The following day you take the train to Cheltenham, and a quick taxi drive to the Hillside Sanitorium.
Over the entrance of the ivy clad gothic manor a few Latin words are stencilled, 'circuitus ad molliendum animo tamen aegrum' (to ease the sick in mind)
And a polished brass plate next to the glazed double entrance doors announces, 'Hillside Hospital for the Troubled Minds: Dr SM Stromberg…' the name is followed by a long line of credits.
Inside a long panelled hallway, leading to a most impressive staircase, hosts one door marked ‘Enquiries’. Within a rather stern, functionally dressed receptionist peers over a pair of half-moon glasses and a large black typewriter, “Good day Gentlemen, how may I be of assistance?
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
She looks at you, studiously ignoring the smile, "He is. Do you have an appointment?"
Behind her desk a shelf is filled with box files. From your position you can see several labels identifying their contents. One is dated 1922, and bears the name de la Poer, Exham
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
Taking her eyes from you she opens a drawer in her desk and removes a desk calendar. She opens it at a marked page and runs one finger down the page, "Hmm, it would seem that Dr Stromberg's calendar is extremely full"
She glances up, "What is it in connection with?"
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
"We'd like to speak to him about two patients of his," says Oliver, "a Mr. Thornton and a Mr. de la Poer. We'd also like to visit them if they're still patients here."
She looks intently into your face for a moment then without a word picks up the telephone reciever. She presses the cradle twice. After a few seconds a voice answers, too soft for you to overhear. "Dr Stromberg...I have two gentlemen here in reception who would like to speak to you about a patient of yours...Mr de la Poer".
For a few more seconds silence. She smiles at you over the black bakelite reciever. You note that this is the first sign of acknowlegement she has favoured you with.
"Yes sir...Right away".
She returns the handset to its cradle.
"The doctor will see you now. Room 13 on the first floor. If you wait a moment I will have one of the porters show you up", she rises from her seat and opens the door, "Ah Harold, please show these gentlemen up to Dr Stromberg's room. He is expecting them".
The white coated porter, Harold, nods at you both, "This way gents".
As you move to leave the receptionist halts you, "Why Mr de la Poer? He has been here longer than I have, and there is no record of him ever having any visitors. He simply sits in the corner of his room and screams some nonsense about rats".
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
Maurice' blood ran cold. Was the madness infectious? He had no medical knowledge, and understood little the afflictions of the mind. The thought was sobering at best, terrifying at worse. If it had been a simple case of insanity, one would feel reassured. But such a specific symptom?
What had they gotten into?
"Rats, you say?" he said, mopping his brow with his handkerchief. "That certainly is..ah...interesting...ah, I say, the chap isn't dangerous is he? not prone to violent seizures or the like?"
"My late uncle was at Exham Priory in 1923 with Mr. de la Poer and Mr. Thornton," explains Oliver. "I only recently became aware of this and I'd like to get to the bottom of this family mystery. I've also been studying medicine, but I put my education on hold when the war broke out. Currently I'm a medical officer, but I intend to complete my studies and become a doctor once the war is over. I'm not as qualified as Dr. Stromberg, but I may be able to have some insights of my own."
"Ahh" is the last you hear from her as the porter ushers you up a staircase to the first floor. He leads you a short distance along a corridor to a room numbered thirteen and bearing a plaque displaying Stromberg's name. He gently knock and a voice, with a hint of accent bids you enter.
Stromberg is a small, tweed suited gentleman, with glasses and a rather thick toothbrush moustache. From his white hair and the way he grasps his desk for support, you would estimate him to be somewhere in his mid sixties. The room is well furnished with the obligatory 'couch' to one side of the desk. Overall the room seems neat and tidy, a pile of manilla files are neatly placed on the desk with the piles edges a neat three inches from the desks edge.
