The Unhappy Medium by T J Brown

Author:T J Brown [Brown, T J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-02-22T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20 – Astrolog y

Newton Barlow woke up with Ascot McCauley’s talon marks still red and painful on his shoulder. In the shower, he let the hot water linger on the injury while he stood lost in thought, mulling over the bizarre first day at work.

Once dressed, he phoned the telescope shop.

‘Well, I did tell you to go straight to the Arches,’ countered Jameson reproachfully. ‘You have to be very careful with people like that. These collector bods can be a tad obsessive.’

‘He was a bit more than that,’ replied Newton, wincing as he tried to settle his collarbone back into position. ‘If the locals hadn’t waded in ... well, I’d be a bar snack by now.’

‘Oh the McCauleys are all puff, don’t let it bother you.’

‘Maybe,’ continued Newton. ‘But something he said worried me – McCauley said he knew what we’re doing. Could he?’

‘Did he now,’ answered Jameson thoughtfully. ‘That’s interesting.’

‘Just interesting ? That could be serious couldn’t it?’

‘Oh I shouldn’t worry,’ said Jameson, brushing it away. ‘He might have suspicions but I doubt he can really know anything we need to be concerned about.’

‘Anyway,’ said Newton, getting to the point, ‘yesterday, was that a typical day? I mean it was all very interesting and everything, but I can’t say it really used my skills. How does a fully qualified physicist particularly help you with that?’

‘Oh that was just a warm-up,’ said Jameson. ‘Just to get you in the zone, so to speak. As it happens I’ve been drawing up a few proper jobs for you. There’s one in particular you will enjoy – you can start today if you want. Perfect job for an academic.’

‘What’s that then?’ asked Newton, intrigued.

‘Let me see,’ said Jameson, ruffling some papers. ‘Ah yes, here it is. Case 225/7A, Flavian LeClarard.’

‘Who’s he?’ asked Newton.

‘An astrologer, 17th century. Mean-spirited little charlatan. Nowadays, he’d be called a mere conman, but back then his mumbo jumbo was no joke, no joke at all.’

‘OK, go on.’

‘The little tosser flitted from court to court giving bogus advice. Really, really bad advice. In fact, it was downright evil. It says here that he’s thought to have started five minor wars, one revolution and a famine – all in the name of the stars, of course. He’s supposed to be trussed up and forgotten, but he’s been getting back to earth somehow and causing mayhem.’

‘What kind of mayhem?’

‘Well he’s been popping up at religious settlements, you know, the whacko fringe stuff, cults and so on. He goes all end-of-the-world on people, scares them senseless, then talks them into doing the old mass-suicide shindig. Nice easy target for him, you see – those culty folk have the most concentrated gullibility on this earth. We’ve had incidents in Brazil, Honduras, the Solomon Islands and Bishop’s Stortford. Adds up to about 200 dead, all attributed to our little friend here.’

‘Nasty,’ said Newton. ‘For fun or profit?’

‘Fun, we think, it’s all a bit senseless. He’s just carrying on with what he liked to do when he was alive, namely using mysticism to persuade impressionable people to commit horrible acts.

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