The Royal Ghost

by Linda Stratmann

  ‘I am afraid I have never learnt the game,’ Mina confessed.

  Franklin stopped winding and stepped back, dropping the key into his pocket. ‘I am sorry to hear it.’ There was a creaking like the movement of hinges and metal joints, and slowly the Wondrous Ajeeb shook his wooden head from side to side. This action of the otherwise impassive figure created a strange effect, as if he was both alive and not alive at the same time. ‘I think Ajeeb is sorry, too. It is the finest game in the world and an excellent occupation for the mind.’ The metallic noise ground out again as this time Ajeeb nodded his head, sagely.

  Mina looked at Mr Franklin, but he was too far from the Turk to have created the movements. ‘I hope that Ajeeb does not pretend to bring messages from the spirits,’ she said. ‘There has been too much of that in Brighton recently.’

  ‘No, he only plays chess and draughts. Let him show you what he can do.’

  Franklin fetched the basket of chess pieces but instead of setting them out for a game, he placed only one piece on the board, a white knight, which he put in a square in the row nearest the Turk. ‘The chess knight has an unusual move, unlike that of any other piece. He goes in the shape of a letter L, two squares one way, and then one at an angle, like so.’ He demonstrated. ‘It is possible to move the knight all about the board but going to a different square each time, so that he visits every square on the board once and once only. Sixty-four squares and sixty-three moves.’ Franklin placed the knight back on its starting square and stepped away. ‘Wondrous Ajeeb I beg you to demonstrate the knight’s tour.’

  Ajeeb obligingly leaned forward from the waist, an action accompanied by the sound of rotating cogwheels, and stretched out his arm. Then, grasping the knight in his right hand, he lifted it and placed it on another square. Franklin had picked up the basket of white counters, and now he came forward and placed one on the square just vacated. This sequence of actions was repeated, move-by-move, and as Mina and Merridew watched, the board began to fill with white counters, each one on a different square, until finally the knight reached the last unoccupied square and the board was full.

  ‘Oh bravo!’ exclaimed Merridew. ‘I can’t say how it is done, but it is a wonder.’

  Ajeeb favoured him with a polite bow, then lifted the hookah pipe to his mouth as if to say that his work was complete.

  ‘How marvellous!’ Mina agreed. ‘Whether done by man or machine it is very impressive. And does Ajeeb win every game he undertakes?’

  ‘Very nearly,’ said Franklin, ‘but he is gracious in defeat. The only thing that angers him is an opponent who breaks the rules or tries to cheat. I have seen Ajeeb put an end to such games by sweeping all the pieces from the board.’

  ‘Does he speak?’

  ‘Alas, no, he expresses himself only through gesture.’

  ‘Will Ajeeb be performing for the public? I have seen nothing advertised.’

  ‘He has been brought here at very short notice so there has not been time to advertise his visit in the newspapers. But some placards have been prepared which will be placed in the vestibule. He will entertain the paying public this evening and tomorrow afternoon, and then tomorrow evening there will be a private performance for the Mayor and aldermen and other specially invited guests.’

  ‘My thanks to you good sir for the demonstration,’ said Merridew. He glanced about him. ‘Would you be so kind as to tell me where we might find Mr Mott of the Brighton Chess Club? I know he is in the Pavilion today as I saw him arrive earlier and rather fancied I might find him here.’

  Franklin gave an innocent smile. ‘I can’t say, I am afraid. Perhaps he is having tea.’

  ‘Or smoking a pipe,’ suggested Merridew. ‘Well, Miss Scarletti and I will retire to the tea room for now. I am sure we will have the opportunity of speaking to Mr Mott later. He may well join us there.’

  ‘So you think Mr Mott was inside Ajeeb?’ asked Mina once she and Merridew were on their way back to the vestibule.

  ‘I think this is how all these things work if they do anything out of the ordinary that cannot be achieved by mere clockwork, otherwise why is it so very large? The original Turk was only a figure of a man from the waist up, and no one could have fitted inside, but it rested on a very much bigger cabinet.’

  ‘But we looked inside the cabinet and the figure and saw only machinery.’

