really dead? She was so mighty scared that if she died some
awful thing might remain to animate her body.'
'She is dead as we know death,' said Richard softly. 'So what
could remain?'
'I know what he means,' the Duke remarked abruptly. 'He is
afraid that an elemental may have taken possession of her
corpse. If so drastic measures will be necessary.'
'No!' Rex shook his head violently. 'If you're thinking of
cutting off her head and driving a stake through her heart, I
won't have it. She's mine, I tell you-mine!'
'Better that than the poor soul should suffer the agony of
seeing its body come out of the grave at night to fatten itself
on human blood,' De Richleau murmured. 'But there are certain
tests, and we can soon find out. Bring her over here.'
Simon and Richard lifted the body and carried it over to the
mat of sheets and blankets in the centre of the pentacle, while
De Richleau fiddled for a moment among his impedimenta.
'The Undead,' he said slowly, 'have certain inhibitions. They
can pass as human, but they cannot eat human food and they
cannot cross running water except at sunset and sunrise. Garlic
is a most fearsome thing to them, so that they scream if only
touched by it, and the Cross, of course, is anathema. We will
see if she reacts to them.'
As he spoke he took the wreath of garlic flowers from round
his neck and placed it about Tanith's. Then he made the sign of
the Cross above her and laid his little gold crucifix upon her
lips.
The others stood round, watching the scene with horrified
fascination. Tanith lay there, calm and still, her pale face
shadowed by the golden hair, her tawny eyes now closed under the
heavy, blue-veined lids, the long, curved eyelashes falling upon
her cheeks. She had the look of death and yet, as De Richleau
set about his grim task, it seemed to them that her eyelids
might flicker open at any moment. Yet, when the garlic flowers
were draped upon her, she remained there cold and immobile, and
when the little crucifix was laid upon her lips she showed no
consciousness of it, even by the twitching of the tiniest
muscle.
'She's dead, Rex, absolutely dead, De Richleau stood up again.
'So, my poor boy, at least your worst fears will not be
realised. Her soul has left her body but no evil entity has
taken possession of it, I am certain of that now.'
A new hush fell upon the room. Tanith looked, if possible,
even more beautiful in death that she had in life, so that they
marvelled at her loveliness. Rex crouched beside her, utterly
stricken by this tragic ending to all the wonderful hopes and
plans which had seethed in his mind the previous afternoon after
she had told him that she loved him. He had known her by sight
for so long, dreamed of her so often, yet having gained her love
a merciless fate had deprived him of it after only a few hours
of happiness. It was unfair-unfair. Suddenly he buried his face
in his hands, his great shoulders shook, and for the first time
in his life he gave way to a passion of bitter tears.
The rest stood by him in silent sympathy. There was nothing
which they could say or do. Marie Lou attempted to soothe his
anguish by stroking his rebellious hair, but he jerked his head
away with a quick angry movement. Only a few hours before, in
those sunlit woods, Tanith had run her fingers through his curls
again and again during the ecstasy of the dawning of their
passion for each other, and the thought that she would never do
so any more filled him with the almost unbearable grief and
misery.
After a while the Duke turned helplessly away and Simon,
catching his eye, beckoned him over towards the open window out
of earshot from the others. The seemingly endless night still
lay upon the garden, and now a light mist had arisen. Wisps of
it were creeping down the steps from the terrace and curling
into the room. De Richleau shivered and refastened the windows
to shut them out.
'What is it?' he asked quickly.
'I-er-suppose there is no chance of her being made animate
again?' hazarded Simon.
'None. If there had been anything there it would never have
been able to bear the garlic and the crucifix without giving
some indication of its presence.'
'I wasn't thinking of that. The vital organs aren't injured in
any way as far as we know, and rigor mortis has not set in yet.
I felt her hand just now and the fingers are as flexible as
mine.'
De Richleau shrugged. 'That makes no difference. Rigor mortis
may have been delayed for a variety of reasons but she will be
'as stiff as a board in a few hours' time just the same. Of
course her state does resemble that of a person who has been
drowned, in a way, but only superficially; and if you are
thinking that we might bring her back to life by artificial
respiration I can assure you that there is not a chance. It
would only be a terrible unkindness to hold out such false hopes
to poor Rex.'
'Ner-you don't see what I'm driving at.' Simon's dark eyes
flickered quickly from De Richleau's face to the silent group in
the centre of the pentagram and then back again. 'No ordinary
doctor could do anything for her, I know that well enough; but
since her body is still in the intermediate stage there are a
few people in this world who could, and I was wondering if
you--'
'What!' The Duke started suddenly then went on in a whisper:
'Do you mean that I should try and bring her back?'
'Urn,' Simon nodded his head jerkily up and down. 'If you know
the drill-and you seem to know so much about the great secrets,
I thought it just on the cards you might?'
De Richleau looked thoughtful for a moment. 'I know something
of the ritual,' he confessed at length, 'but I have never seen
it done, and in any case it's a terrible responsibility.'
At that moment there was a faint sighing as the breeze
rippled the leaves of the trees out in the garden. Both men
heard it and they looked at each other questioningly,
'Her soul can't be very far away yet,' whispered Simon.
'No,' the Duke agreed reluctantly. 'But I don't like it,
Simon. The dead are not meant to be called back. They do not
come willingly. If I attempt this and succeed it would only be
by the force of incredibly powerful conjurations which the soul
dare not disobey, and we are not justified in taking such steps.
Besides, what good could it do? At best, I should not be able to
bring her back for more than a few moments.'
'Of course, I know that; but you still don't seem to get my
idea,' Simon went on hurriedly. 'As far as Rex is concerned,
poor chap, she's gone for good and all, but I was thinking of
Mocata. You were hammering it into us last night for all you
were worth that it's up to us to destroy him before he has the
chance to secure the Talisman. Surely this is our opportunity.
In Tanith's present physical state her spirit can't have gone
far from her body. If you could bring it back for a few moments,
or even get her to talk, don't you see that she'll be able to
tell us how best to try and scotch Mocata. From the astral
plane, where she is now, her vision and insight are limitless,
so she'll be able to help us in a way that she never could have
done before.'
'That's different,' De Richleau's pale face lit up with a
tired smile. 'And you're right, Simon. I have been under such a
strain for the past few hours that I had forgotten the thing
that matters most of all. I would never consent to attempt it
for any other purpose, but to prevent suffering and death coming
to countless millions of people we are justified in anything.
I'll speak-to Rex.'
Rex nodded despondently, numb now with misery, when the Duke
had explained what he meant to try to do. 'Just as you like,' he
said slowly. 'It won't hurt in any way, though- I mean her
soul-will it?'
'No,' De Richleau assured him. 'In the ordinary way it might.
To recall the soul of a dead person is to risk interfering with
their karma, but Tanith has virtually been murdered and,
although it is not the way of the spirit to seek revenge against
people for things which may have happened in this life, it is
almost a certainty that she is actually wanting to come back for
just long enough to tell us how to defeat Mocata, because of her
love for you.'
'All right then,' Rex muttered, 'only let's get over with it
as quickly as we can.'
'I'm afraid it will take some time,' De Richleau warned him,
'and even then it may not be successful, but the issues at stake
are so vital, you must try and put aside your personal grief for
a bit.'
He began to clear the pentacle of all the things which he had
used the previous evening to form protective barriers, the holy
water, the little cups, the horseshoes, placing them with the
garlic and dried mandrake back in the suitcase. He then took
from it seven small metal trays, a wooden platter, and a box of
powered incense; and pouring a little heap of the dark powder on
the platter went up to Rex.
'I'm afraid I've got to trouble you if we're going to see this
through.'
Trouble away,' said Rex grimly, with a flash of his old
spirit. 'You know I'm with you in anything which is likely to
let me get my hands on that devil's throat.'
'Good.' The Duke took out his pocket knife and held the blade
for a moment in the flame of a match. 'You've seen enough of
this business now to know that I don't do anything without a
purpose, and I want a little of your blood. I will use my own if
you like but yours is far more likely to have the desired
effect, since you felt so strongly for this poor girl and she,
apparently, for you.'
'Go ahead.' Rex pulled up his cuff and bared his forearm, but
De Richleau shook his head.
'No. Your finger will do, and it will hardly be more than a
pin-prick. I only need a few drops.'
With a swift movement he took Rex's hand and, having made a
slight incision in the little finger, squeezed out seven drops
of blood on to the incense.
Then he walked over to Tanith and, kneeling down, took seven
long golden hairs from her head. Next he proceeded to form the
mixture of incense and blood into a paste out of which he made
seven cones, in each of which was coiled one of Tanith's long
golden hairs.
With Richard's assistance he carefully oriented the body so
that her feet were pointing towards the north and drew a fresh
chalk circle, just large enough to contain her and the bedding,
seven feet in diameter.
'Now if you will turn your backs, please,' he told them all,
'I will proceed with the preparation.'
For a few moments they gazed obediently at the book-lined
walls while he did certain curious things, and when he bade them
turn again he was placing the seven cones of incense on the
seven little metal trays, each engraved with the Seal of
Solomon, in various positions round the body.
'We shall remain outside the circle this time,' he explained,
'so that the spirit, if it comes, is contained within it. Should
some evil entity endeavour to impersonate her soul it will thus
be confined within the circle and unable to get at us.'
He lit the seven cones of incense, completed the barrier round
about the body with numerous fresh signs, and then, walking over
to the doorway, switched out the lights.
