Barney gave considerable thought to where he should take Mary to dinner on the Thursday. It had to be a restaurant at which he was not known as Mr. Sullivan. That left open to him most of the more expensive places; for although his salary, coupled with the allowance his uncle made him, enabled him to live quite comfortably, he was not well enough off to go to them except occasionally when he was on a job and the bill, or a good part of it, could be charged up to his expense account. In this case that applied, and he wanted to do Mary well; moreover, he wanted to dance with her afterwards. But he had said nothing about that and spoken only of a quiet dinner; so, even if he turned up in a black tie, the odds were that she would not be wearing the sort of clothes in which she would be happy for him to take her to the Berkeley or the Savoy. At length he decided to go in a dark suit and take her to the Hungaria, as he had been there only a few times as a member of other people’s parties, the food and band were good, and evening dress optional So, using his title, he rang up and booked a table.
She was ready for him when he called for her in a taxi, and, as he expected, was dressed in a cocktail frock. At the sight of her his pulses quickened slightly, for she struck him as even better looking than as he had seen her in his thoughts during the past two days. Nevertheless, their evening together did not run with anything like the smoothness that he had hoped.
The reason for that was not far to seek. Ostensibly they were a well-matched young couple out for the sole purpose of enjoying one another’s company; but actually each of them was deliberately deceiving the other, and finding it necessary to lie about nearly every question that cropped up.
Both, in preparation for the meeting, had thought out a false past and present for themselves. Barney had decided to take the role of the late Lord Larne’s eldest son, who had been killed with his father in the aeroplane crash. He said that he had spent most of his life in Kenya and was over in England only on a long visit to go into the possibilities of opening a new Travel Agency, with London tie-ups, in Nairobi.
Mary, one of whose fairly regular and more pleasant sources of income during her black year in Dublin had been a Customs Officer, now gave her late husband that role; adding, as an explanation of her name, that he had been quite a lot older than herself, come to England with the Free French and, after the war, taken British nationality. She said that he had died two years earlier as a result of a heavy crate, not properly secured to a crane, falling upon him; and, lest her faint suggestion of an Irish accent should stir old memories in Barney’s mind, she told him that she was ‘Liverpool’ Irish and had been brought up in that city.
Her occupation she gave as a free-lance model, and in that there was a substratum of truth. She had picked up the rudiments of such work from her mother, who had eked out her earnings as an actress in that way, and had herself a few times earned a small fee for showing dresses in one of Dublin’s less expensive shops; so, during the past fortnight, she had taken it up again to supplement her pension and, now that she was older and had more poise, the agent she had gone to had already found no difficulty in getting her several bookings.
But on both sides the past was a subject giving constant rise to unexpected questions calling for swiftly thought up lies by way of answer; so neither of them could be natural and at ease. Moreover the ostensible reason for their meeting – to talk of the occult – failed to bridge the gap because she knew little more about it than he did. In consequence, finding her decidedly reluctant to say much about herself, he was reduced during the latter part of dinner to giving her accounts of the doings of the Mau-Mau, while praying that she had not read the book upon which he was drawing for experiences as though they were his own.
However, when they took the floor, matters improved somewhat, for he was a naturally good dancer and she had been a professional. They spoke little but each found in the other an excellent partner and thoroughly enjoyed the smooth rhythm. While they danced the best part of two hours sped swiftly by, and by then the fact that they were both playing a part had slipped to the back of their minds. Feeling now that he could open up on a matter that concerned her personally with less chance of her resenting it, a little before midnight Barney ordered more coffee and liqueurs then asked her:
‘How well do you know that Indian chap who was at the meeting?’
‘Mr. Ratnadatta?’ Her voice was casual. ‘Oh, he’s just one of several acquaintances I’ve made at Mrs. Wardeel’s although, as a matter of fact, I’ve learnt more from talking to him after the meetings than at them. But why do you ask?’
‘Well…’ Barney hesitated a second. ‘I suppose I ought not to have listened to your conversation with him; but I couldn’t help overhearing him offer to take you to some much more advanced occult circle, of which he is a member.’
‘He didn’t. He only said he would consider doing so after he had had another talk with me.’
