Tigerlilly - Lobsang Rampa

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
After the change-over it was a strange feeling for each of us,
for some time—and it must have been much worse for the
Guv; we took occasional outings which I enjoyed and some-
times we went into a restaurant to have a meal, after exploring
some of the local countryside. He seemed to adapt very
quickly to the new and strange life, and for this I was grateful.
One memorable day we went to Mortlake, a place which is
known all over the world, even if by name only, since it is
where the Oxford-Cambridge boat race takes place each year.
It was just after the ‘take-over’ by Lobsang Rampa and as far
as I was concerned there was an unusual, apparently inexplic-
able atmosphere surrounding us, as we dawdled on the bridge
at Mortlake. We had left Mr. Catt to guard the apartment and
I believe he spent most of the time in his basket on the ver-
andah, because by the time we returned he was sleeping con-
tentedly. Yes, at Mortlake we walked across Chiswick bridge
and we were rather quiet, the Guv obviously deep in thought.
He must have been viewing many scenes of the past and he
commented upon some of his observations. One of the things
he discussed with me was that of the period of about three or
four hundred years earlier, the time of Queen Elizabeth the
First. He mentioned Dr. John Dee, the alchemist, who acted
in the capacity of Astrologer to the Queen, and whose home
had been at Mortlake where he had a family. Dr. Dee had led
a varied life, sometimes in favor, at other times out of favor
with the Court, never a rich man, and often in very poor
circumstances and, towards the end of his life, the Queen
showed her appreciation by conferring upon him a grant of
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