by Ken Webster
John and Dave left for Liverpool soon afterwards and John at least was entirely unconvinced that there had been a genuine communication. Lukas, too, when we looked at the message we believe he left was confused for it appeared his words had been moved on the ‘leems’. He wrote:
… PREYE TELLE WY YOW DOE MOVE MYNE
SCRIT SOE 2109 FOR ME DOST WYSCH COMUNIOUN WYTH MYNE FREENDE JON LAT ME SPEKE WYTH MERE AFFECIOUN WYTH THYS WIGHT
LUKAS
Please tell me why you move my words, 2109, for I want to communicate with my friend John. Let me at least exchange greetings with this man.
Tagged on a few lines down was a reply from our disagreeable little numbers. Alarmingly for me but of interest to those who believed them to be behind the whole set of communications, it was in Lukas’s ‘tunge’:
LUKAS
YOW CANST NAT REKONE WHYE WE ART TO SPEKES NAT WYTH SYCHE MEN. NOMBERS ARENE NAT YOWR VANTAGE METHYNKS.
2109
Lukas
You cannot possibly understand why we are not to speak with such men. Numbers are not to your advantage I think.
2109
We had another visit from John Bucknall and Dave Welch a few days later. As the evening wore on, the conversation turned to 2109 and in my imagination I saw all of time as a vertical plane, climbed by a spiral staircase. Unfortunately, although it is an important but little-known and understood path (I imagined), there is no janitor to keep unwanted visitors off the treads. 2109 were unwanted. No doubt this is harsh but the cipher ‘2109’ behind which any person or agency could hide merely spoke to me of gatecrashers at a party pretending that they knew the host. They seemed to have missed a turning somewhere, a corridor on the landing.
They did not ‘speak’ unless spoken to; they’d call this leaving room for our destiny, others would infer it to be at best freakish, at worst highly suspicious. For if they were ‘real’ and ‘powerful’ why didn’t they come for what they wanted? They may have been fraudsters, or a splinter of my or Deb’s personality.
From 14 May my distrust and apprehension about whoever or whatever 2109 represented had actively prevented anyone from, as it were, opening the door to the landing and asking them in. That instruction was quite explicit and understood by all involved. It was my house; I assumed it would be respected as such but I was wrong.
Later that evening the ‘psychobillies’, Peter, his wife Val, Debbie and I went to the Red Lion. That night’s attempt to ‘test’ the phenomenon had failed and the annual long vacation would deprive us of further opportunities for about a month. Talk was of a hoax and possible enemies that I might have. In short it was still an excursion in search of a motive, and not much advance on last time. It was a platitude to say that everyone has enemies but I doubted that I warranted the honour of this sort of convoluted ‘putdown’ from mine. Talk sagged a little in our corner of the lounge bar. It was disappointing to have nothing even when Lukas had promised to co-operate. Dave Welch suggested to Peter that the two of them should go back to check the computer, which was still on in the kitchen of the cottage.
Thinking little of it I was happy to oblige them with a key and hardly noticed the lounge-bar door close on its stop. John Bucknall was something of a sports car enthusiast and to slide the conversation along we talked of ACs and Jaguars. He smoked nearly continuously, but he was excellent company. Shortly after Peter and Dave Welch had returned – with nothing to report – we all set off for the cottage by a sort of intuitive mutual agreement for a last look-see.
I let everyone in and then inspected the screen. It was not full of 16th-century text, as was my waking and unholy dream, but there was something. Added to a greeting to Lukas left by myself was a short ‘hello’ to 2109 signed ‘David’. My hand came out of my pocket and went straight for the delete key. I disapproved! Oh, I disapproved, as much because it was wilful deception as because I dreaded involvement with 2109. I hoped ‘they’ had not seen it. Rather half-heartedly, considering their circumstances, I complained to Dave that ‘it was not helpful’, 2109 were ‘over the top’, ‘riddling’. But I could see that SPR, and Peter and Val too, wanted some answers or at least to give the investigation the widest scope possible. Unwillingly I conceded that my stance was a potentially disastrous inhibition of what was necessary. The argument ran like this: Lukas fitted into a relatively comprehensible world view, a man who, through his words, their clarity and apparent authenticity, threw light into our darkness as we struggled to make sense of this seemingly impossible communication. I could stand by him. But 2109? They couldn’t even spell. However, just because they presented more problems did not entitle me to neglect or ignore them.
Disheartened by the lack of anything positive, SPR left. After a general desultory chat (resembling a half-time pep talk form a manager whose team is 4–0 down) Peter and Val retired also. Peter was still wary of my stubbornness over 2109 and also aware of SPR’s interest in ‘them’. Valerie remained completely sceptical and worried that her husband was being duped. I was still confident that under the right conditions Lukas would write for John and Dave just as he wished, and yet dreadfully sure that, with our luck, 2109 had seen Dave’s smiling face through an open door.
