Strange Conflict Read Online Free PDF Page B

oneself every sort of self-indulgence if one wishes to practise the Black Art as for any other form of occultism.’
    â€˜That doesn’t fit in with your own performance this evening. We enjoyed a darned good dinner and plenty of fine liquor before you set to work.’
    â€˜True. But then, as I told you, I only proposed to perform quite a small magic. I couldn’t have attempted anything really difficult without having first got myself back into training.’
    Sir Pellinore nodded. ‘All the same, I find it impossible to believe that a man in Hitler’s position would be able to give the time to a whole series of these—er—ceremonies day after day, week after week, to discover the route by which each of our convoys is sailing, when he must have such a mass of important things to attend to.’
    â€˜I shouldn’t think so either. Doubtless there are many people round him to whom he could delegate such routine work, while reserving himself for special occasions on which he seeks power to bring about far greater Evils.’
    â€˜God bless my soul! Are you suggesting that all the Nazis are tarred with the same brush?’
    â€˜Not all of them, but a considerable number. I don’t suppose it has ever occurred to you to wonder why they chose a left-handed Swastika as their symbol?’
    â€˜I’ve always thought that it was on account of their pro-Aryan policy. The Swastika is Aryan in origin, isn’t it?’
    â€˜Yes. Long before the Cross was ever heard of the Swastika was the Aryan symbol for Light, and its history is so ancient that no man can trace it; but that was a right-handed Swastika, whereas the Nazi badge is left-handed and, being the direct opposite, was the symbol for Darkness.’
    Sir Pellinore frowned. ‘All this is absolutely new to me, and I find it very difficult to accept your theory.’
    De Richleau laughed. ‘If you had time to go into the whole matter you’d soon find that it’s much more than a theory. D’you know anything about astrology?’
    â€˜Not a thing; though a feller did my horoscope once and I must confess he made a remarkably good job of it. That’s many years ago now, but practically everything he predicted about me has since come true.’
    â€˜It always does if the astrologer really knows his job, isprovided with accurate data and spends enough time on it. The sort of horoscope that people get for half a guinea is rarely much good, because astrology is a little-understood but very exact science and it takes many hours of intricate calculation to work out the influence which each celestial body will have upon a child at the hour of birth. Even hard work and a sound knowledge of the science are not alone sufficient, as the astrologer must have had years of practice in assessing the manner in which the influence of one heavenly body will increase or detract from the influence of all the others that are above the horizon at the natal hour. But the labourer is worthy of his hire, and to pay ten or twenty guineas to have the job done by a man who really understands his stuff is worth it a hundredfold. One can make a really good horoscope the key to one’s life by using the warnings it contains to remould tendencies and thus guard against many ills.’
    â€˜Really?’ Sir Pellinore looked a little surprised. ‘I was under the impression that these astrologer gentry all believed that what the stars foretold
must
come to pass. That’s why I’ve never regarded my horoscope as anything but a curiosity. Nothing would induce me to believe that we’re not the masters of our own fate.’
    â€˜We are,’ the Duke replied mildly; ‘but our paths are circumscribed. The Great Planners give to each child at its birth circumstances together with certain strengths and weaknesses of character which are exactly suited to it and are, in fact, the outcome of the sum of all its