Pickman’s Student: part 4
Extracts from the Personal Diary of Dr
Elisa Jamieson MD
Once
finished with our exercise we sojourn back to my place to take a quick shower.
(Individually, I might add) which I must admit helps me to feel much more
relaxed and ready for action once again, after we have freshened up Alex
contacts Tulip just to assess were our operations stand.
During
the phone call we discover some information regarding the previous evening,
that there was another casualty that until that time we were blissfully unaware
of. This was Andy Price who it appeared had decided not follow my advice in
regards to avoiding contact with the Deep Ones and had instead chosen to
instigate a fire-fight resulting in a severe breakdown of his mental facilities
which was what I was afraid would happen and it appeared that Andy was now on
sick leave.
Alex
said that this left us without any real combat support but fortunately Tulip
had foreseen this and acquired another asset from the MI13 overseas division to
act as cover for Andy, this agent would meet up with us at the Royal Berkshire
and is codenamed ‘Mars’. Tulip also told Alex that Adrian Stimson
had been assigned the temporary codename ‘Picasso’ and we were instructed to
use this when communicating on unsecured lines.
So
our next order of business is to travel to the Royal Berkshire to check on the
condition of Mr Blake (as
We
accompany Doctor Jones to his office where we are joined by the rest of the
team and Mr Stimson plus a stranger who I assume to
be ‘Mars’. Doctor Jones gives us his report: it appears Mr Blake is still
gaining weight and now exceeds the weight limit of his hospital bed as the
wheels are beginning to buckle and Doctor Jones claimed that the patient had
exceeded the weight limit of the hospital scales the previous evening and at
his last weighing in he tipped the scales in excess of one hundred and fifty
kilos. He is clearly much larger now.
The
skin of the patient’s arms and legs has swollen and split in several places and
like the rest of the body has turned almost completely black, with the notable
exception of yellow buboes which are developing within his skin. This morning
Doctor Jones reports that the buboes have split to reveal what Doctor Jones
describes as small humanoid heads, which are eating into the flesh around the
wounds and expelling blood and other matter.
It
appears Doctor Jones is at a loss as to how to explain what is occurring as he
states they have been unable to insert either a drip or a catheter yet the
patient still continues to add mass. It is clear to me that he does not have a
clue as to what is his next step should be and that Doctor Jones is on the
verge of both a physical and mental collapse. Doctor Jones reports that he can
only find one nurse (Nurse Charleston) willing to even enter the room.
In
my medical opinion Doctor Jones would be only too happy to see this patient
expire as he ‘has to make himself’ see the patient. Of course he can do nothing
to assist Mr Blake’s death either openly or adversely as not only is it illegal
to do so but also it goes against his oaths and everything he believes. (His
professionalism in regard to this patient earns him my respect.) He has of
course requested the patient be transferred to the disease centre at Porton Down but unfortunately the patient cannot physically
fit through the door in his present condition.
For
reference Nurse Miranda Charleston is a large Afro-Caribbean nurse who has her
religion listed on her file as vodou and Doctor Jones
has reported that he heard her chanting some form of mantra while she is in the
room, which he suspects is likely is some form of protective chant.
Doctor
Jones also reports that the Hospital has other problems to deal with, to whit
the attacks on his medical staff that have resulted in the loss to the sick of
not only two nurses but also of Doctor Elisabeth Jamieson who he states has an
attitude but is still an excellent doctor. (My god he must be exhausted as I do
believe that is actually the first complementary statement about me I have ever
heard pass his lips).
He
also appears to be somewhat concerned about the mental condition of Penny Tilstrom as he believes she is clearly deluded. Doctor
Jones would gladly have her committed but he is convinced that once Nurse
Charleston goes off duty (after all Nurse Charleston has been on duty for at
least twenty four hours) he will be unable to find anyone else to stay in the
room other than Miss Tilstrom, which would leave the
patient completely outside medical care. Doctor Jones also reports having heard
either gunshots or car backfires, coming from somewhere nearby during the
previous evening.
Doctor
Jones then leaves the room and I get up and follow him into the corridor where
I offer to take some of the burden while stating that Mr Blake would of course
remain his patient and that my offer was merely to allow him to gain some
respite. But unfortunately he appears unwilling to accept my aid no matter how
it is offered. I did not realise until now how much he really dislikes me and
how hard it must have stuck in his craw to complement me in front of the rest
of the team.
