The Smell by Francis Flagg Read online

  Strange Tales, January, 1932

  Out of some coincident Other-World comes to Lemuel Mason a visitation., intangible, ecstatic—

  and deadly.

  HE famous physician, a noted member

  know. Only years ago—” he paused and lit a of the Society of Psychical Research,

  match. “Perhaps I had better tell you about it.

  T pulled thoughtfully at his pipe. “During “At the time I was a young doctor all the years of my investigation of strange practicing medicine in a small town in Nova phenomena, have I ever run across anything Scotia. That was before I became a member of that defied what we please to call natural the Society, but not before I had become explanation? Well, that is hard to say; I don’t interested in spiritualism and kindred subjects.

  Strange Tales

  2

  At college I had studied under Munstenburg, enough.

  and witnessed some of his unique experiments

  “‘Doctor, tell me, am I going mad?’

  in relation to hypnotism. Munstenburg also

  “‘Probably not,’ I answered with what

  conducted some other peculiar inquiries into I hoped was a reassuring smile. ‘Otherwise what is called occult or secret wisdom, but this you would scarcely ask the question. But tell latter fact is known to but few. It was under me, what is disturbing you?

  him I matriculated in psychology—and in

  “Almost incoherently he talked, and I

  some other things which colleges neither studied him attentively as he did so.

  recognize nor give degrees for.

  Afterwards I gave him a thorough

  “Naturally I acquired an assortment of

  examination.

  bizarre facts and experiences, and a large

  “‘No,’ I said, ‘you are not mad; you

  library composed of other than dry treatises on are perfectly normal in every way. All your medicine. It was my good fortune to possess a reflexes and reactions, both physical and small income independent of my practice, and mental, are what they should be. There is a this enabled me to devote more time to little nervous tension, of course, some natural reading and study than to patients. I had an excitement from the strangeness of the

  office in what was called the Herald Building, experiences you say you have undergone, an and rooms at the ‘Brunswick,’ a rooming and experience, I again assure you, that will prove boarding house of the old-fashioned type. I to have a simple and scientific explanation.’

  not only lodged at the ‘Brunswick,’ I took most of my meals there.

  “I SAID all this, being certain of nothing, but only desirous of calming my patient at the

  “ONE evening I was sitting in my room after moment. I realized that it would take a longer dinner, enjoying my pipe and a book of period of observation to determine his mental Hudson’s, ‘A Hind in Hyde Park,’ when a

  condition.

  hasty knock sounded at the door. ‘Come in,’ I

  “‘Tell me, what is your room like?’ He

  called perfunctorily, and there entered a young had already informed me that he lodged in man of slender build, pale face and another house about two blocks away.

  indeterminate features, with dark hair and

  “‘It is a small room, Doctor; about as

  eyes. He was a recent boarder at the large as your ante-room out there.’

  ‘Brunswick,’ Lemuel Mason by name, and

  “‘And how is it furnished?’

  only a few days before the landlady had

  “‘With a single iron bed, a bureau,

  introduced me to him at the breakfast table. I desk and two chairs.’

  gleaned the fact that he was (though he did not

  “‘Tell me again of your experience,

  look it) of fisher stock down Lunenburg way.

  slowly.’

  He was a graduate of a normal school, and

  “‘I took the room because it was

  expected, within the month after summer cheap; and because of its reputation I got it for vacation, to take a position as teacher in a a nominal sum.’

  local private academy. A quiet young man, he

  “‘Reputation? What do you mean?’

  appeared, in the middle twenties,

  “‘I don’t know exactly. Some girl died

  commonplace enough. Only with the there, I believe. But I have never been a observant eyes of a physician I had noticed at nervous individual; I don’t believe in ghosts or the dinner table that he looked quite ill; his such nonsense. So I leapt at the opportunity to pale face was unusually haggard, even be economical.’

  distraught. His first words were startling

  “‘And what did you see?’

  The Smell

  3

  “‘Nothing. That’s the curious part of

  delight that it beggars description.

  it.’ He laughed huskily. ‘But I’ve smelt—’

  “‘All night I lay on the bed and

  “‘Is there any opening from your room

  wallowed in that delicious sea of perfume; and that gives on another chamber?’

  then suddenly it was daylight and I could hear

  “‘No. Only the door and the transom

  people stirring in other rooms. The smell was above it, opening on the hall.’

  gone, and I was conscious of being sick and

  “‘Does anyone else mention smelling

  weak; so sick that I retched and vomited and anything?’

  could eat no breakfast. And it was then I

  “‘Not that I know of.’

  realized that all night I had reveled in the odor

  “‘And the window?’

  of rottenness, of something unspeakably foul,

  “‘Opens on the rear garden. There is a

  but at the time desirable and piercingly sweet.

  plum tree outside the window, and a bed of So I came to you.’

  flowers, pansies and rose bushes.’

