A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 52: what you’re looking at

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

She swayed back, looked deep into my _ eyes, her own sparkling : “You mean the child; you-are jealous, ~ Alain—and therefore I know you love me. = I will send away the child. Nay—if you = _ desire, she shall be slain.” = And now I felt cold fury stifle all de- as sire for this woman who held life so = _ Tightly against passion that she would = - turn her hand even against the daughter AS she had borne. Ah, but that was no secret - even in Caranac. I had seen the little = - Dahut, violet-eyed, milk-white with the _ moon-fire i in her veins—no mistaking who had given her birth, even had her mother = Sn denied her. But I mastered the fury— after all, it was but what I had expected, & saa = and it steeled me in my determination. =z “No,” I shook my head. ‘What would _ that mean but that you had tired of her— ae as you tired of her father—as you tired of all your lovers?” ._ She whispered, desperately, and if I = ever saw true madness of love in a wom- __an’s face it was there in hers: “What can Ido! Alain—what can I do to gain your trust?” T said: “When the moon wanes, then is the feast of the Alkar-Az. Then you will summon the Gatherer in the Cairn— and then will many of my people die under the mauls of the priests and many _more be swallowed by the Blackness. “Promise me you will not summon— It. Then I will trust you.” — pered: “I cannot do that. It would mean = _ the end of Ys. It would mean the end of “8 = -—me. The Gatherer would summon— age 5—. ask anything: else, beloved . but that I cannot do.” Well, I had expected her refusal; | had asses hoped for it. I said: — ‘Then give me the keys to the sea- gates.” She stiffened; I read doubt, suspicion, in her eyes; and when she spoke, soft- “ness had gone from her voice: She said, slowly: “Now, why do you ask for them, Lord _ of Caranac? They are the very sign and _ symbol of Ys. They are —Ys. They were _ forged by the sea-god who led my fore- fathers here long and long and long ago. _ Never nave they been in any hands except Nose nie : PA a my) | i a ola ahaa) any ir Tis | A el Vs eh Adele, ld ah Tar Oe Ay ae 2 ad any A ‘aa ar eee A. MERRITT’S FANTASY a : = said: “There was one you loved.” those of the Kings of Ys. No one else. ‘ -been working. I caught her up in my ; = She shrank away, lips white; she whis- _ “Never may they be in any hands ex- cept those of a King of Ys. Why do you ask for—them ?” Ah—but this was the crisis. This was_ the moment toward which for long I had arms, tall woman that she was, and held her cupped in them. I pressed my lips to hers, and I felt her quiver and her arms lock around my neck and her teeth bruise | my mouth. I threw back my head and roared laughter. I said 3 “You yourself have said it, Dahut. I 7 ask because they are the symbol of Ys. | Because they are—you. Perhaps because I would hold them against any change of heart of yours, White Witch. Perhaps as a shield against your shadows. Double your guards at the sea-gates, if you will, Dahut. But—”’ again J held her close and set my mouth against hers— “I kiss you never again until those keys are in my hands.” She said, falteringly : “Hold me so another moment, Alain . and you shall have the keys . . . hold me ... it is as though my soul were loosed from bondage . . : you shall have the: Keyé-<2.-.— | She bent her head and I felt her lips . over my heart She said: “Put me down.” And when I had done this she looked | at me long with soft and misty eyes; and 3 she said again: | “You shall have the keys, beloved. But z I must wait until my father is asleep. I Bs shall see to it that he goes early to sleep. And the keys of Ys shall be in the hands of a King of Ys—for King of Ys you shall be, my own dear Lord. Now wait here for me—” _ She was gone. I walked to the window and looked out upon the sea. The storm had broken, was rising to tempest strength and the long combers were battering, battering at the stone prow of Ys, and I could feel the tower tremble in the blast. Blast and sea matched the exultation in my heart. ry ene Se Be *™ ~~ ABELL pele isl | KNEW that hours had passed, and that I had eaten and had drunk. There was confused memory of a great hall where I had sat among gay people oO comicbooks.com