[IC]Chapter 1.7 - The Unfinished Tales of Jackson Elias

[jp1885]

"If that black-eyed thing that possessed Larkin was behind it, who know what motivated them?" asks Cynthia.

[Mephistophilis]

Luther raises his eyebrow at the talk of possession but decides he'd be better off cornering Marcus later to get the lowdown on these crazies.

[Raiko]

Jonah also gives Cynthia a curious look when she mentions Larkin's possession, but he doesn't ask about it.

He answers Luther question first, "I now know that Jackson is, erm damn," he glances apologetically at Amy, "I mean was convinced that several, perhaps all of the expedition principles are still alive. He told me that on Tuesday."

Make a successful psychology roll to peek in here,[b]Jonah [/b]keeps glancing nervously at the document folder, and at [b]Amy[/b], whenever he mentions meeting Jackson recently. He really doesn't want her to see something in there... He also bites his lip when he mentions Jackson's good quality notes a little later in this post.

His voice lowers a little as he carries on, "I have no idea whatsoever whether he actually located any evidence to back up his suspicions. He made so little sense when we met this week."

Jonah has another drink from his cup, and changes subject a little, "Anyway, In mid-September I received a wire from Jackson. He was in Hong Kong and his investigation was going well.

"I didn't keep the telegram, I rarely do, they contain so little detail and as you can see Jackson's notes are always good quality. His previous telegram had been to ask for funds for the damn hotel in Nairobi, always the best hotels for Jackson when he travels."

He gestures with two empty hands and says, "And then - nothing."

"No word, no letters, no notes, nothing for three months until December the 16th, when I received a rather odd telegram."

Concentrating for a moment, Jonah quotes his friend's telegram from memory:
"BACK IN LONDON STOP
SEEN UNBELIEVABLE THINGS STOP
JUST NEED THE MISSIING PIECE STOP
BACK IN NY SOON STOP
J"

He looks around the gathered faces, "And that's the last I heard before Tuesday, when Jackson arrived unexpectedly in the office, he'd travelled by steamship - a freighter called the Phalerope he said - that much made sense...

"...but then he said 'so they won't be onto me yet, need to get the others' - you guys I guess - 'it's all connected, don't you see Jonah?'""

Looking very stressed, Jonah says, "I can't even remember everything that he said now, He said that you'd understand, but I'm not sure anyone would. He said that he made a mistake in London or maybe it was that he'd made a mistake going to London? I'm not sure, but I'm sure he said that he needed to go back there, but not alone and not be so dumb this time.

"Oh and something about travelling to Australia as well? He said there is a 'timetable' and there might still be time, I was about to ask what he meant by that, but he got he even more agitated and left immediately when I gave him the letter from Miriam at Harvard.

"I'm so sorry I can't even remember properly what he said."

[Mr. Handy]

While Amy knows Jonah well, she can't read his expression. "We hadn't even known he had already arrived two days ago until the police told us," she says. "I'd thought he had come in this morning, when he first called us. I wonder where else he went and what he did the last couple of days."

OOC,Psychology roll (61% skill) about [b]Jonah[/b]: [dice]0[/dice] That fails, unless maybe I get a bonus die for knowing him well?

[Raiko]

Amy and Cynthia,Go on, I'll give Amy a bonus die. Cynthia too, as JP already stated that she often visits the publisher.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,Bonus die: [dice]0[/dice] Still a fail.

[Silver Priest]

Psychology 40,[dice]0[/dice]

When Jonah mentions Jackson thinking it was all connected, Marcus nods as though confirming something to himself.

[Mephistophilis]

Luther Psychology 10%,[dice]0[/dice]

[Anatomist]

failed Psychology (32%),[dice]0[/dice]

[jp1885]

Psychology 79,[dice]0[/dice]

Bonus die,[dice]1[/dice]

Cynthia notices how the publisher seems to be trying to keep something in the folder from Amy; no doubt to protect her from something.

She beckons him over, asking if she can use his phone. When they are out of earshot from their friend, she says:

“Okay, what’s in the folder you don’t want us to see?”

[kabukiman]

Anderson says:
"Probably like in Peru again, only this time there are probably more people involved. So it seems we need to go to London after all and then maybe Australia?"

[Raiko]

Jonah accompanies Cynthia to the phone in the back office; he doesn't let go of the correspondence folder for a second.

When they are out of earshot from their friend, she says:

“Okay, what’s in the folder you don’t want us to see?”

After another guilty glance towards Amy, Jonah pushes the door to the office so that it is only open a crack and speaks quietly to Cynthia, "It's the damned notes that he brought back with him from London. She can't see them, it'll break her heart. I can scarcely bear to read them myself!"

Kensington considers his options for a moment.

