Chapter 32

Unpersuaded by Ironic Responses

Everything Etienne had said, the tone he had been using lately, in such contrast with the keen interest he had claimed to have in my situation–dark thoughts disturbed my sleep all night. 

The next day, he did indeed go to see the priest Imbert. His conversation with the priest was animated: he realized their rituals were taking too long to end my suffering, or at least lighten it. He resolved to contact someone of greater talent. I agreed, again and always hoping to be freed from my torment. I would make any sacrifice, in these circumstances! Unbelievers would blame me for them, I’m sure. Those that have no faith in the Supreme Being, no more than they do in demons, will laugh at me. But more sensible readers will approve of me, I think, when they see my sincerity, my simple and truthful account of what happened to me. 

Still wondering what side Mr. Prieur would take, I went to his apartment. I found his cousin Papon Lomini there. I felt I needed to explain to him the perversity of evil spirits and the harm they did to honest families. I told him how the government, through the application of terrible laws, should crack down on all these plagues that bring desolation everywhere. 

“There cannot be any law against us,” replied Lomii. “Quite the opposite: The government gives us the means to travel secretly everywhere. We need to know everything that is done, and we need to be able to do anything we please.” 

I judged from his words that Lomini was a member of the Goblin sect. I told Prieur that I could no longer delude myself about it: the troubles I had recently experienced were the results of his own work. I could distinguish his work from the demons who had tormented me before. If he wanted to break into my house, he should at least do it alone. 

Priuer gave a sardonic laugh, then turned to Lomini. “Why did he say that we’re abusing the powers we have over him? I forbade you from tormenting him!” 

“But we don’t come as often as you think we do,” said Lomini. “We aren’t going to do you any harm.” I was getting fed up with all this hypocrisy and falsehood, and just wished that they would end it. I turned to leave, when Prieur told me he would go to see Cazin, the priest at the Quinze-Vingts hospital.  Cazin was very talented, said Prieur, but of course it would be impossible for me to go with him, my presence would disturb him, I’d just make things more difficult. But with his aid they would get rid of all my suffering soon. [1]

At that, I left. Always more promises without result, always turning me away from meeting with him. Surely a doctor would wish to see his patient before writing a prescription, and not work through a third party. It was increasingly obvious that I was being duped. Prieur was playing me and amusing himself with my pain. 

Courage, I said to myself. Let’s push this to the end, and see how it plays. 

Prieur came to see me that evening, asked, like usual, if there was anything new. I replied cheerfully that I was still lost in my thoughts, waiting for Cazin’s advice, but thinking that it would be no more helpful for me than Father Imbert’s methods, who was supposed to have already delivered me from the goblins and the strange spirits that so enjoyed tormenting me. “I beg you, Mr. Prieur,” I said, “you who are initiated into the secret knowledge of the diabolical arts, able to travel across the world, to solve this problem for me.” 

He was suddenly without words. He wanted to persuade me that he still saw Father Imbert as a friend, but had bitterly scolded him for not having done everything he’d promised. He was sure that Cazin would not do the same. I told him how frustrated I was that he had given his cousin passage to enter my house invisibly torment me, made me agree to it in the spirit’s presence, and all because of him.  How much fun it must be for them to see everything that happened to the people they had in their power, to walk invisibly among them at night and during the day, and know everything that went on in the city. 

“It is true,” he said to me, “the people we go to day and night, are given warning of our magic, , whatever form it takes, it varies from between practitioners. . You yourself know this from your own sad experiences.” Yes, I knew that too well. For twenty years I’d been in their power. I’d learned to identify the sorcerers and the monsters that tormented me by their power, even as I was delivered from one to be delivered unto the next. 

I asked, “Do you not fear that your cousin will abuse the power you and yours have given him, squandering it on trivial miracles, or by seducing and ruining pretty women? Does he have no respect for the vows of marriage? Will he attack virtue by insulting innocence? Since God thought it was necessary to form woman from a rib taken from Adam, could he tear one more from the virtueless women of the world? Then we would see fidelity observed, sex would no longer be the deceptive art that seduces men, and young people would not drift from their college lessons to abandon themselves to vice, and forget the moral principles blessed by good society.” 

My opinions seemed to irritate my little goblin. He had no intention of giving up his position. The arguments I’d made only made him want to stay on. But for now, he left me alone.

[1] According to Mauron, Cazin is likely a fiction cooked up by Etienne Prieur. V3ch71 has a series of letters written between Cazin and M.B., and there’s an arch tone in the letters there that may show some of Etienne’s voice, sarcastic and with a barbed sense of humor. http://www.dispatch.ist/berbs/fv3ch071p10/

[1] Is it strange that the chapter title is “I am uncertain as to the efficacy of these methods,” rather than “goblins cut my squirrel’s tail off?” I feel like this underlines the ambivilence M.B. has toward his squirrel. This would certainly be the lead of the article, and M.B. definitely buried it. Additional notes (and spoilers) about Coco here.