22nd March.—“On his morning visit,” my diary reads, “Moïse told us that the Commandant’s wife cannot sleep for thinking of the treasure. With a view to explaining their coming access of wealth, she and her husband have started a rumour that they have sold some property in Constantinople. Moïse has started a similar rumour about himself. He tells us that relations between the treasure-hunters are getting strained, and unless the Spook apportions shares in the treasure, there will be trouble. The Cook says he will not be put off with a small share, and unless the Commandant gives him at least a quarter he will report the whole business to the War Office.”
23rd March.—“A quiet day. Affairs still strained between the Commandant and the Cook, who is a man of one idea,—money! The Spook refuses to interfere or to apportion the shares.”
24th March.—“The low diet is working wonders. Hill and I are getting beautifully into tune. Several times during his visit Moïse noticed that we both made the same remark in the same words at the same moment. ‘Your two minds,’ said he, ‘are obviously rapidly becoming one mind.’”
Of course they were! But the Pimple never knew what a lot of practice it took to do it naturally.
IN THE PINE WOODS.—“WINNIE” AND NIGHTINGALE ON SKIS
CHAPTER XVI
HOW WE FELL INTO A TRANCE AND SAW THE FUTURE
Our next séance, held on the 24th March, purported to be an explanation of and an introduction to that special species of trance talk which appeals to all superstitious minds—the reading of the future. The real lesson which we wished the Turk unconsciously to assimilate was the fact that a “ray” exists—called by the Spook the “telechronistic ray”—which preserves both the past and the future in the present for anyone who can get into touch with it, and that Jones and Hill were developing the power to get into touch with it. At the time, the Turks paid very little attention to the telechronistic ray. Their interest was centred in the trance-talk description of the future finding of the treasure. But later on, when the Spook offered to disclose, under proper conditions, the whereabouts of all hidden treasures, the Turks remembered their lesson and themselves quoted the “telechronistic ray” séance as an argument in favour of the Spook being able to fulfil its offer.
Further, the trance-talk picture of the future was intended to be a very gentle introduction of the idea that when the treasure was discovered the mediums would be away from Yozgad, because they would send news of its whereabouts by letter.