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The Golden Key: From the Casebook of Nigel Spenser (Updated 9/16)
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<blockquote data-quote="Kid Charlemagne" data-source="post: 2819739" data-attributes="member: 93"><p>The investigators tried their best to sneak out of the darkening cemetery. They made it almost all the way out before being accosted by Mr. Morley, the watchman. Orla and Nigel managed to convince the elderly fellow that they had lost track of time and become lost, and he soon warmed up to them and began to spin tales of the cemetery and its silent denizens.</p><p></p><p>"There be lots of ghosts in the cemetery," he explained. "Mostly children, for some reason. T'were a big infestation of 'em 'bout two years ago, but they've quieted down since."</p><p></p><p>"Any stories about that mausoleum?" Orla asked, indicating the Chenowith tomb, barely visible in the gloom.</p><p></p><p>"Oh, aye," Morley replied. "T'were lots of bad luck for that family, if I recall. The one Lord were killed by his own horse, another struck by lightning." </p><p></p><p>"That's one o' three tombs that were here before they built the rest o' the place."</p><p></p><p>"Really?" Orla perked up. "What about the others?"</p><p></p><p>"Me assistant would know more. Gilley's 'is name. He's off now, but he'll be around in the morning."</p><p></p><p>"Well, that's interesting," Nigel said as they exited the main gates of Highgate Cemetery. "Tombs older than the rest of the place. Worth investigating, I'd say."</p><p></p><p>"I want to talk to this Gerald Wist fellow," Orla said. "I think we've taken long enough before learning more about this book that Iron Tusk stole."</p><p></p><p>The others concurred, and in the next day's foggy winter morning, they assembled outside the British Museum. It did not take long to locate Gerald Wist. He was happy to hear that someone was looking into the theft, though unsure of what the investigators could do. He still bore signs of the violent assault to which he had been subject.</p><p></p><p>"I've given all of this information to the police," he explained. "I'm not really sure what else I can tell you."</p><p></p><p>"Well, let's begin with the book," Nigel responded. "'The History of John Uskglass,' locked with a magical lock, and purported to be a forgery."</p><p></p><p>"Why do you think that? And who is the author, anyway?"</p><p></p><p>"Well, the author was Vittorio Mateo. That was really the first tipoff. This isn't really his sort of subject."</p><p></p><p>"Who is Vittorio Mateo?" Orla asked. "What was his sort of subject, as you say?"</p><p></p><p>"He wrote quite widely, but his preferred subject matter was planar cosmology. He was a reknowned scholar of the 14th century, and that was the second tipoff. You see, 'The History of John Uskglass' contains a number of copper plates…"</p><p></p><p>Sandor interrupted. "There were copper plates in zis book? Zis seems odd."</p><p></p><p>"No, not copper plates, per se," replied Wist, reaching for a text to use as an example. "What I'm referring to is the engravings that were reproduced in the book. They were done by etching into copper plates, and then used to create the pages that had pictures. In Mateo's time, they would have used wood cuts. The paper of the book matched Mateo's time but the engravings were 15th, maybe 16th century, long after he died."</p><p></p><p>"Why do you think it was stolen?" Sandor asked. "Where did you get ze book?"</p><p></p><p>"The book was donated to the museum by Lord Segundus, and elderly local wizard. He had inherited it from Mr. Norell."</p><p></p><p>"Who is he?" Artimis asked.</p><p></p><p>"Mr. Norell?" Wist seemd surprised at the question. "He was a very famous wizard in Napoleonic times. He disappeared some time after that. But to answer your question, I really don't understand it. I don't think the person who stole it really knew what he was doing, to be honest. There were several extremely valuable texts that were untouched. All that was taken was 'The History of John Uskglass'. I mean, for God's sake, Mr. Norell's spellbook was sitting right here! And it was left untouched!"</p><p></p><p>Wist shook his head in amazement.</p><p></p><p>"Who was the thief?" Nigel asked.</p><p></p><p>"I never saw him. He came up on me from behind, while I was examining the book."</p><p></p><p>"Aren't there guards here?" Sandor asked, bewildered. "How did they get in?"</p><p></p><p>"There is a night watch. Two guards on duty. They saw nothing until they found me."</p><p></p><p>Determining that Gerald Wist had nothing further to tell them, and was hiding no nefarious deceptions beneath his bruised countenance, the investigators returned to Highgate Cemetery equipped with rope, lanterns, torches, and spikes, in search of Vincent Gilley, assistant to Mr. Morley. </p><p></p><p>They found him with a sketchbook, drawing the designs found on some of the older headstones in the graveyard. He was a young man of some education, in opposition to Mr. Morley's more workmanlike disposition. He was pleased at the investigator's interest in the history of the cemetery.</p><p></p><p>"The older tombs? Yes, there are three or four very old tombs, a couple dating from the Picts," he explained. "The oldest are just barrows, really, quite crude."</p><p></p><p>"What about the Chenowith Mausoleum?" Artimis asked. "Sounds like there's a story behind that one."</p><p></p><p>"Ah, yes, there is indeed. From what I understand, the Chenowiths were a powerful family in Wales. The story goes that the Lord was hunting foxes, and happened by a pool of water he had not seen before that day. He met a woman there, and the stories say he either killed her, or was cursed by Faerie."</p><p></p><p>"His wife later died in childbirth, and he passed away in the late 1700's. Torn apart by wolves."