. Barking noises like firecrackers made at the Fair'pn the Fourth of - July, except they were more muffled and regular; ' :. . : '. . • Then a man came and unlocked the door. "Come on, .kid!" he said. ' Bobby shuffled out "miserably. -His clothes "didn't.fit'right. ,Hc was hungry- and scared.. He/didn't kno.w^where hewas.'. ,/•• '•..'• .•;..."....• ^' . . : V He said,."Where ..V-.• where are: we. going,.'mister?" .- ••- • - ::. T^ie-manjiad.-.a bluc^'suit .vyith.shiny button's.- Hehad a pistol,', too;. He took such long steps that Bobbv was forced to-trot. ..He answered briefiv,- "].C-:.,:: .- ; /'.,.:.z: '• • ' .: ..... \:vr-...,; ,.•-;. .-• .: ' ' .-.--V.; ... -"' --. , :"A'\^here"s.:tha>?"-i.:,/ './•;. , --. .' :..::,:•' ' -':•;.••'': :.. . :, /•; • .. . . -_ . . •'-It' ain't a where. It's a what." Juvenile Gourt." The .pohceman :looked^ at him strangely. •-."They must have been nuts;" puttiiig a kid your • age in , - hihky oyerniglit. If you got any folks, they can raise a;n awful stink about it.'-'^ • - . :. ".'What,?" said.Bpbby! ;.; \ •-. ..: :.•.'. :.:;.;,:;.- :. :^ ; • :•'•• ^- ,' • .. "•'•i^thin'.-:;^SkipMtr^kid.'' .:;-^-.-•...; -^ " - . . • - -;. -. . A .few.ihihutes later they were, standing in_a tremendous:'room, all oak .and plaster and.shiuing-brass, and an old man" in a black suit-was staring at Bobby curiously. ".What's tht charge against this boy?"" A man. with spectacles rea:d : words'Bobby, diiin't understand. -"Petty-, larcciiy. . Breaking and'entering-a. hotel room with intent to' steal; maraud,- . : and otherwise—^'' .^; -. '' ,r •- - • .: .. ". .• _-,• •-:': L: .> .... • .."Petty ndnsense

_'_-•_ . ... - * * . . . .-..'-• .- - ' *VGo on!" prodded the Juvenile Court .judge.\"Go on!" . -. - , "B-but that aiti't him I" said the' detective. . "That ain't the,kid !"- .. . -The old.fiian turned toward the policeman. ."Well?" he demanded. -The co]).sh.ook his head. "It's the only "kid was brought in last night," he declared. ; ''It aiiy'i; him!" repeated, the detective stubbornly.,, "I'oughta know; I' . seen.him. - He was a.lot older tjian-this,here youngster, ^ They.must.of made ' a mistake—" -. • ~ . . , . . • - . . "Your honor, this is the o'nly .youngster.we kept overnight!'' , "Nuts!. Ypudumb coj)s pulled a boner. This ain't the kid. " I^ncver ^ seen—".. " ...... - . , "Boner!- Listen, flatfoot, if anybody pulled a—" N • . "St'op.it!". The old inan-banged a wooden hammer on his desk and Bobby jumpecl.; An embarrassed silence settled over the room. "Am-I to

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE FOUNTAIN 55 understand," demanded the oM man, "there is no charge against this boy?" "He brought it," said the policeman. "He's supposed to identify the kid." "Not me!" The house dick's face was scarlet. "Not me! I never seen this kid before in my life. Your, honor—" "That's enough of this nonsense! Case dismissed! I hope this child's parents don't presssuit against you, sir; they can make it most uncomfortable for you. Officer, see that the boy is given a good breakfast and turn him loose." The old man leaned forward. "Sonny, can you find your way home?" Bobby's lips trembled. "I . . . I don't know, mister. I—" "Well, if you have any trouble, go to the nearest police officer. He'll help you. All right—next case!"

AN HOUR LATER he was trudging the unfamiliar streets of an unfamiliar city, seeking something or someone he could not name. All he knew was that he was Bobby Preston, whose home was in Burton's Crossing, who was nine years of age and terribly confused because he didn't know where he was. He was the more confused because way back deep in his mind there was a tantalizing little memory that told him this was as things were and as they should be. Which, Bobby knew, was false. Because he should be in school now. Today was Parents Day. There would be visitors and recitations and prizes for the best at spelling and history and 'rithmetic. He came at last to a broad, green lawn, sprawling up to a great white house with pillars. He felt, dimly, that he had somewhere seen-this house before. But that was a fleeting thought, for as he stood staring at it a boy his own age appeared from behind a clump of hedge, looked at him apprais- ingly and said, "Hello." "Hello!" said Bobby. "What you got there?" "A ball," said the other boy proudly. "An official 'Merican League ball. I've got two gloves, too." He looked lonely. He said, "Want to catch?" 'Sure!" said Bobby. They played, and as they did they moved farther up onto the lawn, nearer the house. The sun was warm and fragrant. After a while the other youngster said, "I'm Johnny Preston. Who are you?" "I'm Bobby." Again some instinct stronger than himself restrained him from giving his last name, so surprisingly identical with his playmate's. He couldn't explain why. He wasn't ashamed of his name. .His father was one of the biggest farmholders around Burton's Crossing. Maybe Johnny did have a bigger front yard, but they had a farm and barns and cows at his house. "Bobby what?" demanded Johnny, then forgot his question in disgust as a slim, excited figure came skipping down the lawn. "Aw, nuts! Plere comes Sue! Now she'll want to play!" Bobby didn't like girls, either, but he had to admit Sue had a good idea. She suggested swimming, and the three of therri had a good time in the pool beside the house. He had to admit, too, that it was fun playing at Johnny's

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 56 STREET & SMETH^S UNKNOWN bouse. In the late'afternoo'n a tall, quiet,-horse-faced man whom Johnny called "Loriimer" brought them lemonade and cookies. Later, as they were sprawl­ ing on the grass playing like somebody had given them tb.ree wishes—"a. solid-gold airplane," Johnny would wish for, "with diamond wings !"-^a pleasant woman came down to speak to them. Johnny's mother. It was, she said, almost dinner time. Hadn't they better run along now and get-ready? Father would be home any minute. And who. was this little boy? • This was Bobby, explained Johnny. His new friend. • That was nice. But it was getting late. His mother and father would be worried about him. • Hadn't he better run along home now ? Inexplicable loneliness settled once again on Bobby. His eyes glistened." He had a home—somewhere—but it had disappeared that morning. Dis­ appeared into a strange, warm world where the buildings and the trees and. even the things people wore were strange. He shook his head. "I ... I don't have any home," he said. , "But your parents, child!" "They're gone," said Bobby, wistfully. Alice Preston looked at him, swift sympathy shining in her eyes. She^ noticed then, for the first time, that his clothes were someone's'cast-ofTs, too large for his slender frame. His hair needed cutting. His face— She gasped! It was remarkable!. AValter would have to see this boy— and there was Walter now, walking to join them. "Walter!" she cried. The tall, heavy-set man with pleasant smile wrinkles about his eyes- linked his arm in hers, kissed her. He shook his head. "No luck, darling. Not a sign of him anywhere. • I don't understand it. I went to the hotel he called me from. They said no man answering that. description had registered there. 'Robert Thompson' was a man younger than myself." . • • ^ .^ ^ "Enid and Ralph?" , ' "Gone back to New. York. They might as. well use the town house. Ralph's a changed man. He asked me if I could put him to work in one of Dad's . . . my . . . companies. I'm going to give him a chance. He used to be a pretty fair businessman before he.started this 'heavy-society' stuff." He laid aside his personal troubles, scooped his daughter into his arms, and ruffled his- son's hair. "Well, what have you two been doing all day? And who's this young man?" ' , "I'm Bobby," said Bobby. He liked Johnny's father.. He was nice. Alice Preston said eagerly. "Look at him, Walter! Doesn't he remind you of—someone?" "Hm-m-m? Why, I don't know that—" "Look closely! Remember that picture your mother gave me years ago? The one you used to pretend you hated?" "By Jove!" Preston's eyes widened. "Why, he does, doesn't he? An amazins; resemblance!" -

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•''.,' ^^ • Sue demanded, "Who does he look like, mamma? Who does Bobby look like?" ' "Your father, dear. He's the image of your father, when he was a • little boy—" ^ . -.

BOBBY had dinner at the Preston's home that night. It was a good dinner. Afterward, as he and Johnny and Sue played parchesi, he heard Mr. and Mrs. Preston discussing him. He pretended not to hear, but he hoped Mrs. Preston would have her way. ' , "We can't just turn him out into the night, dear," she argued. "He has no home, no family, nowhere to go. We must let him stay here." ^ I^reston' said, "We-e-ell—I guess . it would be all right. For tonight, anyway. But in the morning I'll try to see if I can find out where he came ^ from. The child can't simply have dropped from nowhere. Where, shall we put him?" "In your father's room ?" So.it.was that an hour or so later Bobby, with the Preston children, was bundled off to bed in a huge room on the second floor. It was as he . entered this room that, for the last time, a dying flicker of memory stirred through him. He experienced a strange sensation of having some, time been here^before. -^ - Buf he was too tired to think much about it. The butler, Lorrimer, tucked him into bed and turned the lights out. And Bobbys—Bobby what'?— ^> • Preston? No, that was his friend's last name. Bobby yawned. And slept.

HE WAS WAKENED in the darkness that precedes dawn by, the touch of a hand on his shoulder. When he^sat up in bed, there was a figure beside him. The dim silhouette of an old man with a close-cropped beard; a nian. ~ ' whose shoulders w-ere weighted with a heavy, awkward wheel.. "I thjnk we'd better be "going now, Bobby," said the scissors grinder. "Going?" said Bobby.. ." ' " . "It wouldn't do to stay here, you know. There's very little time^left, and we have a long way to go." ^ Bobby didn't understand, any more than he understood what he was doingin this strange, big room. But the'old man seemed friendly.* enougli, ' even if his whiskers were untidy. Bobby rose obediently and dressed. The scissors grinder waited patiently. He held something in his hand^a some­ thing on which the gray light of false dawn glinte'd. Bobby reached for it, touched it. - . "What's that?" he asked. "It's the Sands, Bobby. You can see they've nearly run out. We must 'hurry now." • ' • ' Bobby saw it was an hourglass, something like the one his mother used, in the kitchen, only bigger. He saw how nearly alLthe sand had dripped, now, into the lower bell. But a few scattered grains remained on top, and

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•----.- /^ . • :•' . •' V • these made.a hurried, ever increasingly fast whirlpool of black as they trickled into the boJ.toni glass. ^ i • • . / • -- , "I'm-ready now," he. said. • -..'•,••.-.•• ...

HE DID NOT KNOW how long they traveled or how far,they went. .Tt was a long, long .way. It wa.s, dark of-,morning yvhen they started ; they left , the city and walked into the girdling-w.podjands.. ,Thc .trees in the .sliado.ws; rustled, and-the trees in the moonlight glistened. The road was-long, and • dnsty. .. . '. • . ' .' ...... ^- •.-• ••. .••:-- : .. - - - ; V. ; Then Jthe^sun came.Up;.gray-gold and warm. Bobby.was hungr\, but . they, did not stop, to eat. - They hurried on.,, Away, from the paved roads. - onto old, forgotten paths thick with neglect.. Bobby.took-the old man's hand ' for-.comfort. ,..•..• -• ...... _, ..•,,,. •., , • .. The scissors grinder said, "You're not .afraid of me any more. Bobby?" Bobby said stoutly,-'"I'm 'not afraid of anything-. . I'm going to be a- • soldier when I grow up. I'm going (out West to .fight Indians.•'-- . The,sun climbed higlier and,-higher, and Bobby,grewmore weary. -For ,,. a. while longer he niatdicd-thc-old; scissors -grinder's- slow, forward march. - Then he'could no longer keep up to him.-• FI.e wasso very small; when he •tried to walk.it was hcel-andrtoc; he fell, down once,-and started to cry. • •,. "It's not-far now,'Bobby,'.' said the oldman. .r"Just-,a little, while—•"'^ - -- -But he picked ,him up-and carried.him. • :. • , '•*...'.. - ^ •. .: They, came ..at-last to-a rounded-.hill, strangely oiit. of place in -these ••.niiasmicswamplandsbecause its shape'was the; shape of a noseless skull, and - at, its base, was a little glade of shining- evergreen. • ,. ^ • ^ -To this the oldman bore.him.. -In the heart of.the grovcthey came upon a.pool. , Its waters were cool and gi;een-^^from its center .jetted-a .Eountain. -w:hose .soft-pluming ,',waters wcrelike .the.glory, of sunlight oii countless prcT cious gems. <- , -- , ',.,,-.,'- ^ ••. , , - , , Wee Bobby-Stirred in his.guardian's arms as his.eye was caught by the dancing'beauty; he stirred and cooed and stretched forth tiny, formless hands.;, Tiicre-. was no thouglit in his-baby-mind save a desire to..touch this wonder-.,. The old man put him down. He "crawled, weaving and uncertain, toward the beckoning Fountain.' . . ' , - -, .\. . ' L , He gained it as the bright .sim, touching, noon, smote tlie Fountainwith a flaming burst of light. i'"or an, instant his senses-knew, the warmth of wel- , cpn-jing^^waters.; the music of.the Fountain -vvas soft crooning to his ears., Then there was the rocking-sweet caress of liquid depths—a slo\y and pulsant happiness beyond conception-—then no- more— The last dark mote of sand drifted lazily into the bottom of the glass. "Sleep well, Bobby," said. tlie old scissors grinder. "Sleep/you well, '" Jonathan Preston—'"^ . • • , Then he, too, was otY and.^away. It was onty noon, and he liad much work to do. ..-, -- , . , THE -END.' ,' • '

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a DTP t r i r QTl I I dJ n

hy MALCfflLM JAMESOM

® MeM wasn't what it mei' He had no way of knowing how long fED be—lut he found, waltinig he had slept, nor did he care. His sense foBir him, e very special, of time had long since left him. How private hell all his sewii-^ long, he could not guess. It could have been a matter of hours, it might easily Illustrated by R. Isip have been an aeon or so. He only knew that after seemingly intermin­ FOR a long time he continued to lie able wanderings through dark glades, face down on the hard pavement'in the and after the passage of many rivers, cold, gray light of that curious land he had eventually come to a place where there was neither night nor day. where a path struck off from the broad,

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 60 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN downward highway and led straight up forehead and face and off his bloody the steep mountainside. He had looked knuckles. Somehow he could not re­ dully upon the two signs, then chosen call the other details that went before- the easier road. And then, faced with That river had been named Lethe. yawning portal in a great, gloomy Miles beyond—thousands, for all. he wall that barred his way, he had lain knew, and a long way past the dead down to rest. town of Tartarus—he had come'to that Before arousing himself he thought steep hill and the path leading up it. for a while on his previous journey, but He chuckled as he remembered the it was all very vague, and nebulous. In signs.. The one a little way up the cliff the beginning there had been another said: "To the Pearly Gates." The one gate, and chained to it was the carcass by the road said: "To—"The rest of a dog—a three-headed dog, as he re­ was blotted out, and scrawled below membered it, badly emaciated. He had were the words, "the other place." gone through it and walked along a river That was the work, no doubt, of a prig —the Acheron. He knew the name, for bound up the mountain. • • some historical society had evidently been along before him and marked the.. PETE GALVAN stirred uneasily and old historic spots with neatly, embossed began to think of getting up. The stone metal signs on iron stakes stuck into the flags he -was lying on had already made ground. He had crossed another river deep dents in him and he had rested lined with .gaunt trees whose charred long enough. The impulse to go on was limbs still overhung the now dark river. strong within him. He dragged himself It must have been a great sight once, to a half-sitting position and began to that flaming Plegethon, but no longer. regard the dreary landscape about him. Cakes of hardened asphalt was all that It, like the rest, was gray and form­ there was left of it now. less. Only the wall farther down the And he remembered vaguely crossing road had shape. He dropped his gaze the Styx at least fourteen times and . to the stones underneath hirn and cast . w^ondering at its spiral course. He had about to see whether any of his belong­ done that by means of a modern cause­ ings had dribbled from his pockets to the way that cut straight across - ity but pavement. His eye caught the inscrip­ he had not failed to note the aboriginal tion on- the stone immediately below. ferry landing at the place he first en-/ It said, curiously enough, "Take this, countered it. He wondered whether it will vnakt you feel better." Just that, the crude skiff lying there with .wide-, and nothing more. open seams had been the ferry; a peel­ He looked at the next one. It said, ing sign announced the fare to be one "I'm sure she will hke it." ..How odd, obolus. Another sign pointed toward he thought. The adjacent four or five a low, rambling building covering many had simply this: '"Never again!" He let acres. It said, "Waiting room for it go. He couldn't hope to understand shades."' Somehow it suggested that the everything he saw. He got up and ferrymaii was inefficient—or tempera­ strolled on down toward the gates. . mental, which comes to the same thing. They were big ebony gates, each leaf At another river, prompted by the a hundred feet wide and three times as sign, he tad washed the blood off his high. At the bottom of one a small dooi;

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had beeii cut, and in it a sliding panel, , set of_really fearsome horns. He car­ for all the world like the door of a pre- ried a long blacksnake whip, with which, repeal speakeasy. Above the keystone in conjunction with his tail, he promptly of the granite arch were cut these words: began lashing the howling little fiends. "Scat!" he hissed. "Back—all of you "Abandon all hope, ye who enter." —or I'll take you off the bench and put you back on Cave Relief." He planted "Huh!" commented Pete Galvan. a sharp, cloven hoof squarely in the Then he .knocked.~ stern sheets of one.and drew an ear- . No one answered, so he stepped back •splitting yowl. Then he jerked'^a nod a few paces and began tearing up the toward Galvan. "Come into the Office. pavement.. It was after about the third Let's see what you rate.".^ or fourth of the paving blocks had' bounced off the black doors that the GALVAN FOLLOWED stolidly into ' a cover to the peephole slid back and a . room let into the right-hand tower flank­ beady black eye glared out. ing the gates. The demon sat down on "Knock that off!" came a snarHng, a handy potbellied cast-iron stove that screeching voice. But on the instant its was gleaming • ruddily, and began in­ tone changed to jubilation. Galvan saw specting the grime under his hideous ' the eye disappear and at the same time talons. Behind a. desk sat a sour-looking heard^ and very bedraggled angel. , "Hey, fellows, what do you' think? "Name and denomination ?"-.she asked, A customer! Whee!" acidly, poising a quill pen. There was a rattle of chains, and the "Galvan, Pete. None," he answered small door stood open. ' Galvan at once categorically. Tiien, "Say, what's going pushed on in. ""on ? Where in Hell am I ?" He was considerably startled by his "At the gate, dumbbell," spoke up the . reception. Tt was hearty, but brief. demon, shifting his seat slightly. The He was hardly inside the place than hair on his goat's-thighs was beginning hundreds of little red imps rushed.him, to smoke. It smelled abominably. abandoning their card and crap games. "Where else in Hell did you think?" The hellions were none of them over "But I don't beheve in Hell," pro- four feet high, and all wore stubby little ' tested Galvan. • . " ' horns like those of a bull yearling. The - "Oh, yeah?'' said the demon, resum­ tiny, ruddy devils were also equipped with venomous, barbed tails which they ing his nianicure. ' lashed furiously all the time. Gafvan "Silence!" snorted the angel, crossly. would have been conipletely bowled over She was jabbing a buzzer. In a moment by them, despite their small" size, if it an imp,came, capering about and making had not been that they rushed him from' absurd faces. \ all sides at once. • ' "Get me file Number KF—2,008,- "He's mine, ,1 saw him first!" was 335," she snapped.' "And ask^ortali.ty what they were yelling. whether they have anything on a P. But just then a superior demon of Galvan, and if so, why they didn't notify some sort made his appearance. He, me. We could have had the quarantine unlike the. imps,, was quite tall and had a ' furnace lit off.-"

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- "Yessum/' said theamp,. and turned a some nitwit lets him. in.' Now I'm back, handspring. Qut thedoor.. - • :_; stuck. \ ' 'T..know!". she cried. "You can es­ . "NOT for us," she announced, disgust­ cort, him across.- .I'll make out a pass-: ---, edly., after a cursory .study of the.-as- port for him aiid -you can get a receipt ^ L bestos-1)ound^ dossier • the; little . hellion from the psychos.'; She'reached for a brought :back witlivhim.. "He's mot a sheet of blank asbestos. i , '<,:- '' . Methodist, or a Baptist, -.'or -anything.-; "You- could, scratch it on a sheet of He's not e:ven dead h Belongs in Psy-. -ice just as well," observed the demon' chopatllic,'I^guess.".' ..' •':.:; ' with! heav}- sarcasm. . He sighed wear­ • "Nuts,'.' •remarked the demon.". He ily. Hell was not,,what it .used, to ,be.' , spat. viciously. at. a rat';that:.had, .just- .''^Gaiviin;; Petc^U-S;- A:—Earth—; nosed into the room.,- The" rat scam-- Solar :System," .she;.wrote. . "Galorbian-" .• percd back into its hole-with.smoking Galaxy—Subcllister 456'—Major cluster'., fui-, .and' there was a: faint aroiiia of; 1.009—Universe, ^ 8,876,901 — ':: .Oh, .- , vitriol, ill -the' office. •'. "Np.t' a . damned: ,; bother the^ rest-of, it. They'll know-.". ' ^ customer in-moriths',", he bemoaned. ! . •' She wr6te:sonie.more...;• Then .she^.af­ "You are beiiag redundant againy fixed 'the -.Great Seal 'of .Hell and under Meroz,''she rebuked hini, primly. "What- the-stamped name-of-Satan, Imperator, • other kind of customer .could"you get?"' she scribbled .lier-initials'. •.;. -•...• .> ': • '-/^ll right, a//'right,'' replied Meroz,; ~ ."Ancl:;here'S'thefreceiiH:."' she added. .; -^.• testily..:' "Well, 'what'do j' "do- with the/, "Pelivere'd in good condition the soult-^", - gink ? He can't go back,.and if we' send: -;':'T:'haveii't-got a soul;" said- Galvan, , ; liim on-by -himself • as.-likely as• not. that ' siillenly. :• ^v^ :" - .', ^ . ; ; -. W.P'.A.'; gang.- in. mid-Gehenna ' would. • ."-r-the'soul of one, Pete Galvan/"; she grab hihi and go to \vqrk dti-him. TheU'- went on serenely;; "a. Glass D sinner." there would be Hell to pay—'' " . • "Class. D?" demanded Galvan, angry •'Oh, those unemployed wraith prod- -now. •'"Is.that the .best I'get r .x^fter all dei-s," she admittied' reluctantly and with the booze I've drunk and—" ; obvious annoyance, "you're right,, "Come.alorig," said Meroz, taking a Meroz—" :''-'•'' • . \'- •' GOuple:of turns around'iiis gesticulating "Pla!"- shorted,he, ejecting two slim arm'with his tail:- "You rate the Dior clouds of smoke from his shiny ver- • vanity—HDtherwise.you'd cop no more'n , milion nostrils. "So iifter. eighty-seven a G or an Hi' Yoii gotta be really tough niilleniiia of nagging,' Eli Meroz.is.right to, get up in ,'the pictures, in',,this'place. , once,' huh,? Think of that!". ^ -^' Sonie day you might read 'Tohilinson'." The Deputy Recording Angel bit her lip. ;It was"a regrettable slip. '' THE ROAD in.side was just as dreary "T mean," she hastened to say, still as that outside the big black gate." On ^ flustered, "that we.can't afford to have . every side was , the same 'iiionotonous any more jurisdictional dispiites... After gray landscape, broken only by the pror that last case the Council of Interallied file of ugly black dikes. Overhead was Hells—"' \ :] •'^' • • • : • a lifeless pall, more like the roof of a "Yeah, i-kn6w,".yawncd'Meroz. "but vast', unlit ca-v'ern than a sky.. The .only I'm -asking you—what ^am / supposed hellish touch ^vas the whiff of sulphur to do? This bozo shows up here and dioxide that Galvan scented once in a

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED NOT ACCORDING TO DANTE 63 while. On the horizon, far off to the more than one or two percent of 'em." left, was a single spot of light. That "It don't add up," objected Galvan, was the ruddy glow on the underside of doing a little mental arithmetic. "You some low-hanging smoke that seemed to' made a crack back there about a lot of indicate a minor conflagration beneath. millennia. How do you fit that into Meroz, who had walked this far in a quarter of a century?" silence, gestured toward the glow with "Oh, me?" the demon said. "That's his remarkably flexible tail. easy. You see, His Majesty knew I was "That," he' said, moodily, "is the only a very earnest tormentor and was al­ •job we've had this year. A train hit a ready at the top of the imp classes. He bus in the Ozarks, and there were a lot promoted me to Demon, Second Class of people in it—coming back froin a re­ and transferred me here to handle the vival meeting." gate detail. I jumped at it. How was "Hillbillies," said Galvan, scornfully. I to know the place was going to be a "Yeah," grinned the demon, "but they flop?" look good to us. They believe in us. He paused in his stride and produced It helped a lot with the ijnemployment a flaslt from somewhere—probably a situation. We're practically shut down kangaroo pouch, for the fellow wore no now, you know." clothes. "I don't get it," said Galvan, ducking "Have a slug?" he offered, hospit­ and striking at something that had just ably. "It's Nitric, C.P.—a lot better pinged down and hit him in the back than issue vitriol.'' of the neck. He fished out a bit of "Thanks, no," said Galvan, snifting. brown string and threw it away. "I The demon took a long pull and vented thought you did your stuff for all a grateful hiss. eternity. What's the line about the 'fire Galvan winced again as a shin)- object that is never quenched' or something like bounced off his forehead. He stoeped that? How about the ten billion dead and picked it up. It was a gilt collar sinners that did believe in you ? Awk!" button, and had evidently been stepped Something stung him on the cheek, on. He tossed it away, wondering where then fell to his lapel, where it stuck. He it had come from, but Meroz,' bucked flicked it off, it was another string—a up by his liquor, was talking again. black one this time. "Well, to make a long story short, "Oh, those? They're still going Old Nick had to establish Relief—" strong. It's this Billy Sunday Wing "In 1920 or so?" that's so hard hit. It's the same' old "Yes—way back there. He's very story—overexpansion. You see, during proud of it. It's his own invention, that wonderful vi'ar you put on to end you see, and quite appropriate to the war there was a great revival, of the locality. It appears he'd been keeping old-school hell-fire and damnation brand books on us all along, and everybody of religion. The Sfdkes trial may have knows we are not exactly saints. So helped, too, though some' of us think first there was Cave Relief, then came the other way. Anyhow, we built this the W.P.A.—" wing. Now look at it. Thousands of "That sounds familiar." square miles of brimstone lakes and not "Really? Wraith Prodders Aid is the a pound of sulphur has been burned in full of it. Nine tenths of our work is

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED M STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN sticking the sinners with pitchforks, as of prodders. Besides those you've got you probably know. Nowadays the old to figure two blacksmiths on the job all boy keeps 'em busy—well,- reasonably the time—" . ' busy—cleaning up the grounds—" "Blacksmiths?" Blam! A complete 1918 model titi "Yeah. Those prongs melt down. lizzy struck the road not ten yards in They have to' weld new ones on every front of them.and disintegrated into hour or so. Of course, they could throw flying fragments of cast iron. It must the shafts away and simply use new have fallen froin a great height. ones—Satan knows there are stacks, "—just such stuff as that," went on enough of them around, rusting— the demon serenely, "only it's mostly only"—wistfully—"business might pick little things—half strings with knots in up." 'em and such trash." Eventually they came to the other "Where," Galvan wanted to know, . side. There was another wall, but. not "does the stuff come from?" so high. In it was set a moderately "I'll bite," said the demon, "where small gate, with ornamental bronze does it come from? -You know the doors. The demon led the way on up habits of the living better'n I do. All to it and stopped. we know is that it just shows up. It's "End of the.line," he said., "Here's mostly junk, but why do they send it where you get off." here?" . Pete Galvan had-passed through two Galvan enlightened him. gates of Hell already with the minimum "I'm damned," was ah Meroz could of emotion, but as lie stared at this one say. ' something flopped inside his viscera and turned clean over. It was with a defir MILES farther on they could hear liite catch of the breath that he read the ribald singing ahead. As they came inscription over the door.. It was: closer they could see a string of trucks going by on a crossroad. By then the Welcome, Petie! dull-red reflection on the horizon was A bronze plate beside it carried fur­ abreast of them. ther interesting news. The first two The trucks were piled high with lines read: lemon-colored sulphur, and on the top Marantha Middlebrook, of each truck there sat a group of wild Architect and Donor imps, waving tridents and singing lust­ f^ ily. Upon sighting-Galvan they broke Anna Middlebrook Galvan, - into a string of invective that would Assistant and Co-donor have delighted and astonished-an old Below was this information: bos'n. But after a sharp snarl from Messrs. Freud, Jung and Adler, Con­ sultant Soul Engineers, have inspected Meroz, they cut that out and returned .'and mapped this place.- to their singing. "The next shift going over to No. 16 "Well, well," said Meroz, cheerfully, —^that's where the Arkansas hillbillies- reading over Galvan's shoulder. "Look are. That job took quite a lot of 'em who I've been with all -this time. A oft" relief, what with the loaders and guy with a private, personal Hell, no the brimstone haulers, and three shifts less. Unholv BeeVzebul>! It must be

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something to work in a joint like that." ness, and did not notice that the doors •He suddenly,sprouted a pair of flap­ folded shut behind him as he did. ping bat's wings ending five feet above . It was not until he came up against his head in curving clawed finials. a wall' of cold, hard granite that he "But then," he added, "this new­ looked backward and • realized that the fangled stuff is j3ut of my line. S'long,. dark was all about him. He put out kid, and take it easy. It's the-first mil­ a hand to one side. There was another lion years that are the hardest." -"_, dripping graiiite wall; on the other side With that Meroz polished off an­ the same thing, beaded with cold mois­ other swig of his bonded Nitric and ture. Galvan experienced a momentary swirled upward and off with a heavy fright—he. had walked into a blind al-. flapping of wings. Pete Galvan watched ley. He took three hasty steps back—. him go with considerable regret. Then he wanted to get out-badly; he had sud­ he turiied and- walked slowly toward denly • reriiembered that Meroz was to the door. Those inscriptions had wor­ get a receipt ^signed by somebody and ried him a lot. For Marantha Middle- had gone off without it. He must call* brook was his maternal grandmother, him back.- Then he came up against and she had died before he was born. a fourth wall, squarely trapping him. Why should she have designed a Hell Cold sweat trickled down his .taut, for him? And yet more, mysteriously, face. Something brushed his hair and why should -the other one—Anna, his an upflung hand scraped its knuckles mother ? " And then . he saw that the against more damp granite, close' over­ door was ornamented with bas-relief. head this time. Galvan lost all control ,and screamed. Shrieking, he beat THE LEFT LEAF carried a representa­ wildly against the hard barriers ~ that tion of a beetling, overhanging cliff shut him in. He, felt as if he was suf­ witTi a narrow path winding along the focating and that his hfe depended uJDon face of it supported by jutting ledges. his being let out on the instant. In the canyon below twisty things were For a long time he kept that up, intertwined—snakes or igiant worms, • until he fell panting and sobbing-to the they might be either. The right-hand stony floor, weak and exhausted. panel was covered with diminutive fig­ He must have slept, or fainted. For ures, some running -about frenziedly when he returned to consciousness his with hands clapped to the ears. Other, environment was so different he knew agonized ones were clawing' at the thiat the .change could not have taken smooth inner sides of eggs that seemed place without his, beiiig aware of it. to surround them. And as Galvan A smooth surface bore down on him looked wonderingly at the designs, the from above, barely touching the point doors opened smoothly and quietly of of his nose, his chest and the tips of his their'own accord. On the other side toes. He tried to rise, but could not. was—blackness, velvety utter blackness. He tried to raise his hands, but could There was no one,' either human or dia­ not. They were at his sides, and the bolical, in sight. The doors, appar- pressure against his knuckles-told him fehtly, had opened of their own accord. there were also boards penning him in Like a somnambulist, Pete Galvan laterally. -Theni the awful truth burst marched straight ahead into the^ dark^ upon him." It was a coiffin he was in.

