Chapter 7:Stars, Sigils and Strangers In The Night

Chapter 7:
Stars, Sigils and Strangers In The Night
Aleister took a long sip of Alice's excellent brandy and stood to place himself before the hearth and address the company.(Grandstander, thought Jack). 'Indeed, another circle! And we found it in the south pasture of Crowley Estate, just last evening.'
'So it wasn't a dream!' Emmeline sat up, excited.'I thought I'd been awakened by thunder, but it dissipated so quickly, I wasn't sure. Recall, Alice I asked you if you'd heard anything?'
'I may have. Bit of a sound sleeper myself,' admitted Alice,'But do go on, doctor. --Aleister.'
Al smiled at her.'We searched the place directly after the storm and found the same glyph blasted into our field!'
'But what can it all mean?' asked Alice.
Jack spoke up,'We aren't sure, exactly. We are investigating. But, Aleister, don't you think that it is time to tell Emmeline what is the nature of the tournament trouble? That was why we were  to meet in the first place.'
'Right you are, Jack!'Aleister returned to his seat.'I beg of you ladies to bear with us, and to keep those excellent minds of yours completely open to any conjecture, however as yet unproven. May I ask for a ...suspension of disbelief at present? Please know that we are simply trying to be good neighbors, to do our part for the welfare of the community. ' Aleister looked at Alice,'...and I hoped, we hoped, we could all become friends.'
Alice looked at Emmeline. 'We've certainly experienced some things lately that would stretch the limits of our imaginations! Pray continue, Aleister. Emmeline and I will make no hasty judgements, right Em?' Emmeline nodded.
'Very well. the long and short of it is this: You experienced tonight, Miss Page, the use of my 'specter-scope' and it proved what I'd suspected from my research of the area: that a certain expanse of the park where the playing field lies, was many years ago, a very old Indian burial site.'
Emmeline's eyes were wide, but she held herself in check.'Doctor...does that enclude the library itself?''
'I do not believe so. According to historical records, what we could find at least,it is all situated about the giant oak in one corner of the field. I haven't entree myself into any Native tribes here now, so what information we could find is scanty and no doubt all but erased by the white men's accounts...For Jack and myself, at least, who are familiar with the scope and have many times proven the veracity of it's findings, all the proof we needed was what we beheld with our own eyes.'
Alice had meanwhile taken all this in rather quietly, sitting and sipping her drink with MacGregor asleep next to her. She now roused herself,'...so...what has this to do with your 'exanguinating' Emmeline the other night?' she asked wickedly.
'I...what? Good Lord! Dear lady...'began Aleister, but Em interrupted,'Alice is having you on, doctor! She is an awful tease. You had best get used to it!But,yes, do tell the rest of your tale.'
'...eh, um, yes.'Aleister wasn't used to teasing, except from Jack who usually took the piss out of him in earnest. 'Alice, my dear, and Miss Page, I assure you both I took as small a sample as I dared and only in the interest of science and in being absolute in my diagnosis,in ex officio only!'taking a sip of brandy to restore himself, Al continued.'I know Jack and I are both graced with native blood, so our baselines matched up, as did yours,Miss Page.But none of the others did.Of the other samples we took from those injured on the field, none was a remote match.Quite a variance, really.
 After doing a small bit of research regarding the background of those who were afflicted that we knew something of, like your library director,we dicovered, not surprisingly, that they were all of pure Aryan stock--German and Dutch families mostly. If you recall, most of the lads were fair-haired boys who were injured that day.We only needed the scope's demonstrations to evince our findings.Just why this is will, I assure you, be a study I shall undertake with enthusiasm! It could be some sort of naturally occurring opsonin in native blood...'
'My stars...'Emmeline took a long sip.'How clever, doctor! What a convoluted case.
But what now? What is to prevent this or some other similar trouble occurring again?'