The fire was quite dead now, and the candles had never been re-
lit, but after a moment greyness began to filter through the
french-windows. The light was just sufficient for them to see
each other as ghostly forms moving in the darkness, while the
body, lying in the circle, was barely visible, its position
being indicated by the seven tiny points of light from the cones
of incense burning round it.
Simon laid an unsteady hand on the Duke's arm. 'Is it- is
it-quite safe to do this? I mean, mightn't Mocata have another
cut at us now we're in the dark and no longer have the
protection of the pentacle?'
'No,' De Richleau answered decisively. 'He played his last
card tonight when he sent the Dark Angel against us and caused
Tanith's death. That stupendous operation will have exhausted
his magical powers for the time at least. Come over here, all of
you, and sit down on the floor in a circle.'
Leading them over to Tanith's feet he arranged them so that
Rex and Marie Lou both had their backs to the body and would be
spared the sight of any manifestations which might take place
about it. He sat facing it himself, with Richard and Simon
either side of him; all five of them clasped hands.
Then he told them that they must preserve complete quiet and
under no circumstances break the circle they had formed. He
warned them too, that if they felt a sudden cold they were not
to be frightened by it as they had been of the horrible wind
which had swirled so uncannily in that room a few hours before.
It would be caused by the ectoplasm which might be drawn from
Tanith's body and, he went on to add, if a voice addressed them
they were not to answer. He would do any talking which was
necessary and they were to remain absolutely still until he gave
orders that the circle should be broken up.
They sat there, hand in hand, in silence, while it seemed that
an age was passing. The square frame of the window gradually
lightened but so very slowly that it was barely perceptible, and
if dawn was breaking at last upon the countryside it was shut
out from them by the grey, ghostly fog.
The cones of incense burned siowly, giving a strange, acrid
smell, mixed with some queer and sickly eastern perfume. From
their position in the circle Richard and Simon could see the
faint wreaths of smoke curling up for a few inches above the
tiny points of light to disappear above, lost in the darkness.
Tanith's body lay still and motionless, a shadowy outline upon
the thin mat of makeshift bedding.
De Richleau had closed his eyes and bowed his head upon his
chest. Once more he was practising that rhythmic, inaudible Raja
Yoga breathing, which has such power to recruit strength or to
send it forth, and he was using it now while he concentrated on
calling the spirit of Tanith to him.
Richard watched the body with curious expectancy. His
experience of the last few hours had been too recent for him to
collate his thoughts, and while he had so sturdily rejected the
idea of Black Magic the night before he would more or less have
accepted the fact of Spiritualism. It was a much more general
modern belief, and this business as far as he could see, except
in a few minor particulars such as the incense compounded with
blood, was very similar to the spiritualistic seances of which
he had often heard. The only real difference being that, in this
instance, they had a newly dead body to operate on and therefore
were far more likely to get results. As time wore on, however,
he became doubtful, for if their vigil had lasted many hours
this one, now that he was utterly weary, seemed like a
succession of nights.
It was Simon who first became aware that something was
happening. He was watching the seven cones of incense intently,
and it seemed to him that the one which was farthest from him,
set at Tanith's head, gave out a greater amount of smoke than
the rest. Then he realised that he could see the cone more
clearly and the eddying curls of aromatic vapour which it sent
up had taken on a bluish hue which the rest had not.
He pressed De Richleau's hand and the Duke raised his head.
Richard too had seen it, and as they watched, a faint blue light
became definitely perceptible.
It gradually solidified into a ball about two inches in
diameter and moved slowly forward from the head until it reached
the centre of Tanith's body. There it remained for a while,
growing in brightness and intensity until it had became a strong
blue light. Then it rose a little and hovered in the air above
her, so that by its glow they could clearly see the curves of
her figure and her pale, beautiful face, lit by that strange
radiance.
Intensely alert now, they sat still and watchful, until the
ball of light began to lose colour and diffuse itself over a
wider area. The smoke of the incense wreathed up towards it from
the seven metal platters, and it seemed to gather this into
itself, forming from it the vague outline of a head and shoul
ders, still cloudy and transparent but, after another few
moments, definitely recognisable as an outline of the bust of
the figure which lay motionless beneath it.
With pounding hearts they watched for new developments, and
now it seemed that the whole process of materialisation was
hurried forward in a few seconds. The bust joined itself, by
throwing out a shadowy torso, to the hips of the dead body, the
face and shoulders solidified until the features were distinct,
and the whole became surrounded by an aureole of light.
Upon the strained silence there came the faintest whisper of a
voice:
'You called me. I am here.'
'Are you in truth, Tanith?' De Richleau asked softly.
'I am.'
'Do you acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ?'
'I do.'
A sigh of relief escaped De Richleau, for he knew that no
impersonating elemental would ever dare to testify in such a
manner, and he proceeded quietly:
'Do you come here of your own free will, or do you wish to
depart?'
'I come because you called, but I am glad to come.'
'There is one here whose grief for your passing is very great.
He does not seek to draw you back, but he wishes to know if it
is your desire to help him in the protection of his friends and
the destruction of evil for the well-being of the world.'
'It is my desire.'
"Will you tell us all that you can of the man Mocata which may
prove of help?'
'I cannot, for I am circumscribed by the Law, but you may ask
me what you will and, because you have summoned me, I am bound
by your command to answer,'
'What is he doing now?'
'Plotting fresh evil against you.'
'Where is he now?'
'He is quite near you.'
'Can you not tell me where?'
'I do not know. I cannot see distinctly, for he covers himself
with a cloak of darkness, but he is still in your
neighbourhood.'
'In the village?'
'Perhaps.'
'Where will he be this time tomorrow? '
'In Paris.'
'What do you see him doing in Paris?'
'I see him talking with a man who has lost a portion of his
left ear. It is a tall building. They are both very angry.'
'Will he stay in Paris for long?'
'No. I see him moving at great speed towards the rising sun.'
'Where do you see him next?'
'Under the earth.'
'Do you mean that he is dead-to us?'
'No, He is in a stone-flagged vault beneath a building which
is very very old. The place radiates evil. The red vibrations
are so powerful that I cannot see what he does there. The light
which surrounds me now protects me from such sights.'
'What is he planning now?'
To draw me back.'
'Do you mean that he is endeavouring to restore your soul to
your body?'
'Yes. He is already bitterly regretting that in his anger
against you he risked the severance of the two. He could force
me to be of great service to him on your plane but he cannot do
so on this.'
'But is it possible for him to bring you back-permanently?'
'Yes. If he acts at once. While the moon is still in her dark
quarter.'
'Is it your wish to return?'
'No, unless I were free of him-but I have no choice. My soul
is in pawn until the coming of the new moon. After that I shall
pass on unless he has succeeded.'
'How will he set about this thing?'
'There is only one way. The full performance of the Black
Mass.'
'You mean with sacrifice of a Christian child?'
'Yes. It is the age-old law, a soul for a soul. That is the
only way and the soul of a baptised child will be accepted in
exchange for mine. Then if my body remains uninjured I shall be
compelled to return to it.'
'What are--'
The Duke's next question was cut short by Rex, who could stand
the strain no longer. He did not know that De Richleau was only
conversing with Tanith's astral body and thought that he had
succeeded in restoring the corpse which lay behind him, at least
to temporary lif e again.
'Tanith,' he cried, breaking the circle and flinging himself
round. Tanith!'
In a fraction of time the vision disintegrated and dis
appeared. His eyes blazing with anger, De Richleau sprang to his
feet.
'You fool!' he thundered. 'You stupid fool.' In the pale light
of dawn which was now at last just filtering through the fog, he
glared at Rex. Then, as they stood there, angry recriminations
about to burst from their lips, the whole party were arrested in
their every movement and remained transfixed.
A shrill, clear cry had cut like a knife into the heavy,
incense-laden atmosphere, coming from the room above.
'That's Fleur,' gasped Marie Lou. 'My precious, what is it?'
In an instant, she was dashing across the room to the little
door in the bookshelves which led to the staircase up to -the
nursery. Yet Richard was before her.
In two bounds he had reached the door and was fumbling for the
catch. His trembling fingers found it. He gave a violent jerk.
The little metal ring which served to open it came away in his
hand.
Precious moments were lost as they clawed at the bookbacks. At
last it swung free. Richard pushed Marie Lou through ahead of
him and followed, pressing at her heels. The others stumbled up
the old stone stairs in frantic haste behind them.
They reached the night nursery. Rex ran to the window. It was
wide open. The grey mist blanketed the garden outside. Marie Lou
dashed to the cot. The sheets were tumbled. The imprint of a
little body lay there fresh and warm-but Fleur was gone.
29
Simon Aron Takes a View
'Here's the way they went,' cried Rex. 'There's a ladder under
this window.'
'Then for God's sake get after him,' Richard shouted, racing
across the room. 'If that damn door hadn't stuck we'd have
caught him red-handed-he can't have got far.'
Rex was already on the terrace below, Simon shinned down the
ladder and Richard flung his leg over the sill of the window to
follow.
Marie Lou was left alone with De Richleau in the nursery. She
stared at him with round, tearless eyes, utterly overcome by
this new calamity. The Duke stared back, shaken to the very
depths by this appalling thing which he had brought upon his
friends. He wanted most desperately to comfort and console her,
but realised how hopelessly inadequate anything that he could
say would be. The thought of that child having been seized by
the Satanist to be offered up in some ghastly sacrifice, was
utterly unbearable.
