Sir Anthony,
We are more sorry than we can say to leave you like this, but my wife and I are agreed that we can stay no longer in this place. Not after last night, sir. We shall be only too pleased to serve you in London, or anywhere else, sir, but not here any more.
Your obt. servant,
James Lorrimer
P.S. Tom will bring the boat back, sir.
Biting his lips, Tony crushed the letter into a ball, threw it into the grate, and returned to the great hall, where he flung himself into a chair and lit a cigarette.
He had not been there long before he heard voices in the gallery above, and, looking up, saw Dr. Gaunt and his portly colleague descending the staircase.
He was immediately struck by the contrast in their demeanours. Vaughan’s flabby face seemed to have fallen in; there were shadows under his little eyes and his lips were grey. He dragged his feet on the stairs. Gaunt, on the other hand, looked jubilant, in spite of the sticking-plaster on his cheek. His eyes shone like twin stars and his lips twitched with excitement. He fairly tripped down the stairs, leaving his companion far behind, and, as he approached, Tony could feel the atmosphere of power which radiated from his body.
“Good morrow, Tony!” he cried, with a cheerful smile. “Did you sleep well?”
“Very well, thank you, Doctor,” answered Tony. “But I’ve got some bad news for you, I’m afraid.”
Gaunt raised an eyebrow, and Tony went on:
“The Lorrimers have cleared off and left us in the lurch. They left a note for me. It seems that they were frightened out of their wits last night.”
“I don’t blame them,” said the doctor with a laugh. “Don’t worry, my boy, we shall be able to fend for ourselves for a while. It won’t be long now, eh, Vaughan?”
The other, who had now joined them, merely grunted, looking at the floor, and rubbing his hands nervously together.
“You mean we shall be able to get rid of the curse soon, then, Doctor?” Tony asked eagerly.
“Yes, we shall be rid of it.” Gaunt smiled crookedly. “We shall free it from this island, even as it was freed from you last night. It is in my hands now.”
Tony frowned, puzzled by the doctor’s apparent reversal of the pronouns. Surely he had been freed from the curse, not the curse from him? He let the question pass, and asked another:
“It’s been worrying me ever since I woke, Doctor. I can’t understand why you permitted last night’s ceremony at all. Isn’t the curse much more powerful now?”
“The curse, as you persist in terming it, is the most tremendous evil force this world has ever known. I should remind you that it is actually a monstrosity of the Outer Darkness, an intruder from the chaos which exists behind the Veil of dimensional matter, and that its power is incalculable.”
“But won’t it be even more difficult to banish now, Doctor?” Tony was very puzzled.
“Who spoke of banishment? I doubt if it could be banished. But it will be a simple matter to release it.”
Vaughan coughed and took a step forward, but Gaunt raised his hand.
“No, Simon, it is right that he should know. He is one of us now, and will rejoice with us when he knows what he has done.”
“What do you mean?” A dreadful suspicion was forming in Tony’s mind, and he waited breathlessly for Gaunt’s reply.
“I mean that I have no intention whatever of even attempting to send this thing back whence it came. I propose to loose it upon the world. It will do more for the ultimate triumph of our Lord than we have been able to achieve since the world began.”
Keeping his voice steady by a great effort, Tony asked:
“And I, what have I done?”
“By assisting at the Mass and committing the final sacrilege you have set the seal upon your renunciation of all that is good, and thus made it impossible for the powers of light to assist you to control this monstrosity, even if you had wished. Furthermore, by reason of the subtle link which the Abbot’s words forged between your family and it, it shared in your violation of the Host, the focus of Light in this world, and it awoke once more to knowledge and dire hatred of its adversary. The same thing happened in the time of your ancestor, James Lovell, but you were more fortunate than he, who, unable to control it, was destroyed by it. You were able to sever the connection and pass the reins to me, who, by reason of my greater knowledge, could check its fury.”
Tony’s head was bowed. When he spoke again his voice was hardly above a whisper.
“What will happen when you release it?”
