Session Report - Played Monday 5th June, 2006

Audio Recording - TBC

The private detective Walsh contacts Captain Withers about Edwards and Lawrence Bacon. Edwards has long gone from the last known address, leaving no trace. Bacon has run his shop in Islington for several decades and is still there. He rarely if ever leaves and the shop is open by appointment only.

Nathaniel Browne visits Talbot Estus to return ‘Le Roi en Jeune’. Michael Gillen seems to have moved out, and Estus is disheveled and his apartment is a mess. He has been struggling to make any headway at all on his novel and seems unwell. A passionate discussion on The King in Yellow ensues, and Browne lends Estus his copy of ‘der Wanderer durch den See’. Putting two and two together regarding Estus' apparent astrophobia and his own reactions to the Springer Mound Monsters, Browne asks whether Estus has seen a similar creature. Estus reveals a dream he has had, of Cassilda’s palace surrounded by flocks of black flying creatures similar to the Springer Mound Monsters.

Browne leave Estus' apartment somewhat concerned over his mental health. He calls Dr. Bartlett, asking him if he will visit Estus in a professional capacity. Bartlett agrees and asks Browne to arrange a meeting.

Withers hears from his private detective about Malcolm Quarrie. Quarrie left the Royal Society in 1926, apparently to go overseas. The current resident of his former address does not know where but holds some mail for him, including letters from Pembroke College, Oxford.

Withers asks Andrew Saunders if he can help, as he has a contact at Oxford, and Saunders calls his friend John Tolkien to ask if John can find out anything about Quarrie. Tolkien recalls Quarrie’s name – he was a fellow scholar of Anglo-Saxon who once corresponded with him, as they had a mutual acquaintance. Quarrie wrote a book called ‘British Gods’ which was a study of Anglo-Saxon deities in the West of England. Tolkien owns a copy and invites Saunders to dinner in Oxford on Saturday.

Saunders also contacts the Archaeology Department at Oxford and locates Professor Hudson, who was on the Springer Mound dig in 1907, as a graduate student. This dig was nothing more than a training dig organised by a now deceased Professor, and it found nothing of interest. However, when Hudson lists the students on the dig he mentions a ‘Charles Edwards’ who he is sure died at the Somme.

Dr. Bartlett calls St Agnes Asylum to tell Doctor Highsmith that he will be recommending that Alexander Roby be released. Highsmith asks Bartlett to attend the release hearing in Hereford on November 30th to speak on Roby's behalf. Bartlett agrees.

Once again everyone meets for dinner at Bartlett's house to discuss events. The Dover sole is particularly fine.

Andrew Saunders travels to Oxford to meet Professor Tolkien and discuss Malcolm Quarrie. Tolkien knows little, but is able to give Saunders a copy of 'British Gods'. Tolkien takes Saunders to dinner and they discuss 'Beowulf'.

The investigators have a quiet Sunday, getting on with their lives. Saunders reads a good chunk of 'British Gods' including mention of a pagan fertility deity known as Shub-Niggurath or the black goat of the woods with a thousand young, who was worshipped in the west country in ancient times.

Nathaniel Browne calls Talbot Estus to try to persuade him to see Doctor Bartlett, but Estus refuses.

Saunders attempts to trace Malcolm Quarrie via the Royal Society, but the best he can discover is that Quarrie is believed to have travelled to 'the continent'.

Doctor Bartlett receives a letter from a W. Gresty. In the letter, Gresty claims to have been a part of the same group as Alexander Roby, Lawrence Bacon, Malcolm Quarrie, Edwards and Coombes, and that the group has split up. He also asks their assistance in dealing with Bacon, who he says will go out on the night of the full moon (November 27th). Gresty says that he will prevent Coombes from being present, and that this will make Bacon easier to handle.

Bartlett and Captain Withers discuss the letter. Bartlett phones Delia Morrison about Gresty, but she has never heard of him. He also tells Delia to contact Withers or himself if she thinks of anything that may be helpful.

Delia Morrison calls Withers, saying she has found something and would like him to visit at six that evening. Withers, wary of any possible 'untowardness' in visiting her alone, invites Bartlett .

When they arrive they find that Peter Morrison is present and Delia has a black eye. Withers reacts with anger, and Morrison, who has been drinking, challenges him to a fist fight.

Withers and Morrison face off in the front garden, and Withers wins handily, his second and final blow smashing into Morrison's midriff, leaving him gasping on the ground. Delia spits on her helpless husband and says 'if you ever lay a hand on me again, you are dead.' Morrison ends up hospitalised with a ruptured kidney, but the police press no charges as both Bartlett and Delia bear witness to Morrison's having started the fight.

Delia apologises to Withers for using him this way as in truth, she has no more information about Alexander Roby. She bids 'adieu' to him with a gentle kiss on the cheek.

