Lives of Alcyone

used only in favour of the rightful heir to the throne, and charged
Percy to put that message before the chief priest with all the force of
which he was capable. Then Mercury, in his new form, told Alcyone
most impressively that he had embarked upon a dangerous course
in submitting himself as he had done to the will of Narayan; that he
should do so no longer, but should use only such of his powers as
could be exercised in full consciousness and without any yielding of
his body to the use of any other entity whatever; that he had a great
work to do in the far distant future, to do which he must be keenly
sensitive and yet absolutely positive; that therefore this training had
been necessary, but that now there had been enough of it.
Alcyone gladly and eagerly accepted this advice, but asked
his new monitor how he was to make the required change—how,
after so many years of complete submission to Narayan, he could
now suddenly succeed in resisting. Mercury replied that he himself
knew much of these matters and would assist him; that while it was
impossible for him to come to him in the physical body, he would yet
give him astrally such instruction as was necessary, and that here
and now he would enable him altogether to cast off the influence of
Narayan and the possibility of that undesirable kind of mediumship,
by throwing him into a trance which should last for years, and enable
his various vehicles to grow too strong ever again to be used by any
other than himself. Turning then to Percy, he gave him minute
directions as to the treatment of the body of Alcyone during this
lengthened rest, and charged him to take the greatest care of it.
Then, fixing his piercing eyes upon Alcyone, he made over him a
few mesmeric passes, under the effect of which Alcyone passed
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