The bright sun of the first summer month illuminated the lively scene of Jerusalem, through the streets of which merry crowds moved from all sides to the central square. There was to be a great celebration. Until now, it was called Christ the Savior Square. By the decree of the Council of the Great Organizer, it was renamed Lucifer the Benefactor Square. The celebration of this dedication was to take place with a nationwide prayer service to Lucifer, the Giver of light and rain, and the growth of the fruits of the earth. The crowds marched merrily, reminiscent of ancient pagan festivals. Hymns were sung everywhere in honor of the beneficent Spirit. Women, hung with garlands of flowers, walked, embracing men. Most of them were very drunk, if not drunk. But there were also gloomy faces, looking with fear and indignation at what was happening around them. At the side of the crowd walked two handsome men, thoughtfully watching the people's merriment. "Well, our Antiochus shows his cards," said one, a handsome man with an expressive, intelligent face. - The formal adoration of Satan begins. What do you say about the revival of satanic mysticism, my friend Edward, a former rationalist, an opponent of Christian mysticism? "Don't prick my eyes, Valentine, with this wretched rationalism. I am ashamed to think that I supported fools who imagined to work for the same reason, when they worked only for the Antichrist. It is not the first day that my eyes have been opened, may the Lord forgive me for my past betrayal. But how I would have laughed at the Sorbonne if I had been told that I was listening to a lecture on the same bench as the Antichrist. Edward Osborne, a sturdy man with the vigorous face of his Anglo-Saxon race, and the Russian, Valentin Stozharov, were comrades at the University of Paris. Stozharov was now a practicing physician, and Osborne, who had recently arrived in Jerusalem, was the Oriental correspondent of the London Gazette. "Yes," said Valentine, "the pitiful historical role has been played by rationalism, which has refused to see the most essential side of life. But now there is no need to talk about it. We have clearly entered the last age of the world, and our question is only to keep with Christ all who are still capable of it. That's why I gave up my old thoughts about professors and science. It's no longer worth doing... But," he went on, lowering his voice. "I have not yet explained to you why I invited you to this blasphemous feast. Something very extraordinary awaits you there... Do you remember when you thought the Apocalypse was senile nonsense? But today you will see with your own eyes the two prophets of the Apocalypse, Enoch and Elijah of the Christian faith [1]. "Are you talking about famous itinerant preachers?" -Namely. These preachers, who had already alarmed Antiochus, came to the capital... And they are genuine, Enoch and Elijah. Elder John himself told me this. Have you heard of him yet? -No. - Well, you know the old legend about the immortality of the Apostle John, the friend of Christ. Our Christian people are convinced that Elder John is none other than him. He doesn't say anything about himself. But I believe the rumor, and when you see him, you will believe it too. He is a deep, gray-haired old man, with a majestic apostolic appearance, full of life and indescribable calm inspiration. He loves to talk about the Savior. But that's not the point. John, Enoch, and Elijah will appear at the wicked feast and will presumably spoil the celebration of Lucifer and our Great Provider. He stopped suddenly when he saw the white cloaks of the two Templars approaching them suspiciously. The Templars were then the Great Organizer's guard and the most intrusive part of his police. "Are you citizens so unhappy?" said the Senior Templar. "Or are you the only ones in the whole city who do not rejoice in the new beneficent era inaugurated by the wondrous organizer?" "Venerable knight," replied Osborne modestly, "be indulgent to the provincials who do not yet know much about the affairs of the Great Organizer. We also went to the holiday to be enlightened... After all, of course, the new patron of the people is none other than the Buffomet of your valiant Order. - Yes, it's the same thing. Now he reveals his cornucopia to the people who have seen their sight. Be cheerful, buddies. The two guardians of order withdrew, and Valentine and Edward intervened in the crowd to hide from their view. Then they moved to the side again. "Lydia will be with the witnesses of Christ," Valentine whispered. -Lydia? Luchitskaya? - Yes, she is, with a group of other Christians. "I thought you had been husband and wife for a long time. For her father, when he was dying, entrusted his orphan to you. "We loved and still love each other, and after the old man's death we were going to get married. But it was here that we met Elder John for the first time. "The end is near," he said, "now is not the time to think about marriages. Prepare yourselves clean to stand before the Heavenly Bridegroom." Lydia was glad to hear these words. She tried to console me for my refusal, but I thought to myself: what kind of marriages are really at such a time! Since then, we have lived as brother and sister, sometimes together, sometimes apart. Of course, I take care of her and guard her as best I can. Meanwhile, the crowd carried them out into the square, flooded with an ocean of people and luxuriously decorated. In the middle stood a huge statue of Lucifer, depicted as a mighty winged angel, but contrary to Christian symbolism, with a large beard and a menacing expression. In his raised hand he held a cornucopia, from which rained sheaves of wheat, bunches of grapes, and fruit. From several bandstands, placed around the square, the priests of the new cult - from the clerics of the so-called Universal Church - delivered sermons. Eduard and Valentine squeezed their way to one. The preacher, dressed in Christian garb, studded with some cabalistic signs instead of Christian symbols, proclaimed a new era of prosperity to the people. He said that hitherto the people had given themselves into the hands of God, who had kept them from hand to mouth, had declared all the pleasures of the flesh to be sin, and had demanded fasting and chastity. Everything that nature is drawn to was suppressed as if it were sin. Now the time of deception is over. Lucifer resolves all that is inherent in human nature. Let everyone eat, drink, enjoy luxury and beauty, love every woman he likes. The more a person's days are full of pleasures, the more pleasant it is for the beneficent Lucifer. The loud, passionate speech of the priest was interrupted by the enthusiastic shouts of the crowd: "Glory to Lucifer, down with deception, long live the joys of life!" But the real celebration had not yet begun: they were waiting for the arrival of the Great Organizer, who for some reason delayed. Suddenly, Valentine whispered to Edward, "Look, look, there are prophets coming." At the edge of the square, a small group of men and women burst into the crowd. Two old men walked in front. Their majestic posture and coarse hairshirts set them apart from the disheveled crowd. Among the Christians accompanying them, a young woman stood out with her beautiful, inspired face. "Lydia," whispered Osborne, "how she has changed." It was no longer the charm of a cheerful girl, but the matured, strengthened beauty of the holy martyress. "Let's join them," Valentine said, but it was impossible. The crowd moving in the same direction had thickened too much. It tore apart even the Christians who surrounded the prophets. The crowd parted only in front of the prophets themselves, who approached one of the bandstands. "Come down, give me a place, servant of Satan," said Elijah in an authoritative voice, and the priest involuntarily obeyed. The two prophets ascended almost alone. Most of their companions were wiped off. Lydia was also squeezed into the crowd. The whole square fell silent, all eyes were fixed on the strange aliens, the rumor of which had long since spread far and wide. And so they began to speak, replacing and supplementing each other with individual remarks. This speech sounded like a menacing denunciation. It was reminiscent of the innumerable blessings that people had received from God, whom they were now betraying, exposing the deception of Satan, who lured people with the lentil soup of sensual pleasures in order to deprive them of eternal bliss; resembled the infinite love of God and the self-sacrifice of Christ; recalled, finally, the boundless power of God, before which all the forces of his enemy were nothing. The crowd listened at first as if spellbound, and the Christians scattered among them sang enthusiastically, "Glory to God in the highest." But these voices were few in number, and at the words "We praise Thee, let us bless Thee," everything was drowned out by the loud roar of the worshippers of Satan - "Glory to Lucifer", "Down with the deceivers", "Down with non-existent bliss", "Let the joys of the earth live". The priests were the first to set an example for the crowd, which menacingly advanced on the stage. Shouts were heard: "Down with the false prophets, beat them, drag them off the stage!" But some invisible force did not allow anyone to move from words to deeds, and when Elijah raised his hand, the screams stopped. The words of the prophet resounded menacingly throughout the square: "Foolish people, you forget God's love, you respect only strength, you glorify your Lucifer, imagining to receive earthly blessings from him. By the power of the Lord given to us, we will show you that earthly goods do not depend on Satan. Let us not give you a drop of rain this summer, and let your harvests, and your grapes, and all the fruits of the earth, be consumed by drought." But then again the cries of the enraged people were heard: "Damned sorcerers, they want to starve us, beat them!" With tenfold fury the crowds rushed to the stage, but a kind of suffocating heat met them, and whole