'As you may recall, Miss Page, and I'll wager that you will--being the astronomer that you are--the Geminid meteor showers happened to fall upon the same general dates as the tournament. I confess I'm still rather at a loss as to explain exactly the relationship of this particular occurrence to the phenomenon we witnessed, but the night before the tournament, I chanced to examine the meteor showers with the specter-scope! The meteors I could catch through the scope bore the same lime-green type of phosphorescence that made up the specters, which lead me to hypothesize the relationship between the two. As this hadn't happened before, that we know of, I concluded that only during the December showers and in this particular place, possibly only at this point in the history of time as well,could this unfortunate accident manifest!'
'Hm...we can but hope,' Emmeline concluded.Just then the clock struck the hour of midnight.'Ah, there is the proof of your conjecture of time's influence upon us all!'
Jack and Aleister looked at one another. 'Ye-es...'Jack spoke up,'We regret having presumed so much upon your gracious hospitality, ladies!'Just then there was a light tap at the door.
'That will be Yeats, at last!'Aleister stood.'Are you certain you will be alright here tonight? How are you feeling, Alice?'he took her hands in his.
'Rather more the thing now, thank you Aleister!'She and Emmeline rose and escorted the gentlemen to the door. 'I'm certain we shall be fine.It has been a long evening and one for the books, truly! But I don't think I can remain awake much longer, despite roving backyard tornadoes!Thank you so much for your kind assistance, Aleister,and Jack.'
'Do come round soon to Crowley House and allow me to return the hospitality, dear lady. We shall be in touch! And do not, I repeat do not hesitate to let us know if anything untoward should occur! Do not take any chances, either of you, my dears.'With characteristic admonishments Aleister opened the door and exited with Yeats.
As Alice yawned and headed off to retire, Emmeline and Jack stood facing one another in the hallway.'That goes doubly from me to you, Emmeline. I know Aleister is trying not to alarm Alice, but we have intimation that the matter of these strange glyphs portends something possibly quite troublesome, and is not related to the tournament or the burial ground.Well, perhaps indirectly. Do not take any chances, no going about alone after dark. I can count on this?'
'You may be assured that I shall take your warnings to heart, Jack. Thank you! Your help and Aleister's was most timely and salutary! I know Alice  much appreciates your kind attentions.'Em hesitated.'...as do I.'
Jack smiled and took her hand.'Good.Then I bid you a good-night. And sweet dreams, Emmeline.'Jack bowed and kissed her hand lightly. Then he turned away and trotted off to the  waiting trap.Yeats clicked to the bay and they were off, into the dark midnight.
Emmeline closed the door.'Saucy monkey,' she said to herself. Hearing noises from the kitchen, she headed in that direction, only to find Alice busy with the tea things.'Al! I thought you were dropping with fatigue!'
'Are you?'Em shook her head.'Who in bloody blazes could sleep with a tornado making sigils in their backyard? I'm for tea. How about you?' Alice didn't wait for she knew the answer, and filled the kettle full.
Retiring to the parlor, Emmeline stoked the fire and sat next to MacGregor  on the sofa. Alice soon joined them and stroked the little dog's head and smiled.'It was good of Aleister to be of service to us,'she observed,'but mercy! Such pleonastic prolixity I've not witnessed since our last staff meeting with Director Dickman.'Alice sighed.'But I believe the good doctor does mean well.'
Em was chuckling.'Alice you are the very devil's handmaid!I thought you were becoming besotted with his grandiose compliments! He seemed to be a man used to holding court, as it were.'
'Obviously...'remarked Al dryly, who rose to attend to the whistling tea kettle.'But what of you and Black Jack Van Horn, eh?'she tossed over her shoulder.
What, indeed? thought Em. Jack seemed rather intent upon her, she sighed.She didn't need complications right now.
Alice returned with tea, having cleared the empty brandy glasses.'The men do like their brandy,'she observed. 'But that's not all they were warming to.Well, Em?'
Alice poured the Earl Grey.'I know you and Captain Omen have been 'together' going on 10 years now! But seeing a man once or twice a year is not togetherness, my dear...'
Emmeline took her teacup and leaned back against the pillows, a small furrow upon her brow.'Oh, Alice...I know you and Frank had a wonderful marriage...and I know you wish the same for me. Don't deny it! Every time I say as much as hello to a passing male acquaintance you begin planning the wedding!'
