Argosy, September 1955 — page 126: what you’re looking at

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

124 JOHN WYNDHAM *“* Like—forgetting how to see, perhaps?” he suggested. “* Rather like that, only different,’’ I admitted. He nodded, and thought again. “You hear the words inside your head?” he asked. “Well, not exactly hear; and not exactly see,” I told him. “But you don’t have to say the words out loud as you were doing just now? ”’ ‘** Oh no—but sometimes it helps to make things clearer.” “It also makes things a lot more dangerous, for both of you. I want you to make me another promise, that you will never do it out loud any more.” ** All right, Uncle Axel,” I agreed again. “You'll understand when you’re older how important it is,” he told me, and then went on to insist that I should get Rosalind to promise the same things, too. I didn’t tell him anything about the others because he seemed so worried already, but I decided I’d make them promise, as well. © At the end he put out his hand. “We'll swear to keep it a secret? ”’ he said. And with that, we had clasped hands and sworn, very solemnly. Since that day, we had scarcely mentioned the matter, and then only when we were far away from everyone else. Now, while I hesitated, he went on, ‘‘ What’s the trouble? Has anyone found out? ”’ “ Wo,” I said. He looked greatly relieved. ‘‘ What zs the trouble, then? ”’ So I told him about Aunt Harriet and the baby, and before I had finished, I was talking through tears. It was such a relief to be able to tell someone. ‘““ It was her face as she drove away,” I told him. “ I’ve never seen anyone look like that before. I keep on seeing it, in the water. And it was all because the baby was different—and I’m different. [—I’m frightened, Uncle Axel.” He put his hand on my shoulder. ‘‘ No one is ever going to know about it,’’ he reminded me. ‘‘ No one but me—and I’m safe.” ‘““ One of us stopped suddenly six months ago,”’ I said. He looked puzzled. ** Rosalind—’”’ he began. ** Not Rosalind—one of the others,”’ I explained. He was startled. It took him a few moments to understand; then, “‘ Who? ”’ he asked. I shook my head. **T don’t know. Names don’t have any thinking-shapes so we don’t bother with them. You just know who people are. I only found out who Rosalind was by accident. But we used to talk to this one—and then he suddenly stopped. We've been wondering if somebody found out . Uncle Axel shook his head. “I don’t think so. We should be sure to have heard of it. Was he far away from here? ” **T don’t think so. I don’t know really,” I admitted. comiclbooks.conn