‘Wow. I bet that’s an awesome sight,’ Kate murmured.
‘Truly magnificent. And while we can only assume that the Egyptians contrived an equally stunning spectacle, the Sacred Axis at Thebes was designed for one specific purpose: at the heliacal rising, the temple priests would draw the astral energy emanating from Sirius along the axis that connected the two temples.’
Hearing that, Finn said, ‘All right. I’ll bite. What’s astral energy?’
‘All stars emit electromagnetically charged energy,’ Cædmon replied. ‘The Egyptians believed that at the heliacal rising of Sirius, an opening was created in the cosmos, an aperture through which the energy of Sirius could be accessed and manipulated.’
‘And what does that have to do with the Dark Angel or those bastards at the Seven Research Foundation?’
‘I would think a great deal. German scholars in the Ahnenerbe referred to Sirius as the Black Sun. That being the same Black Sun depicted on the tattoo that you earlier showed me.’
Surprised, Kate’s eyes opened wide. ‘Which suggests that there is a connection between the Ahnenerbe and the Seven Research Foundation.’
Cædmon concurred with a nod. ‘Obsessed with Egypt, the Ahnenerbe was convinced that the origins of physics, chemistry and biology were encoded in the Egyptian glyphs, texts and sacred monuments. Whole divisions within the Ahnenerbe were dedicated to recovering the lost sciences of the ancient world.’
‘And wasn’t that a waste of time,’ Finn muttered disagreeably under his breath. ‘Talk about a bogus load of malarkey.’
‘Why is it so difficult to accept that the ancients may have possessed scientific knowledge that was equal, if not superior, to our own?’ Exhibiting the unflappable calm for which the English were famous, Cædmon stood his ground. ‘One need only examine the pyramids to know that the Egyptians were brilliant engineers.’
‘In fact, modern engineers still haven’t figured out how they built those darned things,’ Kate informed her sceptical companion.
‘And let us not forget that many of those pyramids were orientated to the constellations in the night sky. A notable achievement in any century.’
‘That reminds me, Cædmon.’ Kate suddenly recalled a remark made earlier in the day. ‘When we questioned the Dark Angel, she made a passing reference to “the great star rising with the sun”.’
‘Indeed? Then we must presume that the Seven Research Foundation knows about the heliacal rising of Sirius.’
‘Which leads to my next question: what was the purpose of drawing the astral energy from Sirius along the Sacred Axis?’
‘Ah! We finally get to the marrow.’ Blue eyes glittering, the man clearly in the know about something, Cædmon stared intently out of the window. ‘The purpose of the exercise was to create the Vril force by fusing astral energy to the telluric currents deep within the earth. And, according to the foremost Freemason of the nineteenth century, Albert Pike, the man who can glean that lost science can control the world.’
31
Jardins des Tuileries
‘I am grateful, Herr Doktor, for this opportunity to prove my worth,’ the chauffeur energetically affirmed. ‘And I will succeed where the Dark Angel failed.’
Ivo Uhlemann lightly patted Dolf Reinhardt on the chest, pleased that he relished the upcoming assignment. Although a coarse bully boy, he was dependable, a truncheon now in order. Time was running out with the heliacal rising of Sirius only three days away. Since Finnegan McGuire refused to surrender the Montségur Medallion, they must resort to brute force. Pity the poor Americans.
‘I have every confidence in your abilities,’ Ivo replied.
‘Would you like for me to drive you home beforehand, Herr Doktor?’
‘A bit more sunshine will do us both good, I think.’ Ivo glanced at the Schnauzer obediently sitting at his feet. ‘Since I’ve a yen for wild duck with chutney, I’ll have Boris drive me to Le Meurice when I’m ready to depart.’
With a blank expression on his doughy face, Dolf stared, uncomprehending. A man of plebeian tastes, he ate sausage by the pound and sauerkraut by the crock.
Suddenly annoyed, Ivo waved the chauffeur on his way.
Clucking his tongue, he signalled to Wolfgang that he was ready to continue the stroll through the Tuileries. Attentive, as always, the Schnauzer walked sedately beside him. While Ivo wouldn’t go so far as to claim that the beast was his best friend, the little salt-and-pepper dog had been a loyal and uncomplaining companion for the last twelve years.
Several minutes later, energy flagging, he sat down in one of the vacant chairs located near the model boat pond. Snapping his fingers, Ivo motioned Wolfgang to the shady spot beneath the metal chair. The pain in his abdomen severe, he took several slow deep breaths. As he did, he noticed the nearby statue of La Misére by Jean-Baptiste Hugues, a monumental nude whose limbs and torso were entwined with a constricting serpent. Ivo thought it cruelly apropos.
How the gods must be laughing.
Adjusting his panama hat to better shade his face, Ivo glanced around the pond, appalled at seeing scores of young people chattering on their phones or jabbing their thumbs across ridiculously small keypads. True narcissists, they were busily engaged in disseminating the petty details of their lives. To anyone and everyone.
Twenty years ago, these same youths would have each had their nose in a book. But, sadly, they’d had the capacity for wonder bred out of them. In its stead was a collective ennui that demanded an endless stream of mindless stimulation. While able-bodied, these loafers had no higher purpose. If they continued in this vein, they would not be able to meaningfully contribute to society. Once that happened, it would be difficult to justify their existence.
Determined to create a better world, Ivo knew that it was simply a matter of purging the horde. Certainly, there were capable and competent individuals. But too often they were held back by those of lesser intelligence. For years now, the imbeciles had been convinced by well-meaning do-gooders that their answer mattered. Their opinion counted. And, exacerbating the situation, the digital age had empowered these cretins, reinforcing the great deceit. The fact that the imbeciles reproduced at an alarmingly fast rate was a grave concern. Eventually, their escalating birthrates would enable them to conquer Europe without ever firing a single bullet.
Because that was a very real danger, those who did not meet requisite IQ standards must be sterilized. While the do-gooders would decry it as a drastic measure, Ivo contended that it was nothing less than scientifically controlled evolution aimed at improving the collective gene pool. A social theory that originated in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century, eugenics had been championed by such luminaries as Henry Ford, Theodore Roosevelt and Linus Pauling. Their opponents claimed that the criteria for determining a ‘defect’ was too subjective. Again, he would argue that a standardized IQ test was an objective measure.
And who among them would dare claim that ignorance was a virtue?
In point of fact, low intelligence had been scientifically linked to a host of medical and social defects such as morbidity, schizophrenia, criminal behaviour, sexual deviance and dementia. The evidence was glaringly clear: individuals with a low IQ were destined to become a burden to society. This could not, and would not, be tolerated. Through selective breeding, the dangerous trend towards mediocrity could be reverted, creating a nation of exceptional citizens.