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feet, his hand dropping the cigarette and blurring downwards to half-draw his pistol (that instant hurling both men back into the horror of the day) before he saw and evaluated and relaxed in recognition. Recognition, his weapon unbrandished, but he remaining on his feet, gazing fiercely and incredulously at Helmer and snarling "What the hell are you doing here?” though already his face had gathered into comprehension-his features pinched and frozen into judgment heaped upon his lover: you damn fooli No matter what hung in jeoparpy, Helmer could not have spoken, nor did he try. Rather, he drew closer to his judge with a child's solemn movement, knowing that only brute opposition would halt him as only it would halt his subsequent respiration. He was not opposed. Then, voluntarily, he stopped, inches from his judge and helpless before the other's outraged stare-lowered his own face but raised his left arm halfways, then rested his curved fingers upon the side of Sergeant Noland's warm damp torso, saying nothing, no longer savoring his terror, but already sensing the beginnings of exhilaration which comes from knowing that you have surmounted your most oppressive inhibitions and simultaneously, as a kind of bonus, done right; though right in a way you could never justify to the Commanding Officer, or a court martial, or the other men in his outfit.

Sergeant Noland cursed, recoiled, slapped away Helmer's hand, cursed again: "Christ almighty! Are you crazy? You want to get the shit kicked out of you?" Calmer now and continuing: "Haven't you got any sense at all?"

Helmer looked at him but said nothing.

"Mister, I'm warning you: from now on you keep your hands to yourself, unless you want me personally to beat your ass. Now get on back to camp!" Helmer turned around and walked away, saying nothing. It was too early for the wounds to register and bleed, and he felt deceptively stoic. But just before the fog would have utterly obscured the Sergeant he hesitated and looked back and found the Sergeant still glaring at him, though now he could see that the fury had greatly abated-giving away not to softness but something equally uncharacteristic: a sort of harsh pain.

"You can't do that here," Noland said. "This is no place or time for any of that. Later, may be. If we ever make it through this goddamned island-maybe then. But not now. No.”

Helmer, still saying nothing, left him then and returned to the camp and his tent, where the fog, heavier than ever, followed him into bed, and where he lay awake for some time, for once not fantasizing upon Sergeant Noland as the mysterious. guardian of all resolutions, but rather considerhim as another sojourner in the incomplete, uncertain, yearning realm of anticipation.

mattachine REVIEW

BOOKS

AMONG DEMONS AND WITCHES

EROS AND EVIL: THE SEXUAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY OF WITCHCRAFT by R. E. L. Masters, New York: Julian Press, 1962. 322 pp. 8.50. Reviewed by Gene Damon.

Devils and humans indulging in a multiplicity of sexual acts together does not appear, on the surface, to be of much interest to the homosexual public.

This rather impressive short volume on general witchcraft history from a sexual standpoint, is actually much concerned with homosexuality. On page 75, the author seemingly denies this himself by saying, "Homosexual relations with demons do not figure prominently in the lore of witchcraft and of Judeo-Christian demonology." Then, despite this and the fact that the page 75 cited is the only reference under homosexuality in the index, the book is filled with homosexual incidents.

There are two references to homosexuality in the introduction: one biblical reference, and a much more important philosophical comparison of the people in past times who defended the so-called witches to the people today who defend the homosexual-in the light, of course, that both groups are cited as being tarred with the same brush.

In the chapter on the devil's anatomy, there are references to the bisexuality of demons and their propensity for hermaphroditism, etc. There are references to acts of sodomy between humans and demons in the chapter on "Demons in the Convents" and also lengthy accounts of lesbianism between nuns (possessed by demons, of course).

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A supposed demonic possession case in the chapter on sexual magic turns out to be that oft told story of a boy and his schoolmaster. Sadly, the poor schoolmaster was branded as a witch. Of course, in those times, they burnt people for either homosexuality or witchcraft. In the same chapter there are references to cases of sex change (demonic, not surgical) but it was women. into men in those days, rather than today's fashion of men into women.

There is even a listing of celebrated individual demons and groups of demons and classes of demons, and among them are several homosexuals. Venus Castina and Venus Illegitima are well known, but Mr. Masters pre27