Brood of the Witch-Queen · Chapter
XX: The Incense explained
Robert Cairn and Dr.
What happens
Robert Cairn and Dr. Bruce Cairn return from Egypt to London after receiving a letter from Myra Duquesne revealing that Antony Ferrara is back and visiting her frequently. They rush to the house of James Saunderson in Dulwich Common, where they find Myra pale and ethereal. Upon entering the house, both Cairns detect a familiar, unholy incense—the secret perfume of Ancient Egyptian black magic—which they associate with Ferrara and past deaths. Dr. Cairn confirms that only Ferrara could have made and used it, signaling that the final confrontation may be near.
Themes in this chapter
Sorcery vs. Science
Dr. Cairn identifies the incense as a product of ancient sorcery, opposing rational understanding and foreshadowing a magical confrontation.
Good vs. Evil
The Cairns' return to combat Ferrara's malevolent influence over Myra highlights the central moral struggle.
The Occult and Ancient Egypt
The incense is explicitly linked to the secret rites of Ancient Egyptian wizards, reinforcing the occult theme.
Characters to notice
- Robert Cairn
Returns from Egypt, deeply anxious about Myra's safety and haunted by the scent of the incense.
- Dr. Bruce Cairn
Returns with his son, remains outwardly calm but is highly alert to the presence of the unholy incense.
- Myra Duquesne
Pale and fragile, she greets the Cairns at Saunderson's house; her letter had summoned them back from Egypt.
- Mr. Saunderson
Myra's Roman guardian, a large-boned Scotchman who hosts the Cairns at his Dulwich Common home.
- Antony Ferrara
Mentioned as the source of the incense and the evil spells; he is secretly active in London while the Cairns were in Egypt.
Key passages
“To learn, whilst one is searching for a malign and implacable enemy in Egypt, that that enemy, having secretly returned to London, is weaving his evil spells around 'some we loved, the loveliest and the best,' is to know the meaning of ordeal.”
Discovering that your enemy has slipped away from Egypt and is now attacking someone you love back in London is a terrible trial.
Highlights the emotional shock and urgency of the Cairns' return.
“It is the secret incense of Ancient Egypt; it is the odour of that Black Magic which, by all natural law, should be buried and lost forever in the tombs of the ancient wizards.”
This smell is the hidden incense of ancient Egyptian sorcery, a magic that should have died with the old wizards.
Dr. Cairn identifies the incense as a tangible sign of Ferrara's dark arts.