thomas wiloch - mr templeton's toyshop

7/22/2019 Thomas Wiloch - Mr Templeton's Toyshop

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Mr. Templeton's Toyshop

Thomas Wiloch

Thomas Wiloch's Grimoire lasted six issues, offering "nihilistic pablum for a mediocre

society." Despite its short life it made an impact and won't soon be forgotten. His ownprose miniatures hae graced the !ce oo#s anthology $lsewhere %World &antasy !ward

winner and many small (ournals of surrealism and horror. His collection )tigmata

*unction %prose poems and collages was issued by )tride in +heshire, $ngland, with asecond collection pending. ortions of "-r. Templeton's Toyshop" appeared in !ll the

Deils are Here edited by Daid Deyo, *r., a landmar# anthology from the nnamable

ress fol#s, who started out as a letterpress publisher of macabre poetry.

The Porcelain Doll

Mr. Templeton's toyshop is quite unique. He has glass animals, lead soldiers, and wooden

ships. There are paper kites, crystal rings, marbles, and music boxes. nd high on a shel!is the beauti!ul lice, a porcelain doll so dainty and li!elike as to ri"al e"en the little girls

in the "illage. The old woman buys lice. #$t will be a gi!t !or my granddaughter,# sheexplains. #$'m sure she will en%oy it,# Mr. Templeton says politely. He care!ully wraps the

doll and takes the money she hands him. $t is late and he is closing shop and she is the

last to lea"e. They say goodnight and Mr. Templeton closes the door behind her. s shewalks home in the darkness, the woman !ancies a mo"ement in the package she carries.

There seems to be a wriggling. &he is surprised when a tiny hand pokes out o! the paper.

&he is e"en more surprised when the hand pushes a little kni!e into her throat. &he canonly gurgle incoherently as she !alls. ater, we see Mr. Templeton in his toyshop window.

His eyes are gleaming with expectation. &oon he spies his little lice strutting down the

moonlit street, a bloodstained pocketbook in one hand, and a gleaming kni!e in the other.

The (aleidoscope

Mr. Templeton holds the kaleidoscope to the young boy's eye. #ook in here,# he says.The boy peeks inside the little cardboard tube while Mr. Templeton twists the other end.

#&ee the colors)# Mr. Templeton says. #*h, yes,# says the boy. #+hat pretty patterns it

makes# Mr. Templeton smiles. Then he twists the kaleidoscope the other way. The boy'smouth opens wide, he inhales, and then he screams. #There we are,# says Mr. Templeton,

pulling the kaleidoscope !rom the child's bloody socket. #-ow let's get the other eye.#

ater, a woman comes to the toyshop to buy a stu!!ed bear !or her nephew. #That one is

per!ect,# she says, pointing out a particular bear. #$t has the prettiest blue eyes, %ust likemy little nephew andy.# Mr. Templeton raises his eyebrows, a ' tri!le surprised. #$

belie"e $'"e met your andy,# he tells her.

The Music /ox

He buys a music box at Mr. Templeton's toyshop. $t is car"ed o! dark oak and has hingeso! brass. #$t will play the &al0bach walt0,# says Mr. Templeton, #when $ set the


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mechanism.# He is sure she will like it. #Please deli"er it today,# he says, and Mr.

Templeton nods sagely. ater, she opens the package the deli"eryman has brought. #

music box,# she cries. $t is so "ery beauti!ul. &he reads the card he has enclosed and shesmiles. How sweet. +anting to hear the song the box plays, she li!ts the lid. melody

begins. so!t and lilting melody. &he !inds hersel! dancing. $t is a most compelling tune.

That night he stops by to see how she likes his gi!t. He knocks on the door. He knocksagain. He opens the door and enters her room. &he is crumpled on the !loor, gasping and

holding her heart. Her !eet kick back and !orth, scraping the wooden !loor in time with

the tinkling melody. #My dear# he cries, rushing !orward. /ut he cannot reach her. Hecannot bend down to help her. $nstead, he !inds himsel! dancing...

The Toy /oat

Mr. Templeton hands the toy boat to the boy at the counter. $ts white sails glow in the

darkness o! the musty toyshop and its single red running light shines like a malignant eye.

