Compleat Crow

VI

I sighed and admitted: 'I can't see what else there could be.'

'Look!' Crow said, causing me to start.

I followed his pointing finger to where a black-robed figure had stepped out onto the patio of the House of Repose. The bright wintry sun caught his white collar and made it a burning band about his neck. At chest height he carried a bowl, and began to march out through the garden with measured tread. I fancied I could hear the quiet murmur of his voice carrying on the still air, his words a chant or prayer.

'Magruser's mortal remains,' said Crow, and he automatically doffed his hat. Bare-headed, I simply stood and watched.

'Well,' I said after a moment or two, 'where did my calculations go astray?'

Crow shrugged. 'You missed several important points, that's all. Magruser was a "black magician" of sorts, wouldn't you say? With his demonic purpose on Earth and his "familiar winds", as you call them? We may rightly suppose so; indeed the Persian word "magu" or "magus" means magician. Now then, if you remove Magus from his name, what are you left with?'

`Why' I quickly worked it out, 'with R, E, R. Oh, yes and with V.'

'Let us rearrange them and say we are left with R, E, V and R,' said Crow. And he repeated, 'R, E, V and R. Now then, as you yourself pointed out, there are thirteen letters in the man's name. Very well, let us look at—'

'Rev. 13!' I cut him off. 'And the family Bible you had on your desk. But wait! You've ignored the other R.'

Crow stared at me in silence for a moment. 'Not at all,' he finally said, 'for R is the eighteenth letter of the alphabet. And thus Magruser, when he changed his name by deed-poll, revealed himself!'

Now I understood, and now I gasped in awe at this man I presumed to call friend, the vast intellect which was Titus Crow. For clear in my mind I could read it all in the eighteenth verse of the thirteenth chapter of the Book of Revelations.

Crow saw knowledge written in my dumbfounded face and nodded. 'His birthdate, Henri, adds up to eighteen — 666, the Number of the Beast!'

'And his ten factories in seven countries,' I gasped. 'The ten horns upon his seven heads! And the Beast in Revelations rose up out of the sea!'

'Those things, too,' Crow grimly nodded.

'And his death date, 999!'

Again, his nod and, when he saw that I was finished: 'But most monstrous and frightening of all, my friend, his very name — which, if you read it in reverse order—'

'Wh-what?' I stammered. But in another moment my mind reeled and my mouth fell open.

'Resurgam!'

'Indeed,' and he gave his curt nod. 'I shall rise again!'

Beyond the spiked iron railings the priest gave a sharp little cry and dropped the bowl, which shattered and spilled its contents. Spiralling winds, coming from nowhere, took up the ashes and bore them away.. .