‘My hat,’ thought Rex, ‘the old beldame fancies we’re an opposing faction in the same line of business‘I’ll have to use this if I can’; so he answered slowly : ‘We are mighty sorry to have to do what we did, but we needed Simon Aron for our own purposes.’
‘So!you also make a search for the Talisman then?’
‘Surethat is, the Duke’s taking a big interest in it.’
‘Which of us are notand ‘oo but le petit Juif shall lead us to it.’
‘That’s true.’
‘Ave you yet attempted the Rite to Saturn?’
‘Yes, but things didnt pan out quite as we thought they would,’ Rex replied cautiously, not having the faintest idea what they were talking about.
‘You ‘ave satisfy yourselves that the aloes and mastic were fresh, eh?’ The wicked old eyes bored into his.
‘Yes, I’m certain of that,’ he assured her.
‘You choose a time when the planet was in the ‘ouse of Capricorn, of course?’
‘Oh, surely!’
‘An’ you ‘ave not neglect to make Libation to Our Lady Babalon before ‘and?’
‘Oh, no, we wouldn’t do that!’
‘Then per’aps your periods of silence were not long enough?’
‘Maybe that’s so,’ he admitted hurriedly, hoping to close this madhatter’s conversation before he completely put his foot into it.
Countess D’Urfe nodded, then after drawing thoughtfully at her cigar she looked at him intently. ‘Silence,’ she murmured. ‘Silence, that ees always essential in the Ritual of Saturnbut you ‘ave much courage to thwart Mocata‘e is powerful, that one.’
‘Oh, we’re not afraid of him,’ Rex declared and, recalling the highest grade of operator from his conversation with De Richleau, he added: ‘You see the Duke knows all about this thinghe’s an Ipsissimus.’
The old lady’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets at this announcement, and Rex feared that he had gone too far, but she leaned forward and placed one of her jewelled claws upon his arm. ‘An Ipsissimus!an’ I ‘ave studied the Great Work for forty years, yet I ‘ave reached only the degree of Practicus. But no, ‘e cannot be, or ‘ow could ‘e fail with the Rite to Saturn?
‘I only said that it didn’t pan out quite as we expected,’ Rex hastened to remind her, ‘and for the full dress business he’d need Simon Aron anyway.’
‘Of course,’ she nodded again and continued in an awestruck whisper, ‘an’ De Richleau is then a real Master. You must be far advanced for one so youngthat ‘e allow you to work with ‘im.’
He flicked the ash off his cigarette but maintained a cautious silence.
‘I am not‘ow you sayassociated with Mocata long since I ‘ave arrive only recently in England, but De Richleau will cast ‘im down into the Abyssfor ‘ow shall ‘e prevail against one who is of ten circles and a single square?’
Rex nodded gravely.
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‘Could I not’ her dark eyes filled with a new eagerness ‘would it not be possible for me to prostrate myself before your frien’. If you spoke for me also, per’aps ‘e would allow that I should occupy a minor place when ‘e proceeds again to the invocation?
Ho! Ho!’ said Rex to himself, ‘so the old rat wants to scuttle from the sinking ship, does she? I ought to be able to turn this to our advantage,’ while aloud he said with a lordly air: ‘All things are possiblebut there would be certain conditions.’
‘Tell me,’ she muttered swiftly.
‘Well, there is this question of Simon Aron.’
‘What question?Now that you ‘ave ‘im with youyou can do with ‘im as you will.’
Rex quickly averted his gaze from the piercing black eyes. Evidently Mocata had turned the whole party out after they had got away with Simon. The old witch obviously had no idea that Mocata had regained possession of him later. In another second he would have given away their whole position by demanding Simon’s whereabouts. Insteadsearching his mind desperately for the right bits of gibberish he said : ‘When De Richleau again proceeds to the invocation it is necessary that the vibrations of all present should be attuned to those of Simon Aron.’
‘No matterwillingly I will place myself in your ‘ands for preparation.’
