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karohemdPreviously
Paris
On Monday the 3rd of March we set off, first by train to Dover, then a ferry to Calais and another train to Paris, arriving in the early evening. After settling in at the hotel, Thomas, Robert, Silas and I enjoyed a night out in town (first on a pleasure boat on the Seine where I failed to win at Roulette, then onto various bars, cafe's and Burlesque establishmens, getting back to the hotel rather early in the morning. Prof Carter and Alex had stayed at the hotel to work on the translation of the odd book and the revision of his manuscript respectively.
When I rose in mid-afternoon, I discovered a note from Professor Carter stating he'd had some success at the national library, meeting his contact (Pierre Duchamp, I believe) who had indeed seen the odd writing in the documents and artifacts we'd collected before and knew that a book existed in the library's restricted section which might tell more about the origins of the language. We were all invited to meet Pierre for dinner at the restaurant overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Jolly good idea I say. When everybody had finally reason and made themselves presentable, we met up again and Prof. Carter had something else to tell us: After leaving the library, an American fellow called Nicolas Wright approach him and warned him of the people at the library, who weren't what they seemed. The Yank alleged there was an international conspiracy of librarians who wanted to keep certain knowledge and books secret. Wright offered to tell more at a meeting in the evening at the Cafe du Nord later that evening.
Now that was interesting. It would clash with our dinner but we were sure excuses could be made.
Another interesting development was that we had picked up a tail. Robert had spotted who was clearly watching us.
True enough, when we left for dinner, he was cycling after the first cab (which had Jeremy, Silas and me in) and he was also later spotted on the terrace of the restaurant by the Eiffel Tower, this time accompanied by a woman. When it was time to leave for the secret meeting, Thomas went outside to distract our watchers. I'm not quite sure what he did but he talked to them and they were very agitated and definitely distracted. Jeremy and Robert excused themselves and "visted the lavatory", only to return an hour or so later.
Meanwhile, the dinner at the restaurant continued and a merry affair it was. There was rather fine food, rather a lot of wine and idle conversation which was quickly mainly reserved to Alex telling tall tales (our true adventures) and how they all mean that there is no point in believing in god and that the world was out of control in an exceedingly agitated (and loud) fashion which apparently caused some concern with the other patrons of the restaurant. When Jeremy and Robert returned and the meal was finished we quickly took our leave.
Back at the hotel Prof. Carter told us all about what this Nicolas Wright fellow had had to say:
Wright searched for clues most likely to be found in that elusive book at the library that would lead to him being able to not only save his family but all the other residents of his village. He claimed that the town priest used nefarious rituals on the townspeople to prolong his life and had apparently done so for several generations.
During his research he found hints to the whereabouts of a book that might be able to tell him more, the same book Prof. Carter was to be shown the following tale. The symbols Wright had seen were indeed identical to the ones on our artifacts and to top it all off, Wright had also seen someone else with a mark of the ear symbol in the palm of his left hand, a gentleman who he described as wearing a bowler hat and having quite remarkably piercing blue eyes: Jim. Not only did he see him enter the library but also leave it after talking to the director which Wright claims is not generally the case. Usually people who arrive at the library with rare books and/or talk to the director are found floating in the Seine face-down soon after... Was Jim part of this international conspiracy of librarians? Oh, I just had a thought, I wonder if Wright knows (of) our erstwhile adversary, Doctor Parsons?
Jeremy and Robert had arranged for another meeting with Wright at lunchtime on Wednesday to discuss things further with all of us.
The next morning, we decided to throw off our tail a bit. I went shopping for some new outfits and a rather fetching cane with an elephant head, appropriate for our upcoming African adventure. Silas went out disguised as Prof. Carter and the tail promptly followed. Oh, we had decided that keeping Jeremy's appointment at the library was best not to be kept, after all the dire warnings by Wright.
Eventually, everyone converged at the Cafe du Nord for lunch with Wright. He told us more about what went on at the library after hours (meetings of robed figures, chanting at midnight, repeating an unspeakable name) and despite all this, we hatched a plan to infiltrate the library during the day, hide in various places and then in the early morning try and find that elusive book with the help of Wright's key he had copied. Then off to the station, where our belongings would already be waiting transported there by Jeremy. Wright agreed to accompany us on the Orient Express, provided he were able to procure a ticket this afternoon.
