Genuflect

by Tracy R Twyman

  Therewerenevermorethantwoorthreestonesstackedupinanyoneplace,so nopartofitwasmorethanthreefeethigh.Butitlookedlikeitwassetupinside oflarger,moremodernwindowlessroom,withametal‐platedlightswitch visibleonthewall.Beneaththedilapidatedstonesonecouldsee,inplaces,a tiledcheckerboardfloor.

  Layingdownonhisbackacrossarowoftheseancientblockswasthesameboy luredbythemagazineinthepreviousscene.Hewasnownaked,blindfolded, andscreaminghysterically.Twofiguresinhoodedblackrobeswithblackbird

  maskswereholdinghimbythehandsandfeetasheflailed.

  Thecamerathenzoomedintofocusjustonthem.Next,afigureinaleatherveil andapron,justlikethetwomenIhadseeninthebasementofStratfordHouse, steppedintothescene.Meanwhile,athirdfigure,againwearingablackbird mask,heldastonebowlbeneaththeboy’scrotchandusedawhite-glovedhand toholdthegenitalsupaboutafinger’swidth.

  Thebutcherthenbrandishedapairofcleavers.Thecamerazoomedintothe child’ssexorgans,whichweresnippedoff.Hugeamountsofblood,aswellas thepartsthemselves,werecollectedinthebowlbeforethecamerafinallycut awayfromthegapingwoundandthrashinglimbstoablackscreen.

  Atthispoint,ChesterfieldpausedthevideoasIrantothebathroomtovomit.I wretchedandwretcheduntilnothingbutbilewascomingup.Thankfully, nobodyelsewasusingtheotherstalls,andthefacilitieswerequitetidy.There’s nothingworsethanpukinginadirtypublictoilet.

  Onceagain,IthankedtheLordforsmallfavors.Somethingaboutbeingonmy kneesinfrontofthe“throne”mademewanttopray.InoticedthatIhada tendencytodothis,andthisonly,asmyexpressionofreligion.

  Whydidn’tIthankGodwhenIsurvivedthekidnappingandthebull sacrifice? I wondered. Andwhydidn’tIprayformyownsafetythroughoutthe entireevent, orbefore?Whydon’tIprayforGodtogetmeoutofthismessright now?

  Andthereitwas.IstoodthereinfrontofthebathroommirrorwonderingwhyI wasn’ttakingaparticularcourseofaction.

  Ithardlyevenamountstoactioninthephysicalsense,Ithought. Unlessyou actuallychoosetokneeldownwhilepraying,ortospeakyourprayeroutloud, whichmostpeopledon’tevendothesedays.

  Notonlythat,Ithought.A realreligiouspersonwouldhaveprayedfor others too.Prayedfortheboyinthefilm,andotherswhowerevictimizedlikehim.

  Prayedthattheperpetratorsbebroughttojustice.Maybetheywouldevenpray thattheguiltyonescometorealizetheirevilandaskforforgivenessbeforeit was toolate.

  ButIjuststoodtherestaringatmyself,tryingtousemythumbtowipeawaythe eyelinerthathadsmearedduetotheperspirationthatcamewithvomiting.

  Ifyouthinkaboutitthough,Icouldhavebeenmorecowardly.NotoncedidI thinkaboutrunningawayfromthisentiresordidaffair.Iwasundernoobligation tocontinuemyinvolvement.Icouldhavegonestraighttotheairportand insistedtheymoveupmydeparturedate,sinceIstillhadtheticketsfortheflight home.

  Instead,IreturnedtothetableandsatbackdownnexttoAgentChesterfield.I askedhimiftherewasmoreonthevideo.

  “Sadly,yes,”heanswered.

  IaskedhimifIreallyneededtoseeit.Hesaidit“mightbehelpful.”SoIagreed.

  Itookafewmoreminutestofinishmywhiskeyandbeer.Thenwecontinued.