The boy gapes at this treasure, which, a!ter long weeks o! sa"ing, is !inally his alone.

#1n%oy your boat# says Mr. Templeton as the boy lea"es the shop. #$ will# the boy callsback. #ight away# Mr. Templeton smiles. The boy gathers some !riends together and,

amid a !lurry o! excited "oices, the children hurry to the ri"er. There, the boy places hisboat into the water and, ma%estically, it dri!ts away. The children %ump and shout and run

along the shore, !ollowing the cra!t. &uddenly, a change comes o"er the boat. The white

sails swell, the wooden !rame widens, and the masts sprout !rom twig si0e to poles. Theboat is growing. nd presently there is a sailing ship be!ore their startled, delighted eyes.

The ship comes to a halt. gangplank is lowered. The children scramble aboard. They

ha"e ne"er been on a ship be!ore. &ome climb the rigging, others examine the cannon,

and still others spin the great wheel that steers the ship. /ehind them the gangplank isquietly hoisted. Then, magically, the ship seems to "ibrate. $t grows less clear2 its image

blurred and smaller. $n a moment it is gone. There is only empty space. &pace, and a

small toy boat bumping against the rocks o! the shore. +e see Mr. Templeton approachand pluck the boat !rom the water. ater, in the silence o! his dark study, Mr. Templeton

sits at his desk. The toy boat has been placed be!ore him while he holds one o! the

children in a pair o! twee0ers. +ith his !ree hand, he care!ully pulls at the child's tiny!ingers. The child raises quite a !uss as, one by one, Mr. Templeton remo"es the !ingers

and places them in a neat row upon a sheet o! white paper. The noise is really more than

Mr.

Templeton can stand. +hy must children be so loud) This was to be, he had hoped, aquiet e"ening o! scienti!ic study. He puts an end to the child's complaints with a well3

placed pin.

The 4igurines

The !igurines on the glass shel! are delicately !ashioned. #1"en the eyelashes are per!ect,#the woman says. Mr. Templeton smiles proudly. #Howe"er do you car"e them so)# she

asks, examining a little man dressed in a business suit. &he unbuttons the man's coat and

a tiny label displays the manu!acturer's name. #These !igures are not car"ed,# Mr.

Templeton explains. #5ome here, $'ll show you.# He leads her into the back o! the store.


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i!ting a cloth, he re"eals a metal birdcage. $nside the cage is a crowd o! tiny people,

each three inches tall. # simple hypodermic in%ection,# Mr. Templeton says. #$ do a bit

o! experimenting as a hobby.# He opens a trapdoor on the top o! the cage and, reaching inwith a pair o! tongs, he li!ts out a small woman. The woman kicks her legs and swings

her arms and the sounds she makes are like squeaky shoes. #$ will show you how it is

done,# Mr. Templeton says. He places the small woman in a glass %ar, and then he spraysa mist at her !rom a squee0e bottle. The woman coughs, twitches, and then is sti!!. &he

stands impossibly still, staring. Mrs. Templeton picks her up and hands her to his

customer. #Here you are,# he says. #$sn't it lo"ely)# The woman gasps and drops the!igurine on the !loor. $t shatters like a teacup. #*h my,# says Mr. Templeton. # most

un!ortunate accident. $'m a!raid you will ha"e to replace that !or me.# The ner"ous

woman reaches into her purse. #*h no,# says Mr. Templeton, grabbing the woman's arm

and poking her3with a hypodermic, #that is not what $ meant at all.#

The Magni!ying 6lass

The shel! o! magni!ying glasses has attracted the man's attention. #$'m looking !or a toy!or my son. &omething mentally stimulating,# he says. #Try this one,# says Mr.