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. He was buried alive:! , , •, vised by t.wenty-fiv.e centuries of ances­ Again"he struggled {oribreath^^tkat^-- tors .and; been.none, the worse for it? last one,- i,t ;seemed to be. Yei - in: his He began-to take stock of. this sunlit frenzy' of • despair he, screanied, wdthout- place.where he was. .... restraint ilntij. he. could .screain lio more . • He-.appeared,to be :on a broad-stone but lay quiyering,.\\-itli helpless panic. platform at the base of adiigh cliff.- .He; In time he lapsed, into'a-; state of dull, got up,,ahdrwalked- out a ljttle:.way. from- • apathy~too weak and •hopeless to strug-,. the cliff so be coiild lookiupratit better.. gle .n'lo.rc.,, And tliat.'w;as. \vhen-,he, no-: But to his ;surprise^, the 1 flat, rock, was ticed the,cold draft of air blowing.downr; riot .so,;-vyide as.'he thoiigh't,: nor, so .flat.- upon his.'shojLilders.. , '; .'. I ^ '. ' -., A few ..paces • away it began to, .slope; ' . He pulled - himself; tpgetlier -;aridL tried; down, until, it-took ;sucli a' sharii angle' • to think the thing through' . It must be! . that he doiibtedjhis.footing.- :Then,to his that if he,was in a coffin, it was one with horror: he observed .that ,it'cam.e .to, an • open ends, , Inch.by. inch he wriggled; end '.another yard -below; him: And,- lie-, upward. -And .inch ,by inch^hc, made: yond 'that.lwas. nothing^nothing but. jirogress.^ -There was, nothiriglfo,.stop] emptyrair. , Through the;violet-haze of him.. . He continued., aiid; after .hei-had: great; distance, he ,could...just •niake;out gone a'long foot; oi- so. he .was aware • 'ainother ;mouiUa:in. raiigeoti the; other . there \\'as a little more: rooiii around him.', .side .of the incredibly deep .valley .th,at, A fe.w, yards more'and..thcre,was sotiie.- lay. bet.wgen the, one' he^was: on and;it.^ gray light, enough to letlviui.vsee be-was; He stood precariously, on- the brink: of: , in a narrow,-.tunnel.,'; At ;.the; xud,-of; a" precipice of unguessable. height.- And' whaj could hav'e:,beeii,:au h'our.hc/sighted;, at^that moment of horrid i-ealization, his the .full, light.of clay—a circular .blob;-, foot slipped! '•.'••. of, bright- sunshrne shining into his. rab-. ,• bit warren. - He. could- roll over then , GALVAN-fell flat on- his face alid' and "make the rest "of the way on hands! clung-for a: while- with outstretched- and knees. - :.,•,.- ' ,' hands.to the-slippery rock.--, Tliis time Once- he ,was:outside, in- the-,:blessed: he- resolutely' fought- ofl'^panic, but:he: space and light, Jhe dreyv.a^deep breath; did :not dare move until he-was quite- and.' rested.'•rep,roachihg:hiiiis.elf for His, sure of the grip on -himself.: Whenthat; • mad panic. If he had,not.-let.-jhe; shut­ time came he crawled cautiously .up-- ting of the do,6i- ~up,set:.,liim. ;lie.;wo,uldi ward .until-her was ,oiic,c more on level no doubt have found the tight.-tunnel and J stdiie. • • ''. •' • ,- •• ^ ' escaped, through it long:,before. :--In -. It-was'clear-that he ;,was on-the shoul-_ faiiiting.ihe - had doubtless fallen- di rectly, der 6f"a mountain and--the ledge he was before it, and jateT, in lus restless\conia, on curved-,'both. ways out of sight.; he must have Avriggled.welhintoit. 'So Which led-up-and which .down he could- in-that- manner,- strengthened by the- only guess and he-^told himself it did; • glorious .sunlit-and: unlimited-space; lie-. not'niatter, though, all tilings considcrcd,-- laughed-the incident ;ofT." Now he could, he preferred: to go down. -But the na- ' get about his'business "of exploring this- t-tn-e- of the-ledge-'soon settled that, prob­ Hell his forbears -had so kindlyrbe-- lem for him. To the left, - after abouf,•' queathed him. ' Whaf'liad-thc to fear?- forty - steps,. he found that it nar-rowed- Had:he not' already, passed, the :Hells: de-; to nothing. 'He-retraced his steps and-

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•took -the otiier tr.ail: Foi" a well-defined. became dislodged and thundered down patli; he noticed now, led from the moiith •the face of the-precipice in the vanguard of the cavern he liadcome out of. tof aH avalaflche of leose earth that tum­ Tl>e ledge narrowed-iii that direction, bled down in the wake' of it. Galvan too, but not unbearably. At thecn^d of^ ga.spcd and flattened himself against the some minutes he found-liimself walking vejtical clay bank as the torren^t of/dirt along the ledge that was still all of four and gravel roared past him. When the - feet wide, and he. feck. the precaution dust had dis,sipated, he stared with to kce]) his-c\-es glued to the-path im­ bulgino; eyes at the path he had just mediately in advance of his feeti. He' come;over. • It Was not there! Behjnd dared not so. huich- as glance over tlie him there was only a crumbly, vertical edge, for tlie earlier glimpse of. that sheer wall down which a few belated pebbles drop ,of iiiany thousands, of feet had were bonneting. Faint sounds from be­ fi;ozen him to the marrow and covered low told him that the avalanche was still ,'him with goose pimples. '-Nor did'vhe crashing earthward, despite-its already neglect to keep his left- hand., .trailiiig long/fall. --. - • • ..• . " 'against-the cliff, wall, caressing it .with • i;Pete Galvan's .skin w'as white as siiow his fingertips, 'as- he- went--along; -,'-He-. and as ;c6kl as' he -stood - there against • vyas hideously uncomfortable; nevertfie- ;'th"e .;'treacheroiis/:;\yan-"6f -clay.-' 1 He -wa^;. ' less.rand =it was only, the occasioital siglit . - afraid- to n"-iake .a 4-no-vctiii:nt,- yet he. knevv - of old footpriiits in 'saiidy-- patche's'that • 'heiidared'not'sijay;- ^Fqi-- theJ^pith j|)^-^ • 'reassured -him • sufficiently to keep^hini: • neatH-'^himv-cKsturbed-.by. the-'receiit- dirt-^. - goinfe- If piliers'hadcoine- this way.- lie :, :fal.|;'.-\va,s- sloughing.:'a\ya.y-'vby.'^in4hes:..-aii^^^^^^ cqulfl make-it too/ he- told-himself -fran-" •'yiolfrig:iiitp-thc-'depths/-^-vr.-A'-'.'^^ -i-f: -ticaily: •- •: • - - •-.- '-•- •-•.'•;;,;•',-•• f :-•,; •.' .\^^;ith. a'-'Ileart • tjiuniping lik It was when the ledge and 'chff turned* itVmpaijuiti.' h.e';'-.f6i:ced hiniselt; to. edge • from, stone to clay that coldfifear • aga.m'..'"aibng! , •,->\-- little.-farther he •'discdVered : • s> ^bcset him.- His first, warning was:when •tO'Jiis horror that"the path was hot pnl-y his-^-trailing finger.s struck-.an'embedded -'iiaiifo"vverr--something'" less than a' yard stone and clun'g'to it. a sniomeritiwhile : .-^and sqftei'v but^blocked here and there he debated-exactly-where he'was. going ' •by; obstacles^.,-.':.He- could step oyer hiost to place his foremost foot- riexti; -•As'.lie .' 'of tliem,-biuteyehtiially. he canie to .one relinquished- his hold upon- the: s'tqne.-,it- •': tliat was ^oo, big. • • It' was a. boulder that

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Stood.waist high, atul he.wondered how abyss und.er him was vastly more painful - • it got there, for the cliff above hung than his cramped >hand and the 'agon­ out over him Hke a^idewalk, awning.' ' V ized arni muscles. He knew that the. He paused and studied.that boulder end was at hand, yet he clung on to the •/ '- for a long time. He must pass it, blit - last eternal moment. And then, just how^? It touched" the'bank on the one as sheer horror was about to-turn'to hand, and protruded over the precipice's black and irrevocable despair, he made, edge on the other. It was. too high to that last superhuman, effort. Summon- , step over, and the path beyond was too ing up his last ounce of reserve, he unstable to sustain a body laridiifg from twisted and grabbed with the other hand. a jump. There''was but one cours^ left. It, too, caught a root. He had a res­ He must climb up onto it, then down pite! • . ' • again. , " . Pete Galvan bent over and placed THAT TRIP, up the face of the crum- "both hands, atop the .boulder,T then •bling cliff was 'as arduous a ,one as man brought up.a wobbly knee. The rock ever niade, but he 'made it.. Though, he •trembled a little and Pete'froze. in his was winded-a.nd weak a^ a baby, he did awkward position. But the' rock clid riot cease his exertions until he" had not-roll,-so he-transferred a few more' placed a long distance, between himself pounds oC his weight to the pressure of and the> maddening brink.. He found . his hands arid,the" advanced knee. Again a spot among soriie trees on top of that the rock trembled,' but did iiot roll. tableland and threw himself down in the With the courage of despair ^Galvan put grass. He tried to sleep. his full weight upon''it and drew up A tree-nearby creaked. Yes, creaked. '.. the idle leg. The boulder teetered He thought at first it was a rocking wildly, dust rose from' the' canyon as chair with a'loose rail, then it seemed' : the rotten' soil below, the boulder began that it vvas a-Moor with imoiled hinges. shedding itself away. The boulder 'He listened to* its rhythm with growing ^ tumeicl sluggishly, then like-a startled. disgust, but hardly,had he adapted his. .~ -hare it bounded downwaf^; ton's of dry ears to ~ it, than .„the ' damriable thing clay, tumbling after it. .;' changed its rhythm. It not only^^ropped ; ' Galvan leaped wildly forwjrd as he one creak from the series; but the next; felt the rock . turn beneath him. His three were irregularly.spaced. .Then jt heels struck the path-beyond, and it .in took up another rhythm. . turn crumpled' beneath him atid fell . More sourids were added—the- zoom­ rumbling down the cliffside. He neyer ing buzz, of some vyheeling: insect, now knew how his hand,managed to ,cpn- ' blatant, now .tequiririg'straining ears to - nect with that root, but it did. . -An in­ • keep up with il;-Then came a patter­ stant later he was dangling over-the ing, as of haked feet on concrete, a noise '" chasm, clinging to a gnarled tree, root that meant nothing to him, but aRnoyed that stuck out • of the face of the cliff.' him intensely; last of all, the raucous To his tortured mind it was all of, a "xaws"; of "a race "of cynically ;derisive ^ cetitury that-he hung there expecting birds. ., Galvan stood it as long as he, every moment to have to let go and could, then, rose and fled the place. A drop. \Though his^eyes were -firmly flock dfcarrionbirdshe had not noticed . . shut, the bare thought of the bottomless earlier rose as he did and sailed in ever-

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widening circles above him, swooping treatment—amputation, perhaps—was now and then as if to bite at him. available, for he could not bear the . Galvan ran on, until he. could run thought of having those ulcers climb no more. Then he stopped, panting. higher than they were already—at mid- His feet were sore and cut and he won­ thigh. dered how he had become unshod. He He charged on, trampling the squirm­ had quite forgotten that he had thrown ing, hateful pests underfoot, not caring liis shoes away while on the slippery any longer where he w'ent, so long as it ledge. But he wished now he had not, was away from those diseased foul for his feet felt indescribably uncom­ worms. He did hot see the edge of the fortable. They were not only hurt from cliff until he was at it. Nothing could the running, but some nasty, oozy stuff check the momentum of his plunge. had stuck to them and was squeezing Down, down he went, turning slowly up between his toes. He looked down over and over as he fell, now glimpsing at. them, wishing for water with which blue sky and bright sun, now the gaunt to wash them. ... face of the unstable clift, now tlie can­ , Despite the other horrors of this in­ yon bottom rushing up to smite him. herited Hell, he knew when he looked He set his teeth and waited—waited at those feet that .lie had attained the for that terrible final impact that would ultimate. He was standing barefooted . blot out all the other horrors of this in two inches of blended caterpillars Hell. and groveling, blind. wonns,'and as far as the eye could reach the ground was When it did come it was a blessed covered with them. The vile creatures relief. He struck headfirst and there slithered and crawled, working over and was one sharp crack-—hardly worse than under each other, and both varieties an ordinary knockout. There was a trailed a repulsive slime. But the most brief explosion of light, and he slipped sickening detail was that fully half the into cool darkness. caterpillars were covered with ulcerated knobs that grew and grew until they "HE'LL DO now," Pete heard a femi­ burst with a faint plop, throwing gouts nine voice say, and he felt cool fingers of dirty orange liquid in every direc­ relinquish his wrist after placing it back tion. And wherever those drops of in­ on the bed.. He opened his eyes to see fection struck, fresh ulcers grew. Gal- a girl in nurse's uniform and two white- van's own legs were speckled halfway smocked men standing looking at him. to the knees with dirty orange droplets, "A-are you demons, too?" Galvan and those spots itched unbearably. He stammered, looking at them with one watched wild-eyed as the ulcers formed. eye. The bandage over his head covered He paused in his wild race away just one. The question seemed to him to be once. That was in a sand spot not quite a perfectly logical one. If, as the in­ covered by the odious caterpillars. The scription on the gate suggested, this was violent rubbing with sand that he gave his own private and personal Hell, doc­ his rotting flesh was only/an added pain. tors would do as well as anything for Then he knew that sand, or even water, tormentors. He couldn't forget a C«T- if he had it, would not be enough. . He tain dentist. must get somewhere where more drastic One of the doctors laughed. "That

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 70 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN is a matter of opinion; Sonny... But "Oh. You mean the stuff about his you'd better knock off going -around mother and grandmother?" breaking up religious services, or you'll "Exactly. Of course, we already had Have febme, real demons after you. The a history of dipsomania, and in these way those Holy Sons and Daughters ravings we get a glimpse of demono- of • the Peiitecbst went after you when mania, claustrophobia, acrophobia and you tried to bust up their service should mysophobia, but those, as you know, are have taught you that: Do you remem­ riin-of-the-mine symptoms. But he also ber? You started a free-for-all and they i-ather clearly indicates that his grand­ crowned, you and tossed you out on your mother was one of the old orthodox ear/' with an active New England conscience. "I don't remember nothing since I I suspect his mother tried to do without washed my face in that River Lethe," any. He inherited the inevitable con­ munibled Pete Galvan, sullenly. . flicts and. no doubt :added ,a few em­ ,_:The, first ^doctor looked at the second bellishments of:,his own-^'-' - one quizzically. The other nodded... : "Say, doc,",interriipted Pete Galvan, "It's all in here," he said, tapping a' bored with'talk that diad nothing to do roll of shorthand-covered sheets :of. with hiip jthat he coiild• se6,-"did you paper. "He was delirious most of. thg -know I've been,. to Hell*, and . back? night. The nurse on duty recorded the And what's more, it's a private, special high spots. Most of it is "commonplace .Hell built fust for ine? Gee,; ain't that enough, but what- interests -ipe.in; the -gihiething!" y •:•''"•;•'': ^^'•.:^'' case is that it was. his owil unprompted ' But the'cloctor was looking at him dis­ mind that designed thai, last gate--es--. approvingly. •'•''[, •''•• , ' • •'.'•-: pecially . . . uh . , . the.inscription over ." ,"0h/you;don't believe,it; huh?" it. It is httle mysteries, like that that •^"YeS.'son, i do; Yoiiw'efe-in Hell make my job fascinating at times." the live-ldhg night."'; •", -• V. THE END.

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••-"-•'iLV' <:«» >^-*^ •• THE CHEST DF THE W/IVE by /ANE RILE

# He was riding the crest— . BIG MIKE settled back against the 'til a Delilah and a Jndas dove-gray velour upholstering with a well-fed grunt. His little eyes imbed­ tipped bim into the river. ded in rolls of fat gazed serenely out After that—he rode them! at the shifting scenery of Lindell Boule-

Illustrateit by Edd Cartier vard'Sliding past the car \vindows, three-

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 72 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN inch and bulletproof. the chauffeur gave the horn as Big Women in. fiirs, their tiny hats and Mike swept fey. sheer^ hose belying the scurrying 'wind ' Big Mike picked up the speaking tube. that nipped at their silke;n ankles, and "Mebbe we shoulda bought a paper,, ghook-cascades of rusty leaves from the. hey, Joe?" and he laughed a thick, threadbare trees to send them whirling gurgling ,laugh of padded contentment. in the gutters; the. stuccoed Cororiado; The chauffeur only smiled. It was- a tall, thin apartment buildings witl^blank mirthless smile,-barely curved, and: did inscrutable fronts; a house,' incongru­ not come anywhere near the outer cor­ ously out of place, draped with dried ners of his lips. He -didn't answer. brown,ivy; the Park Plaza with its cir­ Which was'as it should be, for Big. cular drive' of crushed stone and swank' Mike had let the speaking tube Slip iron grillwork; an old crone huddled in from his pudgy fingers and had given her shapeless coat and exhibiting shoe­ himself up to meditation. laces, and.toothless gums, to passersby ; It had, been^a haul, all right. . Fifty ' the Chase,"its'clipped shrubbery curtsy­ thousand bucks, easyV- Of •course,; the ing to:the wind, its doornian spanking boys had_tb get their cut but he" could his white gloved hands for warmth. tone that down- some. He knew, how to And bevorid. Forest Par1<:-^the baseball soap the .,boys. And then that crOok" diamonds deserted and forlqrn,Tthe trees Zacchus wouldn't handle anything hot. trying desperately to make their tattered." ^foi" less, than a third. He ought to have garments cover their-.twisted limbs; a his can spiked. He was going to han­ trickle of JDeople, bent'against the wind, dle it,' though,;' and the way the D. A. coming up the walk from the Monkeys- was putting on-the.'screws rapst of the House.; a Small-boy jumping up and mOlJs let out a squawk fit.to bust your . down on the^edaUof a drinking foun­ eardrums, if-^'QU brought in anythiiig tain, its bowl. Stained ,and discolored that didn'f have-six months', age on it. and choked with trash'.. ..'. ^ Oh well, say twent}' thousand take after The car'turned left. Neon sighs be-.' thepayoff. Twenty G's complete. Not gan to make their slow appearance: bad. . Not bad at all. Italian Spaghetti; Clark Gable in "Boom Big. -Mike laughed again. Silently. Town''; Beer .To Take Out; Hamburg­ His stomach shaking like pastry dough. ers lOc; "Gone with the Wind" at Popu­ Nobody could say he hadn't-made good. lar Prices; " Thrifty Dry Cleaning, Seven years ago slicing up •codfish'"in Pants ..Presseci While You Wait; Clos- " the_ Market, resting-.his hands on the ing Out,' Everything Must Go, Prices porcelain counter and saying,' ''What's .Slashed; Edward G. Robinson in .3'ou'rs?" to a lot of Jjeefy-faced house­ "Brother Orchid", kll Seats ISc": - wives who .watched the scales like a Poske's Barbasue; a policeman oti the^ brood of hawks. .Well," that was seven corner teetering back and forth oh his " , j'ears ago. A lotta water'd gone oyer heels; Ladies' Entrance; We Buy Old the dam since^then. . Seven years. .He'd Gold and Silver; a walnut-faced man in done O. K. Plenty O. K. Big Mikc^ a dirty-newspaper apron j'elUng, "Read insteada just Miker The Kingpin some all about it; big jewel - robbery; read' of them called 1iim. That was^him, al! all ABOUT it, read ALL ABOU—" right. - The Kingpin. His voice, was lost in the derisive itoot -Big Mike heaved himself tip by the

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window strap and unanchored his watch comingly low over one mascaraed eye. from its hiding place among the folds of As the car drew up she seemed to grow his blue-serge paunch. He picked up tense, as if every nerve had gone taut the tube. as piano wire. But that was only for a "Slow down, Joe. .Ain't no rush." moment—a split second. An instant He settled back once more against the later her powdered face was wreathed in velvety cushions. iSTever wait for a doll. smiles and, letting her coat hang loosely" That' was his policy. Keep them wait­ so that the decided V of her neckline ing. Made 'em feel like they was lucky showed like a demarcation on an ala­ he come at all. Of course, Klo wasn't baster column, she stepped swiftly to the no ordinary doll. She had class. Well, door of the car. wait'U she laid her blinkers on what he'd Big Mike hoisted himself up and save, out for her. Them sparklers was pressed down the safety catch. The class, too, all right. door swung open. _The short, stubby fingers caressed a "Keep yuh waiting?" he asked. jewel box beside him on the seat. The girl flashed two. rouged dimples Twenty thousand clear. He might at him. "Don't you always," she said even take Flo down to one of them archly and kissed him. Big Mike's face resorts. One of them smart Jobs with was momentarily buried in a full shirred mineral springs and all the fixings: collar of squirrel skin faintly redolent Nothing was too good for Flo. Funny, of perfume. And that was where Big her calling him up and asking him to Mike made his first and only mistake. pick her up way out here. She'd never And his final one. done that before. It'd been his place, or her place, or. Garselli's downtown. Two men, slim-hipped, pinch-waisted, But that was Flo for you. Just when with dark slouch hats, swung from tlie you thought you had her tagged and .fig- shadowed twilight of the canopy and gered, she'd do something and you was when Big Mike looked up he looked right back where you started. She was right down the barrels of two .38s. His a pistol, all right. Yes, sir, mebbe one hand darted underneath his coat but lie of them ritzy joints with a swimming was too late. pool right inside the building. That'd Flo, the rouge standing out in sym­ suit Flo to a T. ^ metrically round spots on her chalky The car swerved over, to the curb and cheeks, backed away—Big Mike's gun purred to a smooth stop so the rear concealed in the voluminous squirrel-skin door was exactly even with the yawning sleeves. Her blue eyes were locked with cave of a faded green canopy flaunting the blazing slits that were Big Mike's on its canvassed sides the legend, "Floor and a muscle at the corner of her mouth Show Every Hour." , twitched, as if it. held a hidden spring. She whirled suddenly and ran back un­ A GIRL in a squirrel-skin coat, with a der the canopfy and up the steps. The jeweled butterfly caught in her platinum- blare of a band playing "My Gal Sal," blond hair, was standing just inside the sounded brassily as she opened the door gloomy shelter. She was nervous. You and was cut off with its closing. could tell by the way she kept touching The silver and maroon custom-built a sausagelike ringlet that drooped be­ Cadillac swept away from the curb and

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 74 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN out into the stream of traffic headed beck's guzzling ginger ale for Scotch and north. getting a cut on the bill. . Flo! That , All in all the entire performance had she would do this to him, to Big Mike. taken one and three-quarter minutes. Smiling that smile and taking him for what he was worth. And him not know­ "WHAT'S the gag, boys?" Big Mike ing it. That was. what rankled. Him asked softly. being played for a dumb gimp and not "It's no gag," the slimmest of the men conning to it. And all the while Toki answered. Straight-browed, clear, round biding his time and waiting for a chance eyes, a sensitive flaring nose, he just es­ to step in. Waiting for a haul like this. caped being handsome. It was hard Waiting until the stuff was planted with to say why. Was it the very clearness Zacchus and the all-clear signal had gone ^ of those eyes, as if they had been chosen through. Flo and Toki. Toki and Flo. carefully from a vast selection in an "You won't get away with it, Toki." optician's drawer ? Or was it the immo­ "No?" bility of those'chiseled features, or the "No." lines of the jaw—^too soft, perhaps? "Where you're going it'll be too hot "You wouldn't kid me, would you, to worry about it. If I were you, I'd Tok-i-?" concentrate on saying prayers—if you "No, I wouldn't kid you," Told said. know any." There was a long silence broken only "It may be hot," Big Mike said by the traffic noises and the distant liiel- slowly, "but it won't be too hot for me ancholy "aug—aug—aug" of a paddle- to make a return trip to see you. That wheeler loaded with crated poultrj' and goes for Flo, too. Tell her for me I'll machinery and bolts of bright calico, be seeing her. Soon." going down the Mississippi bound for "Stow it" -. Natchez and Shreveport and New Or­ "I'll square this if it's the last thing leans. I do." Big Mike picked up the speaking "The last thing you'll do will be to tube. kiss the Buckley Bridge good-by." "You in on this, Joe?" "So that's it." Joe looked in the' rear-view mirror "That's it. Now cut the gab. You and away again. Muffled and toneless talk too much." his voice came through the tube. There was this to be said for Big "Whadda you think, Fatso?" Mike, he took it without belly-aching. Fatso! He, Big Mike, being called He didn't bat an eyelash. They trussed Fatso! Flis neck above his collar turned him up with baling wire and weighted an angry mottled shade of red. These him. Weighted him good. So he'd —these pipsqueaks with their patent- stay down. When they carried him over leather hair and their pasty pusses daring to the railing he' even derived a sort of to—why he'd made them. What'd they grim pleasure out of the fact that it took been before he took over'. Poolroom the three of them to do it and that they Johnnies, penny matchers, hanging out breathed heavily, in great, gulping lung­ on corners and cadging drinks in sa­ fuls. loons, and rolling drunks in areaways. Funny, he thought looking up, he'd And Flo. She'd been a hostess at Sae- never noticed before how many stars

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'there were. Kind of pretty. Andtlie now on. it's Criiseppi, see. Mister Cru- sky all pinky in one spot where the' seppi.' Got it!" downtown lights hit it. The grin vanished from the waiter's Tlie three men gave a heave and he face as if it had been wiped with a damp was clear. He woiild've screamed tlien ^ sponge.' - • '/ but he couldn't, becatise thei^e was ad- "Yes, sir," he said hurriedly and, giv­ Iiesive tape over his mouth. ing a jerky little bow, he hastened away There was a splash and a white spray caljing, "A bottle of Mums for Mr! Cru- of water and finally only ever-widening' scppi." He'knew his psychology. ripples mirroring the wavy reflection of Flo relaxed. "Then you did it. No the green channel marker. •, hitch." '';.--• "Aug—aug—aug" w^erit the paddle- •'Li.sten, baby, when I do soiiiething, wheeler bound for Natchez and Shreve-' I do it." '• " -'V •.: \ •' ^' port and Ne.w Orleans.- - • • :' • •• •'You're-sure he's dead?"-. ' '•''^'•'•'Sure, I'n'i sure.: Say, what's'eaiting - THE SILVER aiid maroon Cadil.la'c , •you-any way ?" .nosed up to tlie green canopy. Toki' - •'Nothing. • Only .sitting here waiting •got out and said, "Make it one.'o'clock, like this gave nie the wiinmies. * I kept .. Jde,'',-'slaninied the .'door: and' .watched 'tiiinking suppose .•;'.-suppose- he didii't the fcd'taillight until it-disappeared. He . die. "Suppasing-he,got away somehow. lighted a'cigafette, flipped the-'iiiatch.^ The Way he looked'at-nie. Tt'was like into' the'street,,'inha:led deeply, let'the - . .'•. it.was like'.-'. . it'was 'awful". , . like smoke: dribble "from.; his- nostrils- and, he'd'have:^—• GliV Toki".'; .' it.'was- aw-' . .chucklihgy l)e'went'inside.' '.Hte spun.his" •fiil."'^ - r/, ..• '.^ •' -.. .> - ,- ,:^- \hat • through' the-.'aii-' to ^the check '-girl • •-Tiie guy's dead, I fell you. .In three -'and .walked- down the'fed-carpeted hall •days-thdse^ Mississippi .river cat'll have •to stand for., a' mbmenf looking at' the pickcd-him" clean."\-.^' .'•' " jammed dance floor,'pocket size, andtht .••What if he come up?" " .'•-'"'" -perspiring. Negro band,' and the cavort­ . .' "He won't." ' "' ' ' " ' " '''" '. ' ' ' " ing patrons,'"before-he descended the - -'Did anybody: see-yOu?". ^• •: •,.'. . 'steps on cushiony-, tiptoe and threaded •'Do I lobk like a.gobp?-"."^ . .:" '• his way through the maze of tables and -•'Did he say artything? - About, nie, jabherihg humanity to Flo. .' : ;! -mean?" " ,"r ' ." .:"^-•" ''."••'•, '•: r'- ''v "" •' vHi ya. gorgeous," he said laying "a "He said to tell you. he'd be seeing • proprietary hand on her shoulder; :you, soon." ' •' - j" ' She jumped. "Cripes," she said, "you Flo shivered. "The. way he looked at • scared the" gizzard out of me."' me,'.'- she said. • ' - . • "What you so jittery about?" Toki "Oh, come ofl; it. From now on, bab\', .sat down and signaled to a waiter in a you ain't got a thing on your mind but iiitip Tuxedo. "A bottle of cham­ me. Look, I got .something for you." pagne," he said. . "Best you got in the lie edged a jeweler's box under. the - house." ' table. "Open it under your napkin." ,. The waiter grinned affably.? "Sure Flo lifted the hinged velvet cover and •thing,-Toki." gave a delighted squeal. - Toki's hand shot out and stopped him "Ooooooooh, Toki-!" . . _ -as he prepared to ntove dfif. . "From "Like it,' eh? We'll get you a new

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 76 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN outfit to match and do one pfjhetn ing mighty hard to spit it,up,"- He soup-and-fish joints. Whadda ydusay? ' turned back into the room: "Some­ How about the- Windermere, Satiddy. " thing's heavy on her stomach. She's They're opening up a new night club'. riled; underneath," . « • .' on the top floor. The .Crazy House. I 1 "You talk about that river like it was seen the announcement in "the papers. human,", the woman snapped. / "Get We'll put on tfie dog. This place stinks. started on those nets. Axel Kohler, afore _ Ain't. got no atmosphere. Hey! - I get my dander up." Waiter! '' Where's that there cham­ pagne. We ain't going to .sit around IT WAS dusk. -The hurried bustle of here all our lives." early' Saturday night was accentuated "Yes, .Mr... Cruseppi: Right away, by a cold drizzle of- rain. The streets • Mr. Cruseppi. I'm sorry to have kept ~ were ^capped with umbrellas. Men you waiting, Mr,'_Cruseppi." _ . walked with their, heads down, coat col­ "Oh, Toki, you're wonderful." '^ " lars up, and here and there a woman Toki leaned back and permitted him­ scurried for shelter, with a newspaper self to expand. ^ , • held over her hat. Clerks, salesgirls,- "I'm riding' the crest of the wave, ,. bookkeepers, bundle-laden , shoppers baby, Yes siree, the crest of'the wave." streamed out of the stores and office buildings, hung by straps in the crowded, IT. WAS quiet down in the shanty boat. streetcars, jammed shoulder . against Axel Kohler puffed at his pipe and" shoulder in the busses,, overflowed the squinted at the oil lantern slung from • corners and the yellow concrete safety the cross beam. - - islands. Lights were going out one by "River mighty fidgety," he said. . one in the high," soot-stained, ,rain- -,His wife wiped her hands on her streaked . towers of business,. whose apron and ~ hstened. "It's the wind. ' empty corridors were beginning to echo Been chopping, at the river all day." with the' shufflihg footsteps of bent- " . Axel Kohler puffed on in silence. backed cleaning,women and the slosh of After a-while, he said: sudsy mops and the scrape of buckets "I can feel her swelling. Uneasylike. along the tiled floors. And lights were Like maybe she had got something in going on in kitchens, in homes, in apart-' her craw that wasn't settling any too ments, in the murky back rooms of tav­ well." erns, shining out all over the. city in His wife put her hands oh her ample tiered squares, cliasing endlessly around hips and surveyed him exasperatedly. • and around the . glittering names -on "If you're thinking of getting out of theater marquees, polishing'Xthe white mending those fishing, nets, you've got raincoats of traffic cops and the drenched another think coming.'! She-vvaddled , boulevards which danced with a thou­ over and tapped the homemade-barome­ sand smeary, upside-down"reflections.' ter. "It's steady. This time of year A swell night for a job, Toki thought, there's always wind." going up the steps of the brownstotie , Her husband arose and, shielding his_ front; its iron balustracle glistening and eyes with his cupped hands, peered out wet,. A helluva swell night.' All of the the -dingy window. coppers' warming themselves in lunch "Crested waves," he said, "she's a-try- wagons or . parking their number

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twelves in doorways outta the rain. Oh no tick coming out of it, so it wasn't well, what, the hell. He was in the no pineapple, anyway. bucks or would be soon as Zacchus He gave it an experimental push. It coughed up. He didn't have to worry was heavy. Probably a gift from the none for a while. Tonight was hiS and boys. Bronze, maybe. He took out Flo's night. They were going to eat his knife, slit the package open and lobster tails and drink some of that there spread the flaps. In the bottom of the sparkling Burgundy and have" some of box, half covered with a layer of silt and them little glasses of stuff—cordial was mud, was a roll of baling wire, a jumble it?—after they'd finished putting on the of sash weights and a water-soaked strip feed bag. None of. this apple pie of adhesive plaster. alamode. Roquefort cheese with crack­ Involuntarily Toki took a step back- ers and a cordial, please. That was it. ^yard, his breath hissing out from be­ That was the way the highbrows did it. tween his clenched teeth. For a full Offhandlike. Didn't even have to pop moment he stood there, his eyes glued a gander at the menu. to the parcel, the color slowly draining He opened the door with his latch­ out of his face. Then inch by inch he key and went upstairs. Place smelled backed across the room, felt for the like cabbage. He'd have to look around China knob with his hand, wrenched for something more elite. . Apartment open the door and was out in the hall hotel, maybe. A quiet one. Genteel. But —his heart hammering against his ribs. classy. With a fire escape handy. He went downstairs and knocked on He unlocked the door of his room and . Mrs. Weatherbee's door. Hard. switched on the light. A faded Brus­ Mrs. Weatherbee, a worn, straw- sels carpet, nodescript wallpaper show­ flower of a woman with her hair'strained ing pale oblongs and ovals attesting to tightly back from a worried forehead, the pictorial habits of former tenants, eased her door open a crack and peeped a dirty sock hanging limply from the out nearsightedly, clutching with one open drawer of a cheap, veneered scrawny hand a shoddy Japanese ki­ "dresser, a white iron monstrosity of a mono. bed, its thin mattress veiled by a sleazy . "Yes?" Oh. Mr. Cruseppi! I was pink rayon counterpane with a cigarette just laying down. I declare this weather burn in the center of it, a, table boast­ gets in my bones something terrible, ing a soiled. Crocheted doily and a vase though I'm not one to complain if I do of flyblown artificial roses, and a brown say so mysel—" paper package. "I got a package and I—" Toki stopped. His eyes narrowed. "Oh dear, I hope I didn't break any­ His nostrils dilated like a hound dog thing. It was so heavy. I could've casting for a scent. That package. He died when I dropped it,-and it made the hadn't ordered no package. He ap­ most awful racket. Fit to wake the dead. proached it warily. There wasn't no I thought I—" name on it. No writing. What th— "Who brought it?" Maybe Flo'd sent him something. "A man. I was out in the dining Maybe the boys had bought him a foun­ room setting the plates and'the doorbell tain-pen set with engraving on it like rang. And I answered it. Raining cats they'd done for Big Mike. There wasn't and dogs it was. And there was this

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 78 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN man holding the" package and he:—" up and down the hall and investigating - "What'd he look like?" the deeper shadows. "He was big, and kind of solid fat, "Hello. That you, Joe? Toki speak­ and he had little squitiched-up eyes. I ing. Any of. the boys been looking for remember his eyes because they didn't me? Ain't, eh. VVell, look, don't pick move. They stared right straight ahead me up.tonight. No. No, I got some all the time he was talking. Set, they things to do. If I want you, I'll give was." Mrs. Weatherbee drew her dress­ you a buzz. That's, right. Yeah, I got ing gown closer around her neck. "And a date with Flo. "The Crazy House. wet. He was. wet as water. Looked Yeah. What's that? Yeah, I'm kinda like he, was soaked through. I'll bet hoarse. Got a cold. O. K., Joe.". you could've wrung out every last stitch He replaced,the receiver, sent a prob­ he had on." Mrs. Weatherbee paused ing glatice along the hallway, and started in her recital. "He ... he ... he looked Dack upstairs. He looked over his shoul­ —drowned," she said. der twice before he reached the top and "What'd he say?" he pushed open.his door with his foot "He said, to put the package in your and stood outside flattened against the room and to tell you not to forget he'd jamb, listening, before he went in. be seeing you soon. Why? Is some­ When he opened his door again he thing the matter, Mr. Cruseppi? If was wearing a Tuxedo under his belted I broke anything I'll be glad to—" overcoat and was carrying a satchel. "No," Toki said in a staccato. voice. A heavy one. There was a nick on his "You didn't break nothing. It was chin as if he had shaved not only hastily some . . . some tools I ordered—some but. unsteadily. He stood for a moment wood-working tools." on the threshold and then, went back into Mrs. Weatherbee sighed gratefully. •• his room and took an empty box qfi the "Oh. Well, I'm glad I didn't break any­ table and stuffed it under the bed. He thing." She peered at Toki. "Why switched off the light, looked quickly up you look like you've caught a chill, Mr. and down the hall, went down the stairs Cruseppi. I declare you're real blue. and let himself out into the night. Come in and I'll fix you up a nice cup It had stopped raining but the side­ of hot tea. I declare this weather gets walks were still wet and puddles had right into the marrow. Makes you feel collected where the paving had settled. the nearness of the grave, that's what it An occasional car droned by, its tires does. iCome in and—" making a chszzzzing sound on the slick "No. thanks," Toki said, "I've got a streets. date." He forced his lips into a stiff Toki walked to the corner, turned, semblance of a. smile and left Mrs. went half a block and.entered an alley. Weatherbee shaking her head and "de­ He lifted the lid off a garbage can, claring" to herself. x • snapped the catch on the satchel and up­ ended it. There was a'series of dull TOKI WENT DOWN the hall, put a thuds. Swiftly he. replaced the lid, nickel in the coin box of the telephone closed the satchel and retraced his steps. and dialed a number. He stood with At the corner he hailed a roving cab. his back against the wall and his body "The Windermere," he said as he rigidj only his eyes were alive, darting climbed in.

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE CREST OF THE WAVE 79 The thing to do was to keep your of the boys, Probably Joe. Or Nick- _ eyes and ears.peeled and your yap shut; els. Well, let 'im try it again. He'd Toki patted a bulge in his coat pocket. pin his nose up.for him. They wasn't And your safety catch off. It might be going to 'make no booby outta him: the boys'' idea of a joke. Rig some one The taxi crawled up in front of the of' "em out- like Big Mike and send him cream-brick facade of the hotel and a over to see if he crawfished. What was doorman resplendent in plum livery and it Mrs. Weatherbee had said? He gold epaulets' opened the door with a looked—drowned. The old bat cotildn't practiced twist of his wrist. Toki got see -worth a hoot without her si^ecs. out and put the satchel on the sidewalk. Like as .not it was one of the boys. He paid the fare and waved away tlie You'd think they'd have stuck around nickel change with a lordly gesture. to watch .though, wouldn't you ? There The doorman picked up the satchel. wasii't no • point in giving the box to - ,"ril carry it," Toki said quickly. Mrs. Weatherbee., Besides it was too . "'-Be glad, to help -you, sir.".. damn risky. She -mighta took it on "I'll carry it. It ain't heavy^" herself to 0])en it. Where'd :thcy get .. "Yes, sir." The doorman gave him :them sa.sh " weights, anyhow?; ^ He'd ati odd,look. .' -/•'•',• •• .,-.'-', .'a' swore the ones they used on Big . Toki took the.bag. and nearly dropped "Mike was'the last of the lot., What was . -.it". Foi-one_'spinning.minute-he thought •:it she'd' said. he; said—tell >him not' to ' he was going' to bgsjck:.and his knees: •forget I'll be seeing him. soon. - -.- "^^ fek^as if.-th^y,\.were'-filled -\vkh milk. foki straightened his lips into'a.knife- . '.He gapecifooli silly -at the. satchel.: his edged line; When you: was dead; you -moiitli tightened info a hideou.scarto'pn was dead. That's all .there was to it.- of a-smile.'and,-nioyihg as if his iedt ' Tliere wasn't no way of getting aroimd :• :-were • lejadeiiv he : maneuvered the steps !it. He'd- had a aunt wheii hel,\vas a - arid disappeared;' through the. revolving - kid who used to claim .she saw. spooks.: doors:\ • . -...| -;.••;• v '.'-- - ' • '••\'' Used to carry on regular conversations 'with 'eni like they was setting right- ••'W'HAT they won't do. to save a, there,' in plain sight. . And- she'd been dime,':' 4he.doorniaii:observed to the clapped in the nut hatch. - Well,, they :• cab ^driyer. :,'• -'it ain't heavy/'.he miir.r . wasn't • going~ to clap 'him in no niit i icked.' "Not-mivcli,'^it ain't!"; ' He..spat- hatch.'; Big Mikci was dead.- He'd been • oil the pavetiient and rubbed it in with dead for going on to three days and his foot. "Felt like it was loaded wiih when you was dead for-three days and brickbats." rubbing glbows with, river cat "you was "Takes all kinds to mal

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.partner, double-crossed him.- Boy, he's "Not me," the doorman said- "Ghosts got this here second bloke sweating _ is" the bunk:^ Give me something real, buckets?' - ^ ': something that actually happens, some-

The Jiqht faded away above as he sank through'murky water.