  “‘Are you sure you do not smell them?

  “HE leaned back, exhausted, and for a

  On a warm sultry evening the perfume can moment I was at a loss what to say. But only sometimes be quite overpowering.’

  for a moment. You will remember that I was

  “‘No, Doctor, it was nothing at all like reading Hudson’s book, ‘A Hind in Hyde

  that. Let me describe, again what happened. I Park,’ when interrupted. If you have ever read moved into the room yesterday afternoon. At the book, you will recollect that a portion of it nine o’clock I went to bed. My window was deals with the sense of smell in animals. By a open, of course, and the transom over the door strange coincidence—if anything can be

  ajar. For perhaps an hour I read—maybe termed merely a coincidence—I was reading longer. Even while reading I was conscious of that section, and also several passages devoted sniffing some subtle perfume, and once or to a dissertation on dreams. Taking refuge in twice I got up and went into the hall, but, an explanation quoted by Hudson, I said

  when I did, the smell vanished. However, it soothingly:

  was only the suggestion of a smell; so finally I

  “‘The condition is evidently a rare but

  turned out the light and went to sleep.

  quite explainable one. I suppose you know something of the nature of dreams. A sleeping

  “WHAT time it was the smell awakened me, I man pricks his hand with a pin and a dream do not know, but the room was full of it. It follows to account for the prick. He dreams was not a fragrant smell—not the odor of that he is rambling in a forest on a hot damp earth and breathing flowers—but rather, su
mmer’s day and throws himself down in the of something unpleasant; something, I am shade to rest; and while resting and perhaps sure, that was rotten. Not that I thought so at dozing, he is startled by a slight rustling the time, for during the experience I was sound, and looking around is terrified to intoxicated by the odor. That is the ghastly observe a venomous snake gliding towards part of the whole business. I tell you I lay on him with uplifted head. The serpent strikes the bed and luxuriated in that smell. I actually and pierces his arm, and the pain of the bite rolled in it, rolling on the mattress, over and awakes the man. You see that the serpent’s over, as you may have seen dogs rolling in bite is the culmination in a dramatic scene carrion. My whole body seemed to gulp in the which had taken some time in the acting; yet foul atmosphere, every inch and pore of it; my the whole dream, with its feeling, thoughts, skin muscles twitched, and from head to foot I acts, began and ended with the pin prick.’

  was conscious of such exquisite rapture and

  “‘But what has that to do with my

  Strange Tales

  4

  case?’ he asked.

  is the matter?’ I asked him.

  “‘Everything,’

  I

  replied, with more

  “‘My God, Doctor, the smell!’

  confidence than I felt. ‘In your case the pin

  “‘What?’

  prick is an odor. Some strange perfume strikes

  “‘It

  came

  again.’

  a sensitive portion of your nostril and instantly

  “‘Go

  on.’

  you are thrown into a dream, a nightmarish

  “‘In all its foulness and rottenness. But condition, to account for the smell. Since the this time I not only smelled it, I heard it, and case of the dream is an odor and not a pin felt—’

  prick, the time of the dream was of longer

  “‘Steady, man, steady!’

  duration, that is all.’

  “‘Give me another drink. Oh, my God!

  “A little color came back into his face.

  It whispered and whispered. What did it

  “‘It seemed to me that I was wide

  whisper? I can’t remember. Only things that awake through it all,’ he said slowly, ‘but that drove me into an ecstasy of madness. Wait!

  was doubtless an illusion. Doctor, you relieve There is one word. I remember it.’

  my mind of a great fear. You are sure—’

  “With shaking lips he uttered a name

  “‘Certain,’ I said briskly, feeling that made me start. No, I will not say what certain of nothing but the psychological effect that name was. It is not good for man to hear of my words in calming his mind. ‘The some things. Only I had already seen it in the weather is somewhat cool now, and you had book. I shook him roughly.

  better sleep with your window and transom

  “‘And

  then,

  then....’

  closed to-night, to shut out the disturbing

  “‘I felt it, I tell you, all night. Its body odor. I shall give you a prescription for a was long and sinuous, cold and clammy, the sedative to insure sound sleep. Don’t worry body of a serpent, and yet of a woman too. I yourself any further about it.’

  held it in my arms and caressed it.... Oh, it was

  “A queer case, I thought, as he went

  lovely, lovely—and unspeakably vile!’ He away, but how queer I did not realize until. . .

  fell, shuddering, into a chair.

  .”

