Monday in London (Day 3)

[Taavi]

GM summary: the task at hand is to reconstruct on the map, the route that Don Alejandro Glencoe and Laura followed from Grant's to Seven Dials - a path that "spiralled around and around without ever crossing his own tracks" (a succinct definition of a classical labyrinth), and "when put on the map, resembled the Troy Game" - see "Any Given Sunday" thread, page 4.

You can have a go at this by yourselves with a street map of London (that's what I did ) or you can spend 1 point of The Knowledge or 2 points of Outdoorsman or Library Use (or 1 of each) to abstract the process and have me give you a solution.

[Tabs]

Long John re-enters Grant's.

"That Drummell fellow drove off in a Rover--I got the registration, that was after he visited another book shop." He looks round for his parrot.

[Cearlan]

GM summary: the task at hand is to reconstruct on the map, the route that Don Alejandro Glencoe and Laura followed from Grant's to Seven Dials - a path that "spiralled around and around without ever crossing his own tracks" (a succinct definition of a classical labyrinth), and "when put on the map, resembled the Troy Game" - see "Any Given Sunday" thread, page 4.

You can have a go at this by yourselves with a street map of London (that's what I did ) or you can spend 1 point of The Knowledge or 2 points of Outdoorsman or Library Use (or 1 of each) to abstract the process and have me give you a solution.

OOC,[color=#FF4000]I tried this twice myself and got nowhere fast Unfortunately the person who initially made my character did so without much thought about how successful a Catalogue Agent could be with limited skills in library use. Nor do I have anything at all in regard to the knowledge or outdoorsman to fall back upon. So the best I can offer is my 1 point of library use - the fruits of an unfinished education you see old boy![/color]

[Bookman]

Harwood takes a pencil and starts plotting on the map, periodically cursing and rubbing out furiously. Finally he starts drawing, becoming more assured as he goes. And with an exclamation throws down his pencil. He pauses and looks at the map. His face darkens and he mutters angrily at his diagram.

“The nine man’s morris is filled up with mud
And the quaint mazes in the wanton green
For lack of tread, are undistinguishable”.

He gestures at the map. http://goo.gl/maps/U4NZ4

Rubbish! Oh it follows the rules but I refuse to believe a scholar of the Don's calibre has used such a meandering route or taken so long to walk it.

Well, it is a spiral dance, it does not cross itself and it does go from the shop to the heart of Seven Dials but it takes its own sweet time about it. If you do follow this abomination be careful to keep to the sides of the road in certain places. The steps dance down one side and later up the other. Doesn't cross, although that may be a technicality.

Spoiler:

OOC, Ew, that is a messy try. I do wish I could find a way to turn google maps 90 degrees, it might have made that easier. As Harwood says, it is technically accurate but long and twisted is the way. Almost certainly a cleaner route somewhere.

[Tabs]

"'Nine man's morris'" repeats Long John, "that's a pub game, ain't it?"

[Bookman]

It is indeed sir, perhaps the oldest game on record. Found on the ceiling of an Egyptian temple, carved into the deck of a Viking ship and cut into the stalls of our great cathedrals. Played from one end of the Roman Empire to the other. Shakespeare describes them dug into the green and pleasant land, presumably why that 'ancient' one has appeared outside the Dirty Duck. To the ancient Celts, the Morris Square was sacred: at the centre lay the holy Mill or Cauldron, a symbol of regeneration; and emanating out from it, the four cardinal directions, the four elements and the four winds. A symbol of protection, and mayhap a useful one in a magical game such as this.

[Cearlan]

OOC,Well done Bookman, I tried this several times myself and managed not 1/4 of your effort. 12/10 for perseverance.

[Taavi]

So, what's the plan? Someone going to try to follow the map? Someone going to find Dr Caslett?

[Tabs]

Long John's jaw drops. "Mr. Harwood, that was some spektecular map-plotting." He raises a hand, schoolboy-fashion: "I'll volunteer to follow the map."

[Cearlan]

"It's not as easy as simply following a set course ... I followed the cove and got myself all in a tizz, and I am used to following the likes of him." I interject with a deliberate nod towards Long John. "Not doubtin' your abilities for one second my good man, but it may not be so easy as you think it should be."

[Bookman]

Well I shall leave that to you fine gentlemen. I have a date with destiny. Or at least the Reverend and the world-famous echo of the reading room of the British Museum.

With that, Harwood disappears into the back for a few moments and returns with hat, coat and drooping roll-up. He strides towards the door and pauses. He walks back to the counter and fiddles around for a moment. When he comes back up he throws something towards Luke with a wry smile.

You never know when it might come in handy for finding your way back home.

Luke looks down to see a ball of twine. Harwood smiles for a moment, then his grin disappears.

Be careful though, there's something off with this one. Watch yourselves.

With that he walks towards the door. He pauses there, turns back, and tips a finger from the brim of his trilby towards Luke and Long John and steps out with the Reverend.

[Cearlan]

"Well then let us be about this task then." Luke says to Long John hefting the ball of twine in his hand. "And try to keep that bloody parrot under control, we need to concentrate. Hardly Ariadne's thread now is it?" Luke considers it for a moment before putting it into his pocket and heads for the door.

[Taavi]

All those following the labyrinthine map, please move to the "Seven Dials" thread.

[andyw666]

Jory:

Restored by the twinned strengths of chai and The Times, the Captain decides it is high time he started chipping in again, what?!

Dr P Caslett, what can we find out about you?

The Captain's opening salvo is to check the bookstore's phone directory for a home address for the (not so) good doctor.

[Taavi]

A few minutes perusal of the phone directory turns up an address for a Dr P. Caslett off Denmark Hill Road in the Southbank middle-class area of Camberwell. A bit low-status for a member of the medical fraternity, though it is handy for King's College hospital.

[andyw666]

Jory:

Jory quickly writes down the doctor's address on a notepad twice, tearing off the first note and pocketing it but leaving the second for the other denizens of the bookshop.

"Grant old boy, I'm off to the big library to see if I can find any useful intelligence on this doctor bod. I've written down what looks to be his address from the telephone book. Cheerio old son!"

Jory will make for the British Library in the hope of doing some newspaper research on the doctor.

[Laraqua]

Grant nods and sits down in his chair behind the counter, a bit perplexed by the day's rather strange activities. He decides that it might be worth taking a look at this Morris game considering the insight it provided their mapmaker. Perhaps there might be something in the history books about it? Or the occult collection?

[Taavi]

Nothing he can find about Nine Men's Morris strikes Mr Grant as particularly relevant. Besides, he recalls he needs a plan for the upcoming auction.

[Taavi]

The postman's knock announces the delivery of a letter to the shop.

The letter is addressed to Mr Harwood c/o Grant's Military bookshop, in a feminine hand. The envelope is a soft, thick paper, suggesting money. There is no return address, but the envelope is closed with a wax seal with some sort of heraldic device - it looks like a ram's head surmounting three coiled objects, possibly ram's horns, shells or snakes.

[Laraqua]

It seems to Grant that the best idea would be to play it safe and join an Auction Ring. As he is about to consider whom to contact to make it so, he hears the knock at the door and wanders over to collect the envelope. Well, this looks interesting....

What Grant does,He gently takes up a letter opener and carefully prises open the lip so that he can read the contents without overly spoiling such an elaborate and lovely letter.