'Princess,' he managed to stammer, 'Princess.' But further
words would not come, and for once in his life he found himself
powerless to deal with a situation.
Marie Lou just stood there motionless and staring, held rigid
by such extreme distress that she could no longer think
coherently.
With a tremendous effort De Richleau pulled himself together.
He knew that he had earned any opprobrium that she and Richard
might choose to heap upon him for having used their house as a
refuge, stated that no harm could befall them if they followed
his instructions, and yet been the means of perhaps causing the
death of the child whom they both idolised. But it was no time
to offer himself for the whipping-post now. They must act and
quickly.
'Where is nurse?' he shot out hoarsely.
'In-in her bedroom.' Marie Lou turned to a door at the end of
the room which stood ajar.
'It's extraordinary that she should not have woken with all
this noise,' De Richleau strode over and thrust it open.
In Fleur's nursery a greyness blurred the outlines of the
furniture and shadowed the corners of the room, but in the
nurse's bedroom, the curtains being drawn, it was still com
pletely dark.
The Duke jerked on the electric light and saw at once that
Fleur's nannie was lying peacefully asleep in bed. He walked
over and touched her swiftly on the shoulder. 'Wake up,' he
said, 'wake up!'
She did not stir, and Marie Lou, who had followed him into the
room, peered at the woman's face anxiously, then cried on a
louder note: 'Wake up, nannie! Wake up!'
De Richleau shook the nurse roughly now, but her head rolled
helplessly upon her shoulders and her eyes remained tightly
shut.
'She's been drugged, I suppose,' Marie Lou said miserably.
'I don't think so.' The Duke bent over and sniffed. 'There is
no smell of chloroform or anything here. It's more likely that
Mocata plunged her into a deep hypnotic sleep directly he
arrived. Best leave her,' he added after a moment. 'She'll wake
in due course, and obviously she cannot tell us anything if she
has been in a heavy induced sleep all the time.'
They returned to the nursery and the Duke switched on the
lights there to make a thorough examination. Almost at once his
eye fell on a paper which lay at the foot of Fleur's empty cot.
He snatched it up and quickly scanned the close, typewritten
lines.
Please do not worry about the little girl. She will be
returned to you tomorrow morning providing that certain
conditions are complied with. These are as follows:
In this exceptional case I have been compelled to resort to
unusual methods which bring me within the scope of the law. I
have no doubt, therefore, that one of you will suggest calling
in the police to trace the child. Any such action might
embarrass my operations and therefore you are not to even
consider such a proceeding. You cannot doubt by now that I have
ways and means of informing myself regarding all your actions
and, in the event of your disobeying my injunction in this
respect, I shall immediately take steps which will ensure that
you never recover the child alive.
My failure last night was regrettable, since it has caused the
death of a young woman recently discovered by me as an
exceptional medium, for whom I might have had some further use.
Mr. Van Ryn removed her body while I slept and it is now in your
keeping; I am anxious that every care should be taken of it. You
will leave the body just as it is in your library until further
instructions and refrain from taking any steps towards a
coroner's examination or its burial. If you disobey me in this
matter, I shall command certain forces at my disposal, of which
Monsieur Le Duc de Richleau may be able to inform you, to take
possession of it.
All of you will confine yourselves in the libary during the
coming day, giving such reasons as you choose to your servants
that you are not to be disturbed.
Lastly, my friend Simon Aron is to rejoin me for the con
tinuance of those experiments in which we are engaged. He will
leave the house alone at mid-day and proceed on foot to the
cross-roads which lie a mile and a half to the south-west of
Cardinals Folly, where I shall arrange for him to be met and,
having surrendered himself to my representative, he must agree
to give me his willing co-operation in the ritual to Satan
tonight, which is necessary for the rediscovery of the Talisman
of Set.
If any of these injunctions are disregarded in the least
degree, you already know the penalty, but if they are carried
out to my entire satisfaction, Simon Aron shall return to you
sane and well after I have carried out my operations, and the
child shall be restored as innocent and happy as she was
yesterday.
Marie Lou read the document over De Richleau's shoulder.
'Oh, what are we to do?' she wailed, wringing her hands to-
gether. 'Greyeyes, this is too awful. What are we going to
do?'
'God knows,' De Richleau muttered miserably. 'He has the whip
hand of us now with a vengeance. The devil of it is that I don't
trust his promise to return the child even if Simon is game to
sacrifice himself.'
At that moment Simon's head appeared above the window sill,
and he scrambled up the last rungs of the ladder into the room.
'Well!' the Duke shot at him, but Simon shook his head.
"The three of us have been round the grounds but in this
filthy fog it's impossible to see any distance. He's got clean
away by now.'
'I feared as much,' the Duke murmured despondently, and with a
new access of miserable unhappiness, he watched Richard climb
into the room.
'Not a trace,' Richard exclaimed hoarsely. 'No footmarks, even
on the flower beds, to show which way he went. Where the hell is
nurse? I'll sack the woman for her damned incompetence, With her
door ajar, there's no excuse for her not having heard Flew cry
out.'
'It was not her fault,' said De Richleau mildly. 'Mocata threw
her into a deep sleep and she is sleeping still. Until the time
he has set it will be impossible to rouse her.'
Rex followed the others through the window, muttering angrily:
'This filthy mist! A dozen toughs might be racketing round the
garden, but we'd never get a sight of them. Is it supposed to be
daylight yet, or isn't it?'
Simon glanced at the clock on the nursery mantelpiece.
'According to this it's only ten to five. Surely it must be
later than that.'
'It's stopped,' announced Richard, 'but it can't be much after
half past six, or the servants would be getting up, and when I
ran round the far side of the house just now, there were no
lights in their windows.'
'All the better,' said the Duke abruptly. 'Mocata's left a
letter, Richard, with certain instructions which he orders us to
carry out if Fleur is tp remain unharmed.'
'Let's see it.' Richard held out his hand.
De Richleau hesitated. 'I'd rather you read it when we are
downstairs again, if you don't mind. It doesn't help us for the
present and there are certain things which we should do at
once-before the servants start moving about.'
'Good Lord, man! I mean to have the lot of them out oё bed
inside ten minutes. We shall need their help.'
'I wish, instead, that while I connect the telephone again and
see if I can find out anything from the inn, you would write a
brief note to Malm saying that our experiments are still in
progress and that we are to be left undisturbed in this wing of
the house for the whole day.'
'If you think I'm going to stay here twiddling my thumbs while
Fleur's in danger-you're crazy!' cried Richard indignantly.
The Duke knew that his suggestion of continued inactivity must
make his apparent negligence seem even worse, but he had never
yet been known to lose his head in a crisis and he managed to
keep his voice quiet and even.
'I would like you to see this letter first and talk it over
with Marie Lou before you do anything reckless. In any case
Tanith's body is still downstairs. It must remain there for the
moment and that is quite sufficient reason for the servants to
be kept away from the library. You, Rex, go along to the
kitchen, take Simon with you, and between you bring us back the
best cold meal that you can muster. We're half starved, and
fasting has its limits of usefulness, even in an affair like
this.'
Marie Lou stood there listening to the argument. She could not
really believe that this awful thing had actually happened to
her. If she had lost Fleur she would die. Even Richard would
never be able to console her. It simply could not be true. The
four men were phantoms-talking-, yet she could see every object
in the room with a curious supernormal clarity. Strange that she
had never noticed one handle on the old walnut chest of drawers
to be odd before, or that one of the wires in the fireguard
protruded a little. Fleur might cut herself if she fell against
it. She must tell nannie to have it seen to tomorrow. Yet all
the time these thoughts were drifting through her mind she was
conscious of what the others were saying and of an urgent need
to comfort De Richleau. Her poor 'Greyeyes' was feeling
desperately unhappy, she knew, and held himself entirely
responsible for the terrible thing which could not possibly be
true. When he mentioned breakfast she said at once: 'I will go
down and cook you some eggs or something.'
'No, no, my dear,' De Richleau looked round and then lowered
his eyes quickly, his heart wrung at the sight of her dead-white
face. 'Please go down to the library and read this letter of
Mocata's through again quietly with Richard. Then you can talk
it over together and will have made up your minds what you think
best by the time the rest of us get back.'
Richard gave in to the Duke's wishes for the moment. They all
descended to the ground floor again and, when the other three
had gone off to the kitchen quarters, he remained with Marie Lou
and read Mocata's letter quickly.
As he finished he looked up at her in miserable indecision.
'My poor sweet. This is ghastly for you.'
'It's just as bad for you,' she said softly. Then, with a
little cry, she flung her arms round his neck. 'Oh, Richard,
darling, what are we to do? '
'Dearest.' He hugged her to him, soothing her gently as best
he could now that the storm had broken. Her small body heaved
with desperate sobbing, while great tears ran down her cheeks,
falling in large, damp splashes upon his hands and neck.
As he held her, murmuring little phrases of endearment and
optimistic comfort, he thought her weeping would never cease.
Her body trembled as it was swept with terrible emotion at the
loss of her cherished Fleur.
'Marie Lou, my angel,' he whispered softly, 'try and pull
yourself together, do, or else you'll have me breaking down as
well in a minute. No harm can have happened to her yet, and it
isn't likely to until tonight at the earliest. Even then, he'll
think twice before he carries out his threat. Only a fool
destroys his hostage to spite his enemy. Mocata may be every
sort of rogue, but he's a civilised one at least, so he won't
maltreat her in any way, you can be sure of that, and if we only
play our cards properly, we'll get her back before it comes to
any question of his carrying out this appalling threat.'