rows of assailants fell suffocating all over the square. A murmur of terror swept over the place of the proposed feast. The people fled in all directions, crushing each other, and in the midst of this chaos the prophets slowly withdrew, before whom they all parted in fear. The general confusion separated Valentine and Edward. The fleeing crowds carried them in different directions. Valentine looked around to see where Lydia had gone, but she was nowhere to be seen. In the meantime, a great misfortune awaited her. At the other end of the square, a dense crowd of runners enveloped and dragged away the young Templar, who tried to escape with curses. "Foul, cowardly dogs," he cried, "how they flutter away, it is disgusting to look at their distorted faces!" Somehow he managed to escape, and he walked down a quiet alley, stretching his crumpled arms and legs, and reflecting on the incident of the day. "I can't help admitting," he muttered, "that they are powerful sorcerers. And where did they come from? I myself felt the blow like an electric spark, and the suffocation squeezed my throat as the sorcerer swung in my direction. Suddenly he stopped and looked closely. On the other side of the alley, a familiar figure moved quietly. -Lydia... M-lle [3] Luchitskaya! Could it be you? What an unexpected meeting. Are you also caught up in the rework of this damn day? At first she stared in bewilderment. "Ah, it's you, Jani Kleft. It's been a long time since I've seen you... And well, you turned out to be a Templar... Could it be that our good, chivalrous Yani also betrayed Christ? "And you, beautiful Lydia Vasilievna, still remain a stubborn Christian?.. It's time to give up this archaeology... But you know, this meeting rewards me for all the ugliness of the day. After all, I have received a personal order from the Great Organizer to find you. You should be flattered that he remembers you. Where do you live? Lydia was embarrassed and silent. He grinned. -I see it. Probably somewhere in a secret hideout... And you don't want to get mixed up with these people! Well, I don't care, I'm not a detective. But if I cannot find out your address, I must ask you to accompany me to the Great Organizer. It flared up. "I'm not going to see him... She staggered to the side. He caught up with her in two jumps. "I'm sorry, but I'm obliged to obey orders, even if only by force..." And I don't understand your refusal. Of course, he's not plotting any evil. Otherwise, he would not have entrusted me with the task, but would have ordered the police. If he has chosen me, an old friend of the house, it means that he wants to act in a friendly way... I do not know... Maybe some request, some offer that is beneficial for you. Methinks. You have nothing to fear." I had to submit. In vain she looked all the way to see if there was any help, and after a while they were standing before the door of the splendid Great Organizer. Enoch (Enoch) and Elijah (Elijah) are biblical prophets who were taken alive to heaven. Before the end of the world, they must come to earth and proclaim it ^ Kabbalah (Hebrew - tradition) is a mystical teaching and practice in Judaism. It was created as a result of the combination of Jewish religious thought and Babylonian-Persian magic. Kabbalists, in particular, unraveled the mystical meaning of letters and biblical names. Tikhomirov writes at length about the Kabbalah in The Religious and Philosophical Foundations of History (chs. XXV-XXVIII) ^ Abbreviation from Fr. Mademoiselle - Mademoiselle, Young Lady ^

III

A few months passed, and Lydia sank into the water. In mortal anxiety Valentine searched for her, but in vain. In no shelter could he find any information about her, and only learned here and there that she had disappeared, not alone, but many others. What these mysterious disappearances meant, no one could understand. Christians had been arrested, imprisoned, and executed in large numbers before, but this was done openly, even in an effort to make the persecution known and frightening. Now people were disappearing secretly. The general bewilderment of the Christians increased even more when some of the disappeared began to reappear in the world. But in what form! They couldn't be stolen. They turned out to be zealous adherents of Antiochus, worshippers of Lucifer, and deniers of Christianity. They either shunned their former friends or tried to lead them into the path of renegadeism. It was also clear that they or others of the disappeared had revealed many Christian secrets to their enemies, since hideouts previously inaccessible to the police were being exposed. They were searched, many of the fugitives were arrested, imprisoned, and put on trial. Christians had to change their shelters, abolish the old ones, and start new ones. But it was in vain to try to extract anything from the renegades, where they had been, what had been done to them, or to learn anything about the fate of the other missing persons. They kept a strict silence about all this. "But is it possible that none of them has a spark of conscience and a heartfelt memory of their recent beliefs? Valentine pondered. "It's like some kind of bewitchment." And it occurred to him to try his luck through an old priest who had long been forced to hide in hiding. This old man was diligently sought by the police on charges of insolent denunciation of the Great Organizer and of inciting Christian fanaticism. He proved on the basis of the Apocalypse that Antiochus was either the Antichrist himself or his immediate forerunner, and that he and all his schemes would inevitably perish, together with Lucifer and all his followers, at the imminent appearance of Christ. At that time, much was said about the Apocalypse, and everyone, even non-Christians, no longer denied the prophetic clairvoyance of the Apostle John. But opinions differed sharply as to the ultimate events of the Apocalypse. Those who had fallen away from Christ asserted that their clairvoyance betrayed John in their depiction, and that he, predicting the victory of Christ and the coming of the extraterrestrial kingdom of God, no longer wrote in the spirit of the prophets, but in the Christian "partisanship." Christians, on the other hand, took the course of the future literally according to the Apocalypse. But this shook confidence in the strength of the existing government and in the correctness of government policy. The rebellious priest was therefore sought everywhere. He had a beloved spiritual daughter, the young Agnia, a dim-witted, but kind, pure soul, ardently attached to her mentor. Now Agnia was among those who had disappeared and then reappeared, a zealous renegade, so that she did not even show herself to the former spiritual director. And yet he continued to remain quietly in his former hiding-place. Obviously, Agnes betrayed everything else, but not her affection for him, and did not betray him to her enemies. It occurred to Valentine that through this priest he could learn from her about the fate of Lydia, especially since Agnia treated Lydia with the ardent love of her younger sister, presenting her as the ideal of all perfections. It was not easy to lure Agnia somewhere for an explanation. But Osborne's sister helped. She invited Agnia to her place, inquiring about the cult of Lucifer. Meanwhile, in the next room, the apostate's former confessor and Valentine sat in ambush. When Agnes began her explanation in praise of Lucifer, the old man suddenly entered in tears and sank heavily into the chair beside the unfaithful spiritual daughter, while Valentine stood at the door to prevent her from jumping out. Agnes was stunned, and the priest lamented: "My poor, beloved daughter, why have you ruined yourself, with what sorcery the wicked have bound your soul..." He wept like a child and fell to his knees before the icon with loud appeals of God's mercy to the traitor and to him, who had not been able to save her poor soul from destruction. Agnia listened and felt as if the fog was dissipating in her head. Memories of the past revived in her, and she herself began to weep when Valentine began to reproach her indignantly for daring to speak of the alleged religion of rapists, of abducting women: "Where is my poor Lydia," he exclaimed, "what have the servants of your Satanic religion done to this unfortunate woman, where have they hurt her?" The reminder of Lydia finally broke Agnia. She threw herself on her knees before the priest, begging him to save her and hide her from the terrible sorcerers who had destroyed her soul. Then began a long, rather stupid confession of a naïve girl, who was poorly aware of what was happening in the hands of the "sorcerers". But Valentine, who was well versed in hypnotism, had no trouble understanding what was going on. Agnes was subjected to intense hypnotization, during which she was instilled with an aversion to Christ and love for Lucifer, and soon succeeded. At the same time, however, they were evidently convinced that she was a mere passive somnambulist, and they let her go, without informing her of further influences, but being content with her as an ordinary proselyte. "So they need active psychic powers," Valentine reflected, "but for what?" "But where is Lydia," he inquired, "is she there, and what is being done to her?" She knew very little about it. She saw Lydia but did not speak to her, and then Lydia was transferred to some other rooms. "And all this is done in the palace of the Great Organizer?" Agnia replied in hysterical sobs that she had not been in the palace at all, and had not seen the Great Organizer in her eyes, but she was at the "of Babylon." Valentine involuntarily shuddered. The "harlot of Babylon" was the name given by Christians to a kind of dominant church of the time. About the debauchery that took place with her, about various sorcery, about the worship of an evil spirit - among them there were the most terrible rumors. Valentine was generally familiar with this church, officially called the "Universal Church," organized by the Great Magician