Avon Fantasy Reader No. 12 — page 65: what you’re looking at

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

between the fists, something with flat brow, broad lump of nose and wide mouth, like a grotesque Mayan mask—and it was growing. Lu told herself, a little stupidly, that she must not have seen clearly at first. She had thought the creature a little green minnow, but it was as big as a squirrel. No, as big as a baby! Its bright eyes, white-ringed, fixed hers, projecting a wave of malignant challenge that staggered her like a blow. The fall, lead-hued lips parted loosely and the forked tip of a purple tongue quivered out for a moment. A snaky odor steamed up to Lu’s nostrils, making her dizzy and weak. Wet, scabby- green shoulders had heaved into view by now, and after them the twin mounds of a grotesquely feminine bosom. The thing was climb- ing out at her, A it did so it swelled and grew, grew... . The brandy-glass fell from her hand and loudly exploded into splinters upon the floor. The sound of the breaking gave Lu back her voice, and she screamed tremulously, then managed to move back and away, half stumbling and half staggering. The monster, all damp and green and stinking, was writhing a Icg into view. Lu noted that, and then everything went into a whirling white blur and she began to collapse. Faintly she heard the rush of Cannon’s fect, felt the clutch of his strong arms as though many thicknesses of fabric separated them from her. We almost shouted her name in panic. After a moment her sight and mind cleared, and she looked up into his concerned face. With all her shaken strength she clung to hun. “That thing,” she chattercd, “that horrid female thing in the aquarium——" Cannon managed a comforting tone. “But there’s nothing, dearest, nothing at all. Those two brandies—you took mine, too, you shameless glutton---went to your head.” “Look at it!” She pointed an unsteady finger. “Deep down there in the weeds.” Ife looked. “Oh, that?” he laughed. “I noticed it, too, just before you came. It’s a little frog or toad—must have been gathered with the weeds and shipped all the way from Scotland.” Lu caressed her throbbing forchead with her slender white hand and mumbled something about “sceing things.” Already she believed that she had somehow dreamed of the green water-monster. Still, it was a distinct effort to walk with Cannon to the aquarium and look in. Through the thick tangle of stems and fronds that made a dank stew in the water she could make out a tiny something that wriggled and glided. It was only minnow-size after all, and seemed smooth and. innocuous. Funny what notions two quick drinks will give you... . She lowered a cupped palm toward the surface, as if to scoop down and seize the litle creature, but the chilly teuch of the topmost weed- tips repelled her, and she drew back her arm, 63 comichbooks.com