With a sudden gesture he removed the spell that he had put on the group. The calves of their legs began to tingle, the muscles flexed and they came slowly to their feet. Benito beckoned to them and, with the Duke again supported by Rex and Richard, they followed him up the slope.
On entering the house they were met by two of the Zombies, to whom Benito handed them over. Realising that resistance would be hopeless, they allowed themselves to be led down to the cellar. It was in darkness but, as the door was opened, the light in the passage outside showed them that two men were already there. One was a full-blooded Negro, the other mixed, with pale skin, thick lips and crinkly hair.
The first concern of the newcomers was the Duke. Before the door was shut on them, while there was still light enough to see, Miranda sat down in a corner and de Richleau was then lowered to the floor so that his head rested in her lap. With a sigh, he murmured:
Thank you. Now that I am lying still, I will be able to help myself. My Yoga breathing will counteract the pain so that I can sleep. Please don’t wake me until you have to.’
By then the door had been slammed and locked, and it was pitch dark. One of the other prisoners who they thought was probably the Negro, asked, ‘Say, folks, what you bin thrown in de can for?’
‘Getting up against the big-shot,’ Rex replied succinctly.
‘Same wid us, man. Leastways, that Jamaican sod didn’t approve none of a talk we give the folks this evenin’, an’ he sent fer his boss.’
‘What was the talk about?’ asked Richard.
‘Well, man, my buddy here an’ me, we’s bin doin’ a lot of thin kin’ dese pas’ few weeks. Dis bid to bring de world under Black Power seemed jus’ fine to us when we was indoctrinated. But we’s bin gettin’ doubts. You whites got all der guns, tear gas an’ that. Reckon we don’ stan’ no chance. You’ll sure come out on top. Slaughter’ll be bad as a first-class war, an’ we poor bastards’ll end up wors’ off than we was before.’
The other man added in a thin, piping voice, ‘It’s not only that. It’s against the teachin’ of Our Lord. He preached Peace an’ Goodwill. Turn the other cheek, He said. Well, we folk have done that for generations. But things are better than they were. I figure Dr Luther King has the right of it. Patience an’ peaceful protest is the answer. Plenty decent white folk are on our side. It’ll take a bit o’ time; but given a few more years an’ the good Lord Jesus will lead all His children out of darkness.’
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Richard agreed. ‘But what exactly did you do?’
‘First we talked o’ makin’ a break an’ tryin’ to get away from heah. But reckoa that’s near impossible. Fer hundreds o’ miles round there’s nought but marsh, scrub and them awful mountains. Guess we couldn’t make it. Seemed to us then we’d best let on to some of the others ‘bout our feelin’s. Quite a few agreed that up heah we wasn’t doin’ the Lord’s work arter all. No, sir; far from it. We planned ter stir up real trouble fer the badmen who run this outfit. What we were arter was to grab the aircraft, so as we could get away in them. Only chance o’ that was a mass defiance of the bosses. Tonight we laid on a meetin’. Where we slipped up was to hold it arter usual time fer lights out. The bosses got on to us. They didn’t interfere. Just waited till the folk had dispersed, then picked up the speakers. That was me and Malli heah. The Jamaican, the Moor and a couple o’ those dumb bastards who do the chores fer the bosses come fetch us wiv’ guns. That’s how it happen we’re thrown in the can.’
To his listeners this explained why the Prince had left the fortress at such short notice. Evidently when the threat of a revolt had been reported to him by Benito, he had thought it so grave a menace to his plans that he had decided to fly down and deal with the matter himself. To the man who had been speaking Rex said:
‘That certainly was hard luck. But you’re one hundred per cent right. This Black Power movement is inspired by the Devil. It could lead to bloodshed in hundreds of cities, and there’s not a hope of people bettering their lot through it.’
‘What you think they’ll do wiv’ us?’ the man asked anxiously.
