A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, October 1950 — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

118 A. MERRITT’S FANTASY the Iron Watch knows no fear. Only our enemies can ‘die! Hail, to the conquest!” The hairy fist shook. “However, comrades, I am compelled to mform you that our antitoxin against the’ Mercurian lightning death is less effective than was first announced. Our research men, working in the laboratories of the Moon Syndicate, have discovered that the period of immunity 1s sometimes only 'a few days. Re-immunization is un- successful. .t “We believed it wise to delay this un- pleasant‘ announcement, comrades, until ‘the wine of battle was ready to sustain your courage. Hail, comrades of the Iron Watch! Not one of you can die!” The hairy fist again. “Therefore, comrades, it is necessary to order you to cancel all plans to use the hghtning' death in our glorious attack— and: to completely destroy all our stocks ‘of the virus at once. ‘“'When that order is carried out, com- rades, tune to TAU for further instruc- tions. I am going to take personal com- mand of the assault on the pits, where Dr. Bull is barricaded. Hail, victory !” The dark rugged visage of Iron Scarr faded from the screen. The TAU Hill Billies, uniforms and instruments hastily painted with crosses and twining snakes, began a nervous but vigorous rendition of the spaceman’s ballad: Ten Years in Iron Scarr’s Crew. Pale and sweating under his grease paint, Dr. Bull made a hurried round of the defenses. There was now only a scattering fire from the hospital windows. But the Sun was gone from the tower, the cold dark of space crept down about it. “The traitors outside are probably a little confused,” Dr. Bull told the ex- hausted defenders. ‘“‘But when they do find out what’s going on, they won't bother any more about taking TAU in- tact. They’ll use everything they’ve got. But you can hold them off, long enough. Give me twenty minutes more—and you'll all be heroes, and millionaires !” “Dead ones!” muttered a wounded planeteer. - “But we'll hold them.”’ It was the quiet thrilling voice of Vera Frame. Her sure white hands held a pellet gun. Scarlet, from somewhere, stained her velvet cheek. The terror in her eyes was veiled with shining courage. She moved abruptly, as if to shake off clutching death. Softly she cried : 7 “Victory! Doctor, that’s our battle- cry!” a —®: BULL went reeling back to the studio. The anvil in his brain was ringing louder, the footfalls of racing death was nearer. He felt confused and il. It was hard to think, hard to re- member what he had planned. But he paused at the mirror, deftly touched the make-up. ... On a hundred million telescreens, the long cragged face of Scarr looked tense and worried. It looked almost afraid. But the hairy fist came up in a grim de- fiant gesture. The voice of Scarr was hoarse and low: “I have been with our splendid Iron Watch storm troopers, attempting to capture the pits at the core of Taurus, where Dr. Bull, the clever desperado who calls himself the Planeteer, has barricaded himself. ‘“‘Comrades, I must confess to you that a very grave situation has developed. The armored bulkheads are strongly defended by the survivors of Dr. Bull’s Special Planeteers. Dr. Bull is in control of the important gravity apparatus, and the geodesic drive, at the core of Taurus. “‘Already he has started the drive—he is swinging Taurus from its orbit about the Earth! Comrades, we can't yet predict the meaning of this move. Com- mander Batson is making every effort to storm the bulkheads. But the defense is an) (C 6)(0)©) Ss (C(O)