‘Then I’ll put it up to him, but first I must obey his order and say a word to the lady who was with you at Aron’s house last nightTanith.’ Having at last manoeuvred the conversation to this critical point, Rex mentally crossed his thumbs and offered up a prayer that he was right in assuming that they were staying at the hotel together.
She smiled, showing two rows of white false teeth. ‘I know it, and you must pardon, I beg, that we ‘ave our little joke with you.’
‘Oh, don’t worry about that,’ he shrugged, wondering anxiously to what new mystery she was alluding, but to his relief she hurried on.
‘Each morning we look into the crystal an’ when she sees you walk into the ‘otel she exclaim, “It is for me ‘e comesthe tall American,” and we ‘ave no knowledge that you are more than a Neophyte or a Zelator at the most, so when you send up the flowers she say to me, “You shall go down to ‘im instead an’ after we will laugh at the discomfiture of this would-be lover.” ‘
The smile broadened on Rex’s full mouth as he listened to the explanation of much that had been troubling him in the last hour, but it faded suddenly as he realised that, natural as it seemed compared to all this meaningless drivel which he had been exchanging with the old woman, it was in reality one more demonstration of the occult. These two women had actually seen him walk into the hotel lounge when they were sitting upstairs in their room peering into a piece of glass.
‘In some ways I suffer the disappointment,’ said the old Countess suddenly, and Rex found her studying him with a strange, disconcerting look. I know well that promiscuity gives a greater power for all ‘oo follow the Path an’ that ‘uman love ‘inders our development, but nevair ‘ave I been able to free myself from a so stupid sentimentalityan’ you would, I think, ‘ave made a good lover for ‘er.’
Rex stared in astonished silence, then looked quickly away, as she added: ‘No matterthe other ees of real importance. I will send for ‘er that you may give your message.’
With a little jerk she stood up and gripping her ebony cane stumped across to the hall porter’s desk while he relaxed, unutterably glad that this extraordinary interview was over.
However, he felt a glow of satisfaction in the thought that he had duped her into the belief that De Richleau and himself were even more powerful adepts than Mocata, and at having played his cards sufficiently well to secure a meeting with Tanith under such favourable circumstances. If only he could get her into his car, he was determined to inveigle her into giving him any information she possessed which might lead to the discovery of Simon’s whereabouts, although, since Madame D’Urfe was ignorant of the fact that he was no longer with the Duke, it was hardly likely that Tanith would actually be able to take them to him.
With new anxiety Rex realised the gravity of the check. They had practically counted on Tanith having the knowledge, if only they could get it out of her, and even if he could persuade her to talk about Mocata the man might have a dozen haunts. If so it would be no easy task to visit them all before sundown and the urgency of the Duke’s instructions still rang in his ears.
Today was May Day Eve. The Great Sabbat of the year would be held tonight. It was absolutely imperative that they should trace and secure Simon before dusk or else, under the evil influence which now dominated his mentality, he would be taken to participate in those unholy rites and jeopardise for ever the flame of goodness, wisdom and right thinking which men term the soul.
After a moment Madame D’Urfe rejoined him. ‘For tonight at least,’ she whispered, ‘things in dispute between the followers of the Path will be in abeyanceis it not?for all must make their ‘omage to the One.’
He nodded and she be
nt towards him, lowering her voice still further: ‘If I could but see De Richleau for one moment as Ipsissimus ‘e must possess the unguent?’
‘That’s so,’ Rex agreed, but he was horribly uncertain of his ground again as he added cryptically: ‘But what of the Moon?’
‘Ah, fatality,’ she sighed. ‘I ‘ad forgotten that we are in the dark quarter.’
He blessed the providence which had guided his tongue as she went on sadly: ‘I ‘ave try so often but nevair yet ‘ave I succeeded. I know all things necessary to its preparation, an’ ‘ave gathered every ‘erb at the right period. I ‘ave even rendered down the fat, but they must ‘ave cheated me. It was from a mortuary per’apsbut not from a graveyard as it should ‘ave been.’
