All-Story Weekly, March 1, 1919 — page 121: what you’re looking at

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

MEAP DEV caw mY TARR A wry vy Ad a eg WT fi - ’ - a . 4) ie ud Uys rn Ae! ; , Ny } ‘THE CONQUEST OF THE MOON POOL. uiused, seeking his. O’Keefe’s arms tight- ened around her, his head dropped lips seeking, finding hers—passionately! From Olaf came a deep indrawn breath that was almost a groan. But not in my heart could I find blame for the Irishman! The priestess opened eyes now all misty blue, thrust him back, stood regarding him. O’Keefe, face dead-white, raised a trem- bling hand to his face. © And thus have I sealed my oath, O my lord!”’ she whispered. For the first time she seemed to recognize our presence, stared at us a moment, and then through us, turned to O’Keefe. “Go, now!” she said. ‘Soon Rador shall come for you. Then—well, after that let happen what will!”’ She smiled once more at him—so sweet- ly; turned toward the figures upon the great globe; sank upon her knees before them. Quietly we crept away; in utter silence we passed through the anteroom, still deserted; _ found the head of the mosaicked path, and, still silent, made our way to the little pavilion. But as we passed along we heard a tumult from the green roadway: shouts of men, now and then a woman’s scream. Through a rift in the garden I glimpsed a jostling crowd on one of the bridges: green dwarfs struggling with the /adala—and all about droned a humming as of a giant hive disturbed! | Larry threw himself down upon one of the divans, covered his face with his hands, dropped them to catch in Olaf’s eyes troubled reproach, looked at me. “T couldn’t help it,” he said, half defi- antly—half-miserably. ‘‘ God, what a wo- man! I couldnt help it!” He walked about the room restlessly. ‘“‘ What do you suppose she meant by offering me _ that shining devil they worship in this cross- section of beautiful hell?” he demanded, halting. ‘‘ And what did she mean about “power over all the world ’?”’ “Larry,” I said. “ Why didn’t you tell her you didn’t love her—then?” He gazed at me—the old twinkle back in his eye. ‘“‘ Spoken like a scientist, Doc!” he ex- claimed. ‘I suppose if a burning angel struck you out of nowhere and threw itself curiously solemn, he saluted O’Keefe and ——— se ae ; Tae : 7 +." = about you, you would most dignifiedly tell at it you didn’t want to be burned. For God’s sake, don’t talk nonsense, Goodwin!” he & ended, almost peevishly. a “ But if it was a bad angel—a beautiful z devil—djaevelsk—and she should come to == -you—and you knew her a devil, and your s soul the price of her kisses—would you kiss = or slay her?” Thus Olaf, heavily, sadly. a Larry glanced at him, troubled. “Evil! Evil!” The Norseman’s voice was deep, nearly a chant. “ All here is of a evil: Trolidom and Helvede it is, Ja’ And 3 that she djaevelsk of beauty—what is she = but harlot of that shining devil they wor- _ —- ship. I, Olaf Huldricksson, know what she = meant whei she held out to you power over = all the world, Ja/—as if the world had not devils enough i in it now!” “What?” The cry came from both O’Keefe and myself at once. “ Ja!” said Olaf. “TI have heard. I-have listened to that Trolde Lugur and to Von ‘Hetzdorp. They did not know I could understand them—no! I crept about and listened. And I know, Ja/ Evil! All evil that woman—and Helvede snarling at these gates—mad to be loosed on our world above!” “We'd better just forget why I kissed the lady and hear what Olaf’s got to say, Doc,” said O’Keefe. se It was when the woman, the wonder- witch, broke — adsprede — the oldster—”’ began Olaf. He stopped, peering down the path—made a gesture of caution, relapsed into sullen silence. There were footsteps on the path, and into sight came Rador— but a Rador changed. Gone was every vestige of his mockery; his face all serious, HRN COPA NE Os eG IaH CME MH ATRE oP Uae COCA Mee pm UTI A i (a Taner as ty i, A PPR MOM ah AIM era MMe A Rit gent ge Olaf with that salute which, before this, I had seen given only to Yolara and to grave wall!” he added oddly. “But if bones and dust have revealed to them that they still—live—”’ Lugur. There came from far-away a swift = quickening of the tumult—died away. He - shrugged mighty shoulders. a “The Jadala are awake!” he said. “So = much for what two brave men can do!” a He paused thoughtfully. ‘“ Bones and dust = jostle not each other for place against the a (EO) JOO!