Chapter
II
The members of the
secret F.O.G.C. Lodge, greatly feared in occult circles, had gathered for
a general meeting in Dresden. The meeting hall was in a large villa,
hidden in the midst of a private park behind a tall hedge and large trees.
The Grand Master of the lodge had invited ninety-eight of the ninety-nine
members to attend. Long before the meeting commenced, the members had
taken their places at two long tables.
All
conversation in the hall became muted when the Grand Master entered
accompanied by his second-in-command, who also acted as Secretary. There
was a platform opposite the hall’s entrance where the Grand Master sat
down behind a desk. He rang a bell and at once there was complete silence.
He addressed the brethren of the lodge in an intense, penetrating voice:
“My dear
brothers, I hereby open today’s meeting, and I am pleased that you have
all accepted my invitation. As you know, according to the laws of the
lodge a general meeting such as this is only declared in very special
cases. You may have already noticed that Brother Silesius is not present.
Unfortunately, he has been found guilty of betraying lodge secrets and, as
Point Number One of the agenda, we will discuss his sentence. Point Number
Two concerns Frabato the Magician, who is becoming so well-known here in
Dresden.
“My dear
brothers, you all know that Brother Silesius has reached the twenty-fifth
degree of initiation in our lodge, and therefore must have been fully
aware of his offences. His excessive zeal seduced him to reveal to one of
his friends the rituals we use to invoke the elemental beings. According
to the laws of our lodge, the breaking of an oath and the disclosure of
secrets are punishable by death. However, the sentence will only become
final after a secret vote by all members present. Although the person in
question is my friend, I cannot excuse his behavior, and therefore I leave
him to your judgment.”
A nervous
tension swiftly overwhelmed the brotherhood; the members whispered
excitedly among themselves. Some displayed anger, others sat as if
paralyzed. The Secretary handed out envelopes with a blank piece of paper
to everyone present. A simple “yes” or “no” would determine the life or
death of their lodge brother. “Yes” would mean death by psychic assault,
“no” would mean freedom and life.
Many wrote
down their judgments quickly, others hesitated for a moment, and a few
were unable even to control their trembling hands as they wrote down their
verdicts. Despite the fact that Silesius had been well-liked by many of
them, a false sense of compassion would be misplaced, for the betrayal of
lodge secrets could be very dangerous for all concerned.
At last the
Secretary collected all the envelopes in a small wooden box, took out the
slips of paper, and divided them into two small piles according to the
answers given. The brethren watched silently.
The
Secretary counted the slips of paper very carefully and made a note of the
result. His normally rosy face grew pale as he verified the result once
again. He then submitted his note to the Grand Master, who stared at the
numbers, his face reflecting shock — a good friend had just been sentenced
to death. He rose, quite disturbed.
“My dear
brothers,” he said in a trembling voice, “unfortunately the voting has
gone against Silesius, who has been irrevocably sentenced to death by a
margin of fifty-one to forty-seven. According to our laws, this sentence
must be executed within a month, but since, by using his occult faculties,
Brother Silesius will learn what is in store for him and will probably try
to evade death, we shall execute the sentence within twenty-four hours.
The friend to whom he betrayed the secrets of the lodge will suffer the
same fate. I ask the twenty-one brethren who are masters in telepathic
combat to remain here after the meeting and assist me in the psychic
attack.”
Although the
verdict had deeply shaken the Grand Master, he quickly regained his
composure and continued in a calmer voice.
“Since Point
Number One of the agenda has been settled, let us now deal with the case
of Frabato. Some of the brethren present attended his performances and
were able to convince themselves of his abilities at close range. It has
been proven that he works without the aid of conventional tricks. His
experiments succeeded beyond all expectation; yes, they were even better
than what many of our own brethren would be able to accomplish. Hermes,
one of our more versatile brothers, paid a visit to Frabato in order to
test him. He will now tell you of his experience.”
The
distinguished gentleman who had visited Frabato late at night now rose
from amongst the brethren.
“I chose the
best astrological hour for my visit to Frabato. I also took into account
the correspondences of the elements in order to place myself in a strong
initial position. Besides this, I hoped he would be exhausted after the
performance he had just given; that would have been to my advantage. I
explained the unusual time of my visit by telling him I had a journey to
make which could not be postponed. Upon hearing this, Frabato looked at me
sharply and then smiled faintly without uttering a word.
“I then
painted a very colorful picture of our lodge membership, pointed out its
many advantages, and promised him a large sum of money from our funds
should he decide to join. But Frabato completely ignored my proposals and
started to talk about his journeys, his performances and successes in many
cities and towns. He was able to arouse my curiosity so strongly that I
almost forgot the reason for my visit.
“In time I
interrupted him and tried to direct his attention to my offer. He rose and
pulled a suitcase out from under his bed saying, ‘Now let us have a look
at what the Akashic records have to say about your lodge.’
