DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Fantasy Fan, v. 2, issue 6, whole no. 18, February 1935

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Fantasy Fan, v. 2, issue 6, whole no. 18, February 1935

Page 86

86     THE FANTASY FAN, February, 1935

ing glass, doesn't it?"
Follansbee bent and took up a book. "Well, look at this," he said in surprise. "Arbatel's Treatise on Magic."
"Yes," supplemented Tenny excitedly, "and see here--he's got a trident, and incense, and oils--why, he dabbled in magic!"
"No doubt of it," assented Follansbee gravely.
He put the book down and examined the instruments on the bench. He chuckled oddly to himself, held up a magical diagram made on a sheet of stiff paper, and smiled at it with Tenny. Then he turned away, looked once more about the room, and said, "If you brought the lunch kit, we'll eat. The sun'll go down in about three-quarters of an hour, and the moon'll be up shortly after. We might as well be ready."
"What's the procedure?"
"We sleep here--nice, comfortable double bed, as far as I can see," replied Follansbee.
Lunch eaten, the two investigators returned to the bedroom where they were to sleep. The moon had already risen, so long had they sat in the kitchen, but it was not yet throwing its light through the single window to the south. Follansbee and Tenny sat talking for the better part of an hour.
It was the older man who first noticed that the moonlight had reached the counterpane of the bed. "There we are," he said. "Now for the shadow."
They sat for a few minutes in silence, while the light of the moon crept in a parallelogram across the counterpane. But there was no shadow save the shadow a tree, a few branches of which dipped into the moonlight.
Presently Follansbee rose and went in some irritation over to the bed and stood looking down at the patch of moonlight. "Batty as can be," he murmured, obviously referring to Miss Harriet Sears.
Tenny, who had drifted to his side, said suddenly, "what a funny angle those branches have!"
Follansbee bent abruptly closer. "As if they were coming from above," he murmured. "But look here--they're not just branches--they're like a forest of little trees, and what odd spines for leaves!"
Suddenly he whirled to the window.
"Oh, now I see," he said harshly. "There's no tree of any kind beyond the window!"
"Nor anything to make that shadow," added Tenny.
They stood for a few moments scrutinizing the glass and looking through it into the clearing outside. The line of trees to the south was too far for any shadow to reach the house; the trees were shadowed in an uneven line across the clearing below. Then they returned to the bed and stood looking down at the counterpane.
"Well, there has to be some explanation," said Tenny.
Follansbee nodded. "But I don't get it," he said. Then he stopped abruptly, staring down at the parallelogram of moonlight widening eyes.
Tenny followed the older man's startled gaze.
There, in the moonlight, was a tiny, moving shadow--a shadow only slightly over two inches in height, moving

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86 THE FANTASY FAN, February, 1935 ing glass, doesn't it?" Follansbee bent and took up a book. "Well, look at this," he said in surprise. "Arbatel's Treatise on Magic." "Yes," supplemented Tenny excitedly, "and see here--he's got a trident, and incense, and oils--why, he dabbled in magic!" "No doubt of it," assented Follansbee gravely. He put the book down and examined the instruments on the bench. He chuckled oddly to himself, held up a magical diagram made on a sheet of stiff paper, and smiled at it with Tenny. Then he turned away, looked once more about the room, and said, "If you brought the lunch kit, we'll eat. The sun'll go down in about three-quarters of an hour, and the moon'll be up shortly after. We might as well be ready." "What's the procedure?" "We sleep here--nice, comfortable double bed, as far as I can see," replied Follansbee. Lunch eaten, the two investigators returned to the bedroom where they were to sleep. The moon had already risen, so long had they sat in the kitchen, but it was not yet throwing its light through the single window to the south. Follansbee and Tenny sat talking for the better part of an hour. It was the older man who first noticed that the moonlight had reached the counterpane of the bed. "There we are," he said. "Now for the shadow." They sat for a few minutes in silence, while the light of the moon crept in a parallelogram across the counterpane. But there was no shadow save the shadow a tree, a few branches of which dipped into the moonlight. Presently Follansbee rose and went in some irritation over to the bed and stood looking down at the patch of moonlight. "Batty as can be," he murmured, obviously referring to Miss Harriet Sears. Tenny, who had drifted to his side, said suddenly, "what a funny angle those branches have!" Follansbee bent abruptly closer. "As if they were coming from above," he murmured. "But look here--they're not just branches--they're like a forest of little trees, and what odd spines for leaves!" Suddenly he whirled to the window. "Oh, now I see," he said harshly. "There's no tree of any kind beyond the window!" "Nor anything to make that shadow," added Tenny. They stood for a few moments scrutinizing the glass and looking through it into the clearing outside. The line of trees to the south was too far for any shadow to reach the house; the trees were shadowed in an uneven line across the clearing below. Then they returned to the bed and stood looking down at the counterpane. "Well, there has to be some explanation," said Tenny. Follansbee nodded. "But I don't get it," he said. Then he stopped abruptly, staring down at the parallelogram of moonlight widening eyes. Tenny followed the older man's startled gaze. There, in the moonlight, was a tiny, moving shadow--a shadow only slightly over two inches in height, moving