A Son of Perdition: An Occult Romance — David Hume — John Shaqi
A Son of Perdition: An Occult Romance
David Hume · en
And Don Pablo's abode was really and truly a four-roomed cottage, where
he lived along with a simple-minded old Cornish woman of sixty, who
attended to his few wants. Enistor knew that Narvaez was immensely rich,
and wondered why he should live so penuriously and humbly. But the man
was almost wholly devoid of desire for things which mankind covets. He
ate and drank sparingly: he cared nothing for society: his dress was
plain but neat, and he was too much taken up with study to entertain.
Narvaez, as his neighbour soon found out, was consumed by a passion for
power: not that kind of power which is displayed openly by royalty or
politicians or merchant-princes, but the secret power which sways the
destinies of individuals and nations without apparent sign. For this he
studied day and night, and crossed constantly the boundaries between the
worlds visible and invisible. He obtained no physical benefit from the
exercise of such command, but the passion of hidden sovereignty
satisfied his soul, and that was all he cared about. He had long since
risen above the sphere wherein the virtues and vices of men dispute
pre-eminence, and lived above the healthy necessary turmoil of ordinary
life to reign in solitude as a cold, calm, intellectual and merciless
tyrant, doing evil because it gratified Self. He disobeyed the law of
love which is giving, and isolated himself in a kingdom of his own,
which his desire for rule had cut off from the great empire of God. His
sole connection with men and women was to destroy their protecting will
and make them slaves to his whims. In this way he acted with regard to
Enistor, else he would not have taught the man anything about dark
magic. But Narvaez knew well that Enistor, possessed of as fierce and
unscrupulous a nature as his own, and almost as powerful a will, would
never be a slave. Consequently he was obliged to act cautiously in his
association with him. Enistor, if he became too learned in forbidden
lore, might well become Don Pablo's rival, to dispute the bad
sovereignty which the Spaniard loved. As a matter of fact Narvaez would
not have meddled with the Cornish squire at all but that he knew that
a common danger menaced both, which Enistor, through his daughter,
might avert. Narvaez was clever and powerful, and wholly given to
self-worship, but he was by no means omnipotent, and at times it was
necessary to defend his position. Thus by the offer to teach Enistor how
to realise his ambitions, he managed to make the man more or less
obedient: but there was always the danger of revolt should Enistor learn
too thoroughly the laws of the invisible world, which interpenetrates
the visible. Don Pablo, however, was content with the position of
affairs, as his pupil was not yet strong enough to measure swords. And
before he was, the Spaniard hoped to secure his ends and leave Enistor
in the lurch.