At Saunders' urging Browne visits Malcolm Quarrie's former home and gains mail that was meant for him by posing as a relative. The letters include a couple from his mother in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire which refer to a 'Hillary', who seems to be Quarrie's estranged wife and announce the death of Quarrie's father. In the second letter his mother effectively disowns him and says she is moving away to live with 'Aunt Tessie'. No addresses are included in the letters.

Saunders decides to seek Quarrie in European academia and starts sending off cables to various learned institutions.

Walsh, the private detective, reports to Withers that there has been no movement of any interest at Lawrence Bacon's shop. In the light of the Gresty letter Withers ends Walsh's employ, deciding it's time to take a personal interest.

Withers gives his sister, Anna, Delia Morrison's address and number and asks Anna to look after Delia.

Doctor Bartlett finds a disturbing note scribbled in a psychological journal that refers to The King in Yellow, but is unable to locate it a second time.

The weekly dinner at Doctor Bartlett's house becomes a discussion about the situation with Lawrence Bacon and the Gresty letter. After much debate it is agreed that all four investigators will watch, and attempt to follow Bacon on the 27th, and that the police will not be informed in advance.

In preparation for Tuesday night, Withers and Browne reconnoiter the area around Bacon's shop. Browne finds a good hiding place in the gardens of the Royal Fever Hospital, opposite the shop while Withers traces the route to the canal, as described in Vincent Tuck's report.

While wandering the canal area, Withers is very disturbed to encounter a drunken tramp singing Cassilda's song from 'The King in Yellow'.

A day spent in at church, with family or just quietly at home. Captain George Withers is invited to dine with his sister, Anna, and finds himself in the awkward situation of sitting opposite Delia Hartston (who no longer calls herself 'Morrison').

A day spent at work, reading and writing, is interrupted when Browne gets a phone call from a barely coherent Talbot Estus. Estus says “I won't do it, I won't.” and asks Browne “who are you, what do you want?”.

Concerned, Browne calls Bartlett, reporting that he is very disturbed by Estus' behaviour and fears that he may be a danger to himself or others. The pair arrange to meet at Estus's apartment building. Arriving first, Browne attempts to gain a response from within, but none is forthcoming. Barlett arrives and the two attempt to force entry. While attempting to break down the door (during which Browne re-injures his ankle), a neighbour arrives. He has a spare key and lets them in. Estus is found hanging in his study, an apparent suicide. Browne is shocked and falls backward to the floor.

A suicide note is found which says “Did I see my destiny, or did I make it? I know what I must do. Damn Roby and damn his book.” The remains of Der Wanderer durch den See burn in the fireplace. Bartlett rings for an ambulance, while Browne, shaken by the entire experience, and realising that just like Doctor Lionel Trollope, Estus apparently foresaw his own death while in possession of the book, starts to rummage through Estus's papers. He finds endless discarded drafts of the start of Estus's novel (it seems he never even settled on a beginning to his magnum opus), and keeps some sheets. He also locates the copy of 'Le Roi en Jeune', which he swiftly pockets.

Despite being shaken by events of the previous night, the investigators meet as planned at 'the Cripple', a pub a few doors down from Lawrence Bacon's shop. At closing time they take positions in the bushes across the street and in an alley at the corner, and wait.

Just before midnight a huge, bearded man leaves the shop. He answers the description of Bacon, except that he is clearly a good 20 years younger than they have been expecting. Nevertheless, they follow him, seemingly managing to avoid detection.

Bacon, if this is indeed he, follows the same route that he did when followed by Vincent Tuck. Once near Regent's Canal he starts looking in doorways and alleys. Browne is closest when he enters an alley, just off the canal path, and starts to chant. A hideous screeching cacophony fills the air, joining with the chant, and the horrific screaming of a human being comes from within the alley. Browne hides in a nearby doorway.

Withers, who is in the open on the canal path, fumbles for his gun. As he does this, the screeching stops and a vagrant staggers from the alley. Seeing Withers, the poor wretch screams for help. Bacon grabs the vagrant from behind and lifts him up. Withers fires a warning shot into the air. Bacon hurls his victim against a wall, where his body seems to break apart, and turns to face Withers.

Withers aims at Bacon as Bacon starts shouting 'Coombes, Coombes, where are you man, you're needed!'

Saunders and Bartlett close the gap and find themselves behind Withers on the canal path as Bacon, realising Coombes is not there, starts to rush towards Withers, chanting the words “arggan colubra, arggan colubra!”. He passes Browne, still hiding in the shadows of the doorway. Browne prepares to attack Bacon from behind, aware that with his ankle still hurting, he is unlikely to be able to outrun him.

Withers fires - the shot seems to hit Bacon but deflect away, hardly slowing him. As he closes on Withers the moonlight clearly shows his raised hands twisting, morphing and turning into the heads of a pair of hissing snakes!

Continue to Session 6 - Death by Night, Death by Day.