Influence

by Stuart Johnstone

  ‘As longest serving member of this group, and as far as you’re concerned, I am in charge here, and I say get rid of her. No offence pet, but you’re not welcome here okay,’ said Kara suddenly directing her gaze and anger at Lizzie. There was plenty of offence in her words of course, and Lizzie considered this might actually be a good get-out, before things got out of hand. But before she knew it she was talking.

  ‘Well, naturally I’m overwhelmed at such a warm welcome, and may I say thank you for including us all in your debate,’ there was a chuckle from somewhere around the table. ‘You’re right to be cautious, Kara, and I don’t blame you at all. You don’t know me yet but that will change soon. You’re also right that Void here seems to be a little devil may care with his mouth, and I can assure you I’ve already scalded him for that. Look if you all want me to go, I will and I won’t hold any grudge. I wasn’t sure myself if coming here tonight was a good idea, but I guess I just saw the sense in what Void was saying, that it would be a good ice breaker, that it would make things easier when we do this officially.

  Well, at least I got to meet you all, have a good night,’ Lizzie turned to leave hoping her words had done enough, but after three or four strides she began to fear they hadn’t.

  ‘Wait,’ Kara’s voice came as a relief. Lizzie turned back to the table. ‘You can stay, but keep your mouth shut. Both tonight and about anything that happens tonight, you understand?’

  ‘Loud and clear boss,’ said Void answering for Lizzie.

  ‘Okay, I’ll get the drinks in, who’s having what?’

  ‘If you wanted a pint you should have been here on time. Rest of you drink up, let’s get on with it. And Void, she’s your responsibility, I don’t have time to babysit and explain every little thing.’

  ‘Yessuh boss lady,’ he said in some poor imitation of an accent. The table, for a short time, went back to previous conversations and Lizzie was relieved the attention was no longer on her. She looked around the table at the others present. She recognised a few of them now from her first encounter at Jesus College, but there were a few new ones. A couple, by the look of it, sat shoulder to shoulder leaning in toward one another. In other circumstances they would have blended anonymously into the background but here they were as conspicuous as a search light in a blackout due to their normalness, no ghoulish makeup and clothes of the time and style.

  ‘So I guess I will be your guide tonight, a Virgil to your Dante if you will.’ Void’s words made her realise she had been staring. Lizzie re-focussed.

  ‘I guess so, although I don’t remember a scary bird from Newcastle anywhere in The Divine Comedy.’

  ‘She’s okay, it’s just posturing. Take no notice she has a thing with authority. I guess she doesn’t like surprises, which is my fault. I probably should have cleared it, I’m sorry if she embarrassed you.’

  ‘I’ll get over it,’ said Lizzie. She noticed some movement at the table as jackets were being passed around to find their owners. ‘Are you going to give me the whole air stewardess demonstration then? Emergency exits, and remember to apply your own oxygen mask before helping others with theirs?’

  ‘Not exactly but I’ll try to keep you right as we go along,’ said Void, himself getting to his feet to allow the rest of the table to make their way by him. Lizzie and Void joined the back of the line as they made their way out of the pub.

  It was dark now, and a strong breeze, which had not been present when she had arrived, seemed to be signalling a change in the weather. The small crowd made their way out of the lane and Lizzie soon lost track of their route and direction entirely. The crowd which left the pub as one soon fractured into small groups, conversing amongst themselves. Void walked with Lizzie maintaining their position at the back. ‘The first thing you need to realise is that we are unofficial, Kara is right about that. And she’s also right about keeping all this quiet. We are a circle within a circle, and the outer circle doesn’t know about our get-togethers and I suspect knowledge of it would not go down well so please keep all this on the down low, cool?

  ‘Cool,’ assured Lizzie, though she was, if anything, more lost than ever and so in no position to divulge anything to anyone. She again was dying to ask so many questions but knew she had to let the information come without inquisition. They walked on and Lizzie waited for Void to give her some indication of what was to come, but only small talk was forthcoming. Lizzie wondered where the hell they were going, the darkness had thrown her sense of direction off and they had been walking now for a good ten minutes, she had only the vaguest idea of where she was.