Templeton, handing him a large magni!ying glass with a black handle. #6o stand by thewindow so you get the best light.# The man walks to the window and peers through the

magni!ying glass, examining his hand. #This is a good lens,# he tells Mr. Templeton. #$

can see the pores o! my hand per!ectly.# #That's an ama0ing lens,# Mr. Templeton agrees.The man shi!ts the glass to in"estigate the pattern on his tie, but there is something

abnormal. The hand he has %ust been looking at has changed. $t has enlarged and grown

warped, as i! the distortion o! the magni!ying glass has taken hold and set. #*h my god,#

says the man. His torso !eels odd. He has been holding the lens to his tie and now hischest, too, has expanded strangely. s he !rantically drops the magni!ying glass, it slides

against his leg, distorting it so that the misshapen limb can no longer support him. He

!alls. #+hat's going on)# the man says to Mr. Templeton, who comes around the counterand care!ully picks up the magni!ying glass. '$ ha"e been doing some experiments with

this glass,# Mr. Templeton explains. #$t only does this in sunlight.# He stoops o"er the

!rightened man and holds the lens to his panicked !ace. #-ow,# says Mr. Templeton, #let'ssee what this glass can really do.#

The &lide Pro%ector

Mr. Templeton shows the new slide pro%ector his toyshop is selling. #$t comes with this

box o! pretty slides,# he explains. The man nods his head. #$s it reliable)# he asks Mr.

Templeton. #$ don't want it to break right away. My 6loria would be so brokenhearted.##$t's "ery dependable,# says Mr. Templeton. #-o one has e"er complained to me about it.#

That satis!ies the man. ater, a little girl sits on the rug while her !ather sets up the

pro%ector. #+e will show the pictures on this wall, 6loria,# he says. The little girl clapsher hands and laughs. #7ou shouldn't ha"e spent so much,# his wi!e reproaches him

quietly. He wa"es a hand. #&he'll like it,# he says. #nd it wasn't that much.# His wi!e

shuts o!! the lamp and the pro%ector lights the wall. He clicks a switch and a slide mo"es

into place. picture o! a lion. #*h, look at that, dear,# says the woman. 6loria giggles


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and points. The picture wobbles. #Must be something wrong with the slide,# the man

says, squinting inside the pro%ector. The picture wobbles again. Then the lion blinks his

eyes, paws at the ground, and roars. #$s this a mo"ing picture)# his wi!e asks. He is aboutto say no when the lion leaps o!! the wall and quiets him !ore"er with a swipe o! his huge

paw. The man's !ace gleams in bright red lines !or a moment be!ore he !alls, knocking

o"er the pro%ector and plunging the room into chaotic darkness. ater that night we seeMr. Templeton walking through the dim light towards his shop, carrying a pro%ector under

his arm and leading a large animal on a rope. #nd how was little 6loria)# he asks the

animal as they stroll along.

The Tea &et

#ook what $ bought you at Mr. Templeton's,# he says. The little girl opens the box andthen gi"es a squeal o! delight. # tea set# she says. #*h, thank you, daddy# He smiles at

her. #-ow you go play with that, dear, but be care!ul you don't break anything.# &he

hurries o!! to her room. &oon there is a little party going on. teddy bear and a doll sit

solemnly at a table with plates and teacups be!ore them. #Drink up,# she tells her guests,pouring out water !rom the teapot. #This is good tea.# &he holds a teacup to the teddy

bear's lips and then to the doll's lips, too. #There, wasn't that good)# she says. Then shetakes a sip o! the water !rom her own teacup. ater, her !ather enters the room. The teddy

bear and doll sit quietly, their arms and legs at sti!! angles. #Ha"ing !un)# he asks. The

girl does not reply. &he sits staring at her two companions. #Dear)# he says, walking o"erto her. #+hat's wrong)# Her !ace is a smooth mask, shiny as the china teacup she holds in

her hand. Her eyes are white and "acant, looking at the air. He reaches !or her hand. $t is

sti!! and glasslike. +ith a snap, it !alls o!!. There is a tinkling sound as it hits the !loor

and shatters into a sprinkling o! white !ragments. Then there is the sound a man makeswhen he is trying to destroy the world with a single, wailing scream.