Neither Rex nor Richard could bring himself to make a truthful reply. It was a certainty that the Prince would never let the two men return to the outer world, where they would tell others of the settlement in the Sala and about what was going on there. Neither would he allow them to go back among their fellow workers and risk their causing others to question the wisdom of the movement. And he was not the man to keep and feed two useless prisoners indefinitely; so the odds were that, within a few hours, he would have them quietly done away With.
Simon was of that opinion, too. But he could not bring himself to refrain from trying to comfort the two poor wretches. So he said, ‘Can’t do more than guess. Still, they wouldn’t want to keep workers who’re unwilling. Expect they’ll have you flown back to the States, or wherever you come from.’
‘Oh, man! I does hope you’se right,’ the Negro said miserably. ‘I’s mighty scared. May the good Lord ha’ mercy on His lil’ chillen.’
Silence fell. De Richleau slept. The others lay or sat in great discomfort and dozed uneasily through the remaining hours of the night.
It was about six o’clock in the morning when the Zombies opened the door. Covering the Negro and the dark-skinned man with their pistols, they stared at them with glazed eyes then, with jerky gestures, signed to them to get up and leave the cell-like room. Cowed, the two men offered no resistance and disappeared up the stairs. The door was shut on the others and tbey were again in darkness.
The Duke was in such a deep sleep that he had not woken. Time drifted on. The rest of them were not actually suffering from hunger and thirst, but they would have welcomed a good breakfast, or even a cup of water and some biscuits. But nothing was brought to them. They could only sit there in misery, wondering what form the Prince’s vengeance would take for their having killed four of his henchmen.
At a little after eleven o’clock, Benito came to them. He had them wake de Richleau; then, with two patient Zombies as escort, they were taken upstairs and led into the washroom. The Duke’s sleep had greatly improved his condition. He told them that, although he was still weak from loss of blood, he now felt only a dull ache in his shoulder.
When they had freshened themselves up, they were taken out to the airstrip. The Prince was at the controls of his ‘plane, and the engine was already revving over. In a back seat sat the Moor, El Aziz. Across his knees lay a long, slender sword, the blade of which was only, slightly curved.
As soon as they had settled themselves, the Prince said to Benito, ‘If there is any moire trouble, deal with it promptly, then report to me.’ The door was shut and they took off. Three-quarters of an hour later they landed on the island in the Lago de Poopo. During the journey the Prince had not addressed a word to them. When they had all disembarked, he threw a haughty, contemptuous look at them and said to El Aziz:
‘As we have no cells here, take them down to the swimming pool. In any case, to lock them up would be unnecessary, as I shall put a spell on them which will prevent them from leaving the fortress.’
Evidently having some further urgent business, he turned away and ran up the hundred and more steps to the fortress with a swiftness which put into the minds of the onlookers that he must be supported by invisible wings.
As de Richleau looked about him, he saw several of the airstrip men glaring balefully at his party, Their attitude showed that they must be aware that he or one of his friends had killed their companion during the previous night. It meant that if, in spite of the Prince, they could get down to the airfield again, the Andeans would probably open fire on them at sight. With Rex’s assistance he slowly climbed the long flight of steps and they entered the stronghold.
El Aziz took them down to the big, circular Hall of Divination that served as an ante-room to the temple. As before, it was lit by a rosy glow and was empty. Crossing to the segment of the circular wall that had the pa
nel bearing the reversed crescent upon it, El Aziz pressed a spring and a section slid smoothly back, revealing a long, low chamber.
It was dimly lit and they could see that the walls and ceiling were formed of the big, stone blocks used by the Incas; but an oblong pool filled the centre, and round it was a broad walkway of modern tiles. At the far end the tiled space was wider and there they could make out some low tables and several lounge chairs.
Halting by the entrance, El Aziz signed for them to go ahead. Rex ignored the gesture and asked that a bed should be provided for the wounded Duke. From the expression on the Moor’s face it was clear that it delighted him to refuse this request, but he did not even bother to reply. Turning his back, he left them, crossed the Hall of Divination and closed behind him the section of wall leading to the passage.
