Black Easter Read Online Free PDF Page B

– Baines was not in the smallest doubt that Ware should have the credit – with great nicety. After one more such trial run, simply to rule out all possibility of coincidence, he should be ready to tackle something larger; possibly, the biggest job of them all.
    Baines wondered how it had been done. Was it possible that a demon could appear to a victim in the form of a pneumococcus? If so, what about the problem of reproduction? Well, there had been the appearances all over medieval Europe of fragments of the True Cross, in numbers quantitatively sufficient to stock a large lumberyard. Contemporary clerical apologists had called that Miraculous Multiplication, whichhad always seemed to Baines to be a classic example of rationalizing away the obvious; but since magic was real, maybe Miraculous Multiplication was too.
    These, however, were merely details of technique, in which he made a practice of taking no interest. That kind of thing was for hirelings. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to have somebody in the organization who did know something about the technicalities. It was often dangerous to depend solely on outside experts.
    ‘Make out a cheque for Ware,’ he told Jack. ‘From my personal account. Call it a consultation fee – medical, preferably. When you send it to him, set up a date for another visit – let’s see – as soon as I get back from Riyadh. I’ll take up all this other business with you in about half an hour. Send Hess in, but wait outside.’
    Jack nodded and left. A moment later, Hess entered silently. He was a tall, bony man with a slight pod, bushy eyebrows, a bald spot in the back, pepper-and-salt hair, and a narrow jaw that made his face look nearly triangular.
    ‘Any interest in sorcery, Adolph? Personal I mean?’
    ‘Sorcery? I know something about it. For all the nonsense involved, it was highly important in the history of science, particularly the alchemical side, and the astrological.’
    ‘I’m not interested in either of those. I’m talking about black magic.’
    Then no, I don’t know much about it,’ Hess said.
    ‘Well, you’re about to learn. We’re going to visit an authentic sorcerer in about two weeks, and I want you to go along and study his methods.’
    ‘Are you pulling my leg?’ Hess said. ‘No, you never do that. Are we going into the business of exposing charlatans, then? I’m not sure I’m the best man for that, Baines. A professional stage magician – a Houdini type – would be far more likely to catch out a faker than I would.’
    ‘No, that’s not the issue at all. I’m going to ask this man to do some work for me, in his own line, and I need a close observer to see what he does – not to see through it, but to form an accurate impression of the procedures, in case something should go sour with the relationship later on.’
    ‘But – well, if you say so, Baines. It does seem rather a waste of time, though.’
    ‘Not to me,’ Baines said. ‘While you’re waiting to talk to the Saudis with me, read up on the subject. By the end of a year I want you to know as much about the subject as an expert. The man himself has told me that that’s possible even for me, so it shouldn’t tax you any.’
    ‘It’s not likely to tax my brains much,’ Hess said drily, ‘but it may be a considerable tax on my patience. However, you’re the boss.’
    ‘Right. Get on it.’
    Hess nodded distantly to Jack as he went out. The two men did not like each other much; in part, Baines sometimes thought, because in some ways they were much alike. When the door had closed behind the scientist, Jack produced from his pocket the waxed-paper envelope that had contained, and obviously still contained, the handkerchief bearing the two transmuted tears.
    ‘I don’t need that,’ Baines said. ‘I’ve got your report. Throw that thing away. I don’t want anybody asking what it means.’
    ‘I will,’ Jack said. ‘But first, you’ll remember that Ware said that the demon