DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Acolyte, vol 1, issue 3, whole 3, Spring 1943

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Acolyte, vol 1, issue 3, whole 3, Spring 1943

Page 24

of this village?"
Frankl answered me. "At no time has this man made prayer for himself to this little cross. At no time has he fed it on his own account. His father did before him, and you have since, but he never. I can do as I please in this house."
"You know better than what you are saying," I told him. "The cross of his fathers is fat with offerings, it is strong, its content exists, there. That he prayed always for others, showing them the road, only makes his prayers stronger. You know that."
"True," said Frankl shortly. He was angry; he became bigger; his darkness spread. 
My cousin looked towards me, as though he wished to tell me to run away before the Black One became furious and destroyed me. 
"I came for what is mine," Frankl said. "No cross, no power can prevent me from taking my own." He slid an arm of blackness along my cousin's bed. I could see the green fear leap up in Sandor as he felt it; I thought his soul would leap visibly out of his body. He could not even moan. I too was well afraid.
"What is yours is yours," I said. "But where is it? I do not see it here."
"Nonsense you talk," Fankl said. "You waste my time." He slid the arm of his influence almost to Sandor's head. "Here is mine, his spirit by contract sold to me freely. Go home, you Anton, to that which is within your power."
"There was no sale. There was an offer for sale, but no purchase was made. Make yourself small, you have nothing here."
The darkness came away from along the blanket. "I see we must argue," he said. "Perhaps you will talk yourself into my service. You want to lay the matter before the Great One. Very well.
"It was a fair bargain; if he fooled himself, that is his business and no fault of mine. You yourself have bought and sold a horse in your time."
"True," I said, "but if a man offers to buy my horse, and takes him; and no money, no object, not a little copper coin nor a measure of grain has been given me, the horse is still mine. I take him back. Is it not so?"
"Cease quibbling," Frankl said. "I made a contract. I kept it. That is all."
"You promised you would do all in your power to help him in his sorcery?" I asked.
"Yes. Why not?"
"You promised nothing then. You agreed to treat this village as if there were a Keeper of the Gate in it?"
"Yes. Why not?"
"You agreed to nothing then. Can a man ask pay for not stopping the sun from rising?"
"That doesn't matter," Frankl said. "The terms of the bargain are of no importance. When he took that wicked thought into his heart, when he was willing to reject a sacred burden, when he called me and offered to bargain with me, right there he became mine. There is no power here to stop me."
He became wider, more menacing; he seemed to press outward towards me, to push against the firelight. He reached, he flowed towards Sandor. The place was full of a cold which was inside one, not on his skin. Fear looked out of all the corners.
"I shall not argue the second part of what you say," I said. "If it be true or untrue will soon be proven. There was a reason for letting him fulfil his thought, as you well know. For the first part--a sin can be atoned," I said. "He has paid a thousand times over for his time of wishing evil. That cannot bind him now. You have only

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Saving...

of this village?" Frankl answered me. "At no time has this man made prayer for himself to this little cross. At no time has he fed it on his own account. His father did before him, and you have since, but he never. I can do as I please in this house." "You know better than what you are saying," I told him. "The cross of his fathers is fat with offerings, it is strong, its content exists, there. That he prayed always for others, showing them the road, only makes his prayers stronger. You know that." "True," said Frankl shortly. He was angry; he became bigger; his darkness spread. My cousin looked towards me, as though he wished to tell me to run away before the Black One became furious and destroyed me. "I came for what is mine," Frankl said. "No cross, no power can prevent me from taking my own." He slid an arm of blackness along my cousin's bed. I could see the green fear leap up in Sandor as he felt it; I thought his soul would leap visibly out of his body. He could not even moan. I too was well afraid. "What is yours is yours," I said. "But where is it? I do not see it here." "Nonsense you talk," Fankl said. "You waste my time." He slid the arm of his influence almost to Sandor's head. "Here is mine, his spirit by contract sold to me freely. Go home, you Anton, to that which is within your power." "There was no sale. There was an offer for sale, but no purchase was made. Make yourself small, you have nothing here." The darkness came away from along the blanket. "I see we must argue," he said. "Perhaps you will talk yourself into my service. You want to lay the matter before the Great One. Very well. "It was a fair bargain; if he fooled himself, that is his business and no fault of mine. You yourself have bought and sold a horse in your time." "True," I said, "but if a man offers to buy my horse, and takes him; and no money, no object, not a little copper coin nor a measure of grain has been given me, the horse is still mine. I take him back. Is it not so?" "Cease quibbling," Frankl said. "I made a contract. I kept it. That is all." "You promised you would do all in your power to help him in his sorcery?" I asked. "Yes. Why not?" "You promised nothing then. You agreed to treat this village as if there were a Keeper of the Gate in it?" "Yes. Why not?" "You agreed to nothing then. Can a man ask pay for not stopping the sun from rising?" "That doesn't matter," Frankl said. "The terms of the bargain are of no importance. When he took that wicked thought into his heart, when he was willing to reject a sacred burden, when he called me and offered to bargain with me, right there he became mine. There is no power here to stop me." He became wider, more menacing; he seemed to press outward towards me, to push against the firelight. He reached, he flowed towards Sandor. The place was full of a cold which was inside one, not on his skin. Fear looked out of all the corners. "I shall not argue the second part of what you say," I said. "If it be true or untrue will soon be proven. There was a reason for letting him fulfil his thought, as you well know. For the first part--a sin can be atoned," I said. "He has paid a thousand times over for his time of wishing evil. That cannot bind him now. You have only -- 34 --