By Charles F. Myers
Toffee was just a girl in Marc
Pillsworth's dreams—until he awoke
one day to find the dream a reality.
[Transcriber's Note: This etext was produced from
Fantastic Adventures January 1947.
Extensive research did not uncover any evidence that
the U.S. copyright on this publication was renewed.]
Toffee leaned back against the tree and passed a slender hand throughher red hair. As her arm relaxed, she let it fall carelessly aboutMarc's neck. Lazily, her green eyes traced his profile and found it, ifnot classic, highly satisfactory.
"Kiss me," she said.
"Oh, for Pete's sake," murmured Marc, continuing to stare straightahead.
Toffee followed his gaze to the scene before them. The entirecountryside, apparently unaware of its inherent stateliness, was caughtin a sort of informal gaiety.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Toffee asked.
"Yes," replied Marc dreamily.
"You seem fascinated by beauty, almost starved for it."
Marc nodded and leaned his head back further on the tree.
"Then get fascinated, you dope," Toffee leaned forward to face him.
"Huh?" Marc stared at the girl as though he hadn't been quite aware ofher before.
"I'm beautiful too and twice as much fun." It was a simple statement offact. "Kiss me," she added.
"Haven't you any restraint?"
"With everything else I have, you ask for restraint!" Toffee drewnearer.
"You're shameless," said Marc.
"Naturally." Toffee closed her eyes and advanced her lips to his.Abruptly, Marc threw his hands to the grass before him and boostedhimself to his feet, leaving Toffee's arm to fall dejectedly to herside.
"Maybe next time," she murmured, shrugging her shoulders. "Even theglacial age had to come to an end eventually."
Marc caught hold of a limb just over his head and swung effortlesslyto a branch above Toffee, where he settled himself comfortably andcontinued his studied contemplation of the landscape. Toffee reached ahand toward him and waited.
"Well, don't just sit there like a stone image," she called. "Give me ahand. I want up too."
Slowly, Marc looked down at her and studied the pert, upturned facewith solemn gravity. Suddenly, he shook his head and returned to hisattitude of sombre speculation. Toffee seemed not at all daunted.
"I'll show you," she yelled. "I'll shake you out of there like acocoanut." With that, she took hold of the tree and began to tug at itvehemently until, slowly it began to sway. As though she had pulled abell cord, a soft, distinct tolling began to make itself heard, andas the tree swayed more violently, the sound became louder. Soon themotion of the tree became so great that Marc found himself clutchingthe branch to keep his balance.
"For the love of Mike, Toffee!" he yelled through the uproar of thebell. "Stop it! Do you want me to break my neck?"
"But I'm not doing it!" hollered Toffee. It seemed that the tree hadbecome possessed of a will of its own as it rocked back and forth ina constantly increasing arc. Toffee stood back from it in terror. Asit made a new, deeper lunge, Marc lost his seat but continued to clingto the branch with his hands. At the end of the arc, the tree seemedto pause in anticipation of a final gigantic thrust. As it did so, theclap of the bell was almost intolerable. Suddenly, Marc felt himselflifted and hurled swiftly into space. He seemed to be flying upwardand away from the earth, as though the force of gravity had utterlyforsaken him.
As he sailed along, he looked back over his shoulder to behold a scenethat was especially disconcerting. All the earth below h