CHAPTER V of The Riddle of Tanye



INSTINCTIVELY, Tate knew this was the city of Tanye. He watched as Hoffman began 
descending the slope, then followed, circumspectly. They entered the glowing 
mass, with its strange square buildings; buildings which did not seem real, or 
if they were, were made of some material akin to glass. And Hoffman went on into 
the centre of this mass that was Tanye. He went as if there was a purpose in his 
mind. He went as if his will was no longer his own. He went as if he was drawn 
by some alien power. And the city was silent, as if it were dead and knew not 
mankind. It seemed to Tate like a thing with a soul of its own, aloof and 
distant from them. Relentlessly he followed on the heels of Hoffman.
At last they came to a towering edifice which seemed to be the heart of the 
strange city. It was of the same glass-like material as all the other buildings, 
but overshadowed them with its height, rising as it did into the mists that 
filled the sky. This building Hoffman entered, Tate so close behind him that had 
he turned he would have seen him. But Hoffman never looked behind. Unchallenged, 
they came to a great room. In the centre of it was a platform, and on this 
platform lay a woman . . . A woman who seemed of substance and yet at the same 
time of no substance, so that Tate paused and watched, silent and astonished. 
Not so Hoffman. His wild cry rang out: "Lulla! Lulla!"
The woman looked at him. "You have come," she said softly, and rose.
"I have come," he retorted, and stopped short, looking at her.
"Why do you not come to me?" she murmured.
Hoffman backed a step. "No . . . No . . . You are not Lulla."
A strange look contorted the face of the being. "I am Lulla," she said, in a 
husky voice that tore across the heart of the watcher by the door.
"Come," she ordered.
Slowly, step by step, Hoffman went to her, drawn seemingly against his will. Up 
the steps he went to the platform as if an invisible wire was drawing him, 
marionette-like. Tate gulped and stared, the scene stamping itself on the retina 
of his brain.
Suddenly, in this tense moment of silence, Hoffman reached the platform.
"Come," she repeated, in that deadly whisper that stirred Tate with its 
malevolence.
And abruptly her hand was out and she had drawn Hoffman on to the platform. As 
she laid her hands on him the beads of sweat started out from Hoffman's face. 
And as he stood there, on the platform, the whole devil's maze of things in this 
city seemed to commence working. From every side great shafts of light came, all 
the colors of the spectrum meeting in a blinding glare of white on the platform 
and lighting up the two figures. They were swaying as if in a rhythmic dance of 
death. And out of the heart of that light there came to Tate words, the words of 
the woman, sibilant and passionate.
"This is our marriage . . . This is the marriage of Tanye . . . This is the 
culmination in the Purifying Light. . . . This . . Man of other world, this is 
my way of escape. Long have I waited your coming, for it was written that I 
would not escape from this world until I was released by the coming of one from 
another. That release lies here. I change to your world and you remain, the 
vague and chained spirit of Tanye. You will remain here for all time, alone, or 
until your freedom comes and you escape as I have escaped. I go to your world to 
work my will amongst the inhabitants. Alone no longer! You have lost your world; 
and in the losing of it you have lost your soul; that vague combination of 
elements whose secrets Tanye solved and which shall remain for ever the riddle 
of Tanye. And the glory of Tanye is no more; there remains only the lost city, 
unpeopled now. . . . Except by you. . ."
TATE SCREAMED out in the horror that gripped him, stifling and choking him. He 
rushed forward to that platform. "Stop! Stop!" His voice echoed through the 
hall. . . It was followed by the scream of the Being of Tanye.
There came a wild clamoring that seemed to shake the very building. The light 
burst apart, and Tate found himself abruptly back in the laboratory, bathed in 
the cold glow of the white electric light. The alarm was ringing; he tore the 
mask from his face. He stared at the case in the centre of the room, and 
shuddered in terror. That body in the case was moving, contorting itself; 
flinging itself against the glass as if it did not know the way out! He rushed 
madly forward and stared at it, then saw the eyes. His wild scream rang out as 
he stared in them and recognized the eyes of the Being of Tanye! It was come to 
work havoc on earth! He plunged across the room and tore down the Ni-gas 
regulator. He saw the finger of it leap round as he put it at full speed and 
heard the subdued hiss of it entering the glass case. The figure seemed to be 
motionless again. Leaving the regulator open, Tate went forward to look. It was 
still alive, for the eyes were open. With the wild cry of a wounded animal, the 
man ran into another room, to return with a can, the contents of which he 
scattered on the floor. The liquid seeped deeply into the floor. The Thing in 
the case was moving again, was fumbling at the side. Tate thanked heaven for the 
heavy glass plate that kept it from bounding out to throw itself at his throat, 
and rushed to the door. There he paused to strike a match and toss it on the 
floor. There was a roar and the flames shot to the ceiling . . . He rushed 
outside and stood rocking on his heels as he watched the flames shoot out of the 
windows. Watched, too, as the chemicals exploded, hurling masses of brickwork 
into the air. Then presently the flames died down, and he approached nearer. 
Suddenly he gave a wild cry, backed away. Shriek followed shriek and he 
staggered away, and ran. Half-running, half-leaping, he threw himself onwards. 
Foam flecked his lips and he cast himself down, his limbs refusing to carry him 
any further.
There he was found later, gibbering to himself. And the verdict at the trial of 
Reginald Tate for the murder of Arthur Hoffman was "guilty but insane."



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