Chapter XLV: Out of the Occult

“HOW DID IT HAPPEN?”

“I scarcely know. We went up to play with the dog. It was unwilling to leave the place, and Aradna teasingly tried to push her off on to the steps. She succeeded, but--well, it was all over that quick. The Aradna was gone!”

But the Spot had by this time lost a good deal of its terror. Knowing what was on the other side, and who, made a great difference. As the doctor said later in a private consultation with Chick and Harry:

“It’s not so bad. That is, if Hobart Fenton is at work there. I think he is. Really, I only regret that we didn’t know of this beforehand; we could have sent a message through to him.”

And the professor went on to explain what he meant. At the time he spoke, it was twenty-four hours after the Aradna’s going; another twenty-four hours would see the evening of the Last Day--the sixteenth of the sacred Days of Life--what the Rhamdas alluded to as “the Day of Judgment.” And the Mahovisal was a seething mass of humanity, all bent upon seeing the fulfillment of their highest hopes.

“Bear in mind that if the Spot should not open at the last moment, you and I are done for. We will be self-condemned ‘False Ones’; our lives will not last one minute after midnight tomorrow night if we fail to get through!

“That Prophecy means EVERYTHING to the Thomahlians. There was a time when they accepted it on faith; now it is an intellectual conviction with every last one of them. And one and all look forward to a new and glorious life beyond the Spot--in the occult world--our world!

“Now, the ticklish part of the job will be to open the Spot just long enough to permit us to get through, yet prevent the whole Prophecy from coming to pass. We’ve got to get through, together with that black case of mine, and then shut the door in the face of all Thomahlia!”

Nothing more was said on the subject until late the following afternoon, as the doctor, Harry, and Chick sat down to a light meal. They ate much as if nothing whatever was in the wind. From where they sat, in one part of a wing of the temple, they could look out into the crowded streets, in which were packed untold numbers of pilgrims, all pressing towards the great square plaza in front of the temple. No guards were to be seen; the solemnity of the occasion was sufficient to keep order. But the terrific potentiality of that semi-fanatical host did not cause the doctor’s voice to change one iota.

“There is no telling what may happen,” he said. “For my own part I shall not venture near the Spot of Life until just at the end. I shall remain in the chamber underneath.

“But you two ought to show yourselves immediately after sundown. Certain ancient writings indicate it. You, and the Nervina, will have to mount the stair to the Spot, and remain in sight until midnight--until the end.

“So we must be prepared for accidents.” He took some papers from his pocket, and selected two, and gave one to each of his pupils. “Here are the details of what must be done. In case only one of us gets through, it will be enough.”

“But--how can these be of any use, on such short notice?” Harry asked.

“Cudgel your brains a bit, gentlemen,” he chided good-humouredly. “You will soon see my drift. This is one of those occasions when the psychic elements involved are such that, without doubt, it were best if you reacted naturally to whatever may happen.

“Now you will note that I have made a drawing of the Blind Spot region; also certain calculations which will explain themselves.

“Moreover, I have written out the combination to my laboratory safe in my house in Berkeley. The green stone is there. Bertha will help, as soon as she understands that it is my wish; no explanation will be needed.

“You may leave the rest to me, young gentlemen. Act as through you had no notion that I was down below the Spot. I shall be merely experimenting a bit with that circle of jewels, to see if the phenomena which affected the Aradna cannot be repeated. I fancy it was not mere accident, but rather the working of a ‘period.’”

He said no more about this, except to comment that he hoped to get into direct communication with Hobart Fenton before midnight should arrive. However, he did say, in an irrelevant sort of manner:

“Oh, by the way--do either of you happen to recall which direction the house at Chatterton Place faces?”

“North,” replied Harry and Chick, almost in the same breath.

“Ah yes. Well, the temple faces south. Can you remember that?”

They thought they could. The rest of the meal was eaten without any discussion. Just as they arose, however, the doctor observed:

“It may be that Hobart Fenton has got to come through. I wish I knew more about his mentality; it’s largely a question of psychic influence--the combined, resultant force of the three material gems, and the three degrees of psychic vibration as put forth by him and you two. We shall see.

“Something happened today--the Geos told me about it--which may link up Hobart very definitely. It was about one o’clock when one of the temple pheasants began to behave very queerly up on the great stair. It had been walking around on the snow-stone, and flying a bit; then it started to hop down the steps.