He went on, ‘Tezcatlipoca has run riot since Mictantecutli has been lying powerless on the bed of the ocean. It is the devil of disease and pestilence; and you can lay every major epidemic that has swept the United States squarely at its door. Legionnaire’s disease, cancer, every type of influenza, and its latest little joke, herpes.’
Evelith was silent for a while. Then he said, ‘With Enid’s help - Enid and Anne Putnam and the rest of the i wonder-workers who are descended from the original I witches of Salem - with their help, I have been able to communicate with Joseph Evelith through séances and I signs. Until I can release him from Tezcatlipoca’s service, I my family will remain outcast and doomed, forever I shadowed by disease and ruin. My own wife …and both my children … all of them were taken by hepatitis. I myself have been sick with angina for years.’
‘So where does Mictantecutli come into this?’ I asked him. ‘Surely another demon is only going to make things worse.’
He shook his head. Tezcatlipoca is Mictantecutli’s servant, and must obey it. If I can bring Mictantecutli here, and keep it imprisoned with the same magical bonds that the Narragansett wonder-worker used in the days of David Dark, then I can command it to tell Tezcatlipoca to let my ancestor go. The blight will be lifted.’
‘Why can’t you use the magical bonds on Tezcatlipoca? If it’s a servant of Mictantecutli, then surely it’s far less powerful.’
‘It is. But only the spells that bound Mictantecutli have survived through history. Nothing relating to Tezcatlipoca has been passed down at al . Quamus and I have tried many different chants and incantations, and scores of different rituals. Some of them have succeeded in raising the most terrifying spirits you can imagine. That is what caused all the noise and the lights that the local people have been complaining about. But none have succeeded in trapping or taming Tezcatlipoca.’
I stood up, and walked around the sofa. Somehow I felt uncomfortable, sitting so close to old man Evelith. There was something dry and unreal about him, as if his tuxedo and his evening trousers were nothing more than propped-up, empty clothes. I said, ‘What guarantee do you have that Mictantecutli will do what you ask?’
‘No guarantee at all, except that it will believe that releasing my ancestor will be the only way in which it will be given its freedom.’
‘You’d release it?’
Duglass Evelith shook his head. ‘I’d tempt it with the prospect of release. But can you imagine what would happen if a demon like that actually got loose? It has greater power than a ten-megaton bomb. It can influence the weather, the course of history, the very turning of the earth. It can raise corpses from their graves, and cut the most grisly swathe through the living population that you could ever imagine.’
‘Are you sure of that?’
‘How sure does anybody need to be? Mictantecutli has been lying under Salem Harbour for 300 years, and so there is no recent history to support what I say. But come down to my library, and I will show you indisputable evidence that Mictantecutli was responsible for the extinction of the entire Toltec people in Mexico; that his European manifestation was responsible for each of the Black Death pandemics, which killed twenty-five million people in Europe alone, up until the end of the 17th century, when Esau Hasket at last imprisoned it. I will show you evidence, some strong, some admittedly circumstantial, that Mictantecutli was involved in most of the bloodiest wars and the cruellest human deeds in history. Pliny said that Caligula, who was the bloodiest and most licentious of all Roman emperors, had been possessed after only eight months of his reign by a spirit which he called the Man of Bones.’
I said cautiously, ‘You don’t think that Mictantecutli would find it difficult to survive in a skeptical world like we have today? I mean, some of a demon’s strength must come from how strongly people believe in it, surely?’
‘Demons are not fairies from Peter Pan,’ said old man Evelith, turning around to stare at me. ‘They don’t acquire more strength because a million people throughout the world say, “We do believe in demons!” ‘
‘Still,’ I said. ‘I can’t see a giant skeleton being able to make much impact on a society that’s learned to live with the bomb, and the automobile, and put up buildings only just short of a mile high. Can you? Really?’
‘What do you want me to say?’ asked old man Evelith. ‘Mictantecutli is the most vengeful and powerful being that ever was, excluding the Lord our God. I don’t think it would be very impressed by H-bombs, or Chevrolets, or the Sears building. No, sir.’
At that moment, there was a brief knock at the door, and Quamus came in. ‘Mr Evelith, sir, excuse me. There’s a visitor for Mr Trenton. Miss McCormick.’
