Page:Amazing Stories Volume 21 Number 06.djvu/78

78 me and my knowledge and my use of the machines strange and weird and frightening to you. There is no reason for you to fear this knowledge now that it comes to you. That fear is perhaps also a legacy of your heredity, who knows?"

I gazed at Tanil, a strange whirling in my head, a whirl that was of wonder and two-swift and sudden comprehension of vast vistas of new explanations for old mysteries growing suddenly within my mind; a sudden opening of my mind to the unending differences this knowledge would make in all my thinking.

The whole education I had been given as to the beginnings of man and science and history must now all be revised to accommodate the mighty new base for my thinking those few words have given me.

I sank to a chair weakly, for I needed no convincing to believe Tanil's words. There was the doll-making machine, a machine that I newknew [sic] no earth science could produce. There was the words of Kyra which were much the same but too brief to give me this full revelation. There were a hundred mysteries of my past life suddenly explained to me: phantasms of my youth; ghosts; fairy tales; wizards and magic; the legend of the underworld; of the Styx, of Charon and of Pluto and Proserpine.

My mind was by those words of hers set awhirl upon an endless series of new reactions to which I knew there would never be an end. New associations of inescapable logic to make about all my past false conclusions about God; the origins of primitive man; the source of man's inventions and sciences. My whole understanding of Earth and man must be revised, and I would never get done in this life all the needed thinking fully to understand and correlate the new understanding with the old false teaching. I could only gaze weaking at Tanil and say:

"Now I understand! I understand  now!"

HAT is good that you comprehend so greatly what I have said. Your reaction tells me you have a good mind, for it does not need a great deal of thought to understand what a revolution this makes in all your thinking. I have seen other men like yourself struck into silent thought for a week while they concentrated on fully realizing just what this knowledge does to all their former teachings of the past and of science and of religion. If you will trust me, Kent, I will be able to use you for a great plan I am working upon which will be good for your Earth peoples; very good. More I cannot tell you, chiefly because I cannot take time or effort to make you understand. You will have to trust me and obey—if you can do that? Can you?"

She gazed down at me, and caressed my cheeks delicately with the points of her long fingers.

"For Tanil? Can you obey and not distrust what you do not understand?"

"I can try, Tanil. Certainly it should not be hard, for I would do nearly anything to please you. But if you I mean, I must warn you my heart turns toward Kyra, for I have dreamed of a girl with her face all my life "

"My attitude does not mean what your Earth mind thinks it means. It is only friendly, the way of people brought up under the love of Tanit, the Goddess of all Love. We are not backward with our affections as are you of Earth. Nor is Kyra, my Kent. Do not worry, you will not break my heart. It has already been bent in the fire of love; it is tempered now." Tanil smiled reminiscently, dismissed me abruptly. I knew why well enough.

"I am tired now. Do you mind, my friend?"

"I leave you with a great deal more to think about than I had before, Tanil. Do not think I am not susceptible to your charms. I like you a great deal too much, as you probably know."

She pushed me gently toward the door.

"Go and look for your Kyra. She has long held the key to your heart, as she will one day explain to you. She is probably on duty in the Dragon room, the one with the great green drape. You know where it is."

I went, but I could not help wondering if it would not have been wiser not to have mentioned my tie for Kyra. After all, I did not know this woman well, was trusting her. And I tried to feel suspicious of her, but her "magic" was too strong. I trusted her implicitly, my heart was hers in one way, if not in another. I had much to learn of "witches" and their devious ways. For Tanil held that doll, and with it she held my actions, my life-pattern, in her