Often, during my visits to Scorpio House, Arwel would disappear to “work” in some distant part of the house, doing I knew not what. He always rejoined me eventually, and I never had to go looking for him. Then one day I was happily reading in the library when I noticed that it had begun to snow outside. The flakes were big and fat, and the ground was already covered with white. Even as I watched, the wind picked up, and the snow fell harder. As I listened to the trees groaning in the wind, it occurred to me that I should be making my way home before the weather worsened, and so I went to find my host so that I could thank him for his hospitality and say adieu.
I searched all the main rooms first, but there was no sign of Arwel, nor were there any servants around who might be able to tell me his whereabouts. Upstairs, I walked down a long corridor, opening doors and peeking into bedrooms. I could not imagine why one man would need so many bedrooms. Perhaps he invited large parties of people to stay in his home.
I found a room full of weapons and armor, and a storeroom full of foodstuffs. There were several small rooms whose walls where covered with shelves that held lavender-scented linens. After what felt like hours of walking, I finally came to a large stout door. I knocked on the door, but there was no answer. I tried to turn the doorknobs, but they would not turn at all. What is the point of a doorknob if it does not do what a doorknob is supposed to do! Then I put my shoulder to the door and pushed, but it would not budge.
It was clear that this room was a private one, and that the right thing to do would be walk away from it. I could always return to the library, write a note to Arwel, and then take my leave. That is what I should have done, but I didn’t.
Feeling very fatigued, I leaned against the wall. What could be behind the door? Was Arwel hiding something? Just then, I looked at the wall opposite me and saw that there was an inscription carved into the stone. It read: Loquere, et omnia revelabitur. Speak and all will be revealed? Speak what? How could saying something open the door? There was only one answer to this question: the door was bewitched.
As these thoughts went through my mind, I began to feel twinges of fear. If Arwel was able to use magic to keep a door sealed, then he was not just an astrologer. Could it be that he was following in his master’s footsteps and that he was exploring dark magic? It was said that Dr. Dee was interested in finding ways to lengthen life beyond normal bounds, and that he had tried to summon Demons so that he could enslave them. Black magic of this kind is frowned on by my people, and we will have nothing to do with it. Nor will we have anything to do with people who practice it. I knew that I should not allow myself to be associated with someone who chooses to meddle with nature in this way.
With great clarity of mind I realized that the right thing to do was to leave Scorpio House and not return, and yet my cursed curiosity would not be silenced. I wanted to know what was behind that door. I wanted to know what Arwel was doing that had to be kept a secret. Thus it was that I set about trying to find the right word or words to open the door.
I tried saying Arwel’s name but nothing happened. I used the words scorpio, scorpion, Dr. Dee, Dee, and many others. Nothing happened. It was very frustrating. “Loquere…” I whispered, reading the words on the wall again out loud. There was a clicking sound, and the door opened.
