Entombed in Flesh

Book I. In The Toils

CHAP. I. LUCIFER TAKES TOLL . . . .15 II. PHANTASTO'S NEW HOME .... 36 III. THE STRUGGLE BEGINS .... 52 IV. THE COUNTERMINE ..... 74 V. THE WATS OP MEN . . . . .84 VI. PUTTING AN END TO IT . . .99 VII. THE LAST STRATAGEM . . . .118 VIII. THE CRISIS ...... 131

Book II. The Deliverance

I. A COMPACT AND AN ALLY .... 151 II. BY CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE . . . .172 III. A SUCCESS WHICH WAS A FAILURE . . .192 VI CONTENTS. IV. A NEW SCHEME IN VIEW .... 213 V. LIBERTY FOR OTHERS .... 222 VI. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING .... 238 VII. THE NAME OF JESUS .... 248 VIII. FREE AT LAST ! . . . . .256 IX. BEULAEL ...... ENTOMBED IN FLESH. THE CHALLENGE. Beyond the limits of the visible world there stretches round us ori all sides an immense archipelago of other worlds, concerning which the only thing we on earth know is that they are not infinite in number. About this archipelago ripples an ocean of ether, everlast ingly tremulous with undulations of light and heat ; about every atom of this ether may ripple still another ocean, of subtler fluid, yet unnamed, and only dimly hinted at by the deeper theorists of science as the medium through which attraction is exerted in space.

Steeped in as many such fluids as our universe may be, there is a shore by which the last sea of all is bounded. Beyond is nothing but space — empty, in finite space. It is at this very boundary line that A the present story begins : on a spot so far away from our world of moving stars and revolving planets that no human eye could have seen the faintest glimmer of light from them, dying away upon that desolate shore. Eushing towards it from the illimitable space be yond, at a rate compared with which the speed of a lightning-flash would be all but absolute immobility, a sombre, awful Presence comes, filling the black and dreary void it passes through with blackness and dreariness a thousand times more dense; darts over the frontier into the fluid expanse of ether without stirring its mobile depths any more than' the doAvn ward glance of a human eye would disturb the crystalline translucency of a still lake ; and sud denly — becoming aware of another Presence, of na ture like and yet unlike its own, which bars the way, floating motionless — stops short, and at once floats motionless by its side.

"What, Phantasto! Thou here?" So speaks the first dark Spirit. " What, art thou here, Lucifer, Satan — or by what name shall I call thee ? " replies the second. "Call me Lucifer. I love the name, albeit the light which I bear is turned to darkness. It has been long since I last saw thee, Phantasto." "Ay, since the moment when you preferred everlasting rebellion to everlasting bliss." "And when you cast away eternal happiness for eternal freedom." " Since that hour," said Phantasto, " hast thou not regretted thy choice ? " "Were it to be made again now, I would choose now as I chose then. Glorious it is and sweet to be the Master, the Lord, the God of a whole world of Spirits who eternally bow down before my throne. Nevertheless, it is of a truth a dread weight to bear, and dread are the pains I suffer ; hardly doth my glory comfort me for that which I have lost.

But what of thee ? " " When the Light shone out upon us — rememberest thou ? — from the tabernacle of the Most High, I saw its infinite beauty, and would have reversed my choice, had that been possible. But it was too late. I would not side with thee, I would not side with God; I longed to be free — for ever free of all control ; and it was granted unto me. And whilst your legions fled on swift wings of terror, pursued by that awful Light, I floated away, reluctant and yet moved by my own will; for its blessedness was intolerable to me, who had chosen once for all. But I too, had I to choose again, would make the same choice. Think of it, 0 Lucifer ! All the universe is mine ! Mine to bask in, mine to dart through, mine to contemplate, mine to enjoy. I plunge at will into the murky abysses of the oceans, and spend ages there, watching their streams and eddies, and the beds of rock slowly forming.

