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Cosmic Tales, v. 2, issue 1, Summer 1939

Page 16

16      COSMIC TALES

was something about ancient Egyptian relics that appealed to him...a kind of glamor; mystery; a definite atmosphere of the unknown. And the hieroglyphics, too, were uncanny. He examined those carved on the side of a giant stone sarcophagus, but could make neither head nor tail out of them. Here was one shaped like a duck, another like a saxophone, five in a row like birds.... It was all very interesting, and he wished that he could understand them.
With much trepidation he entered the glass cases containing the bandaged remains of the mummies. But he did not remain there long for the atmosphere of death was so strong that he automatically felt subdued and depressed.
He spent all day in that museum for it was a big place, and Paine had complete and utter freedom. Even walls or locked doors couls not stop him. He disproved one of the primary laws of physics could not stop him. He disproved one of the primary laws of physics by occupying the same space as a statue of Eros; and spent a couple of hours resting in an unoccupied mummy-case, so melodramatic were his tastes.
By this time, he was completely adapted to his new plane of existence, and had ceased to worry about it. In fact, he thoroly enjoyed the exploitation of his new-found powers. There was no doubt, he thot, that life in the spirit world was well an truly the elephant's uvula, always providing that an elephant had an uvula.
And he began to regard his recent death as a joyful release from the despotic restrictions of the body.

********************

It was in the aquarium, just before closing time, where he experienced his first materialization. He had been studiously inspecting a shark that splashed and circled around in a huge glass tank, when he suddenly became aware of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was also watching th shark. Her hair was raven black, her eyes brown, and she was schoolgirl complexion all over - tho, of course, Peter Paine didn't know [[underline]]that[[end underline]]. He was quite fascinated. He stood in front of her, tried to touch her, but all to no avail. Words he spoke to her were soundless. He was forever barred from human intercourse.
In despair he wished that he had his body back again, just to be noticed by this modern Venus. And somehow a combination of will and desire must have reacted to produce the desired effect.....
Without warning Paine suddenly found himself possessed of a body. From out of the very air itself, it seemed, he was drawing the evanescent garments of visibility. In two seconds he had passed through all the stages, from a mere shadow-like wisp to a very-solid nude figure standing on the cold floor of the aquarium.
Screams rang in his ears. Came the sound of running footsteps. The beautiful girl let out a piercing shriek and fainted dead away.
And Paine, horribly frightened and bewildered, wished that the floor would open and swallow him up.
Immediately he was sinking--sinking--sinking----

*********************

It was a very puzzled and perturbed entity who floated along the byways of the city that night. The Materialization was a revelation to Paine in that it revealed the presence of hitherto unsuspected powers. He Spent many hours practising, but found that he could only materlize in the presence of one or more humans. It was as if, in some inexplicable way, he drew poer and substance from their material bodies to provide sustenance for his own ectoplasmic image. AT least, he supposed that the stuff in which he materialized [[underline]]was[[end underline]] ectoplasm. He had read about it in various books on Spiritualism.

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16 COSMIC TALES was something about ancient Egyptian relics that appealed to him...a kind of glamor; mystery; a definite atmosphere of the unknown. And the hieroglyphics, too, were uncanny. He examined those carved on the side of a giant stone sarcophagus, but could make neither head nor tail out of them. Here was one shaped like a duck, another like a saxophone, five in a row like birds.... It was all very interesting, and he wished that he could understand them. With much trepidation he entered the glass cases containing the bandaged remains of the mummies. But he did not remain there long for the atmosphere of death was so strong that he automatically felt subdued and depressed. He spent all day in that museum for it was a big place, and Paine had complete and utter freedom. Even walls or locked doors couls not stop him. He disproved one of the primary laws of physics could not stop him. He disproved one of the primary laws of physics by occupying the same space as a statue of Eros; and spent a couple of hours resting in an unoccupied mummy-case, so melodramatic were his tastes. By this time, he was completely adapted to his new plane of existence, and had ceased to worry about it. In fact, he thoroly enjoyed the exploitation of his new-found powers. There was no doubt, he thot, that life in the spirit world was well an truly the elephant's uvula, always providing that an elephant had an uvula. And he began to regard his recent death as a joyful release from the despotic restrictions of the body. ******************** It was in the aquarium, just before closing time, where he experienced his first materialization. He had been studiously inspecting a shark that splashed and circled around in a huge glass tank, when he suddenly became aware of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was also watching th shark. Her hair was raven black, her eyes brown, and she was schoolgirl complexion all over - tho, of course, Peter Paine didn't know [[underline]]that[[end underline]]. He was quite fascinated. He stood in front of her, tried to touch her, but all to no avail. Words he spoke to her were soundless. He was forever barred from human intercourse. In despair he wished that he had his body back again, just to be noticed by this modern Venus. And somehow a combination of will and desire must have reacted to produce the desired effect..... Without warning Paine suddenly found himself possessed of a body. From out of the very air itself, it seemed, he was drawing the evanescent garments of visibility. In two seconds he had passed through all the stages, from a mere shadow-like wisp to a very-solid nude figure standing on the cold floor of the aquarium. Screams rang in his ears. Came the sound of running footsteps. The beautiful girl let out a piercing shriek and fainted dead away. And Paine, horribly frightened and bewildered, wished that the floor would open and swallow him up. Immediately he was sinking--sinking--sinking---- ********************* It was a very puzzled and perturbed entity who floated along the byways of the city that night. The Materialization was a revelation to Paine in that it revealed the presence of hitherto unsuspected powers. He Spent many hours practising, but found that he could only materlize in the presence of one or more humans. It was as if, in some inexplicable way, he drew poer and substance from their material bodies to provide sustenance for his own ectoplasmic image. AT least, he supposed that the stuff in which he materialized [[underline]]was[[end underline]] ectoplasm. He had read about it in various books on Spiritualism.