Apollonius on the ruins of a Roman church; he knew that it was dedicated to the cult of Lucifer, and that there was no abomination that could not be found in it. It was also an institution of the Inquisition, and many Christians died in its prisons, especially in Rome. So this is the nativity scene in which the ill-fated Lydia found herself. This Universal Church, affiliated with the Knights Templar in Jerusalem, had its parish in the Temple. Of course, Agnia was immediately hidden in a safe shelter, where she prayed from morning to night, begging God for forgiveness of her betrayal. But how do you find and rescue Lydia? Agnes only knew that she was being held in the Temple, and had not been taken anywhere, since the administrator of the "sorcery," Apollonius, had recently mentioned Lydia to his subordinates. But Agnes knew nothing of the Temple's rooms except her own room. Valentine racked his brains in every possible way, thinking of how to find Lydia. It occurred to him that there was something he could do through Yani Kleft, a Templar rumored to be close to the Great Organizer. "After all, he is an old Sorbonne comrade, a friend of the Luchitsky family... Let us suppose that Antiochus himself, a former friend of mine, was received in a friendly manner, and Apollonius himself was... But Antiochus is no longer to be thought of, and Apollonius is a filthy animal nature. It would have been calmer if he had never seen Lydia in the eye. But Kleft is not that. It was a noble, honest heart. It is unlikely that Antiochus could have spoiled it altogether. Of course, he doesn't know anything about Lydia, but in his position he can certainly find out if he wants to." The idea of turning to Jani Kleft came back to him more and more often. But he decided that it would be better to consult Bishop Augustine, whom he loved and respected very much. "A mind is good, but two is better. Any mistake taken by her friends, in Lydia's position, may be fatal to her."

IV

Amazing are the fates of human relationships! It would seem that not so long ago, some ten years ago, this same Lydia Luchitskaya, over whose terrible fate Valentin pondered, was the center around which people who were now divided into irreconcilably hostile camps united in friendship. It was in Paris. Although France had faded politically at the time, Paris played the role of ancient Athens in the world, and attracted young people from all over the world to its higher schools. He also attracted the Russian Luchitsky family, consisting of a widowed father and a young daughter Lydia, who studied at the famous Paris Conservatoire. Luchitsky himself, a former professor, was still a fresh old man, hospitable, and fond of youth. Lydia fascinated everyone who met her. Lively, intelligent, talented, she immediately attracted with the spiritual charm of her face. Her blue eyes, as deep as the sea, were especially striking. Still almost a teenager, she was able to subdue much older people with her independence. Young people crowded into the house of the Luchitskys, whose evenings were famous for their graceful liveliness. But even then Lydia was in a religious mood and disappeared from society, spending whole days in church or praying in a locked room, and no one dared to find this "strange." Among the young guests of the Luchitskys were Valentin Stozharov, a medical student who was expected to be a star of the scientific world, Antiochus Mason, Apollonius Zagros, and Edward Osborne, an Englishman who worked diligently on social issues. Antiochus Mason, an American Jew of dark origin, was striking in his brilliant abilities and energy. He delved into all the sciences and, among other things, seriously studied the Kabbalah and occultism. His almost mysterious ability to influence people was astonishing. With his boundless ambition, he seemed to be the natural leader of the masses. Apollonius, an Oriental, either Syrian or Persian, was a member of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, but he was entirely immersed in Occultism and Theosophy, and at the end of the course he traveled a great deal in the East, studying the mysteries of the Kabbalists, Dervishes, Fakirs, and Yogis. He was Antiochus' closest friend. The general favorite of the company at that time was Jani Kleft, an Albanian, not always inclined to the sciences, but attracted by his youth, cheerfulness and noble character. The young men all courted Lydia, but she knew how to prevent rivalry from quarrelling, and in general they formed a close circle of friends. Where did all this go at the end of the course? Everyone dispersed, immersed in the social life of that difficult era, full of internal struggles, which separated even the closest friends. In it, the greatest historical role was assigned to Antiochus Mason, the true exponent of the prevailing spirit of the times and the final link in human history. He was at the head of all events. And the epoch was complicated, unique, liquidation. In essence, the human psyche was, of course, the same as always, good and evil fighting in hearts. As always, good flowed from God and led to Him, as always, evil flowed from man's self-assertion, which tears him away from God and therefore binds him to his enemy. But now the results of this age-old struggle were being summed up, and in the general balance there was an immeasurable predominance of self-assertion, which had reached the point of usurpation of Divine power. There was a complete distortion of the reality of existence, which consists in the absolute predominance of Divine authority, and the direct intervention of the Deity was required to restore this reality. But with its restoration, the meaning of the old world, which was needed precisely for people to come to a conscious understanding of what the true reality of existence is, also ends. This epoch of liquidation, in spite of the extraordinary nature of its designs, was not essentially creative. It only summed up the results of the millennial work of human self-assertion in all spheres of life, everywhere banishing the Divine law and everywhere placing human desire and reasoning as the supreme law. Of course, this manifested itself in various forms. The last decades before the beginning of our narrative represented, from a socio-political point of view, the dominance of socialism, which sought to be molded within the framework of strict communism [3]. But nowhere could they hold on to this ground, because there is no place for freedom in strict communism. The aspirations for freedom constantly erupted in the form of an anarchic disorder that destroyed all the structures of communism. In this way, the productive economic forces were undermined from all sides. Communism suppressed free initiative, anarchism abolished compulsory labor. The peoples sank into poverty and insecurity, continually passing from a state of semi-serfdom to a state of savage arbitrariness, during which each one, according to his strength and fortune, seized a fatter piece for himself as easily as he subsequently lost it. Such a life irritated everyone all the more because the desire for sensual goods filled all hearts and constituted the main content of human desires. The legends of the old days of mighty bourgeois production, of wealth and splendid life, aroused only fruitless envy, because there were no longer any forces in society capable of reviving the discipline of the working class, which was necessary for the bourgeois system. But the present situation, which was always poor, sometimes to the point of utter poverty, aroused general irritation and reproach. Terrible civil wars, often turning into international ones, completed the general devastation. Weary and disillusioned peoples were ready to give themselves up to anyone if only they could be torn out of such an unbearable life. It was on this soil that the brilliant political career of Antiochus Mason grew, who, in the prime of his youth, managed to achieve the highest power in the world - the President of the Union of Nations, which he also organized from the ten powers that then divided the globe among themselves. While still in school, Antiochus became a Freemason and attracted the attention of the central Jewish community, Kol Yisroel Haberim, which worked to establish the world dominion of the Israeli people. The genius of Antiochus early aroused in this society the idea of putting him forward in due time as the Messiah. By accepting him as a member and secretly directing the activities of Freemasonry, Kol Yisroel Haberim gave Antiochus all his powerful support, which he knew how to make full use of. He became famous as a writer, became a world-famous leader of workers' organizations, received ministerial posts in various countries, played major diplomatic roles, and on several occasions showed outstanding military talents. Of his old schoolmates, Apollonius was always his constant friend and assistant. Jani Kleft admired Antiochus' talents and was ready to do anything for him, but he proved to be fit only in the military field as a brilliant partisan; Antiochus, however, greatly appreciated his devotion and courage. With his worldwide popularity among the masses, his enormous political connections, and the support of the ever-penetrating Freemasonry led by Kol Yisroel Haberim, Antiochus in a few years created for himself a peculiar position as an international figure, more powerful than the kings and presidents of the republics, and managed to unite all the powers into one Union, of which he was elected President. The power of the President was so great that the heads of the individual powers were entirely in his hands, and Antiochus immediately began extensive reforms throughout the world. Economically, he immediately introduced a new system everywhere, which, while forcibly preserving state communism and the right of unlimited state intervention, restored private property, private production, and free trade on the basis of the rights of temporary and perpetual possession. This quickly revived production, secured private