Doctor
Jones leaves and I return to the rest of the team where we are all introduced to
our new team member ‘Mars’ who, it turns out, is actually named Captain Sandy
Wood. I understand he is a serving paratrooper and has until recently been on
duty in
Once
all the introductions are over Belinda reveals that MI13 has imparted her some
further information in regards to the Deep Ones. Namely that they live in
colonies and originate from somewhere in the South Pacific islands. However
this information is a little scratchy as it is not exactly clear where as these
particular colonies existed as they are now long extinct. There are also
reports of the Deep Ones having a large colony in the late 1920/30s in and
around a small town in
It
appears that Deep Ones themselves are immortal but are unable to breed without
the aid of human females. The babies born of the coupling between the species
appear at birth to be perfectly normal as it appears that the transformation to
Deep Ones only begins as puberty sets in. This all happens rather slowly as a
complete transformation takes decades to complete. Belinda also advises us that
while Deep Ones appear to have no notable protection against modern weaponry
they are still exceedingly strong and with this in mind we are advised to avoid
hand-to-hand combat whenever possible.
Not
surprisingly, my suggestion that perhaps if you were to kiss the one with the
crown then he would turn into a handsome prince, was rightfully met with
scepticism.
It
appears we were already approaching the endgame if supernatural creatures such
as the Deep Ones were beginning to show a boldness not
previously displayed. So it is essential that we succeed in getting this case
solved as soon as possible. However it is clear to me that we are unable to
attempt entry into the dreamlands at this stage as most of the group are not
even slightly tired because they have only recently woken up. I offer to try
and wear everyone out by getting them all exercising but Belinda is the only
one to take up the offer.
Barbara
reports she was feeling a little stressed so Adam agrees to show her some
relaxation techniques. Finally Mr Stimson states that
he intends to spend the day at the hospital to maintain a vigil on Mr Blake.
Captain
Wood expresses a desire to get some sleep before going on patrol that evening.
(It appears the plan is that Captain Wood will fulfil the role vacated by Andy
Price and will not be going with us into the Dreamlands.) As Alex wishes him to
remain in close proximity to the hospital I am asked if they can use my
apartment. I say that it should be okay to use my ex-flatmate’s room and I
present them with my spare keys and the alarm code.
Meanwhile
Captain Wood and Alex express a desire to go and talk with the Thames Valley
Police in an attempt to ascertain what had occurred in regard to Andy Price and
they quickly depart.
They
were discover that in the police report Andy had reported observing a group of
teenagers chasing and possibly assaulting a young lady, and he further reported
to having fired several shots into the air to drive said teenagers off and had
subsequently been picked up by the Police, where Andy had been required shown
his documentation, which was quickly checked over before Andy was sent to MI13.
Alex
and Captain Wood had then checked the scene where Andy’s reported discharge had
occurred where apparently they discovered a single spent cartridge case
belonging to a large calibre handgun, which presumably belonged to Andy Price.
They also find several shallow impact craters in nearby walls in the direct
line from where Alex also found evidence of blood so it was likely something or
someone was hit and either injured or killed. There were also drag marks near
the blood splatters and several imprints of large webbed feet in the
surrounding area.
Even
though it is not revealed to the rest of the team at the time, Captain Wood was
apparently aware that there was a second gunman in the area and had only
revealed this to Alex when during their search of the area Alex found
impressions of normal bullets in a secondary location, to whit a nearby wall
which was at right angles to Andy’s firing position of a lighter calibre than
what we suspect Andy was using. Alex upon seeing this new evidence chose to
report it to Tulip and for a time there was a suspicion that it could have been
one of our American cousins poking their noses in and thus interfering in our
investigation into the case.
Captain
Wood also plants a camera near Mr Blake’s room as he feels that he needs to
observe people coming or going from the room. Alex will be fulfilling this role
as sentinel while Captain Wood sleeps. Alex notes Doctor Jones making his
regulation check-up fully suited up in his noddy-suit
but delays opening the door for a good few moments while he gets his thoughts
in order Alex reports that Doctor Jones spends less than five minutes in the
room and that he appears severely distressed when he leaves.
After
Doctor Jones leaves the room Alex contacts Mr Stimson
to see if he can acquire a medical update from Doctor Jones. Mr Stimson reports that the patient has continued to increase
in both weight and body mass and that the wheels on the bed are now completely
buckled. Doctor Jones also says that the patient appears to have fired out a
number of tendrils which appeared to be flexing and actually they appear to
have literally moored him into position with most of his bulk.