Rex then led the way along one side of the pool and said, ‘In the old days this was the Incas’ Treasure chamber. Occasionally the Prince enjoys a swim, so he had it converted to hold water and fitted with all the gadgets that go with a luxury pool. I’ve swum down here with Silvia and some of the others several times. Lord alone knows what His Satanic Highness means to do with us, but at least we’ll be better off here than in that cellar down at the Sala.’
At the far end of the pool there was a bar, holding a good selection of bottles, and several tins of cocktail biscuits and nuts. As Rex went behind the bar, for the first time in days he laughed. Picking up the shaker, he said, ‘Sorry there’s no ice, but never mind,’ and started to pour gin into it. Then he uttered his old crack, ‘Come on, folks. Make ‘em small but drink ‘era quick. It takes a fourth to make an appetite.’
Regretfully de Richleau doused their temporary elation by saying, ‘Nothing for me, Rex. I have denied myself alcohol for over a week now. That is important for an Adept who wishes to exert his powers to the full. For you others it does not matter so much, because you are not initiates. All the same, I think you should limit yourselves to two drinks each, because it could be dangerous to slow up your reactions in an emergency.’
Accordingly the Duke drank lime juice and water, and the others had only one snifter to brace them up, followed by a long drink to quench their thirst. As they had had no food that day they made swift inroads into the biscuits, except for the Duke who was determined to continue the semi-fast he had maintained ever since their arrival and, when they had made him as comfortable as possible on one of the lounge chairs, he refused all but a few small handfuls of nuts.
After the grim hours they had been through, this interlude greatly lightened their spirits; but they had had little sleep during the past night, so they soon fell silent and dozed for the greater part of the afternoon.
When they roused, their minds were again filled with thoughts of the dire peril they were in, and they began to speculate gloomily on what horrors the Prince might send against them during the coming night. Richard remarked despondently on there being nothing available with which they might form a pentacle to give them some protection, upon which the Duke said:
‘The Prince must have had his mind on other things when he ordered us to be brought down here. The pool will serve us as well, if not better, than a makeshift pentacle. If an attack does come, we can take to the water.’
Looking down at the calm, unruffled sheet, Miranda asked, ‘How will that help us?’
‘Water, far more than bread, is the staff of life,’ the Duke replied. One can exist without food for forty days and more; but not without liquid. For that reason most evil manifestations are highly allergic to water. For example, it is one of the few things that hamper the activities of vampires. No vampire can cross running water, not even a little stream.’
Simon asked, ‘What do we do then? Stand in the shallow end fully clad, or strip and swim round in circles?’
‘It would be best for us to stand in a ring, holding hands. Our vibrations are so well attuned that, when united, there is still a chance that we may be able to fight off anything that is sent against us.’
‘Any idea what form the attack will take?’ Richard enquired.
‘None. He won’t try to send us out of our minds by producing thought-forms of people we love in heart-rending situations. Having tried that, he knows it won’t work. But he may send more of those revolting elementáis. They are terrifying to look at, but a very low form of occult entity; so, if you all keep your nerve, we should be able to resist them. My real fear is that he may summon up one of the mighty forces from the Outer Circle. If he does that, we can only pray that the Lords of Light will take pity on us. Should that happen, though, we’ll be saved only at the price of our lives. The whole fortress will be destroyed by an eruption and our present bodies with it.’
After a moment, Rex said, ‘Say we do pull through. What then? It’s impossible for us to escape because the Prince has put a spell on us.’
‘Not through our own efforts,’ the Duke agreed. ‘The spell will nullify any attempt we might make to break out. But if, by a miracle, someone here took pity on us, he could get us away as though we were so many Zombies.’
‘What a hope!’ Richard exclaimed bitterly.
‘I don’t know,’ Miranda said hesitantly. ‘Remember Silvia put me under hypnosis last night before that awful ceremony. If she hadn’t, I think I’d have died of horror and disgust. But she did, and that was quite contrary to the delight in sadism that everyone else here displays. They would have enjoyed seeing me suffer the most frightful agonies of apprehension. She saved me from that, so she can’t be altogether bad.’