I roll unscathed in the fiery overflowings of the volcanoes. I bathe in mighty rivers, flashing upAvards from their sea-like mouths to their mountain sources. I soar sublime, and sport in the clouds of the sky. I penetrate into the hazy luminous masses of the nebulæ, and the gloAving incandescences of my dear wonderful stars, and wander over those planets whereon strange forms of life are beginning — echoes of our myriads of angelic substances by the myriads of varying shapes and colours and movements which I have noted amongst them. Lo ! I have studied the laws which rule the orbits of those burning globes : I O O i know which way they will go, and to such perfection that I could well guide them myself, if they needed guidance. Yet, notwithstanding all this, notwithstanding all the new marvels I am eternally discover ing, and the ancient marvels I delight to hoard and ponder in my mind, — still, there are times when I feel most weary and desolate.

We can forget nothing Oh ! if I could but forget that all-beautiful Light and the harmony of the glorified angels' hymn which I heard as it began — then should I be happy indeed." " Poor Phantasto ! " said Lucifer. " I pity thee deeply. To my mind thy thoughts, thy love, thy whole existence, are utterly wasted. Eegrets and wan derings ; wanderings and regrets ; unavailing regrets, tedious wanderings ! Hadst thou joined my banner when I raised it, thy immortal life would now have a purpose ; existence Avould no longer be an eternity of aimless unrest. Tedium ! I and my warriors at least do not know what that is ; for many a thousand years I and they have enjoyed the fiercest excitement." "Nay, Lucifer, but Avhence does their excitement proceed ? " "Knowest thou not? Ah, solitary Spirit, ignorant of all !

Man, yea, man is the sole aim of our being now." " Man ? Does that strange prodigy, that Angel- Brute, really, actually exist? In all my wanderings I never met with that being, and know him but as a mere possibility." " He exists ; I, even I, discovered him. The Thun derer had concealed him well, but the hiding-place could not escape my penetration. And for long æons our thoughts and deeds have been full of Man, and of Man alone." " Where dwells this race ? for I fain would visit their abode and contemplate their astonishing beauty, full of mysteries and contradictions. A Spirit, a soul — united to a body! Marvellous paradox! How interesting, hoAv curious must be the blended work ings of Mind and Matter, joined in one, yet distinct ! Say, where do they dwell ? My first flight will be thither.

This, at least, is a new thing to me." " They are lost in space ; none but I could ever have found them. They are in the Via Lactea, a nebula most slight and insignificant; the sun, round which their planet revolves, is very like millions of other stars in that cluster ; and the planet itself is striking neither by its smallness nor its size. They call it the Earth. Upon this Earth grovels and soars the race of Man, over which my demons and the angels of Him that I hate have been fighting for ages." " What hast thou said ? " exclaimed Phantasto. " Evil One, I see all, I understand all now ; thy pleasure is to mar the beautiful work of Him thou hatest. 0 better, better a million times my solitude and desolation than all thy battles and victories ! And wherefore these conflicts, these struggles ?

Will their ruin bring thee or me back to the seats that we have lost — lost by our own fault ? What canst thou gain thereby?" " I gain in that I thwart Him ! I gain in that, on Earth as in Hell, the number of my worshippers is greater ! I gain in that, though our seats are lost to us, I prevent the puny usurpers from gaining them ' " " Wicked Spirit ! and art thou not ashamed to avow thy perverseness ? Thou knowest, little do I care for man, if he be but ruined by himself ; he, like myself and thee, though no doubt more prone to fall, must abide by his own free choice. But — to set snares in his way who walks blind ; to tempt to his fall one whose very nature must tempt him but too sorely ; to rejoice (thou, a pure Intelligence !) over the impurity by Avhich thou makest him loathsome even in thine own eyes ! that is indeed worthy of thee, accursed and most miserable demon !

