by Nick Baker
‘Piotrowski remained in London under the pseudonym of Edward Fludd until the time of his death. Little is recorded of him or his work, but after his exploits in Amsterdam, Fludd kept a low profile while pursuing his lifelong obsession with the stone.’
‘And did he succeed?’ queried Frankl. ‘After our wild goose chase trying to unlock Piotrowski’s secret, I always wondered how you managed to discover the secret for yourself.’
‘Ah, at last we’re reaching the crux of our discussion,’ replied Black. ‘Unfortunately, Piotrowski died as his work was coming to fruition. Having solved his earlier problems, he was preparing the final distillation of the Lunar Regulus when he was taken by the Black Death. One more week, and who knows? The stone may even have saved him, but alas, fate can be so cruel. But for Piotrowski’s misfortune, I can only speculate what he’d have done with the stone, but as it was, his work lay hidden for many hundreds of years.’
‘What happened?’ said Frankl.
‘The Cyllene Order were great believers in the Hermetic tradition and were committed to studying many of the great alchemical mysteries of the time. After Piotrowski’s death, there was no one left to decipher his notes, written as they were in obscure hieroglyphics and littered with mysterious diagrams. Nonetheless, the Order understood the value of his work, and kept it hidden until a time when a worthy successor could complete the task Piotrowski had fallen so agonisingly short of.’
‘And that person was you, I presume?’ Aurelia suggested.
‘Not quite. It’s true that by joining the Cyllene Order through the links I’d forged with the Golden Dawn, I gained access to Piotrowski’s notes. Naturally, this aroused my interest, and with some astute historical research and a little luck, I slowly pieced together Piotrowski’s life in Amsterdam and his association with the Brotherhood.’
‘Just out of interest, Pearly, what became of the Brotherhood after Piotrowski left?’ Frankl enquired.
‘They were wiped out!’ replied Black. ‘The Brotherhood was a secret society of academics and alchemists, but to their opponents, they were considered dangerous subversives who threatened the delicate balance of power. Some years after Piotrowski’s disappearance, the Netherlands became embroiled in a desperate struggle for autonomy against the Spanish during a period that culminated in the Eighty Years’ War. The Spanish Holy Office condemned the entire Dutch nation to death as heretics, but in reality, they were far more interested in factions like the Brotherhood, whom they saw as the real heretics. The Inquisition learnt of the Brotherhood’s blasphemous intentions and set out to destroy them. They infiltrated the Brotherhood and slowly acquired all knowledge of the group’s activities and membership. When the time was right, the Inquisition acted with stunning efficiency. The Brotherhood was eradicated in a series of concerted strikes coinciding with the sack of Antwerp much the same as the destruction of the Knights Templar several hundred years before them. The act was quick and bloody, yet the atrocity that befell the Brotherhood went unnoticed amidst the Spanish Fury. Much of their work also disappeared, but somehow, the two copies of Piotrowski’s manuscript survived the destruction wrought by the Inquisition, and years later, resurfaced in places where we were able to retrieve them,’ said Black, throwing a condescending smirk in Price’s direction.
‘The survival of the manuscripts owed much to the Brotherhood’s ingenuity in protecting their secret, despite the onslaught they suffered at the hands of the Spanish. A copy of Piotrowski’s original manuscript eventually found its way to a lesser-known library in Amsterdam, a place to which I made several visits to determine how Piotrowski’s thinking had evolved. Alas, even when holding Piotrowski’s manuscript in tandem with the notes he’d made in London, it still wasn’t enough to reveal the secret of the stone.’
‘Which still doesn’t tell us how you came to discover the secret for yourself. If not from Piotrowski, then how?’ demanded Aurelia.
‘You seem to be discounting one simple fact.’
‘Such as?’
‘My own natural brilliance, of course,’ Black replied with a flashing smile. ‘It’s true that I gleaned much from the work Piotrowski had carried out during his latter years in London, but even that was incomplete and unworkable. No. There was still much to learn, and thankfully, with a little help, I completed the task for myself.’
‘With a little help?’ Frankl repeated.
