“It’s reasonable enough that George hates Pendragon, but even if he does hate him and even if he was actually praying for him to be harmed, that doesn’t give a prop snake the power to carry out his wishes.”
“It isn’t the snake; it’s the power of George’s concentrated thought.”
“Thoughts can’t harm people,” said Terry.
“But they can—thoughts are things and evil thoughts are as powerful as good ones.”
She could almost see the thoughts passing through Terry’s brain. He was looking at her, assuring himself that she really was sane and had been up to this night quite normal, almost uninterestingly normal, and even while she tried to make her beliefs clear she was conscious of a feeling of exultation because for the first time she was actually interesting the man.
“I’ve heard of Indian fakirs who could paralyse parts of their own bodies so that knives could be thrust into them without causing the slightest pain, but I never heard of one who exercised such power over another person, but even if that were possible how would it help to send George away? If Gloria sent him away, he could still keep on thinking and worshipping snakes, too, for that matter,” he said, smiling.
“Professor Pendragon told me that if he had an enemy who was trying to harm him, he would try and destroy that enemy’s faith in his ability to harm. What we must do is destroy the snake first. George worships the snake or some power of which the snake is a symbol. Either way if we destroy the snake we destroy George’s confidence in his ability to harm.”
“I haven’t any objections to killing snakes. In my opinion that’s what the horrid beasts were created for, but this particular snake is probably very valuable—he belongs to the profession and everything.”
“Please don’t jest about it, Terry; it may be a matter of life and death. If I hear that Professor Pendragon is worse instead of better tomorrow, I will be sure. Then we must do something before it is too late. You must promise to help me.”
She laid her hand on his arm and looked up at him with such genuine fear and entreaty in her eyes that for a moment he understood and sympathized with all of her beliefs.