A. Merritt's Fantasy Magazine, October 1950 — page 40: what you’re looking at

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

THE ELIXIR OF HATE 39 in coming down? Surely I. must have more than passed the place! And now that I think of it—this wall, here, isn’t as it should be!” Carefully, with a slightly accelerated heart, a heart that beat a trifle faster than even the exertion of the climb could war- rant, he ran his fingers over the invisible wall. “H-m!” he grunted. “Dry, and granu- lar! Not wet and homogeneous! It’s—it seems—different, some way. My Lord, what a fool I was not to have looked out for those matches !”’ Not yet even admitting to himself the possibility that he could feel uneasiness, he remained there for a full minute, mo- tionless, trying to think. ““What’s the matter ?” he at last queried aloud. ‘“‘What can be—if anything? Steps. I’ve followed them. They lead to the door, don’t they? Well, then, all I’ve got to do is go ahead!” Yet though this seemed indisputable, he did not start. Still he stayed there, a clutching sensation at his heart, while a httle creeping chill began to tingle up his spine. “What?” he ejaculated at last, with sudden fear. Forward he pressed, eagerly, feeling, tapping along the walls, hoping for some touch of the wet, sulfurous exudation. But there was none. Distinctly, positively, he now understood that he was in a loca- tion where he had never been before. Then he stopped short. “Why, where am I?” he exclaimed. “I—I don't know! All I know 1s that this isn’t the—right way. And, and— why, then!” he choked with a quick taking of the breath, “Why, then, I’m—I’m—I must be lost... !” CHAPTER 10 The Chamber of the Dead R. DENNISON had always been I) one of those analytical, rational men, priding himself upon his powers of reason, his ability to solve a problem by the exercise of his logical, inductive mind. Yet, even so, when he realized that now he had indubitably strayed into a net- work of passages honeycombing the mountain, over him ran a thrill of sick, animal terror very like that of the most stupid, the least reasonable man of earth. Dowr on one of the stone steps he sat, took a long breath, and—restraining as best he could the instinctive trembling of his body—sought to constrain his mind to approach this question impersonally with calm, deliberate judgment. “Why,” he articulated slowly, “if I— if I’ve gone astray, it must be that, having no light, and feeling along the left-hand wall I’ve followed that other passage-way or spur through which I felt the draft. Why I don’t feel it now, I don’t know— provided I’m in it. But that seems the only logical conclusion. If so, all I’ve got to do ts retrace my steps till I come to the original way, and then follow that to the top. Nothing simpler!” It sounded reasonable; yet through it all, the doctor felt a numbing subconscious suspicion that perhaps the execution of this maneuver might not be so simple as it seemed. He sat there in the velvet black, _ Staring with wide eyes which could’ de- tect no ray of light. Even though he passed his hand repeatedly before his face, no sensation resulted. So intense was the night, there in the bowels of Mount St. Clair, that the retinal hallucinations within his eyes were clearly visible—spreading rings and blotches of purple crimson green. Even when he closed his lids, the darkness was no greater. Up he started. But before he set out he did a very prudent thing that showed the value of his training, the worth of an educated mind. “Even if I’m right,” said he, ‘“‘and easily find that other stair, it will do nd harm. If 1’m wrong, it will be invaluable for me to be able to make my way back here again and take a fresh start from this place. Otherwise, in case there are many passages and stairways, I may get hope- lessly involved. I've got to leave some trace, some way of locating my position. And the only way to do that is to imitate Theseus fh the labyrinth at Crete, and carry a string wherever I go!” So judging, he sat down once more. Quickly he removed his shoes and socks. And carefully, with the dexterous fingers (C(O) nn) (C 6)(0)©) <S (C(O)