Donald A. Wollheim (ed) by Avon Fantasy Reader 17

Author:Avon Fantasy Reader 17
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2011-09-01T15:38:02+00:00

"I low cute he looks," gurgled the nurse as Willy stepped into the picture. He was dressed in the cassock of a penitent, with a long pilgrim's staff in his hand.

"Shlih!" I whispered. "Watch carefully."

Pot the first lev, minutes of the picture the little satyr's antics were performed in a hilarious fashion worthy of Jamieson at his best. Then, as the staff twinkled and whirled and the shadows began coiling over the screen, I felt the old pleasant lethargy stealing over me. It was only by a desperate exertion of will power that I kept from falling under the influence of the spell I had woven.

Leaning over, I pinched Miss Hawkins on the arm. She continued staring straight ahead, unaware of the pain. She was completely hypnotized! So far, so good.

Willy's face increased in size as it approached us until its enormous eyes seemed only a lew feet away. Then it faded from the screen to allow the crawling shadows full play there. But the slumberous voice still filled the room.

"My friends," it murmured, "you arc asleep, but you still hear my voice. Willy has been wrong in putting you to sleep. He realizes now that he told you to do things which are not right. Willy is going to change all that. Willy tells you to awake now and forget all that he has told you in the past. Willy wants yon to live your own lives, doing the best you can without his help.

Willy tells you to awake and forget. Willy tells you to awake. Willy tells

you to forget "

The voice faded away as the lights went up and the dreamy strains of the "Moonlight Sonata" filled (he room.

I looked at my companion and held my breath.

Miss Hawkins was, in tact, rubbing hereyes as though rousing from deep slumber. At last she turned and looked at me. Her eyes widened with astonishment.

"Why, Dr. Brown!" she tried. "When did you get back? I thought you were in Canada. And where on earth are we? Is tins a theater? But where is the audience? Have I been asleep?"

She jumped up, blushing in confusion.

"We've just seen a Willy Pan cartoon," I told her.

"Willy Pan?" She frowned. "Oh, that's the new picture. T remember

now. I came to the theater to see it. But surely this isn't the theater-------------- "

She looked at me with charming helplessness.

As gently as possible I explained the situation and related all that had happened in the last two months. A; Inst she would not believe me. Her mind was a blank for the entire period. But she was no fool and when I brought Weinbrenner in to corroborate my story and showed her the dales on the morning papers she struggled no longer.

"And you say everybody in the United Stales is under the spell?" she gasped. "How dreadful. And these headlines.' Another war coming. Oh, what can we do lo stop it?"

1 told her of the forged film she had just seen and of our plan to take it to Washington.

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