interests and personal initiative, and led to a prosperity that, compared with yesterday's poverty, seemed magical. The whole world recognized Antiochus as a genius, and the popular vote in all the powers gave him the special title of Great Organizer, with the extension of the power of the President of the League to the size of the imperial. He chose Jerusalem as his capital, which at that time became the largest center of world trade. But these state reforms, for which Antiochus was praised by mankind, were but a trifle in his own eyes. He saw his true greatness and his great historical work in an entirely different idea. It was born in him in connection with the intellectual and religious evolution of the age. Long before Antiochus, this evolution was characterized by the downfall of both materialism and all positive religions. Huge masses recoiled from Christianity. The centuries-old efforts of Freemasonry were directed against it, and the main blows of all anti-religious trends - materialism, rationalism, positivism, all deniers of the mystical element - were already raining down on it. But if Christianity, as well as other religions, suffered a terrible undermining, then the anti-mystical trends, having fulfilled their historical mission, quickly began to wither. The very development of science dealt blows to materialism, which gradually became the property of only very undeveloped people. Mysticism was energetically resurrected, but on the basis of ancient pagan, Gnostic and Kabbalistic foundations, the guardian of which was Freemasonry itself. The influences of Hinduism and Buddhism joined this. In the revived mysticism, the Satanism of the Middle Ages also manifested itself more and more strongly. As an advanced man who stood at the height of science, Antiochus was fully imbued with this anti-Christian mysticism, which he transformed into a special system. He created a religion of man-worship, in which he himself occupied a central place, and the enemies to be deposed were Christ and the Christian God, understood as real persons. The internal decline of the Christian churches had lasted for a very long time even before Antiochus, and was noticeable even when, according to old memory, they still retained their authority among the masses of the people, and the governments thought it necessary to reckon with them, now by buying them with favors, now by resorting to austerity. In their general spirit, the churches of the different confessions differed little, so that the Christians who began to delve into the prophecies of the Apocalypse saw in all confessions the signs of the churches of "Sardis," "Philadelphia," and "Laodicea." Little by little, Christians began to draw closer and separate from each other, not so much on the basis of rituals and formulas of dogma, as on the basis of their spiritually religious moods. The decay of Christendom is especially marked by the rationalistic tendencies of the Sardisian epoch, of which it is said in the Apocalypse: "Thou hast a name as if it were alive, but it is dead." Theological science developed with the appearance of religious flourishing, but the very essence of faith – life with Christ – was abandoned. Christ Himself began to be presented not as God living in people and leading them to the Kingdom of Heaven, but as a wise teacher of the good conditions of earthly life. The mystical has faded, the mystery has become a rite, a belief in philosophy. But the more fervent religious people began to draw closer to each other on the basis of spiritual life, and there arose what was called the "Philadelphia Church" by an apocalyptic term. The clergy and people of this trend, without separating themselves from their churches, lived their own special lives, and the higher hierarchs seemed to be some kind of sectarians. For a time, however, the Church of Philadelphia became officially dominant because it was headed by the Orthodox Patriarchs and the Pope. This was a brief moment in the prosperity of Christianity, and the "Philadelphians" soon reverted to their former position. The ecclesiastical authorities treated them as a living reproach to themselves. The civil authorities disliked them because they did not want to give to Caesar what belonged to God. The evolution of the Church of Sardis led to a further downfall, culminating in the "Laodicea" era, in which there was complete religious indifference, and the thoughts of the pastors were concentrated on the possession of earthly goods. This was the heyday of Antiochus Mason's political career. At first, he continued to feed the hierarchs of all confessions, and with pleasure he watched their moral corruption. But his aims were the complete destruction of Christianity, and he charted the way in which the church itself was to grow into an instrument for denying Christ and serving his enemy. He had once completed the Templar degrees of Freemasonry, and now conceived the idea of restoring the Knights Templar. As in the Middle Ages the Order, which had been a sort of vicar church of the Pope, had become the church of Buffomet-Sataniel, so now the Christian church, in alliance with the Templars, could most conveniently be transformed into the church of Lucifer. Templarism, in changing certain points of the rule, seemed useful to Antiochus because it historically connected the church of Baffomet with the Roman universal church, albeit in the form of a heretical mystery. If the former popes suppressed heresy, the present ones could sanction it. And so, when in one war the army of Antiochus occupied Rome, he purposely created various quarrels with the Pope and declared him deposed. The pope fled, and the conclave, obedient to Antiochus, elected in his place Apollonius, who had previously been promoted to the episcopate. A considerable part of the Roman Catholics, among them the Jesuit Order, remained faithful to the former Pope, who, at a council of his few adherents, declared Apollonius a usurper and excommunicated him. This did not prevent Apollonius from leading a further revolution in Christianity. He declared that the Church of Rome, as universal, should include all the beliefs of the universe, and that the Knights Templar, supported by the best Popes, expressed the true spirit of the faith and rightly desecrated the symbols of Christian intolerance. A huge council convened by Pope Apollonius confirmed this and decreed that the Roman Catholic Church, freed from intolerance, should proceed to the unification of all confessions. Accordingly, several learned rabbis, mullahs, and Buddhist priests were placed among its bishops, without being baptized. The Templar Order was restored, with some changes in the statutes, with the abolition of the vow of celibacy, declared the protector of the Church, and placed under the supreme jurisdiction of Antiochus as the unifier of mankind. This insolent coup, which made a mockery of historical facts and logic, was calculated to make a multitude of nominal Christians glad to leave real Christianity on any pretext, and a multitude of clergy equally glad to restore their income and honour under the banner of any creed. And so it happened. The new Church, which assumed the title of Universal (translation of the word "Catholic"), began religious unification with the resurrection of the Gnostic teachings, with an admixture of Kabbalah, etc., and without hesitation quickly replaced the cult of Christ with the cult of Lucifer, retaining only some semblance of Christian vestments. Bishops of all denominations who did not submit to the Universal Church were declared deposed. This church, called by the Philadelphians the "of Babylon," received enormous material resources taken from the Orthodox and Roman Catholics as well as their churches. Its capital remained ancient Rome. Here, in the Vatican, the pseudo-pope lived, the College of Cardinals was located, to which all real power was given. Apollonius himself, at the end of the reforms, renounced the papal throne and received the post of Grand Magician under the President of the Union of Nations. He was in charge of all the occult institutions of Jerusalem. As for the Knights Templar, it was given its former historical seat in Jerusalem. As in ancient times, it consisted of clerics and knights. The Templar sacraments, identical with those of the "of Babylon," were under the jurisdiction of the clergy. Knights also participated in them, if they received proper initiation. But in general, Antiochus thought most of all to create a higher political police force from the knightly part of the Order, like the former Russian corps of gendarmes, but at the same time he wanted to have his own Life Guards from the knights. This duality was reflected in the inconsistency of their recruitment. Some of the knights were fond of the mysteries of Buffomet-Lucifer, some willingly played the role of police, some did not want to know any mysteries and were ashamed of police activity, dreaming of being true knights, the ideal of courage and honor. This lot of knights cared a lot about the military reputation of the Order and in their spare time led a cheerful and riotous life of guards officers. In total, the institution was deprived of internal unity. But Antiochus cared little for this, for he found that the less internal unity there was in the institutions, the easier it was for him to manage them as he pleased. It was the trait of a pure despot. He wanted only his personal power, and believed only in his own mind. The Grand Master of the Order was Larmenius, an obedient servant of Antiochus. In Jerusalem, the main "Temple", the castle of the knights, was rebuilt, on the outskirts of the city, in a grove, according to legend - the same enchanted grove where the fearless Tancred himself was once frightened, on the shore of a huge pond, which received the name of the Templar Lake for its size. There were also extensive laboratories and museums, not inferior to those in Rome, for the production of magical-occult works with all kinds of sorcery. These institutions nominally belonged to