Next day:
DAVID
MORE ANSEWERS THAN YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS. BUT WHAT ARE THE RIGHT QUESTIONS. A MAN CANOT ASK QUESTIONS IF HE IS UNLIKELY TO UNDERSTAND THE ANSEWERS. YES, YOAR CORRECT TO SAY THAT ONE WILL NOT LEARN WITHOUT QUESTIONS, BUT THERE IS A TIME TO UNDERSTAND AND A TIME TO WALK BLINDLY. A MAN WITH HUNGER WILL EAT BAD FRUIT AND SURELY DIE. WAS IT THE FRUIT THAT KILLED THIS MAN OR WAS IT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THE FRUIT WAS THERE FOR THE TAKING. DO NOT WASTE FURTHER TIME BY ASKING IF THE TREE THAT BERS THIS BAD FRUIT IS IN FRONT OF YOU. IT IS BETTER TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE AT ALL THAN TO HAVE A DISTORTED VIEW OF THE TRUTH BECAUSE OF YOUR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING. WE, 2109, ARE NOT WITHOUT COMPASION BUT IF YOU CONTINUE TO DISRUPT OUR EXPERIMENTS THEN IT IS LIKELY YOU WILL FIND YOUR DESTINY. WE SHALL, HOWEVER, ALLOW ONE MORE COMMUNICATION WITH YOU SO THAT YOU, MAY ASK YOUR PROFOUND QUESTIONS. WE SHALL ANSEWER AS YOU WISH, IF IN TERMS OF PHYSICS THEN IT SHALL BE SO, BUT REMMEMBER THAT OUR LIMITS ARE SET BY YOUR OWN ABILITIES AND NOT OURS.
THERE IS NO ONE AFTER THE MAN YOU CALL LUKAS. THE CHANCE FACTOR WILL NOT REOCCUR AGAIN IN A TIME SPAN YOUR KIND CAN RELATE TO.
So I was defeated. 2109 were as riddling as they had been in May and as obstructive. They seemed to have some power over communication and could block Lukas’s messages. I was sure SPR would say this was just part of the joke.
Debbie wanted her own break and decided to go to Oxford straight away to see what Brasenose College looked like and maybe find Robin Peedell. She left a message telling Lukas of her plans.
Next morning, after Deb had left, I received a plea from Lukas for Debbie not to go.
MAYDE
PREYE DOE NAT GOO
LUKAS
There was no message to follow and it wasn’t until she came back on 30 July that Lukas wrote once more saying that she shouldn’t have gone, that she risked discovering what should not be ‘unclasped’. I replied that she had ‘discovered’ nothing. Lukas was satisfied, we were even more confused.
27
4–10 August
‘Mayde, preye doe nat goo.’
Soon after this episode the ‘mayde’ left once more. This time I took her away. We left with the Lovell family one damp morning in that excuse for a summer, bound for York and beyond: to ancient and unfashionable Whitby and then to Scotland. ‘Preye doe nat goo.’ The rain and the wind and the sway of the wiper blades kept this thought in my mind. With the briefest of lies to Lukas – about my having to go to Jedburgh to collect some money and being gone seven days – we left him, and put the computer away for safety.
And still the wipers and the rain but every mile and every song on the radio separated us, split anxiety from possibility until some hour or two later, standing with an enthusiastic Dave Lovell under the shadow of a huge Chinese l
ocomotive at the York railway museum, I was left with only the hope of Lukas’s communications surviving our absence. Nothing could be done now. We were on holiday and without doubt we needed it.
We came back in as few hours and with as few stops as possible. It really was manic. Petrol stops like pit stops, fast lane all the way. We dropped off Dave, Sian and their children in Hawarden at three-thirty in the afternoon. By four-fifteen I was in front of the computer hoping my words would get through to Lukas and at the same time begging Deb to leave everything else till later and to sit quietly in the living room.
A long wait of nearly two hours followed, made worse by the fatigue of the journey and a late-afternoon slump in spirits.
LITL POWR
That was it. He was still in contact. Deb wrote asking why there was little power and asking advice on how we could help, if at all.
Half an hour later:
210
Nothing more. 2109? Or about 2109? Next day saw more extensive communication and from that the confidence that all was ‘safe’.