  ‘Oh, I expect a great deal can be achieved with false doors and mirrors. Did you ever see the head of the Sphinx?’

  ‘No, but I have heard of it.’

  ‘It was a disembodied head sitting on a table, telling fortunes. Of course there was a living man underneath, putting his head through a hole in the table-top, but his body could not be seen as there were mirrors under the table so placed that they deceived the audience into thinking they could see right through to the back of the stage.’

  ‘Both simple and clever,’ observed Mina, thinking of Mystic Stefan’s miraculous disembodied arm.

  ‘All the best tricks are.’

  ‘Do you happen to know what kind of entertainment Mr Hope is planning to give the Mayor and aldermen? I know he has brought Ajeeb to the Pavilion with the idea of having in one place all the elements that resulted in the visions said to have happened here. On that day, as described in An Encounter, there was Ajeeb and Dr Lynn the conjuror – who Mr Hope insists is a medium – demonstrating his Japanese butterfly illusion. The Mystic Stefan who performs the same miracle will be a suitable substitute for Dr Lynn. Then there is Mr Hope’s former comrade Captain Pechell, whose presence he senses hovering over the statue and who he seems to think of as a spirit guide. He is also bringing the Misses Bland who do a kind of parlour trick, a mind-reading game with cards. Surely he can’t imagine that the sisters might have another curious experience. Well, when I say “another” it is probable that they did not have one in the first place.’

  ‘Did they not copy their book from another’s work? That’s what the newspapers say.’

  ‘I think they did, but that is for a court to decide. Mr Hope would find it better to invite the person who wrote the plagiarised book, but no one knows who he or she is.’

  ‘Well, the public events are not of his doing, they are under the auspices of the Pavilion. It is only the last display where he is overseeing the arrangements.’

  ‘And I think I suspect what he might be doing. I can’t prove it, of course, but it is possible that he is intending to hold a private séance under the guise of an entertainment. He has invited the Mayor and aldermen so they can witness the miracles performed, his intention being that they would then be prepared to give evidence in favour of the Misses Bland. Of course he will not have dared to describe the event as a séance or the committee would have objected, but that is what it will be, and if Mystic Stefan is the conjuror I think he is, he will be able to produce some very convincing illusions.’

  ‘Has he not invited you?’

  ‘I am afraid not.’

  ‘But you said he has been trying to convince you of spiritualism.’

  ‘He has. And that can only lead me to one conclusion. He is deliberately excluding me in case my presence exerts a negative influence and the spirits are unable to perform. That means that he has finally given up all attempts to convert me to his way of thinking and from now on I must consider him an enemy.’

  Merridew looked dismayed. ‘Well, we must do something!’

  ‘I wish I knew what. I could try and gain entry to the event and observe it, but attempting to disrupt the séance by seizing the apparitions would not be the answer.’

  ‘I should think not!’ said Merridew with a gentle smile.

  ‘I tried doing that before with Miss Eustace and it didn’t work.’

  ‘Oh, I see.’

  ‘And such a desperate action would be playing right into Mr Hope’s hands. He has already been making enquiries to try and prove that I am mad or hysterical.’

  ‘But nothing could be further from the truth!’

  ‘It w
ill look very like the truth if I create a disturbance in front of the Mayor and aldermen. Mr Hope might be half wishing I will do so, and then I would be taken away in a strait-waistcoat before I knew it.’

  ‘Well,’ said Mr Merridew, thoughtfully, ‘let us have a cup of tea and make a plan. And I feel sure that we do not need to search for Mr Mott. He will know where to find us.’

  Thirty-Six

  It is a pity we do not know who wrote the original piece, the one that has been plagiarised,’ said Mr Merridew, as he and Mina refreshed themselves with tea. ‘I have not read it myself, but from what the Gazette says it was beyond reproach.’

  ‘My feeling is that it was a story rather than a history,’ said Mina, thoughtfully. ‘Part of it is true. A lady visited the Pavilion in the days before there were guides and as she explored it alone, she got lost. But then, enthralled by its air of mystery and romance, she thought what an amusing adventure it would be if she met its royal owner.’