‘Yes. I gathered that. But he asked you to have dinner with him on Saturday, didn’t he? And it’s unlikely that he would have done that unless he had pretty well made up his mind already that you were a suitable candidate.’
She smiled. ‘I hope he does. He implies that Mrs. Wardeel’s parties are only kindergarten stuff, and I’m sure he knows what he is talking about. It would be terribly exciting to belong to a group possessing real power.’
Barney gave her an uneasy glance. Now that he had spent an evening at close quarters with the beautiful ‘Margot’ he was beginning to feel an interest in her that had nothing to do with his job; and as he thought it highly probable that Ratnadatta’s circle practised Black Magic, he did not at all like the idea of her getting herself mixed up with that kind of crowd. On the other hand, he did want her to lead him to it. How to handle this dilemma worried him considerably; but, after a moment’s thought, he decided that, even if it meant prolonging his investigation, he ought to try to head her off, so he said:
‘I don’t know much about the occult, but one thing about it is clear. There are only two ways of obtaining power by supernatural means. One is by leading the life of a Saint; the other is by becoming a disciple of the Devil. Like you, I’m talking of real power now; and you may be right in believing that this chap Ratnadatta can lead you to it. If so, maybe he’s a saint, but I’d lay a packet that he and his pals turn out to be Black Magicians.’
Mary was also of that opinion, but she did not admit it. Instead she said, ‘Not necessarily. They may be advanced practitioners of Yoga.’
‘Yes; I suppose that’s a possibility. Still, the idea of your letting him become your, er – guide, philosopher and friend, worries me,’
‘That’s nice of you.’ Her voice held only a suspicion of sarcasm.
‘I mean,’ he persisted, ‘that you might get yourself involved in something pretty unpleasant if you keep this date with him on Saturday.’
‘I am not in the habit of breaking dates, once I’ve made them. Anyway, he is only giving me dinner.’
‘You never know. He might suggest taking you on to this circle of his afterwards.’
‘I hope he does. I’m full of curiosity about it.’
‘Look Margot,’ he said, using for the first time the Christian name by which he knew her, and hedging slightly in an attempt to get in on the game now she had made it clear that she could not be persuaded to drop it. ‘I’m curious about it too. You may be right about its being a Yoga party, and if so it could be the real path to developing one’s higher faculties. Anyhow, I mean to cultivate old Ratnadatta until I can persuade him that I am also a suitable candidate to be let in on his mysteries. But that will take time; so, just in case it is a Satanist set-up, if he does offer you a chance to join his circle, I wish you would stall for a while. Then, if I can get on the right side of him after another couple of meetings at Mrs. Wardeel’s, we could fix it so that I go with you on your setting sail into these unknown waters.’
Mary felt a little secret thrill of satisfaction. During the first part of the evening the false personality she had had to build up had made her feel so awkward with him that she knew that she was far from making herself a charming and interesting companion. She had even begun to fear that her plan to ensnare and pay out this plausible roué who had brought such misery upon her was about to become still-born, and that he would never ask her out again. But now, here he was already showing deep concern for her, and anxious to become her protector in case she ran into danger. All the same, she had no intention of delaying for a single day if she was given the opportunity to follow up this possible lead to Teddy’s murder. And if Barney was left to wonder what was happening to her on Saturday night, so much the better. That was just the sort of thing to make him all the keener.
She shook her head. ‘No, I’m afraid I can’t do that. If I once turned down an offer from Ratnadatta he might not ask me again. But I assure you I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself. And now, I think I ought to be getting home.’
‘O.K. then! With a light-hearted shrug he appeared to dismiss the matter, but after a moment he added, ‘I haven’t enjoyed dancing so much with anyone for a long time. If your friend the Fakir hasn’t turned you into a pretty white nannygoat, what about having dinner with me here again on Sunday?’
Mary smiled back at him. ‘I enjoyed it too, and I’d like to do that. You’ll have to take the risk, though, that by then I’ll have acquired the power to turn you into a horrid black toad.’
‘I’m awfully flattered that you should feel like that about me!’
She gave him a puzzled look. ‘Unless you’re being sarcastic, I don’t quite see what you mean.’
His eyes suddenly danced with devilment, and his teeth flashed in a grin. ‘Surely you know that a witch has to take her familiar to live with her?’