Black beamed. ‘Yes,’ he said, his yellowish teeth radiating unnaturally in the guttering candlelight.
‘Who helped you?’ enquired Aurelia tentatively.
‘Why don’t you ask him?’ Black said, pointing a finger at Price. ‘I’d like to hear it from the horse’s mouth.’
Price shook his head. ‘I wouldn’t want to give you the pleasure. No doubt you’ll tell us anyway.’
‘You bet!’ Black replied gleefully. ‘I’d never have completed the task but for the aid of my dear friend, Saskia.’
Aurelia glowered at Black while Price bowed his head.
‘Yes, dear old Saskia,’ Black continued, revelling in the pair’s displeasure. ‘The woman was a pure genius when it came to metals, but not so good at subterfuge. Despite her brilliance, she never came to understand my true aims in all the time we worked together. She thought she was helping to devise an instrument similar to that pitiful thing she worked on with you,’ he said, looking at Price. ‘I suppose she was right in a way,’ he added with a chuckle. ‘She just didn’t realise the true purpose to which she was contributing.’
‘What are you talking about?’ said Price.
‘You should know. You were as familiar with Saskia’s unique metallurgical talent as I,’ Black replied scornfully. ‘It was evident from the moment we met that her ability to manipulate metals was unsurpassed. Her skill in the reconfiguration and reconstitution of metals, either by transubstantiation or in the crucible, was quite remarkable. It would’ve been a crime not to make the most of her extraordinary genius. The timing couldn’t have been better. I’d already taken Piotrowski’s work as far as I could, and I’d reached an impasse that even I was unable to resolve. I presented Saskia with a replica of Piotrowski’s stone, manufactured in the way he’d described in the weeks leading up to his death. It took months of toil in the laboratory to reach that point, and even then, I still had grave reservations about how the stone would function. I dared not risk a repeat of the fiasco that befell Piotrowski, after all, but just by the look on Saskia’s face when I presented her with the amalgam I’d fashioned, I knew she was entranced.
‘She’d never seen anything like it and marvelled at the unique molecular lattice-like structure of that remarkable alloy. She immediately understood the metal’s inherent mystery and was awed by its complexity. I told her that I aimed to produce a metal with the ability to store thoughts and memories—a concept she was already familiar with, of course. I knew of your puny attempts in creating such a substance while working with her at the Academy,’ he said, addressing Price, ‘and you’ll no doubt recall my outrage,’ he added with a chuckle, ‘when I discovered that you’d been collaborating on some form of mystical research I knew nothing about … which was ludicrous, of course. I had spies everywhere and knew exactly what you were up to. It was ironic that you both became interested in this area of research at a time when I’d first learnt of Piotrowski. The best you could come up with was that pathetic instrument of yours. What do you call it? The Hysteriscope or something …’ he said, laughing at his own ingenuity. ‘An instrument, I might add that you intended to use against the Order, yet was used as a tool against you. Such bittersweet irony,’ he extolled, his maniacal laughter rising to a crescendo and reverberating harshly around the vault.
‘What do you mean?’ said Price.
Black laughed again, this time a shorter, crueller sound before spitting his words out with contempt. ‘You still have no idea just how thoroughly you’ve been betrayed, do you? How do you think Aurelia managed to lure your daughter away?’ he demanded, enjoying t
he discomfort etched on Price’s chiselled features.
Price shook his head.
‘That stupid device of yours, you fool!’ said Black disdainfully. ‘It was hardly difficult to tamper with. When your daughter picked it up, it created the most perfect, yet entirely, fictitious images. How fitting that she should think that it was I, Pearly Black, who’d consorted with her poor, dead mother, to bring her into this world.’
‘NO!’ screamed Price, sensing the truth behind Black’s words. He sank to his knees, pounding helplessly at the invisible bonds that held him. How could he have been such a fool? Black was right. Someone had betrayed him and he had not seen it. All he had done was embroil Lily in Black’s deadly scheme.
‘Yes, Price, I’m afraid so,’ Black said softly. ‘How do you think Josef found it so easy to walk into your house and take the manuscript? How galling to learn that someone was passing him information all along, and with a little prompting, was able to administer the appropriate tweaks to that pathetic contraption of yours that led to the flight of your beloved ex-daughter.’
