The Spook explained that the strain of being under control for so long had been very severe on the mediums, and he had therefore “controlled” the Haidar Pasha doctors to give us a thorough holiday by sending us to England. The treasure-hunt was temporarily shelved on account of the disobedience and greed of the “double-faced Superior” (Kiazim). But it would not be for long. Very soon we would be back in Constantinople, possibly in the guise of Red Cross officers, with our health re-established, and ready to begin a new series of experiments and discoveries. Until we came Moïse was to continue to be honest, to live austerely, and to do his duty; for this was his training for the glorious future that awaited him.
The Pimple shook hands with me many times over. He walked off at last, his head high, and his eye bright with the vision of his coming omnipotence. As I watched his cocksure little figure striding out of the hospital gates for the last time—the Spook had told him not to come back—I felt inclined to call after him that he had far to go, and that his training would be long—very long—before he could become Ruler of the World. But I did not. I went back to the ward and Hill, and that was the last I saw of the Pimple.
Hill left Haidar Pasha on October 10th to join the sick who were collecting for repatriation at Smyrna. I remained behind—the hospital authorities explained to the Dutch Embassy that I “would commit suicide if placed among the English”—and finally reached Smyrna just too late to catch the first exchange ship, by which Hill travelled, but I got the second exchange ship a few days later, and we met again in a hotel in Alexandria.
The armistice with Turkey had just been signed. We had reached British soil perhaps a fortnight ahead of the “healthy” prisoners.
We shook hands.
“We’ve been through a good deal, old chap, and for very little,” I said, with a smile.
“Never mind,” Hill answered, “we did our best. It wasn’t our fault we had to wait so long for the boat, and nobody could tell the armistice would come like this. Come out on the beach.”
We went for a stroll together. It was good to be free again.