'But what can we do, Richard? What can we do?' she cried,
looking at him wildly from large, tear-dimmed eyes.
'Get after him the second the others come back,' Richard
declared promptly. 'He's human, isn't he? He had to use a ladder
to get up to the nursery just like any other thug. If we act at
once we'll have him under lock and key by nightfall.'
De Richleau's quiet voice broke in from behind them, 'You have
decided, then, to call in the police?'
'Of course.' Richard turned to stare at him. 'This is totally
different from last night's affair. It is a case of kidnapping,
pure and simple, and I'm going to pull every gun I know to get
the police of the whole country after him in the next half hour.
If you've reconnected that line, I'll get straight through to
Scotland Yard-now.'
'Yes, the telephone is all right. I've been through to the inn
and had old Wilkes out of bed. He remembers Rex and Tanith
dining there last night, of course, but when I described Mocata
to him, he said he hadn't seen anyone who answers to that
description there at all, either yesterday or this morning. Have
you written that letter for the servants?'
'Not yet. I will.' Richard left the library just as Simon and
Rex came in, carrying a collection of plates and dishes on two
trays, prominent upon which were a large China teapot and the
half of a York ham.
'Please don't phone Scotland Yard just yet,' Marie Lou called
after Richard. 'I simply must talk to you again before we burn
our boats.'
'The Duke gave her a sharp glance from under his grey
eyebrows. 'You are not then in favour of calling in the police?'
'I don't know what to do,' she confessed miserably. 'Richard
is so sane and practical that I suppose he's right, but you read
the letter and I should never forgive myself if our calling in
the police forced Mocata's hand. Do you-do you really think that
he has the power to find out if we go against his instructions?'
De Richleau nodded. 'I'm afraid so. But Simon can tell you
more of his capabilities in that direction than I can.'
Simon and Rex had put down their trays and were reading
Mocata's letter together. The former looked up swiftly.
'Um. He can see things when he wants to in that mirror I told
you of, and once he gets to London he'll have half-a-dozen
mediums that he can throw into a trance to pick us up. It will
be child's play for a man of his powers to find out if we leave
this room.'
'That's my view,' the Duke agreed. 'And if we once turn to the
police, we have either to go to them or else bring them here.
Telephoning won't be sufficient. They will want photographs of
Fleur and to question every one concerned, so Mocata stands a
pretty good chance of seeing us in conference with them, if he
keeps us under psychic observation, whichever way we set to
work.'
'We should be mad to even think of it,' said Simon jerkily.
'It's pretty useless for me to say I'm sorry, but I brought this
whole trouble on you all and there's only one thing to do, that
obvious.'
'For us to sit here like a lot of dummies while you go off to
give yourself up at twelve o'clock, I suppose?' Richard, who had
just rejoined them, cut in acidly.
'I have been expecting that, knowing Simon,' the Duke
observed. 'Terrible as the consequences may be for him and
although the idea of surrender makes my blood boil I must
confess that I think he's right, with certain modifications!
'Oh, isn't there some other way?' Marie Lou exclaimed
desperately, catching at Simon's hand. 'It's too awful that
because of our own trouble we-should even talk of sacrificing
you.'
One of those rare smiles that made him such a lovable person
lit Simon's face. 'Ner,' he said softly, 'it's been my muddle
from the beginning. I'm terribly grateful to you all for trying
to get me out of it, but Mocata's been too much for us, and I
must throw my hand in now. It's the only thing to do.'
'It is my damned incompetence which has let us in for this,'
grunted the Duke. 'I deserve to take your place, Simon, and I
would-you know that-if it were the least use. The devil of it is
that it's you he wants, not me.'
Rex had been cutting thin slices from the ham and pouring out
the tea. Richard took a welcome cup of his favourite Orange
Pekoe from him and said firmly:
'Stop talking nonsense, for God's sake I Neither of you is to
blame. After what we've all been through together in the past
you did quite rightly to come here. Who should we look to for
help in'times of trouble if not each other? If I was in a real
tight corner I shouldn't hesitate to involve either of you-and I
know that Marie Lou feels the same. This blow couldn't possibly
have been foreseen by anyone. It was just- well, call it an
accident, and the responsibility for protecting Fleur was ours
every bit as much as yours. Now let's get down to what we mean
to do.'
'That's decent of you, Richard.' De Richleau tried to smile,
knowing what it must have cost his friend to ease their feeling
of guilt when he must be so desperately anxious about his child.
'Damned decent,' Simon echoed. 'But all the same I'm going to
keep the appointment Mocata's made for me. It's the only hope
we've got.'
Richard stuck out his chin. 'You're not, old chap. You placed
yourself in my hands by coming to rny house, and I won't have
it. The business we went through last night scared me as much as
anyone, I admit it; but because Greyeyes has proved right about
Satanic manifestations, there is no reason for you all to lose
your sense of proportion about what the evil powers can do. They
have their limitations, just like anything else. Greyeyes
admitted last night that they were based on natural laws, and
this swine's gone outside them. He's operating now in country
that is strange to him. He confesses as much in his letter. You
can see he is scared of calling in the police, and that's the
very way we're going to get him. You people seem to have lost
your nerve.'
'No,' the Duke said sadly. 'I haven't lost my nerve, but look
at it if you like on the basis which you suggest, Richard- that
this is a perfectly normal kidnapping. Say Fleur were being held
to ransom by a group of unscrupulous gangsters, such as operate
in the States, the gang being in a position to to know what is
going on in your house. They have threatened to kill Fleur if
you bring the police into the business. Now, would you be
prepared to risk that in such circumstances?'
'No, I should pay up, as most wretched parents seem to, on the
off-chance that the gang gave me a square deal and I got the
child back unharmed. But this is different. I'll stake my oath
that Mocata means to double-cross us anyhow. If it were only
Simon that he wanted he might be prepared to let us have Fleur
back in exchange. You seem to forget what Tanith told you. He
doesn't know that we know his intentions, but she was absolutely
definite on three points. One, he means to do his damnedest to
bring her back. Two, he will fail unless he makes the attempt in
the next few days. Three, the only way that can be done is by
performing a full Black Mass, including the sacrifice of a
baptised child. Kidnappings take time to plan in a civilised
country unless you want the police on your track. Mocata has
succeeded in one where he thinks there is a fair chance of
keeping the police out of it, and no one in their senses could
suggest that he's the sort of man who would run the risk of
doing another just for the joy of keeping his word with us. It's
as clear as daylight that he is using Fleur as bait to get hold
of Simon and then he'll do us down by killing the child in the
end.'
De Richleau slit open a roll and slipped a slice of ham inside
it. 'Well,' he said as he began to trim the ragged edges neatly,
'it is for you and Marie Lou to decide. The prospect of sitting
in this room for hours on end doing nothing is about the grim
mest I've ever had to face in a pretty crowded lifetime. I would
give most things I really value for a chance to have another cut
at him. The only thing that deters me for one moment is the risk
to Fleur.'
'I know that well enough,' Richard acknowledged, 'but I am
convinced our only chance of seeing her alive again is to call
in the police, and trust to running him to earth before
nightfall.'
'I wouldn't,' Simon shook his head, 'I wouldn't honestly,
Richard. He's certain to find out if we take steps against him.
We shall waste hours here being questioned by the local bigwigs,
and it's a hundred to one against their being able to corner him
in a single day. Fleur is safe for the moment-for God's sake
don't make things worse than they are. I know the man and he's
as heartless as a snake. It's signing Fleur's death warrant to
try and tackle him like this.'
Marie Lou listened to these conflicting arguments in miserable
indecision. She was torn violently from side to side by each in
turn. Simon spoke with such absolute conviction that it seemed
certain Richard's suggested intervention would precipitate her
child's death, and yet she felt, too, how right Richard was in
his belief that Mocata was certain to double-cross them, and
having trapped them into surrendering Simon, retain Fleur for
this abominable sacrifice which Tanith had told them he was so
anxious to make. The horns of the dilemma seemed to join and
form a vicious circle which went round and round in her aching
head.
The others fell silent and Richard looked across at her.
'Well, dearest, which is it to be?'
'Oh, I don't know,' she moaned. 'Both sides seem right and yet
the risk is so appalling either way.'
He laid his hand gently on her hair. 'It's beastly having to
make such a decision, and if we were alone in this I wouldn't
dream of asking you. I'd do what I thought best myself unless
you were dead against it, but as the others disagree with me so
strongly what can I do but ask you to decide?'
Wringing her hands together in agonised distress at this
horrible problem with which she was faced, Marie Lou looked
desperately from side to side, then her glance fell on Rex. He
was sitting hunched up in a dejected attitude on the far side of
Tanith's body, his eyes fixed in hopeless misery on the dead
girl's face.
'Rex,' she said hoarsely, 'you haven't said what you think
yet. Both these alternatives seem equally ghastly to me. What do
you advise?'
'Eh?' He looked up quickly 'It's mighty difficult and I was
just trying to figure it out. I hate the thought of doing
nothing, waiting about when you've got a packet of trouble is
just real hell to me, and I'd like to get after this bird with a
gun. But Simon's so certain that if we did it would be fatal to
Fleur, and I guess the Duke thinks that way to. They both know
him, you must remember, and Richard doesn't, which is a point to
awful thing might remain to animate her body.'
