[Scene IV] On to Oxford...

[Airbornexo]

Paddington Station, London to Oxford
London - 28th November 1932 - 12:35pm

With a rattle and a hiss of steam, the heavy locomotive shudders as the pistons begin to drive the wheels out of Paddington Station. Grimes had flashed a badge and cleared out a group of students from a carriage room; then grumpily stomped off to find the buffet car muttering something about lunch. On the drive over to the station he had told the group about the mysterious PI. Not so mysterious it turned out, he was called Myles Jarman and he was working for the the Oxford industrialist Mr. Dagworth. He takes a phone call once whilst waiting for the train and confirms that Professor Blexham has been detained by his Sergeant, Atherton at the station.

As the countryside appears from the building and smog and the transformation from grey to green begins to take place the investigators relax in the carriage to reflect on their hour and a half journey.

[Mr. Handy]

"I was outside Professor Blexham's office when you called him," says Amanda. "I got an odd feeling when I was watching him that something wasn't right, but he seems to be what he says on the tin. I didn't see anything suspicious in his office, and I had a nice chat with him, when I found out about Vawdrey and his writings, but it seems you've already gotten that far. I suspect that the burned book found in Mr. Hornley's flat was the copy of The Invisible Path he'd checked out from King's College's library. It seems that whoever is behind the murders has something against that book - and possibly its author as well. Vawdrey died in a mysterious fire in 1871, not long after that book was published. But it seems unlikely that the same person could have caused that who is running around killing people today. He'd have to be at least seventy!"

[Tabs]

"Well done, Miss Somerville," says Felix, "lots of food for thought and it ties in with everything we have discovered so far.

"This Mr. Dagworth will be well worth a visit as well," speculates Felix aloud. He remembers that Sam and Millicent were reading Vawdrey's books, "How are you two? I mean--er--those books--unusual subject?"

[Priest]

Millicent draws heavilly on her cigarette as she turns her gaze to Felix,
"What?...Oh the book. Well I don't know about Sam's, but the one I read 'A Journey Into Lonely Places' was bloody awful. A complete waste of time. I've never read such mindless drivel"
She takes another long draw on the cigarette, before flicking ash away and returning to a bored contemplation of the countryside.

[Mr. Handy]

Amanda beams at Felix's praise, pleased that she was able to contribute something. "Thank you, Mr. Henriot," she says before looking over at Sam. "Were you able to locate a copy of The Invisible Path, then? Do you have it with you?"

[carnage_lee]

Sam Reed

Sam listens as Amanda recounts her adventures. He colours slightly when she asks him about the book. "As a matter of fact, I did take the drastic step of purloiningthe copy we found at the museum's library." as he takes the small volume from his jacket pocket. "The book is quite disturbing, the style of writing is as terrible as Ms. Broadacre alluded to the prose very stilted and somewhat banal, full of overlapping themes. As if the author had something he just had to try and impart but was unable to do so or could only remember fleeting fragments. The last passage is the most unusual it is rather graphic in a surreal sense, quite unnerving." Sam pauses, looking at the scene outside as the British countryside rolls past their carriage window, he goes on to describe the passage in question. "One owner of the book even felt that he had to scrawl a a warning not to read the book." He shudders slightly recounting the last passage. "I brought the book along in case it contained some clue we might come across in the future."

[Tabs]

OOC:   And what does it say?

[Mr. Handy]

"Goodness!" gasps Amanda. "Perhaps I shouldn't read it, then...but I feel drawn to it, somehow. I can't help myself. I must know what's in it."

[carnage_lee]

Sam Reed

"I cannot say as I would recommend reading this book, there is something more that a little disturbing about the verse, very surreal a lot of the same scenes and themes repeated... I shan't stop you from reading it my dear, I just don't recommend it."

OOC:   From Re: [Scene III] Sam's Hunch - Felix, Millicent & Sam... The library’s copy of The Invisible Path has not been treated well. Several pages are torn or stained with something coloured a sickly yellow, and a bizarre rant is scrawled across the dedication page (the book is dedicated ‘to the reader’), which reads: ‘HE WATCHED THEM CRAWL ACROSS A RED SKY. IT IS HIS DREAMS THAT I DREAM AND IT IS HIS WORDS THAT CONSUME ME LIKE TONGUES OF PENTECOSTAL FLAME. I AM NOT WHAT I WAS AND I AM NOT WHO I WAS WHEN I BEGAN. THIS BOOK IS EVIL AND EVIL DWELLS WITHIN IT. I WRITE THIS AS WARNING AND I WRITE THIS AS TESTAMENT. SOON I WILL BE DEAD, AND I WOULD BURN THE BOOK HAD I THE WILL. IF ONLY I COULD FORGET HIM, BUT EACH NIGHT I DREAM OF A RED SKY. DO NOT READ THIS. J. R. SMITH, 30th October, The year of our lord nineteen hundred and twelve.’ Inside, the book is a collection of poorly written free-verse poetry. Several images are repeated – a red sky over an unnaturally lush and verdant plain, shapes moving through the heat-haze of a desert, an eye in the sea, things filtering down from the sky, star-headed beings and moving globules of slime, tablets locked in a dark cave, and the phrase ‘Ia! A’to! Ia! Ny-ho!’ The last poem in the book is entitled ‘The Red Eyes of Hounds’ and describes a vivid dream where the author is pursued down ‘corridors of the mind’ by ‘red-litten eyes of hounds from hell’. That's all I can relate on the book.

[Mr. Handy]

"Dreadful!" says Amanda, shivering. "You weren't kidding! I can't see anything in here that anyone would kill over, but it fits in with what old Mr. Montgomery said about a red sky. He must have read it when his daughter had it checked out of the library."

[Airbornexo]

Oxford, 2:03pm

With a toot of its whistle the train rumbles into Oxford Station slightly ahead of schedule. A handful of passengers disembark and the party make their way through the station to the entrance where a couple of taxt-cabs stand waiting to shuttle people to their final destinations. Oxford is chilly, yet elegantly beautiful and sunlight appears between the clouds every now and then warming everyone's spirits. Grimes checks his watch, "the last train to London leaves at 9:15pm so we need to plan our visits, I'm not sure the gov would appreciate me staying out of the city overnight but I could swing it if needs be and we can stay at a hotel." He gestures at the large number of guesthouses, bed and breakfasts establishments and a couple of large, grand looking hotels all within spitting distance of the station.

[Mr. Handy]

"Well, we should visit the Dagworth Library while we're here and find out what we can about the break-in," says Amanda, flipping her scarf over her shoulder. "We should also see if we can locate Grobham's home, as it's likely he lived in Oxford before he came to London. We may want to split up to cover more ground faster."

[Tabs]

"The Dagworth Library, one of these cabs will take us there," says Felix. "That certainly is a peculiar book, Miss Somerville, are you okay?" he asks, curious because of its possible effect upon Miss Montgomery's father.

OOC:   Perhaps Grimes can find out about Grobham?

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, thank you, Mr. Henriot," says Amanda. "It was disturbing, but I'm quite resilient."

[carnage_lee]

Sam Reed

Sam nods in agreement "yes indeed, most disturbing... I wonder how it fits into the murders, if at all?" he ponder aloud. "I think the library would make an excellent starting point, let's see what we can unearth there." With that, he raises an arm to attract the nearest taxi in the queue.

[Dave Syrinx]

"Absolutely, Felix. I pop by the constabulary and check with them regarding his quarters and any stumbling ins they might have had with the chap." In his pursuit of the books and absentmindedness, the detective utterly missed his previous appointment. With any luck it can be rescheduled. He makes a mental note to borrow the phonograph at the police office at Oxford Road.