  ‘It is very easy to become lost and confused without a guide,’ said Merridew, knowingly. ‘When one thinks of the number of times the Pavilion has been enlarged and altered, and then there are doors which are not actually doors at all, and real doors that don’t look like doors, and long passages that run secretly alongside the main apartments to enable servants to walk about discreetly without bothering their masters.’

  ‘You must show me them. That might well inspire me to write a ghost story myself.’

  Mr Mott appeared soon afterwards, looking a little warm, as if he had been exerting himself, and joined Mina and Mr Merridew at the tea table. He was a small man, not a great deal over five feet in height, with a narrow body and the kind of whiskers that suggested he would be better advised to be clean shaven. If he was trying to look older and more authoritative by growing whiskers then he had, thought Mina, made an all-too-common error. Nevertheless, he was pleasant and polite and greeted Mina warmly when they were introduced, saying that he was charmed to meet any intimate friend of Mr Merridew.

  ‘I am told that you entertain a great fascination for the Wondrous Ajeeb and have seen him play chess often,’ said Mina.

  ‘Oh, yes,’ exclaimed Mott with all the eagerness of a devotee, ‘I have lost no opportunity to watch and learn.’

  ‘Have you formed an opinion as to how the mechanism is able to play chess so well without the assistance of a human operator?’ asked Mina, signalling the waiter to bring a fresh pot of tea.

  Mott paused and licked his lips nervously. ‘Ah, well, I really couldn’t say. I know nothing of clockwork devices, they are a mystery to me. My expertise, such as it is, lies in the art of chess.’

  ‘I have been told by Mr Franklin, who I am sure you must know, that there will be a special demonstration given before the Mayor and aldermen tomorrow evening. Will you be in attendance?’

  Mott’s expression continued to be wary and anxious. ‘I think,’ he ventured carefully, ‘that it is very probable that I will be there, yes.’

  ‘In that case, since I am not one of Mr Hope’s guests, I must entreat your assistance in a matter of some difficulty.’

  ‘Oh, but surely you will be there? It is all over town that Mr Hope is a very particular friend of your family.’

  ‘The town does not know everything. I have not received an invitation and suspect that if I asked to attend it would not be permitted. I must let you into a secret, Mr Mott. I am concerned – very much concerned – that Mr Hope, who is the guiding light behind this private display, will be attempting, quite against the rules and wishes of the Pavilion committee, to hold a séance. I have said nothing, as I have no proof, only suspicions, but if you are there I would like you to observe what happens and then report back to me. Would you be prepared to do that?’

  Mott looked surprised, then he became thoughtful. ‘That explains a great deal,’ he said at last. ‘I have noticed that ever since Ajeeb arrived there have been preparations in hand for the private event, which were markedly different from the public displays and those at his last appearance here. The conjuror Mystic Stefan has been involved in the arrangements, although I am not sure how, and a large trunk has been delivered which is locked and guarded from general view. I have also heard that Mr Hope actually asked the committee if the statue of Captain Pechell could be moved to the room where the event is to take place, but he has been told it is not possible due to its weight and the danger of damage. Instead it is agreed that a portrait of the Captain will be hung there. What all this has to do with chess I am not sure, but he is very clearly not about to present the usual demonstration.’

  ‘None of it has anything to do with chess I am afraid,’ said Mina, and explained to Mr Mott what she thought Mr Hope’s intentions were.

  ‘He believes that Ajeeb is operated by disembodied spirits?’ said Mott, incredulously.

  ‘I am afraid he does.’

  ‘Well now I have heard everything. There are very few persons who know precisely how the Wondrous Ajeeb performs, but all are sworn to secrecy and cannot enlighten him.’

  ‘I doubt that he would believe them, in any case.’

  The teapot arrived with a plate of scones that Mina could not recall ordering. ‘My treat,’ said Merridew with a wink.

  Mr Mott was too troubled to eat. ‘And you say that Mr Hope actually champions the Misses Bland? How could he? My sister read their dreadful book in all innocence and was so upset that she has been under treatment from her doctor ever since. And didn’t they copy the work of another? They should be in prison!’

  ‘If Mr Hope has his way they will be exonerated of all blame and will reap the financial rewards of their deceit,’ said Mina.

  ‘Well, we can’t have that,’ declared Mott. ‘Miss Scarletti, I am extremely grateful for your warning. I shall alert the committee at once.’

  ‘Do you think they would put a stop to the event?’ asked Merridew. ‘The man is a Viscount, after all. And as Miss Scarletti has said we have no actual proof of what he intends to do. If challenged, he might simply say that he is providing an entertainment to honour the memory of his late comrade in arms. Since the Misses Bland are friends of his then it would not be a matter of surprise if they were invited.’

  ‘And I would be made to seem like a hysteric,’ added Mina. ‘I am far from hysterical but Mr Hope would like to prove that I am in order to assist in the defence of Miss Eustace, who he also champions.’

  Mott was horrified. ‘That conniving woman! I am ashamed to admit that I actually attended one of her séances, mainly because my mother insisted I go. It was all a great deal of nonsense of course, and I was not at all surprised when she was arrested. She comes from a whole family of conjurors, you know. In fact, she was the only visitor to the Pavilion who saw at once how Ajeeb performed his feats.’

  ‘Ah, the trained eye of the illusionist,’ said Merridew.

  ‘I suggest,’ advised Mina, ‘that we do not try to prevent the private demonstration from occurring. I might be wrong about it, but if I am right I would hope that the Mayor and aldermen, being men of common sense, will not be deceived. If you could simply observe and let me know what actually takes place, I would be very grateful. Then I will consider the position and think again.’

  ‘Very well, I agree,’ said Mott.

  The scones were finally finished and tea-time service was ending for the day. Waiters were darting about busily sweeping dishes from the tables and Mr Merridew peered hopefully into the teapot to see if one last cup might remain to round things off. Mr Mott rose to depart, saying that he was going to make a close observation of that evening’s public performance of the Wondrous Ajeeb. It was as he walked away that a realisation struck Mina. ‘Mr Mott,’ she called, leaving her seat as fast as she could and limping after him, ‘pray Mr Mott, do come back – I have something very important to ask you!’

  He stopped and looked back at her with some surprise, as if the suggestion of hysteria was not after all so very wide of the mark, and Mr Merridew quickly appe
ared by her side and carefully took her arm for support.

  ‘I may have misheard you of course,’ Mina continued, ‘but did you just say that Miss Eustace was the only visitor to the Pavilion who realised how Ajeeb worked?’

  ‘Yes, that is correct.’

  ‘But Ajeeb has not been here since last October – or has he?’

  ‘No, you are quite right, Miss Eustace saw him when he was here last year.’

  This was a surprise to Mina. ‘I had been under the impression that her arrival in the summer of this year was her first time in Brighton. Of course I can see that she might well have made a preliminary visit to gather information about the residents to provide material for her séances and carefully concealed that fact. But you are quite sure it was she?’

  ‘I am, yes.’ Mott hesitated and looked about him but no one was close enough to overhear. ‘I cannot say too much about the location I was in at the time that I observed her, only that I was in a position to see her but she was unable to see me.’

  Mina nodded. ‘I understand. You need say no more on that subject.’

  ‘When she viewed the Wondrous Ajeeb she was very amused by him, and actually said that she could see how he performed his feats. I think she may have been accompanied by a gentleman, but I am not sure. Later that day I went to see Dr Lynn’s demonstration of conjuring. He was giving an exhibition for charity and the same lady was there, I recognised her, and given her earlier comment I paid some attention to her demeanour. She watched all that Dr Lynn did with very keen attention, but not as someone might have done for the mere purpose of entertainment. She was studying him with the eye of one whose family profession was in that field. When Dr Lynn’s performance was over she approached him and they had a conversation. I heard her say that her father was in that line of work, and he had a business providing materials and equipment to conjurors. She gave Dr Lynn a card. I thought, earlier this year, when Miss Eustace held her séances, that it was the same lady, but I couldn’t be sure, so I said nothing at the time, but then when she was arrested it was in the newspapers and mention was made of her father’s business, so I knew I must be right.’