A far-away look came into the doctor’s eyes, and his voice rang out like a trumpet:
“It will spread in a thinning cloud over the whole earth, and mankind will turn its face from God and sink into the darkness of the Pit. There will be ceaseless wars and revolutions until civilization is lost in anarchy. Every spark of goodwill in the heart of man will be utterly quenched; and he will at last lose his semblance of divinity, his immortal soul, and revert to the level of the beasts. Evolution will be reversed!”
Tony stared incredulously at the pale face before him, lit with the fire of prophecy. Was this the teacher he had known and loved? The doctor’s face lost its prophetic fire, and he looked full into the eyes of the young man, his lean, handsome features twisting into a satanic smile. Tony groaned aloud.
“I cannot — I will not permit it!” he gasped.
“So!” Gaunt’s voice sank into a snarl. “Is this the stuff you are made of, Anthony Lovell? I always feared you were not worthy of our great brotherhood. Do you shrink from the triumph of our Lord like a girl from the sight of blood?”
“No — no! I wanted His Kingdom to come upon earth — I want it still, but not like this! I desired knowledge, power, a god to worship; you gave them to me. I wanted to pass on my wonderful discovery to all men, to release them from the crushing bondage of the Nazarene, and the Church he left behind when we found him out and destroyed him. I wanted to see mankind rise glorious and proud; strong in the ancient wisdom; casting off the yoke of the Crucified; not blasted for ever.”
“Words — words!” Gaunt broke in. “How little you know of us! Do you not understand that this world is itself a creation of the Power which we defy? It must all perish before we conquer. But that is your weakness, Anthony Lovell; inconsistency. All you want of religion is hope and faith, prayer and praise; you cannot face the ultimate. You were never one of them because you never believed their faith was real. You could not envisage the logical outcome of their beliefs — the winning of the world for Christ.” He spat viciously. “And now you cannot be one of us because you dare not face the consummation of our faith, the winning of the world for Satan.”
He turned away, for Tony stood speechless, gazing at the ground. His self-created world was crashing about his ears; he felt utterly desolate, friendless, and alone. Gaunt turned again.
“One last chance I will give you, Tony, because I have loved you well. Be with us, help us in this great blow we are about to strike for our Lord, and share with us the sweet fruits of victory. We shall not be forgotten when He comes into His Kingdom.”
Tony shook his head.
“Not that way!” he said in a choked voice.
Gaunt shrugged his shoulders.
“I pity you most profoundly,” said he; “outcast from both worlds you stand, helpless because you dare not face the truth. Come, Simon; let us leave the fool to his folly.”
Vaughan looked up sharply. During the whole of the argument he had remained motionless, his head downcast, his fingers twisted together. Now Tony saw that upon his face there was an expression he could not analyze: there was sullen defiance in it, veiled sympathy, and a great horror.
Their eyes met; the apostate priest, foul, degraded, the marks of his sins showing plainly in his countenance, and the young man whose faith had failed him; and over that vast gulf which yawned between them flashed the divine spark of sympathy. Brothers in adversity, their glances locked and
held.
Vaughan opened his lips to speak. What he would have said must remain for ever a mystery, for a remembered voice cut sharply into their midst:
“Keep perfectly still, all of you, please!”
In the entrance to the corridor beyond the staircase stood John Hamilton, pistol in hand; and behind him loomed the bulky form of Tom Tregellis.
Chapter XVII
John Hamilton was eating a hearty breakfast in the back parlour of the Three Fishermen when the landlord’s round red face appeared at the door.
“There’s a lady and gentleman to see you, sir,” said he. “I think they’re from Kestrel.”
“Bring them in.” Hamilton rose to his feet.
“They won’t come, sir. Say they’ve got a train to catch.”
“Right. I’ll come out.” Hamilton dropped his napkin on the table and went through the bar into the street.
There he found a market cart, laden with luggage, and Mrs. Lorrimer perched insecurely on top. Her husband stood on the narrow pavement nervously fingering his hard black hat.
“Good morning!” Hamilton greeted them. “You wished to see me?”
