‘But listen,’ he caught her hands again. ‘It was bad enough that you should have been going to take part in this abominable business as a graduateit’s a thousand times worse that you should do it while there’s still time to back out.’
‘Mocata would not allow me to now, even if I had the inclination, but you are so nice it really distresses me that you should worry so. The Satanic Baptism is only an old-fashioned and rather barbarous ritual, but it will give me real status among adepts, and no possible harm can come to me as long as I do not deviate from the Path which must be followed by all members of the Order.’
‘You’re wrongwrongwrong.’ Rex insisted boldly. ‘De Richleau was explaining the real horror of this thing to me last night. This promise of strange powers is only a filthy trap. At your first Christening your Godparents revoked the Devil and all his Works. Once you willingly rescind that protection, as you’ll have to do, something awful will take possession of you and force you into doing its will, an Earthbound Spirit or an Elemental I think he called it.’
She shrugged. ‘There are ways of dealing with Elementals.’
‘Aw, hell. Why can’t I make you understand!’ He wrung his hands together desperately. ‘It’s easy to see they haven’t called on you to do any real devilry yet. They’ve just led you on by a few demonstrations and encouraging your crystal gazing, but they willonce you’re a full memberand then you’ll be more scared than ever to refuse, or find it’s just impossible under the influence of this thing that will get hold of you.’
‘I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you. It is I who will make use of them not they of me, and quite obviously you don’t know what you are talking about.’
‘The Duke does,’ he insisted, ‘and he says that you can still get free as long as you haven’t been actually re-baptised, but after that all holy protection is taken from you. Why else d’you think we took a chance of breaking up that party last nightif not to try and save Simon from the self-same thing.’
A queer light came into Tanith’s eyes. ‘Yet Mocata willed him to return so he will receive his non-du-Diable after all tonight.’
‘Don’t you be too certain. I’ve a hunch we’ll save him yet.’ Rex spoke with a confidence he was very far from feeling.
‘And how do you propose to set about it?’ she asked with a quick intuition that by some means she might utilise this factor to facilitate her own escape.
‘Ah! that’s just the rub,’ he admitted. ‘You see we thought maybe you’d know his whereabouts and I’ll be frank about it. That’s the reason I went round to Claridges this morning, to see if I could get you down here some way so as De Richleau could question you, although I should have called on you anyway for a very different reason. Still you didn’t even know Mocata had taken Simon off us till you spoke to the old woman on the wire, so it’s pretty obvious that you don’t know where he is. I believe you could give us a line on Mocata thoughif you choose to.’
‘I was under the impression that it was at his house that the party where we met was given.’
‘No, that was Simon’s place, though I gather Mocata’s been living there with him for some little time. He must have a hideout of his own somewhere though and that’s what we want to get at.’
‘I know nothing of his ordinary life, and if I did, I do not think I should be inclined to tell you of it, but why are you so interested in this Mr. Aron ? That was a lie you told me about your needing him because you are also searching for the Talisman of Set.’
‘He’s my very greatest friend, and more than that he risked his life to come out to Soviet Russia and look for me, when I was gaoled for poking my nose into the “Forbidden Territory”, a few years back. The Duke came too, and he looks on Simon almost as a son.’
‘That does not give you any right to interfere if, like myself, he elects to devote himself to the occult.’
‘Maybe, as long as he confines himself to the harmless side, but De Richleau says the game that you and he are playing is the most hideously dangerous that’s ever been known to mankind, and after what I saw last night I certainly believed him.’
‘Simon Aron did not strike me as a fool. He must be aware of the risks which he is running and prepared to face them for the attainment of his desires.’
‘I doubt itI doubt if you do either. Anyhow, for the moment, we’re regarding him as a person who’s not quite all there, and nothing you can name is going to stop the Duke and me from saving him from himself if we get half a chance.’
Tanith felt that now was the time to show the bait in the trap which she had been preparing. So she leant forward and said, slowly : ‘If you really are so mad as to wish for a chance to pit yourselves against Mocata, I think I could give it to you.’