the Universal Church and its subordinate clerics of the Order, but in fact they were placed in the possession of Apollonius. As in Rome, hypnotism and psychic influence on people, objects, and the forces of nature made great strides here. Lucifer worship was already taking place in the Temple, accompanied by subtle forms of debauchery. In Rome, in the worship of Lucifer, even human sacrifice was practiced according to the Druidic ritual [6]. The prisons of the Temple in Jerusalem were also extensive, although they were inferior to those of the Romans. Under the Universal Church, the Inquisition was restored. But in the Temple in Jerusalem it was chiefly prisoners for political matters that were kept, while in the Roman prisons the graves of those convicted in matters of religion were found alive. Such was the state of the institutions at that time, to which the beginning of the events narrated in our country belongs. In Solovyov's writings, Apollonius is "undoubtedly a man of genius, half-Asiatic and half-European, a Catholic bishop" (Op. cit.). - T. 2. Moscow, 1990. p. 747) ^ Occultism (Latin: occultus - secret, hidden) is a mystical doctrine based on the idea of the existence of supernatural (occult) forces with which it is possible to enter into communication by means of magic. Theosophy is the mystical knowledge of God. In 1875 the Theosophical Society was founded in America, headed by H.P. Blavatsky, whose teaching was a kind of "mystical Buddhism" ^ Here and further Tikhomirov expounds the theses of his work "Social Mirages of Modernity" (1891) // Tikhomirov L. Liberal and Social Democracy. - Moscow, 1896 ^ "Kol Yisroel Haberim" is the proper Jewish name of the Alliance Israilite Universel (the first modern international Jewish organization, created in 1860 in Paris to help Jews throughout the world). I take this name only as appropriate in meaning, not at all wishing to say that the patriotic society mentioned in the story was the Alliance Israilite Universel ^ The name of Satan before his fall ^ Druids were priests among the Celtic peoples in ancient Gaul and Britain, who performed sacrifices (including human sacrifices) ^

V

The Orthodox Bishop Augustine, a native of Russia, to whom Valentine went, was hiding at that time. He was hated by the Great Organizer, especially for his work in converting the Jews to Christianity. The Philadelphia church, by the high spiritual life of its members, their firmness before the authorities, and their self-sacrificing help to themselves and others, attracted the attention of the best part of the Jews, whose church life was in a great decline. Bishop Augustine, convinced that the time of Israel's salvation was coming, was a zealous missionary among them. He had a close friendship with Baruch Hatzkiel, a scholar and the most universal rabbi who had long worked on the question of the Messianic significance of Jesus Christ. He had not yet openly embraced Christianity, so as not to alienate his fellow tribesmen, but he supported the preaching of Bishop Augustine among them, and a great number of Jews were baptized in recent years. This irritated the Great Organizer, who hoped to find in Jewry a strong support for his plans. Augustine was accused of fanaticism and sowing discord among the various confessions. He had to go into hiding, but Valentine visited him. "My friend, Father Vincent," he said, "is visiting me now, having listened to Valentine. Pater is a Jesuit, and it is useful to consult him. Yusuf, ask Father Vincent to come to us." Yusuf was a Christian youth who served the bishop on a regular basis. His father, Ivan, was a Russian who had migrated to Palestine, and his mother, Maria, was an Arab, both devout Christians. On their farm, not far from Jerusalem, there was one of the Christian hideouts. Father Vincent, a Pole by birth, was not slow to appear. Nothing in his appearance or costume betrayed his spiritual rank, and in the boutonniere of his frock coat shone a red flower with five petals, which Valentine sometimes met with passers-by on the street. Augustine related the incident of Agnias and Lydia, recommending Valentinus as a man of unquestionable trustworthiness. "There is no need to speak of Klepht Yani," remarked Vincent. This is the most faithful chain dog of Antiochus. But we can probably do without it. We have our own members in the Temple. After all, I'm a Templar myself: I'm wearing their badge in my buttonhole. It is worn when going out without a uniform. True, I am not of great rank - only a "worldly accomplice". I preferred this title in order to be less under the supervision of a grandmaster. But there are also higher ranks from the Jesuits. We need to check with them." A few days later, he received certificates, but they were not satisfactory. "In the room of the Temple," they read, "something is going on that is difficult to understand. Under the direct supervision of Apollonius, experiments in collective hypnotization and action at a distance are performed. Participants in such a collective action are recruited not only their own, but also others, voluntarily or forcibly. They are combined into special groups called "psychic orchestras" or "psychic batteries." The experiments, in the first phases, are carried out quite openly, but afterwards they are more and more shut up in secrecy from those who do not take part in these studies. What is known is that those who are intended to be members of the orchestra are subjected to complex hypnotic training, which is intended to subdue their will in order to direct it where it is required. The means of subordinating the will are varied, but, according to rumors, among them great importance is attached to the development of sensuality, for which they resort to various love filters, and even allegedly do not stop at rape. This was the story of a young scoundrel, a Templar who, he said, had been instructed to seduce one of the captured women. It is known about Agnia that she easily succumbed to hypnosis, but did not have the abilities necessary to enroll in the orchestra, so she was soon released. But Lydia's fate is more terrible. It is known that Apollonius tinkered with it for a very long time and fruitlessly. She did not succumb to hypnosis at all, she treated with proud contempt the luxury with which they tried to surround her, she did not take wine or exquisite viands into her mouth, the stupefying fumes had no effect on her. In the end, it was hidden somewhere, but where and for what purpose is unknown. Jani Kleft must know something about her, as he himself told his close comrades about her. He seems to have fallen quite in love with her, mentions her with reverence, and even seems to have grown cold to Antiochus because of her." Such were Father Vincent's certificates. "The only thing left to do, it seems, is to pray for her," Bishop Augustīns concluded sadly. But Valentine was stubborn and continued to look for ways to get to Lydia. The thought of Jani Kleft reawakened in him, and again he feared lest he should spoil matters completely. He went to consult Osborne. He didn't quite agree with the bishop. "Of course, we need to pray," he remarked, "but with the political plans that are brewing in our minds, we may be able to do something for Lydia." Valentin lived out of politics. Osborne, on the other hand, was one of those Christians who, seeing Antiochus's evident desire to eradicate Christianity altogether, wondered if his dominion could not be overthrown. Edward was at the head of them. The moment seemed auspicious for the attempt. The fact is that the threat of the mysterious Elijah and Enoch at the failed festival of Lucifer was fully realized. No one remembers such a drought as depressed the land in this year, which began under the most favorable climatic conditions. Not a drop of rain fell anywhere. Fields, vegetable gardens and orchards dried up and burned out. It was harvest time, but there was nothing to gather. The world was struck by widespread hunger. The calamity was increased by the general egoism of the time. Everyone thought only of themselves, and the starving man could not get a piece of bread anywhere. Only Christians helped those in need, but what could they do! Governments had to open up all their food supplies, but the people were still starving, and they were getting irritated and criticized. As a matter of fact, there was not the slightest sympathy for the prophets-denunciators, and no one thought of repenting before God. The prophets went through all the countries with exhortations, and everywhere they were met with hatred. Many times these messengers of misfortune have been torn to pieces, and each time death has befallen those who dare to do so. The crowd cursed the "sorcerers", but they aroused terror, and confidence in the authorities fell. "What did the Government boast of its own strength and Lucifer's?" the people explained. - Clearly, Christian sorcerers are more powerful than they are. And why are the food supplies so insignificant, why has so little been done to irrigate the fields, why has nothing been done to produce artificial rains?" Edward and his associates decided to take advantage of this to provoke a rebellion. Putting aside religious disputes, they shifted the agitation to the inability of the Union authorities and their negligence for the welfare of the population. It was necessary to remove all the rulers - such was the slogan of the conspirators. They hoped that the Christians, having become the leader of the movement, would gain popularity, and that in a coup d'état it would be possible to bring many Christians into power. "I am afraid, my friend," said Valentine, "after listening to these plans, that you will be of no use. But it is possible that in the general confusion, with the defeat of the Temple, it will be possible to free Lydia and the other missing... Well, for that price, I'm willing to join you." Even so, it was necessary to find out where Lydia's confinement was located in the Temple. And the thought of Klepht stirred in Valentine's mind again.

