Felix gasped. Carol as a baby, a girl, Carol playing her clarinet, getting the news about their parents, Carol watching Joseph walk away with his oboe, Carol kissing their grandfather, and Leonard, and Felix as they slept, Carol cooking her Chicken-in-Every-Pot Pie and making Felix go outside to play, Carol sneaking out of the house in her climbing suit, Carol storming the Baconian safehouse, tripping in the Business District, being beaten by a justice stick, Carol curling into the classic defensive position, being carried through a frozen world, unconscious in her wheelbarrow, lying, unmoving now, in Leonard’s bed. Unmoving, still unmoving, always unmoving …
Does the aleph ever lie? Leonard asked Abulafia.
Never, the man said.
I need to go home, Felix said, sobbing. I need to fix my mother.
Sorry, Mr. Abulafia.
Just Abulafia, please.
Sorry, Abulafia, Leonard said, and looked at the watch. Dwane was confused, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.
Time for us to go, he said. Goodbye, Mr. Abulafia. Come on, guys.
I need to say goodbye to Zedekiah, Felix said.
No you don’t, Leonard started to reply, but he was interrupted by Dwane’s reedy voice:
Kill the girl! She’s a liar! She’s evil! Kill the girl! She’s a heretic! She’s evil! The boy is a false prophet. Kill the boy! Kill them both!
What is this? Abulafia said, looking left and right. He didn’t seem to understand that the voice came from the watch. Am I having a vision? What mystery is this? What am I to understand?
Ugolino! Kill the girl! Ugolino! Kill the girl! Dwane cried.
Why do you call me this, Master? Abulafia cried, addressing the ceiling. It is I, Abulafia, Your faithful servant! Is this a sign? If only I had my aleph! Master, I thought I was to be Your Messiah! Tell me, Master, how have I displeased You?
Abulafia! Dwane said in a scheming voice. Why, yes, you’ve displeased me! Kill the girl, and you will please me.
Abulafia looked stricken, paler than his usual pale.
Is she to be my Isaac? Shall a ram appear to save me from heinous murder?
Abulafia had plainly gone mad — madder than mad, even! Leonard had to do something, but what?
I do not believe you wish this of me, Master! Abulafia said, still addressing the ceiling.
I do wish this! Dwane shouted. I wish this very very much! Kill the girl! Kill the girl! And the child! And the Stan with the big hair.
No one here matches that description, Abulafia said.
Sally grabbed the watch from Leonard’s hand and shouted, Go away, Dwane! We don’t need you here, Abulafia doesn’t need you.
My name is not Dwane! Dwane shouted. Kill the girl, kill the girl! I am your master, Abulafia, I command you!
Abulafia looked at Sally rather apologetically.
The voice is unequivocal, he said.
Dwane’s face was puffed and purple from the exertion of shouting and hating.
Look! Leonard said, putting the watch in Abulafia’s face. This isn’t your master, this is a face-spotted boy named Dwane.
Abulafia looked at Dwane and gasped.
That is not my master! he murmured.
That’s what I said! Leonard said, clapping Abulafia on the back.
This is one of the demons! Abulafia said. I am the Messiah! You have been false with me! This is one of the demons I must defeat in order to bring on the End of Days. I am ready for this ultimate battle! I had thought it would be in the presence of the pope that I would do this marvelous thing, but I am ready now!
I don’t understand, Sally said.
I am a demon! Dwane shouted. Kill the girl! Kill the girl!
We Masters of the Name, Abulafia said, use demonic ethers to attain prophetic states and transport ourselves, as well you know. The misuse of these powers by the uninitiated threatens the tender balance between good and evil in our world — your blind rabbi has dedicated himself to preserving that balance, precisely so that the Messiah — so that I—can defeat the forces of evil when the time is right. And the time is right, it is now! If the world were not about to end, I’d point you to Rabbi Isaac ben Yakov Ha-Kohen, who has written of this most eloquently in his Treatise on the Left Emanation. Please excuse me, gentlemen and lady, I must prepare myself for the final struggle … and Abulafia started toward the door.
Don’t forget to kill the girl! Dwane shouted.
Wait! Leonard shouted after Abulafia. First let this thing prove itself to be who he says he is. What is your name, demon? Leonard challenged. And you can’t ask the Brazen Head.
I, uh, I, uh.
You don’t know your name! Leonard called out. Come on, Dwane, what’s your name?
I, uh.
Even this small child here knows the names of all the demons in the third ether, don’t you, Felix?
I do, Felix said.
One last chance, Leonard said, as Abulafia approached to look again at Dwane’s face, which was the very picture of befuddlement. Who is the king of the third ether?
That’s easy! I am! Dwane said, smiling. I am the king-of-everything demon!
Trick question! Leonard said. Felix, do the clapping song with me, and Felix did.
Who is the king of the [clap] third ether?
Trick question!
There are [clap] three parts to the [clap] third ether!
Asmodeus is the king of the [clap] upper ether! And Lesser Lilith is his wife!
Kafkaphony is the king of the [clap] middle ether! And Kafkaphony has two wives!
Sarita is his wife for the [clap] first six months! Sagrirta is his wife for the second!
Kafsephony is the king of the [clap] bottom ether! And Mehetzabel is his wife!
Who is the king of [clap] all the demons?
Samael is the king of [clap] all the demons! And great Lilith is his wife!
Oh, yes, Samael is king of [clap] all the demons. Samael is king of them all!
The demon is a fraud, Abulafia said. I am sorry I doubted you. I am also glad I don’t have to kill you.
Sally, who had never heard the song, was astonished.
I knew you knew about the third ether — why wouldn’t you tell me! Felix’s drawing, the one he made for me, it was a drawing of the demons — I knew it was! It matched what I read from the Voynich! Bacon probably studied with your Mr. Kohen!
Bacon? Abulafia said. Feh! I don’t eat this trayf.
I was all alone, Sally said to Leonard. I was the only one who could see what I saw. I told you and you made me think I was crazy!
It was Isaac, Leonard said. He didn’t want you to know. He said you had to choose your destiny first, before you could know.
I can’t believe you didn’t tell me! I hate you, Leonard! I hate everything about you!
It wasn’t me! Leonard said, horrified, his ears turning red.
I hate you wholly and completely! I lied before: you looked stupid running through the streets in your sleepsuit, you should have been embarrassed! I hate you!