As Harold opens the door fully to give you access the doctor smiles warmly and releasing hold of the desk with one hand gestures to a pair of chairs, "Please be seated Gentlemen. My receptionist tells me you are making enquiries about Mr de la Poer”
He takes the topmost folder off the pile, opens it and reads momentarily. “Ja Mr de la Poer of Exham Priory, it has been many years since anyone asked questions concerning Mr de la Poer” he removes his spectacles and nonchalantly rubs the lenses with a silk handkerchief while staring fixedly out of the rooms single window.
“Mr de la Poer came to us after the unfortunate occurrence at Exham some twenty years ago. Over the intervening years he has been a most…perplexing case. The last time I had occasion to talk to someone about the case was back in 23…I think…A Sir William Brinton called asking questions. It seems that he had been part of the happenings that Augusts of 1922” He replaces the spectacles, carefully wrapping the wire frames around his ears, and stares owlishly at the pair of you, “So gentlemen, how can I assist you?”
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
"You're right, Sir William Brinton was part of it," says Oliver, taking the offered seat. While he can tell that the doctor has a German-sounding accent, he doesn't hold it against him. He'd no doubt been living in this country before the Nazis even existed, and he would have been interned had there been any suspicion about him. Besides, even the King was first cousin once removed to Kaiser Wilhelm. "So was my late uncle, Stephen Daniels. I've only found out about it recently, and I don't know a lot of the details. I'd like to ask you about Mr. de la Poer, and also Mr. Thornton, who was involved and was under your care as well. I'd also like to visit them if they are in fact still patients here. I've been studying to become a doctor, and while my studies are incomplete and on hold for the duration of the war, I have learned enough to understand quite a bit, both about treating the body and the mind, and I'm currently serving as a medical officer. My friend here also is highly educated, so we can understand the medical and psychological details.
"I suppose I'll start by asking about Sir William Brinton's visit here. I've been trying to track him down, but he seems to have disappeared in 1924, as did his colleague Peter Trask. What questions did he ask you when he was here, and what were the answers?"
Stromberg studies you for a few moment before returning to the file, “Gott, you ask almost the impossible. The visit of Sir William was, as you say, many years ago. If I remember correctly most of his questions concerned the events the previous year at Exham. Let me see”.
He spends the next few seconds scanning the contents of the file. Then closing the folder he looks up, “It seems he was very interested in anything I had learned from Mr Poer, concerning the subterranean caverns that they had found beneath the priory”.
He places the file, neatly, atop the pile, stands up from his seat, and using various pieces of furniture for support moves towards the window, “I imagine I would have told him that nothing had been gained from interviewing Mr de la Poer. Other than some in depth discussion on the movement of rodents and tearful requests for his cat, I am afraid nothing of interest has been learned from him in the twenty one years he has been a patient at this establishment”.
Seemingly satisfied with the view from the window he returns to the desk, “As for a Mr Thornton, we did have a patient of that name here for several years following the Exham event, I believe he arrived with the unfortunate Mr de la Poer. However he was released from our care having made a full recovery from the sickness he had suffered”.
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
"I appreciate your candour, Sir" replied Maurice. "I know that there is the issue of medical confidentiality to consider, but is there any chance you know where Mr Thornton?" he continued, cautiously. He understood that Stromberg had been most generous with his information to date, and he did not wish to push their luck. In addition, he judged that Stromberg might not approve of a couple of soldiers "raking over the muck" and thereaby threatening his patients recovery...
"If it helps, you could consult with me on the matter, one medical professional to another," suggests Oliver. "Then you'd have a good reason to share information with me. Maybe I can get through to de la Poer, but it's not likely if you haven't managed it in twenty years, and I have nowhere near your level of expertise. I'm more used to rallying shellshocked soldiers. Still, it doesn't hurt to try. "
For a few moments, following your suggestion, Dr Stromberg peers through his spectacles at you as if in deep consideration.
“Indeed you may be correct, although I fail to see what you might achieve in a few minutes that I haven’t been able too after twenty years” he shrugs and again removes his spectacles for another polishing.