  The group ahead of her had stopped, their destination reached. Lizzie looked around as they caught up to them. To begin with she was completely lost but then the others parted slightly and she caught sight of the door they stood in front of, it was unmistakable. Two impossibly massive doors set within an arch, each intricately decorated and etched. The seals of each of the university’s colleges adorned the panels of the doors and it seemed only a giant could possibly have strength enough to push them open. Lizzie had been here before, had visited on her first trip to Oxford and a few times since. The decadent and splendid entrance to the Bodleian Library made seemingly impossible promises of what lay within, however she knew the library delivered, and then some. If the University of Oxford was indeed a dismembered body then the Bodleian Library was the beating heart at the middle of everything.

  Lizzie knew that opening the massive door wasn’t necessary, a small wicket-door was set within its titan parent, which Kara found without difficulty, opened and stepped through, closely followed by the others. All conversation now ceased. Lizzie and Void brought up the rear and Kara carefully closed the door behind them. Lizzie knew she now stood in the Old Schools Quadrangle, a courtyard normally filled with tourists with clucking cameras, from here the sprawling library was set on every side.

  A light drizzle was beginning to fall and a low rumble of thunder echoed through the empty courtyard giving the illusion that the walls themselves grumbled with foreboding.

  A small man appeared from behind them out of a booth Lizzie had not noticed on her way in. The glass fronted box was for taking money or directing tourists through the labyrinthine buildings. The man, a caretaker by the looks of him, approached, a self-rolled cigarette hanging from his bottom lip. ‘I’m shuttin doors at eleven prompt you lot, whether you be in or out. Just so’s yous know.’ Kara spun on her heels.

  ‘If you lock us in here old man I’ll come looking for ya. Just so’s you know alright?’ she said without a hint of humour.

  ‘I were only jesting young un. I’ll be in booth if you need ought,’ the old man waddled back suitably chastised. Kara led on, the heel of her black boots clicked sharply on the cobbled ground and, like the thunder, the noise batted around the walls. A dimly lit door way to their left led them out of the courtyard and into one of the main buildings making up the library. Like the university itself the library was a Frankenstein’s monster of individual parts brought together in some mysterious way. Lizzie had visited the library on a few occasions and was, each time, struck by the grandeur and history of the place. A guided tour would take you through the library’s own story, how it was built on over time to become the marvel it was today. A guide would happily show off the facilities of the library - opulent halls and quaint reading rooms as well as any number of unventured ups and downs, not accessible to the public, would flash by on the whistle-stop tour.

  ‘You okay?’ asked Void, the look on Lizzie’s face evidently concerning him.

  ‘Fine, yeah, just not sure where we’re going.’

  ‘You’ll see,’ was all that Void said, the small grin on his face telling her nothing. A series of lefts and rights that Lizzie had failed to memorise brought the group to a long corridor at the end of which lay stone steps leading both up and down. A red rope cordoned off the stairs below, this Kara removed at one end letting it drop to the floor. Lizzie now found herself in the middle of the group, p
enned in. The already dark stairwell grew dimmer still as they descended. As the light disappeared Lizzie felt a solid hand on her shoulder. They must now be under street level, or maybe that was just an illusion she thought, but the descent seemed to go on and on. The person in front of Lizzie stopped abruptly causing her to walk into their back, a spark somewhere in front and a candle was lit. Kara stood in front of a wooden door which she pushed open and the line continued on. Once inside Lizzie stood by the door, in case it turned out to be the only exit. Members of the group began busying themselves lighting candles and before long the whole room came into soft focus.

  A large square chamber with a surprisingly high ceiling, given its subterranean position, spread out before her. Lizzie’s breath left her in wisps of steam in the bitter cold. A damp but not unpleasant smell filled her nostrils. The stone walls and floor were illuminated by a series of strategically placed massive candelabras. Suitably large red candles, which had seen plenty of use judging by the pools of wax on the floor below them, glowed casting the room into increasingly greater focus; and that’s when she saw it, on the floor amid the sets of candles.