Duglass Evelith stood up. ‘Show her in, Quamus. Perhaps she’d like to stay for dinner, Mr Trenton?’
‘If it won’t be any trouble.’
‘Not at all. This house hasn’t seen any guests for years; I think I shall enjoy having some company.’
Gilly came in, and I introduced her to Duglass Evelith. She smiled and nodded, obviously a little overawed by the gates and the dog and the old-fashioned gloom of the halls and the corridors. When Duglass Evelith had gone, she came over and gave me a kiss, and squeezed me affectionately. She wore a natural-coloured cotton dress with ties at the shoulders and pockets, and it made her look fresh and young and pretty.
This is like Castle Dracula,’ she said. ‘Have you checked to see if Mr Evelith’s face actually appears in any of the mirrors?’
‘Too late if it doesn’t,’ I smiled. ‘Sit down. I think I can even offer you a drink. Would you like to stay for dinner?’
‘I’d adore it. This place is so creepy.’
I poured us two small glasses of whisky from the half-bottle I had brought with me in my suitcase. ‘How’s Edward?’ I asked her. ‘Did he say anything after I’d gone?’
‘Edward’s funny. You mustn’t think too badly of him. He’s been searching for this wreck for so long, and now that he’s found it I think that he’s almost frightened of bringing it up. He’s one of these archaeologists who love to explore the unknown, but once they’ve found out what it is, they don’t know what to do with it.’
‘I think I follow you. But why is he being so pernickety about bringing up the wreck so slowly, and so scrupulously? He knows how dangerous this demon could be.’
‘He’s afraid of making a mistake, that’s all,’ Gilly told me. ‘If he makes a mess of this wreck, then everybody at the Peabody is going to treat him like a blundering amateur. Apart from that, he’s up against a credibility problem, too, just like you are. Nobody believes in demons; not even me. Well, you believe in demons, but you’re an exception. And the whole point is that if he chops his way into the wreck, and damages it, and then finds out that there’s nothing in there, or that the copper vessel doesn’t contain anything dangerous after al … how’s he going to explain it? “I smashed up this valuable historical monument because I thought there was a devil inside it”? Jesus, John, he’d lose his job. He’s on the verge of losing it anyway, because of all the time he’s been taking off.’
‘My heart bleeds,’ I said, unsympathetically. ‘Meanwhile, scores of people in Granitehead are being plagued by terrifying apparitions. Do you know that one of my neighbours went missing tonight? He said he was going to meet his dead brother, and now they can’t find him. I can tell you, Gilly: I’ve a good mind to dive down to that wreck and bring that copper vessel up by myself.’
‘You’ll have to hurry if you’re thinking of doing that. Edward’s going to register the wreck tomorrow as belonging to the Wardwell-Brough Maritime Archaeological Trust, or some such fancy title. He’s also going to arrange to have the wreck marked with an official coastguard buoy and protected around the clock by an official coastguard patrol. He’ll be making an announcement to the newspapers and the television, too.’
‘I thought he was going to keep it quiet for a while.’
‘He was. But now you’ve quit, and taken your father-
in-law’s money with you, he needs all the donations he can get. Mind you, he was thinking of going to your father-in-law behind your back, to see if he’s still interested.’
‘Oh, was he?’ I demanded. I felt angry and upset. If there’s anything worse than having a bitter row with somebody you hate, it’s having a bitter row with somebody you like. I liked Edward, very much; but I knew now that the David Dark had broken up our friendship forever. I was going to have to salvage that copper vessel, no matter how much damage I did to the ship’s historic hull, and I was going to have to do it quickly.
Tomorrow morning, if possible. I would have to talk to Duglass Evelith about it. Maybe he could help.
Gilly said, ‘No ghosts around here?’
‘Not one,’ I told her.
‘Would Mr Evelith object too much if I stayed the night?’
I looked at her narrowly. ‘I don’t think so. He seems to be an understanding old buffer.’
‘And you?’ she asked. ‘Would you object?’
‘I wouldn’t object. Object? Why would I possibly object?’
She shrugged, and then she came up closer and kissed me. ‘Some men don’t like to be pounced on.’