"Wait here a second," the publisher steps back into the front office and says, "Doctor Sánchez, could you just have a look at this with us? It will only take a minute or two."

[Anatomist]

"Wait here a second," the publisher steps back into the front office and says, "Doctor Sánchez, could you just have a look at this with us? It will only take a minute or two."

'Yes of course' Dr. Sánchez enters the office 'how can I be at help?'

[Mr. Handy]

Amy is oblivious to the silent exchanges, overwhelmed by the notes she's been reading.

[Raiko]

Jonah removes a small booklet from the folder and passes it to Cynthia and Nemesio. It has been constructed from five sheets of large letter paper, folded and and stitched together to form a small quarto volume of 40 pages.

"These are the notes that Jackson made during his second visit to London, immediately before returning to New York. I think you'll understand why I was reluctant to show them to anyone."

Inside it is clearly the diary of a madman. The handwriting, although clearly that of Jackson Elias is written in agitation and is almost entirely illegible. Frequently a page or more are blank; other pages have a single word repeated again and again in miniscule letters - in one case that word is Amy. Some of pages are written upside down, one page may be a cypher - or perhaps just a lot of random letters.

Amongst the mad scribblings a few legible words can be made out: Many names, many forms, but all the same and toward one end... Need Help... ask the others? Too big, too ghastly. These dreams... dreams like Carlyle’s? Check that psychoanalyst’s files... All of them survived! They’ll open the gate. Why?... so the power and the danger is real. They... many threads beginning... The books are in Carlyle’s safe... Coming for me. Will the ocean protect? Ho Ho, no quitters now. Must tell, and make readers. Believe. Should I scream for them? No no no let’s scream together.

[jp1885]

Cynthia supresses a gasp at her normally stolid friend's manic writing.

"Damn... I see why you wanted to keep this from Amy..." She turns to Sanchez. "What d'you think? Do we need to show it to her yet?"

Returning to the notes, she frowns at the numbers.

"I dunno about these numbers, perhaps we can work them out; but the psychoanalyst must be Huston - I could speak to the faculty and find out where his files are - someone there must've worked with him. Looks like we also need Carlyle's books, but where's this safe? Jackson clearly knows- I mean knew."

She shudders, remembering the sound of the Father of Maggots slithering behind the wall under that pyramid.

"If there's a gate being opened, it's up to us to keep the godamned thing shut!"

[Anatomist]

Cynthia supresses a gasp at her normally stolid friend's manic writing.

"Damn... I see why you wanted to keep this from Amy..." She turns to Sanchez. "What d'you think? Do we need to show it to her yet?"

Returning to the notes, she frowns at the numbers.

"I dunno about these numbers, perhaps we can work them out; but the psychoanalyst must be Huston - I could speak to the faculty and find out where his files are - someone there must've worked with him. Looks like we also need Carlyle's books, but where's this safe? Jackson clearly knows- I mean knew."

She shudders, remembering the sound of the Father of Maggots slithering behind the wall under that pyramid.

"If there's a gate being opened, it's up to us to keep the godamned thing shut!"

'This is just horrible' Dr. Sánchez folds the pages and put them in his pocket and suddenly uttering 'Dios mio y Madre Santa protegenos' making the sign pof the cross ower his chest, he turns to Cynthia 'we must tell her, she deserves to know, i think shes strong enough in her mind to cope.' Dr. Sánchez sights loudly '
So Huston's files and Carlyle's book, or books maybe? how would we be able to convince his sister to give them up? I don't know but we must try to obtain both. Thank you so much Mr. Kensington for this... this is of enormous help in our investigation'

[Raiko]

"Thank you both," says Kensington, "please take care of that, and please don't show it to anyone outside your group unless you really have to."

Jonah walks back into the front office to re-join the others.

"I'm afraid that's everything I have about Jackson's latest book, I've no idea what he did after he left my office other than what I've already said.

"Is there's anything else that I can do to help?"

ooc,I know that you're planning to call Miriam Atwright at Harvard from Kensington's phone (Cynthia might already be going to do that I guess), but I think I've given out all the helpful information that Jonah has available for the moment. Proper out of character, metagaming stuff now: Please stay in touch with Jonah Kensington. As you all know this campaign does have a bit of a reputation for killing investigators or shattering their sanity. Jonah Kensington is the first NPC that the campaign recommends to kick start the campaign, should you wish to carry on in the event of a TPK (or TPI?). And so, he is the one and only NPC who I will [b][i]ever [/i][/b]tell you out of character that you can trust (assuming he survives this chapter himself!!!! Which is certainly not guaranteed. :twisted:).

[Mr. Handy]

"Did Jackson say anything about the manuscript for the book he's writing, or where it might be?" asks Amy.

[jp1885]

OOC:   Yep, Cynthia will call Atwright from the office.