BAD GRACE - quantum witch © 2005

see Prologue for warnings, rating, and summary

In which Ginger just about loses her marbles trying to decipher more of Agnes' book.

3:05 – METHODS IN MADNESS

GINGER WAS GETTING DANGEROUSLY CLOSE to throwing Agnes' book in the trash. If not for the fact her Boss would have been extremely displeased (and she truly did not want to see what he might do then), the book would already have been burnt, as other people already believe it to be.

There were 4227 prophecies, arranged with absolutely no rhyme or reason. Okay, there actually were a few rhyming verses, but that just made it more annoying.

She had been carefully writing out all the prophecies onto notecards, and translating as many as possible along the way. So far, she was up to 247. She had recognised the passages referring to herself and to the Christ (all cross-referenced). There were many references to the Two Powers, as well as an angel, a demon and the Antichrist. But there were just as many others she had no clue about, nor understood why they were even mentioned.

She was tinkering with further interpretation. There were far more prophecies in random order than any adjoining, following one after the other in sensible fashion. Those that seemed to work together, she was focused on for the moment. The more she'd read through them, the more she seemed to understand. Or so she thought.

34: Christsmas passeth and the Healer is called by my blood kin who givef thanks unto thee Serpente; the angel lashes his tongue down upon the demon, yet no mis-fortun befalls the Serpente.
 (The healer - angel / Descendant - still unknown / Serpente - demon / Lashes his tongue down -? (if it's what I think… no it can't be, he's an angel… must mean speaking a blessing - 'no mis-fortun')

35: The wytch of my blood shalle grow Fine Herbes; from these she maketh sweet and bitter potions and stufft pilloues for others of our kind
(Agnes' descendant makes poisons? … / Stufft pilloues - poppets? Potpourri? Can't be… then again, this isn't the Middle Ages… / for other of our kind - witches, making a witches' brew?)

36: Thee demon returneth to the angel grasping an Argent box for fyne snous; demon bringf his mouth down upon the angel, when from on high, dusty Knouledge of many years raineth down up-on the demon, felling him. The Serpente sharl depart to plot again.
 (Demon returns with a bribe? "snous" - Swedish snuff - poison/ Demon kissed angel, sure of that now… /Ah, but he gets his just desserts)

37: Many years shall pass before the scalef fall from their eyes; then the Demon and Angel fall upon one another wyth flashing eye and wrestleing hand.
(Who knows exactly when, this woman is never clear on dates… / Wrestling and fighting, the angel will surely win, as "lo the scales fall from their eyes"… / Scales possibly also reference to serpentine nature)

51: The Dove shalle make its self known too soon, thee tyme is not yet nighe. The Accurs'd one must struggle whilst New Jerusalem waits in fear for the Two Powers.
(Sooner! Let us hope it does not take 30 years, as it did when He first arrived/ Let her struggle/ The Two Powers must be other demons, if NJ fears them)

52: Upon the form of life, The Lamb sharl be perfect, yet the Dove sharl be flawed, as the Accurs'd one lies sleeping and New Jerusalem's mind grows weak.
 (Form of life? Oh dear, this is not good / Let us hope this means 'sleepeng' forever? Oh dear, again)

97: The Four open'd and lo came the Antichrist to closeth them. The Four open again and lo comes the Christ to open the Three One by One.
(First four seals closed by Antichrist, thus preventing Christ from saving world/ Christ eventually opens the last three seals, thus saving the world! At least all my Good Works shall not be in vain.)

98: Upon the Tenth Circle doth the Lamb face Pride and Love, and knowest who wins by who lifts the stone. (Tenth Circle - sephiroth? Kether? Tree of Life/ Facing Pride - Lucifer? Love - God/ 'lifts the stone' - the dead shall rise?)

217: Through wyre and borde does the Industr'ous work together with thee Foul whiteness; their union shalle bring forth a clear vision'd toy which stunts the world's motion and maketh them care not for life's needs.
 (Circuit board/ Electronic games? Always knew they were evil – do not buy any for grandchildren / …Please tell me that Bill Gates is not the Antichrist?)

218: Saint Valentine's day within the year, dost herald the end of Them. The Son of Earth shall give to the Moonchild a token on parchment, which shalle in tyme sparketh jealous hearts.
(Who? What? Sounds like children given valentine's cards… how is this important?)

231: He is not what he seems to be. He is thee One who wishest Armaegedon two come, the end of alle things. But trust him ye sharl until the end of the world.
 Not certain… could be the Antichrist? But why would I trust him? Be on the watch for new man, charismatic… A politician?)

232: The blacken'd blood sharl release the truth upon Him. Throu the grove of the Singel Blinded God shall the truth come. God's Appointed One sharl release the truth. (Blacken'd blood - blood pudding? Highly doubtful / Release the truth - let us hope so / Blinded God - Odin…? Hm more godless pagans / Someone chosen, probably not the Christ)

She also spent a few moment puzzling yet again over one of the most bizarre prophecy she had yet come across.

132: The Seven sharl hold the seven, and the Two and thee One sharl argue; and while the Ten and Ten grow wearie of waiting, the One sharl start the game as the Three and three and three stand watch. When the final one doth appear, the game falleth apart
(…? This woman is completely barmy, and probably was taking suspicious herbs.)

Sighing, tired of racking her very tired brains. But the Boss had been dropping by frequently of late, and this made her exceptionally nervous and very eager to push ahead. But she needed the odd breather and a cup of tea. Sighing, she turned the next page and was preparing to mark it with a fresh card, when the words caught her eye.

248: If Owel Maid readeth 750, line 2… 1296, line 2… 92, line 3… 421, wordes 7 and 8… 234, word 7… and 2242, word 8… a secret sharl be hid therein. Heed these words well unto your heart, for they be the truest of true, else thou bring thyself unto madness

Her heart leapt so that she forgot to write it all down, instead copying out the references. Then she eagerly flipped through the book to find the proper passages and wrote down the specific words. When she finished, she sat in awe and then bashed her head upon the desktop in despair.

Owl Maid, ye sharl… fynd the Lamb… when it be… tyme and …not one ….minute… sooner.

Oh, that evil bloody bitch from the past.

Her Boss was bound and determined to find the Christ and undo what the Antichrist had done, and if Ginger herself hadn't been so vital to that plan… She shuddered to imagine what he would do to her when she presented this last prophecy to him. It was possible that, like the servant before her, the man who had delivered the book to her directly and then dropped dead… she too would live just long enough to regret it.

GINGER'S BOSS CHECKED ON HER progress that evening, and sighed heavily. She was horribly nervous, for which he didn't blame her in the slightest. But he assured her that she was necessary. How else was he to find the Christ and bring about the thousand years of peace the world needed and deserved? She was relieved, though she always shuddered at his presence and rightly so.

But he really was tired of being patient. Pity he could not touch the book himself, nor even look upon it without the words blurring. Agnes Nutter had put a very good curse upon it, against such as himself.

And he cursed her from beyond the grave, knowing she heard him and was laughing in her rich and charming voice. The complete bitch.