During a sweltering August in 1881, one of the members of the Seekers of Enlightenment receives a letter from an old friend, requesting help in solving a family mystery. It will soon become a matter of life or death…
"Aye, thank ye kindly," says Alexander, following him inside and taking a seat. "I'm Dr. Alexander Campbell - Doctor of Science, not Medicine like yourself. Harry was a mate of mine in school. His condition seems to be worsening, and it looks like it started at the time of his father's passing."
“Good afternoon, I’m Miss Beauchant. A pleasure to meet you, Dr Jeffries.” Isolde introduces herself as she enters the house but she is happy just to listen to the conversation for now whilst tea is served.
“Nice to meet you all. Yes..” Jeffries says at Alexander’s statement. “Listen, let me get you some tea and then we can converse more.”
He disappears from the room, and after an interval reappears with a tray containing a teapot and cups and saucers, with a plate of biscuits. Busying himself with serving, he continues the conversation.
“Yes, Harry’s headaches began around that point. I know that they cause him a lot of problems, but honestly a lot of it’s due to the heat. He’s not so garrulous when the temperature is milder. This treasure hunt you’ve embarked on for him is an excellent distraction. Pray tell, have you made any progress? I’m a bit skeptical myself”.
"Aye, we found a new clue that leads us closer to finding the treasure," says Alexander. "The search for the treasure does distract him from other things. What would happen if we did manage to find it, though? He would need a new distraction."
“Well, I’ve been mainly concerned with helping him, as he is the one suffering. They really began after the death of his father. They come and go, mainly due to the heat I think. Having him concentrate on other things helps. This year is particularly bad.”
“Dr Jeffries, he’s lived with this condition nearly all his life; if the heat makes it so bad, why didn’t he move to somewhere cooler; Scotland for example?” Isolde looks at Alexander with a slight smile. She thinks it seems strange that the doctor is so positive towards the emerald which is surely a mad fixation for Harry.
'Harry Brown, pleased to meet you Dr Jeffries. Could there be anything heritable in Mr Forby's condition? His father suffered from something similar didn't he?'
“It’s a very good question, Mr. Brown. Aleister suffered from severe headaches for a lot of his adult life. I have to be frank though, I’m a little bit uncomfortable discussing Harry’s condition without his permission.”
Jeffries begins to fill a pipe with tobacco, a frown on his face.
OOC,A successful Persuade roll will be needed to get him to open up more.
“Dr Jeffries, we really wish to help the Forby family and Mr Forby in particular; it’s the reason he invited us.
If you can shed any light on this curious malaise that seems to have affected all three generations or indeed anything else curious that may help us we would be very much in your debt.
If you would be happier discussing it with Dr Campbell as he is a particular friend of Mr Forby then you have only to say the word.”
Says Isolde.
Jeffries lights his pipe. The tobacco smells foul.
“Well, yes, that’s true” he relents. “But I trust you’ll be confidential of course. Nicholas Forby, of course, probably suffered from lead poisoning due to his art. But I can’t quite explain why Aleister suffered from such headaches. In Harry’s case, they started after Aleister’s death. His condition, the ‘brain fever’ as he likes to call it, was quite bad around that time, but he improved and it has only reoccurred very occasionally. I believe that the extraordinary summer we’re having now has brought it about with renewed vigour. It should relent as the heat dissipates. That’s why it’s good to have something to take his mind off it.”
"Aye, perhaps he could buy a second home in Scotland and spend the summer there, where it's nae so hot," says Alexander. "Once we find the emerald, he'll easily be able to afford it. Why, the Queen herself is known to spend time in Scotland. It is a bit odd that men in all three generations have suffered from the same malady. When did Aleister's headaches start?" He wonders if they began when his father Nicholas died, though it doesn't really make any scientific sense.
"Well, it's not the same malady, as I thought I had just explained. Nicholas obviously had lead poisoning, while Aleister and Harry had some other ailment, the root of which we couldn't identify. Lead poisoning is not hereditary. The ailment may be more emotional than physical. For Aleister, it started in his twenties, and got worse. Harry does not seem to suffer it as badly."
