by Frank Lauria
When she woke up, she found that her sheets were stained with blood.
That evening, Nurse Destiny went to services at the chapel as usual. Afterward, Pere D’Te found her outside. He smiled when he saw her. “You were a virgin,” he said.
“Yes.” She didn’t ask him for an explanation.
“You will not attend these services any longer,” he told her. He handed her a card on which was written an address. “In two days go to this number. There you will receive instruction. You will be shown how you can take part in a new order of the mind and body which will bring you all you desire. This is the beginning of a new time for you, sister.” He turned to go.
She put a hand on his arm. “Will you… are you coming to see me again?” she said, her voice low.
He looked at her sharply. “If you wish,” he said. Then he left her.
When she went to the address D’Te had given her, she met a thin Negro man who wore an eye-patch and introduced himself to her as Malpas. He explained the nature of the group Muriel was going to join, and gave her detailed instructions for her to follow. She listened carefully and questioned nothing.
The following week she was initiated into the cult. It was that night that she discovered that Pere D’Te was known as Susej to the worshippers of the Clear One.
Destiny submitted to the sexual rites without passion or regret. To her, it was merely a formality she had to entertain in order to remain close to Pere DTe. She was completely in love with him.
She served him well after that, carrying out his every wish wordlessly and efficiently. For the first time in her life she felt fulfilled. The only moments that marred her happiness were those nights when she was required to attend the rites, for it was there that she saw the green-eyed priestess who assisted Susej during the ceremonies. She resented the girl’s nearness to him, and she was jealous of the important part this girl played in his rituals.
After the first night, Nurse Destiny did not take part in the orgies. She stood aside at those times, being content with the midnight lover of her dreams: Pere D’Te, who came to her after she was asleep, robed in white silk like some sweet- fleshed angel of Sodom; Pere D’Te, who transported her into paroxysms of delicious frenzy night after night after night.
During the day, Nurse Destiny served the Clear One in a unique capacity. The hospital which employed her catered to the ills of the wealthy. As she attended her patients she would study them closely. If the patient was seriously ill she would make guarded suggestions as to how they might recover their health. With few exceptions they were all eager to listen. In return for their cure, they would become subjects of the Clear One. She also watched for those patients whose condition was not particularly dangerous, but who she felt would make valuable servants for her master. She had a flair for her mission. She was never too quick to make her offer, nor did she explain anything too fully lest the patient change his mind. She worked like a hunter, trailing her prey patiently and revealing herself only when she was sure of the kill. She was highly selective, going after only the biggest game, those who had sufficient wealth or influence to significantly further the work of the cult. In less than a year she had brought thirty new members into the service of the Clear One, all of high station and all with an extraordinary desire for absolute power. By the end of that year Susej was at the threshold of his great plan of conquest.
Only one thing continued to gnaw at her contentment with her new life—the sight of Malta, the black-haired girl who stood beside Pere D’Te during the rites. Destiny had grown to hate the girl and her brazen proximity to Susej. Deep inside herself she vowed to somehow be rid of the priestess.
Destiny watched and waited, stalking the girl, looking for any sign of weakness, any sign of wavering faith.
In time she found what she was seeking.
As the cult prospered and the great plan was formulated, Destiny sensed a troubled spirit within the green-eyed priestess. She watched closer now, feeling her moment approaching.
The priestess was holding back. She performed her functions with diminishing enthusiasm. Nurse Destiny circled nearer, waiting for the right time to rid herself of her rival.
And the night the priestess made her fatal error, Destiny was watching.
A girl was being prepared for sisterhood in the cult. She was the daughter of a powerful financier, and her father was ambitious for the girl. He wanted her to be trained as a priestess and endowed with occult powers. She was twelve years old.
Malta, the high priestess, was to give the child instruction. Nurse Destiny made sure she was within hearing of the priestess and her young pupil. She heard Malta tell the little girl to go away from her father. She watched the little girl being put into a trance by Malta, and she saw Malta place an amulet around her neck. While the girl was in trance Malta gave her directions for escape and safety. Then she sent the girl out through one of the side passages in the temple.
As she turned to enter the room of worship, Malta saw Nurse Destiny standing in the shadows. The black-haired priestess did not hesitate. She slipped out of the temple, taking the same route the child had used.
Destiny went directly to Pere D’Te and told him what she had seen. His eyes betrayed his anger and confusion. “It will be difficult to find her,” he said finally. “The priestess has many powers. But she will be found, and punished beyond the grave.”
Nurse Destiny was satisfied.
She continued her work, performing with even more zeal than before. Soon after the disappearance of Malta, Pere D’Te told her that the activities of the cult were to be moved from California to New York City. Destiny was honored when he told her that she was to be elevated to the rank of high priestess. He also told her that she was to play a key role in the second phase of the great plan.
In New York she worked hard helping D’Te set up his new headquarters. The cult, aided by the members it had already recruited, became a potent force. D’Te was commander of a large, obedient and influential army. His success seemed imminent. It was only a matter of striking at the right time.