While
Mr Stimson is making this report one of the
receptionists at the Royal Berkshire approaches him and inquires if he is
friend of mine as she had seen Mr Stimson talking to
me. When he confirms this, she reports that apparently a large angry man has
recently been to reception asking to contact me and when she had reported that
I was off sick she had been the subject of a short burst of profanity before
the man had departed. The receptionist describes the man as being not overly
attractive but rugged looking, with short cropped hair, standing approximately
six feet tall, and that he was also very broad-shouldered.
As Mr Stimson is
assessing this information, however. he feels a light tap on his shoulder
and turns to find himself face-to-face with a tall, thin, dapper man clutching
a clipboard. He introduces himself as the hospital administrator and proceeds
to question Mr Stimson about his relationship with me
and attempt to ascertain whether or not he has connections to the man who has
been accosting his nurses whom the dapper man describes as being ‘Doctor
Jamieson’s ex-boyfriend’. Mr Stimson says that he
knows very little about my personal life and is unable to answer the man’s
questions but Mr Stimson is able to confirm that he
is indeed one of my friends. Mr Stimson then sees the
man write something down on his clipboard before turning and walking away.
Mr
Stimson admits he is a little confused by this
behaviour and as he looks around he notes that the four nurses on duty have
been watching this encounter carefully and as soon as is finished make
themselves look busy. The two nurses stood near the main desk are soon
engrossed in whispered discussion, one nurse
disappears off to deal with a patient while the fourth begins working
feverishly at her computer and stealing furtive glances in Mr Stimson’s direction.
As
he watches the nurse at the computer she gets up and informs her colleagues
that she is going to take her break. She steps out from behind the desk where
she catches Mr Stimson’s eye and indicates that he
should follow her. The nurse then leads Mr Stimson
around to the canteen area where she indicates that he should take a seat while
she gets something to eat and sits down opposite him with her plate.
The
nurse first confirms that Mr Stimson is one of my
friends and then begins to open up to him. The nurse wants it clear from the
start that she is not one of my friends as she states those are ‘few and
far between’ but that she does respect me all the same. She states that I am
without question an excellent doctor but I have a quite abrasive personality,
hence the many confrontations between me and Doctor Jones. While this is fairly
standard behaviour within senior consultants it is not the way ahead for
someone who is still extensively a junior doctor.
The
nurse states the few friends I have at the hospital appear to be limited to
nursing staff, ancillaries and other junior doctors. She then goes on to
explain that the dapper man Mr Stimson had been
talking to was Mr Hammond, a hospital administrator, who is still relatively
new to the hospital, having replaced Mr King the previous year, and as such is
still trying to build a reputation for himself. In her opinion Mr Hammond is
gunning for me, probably at the request of Doctor Jones, and that Mr Hammond
sees me as a broken cog and would like to be rid of me by Christmas. As the
nurse does complain that I do go missing on a fairly regular basis (due to my
MI13 responsibilities) and there is never any explanation or apology upon my
return.
The
nurse remarks that some people complain about my inappropriate dress sense,
which was one thing that I can’t get to grips with at all, but in doing so
admits that I am always dressed professionally whenever she has crossed my
path. My major complaint here is that I always dress in either scrubs or
sweater and slacks (both covered by a white coat), also I try my best to stick
to flat healed sneakers as they are more comfortable when constantly having to
rush about, plus with my natural height high heels are inappropriate and
problematic, and I always keep my hair short and out of the way.
As
to the old coconut about how I got the job, which has once again raised its
ugly head, the gossip which appears to centralise on how my looks got me the
job in the first place (whatever that means, I’d really like to know what they
think I did, I am certain that some people believe I took my interview in a
bikini). The real truth of the matter is that I was head-hunted from St Thomas’
by Mr Hammond’s predecessor, Mr King, who saw me as a high-flyer and a young
doctor who could do a lot of good for the hospital’s reputation. In his
determination to get me on board Mr King offered me quite a lot more than just
a job in Accident and Emergency despite the fact that even then I was said to
be somewhat abrasive, however Mr King obviously viewed this as ambition.
Mr
Stimson informs me of all of this when we meet later
and what he tells me about Mr Hammond comes as no real surprise as this was one
of the main reasons why I have been trying so hard to find a job away from the
Royal Berkshire for last eleven months or so.