  Thenextsceneshowedthebowlwiththegoreinitbeingplacedbygloved handswithrobedarmsuponanaltarthatwasshownsittingamongthesame ruins.Thereweretwootherbowlsthatweresimilar,butempty,sittingontopof thealtaraswell.Thenextshotshowedthesidesofthealtar.Onefeaturedatree fromwhichhungtwoflutesanda tympanum—theceremonialhanddrumusedin theritesofCybele—washung,alongwithtwopipes.

  Thereliefontheothersideofthealtarshowedtwoofher Gallipriests,wearing theirtraditionalPhrygianhats.Theywerecarryingacofferonpolesmountedon theirshoulders,justliketheArkoftheCovenantwasdepictedasbeingcarried.

  OntopoftheboxwastheHetoimasiacthroneofthegoddess,depictedin aniconicformwitha cista—aritualbasket—placedasastand‐infortheinvisible goddess.

  IinstantlyrecognizedthisasagenuinealtarofCybelethatoncebelongedtoa wealthygentlemaninLondonattheturnofthetwentiethcentury,whereabouts nowunknown.IhadreadaboutitrecentlyintheJSTORarchiveswhiledoing researchforanarticleIhadpublishedinananthropologyjournal.Iknewthere wasanothersidetoit,notshowninthefilm,whichdepictedthegoddess standingwithabowlinherhandwhiletwo Gallistoodateithersideofher.Both wereshowncrossingtheirlegsuncomfortably,justliketheTemplareffigieson thegravesatTempleChurch.

  Next,thefilmshowedtheglovedhandsstrainingtheorgansoutofthebloodin thebowlwithaslottedladle.Theywerethenplacedintwootherbowls:the penisinone,thetesticlesintheother.Thehandsthenliftedeachbowl,oneata time,whileanotherpairofglovedhandsappearedfromoffscreenandplaceda small,form‐fittingbasketbeneatheachone.Followingthis,thebaskets,withthe bowlsstillinside,werecoveredwithawickerlidsothateachonenow resembledthebasketed cistathatweredepictedontopofthethroneshownin reliefonthesideofthealtar.

  Afterthat,thesecondsetofhandsgavethefirstpairanancient‐looking cylindricalmetalcasket,aboutfourinchestallandtwoinchesincircumference.

  Itwasdecoratedwithdilapidatedscenesofmenfightingwithvariouswild animals.

  Itwascarriedbyametalchainthatithungfrom.

  Thefirstpairofhandstookoffthetopofthecasket,whichremainedhanging fromthechain.Theythenremovedasmallballmadeofmetalwire,dripping wet,whichhungonachainofitsownandcontainedadarksubstance.Ifigured itwasastrainercontainingherbsofsomesort.Thehandspouredliquidthat lookedlikemurkywaterfromthecasketintothebowlwiththebloodwhilethe secondsetofhandsheldthebasketlidup.

  Thenamoremodern‐lookingmetalbucketwithahandlewasgiventothefirst pairofhandsbythesecondpair.Itcontainedaclear,thick,slimysubstancethat appearedtobefat,whichwaspouredintothebowlwiththeblood.Thenalarge metalspooncameintotheshotfromscreenright,andwasusedtostirthe contentsofthebowl.

  Followingthis,thefilmcuttoanothershot.Thecamerawaspointingdownat thebowlinthebasket,withthelidoffandthespoonstillinit,whichnow appearedtobesittingononeoftheruinedwalls.Then,threeerectand circumcisedadultwhitepenisesappearedfromoffscreen.Threelargewhite malehands,ungloved,wereseenmasturbatingthem.Afteralmostaminute,all threepeniseshadejaculatedintothebowl,onerightaftertheother,withonlya fewsecondsin‐betweeneachclimax.Thepenisesthenleftthescreen.Gloved handsappearedagaintostirthemixturewiththespoonandplacethebasketlid backon.

  ThesubsequentshotshowedwhatwasunmistakablytheMetecoffer,sitting thereontheantiquestonebricksstackednexttothealtar.Thelidwiththe pictureofMetewasremovedbyonesetofglovedhands,andthethreebaskets wereplacedinsidebyanotherpair.Thelidofthecofferwascarefullyreplaced.

