Preliminary Investigations - 08

[TheUdjat]

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Rebecca and Tommy-

Ms. Atwright smiles faintly. “Well, knowing Mr. Elias, it’s probably some barbaric cult or another. Let me see what we can do...” She looks over the list with Rebecca and Tommy, humming curiously to herself. When Tommy speaks, she turns her attention to him.

“A private room? Certainly. We have some closed-door study rooms. I could indeed show you to the last place the book was, though it has long since been filled.” After getting Rebecca started with the library’s card catalogue and some suggestions to begin her research, Atwright guides Tommy to one of the myriad shelves lining the Widener library. She appears to know the building’s layout by heart.

Towards the edge of one massive set of shelves, Miriam stops, gesturing at the rack. “In about this vicinity the Sects book disappeared. As I said, there was a strange odor throughout the section, but nothing else. You’re welcome to look around if you like.” Since he is there, at least a cursory investigation seems warranted – more, since Rebecca will undoubtedly have her hands full with research for a while. [Spot check.] For the next ten minutes or so, Tommy searches around the shelf, front and back, looking between and behind books when necessary – but everything appears to be in order. There isn’t even much dust, in fact. But it is possible that any signs of incidence would be long gone by now, some six months or more after the event.

Rebecca, meanwhile, devotes her time to scouring the library. Ms. Atwright assists her in between her other duties, evidently quite eager to help Elias’s research. [Library Use, easy success.] But Widener proves to be like any library Rebecca has seen. In short order she has tracked down any books relating to folklore, the occult, foreign religions, and her other favored areas of study. She gathers a number of books, but must then sift through them, seeking the information she desires.

It takes time. Hours, even with help from Ms. Atwright and Tommy, when he is done perusing the area Elias’s book disappeared. By the end of it, Rebecca’s eyes are tired, but she has succeeded in retrieving some information.

There isn’t much, unfortunately, even in the countless volumes of Widener. Her study reveals that the Bloody Tongue is indeed a cult, dedicated to the worship of a deity called the same (The Bloody Tongue). It is centered in Kenya, and it is ancient, believed to have been driven out of dynastic Egypt ages ago. Most chilling of all, a symbol is associated with the cult: the very symbol that was carved on Jackson Elias’s forehead.

It would appear you have identified Jackson’s killers.

Little can be uncovered about the ‘Mountain of the Black Wind’, though the name is used in conjunction with the ‘Bloody Tongue’ a few times, supposedly as the place their god dwells, or at least where it descends to when visiting the faithful. Some references are made to the ‘Black Wind’ coming from the mountain (hence its name) and cleansing the countryside, but there is little else. No sufficient geographical information is revealed to actually pinpoint the mountain’s location.

Lastly, the name ‘Sam Mariga’ proves completely useless. No references to the name exist in any of the books Rebecca looks through, nor do any of the authors bear the name. It must refer to something else, possibly unrelated.

With this information in hand, the day is waning, and it is fast approaching time to depart Boston if Tommy and Rebecca wish to make it back to New York by nightfall.

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Sam and Joe-

Having some time to kill, Sam begins to draft out a timeline of the Carlyle Expedition’s activities and those of Jackson Elias. While he pieces things together with information for Jonah and tidbits remembered by Joe about the Expedition, Jonah watches curiously. After observing the timeline taking form, the publisher speaks. “Sam, if I may? There are some dates I can add, times Jackson corresponded with me. It may help.” If allowed, Jonah proceeds to write in a few more dates, making the path Jackson walked a little clearer. [Jonah’s additions are in red.]

January 3, 1919. Carlyle receives correspondance from Fariz Najir, in Cairo, regarding ancient "singular curios" seeking "certain knowledge" of Egypt.

