it," he choked. Because he had been ready to say that he
had said it automatically. Too late he realized it was the wrong answer.

"Don't be a fool," Merlin told him sternly. "Wouldn't you rather be a
one-eyed hero than a two-eyed coward?"

"No," Wilbur said.

Merlin glared at him balefully and Wilbur quailed and cringed. What sort
of nightmare had he wandered into? He would gladly have given everything
he owned to be back in the office. Even Pete Bellows was better than
this maniac!

"Could I please go, Mr. Merlin?" Wilbur begged. "I'll be late if I
don't. Pete will be sore."

"Tell you what I'll do," Merlin said, in a manner of one offering an
added incentive. "You let me have your right eye and I'll see to it that
Bellows falls down the stairs and breaks his neck."

He picked up the glass ball again and Wilbur felt himself grow faint.
Now he was certain that this old man was not only a maniac but a
_homicidal_ maniac!

"Wouldn't anything but my right eye do?" he asked plaintively.

"I don't think so, but I'll look it up," Merlin said. Out of the folds
of his white-starred gown he drew a book. Wetting his index finger,
Merlin turned pages until he came to the one he wanted.

"_Elixir of Caution_," Merlin read aloud. "One part _Fawn's Breath_, one
part _Dove's Heart-Dried_, one part _Tears of Despair_, and _Right Eye
of Complete Coward_. Simmer for one hour with proper incantations."

"But I'm cautious enough already!" Wilbur protested. He got to his feet
hopefully. "Well, I guess this has been a mistake. I'd better be running
along."

Merlin regarded him with a steady eye and Wilbur wished he could divine
what was going on behind those black and glittering orbs. Maybe Merlin
was going to let him go. From the way Merlin was nodding his head it
seemed that way.

"Very well," the old man said. "But we must have a drink together."

"Oh, I never drink," Wilbur assured him virtuously. Merlin waved aside
the protest.

"Nothing stronger than tea," he said.

He went to a far corner of the room and lifted a small vial which was
made of some material that shimmered irridescently. Wilbur watched
fascinated as Merlin poured a small amount of a smoky liquid from the
vial into a pair of tiny cups.

"Are you sure this isn't strong?" Wilbur asked as Merlin handed him one
of the cups. Inside the cup the strange liquid bubbled, and from its
surface a fine vapor rose.

"No." That was all. Then Merlin went to the sun