VI

In the palace of the Great Organizer there was a meeting of his Supreme Council on the same dangerous mood of the people. The members of the Council were representatives of the powers, the highest officials of the Great Organizer's office, and the Templar Grand Master. Apollonius was present as secretary to Autiochus. The head of the guard was Jani Kleft. The speaker read reports on the mood of the people and information obtained by the police about a Christian conspiracy to stir up an insurrection. In general, the matter seemed to be very serious. One of the representatives of the Powers asked the Great Organizer for an explanation of how the prophecy of the wandering prophets about the drought with all its disastrous consequences could be fulfilled. "We provincials," he remarked, "are accustomed to think that, with the profound development of magical knowledge and art in the reign of our great Antiochus, the state power possesses the means of destroying the sorcery of these vagabonds. And yet she was powerless in front of them." The Great Organizer replied that this reproach was a manifestation of the public's usual ignorance of the laws of magic. In the first place, these vagabonds undoubtedly possess great magical powers, and began their operations quite unexpectedly, and when the spasm of the atmospheric elements produced by them had already taken its effect, it was impossible to destroy it without destroying the sorcerers themselves, since they could easily maintain an established fact of nature against even much stronger magicians. The best means of paralyzing this fact is to destroy the persons who caused it. But it was a perfect accident that delayed the coming of him, the Great Organizer, to the feast of Lucifer, and then itinerant preachers still wander all over the country, and they could not be detained. The first time they come, he will put an end to their existence. In anticipation of the future, he asks the authorities of all powers not to be stingy in the distribution of food and all sorts of surrogates. As for the revolt planned by the Christians, he hopes to crush it and eradicate the rebellious sect completely. In conclusion, the Organizer briefly acquainted the Assembly with the newly formed psychic batteries and, noting that he could not yet reveal in detail their full significance, asked the representatives of the Powers to send to replenish their personnel with the most gifted will. At the same time, he proposed a number of measures for general management. Having decreed the measures proposed by Antiochus, the Council began to disperse. And Jani Kleft, visibly overshadowed by the Council's discussion of psychic batteries, stepped aside to the Great Organizer and excitedly asked permission to speak to him. Antiochus said, with some surprise, that such an old friend and devoted servant could certainly say whatever he wanted. Yani began to speak passionately about Lydia's unfortunate fate. Could the great aims of Antiochus, he said, require the torment and death of a young girl, pure and beautiful, whom the organizer had once known well and intimately? Yani is inexpressibly tormented by the thought that he has become an unwitting instrument of her misfortunes, since it was he who sought her out and brought her. He begged for her to be released, at least as a personal favor. The Great Organizer looked at him slyly. "Oh, my friend, I see that the beautiful Lydia has touched your heart.. Well, calm down, I'll give it to you. "I'm not asking you to give it to me," Yani replied embarrassedly. "I know I'm not worthy to receive her hand and heart, and without that I won't allow myself to lay a finger on her..." I only ask for her to be released, to be set free. Antiochus continued to smile slyly. -Wow! The feeling is not a joke. Our brave Templar has turned into a romantic knight... Okay, I'll talk to Apollonius. Be calm. Go to your guardhouse. Jani went out, and Antiochus called the Great Magician and told him to let Lydia go. Apollonius made a displeased grimace. "Organizer, if we lose our best souls to the tender feelings of the young knights, not much will survive our plans. For a number of reasons, I can't give Lydia the right. - What's so special about it? Where is she? What do you do with it? Apollonius began a detailed account of how much he had been messing around with Lydia. This, he said, is a rare nature, of tremendous willpower and spirituality, a holy soul in the full sense of the word, of which there are very few. It's impossible to miss. By mastering it, it is possible to work miracles of influencing even angels, no doubt, and the more difficult it is to conquer it, the more necessary it is to achieve it. So far, all his efforts have been in vain. Nothing conquers her. He, Apollonius, would be ready to subject her to the most cruel tortures, but he knows that nothing will come of it. She will die, but she will not renounce her will. He is now trying the last means on it, and he needs it even for his experiments. -Where is she? The Organizer asked. "Now in the Astral Spirit Tower." I have decided to bring her to the point of complete exhaustion, to achieve catalepsy, and when I have brought her to that point, I hope I shall be able to hypnotize her and make her submissive to me. He established a special regime for her: complete loneliness, lack of impressions, a starvation diet, half-light, sleep deprivation and constant monotonous irritation. She is surrounded by astral spirits, which he often materializes. They are not needed for moral influence, they are powerless in this, even larvae [1] do not find in it passions to which they could cling. Apollonius even summoned Lucifer's angels, and they could not influence her. Astral spirits are needed only to maintain the incessant melody of hopelessness and to awaken Lydia with sudden knocks and jolts. Now it has reached the point of exhaustion, and concentrated broths have to be poured into it so that it does not go out, like a lamp without oil. But he hopes that very soon he will plunge her into catalepsy, which he will put into a quiet hypnotic sleep, and then he will achieve the conquest of this unyielding soul. Antiochus listened intently. -Curiously. Let me take a look at your patient. -Come along. Unbeknownst to them, Yani, full of concern for Lydia's fate, was eavesdropping as much as he could on their conversation through the crack of the door. When he heard that they were about to go, he hurried to warn them at the Tower of Spirits. He knew this tower well, the object of terror of the guards. In it the Great Magician kept a collection of astral spirits, and mysterious sounds were often heard from it, and sometimes hideous snouts peeped out of the narrow window, trying like leeches to attach themselves to a sentry who inadvertently approached too close. The road to the tower led along a wall with high battlements, behind which it was easy to hide. One prong was about three paces from the door of the tower. Yani hid behind this prong and waited with bated breath... Here the Great Organizer and the Magician appeared. They entered the tower without noticing Yani and left the door half-open. He heard everything and saw a little. Antiochus looked around curiously. In the semi-darkness, on the bed, Lydia could be seen lying in a layer, her hair fell to the floor, her face, pale and emaciated to the last degree, seemed quite dead, only her eyes glowed feverishly, and a weak breath occasionally raised her sunken breast. She lay motionless, and above her several astral spirits sang monotonously, without interruption: Jesus will never be with you again, the world is now ruled by a mighty other Spirit... And at times she whispered faintly, "Get away from me, Satan. Save me, beloved Jesus." "Stubborn," said Antiochus. "But what are we to do?" -Nothing much. Leave it to me, let me finish the experiment. "And Yani?" After all, I promised... - Empty... I'll bewitch that sigher to some pretty girl, and the foolishness will pass. - And that's true. Okay. They left, locking the door. Yani came out of his hiding place deeply indignant. But what to do? How to save the unfortunate woman? In any case, we have to restrain ourselves for now. "Well, Lord," he said to Antiochus in the palace, "may I hope?" He patted him gently on the shoulder, "Wait a bit, buddy. Apollonius will soon let her go. You just need to strengthen her strength a little. Be calm. Poor Yani did not return to the Templar barracks himself. His pure feelings for Lydia, his admiration for her martyrdom, his indignation against the treachery of Antiochus, all raised a storm in his soul. Now everything was muddled, and in this whirlwind of thoughts a decision was brewing more and more clearly: to snatch Lydia from the hands of her executioners or to take cruel revenge. Evil Spirits ^

VII