Rex felt the hair bristle on the back of his neck and his whole body stiffened as he heard this gruesome confession. Surely it was inconceivable that people still practised these medieval barbaritiesyet he recalled the terrible manifestation that he had witnessed with the Duke on the previous night. After that he could no longer employ modern standards of belief or unbelief to the possibilities which might result from the strange and horrible doings of these people who had given themselves over to ancient cults.
The old Countess was regarding him again with that queer disconcerting look. ‘It matters not,’ she murmured. ‘We shall get there just the same, Tanith and I an’ it should be interesting for nevair before ‘as she attended the Great Sabbat.’
The lift gates clicked at that moment and Tanith stepped out into the corridor. For a fleeting instant Rex caught a glimpse of her wise, beautiful face, over the old woman’s shoulder, but the Countess was speaking again in a husky whisper, so he was forced to look back at her.
‘Nevair before,’ she repeated with unholy glee, ‘and after the One ‘as done that which there is to do, ‘oo knows but you may be the nextif you are quick.’
Forcing himself out of his chair Rex shut his ears to the infernal implication. His general reading had been enough for him to be aware that in the old days the most incredible orgies took place as the climax to every Sabbat, and his whole body crept at the thought of Tanith being subjected to such abominations. His impulse was to seize this iniquitous old woman by the throat and choke the bestial life out of her fat body, but with a supreme effort he schooled himself to remain outwardly normal.
As Tanith approached, and taking his hand smiled into his eyes, he knew that she, as well as Simon, must be saved before nightfall fromyes, the old biblical quotation leapt to his mind ‘The Power of the Dog’, that was strong upon them.
CHAPTER X
TANITH PROVES STUBBORN
After the muttering of the old Comtess and her veiled allusions to unspeakable depravities Rex felt that even the air had grown stale and heavy, as though charged with some subtle quality of evil, but on the coming of Tanith the atmosphere seemed to lighten. The morning sunshine was lending a pale golden glow to the street outside and in her hand she held one of the sprays of lilac which he had sent up to her. She lifted it to her face as he returned the smile.
So!’ she said in a low clear voice, her eyes mocking him above the fragrant bloom. ‘You insisted then that Madame should let you see me?’
‘I’d have sat around this place all day if she hadn’t,’ Rex confessed frankly, ‘because now we’ve met at last I’m hoping you’ll let me see something of you.’
‘Perhapsbut not today. I have many things to do and already I am late for the dressmaker.’
Rex thanked his stars that the old woman had unwittingly given him a lever in assuming the Duke to be an Adept of great power, and himself his envoy. ‘It’s mighty important that I should see you today,’ he insisted. ‘There are certain things we’ve just got to talk about.’
‘Got to!’ A quick frown clouded Tanith’s face. ‘I do not understand!
‘Ma petite, it is you ‘oo do not understan’,’ Madame D’Urfe broke in hastily. Then she launched into a torrent of low speech in some foreign language, but Rex caught De Richleau’s name and the word Ipsissimus, so he guessed that she was giving Tanith some version of the events which had taken place the night before, based on his own misleading statements, and wondered miserably how long he would be able to keep up the impersonation which had been thrust upon him.
Tanith nodded several times and studied him with a new interest as she nibbled a small piece of the lilac blossom between her teeth. Then she said with charming frankness: ‘You must forgive meI had no idea you were such an important member of the Order.’
‘Forget it please,’ he begged, ‘but if you’re free I’d be glad if you could join me for lunch.’
‘That puts me in a difficulty because I am supposed to be lunching with the wife of the Roumanian Minister.’
‘How about this afternoon then?’
Her eyes showed quick surprise. ‘But we shall have to leave here by four o’clock if we are to get down by duskand I have my packing to do yet.’
He realised that she was referring to the meeting and covered his blunder swiftly. ‘Of courseI’m forgetting that these twisting English roads don’t permit of the fast driving I’m used to back home. How would it be if I run you along to your dress place now and then we took a turn round the Park after?’
‘Yesif you will have lots of patience with me, because I take an almost idiotic interest in my clothes.’