Price shook his head but did not rise to Black’s mocking, turning his mind elsewhere, preparing for the chance that must surely come.
‘Ah, and so it was, all those years ago, that I tempted Saskia to come with me, lured by the beauty of the stone. And just how valuable she was in creating the final, perfect result; the genius that turned a dream into reality.’
‘Reality. What reality?’ said Price, straining to lift his head and return Black’s gaze.
‘Remember, Price, Saskia had already created a unique amalgam for the core of your instrument. Yes, that particular alloy is able to store memories, but it’s still reliant on its own power source. It is, in effect, an electromagnetically driven system for storing information. Piotrowski’s stone was fundamentally different, being able to act independently of any external power source, while Saskia’s modifications enabled the stone to function as a material capable of integrating with an already functioning, self-powered system!’
Black waited patiently for the signs of enlightenment to register on the faces of his audience, but when none came, he smiled patronisingly. ‘The human body can assimilate certain materials without ill effect,’ he began with a sigh. ‘Surgeons have implanted metals and ceramics into the body for years, but they’ve never produced anything that could flourish inside the brain.
‘Saskia saw her work in perfecting the stone as an extension of the work she’d already conducted with you. But I knew better. Once she’d completed the task, I had no further need of her, and sent her packing … back to you,’ he said, pointing pitilessly at Price.
‘Finally, with the stone in its final manifestation, I no longer feared the same fate as had befallen Piotrowski, and how my assurance was justified! With Saskia’s aid, I created a stone that could be implanted without ill effect, to become a functioning, yet independent part of my mind that was always active, recording, duplicating and storing every thought, memory or emotion; a stone that became a mirror of my soul—my very own doppelgänger, if you will—and as my friends witnessed, a stone that could be retrieved, even in death, yet still able to retain all the information it had ever contained, ready to be reactivated when the time was right,’ said Black, his maniacal eyes staring deliriously ahead.
Price sat with his shoulders hunched in a manner suggesting defeat. ‘I must applaud you, Pearly,’ he said monotonously. ‘I find it hard to believe that you could create such a thing, but I still don’t understand how your body could be preserved for all those years.’
‘I appreciate your congratulations, Price, but I cannot accept all of the plaudits alone. I’d never have achieved any of this without the help of all of those here to witness your demise—’
‘And one other I don’t see,’ Price cut in. ‘What of Luca Nexus?’
‘Well, well, well,’ said Black incredulously. ‘Perhaps you do know more than I supposed. What do you know of Nexus?’ he snapped.
‘Only that the man is a discredited charlatan.’
‘Pah! You always were too eager to accept what those Council cronies of yours would have you believe. I’ve already warned you of your misplaced trust, Price. Without Luca to aid me, I’d never be standing here before you all tonight. The man’s a genius.’
‘So why’s he not here now? You seem to be surrounded by all of your other sycophants. Why not Nexus?’
Black’s eyes narrowed into slits as he appraised Price.
‘Let me answer that for you,’ continued Price seamlessly. ‘Perhaps he doesn’t wish to be at your beck and call like the rest of your lemmings or perhaps it’s because you don’t want him mixing with them. What is it, Pearly, or am I missing something?’
Black remained unusually silent, his eyes flitting back and forth, glancing nervously at his allies.
‘I’m surprised that for one of your talents, you were so reliant on the abilities of others. First Saskia, then Frankl, and finally Nexus, not to mention all of your other lackeys. You must be losing your grip, Pearly. Tell me, how was Nexus so crucial to your scheme?’
‘I’ll answer your question purely for the sake of my friends. I wouldn’t wish them to get the wrong impression following your pathetic attempts to undermine our bond.’
‘I’m sure they’re all dying to hear,’ said Price, enjoying a fleeting sense of satisfaction stemming from his attempts to rile Black.
