The False Gods

Ezra Simpkins, a seasoned reporter for the Boston Banner, steps into the cramped Oriental Building on Sixth Avenue, chasing a story that promises both academic intrigue and a splash of the exotic. He is ushered past dusty corridors by a twelve‑year‑old assistant who dismisses formalities with a blunt, “Aw, fergit it,” setting a tone of irreverent mystery. As Simpkins settles into a modest office, he begins to piece together the assignment that sent him from Boston to New York.

The case hinges on a rivalry between two societies devoted to uncovering Egypt’s hidden past: the Royal Society of Egyptian Exploration, led by the scholarly Rev. Athelstone, and the Boston‑based American Society for the Investigation of Ancient Beliefs, represented by the charismatic Madame Gianclis. Both women claim direct lineage to the legendary Madame Blavatsky, even asserting that she has been reborn in their bodies, a claim that fuels gossip and professional jealousy alike. Simpkins finds himself drawn into a world of theosophical debates, secretive research, and the promise of a story that could expose the false gods worshipped behind academic façades.