Avon Murder Mystery Monthly No. 41 — page 89: what you’re looking at

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

A. MERRITT 91 be trusted not to repeat Ventnor’s error. “Yuruk,” I said, “we think you lie. We would speak to your mis- tress. ‘Take us tc her.” “I have told you that the goddess is not here,” he said. “If you do not believe it is nothing to me. I cannot take you to her for I do not know where she is. Is it your wish that I take you through her house?” “It is,’ I said. “The goddess has commanded me to serve you in all things.” He bowed, sardonically. “Follow.” | Our search was short. We stepped out into what for want of better words I can describe only as a central hall. It was circular, and strewn with thick piled small rugs whose hues had been softened by the alchemy of time into exquisite, shadowy echoes of color. The walls of this hall were of the same moonstone substance that had enclosed the chamber upon whose inner threshold we were. They whirled straight up to the dome in a crystalline, cylindrical cone. Four doorways like that in which we stood pierced them. Through each of their curtainings in turn we peered. All were precisely similar in shape and proportions, radiating in a lunetted, curved base triangle from the middle chamber; the curvature of the enclosing globe forming back wali and roof; the translucent slicings the sides; the circle of floor of the inner hall the truncating lunette. The first of these chambers was utterly bare. The one opposite held. a half-dozen suits of the lacquered armor, as many wicked looking, short and double-edged swords and long javelins. The third I judged to be the lair of Yuruk; within it was a copper brazier, a stand of spears and a gigantic bow, a quiver full of arrows leaning beside it. The fourth room was littered with coffers great and small, of wood and of bronze, and all tightly closed. The fifth room was beyond question Norhala’s bed-chamber. Upon its Moor the ancient rugs were thick. A low couch of carven ivory in- set with gold rested a few feet from the doorway. A dozen or more of the chests were scattered about and flowing over with silken stuffs. Upon the back of four golden lions stood a high mirror of polished silver. And close to it, in curiously incongruous domestic array stood a stiffly marshaled tow of sandals. Upon one of the chests were heaped combs and fillets of shell and gold and ivory studded with jewels blue and yellow and crimson. | | To all of these we gave but a passing glance. We sought for Norhala. And of her we found no shadow. She had gone even as the black eunuch had said; flitting umseen past Ruth, perhaps, absorbed in her GOGO .S (GO)