Masters of Fantasy by Terry Carr & Martin Harry Greenberg

Author:Terry Carr & Martin Harry Greenberg [Carr, Terry & Greenberg, Martin Harry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0883657864
Publisher: Galahad Books
Published: 1992-08-02T21:00:00+00:00

It was years later that Foote found out exactly what had happened at the very beginning. Doris, physically exhausted by the hideous events of the day, emotionally drained by tending the childlike Newcliffe, feeding him from a spoon and seeing him into bed, had fallen asleep almost immediately.

It was a sleep dreamless except for a vague, dull undercurrent of despair. When the light tapping against the window-panes finally reached her consciousness she had no idea how long she had slumbered.

She struggled to a sitting position and forced her eyelids up. Across the room the moonlight, gleaming in patches against the rotting snow outside, glared through the window. Silhouetted against it was a tall human figure. She could not see its face but there was no mistaking the red glint of the eyes. She clutched for the rifle and brought it awkwardly into position.

Jarmoskowski did not dodge. He moved his arms out a little way away from his body, palms forward in a gesture that looked almost supplicating, and waited. Indecisively she lowered the gun again. Was he inviting death?

As she lowered the weapon she saw that the stud was in the continuous-fire position and carefully she shifted it to repeat. She was afraid of the recoil Newcliffe had mentioned, felt surer of her target if she could throw one shot at a time at it.

Jarmoskowski tapped again and motioned with his finger. Reasoning that he would come in if he were able, she took time out to get into her housecoat. Then, holding her finger against the trigger, she went to the window. It was closed tightly and a crucifix, suspended from a silk thread, hung exactly in the center of it. She checked it, and then opened one of the small panes directly above Jarmoskowski’s head.

“Hello, Doris,” he said softly.

“Hello.” She was more uncertain than afraid. Was this actually happening or just the recurrent nightmare? “What do you want? I should shoot you. Can you tell me why I shouldn’t?”

“Yes I can. Otherwise I wouldn’t have risked exposing myself. That’s a nasty-looking weapon.”

“There are ten silver bullets in it.”

“I know it. I’ve seen Brownings before. I would be a good target for you too, so I have no hope of escape—my nostrils are full of rosemary.” He smiled ruefully. “And Lundgren and Caroline are dead and I am responsible. I deserve to die. That is why I am here.”

“You’ll get your wish, Jan,” she said. “You have some other reason, I know. I will back my wits against yours. I want to ask you questions.”

“Ask.”

“You have your evening clothes on. Paul said they changed with you. How is that possible?”

“But a wolf has clothes,” Jarmoskowski said. “He is not naked like a man. And surely Chris must have spoken of the effect of the pineal upon the cell radiogens. These little bodies act upon any organic matter, including wool or cotton. When I change my clothes change with me. I can hardly say how, for it is in the blood, like musicianship.

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