Leonard and Felix again looked blank, so she explained. You don’t know what Gnosticism is, right? Criminy. I’ll be really simple about this. It’s a dualistic belief in an unknowable good spiritual world and an evil material world—
Like the Cathars, Felix said.
Similar! Heaven only knows where they got these ideas; they probably originated in the East, maybe with the Manicheans. My guess is Bacon was so shocked by what he learned that he joined the Franciscans hoping to discipline his mind back to orthodoxy. Still, he was a scientist, so he had to record his knowledge — though not in a way others could read it. He enjoyed his life and didn’t want to die at the stake. Hence the Voynich. So now it’s your turn: time to tell me what you know.
Sally’s voice was so soft and enticing that Felix and Leonard both had their mouths open, ready to speak, before Leonard stopped himself.
Felix needs to go to the bathroom. Come on, Felix, I’ll take you.
But I don’t! Felix protested.
Kids! Leonard said, chuckling. Come on, Felix. You know what happens when you wait. He extended his hand, which Felix, reluctantly, took.
Sally was dumbfounded.
I’ll be right here, she said, needlessly, as uncle and nephew left the room.
Looking like a baby
Once they’d locked themselves in the bathroom, Leonard turned on the water.
You made me look like a baby, Felix said.
Sorry! I needed to get you out of there. I think it’s time I told you about Isaac, but quickly. Listen, and Leonard explained about Isaac’s calls.
I don’t really understand, Leonard said, except that it’s all connected: Isaac, your dream about the orchard, the clapping song, the Voynich, even Milione’s Manicheans! And we can’t tell anyone about any of it. Not even Sally.
But I like Sally!
Me too.
I want her to like us so she’ll marry you!
She’ll have to like us for who we are, Felix, because we can’t tell her anything. That includes whatever it is you did yesterday when you screamed. Isaac knows Grandpa, your great-grandfather, and Grandpa told me not to say anything, that’s what he always told me. And now there’s this thing we have to do, we have to talk to Roger Bacon — we have to stop him.
Okay, Felix said.
Sorry if I made you look like a baby.
That’s okay.
I know you’re not a baby, far from it.
Okay, Felix said.
While you’re in here, though, why don’t you go?
Okay, Felix said, and he did.
World peace and that sort of thing
Sally was waiting outside the bathroom.
I have a feeling you’re avoiding me, she said. Her orange-skin gown trembled a bit.
Never, Leonard said. The boy will speak with you, but not at this moment. There are still some things we need to understand.
Let’s take a walk, Sally said, and took their hands. Again, Leonard’s arm tingled from wrist to shoulder, though he was aware that by taking their hands, Sally had separated him from Felix. She led them down a back staircase, through a storeroom, to a back door with a song lock. She released Felix’s hand and stood in front of the lock so they couldn’t see the numbers she keyed in — the song lock played the first few bars of the Sue & Susheela theme song! Leonard was elated; if Felix and he had to leave quickly, this wouldn’t be a problem: harmonic-interval identification was a core subject at Pythagorean boot camp!
Then they were outside in that same courtyard where Leonard had seen the Baconians doing karate kicks. Leonard remembered what Sally had said that morning.
You said the guards are guarding the Voynich. So the manuscript at the library is a fake? Or did you grab it before we came here?
The one at the library is a fake. Peter made it by scrambling a few examples of the Voynich script, which is why Felix saw the letters dance.
Why do you guard it if it’s a fake?
Because they’re watching, obviously. They expect us to guard it.
Maybe you should let them uncode it. Once they realize it’s nothing, maybe they’ll leave you in peace.
They won’t leave us in peace — they’ll know it’s a fake. They may be idiots, but they’re not stupid.
Felix giggled.
Sally smiled at the boy, and Leonard realized it was a beautiful day — all gentle breezes and the like. Sally squeezed his hand and he had to do a five-second Pythagorean meditation to clear his mind.
Can you tell us more about your plans for the manuscript, Leonard asked, once you translate it?
I told you: I want to unite the Baconians and put the Cathars and other pretenders in their place.
You say you want this. Is this what the Baconians want?
I’m their leader, ever since I cracked the first line, Sally said. Dwane was the leader before, when he was progressing with the Brazen Head. The Brazen Head was a preoccupation of Roger Bacon, but not his principal preoccupation. I always said it was a waste of time. Now what I want, they want.
Once you’re reunited and the others are put in their place, what happens?
What do you mean?
Once you master the powers described in the manuscript and achieve your goal of bringing the Baconians together, what then?
I don’t know, Sally said. I suppose I’ll work on world peace, something like that.
Ah, Leonard said.
Sally led them to a picturesque bench under a blossoming pear tree.
You can climb the tree if you like, she said to Felix.
No, thanks, he said.
Sally turned from Felix, and it occurred to Leonard that she’d just tried to get rid of the boy.
It’s a big job, running the Baconians, she said. The others are slow. Lambiekins, you’re the only one who understands.
She squeezed Leonard’s hand now with both hands, causing tingles to surge past his neck straight through to the crown of his head. I need someone to help me, she said, someone like you, and Leonard could see himself becoming king of the Baconians, or at least their co-leader, here in this courtyard, near this pear tree, with Felix by his side, and Sally, dear Sally, always near him, his queen, really, only then, as he met dear Sally’s eyes, he saw it again, eyes that didn’t belong, looking out at him.
A Plan
GET OUT OF HER! he shouted. I mean it! Isaac, get your ibbur out of her!
Suddenly the world zigzagged — it shot forward and back, leaving Leonard nauseous from his toes to his afro, and Sally, who had apparently not heard him yell, saying, as if for the first time, You’re the only one who understands — and looking deep into Leonard’s eyes.
Leonard closed his eyes, so he wouldn’t have to gaze into eyes-that-weren’t-Sally’s. And discovered within himself a Plan.
The boy would like to see how the Brazen Head works, he said, when he’d reopened his eyes. Felix nodded obligingly.
I’ll tell Dwane, Sally said, taking Leonard’s other hand.
Now, Leonard said. Felix wants to see it now.
Sally looked at Leonard rather coldly.
Of course, she said, releasing his hands. Follow me, and the three went back inside.
Dwane and a few others were in the Brazen Head room. Sally explained what Felix wanted, and Dwane said, No.