By CHARLES F. MYERS
The fixage pills caused a major
change in Marc's life—they not only made
him a babe in arms—but Toffee's to boot!
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Fantastic Adventures February 1949.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
The strange valley, its glossy emerald carpet unruffled and unmarked,its scattered groves of odd, feathery trees undisturbed by the bluemists languishing at their feet, lay dozing in the diffused light of asunless sky. Then, at the crest of a distant knoll, the mists suddenlystirred and gave way to a slender, gold-sandaled foot which was neatlyattached to a really top-notch leg.
The leg swung gracefully into view and was instantly joined by variousother notable appointments; another exquisite leg, for instance, a bodyof disquieting shapeliness and a pert young face. As an almost needlessbonus there were also two vivid green eyes, a full red mouth and aplethora of gleaming titian hair. Together, these dazzling bits ofmerchandise added up to Toffee, blithe mistress of the valley of MarcPillsworth's subconscious mind.
Certainly, Marc Pillsworth was not the first man to have a girl on hismind but at least he could claim the distinction of being the first tohave one actually dwelling therein!
The girl paused a moment, gazed at the glowing sky and frowned. Barelydiscernible in the distance, a number of tiny storm clouds had bunchedthemselves together and were rapidly being joined by more of theirkind. Thoughtfully Toffee started down the slope and across thevalley, her slender hips weaving an indolent rhythm beneath the greentransparency of her brief tunic.
She watched the gathering clouds with mixed emotions. They meant,of course, that Marc was suffering some sort of mental annoyance,some sort of anxiety ... and for that she was sorry. On the otherhand, however, they might also be an indication that she was soon tobe released into the world of actuality, a prospect that delightedher beyond words. Compared to the well ordered tranquility of MarcPillsworth's subconscious, the outer world seemed to her a wonderfulregion of boundless pleasures and delightful excitements. If there waseven a remote possibility that she was soon to be materialized in thatglittering world she wanted to know about it at the earliest possiblemoment.
Crossing the valley, reaching the rising slopes at its outerboundaries, she turned into a sharp ravine and stopped. Ahead lay theregion of Marc's conscious mind, and she could not enter there, shecould only watch from the distance and wait.
Marc's conscious mind ... at least the portion of it that was visibleto Toffee ... was like nothing so much as a great, dark cavern.At one end, however, the darkness was relieved by a large circularscreen-like arrangement that reflected scenes and images with apenetrating, third dimensional clarity. These reflections were, ofcourse, of the innumerable things upon which Marc gazed throughoutthe day. Looking at the screen from within was like looking through agreat, round window.
As Toffee watched, the screen registered only a blank expanse ofceiling. Then the scene shifted abruptly, and an oak panel slid intoview. A blur followed. Then a window. The window remained a moment,then skidded nervously out of range to be replaced by an eager,hawk-featured face.
Behind Toffee the storm clouds began to thicken and multiply moreswiftly.
The face on the screen was furiously animated, the mouth wagging awayat a terrific clip. Toffee couldn't hear the words that were the result