‘Could you? ‘Rex jerked himself upright and the water gurgled a little at the sides of the canoe.
‘Yes, I don’t know if he has a house of his own anywhere, but I do know where he will be this eveningand your friend Simon will be with him.’
‘You mean the Sabbat eh? And you’ll give me the name of the place where it’s being held?’
‘Oh no.’ The sunlight gleamed golden on her hair as she shook her head. ‘But I’ll let you take me to it, if you agree to let me go free once we are there.’
‘Nothing doing,’ he said bluntly.
‘I see,’ she smiled, ‘you are afraid of Mocata after all. Well, that doesn’t surprise me because he has ample means of protecting himself against anything you could attempt against him. That is why, of course, I feel that, providing the place is not given away beforehand, he would prefer me to let you know it than detain me hereI’m quite honest you see, but evidently you are not so confident of yourself or interested in your friend as I thought.’
Rex was thinking quickly. Nothing but an actual order from the Duke, based on his assurance that Mocata might punish Tanith in some terrible manner if she failed to appear, would have induced him to let her go to the Sabbat, but on the other hand this was a real chance to reach Simon, in fact, the only one that offered. ‘Do you require that I should actually hand you over to Mocata when we get there?’ he asked at length.
‘No. If you take me to the place that will be sufficient, but there must be no question of gagging me or tying me up.’
In an agony of indecision he pondered the problem again. Dare he risk taking Tanith within the actual sphere of Mocata’s influence? Yet he would have the Duke with him, so surely between them they would be able to restrain her from taking any part in the ceremony, and it was impossible to throw away such a chance of saving Simon.
‘I’m not giving any promise to let you join the party,’ Rex said firmly.
‘Well, I intend to do so.’
‘That remains to be seenbut I’ll accept your offer on those conditions.’
She nodded, confident now that once they reached their destination Mocata would exercise his powers to relieve her of restraint.
‘The place must be about seventy miles from here,’ she told him, ‘and I should like to be there by sundown, so we ought to leave here by six.’
‘Wouldn’t it be possible to start later?’ A worried frown clouded Rex’s face. ‘The truth is, that message Max gave us before lunch was phoneyjust a part of my plan for keeping you here. I never did count on De Richleau arriving much before the time you say we ought to startand I’d just hate to leave without him.’
Tanith smiled to herself. This was an unexpected piece of luck. She had only met the Duke for a moment the night before, but his lean, cultured face and shrewd, grey eyes had impressed her. She felt that he would prove a far more difficult opponent than this nice, bronzed young giant, and if she could get away without having to face him after all, it would be a real relief, so she made a wry face and proceeded to elaborate her story.
‘I’m sorry, but there are certain preparations which have to be made before the gathering. They begin at sunset, so I must be atwell, the place to which we are going by
a quarter past eight. If I arrive later I shall not be eligible to participateso I will not go at all.’
‘In that case I guess I’m in your hands. Anyhow, now we’ve settled things, let’s get back to the house.’ Rex untied the canoe and, setting the motor in motion, steered back to the landing stage.
His first thought was to inform De Richleau of the bargain that he had made, but after pleading once more with the officials at the British Museum to have the Duke sought for, he learned that he was no longer there, and when he got through to the Curzon Street flat the servants could tell him nothing of De Richleau’s whereabouts, so it was impossible to expedite his arrival.
For a time Rex strolled up and down the lawn with Tanith, then round the lovely garden, while he talked again of the places that they had both visited abroad and tried to recapture something of the gaiety which had marked their drive down from London in the morning.
Max brought them tea out on to the terrace, and afterwards they played the electric gramophone, but even that failed to relieve Rex of a steadily deepening anxiety that the Duke might not arrive in time.
The shadows of the lilacs and laburnums began to lengthen on the grass. Tanith went upstairs to tidy herself, and when she came down asked if he could find her a road map. He produced a set and for a time she studied two of them in silence, then she refolded them and said quietly : ‘I know so little of the English country but I am certain now that I can find it. We must be leaving soon.’
