Play@YSDC

The British Museum, Great Russell Street - London, England
10:15 AM - Sunday, September 8, 1940

Reverend Archie Pennyfeather arrived outside the British Museum, where he met Story, Brook, Lord Rufus Colville, Benjamin Klein, and Anna Jerkins waiting near the gate. At around the same time, a beautiful dark-haired woman in her thirties emerged from the gate, wearing a knee-length skirt and white blouse. "Okay, ready to head to Aldwych?" she asked the group. Then she noticed Archie. "I haven't seen you before. I'm Carole Siddons. Do you know these folks?"

Archie beams happily at Carol. "Archie Pennyfeather, Royal Navy, call me Archie or Rev if you prefer. Pleased to meet you."

"I did meet most everyone here last night in a bomb shelter. But how was all at the amazing museum?"

Anna smiled amicably, staying silent.

"Pleased to meet you, Archie," said Carole with a smile. "Many of the British Museum's most important treasures have been relocated to various places for fear they would be damaged if London was bombed. Though the museum wasn't hit last night, I think the raid shows that it was a wise precaution. One of those locations is in the Underground near Aldwych, and that's where we're headed. I don't usually show people around down there, but Professor Story and I go way back. If he vouches for you, that's good enough for me."

Archie's eyes light up. "Well, that sounds jolly exciting! I actually studied Archeology before my career in the Church, and now the Navy."

"In fairness to Professor Story though, I'm not sure if he would feel he knows me well enough to vouch for me and I shan't be disappointed if he is reluctant to. In any event, I'll walk with you all as I wish to talk to the professor and his friends about last night."

Archie clearly looks very much as though he'd like to see the museum's hidden treasures despite what he says.

Story nods at the Archie and says to Carole, "I've met many ministers over the years, and the good reverend here seems to be one of the good guys." He smiles.

"I think so too," said Carole with a smile. "Well, let's go, then." She led the way through the streets of London. There were no signs posted anywhere, but she knew her way. "Everything is stored in the Underground tunnels between Holborn and Aldwych, so we'll enter at Holborn, which is not far away. It's on the Piccadilly Line, so we can't use British Museum station, which is on the Central Line. It's not as good as seeing the British Museum as it was before the war, but we have to make do with what we have. Few people get to see this at all these days. The Elgin Marbles are kept there, as are numerous other works of art and various books."

"Sounds reasonable, better than having priceless artworks blown to pieces, I would assume." Anna said.

"Quite," said Carole. "Of course, they're not on display where they are. Most of the treasures are put away in crates, but you can still see the Elgin Marbles, and the books are kept on shelves down there." The group arrived at Holborn station. "We'll take the train to Aldywch, which is closer to the vault. I'll pay everyone's fares."

Archie clears his throat a tad nervously and addresses the group. "I'm sorry to turn the discussion to far less pleasant topics but I did have something I wanted to raise."

"I attended that poor young woman's autopsy this morning and the examination confirmed that she was killed by an animal. A very strange animal indeed. Truthfully, I cannot picture any animal I have ever seen or read about being able to do this."

"This does provide proof, though, that the death was out of the ordinary. If we can locate this animal, approximately, I believe I may be able to persuade the authorities to provide us some military assistance in catching it, or killing it if need be."

“An animal? By golly this doesn’t make sense.” Anna responded in surprise, she thought the murder was committed by a violent person. Did she jump to the conclusion too quickly and made an incorrect assumption about Exter?

"I assure you, that was the coroner's finding. The unfortunate woman's death was not caused by the hand of man nor by a Jerry bomb."

"The animal, whatever it is, constricted her with incredible strength, yet took bites and clawed her. Apparently not really for - ahem - food purposes though. The girl died from blood loss. As I said, I simply cannot imagine what animal is capable of this."

Once again, Archie keeps a covert eye in the group to see if this revelation is too disturbing.

"And have I mentioned the second Luftwaffe POW who has corroborated that young German pilot's story from last night? That their aircraft was brought down by a flying animal. With a tail."

“I beg you pardon, good sir?” Anna looked offended, “At this point, are you insinuating that a Luftwaffe was brought down by a dragon? This is not funny, if that was intended to be a joke. ”

Story nods in agreement to Archie's comments and mumbles to himself, "Exactly as I thought."

Finally after Anna speaks he chimes in, "No dragon, and no demon from the Reverend's hell... rather a monster from our nightmares I imagine." He runs his hand through his hair and says, "Rev, locating a beast that navigates air and land will not be an easy task."

“So...you’re looking for birds, then. Might as look some goose and make this a Wild Goose Chase while we’re at it.” Anna sighed.

Carole Siddons stared in stunned silence before finally speaking. "I'm finding all this rather hard to believe myself," she said. "There was that incident ten years ago when I met Professor Story at the British Museum, but I never saw anything that couldn't be explained rationally. There was talk of beasts in the tunnels underneath the Museum, and one of his friends had been bitten, but that's a far cry from a dragon, or whatever you're talking about."

“Whatever the case, the story he sells is quite hard to believe requires us to make several leaps of faiths. And I do find the ‘monster from our nightmare’-thing to be too hyperbolic for my tastes.” Anna conceded.