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thing I can get my teeth into. West­ Toki hoped Flo had arrived. He erns, now that's my ticket. They're needed company. Needed it l)ad. Arid . stories." he wanted a jolt. A good three fingers. Neat. Clear his head. It felt like it ToKi didn't go through the lobby. was full of flies. Or angleworms. Like He went downstairs to the lower level, his head was a jar and his brains was paused, at a door lettered neatly "Men," squirming around the sides trying to and stalked inside. iHe took the last get out. Like they was alive and mak­ ^stall in the row and waited until a florid- ing snail tracks inside his skull. He'd jowled man finished wiping his hands better get hold of himself. As long as ona paper towel iandieft. Then he put he didn't shoot off his yap he'd be hunky the satchel oii the floor and opened it, dory. Nobody'd know. No matter -^ In-the bottoiii was a roll of baling • whiit, they, wasn't going to clap him wire, some sash weights, and a strip of in no nut batch. They wasn't going to water-soaked adhesive. lace him up the back in one of them He mopped his clammy forehead with sleeveless nightgowns and give him the his handkerchief. The door whished bye bye. They wasn't going to do it! open and someone came in whistling .• There was Flo. Now, easy does it. . merrily, blundered into the last stall, Sweet-talk her. Act natural. Give her said, "Oh, son-y," and retreated. Toki the old sauce and sit tight. Don't keep v/aited until he had gone. Then he gav.'ping over your shoulder: And get» locked the bag, went cautiously.out into a table against the wall. Yeah, smack the gleaming expanse of white tile and against the wall. mirrors and wedged the satchel behind a "Hi ya, gorgeous. Keep yuh wait- low-slung sofa. He went over to .a wash­ ing?" ' _ . . basin and rinsed his face. Flo coqiiettishly lowered one • blue ' -A youth in his early twenties came shadowed eyelid. "Don't you always," in and surveyed him with tipsy glee. she said, dimpling. "You looksh like yoush dwon-dwron- They gravitated toward the elevator drownded," he hiccuped. "Dwronded in and were shot upward by a uniformed the bottom' of the shea." attendant who intoned with -nasal bore­ But Toki had gone. Hurriedly. dom, "The Crazy House, floor show' in The youth's-eyes blurred and with in­ twenty minutes, dinner' from three- tense concentration he re-focused them fifty, check room on your i'ight, watch and stared in ' bewildered puzzlement ,'our steppleasethiscarmakesnostopsgoing around the empty room. down." ' " "Sh'funny," he said musingly, "I Toki checked their wraps, unobtru­ would've shworn there wash a man in sively transferring the .38 from his over­ here.". He held up two fingers and coat to a cleverly designed inner pocket wiggled them before his nose. "Twoo. • of his Tuxedo, while Flo with the aid A grea' big man. An' a eenshy-weenshy of a vanity ca:se applied another layer midde-shized man. Dwroned man . . . of powder on her pert nose. She linked men." A look of vague queasiness over­ arms with Toki and they went down the spread his countenance. He put his thickly carpeted steps into The Crazy hand over his mouth and staggered into House. . • the last stall. It was that literally. Except for a

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 82 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN lurid, surrealist mural over the bar, "Right this way, m'sieu," said the which was doing a tremendous business maitre d'hotel. The only difference be­ at the far end of the room, the walls tween this man and his lowly brethren were solid sheets of mirrors, the kind at Saebeck's, and Kitsy Dikes, and that are so popular with amusement park Roy's Casino was that the maitre d'hotel concession, and whose sole purpose is to capitalized on his psychology. - distort one's image as • grotesquely as Toki ordered a Martini for Flo and possitile. Add to this a red-velvet ceiling a double brandy for himself. "And don't draped like a circus tent, a close-packed die," he told the' waiter. The waiter thicket of zebra-skinned chairs and didn't. He knew a sure thing when • tables, a maze of white shoulders and he saw one. This gink" was good for brocade and satin ^uld taffeta and fire- about three double ones and the lobster- struck jewelry, punctuated by the black tail dinner with an imported wine, and coats of inen, and hazed over with a an excellent chance to pad the bill on flickering sheen of candle shine, and all the side. this bounding and rebounding in carica­ As a matter of fact he was good for tured deformity from the mirrored walls four. They warmed his stomach and —and you can well imagine the. effect ' relieved the constricted feeling across was indeed all that the decorator had his chest. They acted as a sporoiic and striven for. Yea, and full measure, and lulled his subconscious into a sense of pressed down, and running over. security. Flo squeezed Toki's arm delightedly. . When he'd dumped out .them sash "It's the berries," she said. weights there was probably some stuck The maitre d'hotel advanced with.re­ in the bottom, or something; . Musta mote hauteur. He bowed from the been. After all he hadn't se^ nothing waist. had he? It was like circumstantial evi­ "You have a reservation ?" The man­ dence, more or less. Hearsy mostly. ager had sent him up from below to add And any goof knew you could beat the tone to the proceedings and he was— rap every time on circumstantial evi^ as a result—in none too good a humor. deiice. He was Toki Cruseppi, wasn't "No," Toki said. "But I want a he? The boss. Sure he was. He table against the wall/' didn't have to take shenanigans from The maitre d'hotel shrugged ex­ anybody. Dead or alive. pressively. "I am sorry but I am afraid He even danced with Flo. And en­ there is nothing available." He brushed joyed it. And he ordered the lobster- an imaginary fleck from an impeccable tail dinner with the imported wine. And coat sleeve and waited. ate it. And he was entertained by the floor show, although in his own opinion TOKI EXTRACTED a bill from his wal­ they wore too many clothes. And he ac­ let and folded it carefully so that the tually remelnbered to order Roquefort denomination was uppermost. The cheese and crackers and a cordial with­ --maitre d'hotel assumed a thoughtful'ex­ out having to refer to the menu. pression. Flo was having the time of her'life. "But, perhaps," he said, "someone has When balloons had appeared she had turned in a reservation." popped the nearest ones with her ciga­ The bill changed hands. rette. Her blond hair was spangled

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with multi-colored confetti and the "I'm sick," Toki said harshly. "I'll bracelets on her bare arms tinkled to­ be back in a minute," and he fled, heed­ gether and sparkled red and green and less of the sea of questioning upturned violet when she threw serpentine at the faces, of the dancers, of the tables, of other tables. She wished the other anything at all except the wild desire to tables would throw some back at her. get away—as far away as he could— And she had a hat of cone-shaped crepe from where he was. paper with rosettes pasted on it. Toki He jabbed the elevator button sav­ had one, too. agely. Again and again. She twisted her neck so slie could see He had to get that bag outta the their irregular reflections, in the mirrors. men's room, too. It had his initials on She giggled. They looked like dwarfs. it and, if it was turned in, and the house Little bitty. The hats hardly showed. dick saw tliem weights, and got to in­ She punched Toki. quiring around, and if the bee was put' '"Look at us," she said, "we're all on him— He felt like he was hollow scrooched up." inside and somebody had poured fizz Tolci obediently swiveled his head to­ water in the hole. Big Mike! It ward the wall. And the fatuous smirk couldn't have been Big Mike. Big Mike vanished from his face. Not all at once, was dead. Cold as a cucumber. But but gradually, as if it had melted by it zvas Big Mike. And he'd looked at degrees, or had slipped, or been jarred, him outta- them marble eyes just like from its moorings. he'd looked at Coky Gallagher when Drifting toward him through the mir- Coky had held out on some pf the num­ mor was the figure of a man, his lips bers. And two days later Coky had parted in a frightful, gloating grin. He been found doubled up in a trunk in the moved slowly with a curious buoyant check room at Union Station. lift and his scant hair stood about his It couldn't have been Big Mike. But head and was wafted gently back and it was. It zvas. Where was that ele­ forth as if it were washed by invisible vator? He pressed his thumb on the ripples of water. His features had the buzzer and held it there. swollen stretched appearance of the The metal door clanged open to emit drowned and the pallor of his skin was a stream of chattering people. Toki was accentuated by a mottled bluish tinge. the only one going down. There was a fragment of muddy weed The elevator plummeted to the lower like a makeshift patch plastered over one level and Toki lurched out and in the , of the small piglike eyes. The figure direction of the washroom. The attend­ came on, deliberately, and, when it was ant sniffed. Keep his finger on the separated from Toki by only a thin layer buzzer would he. He knew how to take of glass, it began to raise its dripping ' care of those babies. Let 'er ride, hands, the pudgy finger's curved to fit straight down the shaft, and bring 'er smoothly around Toki's throat. up short. Look at 'im wobble. Phftt, There was a crash, the brittle sound stick your finger on the buzzer again of splintering crystal, and Toki, pale as sometime, buddy. death, faced the amazed Flo across the The men's room was vacant. Toki overturned table. A bevy of waiters let the door swing to behind him and materialized, apparently from thin air. leaned against it breathing deeply. UN—6

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED S4 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN drops of perspiration beaded his brow, his voice a shrill, babbling squeal of and his tongue was heavy and thick and horror. glued to the roof of his mouth. Over The figure, came on. Relentlessly. and over the words chased through his And Toki's very, brain reeled with the mind in an endless circle of monotony— damp river smell.that seemed to perme­ "Big Mike—he had to get outta here ate the atmosphere. His hip struck —get that bag—and get out. Big Mike a washbasin, he stuinbled, and would —it tOas Big Mike—get the bag—and have, fallen if he had not been gripped get out—" firmly by two icy hands that slowly, in­ The light glared from the white walls exorably forced his head down, down, and ricocheted from the tiled floor. .down, into the soap-scummed water of Wadded paper towels spewed from the the bowl. wire baskets and one of the basins was .. He kicked out frantically and his arms filled with stagnant water. The room • flailed in a vain endeavor to grapple was odoriferous with tobacco, and dis­ with . his unseen adversary. But his infectant, and liquid soap, and of stale, struggles were impotent on the shad­ exhausted air. owy mist that surrounded him;—a mist Toki swayed over to the sofa and as intangible as river fog. dragged it out from the wall. He There was a succession of gurgles, the grasped the handle of the satchel and water spilled over the sides of the basin tugged it free, and splashed on the floor. Toki's'limbs There was a click and the lights went twitched once, twice, and went lax. And out. there was silence, except for the dlop- dlop—dlop oi dripping water. TOKI froze. His eyes strove fran­ tically to pierce the darkness which was "HisY, Where's the light!" The fiorid- illumined only by the dull, red glow of jowled man" was just .a bit tight. ".'By a bulb sliowihg faintly through from the Harry, it's an outrage." He felt for' other side of the frosted transom. ' His ~the switch and snicked it on. "Damned ears sang with the desperate yamriier- outrage that's wha—". His voice tore ing of his heart. raggedly and his complexion changed "Who's there," he called softly. quickly from apoplectic to tubercular. There was no answer. -" Jle blinked at the sprawled form with The satchel slid from his cold hands. its head in the basin. He drew his revolver from his pocket "Good heavens!" he said and wheeled and, pressing close to the wall, began on his heel. His voice could be heard to work his way toward the door. There diminishing down the corridor. "Help! was no sound except that of his own Murder! Police!" He was not the labored breathing. He was halfway type of clientele cherished by innkeep-' around before he saw the form standing ers who want to keep their hotels out by the door waiting for him. ' . of the newspapers. The gun fell with a clang from Toki's nerveless fingers and Toki, his arms FLO POWDERED her nose and rerouged outthrust before him as if to ward off her lips for the tenth time^ Her rhine- the thing confronting him, began to back stone slippers beat an impatient tattoo away, his throat working convulsively, under the table. She consulted the di-

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minufive watch on her wrist and her She collected her coat from the check eyes were angry blue slashes. . girl and went down in the elevator. Well! " This, was the first time in her Maybe Toki was sick like he'd said. So' young life she'd been ditched. Ditched. what? If he had any manners, he'd Plain, 'common, ordinary ditched.. And have sent a bellhop or somebody to tell that waiter hanging around. the table her, and to-'see that she was put in a emptying ash trays, and putting water in cab, and to pay the bill. As far as she the glasses,- ,and rearranging the salt was concerned he could go take a fast cellars. Thought he was going -to get running jump in the reservoir. hauled for the bill, did he. She'd show Little clusters of people stood about" him. - . in the lobby talking excitedly and the She summond him imperiously. manager, looking very harassed, was The only one who was going to get trying his best to break up the groups, hauled was Toki Cr'useppi. .And sure as and. keep them moving. , her name was Flo Davis he; was going, to • There was an ambulance drawn up get hauled, and v\cliat I mean hauled. outside. The "doorman .whistled a cab She'd make him wish he'd never known for her. . > anybody named Flo,pavis, she'd fix him ."What's.the matter," she asked him. so he— She halted her thoughts to "Nothing," he said^. "I guess it's smile sweetly at the hovering waiter. some lame brain's idea of a lark." He'd "I'm afraid my escort has been taken had his instructions direct from the ill," she said demurely. "May I have manager, himself. . - the check?" . - - . Flo climbed in and gave her address. It came to forty-one" fifty. Cripes, The driver folded down the corner of they really laid it on. ""' : ' a page of a,dog-eared copy of a maga­ - Flo put a fifty-dollar bill on the sil­ zine, shoved in the gears, .and they ver salver and said, graciously, "You moved out into the night.' keep the^^change.'' vThat'd show, him^ she wasn't ho two-timer. . . THE METER read three dollars and ten The waiter became suffused with cents when the cab drew up in front cheer. Could he get; modem's coat, of the remodeled flat. Thirty<,cents tip. could-he call the starter" and see that - That left fifty cents. Just enough to modem's car was waiting, could he-—" buy a few lihes. .And Toki'd be ripe •"Thank you, no," Flo said. Modom's, for them when she got through .with car in a pig's eye. Modom's jitney cab him. and it'd better not cost more'n three She ran lightly up the-steps and into" ninety or there was going to be a sore the building. taxi driver. Just wait'U ihe got her A-girl with her hair in tin curlers hands on Toki Cruseppi., Ditched. and a pink bath towel over her arm And raked for fifty- bucks to boot. Just trailed' her froufrou housecoat down the wait. hall of the second floor. . • . She gathered up her long kid gloves "Hi," she said. "Have a gobd time?" and evening bag, arose and swept across "Swell," Flo answered. the floor and up the steps, trying to act.. "My, you're sure all diked out." The as if she were only on her way to the girl sighed enviously. "I don't know powder room. what you've got I haven't got but

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 66 STREET & SMITHES UNKNOWN wliatevcr it is, it's potent.' Go" out with'' i'oom. She always made it a point to - one guy and have anotlier guy send you add, "Suite 2," when she gave her flowers." , '-^ • . address to department stor-cs for a de­ "It's my feminine appea— Flowers?" livery. ' " ~ • "Gardenias. I nearly snuffed a'hole She turned on the lamps, threw her in the hox. You get gardenias and I'm coat across the flowered-.brocatelle arm lucky if my boy frieiid buys me a bunch of a chair and went into her bedroom. of cloth daisies for my la.st year's coat." Flo really prided herself .on her.bed­ "When did "they come ?" room. It had been.Hfted bodily out of ' "About half-hour after you left. I the Louis Quirize section at Stix, Baer put them out on. my window sill so & Fuller and was, as Flo said, a diljy. they'd keep. Just a sec and I'll get To be sure the brocade drapes were them." - The girl gave her a knowjng streaked frpiii the radiator, and the van­ look atid she went olT down the hall ity had a-whitish'irregular.splotch.oil its, saying, "Ahytime-you want to give, me inlaid top \<'i3ere she had spilled. iiaiK lessons,'dearie, holler."" ,' • "• polish remover, but»it still looked like Half an. hour after she'd left.' Tbki the" kind -of bedroom 'that niiffht have •hadn't,; sent • them',' then.-' • Who had ? belonged to Madaiiie DuBain-y. 'Flo was Could it\be that nian iii the Buick coupe a bit hazy as to Madame ;DuBarry's' who'd given her-a ride-home that daj' ideiitity- •anywaya king- had"been ga-ga si re 'd gone - to the.; iiiati nee' at the' Bi j oux-, , about her, aiid .that;;was':cnough 'recb'ni-' • or the troiiib6he':'piayer'at -SaelSeck's;' inendation! for "Flo; •;'',-• - J': •:; '^.."' ^' >s. He'd had-'a.'crush "on' • her • for. • a'ges-^ • She krsuaily.-walked ;ia'nguitlly raroun'd • scared of-Big .Mike,' tlibugh.' Big Mike. 'her bedrp'oin-when'^she. came'in,- dr.op-';' He used: to- say,' "'Elifah! - - Gardenias! ])ing- fi'ill\v I'leajSs.'of -^clothing. Ii^.re .and C Smell lik'e• fti'nerals.-'' JFlo -felt a >little ' tJiere!.'"' If''.gave'jher- a^'sense- of'iuxury, ; chain of goose; pimples quiver along'hei" even if she -would -lia-v^e to pick 'thenv up spine. .She wondered if she'd ever for­ •her.self'r'in'> the iiionhihg. .•.—'•;'.•• ".i • get tlVe \yay Big Mike hacl looked at Biit tbiiight' she'-di'dn't: botherr"' -Her . her. It Was enough to give you the i-'cseiitn'ieht at •Tokirmonielitarily shelved;' bejums.->She pulled' h.ers6lf together at •she' .siiajiped' o'n ; th'e ro'sc si Ik. bed "laliip' the j"/(j/>; slap of i-eturning bedroom slip-'' •and procee'decl-witliout further; delay: to pers.' Well, \i.'hoever'd .sent 'em would opeii' the flpri'st's" box.: = .'She-, lifted', the ' have piit a card iii the box. ' -'' "•- • • gardenias out .and liuiited-for the card: She accepted the white pasteboard •There wa' s / none• . .She shook the paper carton with careless "n'onclialaiice.' ' , and ransacked the carton'and even poked "Sure," she 'said, llanytime. Five aniong the silver stemsand creamy j^etals bucks a lesson.' Give me a knock When of the cor.s'age.- -Thei-e simply wa.sii"t a you're through with thestub, will you?" .card. Any.vvhc're. "Oke doke, I'll leave the water run­ That was damned queer. If you sent ning." . ;• , '• "' '• "" ' somebody flowers, you wanted to get the credit for it, didn't you? Unless FLO LET her.self-into her suite. She it "Was. the man iii the Buick coiipe. called it a suite to distinguish it from Maybe he was married or something., the other apartments whose' boiidpirs You'd think he'd have written-a line on •pulled'down from a elo.set in the living it though, wiouldn't 3"6u? • Like,-"here's

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE CREST OF THE WAVE 87 to the Bijoux," or, "To an enjoyable down here and write that on her mir­ ride," or something like that. You ror? That wasn't like Toki. But he couldn't tell about married men, though. must have. Why? Why? What was They were cagy. They might want to her funeral ? Was this his way of telling eat cake but, by gosh, most of them her she was washed up? That there were darn careful they were going to was somebody else? It looked—^it keep what cake they had at home, too. looked nasty hanging there in midair Well, whoever it was would turn up. like that. Damn those gardenias. They They always did. did smell like funerals. They did! If She'd wear her black crepe tomor­ Big Mike wasn't dead—but he was dead row. They'd look well on black, and —his eyes that night she'd—she'd the fox furs, and that ofF-the-face tur­ stood there under the canopy—but he ban with the veil. was dead. He was. He had to be. . She slipped out of her gown and into There was a rap on the hall door. a full-skirted moire negligee. And With an immense effort Flo said, "What she'd wear the diamond bracelet Toki is it ?" Her voice quavered and broke. had given her, over her gloves like in "Your bath's running." the ads. "Thanks." She took a jar of theatrical cold cream "What's the matter? You sound and a container of tissues off the shelf kind of shaky." of the closet and walked across to her "Nothing. Nothing at all. See you dressing table to light the tall, thin, in the morning." lace-shaded lamps pn'either side of the "Oke doke. 'Night." scrolled mirror. And she'd wear her "G'night." new doeskin pumps and her— She gave Flo took a handful of tissues and a stifled gasp and the jar of cream fell wiped the mirror frenziedly. The from her grasp, bounced off the grained words smudged and ran together. An­ wood and rolled bumpily around on the other handful, another and another and, rug. finally, there was no trace except for On the mirror was written in bold, faint pinkish film. She sat down on blood-red letters, "It's your funeral." the Frenchrblue bench and stilled the A lipstick, its scarlet tongue blunted, lay trembling of her lips with a cold fore­ on the table top. finger. There was no sense in getting ex­ FLO LOOKED wildly around the room cited. It was some of Toki's doings and back at the scrawled words. The and that's all there was to it. He just cloying scent of gardenias arose chok­ had a perverted sense of humor. She'd ingly in her nostrils. Her head swam make him wish it" was his funeral. and she gripped the edge of the table to She'd knock his props for him! Lord, retain her balance. those gardenias. They made her sick Who? Her door was locked. No­ to her stomach. body had a key, except Toki. Toki She put them outside on the window had one. Big Mike had one. But he sill. was dead. Toki. Toki must have done And nuts with a bath. She wasn't it. Why? Why would he do a thing dirty. And, besides, the masseuse at like that? Had he ditched her to come the Adelphia Turkish Baths said that

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too many of thein weren't good for your hitched up her covers. skin. Dried it out. She'd turn the —Tink—tink—iiitk—, ,' water ofif and nuts with it. What she Mi-s. O'Donnell sat up and listened. needed was sleep. She wanted to be in Tink—tink-^tink—-tinkiink—tink— fine fettle tomorrow when she saw Toki. She switched on the light. A dark, She'd funeral him! wet- stain was spreading over Mrs. She wrapped her negligee around her O'Donnell's ceiling and a miniature pond . and went out and down the hall into the was collecting, drop by drop, on Mrs. ' bathroom. O'Donnell's pillow. The place was black as pitch. Gladys Her lips blew, out in an exclamatory must have turned on the taps full tilt. poof, and she got out of bed with an Couldn't hear yourself think. Smelled alacrity astonishing for one of her pon­ like the pipes could stand some cleaning. derous bulk, to shrug into a sliabby A muddy, river smell. Dank. Where bathrobe and stuff her archless feet into was the light chain? ... broken-down Daniel Greens. She felt in one of her quilted pock­ These boarders! Forget to tur)i the ets, found, a paper packet of matches lights out, forget to close the windows and struck one. so that most of the time she was heat- The door closed behind her. Softly, >mg up all outdoors, and the- bathtub! Easily. ' - " This would make the third time in six She whirled. Thejiiatch burned her months. Did they care how mvich a .nngers. She dropped it and tore off plasterer charged. Did they care if the .another. It broke in the middle. ceilings fell down ? Did they_care about "Gladys?" ' anything ^but their own sweet selves? There was no answer. Not them! She'd bet dimes to dill "Who is it?" she said hoarsely, tear­ pickles it was that Flo Davis again. ing at the matches. But there was no The worst of the lot. Shiftless, no reply—only the rush of water into the 'count. What did Flo Davis care if tub. -. the ceiling fell down and killed innocent A third match flamed and this time people, not to speak of tlie mess after Flo didn't know when it burned her the plasterer got through, and the prices fingers. She v/as conscious of nothing he charged! but the blotched, bloated features of the man moving toward her with drip­ Mumbling and muttering, Mrs. ping outstretched arms. She couldn't O'Dpnnel climbed the stairs and padded even shriek. She tried. But her voice down the hall to the bathroom. Water was locked fast in her throat. The was seeping along the baseboards and match burned'down to the end, flared, the runner was a soggy mush. and went out. . Mrs. O'Donnel bunched her night­ gown and bathrobe around her knees, Tink—link—tink— -. opened the bathroom door, felt blindly, Mrs. O'Donnell broke off in the mid­ for the light chain, and gave it a violent dle of a snore, turned over in her niarri- yank. - - . moth bed and began on a different note. . The^bunched clothing unbunched and Tink—link—tink— fell to her ankles where it sloshed loosely She wrinkled her nose sleepily and in the running water. Mrs. O'Donnell

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put a hand on the wash bowl.to steady" ing a blue-serge suit believed to be wet.'" herself, and ^without taking her gaze ' And a 'dame had jumped out of a from the-bathtub, she began to scream window,-or been pushed, during a. party methodically, evenly, and with monoto­ and another dame had slipped in a bath­ nous persistence. tub and knocked herself out long enough • ' ^ - ' . • to get drowned. He'd had a .fare last THE MORNING sun tried its best to night at that second address. Or ne^r pjerte the-gray sky and did succeed in it.' Some looker. Acted like she knew striking a brass}' response from the por­ her way aroimd town.. He'd bet she tals of the Windermere.before it retired didn't fall in no bathtub. .Not that babe.' for the day behind its conglomerate layer Not^unless there was a bunch of pearls ^ of sulphurous clouds, gasoline fumes and , or a stack of dollar bills in the bottom coal smoke. . • of it.. He^ wondered if it was triie that The cabby looked up fropi his paper there were more' deaths caused in bath­ and frowned. One dumb day, if you tubs tfi'an . automobiles. He grinned. asked him. Dead as ditch water. Quiet He'd have to Yell that to the old lady as an old maids parlor. The funnieis ""next Saturday. weren't even any good. Same brand of The jewel robbery had been solved. news, too. A fence named Bacchus—criminently the Fire on Tenth Street. The regular names some of these birds sportedr—• run of accidents. The Windermere had had been catight with the goods. Only managed to keep their little accident out one piece missing, a bracelet. of the papers, he'd noticed. • Some pull. And the ads. Pages of 'em. Sears Shucks,'he couldn't blame them, though. were having a sale. . The old lady was It wasn't their fault a bloke with a skiz- griping for a new ice box. Maybe, he'd zler full had to pass out face down in get her one. Christmas was coming. a washbasin.. And one of those shanty boat dodos— And, let's see. ,a streetcar smash-up, Krohler was it?—-Kohler—had caught a and a beer truck, and the usual school • , stiff in his fishing net. Haw, bet that bus and train, and a hit-and-run in a played hob with your breakfast, brother. silver-and maro.on Cadillac. Two people, And the. weather. Clear tomorrow, killed outright. Joe Somebody and not much change in temperature. River Nickels Somebody-else. The guy driv­ 40.8, 40.8, 40.8, calm. ing had escaped. . Well, he wouldn't The cabby put the paper alongside. istay escaped with that car and that de­ him on the seat, pulled his hat down scription. Big and fat with small eyes, over his eyes, scounged on the back of he'ight five-ten, weight two-fifty, wear­ his neck, sighed gustily, and slept.

THE -END.

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 90 THE HOWLING TOWER hy FRITZ lEIBER JR.

. • ' \ . 9 On all that bleak plain,, there was •'You"ve been, over these plains many nnly a hrnkcn old tnwcr—that howled! times' before," Fafhrd said to him, V ''•.' \ ' ^ •' • •speaking the guttural- language of the Illustrated by M. Isip . ' ' guide. "That's why we've asked you • • - ' to sho\y us the way. You must know THI: SO.U.ND was not loud,, .y.et- it this country well." The last six words seemed 10 fill the wliolc vast, darkening . pointed the question. . . plain, and- the "palely luminous, hollow The guide, gulped, nodded jerkily. . -sk}'. A wailiiig and howling,-so faint • "I've heard it before, not.so loud;" he and monotonous ;that;;it.,might;h%e beeh' said ill a quick, vague voice. "Not at _ "inaudible save for the pulsing-rise and . this- time of year.-' Men "have been ' , fall.' " Aiv ancient,' Ominous: 'sound;' thai;. known to vanish. There- are ' ..stories. -w'as somehow^ in'harinon'y Vvith the wild,' ;:^hey say meii; hear-if jn their~dreams . sparsel}':.vegetated lahdscape'';."and ".the and are liired away.^7-npt"a;.good'sound."' straiige. ;barbaric.'garb.bf thc'tliree liien , • ."'No .'wolf's' a good wolf,"/ru'nibled ... • —;\vlio sheltered-"in" a- littlV; dip. in.'"th"e;. "Fafhrd 'aVnus'edly. ' "., ' .'.-•.^'';'., .';... .•, ground, lying.close'to~a dying, fife;'•-•.':' •" ".W'olve.s,' would-.-you "say, "Fafhfd?" :• It .was still light enough for , the ; questioned, the' small- man. •-••'•-•j^-'. ;,-,- ,- Mquserto catch .the obstinate, guarded . - The tall, barbarian'.raised'.himself on Look on'the giiide's'face.as he answ.ered.-• one elbow;:and" pushed Tback his'.long,'; .- !'I. neyer-.saw, a wolf ,in these parts, • iangled,.--c.oppef "hair to" listen ' better. .-.nor;spoke with a^inaii \yho..kiljed .one.". ."Mis shaggy cloalc .'fell away"from his He paused, then rambled .off- abstract- •'mas.sive shoulders. "Firelight, gleamed. ' cdly. -"They, tell; of, an .old tower ,,sonic,r. ' - on a brooch of beaten gold" and a brass ..wli.ere oCit on tlie .plains. They ,sa)Cthe dagger poiiuu'el;; glinted in his "somber sound,, is...strongest- there."^..' I.,ha.v,e'-not.' green eyes. • .After a while he lay back. seeii.it., -They say—;", /:..• ...... ; , "-Wolves-, perhaps. •I have beard.theiii : .,; AbrujJtly he stopped. - He. was not howl that way-on "the Gold Waste when -trembling, now ; seemed withdrawn -into ^ they hunted me down. Yet. there's'a .1 himself.' The Mouser prodded him dilTerencc, Gray. Mouser.'" -with a few tempting question.s, but,the. The Mouser pulle.d his gray woolen answers 'were a littleniofe than mouth cloak closer around him."" Then "they noises, neither aftirmative nor negative. looked at the third man, who had'not The fire glowed through white ashes, • spoken. The third man was meanly died. A little" wind rustled the scant - clad,.and his cloak was a little ragged • grasses. The sound had ceased now, or and the scabbard of his short sword was else-it had sunk so deeply into their frayed. With surprise, they saw that minds that it was no loiiger audible. his eyes stared, white circled, from his The- Mouser, peering sleepily o.ver the pinched. le"athery face and that he trem­ himiped' horizon, of Fafhrd's great bled. cloaked body, turned his thoughts to far-

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YJBU'M iriml it ynBUffself ftls lime, WazariS"

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 92 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN off, many-taverned Lankhmar, the late summer sunset came, they made homeland to which he and Fafhrd were camp and munched carefully broiled loin seeking to return, leagues and leagues and crisped bits of fat. away across alien lands and a whole un­ The Mouser sucked his lips and fin­ charted ocean. The limitless darkness gers clean, then strolled to the top of a pressed down. small nearby- hummock to survey the Hne of their next day's march. The sun NEXT MORNING.the guide was gone. haze that had curtailed vision during Fafhrd laughed and made light of the the afternoon was gone now, and he occurrence as he stood stretching and could peer far-over the rolling, swelling snuffing the cool, clear air. grasslands through the cool, pellucid air. . "Foh! I could tell these plains were At that moment the road to Lankhmar , not to his. liking, for all his talk of hav­ did not seem so long, or so weary. Then ing crossed them,seven times. A bundle his sharp eyes spied an irregularity in of superstitious fears! You saw how .he the horizon toward which they were quaked when the little wolves began to tending. Too distinct for trees, too howl. My word on it, he's run. back to evenly shaped for a rock; and he had his friends we left at the last water." • seen no trees or rocks in this country. The Mouser, fruitlessly scanning, the It stood out sharp and tiny against the empty horizon, nodded. _Indeed, there pale sky. No, it was built by inan; a seemed no other.'explanation. To have tower of some sort. 'gotten away without waking them, the At that.moment the sound returned. man must liave crept with intentional It seemed to come from everywhere at nojselessness. The Mouser felt through once; as if the sky itself were wailing his pouch. faintly, as if the wide, solid ground were •'Well, at least he's not robbed us— baying mournfully. It was louder this except for the two gold pieces we gave time, and there was in it a strange con­ Iiim to bind the bargain." fusion of, sadness and tlireat, grief and Fafhrd's laughter pealed and he menace. thumped the Mouser between the shoul­ Fafhrd jumped to his feet and waved der blades. The Mouser caught him his arms wildly, and the Mouser heard by the wrist, threw him with a twist and him bellow out in a great, jovial voice, a roll, and they wrestled on the ground •'Come, little wolves, come and share until the Mouser was pinned. our fire and singe your cold noses. I "Come on," grinned Fafhrd, spring­ will send my bronze-beaked birds wing­ ing up. "It won't be the first time we've ing^ to welcome you, and my friend will traveled_stfange country alone." show you how a slung stone can buzz They tramped far that day.. The like a bee. We will teach you the mys­ springiness :o| the Mouser's wiry body teries of sword and ax. Come, little enabled him to keep up with Fafhrd's wolves, and be guests of Fafhrd and the long strides. Toward evening a whir­ Gray Mouser!" ring arro>v from Fafhrd's bow brought The huge laugh with which he ended down a sort of small antelope with deli­ this challenge drowned out the alien cately ridged horns. A little earlier they sound, and it seemed slow in reassert­ had found a clear, unsullied waterhole ing itself, as though - laughter were a and filled their skin bags. When the stronger thing. The Mouser felt

