by J M Bannon
There was a flash and in an instant, she was standing in a well-lit marble room that went on infinitely into all directions. Hovering in front of her was a shadow of a figure almost imperceptible within the rotating glyph circle.
“You are different. A human that has the means and discipline to stand in my presence without becoming unfettered. You are to be so much more if you so choose. While there is no way I shall be freed from this prison. I can help you to become more powerful and fulfilled than you could ever dream,” came a voice from the shadow.
In her mind flashed 1,000 lifetimes of living from the empress of the world through one perfect love but then they were gone.
“That can all be yours, every day, all day forever,” purred the voice.
"You're also different, not a Demon or an Angel, what are you? Where is this?" asked Rose waving her arm wide.
“Ah, maybe you are not so unusual. It is always the curiosity, trying to understand as a means to dominance and control. I am a prisoner in your universe. To my kind the most horrific, desolate punishment imaginable; myself and my brothers were sent here for our transgressions. I am known as Pruflas,” stated the shadow.
“You were sent to the stone?” asked Rose.
“No, that was my brother’s doing along with his human followers. In your reality, I was treated as a god. While I am contained by your reality I do not have the same constraints as you do within it. With these powers, I have assisted your race to become more that it could on its own. I was the cornerstone to all the great civilizations of the Tigress and Euphrates. I can assist you on your quests,” offered Pruflas.
“Why?” asked Rose.
“Entertainment.”
Faintly, Rose heard two voices chanting in a language she could not understand. On the floor near where she stood she saw Azul’s journal materializing in front of her.
31
300 BC
Temple of Pruflas, Persepolis Persia
The setting changed again, she found herself standing in a masonry antechamber. As she took in the scene, she could hear the distant sounds of conflict, men in hand to hand combat. The space was very old, not only was it from a past era, but she deduced used as an ancient temple or sanctuary. The walls covered in the stone carvings in the ancient style of Babylon or Persia, difficult to make out in the oil lamp light.
A mysterious dark figure flickered between the ball of energy and a shadow, the only constant was the circle of glyphs surrounding the being. The creature lived in a shallow pool at the end of the hall across from the entrance. This reminded Rose of past out-of-body experiences, similar to when Angelica had transported her into her past recollections. This was different, she wasn’t experiencing a past event through the eyes of another, instead she was an outside observer watching events that happened thousands of years ago.
“Brother, you surprise me with a visit,” uttered the glowing ball.
“I wished to speak with you about our situation and some changes I would like to make.” stated a bald priest in a toga standing at the entrance to the antechamber.
“You did not have to sack Persepolis to get my attention,” stated Pruflas.
“I have been playing your game. I am now the Oraclist of Macedonia, Alexander’s trusted councilor. He is determined to vanquish your man Darius and as reward for my sage council he gifted me Persepolis. Your temple city was mine the moment Alexander's Greek League swept the field and Darius was on the run again. You have no army to defend this city and your play-things opened the gates and subjugated themselves to Alexander hoping the city would be spared a siege and ultimately, destruction,” chided the man as he walked closer to the pool where the energy ball floated.
“I am keeping myself amused, why would I want to change anything?” voiced Pruflas.
"It’s just that amusement that concerns me. They expect us to be pleased meddling here to keep us from truly understanding our condition here. You and I are the closest in age, thinking and physical proximity. I have watched you recreate with your toys and create amazing civilizations in your sandbox only to pit them against each other or torture them with strife and discord. Those are the signs of boredom, so let us plan a greater plan. The plan of our break out and return," said the bald man in ornate robes.
“I have let go of that existence, it was thousands of years ago, in this realm we are gods with millions to serve us.”
“That bores me,” sounded the Oraclist.
“You have always been quick to lose attention and run to the next shiny thing,” complained Pruflas.
“That is where you are wrong. I never have lost sight of how we were treated and I never accepted this punishment. Since our banishment I have been devising a return and I would like you to help,” asked the man.
“What of the others?” replied Pruflas.
“I have yet to visit them. We are neighbors, Pruflas. I thought it best to start the discussion with you.”
“I am not interested and I will tell the others the same, Caiaphas,”
“As the Oracle of the Great Alexander of Macedonia, I have to expect such an answer and have a response, otherwise my liege would not respect my ability to see the future,” voiced Caiaphas.
Ten men walked into the entrance of the chamber, they carried a palanquin with a large stele laying on it.
“Priests, stop,” ordered the Priest.
Each of the priests supported the palanquin, resting on one shoulder holding the platform tightly with the other hand. The group stopped just behind the man called Caiaphas. All the carriers were dressed in similar robes with one noticeable difference, all were blind, having their eyes cauterized leaving horrific scars. Upon stopping, one priest spoke alerting the group to set down the stretcher. It bore the Emerald Tablet.
The ten canted, the ritual had begun.
Caiaphas looked over the stele that laid on the palanquin on the floor. The stone glowed a hue of green, the priests were in full tumult. "Sleep well Brother, in your prison inside a prison," He then shoved the stele with inhuman strength into the resting pool of Prufalas.
Caiaphas exited the temple without even a look back, leaving the formation of priests to continue the ritual.
Rose witnessed visions of Azul Hassan and Preston reciting in the midst of the priests. This latest apparition of Pruflas shifted as the ten blind priests chanted. Prufalas flickering energy form changed. She could see his full manifestation on earth, the one so horrifying that mortal men would be driven insane in horror. The entire pool was a mix of putrefied flesh and rot, not seen or smelt but felt in your mind. While she imagined that she could make out some form or substance in the maelstrom of transfiguration it changed too fast to be sure. Part of it may resemble the skin and tentacles of a giant octopus, then the carcass of an animal rotting, but suddenly forming into tendons and muscle that would slither into the pool to form a face or a swarm of bugs. It was everything and nothing.
As the tablet plunged into the pool, it began a terrific boiling. Squeals and screams were audible, the hypnotic and ever-changing ghoulish menagerie appeared to be trying to get away but instead was being drawn and absorbed by the stone, like water into a dry sponge. As Rose watched the Emerald Tablet absorb Pruflas, the tablet transformed into the journal of Azul Hassan and when she looked up to the priests, all were gone but Azul and Preston. She closed her eyes and mouthed the words she heard in her mind along with them.
32
Tuesday the 12th of June 1860
4:04 p.m.The Crucible Chamber
Her recitation of the enchantment brought her back to the fog- filled Crucible chamber. Strangely, although not making sense to her, she knew the words to vocalize next in synchrony with the other two.
She continued chanting as she moved to where Preston stood and took his hand. He returned her grasp with a tight squeeze back. Physically it was just Preston and her but she could hear Azul’s voice supporting theirs.
She saw the journal of Azul on the ground and und
erstood what Preston and Azul were up to but the process was not working completely. Then she remembered what she saw a moment ago in the ancient city and gave the book a solid kick so that it flew within the perimeter of the glyph circle. The second the book crossed into the energy form it sparked and roiled, flickering from the unsubstantial energy form to a filthy, amorphous fleshy ooze. This form was smaller than what she observed in the vision from the ancient Persian city of Persepolis.
The book, just like the stone, caused the entity agonizing pain. It writhed and tried to pull away but it could not leave the circle. The book acted somewhat like a magnet, pulling the blistering and changing form into the tome as it kicked and jumped about. The incantation was completed and the creature entombed in the book.
Preston collapsed falling to the ground, alive but comatose. Removing her overcoat, she wrapped the journal in her jacket but then didn’t know what to do next. She couldn’t carry Preston and the book, then wondered if his state was caused by the ritual they had completed or his air supply.
She set the book down and grabbed Preston around the chest. Walking backwards she climbed the stairs dragging his body up to the control room doing her best to support his upper body with his air tank pressing into her. Once out of the chamber she removed his mask to assure he was still breathing. It was shallow, but he was taking in air.
As Rose dragged him out of the crucible building Lorelei came running over to Preston’s prone body. “Is he all right? Get a Physician,” she cried.
Rose propped Preston’s head up on her knees “He is alive but he is out cold. I don’t know what happened to him but we banished Pruflas,” exclaimed Rose.
33
Wednesday the 13th of June 1860
3:00 p.m. St John’s Hospital Königsberg, Prussia
High Elector Kiefer paced outside the locked room of Dr. Maxwell. He looked in through a small view port to see James Maxwell lying motionless on the bed, eyes open staring at the ceiling, his face void of any expression.
He stopped watching and turned to Dr. Haas and Baron Traube. “Doctor, The Baron says you are the best in the country regarding the sickness of the brain. We feel a debt to Maxwell in there and need to pull his genius back from the abyss.”
“I would like to consult with one of my past students in Basel regarding electrotherapy innovations he is experimenting with, to see if we can change the state of Doctor Maxwell's mind,” stated Haas.
“He has been in this condition since he was brought in, not a peep or a movement?” asked Traube.
“Yes, we call it active catatonia. He responds to light, and when on his feet he can balance and will walk when led but, won’t speak or eat and seems immune to pain,” explained Dr. Haas.
High Elector Kiefer took another look through the portal. “We can’t leave him lost. Fetch your student and anyone else you can think of to give us an opinion and a solution to his dementia.”
“Klaus, I will go upstairs and see how Gilchrist is doing. My daughter has taken up permanent residence next to him until he wakes,” said Baron Traube as he walked away.
* * *
3:16 p.m. St John’s Hospital Königsberg, Prussia
Rose was reading when Preston awoke in the hospital. Lorelei had stayed with him, never leaving his bedside helping the doctors assess if gas poisoning had caused his collapse.
“Rose where is the book?” Were the first words Preston spoke as he woke.
“I have it here do you want it?” She knew how he acted without his security blanket and had it there for him if he needed the book.
"No, dear Sister you must secure it now, it is the prison of Pruflas," The statement was the accented voice of Azul.
“Are you OK?” asked Lorelei.
“We are as best as can be expected,” this answer was in Preston’s voice.
Preston dove out of the bed and grabbed Rose. Clutching her shirt his eyes were mad and again he spoke as Azul “The book must be secured don’t trust those fools in the brotherhood, you, you must secure the book hide from the world, tell none not even me.”
“Preston, relax I will deal with the relic. Is he in the book’s labyrinth now with Azul?” asked Rose.
Preston’s eyes watered. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I had no choice. The stone was gone. Azul offered to use the book to entomb Pruflas. I could not consign Azul to an eternity with that monster so he is free of the prison and lives within me. Can the Doctor bring me some laudanum for the sake of both of us I need to stop the racing and clashing of our minds together?” Preston answered rubbing his temples.
Lorelei left to get a doctor.
“Preston, when we were down there did you see the chamber change did you travel with me to Persia in the time of Alexander the Great's campaign against the Persians?”
“No. We were in the crucible for just a short time once you said the stone was destroyed I knew our only option was to use the book’s prison. We began the incantation, you joined in after a few stanzas,” said Azul.
I saw Pruflas in true state. I saw the original entombment. It wasn’t the Hermetic Brotherhood, or if it was, they were under the influence of another of the outcast, one called Caiaphas. He said he was going to collude with the other outcasts to break out from this universe or eliminate them. It was another outcast that entombed Pruflas and this one can take the form of a man.
Preston lay back closing his eyes and let Azul speak “Then this outcast you saw strides the Earth as I speak”
* * *
3:16 p.m. Winter Palace St. Petersburg, Russia
Today was an informal day at the court of Czar Alexander II, his entourage waited outside the audience chamber at the back of the Winter Palace. The antechamber, also the waiting room was crowded with the Czar’s ministers and attendees, some with state business, others having favors to ask, many just to be seen at court.
The Doctor sat quietly observing the throng; he listened in on the words and thoughts that made up the web of influence around the Czar. So many conflicting agendas and plans for the Empire that required one man’s decision.
“Excuse me, may I sit here?” asked a young man.
“Please do,” answered the Doctor.
“Do you mind stating what business you have with the court?”
“I do mind,” answered the Doctor.
"My apologies I was just trying to make your acquaintance. I have seen you here before and I thought..." Stuttered the young man shocked by the man’s abrupt nature.
"You are Alexei Strolman, a member of the Czar’s secret committee for the emancipation of the serfs. You are an engineer by training and an expert in the design of mines. You thought you might get my opinion on the plight of the serfs. I don’t have an opinion. There isn’t much you can tell me Mr. Strolman, that I don’t know about your committee or that his Majesty, Alexander has not shared with me already," replied the Doctor.
The Doctor stood up just before the huge double doors opened to the audience chamber.
The footman called out, “His Majesty will now see Doctor Kiaafa.”
He strode into the audience room suggesting to all they need not pay any attention to him. He walked up to the dais where Czar Alexander II sat. The Doctor bowed.
“Doctor, when I heard you were present at court I wanted to see you immediately. How can the court be of service?” asked the Czar.
“I have a meeting in town that has been on my calendar for some time and thought I should like to pay my respects, your Majesty. Do you mind if I stay for the open court sessions today?”
“My loyal Doctor, your presence and advice is always appreciated,” said Czar Alexander.
“If it pleases your Majesty, I will just take a seat in the back and keep my ear out for any import,” suggested the Doctor.
“An excellent idea, what have you to offer from your travels west?”
“Keep your eyes open to the Ottomans and the French, your Majesty,” Kiaafa had nothing to share he just made up
the cryptic statement. Then retired to the outskirts of the hall as the others pleaded their cases.
The Doctor listened intently as Mr. Strolman outlined the progress of the committee exploring the emancipation of the serfs in Russia. Liberal aristocrats supported the academics but wanted compensation for losing land and labor.
The hardline nobles grumbled and spoke of the foundation of the empire crumbling if the serfs received their freedom. This was a sensitive business, even now in the United States there was open talk of States seceding over slave labor. Russia continued to be weak from a failed war in the Crimea. It would become necessary to give up its feudal agrarian ways to catch up with the industrialists. He was amused by the irony of these men arguing the fates of other men.
The Doctor moved up towards the dais when Mr. Petrovitch, of Petrovitch Watch Works presented Czar Alexander II with a fantastic celestial table clock.
“Your Majesty, I have directed the finest jewelers and clock makers to construct for you the most accurate timepiece known to man. Its complex working not only gives you the time to the second, it shows you the day, month, year, phase of the moon and position of the earth within the heavens. You will not find a complication of this level anywhere in the world.
This design came to me, your Majesty, in a dream after a day of fasting. In that dream, I saw you admiring this clock while signing a great document bringing peace to all the land,” pitched Mr. Petrovitch.