Also
Mr Stimson’s description of the shouting man appears
to fit James Doolittle to a tee.
Alex
also phones me during the day to say that a man has attempted to break into my
apartment while he and Captain Wood were there. Whoever it was clearly knew a
lot about my apartment as he appeared to have the key to the deadbolt and it
was only the chain that actually kept him out. I inform Alex that as it is a
secure building he may be able to see who it was trying to break in as the
building has security cameras and the number for contacting the security people
is on the door. However it appears that the camera at the front door has been
vandalised and out of action for a week while the one on my landing appears to
have gum over the lens, which all seemed a little too co-incidental to me. I
suspect this was James Doolittle attempting to acquire access but I did not
recall giving him a key to my deadbolt so I suspect he must have acquired it by
some other means. (Note when I get a free minute I desperately need to get a
locksmith in to change the locks and get the caretaker to put some cages around
the cameras).
As
this continues to pan out Captain Wood starts to put two and two together and
inquires about my ex-boyfriend claiming it was an attempt to ascertain a few
things and I am only too happy to impart this information.
My
ex-boyfriend is named 2nd Lieutenant James Doolittle, and he was
born in
I
also admit to having seen and talked to him the previous evening and that we
had arranged to have a talk about our relationship once I got off duty but had
forgotten about it after the other incident. So it is likely that he was still
in the vicinity of the Royal Berkshire and that he had seen me talking to Andy
Price. It was also very likely that he had witnessed the attack on me by the
Deep Ones later in the evening as I had seen a car in the vicinity matching the
description of the one he had reportedly hired.
Captain
Wood asks if James is armed and I have to admit I do not know as the last time
I heard from James he was on leave after his latest tour. This causes a frantic
bit of phoning round as James’ presence within the area appeared to explain why
a second shooter had appeared and assisted Andy Price by becoming involved in
the crossfire against the Deep Ones.
Note:
I had reported to the duty officer at MI13 the previous evening that I was
going to see James when my shift finished and that I had been on my way to see
him when I was attacked by the Deep Ones, but obviously this information had
not yet filtered through.
The
rest of the day is fairly uneventful and the plan for this evening is that we
are going to be based at Nelson Blake’s apartment and we will be entering the
Dreamlands from there. Alex suggests buying in some fast food before we set out
but I have none of it as fast food has too many additives and I feel it will
affect natural sleep. Instead I go shopping and acquire supplies so I can make
us all a nice healthy meal before we set out. I also include enough for Captain
Wood in our possible last supper even though he will not be accompanying us but
remaining in the waking world. As my father always says, you should never send
a soldier out on an empty stomach.
Finally
the moment of truth is upon us and, while Captain Wood takes his leave, the
rest of us settle into a circle to hold hands. With the combined aid of the
last of Mr Stimson’s magic powder and Adam’s Chains
of the Pilgrims spell we enter into the Dreamlands.
We
were all supposed to dream of Celephäis but I found I
was unable to lock down the image. However someone did and we arrive exactly
where we need to be on the Street of the Ivory Rose, not far from The Palace of
Seventy Delights, as within its walls is the Great Library of Celephäis and hopefully some clues as to how to survive
this quest.
Note:
we all arrive together and once again Belinda has changed into her Gloriana persona, while the rest of the team have also
transformed into their own self-styled dream image.
With the possible exception of myself as I am perfectly happy with what the good
lord has bestowed upon me in his infinite wisdom.
As
we arrive at the Palace we are somewhat surprised to find that we are expected.
Once again we are treated as honoured guests within King Kuranes’
court and a banquet is arranged in our honour, where I am requested to dress in
the magical gown which appears subtly different each time it is worn - or maybe
it just looks different to each person who looks upon it.
After
the banquet we each search out our old friends. Gloriana
seeks the young knight, Jeremy Springfield, who she promises to train in
martial skills, and I seek out Friday McDougal who now bears the appearance of
twenty three year old. She reports that she is being courted by several young
gentlemen. However I noticed that even though she has the appearance of a
twenty three year old her mind set is still that of a thirteen year old girl so
I offer to show her how to behave in a manner more suitable to her appearance
while hopefully trying to avoid my own bad traits.