  “AND now,” said the doctor, “I must tell of THE doctor paused and relit his pipe. “If I had the criminal thing I did. Yes, though I sensed only known then what I know now! But I was the danger in which the man stood, I

  young and inexperienced. It is true that I persuaded him to spend another night in his possessed the book. But much of it was a room. I was young, remember, and it came sealed mystery to me. Besides, it seemed over me that here was an opportunity to study absurd to connect. . . . Despite the witnessing a strange phenomenon at first hand. Besides, I of many queer experiments, the deep study I believed that I could protect him from any had already made of strange manuscripts on actual harm. A little knowledge,” said the ancient wisdom, I did not as yet realize the doctor slowly, “is a dangerous thing. I did not terrible reality that lies behind many occult then know that beyond a certain point of symbols and allegories. Therefore I had resistance there is no safety for man or beast, almost persuaded myself that Lemuel Mason’s save in flight and that Lemuel Mason had experience had indeed been the result of a passed that point.

  nightmare, when I was startled to have him

  “I was agog with excitement, eloquent

  break into my rooms the next morning with a in my determination to delve further into the ghastly face and almost hysterical manner. I matter. Lemuel Mason’s one desire was to forced him to swallow a stiff whiskey. ‘What flee, to never again cross the threshold of the

  The Smell

  5

  accursed room. ‘It is haunted,’ he cried,

  “I heard other people mount the stairs

  ‘haunted!’ God forgive me, I overcame his and go to their various rooms. Only one other reluctance. ‘You must face this thing; it would room was occupied on this floor, I noticed, be madness to run away.’ And I believed what and that was at the far end of the corridor.

  I said. I fortified him with stimulants, Soon everything became very still. I glanced prevailed on him to put his trust in me, and at my watch, and saw that it was twelve-thirty.

  that evening we went to his room together; for There was no noise at all, save the almost I was to stay the night with him.

  inaudible creakings and groanings which old

  “The house that held the room was an

  houses give voice to at midnight, and the little old one, one of a street full of ancient sighing sounds the air made as it bubbled dwellings. People of means, of fashion had through the gas. These noises did not disturb inhabited it thirty years before. But the me at all. I had watched in old houses before, fashionable quarter had shifted southward, the and my mind automatically classified them for people had died or moved, and the once what they were.

  substantial mansion had fallen on evil days.

  “But suddenly there was something

  The wide corridors were dark and gloomy, as else, something that.... I sniffed involuntarily; only old corridors can be dark and gloomy; I surged to my feet. The room was full of a the painted walls faded and discolored, and as strange odor, an odor that was like a tangible, I followed Lemuel Mason up two flights of yet invisible, presence, an insidious odor that stairs, I was conscious of a musty odor, an sought to lull me, overcome my senses. But I odor of dust and decay.

  was wide awake, forewarned of my danger.

  “The room was, as he had described it,

  Three gas jets were burning to give me added at the end of a long hall, in the rear, designed confidence, and I fought off the influence of doubtless for the use of a servant; it was rather that smell with every effort of will.

  small and stuffy, with nothing distinctive

  “Almost I felt it recoil before the

  about it except its abnormally high ceiling.

  symbol I drew in the air with my finger; but Yet was it real, or only my imagination, that even as the odor grew faint and remote, I saw something brooded in the room? Imagination, Mason straighten on the bed with a convulsive I decided, and lit all three gas jets.

  sigh, roll over and sit up. I sat by him again.

  His eyes were shut, but his face— Never have

  “IT was nine o’clock. Mason collapsed on the I seen human face express such emotions of bed. I had administered a powerful sedative.

  delirious rapture and delight. And it was In a few minutes he was sleeping as written not only on his face. His whole body peacefully as a child. Seated in one chair with
writhed and twisted and squirmed in an

  my feet propped up on another, I smoked my abandonment of ecstasy that was horrible to pipe, and read, and watched. I was not jumpy, watch. With a cry, I leapt to his side.

  my nerves were steady enough. The book that

  “‘Mason!’ I shouted, ‘wake up! Wake

  I read was the strange one by that medieval up!’

  author whose symbol is the Horns of Onam.

  “But he paid me no attention. His

  Few scholars have ever seen a copy of it. My hands went out in sensuous gestures, as if they own was given me by—but that doesn’t handled something; fondled it, caressed it. I matter. I read it, I say, fascinated by the shook him roughly. ‘Mason! Mason!’

  hidden things, the incredible, yes, even

  “‘Oh,’ he crooned, smoothing the air,

  horrible things hinted at on every page, and by his body writhing under my touch, his lips the strange drawings and weird designs.

  forming amorous kisses and endearing words.

  Strange Tales

  6

  “‘For God’s sake, man!’

  and the catch was weak. With a splintering of

  “But the evil spell held him; it was

  rotten woodwork, it gave under my lunge and beyond my frantic efforts to arouse him. The I went staggering into the hall, still clinging to smell came in waves that rose and receded.

  Mason. And even as I did so I heard him

  Then, calling on every atom of occult lore shriek terribly, once, twice, and then go limp upon which I depended, I drew around us the in my hands.

  sacred pentagram. ‘Begone!’ I cried, uttering

  “All over the house doors banged,