Apollonius eagerly recruited members of "psychic orchestras" among the Jews. This was done openly, there was no shortage of volunteers, and the Jewish community at first had no objection to these exercises, which were apparently of scientific interest, and at the same time satisfied the greed for all that was extraordinary and miraculous, which prevailed at the time. But little by little, they began to notice that those who attended the courses were cooling off towards Jewishness. The High Council, Kol Yisroel Haberim, made it clear to the great synagogue that it did not approve of the participation of Jews in psychic orchestras. "The children of Israel," his letter said, "should influence the goyim, but not submit to their influence." In the meantime, there was a case of secret kidnapping of a Jew, namely Mark, the son of Boruch Hatskyel. At first, he was begged to join a psychic orchestra, seeing in him great occult abilities. When he flatly refused, they seized him in the street and began to forcibly subject him to experiments. Mark resorted to trickery. He pretended to be interested in the new business, and, being by nature very little subject to hypnosis, played the part of the most sensitive somnambulist, and at the same time showed his real power as a magnetizer. This rare combination of his abilities drew special attention to him from his superiors. He began to be initiated into more and more complex experiments, with which he became very familiar in this way. Enrolled in the higher psychic battery, he was released to his father on the most friendly terms with his superiors, and now only occasionally came to them for exercise. He did not feel any harmful effects from these activities, probably because he played the role of an active magnetizer. But most of the members of the orchestras, especially those who were forcibly captured, reached, according to Mark's account, the most miserable mental state. Sluggish, lifeless, with the juices of the soul eternally squeezed out of them, so to speak, they almost ceased to resemble conscious human beings. But the force which had to be extracted from them, and which Apollonius called "will," was not diminished, but increased, as the special measuring apparatus showed, but it no longer belonged to them, nor was it directed by them to action. Boruch decided to report this to the elders of the synagogue. After hearing the report, the Assembly forbade Jews to join psychic bands without special permission from the Synagogue Council. This permission was given to Mark in order to observe the experiments. As for his forcible abduction, there were voices in the Assembly accusing Boruch Hatskiel himself. The learned Kabbalist Ezra Gaon especially rebelled against him. "You see, Rabbi Boruch," he said, "your association with Christians leads to the point where your family is mistaken for Christian. Nothing of the kind was done to loyal Jews. How could it be otherwise, when we in Antiochus will probably wait for the coming of the Messiah, blessed be His name. Now, because of you, we Jews will be compelled to complain to the great Antiochus and spoil our friendship with him." Boruch argued heatedly: "How can the blessed Messiah know the fallen angel Samael, whom Antiochus calls Lucifer? How can he practice sorcery? Not the Messiah, but the enemy of the Lord of hosts, we can see in Antiochus, who worthily bears the name of the ancient adversary of God..." [1] Ezra was greatly offended by the words about sorcery, as he himself was diligently delving into magic. But the Assembly did not allow the dispute to come to an open quarrel, and decided that in any case a deputation should be sent to the Great Organizer to complain of the violence against Mark. Antiochus received the complaint with displeasure; and replied that it was some private arbitrariness, which he would investigate and punish. At the same time, he did not fail to remark that the Jews did not seem to be able to complain of their position in his government, and that he expected their assistance in his vast plans for the organization of mankind. Ezra, who was on the deputation, was full of assurances about the hopes of the Jews in the Great Organizer. In the meantime, Boruch went to Bishop Augustine to talk about the strange schemes of the authorities, taking Mark with him. And Valentine came to the same place, because it was only when he heard of his adventures that he sought to question Mark in detail. In many respects, the young Hatskiel supplemented his information about "psychic batteries." The groups of persons composing an orchestra or battery are formed of men possessed of various occult powers, so that they may complement each other in one collective effect upon other men, or even upon inanimate objects, as well as upon astral spirits. Psychic batteries are trained to paralyze people at a greater or lesser distance, or to compel them to certain actions, and to move objects by psychic force. The participants of the batteries are not necessarily like-minded people - but people with a strong "will", as Apollonius puts it. This will is regarded as the material out of which a force develops, such as steam, gunpowder, dynamite, etc. And just as gunpowder, in whatever hand it may be, produces its effect in the same way, so the will can be set in motion by the one who has seized it. The training of the battery members is precisely aimed at subduing them, giving their will into the hands of the battery manager. It is not a question of whether these persons are of the same mind as the leader, but whether they are sufficiently enslaved to him spiritually. The only difference is that the like-minded person gives himself voluntarily, while the other-minded person must be conquered. To do this, it is necessary to destroy in him everything that prevents such enslavement and maintains his personal independence. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve his renunciation of Christ, of God in general, and to kill his moral sense. All this is achieved through hypnotic suggestions and the artificial development of sensuality. Not everyone is able to do this equally easily. The stronger the soul, the more difficult it is to conquer it. And the soul is all the stronger the more spiritual element there is in it. Apollonius calls the highest "saints" and says that they have an angelic nature. But, in his opinion, they can also be enslaved. In enslavement the soul retains its natural faculties, even though they are used in a very different way from what it would have done if it had remained independent. Apollonius attaches great importance to the development of sensuality, since it connects man with matter and separates him from God. Even more important is sexual sensuality, which is aroused by various magic drinks - filters, - by arranging amorous adventures, and sometimes, says Apollonius, simple rape is suitable. Another way of enslaving the soul is through the development of pride, but it is more difficult in practice, so that it has not been used before. In this way, Mark introduced his listeners to both the theory and practice of psychic batteries. But as for Lydia's fate, he knew much less. He knew that she was extremely unyielding, and Apollonius directly tortured her with his experiments, and finally imprisoned her in the Tower of Astral Spirits. Mark knew this tower because he was a member of the highest psychological orchestra and participated in experiments on influencing the beings of the astral world. On one occasion this orchestra was commissioned to produce a collective effect on Lydia, which was unsuccessful. Lydia's torment must have been very severe, as even one Templar, Jani Kleft, was loudly indignant about it. All this was precious information, and for the first time Valentine was no longer a dream, but a hope to free Lydia. After the Jews had left, he spoke to the bishop about it. "Yes," said Augustine, "there really seems to be some possibility at stake. Mark, if his father tells him to, can help with something. It is necessary for Father Vincent to take care of his friends. In general, we should try to prepare something for the time of Osborne's rebellion. But this is still a very difficult task. After all, the unfortunate woman has to be snatched by cunning or force directly from the depths of hell. The Temple is a sturdy castle and, of course, well guarded. It is necessary to gather all the methods and combine them into some harmonious plan. We will try not to waste time. - What do you think of Kleft? "I think it's dangerous to talk to him after all. He may sympathize with her, he may resent her torment, he may even be displeased with Antiochus. But he's their man, not ours. And he will not part with them, he will not go over to us. Rather, she will propitiate her Master, in order to somehow beg for her mercy... No, it's dangerous to talk to him. An allusion to Antiochus IV Epiphanes (Epiphanes), a Syrian king of the Macedonian Seleucid dynasty (reigned 175-164 B.C.). During his reign the Temple of Jerusalem was desecrated, which provoked a revolt of the Jews under the leadership of Mattathias and Maccabees in 167, which threw off the Syrian yoke over Judea (see 1-3 of the Maccabees in the Holy Scriptures) ^

VIII

