Pulp Fiction, 1938 · page 51 of 64
10 Story Book, August 1938 — page 51: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page contains story prose from a pulp fiction magazine. The narrative describes a dramatic scene in a church where a man named Zingare is hiding behind a cloth covering a statue of Jesus, waiting to surprise and humiliate another character named Sarras through a kiss. The passage takes a dark turn when the protagonist experiences excruciating pain—nails piercing his feet, hands, and heart—suggesting he has become physically identified with or transformed into the crucified Jesus statue. The text explores themes of revenge, blasphemy, and supernatural punishment. At the bottom is an unrelated humorous definition about a "chivalrous boss."
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
54 INTRIGUING STORIES, SPICED WITH PRETTY GIRLS! (Continued from page 52) at the alter of their guilt. They came at the usual time. At the pressure of Meeka’s hot lips Zingare felt an indescribable, inhuman, unhuman_ sen- sation. He thought he must move, fall from the railing, bring down the sculptured Jesus with him. But he managed to stand motionless; and Meeka in her mad ecstasy was unaware of the monstrous cheat. And now for those other lips, the lips of the Jew. This was to be the madman’s supreme vengeance, his supreme thrill. After the first kiss he would reveal himself, taunt Sarras with his unspeakable shame aCe ACE, 5 se, But what was this’ If the sensation im- parted by Meeka’s lips had been bliss, this was: aelittum: >. .. 2 And in a flash Zingare decided he would not kill them—yet. He would wait; he would experience more of this wild joy, this unheard of revenge. He would prolong it; he would come here ev- ery day, many days. His feet should take the place ef the’ feet of Jesis™ ict them, rather than God’s, be the medium of their illicit love! What—? Only one pressure of the lips? Why was Sarras hesitating, holding back? Had he discovered the substitution? Zin- gare peered out through a tiny hole in the cloth. Sarras was leaving the church! But the madman chuckled. The Jew would re- turn—tomorrow, a dozen tomorrows, a hundred tomorrows! The next evening Zingare repeated his performance. He climbed upon the railing, took his position against the sculptured Diety, slipped his arms through the loops and covered himself with the cloth, leaving his feet exposed. He had not waited long when there was a sound of someone entering the church. He peered out from behind the cloth and was surprised to see Sarras. No matter; Meeka would be coming in a moment. He waited, intoxicated in the bliss of it, trembling in spite of himself. This cursed ague would betray him . Ah, something had touched his feet, something even colder than they, something sharp, metallic. God, God! Nails! His feet were being pierced with nails, like the feet of Jesus. He gave a wild cry; he struggled vainly back of the cloth. His arms were hopelessly entangled with his cunning loops of rope; he would have leaped down; but he gould not. Fhose nats! Whey were piercing his feet, his hands, his heart. Was it a-dream? Was #@ death? Was m Hell? He did not know. He did not know any- thing excep. 22 te. sthis., tims... In the morning they found him dead, crucified, even as Jesus was crucified, nailed to the cross with countless bright, sharp, cruel nails, nails unlike any others in all the world. And his weight, added to that of the imaged Jesus, had borne the cross to the ground. a» A chivalrous boss is one who doesn't leave the office until he helps the steno put the typewriter back on the desk where they took it from. Comicbooks.€© 3}