The waiter brought the bill at that moment; so Barney did not see her flush, as she thought angrily, ‘He hasn’t changed a bit. How like him to seize the first chance to throw out that sort of suggestion under cover of a joke.’ And it was that angry thought which was largely responsible for precipitating her into a stupid action very soon afterwards.
Ten minutes later, as their taxi moved off, Barney, with the assurance of a man who is rarely repulsed by women, put an arm round her shoulders. She let him, and predicted to herself what his next move would be-he would begin at once to tell her how beautiful she was, then when they came opposite the Ritz he would attempt to kiss her and, if she allowed him to, by the time they reached Hyde Park Corner he would put his free hand on her knee.
In her first two assumptions she proved right, but as he drew her towards him she swiftly jerked her head away, and snapped, ‘Stop that! How dare you treat me as if I were a tart!’
Next moment she could have bitten her tongue out. It was an absurd thing to have said, simply because he had tried to kiss her, and she had been impelled to say it only because she was already visualising in her mind the sort of thing she expected him to attempt later, if she let him.
Sitting back quickly, he exclaimed: ‘What on earth are you talking about? Treat you like a tart! I’ve done nothing of the kind.’
‘Yes you have.’ She took refuge in angry contradiction. ‘To try to make love to a woman who has given you not the least encouragement, and whom you hardly know, the very first moment you are alone with her, is as good as telling her to her face that you think she’s the sort who can be had for the price of a dinner.’
‘Nonsense!’ said Barney, firmly. ‘Men don’t kiss tarts in taxis. They wait till they get back to their flats, do what there is to do, give them a few quid, and, nine times out of ten, go home and forget all about them. Whereas I want to see you again. You know I do; and I wouldn’t be such a fool as to spoil my chances of our becoming really good friends.’
Her mind fixed on his words ‘and forget all about them’. They acted like a can of petrol poured on the fires of her Irish temper and, ignoring the rest of what he had said, she stormed at him:
‘So that’s how you treat girls who are reduced to giving themselves for money, is it? And what about afterwards? Say you’ve put the wretched girl in the family way. I suppose that’s no concern of your Lordship?’
‘Really, Margot!’ he protested. ‘I can’t think what’s got into you. A tart is a tart, and is doing a job of work like any other, even if at times it is not a very pleasant one. It is up to her to learn how to take care herself. If she doesn’t bother and gets caught, you can’t hold the man responsible.’
‘As he did it, he is.’
‘I don’t agree. If a chap is having an affair with a decent girl that, of course, is different. It is up to him to see that nothing goes wrong, and should they have the bad luck to have an accident, obviously it’s his responsibility to get her out of trouble. Listen, I’ll give you a parallel. When I was younger and lived in … out in Kenya, I often used to ride for other people in steeplechases. Say an owner had a really fractious horse and asked me as a favour to ride him, if the brute had thrown me and I’d broken a leg I’d have had the right to expect the owner to cough up my doctor’s fees and hospital expenses. But if he had paid me for the job, and I’d taken the risk for money, it wouldn’t even have occurred to me to ask the owner to foot the bill. In the same way, with tarts, getting in the family way is simply an occupational risk; that’s all there is to it.’
‘But supposing the girl is young and ignorant?’
He shrugged. ‘If she’s been paid I don’t see that that makes much difference. These girls always have older friends to whom they can go for advice, or know of some old woman who’ll do the necessary. But what beats me is why you should have become so het-up about all this.’
Mary saw the red light. She had already been dangerously near to stating her own case. If she pursued the subject further it might easily ring a bell in his mind and cause him to recognise her. Then goodbye to all hope of getting her own back on him. With an effort she pulled herself together and said in a calmer voice. ‘You are quite right. It is only that I’m sorry for girls who have to earn their living that way and, as a woman, resent the fact that men’s lust should force them to it.’
‘Oh come! I admit that prostitution could not exist if there were not the demand that keeps it going. But the majority of these girls are just lazy sluts who prefer to lie late in bed in the morning, deck themselves out in clothes they could not otherwise afford, then spend most of their time drinking or dancing in bars and clubs, rather than do an honest day’s work.’
