Argosy, September 1955 — page 145: what you’re looking at

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

ie. thd, r . " yea ~ ELS — oy et" — ie Wis Nal iy THE CHRYSALIDS 143 attracted its attention. It turned and crouched, its yellow eyes glaring. My pony took fright, and reared, but before the creature could make its spring, two more arrows took it, one through the hind quarters, the other in the head. It stood stock-still for a moment, and then rolled over, dead. Rosalind rode into the glade from my right, her bow still in her hand. Michael appeared from the other side, with a fresh arrow already on the string, and his eyes on the creature, making sure about it. Even though we were so close to one another, Petra’s distress was still swamping us. ““ Where is she? ”’ Rosalind asked, in words. We looked round and found her. A small figure ten feet up a young tree, clinging to it with both arms round the trunk. Rosalind rode over to encourage her to come down. She seemed unable to let go, or to move. I got off my pony, climbed up, and helped her down until Rosalind could reach up and take her. She put her on her pony in front of her, and tried to soothe her, but Petra was looking down at her own dead pony. Her distress was, if anything, intensified. Michael joined us. He regarded Petra worriedly for a moment. ** She doesn’t know what she’s doing. Better start by getting her where she can’t see the pony.” We moved off a little. He spoke to her. She did not seem to understand, and glanced at me for reassur- ance. ‘The distress-pattern did not abate. * Perhaps if we were all to try the same thought-pattern on her simultaneously,’ I suggested. ‘“‘ Soothing—sympathizing—trelax- ing. Ready?” We tried, for a full fifteen seconds. “No good,” said Rosalind. ‘‘ There was a moment’s check, then she crowded us out again.”’ The three of us regarded Petra helplessly. ** Rosalind,” I said, “‘ it’s very dangerous. Petra will bring them. all here. We’ve got to stop this.” Then, as we were waiting, tense and anxious, the thing that I had been afraid of happened .. . * The Second Part of “ The Chrysalids,”’ by John Wyndham, appears in next month’s Argosy on sale September 9. You will enjoy another BRILLIANT NEW STORY by Hi. E. BATES in next month’s Argosy comiclbooks.ceonn