He turns his gaze to Maurice, "As for Mr Thornton I will ask Miss Parker at the desk to see if we have a contact address for him, but after so many years I doubt it. For you see he was able to re-enter society with no ill effects from his experiences and therefore there will be little reason for us to monitor his progress. Still we might have the name of his GP"
Replacing the spectacles, seemingly satisfied with their cleanliness he continues speaking to you both, “However, it might prove worthwhile to try” he rises from his seat and casts around for his walking stick. Finding it he leans heavilly upon it, “If you would be so kind as to follow me gentlemen, I will take you to Mr de la Poer’s room”
It takes several minutes at the doctor’s slow pace to make your way to a metal door on the third floor. Dr Stromberg calls to a nearby nurse for the door to be opened.
The open door reveals a rather pleasantly situated room with a small south facing window overlooking the countryside. The room looks adequately furnished with a small bedside table, several comfortable stuffed chairs and a small bookcase with three books, one of which you note is a rather old leather bound copy of the King James Bible. Other than the bars at the window and the rather substantial appearance of the metal door, the room looks like any other hospital room.
As you enter a rather frail looking gentleman looks up from where he had been leaning one ear against the outside wall, “Shhhh, do you hear them? Rats…rats I tell you…rats inside the walls”. He speaks with a trace of an American accent.
Dr Stromberg closes the heavy door behind you, “Now my dear Theodore, these fine gentlemen have come to ask you a few questions” he stops and turns towards you, “Sir I ask you to be gentle with him”
De la Poer crosses to the iron framed bed and sits down, for a moment his eyes burn bright with intelligence, “Have you brought my cat? I do so miss him you know, and what with all these rats”.
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
"I'm afraid I haven't seen your cat, Theodore" says Oliver. "My name is Oliver. You don't know me, but you knew my uncle, Stephen Daniels. Do you remember him?" He glances at Dr. Stromberg. "Have you ever tried bringing him a cat? It might help him."
"Oh ja we tried that back in 1923...the Christmas I think. He took one look and cried. that's not him. We never tried that again it took the orderlies almost a week to clear up the mess and earned Mr de la Poer a month in a padded cell" replies Stromberg to your question.
There is no hint of recognition with in the eyeas of de la Poer to the name Stephen Daniels, he merely smiles a most charming smile and looks at Maurice, "Do you hear them scurrying here and there? Rats..thousands of rats within the walls"
Suddenly his face seems to darken and he stands looking directly forward, as if seeing something else, "Rats you know...rats ate Norrys as the Yanks ate Carfax. Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!... Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!...Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!"
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
"That's what he was saying before," says Oliver. "We've seen it written down too, along with some other text. Maybe he'll respond to that." He speaks to de la Poer again. "An mháthair a chosaint cuid leanaí.'
Maurice had a vivid imagination, and for the briefest of moments the certainty of de la Peor's hypnotic voice. Why, for a moment, he thought he could hear something.
Just a moment.
"No, I am afraid I don't old chap" he said, resolutely, to de La Poer in answer to his question.
This was a job for trained psychiatrists, not pretender artists...he decided, in contrast to his previous beliefs.
The words seem to have no effect upon de la Poer he merely blinks and regards you with his unfathomless stare.
"Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!... Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!...Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!" he repeats in a dull monotone as if repeating a formula, "Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!... Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!...Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa! Rats...rats I tell you...rats eating poor Norrys!!"
At this stage Stromberg moves towards the door, "I suggest we leave gentlemen, Mr de la Poer seems to be becoming agitated" he knocks the door and the sound of keys turning in the lock are lod in the sudden silence.
"Rats ate poor, fat, Norrys...I told them...I told them... Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!... Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!...Dhonas’ dholas ort, agus-leat sa!" As he rants de la Poer stands and moves to the small barred window.
"Beneath the hill, the answer lies. Goodbye sirs, do call again" he says no more merely continuing to stare from the window at the countryside beyond...
We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin