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE HOWLING TOWER 93 cheered, and it was with a light heart prints and found them.- They were that he told Fafhrd of what he had seen, wide-spaced, made by a man running. and reminded him of what the guide had : Toward midday he found a water- said about the noise .and the tower. ~ hole, lay down .to drink and rest a little. Fafhrd only laughed again and A short way back he had again seen guessed. "Perhaps the sad, fiirry ones Fafhrd's prints. Now he noted another have a den there". We shall find put to­ set in the soft earth: not'Fafhrd's, but morrow, since we go that way. I would roughly parallel to his. They were at like to kill a wolf." ' ' least a day older, wide-spaced, too, but The big man was in a jolly mood and a little wobbly. From their size and would not talk with the Mouser about shape they might very well have been serious or melancholy things. Instead, made by the guide's sandals; the mid­ he sang drinking songs and repeated old dle of the print showed faintly the.mark tavern jokes, chuckling hugely and of thongs such as he had worn about claiming that they made him. feel as the instep. ' " '• . drunk as wine. He kej3t up such an in­ The Mouser loped doggedly on. His cessant clamor that the Mouser could pouch, wrapped cloak, water bag, and not tell whether the strange: howling had weapons were beginning to feel a bur­ ceased', though he rather imagined he den. The tower was appreciably closer, heard it once or twice. Certainly it was although the sun haze masked any de­ gone by the time they wrapped them­ tails. He calculated he had almost cov­ selves up for sleep in the wraiithlike star­ ered half the distance. " . . light The slight successive swells, in the prairie land'seemed as endless-as those NEXT MORNING Fafhrd was gone.. in a dream. He noticed them not so Even before the Mouser had halooed for ^much by sight a:s by the infinitesimal him and scanned the nearby terrain, he hindrance and easing they gave his lope. knew that his foolish, self-ridiculed The little low clumps of bush and brush fears had become certainties. He could by which he measured his progress were still see the tower, although in the flat, all the same. The infrequent gullies yellow light of morning it seemed to of erosion were no wider' than could have receded, as though it were seeking, be taken in a stride. Once a coiled to evad.e him. He even fancied he saw greenish serpent raised its flat head from a tiny moving figure nearer to the tower the rock oh which it was sunning and than to him. That, he knew, was only observed his passing. . Occasionally imagination. ' The distance was .too ^grasshoppers yvhirred oiit .of his path.. great, Nevertheless, he, wasted little fime He ran with his feet close to the ground in swallowing^ some cold meat, which to conserve en'ergy, yet- there .was a still had a savory taste, in wrapping up characteristic leap to his stride, for he some more for his pouch, and in taking was used to matching that of a taller a gulp of water. Then he set out at a man. The flat nostrils, of his.snub nose long, springy lope, a pace he knew he flared wide, sucking and expelling air. could hold for" hours. . The wide mouth was set. There wa^-a At the bottom of the next swell in grim, fixed look to the' black eyes above the plain he found slightly softer ground, the wide-boned, browned cheeks. He cast up and down it for Fafhrd's foot­ knew that even at his best'he would be

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 94 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN hard put to equal the speed in -Fafhfd's .trees, the suggestion of fences and paths rang)'; long-inuscled frame. , , - .and ruts—all conibined to give-the im­ Clouds sailed in from the north, cast­ pression that human life hadonce been ing great, hurrying shadows over land­ here.but had long since departed. Only scape, finall}' blotting out the sun alto­ the great stone tower, with its air of gether. He' could see the tower better , obstinate solidity, and with sound pour­ now. It was of a darkish color, with ing frolii it or seeming to pour from it, darker specks that might be small win­ was alive. dows. . ..•••• The Mouser,' pretty .well winded, It, was while, he was, pausing atop a though not shaky, .now changed his rise for a breathing .spell that the sound course and ran in an oblique direction • refconimenced, taking - hirn> unaware, to take; advantage, of the coveV provided sending a shiver over his, flesh..: Itmight by a thin line .of trees and wind-blown .have been, the low. clouds.that gave; it ;scr,ub.; Such caution _was second nature greater'power and an eerie, •echoing ;with him. .: All liis-instincts clamored :quality. • It • niight,'have been, his bejng against' .tlie ]5pssibility of meeting a Ayo\i . alone ihat.jnade;it seern^ less, sorrowful jjr hound -pack; on -open groiind. ^ -and moremenacing. Bii.t it.w,as:unde-. ; He had; worked:hisway.;past, and. part' .niably louder.- aijcl its rhythmic swells ; .way around the. tower .before, he -capie . •canic like,g;reat:"g.dsts bf;.wi,nd/ •.-::.; .':..;.',.;tp.th'e;'cbncluston.that-.there--was;". o h'ne.".. • The MQuser hail .coiihtcd ;dn; reacljing- of;,c6ncealment..:leading.all:the :way up, tlie t'ower;by.:sunset;,-^'Biit.tlle.early^ap- • 'to ct.he b"ase:':-,,-?It:. stood -.a little '.aloof- f.rbni •; ;pearahce .of-.tile. souiKlr.upsetjIiisj.calcii- the ,ruins .a);;puiid--it,>isolated. .. / ./ ;j; : latibns an_d did. not bo.de'well for Fafhrd.' • %,-• ...The; Afousgr .paus^^^ in the ;shelter. af- 'His, judgment';tQld.iTJm;heVcpuld;cover '• . forded. ...by / a ; \yeailher-'silvered, buckled the rest .of,the distance: at something like outbuilding;, 1 aiitomatically,; ; searehed ."top!speed. Instantly lie;came to.-^a,,deci- about-until he fpiind a couple;of sntall :'sion. He. .tossed ;his ibig-pciuch,',water - 'stones .whose , w'eig,Ht; siiited : liisj sling. .skin, bundled cloak,,.sword,.and harness •ITis.stiirdy chest stijl.worked like a.b'cl- ; into ^a .clump .of; bushes ;'. kept ^only" his "Ipws," drinking ,air.,-, Then he .peered , 'ilight inner: jerkin, -.long.-dagger,. and- ,,around a. corner; at. the tower 'and stood • 'sling. . TJius. lightened, .'.lie .spurjted: the're .crouche,d; a little, frowning.,;. : ahead,' feet flying...; TJie'lg.wicloiids, dairk- . It was, iipt :as high as -he h'ad ^thought; .'ened. .-A; few, drops of rain .spattered; five:sto;fies or,.,perhaps'^^ six. , .The na.r- • He kept his eyes on ihe'groimd; watch- .• row . w:indows . vyere .irregiilarly placed, . iug for inequahties,and; slippery spots. atjd .did not,give any .clear ide'a of inner ;The sound seemed to intensify^and; gain ; coftfprniation. , The stones. ,were^,. l.arge . new unearthliiiessof timbre .with every .and rudely . hew.n';. seemed firmly, set, boun'ding stride he took forward. - T save for those. ;pf the battleinent,. whi.ch had, shifted .somewhat. Almost- facing AWAY from the tower the plain had .him was the.dark, uninformatiye rectan­ . been empty and vast, but here it ivas gle of a doorway. . . . - .. d.esolate.. . The sagging or, tumbled There was no., rushing such a place, wooden outbuildings, ' the .":• domestic ,-vvas,the :Mouser's..,thought; no sense in -grains and lierbs run wild and, dying . rushing a place that had; rip sigh of tie- ; out. the lines of. stunted and toppled fenders.. There Avas.no way. pf getting

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at it unseen; a watcher on the battle­ Looking at it as it lay there denting ments would have noted his approach the ground, he grinned for the first time long ago. One could only walk up to that day—almost laughed in relief. it, tensely alert for unexpected attacks. And so the Mouser did that. THE SILENCE was profound, startling. Before he had covered half the dis­ It occurred, to the Mouser that the tance his sinews were taut and strain­ sound had ceased utterly. He glanced ing. He was mortally certain that he around the barren, circular interior, was being watched by something more then started up the curving stone stair than unfriendly. A day's running had that hugged the wall. His grin was made him a little light-headed, and his dangerous now, businesslike. On the senses were abnormally clear. Against first level above he found' Fafhrd and— the unending hypnotic baclcground of after a fashion—the guide. But he the howling he heard the splatters of the found a puzzle, too. separate raindrops, not yet become, a Like that below, the room occupied shower. He noted the size and shape the full circumference of the tower. of each dark stone around the darker Light from-the scattered, slitlike win­ doorway. He smelt the characteristic dows dimly revealed the chests lining odor of stone, wood, soil, but yet no the walls, and the dried herbs and dessi- heavy animal smell. For the thousandth cated birds, small mammals, and rep­ time he tried to picture some possible tiles hanging from the ceiling, suggest­ source for the sound. A dozen hound ing an apothecary's shop. There was packs in a cavern underground? That litter everywhere, but it was a tidy lit­ was close, but not close enough. Some­ ter, seeming to have a tortuously logical thing eluded him. And now the dark arrangement all its own. On a table walls were very near, and he strained was a hodgepodge of stoppered bottles his eyes to penetrate the gloom of the and jars, stone basins and mortars, odd doorway. instruments of horn, glass, and bone, The remote grating sound might not and a brazier in which charcoal smol­ have been enough of a warning, for he dered. There was also a plate of was almost in a trance. It may have gnawed bones, and beside it a brass- been the sudden, very slight increase of bound book of parchment, spread open darkness over his head that released the by a dagger set across the pages. taut bowstrings of his muscles and sent . Fafhrd lay supine on a bed of skins him lunging with .catlike rapidity into laced to a low wooden framework. He the tower—instinctively, without paus­ was pale and breathed heavily—^looked ing to glance up. Certainly he had not as if he had been drugged. He did not an instant to spare, for he felt an un­ respond when the Mouser shook him yielding surface graze his escaping body gently and whispered his name. But and flick his heels. A spurt of wind the thing tliat baffled the Mouser was rushed past him from behind, and the the multitude of linen bandages wound jar of a mighty impact staggered him. around Fafhrd's limbs and chest -and He spun around to see a great square throat, for they were unstained and, of stone half obscuring the doorway. when he parted them, there were no A few moments before it had formed wounds beneath. They were obviously part of the battlement. iiot bonds.

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 96 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN And lying beside Fafhrd, so close cackled at the Mouser, pointing a shaky that his big hand touched the hilt, was finger. "You should not be here. I Fafhrd's great sword, unsheathed. killed you. Why else have I kept the It was only then that he saw the great stone cunningly balanced, so .that guide, huddled in a dark corner behind a touch would send it over? I knew the couch. He was similarly, bandaged. you did not come because the sound But the bandages were stiff with rusty lured you. You came to hurt me and stains, and it was easy to see that he to help your freind. So I killed you. was dead. • I saw the stone fall. I saw you under The Mouser tried again to wake the stone.. You could not have escaped Fafhrd, but the big man's face stayed it. You are dead." a marble mask. The Mouser did not And he tottered toward the-Mouser, feel that Fafhrd was actually there, and brushing at him as though he could dis- the feeling frightened and angered him. , sipate the Mouser like smoke. But It was as he stood nervously puzzling when his hands touched solid flesh he •that he became aware of slow steps de­ squealed and stumbled away. scending the stone stair.- Slowly they The Mouser followed him, moving circled the tower. The sound of heavy his knife suggestively. "You are right breathing was heard, coming in regu­ as to why I came," he said. "Give me larly spaced gasps. The Mouser back my friend. Rouse him." crouched behind the table, his eyes glued To his surprise, the old man did not on the black hole in the ceiling through cringe, but-abruptly stood his ground. which the stair vanished. The look of terror in the unblinking The man who emerged was old and eyes underwent a subtle change. The small and bent, dressed in garments as terror was still there, but there was tattered and,uncouth and musty-looking " something more. Bewilderment van­ as. the contents of the room. He was ished and something else took its place. partly bald, with a inatted tangle of gray He walked past the Mouser and sat hair around his large ears. When the down on a stool by the table. Mouser sprang up and menaced him with a drawn dagger he did not attempt "I am not much afraid of you," he to flee, but went into what seemed an muttered, looking sideways. "But there ecstasy of fear—trembling, babbling are those, of whom I am very much shrill, throaty sounds, and darting his afraid. And I fear you only because arms about meaninglessly. you will try to hinder me from protect­ The Mouser thrust a stubby candle ing myself against them—from taking into the brazier, held it to the old man's the measures I know I niust take." He face. He had never seen eyes so wide became plaintive. "You must not hin­ with terror—they jutted out like little der me. You must not." white balls—nor lips, so thin and unfeel­ . The Mouser frowned.. The ghastly ingly cruel. • • , look of terror—and something more— The first intelligible words that issued that warped the old man's face seemed from the lips were hoarse and choked; a permanent thing, and the strange the voice of a man who~has not spoken words he spoke did not sound like lies. for a long time. "Nevertheless, you must rouse my "You are dead. You are dead!" he friend."

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.. THE OLD MAN did not answer this. time. • Eventually there was only one Instead, after one quick glance at the single thin voice left to howl vengefuUy Mouser, he stared vacantly at the wall, at me. Each night I went to sleep, tell­ shaking liis head, and began to talk. ing myself, 'Tomorrow there will be si­ "I do not fear j'ou. Yet I know the lence.' But ^ach morning I was awak- . depths of fear. You do not. Have j'ou ened'by.the cry. Then I forced myself lived alone with //io; sound for years -to take a torch and go down^and peer on years, knowing what it meant? I .through the wicket in the door of, the have. cellar. But though I watched for a long "Fear was born into me. It was, in ' time there was no movement, save that lii}' mother's bones and blood.. And in of the flickering shadows, and I saw m3' father's and in my brother's. There nothing save white bones and tatters of was too much magic and loneUness in skin. And I told myself that the sound this, our home, and in my people. When would soon go a way." " • I was a child they all feared and hated The old man's thin Hps were twisted , me—even -the "slaves and the great into a pitiful and miserable expression hounds that before me- slavered and that sent a chill over the Mouser. growled and snapped. "But'the sound lived on, and after a "But my fears were stronger than long while it began to grow louder theirs, for did thej' not die one by one again. Then I knew that my cunning in such a way that no suspicion fell upon had been in vain. I had killed their- me until the end?--'! knew it was on6 bodies, but not their ghosts, and' soon against many, and I took no chances. they would gain enough power to return When it began, the)'^ always thought I and slay me, as thes' had always in­ would be the next to go!" He cackled tended. So I studied more carefully at this. "They thought I was small and my father's books of magic; and sou ghr" weak and foolish. • But did not my to destro}^ their ghosts utterly or to brothers die as if strangled bj' their own curse them to such far-oft' places that - hands? Did not my mother sicken and - they icould never reach me. For.a while languish? - Did-not iny father give a I semed to be succeeding, but the scales • great cry and leap from the tower's top ? turned and they began to get the better "The hounds. w.ere the last to go.' of me. Closer and closer they came, They hated, me most—even more than and sometimes I seemed to catch my fa­ my father hated me—and the smallest ther's and brothers', voices, almost lost . of them could haye tom^out my throat. among the howling. They were liungr}' because there was "It was on a night when they miist • no one left to feed them. But I lured have been very close that an'exhausted- them into the deep "cellar, pretending to traveler came running to the tower. flee froiii them; and when they were all There was a^^strange look in his eyes,- inside I slipped out and barred the door. and I thanked the beneficent god who For many a night thereafter they bayed had sent-him to ni)' door, for I knew and howled at me, but I knew I was what I must do. I gave him food and safe. Gradually the baying grew less drink, and. in his drink I mingled a and less as they killed each other, but liquid that enforced sleep and sent his the survivors gained new liife from the naked ghost winging out' of his body. . bodies Of the slain. They lasted a long They must have captured and torn it,

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' for presently, the man bled -and •died. flow.'from some pit of darkness, and to Bin it satisfied them somewhat, for their iiiundate the tOwer and plain so that^the •howling went a long way off, and it was walls vibrated and dust puffed out from a. long time before it J^egan to creep tiie dead things hanging from tlie ceiling. . back. • Thereafter' the gods were'good Tlie Mouser stopped the blade a and always sent"me a guest, before the hand's breadth from .the. throat of the sound xame too close.- I learned to old man, whose head, twisted back, jig­ bandage' those I drugged so .that • they gled in terror.- • For. tlie return of the .woukMast longer,"and their deaths sat­ .sound forcibly set the question: Could isfy the .'howling ones'more fully.'.' • •anyone i.but." tile old man save ^Fafhrd The old man paused then, and shook now? Fie wavered between alternatives, .'his head queerly and'-made.'a vague, re- pushed tlie old man away, knelt .by . Jproachfiil,; clucking noise with, his Eafhrd's side,.sliook hitn,' spoke to him. • tongue. , .•: >"'. • . , .-; .... , ; .;There was uo.response. Then he heard ' :"But wiiat troubles me now,"jhe said, -'the'voice of-the old-nian. It was .shaky '•'is that they, have'become greedier, or audiialf .dr6v.:ned by the sound, but it .. perhapsith'ey have.seen througllmy cun- • "carried an.,almost gloating note of, cOn- ;niiig! - .For they, aire .'less easy. to. satisfy, '.'.'.fidence. -^-: . .,._ .. .•,. . -' •. ;; .-'::., aiid-.press at nie .;clqsely.iandaiever.go . .-'.y""-Your: friend.".s;;body'.is'..poised; 'on the :.; • far.; away. •; Sometimes-'"I .wake in'-the . :,brink bt life";-...-If yoirliandle-it .'roughly -, ;-\-,-night,; heariiig. thein siiuffing; about^-aiid -^.•it.•n•^ay..6ve'rbala•nce'.';Tf-y^tl'Strip-o'ffithe ;••.:•- feeling their.'.muzzres at'.ray'.ilirpiat; • I'^ feudages.'..he"will only die'the vqiiickei.-.' ;X:, iiuuSt :have^iiiore-men ;to:•fight>thenv•for'' ,'.You -cannot 'lielp hini."-;. Tlien--. reading'., ;v^;^;'^.me. rPmiist: .•He^'-^JDointing'at?the stilif ' the'-'M'Ouser.'srque,stion: '.''No,-there is no-: >;* • iiody of ;tlie iguide-^^'-was., nothing .:t6 .- .antidbte.'.'-J Then..hastil^',-:as if he. feared • :P:-' ""them.--/They.tookjfo rnore notice of him'•. . ;to"ta]

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE HOWLING TOWER 99 "Perhaps as- you. say, your death 'will> up. the" dagger- lying, on 4he.ybo.ok-and doom' him." • He spoke slowly and .in a^ lunged-at'the-Mouservvith- unexpected; loud, measured tone. "Nevertheless, I rapidity. .Almost thethrust went home, shall take the chance of killing you right. but: the--Mouser recovered his wits and now unless you suggest something- betT struck- sideways with his free fist at the ten" . •.'-.. •• -.••'.'•' 'old man's hand so that the dagger clat­ "Wait," said the old man, pushingat tered, across the floor. Then, with a the Mouser's dagger and drawing a rapid, careful movement, the Mouser set pricked hand away. "Wait. There'is, the vial on the table. T"he. old. man. a-way you could help him. Soriiewhere. darted-after him, snatching at it, seek­ out' there"^he made a sweeping, tip- ing to upset it, but the Mouser's. iron ..\vard - gesture .with his hand^—"XO"'" grip closed pn his wrists. - He' was friend's ghost is battling them. I,have- forced to the floor, his arms pinioned, more of the drug left. I will give you. ^ his. head pushed-back. . some. Then you can .fight them side by • "Yes," . said . the . Mouser, "I shall side. Together you may defeat them,^ drink. Have no fear on that score. -But But you must be quick. Look! Even you shall drink, top." • .-:. now they are at him!" . The old man .gave a strangled, scream The old man pointed at Fafhrd. The and ^struggled cpnvulsively. "No! No!" bandage on the barbarian's left arm was he cried. "Kill me! Kill me with yoyr no longer unstained. There was a. grow­ knife! But npt "the drink! Npt the ing splotch of red on the left .wrist— drink!" The Mouser, kneeling on his , the very place where a hound might take arms to pinion them, pried, at his jaw. hold. Watching it, the Mouser felt his Suddenly he became quiet and stared up, insides grow- sick and cold. The old a peculiar lucidity in his white-circled, man was pushing . something into his pinpoint-pupiled eyes. "It's no use. I hand. "Drink this. Drink this now/' sought to trick you,"-he said. "I .gave he was saying. the last of the drug to your friend. The^ The Mouser looked down. It was a stuflf you hold is poison. We shall both small glass vial. The deep purple of the die miserably, and your friend will be liquid corresponded , with the hue of a irrevocably doomed." .. dried trickle he had seen at the corner^ But .when he saw that the Mouser did of Fafhrd's mouth. Like a ^man be­ not heed,this, he began pnce mpre to witched, he-plucked,, out ther-stopper,. : struggle like a maniac. The Mouser raised it slowly to his lips, paused. was inexorable. ; Although the base, of "Swiftly! Swift:ly-!",.surged the old his thumb was bitten deep,"he" forced tuan, almost dancing' -with impatience. the old man's jaws apart, held his nose "About half;is enough to..take you to and poured the thick purple liquor your frietid; The time is short. Drink! down. The face of the old iiian grew Drink!" " . red and the veins stood,out. When the Tulp. came it was like a death rattle. BUT the Mouser did not. Struck by,. Then the Mouser drank oflf the rest- a sudden, new thoughtj he eyed the old '•. it was salty like blood and had a sicken- man over his upraised hand. And the ingly sweet odor—and waited. old man must have instantly read the He was torn with revulsion at v/hat import of that thought, for he snatched he had done. Never had he inflicted UN—7

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such terror on man or- woman before. shoulder, and the rest divided and He would much rather have killed. The flowed by him like a turbulent black - look on the old man's face was gro-' stream. Then he realized that_the thing tesqvtely similar to that of a child under which-had sought to hide behind him torture. Only that poor aged wretch, . was no . longer there; He turned and thought the Mouser, knew the full mean- ; saw that the black shapes pursued an­ ing of the howling that,- even now, other small pale form. , dinned'menacingly- in .their'ears.". The ' -It fled fast, but they followed faster.. Mouser almost let ;him reach the dagger Over sweep a!ffer sweep'of rock the hunt toward which he was weakly squirming. continued. He seemed. to_see taller, But he thought of Fafhrd and. gripped 'man-shaped figures among the pack.- . the old man tight. ' , - Slowly they dwindled in_size, became • Gradually the room filled with haze tiny, vague.' And still the Mouser felt ^ and began to swing and slowly spin. the hoi-rible hate and fear that flowed The Monger grew dizzy. It was as if frOm them.. the sound were dissolving the walls. Then the sourceless moonlight faded, . Something was wrenching at his body and only the cold remained, and that, and prying at his mind. Then came ut- too, dissipated, leaving nothing. - - .ter blackness,-whirled arid--shaken by a pandemonium ^of howjing, WHEN HE awoke, 'Fafhrd's face was But there was no sound at all on that looking down at him, and Fafhrd was

.. -• • • . ^ vast, alien plain to wliich^ the-blackness saying, "Lie still, /little man.. Lie still. suddenly gave way. Only sight- and a No, I'm not -hadly hurt. A torn hand. sense of great cold. A;cloudless, source-, Not bad. No worse than your own." less moonlight revealed endless sweeps But the Mouser- shook his" head' im­ of smooth black rock and sharply edged patiently -and pushed his aching shoul­ the featureless horizon: -^ ders off the couch. Sunlight was knif­ "" He-was conscious of- a' thing -that ing in through the narrow windows, re­ stood, by him arid seenned to be trying vealing the' dustiness of the air. Then to hide behind him..' Then, at a dis­ he saw the body of the old man. tance, he noted ,a pale form *which he ^^ "Yes," Fafhrd said as the Mouser lay instinctiyely knew to be Fafhrd. And back weakly. "His fears are ended now. around the pale, form seethed aTpack of They've done with hiin. I should-hate black, shadowy animal shapes, leaping -him. But who can hate such'tattered and retreating, worrying at the' pale flesh? When I came'here first he gave form, their' eyes,glowing with the color me the < drink. There was something of the moonlight,-,but- brighter, their wrong'in my head. I believed what he long muzzles soundlessly snariing. The said. He told me it would make me a . thing beside . hinr •seemed to shrink god. I drank,-^nd it sent me to' hell. closer. .And then the Mouser rushed But now it's done with and we're still forward toward his friend. ' on earth." The ^shadow-pack turned on him, and The Mouser, eying the thoroughly he braced .himself to meet their on­ and unmistakably dead things that dan­ slaught. But the leader leaped past his gled from the ceiling, felt content.

THE END:

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^ It was a—something. It was arayihiniii, and everything, St was' what everyiQne most desired!! And nt was miaS

Illustrated by F. Kramer

It was zvashed up out of the sea; that is certain. But only a blind man, per­ haps, could have told its true size and shape, by taking it into his hands. Per­ haps—

DEATH, thought John Lackland as he strode along the windy beach, was not exactly what Harris Wildin deserved. But, barring miracles, he would be forced to kill. Wildin in six hours, as soon as darkness fell. He pulled his topcoat tighter against the raw wind which flung sullen waves high on the sand, and concentrated his furious thoughts on ways and means to kill Wildin and escape detection. That - was his only hope to wriggle from under that Damoclean sword of knowledge. that suspended by the fraying thread of his ability to pay blackmail. Another payment was due tonight. He could not meet it. He must kill, for Wildin, he knew, would brook no delay.

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Pay off or fry in the Big House, Wildin She>vas killed within the week by an had told him. unknown, and' the Seven Faces vanished In better days, Lackland had owned from public life. • jewels which would have bought back That dry and factual paragraph had the documentary evidence of his-one in­ stirred John Lackland. He had read it fraction of the law. Yes, Wildin would again and again. His desire for the gem Have Sold his soul for a small fraction caused him fiercely to believe that it had of that famed collection of gems odd and ^survived seven hectic centuries of suc­ rare. cessive ownerships, and that he would A glint of fire caught Lacklancl's eye, see it some day before he died. - a glint of green fire near the scalloped "Now," he thought exultantly, "I've edge of the water. John Lackland got it in my hands and it's worth a for­ checked his long-legged stride. There tune!" it was again, a brilliant living flash... Thoughts of money brought W-ildin Probably a bit of glass, he thought as to mind, and John Lackland wondered he approached the spot, but I'll have a for amoment how this could have hap­ look. • pened so pat. This was the miracle that The look jackknifed his long frame as would end his payments of hush money, he snatched an object from the sand. that would allow Wildin to live. Had "The Seven Faces," he said, in tones, Providence intervened? Lackland of reverent wonder., "The Seven shrugged away his questions. It had Faces!" ~ happened.. That was enough. He shot a quick dark glance along He shoved the jewel in his pocket the curving strip of sand. He was and strode out to the road, where he alone, and the road was too far away hailed a bus to the city. He hurried for passing motorists to see his find. into a drugstore and telephoned Wildin. His burning eyes returned to the object. "With the right build-up," he told They saw an emerald as large as a Wildin, "it's worth a hundred times baby's fist. It was carved in the shape more than I can ever pay you. In ten of a beautiful woman with, seven faces. days I could—" On each face was a living emotion— "Tonight," Harris Wildin's silky love, hatred, anger, fear, grief, joy, and voice cut in.. "Tonight is the deadline. lust. When revolved slowly, she* be­ • Remember ? If this rock is what you came a succession of different women. say it is, bring it along. Maybe we can She was all women; yet such- was the make a deal." genius who created her, she was the "And have one of your thugs take it^ same person from each facial angle. away from me?'' Lackland scoffed. She was not a famous jewel, but her "Thanks, no. I'll come and talk about it history, before she was lost in the first with you, though, and tell you my price." month of her creation, was bloody and "Your price is whatever I'll pay." swift. A single paragraph in an obscure "Wildin! I tell you this stone is volume told how the nameless artist who worth a fortune. It weighs around two fashioned her in the time of Genghiz thousand carats. I could sell it today, Khan was murdered by a common thief; but without a publicity campaign it who, in turn, was murdered by the bawd won't bring one tenth its true value. whose-favor he bought with the jewel. I'll make a deal with you. I'll give it

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to you arid outline a campaign in return~ speeches: the thin, pallid men whocame - - for certain papers you hold, in addition furtively away from the $2 window^ at- to a signed alibi for the period in ques­ racetracks;—these owned the pockets tion." . • • ' '. where delved the supple digits of Gilpin "Why the alibi?" Bardley! • - ^ * "So you can't use the photostatic cop­ Pickings, he agreed, were slimmer ies you would undoubtedly have made." than more catholic foraging—if you got . "Bring it over at eleven, Lackland.'^ away witl\ it. That, he often told "I'll come at eleven. If you have a Molly, his common-law wife, was the suitable, alibi-already signed, I'll get the crux of the matter. Sure, the big boys stone within fifteen minutes." who handed out dollar cigars and yards "O. K. I'll be in my office." of toothy grins had fat rolls more often Back on the sidewalk, John Lack­ • than not, but that jollity was only a land" checked his habitual impulse to hail , veneer for a suspicious, qpp-calling na­ a taxi.. With the market acting like a ture. dive bomber, economies' were necessary. By sticking to the worriers, he had He patted his pocket to check the safety kept' his name, oflf police blotters. He of the emerald £fnd boarded the^next bus. had kept it off everything, in fact, and He did not even see the dapper little not even Molly knew him by any. other man who followed him. than Gyp. • Gyp had not intended to take the bus GILPIN BARDLEY sometimes thought with John Lacklalid until he,saw the of himself as the world's most accoin- harried dullness of Lackland's' eyes. plished pickpocket. If this were true, Here was a man with something on his he.believ^ed it was because picking pockr mind and,- judging by the small bulge, ets was an activity secondary to his something in his pocket. "study of psj'cholog}'. As he followed Lackland from the : He loved crowds: subway, bus, bar­ drugstore. Gyp speculated • idly on the gain day, baseball, political^all kinds of nature of that object in the topcoat crowds. But he flattered himself that pocket. The coat had an expensive cut, hisv unerring and polished fingers never and the- man moved through the thin touched a victim who might be danger­ stream of shoppers with authority. The ous. He never picked the pockets of a object. Gyp decided, was probably a happy man, and' he. never snatched a cigar case. Then, as Lackland; patted purse. _ • the pocket, Gyp cdncluded it might be The happy man, he reasoned, has something valuable, and swung on the nothing in particular on his mind and bus. . ' " is all the quicker to notice any untoward Before Lackland had paid his fare, act. Purses, of course, were evidence, Gyp had transferred the object to his no matter how quickly you dump them. ,owri pocket; and before "Lackland was T(je frowners were Gilpin Bardley's seated. Gyp had asked the conductor a rtieat. The pacers, on crowded train silly question and was on the street platforms or, docks, who were afraid of again. whoever, or whatever, was arriving; the He did not take it out at once and speakers at political ralhes who pushed examine it. He followed the bus with through the crowd memorizing their his eyes to the next stop and saw that

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED m 'STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN his breath; There, on white' velvet, was the largest star sapphire Gyp had ever- seen! • He had dreamed of sapphires on lean and hungry afternoons, in a whipping rain, but even his hungriest dreams had never as­ pired, to such a stone as-this. -.'..•--•-• ' -^ It was a' breathless blue against the.snowy velvet bed, and the murky sunlight that filtered through the grimed window struck glittering stars from every facet. Gyp felt, for, a second, that the blazing, asters were: not reflected light, but the living stuff that stars were made of. - - He set the case on 'J the table and frowned" at it. That stoiie was his victim did not get^off. He was safe, hotter than a basket of stolen crown then. jewels. It-was an incredible rock, and Gyp strolled towa_rd his boarding- certain to" be fampiis. As soon as that ~ house,: where-he and Molly lived in a guy missed it-, he was sure to yell for a two-room apartment with both hot-and yard full of cops^ and woe to the dip who. cold water. Once there, he could exam­ tried" to hock it!- -Every pawnshop in ine his booty without' fear; of the curi­ town would have a complete description ous eyes, of'prowling police. - " and: o'rders to >hold the man who of-, Molly was out when • Gyp arrived. fered it. . ; - He locked the door and took the object The hall door ,rattled,.- and Molly from his pocket. ' ,; . • . cailled; Gyp.unlocked it and Molly came As he had thought, a tooled-'leather, in, her blond hair in fixed new waves. case housed what'ever of value—if any-' "Any luck ?"_she asked. - Her eyes fell thing—he had acquired. It was an ex­ on the open, case and she stared, crim-^ pensive case with an-intricate clasp, and son lips parted in wonder. ,"Oh, Gyp!" Gyp felt that- something more- precious she exclaimed tenderly. "You needn't than cigars lay. inside. , . 'ver - • .'^ , He finally worked itopen and caught To Gyp's .astonishment,' she appar-

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etitly picked up this fabulous star sap­ "Who is it?" phire and slipped it over her ring fin­ "Me, Abrams," said a voice. "I'm ger! bringing back the pants." Slie turned it this way and that under Gyp opened the. door and the little inoist blue eyes. "Gee, honey," she said. aproned tailor stepped inside. " 'Course I been wantin' one just ex­ "As good as new," he said proudly, actly like this, but I didn't care, really." handing Gyp a pair of light trousers. She came over to Gyp, laid her cheek "Their own loom couldn't be telling they against his and gave him a huge squeeze. been mended. For only a quarter, "This makes it kind of legal now; don't you're getting a bargain." it?" ' • ^ •' . Gyp examined the mended spot negli­ Gyp, his eyes still frozen on the phe­ gently and reached into his pocket. The nomenon, rubbed moist brow . with little tailor's sharp eyes fell-on the object sweating palm. ', . on the table. "How did you do it?" he asked "Oy!" he said. "Such- a beautiful faintly. shears! Four dollars thirty-two cents "Do what?" they're costing, wholesale; My Sammy "Give it to me a minute." He held is saying he'll buy me some, which I'm out his hand. .needing just like these, but Sammy he Puzzled, she laid the object jn his ain't working now. Maybe we could palm. Gyp tried to push his ring fin­ make a trade, Mr. Gyp? Maybe I can ger through it and failed. -be giving you some work for the shears?" "It's too little for you," Molly said-. "I'll let you know," Gyp said thickly. "Is it ?" He put his hand beside hers He handed the old man a twenty-five- "for comparison. "Is it?" - cent piece and ushered him out. He "No," she said softly. "Your fingers faced Molly, dark wonder in his eyes, are slimmer than mine. What . . .. a creeping fear in his heart. what's the matter. Gyp ? What are you "To me," he said, half to himself, lookin' like that for?" "it's a star sapphire. To you it's a wed­ Gyp laid the stone back in the case ding ring, and Abrams sees a pair of and turned to Molly. "Do you know shears. I wonder what the guy I took you just pushed a finger through a star ^it from thought it was ?" sapphire? What I want to know is, "What—I don't understand. Gyp!" how did you do it ?" • "Me, either," Gyp.said. He sank into "What's this star-sapphire talk?" the room's single chair and stared at Molly asked. "All I done was to put the object on the table top. "You only on that wedding ring. Wasn't I sup­ see one thing on there, don't you, posed to ? You didn't mean it for some­ Molly?" body else, didja. Gyp? I'm the one, "Yeah, just the wedding ring, Gyp." ain't I?" "Hm-m-m. Is anybody else home in the house?" A KNOCK on the door sent Gyp into "That young Mrs. Williams, upstairs. a tense crouch, lips snarling. He looked Gyp. Her baby's awful sick. I think at the case, at Molly, then straightened it's gonna die. I keep askin' her why and said casually: don't she get in touch with her husband

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 106 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN and get some money." wanted it to be. What would it be to "Maybe she hasn't got a husbahci. a fence?" Ask her to come^dowri.a minute, will ' Gyp thought this over for a moment, you ?" then,whirled on Molly, his eyes shining. 'Molly went out and returned pres­ "Molly, we're, rich!" He gave her no ently with a young and once-pretty dark- time to reply. "Harris W^ildin, by haired girl with lusterless black eyes. golly!",, She smiled wanly at Gyp as Molly "But I thought he was mad at you," closed the door.' Molly said. "What dd/you see. on that table, Mrs. "Yeah, but he wants a big. ruby for Williams?" Gyp asked gently. that dame he took out of the 'Teasy Re­ Th^; dark eycS flickered to the table vue.' AIM got to do is tell, him I got top ahd back to Gyp. "This is a poor one worth, twenty grand. He'll think time to joke with- me," she said. I'm boostin' the value, so maybe he'll "I'liri not joking," Gyp said earnestly. see a ten-grand pigeon's blood and pay "Then it's for me?',' she asked, the me at least two for it!" dull feye'S.- taking. On. .a gleam. "But not Harris Wildin, Gyp! I'm "We-e-ell," Gyp said, "not exactly." scared of him. You know how mad he "How; can you do this to me!" she was over that paste ring." said passionately. "Baby is dying, I'm "Oh, I got that straightened out with willing to give my soul for a bottle of him. Besides, before he tumbles to what fresh . milk and you flaunt one in my this is, we'll be on our way to the coast. face. You're inhuman!" She turned Thejf got premiers out there, an' people blindly toward the door. with dough." "Wait a minute," Gyp said. "Here." "But not Harris, Gyp! Why not Un­ He reached into his pocket and-pulled cle Joseph ?" out a crumpled dollar bill. "That bottle "Because Uncle Joseph won't pay wouldn't do your baby any good, I'm over . twenty dollars for: anything. If afraid." you walked into his joint with a deed She took the bill, stammered embar­ for the Island of Manhattan and asked, rassed thanks, and went out. Gyp and a hundred dollars for it. Uncle Joseph Molly Once more stared into each other's would scream his lungs out. An' I bewildered eyes. can't take it to a jewelry store or a hock "It's got the devil, in it. Gyp!" Molly , shop, even if it's not hot like I thought whispered. "Throw it away, out the it was. Suppose I showed it to some window! Now, Gyp!" She extended , guy with a backache. He'd give me an a hand towai-d the case, but Gyp halted appraisal on a mustard plaster. No, it's her. gotta be Harris Wildin." - "Wait,--Molly. Let me figure." ' He got to his feet and paced the floor, mut­ JOHN LACKLAND discovered his loss tering a monologue. after he had walked the two blocks from "I've been wanting a star sapphire the bus line tohis home.. As he entered for years, an' that's what this turns out the gate he shoved a hand into his coat to be. You wanted a ring, an' that^Js pocket. Its emptiness was instantly du­ what it is, and the same with Abrariis plicated by a sick, feeling in his stomach. an' Mrs. Willianis. It was what they He stood motionless, one clenched hand

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 107 on the iron gatepost, his long face set in grim lines. • * • Harris Wildin must die, then. * He went into the house with a dead, expressionless face, mounted the wide: OOJ stairs to his own room and took a .38 revolver from a dresser drawer. He swung out the cylinder, saw that it was. V A L U E F 0 R loaded, stuck the gun in his pocket and CENTS! hung his coat in a closet. Then he sat down.on the side of his bed to think. He knew the interior of Wildin's mmiii luxurious office. Big chair facing the ebony desk, second-story window open­ ing on an alley. He could shoot Wildin from the chair, grab the papers Wildin would have ready, drop out the window and escape—maybe. If he could get close enough' to club' Wildin to death with the gun there would be no sound of a shot. Such pro­ O The .mstt .amazing collection of its kind anywhere is the new Street & Smith DETEC­ cedure, however, was fraught with a cer­ TIVE STORY ANNUAL! tain risk, for there was a silken, deadly Only 25c for thii 160 page, 8'/t x II, pro­ quality, like a strangler's cord, about fusely illustrated book with fi heavy paper Harris Wildin. cover that will stay fresh on shelves. No advertising in it anywhere. One plan or the other Lackland felt he must use. Circumstances would dic­ But—-the best news is the yarns themselvso . . . and' their authors. The top men in tho tate his choice. field, Cornell Woolrich, Frank Gruber, Stevo , He heard a chatter of arriving voices Fisher,. Cleve Adams, and others, are repre­ sented with four smashing book-length nov­ downstairs and stifled a groan. Carla' els, three novelettes. . . . You've never seen had brought home dinner guests. The such stories at any price, anywhere! prospect of dressing and donning a^mask Imagine—novels that would ordinarily sell of politeness filled him with aversion. for two-dollars each-^—now all yours for only twenty-five cents. This is just about the bast She came into his room in a few mo­ bargain you'll aver strike in top detective ments, slim and polished and bronze. fiction.