Alice sipped her tea with a small smile and waggled her eyebrows at Em.
'Don't!'Em began laughing,'I get tea up my nose when you make faces!Oh, Alice...'
'Enough with the 'Oh Alices!' I just want you to be happy, Em dear.'
Emmeline had that frown line again.'Where is it written that a woman absolutely needs a man, just one man, to be happy?' She set her cup down. 'Al, I know you mean well. But, I'm hardly a green girl of 20 anymore. I know my own mind, and heart. I just don't think marriage is in the cards for me! That is why we've gotten on so well, for so long, Keithcliff and myself. He did propose, long ago, you know. I simply couldn't, as much as I dearly love England...and him.'She looked at Alice who was quiet now.'Please forgive my going on. I know that you believe you are 'looking out' for me.It's not easy swimming upstream you know.By deciding to remain single, I'm going against the current. So many of my sex seem to simply be obsessed with marriage and children. But I never have been, Al!
Never! Sometimes I astonish myself! I just see so much injustice and pain in the world and I feel I must do something to help! There's so much to be done!I haven't time for...anything else.'Emmeline looked into the fire, and let her thoughts drift.
Alice poured more tea and sighed.'You are absolutely right, dear. You know your own mind, as you say.I've known you long enough to have observed that much about you. Your dates and dalliances with men have never lasted long. Oh, don't think I don't know that you do have gentlemen friends.But none have ever been anything more to you?'
'Alice, you know a bit of my background. I lost my mother at rather an early age, and my father, 'The Absent-minded Professor' as we used to call him, was quite lost without her. He began to practically live at the lab, I never saw him, we never spoke, really.It fell to me to finish school, and take care of him, the house, all the housewifely duties...'Em sighed.'Maybe I just became tired of all that early on, and wanted something else for myself.Out of the house, away, beyond it all...Maybe I'd like that option at least,and it isn't too hard to believe that other young women may want it as well.Or perhaps...perhaps I simply haven't met anyone with whom I've much in common. No man I've ever known is all that serious about improving the human condition...to the point in which it becomes their raison de'tre...'
Staring into the flames, Em suddenly sat up,'Oh my stars! I'd nearly forgotten! Tomorrow night is the Family Planning lecture with Gertrude Sanger at the town hall!'
'Oh, I've heard of Gertrude!'Alice seemed interested now.'I wouldn't mind hearing her. She has cut quite a swath with her polemic promulgations nationwide! Indeed, some of her presentations were met with picketing and near-riots! Imagine! Ladies against women! I can't fathom it myself.'
'Neither can I, Al.'Em agreed.'She only wishes to promote birth-control measures as something of benefit to womankind! One of the major causes of poverty world-wide is when one cannot support a great number of children! And some are left without a father, the mother cannot take care of them all, and then has to give some up to an institution! Or, worse, they are simply left, to starve and die! It's utterly beyond me how instigating a more humane way of coping with family matters would be a subject of immorality!'
'You know how small-minded people can be,'Alice set her jaw.'To some, it portends nothing but licentiousness and moral turpitude. Especially Bishop O'Reilly. He thinks nothing of unwanted and starving children! The only thing on his evil mind is fantasizing about people having abit of fun that he'll never know, outside of his altar boys.'
Em about lost her tea then.'Alice!'she sputtered, reaching for a napkin.'Mercy woman but you did me a turn!'Em recovered her composure.'You're right though. Oh, goddess...how can such narrow minds be reached? It's something I cannot imagine, having such an outlook.I see only unwanted, starving, dying childen, suffering greatly. While others see only evil, evil in preventing it!The whole world just seems completely upside-down, Alice!'Em sighed.The clock chimed one in the morning. 'Well,'she continued,yawning'I shall be going to the lecture, come what may. Join me, Al?'.
Alice stood and gathered the tea tray.'You can count on it! Wouldn't miss it for the world! And bring it on, if it's a tussle they want-- those fine upstanding, Sunday-church-going and Saturday-nite-doss-house patrons!'