At
the feast we also saw our old friend, Olondor, who it
appears still resides at King Kuranes’ court and with
him is our friend, St John, who appears much more stable than he had been when
he had been recently carted off to the Wilmarth
facility. Obviously
Talia’s book was also already prepared for our
arrival and was set on a lectern awaiting Mr Stimson’s
perusal. In the end however it would take us the best part of two months before
we were ready to proceed and in the meantime the rest of us had our own
projects to pursue.
Adam,
Alex and I set out to discover exactly which god holds sway in the area of the
It
appears the
We
also required a stone altar bearing the image Nurgal
but it appears that there is already something matching that description on
site, if Mr Stimson’s dream regarding the area is to
be believed, for he remarks that there was an altar positioned equidistant
between the Fungus Forest and the Underground Sea which bore markings closely
matching those described in the tome.
The
tome also features an incantation which has to be uttered over the offering.
While obviously we could read the words they would be meaningless gibberish to
us as they were in a language that is virtually extinct in our time.
Mr
Stimson also finds three useful snippets of
information from Talia’s book which he proceeds to
show us and I include below for reference.
‘And beneath the Ocean that lieth in ye Netherworld in ye
Lands of Dreams of Men, there shall lieth Ghadamon until such time as the innocent shall come unto
him in his lair. And by said innocent shall Ghadamon
pass in to ye Waking World and the innocent shall taketh
his place. And Ghadamon shall come unto the Seas of
the Waking World, to growe until that time he shall
call upon ye City of
‘…in the depths of the Fungal Forest find
ye small globes of colour pale blue yet vein’d in
purple. Within that place, seek ye a ring o’ toadstools, enter therein an’ calleth upon ye lord o ye ring with sweet words. Thereby shall
ye lord o’ ye ring revealleth himself an may be beguiled in to showing ye wherein may be found ye quarrie. Take care that ye mock not ye lord o’ ye ring or causeth offence for then shall he bringeth
down curses upon ye that ye find not ye quarrie nor
any deliverance from ye Forest.
When thou hast thine
quarrie, removeth ye nether
parts that growe in ye dirt and eateth
of the blue globe and thereby ye shall have an hour in which to make obeisance
to Ghadamon, who shall be ye Herald to He who Dreameth Beneath ye Sea.’
‘…but yet make sacrifice to ye God of the
Forest afore ye enter, lest ye be afflicted by the spores and suffer thereby.’
Mr
Stimson finally informs us that he has analysed Talia’s tome and that he has indeed acquired the spell
required to pull Mr Blake’s soul back from the precipice and return it to the
waking world. King Kuranes is still actively aiding
us as he arranges his personal ship to take us to Baharna
and from there our plan is to travel overland to the cavern entrance at the foot
of Mount N’Granek. Hopefully once there we can
contact one of Pickman’s ghouls who will then guide
us to the Underground Sea. I have, of course, been given my own personal Ankh
to this end.
During
the trip our plan meets with a snag, however, as Adrian Stimson
has initially planned to teach Adam and I the spell he has just learned from Talia’s tome. Unfortunately, while Adrian Stimson clearly has many talents they do not quite stretch
to teaching, which leaves us in a bit of a quandary, for if Mr Stimson were to suffer a mishap we would be unable to fill
the void.
It
is obvious that Adrian Stimson is presently the most
important member of the group and nothing must befall him, at least until this
quest is complete. Technically the rest of us are expendable if his safety is
in any way endangered.
The
second major issue involved in this however is whether Adrian Stimson has enough psychic power to pull this off, as the
rest of us will be unable to support the spell. Suddenly I remember that
Barbara still has the Elder Crystal which had been presented to her by King Kuranes. That should be able to give him enough of a boost
to get him over the line. With this in mind Barbara loans Adrian Stimson the Elder Crystal.
The
journey from Celephäis to the cavern under Mount N’Granek takes us a week and is uneventful until we entered
the cavern itself. As we enter the cavern, Gloriana’s
form switches from that of a proud warrior maiden to a black amorphous blob
festooned with many eyes and pustules - in other words, a small Shoggoth.
This
is a bit of shock for us all but after Adam calms everyone down we begin again.
Fortunately Gloriana succeeds in holding her form the
second time.
As
we travel Gloriana, Alex and Barbara take the lead
while the non-combatants such as Adam, Mr Stimson,
Ezekiel (yes the scribe chose to come along) and I would follow behind. Mr Stimson and I, as we both have a role to fulfil (Mr Stimson’s was clear and mine would be covered later), are
positioned in the middle of the group, while Adam and Ezekiel bring up the
rear. Alex initially carries the group’s lantern but I was ready to fulfil that
role when or if the need arises.
