A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 106: what you’re looking at

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

Pe Ala “A. MERRITT’S FANTASY ' thrust themselves within it. These steadied, - and the land of shadows vanished. I was in an old room. Helen was there, and Bill McCann, and a man I did not _ know! a lean and dark man with = ascetic face and snow-white hair. But . that must be Ricori... Flow long had I been in shadowland ? ‘Their voices came to me as a low hum- ming, their voices as unintelligible drone. I did not care what they were talking about. My whole being was focused upon Helen. I was starving for her, famishing for her... I must eat and drink of her. I thought; If Ido... she must die! I thought: Let her die ...I must eat and drink. . She raised. her head, sharply. I knew that she was aware of me. She turned and looked straight at me. She saw me... I knew that she saw me. Her face whitened . then grew pitiful. The amber-gold of her eyes darkened with a wrath in which was complete comprehension . . . then became tender. Her little rounded chin hardened, her red mouth with its touch of the archaic became inscrutable. She arose and said something to the others. I saw them rise, staring at her incred- ulously—then search the room with their eyes. Except Ricori, who looked straight at her, stern face softened. And now words shaped themselves from the low humming of their voices. Helen said: “T fight Dahut. Give me an hour. I know what I am doing.” A wave of color spread over her face. “Believe me, I know.” I saw Ricori bend and kiss her hand ; he raised his head, and there was iron as- surance in the look he gave her. “And I know—win, Madonna . . .or if you lose, be sure that you shall be avenged.” She walked from the room. The shadow _that was I crept after her. She walked upstairs and into another room. She turned on lights, hesitated then locked the door behind her. She went to the windows and drew down the curtains. She held her arms out to me: “Can you hear me, Alan? I can see you ... faintly still, but more plainly than below. Can you hear me? Then come to me.’ “But the 1 voice of Dahut was in my ears, compelling and not to be ines I whispered, “I hear you.” “T hear you, darling. Come to me.’ “T cannot come to you—not yet. My thirst and hunger for you must grow — greater . you die.” She dimmed the lights ; raised her arms. 3 and loosed her hair so that it fell in shin- a ing red-gold ringlets almost to her waist. She asked: “What keeps you from me? From me who loves you ... from me whom you love?” “Dahut ... you know that.” “Beloved—I do not know that. It is not true. None can keep you from me if I truly love you and if you truly love me. Both are true... and I say to you, come to me, beloved . I made no: answer ; I could not. Nor — could I go to her. And more ravenous grew the hunger, more maddening the ~ thirst. only that we love. That none can keep us from each other. Think only that. Do e you understand me?” I whispered, “Yes.”” And tried to think 4 only that while the hunger and the thirst for her .. . for the life of her . two starved hounds straining at the leash. She said, “Darling, can you see me? =a See me clearly 3 ats I whispered, “Yes,” | She said, “Then look—and come to me.’ . so that when I come to you— — 4 She said, “Alan, think only that. Think . were @ I strained against the fetters that held me; strained against them as a soul led a Ss <a > = a, - a 4, os “a + a. ~ "4 up from Hell to the gates of Paradise would strain to break its bonds and enter. “She has no power over you. None can keep us apart . . . come to me, be- loved.” The fetters broke . . arms . Shadow that I was, I could feel her soft arms around me... feel her warmth pressing me closer, closer . feel her kisses on my shadowy lips, releasing me from the shadow bondage . Releasing me from Dahut! Helen lay on the couch, white and — : drained of life, half covered by her red- gold hair . . . and was she dead? Had Dahut conquered? . I was in her — Eomicbooks.com