Avon Murder Mystery Monthly No. 41 — page 102: what you’re looking at

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

104 THE METAL MONSTER will be all right here, Goodwin. The only thing she has any cause to fear is Yuruk—and he’s had his lesson. | “Besides, she’ll have the rifles and her pistols, and she knows how to use them. What d’ye mean by making such a proposition as that?” His indignation burst all bounds. Lamely I tried to justify myself. ‘Tl be all right,” said Ruth. “I’m not afraid of Yuruk. And none of these Things will hurt me—not after—not after—” Her eyes fell, her lips quivered, then she faced. us steadily. “Don’t ask me how I know that,” she said quietly. “Believe me, I do know it. I am closer to—them than you two are. And if I choose I can call upon that alien strength their master gave me. It is for you two that I fear.” “No fear for us,” Drake burst out hastily. “We're Norhala’s little playthings. We're tabu. Take it from me, Ruth, I’d bet my head there isn’t one of these Things, great or small, and':no matter: how many, that doesn’t by this time know all about us. | “We'll probably be received with demonstrations of interest by the populace as welcome guests. Probably we'll find a sign—“Welcome to our City—hung up over the front gate.’ She smiled, a trifle tremulously. “We'll come back,” he said. Suddenly he leaned forward, put his hands on her shoulders. “Do you think there is anything that could keep me from coming back?” he whispered. She trembled, wide eyes searching deep into his. | “Well,” I broke in, a bit uncomfortably, “we'd better be starting. I think as Drake does, that we’re tabu. Barring accident there’s no dan- ger. And if I guess right about these Things, accident is impossible.” | “As inconceivable as the multiplication table going wrong,” he laughed, straightening. And so we made ready. Our rifles would be worse than useless, we knew; our pistols we decided to carry as Drake put it, “for comfort.” Canteens filled with water; a couple of emergency rations, a few in- struments, including a small spectroscope, a selection from the medical kit—all these packed in a little haversack which he threw over. his broad shoulders. I pocketed my compact but exceedingly powerful field-glasses. To my poignant and everlasting regret my camera had been upon the bolt- ing pony, and Ventnor had long been out of films for his. We were ready for our journey. — Our path led straight away, a smooth and dark-gray road whose sur- face resembled cement packed under enormous pressure. It was all of hity feet wide and now, in daylight, glistened faintly as though over- ECOMC OOO (GO)