She was, he thought, like a cluster of, If your dealer can't supply you, fill out the precious'stones: emerald eyes set in to­ coupon below. • ^ paz between ruby hat and mouth. "Hello, you," she said. "We have the Hartfords for dinner." "Send me up a crust," he replied. "I DETECTIVE Story Annual don't feel up to company." • 79 Seventh Avenue, New York .City "Oh, sorry. What's the matter?" / ' Here's a quarter. Kindly send me my ^'Nothing in partitular. Hard day at copy of DETECTIVE STORY ANNUAL. thg office." . • INciine...<. : She gave him a long, level stare. a "John, you've never seen fit to tell Address .'. , me, but something has been vvrong for eity Sto»e

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 108 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN" about a year. I know. I'd like to himself. The immigration department help." '• would take -care of his future'. But he He forced a laugh. \"li I 'had your , •shrank from exposing • Carla: to sordid imaTgination, I'd become an. editorial , truths that certain letters, held by writer.", " " ' Wildin,'.'would reveal, and had paid out "All righty all right. If you're not --nearly all of his considerable fortune. ready yet to tell me, "I'll wait.^ If you . Tonight it must' end, must end. with­ need me, though, I'll"be right:-in-there, . out involving Carla. . • pushing—up. Now, what say I run the ' A servant brought him food which he , Hartford s home and you and I have ate automatically, iaot tasting or know­ dinner alone for once?" ' • ^ ing its-nature. He chain-smoked until "Don't disappoint them," . he an­ it was, time to start for Wildin's Club swered. . "I've got to go out on business Zero. . • late, anyway. Thanks, though, for both offers." •' •--•,• AFTER GYP had gooe, Harris Wiklin "I just-wanted to remind you," she held the huge ruby up. to the light, said over her shoulder as she went out, turned it this way and that, feasted his "that you're still my favorite husband." gaze on its scarlet fire. Then he set it With a feeling of self-disgust,- John on his desk blotter and looked at it for Lackland thought of the secret in Har­ a long time, a blob"of flame against the ris Wildin's possession and what its rev­ green blotter. He • clasped his mani­ elation would do to Cafla. What would cured hands and-thought of Dixie. The she do if she learried that he brought an . ruby, suspended on a green gold chain, alien into the countr-yj bearing forged would be like a great drop of blood papers as Mrs. John tackland? More • against her slender white throat. important, how would she feel? V He snapped the- ruby in its case, , If be had loaned his name to a refugee pushed it to one side, took fountain pen flee'ing from some honest-to-God men-, ''and at* sheet of paper and began to .write ace, Carla would approve. John Lack­ a letter to John Lackland. He dated the land knew that. But' he had: imagined letter back eighteen months and began himself in" love with the jvvoman, and^had _ a fictitious tale of a woman who boasted been ready to throw Carla over. This of obtaining illegal entry into the United same Carla, who would make any sacri­ States, with forged .papers identifying fice for him, and make it with a-green- her as Mrs. John Lackland. The woman eyed,grin. , , . • had later disappeared, he went on "to When the.voluptuous foreigner had say, but Lackland could couiit on his, gone gayly off- with Harris Wildin,, ' Wildin's, testimony if trouble ever arose Lackland had tried to .find her and kill concerning the matter. ' • , " her. Someone, Wildin ' perhaps;: had He did not sign Jhe letter.- He rose - beaten him to- it, for her unidentified and glided silently"across the room to a body turned up one day under a wharf. tall filing case. 'He unlocked one of its • Wildin had not -been slow to begin drawers, took out the Lackland papers, ^ collecting from John Lackland on the relocked it and put the papers in his . ^ strength of documentary evidence of desk. He looked at his wrist -watch and Lackland's complicity. ., folded his hands again. Lackland was Lackland had never been" afraid for due any minute.

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When Lackland came in, Wildin did sedative, hoping that sleep would pre­ not rise or change expression. He vent his thinking of what he had done. waved a slim hand at the big chair and Two hours later police came, charged said, "What is this talk of an emerald him with murder, and took him away. statue?" John Lackland looked at the object JOHN LACKLAND'S sole defense was a on Wildin's desk and, for the third time fiat denial of the charge. The prosecu­ that day, murmured . reverently, "The tor introduced witnesses who had seen Seven Faces!" Then his eyes slitted, hiiti enter Wildin's office and a small turned on Wildin. "You dirty, double- boy who, foraging in the alle}' garbage crossing rat!" cans, had seen him drop from the win­ Harris Wildin said softly: "That sort dow sill. The prosecutor also produced ,of talk will get you killed." . many enlarged photographs of John Lackland's gun was in his hand, Lackland's fingerprints, picked off the pointed steadily at Wildin's stomach. filing case, the desk, and the window "I'm going to give you a chance. Give ledge. me that passport and the letters and you There was also the bloodstained gun, can have the damned jewel. Where are still in his topcoat pocket— they?" The jury was out only a few minutes. . "In that filing cabinet." Guilty of murder in the first degree was "Where's the key?" the verdict, and the sentence was death. "Here." Wildin cautiously fished a John and Carla had a short half-hour key ring from his vest pocket and tossed together^ before he was taken to the it across the desk. State penitentiary, where his execution Lackland took the keys, backed across would' be effected thirty days later. the office to the filing cabinet, keeping "I'm not sorry, Carla," he told her, his gun trained on Wildin, and fumbled haggard from the strain of the .perfunc­ for the lock. His eyes shifted for an tory trial. "I'm not sorry, except for instant, and Wildin leaped with desper­ the fact that I won't see you any more." ate speed." Lackland twisted away and "Oh, why," she wailed, "why didn't \ smashed Wildin above the ear with the you plead self-defense? They couldn't gun barrel. Wildin crumpled, and have disproved it! Your attorneys Lackland smashed again and again, until pointed it out to you time after time." the skull was pulp— His smile was one of tired triumph. He straightened finally, and sanity "Maybe I'm a little bit crazy," he said, came back to him slowly, pulling lips "but I feel that I should pay this debt. back over his teeth. Not to the society which demands a hu­ He searched the office then until he man life for the life of a rat, but to—" found the documents he wanted. He He caught himself, was abruptly silent. put these and the great jewel in his "To what?" she prodded. pocket, lowered himself out the window "Never mind," he evaded. "I'm sat­ and dropped into the alley. isfied with the verdict. Please forget it. At home he burned the papers in the You must readjust your life." library fireplace. He went quietly up "But you are rny life, you big fool! to his room and hid the Seven'Faces in And I won't forget it! I'll get you free the drawer with his shirts. He took a if it's humanly possible." She blinked

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED no STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN away tears and grinned. "They're not large'old volume whose title, if ever it .^oing to snatch a man of mine away had a title, had been smudged away in from me if I can stop it!". forgotten years. She turned to Page 38, , Carla Lackland laid, siege to official­ .Paragraph 2:— . • - dom during,the next two weeks. She Emerald—seven faces—^^1184 A: D.^— conferred with attorneys, checking the She could see no connection between record for possibilities of claiming a mis­ the hacksaw blade and this description trial. , She haunted prominent politi­ of a long-vanished jewel. Yet a con­ cians, promising anything for pressure nection must exist. The note was defi­ on the. governor to grant a reprieve. nite on that point. The wording varied, but the ariswers She gave a little cry as the solution all added up to:"Something's fishy. I struck her. Phrases from, John's letter don't want to touch it." —smuggle—book—a valuable object. She prostrated herself before the gov-, What simpler way to smuggle it to him ernor in the final fortnight, a suppliant than to place it between the leaves of for her husband's life, and came away -the book, glue those two-leaves together, empty-handed and empty-hearted. and send it to him? Then; on the fifth' day before his Suiting action to the thought, she scheduled execution, a letter arrived soon had the book ready for mailing, from John— with an innocent note accompanying it:

DEAREST : » In the press of circumstances, I had almost .JOHN: Once you recommended a certain paragraph. forgotten to mention something very impor­ I believe that it will bring you solace in this tant. I have succeeded in smuggling this let­ time of great trial. My everlasting adoration. ter out to you, so I can be as specific as_ neces­ sary. Look in my top dresser drawer. Un­ CARLA. der a stack of shirts you will find a valuable objtct. Then, in the library, oh the bottom She dispatched the package and began shelf, third book from the north window, preparations to sell all the Lackland pos­ Page 38, Paragraph 2, you will find its his­ sessions. She would scrape together all tory. Guard coming—no more time. •available cash, and she and John would , JoH^f. flee the country— Abandoned hope sprang up anew in her heart. Berhaps he had remembered JOHN LACKLAND found that, as the something that would get him free. She hour drew nearer to execution, his hor- ran intojiis room and rummaged under -ror of death in the electric chaii-in- his shirts. Her. fingers encotintered flat . creased. All the stories, he had heard metal, and she pulled out a hacksaw' came back in fearful vividness; the blade. , - -^ . . charred victims, not yet dead, who had She stared,, a puzzled frown tugging waited with srnoking flesh while a at her brows. 'Her eyes lighted as a. . blown-out fuse was repaired and the word formed in her mind: escape. final shock made possible; the man who Escape! Of course! John's carefully had cried out after doctors had pro­ worded message was simply a request nounced him dead; of other scenes for this conqueror of steel window bars. which . had sent, -hardened newsmen But.the book—why the book? retching from the death chamber. She raced downstairs and found the He had faced the thought of death

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED THE SHAPE,OF DESIRE" 111 manyitimes without- fear. He hadi l>e'en, A-flat piece of metal, worth'less'than as most inen have,, close to the edge, of a penny) but escape from: the-writhing- death on several occasions, and had been horror of death in the chair.. ^ _ prepared to meet it with a certain equa- ' He computed the time before a guard nimity not unmixed, it is true, with fear. would visit his cell again and decided But never had he experienced this there was plenty. slow waiting that dissolves the sinew of Once more he; read the paragraph, bravery, this agonizing crawl of time to­ and the remembered beauty of the Seven ward the inexorable hour of unimagina- • Faces brought him a certain peace. .ble terror. This he knew, if anythirig From a. lost treasure it had become a could be, vyas worse than death itself. syrnbol of Carla's future safety. The changing of: the guard, the l;)ring-. He' sent out a silent prayer of thanks, ing'and taking away of tintasted ineals, that he had been able to avert a terrible these were the formal routine and nerve- damage rto her life" and substitute for racking details of official killing. . He -hiriiseif a concrete security. -' • • could itnderstand how; many men went Then he .went to the basin in the cor- I mad underthis slow, pressure and won­ ner of his cell. Extending his hands dered if he would do so.. over the white porcelain, he slit the The arrival of. Carla's note and the veins- of first one wrist and then the book brought a return tp sanity, for the other; .and dropped the blade. event and the note were puzzling. He As he leaned against the wall and read the message, and the paragraph to. drowsily, watched his life splotch and which it referred leaped into his mind streak-the porcelain bowl, he contem­ verbatim. He derived no solace from plated the phenomenon of a razor blade the well-remembered passage except for that apparently dissolved and joined his the knowledge that Carla would be kept blood on its long journey ^^ through in comfort. drains, rivers, and, finally, to the sea. He opened the book and found Pages' It zvas zvashed up out of th£ sea; that 38 and. 39 glued .together. Vagrant ex­ is certain. But only a blind. maUj per­ citement' stirred his fingers to pry them haps, could .have told its true size and apart, and hope and gladness burned as'- shape, by taking it into his hands. Per- he saw—a razor blade! • haps— > • • THE END.

1*0PS '^ iiMilM^®«:N:.K:: mi^T^m^,-.n^k^:mm: Pepsi-Cola is made only by Pepsi-Coiei Company, Long Island City, S3. ^. Sottled iocolly by authorized bottlers.

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by THEDDDHE' StUHGSiM

@ The scene-shifters si i p p e d — HARRY WRIGHT rolled over and said and. a man woke up on Wednes- something spelled - "Bzzzzhha-a-aw !" He chewed a bit- on a mouthful of dry day, though yesterday was Monday.' air and spat it out, opened one eye to But Wednesday wasn't finished— see if it really would open, opened the Illustrated by Edd Cartier^ other and closed the first, closed the

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED YESTERDAY WAS MONDAY 113 second, swung his feet onto the floor, he is pushed out. That was why he opened them again and stretched. This was an automobile mechanic at twenty- was a daily occurrence, and the. only three dollars a week; that's why he had thing that made it remarkable at all was been one for eight years now, and would that he did it on a Wednesday morn­ be from now on, if he could only find ing, and— Tuesday and get back to work. Yesterday was Monday. . Guided by his reflexes, as usual, and Oh, he knew it was Wednesday all with no mental effort at all, which was right. It was partly that, ?ven though also usual, he finished washing, dress­ he knew yesterday was Monday, there ing, and making his bed. His alarm was a gap between Monday and now; clock, which never alarmed because he and that must have been Tuesday. was of such regular habits, said, as When you fall asleep and lie there all usual, six twenty-two whert he paused night without dreaming, you know, when on the way out, and gave his room the you wake up, that time has passed. once-over. And there was a certain You've done nothing that you can re- something about the place that made remember ; you've had • no particular even this'phlegmatic character stop and thoughts, no way to gauge time, and think. yet you know that some hours have It wasn't finished. passed. So it was with Harry Wright. The bed was there, and the picture Tuesday had gone wherever your eight of Joe Louis. There ^ were the two hours went last night. . chairs sharing their usual seven legs, But he hadn't slept through Tues­ the split table, the pipe-organ bedstead, day. Oh no. He never slept, as a mat­ the beige wallpaper with the two swans ter of fact, more than six hours at a over and over and over, the tiny cor­ stretch, and there was no particular ner sink, the tilted bureau. But none reason for him doing so now. Mon­ of them were finished. Not that there day was the day before yesterday; he had turned in and slept his usual stretch, were any holes in anything. What he had awakened, and it was Wednes­ paint there had been in the first place day., was still there. But there was an odor It felt like Wednesday. 'There was a of old cut lumber, a. subtle, insistent air Wednesdayish feel to the air. of building, about the room and every­ Harry put on his socks and stood thing in it. It was indefinable, inescap­ up. He wasn't fooled. He knew what able, and Harry Wright stood there day it was. "What; happened to yes­ caught up in it, wondering. He glanced terday?" he muttered. "Oh—yester­ suspiciously around but saw nothing he day was Monday." That sufficed until could really be suspicious of. He shook he got his pajamas off. "Monday," he his head, locked the door and went out mused, reaching for his underwear, into the hall. "was quite a vyhile back, seems as though." If he had been the worrying ON THE STEPS a httle fellow, just type, he would have started then and over three feet tall, was gently strok­ there. But he wasn't. He wfis an easy­ ing the third step from the top with a going sort, the kind of man that gets razor-sharp chisel, shaping up a new himself into a rut and stays there until scar in the dirty wood. He looked up

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 114 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN as Harry approached, and stood up scratch. Harry shook his head. This quickly. was a screwy morning. He'd be glad "Hi," said Harry, taking in the man's to get back to the shop. There was a leather coat, his peaked cap, his wizened, '39 sedan down there "with a busted bright-eyed little face. "Whatcha do­ « ing?" rear spring. Once he got his mind" on "Touch-up," -piped the little man. , that he could . forget this nonsense. "The actor in the third floor front has That's all that matters to a man in a rut. a nail in his right heel. He came in late Work, eat, sleep,"" pay day. Why even Tuesday night and cut the wood here. try to think anything else out? I have to get it ready for Wednesday." The street was a riot of activity, but "This is Wednesday," Harry pointed then it always was. But not quite this out. way. There were automobiles and "Of course. Always has been. Al­ trucks and buses around, aplenty, but ways will be." none of them were moving. And none Harry let that pass, started on down of them were quite complete. This was the stairs. He had achieved 'his amaz­ Harry's own field; if there was any­ ing bovi'nity by making a practice of thing 'he didn't know about motor ve­ ignoring things he could not under­ hicles, it wasn't very important. And stand. But one thing bothered him— through that medium he began to get "Did you say that feller in the third the general idea of what was going on. floor front was an actor?" Swarms of little men who might have "Yes. They're all actors, you know." been twins of the one he had spoken to "You're nuts, friend,"' said Harry "were crowding, around the cars, the bluntly. "That guy works on the sidewalks, the stores and buildings. All docks." •were working like mad with every tool "Oh yes—that's his part. ' That's imaginable. Some were touching up the what he acts." finish of the cars with fine wire brushes, "No kiddin'. An' what does he do laying on networks of microscopic when he isn't acting?" cracks and scratches. Some, with ball "But he— Well, that's all he does peens and mallets, were denting fenders do! That's all any of the actors do!" skillfully, bending bumpers in an art- • ful crash pattern, spider-webbing . "Gee— I thought he looked like a safety-glass windshields. Others were reg'lar guy, too," said Harry. "An ac­ aging top dressing with high-pressure, tor! 'Magine!" needlepoint sandblasters. Still others "Excuse me," said the little man, were pumping dust into upholstery, "but I've got to get back to work. We sandpapering the dashboard finish mustn't let anything get by us, yoii around light switches, throttles, chokes, know. They'll be through Tuesday be­ to give a finger-worn appearance. fore long, and everything must be ready Harry stood aside as a half dozen of for them.'- the workers scampered down the street Harry thought: this guy's crazy nuts. bearing a fender which they riveted to He smiled uncertainly and went down a 1930 coupe. It was freshly blood­ to the landing below. When he looked stained. back the man was cutting skillfully into the stair, making a neat little nail Ofice awakened to this highly un­ usual activity, Harry stopped, slightly

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open-mouthed, to watch what else was the' joint. Long as they kept away from going on. He saw the same process be­ him—and, of course, animal caution told ing industriously accomplished with the him that he was far, far outnumbered. houses and stores. Dirt was being laid TKe absence of the boss and the other on plate-glass windows over a coat of mechanics was no surprise to Harry; clear sizing. Woodwork was being he always opened the place. cleverly scored and the paint peeled to He climbed out of his street clothes make it look correctly weather-beaten, and into coveralls, picked up a tool case and dozens of leather-clad laborers were and walked over to the sedan, which on their hands and knees, poking dust he had left up on the hydraulic rack and dirt into the cracks between the yester— that is, Monday night. And paving blocks. A line of them went that is when Harry Wright lost his down the sidewalk, busily chewing gum temper. After all, the car was his job, and spitting it out; they were followed and he didn't like having anyone ^se by another crew who carefully" placed mess with a job he had started. So the wads according to diagrams they when he saw his job—his '39 sedan— carried, and stamped them flat. resting steadily on its wheels over the Harry set his teeth and muscled his rack, which was down under the floor, rocking brain into something like its and when he saw that the rear spring normal position. "I ain't never seen a was repaired, he began to burn. He day like this or crazy people like this," dived under the car and ran deft fin­ he said, '"but I ain't gonna let it be any gers over the real wheel suspensions. of my affair. I got my job to go to." In spite of his anger at this unprece­ And trying vainly to ignore the hun­ dented occurrence, he had to admit to dreds of little, hard-working figures, he himself that the job had been done went grimly on down the street. well. "Might have done it myself," he muttered. WHEN HE GOT to the garage he A soft clank and a gentle movement found no one there but more swarms caught his attention. With a roar he of stereotyped little people climbing reached out^and grabbed the leg of one over the place, dulling the paint work, of the ubiquitous little men, wriggled cracking the cement flooring, doing out from under the car, caught his cul­ their hurried, efficient little tasks of prit by his leather collar, and dangled aging. He noticed, only because he was him at arm's length. so familiar with the garage, that they "What are you doing to my job?" were actually making the marks that: °Harry bellowed. had been there as long as he had known The little man tucked his chin into the place; "Hell with it," he gritted, the front of his shirt to give his wind­ anxious to submerge himself into his pipe a chance, and said, "Why, I was own world of wrenches and grease just finishing up that spring job." guns. "I got my job; this is none o' "Oh. So you were just finishing up my affair." ' on that spring job," Harry whispered, He looked about him, wondering if choked with rage. Then, at the top of he should clean these interlopers out of his voice, "Who told you to touch that the garage. Naw—not his affair. He car; was hired to repair cars,, not to police 'Who told me ? What do you-^ UN—8 PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 116 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN

Well, it just had to be done, that's all. shrilly.: "He is trying to stop me from You'll Jiave to let me go. I must doing the work!" - tighten up those two bolts and lay some "Who are you?" asked the beautiful dust on the whole thing." man, down his nose. "You must what? You get within "I'm the m-mechanic. on this j-j— six feet o' that car and I'll twist your Who wants to know?" • head oflfn your neck with a Stillson!" "Iridel, supervisor of the district of "But— It has to be done!" Futura, wants to know."' "You won't do it! Why, I oughta—". "Where in hell did you come from?" "Please let me go! If I don't leave "I did not come from hell. I came that car the way it was Tuesday from Thursday." night—". Harry held his head. "What is all , "When was Tuesday night?" ' this ?" he wailed. "Why is today Wed­ "The last act, of course. Let me go, nesday? Who are all these crazy little or I'll call the district supervisor!" guys? What happened to Tuesday?" Iridel made a slight motion with his "Call the devil himself. I'm going to finger, and the little man scurried back spread you on the sidewalk outside; under the car. Harry was frenzied to and heaven help you if I catch you hear the wrench busily tightening bolts. near here again!" He half started to dive under after the. The little man's jaw set' his eyes nar­ little fellow, but Iridel said, "Stop!" rowed, and he whipped his feet' up­ and when Iridel said, "Stop!" Harry ward. They crashed into Wright's stopped. jaw; Harry dropped him-and staggered "This," said Iridel calmly, "is an back. The little man began squealing, amazing occurrence." He regarded "Supervisor! Supervisor! Emergency!" Harry with unemotional curiosity. "An actor on stage before the sets are fin­ HARRY GROWLED and started after ished. Extraordinary." him; but suddenly, in the air between "What stage ?" asked Harry. - "What him and the,midget workman, a long are you doing here anyhow, and what's white hand appeared. The empty, air the idea of all these little guys working; was swept back, showing an aperture around here?" from the garage to blank, blind nothing­ "You ask a great many questions, ac- . ness. Out of if stepped a tall man tor," said Iridel. "I shall answer them, in a single loose-fitting- garment liter­ and then I shall have a few to ask you. ally studded with pockets. • The open-, These little men are stage hands— L ing closed behind the nlan. , ; • am surprised that you didn't realize - Harry cowered before him. Never that. They are setting the stage for in his life had he seen such noble, power­ Wednesday. Tuesday? That's going ful features, such • strength of purpose, on now." such broad shoulders, such a deep chest. "Arrgh!" Harry snorted. "How can The man' stood with the backs of his Tuesday be going on when today's Wed­ hands on his hips, staring at Harry nesday?" as if he were something somebody for­ "Today isn't Wednesday, actor." got to sweep up. "Huh?" "That's him," said the little man "Today is Tuesday."

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Harry scratched* his head. "Met a that's a pretty good example. Sup­ feller on the steps this mornin'—one of" pose we say that it's a road; a highway these here stage hands of yours. .He built of paving blocks. Each block is said this was Wednesday." a day; the actors move along it, and go "It M. Wednesday. Today is Tues­ through day after day. And our job day. Tuesday is today. 'Today' is here—mine and the little men—is to simply the name for the stage set which . . . . well, pave' that road. This is the happens to be in.use. 'Yesterday' means clean-up gang -here. • They are fixing the set that has just been used; 'To­ up the last' little details, so that' every­ morrow' is the set that will be used thing will be ready for the actors." ' after the actors have finished with 'to­ day.' This is Wednesday.' Yesterday - HARRY SAT STILL, his mind creaking was Monday; today is Tuesday. See ?"' with the effects of this information. He Harry said, "No." felt as if he had been hit with a lead Iridel threw up his long hands. "My, pipe, and the shock of it was being ' you actors are stupid. Now listen care­ drawn put infinitely. . This was the fully. This is Act Wednesday, Scene craziestTSOunding thing he had ever run 6:22. That means'that eyer3'thing you into. For no reason at all he remem­ see around you here is being readied bered a talk he had had once with a for 6:22 a. m. on Wednesday. Wed­ drunken aviation mechanic who had nesday isn't a time;' it's a place. The "tried to explain to him how the air flow­ actors are moving along toward it now. ing over an airplane's wings makes the I see you still don't get the idea. Let's machine go up in the gir. He hadn't see . . . ah'. Look at that clock. What understood a word of the man's dis- does it.say?" Harry Wright looked at the big elec-. trie clock on the wall over the com- I pressor. It was corrected hourly and. highly accurate, and it said 6:22. Harry looked at it amazed.. "Six tw^ but my gosh, man, that's what time I left the house. I walked here, an' I been here ten minutes already!" Iridel shook his head. "You've been here no time at all, because there is no time until the' actors make their" en-.- tfances." Harry sat down On a grease drum and wrinkled up his brains with the effort he was making. "You mean'that this time proposition ain't something that moves along all the time ? Sorta-^ well,-like a road. A road don't go no' place^—- You just go places along it. Is that it?" , - "That's the general idea. In fact,

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course, which was all about eddies and ^-one-they-can't tontrol-^and .-that 4s- chords and cambers and foils, dihedrals, duration.'-' . and the Bernouilli effect. That didn't "How soon will they come . . . eh . . . make any difference; the things flew here?" asked Harry, waving an arm. whether he understood how or not; he Iridel' dipped into one of his number­ knew that because he had seen them. less pockets and . pulled ,out a watch. This.guy Iridel's lecture.was the same "It is ..now eight thirty-seven Tuesday sort of thing. If Jhere was nothing in morning," he said. -."They'll be here as * all he said, how* come all these little ' 'soon as they finish the act, and the guys were working around here? Why scenes in Wednesday that have already wasn't the clock telling time? Where been prepared.':' • , was Tuesday ? , ' . Harry thought again for a moment, He thought he'd get that straight for while Iridel \yaited patiently, smiling a good and all. "Just where is Tues­ little. Then'he looked up. at the super­ day?" he asked; visor . and" asked; "Hey—this 'actor* "Oyer there,'' said Iridel, and pointed-. business-^what's that. all, about ?."^ .' Harry recoiled and fell off the drum; "Oh—that. Weil, it's a play> thatls: for when the man extended his hand, it all. Just like any play—put on for.the disappeared! atpusement of-an . audience.': ... Harry got up off i the floor and said "I was to a play once," said Harry. tautly, "Do that again." "Whet's, the audience?" , ,.., , " "What? Oh— Point toward Tues­ , - -Iridel stopped smiling. . "Certain—, day? Certainly-." And he . pointed. Ones who may be amused," .he said. •His hand appeared again when he with­ -'And now I'm going to ask you" some drew it. ' questions. How did you get here?" ."Walked.;". -- v ' Harry said, "My gosh!" and sat down "You zvalked from Monday, night to again on the drum, sweating and staring Wednesday morning?" . . "' '. at the supervisor of the district of Fu- "Naw—, From the house to here." tura. "You point, an' your hand— "Ah— But how did you get to Wed­ ain't," he breathed. "What direction is nesday, six twenty-two?" that?" "Well I— Damfino., I just woke up "It is a direction like any other di­ an' came to work as usual." rection," said Iridel. "You know your­ . "This is an extlraordinary occur­ self there are four directions—^forward, rence,." said. Iridel, shaking his head iti sideward, upward; and"—he pointed puzzlemetit. "You'll have , to see the again, and again his hand vanished— producer." "that way!" • - . ' ' "Producer? Who's he?" "They never tol'e me that in S(^hool,". "You'll find out. -: In the meantime, said Harry. "Course, I was just a-kid come, along with me. I can't leave you then, but—" , . here; you're too close to the play. I Iridel laughed. "It is the fourth di- have to make my rounds anyway.'.'. . - - mension—it is duration. The actors move through length, breadth, and IRIDEL walked toward- -tl=ve door. height, anywhere they choose to within Harry was tempted to stay and find the set. But there is another movement himself some. more work to do, but

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED YESTERDAY WAS MONDAY 119 when Iridel glanced back at him and blade of grass grtw there; it was naked- motioned him out, Harry followed. It looking, blank, and absolutely without was-suddenly impossible to do anything any color whatever. else. ••'•:.• "Oh, that," answered Iridel. "There Just as he caught up with the super­ are only two characters in Act Wednes­ visor, a little worker ran up, whipping day who will use that path. There­ off his cap. fore it is as grown-over as it should be. "Iridel, sir," he piped, "the weather The rest of the lot doesn't enter into makers put .006 of one percent too lit­ the play,'so we don't have to do any­ tle moisture in the air on this set. thing with it." There's three seventenths of an ounce "Buty- Suppose someone wandered too little gasoline in the storage tanks off the path on Wednesday," Harry under here." offered. "How much is in the tanks?" "He'd be due for a surprise, I guess. "Four thousand two hundred and But it could hardly happen. Special seventy-three gallons, three pints, seven prompters are always detailed to spots and twenty-one thirty-fourths ounces." like that, to keep the actors from going Iridel grunted. "Let it go this time. astray or missing any cues." That was very sloppy work. Some­ "Who are they—the prompters, I one's going to get transferred to Limbo mean ?" for this." "Prompters? G.A.'s^Guardian An­ a "Very good, sir," said the little man. gels. That's what the script writers call "Long as you know we're not re­ them." sponsible." He put .on his cap, spun "I heard o' them," said Harry. around three times and rushed off. "Yes, they have their work cut out "Lucky for the weather makers that for them," said the supervisor. "Ac­ the amount of gas in that tank doesn't tors are always forgetting their lines come into Wednesday's script," said when they shouldn't, or remembering Iridel. "If an^^hing interferes with the them when the scrip calls for a lapse. continuity of- the play, there's the devil Well, it looks pretty good here. Let's to pay. Actors haven't sense enough to have_a look at Friday." cover up, either. They are liable to start "Friday ? You mean to tell me you're v/hole series of miscues because of a working on Friday already?" little thing like- that. The play might "Of course! Why, we work years in flop and then we'd all be out of work." advance! How oh earth do you think • "Oh," Harry oh-ed. "Hey, Iridel we could get our trees grown otherwise? —^what's the idea of that patchy-looking Here—step in!" Iridel put out his place over there?" hand, seized empty air, drew it aside to Iridel followed his eyes. Harry was show the kind of absolute nothingness looking at a corner lot. It was tree- he had first apf>eared from, and waved lined and overgrown with weeds and Harry on. small saplings. The vegetation was true "Y-you want me to go in there?" to form around the edges of the lot, asked Harry diffidently. and around the path that ran diagonally • "Certainly. Hurry, now!" through it; but the spaces in between Harry looked at the section of void were a plane surface. Not a leaf nor a with a rather weak-kneed look, but

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 120 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN could not withstand the supervisor's bronze portal. It bounced him back, strange compulsion. He stepped head over heels, into the middle of the through, . floor. He rolled over and got up to his hands and knees. AND it wasn't so bad. There were He was in a tiny room, one end of no whirling lights, no sensations of fall­ which was filled by a colossal teakwood ing, no falling unconscious. It was just desk. The than, sitting there regarded like stepping into another room—which him with amusement. "Where'd you is what had happened. He found him­ blow in from?" he asked; and his voice self in a great round chamber, whose was like the angry bee sound of an ap­ roundness was touched a bit with the proaching hurricane. indistinct. That is, it had curved walls "Are you the producer?" and a domed roof, but there was some­ "Well, I'll be darned," said the man, thing else about it. It seemed'to stretch and smiled. It seemed to fill the whole off in that direction toward which Iridel room with light. He was a big man, had so astonishingly pointed. The walls Harry noticed; but in this deceptive were lined with an amazing array of •place, there was no way of telling how control machinery -^ switches and big. "I'llbe most verily darned. An ground-glass screens, indicators and actor. You're a persistent lot, aren't dials, knurled knobs, and levers. MovV you? Building houses for me that! ing deftly before them was a crew of almost never go into. Getting together men, each looking exactly like Iridel . and sending requests for better parts. except that their garments had no pock­ Listening carefully to what I have to ets. Harry stood wide-eyed, hypnotized say and then ignoring or misinterpret­ by the enormous complexity of the con­ ing my advice. Always asking for just- trols and the ease with which the men one^more chance, and when you get it, worked among them. Iridel touched messing that up too. And now one of his shoulder. "Come with me," he said. you crashes the gate. What's your trou­ "T/iie producer is in now; we'll find ble, anyway?" out what is to be done with you." There was something about the pro­ They started across the floor. Harry ducer that bothered Harry, but he could had not quite time to wonder how long not place what it was, unless it was the it would take them to cross that enor­ fact, that the man aw-ed him and he mous room, for when they had taken didn't know why. "I woke up in Wed­ perhaps a dozen steps they found them­ nesday," he stammered, "and yesterday selves at. the opposite wall. The was/Tuesday. I mean Monday. I ordinary laws of space and time simply mean—" He cleared his throat and did not apply in the place. started over. "I went to sleep Monday They stopped at a door of burnished night and woke up Wednesday, and bronze, so very highly polished'that they I'm looking for Tuesday." could see through it. It opened and "What do you want me to do about Iridel pushed Harry through. The door it?" . swung shut, Harry, panic-stricken lest "Well—couldn't you tell me how to he be separated from the only thing in get back there? I got work to do." this weird world he could begin to get "Oh—I get it," said the producer. used to, flung himself against the great "You want a favor from- ihe. You

