Chapter 4: Day Two

[HoneyDog]

Spoiler:

If Vic is reading the folios, she won't be able to perform other actions. The library is a big room, it would take hours to search it like that. Best to stick to one action at a time.

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, Mrs. Forby," says Alexander. "Harry and I would like to meet with your husband privately about some evidence he has found at the quarry: a mask, gloves, and a sack designed to be worn over the body. They most likely belonged to the intruder, whom he suspects may have been here all along. That's why he doesn't want to alert anyone else, in case one of the servants was involved."

[aine]

"Oo, a secret passage, how exciting! I noticed the same mouldings on the hallway cornicing as on the picture frame; the paint was peeling off. Why did he use bronze and lead I wonder. Do you think something was happening between Alison and the artist, Vic?" Isolde asks as there was only the two women in the room.

[Philulhu]

Spoiler:

OK, I’ve struck out the search if Vic wouldn’t have had time to do it.

Vic glanced around and said quietly, ”Nicholas Forby used the secret passage to spy on his wife and friend. We might want to be careful what we say, as we don’t know who’s listening.”

[HoneyDog]

Gertrude’s hand goes to her mouth in shock.

“The servants? That’s not possible!” she exclaims.

Glancing behind her, she leaves the room and closes the door.

“None of them would be involved in such a vile scheme, I’m sure of it. It must be someone else!”

Spoiler:

From these writings, Vic can sense that Nicholas is increasingly paranoid when discussing Christopher and Alison.

[Mr. Handy]

"Aye, ye may be right," says Alexander. "Still, best not to say anything in front of them. Ye know how they like to gossip. One word in the wrong ears, and whoever is responsible may find out what we know."

[HoneyDog]

Gertrude is hesitant.

“Do you really think he should see it?” she asks. “It might upset him further, and his condition could get worse.”

Spoiler:

If you want to pursue this, you'll have to roll Persuade to convince Gertrude.

[Philulhu]

Continuing in a low voice, Vic drew Isolde’s attention to the folios. “It looks as if Nicholas suspected his wife was having an affair with Christopher Lehman.”

She glanced around to make sure they weren’t being overheard and spoke in a still lower voice, “That begs the question of who the father was of any children carried by Alison Forby. Might that be linked to current events, somehow?”

[aine]

Isolde nodded and replied quietly, "I think the affair is quite likely; artists are notorious after all. And I suppose the dates might mean that Aleister Forby could be Lehman's son but if this is an inherited mental disease, which it could be, then Nicklaus was the father after all. It's all conjecture; we could do with finding out more about the family."

[Mr. Handy]

"Aye, well, Harry thought he ought to ken about it," says Alexander. "If he learns we've found something out and kept it from him, that could have a worse effect than telling him would. And ye could be with us if ye like, to keep him calm."

Spoiler:

Persuade roll (62% skill) to convince [b]Gertrude[/b]: [dice]0[/dice]

[HoneyDog]

Vic and Isolde come to the last part of the books, from around 1826 to 1842, picking up six months after the last remaining date in the previous book. Nicholas records that he has just recovered from an illness that brought him close to “death or madness” and pays tribute to Bains for having “rescued me from the pit of Hell by his constancy and readiness of action in my time of need”. His only child, Aleister, is born very shortly after the diary recommences. The statue of Icarus is now on the front lawn, and the casting pit has been filled in.

In his last years, Nicholas’ attention turns to creating the mausoleum. The books are filled with increasingly grotesque and irreligious sketches as he becomes obsessed with pain and death. The mausoleum occupies him until he weakens and cannot leave his bed. The final pages of the book are covered with sketches of works he did not live to create.

The last entry is as follows, and is recorded on the night of his death:

“I am tired of life, yet life will not quit me. The hot passions of my youth seem so vast, so distant, as if the deeds of another man.

Christopher, I long to see you again. I must have death.”

Yet written beneath this is something else, in a heavy, clumsy, irregular hand entirely unlike that of Nicholas.

“Did I solicit thee from darkness to promote me?”


Gertrude hesitates again.

“Very well, I’ll see what he says.”

She goes into the room and Alexander can hear her and Forby talking.

Soon she comes back.

“He’ll see you” she says.

[Philulhu]

Vic shivered as she read the final passage, feeling goosebumps on the back of her neck. Again, she glanced around to make sure they were alone, before pointing it out to Isolde. ”Do you think Christopher Lehman had some sort of hold over Nicholas Forby?” she asked.

”And what do you make of the final passage? ‘Did I solicit thee from darkness to promote me?’ What on earth can that mean?”

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you, Mrs. Forby," says Alexander. He fetches Harry and goes with him to meet with Forby.

[HoneyDog]

Forby is sitting up in bed. He looks pale and tired.

"You have something to show me?" he asks.

[Mephistophilis]

Harry shows him the sketches. 'Do any of these look familiar Mr Forby?'

[HoneyDog]

Forby stiffens and sweat begins to bead on his forehead.

“Yes…” he stammers. “That could be what I saw.”

He collapses back on his pillows.

“So someone is trying to destroy me” he gasps. “Not content with the treasure! They wish the end of me!”

He begins to sob as Gertrude moves in to comfort him.

“You’d best leave now” she tells the investigators.

Spoiler:

You can roll English for insights into the folio.

[Philulhu]

Spoiler:

Own Language - English (75%) - [dice]0[/dice]

[aine]

Spoiler:

[dice]0[/dice]

"Hmm, more quotes perhaps? Let me think. He's had a classical education but where did he get these dark and grotesque ideas from?
The poor man seems almost possessed. I think you could be right; certainly it seems like someone or something, maybe Nicolas, has a hold over him.
Does he connect his own brush with death with Icarus who flew too close? Why does he long for death?" Isolde looks around at the books for inspiration.

[Mephistophilis]

'Dr Campbell, perhaps you could assist me with our other task in the mausoleum' Harry whispers to Alexander on the way out. 'We need to think about the implications of this, who could be trying to scare Forby and why?'

[Mr. Handy]

"Aye, let's go," replies Alexander, following Harry.