Andrew Taylor
The Anatomy Of Ghosts
© 2010
The Anatomy Of Ghosts
AN INQUIRY INTO THE DISTRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING AN ALLEGED APPARITION LATELY RECORDED IN CAMBRIDGESet Down for the Curious in the Form of a NovelIn memory of Don
It is wonderful that five thousand years have now elapsed since the creation of the world, and still it is undecided whether or not there has ever been an instance of the spirit of any person appearing after death. All argument is against it; but all belief is for it.
Dr Johnson, 31 March 1778 (Boswell’s Life of Johnson)
1
Late in the evening of Thursday, 16 February 1786, the Last Supper was nearing its end. The new Apostle had taken the oaths, signed the membership book and swallowed the contents of the sacred glass presented by the late Morton Frostwick, to the accompaniment of whoops, cheers and catcalls. Now it was time for the toasts that preceded the grand climax of the ceremony.
‘No heeltaps, gentlemen,’ Jesus commanded from the head of the table. ‘All rise. I give you His Majesty the King.’
The Apostles shuffled to their feet, many with difficulty. Four chairs fell over and someone knocked a bottle off the table.
Jesus raised his glass. ‘The King, God bless him.’
‘The King, God bless him,’ bellowed a chorus of voices in return, for the Apostles prided themselves on their patriotism and their attachment to the throne. Each man drained his glass in one. ‘God bless him!’ repeated St Matthew at the far end of table, and his passionate exhortation ended in a hiccup.
Jesus and the Apostles sat down and the buzz of conversation resumed.