'She is dead as we know death,' said Richard softly. 'So what
could remain?'
'I know what he means,' the Duke remarked abruptly. 'He is
afraid that an elemental may have taken possession of her
corpse. If so drastic measures will be necessary.'
'No!' Rex shook his head violently. 'If you're thinking of
cutting off her head and driving a stake through her heart, I
won't have it. She's mine, I tell you-mine!'
'Better that than the poor soul should suffer the agony of
seeing its body come out of the grave at night to fatten itself
on human blood,' De Richleau murmured. 'But there are certain
tests, and we can soon find out. Bring her over here.'
Simon and Richard lifted the body and carried it over to the
mat of sheets and blankets in the centre of the pentacle, while
De Richleau fiddled for a moment among his impedimenta.
'The Undead,' he said slowly, 'have certain inhibitions. They
can pass as human, but they cannot eat human food and they
cannot cross running water except at sunset and sunrise. Garlic
is a most fearsome thing to them, so that they scream if only
touched by it, and the Cross, of course, is anathema. We will
see if she reacts to them.'
As he spoke he took the wreath of garlic flowers from round
his neck and placed it about Tanith's. Then he made the sign of
the Cross above her and laid his little gold crucifix upon her
lips.
The others stood round, watching the scene with horrified
fascination. Tanith lay there, calm and still, her pale face
shadowed by the golden hair, her tawny eyes now closed under the
heavy, blue-veined lids, the long, curved eyelashes falling upon
her cheeks. She had the look of death and yet, as De Richleau
set about his grim task, it seemed to them that her eyelids
might flicker open at any moment. Yet, when the garlic flowers
were draped upon her, she remained there cold and immobile, and
when the little crucifix was laid upon her lips she showed no
consciousness of it, even by the twitching of the tiniest
muscle.
'She's dead, Rex, absolutely dead, De Richleau stood up again.
'So, my poor boy, at least your worst fears will not be
realised. Her soul has left her body but no evil entity has
taken possession of it, I am certain of that now.'
A new hush fell upon the room. Tanith looked, if possible,
even more beautiful in death that she had in life, so that they
marvelled at her loveliness. Rex crouched beside her, utterly
stricken by this tragic ending to all the wonderful hopes and
plans which had seethed in his mind the previous afternoon after
she had told him that she loved him. He had known her by sight
for so long, dreamed of her so often, yet having gained her love
a merciless fate had deprived him of it after only a few hours
of happiness. It was unfair-unfair. Suddenly he buried his face
in his hands, his great shoulders shook, and for the first time
in his life he gave way to a passion of bitter tears.
The rest stood by him in silent sympathy. There was nothing
which they could say or do. Marie Lou attempted to soothe his
anguish by stroking his rebellious hair, but he jerked his head
away with a quick angry movement. Only a few hours before, in
those sunlit woods, Tanith had run her fingers through his curls
again and again during the ecstasy of the dawning of their
passion for each other, and the thought that she would never do
so any more filled him with the almost unbearable grief and
misery.
After a while the Duke turned helplessly away and Simon,
catching his eye, beckoned him over towards the open window out
of earshot from the others. The seemingly endless night still
lay upon the garden, and now a light mist had arisen. Wisps of
it were creeping down the steps from the terrace and curling
into the room. De Richleau shivered and refastened the windows
to shut them out.
'What is it?' he asked quickly.
'I-er-suppose there is no chance of her being made animate
again?' hazarded Simon.
'None. If there had been anything there it would never have
been able to bear the garlic and the crucifix without giving
some indication of its presence.'
'I wasn't thinking of that. The vital organs aren't injured in
any way as far as we know, and rigor mortis has not set in yet.
I felt her hand just now and the fingers are as flexible as
mine.'
De Richleau shrugged. 'That makes no difference. Rigor mortis
may have been delayed for a variety of reasons but she will be
'as stiff as a board in a few hours' time just the same. Of
course her state does resemble that of a person who has been
drowned, in a way, but only superficially; and if you are
thinking that we might bring her back to life by artificial
respiration I can assure you that there is not a chance. It
would only be a terrible unkindness to hold out such false hopes
to poor Rex.'
'Ner-you don't see what I'm driving at.' Simon's dark eyes
flickered quickly from De Richleau's face to the silent group in
the centre of the pentagram and then back again. 'No ordinary
doctor could do anything for her, I know that well enough; but
since her body is still in the intermediate stage there are a
few people in this world who could, and I was wondering if
you--'
'What!' The Duke started suddenly then went on in a whisper:
'Do you mean that I should try and bring her back?'
'Urn,' Simon nodded his head jerkily up and down. 'If you know
the drill-and you seem to know so much about the great secrets,
I thought it just on the cards you might?'
De Richleau looked thoughtful for a moment. 'I know something
of the ritual,' he confessed at length, 'but I have never seen
it done, and in any case it's a terrible responsibility.'
At that moment there was a faint sighing as the breeze
rippled the leaves of the trees out in the garden. Both men
heard it and they looked at each other questioningly,
'Her soul can't be very far away yet,' whispered Simon.
'No,' the Duke agreed reluctantly. 'But I don't like it,
Simon. The dead are not meant to be called back. They do not
come willingly. If I attempt this and succeed it would only be
by the force of incredibly powerful conjurations which the soul
dare not disobey, and we are not justified in taking such steps.
Besides, what good could it do? At best, I should not be able to
bring her back for more than a few moments.'
'Of course, I know that; but you still don't seem to get my
idea,' Simon went on hurriedly. 'As far as Rex is concerned,
poor chap, she's gone for good and all, but I was thinking of
Mocata. You were hammering it into us last night for all you
were worth that it's up to us to destroy him before he has the
chance to secure the Talisman. Surely this is our opportunity.
In Tanith's present physical state her spirit can't have gone
far from her body. If you could bring it back for a few moments,
or even get her to talk, don't you see that she'll be able to
tell us how best to try and scotch Mocata. From the astral
plane, where she is now, her vision and insight are limitless,
so she'll be able to help us in a way that she never could have
done before.'
'That's different,' De Richleau's pale face lit up with a
tired smile. 'And you're right, Simon. I have been under such a
strain for the past few hours that I had forgotten the thing
that matters most of all. I would never consent to attempt it
for any other purpose, but to prevent suffering and death coming
to countless millions of people we are justified in anything.
I'll speak-to Rex.'
Rex nodded despondently, numb now with misery, when the Duke
had explained what he meant to try to do. 'Just as you like,' he
said slowly. 'It won't hurt in any way, though- I mean her
soul-will it?'
'No,' De Richleau assured him. 'In the ordinary way it might.
To recall the soul of a dead person is to risk interfering with
their karma, but Tanith has virtually been murdered and,
although it is not the way of the spirit to seek revenge against
people for things which may have happened in this life, it is
almost a certainty that she is actually wanting to come back for
just long enough to tell us how to defeat Mocata, because of her
love for you.'
'All right then,' Rex muttered, 'only let's get over with it
as quickly as we can.'
'I'm afraid it will take some time,' De Richleau warned him,
'and even then it may not be successful, but the issues at stake
are so vital, you must try and put aside your personal grief for
a bit.'
He began to clear the pentacle of all the things which he had
used the previous evening to form protective barriers, the holy
water, the little cups, the horseshoes, placing them with the
garlic and dried mandrake back in the suitcase. He then took
from it seven small metal trays, a wooden platter, and a box of
powered incense; and pouring a little heap of the dark powder on
the platter went up to Rex.
'I'm afraid I've got to trouble you if we're going to see this
through.'
Trouble away,' said Rex grimly, with a flash of his old
spirit. 'You know I'm with you in anything which is likely to
let me get my hands on that devil's throat.'
'Good.' The Duke took out his pocket knife and held the blade
for a moment in the flame of a match. 'You've seen enough of
this business now to know that I don't do anything without a
purpose, and I want a little of your blood. I will use my own if
you like but yours is far more likely to have the desired
effect, since you felt so strongly for this poor girl and she,
apparently, for you.'
'Go ahead.' Rex pulled up his cuff and bared his forearm, but
De Richleau shook his head.
'No. Your finger will do, and it will hardly be more than a
pin-prick. I only need a few drops.'
With a swift movement he took Rex's hand and, having made a
slight incision in the little finger, squeezed out seven drops
of blood on to the incense.
Then he walked over to Tanith and, kneeling down, took seven
long golden hairs from her head. Next he proceeded to form the
mixture of incense and blood into a paste out of which he made
seven cones, in each of which was coiled one of Tanith's long
golden hairs.
With Richard's assistance he carefully oriented the body so
that her feet were pointing towards the north and drew a fresh
chalk circle, just large enough to contain her and the bedding,
seven feet in diameter.
'Now if you will turn your backs, please,' he told them all,
'I will proceed with the preparation.'
For a few moments they gazed obediently at the book-lined
walls while he did certain curious things, and when he bade them
turn again he was placing the seven cones of incense on the
seven little metal trays, each engraved with the Seal of
Solomon, in various positions round the body.
'We shall remain outside the circle this time,' he explained,
'so that the spirit, if it comes, is contained within it. Should
some evil entity endeavour to impersonate her soul it will thus
be confined within the circle and unable to get at us.'
He lit the seven cones of incense, completed the barrier round
about the body with numerous fresh signs, and then, walking over
to the doorway, switched out the lights.
