new york : frank a. munsey co.

Semi Dual

Abdul Omar aka Semi Dual was a psychologist, telepath, mystic and astrologer (not to mention a prince) who worked as a private investigator. He strongly believed in the "many other esoteric angles of thought and the application of higher laws of force," and that astrology could be used to precisely predict a person's actions. Based on the time of birth, he can accurately predict (with the help of very complicated math--"a blending of Old World superstition and modern mathematical precision") what a person will do and when. His predictions were always accurate. He is a large man, strongly built, full of confidence and extremely competent. He has a hooked nose, gray eyes, and strong, handsome features. The son of a Persian noble and a Russian princess, he customarily dresses in white robes lined with purple.

Prince Abdul lived on the 20th floor of the Urania Building, in New York City. The Urania is named after his deceased wife, Urania Marsden. His private residence is in a wonderful penthouse, with a nice marble staircase and a luscious garden. And, of course, the "white cube tower" in which he does his casting, surrounded by all the comforts he could take with him from Persia. His office is on the seventh floor of the Urania Building, in the firm of "Glace and Bryce, Private Investigators." He was devoted to protecting women and their honor. He fell in love with and married Lotis, a former assassin of the Black Brotherhood who was sent to kill him.

Supporting Cast

Glace: A former newspaper reporter and partner in Glace and Bryce, Private Investigators. He assists Prince Abdul.

Bryce: A retired police Inspector and partner in Glace and Bryce, Private Investigators.

Henri: Prince Abdul's friend and servant.

Enemies

Otho Khan: Leader of the Black Brotherhood.

Bhutia: A crooked swami.

Lt. Jean Marsal: A traitorous French officer at Fort Grampel in Africa.

All-Story (Cavalier) Weekly/Magazine

All-Story Magazine was one of the great Munsey pulps which started as a monthly in January 1905 and ran as such for 11 years before switching to a weekly schedule (with a name change to All-Story Weekly. Very soon after it had absorbed The Cavalier and ran for a year under the combined name All-Story Cavalier Weekly before reverting to All-Story Weekly for a further five years.
Finally, in 1920, it was absorbed into The Argosy.

John Ulrich Giesy (J.U. Giesy) born August 6, 1877 near Chillicothe, Ohio, USA, died September 8, 1947 in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, was an American physician, novelist and author. He was one of the early writers in the Sword and Planet genre, with his Jason Croft series. He collaborated with Junius B. Smith on many of his stories.