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED know, someday, some one of you fel­ lows is going to come to me wanting to give me something, free and for nothing, and then I am going to drop quietly dead. Don't I have enough trouble run- •ning this show ^without taking up. time and, space by doing favors for..the likes of you?" He drew a couple of breaths and then^smiled again. "However—I have always tried to be just, even if ij: is a, tough job sometiines. Go on out and tell Iridel to show yoii the way back. I think I know what, happened to you; when you made your exit from ^ the last act you played in, you somehow managed to walk o.ut behind the-wrong- curtain when you reached the wings. There's going to be a prompter sent 65 SEPARATE AVI­ to Limbo for this. Go on now—beat ATION FEATURES it." " ^ . . '''

. HARRY OPENED his mouth to speak, 8 FULL-COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS (sUo . 8'/j X ri Vi") OF THE LATEST MILI­ thought better of it and scuttled out the TARY AND COMMERCIAL AIR-. door, which opened before hiin. He- PLANES 29 PICTORIAL FEATURES, HUNDREDS stood in the huge control chamber, . OF EXCLUSIVE PHOTOGRAPHS breathing hard. Iridel walked up to 8 ARTICLES ON MODERN AVIATION BY him. . ' NATIONALLY KNOWN EXPERTS "Well?" _ . • • ilO THREE-VIEW DRAWINGS OF MOD­ ERN FIGHTING PLANES ' "He says for you to get me out of CLOUD CHART, ANATOMY OF A SUM­ here." , •* MER STORM AND A CHART ON "All right," said Iridel. "This way." CLOUD ANATOMY He led the way to a curtained doorway DOUBLE-PAGE MAP OF U. S. AfRLlNES As a technical reference book-for schools , much like the one they had used to come end library, as^well as fascinating, valu­ in. Beside, it were two dials, one able aid for the student,-this AIR TRAILS ANNUAL is approved.by the nation's -marked in days and the other in hours leading experts in aviation and educators. and minutes. ' ' ^ - "Monday night good enough. for •k^ -k." -^ -k^ • it •you?" asked Iridel. . "Swell," said Harry. AIR PROGRESS ' Iridel set the dials for-9:30 p. m. on 79 SEVENTH AVENUE. NEW YORK, N. Y. Monday. "So long, actor. Maybe I'll Inclosed is 25c (30c for Canada). see you, again some time.'' Kindly mail me a copy of AIR PROGRESS postage free. "So long," said Harry. He turned and stepped through the door. NAME,..,! :...... : : He was back in the garage, and there ADDRESS...„., was no curtaine-d doorway behind him. CITY...: •..•..; STATE.:..., He turned. to ask Iridel if this would enable him to go to bed again' and do ^ A A PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 122 STREET & SMITH-S' UNRNQWN' "

Tuesdays righb from the start;-but-Iridel ing-; aloneionia-'-section,of-the-dead'-white;- was gone.* ••- - . - .plaiiidieihad- noticed 'before' on the cor- ' The garage was a blaze of light. ner lot'. •'' Harry glanced up at the clock— • It . . It was too much for his overburdened said fifteen seconds after nine-thirty. mind; he ran out into the night, break­ , That was fiuiny; everyone should be ing through lineso of laden slaves, home by now except Slim Jim, the through'neat and growing i^iles of rub-, night man, who hiing out until four in ble, screaming for Iridel. He ran for a the morning serving„ up gas^ at tne long time, and finally- dropped down be- pumps outside. A quick glance around , hind a stack of lumber-^out where the sufficed. This-might be Monday night, Unitarian church used to be, dropped but it was a Monday night he hadn't because he could go no farther. He known. heard footsteps and tried to' make him­ The pl^ce was filled with the little self smaller. They came on steadily; , men again! one of the overseers rounded the corner Harry sat on the fender of a con­ and stood .looking at him^' Harry was vertible and groaned. "Now what have' in deep shadow, but he knew the. man, I got myself into?" he asked himself. in white could see in the dark. He could see that he was at a dif­ "Come out o' there," grated-the man. ^ ferent place-in-time from the one in Harry came out. which he had met Iridel. There, the^ ":You the guy, was yellin' for Iridel ?" had been working to build, working with, Harry nodded. a precisionand nicety that was a pleas­ "What makes you think you'll find ure to watch. But here— Iridel in Limbo?" sneered his captor. The little menovere different, in the "Who are you, anyway?" first place. They were' tired-looking, Harry had learned by this time. "I'm .sick, slow. There'were scores of over­ an—actor," he said in a small voice. seers about, aiid Harry winced with one "I got into Wednesday by mistake, and of tlie little iellows when one o| the men they sent nie back here.". in whitejashed out with a long whip. "What for?" . . As the Wednesday crews worked, so the "Huh? Why— I guess "it was a Monday gangs slaved. And the work mjstake, that's all." - _- they were doing ; was difl'erent. For . The man stepped forward and^grabbed here they were breaking down; break­ Harry, by the collar. He was about ing* up, carting away. Before his eyes, eight-times as.'powerful as a hydraulic^ - »• Harry saw sections of paving lifted out, jack. -"Don't give me no guff, pal,'-' • pulverized; toted away by thcsackload said, the man.-' "Nc»body gets sent; to' by lines'of trudging.-bt^pwbeaten,-little Limbo by mistake, or. if, he didn't- do men. -He saw great beams.upended to somethin' up there to make him deserve • support .the roof, while bricks were pried it. Come clean, no.w." • .- out of" the wallsv He. heard the gang "I didn't do nothin'," Harry .wailed. working^ oh the roof, saw patches of "I asked.them the way back,'and .they roofing'torn awaj'. • He saw walls and showed me.a,door, and 1 went through roof both melt away under that driv­ it and came^ here. That's all.I know./' ing, driven onslaught, ' and before ' he Stop it, you're choking 'me-!" knew what, was .happening he was stand­ The man dropped him suddenly

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED YESTERDAY WAS MONDAY 123 "Listen, babe, you know who I am? workin' top speed, drivin' the boys till Hey?" Harry shook his head. "Oh— they bleed, than they give you the devil you don't. Well, I'm Gurrah!" • for not bein' halfway through another "Yeah?" Harry said, no'f being able job. You'd think I'd been in the busi­ to think of anything else: at the hid- ness long enough to know what it was rrient. all about, after more than eight hundred * Gurrah puffed out his cHest arid ap­ an' twenty million acts, wouldn't you? peared to be waiting for something more Heh, Try to tell them that. Ship a from Harry. ' When' nothing caine, he load of dog houses up to Wednesday, Wialked up to the mechanic, breathed in sneakin' it past backstage nice as you his fice. "Ain't' scared, huh? Touigh please. They turn right around and call guy, huh? Never heard of Gurrah, me up. 'What's the matter with you, supervisor of Liriibo an' the roughest, Gurrah ? Them dog houses is no good. toughest son of the devil from Iriciderice We sent you a list o' worn-out items to Eternity, huh?" two acts ago. One o' the items -was Now Harry as a' peaceable man, but dog houses. Snap out of it or we send if there was anything he hated, it was someone back there who can read an' to have a stranger breathe his bad bfeath put you oh a toteline.' That's wha;t I pugnaciously at him. Before he'knew get—act in and act out. An' does it it had happened, Gurrah' was sprawled do any good to tell 'em that my aid got eight feet away, and Harry'was stand­ the message an' dropped dead before he ing alone rubbing his'left knuckles— qiiite the most surprised of the two. Giirrah sat up, feeling his'face. "Why, you . . . you hit me!" he roared. He got up and came over to Harry. "You hit rne!" he said softly, his voice slightly but of focus in amazement. Flarry wished he hadn't—wished he was in bed or in Futura or dead or something. Gurrah 'reached out with a heavy fist and—patted him on the- shoulder. *'Hey," he said,' suddenly ' friendly, "you're all right. Heh! Took a poke at me', didn't you? Be damned! First tiine in a month o' Mondays anyone ever made a pass at me. Last was a feller": named Orton. I killed 'im." Harry paled. • '

GURKAH leaned back agiainst the luni- bei- pile. "Dam'f I didn't enjoy that, feller. Yeah. This is a hell of a job they palmed ofif on me, but what can you do? Breakin' down—breakih' down.' No sooner get through one job,

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got it to me? No. Uh-tih. If I say r "What's funny," asked Harry, a little anything about that, they tell me to stop peeved. workin' 'em to death. If I do that, they "Iridel," said Gurrah. . "Do you real­ kick because my shipments don't come ize that I've been trying for fifty thou­ in fast enough." sand acts or more to get something on He paused.for breath. Harry had a that-pretty ol' heel, and he drops you hunch that if he kept Gurrah in a good right in my lap. Pal, I can't thank yoti mood, it might benefit him. He asked, enough! He was supposed to send you "What's 3'our job, anyway?" back into the play,.and instead.o' that "Job?" Gurrah howled. "Call this a you wind up in )'esterday! Why, I'll job? . Tearin' down the sets, shippin' blackmail him till the end of time!" what's good to the act after next, He whirled exultantly, called to a group junkin' the rest?" He snorted. of bedraggled little men who were stag­ Harry asked, "You mean they use the gering under a cornerstone on their way same props over again?" to the junkyard. "Take it easy, boys!" "That's , right." They don't last, he^called. "I got ol' Iridel by the short though. Six, eight acts, maybe. Then hair. No more busted backs! No more they got to build new ones and weather snotty-messages! Haw hctiv hazv!" them and knock - 'em around to- make 'em look as if they was used." HARRY, a little amazed at all this, put There was-silence for a time. Gur­ in a timid word, "Hey—Gurrah. What rah, having got his bitterness off his about me?"_ chest for the first time in literally ages, Gurrah turned. "You? Oh. Tel-f- was feeling pacified. Harry didn't know phone!" At his shout two little work­ how to feel. He finally broke the ice. ers, a trifle less bedraggled thata the rest, "Hey, Gurrah— How'ni I goin' to trotted up. One hopped up and perched get back into the play?" on Gurrah's right shoulder; the other "What's it to me? How'd j'ou^ draped ,himself over the left, with his Oh, that's right, you walked in from the head forward. Gurrah grabbed the latr control room, huh? That it?" ter by the neck, brought the man's head Harry nodded. close and shouted into his ear, "Give "An' how," growled Gurrah, "did you me Iridel!" There was a moment's wait, get inta the control'room?" then the little man on his other shoul­ "Iridel Urought me." der spoke in Iridel's voice, into Gur­ "Then what?" rah's ear, "Well ?" "Well, I went to sec the producer, "Hiyah, fancy pants.!" and—" "Fancy—• I beg your— Who is "Th' producer! Holy— You mean this?'"' you walked right in and—" Gurrah "It's Gurrah, you futuristic piarasite. " mopped his brow. "What'd he say ?" I got a couple things to tell you." "Why^he said, he guessed it wasn't "Gurrah! VLow—dare you talk to me my fault that I woke up in Wednesday. like that! I'll have you—" He said to tell Iridel to ship me back." "You'll have me in your job if I tell "An' Iridel threw you back to Mon­ all I know. You're a wart on the nose day." And Gurrah threw back his of progress; Iridel." shaggy head and roared. "What is the meaning of this ?"

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED YESTERDAY. WAS MONDAY 125

"The meaning of'this is that you had watch like Iridel's. "It's eleven forty instructions sent to you by the producer . on Tuesday," he said. "'We'll shoot an' you muffed them. Had an actor - you back there now. -You'll have to there, didn't you?. He saw the boss, dope out your own. reasons for dis­ . didn't he ? Told you he was to be sent appearing. Don't spill too muclT, or a . back, didn't he ? Sent him right over Jot -of people will siiffei-. for it^you the to me instead of to the play, didn't you? most. - Ready?" , You're slippin', Iridel. Gettin' old. Ha'rry nodded; Gurrah swept out a Well, get off the wire. I'm calliri' the hand and opened the. curtain to noth­ boss, right now." ingness. "You'll find yourself quite a ..."The boss?' Oh—^don't do that, old ways from where you started," he said, man. Look, let's talk this thing over.. "because you did a little moving around Ah—about that shipment of three-legged here. Go ahead." " dogs I was wanting you td round' up "Thanks," said Harry. for me; I guess 1 can do without them. - Gurrah laughed. "Don't thank me, Any little favor I can do for you^" clium. You rate all the thanks! Hey —"you'll damn well do, after this. You —T-if, after'you kick off, you don't make better, Goldilocks." Gurrah knocked the' out so good up there, let them toss ypu two small heads together, breaking the over to me. You'll be treated good; connection and probably the heads, and you've my word on it. Beat it; luck!" turned grinning to Harry. "You see," Holding his breath, Harry 'Wright he explained, "that Iridel feller is a stepped through the doorway. damn good supervisor, but hfe's a stick­ He had to walk thirty blocks to the ler for detail. He sends people to Limbo garage, and when he got there the boss for the silliest little mistakes. He never was waiting for him. forgives anyone and he never forgets a "'Where^you been, "Wright?" slip. He's the cause of half the misery "I—lost my. way." , back here, with his hurry-up orders.' "Don't get wise. "What do you think Now things are gonna be different. The this is—vacation time? Get going on boss has wanted to give Iridel a dose of the spring job; Damn it, it won't be his own medicine for a long time now, finished now till tomorra." but Irrie never gave him a chance." Harry looked him straight in the" eye Harry said patiently, "About me_get- and said, "Listen. It'll be finished to­ ting back now—" night. I happen to know." And, still "My fran',!" Gurrah bellowed.- He ' grinning? he went back into the garage delved into a pocket and pulled out a and took out his tools.

THE END.

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/

JO SHU/I by H. CREIGHTOIV BUCK

® a little story about a man "GOOD morning, sir. Mighty bad storm we're having." who bouqht an' old clock—a Professor Mackee jerked his head up very old clock—and tried to out of the depths of his overcoat and bobbed at ^the red-faced constable. ' He set it to read the local time^ didn't seem cold; maybe a person could ^ get used to it after .ten or twenty years

Illustrated by F. Kramer in this God-forsaken place. He shiy-

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ered. What a ghastly" thought! One shook the show from his coat and pulled year in Aunt Agatha's frozen mauso­ out a handkerchief to wipe the mist from leum was enough. He'd be damned if he his bifocals. The dumpy proprietor bus­ stayed through another Maine winter, tled irorn -the rear of the shop. in spite of her idiotic will! She'd drawn . "Good, mbrniiig,; Mr. Mackee. It's it up herself, and it.was fuU bftart, bit­ about'the clock-that you've come? Well, ing sarcasm.' - . .-:,,... here it is; just like I got it.". I bequeath to my nephew, Arthur Qiiiricy Proudly he pointed to a massive pan­ Mackee, who, I am to understand, is teach­ eled box bearing a multitude of clock ing English: at some school' in Alabania, the faces. Obviously a very, old' clock, for balance,of my estate on thie proviso .that he live fOr..fhe,remainder p£ his •life..in,rny house the carvings were worn and the mark­ in Maine. _ : ', " ^ ings on the' dials were almost effaced. (Signed) AGATHA QuiNCY. ' "Mackee bent forward to examine it more closely. In appearaiice it resem- So here he was, ^at the .age of fiftyr bjed the elaborate clocks ^ built by the three, spending a cold,winter north of seventeenth or .eighteenth-century arti- the Mason-Dixon Line for the first time sans. Some of- them, he remembered, in teii years. made clocks that showed the day of the A sudden gust of snow-laden air- \~mpnth as well as the time of day. Per­ swept around him. ..Mackee shiyereB haps this was one of those. Cautiously again and. thrust his scrawny neck even he inquired the price. farther into-.his coat'tiollar. It was. a vain attempt;, for the soggy .flakes "Well, for you it's cheap. Ninety- squirrned. their way inside in spite of all five dollars;" - ' his efforts. • • ' . . -'--•• Mackee. swallowed and pulled out his The house v^as as bad as the.climatei checikbook. The habits of fifteen years It had turned out to be a museum piece, on a teacher's pay were hard to break. full of Colonial relics; some were; still' 'He filled in the amount and gave it to able to walk.. These, he'd, learned, were the antique dealer with instructions for Aunt Agatha's servants. . They came the delivery of the clock. with the house. A bevy of house-broken "Don't worry, Mr. Mackee. I'Jl bring ghosts would have beeri preferable. it up personal, tomorrow morning." After the warmth and informality of Mackee wrapped his coat around him Alabama, the cold austerity of Maine tightly, wished that his spare shanks was too much. Entirely too much. weren't so thinly covere,d, and left the At the. corner, Mackee stopped and shop. Leaning against the icy wind, he peered through the flying snow at-the slowly made his way homeward. signpost. He tugged at his hat and made his way down the street toward a SURPRISINGLY, the next morning was large sign, creaking in the wind, on clear. Mackee rolled out of bed, damned which were carved the words: the cold floor of the room, shiveringly pulled on his clothes, and went down to AN T I Q U E S breakfast. With the steaming oatmeal Isaac Laquedem, Prop. inside him, his outlook on things The door slammed behind him, set­ changed and he eagerly fell to work, ting the little bell tinkling madly. He shifting antiques around in the room he

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 12g STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN called the "museum" until he had a could he find a single sign that the case suitable place for the clock; By eleven was meant to be opened. This was o'clock the workmen had come and gone queer! A mechanism that ran without and he .was admiring his new acquisi­ a sound and with apparently no -provi­ tion. . -. , . sion for rewinding! .Sounded Hke per­ • Closer "examination convinced him petual inotion. Well, that better wait that the clock was unusual in more ways until he could get some expert. He cer­ than one. The carvings on the panels tainly was no mechanic. definitely did not date from the England Curious, Mackee pulled out his \vatch. or France of the seventeenth or eight­ Three minutes of twelve. The old clock eenth century. They resembled more the was only about eight hours too fast. Turkish or Arabic inscriptions he'd seen Might as well set it. He reached out, on exhibit at the university. Odder yet took hold of the long minute hand and. was the string of characters that sur­ tugged. With a protesting creak that mounted the central panel, above the sent shivers trotting along his spinal three large, clock faces^ "They were un­ coluinn, the hand moved. Slowly he mistakably old Hebrew! forced it backward. The brass pointer Shrugging his shoulders, Mackee responded sluggishly, as though it were went to work to remove the layer of oily mo^ang in a viscid fluid. Perhaps he dust that clung to the surfaces. On the should've moved it forward to twelve front panel, the three clock dials were instead of backward. -.Too late now. arranged in a triangle. The top one was - He found himself squinting at the dial marked into twelve divisions, probably in his efforts to see the markings. They indicating hours. At k rough guess, the seemed to be getting more and more ornate brass hands pointed to a few min­ difficult to distinguish. In sudden com­ utes before eight. The other two dials prehension, he ran to the window. The were divided into seven and thirteen • sky had become overcast again. Over­ sectors. head it was night black. Toward the Carefully he finished wiping away the east there was a faint lightness; almost, encrusted grime that had covered the he thought, like the first light of dawn. front panel and turned his attention to Shrugging, he dismissed the matter as the side panels. They were replete with ho business of his. He vaguely recalled oriental imagery. The only figures he some mention in'the Sunday supplement recognized were ibis-headed Thoth and of an eclipse that w-as to occur soon. winged Asshur. Let the scientists worry about that. He Mackee walked around the clock snapped on the lights and finished set­ again and stepped back to admire it., ting the clock. . Queer! It didn't look the same. His The door to the museum'swung open eyes narrowed as he tried to-catch the to admit the peering head of Hepzibah, annoying diflference. His puzzled gaze the. housekeeper. fell on the top dial and he gasped. The , "Your dinner's ready, professor^ hands now pointed to eight fifteen! The Mighty.dark day, isn't it? Reminds me clock was still running! He bent over of the winter of '91. For two whole and placed his ear against the case.. Not days you couldn't see the sun. Most a sound. Perplexed, he tried to find a . everybody was snowed in. Mighty cold way of opening the clock. Nowhere winter.".

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 129 "Thanks, Hepzibah. I'll be right out." nnounclttg the new ' MACKEE GLARED at the closed door and thrust his hands into the, deep pockr ets of his jacket. She seeined to relish cold weather. And if there was one thing he hated, that•„was ^it. Winter. Br-r-r-r. What was it Shakespeare Silver Star said? "Blow, blow thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as man's ingrati­ tude." Bet he never felt a cold Maine rn Story lag< wind! , . ' . $150(1. :'• Mackee glanced outside once more, into the bewildering blackness, . then switched on the radio. "—^tesy of the Blue -Label Baking Powder Go. Ike and Mike will come to you tomorrow at the same time. This \k James. McLiesh, speaking for Blue Label Baking Powder Co., and bidding ONDUCTED ibintly by Dodd. you all a schlurp!— V O Mead & Co. and Street & Smith for the best Western Novel-Serial of "Special news flash ! The Newfound­ 1941,. ._ land 'Observatory has just released a: bulletin on the" strange darkness tliat has The purpose of this competition is to so suddenly caused a 'blackout' of al­ give to . new \^iters—and to those most the entire Western Hemisphere. whose talent has not heretofore been Here is th'e bulletin: 'At 12:01 today sufficiently recognized—a unique op­ portunity to make a name for them­ the sun was observed to stop,. reverse selves in the Westei-n story field. direction and rapidly sink toward the Dodd, Mead .& Co., publishers of eastern horizon,- where it caiiie to' rest books, founded in 1839, and Street' and resumed its normal motion. Three '' & Smith, publishers of magazines, minutes later, at 12:04, the sun changed founded in 1855, are among the direction again and disappeared below oldest in their respective fields. 'The winning story in. this prize -contest, the horizon. No explanation is as yet ~ therefore, gives the public absolute forthcoming.' " , assurancie of the highest quality in "This station will keep you informed Western writing. with up-to-the-miniite flashes. We'now return you to the scheduled prograni." . The competition closes on July 1,1941 —and is open to anyone who bas' . The subdued music of an orchestra never.had

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 130 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN ;.- hair- and then, with faltering steps,"he - Perhaps r that - had not'-^been - a.-figwa^ - •'- . returned to-the clock. He hesitated for tive parable! Perhaps it had been liter.-^ - a rnonient, rubbed his unsteady hands - ally true! - G^ course? the clock must-'ve • together, and began to turn the hands been • actuaUy-. made> by- some-scientist-.-. • of the clock forward! ; W'hen they once priest such as the great legendary KiBar.,:.;., more pointed to eight-;itw:enty,he',tpok a the- craftsman. A, thousand :different:.;- deep breath and slowly turned ,around. . plans swirled-throughvhis brains- Edgar, .. The electric lights seerned pale in the Perkins, fraternity -brother.* 'had -been-• :; warm sunlight that,beat in thi^ough the professor,of physics-at-the university.-.-<•• windows! • '' ' ' " Wire hinv to come* up--at once:- He'll - His brain- whirled "with the irnphca- find out what tiiakes it tick. - , • tions_of^ his discovery. He'd done Edi- . What, might have happenednf Agatha son one "better! • He changed day-into*.» Quincy's house hadn't-been idrafty--is .• nigjit !.-,But4iow did it work? A vague hard .to say,, -A prankish- gust-of-;icy •; recollection of a legend he'd once.read wind vifhiEleds^.tn a dervish" dance-and .•." foamed to the surface of his mind for a brushed- lightly---across. the nape of .P-ro^—^, moment and then was gone.' His brow • fessorsMackee's-moist;neck. His long.- - furrowed as he concentrated. The li- • bony.'-iiose-wrinkled ;: he 'sniffed twice-' brary at Cauldwell.' University. He'd . and. then he' sneezed! - 'Not • just once, been classifying a collection of books' i . but; three% separate and distinct sneezes !- donated to the library. One rather, His .faee.ibegan.'.to grow red, and" the-•• dusty book^wflat was that title? Sud­ words, he '-muttered might, have-shocked-- denly the fragments dropped into place. . Hepzibahvoutof her respectability. For • A page of printing driftal into focus..- thej first "time-in his life,, Arthur Quiticy - . Mackec'had* caught cold ! -. Then did the Lord spake . unto the crafts-, -.Visions of-: Alabama: drifted through- men of Gehalemot arid command them to hisimind.. Alabama-andi-cotton- fields^- ^ \ construct a great, temple, and in :this temple.-v ^shall they place his .gift, the ikon of Chronos and.the?sweet nostalgia of "Deep River" - that was the ordering of the earth and the • floating;on-,.the sultry-air./ .Ganna .beds- heavens. And they shall know that.by this and hollyhocks. Warmth, sunimeF; - - -- - gift may they control the seasons, even unto Summer!,: - "^ the motion of the sun itself. And lo, the people did and they,were amazed." Thus^did He- rati toward the; clock and then the Lord-God Jehovah overthrovv the. ido!a-> checked'himself. - The; hands had been- - trous priests of the sun.-worshipers. • difficiilt=rto. mave.-i-,.In order -to. change—

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED winter into summer he'd have to turn the hands around nearly three hundred times! Entirely too slow. There ought, to be some way to work it. Electricity.'' That'was it! He'd buy an electric mo-' tor! . . ' -- Mackee ran to the hallway, fumblingly^ pulled himself into his heaviest over­ coat, yelled to Hepz'ibah to hold his din­ ner, and started off down, the street.

NEXT DOOR. Miss Julia Parrish stared- out of her window at the retreating fig­ ure of the usually sedate professor. Her curiosity aTroused,- she squashed her - aquiline nose against the pane in order to see better. Suddenly the professor stopped arid looked up at the sky. Julia' followed his gaze but saw nothing. She shrugged her prim shoulders and turned back to her tatting. Most men were pixilated, anyway. • ' • In a way, it was a good thing that - © But do we want to be? Do we want to. Julia Parrish was slightly deaf. Other­ control a weapon so devastating, so irresisti­ wise the loud clap of thunder that fol­ ble, that we could wipe every country ofF the j lowed might have startled her. '— face of the earth? Maine Evening Post- Jan. 23—Professor Arthur Quiitcy Mackee For just such a weapon is found—^nd it be­ died today as the result of being struck by longs to the United States. If we don't make . lightning-. The accident, called by the coro­ use of it, other nations will get it. If we do ner an "act of God," occurred a few minutes use it, how can' we avoid being a world- after the strange phenomenon that caused dictator . . . hated . . .• feared? And how darkness over the whole Western Hemisphere —most important—can we keep it under for a period of some ten minutes today. Wit- control? ,nesses of the accident said that the sky was clear at the time the bolt struck. Professor It's a problem that won't let you sleep nights Mackee moved to this city a year ago after —which is fair warning for sluggish brains resigning from the faculty of the University to stay away from SOLUTION UNSATIS­ of Alabama. He was a.nephew of the late FACTORY, by Anson MacDonald, in the Miss Agatha— June ASTOUNDING. You'll be perplexed Maine Evening Post by it—but it will keep you,reading until the very end! Feb. 6—The antique collection of the* late Professor Mackee was sold at auction' today. The bulk of the collection was bought by an antique dealer in the city, . Mr. Isaac 'Laque- dem. SCIENCE-FICTION A quaint old clock was purchased by a Mr. L. G. Jehova of Kansas City.

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•by E-. WALDO HUNTEl

® ir he hiTdn't been so the surf tumbling about his knees, and the.sun was sinking so rapidly that his tbisraiiiqbly drunk for su- shadow crept and crawled along the Innq, he cnnldn't have beach-.like something with a life of its . .own. A trick of the light seemed to . accepted the sitnatiDn—or make the man's flesh. transparent for acted so intelliqently.. a split second, and it appeared to the American that the man was a broad-

Illustrated by Schneeman shouldered, skeletori standing . there' staring out- to sea. A slight,shift of THE governor took a sight between shades showed him up again- for what two leaves of carefully imported mint, he -was, the thin husk of a man, sharp- lining the green notch up with the cor­ boned, stringy: - ; ner of the bamboo veranda and the . The American grunted and turned bowed "figure of the man on the^ beach. - back toward his host. "What's the mat­ He was silent so long'that his guest, ter with him.?" • ' -. became restless, missing the easy drone The goyernor said,, "Him? He just of the governor's voice. That was the 'doesn't give a-damn any more. He lost "only thing-to do, he thought, watching rsomething and he can't—I can't let him the old man pressing the cool glass ..-^get it back.",' against his cheek, peering through the, : . "What did. he lose?" leaves at the beachcomber; the only The governor regarded- hini gravely. thing a man could-do in this dreary, "You're a businessman. You deal in brilliant group of little islands^—you dollars and cents and tons— You. could only talk. If you didn't- keep a wouldn't believe me if. I told you,- and conversation going, you thought-of the. yoii might not let me .finish.". ;_ heat a:nd the surf-etched silences, arid The American, opened his mouth to the weary rattle of palpi fronds, and protest, but the governor held up his that broijght you back'to, the heat''again. hand and said, "Listen to" that." God, he thought suddenly, the-gover­ .The . beachcomber!s cracked wail nor dresses for dinner in this heat,- every drifted out.over the-cluttered beach and last damn day. , - ;• the whispering surf. '/Ahniroo!" Ije "Poor crazy deyil,'' muttered the gov­ cried. "Ahni— Ahniroo!," ' Then for ernor. \ . . ^ .-.S a long while he was silent, and' it grew -His American visitor asked,"Who?" 'darker. Just as-the sleeJDy sun pulled The governor gestured with his glass . the blanket of horizon over its head, toward the sea and the beachcomber, -they sa-w the beachcomber's, shoulders and; then sipped. ' ' - . slump. He turned and walked up. the The 'American swiveled and stared. beach. The beachcomber stood dejectedly with The American squinted at him. "I

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As he draeli, the roam wahMeil - sDme mm% ami the Things qrew iieMer around hinia.

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED i34 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN take it. Ke isn't as crazy as he looks?" his money and spent it and lost it and The governor shook his head. "You had it stolen from him, and like some can put it that way;" ; other seamen he drank. The American settled. himself more Being on the beach really started the comfortably.' 'He.didn't eare about the whole thing for him. %., sailor's unem­ 'comber, particularl}-, oi^the governor ployment is unlike any other kind, in -either, for that-matter. "But he had to that it is so'little dependent on the man's stay'here another forty-eight hours, and whereabouts. A silk-mill worker must • there would lie nothing to do until the starve around a silk mill before he can - mail steamer came" except to sit and get his job, but a seaman can starve .talk with the old boy.' The man seemed anyjvhere. If he is a real seaman, he to have at-least one good yam to tell, is a painter and a general handyman, a which was prbriaising. . stevedore and roustabout. Chances are "Come, on—^ive," he .grinned. "I'll that he can drive a truck or play a little take .your word for it. Don't forget, music or can turn his hand at any of a I'm not used 'to this kind of country, thousand semiskilled trades. He rriay or the funny business that goes on in . not know where he will eat next, but it. Who is he, anyhow? And why is he can always find a bit of a drink to he calling out over the water? Gives warm him or cool him as the weather me the creeps. Who's Ahniroo—or dictates. But Barry—our beachcomber what is it?"' over there-i^didn't care much' for eat­ The governor leaned back and looked ing, arid didn't do much of it for quite up at a spider that would probably drop a while, except when it was forced on down someone's collar before the eve­ him. He coiicentrated on the drinking, ning was over, and he said nothing for and the.more he drank the more reasons quite a while. Then he began: He found for drinking, until he couldn't walk or sleep or work or travel or stay AHNIKOO was a. . . a. friend of the still without a little-snort or two as a fellow's. I doubt that any man has persuader. Not so good. -He lost a had a friend like that. As far as lot of jobs ashore arid afloat., When the . man himself is concerned—yes, he had a job he'd guzzle to celebrate, you may be right. Perhaps he isn't and when he lost one he'd guzzle to quite all there. But after what he went console himself. You can imagine what through, the surprising thing is that he happened. can talk fairly sensibly. Of course, he's ' It hit hirii in a small town on the peculiar there, too—^all he'll talk about Florida coast. He had just been fired • is Ahniroo, but he does it quite ration- from a little four-thousand ton freighter • ally. ' • '• ; ," . that ran coastwise arid found that stop­ He was a seaman, much like any other ping in such half-forgotten whistle stops seaman. He had relatives ashore and paid expenses. It was on the North was going to marry one of these years, American continent, but aside from that perhaps; and there was a visit to the it hardly differed from these islands. place where he was born, some day, It was hot and humid and a long, long v/hen he could walk into the town with • way from anywhere else. a liundred-dollar bill in every pocket of And Barry found himself sitting on a new suit. Like other seamen he saved the edge of a wooden sidewalk with his

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PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 136 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN feet and.his soul in the gutter, with no were nearly as red as their lids, and his money and no job and ,no~'food in his broad shoulders were built of toothpicks stomach. He felt pretty good, being and parchment. Skin that had been taut just halfv^ay between a binge- and a . with the solid muscle, under it was now hangover. He stared for twenty min­ loose and 'dry, and fitted him' as badly utes at a painted stone in the dusty as the clothes he wore. He was a big road, just because his eyes happened-to fellow—six -feet three at least,' and he be directed that way. And before long weighed all of a hundred and' twenty- a scorpion crept out from behind the seven pounds.. stone and stood looking at him. •The scorpion was the start of it, and It was like no other scorpion he" had the crack ori the skull brought,it on full ever seen. It was no larger than any strength. That's right—the horrors. other, and the same dark color, but The good old creeping, crawling hor-- instead of the formidable pincers, it had. rors. When he came to and hauled his- arms: They were tiny and perfect and ragged body back up to the,sidewalk,'he pink and soft, and had delicate hands ' found himself in a new world, horribly" and little diamond specks of fingernails. peopled by. things he couldn't, under­ •And—oh yes; no joints, apparently. stand. • There were soft white wriggling They were as sinuous as an elephant's things—a carpet of them, under his feet. trunk. It was such an unheard-of Standing at • bay in the doorway of a thing, to see that Barry stared at^it for general store down the street was a a long moment before he let himself gryphon, complete with_flaming breath, believe" what he had seen. ' Then he horns and ta.il, frighteningly real, lifted shook himself, shrugged drunkenly, and- bodily from an old book that had fright­ said: ened him when he was a child. He'heard "I'll be damned !" And then, address­ a monstrous rustle over j-iis head, and - ing the strange scorpion, "Hi!" . : there was a real life prototype of Alice- The scorpion waved one of its per­ in-Wonderland's bucktoothed Jabber- - , fect, impossible amis, and said, '!You wock, 'and it was out' to get him. He will be!" and then, "Hi yourself." shrieked and tried to run, and fell chok- • V Barry started so violently ' that he ing and splattering into the Slough of came to, his feet., • The liquor he had Despond from "Pilgrim's 'Progress." been sopping, seemed to have col­ There was someone else in there with" lected in his knees; at any rate, those '..hira—a scantily clad girl on skis from members were quite liquid aiid" buckled the front cover-of a Paris magazine. under hirh, so that he fell on his face'. She Jaitghed. and .turned -into a__sixr- „He remembered the scorpion scuttling ^ legged winged snake which bit at him, away, and then his forehead struck'the viciously and vanished. He scrambled painted stone and Jhe Jights went out to his feet and plunged, -sobbing down for him,, •.'•,;;. • the dusty road, .and people on the sider- .walks turned and stared and said, BARRY HAD. BEEN, a strong man, but: "Crazy, with th' heat'! and went ©n after two years of nursing from flat about, their business, for heat madness / bottles, you wouldn't have ^ known 'it. was. common _among beached sailors in He was no beauty. . He had a long that. country, in August. •\ leather face and a purple nose. His eyes Barry staggered on out of town, N