April 4, 1919: News of Carlyle expedition hits the papers.
April 5: Expedition leaves New York for Southampton: aboard are Carlyle, Penhew, Dr. Robert Huston (psychologist/psychoanalyst), Hypatia Masters, Jack Brady (still living?)
July 3: Carlyle Expedition departs Egyptian dig site for "east Africa": Penhew spokesman for group, Carlyle taken ill?
July 24: Expedition arrives in Kenya, Penhew, Huston and Carlyle meet with US embassy?
July 25: Expedition leaves for Nairobi
August 3: Expedition leaves Nairobi, "ostensibly on camera safari, but rumored to be after biblical treasures" for the Great Rift Valley, to the NW of Nairobi.
October 15: Expedition "feared lost", no word received in nearly two months

March 11, 1920, Erica Carlyle, sister, with companion Victoria Port, arrives in Mombasa to lead a recovery expedition.
March 12: Erica Carlyle search leaves for Nairobi
May 24, Carlyle Expedition "confirmed dead"; bearers found massacred, Penhew, Carlyle, Masters, Huston, Brady missing.
June 19: Local Nandi tribesmen tried and convicted in massacre; Erica Carlyle since returned to US.

March 1923: Nails Nelson reportedly sees Jack Brady alive in Hong Kong.

June 25, 1924: Elias travels to Kenya, possibly Egypt as well. Theorizes the reason for the Carlyle Expedition's trip to Kenya can be found in Egypt.
August 8, 1924, Elias contacts Kensington regarding possible surviving members of Carlyle expedition.
September 19, 1924: From Hong Kong, Elias wires Jonah Kensington for money.
November 7, 1924: Elias contacts Miriam Atwright about a book which has literally vanished from their collection. Note that due to mail speed, Elias's initial letter may have been sent much earlier.
December 16, 1924: Elias wires Jonah from London. He is frantic and crazed, claiming to have seen unbelievable things and talking about a ‘worldwide conspiracy.’ He said that there was a timetable, and that he needed the missing pieces, but wouldn’t or couldn’t explain more.

January 13, 1925: Elias contacts Sam Gravener from London(?) sea about building a "reliable investigative team"
January 14: Elias arrives in NY. Delivers notes to Jonah Kensington.
January 15: Elias gets the name of Silas N'Kwane, Emerson Import's contact from Samuel Van Dyke. Later murdered in his hotel room.
His notes from London contain several concrete leads, including references to dreams that Carlyle was having, and that they were on file with a psychoanalyst, possibly Dr. Huston? Also refers to books "In Carlyle's safe"

“I hope that helps some,” Jonah says, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “There is one other thing as well – the reason I was trying to contact you in the first place. Arrangements for Jackson’s funeral have been made. I thought you would like to attend.” He scrawls the address of a cemetery a slip of paper, and a date and time: two days from now, in the morning.

“Again, best of luck, Sam. Do be careful. If you need anything else, just ask.”

[You’re welcome to hang around Prosper House until your prescribed meeting time with the others.]

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Thurman, Jackhammer, Jeremy-

Having no other leads except Emerson Imports, Thurman and Jackhammer agree it would be more prudent to investigate the place with more force, in case trouble arises. After all, two men already have met misfortune for being associated with the name ‘Silas N’Kwane’.

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Thurman, Jackhammer, Jeremy, Joe Average, and Sam-

Meeting back up in the afternoon, the five are faced with a great wealth of new information, and the unfortunate disappearance of Jeremy’s friend, Samuel, still unresolved. Sam lays out a timeline of events as he has been able to discern them, having a copy for each man at the table – and an extra two for Rebecca and Tommy, when they return.

There are many things to contemplate, and the matter of Emerson Imports. Should the five investigate while there is still daylight, or wait for Rebecca and Tommy to return at nightfall?

[Yakumo]

Disappointed by the lack of leads dealing with the missing book itself, but excited about the breakthroughs Rebecca and Ms. Atwright made relating to The Bloody Tongue, Tommy is ready to move on. "I think we have enough for now Rebecca, I think we should probably be getting back to New York, unless of course there is something else you would like to check out?"
Tommy will take out one of his writing tablets and make a copy of any reference to the topics searched, including what books they are in, taking extra time to draw out the symbol into his notebook now that he has a clean and unbloodied version to copy from. Tommy scrawls out another copy of the symbol and tears it out of his tablet and scribbles the titles of all of the books they have looked at since they have been there.
Tommy hands the piece of paper to Ms. Atwright and asks, "Do you think you could do us a huge favor while you are here, it would help both us and Mr. Elias; Do you think you can keep these books on the shelves and keep an eye on them to see if they go missing as well? Also if the other book that Mr. Elias wanted mysteriously reappears it would be great if you could let us know." He points to the symbol of The Bloody Tongue, "And if you happen to notice this anywhere, if you could let us know that would be great."

