“He has swallowed the pill without winking,” said Hill, “and what’s more, it is working! But what’ll Lloyd George think of it? How did you get that photograph? Does he really know your father?”

It was my turn to be malicious.

“S’pose you find out for yourself,” said I. “Of course, you can ask the Spook, if you like.”

CHAPTER XIV

WHICH INTRODUCES OOO AND TELLS WHY THE PIMPLE GOT

HIS FACE SMACKED

After we had been a week in solitary confinement the Spook decided we were sufficiently “in tune” to begin the treasure-hunt. The Commandant, now that his fears of the consequences from the telepathy trial were at rest, had begun to show a little impatience. It was time to throw him a sop. Besides, we had now reconnoitred the ground, and had gained a good idea of the character of the man with whom we had to deal. We were ready for the next fence.

To the Turks the important part of the séances that followed was the treasure story. To us, the treasure story was only the jam that hid the pill. The séances were really an exposition of what goes on in all cases of conversion to spiritualism—the development of a theory of spooking which the Turk (quite unconsciously) made his own. We were building up, for Kiazim Bey, the Pimple, and the Cook, an experience of spooking which would give them the proper point of view when the time came to propose our migration from Yozgad. For, whatever the reader may think to the contrary, the Turk is a rational animal who, like everyone else, judges any new idea in the light of his own previous knowledge; and so, with infinite caution, we set to work to stuff him with the fallacious experience that was the necessary basis for the conclusion we wished him to reach. Had he shared the knowledge as well as the faith of some British spiritualists, it would have saved us a great deal of time and trouble. But as things were he had first to be taught the A B C of spiritualism, without realizing that he was being taught anything.[[25]]

Our first treasure séance in the Colonels’ House took place on the 14th March between 5.30 and 10 p.m. After the usual preliminary greetings, the Spook said it would explain a few things. I quote the séance record:

Spook. “Death is like birth. For some time after death a person is unable to communicate. Gradually he learns how to do so, like a child learning to talk. Now, the more violent the death, the longer it takes to learn; do you understand?”