The fire was quite dead now, and the candles had never been re-
lit, but after a moment greyness began to filter through the
french-windows. The light was just sufficient for them to see
each other as ghostly forms moving in the darkness, while the
body, lying in the circle, was barely visible, its position
being indicated by the seven tiny points of light from the cones
of incense burning round it.
Simon laid an unsteady hand on the Duke's arm. 'Is it- is
it-quite safe to do this? I mean, mightn't Mocata have another
cut at us now we're in the dark and no longer have the
protection of the pentacle?'
'No,' De Richleau answered decisively. 'He played his last
card tonight when he sent the Dark Angel against us and caused
Tanith's death. That stupendous operation will have exhausted
his magical powers for the time at least. Come over here, all of
you, and sit down on the floor in a circle.'
Leading them over to Tanith's feet he arranged them so that
Rex and Marie Lou both had their backs to the body and would be
spared the sight of any manifestations which might take place
about it. He sat facing it himself, with Richard and Simon
either side of him; all five of them clasped hands.
Then he told them that they must preserve complete quiet and
under no circumstances break the circle they had formed. He
warned them too, that if they felt a sudden cold they were not
to be frightened by it as they had been of the horrible wind
which had swirled so uncannily in that room a few hours before.
It would be caused by the ectoplasm which might be drawn from
Tanith's body and, he went on to add, if a voice addressed them
they were not to answer. He would do any talking which was
necessary and they were to remain absolutely still until he gave
orders that the circle should be broken up.
They sat there, hand in hand, in silence, while it seemed that
an age was passing. The square frame of the window gradually
lightened but so very slowly that it was barely perceptible, and
if dawn was breaking at last upon the countryside it was shut
out from them by the grey, ghostly fog.
The cones of incense burned siowly, giving a strange, acrid
smell, mixed with some queer and sickly eastern perfume. From
their position in the circle Richard and Simon could see the
faint wreaths of smoke curling up for a few inches above the
tiny points of light to disappear above, lost in the darkness.
Tanith's body lay still and motionless, a shadowy outline upon
the thin mat of makeshift bedding.
De Richleau had closed his eyes and bowed his head upon his
chest. Once more he was practising that rhythmic, inaudible Raja
Yoga breathing, which has such power to recruit strength or to
send it forth, and he was using it now while he concentrated on
calling the spirit of Tanith to him.
Richard watched the body with curious expectancy. His
experience of the last few hours had been too recent for him to
collate his thoughts, and while he had so sturdily rejected the
idea of Black Magic the night before he would more or less have
accepted the fact of Spiritualism. It was a much more general
modern belief, and this business as far as he could see, except
in a few minor particulars such as the incense compounded with
blood, was very similar to the spiritualistic seances of which
he had often heard. The only real difference being that, in this
instance, they had a newly dead body to operate on and therefore
were far more likely to get results. As time wore on, however,
he became doubtful, for if their vigil had lasted many hours
this one, now that he was utterly weary, seemed like a
succession of nights.
It was Simon who first became aware that something was
happening. He was watching the seven cones of incense intently,
and it seemed to him that the one which was farthest from him,
set at Tanith's head, gave out a greater amount of smoke than
the rest. Then he realised that he could see the cone more
clearly and the eddying curls of aromatic vapour which it sent
up had taken on a bluish hue which the rest had not.
He pressed De Richleau's hand and the Duke raised his head.
Richard too had seen it, and as they watched, a faint blue light
became definitely perceptible.
It gradually solidified into a ball about two inches in
diameter and moved slowly forward from the head until it reached
the centre of Tanith's body. There it remained for a while,
growing in brightness and intensity until it had became a strong
blue light. Then it rose a little and hovered in the air above
her, so that by its glow they could clearly see the curves of
her figure and her pale, beautiful face, lit by that strange
radiance.
Intensely alert now, they sat still and watchful, until the
ball of light began to lose colour and diffuse itself over a
wider area. The smoke of the incense wreathed up towards it from
the seven metal platters, and it seemed to gather this into
itself, forming from it the vague outline of a head and shoul
ders, still cloudy and transparent but, after another few
moments, definitely recognisable as an outline of the bust of
the figure which lay motionless beneath it.
With pounding hearts they watched for new developments, and
now it seemed that the whole process of materialisation was
hurried forward in a few seconds. The bust joined itself, by
throwing out a shadowy torso, to the hips of the dead body, the
face and shoulders solidified until the features were distinct,
and the whole became surrounded by an aureole of light.
Upon the strained silence there came the faintest whisper of a
voice:
'You called me. I am here.'
'Are you in truth, Tanith?' De Richleau asked softly.
'I am.'
'Do you acknowledge our Lord Jesus Christ?'
'I do.'
A sigh of relief escaped De Richleau, for he knew that no
impersonating elemental would ever dare to testify in such a
manner, and he proceeded quietly:
'Do you come here of your own free will, or do you wish to
depart?'
'I come because you called, but I am glad to come.'
'There is one here whose grief for your passing is very great.
He does not seek to draw you back, but he wishes to know if it
is your desire to help him in the protection of his friends and
the destruction of evil for the well-being of the world.'
'It is my desire.'
"Will you tell us all that you can of the man Mocata which may
prove of help?'
'I cannot, for I am circumscribed by the Law, but you may ask
me what you will and, because you have summoned me, I am bound
by your command to answer,'
'What is he doing now?'
'Plotting fresh evil against you.'
'Where is he now?'
'He is quite near you.'
'Can you not tell me where?'
'I do not know. I cannot see distinctly, for he covers himself
with a cloak of darkness, but he is still in your
neighbourhood.'
'In the village?'
'Perhaps.'
'Where will he be this time tomorrow? '
'In Paris.'
'What do you see him doing in Paris?'
'I see him talking with a man who has lost a portion of his
left ear. It is a tall building. They are both very angry.'
'Will he stay in Paris for long?'
'No. I see him moving at great speed towards the rising sun.'
'Where do you see him next?'
'Under the earth.'
'Do you mean that he is dead-to us?'
'No, He is in a stone-flagged vault beneath a building which
is very very old. The place radiates evil. The red vibrations
are so powerful that I cannot see what he does there. The light
which surrounds me now protects me from such sights.'
'What is he planning now?'
To draw me back.'
'Do you mean that he is endeavouring to restore your soul to
your body?'
'Yes. He is already bitterly regretting that in his anger
against you he risked the severance of the two. He could force
me to be of great service to him on your plane but he cannot do
so on this.'
'But is it possible for him to bring you back-permanently?'
'Yes. If he acts at once. While the moon is still in her dark
quarter.'
'Is it your wish to return?'
'No, unless I were free of him-but I have no choice. My soul
is in pawn until the coming of the new moon. After that I shall
pass on unless he has succeeded.'
'How will he set about this thing?'
'There is only one way. The full performance of the Black
Mass.'
'You mean with sacrifice of a Christian child?'
'Yes. It is the age-old law, a soul for a soul. That is the
only way and the soul of a baptised child will be accepted in
exchange for mine. Then if my body remains uninjured I shall be
compelled to return to it.'
'What are--'
The Duke's next question was cut short by Rex, who could stand
the strain no longer. He did not know that De Richleau was only
conversing with Tanith's astral body and thought that he had
succeeded in restoring the corpse which lay behind him, at least
to temporary lif e again.
'Tanith,' he cried, breaking the circle and flinging himself
round. Tanith!'
In a fraction of time the vision disintegrated and dis
appeared. His eyes blazing with anger, De Richleau sprang to his
feet.
'You fool!' he thundered. 'You stupid fool.' In the pale light
of dawn which was now at last just filtering through the fog, he
glared at Rex. Then, as they stood there, angry recriminations
about to burst from their lips, the whole party were arrested in
their every movement and remained transfixed.
A shrill, clear cry had cut like a knife into the heavy,
incense-laden atmosphere, coming from the room above.
'That's Fleur,' gasped Marie Lou. 'My precious, what is it?'
In an instant, she was dashing across the room to the little
door in the bookshelves which led to the staircase up to -the
nursery. Yet Richard was before her.
In two bounds he had reached the door and was fumbling for the
catch. His trembling fingers found it. He gave a violent jerk.
The little metal ring which served to open it came away in his
hand.
Precious moments were lost as they clawed at the bookbacks. At
last it swung free. Richard pushed Marie Lou through ahead of
him and followed, pressing at her heels. The others stumbled up
the old stone stairs in frantic haste behind them.
They reached the night nursery. Rex ran to the window. It was
wide open. The grey mist blanketed the garden outside. Marie Lou
dashed to the cot. The sheets were tumbled. The imprint of a
little body lay there fresh and warm-but Fleur was gone.
29
Simon Aron Takes a View
'Here's the way they went,' cried Rex. 'There's a ladder under
this window.'
'Then for God's sake get after him,' Richard shouted, racing
across the room. 'If that damn door hadn't stuck we'd have
caught him red-handed-he can't have got far.'
Rex was already on the terrace below, Simon shinned down the
ladder and Richard flung his leg over the sill of the window to
follow.
Marie Lou was left alone with De Richleau in the nursery. She
stared at him with round, tearless eyes, utterly overcome by
this new calamity. The Duke stared back, shaken to the very
depths by this appalling thing which he had brought upon his
friends. He wanted most desperately to comfort and console her,
but realised how hopelessly inadequate anything that he could
say would be. The thought of that child having been seized by
the Satanist to be offered up in some ghastly sacrifice, was
utterly unbearable.
