Adventure Magazine Cover — page 98: what you’re looking at

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

Sorcery and Everhard settled back, and now he was shaking his head slightly, and half-smiling. He didn’t believe it. He said: “O-ah. It was I told you in Paris he was. a faker. What’re you tryin’ to do with me now? You nearly fainted then.” “Fainted? I nearly died—that you, that anybody, should be so little afraid of Hurgronje! Up to that time it had never crossed my mind that one could do some- thing he didn’t want.” He tried to say something, but she swept his words aside and went on: “Oh, I knew all about him and about you. It was part of the game that I, the ‘famous’ Zoronna Symondi: “Sorceress, should patron- ize. the mysterious Hurgronje. And—and one of the servants overheard you, and she told Hurgronje. He came near killing me. And you—you barely got away.”’ I was not quite sure that I believed that explanation. It was plausible. But ex- planations that women give when they sit at one’s feet are always plausible. Lord Bob was shaken through « and through. It was hard to believe, and he could not doubt; that is, it was hard for him to believe that Zoronna the beautiful was in league with Hurgronje the diabolical. She went on feverishly, leaning toward him, a hand reached out to his hand: “He knows you are here—in this city. He hasn’t seen you, and I’ve denied it but he is sure. He doesn’t want to cross Sin Chang just now, and you’re Sin Chang’s man, so you may be safe a little while. “But when he finds out for certain, sooner or later, Lord Bob, he’ll kill us both! You because you are*you, and me because—oh—because—well—he’s told me he’d kill me if—”’ She did not finish. She stopped, and both her hands fastened on to his hand, that hung motionless just over the arm of the chair. He said nothing. He seemed too stunned to speak, too stunned to move. He looked down at her with unblinking eyes, dully staring. . “And last night,” she said so low that I could scarcely hear, “I tried to kill him.” Lord Bob’s face was filled with astonish- ment and fear. “T tried to kill him,” she repeated with a suggestion of hopelessness, of futility. 7 But, Zoronna, you didn’t!” 97 . 3 — _ “Yes—yes—yes,”’ she whispered fever- ishly. ‘That man Everhard—I brought him here. I tried to get Hurgronje to come. I knew Everhard would kill him. And— and”’—her voice rising—‘“‘he knows it now and I’m afraid of him—afraid he will kill me!”’ “Hurgronje!”’ “No-no. Everhard. Didn’t he tell you? Didn’t he say a word? No? Then he does mean to kill me. If he’d told you— talked it over with you— Then he sus- pects you too. Oh, he’s so cold—so—so— Just to remember his eyes frightens me! Oh, I’m sure he thinks I tried to trap him, and now. he knows I’m _ Hurgronje’s woman = “Hurgronje’s woman!”’ Lord Bob sprang up, jerking his hand away, overturning the chair. His face was distorted with pain. She leaped up with pleading hands out- thrust, and cried: : “Oh, not that! I’m less*€o him than one of his horrible hollow statues. But Ever- hard knows I’m his—his— That I’m one of his gang. And that man will surely killme. Iknowit. Heas much as said so.” Lord Bob asked— “When?’’ And Zoronna hurriedly sketched out what had happened in a way that: must have been more astonishing to the ears of Mr. Remy Cantello than to my own. BUT presently there were some things interesting to my ears, of special interest to them. “Don’t trust that Everhard,” she cried warningly. “He is a mighty good friend, Zoronna, when he is a friend.” “But he’s no friend to me. He hates me. I could see it in his eyes. Oh, Lord Bob, don’t trust him. Promise me. You won’t trust him, will you?”’ “Trust him? How do you mean?” “Don’t tell him of me. Don’t “That’s just what I could do—explain— an? = “Don’t. Don’t. Oh, no—don’t. He didn’t say a word to you about being here last night—and he knew you were my friend! I’m afraid of him. He as much as told me over the phone to look out.” “But I don’t understand—” said Lord Bob. CopmmicooolkKSse©