6.18: Not so fast!

There is a long silence, which expresses a mixture of relief and disappointment. 

The disappointment comes from the fact that the world is not quite as interesting as it had seemed when they thought that there was a second oppositional mystic order, or ‘disorder’, to their own. 

Relief, also, because that means that they can continue with the sense of security they have had since they summoned the Order of the Sponge through a ceremony that they themselves had been able to carry out. 

But then pTravis suddenly realises something. 

“Hello! Knock-knock! It doesn’t follow that there is no ‘Disorder’. We have collectively worked out that the information about the Disorder of Catastrophe, the whole story Hipparchus told us, was made up, was prompted by a series of small interventions in our lives that had a big cumulative effect. Something made Fabian come here instead of going to London, and thus then stealing my scarf. Something left a rival insignia attached to it. Something made Masongill enter a dissociative state again and place posters in our den. (But where did he get them from?) A combination of factors made Hipparchus write an account, while only semi-conscious, of the Disorder of Catastrophe, partly prompted by found crossword clues. 

This does not show that there is no Disorder of Catastrophe. All this hocus-pocus just is the careful, detailed, nitty-gritty work of the Disorder of Catastrophe!” 

Lottie interrupts. “But that means that the Disorder of Catastrophe is playing a double bluff. They pretended through all that razzle-dazzle that they existed to persuade us that they don’t. But they do!” 

“Not quite the way I’d put it but…” 

“But this means they seem like fiends! I hate to say it, but they seem streets ahead of the Order of the Sponge in low cunning!” She sounds almost pleased.

The meeting breaks up and everyone wonders away lost in their own confused thoughts.