by Nick Baker
It is no surprise that many conundrums persist from the ancient alchemical age when considering the secrecy surrounding the alchemical cults and their cryptic texts rumoured to exist, yet having failed to materialise, in the modern era. Whether this knowledge is lost or merely hidden is unknown with alchemical texts accessible to us today open to misinterpretation, sparking rumours about lost or forgotten secrets of a bygone age. Whether the Brotherhood’s great secret or any other alchemical mysteries of the past will ever see the light of day again is unclear. What is also uncertain is how these ancient secrets tie in with modern alchemy.
The number of contemporary alchemists has dwindled in recent years despite the assurance of those still practising the art that it thrives and grows in our midst. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. Despite the great alchemical traditions and discoveries of the past, it is modern scientific technology that has superseded the older, established arts. The few alchemists who still retain the respect of the scientific community argue that their remarkable skills make them capable of unique feats never to be replicated by modern science despite the unnecessary burden of the time it takes to learn these skills in our technologically-driven era. The apprentice acquiring the master’s skill has been replaced by teaching methods in modern sciences that are accessible to all and considerably less labour intensive than the archaic mode of learning that is integral to alchemy. One only has to approach the last bastion of alchemical learning, the Academy of Arcane and Alchemical Arts, to appreciate the decline in its former supremacy. A once great institution and centre of learning, the building is now a neglected and crumbling edifice, home to a handful of misguided students still willing to spend many years of their lives in pursuit of obsolete knowledge.
The task of revitalising interest in alchemy and other esoteric arts is the responsibility of Abel Strange, Chief Mentor of the Academy. Strange is reputedly one of the leading thinkers of our age, a man of prodigious talent and knowledge, but also sadly lacking in charisma. It is no coincidence that the Academy’s stock has fallen to its lowest ebb under his tutelage, and it is evident that the knowledge and learning taught there is not what it once was in the long and renowned history of the institution. Sadly, rumours of obscure occult practice and eldritch lore being taught to students have done much to damage the once great reputation of the Academy. The added burden of a failure to move with the times has resulted in an institution that is beset by dwindling numbers and crippled by financial crisis.
Strange’s stance has always been consistent as exemplified by his oft-quoted, yet predictable response, ‘Ability in the practical aspects of alchemy is an innate gift and not something easily taught or acquired. It is my duty to protect the Academy’s time-honoured standards’.
For this reason, Strange has always insisted that the Academy maintains strict admission criteria, yet in the current economic and political climate, this strategy must be considered foolhardy in a world where only the strongest survive. It is reasonable to assume that, if current trends continue, the once thriving Academy of Arcane and Alchemical Arts is on a headfirst collision with financial ruin and disaster.
Were circumstances always thus? The answer is, of course, no. It is only seven years since the untimely death of one of the most talented pupils to emerge from the Academy, the much-loved and irreplaceable Pearly Black.
Black was renowned, not only as a prodigious talent in alchemical circles, but also as a creator of educational opportunities through his charitable work in sponsoring less fortunate members of society. Black was the founder of the Order of Eternal Enlightenment, a secret society that began as an inner circle of his closest confederates along the lines of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a group he had briefly flirted with before the advent of his own cabal.
Membership of the Order was cloaked in secrecy, but there is strong evidence that Black surrounded himself with his most trusted allies from the time he spent at the Academy. The objectives of the Order were obscure, although the practical, rather than spiritual, aspects of alchemy were amongst its central tenets based on Black’s predilection for this area of lore. The Order was responsible for the promotion of alchemy as a respected science at a time when its credibility was already starting to wane. Additionally, charitable work undertaken by the Order in deprived areas of the community has been well publicised in the past and was integral to the overwhelming support foisted on Black that propelled him, reluctantly at first, into the public eye. Although Black’s original aim was to keep the Order’s activities hidden, once the press learnt of the charitable nature of its work, Black was swamped in a deluge of media attention.
Black’s natural charm and accessibility made him a perfect target for the media, and it was not long before he achieved great fame and public adoration for his work. Black’s opinion was consistently sought on scientific and current affairs, much to the chagrin of leading political figures of the time. He also began to socialise in the most exclusive places, rubbing shoulders with celebrities and prominent figures alike.
Unfortunately, not everyone shared in the adoration of Black. Not long after news of the Order surfaced, a figure arose determined to oppose Black’s popularity. Rather surprisingly, it was a fellow scholar from Black’s days at the Academy, Professor Henry Price, who emerged as his greatest critic.
Price was a solitary voice who utilised every opportunity to express hostility and antagonism towards the Order. It was undoubtedly a great disappointment to Black that a former friend and colleague from the Academy should see fit to oppose him on, what was, distinctly nebulous grounds. Nonetheless, Price became obsessed with the downfall of his rival based on the Order being an elitist and secretive organisation hiding behind its charitable contributions as a smokescreen to its true purposes. Ironic, you may consider, bearing in mind the nature of the, soon to be established, Council. There was little support for Price’s notion in the public domain, but he somehow managed to garner backing for his objectives from those who saw Black as a threat to their own political aspirations.