</p><p></p><p>"Wolves? Ugh," Orla says. "Bad luck for him."</p><p></p><p>"Yes," Gilley answered with a wry grin. "Especially as there haven't been any wolves in England since the 17th century."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kid Charlemagne, post: 2819739, member: 93"] The investigators tried their best to sneak out of the darkening cemetery. They made it almost all the way out before being accosted by Mr. Morley, the watchman. Orla and Nigel managed to convince the elderly fellow that they had lost track of time and become lost, and he soon warmed up to them and began to spin tales of the cemetery and its silent denizens. "There be lots of ghosts in the cemetery," he explained. "Mostly children, for some reason. T'were a big infestation of 'em 'bout two years ago, but they've quieted down since." "Any stories about that mausoleum?" Orla asked, indicating the Chenowith tomb, barely visible in the gloom. "Oh, aye," Morley replied. "T'were lots of bad luck for that family, if I recall. The one Lord were killed by his own horse, another struck by lightning." "That's one o' three tombs that were here before they built the rest o' the place." "Really?" Orla perked up. "What about the others?" "Me assistant would know more. Gilley's 'is name. He's off now, but he'll be around in the morning." "Well, that's interesting," Nigel said as they exited the main gates of Highgate Cemetery. "Tombs older than the rest of the place. Worth investigating, I'd say." "I want to talk to this Gerald Wist fellow," Orla said. "I think we've taken long enough before learning more about this book that Iron Tusk stole." The others concurred, and in the next day's foggy winter morning, they assembled outside the British Museum. It did not take long to locate Gerald Wist. He was happy to hear that someone was looking into the theft, though unsure of what the investigators could do. He still bore signs of the violent assault to which he had been subject. "I've given all of this information to the police," he explained. "I'm not really sure what else I can tell you." "Well, let's begin with the book," Nigel responded. "'The History of John Uskglass,' locked with a magical lock, and purported to be a forgery." "Why do you think that? And who is the author, anyway?" "Well, the author was Vittorio Mateo. That was really the first tipoff. This isn't really his sort of subject." "Who is Vittorio Mateo?" Orla asked. "What was his sort of subject, as you say?" "He wrote quite widely, but his preferred subject matter was planar cosmology. He was a reknowned scholar of the 14th century, and that was the second tipoff. You see, 'The History of John Uskglass' contains a number of copper plates…" Sandor interrupted. "There were copper plates in zis book? Zis seems odd." "No, not copper plates, per se," replied Wist, reaching for a text to use as an example. "What I'm referring to is the engravings that were reproduced in the book. They were done by etching into copper plates, and then used to create the pages that had pictures. In Mateo's time, they would have used wood cuts. The paper of the book matched Mateo's time but the engravings were 15th, maybe 16th century, long after he died." "Why do you think it was stolen?" Sandor asked. "Where did you get ze book?" "The book was donated to the museum by Lord Segundus, and elderly local wizard. He had inherited it from Mr. Norell." "Who is he?" Artimis asked. "Mr. Norell?" Wist seemd surprised at the question. "He was a very famous wizard in Napoleonic times. He disappeared some time after that. But to answer your question, I really don't understand it. I don't think the person who stole it really knew what he was doing, to be honest. There were several extremely valuable texts that were untouched. All that was taken was 'The History of John Uskglass'. I mean, for God's sake, Mr. Norell's spellbook was sitting right here! And it was left untouched!" Wist shook his head in amazement. "Who was the thief?" Nigel asked. "I never saw him. He came up on me from behind, while I was examining the book." "Aren't there guards here?" Sandor asked, bewildered. "How did they get in?" "There is a night watch. Two guards on duty. They saw nothing until they found me." Determining that Gerald Wist had nothing further to tell them, and was hiding no nefarious deceptions beneath his bruised countenance, the investigators returned to Highgate Cemetery equipped with rope, lanterns, torches, and spikes, in search of Vincent Gilley, assistant to Mr. Morley. They found him with a sketchbook, drawing the designs found on some of the older headstones in the graveyard. He was a young man of some education, in opposition to Mr. Morley's more workmanlike disposition. He was pleased at the investigator's interest in the history of the cemetery. "The older tombs? Yes, there are three or four very old tombs, a couple dating from the Picts," he explained. "The oldest are just barrows, really, quite crude." "What about the Chenowith Mausoleum?" Artimis asked. "Sounds like there's a story behind that one." "Ah, yes, there is indeed. From what I understand, the Chenowiths were a powerful family in Wales. The story goes that the Lord was hunting foxes, and happened by a pool of water he had not seen before that day. He met a woman there, and the stories say he either killed her, or was cursed by Faerie." "His wife later died in childbirth, and he passed away in the late 1700's. Torn apart by wolves." "Wolves? Ugh," Orla says. "Bad luck for him." "Yes," Gilley answered with a wry grin. "Especially as there haven't been any wolves in England since the 17th century." [/QUOTE]
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The Golden Key: From the Casebook of Nigel Spenser (Updated 9/16)
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