'The Strangeness of Hezekiah Mason' - chpt 1

[Mr. Handy]

"That's one possibility," says Anne. "Or there might be some sort of trap that has to be disarmed before the casket can be safely opened."

[carnage_lee]

Tommy Stone

"Really? Good grief... what have we gotten ourselves into? Do you want me to open the casket... just in case?" Tommy asks, his chivalrous nature surfacing at the most inopportune moment.

[Priest]

Anne's questing fingers fail to trigger any concealment device. After several attempts to locate a switch you remain with nothing more that an interesting enigma, surely the spiraling numbers mean something, but just what remains a mystery.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, thank you," says Anne. She hands Tommy the screwdriver and, not entirely consciously, moves away from the coffin.

[carnage_lee]

OOC:   Tommy will open the casket... with caution.

[Grognardsw]

Rebecca Conner, reporter

Rebecca leans forward as Tommy opens the casket, the camera around her neck bumping into the wood. She helps if necessary. This is the moment she has been waiting for.

[Priest]

Slowly with a modicum of effort,Tommy, using the screwdriver, turns the screws. A few moments later the screws have been removed, without incident, and the locking plate is loose. Then with a little more effort the lid of the casket is swung open, its hinges making no sound...
Eagerly you all lean forward to see..nothing, as you had surmised the casket is empty. Yet an impression left by a body is plain to see as is something that shines, dully, where the feet may have rested...

[Mr. Handy]

"What is that?" asks Anne, leaning closer for a better look. "Is this a dagger I see before me?" she adds, quoting the Bard.

[Priest]

Anne,Leaning closer you see that it is a kind of dagger, but far to ornate to be of any use for anything other than ceremonies, fancy dress, or opening envelopes. The blade has been engraved with letters, although in the dark it is impossible to make out what it says.

[/color]

The sound of voices, and the occasional light beam, seems to have moved away further towards the gate. It would seem that the sister has calmed the situation.

[Mr. Handy]

"It is a daggger," whispers Anne, removing it from the coffin. "This must be the one I sought, but I was expecting a functional weapon, not something purely decorative. Still, this could conceivably be lethal in the wrong hands. There's writing engraved on the blade, but it's too dark to make it out. I dare not light the lantern until our visitors are gone - and we're inside the church. That will help keep the light from being seen from outside."

[Grognardsw]

Rebecca Conner, reporter

Rebecca muffles her flashlight to provide dim illumination to look at the dagger. Those squiggly lines look like some writing, though none she's ever seen.

The New York Mirror reporter than grabs the casket cloth in which the body impression has been made and tears it back to expose the wood. She starts tapping the bottom, running from top to bottom.

"It wasn't a dagger I was expecting to find," explains Rebecca as she taps around. "Mason had papers - personal notes, letters, and a controversial story draft - that I believe were buried with him. Nosing around for the scoop, I talked with Mason's funeral home director who said the coffin was unusual and hand-crafted. Which led me to talking with the builder, who after some financial persuasion said there were secret compartments."

[Priest]

With the flashlight mostly covered, there is just enough light to make out that the letters are some form of Latin inscription. Age has worn them so the writing is difficult to make out and makes the script almost unrecognisable, however, it reads;
‘Deleth Viae Patent’ .

With a snort of dismissal over the dagger, Rebeccca begins a wild investigation of the erstwhile empty casket, and finds nothing hidden inside. Luckilly her tapping of the wood is far too quiet to carry to the cemetery gate, where it seems the unexpected visitors have been ushered by Sister Francis Mary.

[Mr. Handy]

"It says 'Deleth Viae Patent,'" says Anne as she studies the inscription. "It's Latin, but my Latin is rusty, so I'm not sure what it means. Sister Frances Mary should be able to translate it when she gets back. It makes sense that there would be secret compartments. I was expecting something of the sort. Perhaps those numbers are the key to opening it somehow. I've identified the one that doesn't fit - the three - but I don't know how to use that information."

[carnage_lee]

Tommy Stone

"Shhhh" Tommy hisses, "We don't want to be caught now..." he peers into the darkness, trying to make out whether Sister Frances Mary has deterred the men from entering the cemetery.... or not.

Unable to be sure what is occurring near to the gates he starts to move off in that direction... keeping low and using the grave-stones as cover.

[Priest]

Tommy, as you get closer to the entrance and the three figures. you overhear the conversation just enough to guess that the visitors have been put at ease by whatever Sister Francis Mary had said. Clearly lit up by the flashlight they carry are two men, as you settle in behind a gravestone you can hear one speaking, "Well I guess all seems quiet here. We'll be going now Sister, got to report in. Wouldn't want any hot headed types rushing up here with the wrong idea"
From the way the final words are accompanied by the creak of hinges it would seem that the gate has been opened. For a few moments there is silence then car doors can be heard opening and closing with a thud, this is quickly followed by a car's engine turning over.
It seems the visitors have departed...

[Supercape]

Harry Blake vexed in the shadows. To be seen, or not to be seen? By nature he was a gregarious sort, but there seemed danger afoot.

"Blast it, what is going on? is it safe?" he hissed in progressively louder tones through the darkness to the ears of his conspirators.

[Mr. Handy]

"I think they're leaving," whispers Anne.

[Papa Gateau]

Sister Frances Mary gently ushers the two men back towards the lych gate, smiling and nodding as they assure themselves that everything is fine. Yes I quite understand she says at the suggestion that her presence needs to be reported and it's good to know that there are stout hearted and good men keeping a watchful eye on our Lord's place of worship

She watches as they get back into their automobile. As the engine fires up and they start to drive off, she smiles and gives them a gentle wave goodbye. As the car disappears around the corner she turns swiftly and heads back to the others - her curiosity as to what may be in the casket nagging at her mind.

[carnage_lee]

Tommy Stone

Tommy stops when he sees Sister Frances Mary walking back. Making sure that there's no-one with her he steps our from his current hiding place "That was good work, we don't want any 'more' snoopers around... we got the casket open... no body... just a fancy 'dagger'." he says as they move back to where the casked is and the others are gathered.

[Grognardsw]

Rebecca measures, with her reporter notebook as an impromptu ruler, if the bottom of the inside of the casket is higher than the exterior bottom. And similarly with the inside-outside sides of the casket.