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which wasn't very far, and out among fainter odor of liquor that drifted from the sand dunes and scrub and saw grass._ -inside. Someone else said, "Look at He began to see things that he could the hulk; let's feed liim a drink." It not describe, monsters made of other was a lucky break for Barry; with his monsters, devils and huge spiders and metabolism in the pickled state it was, insects. In the angry blaze of the sun he would most certainly have dropped he slumped to his knees, sobbing, and dead if he had not had that snifter. then something clicked in his mind and They led him in and gave him a he collapsed from sheer psychic exhaus­ couple more, and his garbled mutterings tion. were amusing to them for a time, but after a while they went home and left IT WAS NIGHT, and very cool, when him cluttering up a rotmd table with he woke again. There was half a moon his spent body. and a billion stars, and the desertlike Closing time—which meant the time dunes were all black velvet and silver. when there was no one left around to The black and the gleam were crowded buy a nickel beer—came, and the bar­ with strange life, but it was worse now tender, a misplaced Louisiana Cajun, than it had been in the daytime, because came over to throw the sailor out. now he could feel what he couldn't see. There was no one else in the place but He knezv that twenty feet away from a couple of rats and some flies. One him stood a great foiil buzzard that of the rats had only two legs and wore stared steadily at him, and yet he could a collar and tie even in that heat. The not see it. It was more than a fear­ other rat had some self-respect and scut­ some sensation that the thing was there; tled under the beer pulls to lap suds, he could feel each feather, every wrinkle being a true quadruped with inherited of the crusted, wattled neck, each cat- rat reflexes. loused serration on its dry yellow legs. The two-legged rat's name was Zilio. As he stared tremblingly intothe mound­ He was a small oily creature with ing distances, he felt the grate of a- swarthy skin, a hooked nose supported bison's hoof as it eyed him redly, ready by a small mustache, an ingratiating to charge. The sound of a wolf's teeth manner and a devious way of making a impacted on his skin rather than his living. His attention was attracted to­ eardrums, and he felt its rough tongue ward Barry by the barkeep's purpose­ on its black lips. He screamed and ran ful approach. Zilio slid off his stool and toward the town, guided by his omni­ said: present seaman's instinct, dodging and . "Hold it, Pierre; I'm buying for the zigzagging among the silver dunes. Oh, gentleman. Pour a punch." yes—he had 'em. He had the horrors The name did not refer to the in­ really thoroughly. gredients of the drink but to its effect. He reached town about eleven at The barkeep shrugged and went back to night. He was pretty much of a mess his bar, where he poured a double drink —covered with grime, cut and bruised of cheap whiskey, adding two drops -of and sick. Someone saw him leaning clear liquid from a small bottle, this rockily against the sun-dried wall of a being the way to mix a Zilio punch. gin mill, trying to revive himself with Zilio took it from him and carried it the faint clinking of glasses and the over to Barry. He set it on the table

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in front of the seaman, drew up a chair • Pierre grunted and went out, return­ and sat close to him, his arm on Barry's ing in a few minutes with a couple of shoulder. fishermen. Without a word they picked "Drink up, old man," he said in an up the unconscious Barry and carried affected accent. He shook '• Barry him out to a disreputable old flivver, gently, and the" sailoir raised his head which groaned its way out of sight down groggily. "Go on," urged Zilio. the dusty road. • ^ Barry picked up the glass, shaking Zilio said, "'Night, Pierre." He and slopping, and sipped because he handed the bartender two clean dollar had not energy for a gulp. bills for his part in the shanghai, and "You're a sailor, eh?" murmured left. Zilio. " Barry shook his head and reared back WHEN BARRY swam up out of the ef­ to try to focus his disobedient eyes on fects of Pierre's Mickey Finn, he found the oily man. "Yeah, an' a damn good himself in all too familiar surroundings. one." '• •• He didn't have to open his eyes; his "Union member ?" nose and his sense of touch told him "What's it to you ?',' asked Barry bel­ where he was. He was lying in a nar­ ligerently, and Zilio pushed the glass a row bed, and the sparse springs beneath little closer. Barry realized that the him vibrated constantly. His right side smooth, swarthy character was buying a felt heavier than his left, and he rolled drink, and promptly loosened up. a little that way, and then the weight "Yeah; I belong to the union." He shifted and he rolled back. He groaned. picked up the glass. How did he ever get working again? He opened his eyes at last, to see "Good !" said Zilio. "Drink up !" what' kind of a box it was that he had Barry did. The i'aw liquid slid down shipped out on. He saw a dimly lit his throat, looped around and smashed fo'c's'le with six bunks in it, only one - him on the back of the neck. He' sank of which was occupied. The place was tingiingh' into unconsciousness.' Zilio filthy, littered with empty" beer cans, watched him for a moment, smiling. dirty socks, a couple of pairs of dun­ Pierre said, "What are you going to garees, wrapping paper from laundry do with that broken down piece o' tar?" parcels, and cigarette- butts—the usual Zilio began to search Barry's pockets mess of a merchant ship's crew's quar­ diligently. "If I can find what I'm look­ ters when leaving port. He closed his ing for,"-he. said', "this broken down eyes and shook his head violently to piece of tar is going to-be removed from rid' himself of this impossible vision— the rolls of the unemployed. Another he didn't remember catching a- ship, minute's searching uncovered Barry!s knezv he was on the beach, and was seaman's papers. "Ah—able seaman— . good and sick of seeing things he could quartermaster—wiper and messman. not believe. So—he closed his eyes and He'll do." He stood back and wiped his shook-his head,to clear it, and when he hands on.a large white handkerchief. did that he groaned in agony at the "Pierre, get a couple of the boys and pain that shot through it. Oooh^—that have this thing brought down to my • must have been a party. Wow! He dock." lay very still until the pain subsided,

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and then cautiously opened his eyes eight lousy dollars a month. No over­ again. He was still in a ship's fo'c's'le. time. Eighty-six-day runs. "Hey!" he called weakly. Barry got up on one elbow and said The figure on the lower bunk opposite half to himself, "What did I do—ask started, and a man pushed his head for this job?" into the light that trickled in from the The other man rolled out and sat on alleyway. tKe edge of his bunk, putting on tank- "Hey, where am I ? ' Eh—when is erman's safety shoes. "Damfino. Did this?" you ever meet a guy called Zilio?" ' Apparently the man could make sense "Ah— Yeh." out of the vague question. "Tuesday," The man' nodded. "There you are he said. That meant nothing to Barry. then, shipmate. _ He gave you a drink. "Ye're aboard th' Jesse Hanck. Black You passed out. You wake up aboard oil. "Far East." / A this oil can. That's Zilio's business." Barry lay back. "X)h," he moaned. "Why the dirty— I'm a union mem­ The Hanck ships were famous-=-or ber! I'll tie this ship up! I'll have her was it notorious? They~were old Fore struck! I'll report her to the Maritime River ships, well-deck tankers. They Commission ! > I'll—" were dirty and unseaworthy, and they^ The- other man rose and came across were hungry ships and paid ordinary 0 the fo'c's'le to lean his elbows on Barry's seamen's wages to their petty officers, bunk and breathe his gingivitis into •grading it on down from there. Twenty- Barry's face. "You'll do your work

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED and shut up. When you sober up enough to look around, you'll find out you're - sliHTOg sailing without seaman's papers, 'If you're a good boy and play along with ln»ld« Trado tAformairoit lor Carp«nt«r9. Builders, Join- the seahorse that calls, himself a chief ' •^ «r». Building Mechanics and • II Woodworkera. Theao Guides g»vc you the short-cut mate, you'll get them back". Step off instructions that you wnnl— includins new methodfl. idena. «oliition», plans, aysttms and money saving augcestioni. An ,the straight and narrow and you'll be easy proxmsive courte for tho apprcntictt and student. A pra^jiical daily helper and beached somewhere without your'livin', • Quick Reference for the master worker. Carpenters every­ where ara usins theav Guides An' listen—better dry. up. with, that as a Hclpinc Hand to Easier Work. Belter Work and Bel­ ter Pay. To Mt this aiaitt- union talk. You . got picked up by a ance (or yourself,'nimply'hJl ' Bnslde Trade Information 0ns ' *• • "-EECOU- fink-herder and shipped on a fink ship. How to USB the otecl aquare—How to file and set nnwa—How to build furniture—How to'use a They don't go'for that around here, that mitre box—How to use the chalk line—How to use rules and scales—How tojnake ioints—Carpenters fellow-worker stuff." arithmetic—Solvins; menfluralion probtems—^Es­ timating BtrenBtb of timbers—How to aet girders sad gilts—How to frame houses and roofs—How to caliraate coats—How to build houses, barns, ear- "Yeah?" Barry swung his feet over ases, bungalows, «tc.—How to read and draw plana—Drawing up apecificationa—How to ex­ the side of the bunk.and had to clutch cavate—How to use aettinas 12. 13 and 17 on tho •teel BQuare—How to build hoists and acaffolds— ekylighta—How to .build atairs—How to put on his pounding head. "I'll, jump ship in inferior trim—^'How to hanj; doors—How to lath— l»y floore—^How to paint Panama! We got to go through the canal!" THEO, AUDEL & CO., 49 W. 23rd St., New YorK CUy Mail Audels Ca>p*nt«M and Bufldira Guldea. * vols., on 7 days" Int trial If O K N'-"^"k*!?!'.*!o oblissiioa" '?.?.^'V'ualesa 1 a. m1"?.??- utis&ed^ j"*^'. ' "°^'' *^ " '"'<'• Olberwiso 1 will return ihem- 'lAin't nobody jumpin' no ship in

Name.. V Panama, nowadays, friend.' They'll send

AddrMC..... out a fifth-Golyum alarin fer you from

Occupfttioa.. the ship an' you'll spend sonfelhin' like

RcKMncc,,.. fifty years in a, military bastille. Be­ sides—;time we get- to Colon -you won't vyant to be jumpin' ship. . Better coo.l 'off now. G'wan back to sleep. I got the eight to.twelve, • You got' the.twelve • to foiir." - " • >

• : "^ ' ' • Size 8 X10 Inchos or smaller if de­ sired. Same price tor full len^ti or buBt lorm, groups, landscapes, pet So BARKY went to work againV He animals, etc., or enlarKementa of any partof group picture. Safe return ol _. — — spent his days and nights in the,utmost, original photo guaranteed. 3for$1..0ostm«n 47c Dltin hole beside his bunk had kicked out voetarre —or send 4dc with order and. we pay Dosta^e. BIS lGx20-inch enlarsement eent C. O.D. 78c phis poetaire er eend 80c and we pay poataee. Take advantatre of thta amaz- some, years ago,' and every time the hi» offer now. Send your photos today. Si STANDARD ART STUDIOS, 113 S. Jefferson St., Dept. 771-D, Chicago weather got a little drafty, his bunk shipped water. The food was atrocious, and the crew was composed of boot­ blacks, kids on vacation, ex-tenant farmers, and'one or two bona-fide sea­ men like hiinself, either • outright' finks MGimin MitOlliHOSig^liP or shanghaied wrecks: ' But all ^of this mam didn't stack up .to his horrors. They persisted and they grew. -^ . _

WEAR HOSE WE FURNISH It' i^ii't often a. man gets them tljat Njlon Jlobe, gi>e Silk llose half price, in combjiidtion ordtr Wonitn cra/y over Ny- iOQ, Agents coming money witJi sensational nair price badly, but then it isn't often that" a man combination offer. Supply.silk hose replacement guar- i anteed 4 to, 8 months; depending on quantity. Guaran­ lets himself get into the state that Barry teed by Good; Housekeeping as> advertised therein.. New cars given, producers, iook at these exceptional earnings. was in. ~ He walked in a narrowing Onita West, $39aO first week; Emma Wall, $47.81 first week. Bush came and; hose size; free conlidential facts. WIU^NIT HOSIERY CO., Midway I6-B4, Greenfield, Ohio circle- o~f ravenous beasts. ' When, he

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slept he dreamed horrible dreams, and heat of them; when sleeping in the -when he lay awake he could feel tiny, fo'c's'le is impossible and sleeping on cold, wet feet crawling over his body. deck is just as bad. He was afraid to stand a lookout watch The men bunked all over the place, by himself, and the mate had to.batten throwing mattresses down-on the after down his ears for him before he would boat deck, swinging hammocks from the go out on the fo'c's'le head at night. midship rigging, crawling under the He was dead sure that there was some­ niessroom tables, which were out on thing horrible hiding in the anchor en­ the poop now—sleeping anywhere and gine, ready to leap out at him and wrap everywhere in impossible attemptssto es­ him up in the anchor cables. He was cape the cruel heat. Calling the watch just as afraid to be in a roomful of was a hit-or-miss proposition; you might men, because, to his sodden eyes, their find your relief and then again you faces kept running together fluidly,' as­ might wake the wrong man from a rare suming the most terrifying shapes. So snatch of real sleep and get yourself he spent his hours off watch hovering roughed up for your mistake. on the outskirts of small groups of men, Barry came off watch at four that making them nervous, causing them to morning. He turned in somewhere back call him Haunt and Jonah. aft. He never got up for breakfast He found out what the eight-to-twelve anyway, and when the eight-to-twelve man had meant when he'd said that ordinary seaman tried to call him for Barry wouldn't feel like jumping ship lunch at eleven-twenty, he couldn't be in Panama. A day before they made found. It was one-thirty before the the canal, those who might make trou­ bos'n missed him. Sometime between ble were called to the second mate's four in the morning and one in the room, each secretly, and fed rotgut afternoon, then, Barry had left the ship. liquor. They hadn't learned—not one It gave all hands something to talk of them. It was a Mickey again. When about for a couple of days. The captain they came to, they were in the Pacific. v/rote up a "lost at sea" item in the log The Jesse Hanck steamed well out and pocketed Barry's wages. An or­ of the usual steamer lanes. The Hanck dinary seaman was given Barry's duties fleet were charter boats, and they saw to with no increase in pay. Barry was for­ it that they were always behind sched­ gotten. Who cared,, anyway ? Nobody ule sufficiently to enable the captains to liked him. He wasn't worth a damn. pad the fuel and store consumption ac­ He couldn't steer. He couldn't. paint. counts enough so that pockets were lined He was a lousy lookout. all around, except for those of the crews. A thoroughly rotten outfit. At any rate, BARRY HIMSELF always gets that part Barry had his little accident eight days of his story garbled. How a man trained out of the canal. at sea, capable in any emergency of. The ship was shuffling along some­ looking out for his own skin, no matter where on the tenth meridian, and it was what the weather or his state of so­ hot. It was one of those evenings when briety, could possibly jail off a ship at a man puts clothes on to soak up per­ sea is beyond understanding. I don't spiration and rips them off thirty sec­ believe he did. I think he jumped off. onds later because he can't stand the Not because of the way he wais being

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 142 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN treated aboard that slave ship; he hadn't .He says that he lay there and slept self-respect enough left for that. It must for weeks. He says,that porpoises came have been his horrors; at any rate, that, and played with him, bunting liim about according to,him, is the last thing he and crying like small children. And he remembers happening to him aboard the says that an angel came down from the Jesse Hrnick. sky. and built him a boat out of sea­ He had just drifted off to sleep, when weed and foam. But he only remembers he was aroused by some shipboard noise one sun coming up, so it must have been • -^the boilers popping off, perhaps, or a that same morning that he found himself roar from the antiquated steering engine. clutching a piece of driftwood, rocking At any rate, he was suddenly dead cer­ and rolling in a gentle swell just to tain that something was pursuing him, windward of a small island. It was and that if he didn't get away from it, just a little lump of sand and rock, he would be horribly killed. He tried, heaped high in the middle, patched with and then he was in the water. vegetation and wearing a halo of shriek­ As the rusty old hull slid past him in ing sea birds. He stared at it with ab­ the warm sea, he looked up at it and solutely no interest at all for about blinked the brine out of his failing eyes four hours, drifting closer all the while. and made not the slightest attempt to When his feet struck bottom he did not shout for help. He trod water for some know what it meant or what he should moments, until the after light' of the do; he just let them drag until his tanker was a low star swinging down on knees struck also, and then he aban­ the horizon, and then he turned over doned his piece of - wood and crept on his back and kicked sluggishly to ashore. keep, himself afloat. . Now delirium tremens is a peculiar . THE SUN was coming up.again when, affliction. Just as the human body.can Barry awoke. He was terribly weak, be destroyed by a dose of poison, but and his flesh was dry and scaly the way will throw off an overdose, so the hu­ .only sea-soaked skin can be. • His man mind will reach a point of super- tongue was interfering with his breath­ saturation, and return to something like ing. He .lolled up to his hands and normality. In Barry's case it was a knees and painfully crawled up the slop­ pseudosanity; he did not cease to have ing beach to a.cluster of palms. He col- his recurrent attacks of phantasmagoria, 'lapsed with his chin in a cool spring, and but. he became suddenly immunized to would ' have killed himself by over­ them. It was as if he had forgotten how drinking if he had. not fallen a.sleep to- be afraid—^how, even, to wonder at again. the things he saw' and felt. He simply The next time he pushed the groggy did not care; He became as he is today, clouds from him, he felt much better. just not igiving a damn. In effect, his He was changed; he knew that. He was mind was all but completely gone, so basically changed ; he felt different about that for the first time in weeks he could things. It took him quite a while, to lie at. ease and feel that he was not figure out just how, but then it oc­ mortally afraid. It was the first time curred to him that though he was still he had been in real danger, and he was surrounded with the monsters and not afraid. visions and phantoms of his own drink-

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crazed creation, he did not fear them. ous stalks, and they seemed to be made . But it was more than that. It was,not of two rubbery sheaths that wound the disinterest he had experienced out about each other spirally, forming a there when he Was adrift. It was~-a te'ntaclelike stem, and spreading ,out at sullen hatred of the things. It .was an the tip in two fleshy extensions like eagerness to have one of them come near snail's eyes. .He reached out. and enough for him to attack. He crouched touched one as it grew visibly, and it by the spring and looked craftily about writhed away from him and began club­ him, trying to find an object to kill and bing the ground, blindly, searchingly. fear. He found it. Near him was a He'd never dreamed up anything like coconut. He picked up a stone and this before. But he was certain he had hurled if, and cracked the coconut. He nothing to fear from them. He got up, caught it up and drank greedily from kicking one out of the way disgustedly, the streaming cracks, and then broke it and began to climb the central hill for and ate the meat until it made him sick. bearings. Just as he left, one of the He was enormously pleased with him­ growths spurted up out of the ground, self. curved't)ver his head and smashed wetly All around him the groimd pimpled down on the spot he had just vacated. and dimpled, and from the little dcr "He didn't even look over lii.s shoulder. pression what he thought were strange Why should he. for a figment of his plants begati to grow. They were sinu­ imagination ? The mistake he made was iKJ®Sf®i« Si¥Sr"PKE EII®¥iEi^T IF®i^ BITO.W mmmi E^ESIMl"

Fot the delicious tang of fresh ap; ricots—in a hearty liquor—try Old Mr. Boston Apricot Nectar! Drink it straight. You'll find a handy drink­ ing Cup tops each pint bottle. It's "rich as brandy, smooth as honey." A Beverage Liqueur prepared by Ben-Burk, Inc., Boston, Mass.

MSO etAC-Kft^RRV « p£ACH,« WHO CH«8SY—70 PROOF

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED that the things were real, Just as real, mim. my friend, as you and I! lEia^uL M0li$ BARRY, poor crazed wreck, couldn't • Spi«M;B*EiKS!£tg[:EtwJteWi '.•WEtOER^Contains ImportantS CUIO Facts,E realize it then, because the growing, and. Essential information I writhing trunks all around him were •WELOIMG ME.THQOS mixed and mingled jvith things of his -^^^MKS^E'^ECTRdC ,. own creation, dancing and gibbering ^THERMir ^UMOMMELV around him.' There were things harm­ ^S;*allll6^C\ •K*i«ET Af^'THA sSPOT less and beautiful, and things too foul to mention, and it is"" little wonder that the s.--s.~.®^^^ Irso^''''^**"*^ vessels ' _nfcS5^^^^SKr^^•^^^wfla I t \sAinpt.ANE^VMIOUSMETALS stemlike thirigs were of'little impor­ ffl^^^^^^M f \HAI»>£WAt9'fACIM6\ tance. . • • „ Jgggf^^^m^ ere PMTEtTiQHX Barry went on up the hill. He picked up .a- thorny stick, quite heavy, and Every Wdfler Should Own This New; Useful Book containing clear, concise, practical information, pointers ana facts relating to modem strode on, casually swiping at his mon­ practice in,all Branches. Easy to reafl and understand—over 400 pages Fully Illustrated ^r-flexible cover—pocket size—a Ready Ref­ sters, real and imaginary. He noticed erence that Answers Your Questions accurately—Money Back if not O.K. To get this assistance for yourself, order.copy today. subconsciously that when he stuck at

TNEO.AUDEIU Publishers,49 W.23rd St^NewYork' a unicorn or a winged' frog, it, would Fleoae mail ADXJELS WELDERS GUIDE (Price $1). If BOtisfactory; I will remit, SI on its Baf« siriral, ottaerwiBO I will retam the book. "• vanish immediately, but when he swung

Nam^ _____„ : ^ „ — , at a growing tentacle it would either

AddreBa_ _ ^ _ „ _ _ „-__„__:'___ ^ dtick quickly or, , when struck, twist - OccQEiation.______„______—__^_ "into a tight knot about'its wound. He Employed by J_____„ --___'_•.SS43 even looked back and noticed how the ^^jy, stalks kept pace with him, sinking back

"WffrtE FOR $5.00 ASSORTMENT into the ground behind him and sprout­ OF FOODS, GROCERIES, SOAPS, ETC. SEND NO MONEY I Bush name and addresa ing ahead.' It still rheant nothing to for big Assortment of FOODS. GROCEHIBS, SOAPS, ETC.—full size Dackages, Kotth J5.00. Tours ABSOLUTELY PKEEl Show him. these prodacta to friends, nelErbbore. Take orders for Bensational values, more than 20O QOalitr Drod- vcte OBed in everr home. Earn biir Drolita. full or A few hundred yards from the top he epnre 'time. No experience necesaary. Write for FREE je.OO Assortment of Products NOW. ZANOL, 3735 Monmouttl, Cincinnati, Ohio stopped and sniffed. ' There had been a growing, fetid odor about the place, and he didn't like it. He connected it somehow with the smell of the ichor , ;iilllliDRAFTSMEN NEEDED In all manufacturi­ ing and building lines—$30 to $50 a weelc and UP. Learn gtcickly at homo In epare .that exuded from the wounded stalks time. Selective Employment Service. FREE Bulletin. N,o obligation. Write mmeatatelyt after he had slashed^ them, but he was American School Pept. DD47, Dreiiel & 58th, CWeaso incurious; he didn't really care. He .shrugged and finished his climb. Is Your Hiipf gir@ .When he had reached the top he stood a ;inomeiTt wiping his forehead HERE? with his wrist, and then sighted all- Why continue to suffer with rupture ? around the horizon. There were no Stop your worries and feara. Send for the facts about my perfected tnisa other islands in "sight. This one was- invention—the Brooks Appliance for reducible rupture—with the auto­ small--neariy round, and perhaps a mile matic AIR-CUSHION support that gives Nature a chance to close by a mile and a quarter. He-spotted the opening. Thousands bought by doctors for themselves and patients. two more springs and a tight grove of Sen^ on Triaf—Made-to-measure, Individual fitting for man, woman coconut and breadfruit. That was en­ or child. Low-priced, aanltary, durable. No obnoxious epriDcs or bard pads; no metal girdle to rust. Safe and comfortable. Helps Nature sret results. Not sold through stores—beware of imitations. Write toaay couraging. He stepped forward as a for full information sent free in plain sealed envelope. rubbery trunk poured out of the ground BROOS^B MPPUA NCE C©. 4S?iL1?rSfi?£

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and lashed at his legs with its two pre­ then, with unbelievable speed, they hensile tentacles. It missed. plunged into the ground, back into their A puff of wind bearing an unspeak­ hole. Barry, dropped his club, clasped able odor brought his attention bade to his hands over his head and smirked. the crest of the hill. It was. nearly Then he turned and went back to his round, abnost exactly following the con­ spring. tours of the island, and fell in the cen­ And all the way back, not another ter to form a small crater. Down at the trunk showed itself. bottom of the crater was a perfectly round hole, and that was the source of HE SLEPT WELL that night under a. the noisome smell. crude shelter of pahn^ leaves. Not a Barry walked down toward it because thing bothered him but dreams, and of he happened to be facing that way and course they didn't bother him much any it was the easiest way to go. He was more. His victory over the thing in halfway down the slope when two points the crater had planted a tiny seed of of what looked like pulpy flesh began self-esteem in that rotten hulk of a man. to rise out of the hole. They seemed That, added to the fact that he was too to be moving slowly, but -Barr>' sud­ crazy to be afraid of anything, made denly realized that it was an illusion him something new under the sun. due to their enormous size. Before he In the morning he sat up abruptly. could bring himself to stop, they had At his feet was a pile of breadfruit and risen twenty feet in the air. They be­ coconuts, and around hjm was a forest, gan leaning outward, one directly to­ a vvall of the waving stalks. He leaped ward him, the other across the hole, to his feet and cast about wildly for his away from him. They grew thicker as club. It had disappeared. He drew his they poured upward and outward, and sheath knife, which, by some miracle finally they lay flat on the slope and the had stayed with him since he left the near one began licking up toward him. Jesse Hanck, and stood there, palisaded It was the most frightening phantasm by the thickly planted, living stems. And that had yet presented itself to Barry's he still was. not afraid. He took a deep poor alcoholic brain, but now he would breath and stepped menacingly toward not be frightened. He stood there, legs the near wall of stalks. They, melted apart, club at the ready, and- wciited. into the ground before he reached them. When the thing reached his feet he He whirled and rushed those behind raised himself on his toes and brought him. They were gone before he could the thorny club down with all his get within striking distance. He paused strength on its fleshy tip. It winced and nodded to himself. If that was the away and then poured back. He hit way they wanted it, it was O. K. He it twice more and it retreated. He ran put away his knife and fell to on the after it and smashed it again and again. fruit. The stems ranked themselves at It suddenly rocketed up in the air, as a respectful distance, as if they were did its mate from the other side of watching. And then he noticed some­ the crater. They struck together with thing new. Deep within his brain was a mighty wet smack! and stood there, a constant liquid murmur, as if thou­ a pale-green, shining column of living sands of people were talking quietly to­ flesh, quivering in the sunhght. And gether in a strange tongue. He didn't

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Imp stalk wnnld have had Mi !n anather instant somethinfii hadn't yanked Mm int. of the way—

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mi)id it very much. He'd been through you or I were suddenly transported to worse, and he wasn't curious. that island, we would be as frightened After he was quite finished he no­ as—well, a gorilla.in Times Square, or ticed a rustling movement in the wall a New Yorker in the African jungle. surrounding him. The creatures were It's all a matter of receptivity. passing something, one to the other— And so he found himself marching up his club! It reached the stalk nearest the central slope, being driven gently him; it was taken and laid gently by his but firmly toward that monstrous thing side. The stalk straightened and in the crater by his entourage of pale- .dropped into the earth quickly as if it green stalks. They must have been were embarrassed. a weird-lookirig company. ^ Barry looked at the waving things And the thing was waiting for him. and almost grinned. Then he picked He came up over the crest of the rise, up the club. Immediately the things and the tip of one of the two great green on one side of him melted into the projections curled up over his head and ground, and those on the other side lashed down at him. He threw himself doubled in number. A couple of them sideways and belted it with his club as began sprouting under his feet; he it touched the ground. It slid back to­ jumped away, startled. More sank into ward the hole. He took a step or two the earth from his path, and more sprang after it. It was huge—^fuUy sixty feet up behind. He looked at them a little of it stfetched from him.to the hole in uneasily; it occured to him that they the center of the crater. And no telling were a little insistent, compared with how much more of it was in there. At his usual disappearing monsters. He the first movement from the thing, there walked away from them. They fol­ had been a rustle behind him and every lowed ; that is, they massed behind him, one of the stalks had dropped from sprouting in his footsteps. ^\nd the sight. murmuring in his mind burst into a silent cacophony; gleeful, triumphant. As BARRY ran forward to strike again, He wandered inland, followed by his a shape shot up out of the ground at rustling, company of pa,le-green stalks. his side, whipped around his leg a,nd When he turned aside they would spring flung him down. He rolled oyer. aiid up around him, and it was ho good sat up, to see the,other great green arm- trying to press through. They made come swooping down on. the stalk that no attempt to harm him at all. But had tripped him and—saved his life. —they were forcing him toward the hill! The two huge tentacles slapped together, Perhaps he realized it^perhaps not. , twisted the slender stalk between them,' Barry, by this time, was totally un­ and began to pull. The stalk tried to hinged. An}'^ other man could not have go underground, and for a moment held, lived through what he did. But his vvhile its spiraled body stretched and peculiar conditioning, the subtle distor­ thinned under tons of pull.. Then the tion of his broken mind, gave him the ground itself gave, and with a peculiar accidental ability to preserve himself. sucking sound, the stalk came up out Certainly he himself could take no credit of the earth. And for the first time for it. His fantastic vvorld was no more Barry saw it for what it was. strange to him than ours is to us. If The "root" was a dark-green ovoid, UN—10 PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 148 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN five or six feet long, about two and a Barry went back down the hill and half feet thick at the middle. It was headed for cover. He wanted to sit rough and wrinkled, and gleamed with somewhere in the shade where he would its coating of slime. The stalk itself not be bothered by such things. He found was nearly eight feet long. The crea­ himself a spot and relaxed there. And ture hung for a moment iu; the twin slowly, then faster and faster^ the stalks tentacles of its captor, and then it was began to spring up around liim again. infolded, the, bulge of it sliding visibly They kept their distance, almost respect­ down the two arms which had closed fully; but there was a certain bland in­ together and twisted, forming a great sistence in their presence that annoyed proboscislike tube. And Barry heard Barry. it scream, deep down in his mind. "Go away!" he said sharply. Barry rose .and scrambled back over And they did. Barry was utterly the crest of the hill. It had ocurred to .astonished. It was the first really hu­ him that the monster in the crater had man reaction that had struck him in stuck at a victim^iimself^—and that the weeks. But the sight of these curious stalk had sacrificed itself to save him. creatures, so dissimilar to anything that Having a victim, it would be s_atisfied he had ever "even heard about, obeying for the time being. He was right. him so implicitly, struck some long- Peering back, he saw the great column buried streak of humor in the man. He rise in the air and slip swiftly back into roared with laughter. its hole. And, -he realized something ; "Hello." else, as the two tips disappeared under­ His laughter cut off and he peered ground. The divided proboscis—the around. Nothing. ability to rise from and sink into the "Hello." The sound seemed to come earth—why, the big, fellow' there was from no specific direction—as a matter exactly the same as all the rest of these of fact, it seemed to come from no direc­ creatures, except for its huge size! tion at all. It seem.ed to come from What was it ? Why, Barry never inside him, but he hadn't spoken. knew exactly,, and though I took a great "Who said that?" he snapped. deal of trouble to find out, I never both­ "I did," said the voice. He looked ered to tell him. There they were; around again, and his eyes caught a more than that,. Barry did not care. movement down Jow, to his left. There, He still doesn't. , However, as closely just peeping out of the ground, were as I can discover, I think that the crea­ the twin tendrils that tipped the ubiqui­ tures were a species of marine worm— tous stalks. one of the Echiuroided, to be exact— "Youf" asked Barry, pointing. boneUia mridis. They grow large-any­ The creature rose another two feet where they grow, but I'd never heard and swayed gently. "Yes." of one longecthan four feet, proboscis ^—and all. However, I think it quite pos­ "And what the hell might you be?" sible for a colony to develop in -a given "I don't understand you. What is locality, and mutate into greater size. hell?" . _ As. for the big one—well, Barry did "It speaks English!" gasped Barry. find a tiling or two out about that mon­ "I speak," agreed the monstec. ster. "What is Englishr

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED Barpy rose to liis knees and stared at it. "What are you?" he repeated. "Man.". /. "Yeah? What does that make riie?" "You are different. I have only your words for everything. Your name for yourself is Man. , My name for myself is Man-; too. I have no name for you." "I'm a man," asserted Barry, half truthfully. "And what would you say I am?" Barry looked at it carefully. "A damned nightmare." The thing- said seriously, "Very well. Hereafter we shall be known as nightmares. I shall "tell all the people."

