“It’s not possible what you say Steepleton! It’s too monstrous!”

Harris was distraught clearly as the apothecary regarded him with a cool eye. “I don’t know why you think it monstrous Austin, it is simply the world as science describes it.”

“But this is not science Edward, this is, this is sorcery!” He discharged the word, with no venom, something in that region but more muted. There was anger, disgust, pity and fear in his tone.

“You could call it sorcery I suppose Austin but this would be to lapse back into a primitive mode of thought. Your problem is that you perceive science only to extend in directions of the world as it commonly appears. However when one pays attention to certain other facets of existence, lines open up that describe directions not commonly entertained.”

“You mean all that Rosicrucian nonsense and the rest.”

“Yes and no. There is some truth to the order but much of their efforts are lost in the paradox of the matter.”

“Which is?’

“That very stuff of concepts is living, meaning concepts may appear luminous when given that as part of their conceptuality when in fact this is true of all concepts.”

“You talk in riddles Steepleton. You say this is science, but science requires proof. You have no proof of this, it is your insane conjecture alone.”

“If you require proof I can readily supply it, though it will be easier if you smoke this with me first.”

Edward Steepleton brought out a hashish pipe and some of the finest Moroccan resin that it was possible to obtain.

“You would intoxicate me, then insist my intoxication acted as proof?”

“This is a primitive science and we cannot yet easily manipulate the levels of awareness, hence we must do so with the aid of our friends the plants. I have much stronger substances than this at my disposal but they would be too much for you. Come smoke with me and observe, I can assure you the results will be quite objective.”

Austin continued to eye Steepleton like something of a lunatic, yet the truth was he knew otherwise. Edward Steepleton was a widely respected apothecary of generally brilliant intelligence. Austin Harris was more than an acquaintance; the two men had struck up something for a friendship after Edward cured his wife of a strange fever that no doctor had been able to touch. Harris though had alway put Steepleton’s skill down to rational genius and thorough knowledge of the plants and the human organism, rather than anything supernatural.

Seeing that Harris had not left the room and calmed himself somewhat, Edward loaded the pipe to capacity and lit it. Aromatic hashish odour drifted around the glow of the dim room, Edward drew deeply several times before passing the pipe to Austin. In subdued acquiescence Austin took the pipe and drew on it. The resin glowed fiercely as he did so and he felt the hot smoke soak into his lungs. The pipe returned to Edward who reloaded it, drew again and once more passed it back to Harris.

Feeling the rising alteration in his mind already, Austin was half reluctant to take a second draw and yet did so anyway. He had committed and well, Edward was the apothecary, so he ought to know the dose. The room how had something of a quality of vividness to it and Austin’s mind was awash with that ineffable sensation, variable amongst folk, often referred to as high. He became aware of a certain lack of control in his demeanour but wished to contain this. He looked across at Edward who looked as implacable as ever. Austin fancied there was almost a curious glow emitting from him but suppressed the notion.

“I see your awareness has shifted sufficiently, if you are comfortable we can proceed?”

Harris was somewhat surprised to find a good deal of anxiety pulsing through him and felt he was losing further control of his expression.

“What are you going to do?” Was all he could manage in the end.

“Wait here” instructed Steepleton, at which he arose and left the room for his study.

Harris began to wonder if Edward would come back in some strange get up and attempt to frighten him. He then went down the road in which a strange apparition walked into the room which Harris clearly took too be Edward but that Edward then walked in simultaneously to the apparition. The thought was so vivid and sinister that Harris found he had thoroughly frightened himself and now longed for the simple reappearance of Edward.

He did not have long to wait. Edward reappeared from his study carrying what appeared to be a doll. He sat down and held to doll upright so that Austin could see it fully. It was made of a loosely stuffed cloth. The doll was maybe a foot and a half in height. The face was round with a smiling expression and button eyes. Red wool like string hung from its head as hair. It had a kind of top sewn into its upper half of some pale coloured material (one could not tell exactly in the gloom). The arms were bare, or at least slightly paler in colour than the top. It had a floppy knee length skirt of some darker material, though not as dark as black; his mind filled the colour in as a kind of purple. The legs were made of a kind of material as if the doll wore tights with broad hoops of colour alternating with white and it had no discernible footwear.

“This is Moppet. Austin, say hello to Moppet.’’

Steepleton’s sudden introduction and instruction caught Harris off guard. He looked baffled at Steepleton and then at the doll. Though on his return glance to the doll he noticed that that Edward had bent himself down in his chair so that he could place his hand subtly behind the doll’s back and hold it in such a way that it’s feet touched the floor and its head was propped upright -presumably by his finger.

Austin looked again at Edward and saw the face was as serious as ever. “Won’t you say hello to Moppet?”

Almost laughing now at the absurdity, Austin capitulated.

“Hello Moppet.” He said, though with little feeling except anxiety driven derision.

“Good” said Edward. “Moppet is not alive, do we agree?”

“Of course not.” Agreed Harris.

“Watch her now.” Instructed Edward.

Austin’s altered mind latched onto the doll, which Edward still skilfully held upright. He then began to manoeuvre her in such way that she had a strong sense of animation. She walked along the floor in front of Edward, then she cocked her head up and looked at Austin.

As Austin watched he felt a curious thing. He could see literally the doll as alive. It moved in such an animate uncanny way that he felt fascinated and horrified in equal measure. The doll did not look sinister. It did not need to. The sheer reality of seeing the life of the dolls shook him and yet he could not look away. A curious intensity intensity built in him, an unbearable strangeness grew and grew in his mind.

Then the light flickered out momentarily, came back on, then flickered out again. Austin started with fright.

“Stop it!” He cried. Then regained his senses as a rational embarrassment kicked in.

Edward stopped animating the doll and looked at Austin.

“Do you see?”

“See what?” Austin was almost annoyed.

“You projected the concept of life onto the doll. It began to take on this accretion of pneuma, as I call it. The result was a psychic disruption which resulted in a loss of physical energy from the surrounding system and the the light flickered.”

“Nonsense.” Austin managed, though was clearly shaken.

“Then what happened?!”

“You got me half out of my mind on your infernal hashish and played some hideous trick on me is what happened. No one would deny that things can look strange in this state.”

“And the light?”

“Coincidence.”

“Shall I animate her again?”

Austin had no choice but to say he must. His argument rested on Edwards failure to repeat.

“Watch Moppet” came the instruction.

So Harris watched Moppet and soon she became as entrancing as before. She curtsied prettily for him and walked across the rug most elegantly. Edward’s arm was hardly visible yet Austin did not even consider how he did it. Moppet, walked and peered under the armchair as if she looked for something. As the display went on, so the sensation of intensity began to build once more. Moppet look stranger and stranger, more and more alive and in doing so once the feeling built in Austin’s being such that he thought he would break from the impossibility of what he actually saw.

Then the light flickered once more and there was a loud report that sounded like it came from within the walls.

“Stop it!” Cried Harris, shaken pale and sweating.

Steepleton ceased animating the doll. The light returned and normality was restored.

“You see.” He said “Science.”