‘I met Luca not long after I’d started working with Saskia,’ said Black, casting an appeasing glance at his allies. ‘I contrived to arrange a meeting once I’d identified him as having the necessary skills to implant the stone. Remarkably, he also had a great interest in cryonics, and we spent many long hours discussing its feasibility. It soon became clear that, with a little help, Luca had both the technical ability and the knowledge to overcome the seemingly insurmountable hurdles that had previously plagued the area. At last, I began to see a way round the problems Piotrowski had encountered.’
‘Please continue,’ Price said sarcastically.
Black glowered at Price. ‘Piotrowski regarded the stone as a vessel for storing a person’s soul that he could transfer from one person to another without consequence. What happened in his experiment proved him wrong. It is my belief that this occurred because of the stone’s inherent ability to function independently.’
‘How so, Pearly?’ said Frankl.
‘Imagine what would happen if the stone was implanted into the mind of a conscious, rational-minded man. It would be enough to send even a person with the strongest constitution insane, let alone some vagabond Piotrowski had dragged in off the streets. No. It was no surprise that this man’s mind could not cope with the foreign thoughts and memories that came flooding into his head the moment the stone was implanted. It created a schism of such magnitude that it sent him insane. Remember how the man’s madness lifted the moment the stone was removed? It was an instant cure for the battle that raged inside his skull.’
‘Just as Bosch depicted,’ added Price.
‘Very good,’ replied Black, failing to mask a further flicker of annoyance. ‘It’s always amused me how so-called experts continue to argue over the hidden meanings in Bosch’s artwork. What those pretentious idiots never understood is the vital role Bosch played in the machinations of the Esoteric Brotherhood. Secrecy was paramount during Bosch’s lifetime; what better way of circulating information than via cryptic images hidden in his art? The painting you refer to is but one of many, if you care to look hard enough. Bosch’s painting was a message to the Brotherhood warning them of the inherent danger of Piotrowski’s work. The painting was called The Extraction of the Stone of Madness for obvious reasons—it depicts the moment the stone was recovered, thus relieving the man of the madness the stone had invoked.
‘But I digress, somewhat,’ continued Black without stopping to draw breath. ‘Piotrowski’s mishap allowed me to fathom out the most obvious flaw in his work.’
‘Go on,’ Frankl pro
mpted.
‘It was obvious that the stone could never be implanted from one mind into another without sending the recipient spiralling into madness. No. The only solution was to reimplant the stone into the mind from which it had been harvested, or a mind that had been wiped clear.’
‘And that’s where Nexus came in,’ said Frankl matter-of-factly.
‘Exactly! Luca is undoubtedly one of the finest minds I’ve ever encountered, but, unfortunately, his peers were not so quick to appreciate his brilliance. He described many innovative surgical techniques, and his research was ingenious.’
‘If you call unethical work on human guinea pigs ingenious, then perhaps you’re right,’ said Price.
‘Typical. I’d expect no less from you, Price. You’re no different from all of those moronic doctors who failed to see the true worth of Luca’s work. I, on the other hand, was not so blind. What if he tested his work on patients? They went to him willingly in the knowledge that his research was for the benefit of mankind.’
‘Ha! Don’t you mean for the benefit of Pearly Black?’ mocked Price.
Black waved a hand dismissively. ‘Luca turned to me when he had no alternative. Just look at what he achieved!’
Price craned his neck theatrically. ‘Beats me,’ he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
‘I know your game, Price, but you cannot provoke me. Perhaps the time for talk is over. Maybe we should just get on with what I brought you here for—’
‘No, Pearly,’ interjected Aurelia, looking oddly pensive. ‘I think we ought to hear you out. It’s the very least you owe us before we commit yet another atrocity in your name.’
‘Aurelia’s right,’ agreed Lex.
Frankl remained uncharacteristically silent, his eyes flicking nervously between Black and the rest of the group, trying to gauge where all of this was leading. Strange, too, remained silent, keeping his head bowed.
‘Congratulations, Price. It appears you’ve successfully unsettled my allies, but you’d be well advised to remain silent,’ said Black, scowling. ‘Still, a little more time before we finish you off won’t do any harm. Very well, Aurelia, I shall acquiesce to your request. Where would you like me to begin?’