Page:Weird Tales Volume 38 Number 01 (1944-09).djvu/19

ence between us, the barrier between us, will be gone forever if it succeeds."

He did not tell her of the risk it meant. The strange blood might kill him instantly. Or its radioactive content, as he hoped, might cause it to so transcend the ordinary rules of blood-group affinities, that his wild attempt would succeed.

He felt a rapid, growing sickness as Nura's blood flowed into his veins. By the time he was ready to stop the transfusion, he was so shaken and sick that he could hardly remove the clamps and tubes.

"You are still the same, Grant," came her fearful voice.

He tried to answer, but could not. His veins seemed to be on fire, his brain exploding, as the radioactive contagion spread like flame through every cell of his blood and body.

It was to be death, then? Well, better death than the long loneliness and despair—

"Grant, you are fading!" came the girl's awed voice.

He raised his head weakly, looked down at himself. He felt an incredulous wonder.

His hands were becoming slowly semi-transparent, glassy, phantom-like. Already he could vaguely see the sides of the room through them.

He turned, in wild joy. And he discovered that as his own body faded from solidity, he was increasingly able to see Nura's hitherto invisible face and figure. The radioactive contagion was sensitivizing his eye-retinas too, as he had hoped.

Transparent, shadow-like, still he could see her. He stumbled weakly to her side and held her in his arms.

By the time Grant and the girl came out of the little room, the process was complete. He felt no further ill effects. His body was completely invisible.

And he could now see Nugor and Khar and the other two men who waited. They stared at him wildly.

"The Other—he has become one of the Shadow Folk!" cried Khar.

Grant nodded. "I am going back with you—and Nura."

Sunset gilded the mountain trails as the six Shadow Folks climbed a steep pathway. Far above and ahead of them loomed the high peaks that were their goal. The plain and its cities was receding below.

Grant walked with his arm around Nura. He was wearing his own clothing, which the dye of the tribe had made as invisible as his body. He was very happy.

From Khar, in the lead, came a whisper of warning. "Other's are coming."

They stepped to the side of the trail and stood quietly as the Others came down, noisily chattering. There were a dozen of them, hikers returning from a tramp in the foothills.

They went past within a yard of the six silent Shadow Folk, looking through them unseeingly. When their voices had died away, Khar nodded.

"Now we can go on."

Grant remained a moment, looking back down to the plain upon which the white towns and the distant city glittered in the sunset.

"You are not sorry to be leaving your people?" Nura asked him anxiously.

He smiled, and shook his head. "I had no ties to hold me there. And I am glad to be one of the Shadow Folk."

Nura was eager. "You have the wisdom of the Others, and you can help my people very much. Yes, you will be chieftain of us all some day."

Grant too had had that vision, of the aid his skill and knowledge could bring to this shy and secret people. With Nura's warm hand in his, he went up with the other Shadow Folks into the gathering twilight, and he did not again look back.

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