Jonathan Factotum's Baphomet Mystery

For the last two fortnights, after each Office of Matins at midnight, the monks had observed a ghostly black spaniel floating throughout the cloister. It always entered through the nave of the church, made its way along the north transept, into the south transept and finally into the choir transept, these three sections forming an architectural cross. The specter then preceded to the Lady Chapel where it positioned itself, each time, in the same niche as if an icon. After the deacon lit, in succession, the candles on the alter and had extinguished the mother candle, a votive mysteriously appeared at the feet of the black dog.

The abbot and his monks remained mute on this, as it was whispered amongst them that certain of their members professed allegience to Baphomet who presented himself as a black spectral spaniel.

Though Ailred governed his monks with firmness and church law, he was not above taking a fortnight's turn in the Lady Chapel before the monstrance, a receptacle for displaying the consecrated Eucharist. This display required continuous human presence as long as the host resided in the recepticle. The duty monks stood two hour watches until their first morning mass at six.

After Matins when the monks retired, the dog always left the Lady Chapel also but on Ailred's third night, the abbot observed that the spectral dog remained behind. He forebore acknowledging it, and carried out his duties of prayer, singing, holy readings and reciting his beads to the Virgin.

Suddenly, in the midst of a chant, he lost his speech and fell to the floor in violent twistings. He skin turned ghastly yellow with big black spots. He was found two hours later by his relief. After three days Ailred died and

Go To Page: 1 2 3 4