  The sight of the pentacle – Robe’s pentacle, sent a flee instinct through her. She backed toward the door her heart in her mouth. Kara was bent over a section of the huge inscription with a large rock of white chalk repairing faded symbols and broken sections of the outer circle. The remaining group members were either performing other jobs or talking amongst themselves and Lizzie sensed her opportunity. Two members heaved a heavy dark coloured fabric sheet over a massive ornate mirror hung on one wall while others lit candles and talked in low whispers to one another. She turned to see how far she was from the door only to find Void closing it. She halted her step as he looked at her with a look of concern on his face, most likely caused by Lizzie’s own expression. She forced her mouth into a smile and Void’s face relaxed. He placed his hand on her shoulder. ‘There’s something we need to do before we get started, don’t worry though it’s relatively painless. Come on.’

  He directed her toward the centre of the room – the centre of the pentacle. Lizzie could now see the very back of the room where a stone slab sat, behind which stairs descended impossibly further, she guessed that route would be an unsuitable escape. ‘We good to go?’ Void asked Kara.

  ‘Yeah let’s get started,’ Kara was dusting off her hands, a small cloud of white falling from her. ‘Places everyone,’ without discussion or uncertainty the group split and formed a loose circle around the edges of the seven pointed star including Void who left her there with Kara. Lizzie looked at her feet, and at the Oxford seal below her boots. ‘Lizzie,’ the sound of Kara speaking her name was like a slap to the face, she looked into the face of the girl. ‘You’ll need to go through this again when we form for the next official gathering but there’s no harm in repeating it. We’ve all done this and it’s a necessary part of proceedings. Kara took Lizzie’s hands in hers. ’Welcome, Lizzie to the Esoteric Council,’ EC – thought Lizzie. ‘Your decision to join us should not be taken lightly, and nor should our rules and demand for the utmost discretion. ‘Repeat after me: I hereby undertake not to remove from the Library, or to mark, deface, or injure in any way, any volume, document, or other object belonging to it or in its custody; not to bring into the Library or kindle therein any fire or flame.’ Lizzie repeated the words, her face twisting slightly at the mention of not bringing fire into the library considering the almost ridiculous number of candles currently aflame in the room. ‘I know,’ said Kara quietly for Lizzie’s ears only, ‘but this room has special dispensation, however the sentiment behind the oath is a vital one, you’ll understand later. Please take your place Lizzie.’ Lizzie looked around, the other members stood solemnly at the each point of the star hands rigid against their sides, leaving two points unattended. Void motioned with a sideways flick of his head and Lizzie walked to the edge of the circle, turned, and faced inwards. Kara took the remaining place,

  ‘Tonight we will perform a simple Agni ritual, if we are all in agreement?’ said Kara, the other members muttered their approval, and Lizzie wondered if the translation of “Agni” was something like - sacrifice the new girl.

  As one the group lowered their chins to their chests and closed their eyes, their arms raised, hands overlapped across their hearts. Lizzie copied but kept her eyes open, too terrified to allow herself to become any more vulnerable than she already felt. Kara spoke, something Lizzie did not understand in a low voice, her own arms moved from her chest to an open gesture. A response, in a tongue Lizzie assumed to be the same as Kara’s came strong and perfectly unified from the others. Kara continued and Lizzie watched on waiting, dreading. After a few minutes of unintelligible exchange Lizzie could sense an unease settling over the ceremony. A few members opened their eyes briefly, each time they did Lizzie closed hers. When again she opened them she caught Void’s eyes. He nodded to her, he bore a serious expression and Lizzie took it to be a signal to concentrate. Lizzie resigned herself to the fact that she could go nowhere and the more she resisted the greater the danger she was placing herself in.

  She lowered her head, clamped her eyes shut and listened to the words. By now a familiarity through repetition was forming in her mind and she tried to join the chant, her voice softer than those around her. The room was no longer cold, not at all. Perhaps it was due to the candles and the combined body heat in an enclosed area but it had taken very little time.

