I am profoundly disturbed. That is putting it mildly. I had another long talk with Helmuth yesterday evening and he told me a lot more about the Weylands Brotherhood. In view of the importance of this conversation I shall strive for the utmost accuracy in recording it.
As soon as he had settled himself comfortably in front of the fire, I said: ‘Last night you were saying that there is a royal road to acquiring power. I’d be terribly interested to hear about it.’
‘So you’ve thought things over and are inclined to regard my proposition favourably, eh?’
As I was curious to learn more, I saw no point in denying that, so I let it pass, and he went on:
‘I am glad for both our sakes; and if what I said last night intrigued you, I am sure that what I have to say now will intrigue you to an infinitely greater degree. Power is the thing that men have craved more than any other, all through the ages. Now tell me, what would you say were the four most powerful forces in the world?’
I thought for a moment, then said: ‘Faith, Love, Hunger and Money.’
‘Wrong,’ he declared. ‘They are the Elements—Air, Earth, Fire and Water. If you can control those you can do anything.’
I nodded. ‘I suppose Science is gradually succeeding in that. Gas and electricity are forms of fire; we harness rivers and the tides; and the Back-room boys of the R.A.F. are tackling the problem of dispersing fog.’
‘Oh, Science plods along,’ his tone was faintly contemptuous, ‘but all those types of control require elaborate machinery to operate them. I was referring to the control of the elements by the human will.’
He saw my puzzled look, and added: ‘For example, Jesus Christ walked upon the water.’
Never before had I heard him mention Christ’s name except in connection with some sneer; and I said in surprise: ‘But I thought you didn’t believe in Him?’
‘As a God, I don’t,’ came the quick reply, ‘but there is no reason to doubt that he was an historic Personage, and that he had “power”. However, there are innumerable other examples of the sort of thing I mean. There are well-authenticated accounts of Indian Fakirs who have mastered the art of levitation; that is, defeating gravity by remaining suspended in mid-air. The witchdoctors of the North American Indians could walk on red-hot embers without burning the soles of their feet. The juju-men of Africa can bring rain when it suits their purpose.’
‘Do you seriously mean that the members of the Brotherhood can perform such extraordinary feats?’
‘Some of us can. But each feat requires long and exhausting training, and after all, what point is there in devoting years to learning such tricks? They are really rather childish, and have no practical value except to impress the vulgar; and we are not interested in attempting to attract the multitude. Most of us prefer to devote our energies to more subtle tasks, and use the special powers that we acquire in support of our worldly activities. If you think for a moment what that means, in conjunction with brains, wealth and influence, you will be able to appreciate, far better than you could yesterday, that not only will the Brotherhood survive the general destruction of the upper classes in this country, but eventually dominate it.’
‘All this is so staggering,’ I murmured, ‘that you must forgive me if I haven’t quite gripped it yet. Accepting what you say about the Brotherhood’s powers to perform miracles, I still don’t see how they can be applied to further your ends in modern political and commercial life.’
‘Don’t you!’ he laughed. ‘Then I’ll give you a few examples. You have already stumbled on the fringe of the matter yourself by using hypnotism to impose your will on people. You didn’t get far with Taffy, but for an amateur you were amazingly successful with Deb. Properly trained you could use it with considerable effect on many of your future business associates. The trained will can also read thoughts, and confer good or bad health on the operator’s friends or enemies. It can——’
‘Could both my mental state and the injury to my spine be cured?’ I interrupted. ‘That is, if I become a member of the Brotherhood?’
He nodded. ‘The first would be simple. That was what I meant when I promised that if the attacks occurred again I would help you to fight them. You need have no further worries on that score. Your spine presents a more difficult problem, because it is a physical injury. If a man has a limb shot off, no power, however great, can enable him to grow another in its place. But the will can perform incredible feats of healing; and I am reasonably confident that within a few months we could enable you to walk again.’
‘I would give a lot to be able to do that,’ I sighed. ‘I have often wondered if anything could be done for me by faith-healing.’
‘This is much more than that,’ he smiled, ‘and far more potent, as it brings into play certain ancient laws which are entirely unknown to the ordinary faith-healer. But I was telling you of some of the feats that the human will can perform when properly directed. Quite apart from the use of hypnotism it can put thoughts and impulses into other people’s heads. It can attract women and dissipate their moral scruples, so that they surrender without even realising that they are acting entirely contrary to their original intentions. Given certain aids and great concentration of will, one can foresee glimpses of the future.
‘By similar means one can also see what is going on through walls or at a distance. That is how I found out that you were preparing to escape with Deb’s help, and was able to come down to the hall just as you were leaving. I should have found out that you were about to escape with Taffy too, if I had had my mental eye on you; but that night I was occupied with other matters. By projecting the will one can influence people through their dreams, and one can also ill-wish them. As a last resort one can even cause them to decline and die. Those are only some of the weapons possessed by the members of the Brotherhood; and it is prepared to use them all in order to overcome such opposition as it encounters.’
I was silent for a moment; my brain whirling with the appalling thoughts he had conjured up. At length I said:
‘Hypnotism, faith-healing, thought-reading and other mental processes where the operator imposes his will face to face with the subject, are recognised by the medical world and explainable by the direct human contact that takes place. But to see what is happening at a distance, to influence people’s dreams, to be able to ill-wish them and send them death, are surely powers which can be acquired only through God or the Devil.’
He shrugged. ‘That is an old-fashioned way of putting it.’
‘Perhaps it is,’ I muttered. ‘But you don’t deny it; although you have always told me that you do not believe in either.’
‘One may reject the teaching of the Bible, yet accept the fact that forces outside this world govern everything in it.’
Suddenly Helmuth stood up; his tawny eyes gleamed with a strange light and his foreign accent became more marked as he went on:
‘The secret of willing down power, or, if you prefer it, setting great supernatural forces in motion on one’s own behalf, has been known to the initiate from time immemorial. Generation by generation it has been handed down, and today this priceless knowledge is the greatest asset of the Brotherhood. To become an initiate one must take the oath of obedience, subscribe to certain tenets of faith and master various complicated rituals. Those rituals are the jealously guarded secret of the chosen few; but, once you have become adept at them, you can operate the forces which we term Supernatural, because they are beyond all normal experience; and, through them, achieve your ambitions and desires. Such power is infinitely greater than any that wealth alone can bring, and in the name of the Brotherhood I offer it to you.’
I collected my wits as quickly as I could, and said: ‘To become one of such a gifted company would be a great honour; anybody could see that. But the whole thing is so astonishing—so extraordinary—so, well, so utterly fantastic by all ordinary standards, that I am still very much at sea.’
He grinned at me. ‘Yes. It is hardly surprising that you should feel a bit bowled over on first learning the magnitude of the powers that the Brotherhood possesses. But now that you know the truth about it, if there are any questions you want to ask, fire away.’
Controlling my voice with an effort, I replied: ‘You have already answered the one that interests me most: that about the possibilities of getting back my health. But there is one other thing I would like to know. To put it bluntly, what is it going to cost for me to become a member?’
‘I thought I told you yesterday.’ He raised the well-marked dark eyebrows that contrast so strangely with his mane of white hair. ‘In that way it is the same as joining a Religious Order. You would make over to the Brotherhood everything you possess. But there the resemblance ends; because the fact that you had done so would always be kept secret, and you would not be required to take a vow of poverty; so for all practical purposes you would continue in the full enjoyment of your fortune.’
‘Isn’t that a bit too much to ask?’ I protested rather meekly. ‘I mean, there can’t be many new initiates who have more than a few thousand to make over; so why should the Brotherhood require the whole of the Jugg millions to accept me?’
With a wave of his hand he brushed the question aside. ‘My dear Toby! The amount that an initiate can contribute in worldly wealth does not enter into the matter. Some who have practically nothing of a cash value to offer are accepted on account of their intelligence, or the promise they show in some other direction. You cannot expect an exception to be made for you in the rules of a foundation that has existed unchanged for countless centuries. It could not be considered even if you were the King of England.’
‘I see,’ I said, still very humbly. ‘I only enquired because of my grandfather.’
‘What has he to do with it?’ Helmuth frowned.
I endeavoured to look as worried as I could. ‘He made all this money; and he went to extraordinary lengths to leave his fortune to me intact—even to spending a considerable portion of his income during the latter part of his life in insuring against death-duties. In view of that I am wondering if I really have the right to part with the control of it.’
Helmuth took the scruple I had raised quite seriously. ‘I see your point,’ he said. ‘But I am sure that, on consideration, you will feel that he would approve your surrendering the lesser power that his wealth can give you for the greater power that has now been placed within your grasp. Anyhow, the last thing I would wish is to influence you into doing anything against your conscience. There is no immediate hurry. Think it over, and we’ll talk about it again tomorrow.’
So I succeeded in stalling him without arousing his suspicions. To fight for a little time seemed the only possible line that I could take. Had I refused point blank I would not even have gained these few hours to prepare myself to face a renewal of his hostility. But at last the naked truth is out. Helmuth is a Satanist.