Em put her arm about Alice's shoulders. 'I think I just love you best, Al.Especially times like this!'
'Get off me and off to bed with you! It's just MacGregor and me tonight, you daft hussy!'
'Alice you're a card and no mistake.'Em raked the coals to the back of the fireplace and made sure the screen was well set before turning off the lamps but one which she carried up to her rooms. 'I'll be leaving before 6pm tomorrow! Be ready!'
'Avanti, always,'called Alice.
                                    ......
As Yeats drove Aleister and Jack back to Crowley House, they began a discussion of their own.Yeats had informed them of his reconnaisance and the fact that he had found no further clues.
'This sounds like one of El Juan's flash-in-the-pan scare tactics,'Aleister concluded, lighting up a cigarillo. 'He just wants us to know he's followed us. Trying to keep us distracted with his stage-magic tricks.' Al talked around his cigar.'Hm. That Alice though, the redoubtable Mrs. Stein! Quite a lady, eh? Damn fine brandy as well...'
Jack wasn't convinced.'I don't know. Aleister, you do realize that WE are the reason Flubber is now here, and Emmeline, and Alice, could be in danger!'Jack coughed.'Damn your bloody cigars! And as to the brandy, now!You do like the lush life, don't you Al--accent on 'lush'?'Jack looked pointedly at Parsons.
'Lord and Lady, Jack! How often do we feast upon fresh fruit, vegetables that do not taste like wood, and brandy distilled from grapes that actually taste like grapes? I admit I'm an old hedonist, but a mild one. If I begin to sleep in past noon, as you do yourself, be sure to inform me that I have fallen into the bottomless pit of your own wicked ways..'Parsons ended dryly.
Jack sighed and crossed his arms about himself. 'I apologize, Al. I am grateful that you took the time to ah, comfort the widow.'He looked at Aleister, whose eyebrow had shot up under his hat,'But let us not get too distracted.'
Aleister took a slow pull on his smoke.'I see...looking out for Em's friend, is that it? Really Jack! Do you think I'm such a blackguard that I would befriend 'the widow' as you call her, only to  partake of easy access to  her brandy, etcetera? Jack, I will have you know that I am actually growing rather fond of our Alice. As a friend, of course. I hardly know the woman! But I appreciate her forthright attitude. She is, as well, a quite handsome woman...'Aleister puffed meditatively in silence awhile.
Jack looked over at his friend. Could it actually be? Could Al really have taken notice of Mrs. Stein, as a person? Jack was used to Aleister's ways with women: either he brushed them aside, dealing with them in his firm but gentle professional manner, as one would a flighty filly, or he was involved only in brief affairs with  women who were not interested in  settling down at all; both parties intent on a bit of fun and nothing more. 'I just don't want to see her getting hurt, Al.'
'Rest easy, my boy, you shan't. However, now that we have all made our introductions and have gotten to know one another better, I think things are well underway! Surely two ladies alone such as ours, would be glad of a bit of holiday cheer on the Solstice, from a couple of single and not-too repugnant-looking gentlemen such as ourselves, don't you think?' Aleister grinned, ciagrillo alight in his teeth, giving him a rather jack-o-lanternish appearance in the misty dark.
'You never change, Al.' Jack smiled at his friend, noting  they had nearly arrived home..
Aleister would not be put off.'That's not such a bad thing, is it?'
                                   . . . . .
Well, then. Closer looms the Solstice, and further away from reality fly the inchoate plans of Aleister and Jack! With El Juan's sigil now in Em and Alice's back yard, what of THEIR plans to hie off to the very next evening's possibly dangerous assignation with the infamous Gertrude Sanger! Be sure not to miss the next potentially dreadful penny installment of--
Emmeline Page (& Alice Stein!)-Revolutionary Librarians!
I think this chapter would go well with 'Super Taranta' by Gogol Bordello and tea. You may add brandy if you absolutely must.But not too much!If you sleep too late, you shall miss it all!
Carry On!