which stood a cast-iron door set about with various fanciful creatures in bas-relief.
He waved his hand, and the door emitted a sharp click; then, seemingly of its own volition, it swung open with much creaking and groaning.
A strange pale light emanated from the chamber within. He approached carefully, and looked into the crypt.
He beheld a strange sight: the vaporous image of a man standing beside an ancient sarcophagus. Tall, gaunt, bedecked in kingly robes, the specter regarded him enigmatically for a moment. Then it spoke.
â My hour is almost come, â it said, â when I to sulphurous and tormenting flames must render up myself. "
âAlas, poor ghost,â Incarnadine replied.
â Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing toâ "
âBegging your pardon, Ancestor,â Incarnadine broke in âbut do we really need all the traditional ghostly rhetoric? It's rather a bore, if you don't mind my saying so."
â Frightfully sorry ,â the ghost said. â This is my first haunting, you know. Didn't quite know what proper form was. Sorry, Sorry. Well, thenâ â The ghost seemed at a loss.
âWhy don't you just warn me against whatever it was that you were going to warn me against?â Incarnadine said. âThat more or less was what you were about to do, wasn't it?"
â As a matter of fact, yes. Well I seem to have gone and botched the whole thing, haven't I? "
âNot at all."
â You're so very kind. See here; do you know who I am? "
Incarnadine looked off, mentally counting crypts. âLet's see, you'd be ... Ervoldt the Sixth?"
â Seventh. Quite all right, I was a nobody and damned well know it. Just happened to be handy when the job came up. Well, we might as well get on with it. You would do well to heed these words, Incarnadine. Someone has been tampering with the interdimensional forces which hold the worlds together. "
âI know."
â You do? â The ghost of Ervoldt VII was crestfallen. â Well all this seems to have been of doubtful utility, I must say. "
âNot so. I had merely suspected. Now I know."
â Eh? Oh, I see. Quite so, quite so. "
âYou have my humble thanks, Ancestor."
â It's nothing, nothing at all. I'm told you're a fine boy, a worthy continuation of the family line. Done rather well for yourself. "
âI do my best. Grandfather, do you have any idea of who might be responsible?"
The ghost chortled. â Not the bloody vaguest idea! You'd think so, wouldn't you? Most people think the dead know everything. Truth is, you can't see a blessed thing from the other side! "
âThen how are you so sure about the tampering?"
â Oh, no mistaking that. It makes my head hurt, actually. Celestial spheres ringing, bonging, all sorts of clanging about. Dreadful racket! "
âI see. Again, you have my thanks. One thing, though. You were fooling about the sulphurous and tormenting flames, were you not?"
â Of course. Don't want to let on what it's really like. People would be killing themselves to get here. "
âWhat's it like?"
â Oh, splendid, splendid! I was just sitting down to a game of seven-cards-up when the call came. You should seeâ â The ghost gathered himself up. â Well, there I almost went and put my foot in it. The others might take a dim view of me tipping our hand. Eh? â He laughed good-naturedly.
âYour secret is safe with me."
â Stout fellow. â Lacking anything more to say, Ervoldt shrugged. â Well, must dash off. May the gods watch over you. Be well. "
âFarewell, Ancestor."
The apparition turned abruptly, strode toward the wall, and passed through it in classic ghostly fashion, disappearing into the stone.
âNot a bad haunting, after all,â Incarnadine said. He closed the crypt and continued on his way. He had a great deal of work to do.
Â
Â
Â
Wilderness
Â
He had traveled about seven
He waved his hand, and the door emitted a sharp click; then, seemingly of its own volition, it swung open with much creaking and groaning.
A strange pale light emanated from the chamber within. He approached carefully, and looked into the crypt.
He beheld a strange sight: the vaporous image of a man standing beside an ancient sarcophagus. Tall, gaunt, bedecked in kingly robes, the specter regarded him enigmatically for a moment. Then it spoke.
â My hour is almost come, â it said, â when I to sulphurous and tormenting flames must render up myself. "
âAlas, poor ghost,â Incarnadine replied.
â Pity me not, but lend thy serious hearing toâ "
âBegging your pardon, Ancestor,â Incarnadine broke in âbut do we really need all the traditional ghostly rhetoric? It's rather a bore, if you don't mind my saying so."
â Frightfully sorry ,â the ghost said. â This is my first haunting, you know. Didn't quite know what proper form was. Sorry, Sorry. Well, thenâ â The ghost seemed at a loss.
âWhy don't you just warn me against whatever it was that you were going to warn me against?â Incarnadine said. âThat more or less was what you were about to do, wasn't it?"
â As a matter of fact, yes. Well I seem to have gone and botched the whole thing, haven't I? "
âNot at all."
â You're so very kind. See here; do you know who I am? "
Incarnadine looked off, mentally counting crypts. âLet's see, you'd be ... Ervoldt the Sixth?"
â Seventh. Quite all right, I was a nobody and damned well know it. Just happened to be handy when the job came up. Well, we might as well get on with it. You would do well to heed these words, Incarnadine. Someone has been tampering with the interdimensional forces which hold the worlds together. "
âI know."
â You do? â The ghost of Ervoldt VII was crestfallen. â Well all this seems to have been of doubtful utility, I must say. "
âNot so. I had merely suspected. Now I know."
â Eh? Oh, I see. Quite so, quite so. "
âYou have my humble thanks, Ancestor."
â It's nothing, nothing at all. I'm told you're a fine boy, a worthy continuation of the family line. Done rather well for yourself. "
âI do my best. Grandfather, do you have any idea of who might be responsible?"
The ghost chortled. â Not the bloody vaguest idea! You'd think so, wouldn't you? Most people think the dead know everything. Truth is, you can't see a blessed thing from the other side! "
âThen how are you so sure about the tampering?"
â Oh, no mistaking that. It makes my head hurt, actually. Celestial spheres ringing, bonging, all sorts of clanging about. Dreadful racket! "
âI see. Again, you have my thanks. One thing, though. You were fooling about the sulphurous and tormenting flames, were you not?"
â Of course. Don't want to let on what it's really like. People would be killing themselves to get here. "
âWhat's it like?"
â Oh, splendid, splendid! I was just sitting down to a game of seven-cards-up when the call came. You should seeâ â The ghost gathered himself up. â Well, there I almost went and put my foot in it. The others might take a dim view of me tipping our hand. Eh? â He laughed good-naturedly.
âYour secret is safe with me."
â Stout fellow. â Lacking anything more to say, Ervoldt shrugged. â Well, must dash off. May the gods watch over you. Be well. "
âFarewell, Ancestor."
The apparition turned abruptly, strode toward the wall, and passed through it in classic ghostly fashion, disappearing into the stone.
âNot a bad haunting, after all,â Incarnadine said. He closed the crypt and continued on his way. He had a great deal of work to do.
Â
Â
Â
Wilderness
Â
He had traveled about seven
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