‘Perhaps that is so; but there must be exceptions.’
‘No doubt there are. But what has that got to do with the fact that I tried to kiss you? In the most respectable circles, from their ‘teens on, when boys and girls like each other they kiss without any thought of going to bed together afterwards. I can only suppose that you’ve got some awful Freudian complex that turns you into an icicle at the touch of a man.’
‘It’s not that,’ she said with an effort. ‘I’m quite normal. I enjoy being kissed by a man I like. But… well… I do need a chance to make up my mind if I like him enough first.’
The taxi had just pulled up outside the house in which she was living, and Barney said with a smile, ‘Then I haven’t blotted my copy-book irretrievably. I’m glad about that. May I take it that Sunday is still on?’
‘Yes,’ she nodded as he helped her out. ‘I’m afraid I’ve behaved rather stupidly. I didn’t mean to. Please forgive me. And thank you very much for this evening. Good night.’
Still much puzzled by her outburst he watched her go up the steps and let herself in, then he told the taxi to drive him to his rooms in Warwick Square.
While undressing, Mary did her best to re-assess the relationship between them, of which only she was aware the views he had expressed, obviously with complete honesty, on a man’s obligations, or lack of them, to a girl with whom he had slept, depending on whether she had given herself to him for love or for money, had made a considerable impression on her. In fact, as a general principle, she found it difficult not to accept them. But, having for five years nurtured a bitter grudge against him as the author of all her personal sufferings, she found it impossible to dissociate him from them overnight.
The carefree attitude that he still displayed to life, his passing himself off as a lord, and his taking it for granted that she would let him make love to her after only a few hours spent in his company, all combined to reinforce her belief that he was cynical, unscrupulous, heartless, and a menace to any woman who was fool enough to fall for him. But in this case it was he who had fallen for her. The anxiety he had displayed about her meeting Ratnadatta on Saturday evening, and his eagerness to see her again, was, she felt, ample evidence of that; and as she dropped off to sleep she was savouring in advance the triumph she would enjoy when she had led him on into a state in which she would make him utterly miserable with frustrated desire.
On the Saturday evening she duly kept her appointment with Ratnadatta at Sloane Square Tube Station. Sleek, paunchy, his brown eyes expressionless behind the pebble lenses, but his rabbit teeth protruding in an ingratiating smile, he greeted her most politely, then beckoned up the leading taxi on the rank.
He was dressed as she had seen him on previous occasions, in a pale blue suit of thinnish material, over which he now had a light fawn overcoat. Apart from the colour of his skin, the only indications of his Eastern origin were that his hat was of the kind habitually worn by Mr. Nehru, and that he smelled strongly of scent. As they got into the taxi Mary caught a pungent whiff of it; but to that she was far from objecting, as during their talks together at Mrs. Wardeel’s she had several times had to suppress an impulse to back away from him on account of his breath. It had a curiously sweet yet unpleasant odour like that of bad lobster, and she hoped that his having scented himself so lavishly this evening would help to counteract it.
The taxi took them only half-a-mile then pulled up outside a small restaurant in Chelsea. Its Eurasian proprietor welcomed Ratnadatta as a valued patron and, bowing them to the back of the restaurant, led them upstairs to a small room in which a table was laid for two.
Although her host was on the youthful side of middleage, it had somehow not occurred to Mary that he might have amorous designs upon her. But from her black year she was well aware of the use to which such private dining-rooms were usually put and, as her glance fell on a sofa against one wall, she was seized with swift revulsion at the thought of such an encounter with him.
Catching her uneasy look, he said quickly, ‘You haf no objection, plees; the things off weech we shall talk are not for other ears.’
Momentarily reassured, she replied: ‘Yes, of course. I quite understand.’
When the menu was produced he urged her to order whatever she fancied, so she chose potted shrimps, a tournedo and Coupe Jacques; on which he said that the same would suit him too.
As the proprietor left the room, she remarked, ‘I thought that Theosophists who have achieved initiation had to become vegetarians.’
He chuckled. ‘Those who are Theosophists only are little people. They know nothing. We off the Brotherhood haf passed beyond such senseless taboos. Off commandments we haf but one, “Do what thou wilt shall be the Whole off the Law”.’
