H. B. Hickey

“ Too late he realized it was the wrong answer.
"Don't be a fool," Merlin told him sternly. "Wouldn't you rather be a one-eyed hero than a two-eyed coward?"
"No," Wilbur said.
Merlin glared at him balefully and Wilbur quailed and cringed. What sort of nightmare had he wandered into? He would gladly have given everything he owned to be back in the office. Even Pete Bellows was better than this maniac!
"Could I please go, Mr. Merlin?" Wilbur begged. "I'll be late if I don't. Pete will be sore."
"Tell you what I'll do," Merlin said, in a manner of one offering an added incentive. ”

“ Wilbur wished with all his heart that he had the courage to put up some kind of fight. Merlin was an old and feeble man. But he knew his genetics. Wilbur had been born without a gene of courage. Wilbur rubbed his right eye, the one he would soon be without, and felt tears well up. ”

“ Merlin said calmly. "Is not the stone inscribed, Sir Kay?"
"Inscribed," Sir Kay echoed. "And its message is that he who withdraws the sword shall be king of England."
His scowl made Wilbur's knees weaken, but Merlin remained unaffected. In fact the old man seemed quite cheerful.
"Excalibur it is called," Merlin said. "He who wrenches it free shall rule."
"Hear me," Sir Kay grated. "If this be one of your tricks, know this: none but a son of Uther Pendragon will reign." ”

“ Wilbur sat down with such abruptness that he almost went through an ancient sofa to the floor. Merlin's eyes lit up.
"You really are timid," he said.
"Yes, sir," Wilbur agreed hastily. "Do you think you can help me?"
"Depends. It isn't my regular line. I came here looking for a special kind of person. If you're that person you can help me. In return I'll do the same for you. All depends on how cowardly you are."
"I've never been brave about anything in my life," Wilbur said truthfully. ”

“ The old man had a wisp of a beard and white eyebrows that slanted way up at the outside corners. He was wearing on his head a blue dunce cap which also had white stars on it.
"Are you-uh-Mr. A. J. Merlin?" Wilbur stammered. "I mean the Mr. Merlin who gives people confidence?"
"I might be," the old man said cagily.
He stared down at Wilbur, and for the first time Wilbur noticed the old man had eyes as black and mysterious as a pool on a dark night. Those eyes regarded Wilbur, noting his size, weight and general construction.
"Bah," the old man snorted. "You won't do. Not timid enough." ”

“ Merlin asked.
"My brother Kay has broken his sword. I must get him another."
"Tarry a moment," Merlin said. "I have a question which troubles me. The enemies of our land march against us, and they outnumber us five to one. Were you king, what would you do?"
Arthur laughed, a clear ringing laugh that showed rows of white teeth. His brown eyes glowed with an inward fire.
"Do? I would take the field against them, of course! Even though they outnumber us fifty to one."
Wilbur thrilled to the words. But Merlin shuddered slightly and Wilbur heard a faint groan of distress come from his lips. ”

“ Wilbur flung off the covers and slid his bare feet into lamb's wool bedroom slippers. If he didn't hurry, Wilbur thought, he'd be late to work. At the thought of facing Pete Bellows' angry stare Wilbur shuddered. It was all right to dream, but real life was quite another thing. ”

“ But Pete Bellows didn't see it that way.
"Mook!" he roared, as Wilbur came through the door. "You're late!"
If he had expected Wilbur to fall into his usual fit of trembling he was disappointed. Wilbur was staring at him.
"Your eye!" Wilbur gasped. Pete's left eye was swollen half shut and had a blue ring around it.
"He walked into the door," Miss Burnett said. "Honest."
Wilbur smiled at her. She was a very pretty girl. Too pretty to be working for a wolf like Pete Bellows. Wilbur had a notion to tell her so. ”

“ Merlin waved aside the protest.
"Nothing stronger than tea," he said.
He went to a far corner of the room and lifted a small vial which was made of some material that shimmered irridescently. Wilbur watched fascinated as Merlin poured a small amount of a smoky liquid from the vial into a pair of tiny cups.
"Are you sure this isn't strong?" Wilbur asked as Merlin handed him one of the cups. Inside the cup the strange liquid bubbled, and from its surface a fine vapor rose.
"No." That was all. Then Merlin went to the sun-dial on the stand and turned it around several times. ”

“ On an ancient stand a sun-dial reposed, and next to it a large and milk-white glass ball. Near the stand a tripod stood over a sheet of metal on which a small fire blazed, and from the tripod a kettle was suspended. Something bubbled in the kettle, something that gave off a strange and noxious odor.
Around the room jugs were scattered, and as Wilbur caught sight of the labels a chill ran up his back. There were such unusual items as Essence of Dried Toad, Basilisk Oil, Chimera's Breath-Distilled.
"Sit down," A. J. Merlin said suddenly. ”

“ Wilbur gulped. "I guess I'd better be going." He started to rise.
"Sit down," Merlin said. Wilbur plunked back into the sofa. He watched Merlin walk to the stand and lift the glass ball. The old man peered into the ball and its color changed to rose, then purple. Something was going on inside it but Wilbur couldn't see what.
"Who's this fellow Pete Bellows?" Merlin wanted to know.
Wilbur was astonished. He hadn't mentioned Pete's name. When he told the old man who Pete was Merlin chuckled.
"Thinks he's quite a man with the ladies, doesn't he? I'll fix him." ”

“ But the very thought of him inviting a girl like Jean to lunch sent a pleasant tingle down Wilbur's back. He even allowed himself to think that she might prefer a smoother type of man than Pete Bellows. ”

“ Now he understood that Arthur's right eye had been the last ingredient in the Elixir of Fortitude!
Wilbur smiled. There was nothing to be angry about. He certainly hadn't got the worst of the bargain! His shoulders were squared as he helped Miss Burnett into the elevator car.
"Let's go, Jean," Wilbur said.
Transcriber's Corrections
Changed "widow" to "window" (A fat grey cat sunned itself on the window ledge) Removed extra "and" (He picked up the glass ball again and Wilbur felt himself grow faint) Changed "is it" to "it is" ("Excalibur it is called," Merlin said.) ”

“ The other two fled with Kay's curses following them. Only Arthur's brother was left.
"Yield," Arthur warned grimly. Kay's reply turned Wilbur's ears red. The two went at it. For a few minutes it was an even battle, and then suddenly both swords came together with a force that drew sparks. Kay was left with only a hilt in his hand.
What happened next Wilbur hardly knew. There was a clang as something bounced on the stone floor, and a great round object that looked like a helmet rolled past him.
"Quickly now," Wilbur heard Merlin say. "There is barely the hour left to us." ”

“ Are you timid? Do you lack confidence? I can help you. A. J. Merlin, 136 W. Erie St.
Wilbur shook his head and dropped the newspaper into the wastebasket. He was rather inclined to think A. J. Merlin was overestimating his powers. Probably a fake, anyway. Most of those fellows were.
Looking out of his window, Wilbur saw Bellows patting Jean on the shoulder as he explained something to her. He was a fast worker, was Pete Bellows. By the time Wilbur got the next line of poetry written Bellows was asking Jean if he could take her to lunch. ”

“ Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed. Variations in spelling ("gray" vs. "grey") have been retained as they appear in the original publication. ”