“As you
know, my dear brothers, I am well acquainted with occult methods and
practices; therefore I was determined to use all my powers to prevent
Frabato’s experiment. But as soon as the notion entered my mind, he said
to me, as if by chance, ‘Dear Mr. Hermes, my experiments depend purely
upon my will power and cannot be influenced or prevented by you. They will
succeed whether you actively oppose them or not.’
“I felt that
Frabato could see right through me, and surmised that I would have no
chance against him, so I watched his preparations intently. First he
cleaned his hands carefully, took a small bottle out of his suitcase, and
applied a few drops to his hands. No doubt it was prepared from the
essences of certain plants, for a pleasant fragrance permeated the room.
He then took a small lamp out of a little box and put it on the table.
Then, from a second box, he brought forth a glass ball about twenty
centimeters in diameter and placed it on a stand on the table. When I
asked him what purpose this glass ball served, Frabato laughed and
replied, ‘If there were any clairvoyants in your lodge, and if they really
possessed the knowledge which you attempt or pretend to have, then they
would know that this is a magic mirror. This sphere contains a liquid, the
particular composition of which requires not only patient work but
excellent magical abilities as well.’
“I realized
my knowledge was no match for Frabato’s, and therefore thought it better
to wait in silence. We were about a meter away from the sphere. Frabato
then lit the lamp and switched off the electric lights, asking that I
remain quiet under all circumstances. All the colors of the spectrum
emanated from the reflecting light of the sphere. The little flame
illuminated the sphere and the space around it, and also emitted a certain
fragrance. I thought at once that the fuel of the lamp must be impregnated
with a special essence, but I said nothing. However, Frabato read my mind
and said, ‘I can perceive your thoughts as clearly as if you were speaking
them aloud, so just tell me if you have a question. Is the quick reading
of thoughts not one of the exercises in your lodge?’
“I was
enraged; but I tried to control myself, for I felt that nothing remained
hidden from this man.
“‘I am going
to show you a film, and then you can judge for yourself whether it is
really advantageous to be a member of your lodge,’ he continued.
“I watched
each of his movements attentively, to be sure that he was not employing
any tricks. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and sat down beside me
in front of the sphere. Then he stretched both his hands towards the glass
ball, his fingers slightly splayed. A grayish‑white light escaped from the
tips of his fingers and was absorbed by the sphere which, a few moments
later, began to illuminate everything with a fluorescent ball of light the
color of a fiery opal. Frabato then brought the transmission of light to
an end and remarked that it would even be possible to photograph the
images in this magic ball. I was by that time in some suspense as he said:
“‘Next we
shall look behind the scenes of your esteemed Grand Master’s life. This
will offer you the opportunity to become acquainted with both the positive
and negative aspects of his character. I hope you will be able to
withstand what you see, and that you will not fall asleep.’
“Although my
nerves were taut with curiosity, the wonderful light of the sphere seemed,
in fact, to have already had a tiring effect on me. I had no wish to
appear foolish and, by gathering all my will power, I succeeded in staying
awake for the entire demonstration.
“The
opalescent light illuminated the entire room; however, it gradually began
to vaporize inside the sphere. There were multi-colored clouds floating
within, but they soon dissolved and were replaced by a violet hue. Then
the image of our Grand Master condensed, as in a panorama. The pictures
moved swiftly from his early childhood to the present day. Many of the
events I saw shocked me; a shiver ran down my spine. The most incredible
pictures were unveiled there, and I could not evade them for I was unable
to move.”
The color of
the Grand Master’s face changed a few times. When Hermes began to describe
some of the more startling events of the Grand Master’s life as revealed
to him in the magic mirror, the Grand Master discreetly gave him to
understand that this was not desirable. Hermes understood, and skillfully
moved on to more general topics.
“After I had
been given the opportunity to follow in this magical manner the destiny of
our Grand Master and that of our lodge up until the present, Frabato made
a circle over the sphere with his right hand and, with his right
forefinger, drew a figure which I did not recognize. The images
disappeared.
“Somewhat
relieved, I wanted to turn away from the sphere, when suddenly the shape
of our Secretary condensed inside of it. His life, too, rolled off like a
film in front of my eyes. Every crime of the lodge was revealed without
mercy. In this manner, Frabato continued to disclose to me the lives of
the seven eldest members of our lodge. When he wanted to show me my own
life, I felt so ill at ease and ashamed that he refrained. After he had
drawn another figure over the sphere and murmured a formula, the light
finally faded.
“Frabato
rose, switched on the electric light and extinguished the lamp. Silently,
he replaced the sphere and the lamp in their boxes and locked everything
away in the suitcase. When he had finished, he asked me with a scornful
air, ‘Now, sir, do you still wish to recommend something like that to me?’
“I was
completely confused by the magical power of the man, and hence incapable
of uttering a word. I grabbed my hat and coat and hurried to the door
without daring to make any comment. I did not even put my things on until
I reached the corridor, and then I left the hotel in haste. My belief in
the power of our lodge was strongly shaken, and I could find no rest that
night.”
The account
of this experience with Frabato made a great impression on everyone
present. No one dared to move; a dead quiet weighed upon them heavily. The
Grand Master rose hurriedly and broke the depressive silence with a sharp
voice.