  The warmth was a comfort and she began to relax a little. The words were coming easier now and she joined her volume to the others. Her eyes remained closed and she felt more and more at ease, she no longer feared for herself. The words came almost from somewhere else now. They left her with conviction and purpose. A heat within her rose and she was aware only of the words she did not know, but voiced them like a life-long practiced mantra. The rising heat enveloped her and she rejoiced inside, her whole body sang, resonating with the pulse of the words. All thoughts of anything but the moment were a distant memory. There was no room, no Council, no danger, just the words which needed to be spoken. She was oblivious to how much time had passed, maybe seconds maybe hours.

  Slowly at first, but with increasing realisation she again became aware of her surroundings. The words still left her automatically but now she sensed she spoke them alone. Her eyes flew open and her tongue stopped dead in her mouth. Every face in the room stared at her but Lizzie was less concerned with that than the huge candelabras which now blazed fire high into the air as if supplied by gas mains. They roared bluish green flame and sweat was gathering across Lizzie’s face from the intense heat they produced. Then suddenly they guttered out. The sudden retraction caused some of the candles to extinguish completely while others returned to their ordinary small orange flame.

  ‘Holy fucking shee-ite, did you see that?’ said Kara in obvious delight.

  ‘We’ve never had a result like that before, damn it, we should have had the camera here for this.’ Void’s voice was high and fast. He walked over to Lizzie, who stood stunned. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and lifted her a few inches into the air. Lizzie arms remained by her sides trapped within his embrace.

  Over the next hour the tense ceremony of the evening gave way to casual chatter. Lizzie remained confused and disturbed by, well whatever the hell had just happened, however fear for her personal safety began to fade. The positive feeling in the room, and all the enthusiastic congratulations were infectious, even if she had absolutely no idea for what she was being congratulated.

  Eventually Kara walked to the centre of the room and raised both arms in the air grabbing the attention and silence of those present.

  ‘Guys,’ she said, ‘Thank you for your efforts tonight, and what a great result I’m sure you’ll agree. However all good things and all that crap, so we’ll call it a night there. It’s such a pity our learned leader couldn’t have been here to witness this, and a pity we could not put this one down on video to watch
back, but I think we can repeat the result next time.

  In the Curate’s absence then I wish you all a good night and in his words: knowledge is power, so arm yourselves and let no man stand against you,’

  Sully’s words from Kara’s mouth hit Lizzie like a hammer blow to her heart, and it was all she could do to stay on her feet. The assembled crowd laughed amongst themselves and Void even shared a chuckle with Kara, until he looked round for Lizzie and saw the horror etched upon her face. Void stopped laughing instantly, confused at Lizzie’s reaction. His gaze and concern spread quickly and before she knew it the room had gone deathly quiet, every eye was on her. Void started to walk toward her, a few others closed in too.

  The door was now open, Lizzie noted, the panic in her heart gripped her, threatened to cripple her, Lizzie’s world was blurring, all reservation left her and she ran, one of the group pushed out a hand as she reached the doorway, she batted it away, and she ran.

  Fifteen

  Lizzie took the stairs two at a time, mostly guessing where to plant her feet in the near darkness. She stumbled just as she reached the top of the spiral stairs and crashed her shin painfully against the edge of the top-most step. She hobbled as she waited for the worst of the pain to pass, and checked behind her as she tried to recall her path into that place but only darkness chased her. By the time she found herself in the courtyard once again her stride had returned. A heavy rain pounded the cobbles beneath her feet. She headed straight for the exit but saw the old man rise from his seat as she did, he stepped out of his booth and Lizzie was sure he was about to try to stop her. She was preparing to throw her weight into him when he stepped back realising she had no intention to slow up. ’You alright young un?’ Lizzie burst through the small door ignoring the man’s question.

  She thought she might be able to retrace her route back to the Tavern, but didn’t think that was the quickest way back to the train station. She stopped briefly and tried to force herself to think, but when she heard the old man’s voice back in the courtyard talking to someone else she flew once more, relying on luck rather than judgement. Distance, she thought, just get some distance and work it out later. She took lefts and rights arbitrarily, she was no athlete and her run soon became a jog, a hastened walk and by the time she found herself in a busier part of town she had to stop.