Tommy give Mirriam Atwright both his address in NYC and the current meeting place's address and contact information. "If you would like, I can keep you up to date on the research and investigation, would you want me to do that?" after Tommy offers that he is prepared to leave.

[MaestroXC]

"Thank you, Jonah, every little bit helps."

"What do you think, Joe? I suppose we'll be tied up in the history of the Carlyle expedition after all, I hope you can get a good story out of it."

When the other three arrive, Sam goes over his timeline and the contents of Elias' notes with the others.

"There are a few other bits of information that don't exactly fit with these events, gentlemen. We have the photo of the western-style yacht that Jackson may have taken in either Shanghai or Hong Kong, and perhaps we can look in a registry of ships to find the owner. You're likely as surprised as I was that the leaders of the Carlyle expedition may have survived; if so I feel the connection between London and China may be critical.

But here in New York...Emerson Imports is a lead, certainly, although a dangerous one. We may be able to find out what kind of business they do, but mentioning the name of N'Kwame may give us more than we bargained for. It certainly did for Mr. Van Dyke, and his disappearance is very disturbing. If we don't find him soon..." Sam glances at Jeremy, "we may have trouble finding him at all. I feel like we should try to keep as low a profile as possible in the days to come. But come, let's discuss our next move. We still have time before Miss Devereaux and Mr. Cannon return."

[VemuKhaham]

Jeremy listens to Sam, but his face is tired or at least sad because he knew that every day Samuel remained lost would lessen the chances of finding him back. He was holding in his hands the flute and the piece of cloth which were the only things he had of Samuel.

"Silas' people kidnapped Samuel. We must get him back. We must warn the police and they will search Silas' place. We must. They have Samuel."

Jeremy had little patience for keeping low profiles and things like that. All he cared for was finding Samuel, and the police was in Jeremy's simple mind the best able to do so.

[Japic]

maestroxc said:

"There are a few other bits of information that don't exactly fit with these events, gentlemen. We have the photo of the western-style yacht that Jackson may have taken in either Shanghai or Hong Kong, and perhaps we can look in a registry of ships to find the owner. You're likely as surprised as I was that the leaders of the Carlyle expedition may have survived; if so I feel the connection between London and China may be critical."

"Were it only the photograph I could believe that he got it through other means; however the presence of the matchbook from a similar region certainly suggests that a personal visit was made, but when is certainly questionable."

"Caution in all we do is ceratinly the most prudent course of action. I propose that we visit this house of imports and find out what sort of business is being run. I'm not sure its wise to go about dropping Elias' name there however; for all we know this import company is deep in the middle of these international happenings. Or it could have been just another lead for information; though with the name being so... violently... tied to recent health problems I suspect not." He was trying for the sake of the dumb kid not to make any grizly conclusions about the missing Samuel. It was very likely however that Sam's statement about his chances at survival seem too accurate to discount.

[MaestroXC]

japic said:

"Caution in all we do is certainly the most prudent course of action. I propose that we visit this house of imports and find out what sort of business is being run. I'm not sure its wise to go about dropping Elias' name there however; for all we know this import company is deep in the middle of these international happenings.

"I agree; I think we might as well stop by there, to see what kind of business they're running. We definitely shouldn't use Jackson's name any further; with his funeral in two days we'll start drawing attention. Talking to the professor last night was one thing; from here on out, any mention or claim of working on his behalf will draw attention, maybe even from the law."

[Toptomcat]

The big boxer looks at the timeline, feeling decidedly out of his depth but still trying hard to chip in.
"Do we know anything that happened without us knowing when? Should we put that somewhere?"