Chapter5
OF THE THING IN THE
GARDEN; AND OF THE WAY OF THE TAO
"OH, little Brother!" said the old mystic sadly.
"How long will it take you to work through this wretched business?"
"I have omnipotence at my command, and eternity at my disposal," smiled
the boy, using Eliphaz Levi's well-known formula.
"I ought to explain," said Simple Simon, turning to Lisa. "This boy is a
desperate magician confined within the circle of this forest. His plan is
Action; he is all for Magick; give him a Wand and a host of Demons to
control, and he is happy. For my part, I prefer the Way of the Tao, and to do
everything by doing nothing. I know it sounds difficult; one day I will
explain. But the practical result is that I lead a placid and contented life, and
nothing ever happens; he, on the contrary, makes trouble everywhere, excites
the wrath of Turks, and worse, if I am right; he thereby brings about a
situation where perfectly competent ladies' maids have epileptic fits,
mediums endeavour to procure blood from bewitching damozels — and now
there's a Thing in the Garden." His voice had a wail of comic disgust.
"However, this is Cyril's funeral, not mine. He called me in; I must say I
approve of his general plan, on the whole, and I dare say much  of the
opposition is unavoidable. In any case he is the [64] magician; Principal Boy
in a Pantomime. I merely hold the sponge; and we have to use his formula
throughout, not mine. If it ends in disaster," he added as a cheerful
afterthought, "perhaps it will teach him a lesson! A Chinese God, indeed! He
would be better as a Chinese coolie, smoking opium at the feet of
Chwangtze!"
"He tells me that I stand in my own way, that I love struggle and
adventure, and that this is weakness and not strength."
"This girl is in danger: quite unnecessary danger."
"I am going to ask my master to show you his method; you will see plenty