We
only travel a short distance down the tunnels when we come upon our first
denizens, to whit a group of ghouls who swiftly surround the group.
Unfortunately it appears these ghouls are not the ones we seek but instead are
the more bestial version of the species. Fortunately for us, the Ankh’s power
works just the same. With this in mind Alex holds forth his Ankh and demands
that one of the ghouls contact Pickman or one of his
chosen ghouls. Then there follows a rather worrying stand-off until a similar
looking figure emerges into the corridor to our rear. Seeing this Barbara
swiftly makes her way to the back in an attempt to offer some protection but
fortunately this is not needed as she quickly recognises this ghoul as the
Pearly King and Queen.
At
this stage Alex steps up and begins a quiet negotiation with Pearly King and
Queen and they appear to come to an accord where the ghoul will guide us to the
Underground Sea in return for the promise of a more impressive persona. The
Pearly King and Queen, it appears, is clearly not
overly impressed by his present title. It is also clear that he is none too
keen on a world under Ghadamon’s rule either.
The
Pearly King and Queen leads the way out through the
bestial ghouls with a few judicious pushes and elbows and leads us off down the
tunnel. After what seems like several hours of dark tunnels, noisome pools and
deep chasms we finally arrive at our destination, a gateway of a kind which
appears to have been made from the ribcage of some gigantic and hopefully long
extinct creature. Then the Pearly King and Queen leaves
us to our own devices as it appears he wants nothing to do with this gateway.
Once
he has left we advance through the gateway into a landscape very reminiscent of
Nelson Blake’s unfinished work. We see the Fungal Forest just where Adrian Stimson stated it would be and equidistant between the two
we also see the stone altar we assume is dedicated to Nurgal.
As we approach the altar we do indeed notice carvings on its surface that
depict desert scenes and a humanoid figure bearing a lion’s head, all very
similar to the images we had seen described back in the library. I also notice
bloodstains upon the altar.
We
take a few minutes to prepare before our entry into the Fungal Forest and this
is where my role comes to the fore. For we know we require the use of honeyed words
to get the Lord o’ the Ring to show us where the blue puffballs can be acquired
and I feel the magical dress King Kuranes gifted me
could prove useful in this endeavour. Of course this means that Barbara and Gloriana have to assist in getting me dressed and when they
have finished I must admit I look quite spectacular.
However
Ezekiel increases this effect by casting a spell on me named ‘Voice of Ra’
which I allow to pass through my defences. The effect, I am informed, is quite
breath-taking and while everyone else appears to be able to control themselves, Barbara becomes enamoured and she grabs me in a
bear hug that nearly crushes my spine and actually succeeds in pinning my arms
to my sides. This, of course, is totally unexpected as the dress does not
usually affect the female of the species. Fortunately Alex, my knight in
shining armour, is able to peel Barbara off me before there is any lasting
damage inflicted, either to me physically or to Barbara emotionally.
We
then perform the sacrificial rite and Ezekiel agrees to do the deed as he does
not wish to see me get any blood on my dress. Once the deed is done we note
that the meat ros away at an alarming rate which is a
little worrying. But hopefully we are now protected long enough to get what we needed
and get out.
It
is decided that, due to Barbara’s obsession with me and her already fragile
mind, she should not accompany us into the Fungal Forest and she must wait for
our return together with Alex who declars that Bast has forbidden his participation in this part of the
quest.
This
means that Gloriana will lead us in. I will be
second, followed by Adrian Stimson and then Adam,
which means Ezekiel will be bringing up the rear. Both
Adam and I will be carrying torches because the canopy blocks out the sky
completely, the luminescence from the Fungi is probably more than enough for us
to see where we will be stepping but I think the torches are a useful backup.
Eerily
the Fungus forest is exactly as both St John and Adrian Stimson
described it from their dreams with massive fungi and moulds growing on top of
each other at every turn. Some of them appear to be truly impressive specimens
for they rival in size the mighty Sequoia trees of the waking world. I also
notice that the soil along the path feels slightly spongy beneath my feet.