" " Nay, Phantasto, use not such words to me. I am by no means thy foe! How else could I bear my pains except by the interest of this conflict, Avhich helps the dreary moments on a little faster? And how I shall exist after the Judgment Day, I know not. Then Avhy should I not find Avhat solace I can in the present hour ? What is it to thee ? Haply thou feelest compassion for mankind ; peradventure thou Avilt take their part and join in the struggle against me ? Behold, it is a trial of strength and skill that I offer, not without pledges and forfeits, if thou Avilt : hast thou aught against this, Phantasto ? " " Wherefore should I whisper holy inspirations into the hearts of men ? That is the duty of the Angels, and I am not one of them. My voice, compared with theirs or thine, would be as the murmur of the breeze to the rushing of the hurricane ; men could not even hear me."

" It is not of such a trial that I speak. To match thee against me thus Avould not be just ; moreover, I crave for something new and unheard-of till this hour. Therefore, Phantasto, listen unto me. Upon the surface of that Earth — yet a mere speck on its surface — stands a mighty city, the greatest that Man hath built. Therein lives a certain man, over whose soul I have a right of possession, because he has abandoned it to me by his practices and dark deeds ; and I may take it unto myself when I list. When, therefore, I strike him dead, it is not impossible that thou (having first given thyself up to me in that intention) canst take up and quicken his body, if it be done at the very instant when I strike. Having entered into that body, thy sphere of poAver amongst men will indeed be far greater than my own, and the conflict, as thou clearly seest, will be more equal.

What sayst thou ? " " I would accept the challenge. But let it be more definite : let us fight over one human being only ; let the time be short — for I could not bear to be cooped up for long — and say what you or I shall gain or lose, if we vanquish or fail." " Hear then what I will propose. In this same great city dwelleth a maiden, near unto the man of whom I spoke but now. And of this maiden it must be said to our confusion that she has hitherto withstood every attack, albeit it seemed but a small thing to overcome her. If indeed she had learned to fear and love Him that sitteth in the heavens — the only stay which those Avorm-seraphs have against us — then we might bear our defeat with less open shame. But she scarce knows that He exists ; and she never thinks of Him, nor does she ever pray.

Moreover, were she ill favoured, or slow of thought, or trained up in seclusion from the world, our temptations would have less hold upon her. But she is pleasing to the bodily eye, and her mind is bright, and she wanders abroad as free as any of her sisters. Yet, in spite of all our attempts, she — a lump of foul clay, beset by passions, and sur rounded with every example of vice ! — has remained as pure as we Spirits are by the eminence of our nature. You, Phantasto, who have studied organisms and organised life, surely know of one revolting side of it. If Man is to enter heaven, the Angel within him must conquer the Brute ; and our Avork is to make the Brute conquer the Angel. With this maiden we have hitherto failed. Will you take upon yourself to defend, if I deign to attack her ? In two weeks from the time when I shall make her known to you by an infallible sign, she must commit mortal sin, at least in thought, and such that it may be known : thus I am determined.

Before that time I pledge myself not to tempt her ; after those two weeks, should I have failed, no servant of mine will ever have poAver to approach her immaculate soul. But if you fail, my reward will be twofold : her sin — with the conse quences, — and your enslavement. I shall hold you as my prisoner in the mortal body for as long a space of time as I shall choose." " 0 Lucifer ! say rather as long as thou art able ! A clod of earth, whatever may befall, will not keep my free spirit in bondage very long. I can force thee to give me my freedom." " Be it as thou wilt. Briefly, the compact which I propose is such : When the body in which thou shalt be enclosed dies a second time thou art free ao-ain but that death, unless I am defeated, must be allowed by me. Art thou content ? " Phantasto hesitated.

Lucifer's awful power, cunning, and wickedness made him suspect the offer. To accept it was clearly rash. But, on the other hand, the thought of a new and unknoAvn world, to be visited for a time in a new and unknown state of being — an incarnation, in some sort, of a spirit amongst men, with all the strange experiences that were likely to befall him, so different from the solitary monotonous existence he had led for so many ages, — all this urged him powerfully to chance the rashness of acceptance. A word from Lucifer decided him. "So you choose not to risk your freedom? It is prudently thought. Yet the girl is so beautifully pure that I, whose very nature it is to be pitiless, felt some thing akin to pity, and thought to grant her what I would grant to none else — a chance of escaping from me."