'Princess,' he managed to stammer, 'Princess.' But further
words would not come, and for once in his life he found himself
powerless to deal with a situation.
Marie Lou just stood there motionless and staring, held rigid
by such extreme distress that she could no longer think
coherently.
With a tremendous effort De Richleau pulled himself together.
He knew that he had earned any opprobrium that she and Richard
might choose to heap upon him for having used their house as a
refuge, stated that no harm could befall them if they followed
his instructions, and yet been the means of perhaps causing the
death of the child whom they both idolised. But it was no time
to offer himself for the whipping-post now. They must act and
quickly.
'Where is nurse?' he shot out hoarsely.
'In-in her bedroom.' Marie Lou turned to a door at the end of
the room which stood ajar.
'It's extraordinary that she should not have woken with all
this noise,' De Richleau strode over and thrust it open.
In Fleur's nursery a greyness blurred the outlines of the
furniture and shadowed the corners of the room, but in the
nurse's bedroom, the curtains being drawn, it was still com
pletely dark.
The Duke jerked on the electric light and saw at once that
Fleur's nannie was lying peacefully asleep in bed. He walked
over and touched her swiftly on the shoulder. 'Wake up,' he
said, 'wake up!'
She did not stir, and Marie Lou, who had followed him into the
room, peered at the woman's face anxiously, then cried on a
louder note: 'Wake up, nannie! Wake up!'
De Richleau shook the nurse roughly now, but her head rolled
helplessly upon her shoulders and her eyes remained tightly
shut.
'She's been drugged, I suppose,' Marie Lou said miserably.
'I don't think so.' The Duke bent over and sniffed. 'There is
no smell of chloroform or anything here. It's more likely that
Mocata plunged her into a deep hypnotic sleep directly he
arrived. Best leave her,' he added after a moment. 'She'll wake
in due course, and obviously she cannot tell us anything if she
has been in a heavy induced sleep all the time.'
They returned to the nursery and the Duke switched on the
lights there to make a thorough examination. Almost at once his
eye fell on a paper which lay at the foot of Fleur's empty cot.
He snatched it up and quickly scanned the close, typewritten
lines.
Please do not worry about the little girl. She will be
returned to you tomorrow morning providing that certain
conditions are complied with. These are as follows:
In this exceptional case I have been compelled to resort to
unusual methods which bring me within the scope of the law. I
have no doubt, therefore, that one of you will suggest calling
in the police to trace the child. Any such action might
embarrass my operations and therefore you are not to even
consider such a proceeding. You cannot doubt by now that I have
ways and means of informing myself regarding all your actions
and, in the event of your disobeying my injunction in this
respect, I shall immediately take steps which will ensure that
you never recover the child alive.
My failure last night was regrettable, since it has caused the
death of a young woman recently discovered by me as an
exceptional medium, for whom I might have had some further use.
Mr. Van Ryn removed her body while I slept and it is now in your
keeping; I am anxious that every care should be taken of it. You
will leave the body just as it is in your library until further
instructions and refrain from taking any steps towards a
coroner's examination or its burial. If you disobey me in this
matter, I shall command certain forces at my disposal, of which
Monsieur Le Duc de Richleau may be able to inform you, to take
possession of it.
All of you will confine yourselves in the libary during the
coming day, giving such reasons as you choose to your servants
that you are not to be disturbed.
Lastly, my friend Simon Aron is to rejoin me for the con
tinuance of those experiments in which we are engaged. He will
leave the house alone at mid-day and proceed on foot to the
cross-roads which lie a mile and a half to the south-west of
Cardinals Folly, where I shall arrange for him to be met and,
having surrendered himself to my representative, he must agree
to give me his willing co-operation in the ritual to Satan
tonight, which is necessary for the rediscovery of the Talisman
of Set.
If any of these injunctions are disregarded in the least
degree, you already know the penalty, but if they are carried
out to my entire satisfaction, Simon Aron shall return to you
sane and well after I have carried out my operations, and the
child shall be restored as innocent and happy as she was
yesterday.
Marie Lou read the document over De Richleau's shoulder.
'Oh, what are we to do?' she wailed, wringing her hands to-
gether. 'Greyeyes, this is too awful. What are we going to
do?'
'God knows,' De Richleau muttered miserably. 'He has the whip
hand of us now with a vengeance. The devil of it is that I don't
trust his promise to return the child even if Simon is game to
sacrifice himself.'
At that moment Simon's head appeared above the window sill,
and he scrambled up the last rungs of the ladder into the room.
'Well!' the Duke shot at him, but Simon shook his head.
"The three of us have been round the grounds but in this
filthy fog it's impossible to see any distance. He's got clean
away by now.'
'I feared as much,' the Duke murmured despondently, and with a
new access of miserable unhappiness, he watched Richard climb
into the room.
'Not a trace,' Richard exclaimed hoarsely. 'No footmarks, even
on the flower beds, to show which way he went. Where the hell is
nurse? I'll sack the woman for her damned incompetence, With her
door ajar, there's no excuse for her not having heard Flew cry
out.'
'It was not her fault,' said De Richleau mildly. 'Mocata threw
her into a deep sleep and she is sleeping still. Until the time
he has set it will be impossible to rouse her.'
Rex followed the others through the window, muttering angrily:
'This filthy mist! A dozen toughs might be racketing round the
garden, but we'd never get a sight of them. Is it supposed to be
daylight yet, or isn't it?'
Simon glanced at the clock on the nursery mantelpiece.
'According to this it's only ten to five. Surely it must be
later than that.'
'It's stopped,' announced Richard, 'but it can't be much after
half past six, or the servants would be getting up, and when I
ran round the far side of the house just now, there were no
lights in their windows.'
'All the better,' said the Duke abruptly. 'Mocata's left a
letter, Richard, with certain instructions which he orders us to
carry out if Fleur is tp remain unharmed.'
'Let's see it.' Richard held out his hand.
De Richleau hesitated. 'I'd rather you read it when we are
downstairs again, if you don't mind. It doesn't help us for the
present and there are certain things which we should do at
once-before the servants start moving about.'
'Good Lord, man! I mean to have the lot of them out oё bed
inside ten minutes. We shall need their help.'
'I wish, instead, that while I connect the telephone again and
see if I can find out anything from the inn, you would write a
brief note to Malm saying that our experiments are still in
progress and that we are to be left undisturbed in this wing of
the house for the whole day.'
'If you think I'm going to stay here twiddling my thumbs while
Fleur's in danger-you're crazy!' cried Richard indignantly.
The Duke knew that his suggestion of continued inactivity must
make his apparent negligence seem even worse, but he had never
yet been known to lose his head in a crisis and he managed to
keep his voice quiet and even.
'I would like you to see this letter first and talk it over
with Marie Lou before you do anything reckless. In any case
Tanith's body is still downstairs. It must remain there for the
moment and that is quite sufficient reason for the servants to
be kept away from the library. You, Rex, go along to the
kitchen, take Simon with you, and between you bring us back the
best cold meal that you can muster. We're half starved, and
fasting has its limits of usefulness, even in an affair like
this.'
Marie Lou stood there listening to the argument. She could not
really believe that this awful thing had actually happened to
her. If she had lost Fleur she would die. Even Richard would
never be able to console her. It simply could not be true. The
four men were phantoms-talking-, yet she could see every object
in the room with a curious supernormal clarity. Strange that she
had never noticed one handle on the old walnut chest of drawers
to be odd before, or that one of the wires in the fireguard
protruded a little. Fleur might cut herself if she fell against
it. She must tell nannie to have it seen to tomorrow. Yet all
the time these thoughts were drifting through her mind she was
conscious of what the others were saying and of an urgent need
to comfort De Richleau. Her poor 'Greyeyes' was feeling
desperately unhappy, she knew, and held himself entirely
responsible for the terrible thing which could not possibly be
true. When he mentioned breakfast she said at once: 'I will go
down and cook you some eggs or something.'
'No, no, my dear,' De Richleau looked round and then lowered
his eyes quickly, his heart wrung at the sight of her dead-white
face. 'Please go down to the library and read this letter of
Mocata's through again quietly with Richard. Then you can talk
it over together and will have made up your minds what you think
best by the time the rest of us get back.'
Richard gave in to the Duke's wishes for the moment. They all
descended to the ground floor again and, when the other three
had gone off to the kitchen quarters, he remained with Marie Lou
and read Mocata's letter quickly.
As he finished he looked up at her in miserable indecision.
'My poor sweet. This is ghastly for you.'
'It's just as bad for you,' she said softly. Then, with a
little cry, she flung her arms round his neck. 'Oh, Richard,
darling, what are we to do? '
'Dearest.' He hugged her to him, soothing her gently as best
he could now that the storm had broken. Her small body heaved
with desperate sobbing, while great tears ran down her cheeks,
falling in large, damp splashes upon his hands and neck.
As he held her, murmuring little phrases of endearment and
optimistic comfort, he thought her weeping would never cease.
Her body trembled as it was swept with terrible emotion at the
loss of her cherished Fleur.
'Marie Lou, my angel,' he whispered softly, 'try and pull
yourself together, do, or else you'll have me breaking down as
well in a minute. No harm can have happened to her yet, and it
isn't likely to until tonight at the earliest. Even then, he'll
think twice before he carries out his threat. Only a fool
destroys his hostage to spite his enemy. Mocata may be every
sort of rogue, but he's a civilised one at least, so he won't
maltreat her in any way, you can be sure of that, and if we only
play our cards properly, we'll get her back before it comes to
any question of his carrying out this appalling threat.'
