Resurrection City 2: The Adventure of the Iron Knives

[Andrew D. Gable]

If I were a tailor I'd make it my pride
The best of all tailors to be
And if I were a tinker, no tinker beside
Should mend an old kettle like me.
~English folk-rhyme

July 1893
Ahh, summer! Mr. Aiolos Shaw, Rev. Andrew B. Miller, Inspector Jamison O. Diggory, and Dr. Richard Hewitt, all survivors of the events of the Pellgraine Tragedy, had just attended a splendid cricket game near Chiswick. The fifth of their number, Trevor MacAllistair, the Baron Walsingham, was at his townhouse in Westminster recuperating from the great shock he'd received at the house in Loughton.

The four men were sitting at the Chiswick Station, awaiting the train back to London. A tall gentleman in a dark suit, wearing a bowler hat, with small glasses and a large handlebar mustache, carrying a briefcase, approaches. Nodding at the men genially, he sits himself down on one of the provided benches, looking about from time to time. Occasionally he reaches into his pocket and withdraws a silver pocketwatch.

 

[Old Fezziwig]

"Well, that's a nice change for me," Jamison says as they sit down at the station. "It's not often that I can escape London and catch a match. Sometimes I like to think that if I had more money and didn't work for the Metropolitan Police, I'd have enjoyed playing cricket very much."

At the arrival of the man in the bowler...
Diggory smiles pleasantly in reponse to the nod, but otherwise doesn't say anything unless addressed. He keeps a close eye on the newcomer but is as discrete as possible.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

The man looks at the group several more times, a thoughtful expression on his face. A sudden look of realization crosses over his features, and he sits up a bit.

"Ahh, Mr. Shaw!" he exclaims. "I hadn't recognized you at first. I've read about your exploits in the Times. With great interest, I might add." The man extends his hand to Shaw, and then to the other three. "And these are companions of yours, I take it." After he has shaken all four hands, he introduces himself. "Horatio Cartwright," he says with a slight bow. He pats his briefcase. "A banker." He holds out a business card to whoever takes it.

A brief look of agitation comes over him as he pulls out his pocketwatch and flicks it open. "Train's a bit late today... but ahh, here we are. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, eh?" The locomotive bound for the Grosvenor Road station in Chelsea shudders into the station. The men and women at the station begin filing into the train.

Just before it shudders out of the station, there is a brief whistle-blow. A conductor is approaching, leading a decrepit-looking old man, evidently blind from the way he's waving his cane about. The train pauses, and after a moment the conductor reaches it, helping the old man onboard.

The four of you take your own seats, Cartwright sitting in the seat across the aisle from you with two other passengers. The blind man presents his ticket to the conductor inside, who shows him to his seat, in the same cubicle as Cartwright. Once the blind man is onboard and settled in his seat, the train gently shudders off through Chiswick.

 

[Ferrix]

The man looks at the group several more times, a thoughtful expression on his face. A sudden look of realization crosses over his features, and he sits up a bit.

"Ahh, Mr. Shaw!" he exclaims. "I hadn't recognized you at first. I've read about your exploits in the Times. With great interest, I might add." The man extends his hand to Shaw, and then to the other three. "And these are companions of yours, I take it." After he has shaken all four hands, he introduces himself. "Horatio Cartwright," he says with a slight bow. He pats his briefcase. "A banker." He holds out a business card to whoever takes it.

A brief look of agitation comes over him as he pulls out his pocketwatch and flicks it open. "Train's a bit late today... but ahh, here we are. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, eh?" The locomotive bound for the Grosvenor Road station in Chelsea shudders into the station. The men and women at the station begin filing into the train.

Just before it shudders out of the station, there is a brief whistle-blow. A conductor is approaching, leading a decrepit-looking old man, evidently blind from the way he's waving his cane about. The train pauses, and after a moment the conductor reaches it, helping the old man onboard.

The four of you take your own seats, Cartwright sitting in the seat across the aisle from you with two other passengers. The blind man presents his ticket to the conductor inside, who shows him to his seat, in the same cubicle as Cartwright. Once the blind man is onboard and settled in his seat, the train gently shudders off through Chiswick.

Suprised and a touch relieved by someone noticing who he was and enjoying the encounter, Aiolos shakes the mans hand, taking his business card and giving it a once-over before pocketing it. A banker, splendid, perhaps another financier. With a warm smile, Aiolos introduces his companions, "This is Reverend Miller on my left, next to him is Inspector Diggory, and to my right is Dr. Hewitt, we were out for a bit of cricket on a fine day like today. What did you happen to be about for?"

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

"This is Reverend Miller on my left, next to him is Inspector Diggory, and to my right is Dr. Hewitt, we were out for a bit of cricket on a fine day like today. What did you happen to be about for?"

The card has an elaborate monogram of 'HC', and gives his name and his place of business, Blackburn & Co., bankers, in Brentford. His address is given as 2 Church Street, Mortlake. The card also adds that he is a sitter in Parliament.

"A small matter of family business," Cartwright says when asked about why he's coming to London. "Paying a visit to a cousin."

He rolls his eyes and shakes his head slightly when the blind man takes his seat, but says nothing.

 

[Jarval]

"Quite the match, that." Richard says to his companions. "It's been too long since I last saw a game, and it has certainly reawakened my interest in our great sport." He smiles.

"So, do you have any idea who this Horatio Cartwright fellow is?" He asks Aiolos. "It seems you're getting quite well known."

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

The train clatters on, the thin blue ribbon of the Thames visible out the window on Cartwright's side of the train. On through the London suburbs it goes, houses and businesses and people flashing by. As the train nears the south-eastern suburb of Clapham, the tracks dip down and the car passes through a short tunnel. As darkness falls in the train, there is a choked shout and a slumping, thudding sound. The emergency brakes of the train squeal and with a violent start, the car lurches forward and halts.

"Bloody 'ell, what's 'appened now?" you hear a voice mutter. Then footsteps approaching through the stones and gravel lining the railway. Light briefly illuminates the cabin as the conductor casts open the door, carrying a lantern with him.

Then the conductor casts his light about the car, and gasps of gentlemen and screams of ladies fill the car as the beam catches the tall form of Horatio Cartwright standing bolt upright, his arm resting on the line of the emergency brake, the old blind man slumped before him, one hand resting on a knife buried in Cartwright's chest. Both appear to be dead.

 

[Jarval]

"Make way, make way, I'm a doctor!" Richard says firmly, pushing his way into the compartment opposite.

"You sir, could you bring that light a little closer please?" He asks the conductor. Assuming this is done, he quickly examines both men, looking first for any signs of life, then for any sign as to what might have caused the blind man's death.

 

[Andrew D. Gable]

looking first for any signs of life, then for any sign as to what might have caused the blind man's death.

When Richard first reaches the two, it seems that there is some measure of a pulse left in Horatio... but that quickly fades. As to the blind man, the question is problematic. He is covered in blood, as is expected, but he bears no obvious wounds. He feels strangely cold to the touch for a man who had died only a few moments before.

Other than his ticket, the man's pockets are completely devoid of any identification, or of money. When his dark-lensed glasses are tipped off, the doctor finds that not only was he blind, he lacked eyes. Judging by the look of the empty sockets, Richard would say that it was only a few days since he lost his eyes.

A railway policeman runs up to the train for a moment, then departs to go up and down the tunnel, lighting warning beacons.

 

[Karl Green]

Andrew rushes over to help in anyway that he might be able...

Spot roll 15 +5 =20