THE BOOK OF THOTH
The mists of early morning still floated over the fields, when these
two, set upon strange business, walked through the damp grass to the
door of the barn, where-from radiated the deathly waves which on the
previous night had reached them, or almost reached them, in the
library at Half-Moon Street.
The big double doors were padlocked, but for this they had come
provided. Ten minutes work upon the padlock sufficed--and Dr. Cairn
swung wide the doors.
A suffocating smell--the smell of that incense with which they had too
often come in contact, was wafted out to them. There was a dim light
inside the place, and without hesitation both entered.
A deal table and chair constituted the sole furniture of the interior.
A part of the floor was roughly boarded, and a brief examination of
the boarding sufficed to discover the hiding place in which Antony
Ferrara kept the utensils of his awful art.
Dr. Cairn lifted out two heavy boards; and in a recess below lay a
number of singular objects. There were four antique lamps of most
peculiar design; there was a larger silver lamp, which both of them
had seen before in various apartments occupied by Antony Ferrara.
There were a number of other things which Robert Cairn could not have
described, had he been called upon to do so, for the reason that he
had seen nothing like them before, and had no idea of their nature or
purpose.
But, conspicuous amongst this curious hoard, was a square iron box of
workmanship dissimilar from any workmanship known to Robert Cairn. Its
lid was covered with a sort of scroll work, and he was about to reach
down, in order to lift it out, when:
"Do not touch it!" cried the doctor--"for God's sake, do not touch
it!"
Robert Cairn started back, as though he had seen a snake. Turning to
his father, he saw that the latter was pulling on a pair of white
gloves. As he fixed his eyes upon these in astonishment, he perceived
that they were smeared all over with some white preparation.
"Stand aside, boy," said the doctor--and for once his voice shook
slightly. "Do not look again until I call to you. Turn your head
aside!"
Silent with amazement, Robert Cairn obeyed. He heard his father lift
out the iron box. He heard him open it, for he had already perceived
that it was not locked. Then quite distinctly, he heard him close it
again, and replace it in the _cache_.
"Do not turn, boy!" came a hoarse whisper.
He did not turn, but waited, his heart beating painfully, for what
should happen next.
"Stand aside from the door," came the order, "and when I have gone
out, do not look after me. I will call to you when it is finished."
He obeyed, without demur.
His father passed him, and he heard him walking through the damp grass
outside the door of the barn. There followed an intolerable interval.
From some place, not very distant, he could hear Dr. Cairn moving,
hear the chink of glass upon glass, as though he were pouring out
something from a stoppered bottle. Then a faint acrid smell was wafted
to his nostrils, perceptible even above the heavy odour of the incense
from the barn.
"Relock the door!" came the cry.
Robert Cairn reclosed the door, snapped the padlock fast, and began to
fumble with the skeleton keys with which they had come provided. He
discovered that to reclose the padlock was quite as difficult as to
open it. His hands were trembling too; he was all anxiety to see what
had taken place behind him. So that when at last a sharp click told of
the task accomplished, he turned in a flash and saw his father placing
tufts of grass upon a charred patch from which a faint haze of smoke
still arose. He walked over and joined him.
"What have you done, sir?"
"I have robbed him of his armour," replied the doctor, grimly. His
face was very pale, his eyes were very bright. "I have destroyed the
_Book of Thoth_!"
"Then, he will be unable--"
"He will still be able to summon his dreadful servant, Rob. Having
summoned him once, he can summon him again, but--"
"Well, sir?"
"He cannot control him."
"Good God!"
* * * * *
That night brought no repetition of the uncanny attack; and in the
grey half light before the dawn, Dr. Cairn and his son, themselves
like two phantoms, again crept across the field to the barn.
The padlock hung loose in the ring.
"Stay where you are, Rob!" cautioned the doctor.
He gently pushed the door open--wider--wider--and looked in. There was
an overpowering odour of burning flesh. He turned to Robert, and spoke
in a steady voice.
"The brood of the Witch-Queen is extinct!" he said.
* * * * *
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
THE MYSTERY OF DR. FU-MANCHU
THE DEVIL DOCTOR
THE SI-FAN MYSTERIES
THE YELLOW CLAW
EXPLOITS OF CAPT. O'HAGAN
TALES OF SECRET EGYPT
THE ROMANCE OF SORCERY
* * * * *