‘You’re telling me!’ he murmured to himself as he admired the slim graceful lines of her figure clad so unostentatiously and yet so suitably for the sunshine of the bright spring day. He picked up his hat and beamed at her. ‘Let’s goshall we?’
To his amazement he found himself taking leave of the old Countess just as though she were a nice, normal, elderly lady who was chaperoning some young woman to whom he had been formally introduced at a highly respectable dance. And indeed, as they departed, her dark eyes had precisely the same look which had often scared him in mothers who possessed marriageable daughters. Had he not known that such thoughts were anathema to her creed he would have sworn that she was praying that they would be quick about it, so that she could book a day before the end of the season at St. George’s, Hanover Square, and was already listing in her mind the guests who should be asked to the reception.
‘Where does the great artist hang out?’ he asked as he helped Tanith into the car.
‘I have two,’ she told him. ‘Schiaparelli just across the square, where I shall be for some twenty minutes, and after I have also to visit Artelle in Knightsbridge… . Are you sure that you do not mind waiting for me?’
‘Why, no! We’ve a whole heap of time before us.’
‘And tonight as well,’ she added slowly. ‘I am glad that you will be there because I am just a little nervous.’
‘You needn’t be!’ he said with a sudden tightening of his mouth, but she seemed satisfied with his assurance and had no inkling of his real meaning.
As she alighted in Upper Grosvenor Street he called gaily after her: ‘Twenty minutes mind, and not one fraction over,’ then he drove across the road and pulled up at the International Sportsman’s Club of which he was a member.
The telephone exchange put him through to the British Museum quickly enough, but the operator there nearly drove him frantic. It seemed that it was not part of the Museum staff’s duties to search for visitors in the Reading Room, but after urgent prayers about imaginary dead and dying they at last consented to have the Duke hunted out. The wait that followed seemed interminable but at last De Richleau came to the line.
‘I’ve got the girl,’ Rex told him hurriedly, ‘but how long I’ll be able to keep her I don’t know. I’ve had a long talk, too, with that incredible old woman who smokes cigarsyou know the oneMadame D’Urfe. They’re staying at Claridges together and both of them are going to the party you spoke of tonight. Where it is to be held I don’t know, but they’re leaving London by car at four o’clock and hope to make the place by nightfall. I’ve spun them a
yarn that you’re the high and mighty Hoodoo in the you-know-whata far bigger bug than Mocata ever was so the old lady’s all for giving him the go-by and sitting in round about your feet, but neither of them knows where Simon isI’m certain. In fact they’ve no idea that he made a getaway last night after we got him to your flatso what’s the drill now?
‘I seewell, in that case you must …’ But Rex never learnt what De Richleau intended him to do for at that moment they were cut off. When he got through to the Museum again it was to break in on a learned conversation about South American antiquities which was being conducted on another line and, realising that he had already exceeded his twenty minutes, he had no option but to hang up the receiver and dash out into the street.
Tanith was just coming down the steps of Schiaparelli’s as he turned the car to meet her. ‘Where now?’ he asked when she had settled herself beside him.
‘To Artelle. It is just opposite the barracks in Knightsbridge. I will not be more than five minutes this time, but she has a new idea for me. She is really a very clever woman, so I am anxious to hear what she has thought of.’
It was the longest speech he had so far heard her make, as their conversation the night before had been brief and frequently interrupted by Mocata. Her idiom was perfect, but the way in which she selected her words and the care with which she pronounced them made him ask suddenly: ‘You’re not English are you!
‘Yes,’ she smiled as they turned into Hyde Park, ‘but my mother was Hungarian and I have lived abroad nearly all my life. Is my accent very noticeable?’
‘Wellin a way, but it sounds just marvellous to me. Your voice has got that deep caressing note about it which reminds me ofwell, if you want the truth, it’s like Marlene Dietrich on the talkies.’
She threw back her head and gave a low laugh. ‘If I believed that I should be tempted to keep it, and as it is I have been working so hard to get rid of it ever since I have been in England. It is absurd that I should not be able to speak my own language perfectlyyet I have talked English so little, except to foreign governesses when I was a young girl.’
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