The quarium

#$t is time to !eed the !ish,# Mr. Templeton says to the group o! children who ha"e come

into his toyshop. #+ould you like to watch)# #7es,# they all say, and so Mr. Templetonleads the children to a corner o! his shop where the lights o! an aquarium twinkle in the

shadows. The children gather round the glass tank and whisper among themsel"es about

the strange bulgy3eyed !ish that bump against each other in the crowded water, the

streams o! bubbles released by shiny sil"er tubes, and the landscape o! colored stones andgreen plants at the bottom o! the aquarium. Mr. Templeton brings out a cardboard box

!rom which he takes a piece o! dried grayish material rather surprisingly shaped like a

human hand. He reaches o"er the edge o! the aquarium and drops it in the water. $nstantlythe !ish dart !or the !ood and, in a !ren0y o! bubbles and !oam, which makes the children

ooh and aah, they eat the meat. !ter a moment the water clears and the !ood is gone.

#6osh, Mr. Templeton,# says one little boy. #5an $ help you !eed the !ish)# #Tomorrow,#says Mr. Templeton, smiling. #5ome here tomorrow and you can !eed the !ish.# The next

day, the boy arri"es at the toyshop in the late a!ternoon. #There you are,# says Mr.

Templeton. #Those !ish are hungry, so let's get to work.# They go to the aquarium in the

back o! the store and Mr. Templeton arranges a short wooden stepladder !or the boy to


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stand on. #$s this how you do it)# the boy says, leaning o"er the tank with the !ood Mr.

Templeton has gi"en him. # little !arther,# says Mr. Templeton. #Here, $'ll help you.# He

holds the boy by the waist, li!ts him, and tips him o"er into the water head!irst. There is amoment o! bubbling noise as the boy, his !ace lit by the light o! the aquarium, struggles to

speak under water. Then the !ish turn and dart and his !ace is no longer seen. 5are!ully,

Mr. Templeton lowers the boy into the !uriously thrashing water until, a!ter muchsplashing and noise, the boy is in. !ter a time the tank water grows calm, the !rothing

ebbs away, and the !ish swim as languidly as they did be!ore in the silent, strangely lit

water. $t was a week later when a ner"ous woman came to the toyshop to speak with Mr.Templeton. #$t's about my little boy,# she says.

#He has been missing !or se"eral days and $ don't know what to do. $'"e heard !rom the

children that he was supposed to be working !or you a !ew days ago. Do you know where

he might ha"e gone)# #7our boy !ed my !ish,# says Mr. Templeton, motioning to theaquarium, #and that's the last $'"e seen o! him.#

The Halloween 5andy

Halloween is Mr. Templeton's !a"orite holiday. He stands in the doorway o! his little

toyshop and gi"es candy to the neighborhood children who come begging. *ne little girlis dressed as a bear. #$s that what you really want to be)# asks Mr. Templeton. #6rrrr#

the little girl says through the hole in her mask. Mr. Templeton chuckles and hands her a

piece o! candy. *ther children come, display their gaudy costumes, and take the candyMr. Templeton o!!ers. #$s that what you really want to be)# he asks each child in turn.

#*h yes,# say the werewol!, the snake, and the gorilla. #*h yes,# say the dinosaur, the

"ampire, and the crocodile. nd to each o! the children Mr. Templeton gi"es his candy.

ate that night, Mr. Templeton is awakened by screams. He opens his bedroom shutterand looks down into the narrow street below. &mall, color!ul !igures are roaming in the

dim light, some snarling, others hissing or howling. Two o! the !igures pull open the door

o! a house down the way and all o! them clamber inside. !ew moments later there aremore screams. &creams cut short. nd then the strange little creatures bustle out into the

street again, licking some sort o! dark liquid !rom their !aces and hands. #Mr.

Templeton# a "oice calls !rom down below. He leans out and sees a woman at histoyshop door. #Mr. Templeton, please let me in Please# 4rom up the street the

bothersome creatures are drawing closer. The woman pounds on the specially rein!orced

metal doors, which guard the toyshop. #$ open in the morning,# Mr. Templeton calls down

to her. #5ome back then.# He secures the shutters, mu!!ling the last o! the woman'shysterical pleas. ater, there are still more screams outside. Then the padding o! many

little !eet on the cobblestones, dri!ting away, !inally, into the night.

thomas wiloch - mr templeton's toyshop

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