The Ninth Gate Page #5

He has accompanied CORSO on his tour of the collection. They come

to the end of the 'monolith'. Gesturing to CORSO to follow him,

BALKAN goes over to an ultramodern, brushed steel lectern

standing beside one of the huge picture windows.

As he approaches the lectern, CORSO briefly glimpses the sheer

drop beyond the window, the twinkling lights of traffic passing

in the street far below.

Reposing on the lectern is a black book adorned with a gold

pentagram. CORSO opens it at the title page, which displays the

title in Latin and a pictorial engraving.

CORSO (not looking at BALKAN) 'The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of

Shadows...

BALKAN:
You're familiar with it?

CORSO:
Sure. Venice, 1623. The author and printer was Aristide

Torchia, burned by the Holy Inquisition, together with all his

works. Only three copies survived.

BALKAN One.

CORSO:
The catalogs list three copies surviving in private

ownership:
the Fargas, the Kessler, and the Telfer.

BALKAN:
True. You've done your homework, but you're wrong

nonetheless. According to all the sources I myself have

consulted, only one is authentic. The author confessed under

torture that he'd hidden one copy. Only one.

CORSO:
Well, three are known.

BALKAN:
That's the trouble.

CORSO resumes his inspection of the book.

CORSO:
Where did you get it?

BALKAN:
I bought it from Telfer.

CORSO (surprised): Telfer?

BALKAN (looking out the window): Yes, he finally sold it to me.

The day before he killed himself.

CORSO:
Good timing.

BALKAN ignores this. CORSO turns the pages with care. He lingers

over AN ENGRAVING OF A KNIGHT IN ARMOR RIDING TOWARD A CASTLE

WITH A FINGER TO HIS LIPS as though enjoining the reader to

silence. Below it is a caption. BALKAN draws closer and reads

over CORSO's shoulder:

BALKAN:
Nemo pervenit qui non legitime certaverit.

CORSO:
You only succeed if you fight by the rules?

BALKAN:
More or less. Ever heard of the 'Delomelanicon'?

CORSO:
Heard of it, yes. A myth, isn't it? Some horrific book

reputed to have been written by Satan himself.

BALKAN:
No myth. That book existed. Torchia actually acquired it.

He returns to the window overlooking the sheer drop. Gazing down,

he goes on:

BALKAN (cont.):
The engravings you're now admiring were adapted

by Torchia from the 'Delomelanicon'. They're a form of satanic

riddle. Correctly interpreted with the aid of the original text

and sufficient inside information, they're reputed to conjure up

the Prince of Darkness in person.

CORSO:
You don't say.

He continues to turn the pages.

BALKAN:
Are you a religious man, Corso? I mean, do you believe in

the supernatural?

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