A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, December 1949 — page 92: what you’re looking at

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

i ( a wy i) : Nie Fe Or pe = ty Way it 4} ae | fi, Pee ALM ek MyM N GUM Aaya yoee kM, | LMM NGE di: RAR TRS RD RAUNT MAA ital Dae Mark ha RRR MCA ke ROM he ALR e alee Te ete +) Ny WN ie ‘ i 4 at 4 : | | j Pas 7 lies A } 2g a ay } ia : AG Shy | MA Yuf yraey ; . WE er Rick |< ! “j “He said, “Nevertheless, I ask you to tell me.’ I studied him. There was something strange about this request, made appar- ently in all sincerity. It threw a totally unexpected monkey-wrench of doubt into the simple machinery of my deductions. I sparred for time. “After I’ve eaten,” I answered. Not once while I breakfasted did he speak to me; nor, when I looked at him, were his eyes on me. He seemed deep in not particularly pleasant thoughts. I tried to fish the monkey-wrench out of my cal- culations, His surprise and anger when I see the bowl had seemed genuine. f so, then obviously he had not put it beside me. Therefore it was not he who had wished to awaken my memory—either of dream or reality. . Then it must have been Dahut. But why should she want me to remember if her father did not? The only answer seemed to be that they were in conflict. Yet it might mean something else, far wider reaching. I had respect for de Kera- del’s mentality. I did not believe he would ask me to tell him something he already knew. At least not without a reason. Did his question mean that he had taken no part in the summoning of the Gatherer? That there had been no sacrifices . . . that all had been illusion . . . and that he had taken no part in the creation of the illu- sion ? That all had been the work of Dahut alone? But wait! Might it not also mean that the green drink, after it changed me into what I had become, had also been sup- posed to make me forget? And that for some reason I had been partly immune to its effect? That now de Keradel wanted to know to what extent it had failed . to compare my memories with what he knew had occurred? _ Yet there was the bowl; and twice I had seen fear in his eyes when Dahut _ had spoken to him; and what was the rift between the pair... and how could I take advantage of it? Could any one except Dahut have left beside me the sacrificial bowl? Any— thing? I heard the voice of Ralston changin to the buzzing of a fly?... A. MERRITT’S FANTASY g I heard Dick’s voice crying out to me . ware of Dahut .. . give me release ; from the Gatherer, Alan. And the room darkened as though the <j dripping clouds had grown heavier, or — had filled with shadows. I said, “Dismiss the servants, de Kera- del. [ll tell you.” him, He listened without interrupting, expression unchanged, pale eyes now glancing out of the windows, now fixed on mine. When I was through he asked, smiling : “Do you think it dream—or real ?” “There is this—” I threw the stained bowl on the table. He took it and examined it thought- fully. He said: “Let us first assume your experiences were real. Under that assumption I am sorcerer, warlock, priest of evil. And I do not like you. Not only do I not like you, but I do not trust you. I am not deceived by your apparent conversion to our aims and purposes. I know that you came here only because of your fear of what might befall your friends if you did not. In short, I am fully aware of my — daughter’s command to you, and what led up to it. I could—get rid of you. Very easily. obstacle. My daughter’ s love for you. “In awakening those memories which were her most ancient mother’s in Ys, in resolving her into that ancient Dahut, ob- viously I could not pick and choose among 4 her memories. They must, for my pur- ses be complete. I must revive them all. Uni nfortunately, the Lord of Caranac was in them. Most unfortunately she met you, whose ancient father was that same Lord Bete be- i. And would, were it not for one — And when he had done so, I did tell 7 of Caranac. To destroy you would mean 2% a complete and most probably abortive re- arrangement of all my plans. It would in- furiate her. She would become my enemy. Therefore you—continue to be. fs this: . plain?” “Admirably so,” I said. “What then—still assuming I am what — you think—am I to do? Obviously, make you particeps criminis. A partner in my — crime. You cannot denounce me without denouncing yourself. I give you a certain drink which deadens your inhibitions ¥ against this and that. You become partic- — Eomicboo sit a aS Mg