I kissed her back, and felt her breast through her cotton dress. ‘Some men are crazy,’ I told her.
THIRTY-ONE
After dinner, when Gilly had gone upstairs, and Enid and Quamus had retired to the kitchen to deal with the dishes, I sat by candlelight with Duglass Evelith in his library. He showed me book after book, document after document, until the table was heaped high with them. Each related to Mictantecutli, and the demon’s terrible power. By the time midnight struck, I was quite convinced that we were up against a force so cold and so malevolent that by comparison it made Satan seem positively cozy.
I said to Duglass Evelith, ‘Bringing Mictantecutli up to the surface seems quite urgent now, doesn’t it?’
The old man sniffed, and shrugged. ‘It’s difficult to say. This present activity may be caused by nothing more than exceptionally warm currents, flowing over the wreck. Mictantecutli responds to warmth, remember, and is rendered immobile by intense cold. Perhaps when winter comes, the manifestations will die down again. But personally I would rather not take the risk; quite apart from the desire that I have to free my ancestor from Tezcatlipoca. The interest that you and your friends have shown in locating the David Dark will prove to be a Godsend, I believe.’
‘Mr Evelith,’ I said, uncomfortably, ‘I’m afraid to say that my friends and I have had a falling out.’
‘Oh? This won’t affect the salvage, I hope?’
‘Well , I’m sorry to say that it might. You see, my friends, being professional museum archivists, are anxious to preserve the wreck itself in the exact condition in which it has been found. I know that’s understandable, and probably admirable, too; or at least it would be if we were dealing with nothing more than an ordinary wreck. The problem is that if the wreck is going to be properly preserved, the process of bringing up the copper vessel is going to take considerably longer than I first believed. It might not even be brought up this diving season.’
‘You mean Mictantecutli may be left lying there for another year?’
‘More than likely. I argued against it, but the rest of them wouldn’t budge. None of them have been haunted by dead wives, or ghostly brothers. They believe in Mictantecutli, for sure, but they don’t really understand what they’re up against. Their attitude is too academic. They can’t see the urgency.’
Old man Evelith looked down at the heaps of books and papers. ‘Perhaps they ought to come and see these,’ he said. ‘Maybe then they’d understand.’
‘Mr Evelith, I don’t think there’s time. Miss McCormick told me this evening that Mr Wardwell proposes to register ownership of the wreck tomorrow, which would make it an offence for anybody else to damage it or exploit it; and that the coastguard are likely to start patrolling it to prevent anybody from diving there. Remember that Mr Wardwell works for the Peabody, which is heavy Salem establishment; and that the Salem authorities will give him all the protection and encouragement he needs. After all, the David Dark is going to be a big tourist attraction, once she’s raised.’
‘Not if they don’t make every effort to control Mictantecutli,’ said Mr Evelith, darkly.
‘There’s another point. Mr Wardwell isn’t going to deliver Mictantecutli to you straight away, like he promised. He’s decided to take a good look at it first, to see what it is that you want so badly.’
‘He’ll be torn to pieces,’ said Mr Evelith. ‘Is he mad! He’ll be torn to pieces! Doesn’t he know what Mictantecutli is, even now? You must stop him! Mr Trenton, you must do everything you can to stop him!’
I shook my head. ‘I’ve already tried, Mr Evelith. He’s made up his mind. Wreck first, Mictantecutli second, open the copper vessel third. Gilly - that’s Miss McCormick - Gilly says he won’t be swayed.’
Duglass Evelith was extremely agitated. He walked around the table, and then back again, and then he closed al the books he had opened, one after the other, in a succession of snaps. At last he looked up at me and said, ‘You must dive on the David Dark very first thing tomorrow morning. You must bring up that copper vessel at all costs. Otherwise, my God, the world will see such havoc as has never been seen in nine life-times.’
‘That’s what I was going to propose,’ I told him. ‘A quick dive, first thing tomorrow, with a couple of crowbars and a winch.’
‘You think crowbars will be adequate?’ Duglass Evelith asked me. ‘Look here.’
