At the Pimple’s request we got out the spook-board and he read over the record to the Spook.
“That was the future,” the glass explained; “did you recognize the picture, Moïse?”
Moïse. “No, Sir.”
Spook. “Stupid! What did they find? Who were they? What was the house? Don’t be silly! You know it well. Read it again!”
(Moïse re-read the record.)
Moïse (in excitement). “Yes, Sir! I recognize it now. May I tell the mediums what the picture was?”
Spook. “Yes. Then no more to-night. Mediums are much improved, but this strains them.”
Moïse. “Good-night, Sir. And many thanks.”
Turning to Hill and myself, Moïse explained that in our trance-talk we had given a perfect description of the Commandant’s house. He was half crazed with excitement and nervous strain. It was “wonderful,” “marvellous,” “undoubted clairvoyance.” He congratulated us “from the base of his heart.” It was a “beautiful word-picture.” It was more—a “word-photograph”—and of a house we had never seen! It beat the photograph incident in Raymond (Moïse, by the Spook’s orders, had just finished translating Raymond to the Commandant), “for it was much more detailed.” He believed we were greater spiritualists than Sir Oliver Lodge. “Was it so?” “Was it not so?”
“Oh no, Moïse,” said Hill. “We are only mediums. He is in your position, you know—an investigator and recorder. But I suppose it is not unlike the photograph incident, as you say.”