A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

face. Under the cover, _ subconsciousness A. MERRITT’S FANTASY ance, of the men on the boat, the servants in this house, fell into an understandable _,pattern. Suppose that all were being fed _ with such a drug; and moved and thought only as the Demoiselle and her father, willed them to move and think? That I was surrounded by human robots, crea- tures who were reflections, multiplications of the de Keradels? And that I, myself, was in imminent peril of the same slavery? Suddenly, as I lay there, I felt other eyes upon me; knew that I was being watched. I was facing the windows. I drew a deep breath, sighed as one does in deep sleep, and turned. with arm over with scarcely opened lids, I watched. In a few moments a white hand stole from behind a tapestry, drew it aside, and Dahut stepped into the room. Her braids fell below her waist and she was incomparably lovely. She slipped to the bottom of the bed, sound- lessly as one of her shadows, and stood studying me. I forced myself to breathe regularly, as though in soundest slumber. She was so lovely that I found it rather difficult. She came to the side of the bed and leaned over me. I felt her lips touch my cheek as lightly as the kiss of a moth. oo as suddenly, I knew she was gone. I opened my eyes. There was a scent, unfamiliar, mingling with the breath ‘of the sea. It was oddly stimulating. Breathing it, I felt the last traces of “lethargy vanish. I sat up, wide-awake and alert. There was a shallow metal dish on the table beside the bed. Piled on it was a little heap of fern-like leaves. They were smoldering and from their smoke ‘came the invigorating scent. I pressed out the sparks and instantly smoke and scent disappeared. Evidently this was an antidote to what- ‘ever had tnduced the other condition: and quite as evidently there was no sus- ‘picion that I had not slept uninterruptedly throughout the night. And possibly, it occurred to me, the shadow-crowded, rustling hall and the blue-bottle fly that had buzzed with the voice of Ralston might have been by- products of this hypothetical drug; the fantastically picturing —— i aa! OO EEE EEE ee privacy as one wall in a room with the — They appeared about the same, and -they Caranac’s bath was ready. under its influence, as it does in dream, © chance sounds in terms of what has been — engrossing the consciousness. Maybe I really had slept through the — night. Maybe I had only dreamed I had~ gone out into the shadow-crowded hall . and had fled from it and dropped down beside the door . . . had only dreamed — 7 the chanting. But if there had been nothing they had © wanted me to be deaf and blind to—then — 3 why had they bundled me up in that — blanket of sleep? ; Well, there was one thing I knew I — had not dreamed. That was Dahut slipping into the room | with the leaves. And that meant I hadn’t acted precise- ly as they ‘had expected else I wouldn’t have been awake to see her. There was one lucky break, whatever the cause. I — would be able to use those strange leaves : later. : I went over-to the tapestry and raised it. There was no sign of opening, the — panelling seemingly solid. Some secret — spring existed, of course, but I postponed — hunting for it. I unbarred the door; the — bars were about as much a guarantee of — other three sides open. I took what was — left of the leaves, put them in.an envelope — and tucked them in McCann’s holster. Then I smoked half a dozen cigarettes and added their ashes to those on the dish. were about what would have remained if — all the leaves had burned. Maybe nobody — would bother to check—but maybe they — would. By then it was seven o'clock. I .won- dave whether I ought to get up and | dress. How long was it supposed to be — before the antidote took effect? I had no means of knowing and no desire to make the least mistake. To sleep too long would — be far safer than to wake teo soon. I - crawled back into bed. And I did go — to sleep, honestly and dreamlessly. ; When I awakened there was a man | laying out my clothes; the valet. The | : dish that had held the smoking ‘eaves was gone. It was half after eight. I sat up — and yawned, and the valet announced | with antique humility that the Lord of — Despite all comicbooks.com