She smiled back at him. ‘That sounds an easy philosophy to follow.’
‘It ees good, very good. It frees the mind from all care – all inhibitions. With the shackles off convention thrown aside, life becomes all pleasure. That ees as the Great One wishes for us.’
‘You speak as though the three Masters in whom the Theosophists believe were one.’
‘Yes, plees. As in much other things, they make great error. There ees only one Supreme Entity and he can give us all our wishings.’ At that moment a waiter came in with the first course and Ratnadatta added quickly, ‘We talk of this more later, yes. Eat now and enjoy.’
During the meal he plied Mary with questions, sometimes direct, and sometimes oblique, so that she could not be quite certain at what he was driving. Mostly they concerned her past, her religious beliefs, and the life she was leading at present. Owing to the practice she had had in answering similar questions put by Barney two nights before, she found herself able to answer much more readily and even embroider convincingly the picture she had built up. On the subject of religion she took special pains to assure him that although she had been brought up as a Roman Catholic, she had long since ceased to be a practising one, and now regarded the hard and fast beliefs demanded by that faith as quite unacceptable to an intelligent individual.
At times she tried to lighten her replies to his catechism in the hope of bringing a little humour into their conversation; but the Indian did not respond and continued to regard her steadily from behind his thick-lensed spectacles. However, the food was good, if not pretentious, and he proved an attentive host. When the pudding had been served he poured her another glass of wine and asked her about her sex life.
Again she felt an inward shudder at the thought that he might be leading up to attempting to make love to her; so she replied coldly, ‘I don’t think we need go into that.’
‘Indeed yes.’ His voice for the first time held a note of sharpness. ‘To judge your fitness for advancement all your personality you must reveal to me. The secret life as well as the open life. Speak now of your first experience.’
Realising that she would have wasted her time, and get no further with him, if she refused, she told a plausible lie about it. ‘Apart from cuddling, and that sort of thing, with a few young men, I had none until I was married.’
‘And then?’
‘Well, I got no pleasure from it at first, but after a while, like any normal girl who loves her husband, I came to enjoy it.’
‘Since your husband’s death, plees? Haf you a lover?’
She felt sure of the answers he would like to that, so she gave them. ‘No,’ then added, ‘not at the moment, but I have had several.’
‘You take them why? Because you fall in love with each, or for some other reason?’
‘I liked them all, naturally. But it was really because I felt lonely. Besides, I’m young and healthy and, having got used to that sort of thing, after having been deprived of it for a while I felt the need for it.’
‘Good, very good. Most sensible. This shows that you are already free from the false bindings you received as young from Christian teaching. Instead you haf taken your own will for guide. What now off women? Haf your own sex sometimes attraction for you?’
Mary shook her head.
‘You haf perhaps a strong feeling against homosexuals?’
‘No. I’m sorry for them, that’s all. But if they are made that way I think they have as much right as other people to enjoy themselves in their own fashion.’
‘Again you show the broad mind weech tells me that your incarnations haf been many.’
They had finished the bottle of Chianti that Ratnadatta had ordered, and now the waiter arrived with coffee and liqueurs. When he had gone the Indian said:
‘For your understanding I must now speak off things that are hidden from most. Perhaps you haf heard sometime off the reply savages in dark Africa make to white men who ask “Why do you make prayer to the idol, the waterfall, thunder, and what else. Such can do you no good. Haf you never heard that there ees a great God high up in the sky who created all things and ees all-powerful. It ees to Him that you should make your prayers.” ’
‘No,’ said Mary, ‘I’ve not. What do the savages reply?’
‘They say, “Yes, we know off the great god who created the world and all that ees in it; but to him it ees useless to make prayer. Our ancestors did so and found he did not answer. That was because he no longer hear. Having finish the world he loose interest in it and go far far away to make other worlds. But in the idol he leave a little part off his power and to the river and the fire-mountain we make sacrifice because if not they become angry; then perhaps they destroy our crops, our cattle, ourselves.”’
Ratnadatta solemnly nodded his head and went on. ‘Those savages haf preserve a truth long lost to nations civilised. The Creator did after completion go away to think only off making new worlds. To worship Him ees foolishness; a waste of time.’