De Richleau smiled. ‘You’re right, my dear. As the Maiden of the Grand Coven of South America, she must be a powerful witch and fully approve the object that her companions are working for. Yet, unless I am much mistaken, a spark of light remains within her.’
Turning to Rex, he went on, ‘Would you mind telling us exactly what your relations with Silvia are–or rather were? That might prove helpful.’
Rex spread out his hands. ‘From you folks I’ve nothing to hide about my affair with her. If we hadn’t been either too much up against it, or so tired out these past few days, I’d have given you the full story before now.
‘It was this way. I met her in B.A. about eighteen months ago. I fell for her, and she didn’t hide the fact that she took a good view of me. That is one of her attractions. She never seeks to disguise her feelings and calls a spade a spade. You can either like her or do the other thing, and she doesn’t play hard to get. Anyhow, we made a date and, after we’d dined, she gave me that dazzling smile of hers and said, “You know, one of us may fall under a bus tomorrow, so why should we wait? Let’s go back to my apartment.”
There was nothing of the whirlwind courtship about it. We were just two sophisticated people who, during our lives, had had quite a lot of fun with the opposite sex, and we liked each other. It was as simple as that. In the circumstances, it would have been a pretty unlikely thing if we hadn’t enjoyed our roll in the hay. And you bet we did. That’s how Silvia became my mistress.
‘You know her record. She’s slept around more than most women, and she doesn’t give a cuss what people think of her. But she’s got at least one good principle. I know she did her best to lead you up the garden path down at Punta Arenas; but, in the ordinary way, she never tells a lie. In view of her past, during our first few months I more or less took it for granted that when I had to go off on business to other capitals in South America, she would amuse herself with other guys. That didn’t worry me over-much, because I’ve never really been in love with her. We had some wonderful times and were always happy when we were together, but I wasn’t in love to the extent that I would have chucked everything and followed her to the other end of the world.
‘I’ve a hunch that she felt the same way about me, but liked me enough not to tangle with anyone else when, now and then, I had to leave her for a week or so. That was the conclusion I came to after a while, because she was always so frank about everything—except in one particular.
I used to spend two or three nights a week with her. Other nights we’d entertain or go out independently, and after such occasions she would always tell me how she had spent her evening. But once a month she would keep some date and clam up tight on what she’d been up to.
‘Being fairly regular but so far apart, it didn’t seem plausible that these dates were with some other guy. But naturally I was curious, so one night about six months ago I went to her apartment and waited for her to return. When she did get back, in the early hours of the morning, she was pretty potted. It was then that she spilled the beans to me that on these dates she attended seances.
‘I’ve told you how things developed from there on, how she induced me to take an interest in the game, and how, when I learned about this Black Power movement, I felt that it was up to me to play along with them so that I could find out enough about this god-awful conspiracy to take steps which would bust it wide open.
‘As you know, after I quit B.A., Silvia put in her annual few weeks at Punta Arenas, then came up to Santiago and on here.
When she arrived we enjoyed the happy sort of reunion that we used to have after one of my trips to Rio or Lima. Since then, up till the day before yesterday, we’ve carried on just as we used to. Now you know how things stand between us.’
‘Ner.’ Simon shook his bird-like head. ‘Since then situation’s changed. She knows now that you ratted on them. Never even made a protest when the Prince deprived you of the use of your legs.’
‘For her to have done so would have been useless. And she knew it.’
‘Do you think,’ asked the Duke, ‘that, in spite of your having betrayed them, she still has tender feelings for you?’
‘I wouldn’t know. After all we’ve been to each other, she’d not be natural if she wasn’t sorry to see me in the jam I’m in now. But it could be that she’s too far committed to Satan to do more than stand on the side-lines and let matters take their course. Your guess is as good as mine.’
Gateway to Hell Page 27