He sat rigid on his chair, like a marble figure, so still were his limbs. His hands were flat upon his knees, his breathing was rhythmical, his eyes closed. So withdrawn were his faculties that he was almost in a state of trance, and it may be that during those long hours thoughts which did not arise in his own brain were projected into his consciousness by the powerful will of his tutor.
The oblong of light in the sloping roof faded as night fell, but Tony never moved. The shadows grew deeper, until at last his motionless figure became indistinguishable in the darkness, but still he sat on, awaiting the summons which would lead him to the supreme moment. His whole being was poised, expectant; all his previous excitement had passed away, and he was utterly calm.
Somewhere a clock struck, and as he counted the distant strokes, the first contact he had made with the outer world for many hours, he realized that it was midnight. The hour was at hand.
The door opened suddenly, letting in a dazzling flood of light which momentarily blinded him, and when he could see again Dr. Gaunt was standing before him, a lamp in one hand and a bundle of clothing in the other.
Tony sprang to his feet, catching at the table to prevent himself falling as his numbed limbs refused their office.
“Is it time?” he whispered hoarsely.
The doctor nodded gravely, and set the lamp on the table. He was wearing a long robe of scarlet, like a monk’s habit, with the hood thrown back, leaving his head bare.
“Take off your clothes,” he said quietly, and went out.
When he returned, carrying a jug of water and a towel, Tony stood naked by the table, subduing by a tremendous effort the rising excitement which threatened to overwhelm him once more.
“Repeat the ablutionary formula,” Gaunt commanded; and as Tony said the words he had been taught the other lifted the jug over his head and emptied its contents upon him. The water was icy cold, and the shock made every nerve in his body tingle, but as he toweled himself he thought that he had never felt so keen and fresh.
Then the doctor proceeded to anoint him from head to foot with some pungent oil, applying it according to a set ritual — first to his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, then to his hands and feet, and then to the genitals. Finally he went over the whole surface of his pupil’s body, rubbing until the oil had been absorbed. From each point of contact Tony felt a violent shock, until at last his whole body was racked with a fiery pain, but as the doctor uttered the words of the ritual, and he forced himself to make the responses, the torment lessened and passed away, leaving a strange ethereal sensation, as if he were no longer subject to the laws of gravity.
When Tony had put on the robe of plain white linen he followed Gaunt down the stairs, still feeling oddly weightless, and scarcely conscious of the treads beneath his bare feet. They stopped at a door on the first-floor landing, and the doctor knocked twice. The door opened a few inches; he exchanged a word with someone within and they were admitted.
The room which they entered was of great size, and had probably been made by removing the dividing walls of several smaller rooms. The walls were completely covered with black curtains, hiding the windows, and any other doors there may have been. The floor was overlaid by an immense black carpet, whose thick pile muffled every footfall; even the ceiling was painted black, relieved only by a great pentagram in silver.
The effect of this gloomy drapery was sombre in the extreme, and the absolute deadening of all echo made the voice sound thin and flat, as though one were on a mountain top.
The sole source of illumination was at the extreme end of the chamber, where six tall candles of dark-coloured wax burned upon a bare stone altar, raised upon three low steps, with two massive seven-branched candlesticks of bronze on either side. On the right of the altar stood a great throne-like chair, heavily gilt, and Gaunt walked towards this, motioning Tony to follow him. As he went the young man caught a fleeting glimpse of some twenty figures, robed in black, their faces hidden by their hoods, seated on low benches at the other end of the room. When he reached the altar he knelt on the bottom step, while Gaunt took his place upon the throne.
The deep notes of a hidden organ throbbed upon the still air, and the hooded figures on their benches took up the solemn chant. The words were in some strange tongue, and conveyed nothing to him, but the music stirred in Tony’s drowning consciousness, and he became aware of a tremendous atmosphere of purpose, as if the wills of all within the shrouded walls of the dark chamber were directed at him, urging him on, sustaining him in the great act of self-dedication which he was about to make. His own will awoke again, and joined with the rushing stream of volition about him, as he rose from his knees and waited.
The music ceased, save for one lonely voice, which, rising and falling in a plaintive minor key, seemed to hold all the sorrows of the labouring world, crying out in its travail for deliverance from the perpetual bondage of space and time. So universal was the poignant appeal that Tony felt his throat constrict and the hot tears prick his eyes, while his own deep longing increased to an almost unbearable degree. The singing died away at last, and a pregnant silence filled the room.
From behind him a large form, which Tony instantly recognized as Vaughan’s, despite the hood, approached and stood at his side, addressing the scarlet figure on the throne:
“Most reverend Master, I present unto thee Anthony Lovell, who desires most earnestly to be admitted to the high fellowship of our Order.”
Gaunt spoke, addressing Tony:
“Dost thou desire to be admitted to the brotherhood of the ancient mysteries?”
“I do so desire,” replied Tony in the accustomed form.
“Approach, then, Anthony, the altar of our worship, and, kneeling at it, make the vows, as I shall bid thee.”
Tony climbed the steps and knelt, resting his hands on the cool stone. Gaunt went on:
“Swear, then, in the presence of those who will soon be thy brethren, to take upon thee the perpetual service of our Lord, to work His will in all things, to strive ever for the establishment of His Kingdom upon earth, and to obey they superiors at all times.”
Obediently, almost in a dream, Tony repeated the oath. As he did so the thought flashed through his mind that this was the first time he had ever heard Gaunt mention any form of worship, particularly the worship of a Person, but before his dulled brain could grasp the significance of this the Master’s voice continued:
“Swear, then, that never wilt thou reveal the inner secrets of the Order, and of thy service therein, to any living soul outside that Order.”
“I swear!”
“Repeat after me: All these things do I swear by the Seal of Solomon, by the Veil of Isis, by the Key of Ashtaroth, and by the Name of Names; and if I break this oath may my soul be cast into the Abyss.”
Automatically Tony said the words after him. The queer sensation of floating which had been with him ever since the anointing was growing more and more powerful; his head was spinning, and he was scarcely conscious of his surroundings. His one desire was to get this business over and lie down; he had almost forgotten the burning thirst for knowledge which had possessed him only a few minutes before.
“Anthony, stand up and face thy brethren,” said the remorseless voice.
Long obedience to his tutor brought Tony staggering to his feet; he turned, clinging to the altar behind him with both hands. There in the gloom was the double row of dark figures, their eyes glowing in the recesses of their hoods, all staring fixedly at him; the concentrated stream of energy pouring from them beat upon him like a steady wind.
“Now swear the most mighty oath of all, and receive freely all we have to give of knowledge, power, and secret wisdom. Repeat after me: All this do I swear in the Name *****.”