“Yes, sir,” Lorrimer answered hesitantly. “We’re leaving.”
“So I see. Have things got too much for you at last?”
“That they have — but — are you all right now, sir?”
“Why, what do you mean?”
“Well, sir, last time I spoke to you about — about Sir Anthony and his friends, you didn’t seem to remember that we’d talked of it before.”
“That would be when Miss Bennett and I were wrecked on Kestrel?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I hope I didn’t say anything offensive, Lorrimer. I’m afraid I was not quite myself. It seems that Dr. Gaunt somehow made me forget everything I knew to his discredit then. Since I got back I have remembered it all — how I came over when they were away and talked with you, and how we went down into the crypt. I had forgotten all that.”
“There, you see, James,” Mrs. Lorrimer interjected, “I told you Mr. Hamilton didn’t know what he was doing.”
“I was offensive, then — I’m terribly sorry,” said Hamilton quickly.
“That’s all right, sir, now that we know what it was. It just shows how those devils can work on a man. It makes it easier to understand how they got Sir Anthony. Perhaps we shouldn’t have left him, after all, my dear.” He looked up at his wife doubtfully.
“We couldn’t have stayed,” she replied firmly, “not after last night. Tell Mr. Hamilton.”
Lorrimer looked about cautiously, and, seeing no one within earshot, told his tale in a low voice.
“Last night it came again, sir, that awful noise we’ve heard twice before, only this time worse than it’s ever been. The whole place was shaking, fit to bring it down, sir. We thought it was the end — honest we did. And after it had stopped the feeling that came over us! Horrible it was. Like you felt in the crypt, sir; and up in our own room where it had never come before. And the wicked thoughts that came with it, too! It seemed as if nothing was worth while any more, sir. We couldn’t even pray. So we knew then that it was time for us to go.”
“I don’t blame you in the least. Does Sir Anthony know you’ve left?”
“I was coming to that, sir. That’s another thing. I’m no coward, as you’ll bear me out, sir, having been down in that crypt with me; and when it was light again, and I felt a bit more like myself, I went to Sir Anthony’s room to tell him we was going. I wouldn’t do a think like that behind his back. Well, I knocked, sir, but he was so sound asleep that I couldn’t wake him, so I went in. And the first thing I saw was a kind of white robe on the floor, where he’d dropped it before going to bed. And believe me, sir” — Lorrimer’s voice sank to a whisper — “there was blood on it, as sure as I’m standing here.”
Hamilton stiffened, and a cold shudder went down his spine, despite the warm sun.
“Blood! Are you sure, man, are you sure?” He gripped the other’s arm.
“I wouldn’t take my oath on it, sir, but it looked like blood; I didn’t stay to make sure. I just couldn’t bring myself to touch him, for all that he lay sleeping like an innocent babe. There’s blood on his gown, I said to myself, and blood on his hands, most like. So I ran down those stairs faster than I came up; and we just left a note saying we’d gone.”
Hamilton relaxed. A thought had struck him.
“Did you notice anything else in Sir Anthony’s room?” he asked. “Any smell, for instance? And any other clothes laying about?”
Lorrimer scratched his head.
“Yes, sir,” he said at last, “now you come to mention it; there was that same smell I told you I noticed about the other two’s clothes; incense, they call it, don’t they, sir?”
Hamilton nodded.
“Yes, incense. And anything else besides the white robe?”
“I didn’t stay long, as I’ve told you, sir. I thought to myself, ‘There’s been murder done last night; this is no place for us.’ But I do seem to recollect something else on the floor along with the robe; an embroidered sort of thing, red and gold, like one of those fancy waistcoats the gentry used to wear. But I only caught a glimpse; I couldn’t swear to the shape.”
“That’s good enough.” Hamilton almost choked with relief. “For a moment I thought — but no, it wasn’t blood, Lorrimer; there’s been no murder done. Something far worse than mortal murder, in one respect, but something that is not altogether irreparable.” He saw the lack of comprehension in the other’s eyes, and explained briefly:
“Those splashes were not blood, but wine: consecrated wine, I’m afraid, used at one of their abominable ceremonies.” He knew that the sturdy Nonconformist would not understand the sacrilege, and left it at that.
