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appearance with a yell. I grow. I die. There
are the same phenomena of change which
we all perceive around us. My three-
dimensional mind thinks all this 'real,' a
history; where at most it is a geography, a
partial [62] set of infinite aspects. I say
infinite, for the cone contains an infinite
number of curves. Yet this three-
dimensional being is actually a part of me,
though such a minute one; and it rather
amuses me, now I have discovered a little
bit more of myself, to find that mind think
that he, or even his yet baser body, is the
one and only."
"I'm understanding you with a part of me
that I didn't know was there."
"That's the way, child. But I'm going on a
little. I want you to consider how nicely this
explains the psychology of crowds, for
example. We may suppose an Idea to be a
real four-dimensional thing. I, when I know
myself more fully, shall probably turn out to
be a pretty simple kind of a thing,
manifesting in perhaps one person only. But
we can imagine abstract 'Individuals' who
come to the surface in hundreds or
thousands of minds at the same time.
Liberty, for example. It begins to push
through. It is noticed by one or two men
only at first; that is like the point of the
cone. Then it spreads gradually -- or it
breaks out suddenly, just as the circle
would, if, instead of a cone, you dropped a
spiked shield upon the water. And that is all
the lesson for this afternoon, child. Think it
over, and see if you have it all clear, and if
you can find any other little problems to
straighten out. The next lesson will be of a
more desperate sort -- the kind that leads
directly to action.
Cyril broke in on the word. "We have a
great deal to do," he said sharply, "even
before we leave this house. It's pretty dark --
and there's a Thing in the garden." [63]
CHAPTER V
OF THE THING IN THE GARDEN; AND OF THE
WAY OF THE TAO
"OH, little Brother!" said the old mystic
sadly.
"How long will it take you to work
through this wretched business?"
"I have omnipotence at my command,
and eternity at my disposal," smiled the
boy, using Eliphaz Levi's well-known
formula.
"I ought to explain," said Simple Simon,
turning to Lisa. "This boy is a desperate
magician confined within the circle of this
forest. His plan is Action; he is all for
Magick; give him a Wand and a host of
Demons to control, and he is happy. For my
part, I prefer the Way of the Tao, and to do
everything by doing nothing. I know it
sounds difficult; one day I will explain. But
the practical result is that I lead a placid
and contented life, and nothing ever
happens; he, on the contrary, makes
trouble everywhere, excites the wrath of
Turks, and worse, if I am right; he thereby
brings about a situation where perfectly
competent ladies' maids have epileptic fits,
mediums endeavour to procure blood from
bewitching damozels -- and now there's a
Thing in the Garden." His voice had a wail
of comic disgust.
"However, this is Cyril's funeral, not
mine. He called me in; I must say I approve
of his general plan, on the whole, and I
dare say much of the opposition is
unavoidable. In any case he is the [64]
magician; Principal Boy in a Pantomime. I
merely hold the sponge; and we have to use
his formula throughout, not mine. If it ends
in disaster," he added as a cheerful
afterthought, "perhaps it will teach him a
lesson! A Chinese God, indeed! He would be
better as a Chinese coolie, smoking opium
at the feet of Chwangtze!"
"He tells me that I stand in my own way,
that I love struggle and adventure, and that
this is weakness and not strength."
"This girl is in danger: quite unnecessary
danger."
"I am going to ask my master to show
you his method; you will see plenty of mine
in the next few weeks; and I should like you
to have a standard of comparison. Maybe
you'll want to choose one day!"
"I'm afraid I, too, like danger and
excitement!" cried Lisa.
"I'm afraid you do! However, since
Brother Cyril asks it, the Way of the Tao
shall be trodden so far as this is possible:
What would Brother Cyril do?"
"I should take the Magic Sword, make
the appropriate symbols, and invoke the
Names Divine appurtenant thereto: the
Thing, shrivelled and blasted, would go
back to those that sent it, screaming in
agony, cursing at the gods, ready to turn
even on its employers, that they might wail
with it in torment."
"One of the best numbers on the
programme," said Simon Iff. "Now see the
other way!"
"Yes: if your way is better than that!"
cried the girl, her eyes gleaming.
"It isn't my way," said the mystic, with a
sudden inflection of solemnity. His voice
rose in a low monotonous chant as he
quoted from "The Book of the Heart girt
with the Serpent."
"I, and Me, and Mine were sitting with
lutes in [65] the market-place of the great
city, the city of the violets and the roses.
"The night fell, and the music of the
lutes was stilled.
"The tempest arose, and the music of
the lutes was stilled.
The hour passed, and the music of the
lutes was stilled.
"But Thou art Eternity and Space; Thou
art Matter and Motion; and Thou art the
Negation of all these things. For there is no
symbol of Thee."
The listeners were thrilled to the
marrow of their bones. But the old man
merely gathered a handful of dittany leaves
from the chased golden box where they
were kept, and led the way to the garden.
It was very dark; nothing could be
distinguished but the outlines of the shrubs
and the line of the fence beyond.
"Do you see the Thing?" said Iff.
Lisa strained her eyes.
"You mustn't look for anything very
definite," said the mystic.
"It seems as if the darkness were
somehow different in that corner," said Lisa
at last, pointing. "A sort of reddish tinge to
the murk."
"Oh dear me! if you will use words hike
'murk'! I'm afraid you're all on Cyril's side!
Look now! " And he put his hand on her
head. With the other he offered her the
dittany. "Chew one of these leaves!" he
said.
She took one of the silver-grey heaves,
with its delicate snow-bloom, between her
teeth.
"I can see a sort of shapeless mass, dark-
red," she said after a pause.
"Now watch!" cried Iff. He took several
steps into the garden, and raised his right
hand. "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole
of the Law!" [66] he proclaimed in such a
voice as once shook Sinai.
Then he threw the rest of the dittany in
the direction of the Thing.
"By all the powers of the Pentagram!"
shouted Cyril Grey; "he's deliberately
making a magical link between it and Lisa."
He bit his lip, and cursed himself in silence;
he knew he had been startled out of
prudence.
Simon Iff had not noticed the outburst.
He quoted "The Book of the Law," "Be
strong!" he cried. "Enjoy all things of sense
and rapture! There is no god that shall deny
thee for this!"
The Thing became coherent. It
contracted slightly. Lisa could now see that
it was an animal of the wolf type,
couchant. The body was as big as that of a
small elephant. It became quite clearly
visible. It was a dull fiery red. The head
was turned toward her, and she was
suddenly shocked to see that it had no
eyes.
The old man advanced towards it. He
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