Page:Weird Tales Volume 6 Number 4 (1925-10).djvu/46

disappeared in the open doorway. I returned to Dan.

"You know," he confessed miserably, "I've been feeling the most awful urge to go up there again. Oh, I haven't gone! but how I want to! It gets stronger all the time, too. It's like someone drawing me."

I put an arm around his shoulder. "Dan, you're all right. Just hold out. I'm going to stop studying and see what I can do about this. I want you to stay with me, always, and I'll keep you in my mind, urge you to stay here, and so try to counteract that—Thing. I'm going to see if I can think what this is."

We turned to enter the temple, but halted. There on the steps of the pyramid a lone figure was descending, backward, with its hands raised toward the summit. Now I was sure. It was Monty. Probably unconsciously obeying the instincts of his ancestors dormant these thousand years he was sacrificing to his god. I drew Dan inside and sat beside him until he slept. Then I began to think.

In the morning I found that Monty alone was left. I was not surprized. He offered no explanation, acted perfectly natural. Oddly enough I did not anticipate a like fate for him. I was sure we three were safe; he was so natural and unconcerned.

Then I told Dan what I had decided. "You know something of Egyptian religions?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Very little."

"I will try to explain as simply as possible. The ancient Egyptian priests in some unknown way controlled the elements, fire and water, or rather the elementals, as these forces are called. Somehow this civilization here is derived from or related to that of Egypt, of Thebes, of Luxor. You know the force of human magnetism. My guess, and it can only be a guess, is that these Mayas got control of the elemental of the force of magnetism, personal magnetism, which works on and draws the minds of humans; that they worshiped it, sacrificed voluntary victims to it, and that it is enclosed in that pyramid. We leave here tomorrow. In the meantime, stay with me."

Monty came, stolid as ever. I told him we were leaving; no emotion crossed his face. Together he and Dan began to put the remaining food into three packs. I was convinced we could make our way to the coast somehow.

Just before lunch Monty brought me something. "Found it there," he said, indicating the temple on the eastern side of the square, one I had not carefully explored. I was too busy and hungry to look at it and laid it aside.

It was very hot that afternoon, almost stifling, though the temple was as cool as any place would have been. Unconsciously I found myself thinking how cool that dark well would be—deep, dark, damp. I jerked my thoughts away. Dan was looking out of the door with that intent, far off expression. I called to him, with no effect. I went over and sat beside him and began to discuss how we would reach the coast and then New Orleans. But I was beginning to be afraid; I no longer had the steadying support of my work.

Monty had gone to bring back the last load of equipment to store with the rest; for even then I was determined to return, sometime. The afternoon wore on—no Monty. Dan proposed to look for him. We went together. There was no sign of Monty to be found. In spite of the day-time he was gone. After leading the Indian bearers to their death he had found that same influence too strong for him and he had been drawn to it. The force he had not known of before, the force he had worshiped for the last five days, had destroyed even its devotee.