PAGE 12
The White Slave
by
He described himself as the “Guru,” and, among other things, he professed to be a sun-worshipper. At any rate, the room into which we were admitted was decorated with the four-spoked wheel, or wheel and cross, the winged circle, and the winged orb. The Guru himself was a swarthy individual with a purple turban wound around his head. In his inner room were many statuettes, photographs of other Gurus of the faith, and on each of the four walls were mysterious symbols in plaster representing a snake curved in a circle, swallowing his tail, a five-pointed star, and in the centre another winged sphere.
Craig asked the Guru to explain the symbols, to which he replied with a smile: “The snake represents eternity, the star involution and evolution of the soul, while the winged sphere – eh, well, that represents something else. Do you come to learn of the faith?”
At this gentle hint Craig replied that he did, and the utmost amicability was restored by the purchase of the Green Book of the Guru, which seemed to deal with everything under the sun, and particularly the revival of ancient Asiatic fire-worship with many forms and ceremonies, together with posturing and breathing that rivalled the “turkey trot,” the “bunny hug,” and the “grizzly bear.” The book, as we turned, over its pages, gave directions for preparing everything from food to love-philtres and the elixir of life. One very interesting chapter was devoted to ” electric marriage,” which seemed to come to those only who, after searching patiently, at last found perfect mates. Another of the Guru’s tenets seemed to be purification by eliminating all false modesty, bathing in the sun, and while bathing engaging in any occupation which kept the mind agreeably occupied. On the first page was the satisfying legend, “There is nothing in the world that a disciple can give to pay the debt to the Guru who has taught him one truth.”
As we talked, it seemed quite possible to me that the Guru might exert a very powerful hypnotic influence over his disciples or those who came to seek his advice. Besides this indefinable hypnotic influence, I also noted the more material lock on the door to the inner sanctuary.
“Yes,” the Guru was saying to Kennedy, “I can secure you one of the love-pills from India, but it will cost you – er – ten dollars.” I think he hesitated, to see how much the traffic would bear, from one to one hundred, and compromised with only one zero after the unit. Kennedy appeared satisfied, and the Guru departed with alacrity to secure the specially imported pellet.
In a corner was a sort of dressing-table on which lay a comb and brush. Kennedy seemed much interested in the table and was examining it when the Guru returned. Just as the door opened he managed to slip the brush into his pocket and appear interested in the mystic symbols on the wall opposite.
“If that doesn’t work,” remarked the Guru in remarkably good English, “let me know, and you must try one of my charm bottles. But the love-pills are fine. Good-day.”
Outside Craig looked at me quizzically “You wouldn’t believe it, Walter, would you?” he said. “Here in this twentieth century in New York, and in fact in every large city of the world – love-philtres, love-pills, and all the rest of it. And it is not among the ignorant that these things are found, either. You remember we saw automobiles waiting before some of the places.”
“I suspect that all who visit the fakirs are not so gullible, after all,” I replied sententiously.
“Perhaps not. I think I shall have something interesting to say to-night as a result of our visits, at least.”
During the remainder of the day Kennedy was closely confined in his laboratory with his microscopes, slides, chemicals, test-tubes, and other apparatus. As for myself, I put in the time speculating which of the fakirs had been in some mysterious way connected with the case and in what manner. Many were the theories which I had formed and the situations I conjured up, and in nearly all I had one central figure, the young man whose escapades had been the talk of even the fast set of a fast society.