Free Devil's Tor by David Lindsay Page B

but had only perhaps been overwhelmed by the unexpectedness of his news. He was even glad that she had taken it so. It showed dignity and the complete lack of greed, which he had always been certain of as her character. He could therefore proceed more easily.
    "In my possession is a thing of value, Helga, which I am to exhibit to you in a minute or two, for identification purposes. Yes, it's in that box. And in connection with it I'm to ask you a favour—which I fancy you ought to be able to grant. But if you can't, then you will refuse it, and I shan't take offence as long as I know beforehand. The article in question strictly doesn't come under my estate—which is why I was first of all going to beg the request of Uncle Magnus, though not an executor. In other words, it's not my own property. I want it got back, after my death, into the hands of a couple of men who have the better claim to it; though in fact it's not theirs either. Now, Helga, I can't give you the address or addresses of these people, so the whole of your commission will be to hang on to the valuable until they personally apply for it, which may be to-morrow or in three, six or twelve months' time. Soon or late, they are pretty sure to apply for it; but should they fail to, I want it thrown out somewhere, where no one can ever get at it. Keep it by you, say, three years, not longer. That's a sketch of the service."
    "It seems a not very onerous one, Hugh. I could easily do that."
    "The thing in these days is usually in that tin box; otherwise loose in my pocket. The moment you hear of my death, I want you personally to run through my effects, and secure it. Nearly certainly I shan't ever be leaving England again."
    "I will do that too. But why do you speak as if you were under capital sentence? Surely you are quite well?"
    "I may die," he returned evasively, "so, as an obligation of honour, I am taking the necessary steps. I'll give you the names of the men, and I can also pass you a snapshot I took of them in Tibet, which is where I ran across them. That's all the rough idea, I think. And you will undertake the job?"
    "Of course, Hugh."
    "Thank you. It's a weight off my mind. Now I'll show you the curio, and you will memorise it for next time."
    From his trouser pocket he took a bunch of keys, then, finding and separating nearly the smallest on the ring, he got up to insert it in the lock of the box on the table. Helga watched him strangely, without moving from her seat. She saw him remove what he wanted from the box, but could no more than distinguish that it was small before her hand was actually touching it. Silently he had given the object to her, and was standing by. It was like the half of a broken sea-shore black flint pebble. In circumference it was about the size of a crown-piece. The fractured interior surface appeared tough, smooth, horny and faceted. It conveyed no meaning to her.
    "What is it then, Hugh?"
    "Its value is traditional, and also natural. The first we needn’t go into. Something of the second you can appreciate for yourself here and now, if you wish it. By holding it from the light, you will get the appearance, or illusion, of some sort of interior motion. Get well round from the lamp and the firelight, and stare down into the snapped face for a long minute..."
    Exceedingly puzzled, she obeyed his directions, turning her back to the room’s radiance, while encircling the steadied flint on her lap with a wall of additionally-darkening fingers. Then she frowned down at it, and in this way most of a minute passed in silence. Drapier had dropped into his chair again.
    Before the whole minute was up she moved sharply, as if startled, but went on looking.
    Something now was travelling perpetually across the face of the flint, from right to left, that resembled smoke. It was a kind of white vapour, now thick, now thin. Its form was ever-changing. Its drift across the flint was quite slow; and the smoke seemed to be in the flint, not on