Page:Weird Tales Volume 8 Number 3 (1926-09).djvu/75

 He smiled in secret admiration of the feat. Like a bat he would accomplish his object under the sheltering robe of night. He glanced eagerly down the street. A single, feebly illuminated window greeted his gaze; but it was a window in the house to which he was directed. He fumed impatiently and glanced up at the moon, which was already starting on its descent to the westward.

For quite some time he stood there in the shadows. Messer Marri was late in retiring. But no matter, the watching man would attain his object, if wait he must until morning. The window was dark now, but he must bide his time and give the magician a space in which to fall into slumber. There was no doubt that it was Messer Marri who had bewitched his daughter. And now she was gone! His hand wandered to the hilt of his dagger and he grasped the weapon to make certain that it was still firmly in its place.

What was it he saw about the door of the magician's squat residence? He gazed intently at it. It was naught else but the figure of the wizard leaving the house and starting down the street.

Messer Como watched the magician silently and wondered where he could be going. Suddenly he was seized with the idea of entering the house and secreting himself therein in Messer Marri's absence. He slunk forward again and soon he was pushing at the door of the house. It yielded to his touch, and Messer Como entered.

There was a patch of moonlight on the floor, and Messer Como searched for a hiding place. He noticed glowing embers in the grate and wondered for what Messer Marri had needed a fire on such a warm night. Something shot across the patch of moonlight, and a second later Messer Como felt it brushing against his legs. A cat, perhaps. He reached downward and struck the furry mass. At his action the injured creature started to gibber demoniacally. It was gone now and sat in the moonlight shaking a tiny fist at Messer Como. It was a marmoset, and its big eyes caught and reflected the moonlight as it blinked them furiously at Messer Como.

Messer Como went over to it and attempted to pacify it, but his efforts only served to increase the fury of the little beast. It gibbered incessantly, and Messer Como apprehensively wondered how quickly Messer Marri would return. For a minute he considered dispatching the animal, but then he thought better of it and drew back into the shadows, leaving the marmoset to itself.

For a short space the creature remained silent, and Messer Como was about to breathe a sigh of relief, when it again started to chatter, more vehemently than before, and at the same time Messer Como heard a step resound in the court without. He half unloosed his dagger and felt his other weapon in the bosom of his doublet. The marmoset gibbered shrilly and jumped up and down on the stone floor in its anger.

The door opened and Messer Marri entered. He halted at the threshold and stared at his pet.

"Aha," said he, "something has disturbed my little pet. Is it not so, Chero?" He walked over to the candles in the bracket. "Perhaps," he continued, "perhaps we have a visitor." He removed a candle and walked over to the fireplace. "We shall see, Chero. In a space."

He lit the candle at the embers, and, without glancing about him, walked to the sconce and ignited the remaining flambeaux. He turned, and his eyes fell upon Messer Como standing quietly near the entrance, his hand guiltily clutching the hilt of the dagger. The magician glanced at the marmoset.