London: John Lehmann, 1947
When three people lose their memories at the same time – a boy, an elderly man, and a cocksure young man called Jem – one begins to suspect more than mere coincidence. It is suddenly the land of nowhere, and Jem, who seems to remember the most, convinces Roger and “Bowler Hat” that their loss of memory is part of a plot that they must organise against, and resist.
Bowler Hat suspects Jem of knowing more than he reveals, and Roger’s suspicion that Jem is evil is confirmed when the entire town suddenly suffers a loss of memory too, with Jem exhorting the citizens to follow him.
Roger is now certain that the spirit is that lust of power which has no respect for individuality or personal integrity and must be destroyed.
Illustrations by Keith Vaughan (1967 reprint).
“A Triumph.”
“Compelling and dramatic.”