  Thencameatitlepagewhichread:

  Weprocessinthepaterns[sic]oftheSun‐runner.

  Inthenextshot,fourfiguresindarkrobeswithhoodsandblackbirdmaskswere seencircumambulatinganoldbuildingwithagurneymountedontheirbacks andthecofferridingontop.Infrontofthemwasanotherhoodedfigure,shorter thantheothers,withawhiteveildrapedoverhisorherface,andheldonbyan attachedheadband.Thispersonwasholdingasmallmetalaspergillumandwas usingittospraylustrationsontothebuildingastheywalkedaroundit.Thenwe weregivenawideshot,andwecouldseethebuildingtheywerewalking around,toppedwithalargedome.IthoughtitwasmostlikelySt.Paul’s CathedralthereinLondon.Theywalkedarounditseventimes.
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br />   Thenthescenechanged,andwesawthemwalkingalongastreetinLondon, nexttoabuildingwithatinymetalgrateembeddedinitscorner.Thecamera focusedonthegrateasthepeoplewiththecofferwalkedpast.Theshortveiled personstayedbehindandshooktheaspergillumatthegrate,behindwhichwe couldseeasmall,roughly‐hewn,somewhatsquarewhitestone,abouthalfafoot wideandafewinchestall.

  ThentheshotchangedtoshowthegroupmarchingalongtheThames.

  Theywerewalkingnexttoabuildingpositionedrightontheshoreoftheriver withtwowoodenrampsleadingoutofalargeopeningonthesidefacingthe water.Thisleddowntoacoupleofsmallboatsthatweredockedrightnexttoit.

  Theshotwashead‐onastheentouragewalkedforward.

  Thiscutquicklytoashotinsideoneoftheboats.Thecoffercouldbeseensitting intheforegroundwithoutthegurneyoritsholders.Itwassittingontopofone endofamid‐tone‐coloredblanketfoldedinhalf.Aglovedhandonarobedarm foldedtheotherendoftheblanketoverthecoffer.

  Next,thecameraraisedup.Allwecouldseeabovethesidesoftheboatwassky, butwecouldtellwhentheboatstartedmovingfromthechangeintheclouds.

  Thenwesawitturnleftandgounderneathsomething.Suddenlyeverything wentdark.Thentherewasanothertitlepage.Itsaid:Sacrificetotheguardians ofthetower.

  Inthenextshot,ametalcagewithseveralblackcrow‐likebirdswasshown.

  Anotherglovedhandreachedforthelockandopenedthecage.Thenoneofthe basketed cistawasshownsittingongrassinfrontofaparkbench.

  Theshotwidened,andwesawthebirdsstandinginthesurroundinggrass, peckingattheinsideofthebasket.Thenitwasopened,andthecontents—

  bloodybitsofflesh(presumablythesacrificedtesticles)—wereemptiedoutonto thegrass.Allofthebirdsimmediatelyconvergeduponthemandbeganeating them.

  Asthebirdswalkedawaywiththemeatintheirbeaks,aglovedhandcame onscreenholdingashovelwithahandleaboutthreefeetlong.Itwaspushedinto thedirtbeneaththegrass.Thentheshotwidenedtoshowaman(judgingbythe shoes)inablackrobewithasunfacemaskpressingdowntheshovelwithhis foottoinsertitdeeper.

  Nextwewereshownastoneeffigyofatombwiththestonerolledout,standing empty.Wecouldtellitwasaneffigywhenthecamerapannedupquicklyto showacrossmountedabove.Therewasadovewingingitswaydowntothe bottomofthecross,andtwoangelskneelinginprayeroneithersideofit.

  Thenthecamerapanneddownandshowedaclose‐upofthetombstone.

  Onitwereetchedthewords“Whyseekyethelivingamongthedead?”Thenthe thumbofawrinkledwhitemalehandcameforwardfrombehindthecameraand covereduptheword“Why.”