It was at around this time that the Council first appeared, tacitly as an advisory body to the Government on matters pertaining to national security, yet as so eruditely raised by Dionysus Bing in an editorial of this veritable publication, who could argue with the notion that the Council’s advice was already available to the highest offices of government from other, well-established and more reliable, sources?
It was clear from the outset that the Council’s objectives were to control, halt and ultimately discredit the Order because of its perceived threat to the political stability of the time. Is it any coincidence that, following Black’s demise, the Council became an impotent and functionless body with few notable achievements to its name?
If one is to scrutinise Price’s real motives for his opposition to Black, then perhaps an entirely different picture begins to emerge. During their time together at the Academy, Price and Black were rivals in almost every aspect of their lives. By far and away the most talented students of their generation, they excelled in their chosen fields of study, and it was not long before their prodigious abilities easily outweighed the academics supposedly there to teach them. Not surprisingly, tensions arose as the men vied for supremacy in what became a very personal battle of wills. At the time, this was considered to be healthy sparring between two intellectual heavyweights attempting to outdo each other in the furtherance of their careers, but, eventually, this personal rivalry spilled over into a bitter contest with ultimately fatal consequences.
Matters only became worse with the arrival of Saskia Schalk as a novice at the Academy at a time when Black and Price were already well established there. Schalk inadvertently became the catalyst that exacerbated the burgeoning feud between the men. Dark, beautiful, mysterious and intelligent, Schalk captivated all of those whose good fortune it was to meet her. In the close confines of the Academy where apprentices spent their time learning and socialising together, it was
inevitable that Black and Price would be mesmerised by Schalk’s charm.
Not surprisingly, Schalk was flattered by the attention the men showered upon her, although she claimed that she desperately avoided embroiling herself in the squabbles that inevitably intensified with her appearance. Schalk was drawn to Black’s effusive and charismatic nature, and they began to spend more and more time in one another’s company. It was around this time that Schalk also discovered an area of mutual scientific interest with the withdrawn and brooding Price, culminating in long hours spent together in the laboratory.
When Black graduated, he left the Academy with Schalk in tow, inevitably escalating the tension that already existed between the men. Price, dour and aloof, returned to his solitary existence as an isolated and embittered man, his alchemical experimentation his only solace.
We now know that Black had already established the secretive Order towards the end of his time at the Academy. Little was known of the recruits or the nature of the Order’s activities, and perhaps it would have remained that way but for a young and enthusiastic investigative journalist working on behalf of this illustrious institution.
Clandestine organisations always make for good press, and with the whiff of a scoop, Dionysus Bing used his common sense and foresight to send an up and coming reporter on an undercover assignment tasked with infiltrating one of the secret societies mentioned earlier, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. With the aim of exposing the true nature and ideals of the organisation, the name of a former member emerged, and with it, the rumoured existence of an even more exclusive secret society.
Due to a combination of smart covert work and good fortune, the name of a small private bank with associations to the newly-formed Order of Eternal Enlightenment was discovered, and a young and inexperienced clerk subsequently compromised, resulting in the exposure of the Order, and with it, the charitable nature of its work. Articles published, first in the Star, and subsequently in the Comet, led to Pearly Black’s meteoric rise to fame, setting him firmly on a collision course with his erstwhile adversary, Henry Price.
It is easy to understand the circumstances that precipitated this feud, but Price’s antagonism rose to yet unheralded heights when Black, his fame at its zenith, jettisoned Schalk as his constant companion only to replace her with yet another alluring beauty, Aurelia Nightshade. Schalk instantly fell off the radar, reappearing some time later at the side of the self-appointed leader of the Council, Henry Price. It was almost inevitable that this train of events, set in motion some years earlier, would culminate in a catastrophic showdown that resulted in the tragic deaths of both Saskia Schalk and Pearly Black.
The consequences of that night where events unfolded in an obscure refrigeration plant in a run-down area of the city have had numerous ramifications ever since, some foreseen, others less so. There is no doubt, however, that this event coincided with the starting point of a steady decline in the science of alchemy. It is still unclear where all of this will end, but it is hard to argue against those who believe that the events of that night were the precursor to the death of alchemy. With Pearly Black gone and the Academy of Arcane and Alchemical Arts on an ever-downward spiral, who could argue with this almost inevitable truth?
Bing relaxed; the coffee had finally calmed the frayed nerves that had been troubling him all day. He also sensed a feeling of accomplishment at having persevered with the article penned by Zoë Tsing. Reading it had caused many memories to come flooding back as the events leading to the fateful showdown between Pearly Black and Henry Price were laid bare. His recollection of the circumstances surrounding Black’s death remained hazy, yet it was most enlightening to re-evaluate what he could remember of the history between these two greatest of rivals.
