A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, February 1950 — page 47: what you’re looking at

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

se ee PS POL erg a pe age eS = ge gt r : ; 4 t Sb yp Se Oa ™ THE SMOKING LAND 47 He came up to me and looked me over and fitted even unto the*daintiness of thy in a cool and arrogant impertinent way. hands, sir.” His hair was black, and flowed down in . “So?” says the captain of the guard. long curls over his steel-clad shoulders. And as he lifted one of his hands, and His beard had been dyed a deep crimson; looked it over, and by the Lord, I saw the heels of his high boots were crimson, that the tips of his fingers were stained as too. More lace hung down over his long- red as his heels and his beard! fingered, delicate hands. ' TI guessed that there was a bit of a He wore a little, pointed mustache, and jibe in what Jenkin had said, but the cap- as he stood in front of me, he twisted its tain did not see it. He was much too ends and looked me*up and down icily. wrapped in self-reverence. But he next “What hast thou here, my good Jen-_ said that this was a case that unquestion- kin?” says he. ably required the attention of the priestess “T have here, sir,” says Jenkin, “an herself. And he said, “He must not come ‘enchanter most foul, and terrible, and foul into the presence of the priestess. great, with a black heart.” Cleanse him, and robe him, and bring him The dandy laughed a little. “A very again to me.” foul heart indeed,” said he, “if it is This was done. blacker than his face.” He sketched a gesture airily. ee cleansing was a job that I wouldn’t The dude looked me over again, smil- like to have repeated. I was taken ing, disdainful. “Art thou a magician, un- down a long, narrow tunnel that opened fortunate wretch?” into what appeared to be a series of ““No more than your foot,” said I. bathrooms, and the one to which I was He looked down, and turned the fine, brought had hot, steaming water running pointed toe of his boot this way, and then into a trough twenty feet long, and three that. broad. I was made to strip, and then a “No more than my foot?” said he. couple of guards stood by with big, stiff- “Well, well, and well again! My foot is bristled brushes, and dipped the brushes not a magician, it is true, and to this into soft soap, and when J stood in the degree there is sense in the saying of the trough, they scrubbed me. They began at enchanter. Is it true, good Jenkin, that the top of the head, and they finished at he has laid malicious hands upon the the feet, and a hearty job they did. They cattle of the goddess, the golden one?” took off yards of my hide in the process “Tt is even so true,” said Jenkin, son and I was stinging all over before they of Smith, “that with my eyes I saw a finished. carcass flayed, and the running of herd. After that, a fellow came in with a Furthermore, with an arquebus he laid bowl, a shears, and a knife. He used the low one of the dogs of the sacred herd— __ bow! to clip off my long, straggling hair _ with an arquebus in itself a work of en- just above the ears, and he used the chantment, so small and delicate was it, bowl and some soap and the knife to give YOUR BEST READING BUY! Wherever good fiction is read and sold, wherever good stories are sought by a discriminating reading public, you'll find a Popular Publications magazine that will be your guide to the best in reading yalue anywhere! POPULAR PUBLICATIONS, INC. 123 18th Street New Toronto, Ontario