  Inthefollowingshot,ayoung,barely‐pubescentgirlwearinganEasterdressand bonnetwasshownholdinghandswithafinely‐dressedmanandwomanwhose faceswerenotshown.Thefirstshotshowedmostlyjusther.Inthesecond,we sawthegroupfrombehind.Theyappearedtobeatachurch,aspewsanda statueoftheVirgincouldbeseeninthebackgroundofthesecondshot.

  Thegirllookedverysad.Quiteinappropriately,sheseemedtobewearingmake-uponherface.Shehadeyeliner,eyeshadow,andlipstickon.Herfacewasmade palewithcakefoundation.Afterthisshot,anothertitlepagewasshown,which said:

  TheSacredMarriageoftheStoneandtheBosse.

  Thenextimagewasfilmedlookingthroughthefrontwindshieldofacardriving throughagatewayunderneathamedieval‐lookingarchway.Itwasverytall,with onelargearchinthemiddle,throughwhichthecardrove.Thenthereweretwo morenarrowopeningsoneitherside,onlywideenoughforfoottraffic,or perhapsabicycle.

  Therewasastructureontopalmostastallasthearchitself.Itfeaturedtwo statues,eachsetinsideofaniche,andbetweenthemastained‐glasswindow.

  Extendingoutwardoneithersideweretallhedges,andbehindthese,aneven tallerblackmetalfence.Thetwosmallerarchwayswerebarredbymetalgatesof thesamestyle,butthegateforthelargeoneinthemiddlewassetopen.

  Itwasraining,andthewiperswereonasthecarwentunderthearch.

  Beyondwasadrivewaylinedwithtrees.Wesawthecargodownthedriveway toaverylargered‐brickedmanorhouse.

  Thiscuttotheinteriorofadecayedmedieval‐lookingstoneroomwithasmall roundwindowshowingonlydarknessbeyond.Twohoodedpeople,thistime wearinglionmasks,stoodoneithersideofthewindowholdingtorches,which appearedtobeprovidingthelight.Thecamerapointeddown.There,thesame girlfromthescenebeforewasnowshownstandinginawhiterobe,shivering andcrying.Eyelinerstreameddownherfacewhiletwopeoplewithrobesand birdmasksheldherbythearms.

  Anothermanthensteppedintothepicture,alsowearingadarkrobe,butwitha sunmask.Hewasholdingastaffthatendedintheshapeofasmallerectphallus.

  Thestaffwasdark,butthephalluswaslight‐colored.Thegirlwasforcedbythe peopleinthebirdmaskstobenddownononekneebeforethemaninthesun mask,andtoholdherhandsinfrontofherinanattitudeofprayer.Thepeoplein thebirdmasksdemonstratedtoherhowshewastoholdherhands.

  Thenafterwardsshesattherepleadingandsobbingforafewseconds,another titlepagecameup.

  SeetheVirgingenuflecttoOurFather.

  Wethenwereshownaclose‐upofthegirl’sfaceasthesun‐manputthephallus-wanddirectlyuptoherlips.Sheturnedawayindisgust.Inoticedthatitlooked almostasthoughitwerecoveredwithactualhumanskin,andIwonderedifit was.

  Next,wesawthephallus‐wand’stipsubmergedintooneofthebasketed cista, shownsittingonthefloor.Thewandwasusedtostirthemixtureofblood,fat andherbs,whichnowlookedquitecongealed.Thenaturallubricantcausedthe dildotoglisteninthetorchlight.Followingthat,therewasashotfromtheside ofthegirllyingonherstomachonablanketonthegroundwiththetopofher headbuttedupagainstaroughly‐hewn,vaguelysquare‐shapedstone.

