That Hideous Strength - Ch 8 - Moonlight at Belbury

The Deputy Director (Wither) expresses his displeasure, diplomatically of course, to Fairy Hardcastle (the NICE Police Chief) about how she handled Mrs. Studdock (Mark's wife) [arrested and tortured her].  The Fairy replies that they all badly want Jane, and she had to take the chance, especially to try and find out the headquarters of the enemy, which she tried to press out of her before she lost her in the tumultuous crowd.  In any event, the Head of NICE summons the Fairy.

Meanwhile, Jane wakes up at St. Anne's with Ivy Maggs (her prior servant) serving her, but it all feels different now.  She begins to become acquainted with various people living at St. Anne's, several she knows, but it all seems different now.  Jane meets Mr. Bultitude and receives a shock to find he's a bear who lives there at peace with all.  All there support Jane, though a Mr. MacPhee doesn't believe in her dreams, because he says he insists on empirical evidence to support any beliefs.  Jane discovers much more about life at St. Anne's - and more about the Director, who has charitably taken in many there who have lost their homes.  Jane admits her puzzlement about the Director's views about marriage.  Mother Dimble admits its a lot of fuss "about something so simple and natural that it oughtn't be mentioned at all."  However, she admits she was raised with the intention "to love, honour, and obey."

Meanwhile, Mark found himself in good spirits.  Everyone at Belbury talked about how the riots went well, and he enjoyed reading his account of it in the newspaper.  Most at Belbury, except the inner circle, did not know he wrote those articles, which please Mark even more.  It seemed clear now that the government would put Belbury under the temporary control of the NICE police, and appoint an emergency governor, most likely Lord Feverstone (but who could be sacrificed if things went wrong).

The D.D. (Withers) now warmed up to Mark, speaking about the great work he was doing.  He encouraged Mark to invite Jane out to join them.  Suddenly, Mark realized he would not like this.  She wouldn't understand the NICE or what he did for them.  Her presence would make the laughter of the inner circle sound hollow.  He excused himself, and got away from the D.D. as quick as he could.

Later he ran into the Fairy, who chided Mark for giving the D.D. the cold shoulder about inviting Jane to Belbury.  She informed him the D.D. now says Mark is not really "settled" at the NICE.

At dinner, Mark converses with Filastro and others.  Filastro presses that he would like to do away with the messiness of organic life - do away with trees, birds, and even humans.  All we need preserve is the mind, and clean metal (such as artificial metallic trees). After dinner, Filastro invites Mark to his sitting room for a private conversation.

Moon Surface

Filastro says he believes the request to invite Jane came not from the D.D., but directly from the Head.  Mark thinks he means Jules, but Filastro asserts Jules is not the Head.  Instead, Filastro asserts Mark will meet the Head and hear the request from his lips.  But then Filastro begins talking about the cleanness of the moon - with no vegetation, no atmosphere, no moisture, and its clean, white powder.  Mark thinks it a dead world, but Filastro believes its Masters, who live below ground, disinfected most of their world, dispensed with their organic bodies, and keep their minds alive without organic food.

Filastro claims the real purpose of the NICE is the conquest of organic life, in a similar manner.  He says the process already began, and that the Head has survived death, and his brain lives on.  He reveals the Head is Francois Alcasan (who was previously guillotined in punishment for killing his wife).  Filastro takes him to another room in the outer reaches of the building to a room with many tubes and dials, all leading to an adjacent room.  They must strip to their underclothes, wash, and put on white clothes, gloves, and a surgical mask and go through an air lock to enter the adjacent room.  (The Chapter ends here.)

Ch. 7 - The Pendragon

Ch. 9 - The Saracen's Head

Overview of the Book

List of Characters