Transcribe
Translate
Venus, v. 1, issue 1, June 1944
Page 20
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
-20- Atla sat up and stared about, all the madness burned out of his brain, leaving him weary and a little afraid. Hedi's words came back to him -- "I see fires, and danger!" The place was full of shadows; leaping, whirling shadows made by the creatures who danced to the music of a pagan flute. The flames made an arabesque of gleaming motion against the forest. Human faces, human shoulders swaying, sleek beast-bodies rearing and prancing to the heavy song; bronze and ivory and sorrel, white and bay and cinnabar. In spite of himself, Atla's breath quickened. He half rose looking for Beudag. Black and beautiful, she came between the trees. Atla leaped up, his heart thudding to a well remembered pulsing in his veins. But even as his pulses quickened, Hedi's face came unbidden to his mind. A swift revulsion shook him. The curve of Beudag's sleek flank in the fireglow was suddenly repugnant to him, and he cried "Beast!" and stepped back, grasping his sword. The creature laughed, high and shrill, and abruptly the flute was silent and the dancer's hoofs were still. Mighty, vital bodies closed in around the Maya. Atla threw his head back and met the challenge of forest-colored eyes. "Come, Man," whispered a voice like wind in the branches, "I would show you my kingdom," white arms reached out, and in Atla's mind the image of Hedi swirled in a tide of magic strangeness. Almost without volition he stepped forward, and suddenly he was lifted, sent bodily through the air. Warm satin hide was under his bare knees, and a sense of wild, magnificent strength. Again he heard the shrilling laugh, and great smooth muscles leaped into life beneath him. He clutched frantically for support, found naked shoulders beyond a whipping cloud of hair. The clearing was gone, the forest fled by them into darkness. Ahead was a moon drenched faery maze, and Atla found himself laughing aloud into the wind. He did not know how long he rode. Only he remembered secret glades and still pools that caught moonbeams, silver mists and leafy darkness all a-rustle with hidden life, and most of all, the wild, unfettered splendor of the life that thrilled under his hands and knees. Something of the alien entered his soul. Life surged in his veins, a free, mad ferment like fire running through wine. A glamoured vision spread before him an enchanted dream that had no place for Hedi or the men or the Banner of the Sun. To race the warm wind down the glades; to dive for moonbeams in a hidden pool; to lie in bondless, timeless freedom on a mossy bank of turf, with a pair of ivory arms about his shoulders and a pair of leaf-green eyes laughing down from a tumbled storm-cloud of a ebon hair. There was a kingdom a man might give his soul for! Maddeningly, unwanted, Hedi's face rose before him, shattering the vision. The wind beat mockingly in his ears: "With this kiss---give my soul----as long as you need it ." Bewildered, boy-like, Atla cried out. And then they were back in the clearing with the fires and the running stream, and the still waiting creatures that ringed him round. He slid from the black withers, suddenly cold and trembling, afraid as he had never been in his life before. The hilt of his sword under his hand steadied him. He braced his feet, and knew that he was saying, over and over again, "Hedi...Hedi..." Forest-colored eyes blazed into his, full of a hate that shocked his brain like an axe-blow. Hate and rage, an elemental spate of them. pouring out of her pagan being. For one dizzy awful moment Atla saw the abyss that had
Saving...
prev
next
-20- Atla sat up and stared about, all the madness burned out of his brain, leaving him weary and a little afraid. Hedi's words came back to him -- "I see fires, and danger!" The place was full of shadows; leaping, whirling shadows made by the creatures who danced to the music of a pagan flute. The flames made an arabesque of gleaming motion against the forest. Human faces, human shoulders swaying, sleek beast-bodies rearing and prancing to the heavy song; bronze and ivory and sorrel, white and bay and cinnabar. In spite of himself, Atla's breath quickened. He half rose looking for Beudag. Black and beautiful, she came between the trees. Atla leaped up, his heart thudding to a well remembered pulsing in his veins. But even as his pulses quickened, Hedi's face came unbidden to his mind. A swift revulsion shook him. The curve of Beudag's sleek flank in the fireglow was suddenly repugnant to him, and he cried "Beast!" and stepped back, grasping his sword. The creature laughed, high and shrill, and abruptly the flute was silent and the dancer's hoofs were still. Mighty, vital bodies closed in around the Maya. Atla threw his head back and met the challenge of forest-colored eyes. "Come, Man," whispered a voice like wind in the branches, "I would show you my kingdom," white arms reached out, and in Atla's mind the image of Hedi swirled in a tide of magic strangeness. Almost without volition he stepped forward, and suddenly he was lifted, sent bodily through the air. Warm satin hide was under his bare knees, and a sense of wild, magnificent strength. Again he heard the shrilling laugh, and great smooth muscles leaped into life beneath him. He clutched frantically for support, found naked shoulders beyond a whipping cloud of hair. The clearing was gone, the forest fled by them into darkness. Ahead was a moon drenched faery maze, and Atla found himself laughing aloud into the wind. He did not know how long he rode. Only he remembered secret glades and still pools that caught moonbeams, silver mists and leafy darkness all a-rustle with hidden life, and most of all, the wild, unfettered splendor of the life that thrilled under his hands and knees. Something of the alien entered his soul. Life surged in his veins, a free, mad ferment like fire running through wine. A glamoured vision spread before him an enchanted dream that had no place for Hedi or the men or the Banner of the Sun. To race the warm wind down the glades; to dive for moonbeams in a hidden pool; to lie in bondless, timeless freedom on a mossy bank of turf, with a pair of ivory arms about his shoulders and a pair of leaf-green eyes laughing down from a tumbled storm-cloud of a ebon hair. There was a kingdom a man might give his soul for! Maddeningly, unwanted, Hedi's face rose before him, shattering the vision. The wind beat mockingly in his ears: "With this kiss---give my soul----as long as you need it ." Bewildered, boy-like, Atla cried out. And then they were back in the clearing with the fires and the running stream, and the still waiting creatures that ringed him round. He slid from the black withers, suddenly cold and trembling, afraid as he had never been in his life before. The hilt of his sword under his hand steadied him. He braced his feet, and knew that he was saying, over and over again, "Hedi...Hedi..." Forest-colored eyes blazed into his, full of a hate that shocked his brain like an axe-blow. Hate and rage, an elemental spate of them. pouring out of her pagan being. For one dizzy awful moment Atla saw the abyss that had
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