A smile had gradually appeared on Bing’s face as he read, and had grown considerably larger with the realisation of the power he wielded as head of the country’s foremost media conglomerate. The article was a case in point; no matter who had written it, he detected the unmistakable influence of his father hidden behind the words. Dionysus had shown unflinching support for the Order and had done much to propel Black to the fame he had desperately tried to avoid. His father had turned a blind eye to some of the less palatable, and lesser-known, truths associated with the Order, and in particular, its insalubrious association with the criminal underworld. The reality was that Black had acquired his wealth without any discernible, and legal, source of income. During Dionysus’ editorial reign, these facts were consistently overlooked in articles about Black and his cronies, and it was hard to dispute the ineluctable fact that his father was, in short, partly responsible for Black’s rise to power.
The article, however, also posed a conundrum. There was no doubt it had been written during his own tenure as editor, but it troubled him greatly that he could neither recollect ever having read it before nor the journalist who had written it.
While Bing still held Price responsible for the events surrounding his father’s death, the article was undeniably a misrepresentation of the facts. Nonetheless, he was glad to have read it because it had given him a better idea of what to do next. The key to the problem was undeniably Saskia Schalk, for here was the answer to the rivalry that existed between Price and Black. If only he could find out more.
There were also other less pressing issues he wished to see answered. Firstly, who was the girl Zoe Tsing? And was she the journalist responsible for the coup of lifting the lid on the Order? Unanswered questions for sure, but Bing smiled smugly to himself; if anyone was capable of finding the answers, it was undoubtedly him.
12
THE STONE OF MADNESS
The Spindlewick Street Siege
HENRY PRICE WAS IN a contemplative mood as he sat behind the large, cluttered desk awaiting Lily’s arrival. He had slept poorly as a result of the disturbing meeting with Natacha the previous day, and the state of turmoil troubling his thoughts mirrored the haphazard overburdening of his desk. His mind kept regurgitating the conversation with Natacha with the consequence that switching off from it was nigh on impossible. She had concluded that the Esoteric Brotherhood was involved in a surgical process conducted around the time of death, although whether this was related to the Brotherhood’s well-protected secret he could only speculate. Nonetheless, it had caused a memory to surface that he would rather have left buried.
Price’s gaze subconsciously drifted towards the Historoscope lying amidst the chaos of the desk. He briefly toyed with picking it up, but the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs interrupted his deliberation. Lily appeared at the door and peered inquisitively at him through bright, blue eyes. A smile briefly flickered at the corners of her mouth suggesting she was pleased to see him, but just as quickly faded.
‘Where’ve you been? I’ve not seen you in ages,’ Lily said defiantly.
Price smiled in a vain attempt to appease the will of this young girl who continually challenged him. He was well aware that, due to his obsession with recent events, he had not given her the time she deserved.
He regarded her sheepishly. ‘Please, come in and sit down. Let me explain,’ he said, getting up to greet her. He ushered her towards a chair next to his own with a gently placed hand on her shoulder.
The frosty expression on Lily’s face remained, but she did not shy away from his touch. Once seated, she sat impassively waiting for him to speak.
‘Lily, look, I’m sorry. I know I’ve been neglecting you. It’s just that I’ve been preoccupied with the break-in,’ he said while watching her carefully for any sign of a reaction, but her expression remained unflinching. He hesitated, finding it difficult to gauge her mood, and unsure how best to proceed. After a brief hiatus, he came to a decision. ‘I’ve got to go to Amsterdam tomorrow after the Council meeting. I’ll be back in a few days. I promise I’ll make it up to you then.’
‘You can make it up to me now if you like,’ she said, flashing him a mischievous grin.
‘How?’
&nb
sp; ‘Take me to Amsterdam with you!’ she said excitedly.
Price did not reply, causing Lily’s enthusiasm to melt away. She glared at him with an expression he had seen on Saskia’s face many times before. It saddened him to disappoint her like this, but he had faced a similar scenario once before and he would not make the same mistake again.
‘I’m sorry, Lily. It could be dangerous. I’m not prepared to expose you to that kind of risk.’
‘I don’t suppose there’s any point in arguing,’ Lily stated. ‘No, I thought not,’ she added in response to her father’s curt shake of his head. ‘Well, perhaps you could tell me what this is all about?’
‘Very well,’ Price said, allowing a thin smile to appear on his lips. ‘It’s the least I can do, after all.’
‘Go on.’
‘I’ve made some enquiries about the stolen book and it appears that my initial fears were justified. You remember our conversations about the Order of Eternal Enlightenment …’
‘I thought that was all over.’
‘So did I, but perhaps I was wrong. I have reason to believe that Pearly Black’s associates may be planning something. I don’t have any concrete evidence to back this up, but I know that Black was interested in Piotrowski’s book.’
‘Do you know who was responsible for the theft?’
‘It’s too early to speculate, although I have my suspicions. Perhaps I’ll know more after my trip.’
‘Why do you have to go to Amsterdam?’
‘A good question. Much to my surprise, I’ve recently learnt that a second copy of Piotrowski’s book resides in a library there. It appears that whoever holds both copies may also hold the key to a secret that was hidden many hundreds of years ago, suggesting that whoever stole the book may similarly covet the other one. Perhaps you now understand why the trip could be hazardous. You do, don’t you, Lily?’
