I forgot to mention that San Jose (and California in general) was a hotbed of occultism at the time. Sarah's house is near Roscrucian Park, the headquarters and

I forgot to mention that San Jose (and California in general) was a hotbed of occultism at the time. Sarah's house is near Roscrucian Park, the headquarters and home of a strange Egyptian museum belonging AMORC, another occult group with origins in the same period. The author claims membership in that group, which is famous for declaring that many important and historical figures were or are "secret" members and share their secret knowledge, which is all of this ilk.