Dennis Wheatley - They Found Atlantis

cups. Tiny ones this time, and with them he produced a big

flask.

'This is a cordial which will aid your digestion,' he told them as he handed round the cups. 'It is rather strong so you would do well to sip it slowly.'

Camilla sipped and choked immediately. The sticky dark green fluid was not unlike Chartreuse. It was flavoured with flowers and herbs and was highly alcoholic. The fiery spirit sent a warm glow right through her body as it went down.

While Nicky thumped her on the back the McKay sniffed at his tiny cup suspiciously then, having tasted its contents with extreme caution, he suddenly looked up.

'Thank God you've got liquor on the island. Well, here's how 1' Next moment he tossed off the cordial, sat with compressed lips and starting eyes for a second, then let out a long drawn sigh of extreme contentment.

'A-a-a-a-h! By Jove—I needed that!'

'Will you have some more?' Nahou proffered the flask but the McKay shook his head.

'Not now thanks. I'll come again another day if I may. That's the stuff to give 'em with a vengeance.'

Now that they had eaten their fatigue returned and they all felt terribly drowsy. Nahou glanced at Lulluma and she nodded; then he said: 'If you are willing I propose to send you into a dreamless sleep. You have suffered much in your journey here I know and if I do not it may be that hauntings of your recent past will trouble your unconscious minds.'

They showed their acquiescence by a series of sleepy nods except for the McKay, who did not care for the idea of giv-up his free will to anybody, but he remained silent.

'Look now at this gold plate,' Nahou continued, holding it before him so that the light shone full upon it. They obeyed—except for the McKay who kept his eyes focused on Nahou's knees a few inches lower down, while he wondered if he had not been a bit of an idiot to refuse another go of that excellent liquor. Lulluma rose and stood behind Nahou where he sat, cross-legged on the ground, placing her left hand on his head. Then the two Atlanteans concentrated, willing their guests to sleep.

'Won't we get rheumatism in these damp things?' Camilla asked drowsily, but no one replied to her. A great silence seemed to have descended on the garden again, broken only t.f.a.—i 257

by the continuous splashing of the water which gushed from the satyr's head into the pool.

One by one the strangers in Paradise closed their eyes. The light reflected by the golden plate seemed to have obscured everything else and about them spread only a gentle golden radiance. They sank back on to the grass and fell into a dreamless sleep.

The McKay alone remained conscious but he wished to sleep too. Politeness restrained him from saying that he preferred to do so in his own way without any assistance but, seeing the others slumbering he turned over and curled himself up.

Lulluma removed her hand from Nahou's head. 'They won't wake for a long time, she said in her own tongue. 'They look revolting now don't they? but when they wake they will have lost some of the horrid lines on their faces and after a bath some of them may not be quite so awful to look at. We had better take off those strange damp clothes they wear.

Nahou rose to his feet and followed her silently. With gentle care the two Atlanteans began systematically to strip their guests, then to arrange them one by one, as they were denuded of their clothing, in more comfortable attitudes with pillows under their heads. Suddenly Lulluma began to titter. Only the McKay and Doctor Tisch remained to be dealt with and they had just pulled off the latter's woollen pants.

She held them aloft so that Nahou might also appreciate this strange covering worn by beings from the upper world. He began to laugh too and soon both of them became utterly convulsed and helpless. They were no longer a middle-aged man and grown woman, dominated by the restraint and responsibility which affects most adults, but a pair of beautiful children enjoying an absurd stupendous joke. Lulluma laughed until the tears ran from her lovely eyes down her delicately coloured cheeks, and Nahou began to cough—holding his sides in pain because he had been so shaken by his merriment.

They sat down on the ground and leaned against each other—a little exhausted now but still giving way to new fits of uncontrollable mirth as Lulluma explored the intricacies of Doctor Tisch's long nether garments.

At last they recovered sufficiently to stand up again, then Luiluma regarded the Doctor's round protuberant stomach with a surprised stare.

'He's very fat, isn't he?' she said solemnly.

Nahou nodded. 'Yes, but we will teach him to breathe properly and that will soon reduce his body to normal. Providing of course that Menes permits them to remain here.'

'But he couldn't do otherwise,' protested Luiluma quickly. 'The poor things would all die in the darkness if we forced them to leave the island—and why should they not stay?—we have food enough for all.'

'True. We shall have to concentrate our yellow rays on them while they sleep though, and also strengthen that aura about ourselves when we have finished touching them—for they have probably got every sort of horrible disease. Come —help me with the little man who has such a strange red face.' Nahou turned towards the McKay.

He had removed his own coat and Luiluma was only just beginning to unbutton his trousers when he stirred, grunted, and sat up.

'What the thunderin' blazes—' he began, giabbing at his trousers in outraged modesty. He saw Luiluma bending over him with an amused smile, and then—behind her rouded shoulder—he caught sight of the stark naked bodies of his six friends as they lay sleeping in the sun.

He shut his eyes tightly for a moment then opened them again. Luiluma was still smiling at him.

'Good God!' he ejaculated, 'it's still there—I thought it was a dream but you're real apparently. Anyhow whatever you are you're not undressing me!'

'Please,' Luiluma pleaded gently. 'Why shouldn't I. You don't seem to be deformed at all and you would be so much more comfortable.'

He shook his head firmly. 'Very nice of you m'dear and I'm sure you don't mean any harm, but although I'm not deformed I'd rather not.'

'You did not look at the gold plate as I suggested,' Nahou accused him mildly, 'or else you would have been in a deep refreshing slumber.'

'No,' the McKay confessed. 'I didn't. I'm most awfully grateful for all you're doing but I prefer my own way of going to sleep.'

Nahou shrugged his shoulders lightly. 'That must be as you wish. No one person ever compels another here. We only help and guide each other where we can, and even in that we use the very greatest discretion in case the other person were offended—for then we should surely die of shame. You have accepted food and drink because you were hungry and thirsty—why then do you refuse my offer to throw you into a healing sleep which will refresh your whole body, now when you are so tired?'

The McKay considered for a moment then he glanced apologetically at the beautiful girl kneeling by his side. 'If you don't mind going for a stroll Miss—er—Lulluma I think I'd like to avail myself of Mr. Nahou's kind offer after all. It seems a sensible suggestion but I'm an old fashioned sort of cuss and with you—er—looking on you know——'

Lulluma felt an intense desire to giggle again. This little man was funnier even than the one they called the Doctor but from her childhood she had been trained to suppress any emotion which might give pain to other people. With a grave smile she stood up.

'Certainly I will leave you if you wish. Forgive me please that I should appear so ignorant of your customs—but I have had so little opportunity to travel yet.'

With a friendly wave of her hand she left them and gathering up the soiled dishes disappeared behind the nearest block of buildings.