And
then, when it's over, the queen of hearts will exactly cover the queen
of spades. Also, the queen of spades will exactly cover the queen of
hearts. But it's the things you can't see that are always the most
important, don't you think?" "You can't do it!" said Mrs. Gunnison. "You won't be able to keep the
truth hidden!" "You think not? On the contrary, I won't have to make an effort. Let
me ask you what will happen if old Mrs. Carr claims that she is young
Tansy Saylor. I think you know very well what would happen to that
dear, sweet, innocent old lady. There are times when the laws and
beliefs of a skeptical society can be so very convenient. "You can begin with the fire, Norman. I'll tell the others exactly what
they are to do." He tossed a handful of powder on the fire. It flared up greenly, and a
pungent, cloying aroma filled the room. There was a stirring at the heart of the world and a movement of
soundless currents in the black void. Upon the dark side of the planet,
a million women moved restlessly in their sleep, and a few woke
trembling with unnamed fears. Upon the light side, a million more grew
nervous, and unaccustomed daydreams chased unpleasantly through their
minds; some made mistakes at their work and had to add again a column
of figures or tie a broken thread or readjust the intricate mechanism
of a fuse or detonators; and a few found strange suspicion growing
mushroomlike among their thoughts. A certain ponderous point began to
work closer and closer to the end of the massive surface supporting
it, not unlike a top slowly wobbling toward the edge of a table, and
certain creatures who were nearby saw what was happening and skittered
away terrified through the blackness. Then, at the very edge, it
paused. The irregularity went out of its movement, and it rode steady
and true once more. The currents ceased to trouble the void, and the
Balance was restored. *       *       *       *       *

Norman Saylor opened the windows at top and bottom so the breeze might
fan out the remnants of pungent vapor. Then he cut the lashings of the
bound figure and loosened the gag from its mouth. In a little while,
she rose, and without a word they started from the room. All this while, none of the others had spoken. The figure in the gray
silk dress sat with head bowed, shoulders hunched dejectedly, frail
hands dropped limply at her side. In the doorway, the woman whom Norman Saylor had loosed turned back. "I have only one more thing to say to you. All that I told you earlier
this evening was completely true--including that matter of the devices
he has made for each one of you and which I will keep close by me. All
completely true--with one very big exception--"

Mrs. Gunnison looked up. Evelyn Sawtelle half turned in her chair. The
third figure did not move. "The soul of Mrs. Carr was not transferred to the body of Tansy Saylor
this evening. That happened much earlier--when Mrs. Carr had the easier
task of exorcising a lowly bestial spirit from that body and then
herself occupying the empty brain, leaving the captive soul of Tansy
Saylor trapped in her own aged body--and doomed to be murdered by her
own husband in accord with Mrs. Carr's well-laid plan. For Mrs. Carr
knew that Tansy Saylor would only have one panic-stricken thought--to
run home to her husband. And Mrs. Carr was very sure that she could
persuade Norman Saylor to kill the body housing the soul of his wife,
under the impression that he was killing Mrs. Carr. And that would have
been the end of Tansy Saylor's soul, since the soul dies or vanishes
with the body it inhabits. "You knew, Mrs. Gunnison, that Mrs. Carr had taken Tansy Saylor's
soul from you, just as you had taken it from Evelyn Sawtelle, and for
similar reasons. But you dared not reveal that fact to Norman Saylor
because you would have lost your one bargaining point. This evening you
half suspected that something was different from what it seemed, but
you did not dare to make a stand. "And now as a result of what we have done this evening with your help,
the soul of Mrs. Carr is once more in the body of Mrs. Carr, and the
soul of Tansy Saylor is in the body of Tansy Saylor. That is all. And
now, good night." The six-paneled door closed behind them. The pebbly path crunched under
their feet. "How did you know?" was Tansy's first question, "When I stood there in
the doorway, blinking through those awful spectacles, gasping after
the way I'd hurried with only the blind thought of finding you--how did
you know?" "Partly," he said reflectively, "because she gave herself away toward
the end. She began to emphasize words in that exaggerated way of hers. But that wouldn't have been enough in itself. She was too good an
actress. She must have been studying your mannerisms for years. And
after seeing how well you played her part tonight, with hardly any
preparation, I wonder that I ever did see through her." "Then how did you?" "It was partly the way you hurried up the walk--it didn't sound like
Mrs. Carr. And partly something about the way you held yourself. But
mainly it was that headshake you gave--that quick triple headshake, I
couldn't fail to recognize it. And after that, I realized all the other
things." "Do you think," said Tansy softly, "that after this you'll never begin
to wonder if I am really I?" "I suppose I will," he said seriously. "But I believe I'll always be
able to conquer my doubts." And Tansy laughed. But he was not yet over being serious. "I think that tonight we were a
lot closer to a much bigger danger than even we ever guessed," he said. He had not yet surrendered to the reaction that gripped Tansy. "There's
more behind this matter of the Balance than we may realize. There's a
lot we'll do with this, but we'll want to go slowly and test every step
of the way." There were footsteps, then a friendly greeting from the shadows ahead. "Hello, you two," called Mr. Gunnison. "Bridge game over? I thought I'd
walk back with Linthicum and then drive home with Hulda. Say, Norman,
Pollard dropped in to speak to me after the paper had been read. He's
had a sudden change of heart on that matter we were talking about. From
what he says, the trustees may even cancel their meeting." "It was a very interesting paper," Mr. Carr informed them, "and I had
the satisfaction of asking the speaker a very tricky question. But I'm
sorry I missed the bridge. Oh, well, I don't suppose I'll ever notice
any difference." "And the funny thing is," Tansy told Norman after they had walked on,
"is that he really _won't_."