‘Surely, though, you don’t suggest we should worship idols?’ Mary asked.
‘No, no! Yet the Creator did leave power behind Him. He delegate it to one off his sons.’
Hardly believing that she could have heard aright, Mary murmured, ‘You mean Jesus Christ?’
The dark face opposite her took on a contemptuous look. ‘What an idea! He was a prophet only, one off many and not a very good one. I speak off Prince Lucifer.’
‘I… I see. He was an Arch-angel, wasn’t he; before he became the Devil?’
‘An Arch-angel, yes. A true son off the Creator. Devil ees a term used only by those who fear Him. It came to use with the spread off the Christian heresy. If you are to progress you must forget such foolishness. Those who haf true knowledge reverence Him as Our Lord Satan. For off this world he ees the Lord. All power over it ees His. He was given it as His Principality. The Bible, even, makes admission of that.’
Mary thought to herself, ‘Well, now we know where we are. Both Barney and I were right in believing this horrid little man to be one of a circle of Satanists.’ Aloud she said, ‘I remember the passage now. What you say throws an entirely new light on everything.’
‘Good, very good.’ Ratnadatta smiled at her. ‘Another passage I recall to you. On the high mountain He offered Christ all cities and the plains. Not the world, off course, but as far as he could see. That we know to haf been because He think Christ could haf been useful servant and wish to save him from taking wrong Path. Christ being conceited fool refuse; so, instead off becoming a great Lord, he died horrible death. But my point ees that Prince Lucifer’s offer would haf made no sense if the cities and plains were not His to give.’
‘Yes; I suppose that is so.’
‘You suppose!’ snapped the Indian. ‘Understand plees, that if you wish for advancement you make no questionings off what I tell.’
‘Oh, I wasn’t doubting you,’ Mary assured him hastily. ‘Please go on and tell me how I can become one of the favoured of … of Him who is Lord of this world.’
He smiled again. ‘The Path ees not difficult for those who are willing to embrace life with whole heart. Remember, the Creator told Adam that He had made all things for his delight. The same wish has also been that off His great son, Our Lord Satan, for all descendants off Adam up to present day. At first, perhaps, inhibitions from youthful upbringing may unexpectedly make troubles in your mind. You must practise to be rid off them; yes ruthlessly. Only so will you fit yourself to take part in secret rituals. It ees by these we call down power to ourselves. Without taking part in them all else ees off no use.’
‘What sort of rituals are they?’ Mary enquired.
‘The most ancient off all. They haf been practise since the beginning off the world. Most religions preserve relics off them; submission, communion, in some also offering off sacrifice. But in all the meaning off them has been obscured by evil or ignorant priests. Most haf become so distorted to be now unrecognisable. This in the West more than in the East, or even dark Africa. People still primitive haf preserved greater degree off truth. Good example ees sacrifice. To make sacrifice ees to pay tribute, and it ees proper that those who are protected should pay tribute to their Protector. Also blood ees the life force. It must be spilt so that its spiritual essence may be returned in form off renewed vitality to persons who take part in such ritual. But perhaps you haf not yet strong enough desire to progress for over coming prejudice off Europeans against rites off this kind?’
Under her bronze make-up Mary went a little pale. The appalling thought had suddenly struck her that Teddy’s terrible end might be due to his having been offered up as a human sacrifice. To find out if Ratnadatta and his circle had had any part in bringing about Teddy’s death was her sole object in cultivating the Indian, and it looked now as if, should he prove willing to take her to a meeting of Satanists, she might have to become an unwilling accomplice at some other hideous crime. Yet the only alternative to steeling herself to face such a possibility was to throw her hand in; so she said:
‘The reason you give for making sacrifices is quite logical; so I should feel no qualms at witnessing such a ritual. Are they … are they performed often?’
‘Four times a year we sacrifice a ram,’ he replied quietly. ‘That ees because the circle to weech I belong ees one off many Lodges scattered all over the world weech form the Brotherhood of the Ram.’
She suppressed a sigh of relief, but a moment later wondered if he was telling the whole truth, or only a part of it from fear of disclosing too dangerous a secret to her before he had better reason to feel confident he could trust her with it.