“Dear
brother Hermes, in the name of our brotherhood I thank you for your
efforts during this difficult mission. I consider Frabato’s revelations of
the activities of our lodge, and of some of its highest and eldest
members, a great insult. I swear by the name of the Lord of Darkness that
we shall release all the furies of hell on Frabato, so that he will learn
what he is dealing with! I shall not allow our lodge to be insulted! He
shall be subjected to the fatal power of our vibrations until he perishes
most miserably! May he be damned in the name of Satan, in the name of
Ashtaroth, and in the name of Belial!”
The enraged
Grand Master shouted his terrible curse; it was the most severe
malediction he had ever been driven to utter in public. No victim could
escape such a curse, or evade the persecutions of the Order.
After
requesting that the twenty-one executioners of the lodge remain, he
thanked the assembly for their co-operation and closed the session by
ringing the bell. Some took their leave after giving the lodge’s secret
sign, then disappeared into the city traffic. Inconspicuous behavior was
one of the
strictest rules of the
lodge, and necessary in order not to arouse the attention of the general
public or the curious.
The Grand
Master took his seat again, a smile of contentment on his face. He felt
instinctively that this Frabato was a powerful opponent, but there was no
turning back after uttering his curse. This battle would have to be fought
to the end, even if it endangered his own life. Under no circumstances
could he allow his authority over the brethren to be lost or even
undermined.
The
remaining brethren discussed at length how Frabato could best be attacked.
Many different suggestions were made and recorded in shorthand by the
Secretary in order to be put to a vote at the next meeting.
The case of
Brother Silesius was to be settled in the traditional manner, and thus it
was not necessary to discuss the matter further. Upon a signal from the
Grand Master, the Secretary left the hall and went into a room situated at
the back of the house. This room, which had no windows and the doors of
which were equipped with special safety locks, contained oddly-shaped
cupboards in which various magical equipment was stored.
The black
magician opened an iron trunk and removed a medium-sized coffin. Contained
therein was the wax figure of a man. Then, from a safe in the wall, he
took a large brown bottle sealed with a glass stopper. He placed the
objects on a table in the middle of the room. With a pocket knife, he
loosened a little plate from the skull-pan of the wax figure, revealing a
small opening. A canal the width of a finger ran down the length of the
figure’s back.
The
Secretary then unsealed and opened the brown bottle and carefully poured
as much liquid into the opening of the figure as was necessary to fill it
to the head. Then he covered the opening again with the plate and fastened
it with liquid wax. He shaped and smoothed the wax, thus concealing any trace of the opening. He
closed the bottle and sealed it with the help of his signet ring.
There was a
smooth circle on the figure’s chest, in which the Secretary now wrote the
victim’s lodge name. He took a diary from the cupboard and, in the lodge’s
secret code, entered the day’s date and the name of the man to be
executed, then put it back in its place. Following this, he opened the
drawer of a desk in which were daggers of various lengths, shapes, and
strengths. From this collection he selected a dagger which was small and
sharp. After ascertaining that he had not forgotten anything, he placed
both the wax figure and the dagger in the coffin, then left the room.
With the
coffin under his arm, the Secretary carefully locked the door and went
back to the assembly hall. The Grand Master took the coffin. He made
certain the figure had been correctly prepared, then placed the coffin
upright on the floor. Three large candles were lit, and the electric
lights were turned off.
The
twenty-one executioners now formed a circle around the figure, the Grand
Master remaining outside the ring to function as an observer. The brethren
joined hands and walked slowly around the figure seven times, staring at
it intently without interruption. They began to breathe rhythmically in
unison, raising and lowering their arms. Each time they exhaled and
lowered their arms, they repeated a formula, louder and louder each time.
The entire
ceremony was repeated and the pace quickened. Patches of fog were
beginning to form around the figure, condensing into clouds, and
eventually solidifying to a spherical shape which completely engulfed the
wax figure. The grayish color which had been visible at the beginning now
turned to red. Dark figures seemed to be condensing therein, and, after a
few moments, the cloud formation took on a fiery red color. The Grand
Master approached it, making a sign in the air with his right hand. Then
he broke the chain formed by the brethren. Slowly, the red cloud
disappeared into the wax figure. The exhausted brethren sat down at the
table.
The Grand
Master seized the figure and placed it in the open coffin. Solemnly, he
lit the candles in the candlestick holders which stood at either end of
the casket. There was complete silence in the hall. The twenty-one
brothers were rigid with suspense; they dared not move.
The Grand
Master’s face froze into a mask. His eyes were cold and fixed as he
reached for the waiting dagger. His hand rose slowly, his eyes riveted
upon their object — the circle with the victim’s name. Then the blade
flashed in the candlelight and pierced the figure’s chest. A crash of
thunder shook the hall to its foundations; an enormous roar filled the
air, as though a storm were about to erupt. This lasted for a few moments,
then faded gradually to a distant rumble and finally subsided altogether,
giving way to an uncanny stillness.....