Muriel Destiny felt herself fulfilled in every way except one. She still desired the complete elimination of her former rival.
Then, one day, the priest came and told her he had located Malta. “Tell me, my priestess,” he teased, “shall we try to reeducate her to our work? She does have very broad powers, you know.”
Muriel was adamant. “Her very presence is a danger to us. The sooner she’s removed, the sooner the great plan can proceed without fear or encumbrance.”
“Quite right, Destiny.” D’Te chuckled. “Truly you were born to serve the Clear One. When we’ve achieved our objectiveness you will see how generous he can be.”
Muriel waited eagerly for the fruition of her own private plan. And finally her patience was rewarded.
She watched as Malta was brought in and sacrificed to the Great One during a rite of initiation.
She now had everything she desired.
She did not ask for elevation of power, she did not ask for wealth, she did not ask for beauty. She asked only to go to sleep and hold her tryst with her incubus lover.
IX
Sordi was still arguing his case as he set up the table in Orient’s study.
“Doctor,” he said softly, reprovingly, “after all this time don’t you think you should let me help you with these experiments?” He glanced at Orient. “You know, on Ischia, where I was born, there was a woman who could talk to the dead. Her name was Signora Santangelo and she told my mother when I was still a child that I had the power. And one night I was walking along the beach near the castle at Punto d’Ischia and I saw a boy who drowned. He called to me from the water and asked me to pray for him.” He paused to quickly cross himself. “And in my dreams I have seen the future.”
Orient continued to study the charts on his desk.
“Well, what do you say, Doctor?” Sordi asked from across the room as he placed the candle in the center of the table and
lit it.
“Your intentions are good, but your timing is bad.” Orient didn’t look up. “I promise you that we’ll talk about it soon, but right now please call the others. We have some work to take care of.”
“I understand, Doctor.” Sordi nodded, pleased that Orient had consented at least to consider his request.
Orient shook his head slowly as Sordi went out. For months his secretary had been after him to include him in the experiments. He’d already considered the possibilities of Sordi’s psychic bent and he knew that while the fastidious Italian did indeed have strong talent he was extremely superstitious. Orient had found that his best results were achieved with minds that were uncluttered.
Bishop Redson, Argyle Simpson and Levi filed silently into the study.
Orient stood and motioned them over to the round table.
As Argyle and Levi found chairs, Hap came in and joined them.
Redson sat to one side. His religion forbade direct participation in a seance. He had, however, given Hap permission to assist Orient.
“Gentlemen,” Orient began, “as you know, the goal of our pilgrimage is to educate humanity in the technique of telepathic communication.” As he spoke he walked slowly to the wall and pressed the light switch. In the sudden gloom the glow of the candle rippled long shadows across the room. “Tonight,” he continued as he came toward the table, “we’re going to take another path and try to make contact with the dead.”
Hap winced at the last word. Argyle and Levi looked at each other.
“Whom are we going to contact?” Levi ventured.
Orient sat down at the table. “Malta,” he answered. “I have reason to believe she died or was killed shortly after she left this house.”
“She left?” Argyle’s eyes flicked from Hap to Levi, and held on Orient. “Just what happened while we were out, Doc?” he asked.
Orient met his stare. “I don’t know what took place, yet. Even though we managed to break Malta’s trance, we didn’t find out what was causing it. My guess is that Malta was held by someone with tremendous occult powers. Before she left, Malta almost killed Sordi. Then Hap was attacked.”
Hap cut in. “Doc there’s something that’s been sticking in my craw. If it’s true what you say about my being possessed by something, then why didn’t I leave with Malta? Why did I hang around?”
“You were left behind to kill us, Hap,” Orient said.
“Kill? You mean all of you?” Hap looked around the table. Levi was smiling. Simpson wasn’t.
“Most certainly,” Orient said serenely. “If the bishop hadn’t been along I probably wouldn’t have known until it was too late.”
“Sounds like a rumble to me,” Argyle observed, squinting at Hap.
“That’s where it is. Things are involved that go much deeper than our other experiments. We’re not testing any more, and”—Orient looked around the table—“there isn’t any choice. All of us are in as much danger as Malta, maybe more.”
“Why us?” Levi asked.
“Because we here present the only threat to whoever is using the forbidden power. As civilization progresses technically it believes less in the spiritual. Anyone who is able to wield occult power is virtually unopposed, because lack of faith precedes ignorance. And ultimately, to be ignorant is to be helpless.”
“Well, that’s a drag,” Argyle snorted. “I thought this was a little old twenty-four-hour gig, and now I’m being held over to play policeman.”
There was a long awkward pause before Orient spoke.’
“There’s always the chance that I’m wrong,” he began. “I want to hold the seance tonight to establish the facts. I want to be sure that Malta is dead, and if she is, I want to know how it happened. If I’m wrong, that’s it—I’m wrong. But if Malta was killed, then none of us is safe unless we fight.”
Argyle was the first to break the silence that followed. “Okay, Doc, you’d better tell us how to go about this nonsense.”
Orient felt his tensed jaw muscles loosen into a smile and realized he’d been worried. “We start by making contact in the normal way.” He pulled his chair closer to the table. “I’ll take it from there. I’ll get in touch with my control and the control will find Malta for us.”
“What’s a control?” Hap asked.
“The control is a spirit guide who is able to transverse the different levels of spiritual planes, and physical planes, for that matter. My control was a member of the Cheyenne tribe in his last existence. We’ve had good rapport in past seances.”
“Then you’ve done this a few times?” Redson was surprised.
“Oh yes.” Orient half turned in his chair to face the bishop. “In the last three years I’ve conducted eight seances. The first two were shaky, but when I found Little Bear and he agreed to act as my control the others went smoothly.”
“Little Bear, eh?” Levi was still perplexed.
“Actually, it was a fortunate meeting for me. We’ve become quite close.”
Levi frowned and shook his head.
“Well,” Orient said, turning to the others, “let’s get to it. Unless”—he looked around—“there are more questions.”
No one spoke.
As he began his breathing pattern Hap concentrated on the bright point of flame above the candle.
Contact was instantaneous.
Hap felt the energy within him contract and expand as it was passed from man to man, then came back to him. With each cycle the energy intensified, building momentum until it no longer pulsed but surged steadily through him. Then the transition, and instead of energy flowing through his being he felt his being flowing through the energy and he knew that they were at maximum communication.
He felt Orient lift out of the current and leave the circle.
Hap raised his eyes and saw Orient’s features distend and his head begin to bob loosely from side to side. His mouth was working spasmodically.
Suddenly a guttural voice scraped from deep inside Orient’s throat.
“Does my… brother call… ” The voice rumbled, out of synchronization with Orient’s twitching lips.
Orient spoke with great difficulty. “… Greet… Bear… ” he managed.
“… Bear… welcomes… he… ready to track… forest of souls to… find… whom brother seeks… ”
The voice loomed louder. “Little Bear… knows… ” Orient’s face was streaming with sweat.
“… Bear has… waited for his… brother’s… call
»»
“… Seek… Malta… to speak… ” Orient faltered.
“She… will come… ” The voice faded.
In the silence that followed Hap thought he could hear the sound of the flame’s struggle to escape the wick.
Orient lurched violently forward. The muscles in his neck stood out as if he were straining against some great weight
Hap felt a chill breeze across the back of his neck.
Then he heard her voice.
Softly at first, then rising loudly and hollowly from Orient’s tensed throat. Hap struggled to maintain his concentration. He fixed his eyes on the candle flame.
“… Speak… only a few words… ” Malta’s voice rang a note of profound sorrow. “… Not yet release… escape from… seven… door… ”
Orient’s body began to tremble.
“… Must rest… ” Malta’s voice began to rise in pitch until it was almost a falsetto. “… Escape… seven door… find per a’te… per a’te seven
“ Malta sobbed, “per a’te… pain… ”
“By the blood of Christ, I know that name!” Redson boomed.
Hap felt the sudden drain of energy as contact broke.
Orient slumped heavily across the table.
Hap wrenched his stare from the candle and looked wildly around the table.
Argyle and Levi sat stiff and still, their faces frozen in shock.
Redson turned on the lights.
X
Nearly half an
hour passed before Doctor Orient had fully recovered from the strain of the séance. Argyle and Bishop Redson watched silently as Levi worked over the unconscious figure of the man slumped over the table.
Stunned and depressed, Hap sat staring at his own folded hands, trying to comprehend the reality of Malta’s death.
Finally, Orient blinked and pulled his head away from the smelling salts Levi was pushing under his nose. He sat up and yawned, rubbing his temples with his long, slim fingers. When he opened his eyes he saw Hap, sitting mute and miserable across the table.
“I’m sorry, Hap,” he said.
Hap didn’t answer.
“I know how you must feel,” Orient continued. “But now that we know for sure what’s happened, perhaps we may be of some help to her.”
Hap lifted his head. “I’ll be okay in a bit, Doc. I’m just getting used to the idea that she’s gone.”
“I know, I shouldn’t have lost my control like that, Owen,” Redson said. “I could have caused you harm.”
Orient shook off the apology. “I know most of what was said, but not all of it. How about filling in for me?”
“She said that she wanted to escape,” Levi began.
“She also said to find the seven doors and something called Per D’Te,” Simpson added. He turned to Redson. “You said you knew the name.”
Redson nodded heavily. “Yes I do, that’s why I lost control. You see, Per D’Te or more correctly, August D’Te, is the name of an old classmate of mine.”
Simpson’s jaw dropped.
“We were both chosen by the Church to study certain rites of exorcism in Rome,” Redson went on. “We spent some months at the Vatican library doing research in the archives.”
“A priest?” Levi muttered.
“An ex-priest,” Redson corrected. “After he resigned it was rumored that he had been conducting experiments forbidden to a priest. This was many years ago, in Paris, I think, just after the Second World War.”