Leaning forward across the little table he went on, ‘I haf now judge you and believe you are ripe for advancement. But first answer me plees. Question one. After what I haf tell you ees it still your earnest wish to receive enlightenment?’
Mary could now smell again the sweetish bad-lobster odour of his breath, but she showed no sign of the queasy feeling it gave her, and she replied firmly, ‘It certainly is.’
‘Question two. Do you agree to giff your whole will to developing your mind to a state in weech power can be entrusted to you?’
‘Yes,’ she nodded. ‘To be given occult power is my dearest wish.’
‘Question three. To achieve that are you willing to surrender yourself absolutely to Our Lord Satan for the furtherance off His work–the bringing off happiness to those who follow Him?’
Again she said, ‘Yes.’
‘Good, very good,’ he purred, much to her relief sitting back and sparing her further distress from the ill-conditioned interior of his fat little paunch. ‘I haf instinct about you. I was right. And now I give you pleasant surprise. Tonight ees Saturday. It ees on Saturdays that my Lodge holds its meetings. You will not be made initiate tonight. No; not yet. Not till you haf seen for yourself something off the ancient mysteries. After, perhaps you feel fear to go on. Then ees still time to withdraw. Such decision show only that, after all, you are not yet ready to accept full truth. No harm done. But if after you again affirm will to proceed at a future meeting I introduce you as neophyte.’
Suddenly he again sat forward, and the hard little brown eyes behind the pebble glasses bored into hers. ‘One thing more. You will mention never to anyone what you haf seen. Should you do that we will know off it. The ear off Our Lord Satan misses nothing. You would do better to commit suicide than live to face His retribution.’
‘I … yes. I quite understand,’ she said in a low voice. ‘It is very good of you indeed to give me this opportunity of … of advancing along the true Path. Whereabouts is the meeting being held?’
He stood up. ‘Until you become initiate, that I must keep secret from you. But soon I am now hoping that you will be a Sister off the Ram. If so, you will haf had great good fortune that it ees my Lodge that you join. For this year it ees granted power greater than all others, because the Great Ram has come to us from distant land to act temporarily as our earthly Master.’
After the unspecified but terrible fate with which Ratnadatta had threatened her should she betray them, Mary had been seized with sudden panic. Already she had made up her mind that, even if she failed to secure any evidence that they were connected with Teddy’s death, but found that they were actively engaged in evil practices, she would give chapter and verse about them to Colonel Verney. Yet the threat brought to her mind the powers they might possess. It seemed certain, at least, that among them would be clairvoyants of far greater abilities than the sort of semi-amateur she had seen crystal gazing the first time she had gone to a meeting at Mrs. Wardeel’s; and, perhaps, true mediums. If they were capable of overlooking her and traced her to Colonel Verney that might really place her in danger of her life.
The thought of the Colonel brought back to her the warning he had given her about the seriousness of the risk she would be running if she attempted to penetrate the secrets of a Black Magic circle; and Barney, too, had shown acute concern at the idea of her doing so. Although she had refused to recognise it before, she knew that they were right, and that it was madness for her to pit her wits against a whole group of clever, unscrupulous people who, she was now persuaded, could call on evil occult forces to aid them. Swiftly she began to seek an excuse by which she could back out while there was still time.
But with equal suddenness to the panic which had seized her, a memory now flashed into her mind. It was of one of Teddy’s worst nightmares. In all of them he had muttered and raved, mostly incoherently, about Satan and hell, and even such absurdities as being chased by a black imp, but sometimes he cried out short sentences aloud. Once, just before she had woken him, he had shouted, ‘The Ram! The Great Ram! Smoke is coming from him! He must be the Devil!’
At the time, she had hardly registered the words, taking them for just one more of Teddy’s nightmare fantasies. But now, following on what Ratnadatta had said only a few moments before, they came back to her. And they made sense. The Great Ram was a man; the Master of Ratnadatta’s Lodge. Here was the proof of what she had previously only suspected. Ratnadatta was the Indian Teddy had mentioned in his ravings and had taken him to the place where she believed he had met his death.
Like a bugle call rallying the remnants of a decimated squadron of cavalry to charge again, the knowledge that she had really hit on the right track caused strength and determination to flow back into her. Now, whatever might happen to her she knew that she must go through with it.