  Thepoorgirlscreamedandballedherhandsupintotightfistsasthemaninthe sunmaskkneltbehindher.Heinsertedthewandintoherrectum,muchtoher extremeagony,pushingandpullingitseveraltimes.Herpainthenseemedto increaseimmenselywhenhemountedherandreplacedthewandwithhisown swollenmember.Asshescreamed,wesawthegirl’sheadrepeatedlybangup againstthestonewhich,Inoticed,resembledtheoneseenearlierinthefilm sittingbehindagrateinthecornerofabuilding.Thencameanothertitlepage:

  “Thesacredwombisseededwiththeancientrite.Afterwards,anEastereggis laiduponthechamberfloor.”

  Thelastshotwashorrifyinganddisgustingbeyondmeasure.WhileIregretto havetodisturbyoufurther,dearreader,thesethingsmustbesaid.Whatwesaw wasatightshotofastringofbeadscoveredindarkslimebeingpulledbyanoff-screenglovedhandfromaswollen,prolapsedanddistendedanus.Thebeads werewhiteandcarvedfromeitherstone,ivory,orsomeformofbone.

  Betweeneachsetoftenroundbeads(yes,Icounted),therewasabeadcarved intotheshapeofeitherahandorafoot,foratotaloffour.Attheendofthe stringtherewasonemadetolooklikeaJanushead,withthefaceofJesuson oneside,andthefaceofaskullontheother.Afterthiscameout,alargeblack masswhichIpresumedtobebloodystoolbegantoemergeamidprofuse bleeding.Butbeforeittookanydiscernibleshape,thefilmmercifullyended.

  Whenthefinal,awfulshotatlastfadedtoblack,Iwasinshock.Iwasalso flushedandsweatingheavilyasanotherwaveofnauseaovertookme.Iwentto thebathroomtoemptymystomachagain.

  Chapter13:RavenConspiracy

  Theweepingchildcouldnotbeheard,

  Theweepingparentsweptinvain;

  Theystripp’dhimtohislittleshirt,

  Andboundhiminanironchain;

  Andburn’dhiminaholyplace,


  Wheremanyhadbeenburn’dbefore:

  Theweepingparentsweptinvain.

  AresuchthingsdoneonAlbion’sshore?

  —WilliamBlake,“ALittleBoyLost”from Songsof Experience AfterafewminutesIreturnedtothetabletojoinChesterfield,whowassitting therelookingsadandsick.

  “Sowhathaveyoufiguredoutsofaraboutit?”Iasked

  “Well,severalthings,”heanswered.Heappearedtoperkupatthethoughtof doingsomethingpracticaltosolvetheproblem.Hetookafancyredceramicpen andasmallnotepadwithablackleathercoveroutofhisjacketpocket.Thenhe openedthenotebookandusedthepentoenumerateitemsonalisthehadmade.

  “First,wethinkitwasshotin1950s.That’swhatwepresumefromthe

  ‘Teddyboy’styleofdresswornbythekidsintheopeningscene.The Playboy Magazine isfromMarch1956.That’salsothelastyearthatEasterfellonApril first,whichwillhappenagainthisyear,inthreedays.”

  “Sothat’sthemeaningofthereferencetoEasterandthe‘Aprilfool?’”

  “Yes,”hesaid.“Unlessyoucanaddsomeoccultwisdomaboutthesignificance too.”

  Ithoughtaboutit.“TheonlythingIcanthinkoftoaddrightnowisthattheNew YearusedtobecelebratedonMarch25thinmedievalEurope,aroundtheSpring Equinox.”

  “Ahyes,theFeastoftheAnnunciation,whenMarywasimpregnatedbyGod.Or

  ‘LadyDay,’aswecallitintheChurchofEngland,”saidChesterfield.I continued.

  “Yes,anditwaspartofaweek‐longfestivalthatwouldendonAprilfirst.So whentheNewYearbegantobecelebratedonthefirstofJanuary,thosewhostill clungtotheolddatesfortheholidaywerecalled‘Aprilfools.’”

  “Hmm.SoAprilFool’sDayispartofafestivalconnectedtotheoldNewYear’s Day,whichjustsohappenstocomeonedayafterthat“DayofBlood”forthe goddessCybelethatyoutoldmeabout,wheretheywouldcastratethepriests.”