A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, July 1950 — page 22: what you’re looking at

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

my sake—indeed did fight,” * “ ee, eee be A > . ! ie Oe =m Pi 4 * SO Sy (om Sy “—4"s .- a - ¢ ~, 2 <u Sai ae ee a ms - * 4 ~ > r ft * s ae sa |... « A eee ee ee se -- in rig > Ne‘ of 5 "Dong apatiad aay <a e Dees set. s A. MERRITT’S FANTASY re “Yet you would have fought them for though perplexed. “Why then do you cling to them when you can save yourself ; go free, with treasure? And why, if you will not do this, do you let me go, know- ing that if you kept me prisoner, or—slew me, I could not bring my people down upon you?” Graydon laughed. “IT couldn’t let them hurt yotf, of course,” he said, “‘and I’m afraid to make you prisoner, because I might not be able to keep you free from hurt. And I won’t run away. So talk no more, but go—go quickly !”’ She thrust the gleaming spears into the ground, slipped the golden -bracelets back on her arms, held white hands out to him. “Now,” she cried, “now, by the Wis- dom of the Snake Mother, by the Five Lords and by the Lord of Lords, I will save you if I can. All that I have tempted you with was but to test that truth which I had hoped was in you and now know is within you. Now you may not go back —nor may they. Here is Yu-Atlanchi and Yu-Atlanchi’s power. Into that power you have strayed. Nor have those who have ever so strayed ever escaped. Yet you I will save—if I can!” Before he could answer her he heard a horn sound; far away and high in air it seemed. Faintly it was answered by others closer by; mellow, questing notes—yet with weirdly alien beat in them that subtly checked the pulse of Graydon’s heart! “They come,” she said. “My followers! Light your fire tonight. Sleep without fear. But do not wander beyond those trees!” “Suarra—” he cried. “Silence now,” she warned. “Silence— until I am gone!” The mellow horns sounded closer. She sprang from his side; darted through the trees. From the little ridge above the camp he heard her voice raised in one clear, ringing shout. There was tumult of the - horns about her—elfinly troubling. Then silence. Graydon stood listening. The sun touched the high snowfields of the majes- tic Sa toward which he faced ; touched she said, as. them and turned them into robes of molten gold. The amethyst shadows that draped their sides thickened, wavered and marched swiftly forward. Still he listened, scarce breathing. Far, far away the horns sounded again; faint echoings of the tumult that had swept about Suarra—faint, faint and faerie sweet. The sun dropped behind the peaks ;.the edges of their frozen mantles glittered as though dews with diamonds; darkened into a fringe of gleaming rubies. The golden fields dulled, grew amber_and then blushed forth a glowing rose. They changed to pearl and faded into a ghostly silver, shining like cloud wraiths in the highest heavens. Down upon the algarroba clump the quick Andean dusk fell. And not till then did Graydon, shiver- ing with sudden, inexplicable dread, real- ize that beyond the calling horns and the girl’s clear shouting he had heard no other sound—no noise either of man or beast, no sweeping through of brush or grass, no fall of running feet nor clamor of the chase. Nothing but that mellow chorus of the horns! From infinite distances, it seemed to him, he heard one single note, sustained and insistent. It detached itself from the silence. It swept toward him with the speed of light. It cifcled overhead, hov- ered and darted; arose and sped away; a winged sound bearing some message, car- rying some warning—where? CHAPTER 3 The Eyes of the Snake Mother RAYDON turned back. He bent (5 over Sterrett, who had drifted out of the paralysis of the blow into a drunken stupor. There were deep scratches on the giant’s cheeks—the marks of Suarra’s nails. The jaw was badly swollen where he had hit it. Graydon dragged him over to the tent, thrust a knapsack under his head and threw a blanket over him. Then he went out and built up the fire. Hardly had he began to prepare the supper when he heard a_ trampling Grows the underbrush... S Soon. Soames.