THE THOUGHT of actually haying a conversation with this unpleasant-lookr ing beast struck Barry again and almost overwhelmed him. "How the devil can you speak with me ?" ' "My mind speaks to your.mind." ' "Yeah ? Gee !" was the only comment . Barry could think of. "What are you goirlg to do?" asked the creature. "Whatcha mean?" "You have proved yourself against the Big One. We know you can de­ stroy him. Will you dp it soon, please ?" "The Big One ? You mean that thing in the crater ?" - "Yes/' ' - ^ - "What can I do?" ' ~ "You will know, all-powerful one." Barry looked around to find, out who was "being addressed in such prepos­ sessing terms, and then concluded. that it was he. He puffed his chest. "Well," he said, "I'll make a deal with you. Get me a drink and I'll fi:;* you up." --It was an old mental reflex, one he had used all over the: coast to get him- - self plastered when offered any kind of- a job,- aside from shipping out. His technique was. to demand more liquor until he was so drunk he was of no value

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED to any kind-of an employer; and they would go away and leave him alone. The stalk- said, "It shall be done." A whirring telepathic signat sounded in Barry's brain, and two or three dozen ^ Horo's yuur cliaiiue—a money-making busineris of your Own. . Turn potatoes into newest kind of Fotato Chips with my improved outfit. Makea of the things leaped out of t^he earth. delicious Ciiips at low cost.. A few hours prac­ tice docs it. Complete outfit includes: (1) Rotary "The master desires a drink. And Slicer (2) Mechanical I'celer for quick operation; (3) Vitreous Knamel Frying Vat; (4) Grease Ex­ tractor for extractinc excess grease. Everything pass the word; hereafter we are to be - ready to'start operations at once. Begin any­ where—city, village, town. Potatoes cheap and known as nightmares. It is his wish."- plentiful. Wholesale or retail. Steady year 'roun'tl business. Groceries, markets, restaurants, The stalks dropped out of sight,' all taverns, do the retailing for you. START YOUR OWN BUSINESS' Great (juantitles of Chips are eaten daily. Profit but the one Barry'was talking with. larjje—unusually so. You. Can start this money-, malcinc business on a SMALL outlay of cash. "Well; that's something like service," Write for I'otato Chip Booklet. Long Eakin» Co., &40-S High St., Springfield, Ohio breathed Barry. "All things are yours for the service you will do us," said-the nightmare. S10PPtt> "This is the damnedest thing," said aUICKLV Barry, scratching his " head. "Why didn't you talk to me before?" "I did not know what 3'our intentioris were, nor whether or not you were an intelligent animal," said the nightmare. 35t kuit. at Iniiilsti, (rotes II u miei "Y'know now, huh?" ; • "Yes, master." ' , ^ "Hey—• How come none of 'em talk You Can to me but you ?" , . Train To "T differ, slightly from the rest.' See Trained Artists Are. Capable of Earning- $30, $50, $75 those birds?" Weekly. Many of our graduates are now enjoying suc­ cessful Art careers. Uy our practical metliocl, famous' Barry - looked up at the wheeling, since li)l4. we teach you^Commercial Art. Cartooning virt and Illustrating A'D HOMK IN YOUR SfAKE TIME./*!(: Write for detail3--in FttF:E BOOIt. "Art for I'leasure - ' screaming cloud of gulls and curlews. and t*ro(it," explains course and opportunities. I>escribes TWO AUTISTS" OUTFITS included with trainiiiB. State age. "So?" STUDIO 2I5T. WASHINGTON SCHOOL OF ART l

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these others. Of all of us, I alone can "Why don't, they carry' it under­ call the birds. Apparently, only I may ground ?". asked Barry. . . speak with you." "It might not suit you then, master. "Seems like. I can—hear the others, You live in the sun, and the foods you but I dunno what they're driving at. have eaten have grown in. the sun. It What about this Big One? Where'd shall be as you wish it." he'come from ?" Barry extended his hand and a coco­ "The Big One was one of us. ^ But nut shell full of cool water was de­ he differed also. He was a mutant, posited in it. He sipped once and threw like me, but he is unintelligent. He eats it down. "Call this a drink?',' he roared. his own kind, which we cannot do. He "Get me a drink!" is very old, and every time he eats one "What would you like?" of us, he grows larger. He can't move "Whiskey, damn you! Gin, rum— from the crater because it is rockbound, beer! Wine, if you can't find anything and he can't burrow through it. But the better." -The more he thought of it, larger he.grows the farther he can reach. the thirstier he got. * "Get me a drink, If you were not going to kill him, he you—what's your name?" would grow until he could reach the "Ahniroo." whole island, or so they say. It used "Well, get it anyway." Barry to be, a thousand years ago, that he slumped sullenly back. could travel our roads—" "Master—we have none of these things you ask. Could we perhaps make "Roads? I didn't see no roads." one of them?" "Oh, they are underground. The "Make one? J don't^wait a minute." whole island is honeycombed with our Barry did a little thinking. If he had burrows. We never put more of our­ to make a drink—brew it up, wait for selves above the surface than our pro- it to ferment, strain it—well, he'd just . boscis. We catch our food that way, as soon do without. But it seemed as feeling about the ground and the water's if these goofy critters were aching to edge for small plants and animals. We work for him. "O. K.—I'll tell you can dig, too, almost as fast as we can what to do." travel through our roads— Here's your And so Barry gave his orders. He' drink." knew very vaguely what to do, purely because he had some idea of what alco­ BARRY WATCHED fascinated as a col­ holic drinks were made out of. And it umn of stalks approached, bearing passed the time pleasantly. He had gourds of coconut shells filled with plenty to. eat and drink and never had water, coconut milk, and breadfruit to lift a finger to get it. For the first juice. Never a drop was spilled, as the time in his life he had the kind of ex­ stalks progressed. Two or three would istence he'd drearhed about—even if it sprout swiftly, lean back toward the was mixed up with nightmares. gourd bearers. They would take the The base of his brew was coconut burden, bend swiftly forward and pass rnilk. He'd heard somewhere that an it on to some newly sprouted nightmares, otherwise innocuous drink would fer- and then sink into the ground and ap­ , rhent if you put in a raisin and closed pear ahead. the container tightly. No raisins,

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED IS2 STREET & SMITH'S UNKNOWN though. He tried several things and The governor considered. "Perhaps. finally got fair results with chunks of But once you get over the initial sur­ breadfruit dried on the rocks in the sun. prise of an idea like that, try taking it These were put into, a plugged coco^ apart. Why shouldn't they be intel­ nut shell, the opening carefully sealed ligent? Just what is intelligence any­ w.ith a whittled wooden stopper and way?" sealed with • mucous from the' hides of . "Why"—the American fingered his the nightmares. Barry wasn't finicky. Adam's apple uneasily^"rd say intel­ It was a pleasure to watch them work. ligence was 'what we have that makes They co-operated admirably, grouping us the leading race on the planet." about a task,' each supplying one or "Are . we, though? We're outnum­ both of the "fingers" at the tips of their bered by thousands ofother species— proboscises. To see a coconut held, worms, for instance, if numbers is your • plugged, doctored with breadfruit and idea of racial supremacy., We are not sealed up again,.was a real pleasure, so as strong as the elephant or as quick swiftly and deftly was it done. Barry as the antelope—strength and speed had only to whittle one plug when the have nothing to do with supremacy. knife was taken from him and three of No, we use our intelligence to make the stalks took over the task, one to tools. We owe our position on earth handle the knife, two to hold the wood. to our ability to make tools." And do you know how many coconuts "Is that intelligence—tool-making?" Barry had them prepare? By actual The governor shook his head. "It count, according to Ahniroo—over nine is one of the ways to -use intelligence." thousand! "What about these worms of Barry's, And when it was: done, Barry, an­ then—why didn't they have cities and nounced that-it would be, anyway, six literature and machines?" months before the stuf¥ was worth "They didn't need them. They were drinking. The nightmares, in effect, •not overcrowded on the island. There shrugged that off. They had lots of was plenty to eat for all. The only time. One of • theni was detailed to menace they had was the Big One, and ' mark off the days; and in the mean­ even that wasn't a complete menace— time they waited on.Barry hand and he could have lived another twenty thou­ foot.. No mention was made. of. the sand-years without endangering the life -Big One. And Barry lay and dreamed of- any but those who wandered too the days away, thinking, of; the binge .close. His presence was a discomfort. he was going to go on when he could •As to their literature—how can we get his hands on nine thousand bottles, know about that ? Barry was - a sea­ of home brew! " man, and a very low-type seaman, an ignoramus. What did he care about "GOVERNOR," said the Am.erican, as ' the splendid brains that Ahniroo and the old man stopped to light a cigar, his people might have had? Intelligence "tell me something. Isn't it a little of that sort must have produced superb tough to believe this drunkard's yarn? developments along some lines. Barry That business of the worms having in­ never bothered to find out. telligence and talking with him. Isn't . "No, you can't judge the intelligence that a little strong?" of a race by its clothes or its automo-

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 153 biles or its fancy foods. Intelligence is I r,— "••»• .' • •» ^- ' " * " *i Iz*' a cellular accident affecting the nervous **" Vi •• •v^ cysts of certain races. It might strike ^i fc anywhere. It seems as if it is a beauti­ A ^iJS.^ ^ a.'} ful jest handed about by the gods', like a philanthropist giving away beautiful grand pianos to uneducated children. Some may learn to play them. Some may build intricate machines with the parts. Most would destroy them, one way or another. What do you think our race is doing- with its great gift? Well?" The American grinned. "Better get on with your story." Corona Speedline portable typewriters repre-^ . WELL, for those, six months Barry sent the outstanding values, dollar for dollar, lived in the lap of luxury. Yes, raw among portables. All have' famous Floating Shift—standard key boards, and many other sea birds and coconut and breadfruit features that make typing easier and faster. and clams can be luxury, once you're See your dealer for free home trial. used to them. It isn't what you have ———HflflOD. COUPON TODAY!—•-—='—-j 1. C Smith & Corona Typewriters Inc Desk 4 ! that makes luxury; anyway; it's how it's 707 E. Washington Street, Syracuse, N. Y. J I aoi thinking of buying a Corona. Please send me | given to you., A raw albatross, care­ free illustrated booklet. I Name : Address '. • j fully cleaned and cut up, is as. great City . , : -State .. J a luxury vv'hen it is brought to you in ^S style as is a twelve-dollar French meal ' 7" . that you have- to cook yourself. Barry $f §mi had nothing to kick alx)ut. He had never felt better in his life; he- hadn't sense enough to realize that. it was largely due to his being on the wagon. 'I 1 EVERT He used to dream about coconut shells I RADIO I MECHANIC filled with rare old Scotch now, instead ». -^yh "* ' I —Service Man , I, -and etudcDt . J Needs "Audela . of winged dragons and snakes. <. I Badlomans ' k^, t > Guide" Just Out! The months went by far faster than Thewholesub- Ject ol Modern he realized; it was a real surprise to him Kadlo •ii'..> flI covering the when Ahniroo-came to him one morn­ P-""*- . Basic princi­ • t ples—Con­ ing bearing a coconut. k-.'^^'^f 1 structiostrut n and 1&S|K9 t"l ' *.i IT''.!.' ^Ii OperatioOpe n — W0U>.'1^'''' site^'"*lJ I gervlce — "It is ready, master." VVM) J * -; rfa^sr"^ Repairs — Troubles- iltM — All Easily "What?". . - . • ^ . • .Understood —— a .a*. *^^ '™ Pages. "The drink you asked to have us • make for you." . • A B\ m Sm AOOlHustratiohs.Parts and Diagrams- "Oh boy, oh boy! Give it here." i 1 i i H ' XATE TELEVISION DATA— i#i1# ' valuable lor Ahniroo leaned toward him and he S^ & ^=^ REFERENCE AND HOME STUDY To get this practical information In handy form took the nut. A jab with his~ knife" 3or yourself just fill In and mall coupon today. __

Namo .__ — port of it struck him'. He was dei)u-' ' &ddreae _ — tized' to rid the island of that mon­ Occupation.. strosity that "lived in the-crater! Reference -

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"Now let's be reas'n'ble," he coaxed. "Yes—master." "You can't make me do that job, now; Barry looked toward the hole. It y'know y'can't, huh ?" Getting no an­ was sixty feet away and thirty feet in swer from Ahniroo, he said belHger- diameter. "Big, ain't he?" ently, "Listen, bean pole, 3^011 can't push "Very." me around. S'pose I don't even try to "How's about a little drink before do that job?" I go down there?" Ahniroo said quietly, "You will. You "Of course, master!'' . have promised; Come now." Ahni gave his signal. In a few min­ A shrill signal, and Barry found him­ utes a stream of coconuts began to pop self lifted bodily and set on his feet. out of the earth. They were the only Spluttering and protesting,, he was thing of Barry's that Ahniroo would shoved by a solid wall of nightmares allow to be transported underground. toward the hill. Twice he tried to.sim­ When fifty or sixty had arrived, ply quit—sit down, the way he had on Barry broke and drained three. "I tell the tank ships when he thought he was you, Ahni," he said, "just you keep getting the runaround. The Echiu- 'em coming. I'll need 'em." roidia did not understand modern labor He gave a hitch at his belt and started methods. They picked him up and car­ down the slope, a coconut in each fist. ried him when he would not walk. And There was no sign at all of the Big once he tried to run away. They let One. He walked to the edge of the pit him—provided he ran toward the hill. and looked down, trying to hold his He finally settled to a hesitant plod­ breath against the smell of the thing. ding, and marched along, wishing the Yeah—there he was, _the little rascal. island was ten times as big and he was He could just see the tips of his pro­ twenty times smaller. boscis. "C'mon up and fight!" Barry yelled WHEN they reached the top of the drunkenly. hill, the nightmares disappeared into the Still no'movement. Barry grinned ground, all but Ahniroo. Barry was in weakly and looked back toward the edge tears. of the crater. Ahniroo was there, "Ahni—do I hafta?" watching. Barry felt a little^foolish.

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"Come on," he coaxed. "Here; have the way up and over and well down the a drink." He cracked open a coconut hill. If it had fallen on Barry it would and let the foul liquid run into the pit. have crushed him instantly beyond all There was a stir of. movement, and semblance of a man. And it didn't miss then silence. - - i him by much. The two tips of the Ahni's mental voice came to him. proboscis were oiit of sight now, but "The Big One is not hungry today." the whole mass, eighteen feet thick, "Maybe he's thirsty then._ Roll me pulsed and twitched with the violent down a couple dozen nuts, pal."' movement that must have been going The obedient nightmares shoved at : on at the extremity. the pile of doctored coconuts. They Barry fell back aghast, in that instant came rolling and bouncing down the cold sober. Ahniroo's message cut slope. He broke them and pitched' .through his awed horror: them in—-about thirty of them. He had "The bristles, master! Cut the not countermanded his order—they were bristles!" still coming up there. Barry drew his knife and ran to the The Big One thrust up a tentacle, edge of thepit. The actual body of the waved it and let- it slump back. The thing, that thick ovoid part, was just last few drinks. were getting Barry- visible, and he could see the bristles— down. He was long past the stage the powerful muscled projections by when he knew what he was doing-. which the creatures, all of them, bur­ "Hey! My pal wants more! Come rowed. But the flesh about the Big on—fill 'em up! He s a big feller—• One's bristles was soft and flabby—- he needs a man-size drink. Couple o' it had been decades^ since lie had been you guys give me a hand!" •- able to use them. Barry leaned over T^yo stalks immediately appeared be­ and hacked hysterically at the base of side him. He gave no thought to the one of them. The steel slid through the fact th.at he was possibly leading them layers of tissue, and in a moment the to their deaths. The three began'break­ bristle hung loose, useless. Barry ing coconut shells and pouring the con­ flung himself aside to avoid a foul gush tents into the pit. of ichor, and dove for the other bristle He couldn't do as much to this one; Now just why this happened I could it sank into the side of the pit, trying iiot say. Perhaps the Big One was al- , to force the great body back into the . lergic to alcohol. Perhaps it tripped up hole. The earth yielded; the bristle his co-ordination so that he couldn't whipped up through the ground and control a movement once it started. But smacked into the Big One's side. That suddenly, with a wheezing roar, the Big was its last anchorage, and its last re­ One rose up out of his lair. fuge was gone. It is all but impossible to,"describe that sight. The proboscis alone was Immediately the crater was alive with fully one hundred and twenty feet long, the wavering stems of Ahniroo's' kind. and it rose straight up in the air, twist­ Like ants around a slug, they fastened ing slowly, and then fell heavily to the to the gigantic body, dragged and tore ground. It lay on the floor of the at it, tied it to earth. Barry danced crater, reaching from the center pit all around it, his mind drink-crazed again;

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he waved a full coconut shell aloft in one hand and with the other cut and slashed at the prone monster. He laughed and shrieked and sang, and fi- . nally collapsed weakly from sheer ex­ haustion, still murmuring happily and humming to himself. . ~ ' [TYl Ahniroc and some others carried him Do you want to^peed up prosperity—insure your early and large participation in the new jobs, pro­ back down and laid him on the beach. motions and salary increases—get fullest benefits from business pick-up? You can do it. For months, They washed him and put soft leaves individual competition will be tremendous. Em­ ployers—upagainst new problems, fighting for sur­ vival and profits—will be able to pick- and choose. under ; his body. They fed him con­ Naturally they will prefer trained men—men who have special ability to offer. If you wish this advan­ tinuously out of the huge stock of coco­ tage, simply check the field of business in which you are interested. We will send full information about nut shells. They almost killed him with the opportunities in that field, tell how our complete success-building program helps you plan your future, kindness. And for his sake, I suppose, trains you in your spare time, and works-with you all, they shouldn't have left him. on the through your career. Send the coupon NOW. beach.. Because l?e got^rescued. UBkiiE miEmmn mmnsm A Comrespos^demce SfftstBtutitDEtD QPopt.465-R Chicago A TKJVERNMENT launch put iifto the Please tell me—^without cost or obligation—about your plan to help me insure and speed up my pros­ cove to survey, since these days you perity, in the business field I have checked. QBuslness Management] Q Modern Business never can tell what salty little piece of QHlgher Accountancy Correspondence rock might be of military value. -"They QTratBc Management • Expert Bookkeeping. OLaw: Degree of LI'.B. DModern Salesmanship found him there, dead drunk on the GCommerclal Law D Business English beach. It was quite a puzzle to the QlndustrlalManagementoECfectlre Speaking ClModern Foremanshlp QC. P. A. Coaching shore party. There he was, with no footprints around him to sho.iv where Name.i : —. '—' « he'd come from; and 'though they Address «

scoured the neighborhood of the beach; oTowrt- . - State . .« they found no shelter of anything that might have belonged to him. And when they got him aboard and sobered MingOrdersForThe ^Df^RWUne Earn more every dar In the year reprefientinv him up the island was miles astern. old eatabtished flrm with a complete line of fast eellins neceaaities: •. Shirta of all kinds. Ties, Underwear, ; HoBlery,' Raincoata, ~- Sweaters.. He vvent stark raving mad when he Pants Belts. Breechea, Shoes, Enaembles, Spore Coats, Unifornui, Summer Suits, etc. Every discovered where he was. He wanted item guaranteed. Experience nnnecessary. Write quick for FREE SALES EQUIPMENT . NKWROD COMPANV, to go back, to his worms. And he's 4922-BN Lincoln Ave.,' Chicago.'DH. been here ever' since. . He's no use to anyone. He. drinks when he can beg or steal it. He'll die from it before MliRiFiiuilE35AMii long, I suppose, 'but he's .only happy ?12C0 io $2100 year to start. • Men, women. 'Common education often sufficient. Write immediately for when he's plastered.'. Poor. devil.• I free 32-page book with list "of positions and full could send- hiro back to ' his island, I particulars telling how to qualify for them. supposCj-'but Well, it's quite a prob­ Franklin institute, Jiept^ R195, Rochester, H. Y. lem. Can I, as tlfe representative of enlightened huma,nity in this part of the iMlMiiiiitf »RBSE STANDARD OFFICE MODELS world, allow a fellow human being to I'/S.MFRS. ORIG. PRICE go back fo' a culture of, worms? ^".Tl'^J'a'?" §@el.A WEP: AH late models completely rebuilt like 1 new. FULLY GUARANTEED.^ The American shuddered. ' "I— Free price-smashinfioney g catalog showMys all tn^ke"s "in colors". FREE COURSIfif E I""N TYP' INQ INCLUDED. Se« catalog before you " hardly think so. Ah—governor, is this SEND NOW. a true yarn ?" • _^ INTERNATIONAL. TYPEWRITER E3CCH. Dept. 412 231 W. Monroe St., Chicago* III.

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 158 The governor shrugged. "I'll tell , you—- I was aboard that launch. I Classified was the one who found Barry on the beach. And just before we lost sight of the island, some peculiar prompting', Advertisin led me to look at the beach again ___^ ^j v ^ through my glasses. Know what I saw -Photo Finishing-^Developing therej' : ' ' , " • FREI'":—ONE ROLL DEVELOPED AND PRINTED FREE. .Tust to get 'acquainted, we will beautifully develop and print your first ,"It ,was alive!' It was one solid mass 6 to 16 exposure roil Free plua 5x7 incli enlargement-Free, also sensational, new foldlnB folio, to frame your prints, al! .free witli of pale-green tentacles, .all leaning to- • this ad. (Enclosing 10c for handling and mailing appreciated.) ' Dean Studios, Dept. 1024, Des Moines, - Iowa'.. '. ward the launcii and Barry. There was S< ENLAROEmiNTS AND FILM DEVELOPED; -US size or , smaller, Siic coin; 'enlarged prints tic each; special ofTer; enclose an air about them—the way they were ndvertiscment and negative for hand-colored'enlargement free, with- order 25c or more. Enlarge Photo, Box 791, Dept. SS, Boston, Mass. . _ , . . grouped, their graceful bending toward ROLLS DEVEI,OPED—2r,c coin. Two ,-.x7 Donhie Weight Pro- us^—r ddn"t know—that made me think fessinnai Enlargements, 8 -Gloss DecUie Edge Prints. , Club Plioto Service, Dept. 17, LaCrosse, Wisconsin.' of a prayer meeting. And I distinctly heard^—not with my ears, either— Patents Secured 'Master, come back! Master!' Over INVENTORS—Don't delay. Protect your idea witli'a Patent.- Secure "I'atent Guide" and "Record of Invention"-. form^lTree.' and over again. - Preliminary information furnished without ' obligation; Write (lliarence A. O'lirien. Registered Patent Attorney, lEftl Adams Building, Washington, D. C. ' "Barry's a god to those damned INVENTORS;—WE SUCOESSFULLT SELL Inventions, patented and uhpalented. Write us, if you have a practical useful idea for things. So are the rest of us. I imagine. sale. Chifrlered Instjtulo of American Inventors, Dept. 42, Wash­ ington, D. C. - . • ^ ' That's why they were too frightened by PATENTS—Reasonable terms. Book and advice free. L. - F. Randolph, Dept. 513, Washington, I>. C. - ~ ,us to show themselves when we went PATENT YOUR IDEA—Simple inventions often valuable. . Two ashore there. Ah, poor Barry. I shsuld o advisory books—free. Victor J. Evans & Co., 424-E Victor Build­ ing, Wasliington, D. C, i ^ send him- back, I suppose. It's not fair to keep^hi'm here—but damn it, I'm a Detectives—Instructions man,! I cah't cater to- a society of— DETECTIVES EARN BIG MONEY. WORK'HOME. TRAVEL. DETECTIVE particulars free. i-'xperience unnecessary. Write •Ugh!" •- GEORGE WAG0NER7 2640-A Broadway, New York. • y They sat silently for a long while. Correspondence Courses Then the American ' rose abruptly. CORRESPONDENCE courses and educational books, slightly used. Sold. Rented. Exchanged. All- subjects. Satisfaction guar­ "Good night, governor. I don't—like anteed. ' Cash paid for used courses. Complete details and bargain Catalog Free. Write Nelson^ompany. 500 Sherman, Dept. E-21u, that story." He smiled wryly and went Chicago. . ^ ' ^ • inside, leaving the old man to sit and Old Gold .Wanted stare> out to sea. ' GOLD—$^5 OUNCE. Ship old gold teeth, crowns, jewelry, Late that night the American looked watches—receive cash by return mall. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Free information. Paramount Gold Refinlne Co... 150t>-G Uennepln, Minneapolis, Mltin. .out of his' bedroom window uncomfort­ ably. The ground was smoothly cov­ Help Wanted—Instructions ered with a rather ordinary lawn near NEW KIND OF MAN'S SUOE zips on'and oft. Manufacturer wants salesmen. Big pay -every day. Complete shoe line and the governor's house. Farther back, sales-training sent free. Write Mason Shoe Mfg. Co., Dept. &tC-29, ' Chippewa Falls. Wis. * • • • there was night-shadowed jungle. . SELL TO EVERY BUSINESS Absolute Nccessltle-s—over 2,000 Items. Lowost prices. Beats competit-tnn. Commissions advanced. THE END. E.Kperience unnecessary. Samples Free. Federal, SOl-CL, South Desplaines. Chicago. - , •

Magic Tricks, Novelties • MlND-ltEAl>ING via TELEPHONE! Astonishing entertainment mystifies. Never falls. Secret & Cards 25c. Papp, Box 432, Worcester, ^Mass. ' . -

Poems—Songwriters SONG POEMS WANTED. Free examination. Send poems. McNeil, Master of Music, 510-SS So. Alexandria, Los Angeles, Caiii.

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iovlfi^ Fmger Writes,

Do I like humor? Remember "En­ and hope the retinns on this yarn prove chanted Week-end," "Indigestible them wetter than I think! . Humor pre­ dominates and is successful in every other Triton"? I don't get enough, be­ entertainment field—why not fiction maga­ cause humor is far harder to write. zines? Can't remember offhand whether or not you have ever stated an opinion, but Cheerio Campbell: if you have, and you are one of the nine You know, I seriously doubt as to editors, it is my sincere hope that the whether or not a sufficient nunjber of songs "laboratory" returns on "Mislaid Charm" in praise will be sung of A. M. Phillips' jolt you a good one right where you need it! "The Mislaid Charm." Oflliand, I can think I shall always place "Mislaid Charm" in of no man alive who possesses the vocabu­ the same brackets as "Sinister Barrier," lary to applaud it to my satisfaction. Oh, "Death's Deputy," and "Darker Than You if you only had more yarns like that for Think."—Bob Tucker, • P. G. Box 260, Unknown! Bloomington, Illinois. It may, or it may not, be insulting to an author to compare his work with that of another, but not since I finished the last of C'est la guerre—and economic the super-gay fantasies of Thome Smith bans from England, Canada, Aus­ have I been so magnificently entertained, tralia, and New Zealand. As long so tremendously pleased by an author or a as the Rand gold mines hold out, we story! In this story I think Phillips has ought to have South Africa, though. matched Smith word for word, situation for situation, and laugh for laugh—omitting Dear Mr. Campbell: only those Smithish touches on capering Unknown can't turn bi-monthly.. At any females, which, much to my regi'et, could rate, I certainly hope not. There has to hardly be expected to be found in a maga­ be some other explanation for that missing zine like Unknown. issue. Frankly speaking, I am worrying. Probably nine out of ten editors have an'ci •-You see, waiting two months for my favo­ hold dearly a warped opinion that humor rite magazine doesn't exactly agree with in fiction must take the back seat. I have me. «., had a good many of them tell me so per­ Oh, well—a few comments on the sto­ sonally. And I still think they are all wet ries in the February issue:

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"The Mislaid Charm"—Good. Left me This copy—February's—was the best with an unsatisfied feeling, though. Maybe since December's. it was too short. "The Mislaid Charm" ranks with-"Slave? "Shottle Bop"—Sturgeon at his best. of Sleep" and the other classics. Phillips Delightfully wacky.' But remind him for is one author I'd like more of; so is Stur­ me, will you, not to get too wacky? His geon. stories might stink, somewhat. , "Shottle Bpp" is winning a friend o! "The Crossroads"—What can I say about mine over to Unknown. "The Mislaid Hubbard that hasn't already been" said? Charm" will probably do the trick. An old plot on this stoi-y. But I liked the "The Professor's Hobby" was third best wrinkles he gave it. —according to me. I suspected the ending "The Ultimate Egoist"—Vera fine. An-- when Arthur made reference to the profes­ other old plot. Another fine new twist. . sor's nails. It was obvious after that. Another good story. I chuckled over "The Crossroads." "Carillon of Skulls"—Not bad. Not so L. Eon Hubbard can always be depended terriblj' good. But still—not bad. on for a good story. "The Professor's Hobby"—Br-r-r! Who Then comes "The Ultimate Egoist," is this man, Arthur? I don't think I've which I didn't really care for so much. seen him in Unknown before. But let's I cared for "Doubled and Redoubled" have soriie more of him. .even less. Why did Jameson have to drag "Oscar"—Too sliort. So far, so good. in witches and sorcerers? The story was "Doubled and Redoubled"—Like whiskey, all right till then. Malcolm Jameson improves with age. A "Carillon of Skulls." and "Oscar" don't nice, monotonous yarn. deserve mention. - Altogether one of the best all-around is­ I liked the poem "Fiction." Is poetry sues of Unknown so far. Keep up the good going to be a regular in Unknown? It's work, will you, Mr. Campbell—and ye au­ O. K. by me. thors, too! I almost forgot the artists. And anyone who says Cartier isn't a de­ They rate as follows— " ^ lightfully wacky artist^well— Cartier—Good as ever. The ideal illus­ I can't resist a final plea. GO BACK trator for Unknown—with the exception of MONTHLY.—M. Eli Harlib, 2942 West Virgil Finlay. Seventeenth Street, Brooklyn, N7Y. Isi|>—I iike'^M. Isip fine. R. Isip—not so fine. Schneeman—Swell. I wish he would stick to Astounding, though. _ - Unknown, invading new literary- Kramer—Ugh! Need I say more? fields, has a habit of finding new au­ I'm looking forward to' the day when thors, remember. we'll have an Unknown.illustrated entirely by Finlay and Cartier. Also to the day Dear Mr. Campbell: when I'll see a black-and-silver covert— Compensating somewhat for Unknown's James Causey, Jr., 428 E. First Street, new bi-monthly status is the all-around ex­ Long Beach, California. cellence of the February issue. As if it weren't enough to spring Hubbard and Sturgeon on us in the same issue, you intro­ Dear Sir: ... duce a new name who can sling an adjec­ 'Twas the day after Xmas, tive with the best of 'em. And all through the land, Note the use of "name" in place of "au­ Copies of Unknown thor." Frankly, while not able to slander Were hitting the stands. Missouri by claiming that I came from that I bought a copy. • ' worthy State, I have a suspicious nature. Tell me, why have you gone bi-monthly? It manifested, itself in the opinion that no Do you think it's fair for fans to have to new writer could handle a story such as wait two months for a copy of their favo­ "The Ultimate Egoist" so beautifully. I rite fantasy mag? Nuff said, you know think it's one of the favorites wearing a red what to do about it. wig and a false mustache. "E. Hunter I have another complaint. The reader's Waldo" indeed! column wasn't large enough. Well? And I said "beautifully handled," did I not? furthermore, you forgot to let us. know The phrase is a gross understatement. The what's coming in the next issue. Well? story was one ol the finest jobs of writing

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED I've ever seen since "Fear." Another un­ derstatement. The finest job. There, now! N.ot that the theme of the story was particularly new; it wasn't. But, man, was . that theme worked out magnificently! It was. Personally, I'd like to see a. great deal more • of this chappie. Or, father^- this "name." Quibbling is such fun, isn't it.? Sturgeon has done better-; or perhaps' his tale just suffers in comparison witli^'"Wal­ do's." Qiiite good, though; Sturgeon is consistently so. Hubbard, like rnost really fine writers, handles drama better than hu­ mor, although there wasn't anything truly ON!T let your friends poke wrong with "Crossroads." The amazingly fun at your "bay window ! prolific and able Mr. Hubbard must be do­ JThe successful man of today apl>ears trim-waisted, ready for ing too much writing of late; "Crossroads" action ... streamlined! • Waistline fat often is not, certainly, up to his usual standard. If the Vito Belt does not make stretches abdominal mtis* that paunchy belt line appear cles, allowing stomach Phillips' lead novel merits its distinction inches slimmer at once... it will and Intestines to fall for­ as such. Arnusing, cleverly done, and most cost you nothing! ward anddownward.The . Take care of that ugly paunch •VitoBeltbringswelcome satisfactory. That Dutch gnome—what's the saft wayi... with a Vito Belt. •support to strained and his nanie.?—vWisken, was a real character. Excessive exercise may strain sagging internal organs your heart,.. dieting and drugs and helps prevent con­ Arthiu". can do much better work than may be dangerous. stipation and fatigue. the sort of thing he's been selling you The Vito Belt is made of pure Para rubber, molded torsive latelji. His story was O. K., with hontii-- maximum sui>port. Hundreds of a'ble mention to the ending. ^ The other tiny perforations allow air to penetrate. The special lace back shorts, were fair, with the exception of permits you to adjust the belt to "Carillon of Skulls," which was space filler, take care of any change in size. Illustrated folder and details of . and neither more nor less. Poem: smooth: 10-day FREE trial offer will be Says nothing in a nice way. sent in plain envelope an request! HAMILTON Bar fcOMPAWY, 364 Hill Issue as a whole: splendid. Illustrations: Street, New Haven, Conn. say Cartier and you've exhausted the sub-, ject completely. —^•lasMBSI'^"^®' Suggestions: more Hubbard, more Stur­ DEFENSE INDUSTRIES otter Out­ standing Opportunities to properly geon, more "Waldo"; more Hubbard, more trained Commercial Welding Engineers (1 year). Welding Technicians (5 Sturgeon, more* "Waldo"; more Hubbard, months). Aircraft Welders and Are Welding. Operators (3 months). Learn more SULCSBOH. more— By Doinff. Earn Part Expenses—Wri to for froo 64-paflro illcBtroted Book— Down Of Wel^you get the idea.:—Joseph Gilbert, A Giant Industrr " Mention coarse deeired. MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING 5911 Park Street, Columbia, South Caro­ BSG-441—N. BROADWAY & E. STATE, lina. . MILWAUKEE, WIS.

Carollian spirit? ^mA

Dear Mr. Campbell: ^ • ^ flflmny [Finislb on 2 Yeors If Myrna Loy had been in existence in Go asrapidly as your tlmeand abilities per­ mit. Equivalent to resident school work— his time, I would say that the poem on prepares for entrance to college. Standard^H. S. texta snpplied. Diplomas awarded. Credit for H. S. sobjects already Page 102 of the February Unknown was completed. Singh mbjeeta if desired. Free Balletin on reQnest. by Lewis Carroll. ' While it is easy to va American School, Pept. H-47, Orcxel at 58th, Chicago parody meter and style, and—^judging from past efforts—Sturgeon is an accomplished poetic craftsman, there is something in this bit of nonsense that is reminiscent of the very spirit of Carroll—something that would not be found in mere parody.' However, the Carrollian spirit—that of logical nonsense—while present ill small quantities throughout the story "Shottle Use Poslam, as thousands do» it's a concen­ Bob," is lost at times in the general effort trated ointment that starts to work right away, ^ no long waiting for results. Apply soothing Poslant to fit the story to a pulp formula. Does Ointment to ease the burning torments of eczema— that hurt, Mr. Campbell? However, nur­ the price is 8maU—-the relief is greati All druggists. Generous sample-^rKe name and oddress 9o: ture Mr. Sturgeon" well—he may grow up to m^ PasloiB, g>ep^; B4, 25^ W. S4»h S»., M. V. C. amount' to something. Just noticed reaso. for date switch. Why bimonthly.? Ye gods! —Murray L. Lesser, Glendale, "Calif. ~. ^ PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED Read ihfs offer carefully. If U th« opportunity of a lifetimo to own the biq set of the STANDARD AMERICAN ENCYCLOPEDIA vir­ tually as a gjftt And you do not have to buy these amaxinq books < description or from a picture. We want you to octually see for yourself what a senso* tional value they represent. So— send us your name and we will forward FREE of charge the first volunio as a gift to you. Only when you hove fully eiamined it . . . only when you feel that this book can be of vital help.to you in your work—in your home . • • anly then, decide whether you wont the remaining 19 volumes. And here's the most amaxing part of 1tii« offer. While the present supply lasts, you can purchase the regular edition of this beautiful Encyclopedia for only 49c and the deluxe edition for as little as 69c each,

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PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED WOULDN'T TAKE $1,000 FOR COURSE PLAYS ON RAOro FOUND ACCORDION EASY "The lessons are so simple. I have leiirned '•I am liappy to tell you'tliat for four to play by. note in a little nioi'c than a "I've alttt\s uinted to play the piano montli. 1 u-oulfln't take a tlmusanJ dollars weeks 1 have been on tlie air over our lo­ atx'orciion," writes *ll. I'J. from Canada, for my course." cal ri'.dio station.'So tlianks to your insti- •'liut thought 1 d n(.\ei Itdrn it. Then I liifioii for such a wtiiKierful eoursti."' read . about juiit le^s()n'^ 1 don't know *.S. E. A., Kansas City. Mo. MV. 11. S., Ahibama. huu- (0 expitsa iii> sali'ifactibn.

mstriiment— OU thought it >vas aspcnuivc to learn muwic? Tliat proverb. And that is the secret of this easy and fas­ Yit took lot.s of money to pay for a iirivntn teaclicr, cinating way to learn music at liome in Hpare time. wlioot mu«ic and all the other cs.sentiais? That it re- Your lessons come to you in print and picture form. (juired years of study? Large, clear illustrations show yon every position, Then here's grand news for you ! Yoii can learn to every move. And the accompanying text is like the plav vour favorite musical instrument, unij instru­ voice of your teaclier at your' slioulder, explaining, ment, for less lluurSKA'EN CEXTS a day ! That's ALL coaching and encouraging you. You can't go wrong. it costs. Xot a jienny extra for sheet music or. any­ thing else. And it doesn't tal^e years, either. Send for BiSusiraied BookSeit . Piay a Tune in One Bresson See for yourself how ensy it is to learn your fa­ Actuiilly. you start playing a familiar melody in your vorite nuisical instrument this modern, short-eut way. vary FIKST lesson. Then you go on from one tune to an­ And how inexpensive. Mail the coupon below, check­ other, until your friends are surprised to hear you play. ing the instrument in which you are interested. Do You learn to phiy by pldi/infj—ni^t as yon learned it now. Instruments supplied when needed, casli or the English language credit. U. 8. School i\[\ Music, SoD-l Brunswick Bldg., Easy as A-B-C by speaking it. There Xcw York City. Forty-second year. (Est. ISOS) is no lost time, no waste motion. j U. S. School of Music, 3594 Brunswick Bldg., New Yoric City You learn by a re­ r iini interested in Jciirnins the musical instrument checked. , markable s h o V t - c u t I X^lease send me your illu.stiated booklet cxphiining how I ran I method ! A modern, team ruiick'ly at lioitie, fni' less than 7c a day. simplihed method tliat "° "* '" " ' ' I Mandolin Trombone Piano Accordion skips ail the tedious, Saxophone Banjo Plain Accordion , old-fashioned stud y^ Clarinet Ukulele Hawaiian Gj'tar I and practice. A method m Trumpet Cornet Other Instrument thathas literally swept the world, enrolling .\o Look at the notes above—they are over 700,000 pupils. F-A-C-E. Could anythlns be simpler? You are already learn­ It's actually FUN to Have you instrument? • ing to read music. And it's easy learn music this easy to play, too, for a remarkable- way. invention, the . "Note-Fiiider," Name I tells you just where each note HeB'e's ahe is located on the Iceyboard. Secreil Address 1 "A picture is worth a * Actnalpupils'names onregueftt. thousand words."' says Pivtnreti hy P^'OfessioiwlModels. the ancient Chinese City : .State. . n Check here for Booklet "A" if under 16 years' of age. PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED til

PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED