The Slayer of Souls

by Robert W. Chambers

  CHAPTER XII

  HIS EXCELLENCY

  His Excellency President Tintinto, Chief Executive of one of the newerand cruder republics, visiting New York incognito with his Secretariesof War and of the Navy, had sent for John Recklow. And now the receptionwas in full operation.

  Recklow was explaining. "In the beginning," he said, "the Bolsheviks'aim was to destroy everything and everybody except themselves, and thento reorganise for their own benefit what was left of a wrecked world.That was their programme----"

  "Quite a programme," interrupted the Secretary of War, with somethingthat almost resembled a giggle. But his prominent eyes continued tostare at Recklow untouched by the mirth which stretched his large, sillymouth.

  The face of the Secretary of the Navy resembled the countenance of abenevolent manatee. The visage of the President was a study in tintedchalks.

  Recklow said: "To combat that sort of Bolshevism was a business that weof the United States Secret Service understood--or supposed weunderstood.

  "Then, suddenly, out of unknown Mongolia and into the civilised worldstepped eight men."

  "Yezidees," said the President mechanically. "Your Government has sentme a very full report."

  "Yezidees of the Sect of the Assassins," continued Recklow; "--the mostancient sect in the world surviving from ancient times--the Sorcerers ofAsia. And, as it was in ancient times, so it is now: the Yezidees aredevil worshipers; their god is Satan; _his_ prophet is Erlik, Prince ofDarkness; _his_ regent on earth is the old man of Mount Alamout; and tothis ancient and sinister title a Yezidee sorcerer called Prince Sanang,or Sanang Noiane, has succeeded.

  "His murderous deputies were the Eight Khans of the Eight Towers. Fourof these assassins are dead--Gutchlug, Yarghouz, Djamouk the Fox, andYaddin-ed-Din. One is in prison charged with murder,--Albert Feke.

  "Four of the sorcerers remain alive: Tiyang Khan, Togrul, Arrak,Sou-Sou, called The Squirrel, and the Old Man of the Mountain himself,Sai-Sanang, Prince of the Yezidees."

  Recklow paused; the pop-eyes of the War Secretary were upon him; thebenevolent manatee gazed mildly at him; the countenance of the Presidentseemed more like a Rocky Mountain goat than ever--chiselled out of ablock of tinted chalk.

  Recklow said: "To the menace of Bolshevism, which endangers thisRepublic and yours, has been added a more terrible threat--the threat ofpowerful and evil minds made formidable by psychic knowledge.

  "For these Yezidee Sorcerers are determined to conquer, seize, andsubdue the minds of mankind. They are here for that frightful purpose.Powerfully, terrifically equipped to surprise and capture the unarmedminds of our people, enslave their very thoughts and use them to theirown purposes, these Sorcerers of the Yezidees assumed control of theBolsheviki, who were merely envious and ferocious bandits, but whosecrippled minds are now utterly enslaved by these Assassins from Asia.

  "And this is what the United States Secret Service has to combat. Andits weapons are not warrants, not pistols. For in this awful battlebetween decency and evil, it is mind against mind in an occult deathgrapple. And our only weapon against these minds made powerful bypsychic knowledge and made terrible by an esoteric ability akin to whatis called black magic,--our only weapon is the mind of a young girl."

  "I understand," said the President, "that she became an adept in occultpractices while imprisoned in the Yezidee Temple of Erlik at Yian."

  Recklow looked into the President's face, which had grown very pale.

  "Yes, sir," he said. "God alone knows what this child learned in theYezidee Temple. All I know is that with this knowledge she has met theYezidees in a battle of minds, has halted them, confounded them, foughtthem with their own occult knowledge, and has slain four of them."

  The intense silence was broken by the frivolous titter of the Secretaryof War:

  "Of course I don't believe any of this supernatural stuff," he said withthe split grin which did not modify his protruding stare. "This girl ismerely a clever detective, that is the gist of the matter. And I don'tbelieve anything else."

  "Perhaps, sir, you will believe this, then," said John Recklow quietly."I cut it from the _Times_ this morning." And he handed the clipping tothe Secretary of War.

  NEW PLOT IN EAST

  Moslem and Hindu Conspirators Have Formed Secret Organisation

  Have World Revolution in View

  Think to Rouse Asia, America, and Africa to Outbreaks by Their Propaganda.

  * * * * *

  Copyright, 1919, by _The New York Times_ Company. Special Cable to _The New York Times_.

  July 1.--A significant event has recently taken place. Under the name of the Oriental League has recently been established a central organisation uniting all the various secret societies of Moslem and Hindu nationalists. The aim of the new association is to prepare for joint revolutionary action in Asia, America, and Africa.

  The effects of this vast conspiracy may already be traced in recent events in Egypt, India, and Afghanistan. For the first time, through the creation of this league, the racial and religious differences which have divided Eastern conspirators have been overcome. The Ottoman League, founded by Mahmud Muktar Pasha, Munir Pasha, and Ahmed Rechid Bey, has adhered to the new organisation. So have the extreme Egyptian nationalists and the Hindu revolutionary group, "Pro India," emissaries of which were recently sentenced for bringing bombs into Switzerland during the war at the instigation of the German General Staff.

  At a "Constituent Assembly" of the league, which took place in Yian, there were present, besides Young Turks, Egyptians and Hindus, delegates representing Persia, Afghanistan, Algeria, Morocco, and Mongolia.

  The league is of Mongolian origin. Its leading spirit is a certain Prince Sanang, of whom little is known.

  Associated with this mischievous and rather mysterious Mongolian personage are three better known criminals, now fugitives from justice--Talaat, Enver, and Djemal. It is to Enver Pasha's talent for intrigue that the union between Moslems and Hindus, the most striking and dangerous feature of the movement, is chiefly due.

  Considerable funds are at the disposal of the league. These are partly supplied from Germany. Besides enjoying the support of the Germans, the league is also in close touch with Lenine, who very soon after his advent to power organised an Oriental Department in Moscow.

  The alliance between the league and the Russian Bolsheviki was brought about by the notorious German Socialist agent, "Parvus," who is now in Switzerland. Many weeks ago he conferred with the Soviet rulers in Moscow, whence he went to Afghanistan, hoping to reorganise the new Amir's army and establish lines of communication for propaganda in India.

  Evidence exists that the recent insurrection in Egypt, the sudden attack of the Afghans, and the rising in India, remarkable for co-operation between Moslems and Hindus, were connected with the activities of the league.

  The Secretary looked up after he finished the reading.

  "I don't see anything about Black Magic in this?" he remarkedflippantly.

  Recklow's features became very grave.

  "I think," he said, "that everybody--myself included--and, with allrespect, even yourself, sir,--and your honourable colleague,--andperhaps even his Excellency your President,--should be on perpetualguard over their minds, and the thoughts that range there, lest,surreptitiously, stealthily, some taint of Yezidee infection lodge thereand take root--and spread--perhaps--throughout your new Republic."

  The Secretary of War grinned. "They say I'm something of a socialistalready," he chuckled. "Do you think your magic Yezidees areresponsible?"

  The President, troubled and pallid, gazed steadily at Recklow.

  "Mine is a single-track mind," he remarked as though to himself.

  Recklow said nothing. It is one kind of min
d, after all. However,single-track roads are now obsolete.

  "A single-track mind," repeated the President. "And--I should not likeanything to happen to the switch. It would mean ditching--or a rustysiding at best.... Please do all that is possible to get those fourYezidees, Mr. Recklow."

  Recklow said calmly: "Our only hope is in this young girl, Tressa Norne,who is now Mrs. Cleves."

  "My conscience!" piped the Secretary of the Navy. "What would happen tous if these Yezidees should murder her?"

  "God knows," replied John Recklow, unsmiling.

  "Why not put her aboard our new dreadnought?" suggested the Secretary,"and keep her cruising until you United States Secret Service fellowsget the rest of these infernal Yezidees and clap 'em into jail?"

  "We can do nothing without her," said Recklow sombrely.

  There was a painful silence. The President joined his finger tips andstared palely into space.

  "May I not say," he suggested, "that I think it a vital necessity thatthese Yezidees be caught and destroyed before they do any damage to theminds of myself and my cabinet?"

  "God grant it, sir," said Recklow grimly.

  "Mine," murmured the President, "is a single-track mind. I should bevery much annoyed if anybody tampered with the rails--very much annoyedindeed, Mr. Recklow."

  "They mustn't murder that girl," said the Secretary of the Navy. "Do youneed any Marines, Mr. Recklow? Why not ask your Government for a few?"

  Recklow rose: "Mr. President," he said, "I shall not deny that myGovernment is very deeply disturbed by this situation. In the beginning,these eight Assassins, and Sanang, came here for the purpose ofattacking, overpowering, and enslaving the minds of the people of theUnited States and of the South American Republics.

  "But now, after four of their infamous colleagues have been destroyed,the ferocious survivors, thoroughly alarmed, have turned their everyenergy toward accomplishing the death of Mrs. Cleves! Why, sir, scarcelya day passes but that some attempt upon her life is made by theseYezidees.

  "Scarcely a day passes that this young girl is not suddenly summoned todefend her mind as well as her body against the occult attacks of theseMongol Sorcerers. Yes, sir, Sorcerers!" repeated Recklow, his calm voicedeep with controlled passion, "--whatever your honourable Secretary ofWar may think about it!"

  His cold, grey eyes measured the President as he stood there.

  "Mr. President, I am at my wits' end to protect her from assassination!Her husband is always with her--Victor Cleves, sir, of our SecretService. But wherever he takes her these devils follow and send theiremissaries to watch her, to follow, to attempt her mental destruction orher physical death.

  "There is no end to their stealthy cunning, to their devilish devices,to their hellish ingenuity!

  "And all we can do is to guard her person from the approach ofstrangers, and stand ready, physically, to aid her.

  "She is our only barrier--_your_ only defence--between civilisation andhorrors worse than Bolshevism.

  "I believe, Mr. President, that civilisation in North and SouthAmerica--in your own Republic as well as in ours--depends, literally,upon the safety of Tressa Cleves. For, if the Yezidees kill her, then Ido not see what is to save civilisation from utter disintegration andtotal destruction."

  There was a silence. Recklow was not certain that the President had beenlistening.

  His Excellency sat with finger tips joined, gazing pallidly into space;and Recklow heard him murmuring under his breath and all to himself, asthough to fix the deathless thought forever in his brain:

  "May I not say that mine is a single-track mind? May I not say it? May Inot,--may I not,--not, not, not----"