As the days passed Lukas was happy enough to answer our questions. Peter was still on holiday, I was busy with the house. Deb wrote more often and on one occasion she asked if he was much confused by our words. In response he gave us this well-nigh impenetrable taste of what he called ‘auld tunge’:
ME ATH NEVREADEL TPRIKEN YIR CONSCIANCE O DISEESE THO EFT YOWR HEDEN DIDST MAK AL WYTH I WARNYSS TWAS VILAGNYE FOR SYCHE SEYDE AMYSS FORGYVE MYNSELVEN BYD YIS PREYE ME DOST WEXYN WYTH ETH TO SYK WEYES O MANIRE WAN MYN BOYSTE DOE MISPEERE BEEST RESTID MYNE FELAWE EN LIT OWRN RETRACIOUNS BY ROPEN AN LEYD FOE SEYLESERMONE WOT O PETER FREENDS AN THIR SUBTYLE SURQWYDRYE ME NE TEMPYST MYNESILVE NAMO TIS SWYCH LOWELY THENKYNG BY ME I HATH NAY CONSERNE THAT THEI BEEST IN MYNE HOWES I AM KONNYNG AST WAN MYNE LEEV TBE FORWY ALTHOE TIS PLEYNE TA GROVNORE DOTH WEL COM MYNE STEYE WYTH JOYIF FORN ANODIR III MONTHE MYNE SHYRRYVE DOST FACIOUN MYNESELVE FORWEELE WYTH CONCERNE AL WYLOM WAL ME PARTIK FOTHER BOT ME AM TO ALDE TBE MYNE NAK TO THY SHERYF SOE IF ALBE WYTHOUTES SCATHE ME WILT GOE WEY III MONTHE ADAYE AN WRYTES MYN BOKE O ME SCIANCE O THY MOOST LERND THYNGE WYTH SAD THENKE ME SPEKES NAT ABOUTE 2109 THIM DOE SEE AL METHYNKST LOVE LUKAS
18 August
Deb was annoyed about poltergeist activity, especially noises on the roof, which had begun again after a break of over six weeks. I wrote to Lukas one morning asking if his house was affected: ‘Doe smalle platters or nik naks move without your touche?’ It was, however, 4.00 P.M. before any response came. He had indeed been plagued by such events and asked if we were causing them.
I replied in some detail to reassure him that we were not disrupting his household – at least not that we were aware! I suggested 2109 (always a useful scapegoat) might have a hand in it.
Less than twenty minutes later and without us making any attempt to ‘ghostbust’ my message was deleted from the screen. It wasn’t the first time in recent days that this had happened.
Later Lukas wrote:
MYNE VISE BE WYTH YOW THAT WE SPEKES PRIVERLEY ENSAMPLES WEN OWRN UNFAVOURABLE FREENDS ART NAT IN ARN COMPANIE METHINKS ME DOST HATH REMEDIE FOR OWRN TROUBLSOM ME SHALT SPEKE ANYGHT
My considered opinion is that we communicate privately when our disagreeable friends are not in our company, and I think I know how to remedy our troubles so I shall write tonight.
On both sides 2109 were suspected of influencing the activity of the ‘poltergeist’ and certainly of deleting messages but it was beyond me to see how Lukas had a solution to the problem.
Since 2109 appeared to have a grip on the computer communications Deb offered Lukas a piece of paper and charcoal in an imaginative move to bypass interference. Lukas had written in chalk before now so it could be a way round the problem. It looked weird, it felt crazy, making all these preparations. She left the paper on top of the monitor screen, which was itself on the marble shelf besides the pillar.
An hour later, while Deb was making toast, I came through and checked the screen out of habit. There was only one new line. Lukas had for the first time written whilst Deb was in the same room.
PREYE DOE AS I DOE AXE PLAS COMUTER WER BE MYNE WORDES
Please do as I ask, place the computer where my words are.
It was a curious instruction. I wrote:
WER BE YOWR WORDES … I BE CONFUS
‘Aah!’
I looked around. A surprised Debbie was holding up the piece of paper with one small, flowing word on it in charcoal – ‘take’. OK, so he’d written … but put the computer where his words were? … We looked for more words. None on the pillar, the floor, we even checked under the computer! A thought occurred. Perhaps put the computer where the piece of paper had been. He must have meant to write more words on the paper. ‘Take’ is the beginning of a phrase. Stupid of me.
Since there was a small cardboard box nearby this was relatively easy. I checked with Lukas and eventually (more waiting around) ‘YEA’ was the reply. Lukas continued:
MYNE FELAWE
YF YOW WALD PAS TWEY LEGGS TO THY RYGHTE O THY LEEMS AN RYGHTE GEYN OUNE THIN PLAS LEEMS EYGHTE HONDS SCANTENS ABOVEN MYNE FLOORE ME THYNKS ME CANST QUYTE YOWR AXYNGS AS T WY BE THYS BUT SESSA WYTH SPAKEN WORDE TIL YOW DOE THYS FOR YOWR GOODE FREEND
LOVE LUKAS
My fellow
If you would pace two legs to the right of the ‘leems’ and right again then placed the ‘leems’ eight hands above the floor I think I can answer your questions as to why this is, but keep silence until you have done this for your good friend.