" One word. Shall all my spiritual energies in this new state of being remain unweakened, unfettered ? " "Else were this compact nought but unmeaning foolishness." " Then," said Phantasto, " I accept. But see thou to it, Lucifer, that in all things thou hold faithfully to our agreement." " Fear not ; I pledge my honour — the honour of a king. Place thyself in my power by one act of the will, and all is done." " I do so. Lucifer, for a time, and for the purpose named and known, I am thine." " Ha, ha, Phantasto ! ha ! ha ! ha ! " laughed the sombre Presence. And he darted on, towards and through the innumerable starry worlds around him, enveloping Phantasto, as with a thick cloak, in the darkness of his being.

BOOK I IN THE TOILS CHAPTEE

I. LUCIFER TAKES TOLL. It is evening in Piccadilly. The fog has wrapped the great metropolis in its folds. Men and women pass one another in the streets like ghosts flitting by, half seen, half unseen ; sinister in appearance. There is a sort of horror in the dirty yellow air. The wor shippers of Bacchus, of Mammon, of Belial, ply their trades eagerly, earnestly, yet in a subdued and awe stricken manner, as if they felt that One was close by, greater than Bacchus, greater than Belial, greater even than Mammon himself. In one of the streets branching out of the great thoroughfare with its myriad lights, a large room, brilliant with electric lamps, has been made ready for the reception of guests. A light round table, set on casters, stands in the middle of the room on a thick tufted carpet which is entirely black.

Indeed everything is black: the window -curtains, the hangings round the walls, even the ceiling. So dismal does the room look, that you would almost expect to see a catafalque standing in the centre, with lugubrious yellow wax tapers burning dimly round it. Not a single ornament is to be seen; no furniture save the table and the chairs ranged along the walls. The expected company arrived one by one; men and women in evening dress. " Well, Thurlow, here we are for another stance. I hope we shall succeed better than last time. Worse is scarce possible." Mr Brooke, the speaker, was a bald, hook-nosed man ; the man whom he addressed had long fair hair and the eyes of a dreamer. " Scarce possible ? It is true. No manifestation at all then. But we must abide in patience the Spirits' good time. Oakley is well known to be one of our most powerful mediums."

" By the bye, have you heard anything more about that sad business ? You know — the stance in Camber well, the other night, — lady medium exposed." " Ah, yes, I remember ; Mrs Vaughan. I cannot say that I have examined the affair at all thoroughly. What the newspapers say about it, we know without even reading them. For my own part, 1 am not at all clear that a fraud really was committed in this case. As we all know perfectly well by revelations received, the Unseen World contains not only spirits friendly to man, but also perverse tricksy beings, who take pleasure in dictating false and absurd answers to questions asked, and in placing the medium, whose body they take possession of for a time, in the most embarrassing situations. I think this was the case with the lady in question. She was caught moving about the room, seeking to pass herself off as a Spirit.

Fancy the shame of such an exposure, if she had been responsible for her actions ! Well, those who saw her at the time assure me that Mrs Vaughan neither struggled with her captors, nor showed any sign of fright or shame. She was merely bewildered, like one Avho is suddenly wakened from a deep sleep. However that may be, these perverse spirits too often (and I knoAv not for what reason) attempt to throw discredit upon mani festations which we know to be true and real — as true and real as any scientific phenomenon." " The worst in such incidents," said Mr Brooke, " is the disastrous effect they produce upon outsiders. To the true manifestations they oppose the seeming ones, B and conclude that all are false; just with as much logic might they deny that any sovereigns were sterling because they had found out some to be bad."