It was already six o’clock, and he had put off shaking a cocktail until the last moment in order to delay their departure as long as possible. Now, he rang for ice as he said casually: ‘Don’t fuss, I’ll get you there by a quarter after eight.’
‘I’ll give you five minutesno more.’
‘Well, listen now. Say De Richleau fails to make it. Won’t you give me a break? Let me know the name of the place so as I can leave word for him to follow?’
She considered for a moment. I will give you the name of a village five miles from it where he can meet you on one condition.’
‘Let’s hear it’
‘That neither of you seek to restrain me in any way once we reach our destination.’
‘No, I’ll not agree to that.’
‘Then I certainly will not give you any information which will enable your friend to appear on the scene and help you.’
‘I’ll get him there some waydon’t you worry.’
‘That leaves me a free hand to prevent you if I candoesn’t it?’
As he swallowed his cocktail she glanced at the clock. ‘It’s ten past now, so unless you prefer not to go we must start at once.’
Consoling himself with the thought that De Richleau could have got no more out of her even if he had questioned her himself, Rex led her out and settled her in the Rolls then, before starting up the engine, he listened intently for a moment, hoping that even yet he might catch the low, steady purr of the big Hispano which would herald the Duke’s eleventh hour arrival, but the evening silence brooded unbroken over the trees and lane. Reluctantly he set the car in motion and as they ran down the gravel sweep, Tanith said quietly, ‘Please drive to Newbury.’
‘But that’s no more than twenty miles from here!
‘Oh, I will give you further directions when we reach it,’ she smiled, and for a little time they drove in silence through the quiet byways until they entered the main Bath Road at Theale.
At Newbury, she gave fresh instructions. ‘To Hungerford now,’ and the fast, low, touring Rolls sped out of the town eating up another ten miles of the highway to the west.
‘Where next?’ he asked, scanning the houses of the market town, for its most prosperous-looking Inn and mentally registering The Bear. It was just seven o’clockanother few miles and they would be about halfway to the secret rendezvous. He did not dare to stop in the town in case she gave him the slip and hired another car or went on by train, but when they were well out in the country again he meant to telephone the Duke, who must have arrived at Pangbourne by this time, and urge him to follow as far as Hungerford at oncethen sit tight at The Bear until he received further information.
Tanith was studying the map. ‘There are two ways from here,’ she said, ‘but think it would be best to keep to the main road as far as Marlborough.’
A few miles out of Hungerford the country became less populous with only a solitary farmhouse here and there, peaceful and placid in the evening light. Then these, too, were left behind and they entered a long stretch of darkening woodlands, the northern fringe of Savernake Forest.
Both were silent, thinking of the night to come which was now so close upon them and the struggle of wills that must soon take place. Rex brought the car down to a gentle cruising speed and watched the road-sides intently. At a deserted hairpin bend, where a byway doubled back to the south-east, he found just what he wanted, a telephone call-box.
Turning the car off the main road he pulled up, and noted with quick appreciation that they had entered one of the most beautiful avenues he had ever seen. As far as the eye could see it cut clean through the forest, the great branches meeting overhead in the sombre gloom of the falling night, it looked like the nave of some titanic cathedral deserted by mankind; but he had no leisure to admire it to the full, and stepping out, called to Tanith over his shoulder: ‘Won’t be a minutejust want to put through a call.’
She smiled, but the queer look that he had seen earlier in the day came into her eyes again. ‘So you mean to trick me and let De Richleau know the direction we have taken?’
‘I wouldn’t call it that,’ he protested. ‘In order to get in touch with Simon I bargained to take you to this place you’re so keen to get to, but I reserve the right to stop you taking any part yourself, and I need the Duke to help me.’
‘And I agreed, because it was the only way in which I could get away from Pangbourne, but I reserved the right to do all in my power to attend the meeting. However,’ she shrugged lightly, ‘do as you will.’