The raid on the Tower of Spirits, for all intents and purposes, could only have been carried out during a rebellion being prepared by Osborne. It was appointed on the day of the National Holiday, i.e. the annual celebration of the constitution introduced by the Great Organizer. This attack seemed to Osborne to be a useful diversion, even from a purely military point of view, and would have disposed of such forces as would not otherwise have joined the rebellion. There were many Christians who were convinced that the end of the world was coming and therefore considered political upheavals to be useless. But it was among such people that everyone was willing to take part in the liberation of those who were languishing in prison. There was no shortage of manpower for this task. But it was necessary to know where to find these languishing in prison, how to bring them out, how to reach them, so that in a moment of danger they would not be driven by the jailers to another place. Of course, it was probable that some of the missing Christians would be freed by the destruction of the Temple, but probably the least important, the least guarded. What is the evidence that Lydia, whom her tormentors most cherished, will be released? Valentine believed that the raid on the Tower of Spirits should have been organized, albeit in connection with the general attack on the Temple, but as a separate and independent part of this enterprise. In order to free Lydia, it was necessary to investigate the Tower of Spirits well, how to get to it quickly, capture it suddenly, take the prisoner out safely, and escape with her. In the end, the liberated woman had to be sheltered in a very safe shelter. That was the least difficult part of the task. But for the first part of it, it seems that some kind of assistance was needed within the Temple itself. Boruch allowed Mark to take part not in the revolt in general - since the synagogue did not want to overthrow Antiochus - but specifically in the liberation of Lydia. It was a valuable assistant in the investigation of the Spirit Tower. But the Jesuits, friends of Father Viketius, declared that they could not compromise their position on account of so trivial a matter as the release of one or more prisoners. They agreed to give all sorts of information about the Tower of Spirits and the approaches to it; An attempt could have been made to have a sympathizer of the enterprise placed on guard, if the conspirators had such a person. But there's nothing else they can do. That was not enough. Meanwhile, just at this time, Elder John arrived in Jerusalem. Valentine had never missed an opportunity to see him, and now, since Lydia's capture, he had longed to talk to him about how to save her. He believed that the inspirations of the elder are always undeceiving. The elder loved Lydia very much. But shortly before she went missing, he had left for Syria, and now he was returning for the first time. Valentine found him at Bishop Augustine's talking about the Syrian refuges. Valentine told Edward the truth: it was enough to look at the elder to recognize him as the Apostle John. Tall, majestic-looking, gray-haired, he showed no signs of decrepitude, and seemed to be out of time. It was impossible to say how old he was. The wisdom of millennia was imprinted in his eyes and on his calmly expressive face, he seemed to have already seen everything in the world, he knew everything, there were no surprises or worries for him. But the unfading inspiration, which embraced him as if with a bright halo, showed a constant living participation in everything that was happening. His face breathed love and meekness, but it was clear that at any moment it could burn with an all-burning fire against the enemies of his beloved Lord. Such was the apostle of love and at the same time the "son of thunder," as the Savior called his beloved disciple. The elder told the bishop about his labors in preparing shelters for Christians. "The time is near," he said. - A woman clothed with the sun must flee to the wilderness, where a place has been prepared for her by God, to be nourished there for 1260 days [1]. I've been preparing this place for a long time, but now I have to hurry." He set up hiding places in the most inaccessible mountains of Asia Minor, where the severe, hard-working population, zealous Christians, under the influence of his preaching, had long been preparing caches and caves, natural and artificial, in the forests and gorges, and recently began to collect grain reserves. "Cook, children," the elder said to them, "soon it will be impossible to buy anything anywhere," and the inhabitants hurried in order to be able to shelter and feed the persecuted exiles, seeing in this the fulfillment of the mission assigned to them by God. Valentine did not hesitate to tell the elder the sad story of Lydia and all that had now been learned about her, mentioning also Jani Klefta, a former friend of the Luchitskys, the current servant of Lydia's torturers, and his persistent idea to visit him, contrary to the opinion of Bishop Augustine. The elder listened attentively, asked for details, and finally said, "No, I cannot agree with Vladyka about Yani Kleft. It should be a good person and can be of great benefit. You're going to visit him. Of course, you need to start the conversation with caution. Don't worry so much. The Lord, of course, will not leave Lydia without help. Go to Kleft's and we'll see. I'll probably take part in it myself. "Bless me, then, father?" -Quite. God bless. Valentine had not been acquainted with Jani since his student days, and the closer Klepht came to Antiochus, the less reason he had to know him. I had to regret it now. But Valentin hoped that Lydia's case would provide sufficient reason to turn to an old acquaintance of the Luchitskys. He went to the Temple and ordered himself to be reported. But the knights could receive outside visitors only with the permission of their commander [2]. Valentin was not on the list of those admitted, so Yani went out to see him outside. He greeted his former comrade with some surprise. - We haven't seen each other for so many years! How did you come up with the happy thought of remembering me? Valentine explained that he had come to ask him for advice, and perhaps for protection. - Do you remember Lydia Luchitskaya, with whom we spent so many fun and intimate hours in our student days? Yani flushed. - Yes, of course... A charming person... A bright personality... But what's going on? Valentine said that she was left an orphan, in his care, and for some time was even considered his fiancée. Now she is missing, missing, most likely arrested on some charge as a Christian. He'd like to ask permission to see her, maybe she needs some help. Can Jani Kleft, as a Templar, advise him where to go with this, and maybe help him get permission? Jani Klift listened with visible excitement. "Ah," he said, "poor Lydia! I'm afraid she's in a very bad situation... I think you said she was your fiancée? "Oh no, she turned me down a long time ago. But she remained in my care. Yani looked around. "Let's take a little walk," he said, "and have a chat in the old student way." They made their way to the city's vast park, which abutted on Lake Templar. All the way, Yani chatted about the most indifferent subjects. When he reached the shore of the lake, he looked around once more. "Valentine," he said, "you are an honest man, and you love Lydia, and you will not betray me. Listen up. She can be considered dead, and I am the unwitting cause of her death. The only way to save her is to force her out of prison. The enterprise is almost hopeless. In it, you would have to risk your life with the slightest chance of success. But there is no other way. Valentine shuddered with joy. "I'm ready to die. I will also find selfless helpers. Tell me what to do? Is it possible to have any help from you? - Yes, I am ready to help as much as I can. Her fate weighs heavily on my conscience. I even made plans in my mind... completely useless until now. But - you come: it changes the situation... He quickly sketched out a rough plan of action. The Tower of Spirits, where Lydia is kept, rises on the inner wall of the Temple. On the other side of the wall stretches the vast Order Park, in which there are empty, always deserted alleys, and it reaches the outer wall of the castle, behind which the Templar Lake splashes. Sentries walk on both walls, at the slightest signal of which the guards from the guardhouse will come running [3]. Therefore, the sentries on both walls must be killed silently. Yani can lower the rope ladders on both walls in advance, and Lydia needs to have a sturdy sheet and ropes in store, as she will have to be lowered, lifted and carried in her arms. On the lake, you need to prepare a boat in advance. A lot of people are not required for the enterprise, the fewer there are, the less noticeable they will be. Ten people are enough, but strong and armed. "If I had been the captain of the guard this night," Yani added, "the matter would have been somewhat simplified, but such an accident cannot be counted upon. A great danger is posed by the astral spirits of the Tower, subordinate to the Magician, who will probably let him know what is happening. But there is nothing I can do to help it, and it only follows that the matter must be done with instant speed. They parted, agreeing on further meetings according to the signals they gave to each other. Valentine did not say a word about the Jesuit Knights or about Mark, who could probably paralyze the spirits of the Tower. But it was evident to him that the favorable outcome of Lydia's abduction was more favorable than Yani could have imagined, who knew neither of the presence of traitors among the Templars, nor of the fact that on the day of the attempted abduction a rebellion was to break out in the city. See: Revelation 12, I-6 ^ Komtur is a person in the Orders of Spiritual Knighthood who governs a certain area, the commandant of a fortress ^ Guardhouse - a room for the guard guarding the fortress gates ^

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