Archie shrugs in response to Anna and Carole's concerns. "I am not speculating on what this animal may be and I do not ask you to believe in dragons. In this instance, I'm trying just to present facts. Of course, I myself believe in a higher power whose existence I cannot prove, but that's another matter."
Archie turns to Story. "Professor, I wonder could this be some kind of secret weapon? Something the Russians have bred perhaps?"
"Strange beasts..."Benjamin mutters, more to himself than anyone in particular. "I wonder if the Museum's vault holds something relevant here, perhaps an old tome or an artefact?"
"Right. But would it be that convenient, though? A mysterious death that appears to be caused by an unidentifiable creature, and you're saying that we would somehow find a book that explains exactly what the creature beyond reasonable doubt rather than, say, consult a zoologist?" Anna asked in curiousity.
"Stranger things have happened in the past, my dear. Not everything is mere coincidence or can be explained fully rationally. Don't deny yourself the possibility of something happening, simply by not being open for it!"
“True. I’ve been referred ‘impossible cases’ as a practitioner of medicine before, it wouldn’t surprise you to know that they aren’t ‘impossible cases’, it’s only a matter of the doctor’s willingness to treat the patient and rational approach that truly matters. Giving up on even afaint possibility could be foolish in retrospect. But consider me a skeptic until further proof presents itself to a neat, tidy conclusion.”Anna responded to Benjamin.
"Our collection has all sorts of references to mythology," said Carole. "Most of that is fantastical, but some myths have a kernel of truth. Maybe there is some sort of animal on the loose that nobody has discovered before, or at least proven the existence of. I don't know whether the Loch Ness Monster exists or not, and there's no proof, but many people claim to have seen it. This could be something undiscovered or thought long extinct that might have been living underground, only to be awakened by last night's bombing. I mean, ceolacanths were believed to have died out long ago, but a living one was discovered just a couple of years ago."
Archie nods enthusiastically. "You make a good point, Miss Siddons. The bible itself is generally accepted in theology as being largely allegorical, yet containing elements that are historically accurate. The Romans, for one example."
"And in my archeological investigations, I often found that beyond the physical evidence of historical artifacts, explanation for their origin could be found in writings from or at least about the relevant period in history."
"So, what information might research in the great museum reveal?"
"There's no telling," said Carole. "I've worked in the British Museum for over a decade, and while I've seen all of the exhibits, I've only read a fraction of the books that were available in the Reading Room. There's too many to read in a lifetime, and I have no idea what hidden treasures there might be. While we don't have the entire collection packed away in the Tube, there's enough there to keep one busy for quite some time. Thank you, Reverend. I appreciate your scholarly nature. It's a shame you can't see the museum in all its glory, at least until after the war is over, but hopefully you'll get enough of a taste."
Carole led the way down into Holborn Station, where an escalator took them deep underground to the platforms. "I found out this morning that a lot of people took shelter down here last night," she said. "It's technically not allowed, but they did it anyway, and they wouldn't just turn them out during the raid. All they had to do was pay their fares and stay on the platform, which is far enough down in this station that they'd be safe even in the event of a direct hit. Something to keep in mind if you ever get caught out in the bombing."
"Legend has it that Mr Churchill himself has occasionally taken the underground train, to see how the British people are faring, rather like Shakespeare's Henry the Fifth. I haven't seen the prime minister do so myself, but I like the sound of the story."
"I've heard that myself," said Carole, smiling, "though I haven't seen him doing it either.It is reassuring to think of it."
At that moment, the train pulled up to the platform. Though moving at high speed at first, it quickly slowed down and came to a halt. The doors slid open to allow access to the train cars. There were a few people inside, but not as many as there would be during the week. Most of them got off here. Advertisements were posted inside the train, above the windows at an angle so that they could be easily read by passengers.
OOC,I just saw Darkest Hour last night, which featured such a scene on the Underground. That particular scene probably didn't happen, however.
After a moment of chewing on Archie's question Story says, "A Russian secret weapon. A genetic experiment of sorts? Hmmm... if not Russians perhaps the Nazis." He scratches his head and finishes, "Regardless, good question. That's an interesting theory, but I really can't say since we don't have enough information just yet."
“Well, I can’t say much ‘bout the advertisements. Aren’t exactly tasteful, and well, they all seemed to exaggerate their products to almost hyperbolic length. I hardly expect cocaine and morphine to be the miracle cure for everything.”Anna said, looking at the advertisements. She attempted to kickstart a conversation with Benjamin.
"True, it does indeed seem very superficial. Call me old-fashioned, but I still think a well-made suit from my shop is it's own advertisement, and does not require any flashy publicity to make it better..."
“That’s something we can agree on. But I got the feeling that, someday, the whole world will be plastered with ads and there will no escaping them.”Anna looked around the train carriage and the ads that littered it. The discarded flyers and pamphlets on the ground and large posters and advertisement boards at the top.