Relief showed plainly in the faces of both Lorrimer and his wife.
“Thank God for that!” said the old man. “I couldn’t believe my eyes — thank you, sir.” He was almost overcome with emotion.
“What are your plans?” Hamilton asked.
“We’re going to London, sir,” Mrs. Lorrimer explained. “I’ve got a sister there we can stay with until we can get another job.”
“Good. Send me your address, and I’ll let you know how things go on. Did Tregellis bring you across?”
“Yes, sir. He’ll take the boat back, and leave it there. They’ve plenty of tinned stuff and the likes of that. He doesn’t say much, but I know he feels as we do.”
“Is he still in the harbour?”
“Yes, sir, he’s waiting for a friend of his with a dinghy he can borrow to come back in.”
“Splendid. Well, good-bye and good luck. You’ve been bricks, both of you.”
“Good-bye, sir. What are you going to do, if I may make so bold as to ask?”
“I’m going across with Tom to fetch Sir Anthony back; by force, if necessary.”
Lorrimer’s face slowly whitened.
“Oh, be careful, sir, for God’s sake!” said he. “There’s more on that island than three. If you ask me, I’d say their name was legion.”
“I’ll be careful. Good-bye!”
“Good-bye, and God bless you, sir!”
Lorrimer climbed up beside his wife, gathered the reins together, and they drove slowly away up the hill. Hamilton turned on his heel, went quickly into the inn, and up to his room.
Unlocking his suitcase, he took out the automatic pistol which Lorrimer had given him, slipped it into his pocket, and went out of the house.
Down by the harbour he found Tom Tregellis sitting on an upturned boat thoughtfully chewing tobacco. He looked curiously at Hamilton and nodded.
“Tregellis” — Hamilton’s voice was crisp and determined — “I’m going over there to bring Sir Anthony back, by hook or by crook. He’s in great danger. Will you help me?”
The other went on chewing silently for a moment, then rose, spat adroitly over the wall into the sea, and rubbed his hands on his corduro
y trousers.
“Ay, sir, I’m with you,” he growled, and, without more ado, went down the steps and clambered into the launch moored there. Hamilton joined him; he started the engine and in less than five minutes they were in the open sea.
Though the sun shone brightly, a strong breeze was still blowing, and the water was choppy. Hamilton sat watching the approaching island, wondering whether he should have consulted the rector before undertaking this rather desperate mission. He decided that Valerie would only have been worried on his account had she known, and concluded that he had taken the best course in the circumstances. He slipped his hand into his pocket and caressed the smooth steel of the pistol. Let anybody try any funny business this time, and they would find they had taken on more than they bargained for!
The launch nosed its way into the narrow harbour and scraped along the landing-stage. Hamilton jumped out, caught the painter which Tregellis threw him, and made it fast. The latter shut off his engine and followed.
Hamilton remarked:
“We may have to use force. Don’t be surprised at whatever happens, but just follow my lead and we’ll soon have Sir Anthony in safety, or I’ll know the reason why.”
Tregellis contented himself with a grunt in reply, but he spat on his hands, and, bending down, drew a short iron mooring-bar from its socket in the rock. Swinging it in his right hand, he followed Hamilton up the long stairway.
They reached the courtyard round the Abbey without meeting anyone, and made their way to the back of the building. Here they found an unfastened door and entered the kitchens.
As soon as they were inside Hamilton became aware of the intense atmosphere of evil which lay like a blight upon the place. It was almost identical with that which he had felt in the crypt, but instead of fluctuating, coming and going in waves as it had done then, it now remained constant, fixed, like the menace of a loaded gun. Overcoming the deep horror which began welling up in his heart, Hamilton went on towards the corridor which led to the hall.
It was evident that Tregellis had noticed something too, for he wriggled his great shoulders and glanced round uneasily. Then he turned up his collar, spat again on his hands, and, gripping his iron club, followed Hamilton.
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