He shuffled through his heaps of papers until he found a sketch-map of the Mary Rose which he had been studying in an effort to understand the problems that faced us with the David Dark. ‘The copper vessel is in the hold,’ he said. ‘That means, even if the ship is lying at an angle of 30deg, you will still have to penetrate your way through three decks and God knows how many tons of silt before you reach it. I can understand why Mr Wardwell is so reluctant to bring it up in a hurry. The only way to reach it in anything like a reasonable length of time is to tear the decks wide apart. The copper vessel in fact is so long that it is quite possible that part of each deck was lifted at the time to accommodate it, and then fastened down again once it was securely stowed.’
'Then how the hell am I going to get it out of there in one morning’s diving?’ I wanted to know.
‘Simple,’ said old man Evelith. ‘I have an old friend who has a demolition business at Lexington. Quamus will drive over there now and collect two cases of dynamite, and some underwater fuses.’
‘Dynamite? I’ve never used dynamite in my life. You mean you want me to blow the David Dark to pieces?’
‘Can you think of another way to reach Mictantecutli before the wreck is registered, and the coastguard prevent anybody from going near?’
‘I - ‘ I began, and then raised my hands in resignation.
‘You mustn’t worry,’ said Duglass Evelith. ‘Quamus is an expert diver, and he will swim with you. He knows Mr Walcott of the Salem Salvage Company; years ago they used to dive together. Mr Walcott will let us use his boat and all his equipment. I will ask Quamus to cal him as soon as he returns from Lexington.’
‘Do you think Quamus is up to it?’ I asked. ‘He must be at least 60 years old.’
‘Quamus has been here at Billington ever since I was a child,’ said Duglass Evelith. ‘My father used to talk about the rides that Quamus gave him on his back when he was a child.’
‘Are you serious? That would make him - ‘
‘Well over 100 years old,’ Duglass Evelith nodded.
‘Yes. I have often thought about it myself. But it is not a question which one can put to Quamus. He would never answer; and it is quite likely that he would walk out and I would never see him again. But it is interesting to note that there is a Quamus mentioned in Joseph Evelith’s diary of 1689.’
I stayed silent. In Duglass Evelith’s house, I felt myself to be on strange and
almost magical territory. It wasn’t altogether a frightening sensation: but I felt that I had to conduct myself with caution. There was great influence here, influence that couldn’t be explained in logical or scientific terms, and as long as I behaved wisely, I would probably be able to use it for my own benefit.
‘It would be sensible for you to get some sleep now,’ said Duglass Evelith. ‘I will have Quamus wake you at six o’clock. Over breakfast, I will explain how you will use the dynamite on the David Dark. ‘
I got up. ‘Goodnight, then,’ I said. ‘And thank you again for putting me up here.’
‘A question of mutual interests,’ said old man Evelith, and went back to reading one of his books before I could say anything else. It was only when I was halfway up the dark staircase, on the way up to bed, that I realized what I had actually let myself in for. An illegal underwater demolition job, despite the fact that I had scarcely any experience of diving, and no experience whatsoever with dynamite.
Gilly was sitting up in bed when I came in; and there was a warm fragrance of perfume around. She was reading A History of Oceanic Geology. I sat down on the end of the bed, and stripped off my necktie. ‘Good?’ I asked her, nodding towards the book.
‘Riveting,’ she said. ‘What kept you so long?’
‘Old man Evelith and his mouldy old documents. No, I shouldn’t say that. He’s fascinating, especially when it comes to the occult history of Salem and Granitehead. Do you know what he told me about Quamus?’
‘Quamus gives me the creeps.’
‘Quamus gives you the creeps? I found out tonight that Quamus is nearly 300 years old.’
‘How much of that brandy did you have?’
‘Not enough.’
I undressed, washed my teeth, and then climbed into bed. I had already showered once that evening, and the noise of the pipework had been enough to frighten me off showers for ever. Rattling, and groaning, and letting out echoing shrieks.
Gilly lay back, and reached out for me, gently parting her thighs. I climbed astride her, kissing her forehead and her eyes and her neck, and then her shoulders, and her soft pink nipples. We made love silently, as if it were a midnight ritual; prolonging each moment until it was impossible to prolong it any more. I looked down, and saw my hardness enclosed by her tight and succulent lips, and fear and anxiety and grisly manifestations seemed very far away, like an off key orchestra playing in another part of the house.
The Pariah Page 34