Chapter 30

New Rumors, new confessions from Mr. Prieur, and his reasons for telling me

The unfortunate always hope. Especially when they ask for the aid of Providence. The event that had just happened seemed to promise again a brighter future, and I felt so lucky on having a friend like Prieur, so quick to shield me from my troubles. Even as I was having this happy thought, there was a terrible noise, like the sound of a terrible storm demons might create when they want to use their celestial influence to bring rain. I fell from joy to numb horror. The promises that had been made to me were just another deception, and a trick that that served to prevent me from finding some more effective remedy I would never accuse anyone without some sort of proof…but I wanted to see if the wicked Pinel and his companions would come back, either despite or because of the workings of Mr. Etienne Prieur. 

 I knew he would come soon. I hastened to inform him that Pinel and his legions had not yet reappeared, but I was not at all happy. I had convinced myself that I was at peace, for their sake, but that there was a new campaign at work, with the same old persecutions. What did it mean when Prieur said he had called on a planet? [1] Why had he not kept the promises he made to me?

My question seemed to have surprised him, as did my knowledge of the methods of the infernal spirits when they want to unleash destruction on the people and produce of the world, knowledge gained from cruel experience.  “You are wrong,” he replied. “The operations we performed were necessary, What happened now was inevitable, but it wasn’t directed at you. I promise, you are free.”

“If that were so, you wouldn’t have invoked a planetary spirit against me. Each time I’ve been in the hands of some new power, they’d done that exact same thing. Did you make a deal with Father Imbert? Or did you do this thing yourself? Be careful, child, of what you have done, and what you might do again! In politics and in philosophy, the tools are broken when the work is done. If you want to see future happiness, you have to resign yourself to suffering in this world. Our sufferings are mild when our prize is so great. And if torments like these are called against us, what could be in our future? Only the great judge knows for sure.” 

I was right, he knew it, and that threw him into a fit of embarrassment. He told me he’d talk to Father Imbert, and go over every detail of what we had done.

That day, I had the chance to see Baptiste Prieur, his brother. I told him about the operations his brother had carried out, by order of  Father Imbert. The truth, I said, was that he did seem to have assured that wicked Dr. Pinel and his cursing-companions could not continue to use their powers against me, but that now a planetary spirit had been called against me. Baptiste tried to calm me. His brother, he said, with the sage advice of Father Imbert, would grant me my complete recovery. 

[1] M.B. references planets several times in a way that is unique to Berbiguier’s work. Sometimes the baddies throw planets like a third-level wizard throws a Magic Missile. Other times he seems to be referencing “planetary influences,” so one might invoke Mars to bring fire and anger. But this seems to be an occult concept unique to the Mazarine occult scene. It seems like something Etienne may created to flex for the impressionable M.B., or a concept M.B. invented over the course of the year.

[2] As an “unreliable narrator” moment, it’s worth taking a step back and remembering that M.B. is writing this something like a year later, reconstructing this story and giving himself the thrill of showing up the young sorcerer.