To be continued
Paris
On Monday the 3rd of March we set off, first by train to Dover, then a ferry to Calais and another train to Paris, arriving in the early evening. After settling in at the hotel, Thomas, Robert, Silas and I enjoyed a night out in town (first on a pleasure boat on the Seine where I failed to win at Roulette, then onto various bars, cafe's and Burlesque establishmens, getting back to the hotel rather early in the morning. Prof Carter and Alex had stayed at the hotel to work on the translation of the odd book and the revision of his manuscript respectively.
When I rose in mid-afternoon, I discovered a note from Professor Carter stating he'd had some success at the national library, meeting his contact (Pierre Duchamp, I believe) who had indeed seen the odd writing in the documents and artifacts we'd collected before and knew that a book existed in the library's restricted section which might tell more about the origins of the language. We were all invited to meet Pierre for dinner at the restaurant overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Jolly good idea I say. When everybody had finally reason and made themselves presentable, we met up again and Prof. Carter had something else to tell us: After leaving the library, an American fellow called Nicolas Wright approach him and warned him of the people at the library, who weren't what they seemed. The Yank alleged there was an international conspiracy of librarians who wanted to keep certain knowledge and books secret. Wright offered to tell more at a meeting in the evening at the Cafe du Nord later that evening.
Now that was interesting. It would clash with our dinner but we were sure excuses could be made.
Another interesting development was that we had picked up a tail. Robert had spotted who was clearly watching us.
True enough, when we left for dinner, he was cycling after the first cab (which had Jeremy, Silas and me in) and he was also later spotted on the terrace of the restaurant by the Eiffel Tower, this time accompanied by a woman. When it was time to leave for the secret meeting, Thomas went outside to distract our watchers. I'm not quite sure what he did but he talked to them and they were very agitated and definitely distracted. Jeremy and Robert excused themselves and "visted the lavatory", only to return an hour or so later.
Meanwhile, the dinner at the restaurant continued and a merry affair it was. There was rather fine food, rather a lot of wine and idle conversation which was quickly mainly reserved to Alex telling tall tales (our true adventures) and how they all mean that there is no point in believing in god and that the world was out of control in an exceedingly agitated (and loud) fashion which apparently caused some concern with the other patrons of the restaurant. When Jeremy and Robert returned and the meal was finished we quickly took our leave.
Back at the hotel Prof. Carter told us all about what this Nicolas Wright fellow had had to say:
Wright searched for clues most likely to be found in that elusive book at the library that would lead to him being able to not only save his family but all the other residents of his village. He claimed that the town priest used nefarious rituals on the townspeople to prolong his life and had apparently done so for several generations.
During his research he found hints to the whereabouts of a book that might be able to tell him more, the same book Prof. Carter was to be shown the following tale. The symbols Wright had seen were indeed identical to the ones on our artifacts and to top it all off, Wright had also seen someone else with a mark of the ear symbol in the palm of his left hand, a gentleman who he described as wearing a bowler hat and having quite remarkably piercing blue eyes: Jim. Not only did he see him enter the library but also leave it after talking to the director which Wright claims is not generally the case. Usually people who arrive at the library with rare books and/or talk to the director are found floating in the Seine face-down soon after... Was Jim part of this international conspiracy of librarians? Oh, I just had a thought, I wonder if Wright knows (of) our erstwhile adversary, Doctor Parsons?
Jeremy and Robert had arranged for another meeting with Wright at lunchtime on Wednesday to discuss things further with all of us.
The next morning, we decided to throw off our tail a bit. I went shopping for some new outfits and a rather fetching cane with an elephant head, appropriate for our upcoming African adventure. Silas went out disguised as Prof. Carter and the tail promptly followed. Oh, we had decided that keeping Jeremy's appointment at the library was best not to be kept, after all the dire warnings by Wright.
Eventually, everyone converged at the Cafe du Nord for lunch with Wright. He told us more about what went on at the library after hours (meetings of robed figures, chanting at midnight, repeating an unspeakable name) and despite all this, we hatched a plan to infiltrate the library during the day, hide in various places and then in the early morning try and find that elusive book with the help of Wright's key he had copied. Then off to the station, where our belongings would already be waiting transported there by Jeremy. Wright agreed to accompany us on the Orient Express, provided he were able to procure a ticket this afternoon.
To be continued