‘Thanks.’ Rex entered the box, spoke to the operator, and having inserted the necessary coins, secured his number. Next minute he was speaking to De Richleau. ‘Hello ! Rex here. I’ve got the girl and she’s agreed…. Oh, Hell!’
He dropped the receiver and leapt out of the box. While his back was turned Tanith had moved into the driver’s seat. The engine purred, the Rolls slid forward. He clutched frantically at the rear mudguard but his fingers slipped and he fell sprawling in the road. When he scrambled to his feet the long blue car was almost hidden by a trail of dust as it roared down the avenue, and while he was still cursing his stupidity, it disappeared into the shadows of the forest.
CHAPTER XIV
THE DUKE DE RICHLEAU TAKES THE FIELD
At 7.20. Rex was through again to the Duke, gabbling out the idiotic way in which he had allowed Tanith to fool him and leave him stranded in Savernake Forest.
At 7.22. De Richleau had heard all he had to tell and was ordering him to return to Hungerford as best he could, there to await instructions at The Bear.
At 7.25. Tanith was out of the Forest and on a good road again, some five miles south-east of Marlborough, slowing down to consult her map.
At 7.26. The Duke was through to Scotland Yard.
At 7.28. Rex was loping along at a steady trot through the gathering darkness, praying that a car would appear from which he could ask a lift.
At 7.30. De Richleau was speaking to the Assistant Commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, a personal friend of his. ‘It’s not the car that matters,’ he said, ‘but the documents which are in it. Their immediate recovery is of vital importance to me and I should consider it a great personal favour if any reports which come in may be sent at once to the Police Station at Newbury.’
At 7.32. Tanith was speeding south towards Tidworth, having decided that to go round Salisbury Plain via Amesbury would save her time on account of the better roads.
At 7.38. Scotland Yard was issuing t
he following communique by wireless : ‘All stations. Stolen. A blue touring Rolls, 1934 model. Number OA 1217. Owner, Duke de Richleau. Last seen in Savernake Forest going south-east at 19 hours 15, but reported making for Marlborough. Driven by woman. Age twenty-three attractive appearancetall, slim, fair hair, pale face, large hazel eyes, wearing light green summer costume and small hat. Particulars required by Special Department. Urgent. Reports to Newbury.’
At 7.42. De Richleau received a telephone call at Pangbourne. ‘Speakin’ fer Mister Clutterbuck,’ said the voice, ‘bin tryin’ ter get yer this lars’ ‘arf hour, sir. The green Daimler passed through Camberley goin’ south just arter seven o’clock.’
At 7.44. Tanith was running past the military camp at Tidworth still going south.
At 7.45. Rex was buying a second-hand bicycle for cash at three times its value from a belated farm-labourer.
At 7.48. The Duke received another call. ‘I have a special from Mr. Clutterbuck,’ said a new voice. ‘The Yellow Sports Sunbeam passed Devizes going south at 7.42.’
At 7.49. Tanith reached the Andover-Amesbury road and turned west along it.
At 7.54. De Richleau climbed into his Hispano. ‘My night glassesthank you,’ he said as he took a heavy pair of binoculars from Max. ‘Any messages which come in for me up to 8.25 are to be relayed to the police at Newbury, after that to Mr. Van Ryn at The Bear Inn, Hungerford, up till 8.40, and from then on to the police at Newbury again.’
At 7.55. Tanith was approaching a small cross-roads on the outskirts of Amesbury. A Police-Sergeant who had left the station ten minutes earlier spotted the number of her car, and stepping out into the road called to her to halt. She swerved violently, missing him by inches, but managed to swing the car into the by-road leading north.
At 7.56. Rex was pedalling furiously along the road to Hungerford with all the strength of his muscular legs.
At 7.58. Tanith, livid with rage that Rex should have put the police on to her as though she were a common car thief, had spotted another policeman near the bridge in Bulford village. Not daring to risk his holding her up in the narrow street, she switched up another side-road leading north east.
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