Love Lukas
I marked out the two paces and another to the right. It brought me to the other side of the pillar, near to the sink and the diamond-glassed window. Deb and I tried measuring eight ‘hands’ from the floor. I didn’t know what ‘scanten’ meant but guessed that it meant ‘scarcely’ or ‘just’. It was probably meant to keep our measurement on the low side. We used Debbie’s hand as she guessed Lukas was smaller than me and my hand would have overstated the measurement. I marked the height on the pillar and we set about trying to find some support for the computer at that height and in that position.
A bamboo plant stand with one phone directory on top was the closest. It made getting to the sink difficult. All was wired up and I asked him what was going on. How did he know what to do with the machine? One more ghostbust. I sat in the car in the drive and listened to the cassette player. The reply:
YEA GYVE TYME TO MAKES AL SAFFE ME DOST THYNKS THAT YOW MAYE KNOWE AL NOWE ALS MYNE TREWE CALLE
LOVE LUKAS
You give me time to make all safe. I think that you may know all now, also my real name.
Love Lukas
19 August
I wrote: ‘Pray continue, goodly felawe.’ Deb and I were early at the cottage and set about giving him every opportunity to write. We were quiet, tried not to go into the kitchen, took walks and sat silently. Perhaps we were trying too hard because there was nothing all morning. Then, at about 2.00 P.M.
BROTHIR KEN ME DOST MUCHE DELYGHTE THAT US BE BI OWRNSELVEN WYTHOUTES 2109 FORN WE HATHE MANYE SPAKENLIS WORDES TO UNDIRGOE COMUNIOUN ME NATS THYNKS AS TO WY AN WOT CAUSES NACAN BE WYTHOUTES SYCH BOUNDES AYMO YOWR LEEMS DOST SYT IN MYNE ELYFUL CHYMNEYE WER THY LEEMS BOYSTRE DIDST FYRSTE PERE WYTH IT CHERES AN THY WYGHT THAT DIDST MAKE ACORDAUNTE IT STEYES WYTH MYN SELVE BIFORNE ME DOTH TELLE YOW ALLE THAT BE TREWE AN WOT O MYNE CALLE YOW MUSTE SEYENE WOT BE YOWR THENKYNG AND WE MUSTE APREVED YOWR CONDYCIOUN FOR MYNE GOODLY FREEND ME DOST THYNKS YOW KNOWETH BETTIRE BI WOT CHAUNCES AWAYTE CAUSED WYTH OWRN DISYCIOUN
LOVE
Brother Ken,
I am happy that we are by ourselves without 2109 for we have much so far unspoken to exchange. I can’t think why and with what method we are able to continue without restriction now. Your ‘leems’ sits in my dark chimney where the ‘leems boyste’ first appeared with brightness. And the person who made it work is here with me. Before I tell you what is the truth and my name you must tell me what is your philosophy, I must be a
cquainted with your position because, my good friend, I think you know better than I do what might happen after this decision is taken.
The ‘leems’ was supposedly in the place it was when it first came. Not from our point of view. True the computer was near the corner of the pillar but it was never so close to the sink as it was now. Secondly and most seriously: what did he mean, ‘Yow muste seyne wot be yowr thenkyng and me muste appreved yowr condycioun’? What was my thinking? I was supposed to know something about him and his and our ‘condycioun’. And according to the last line I was supposed to know what ‘chaunces awayte caused wyth owrn disycioun’.
I wrote that I would have to think about it because my interpretation of his words was not satisfactory. Instead I asked about the ‘wight’, the person who had appeared with the ‘leems’, and about the first time the ‘leems’ came.
Since the confusion over the position of the computer we had left out paper and charcoal. It was a ‘reserve medium’ but I was so keen for him to tell me his name that I would have pinned huge sheets of cartridge paper to the wall if it would have helped. Later the same afternoon whilst Deb took a nap Lukas wrote on the paper.
My friend
I have told Debbie the answer to your questions. I think that she doesn’t understand all that is spoken but she has some facility with most of my words.
Lukas
‘Debbie.’
‘Yeah,’ she mumbled from behind a newspaper.
‘Lukas says he has spoken with you. Did he … ? Have you?’
‘I went to sleep.’ The pages turned.