" Yes ; but I would add something to what you say. Suppose a medium is in a trance — possessed by some Spirit or other — and that during that trance he is made to commit seeming frauds, I hold that the manifestations themselves are as true as any, and that the Spirit alone is false. It is so, generally, at any rate. And if it is not always the case, the fault is the public's, whose impatience to see and hear something is a strong temptation for our mediums to set honesty aside." " And it is the ' men of science ' — self-styled — who are also in fault," added Brooke ; " they obstinately refuse to believe in our manifestations, because these do not occur ahvays regularly, Avhen the conditions are posited, like mere material phenomena. Why, how could they depend on the free action of intelligent beings, if they occurred so ?

But those fools will persist in reasoning in a circle." " Hush ! here comes one of them." " And here comes our medium — and rather late." The assembly was now complete, or nearly so. Small groups of men and women were formed here and there ; and though their conversations were carried on in a low tone, there were so many that the sound quite filled the room. The " fool " Thurlow had alluded to — Professor Baydrick, a dry-looking elderly man, close -shaven save for a pair of whiskers that seemed, like notes of interrogation, to impart a still more sceptical expression to his sceptical face — was engaged in a lively conversation with two fashionably dressed young men, who seemed to look upon their presence at the proceedings as excellent fun. After talking with them for some time, he turned away, muttering something about "severe shock — mental disturbance — please yourselves."

Mr Oakley, the medium, was a man between forty five and fifty, round-shouldered, awkward -looking with a big head, large inexpressive features, and eyes that now seemed heavy and drowsy, and now emitted a strange greenish gleam, like a cat's in the dark. In his whole bearing there was an undefinable mingling of underhandedness and ndiveti, that was at once curious and unpleasant. The unprejudiced man, looking at him, could not tell whether he was a rogue or a simpleton. The celebrated lawyer Eedwood, who once cross-examined him at a certain trial, described him as " a man who told the truth so that nobody could believe him, and uttered falsehoods Avith the simplicity of a child." But now a bell was rung, and Mr Thurlow, who acted as president, addressed the company. " Ladies and gentlemen," he said, " it is time for the proceedings to begin ; we may order the doors to be closed according to the rule which excludes those who come too late.

I understand, however, that Mr Oakley wishes to say something first. Please to speak, Mr Oakley ; Ave are listening." The medium came forward, wiping his brow, and looking very uneasy. " I ... I really do not know hoAv to begin. Ladies and gentlemen, I must beg you to ... to put off this siance until, say, this day week. I know that my re quest is very awkward, and, of course, if you insist, I ... I shall do as you wish. I ... I am quite at your orders. Only, I entreat you to do me this favour, because of the strange misgivings I have felt all this evening, and still feel. I never had them before in my life; that is ... at least not so ... so over whelmingly strong. I feel around me, in the air I breathe, in the light I see, in the very sounds that come to my ears, something hostile, something malignant, something that I dread.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am completely in your hands, — but I have a fear of what is about to take place." Mr Oakley's words failed to produce any effect save intense irritation and disappointment. It was impos sible to tell how far the man was sincere in what he said. In some of his sentences there was an unmis takable ring of genuine fear ; but the glib rhetorical elegance of certain others, together with his visible embarrassment, made all his hearers suspect that he had some concealed motive for putting off the stance. There was a long and disagreeable pause. At length Professor Baydrick, wiping his spectacles, spoke with a slow sarcastic drawl — " Mr Chairman, I — er — move that our medium be released from his engagement. I came here, I must confess, merely — er — to be entertained; and — er — I can be entertained just as well next week as this.

Perhaps even better ; for, if I mistake not, our — er — medium has — er — very good reasons for not perform ing to-night. To say that I fancy his — er — machinery or appliances are not in — er — proper working order at present, would be — er — putting the case somewhat too crudely. I prefer to say that if he is not — er — prepared to give us any — er — productions this evening, and can promise that there will be — er — no hitch in the performance this day week, we had far better adjourn to that date." " That is enough, Professor, more than enough," said Mr Oakley, white with rage, his eyes flashing strangely ; ' after what you have said I withdraw my request. Yes, I would hold this seance, even were the Supreme Spirit of all malignity " " Meaning ? " interrupted the Professor, inquiringly.