'But what can we do, Richard? What can we do?' she cried,
looking at him wildly from large, tear-dimmed eyes.
'Get after him the second the others come back,' Richard
declared promptly. 'He's human, isn't he? He had to use a ladder
to get up to the nursery just like any other thug. If we act at
once we'll have him under lock and key by nightfall.'
De Richleau's quiet voice broke in from behind them, 'You have
decided, then, to call in the police?'
'Of course.' Richard turned to stare at him. 'This is totally
different from last night's affair. It is a case of kidnapping,
pure and simple, and I'm going to pull every gun I know to get
the police of the whole country after him in the next half hour.
If you've reconnected that line, I'll get straight through to
Scotland Yard-now.'
'Yes, the telephone is all right. I've been through to the inn
and had old Wilkes out of bed. He remembers Rex and Tanith
dining there last night, of course, but when I described Mocata
to him, he said he hadn't seen anyone who answers to that
description there at all, either yesterday or this morning. Have
you written that letter for the servants?'
'Not yet. I will.' Richard left the library just as Simon and
Rex came in, carrying a collection of plates and dishes on two
trays, prominent upon which were a large China teapot and the
half of a York ham.
'Please don't phone Scotland Yard just yet,' Marie Lou called
after Richard. 'I simply must talk to you again before we burn
our boats.'
'The Duke gave her a sharp glance from under his grey
eyebrows. 'You are not then in favour of calling in the police?'
'I don't know what to do,' she confessed miserably. 'Richard
is so sane and practical that I suppose he's right, but you read
the letter and I should never forgive myself if our calling in
the police forced Mocata's hand. Do you-do you really think that
he has the power to find out if we go against his instructions?'
De Richleau nodded. 'I'm afraid so. But Simon can tell you
more of his capabilities in that direction than I can.'
Simon and Rex had put down their trays and were reading
Mocata's letter together. The former looked up swiftly.
'Um. He can see things when he wants to in that mirror I told
you of, and once he gets to London he'll have half-a-dozen
mediums that he can throw into a trance to pick us up. It will
be child's play for a man of his powers to find out if we leave
this room.'
'That's my view,' the Duke agreed. 'And if we once turn to the
police, we have either to go to them or else bring them here.
Telephoning won't be sufficient. They will want photographs of
Fleur and to question every one concerned, so Mocata stands a
pretty good chance of seeing us in conference with them, if he
keeps us under psychic observation, whichever way we set to
work.'
'We should be mad to even think of it,' said Simon jerkily.
'It's pretty useless for me to say I'm sorry, but I brought this
whole trouble on you all and there's only one thing to do, that
obvious.'
'For us to sit here like a lot of dummies while you go off to
give yourself up at twelve o'clock, I suppose?' Richard, who had
just rejoined them, cut in acidly.
'I have been expecting that, knowing Simon,' the Duke
observed. 'Terrible as the consequences may be for him and
although the idea of surrender makes my blood boil I must
confess that I think he's right, with certain modifications!
'Oh, isn't there some other way?' Marie Lou exclaimed
desperately, catching at Simon's hand. 'It's too awful that
because of our own trouble we-should even talk of sacrificing
you.'
One of those rare smiles that made him such a lovable person
lit Simon's face. 'Ner,' he said softly, 'it's been my muddle
from the beginning. I'm terribly grateful to you all for trying
to get me out of it, but Mocata's been too much for us, and I
must throw my hand in now. It's the only thing to do.'
'It is my damned incompetence which has let us in for this,'
grunted the Duke. 'I deserve to take your place, Simon, and I
would-you know that-if it were the least use. The devil of it is
that it's you he wants, not me.'
Rex had been cutting thin slices from the ham and pouring out
the tea. Richard took a welcome cup of his favourite Orange
Pekoe from him and said firmly:
'Stop talking nonsense, for God's sake I Neither of you is to
blame. After what we've all been through together in the past
you did quite rightly to come here. Who should we look to for
help in'times of trouble if not each other? If I was in a real
tight corner I shouldn't hesitate to involve either of you-and I
know that Marie Lou feels the same. This blow couldn't possibly
have been foreseen by anyone. It was just- well, call it an
accident, and the responsibility for protecting Fleur was ours
every bit as much as yours. Now let's get down to what we mean
to do.'
'That's decent of you, Richard.' De Richleau tried to smile,
knowing what it must have cost his friend to ease their feeling
of guilt when he must be so desperately anxious about his child.
'Damned decent,' Simon echoed. 'But all the same I'm going to
keep the appointment Mocata's made for me. It's the only hope
we've got.'
Richard stuck out his chin. 'You're not, old chap. You placed
yourself in my hands by coming to rny house, and I won't have
it. The business we went through last night scared me as much as
anyone, I admit it; but because Greyeyes has proved right about
Satanic manifestations, there is no reason for you all to lose
your sense of proportion about what the evil powers can do. They
have their limitations, just like anything else. Greyeyes
admitted last night that they were based on natural laws, and
this swine's gone outside them. He's operating now in country
that is strange to him. He confesses as much in his letter. You
can see he is scared of calling in the police, and that's the
very way we're going to get him. You people seem to have lost
your nerve.'
'No,' the Duke said sadly. 'I haven't lost my nerve, but look
at it if you like on the basis which you suggest, Richard- that
this is a perfectly normal kidnapping. Say Fleur were being held
to ransom by a group of unscrupulous gangsters, such as operate
in the States, the gang being in a position to to know what is
going on in your house. They have threatened to kill Fleur if
you bring the police into the business. Now, would you be
prepared to risk that in such circumstances?'
'No, I should pay up, as most wretched parents seem to, on the
off-chance that the gang gave me a square deal and I got the
child back unharmed. But this is different. I'll stake my oath
that Mocata means to double-cross us anyhow. If it were only
Simon that he wanted he might be prepared to let us have Fleur
back in exchange. You seem to forget what Tanith told you. He
doesn't know that we know his intentions, but she was absolutely
definite on three points. One, he means to do his damnedest to
bring her back. Two, he will fail unless he makes the attempt in
the next few days. Three, the only way that can be done is by
performing a full Black Mass, including the sacrifice of a
baptised child. Kidnappings take time to plan in a civilised
country unless you want the police on your track. Mocata has
succeeded in one where he thinks there is a fair chance of
keeping the police out of it, and no one in their senses could
suggest that he's the sort of man who would run the risk of
doing another just for the joy of keeping his word with us. It's
as clear as daylight that he is using Fleur as bait to get hold
of Simon and then he'll do us down by killing the child in the
end.'
De Richleau slit open a roll and slipped a slice of ham inside
it. 'Well,' he said as he began to trim the ragged edges neatly,
'it is for you and Marie Lou to decide. The prospect of sitting
in this room for hours on end doing nothing is about the grim
mest I've ever had to face in a pretty crowded lifetime. I would
give most things I really value for a chance to have another cut
at him. The only thing that deters me for one moment is the risk
to Fleur.'
'I know that well enough,' Richard acknowledged, 'but I am
convinced our only chance of seeing her alive again is to call
in the police, and trust to running him to earth before
nightfall.'
'I wouldn't,' Simon shook his head, 'I wouldn't honestly,
Richard. He's certain to find out if we take steps against him.
We shall waste hours here being questioned by the local bigwigs,
and it's a hundred to one against their being able to corner him
in a single day. Fleur is safe for the moment-for God's sake
don't make things worse than they are. I know the man and he's
as heartless as a snake. It's signing Fleur's death warrant to
try and tackle him like this.'
Marie Lou listened to these conflicting arguments in miserable
indecision. She was torn violently from side to side by each in
turn. Simon spoke with such absolute conviction that it seemed
certain Richard's suggested intervention would precipitate her
child's death, and yet she felt, too, how right Richard was in
his belief that Mocata was certain to double-cross them, and
having trapped them into surrendering Simon, retain Fleur for
this abominable sacrifice which Tanith had told them he was so
anxious to make. The horns of the dilemma seemed to join and
form a vicious circle which went round and round in her aching
head.
The others fell silent and Richard looked across at her.
'Well, dearest, which is it to be?'
'Oh, I don't know,' she moaned. 'Both sides seem right and yet
the risk is so appalling either way.'
He laid his hand gently on her hair. 'It's beastly having to
make such a decision, and if we were alone in this I wouldn't
dream of asking you. I'd do what I thought best myself unless
you were dead against it, but as the others disagree with me so
strongly what can I do but ask you to decide?'
Wringing her hands together in agonised distress at this
horrible problem with which she was faced, Marie Lou looked
desperately from side to side, then her glance fell on Rex. He
was sitting hunched up in a dejected attitude on the far side of
Tanith's body, his eyes fixed in hopeless misery on the dead
girl's face.
'Rex,' she said hoarsely, 'you haven't said what you think
yet. Both these alternatives seem equally ghastly to me. What do
you advise?'
'Eh?' He looked up quickly 'It's mighty difficult and I was
just trying to figure it out. I hate the thought of doing
nothing, waiting about when you've got a packet of trouble is
just real hell to me, and I'd like to get after this bird with a
gun. But Simon's so certain that if we did it would be fatal to
Fleur, and I guess the Duke thinks that way to. They both know
him, you must remember, and Richard doesn't, which is a point to