by Donald A Wollheim

[First published Magazine of Horror 1970. No record of copyright or copyright renewal.]

I.

You know just sitting around here in Paris in the springtime brings back so many old memories, Jack, that I'm glad you showed up. Isn't there some old saying that if you sit here at this comer, sipping an aperitif, that by and by the whole world will pass by? So you’re proof of it -an old buddy from my company I hadn't seen in - gosh, how many years has it been since we were mustered out?

Anyway, this is a great place to sit and ogle the girls. Paris has changed a bit, but these little French chicks, they're still a delight to the eye. So feminine. Makes me wonder sometimes about Weininger's theory.

Weininger? You never heard of him? Well, I guess that's not surprising, considering he was a boy genius who died in his early twenties after writing just one great thesis., He was the fellow who brought out the idea that there is no such thing as one hundred percent male and a hundred percent female. He says every person has something of the opposite sex in him - every man has maybe ten or twenty percent woman, in him and every woman has ten or twenty percent man. Some people have more, some have less, but we all have some. I know, you don't believe it at first. Seems to insult your manhood, but think about it. I don't really think that a person who has 100 percent masculine could even stand to be around a woman. Everything she did would be incomprehensible and annoying. Acutely irritating. No, I think it's pretty obvious when you ponder it. Most psychologists today agree the theory is valid.

Oh, I know. You always were a skeptic. Prove it? ' Well . . . I can, as a matter of fact. Sure, I can. Hold on a minutes order another cognac and I'll see if I can refresh your memory.

Remember Louis Tyler who used to be in our outfit back when we were first in training? Sure, you do. I thought you would. Rather slight fair-haired boy, quiet but real clever. He used to hang, out with us, you and me and one or two others. Then he was shifted from Our Company and sent to some sort of hush-hush OSS school. He spoke French- like a native - he’d been raised here as a boy and they were going to use him for some pre-D-Day operations.

I saw him several times in England before we went in - we were still the best of trends. He'd get off on a leave once in awhile, look me up and I'd wangle a pass for the evening. We'd make a night of it- He was actually a pretty lonely guy, I guess. I learned a lot about him. His mother had been n France when the Nazis came in - he had heard she was dead according to some underground source in the OSS offices. His father - divorced or something. He never mentioned him. Hated him, think.

Louis used to confide some of his, worries me, but. he was a nice guy. We used to go wenching together in London and he had a way with the gals. Maybe it’s that French upbringing, or maybe he sort of understood them better than most, but h sure could knock 'em dead.

Anyway, he was dropped by parachute into France a few weeks before the invasion. I don't know his exact mission, but it was important. I believe he knew the exact dates places of the landings - not the false information that had been let slip, but the real dope. It was vital for certain people in the French underground to know them. Louis was one of the men chosen to tell them.

I saw him before he jumped. He couldn't tell in his mission - what I know I found out after the war - but I knew he was set to go because he nervous. Louis was a brave guy -- but he was little nervous that night. Who wouldn't be? He asked me then did I mind the fact that he’d named me his heir in case he never cam back. He had nobody else he really trusted. I said,, "Heck, you be back." He shrugged ... said if he didn't, would I at least try to find out what happened to him maybe put a marker on his grave. Louis was sort religious and a very sincere guy.

So when we shook hands that night in London I said, "Don't worry. I never let a friend down":.,' He looked me in the eye and said, "I trust you."

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