" The Devil ! Even if he were here amongst us, I would still hold the stance. But, for what may hap pen, you are responsible." "Hard lines, I must say," replied the Professor, with a dry laugh. " What have I to do with his mani festing himself or not ? If he asked my advice, it certainly would be, ' Don't.' However, I suppose all this is only a — er — mise en scene for some unusually interesting exhibition." A murmur of indignation arose at these words, and Oakley was asked by many of those present to give up his purpose, especially as the state of excitement into which the Professor's sarcasms had thrown him was certain to be unfavourable to communications from the other world. Nothing, however, could make him yield. As many of the company as could sit round the table took their places there ; the rest sat watching them at a distance.

One of the Professor's young friends was by his side at the table ; the other ensconced himself quietly in a corner of the apartment. The electric lights were lowered until only a dull red glow was visible, whilst the forms of those who sat round the table loomed indistinctly through the gloom. After a short interval of silence and complete im mobility, the manifestations began. The table com menced turning, sloAvly at first, then faster and faster, till the movement became a rapid whirl. The Pro fessor's theories about movement, consciously or un consciously communicated by the hands of the sitters themselves, did not in any way account for its being moved so much more swiftly than their hands could have driven it; and being convinced that, either within the table or in close connection with it, there existed some machinery to make it turn, Baydrick suddenly called out, " Stop, if you please, and give us light.

I wish to examine something." His request was at once granted ; his young friend immediately turned up the lamps, and the movement ceased as soon as the electric light irradiated the room. The Professor carefully examined the furniture and the floor beneath ; but, much to his astonishment and to the satisfaction of the Spiritualists present, it was clear, not only that there was nothing suspicious, but that the very hypothesis of any machinery was absurd. The tufted carpet underneath was intact ; no movement could have been communicated through it except by means of a very powerful electromotor hidden in the floor : that was impossible, for no part of the table was made of iron ; even the casters were of brass. It was of very light wood, specially constructed for the purpose it now served ; but on that account the boards were so thin and the legs so taper that no works at all adequate to the effect produced could possibly have been concealed Avithin.

Baffled, but of course not con vinced, the Professor reluctantly allowed the stance to proceed. This time the table did not turn, although the Pro fessor, aided by his young friend, did his best to make it start off. But a faint tap was soon heard, ap parently proceeding from within the woodwork; it was followed by another, then by a series of louder taps, which made a rhythmical clatter, like the sound of very small castanets. Evidently manifestations of a higher order were now at hand. The chairman spoke aloud — " Pray answer Yes by a single rap ; No by a double knock. Are you willing to follow our code of signs 1 in communicating with us ? " "Yes." The Spirit having agreed to the proposal, the chair man went on with his questions. " What is your name ? " " Nemesis." " Why Nemesis ? " " Because the hour is come — the hour of vengeance."

" On whom ? " " On one who is present." " Are you willing to answer questions ? " " I am." "Do you vvish to be questioned by any one in particular ? " " By Professor Baydrick, if he likes." A thrill went through the company, as the answer, having been taken down in dots and lines, and the light of the lamps a little raised, its purport was spelled out. Nemesis — and the Professor ! Were the Spirits then about to wreak vengeance upon the un believing man who came to scoff at them ? It was a 1 It is to be observed that the primitive alphabet (one rap for a, two for b, and so on) having of course been found too cumbrous for lengthy communications, various codes of signals, somewhat like those of the Morse telegraph, have been invented for the sake of despatch. fearful thing to imagine. Even Mr Baydrick felt rather uncomfortable, although, recovering his self possession, he said calmly — " Much flattered, I am sure.