Transcribe
Translate
Polaris, v. 1, issue 4, September 1940
Page 13
More information
digital collection
archival collection guide
transcription tips
POLARIS 13 their nourishment from the ground, and looked over all mankind.... Ygdrasil, the Tree of Life! Roland Prentiss heard the phrase in his mind. He remembered the stories of Wotan, greatest of gods, the mighty All-Father, who could see all over the earth from the top of Ygdrasil. "But that's ridiculous", said Prentiss. "The earth is round, so even if he had good eyesight he couldn't see round corners and right round the earth." He looked down into the green leaves of the tree, and it then occurred to him to wonder how he had been transported to the top of the tree, when only a moment ago he had been on the ground. He had no recollection of climbing up. There was no sense of disconfort - the branches of the tree were buoyant, soft, like an armchair. "Welcome", said a very deep voice. Prentiss turned round easily enough, and faced a figure, one strange yet familiar. Somewhere before Prentiss had seen that curious hat, pulled well down over one eye, seen the flash and unearthly wisdom in the other, seen the two hawks, one perched gravely on each shoulder. The man lifted his head suddenly, and the light shone upon where the other eye would have been - but there was none there. Then Prentiss knew, and, knowing, disbelieved. This was impossible. Wotan was but a myth..... "Now that you have been lifted to the top of Ygdrasil", said the man in a voice that boomed and sang with incredible richness, setting each delicate leaf on the Tree of Life a-quiver, so that all hummed a gentle, yet barbaric strain, "what would you see?" "Is that war still going on?" asked Prentiss, not sounding nearly as dumbfounded as he felt. "Yes", said the All-Father; "there is rejoicing in Valhalla as the heroes come pouring in, over the rainbow bridge and through the gates." He looked down, and, following his gaze, Roland Prentiss saw the white fleecy clouds below swirling aside. There came to his eyes a picture that seemed almost real - it was real! He was looking down on a scene of battle, and mingled with the explosions of heavy shells came subdued cheering, and the sound of strong voices lifted in song - but the noise came not from the battlefield. "The dead are being welcomed into the halls of Valhalla", said Wotan. "Watch this!" He pointed. The clouds moved slightly, and on the scarred ground appeared a building, with a tiny, miniature vehicle drawn up by it. There was a haze about the roof, but even so it looked very familiar to Prentiss, and in a moment he recognized it as the barn in which the hospital had been set up. In the swirling haze were things moving...things indistinguishable, that writhed and contorted in the veil of mist. Suddenly a black shadow flitted across the barn, something black dropped, and there was an explosion. "They can't do that!" said Prentiss angrily. "They've bombed a hospital." Wotan shrugged his shoulders, causing the hawks to stir uneasily. One of them made a rasping noise that sounded like a laugh. Roland Prentiss was about to make a comment when he noticed what was happening in the pall of smoke that arose from the stricken hospital below. Curious things were plunging into that smoke; things that looked like birds, yet that were not birds, but in-
Saving...
prev
next
POLARIS 13 their nourishment from the ground, and looked over all mankind.... Ygdrasil, the Tree of Life! Roland Prentiss heard the phrase in his mind. He remembered the stories of Wotan, greatest of gods, the mighty All-Father, who could see all over the earth from the top of Ygdrasil. "But that's ridiculous", said Prentiss. "The earth is round, so even if he had good eyesight he couldn't see round corners and right round the earth." He looked down into the green leaves of the tree, and it then occurred to him to wonder how he had been transported to the top of the tree, when only a moment ago he had been on the ground. He had no recollection of climbing up. There was no sense of disconfort - the branches of the tree were buoyant, soft, like an armchair. "Welcome", said a very deep voice. Prentiss turned round easily enough, and faced a figure, one strange yet familiar. Somewhere before Prentiss had seen that curious hat, pulled well down over one eye, seen the flash and unearthly wisdom in the other, seen the two hawks, one perched gravely on each shoulder. The man lifted his head suddenly, and the light shone upon where the other eye would have been - but there was none there. Then Prentiss knew, and, knowing, disbelieved. This was impossible. Wotan was but a myth..... "Now that you have been lifted to the top of Ygdrasil", said the man in a voice that boomed and sang with incredible richness, setting each delicate leaf on the Tree of Life a-quiver, so that all hummed a gentle, yet barbaric strain, "what would you see?" "Is that war still going on?" asked Prentiss, not sounding nearly as dumbfounded as he felt. "Yes", said the All-Father; "there is rejoicing in Valhalla as the heroes come pouring in, over the rainbow bridge and through the gates." He looked down, and, following his gaze, Roland Prentiss saw the white fleecy clouds below swirling aside. There came to his eyes a picture that seemed almost real - it was real! He was looking down on a scene of battle, and mingled with the explosions of heavy shells came subdued cheering, and the sound of strong voices lifted in song - but the noise came not from the battlefield. "The dead are being welcomed into the halls of Valhalla", said Wotan. "Watch this!" He pointed. The clouds moved slightly, and on the scarred ground appeared a building, with a tiny, miniature vehicle drawn up by it. There was a haze about the roof, but even so it looked very familiar to Prentiss, and in a moment he recognized it as the barn in which the hospital had been set up. In the swirling haze were things moving...things indistinguishable, that writhed and contorted in the veil of mist. Suddenly a black shadow flitted across the barn, something black dropped, and there was an explosion. "They can't do that!" said Prentiss angrily. "They've bombed a hospital." Wotan shrugged his shoulders, causing the hawks to stir uneasily. One of them made a rasping noise that sounded like a laugh. Roland Prentiss was about to make a comment when he noticed what was happening in the pall of smoke that arose from the stricken hospital below. Curious things were plunging into that smoke; things that looked like birds, yet that were not birds, but in-
Hevelin Fanzines
sidebar