We
have been travelling through the forest for some time before I begin to
question how we hope to find the faerie ring within this vast expanse but it is
clearly far too late for those concerns and I can only hope that we blunder
upon it. Shortly after this Adam observs a tendril
emerge from the surrounding vegetation and come to rest lightly on Adrian Stimson’s right shoulder. But as Adam brings his torch
closer to have a look at it the tendril swiftly retracts.
As
we continue I noticed that my dress appears to have another feature I hadn’t
noticed before; it appears to be able to repel all dirt and other detritus that
would mar its appearance.
While
I am noting this Gloriana relinquishes her position
and takes up a position further back in the party, waving me up to the front. I
think at first that she may have spotted the faerie ring but this is not the
case. As it turns out what she has noticed is a creature lying in ambush that
only becomes apparent when she arrives at the back of our little group and
suddenly the creature rises from its hiding place and attacks. The creature
appears to be a horribly mutated salamander about the size of a small horse!
Gloriana attempts to shoot the beast but it seems
the damp has affected her priming charge as all she receives when she pulls the
trigger is a dull click.
Then
the creature is on her. I note that Gloriana appears
to be hard pressed on a couple of occasions but she soon gets the upper hand
and finally strikes it a fine blow which causes the creature to limp off into
the swamp. I am somewhat concerned that if the creature had somehow defeated Gloriana or even if there had been more than one of them
that our quest would have ended here because the creature would have made short
work of the rest of us.
Once
Gloriana gets her breath back she informs us that she
had encountered such creatures before and it is known as a Voonith,
an ambush hunter that likes to pick off the last member of a group.
As
we continue our quest through the forest I decide maybe it would probably be
for the best if I kept my concentration on what is happening around me rather
than getting distracted by minor issues. However I still fail to spot the next
encounter, as does Gloriana on this occasion, but
fortunately Adrian Stimson is more observant and it
is he who draws our attention to the right of the path where ten feet to the
right is a clearing at the centre of which is a perfect circle of blue and
yellow toadstools, ten foot in diameter.
This
appears to be our goal so after a quick five minutes cleaning myself up I step
into the circle. I lower my head and take a deep curtsy before stating in a
calm clear voice, “Greetings o’ Lord of the mystical ring. We come hither to
beseech you to guide us and allow us access to the mystical blue fungi that
allows us passage and protection beneath the underworld sea”. I then hold my
position and await a response.
This
comes in the form of a small skinny goblin-like creature which looks something
akin to an emaciated garden gnome with its yellow cap, sharp features, small
beady eyes and large bat-winged ears. I notice right away its lecherous glances
and that it is trying to look up my dress but with force of will I keep the
distaste from both my expression and my speech. The creature dances and gambols
around me, cackling as it does so, before asking me to repeat my request, which
I do still showing due deference. The goblin then asks how many of the
puffballs I need and after a quick calculation I state seven.
At
this the Goblin indicates it wants to see more and I carefully lift the dress
to show my knees which seem sufficient for the creature as the Goblin then
indicates that I should follow. The goblin leads me to the first of the
puffballs and indicates that I should dig it up, which I proceeded to do.
But
in doing so I am unprepared for what happens as the puffball appears to be some
kind of mandrake offshoot. Once free of the ground it appears to have both arms
and legs and howls the most horrendous screaming noise. The Goblin indicates
while covering his ears that I should remove the head and when I do so the
screaming ceases.
The
Goblin leads me to a second puffball and this time Gloriana
steps up to extract the puffball but this does not appear to please the Goblin
over much and he indicates that I have to uproot the others, which I do with
great care, while the goblin continually leers at my décolletage.
Once
I am through with my gardening duties I carefully clean the dirt from my hands
before politely asking the Goblin the quickest way out of the forest. After
once again expressing our gratitude and deference to him we set out in the
direction indicated.
However,
we suspect that the path out of the forest will be just as hazardous as our way
in and this proves to be the case for the trip out is in no way easier. As the
first hazard we encounter almost brings the entire quest to a very premature
end.
Both
Gloriana and I had fail to spot the threat imposed by
a small pool off to the right of the path and this almost costs us dearly for
once again Adrian Stimson did spot it and it was only
later that we discover what he had seen which was a pale green light glowing
beneath the surface which appears to illuminate a fine emerald.
Mr
Stimson claims that he appeared to find himself
mesmerised by the stone’s beauty and felt an intense desire to obtain it, but
as he began to reach towards the pool Adam saw the threat imposed by this and
was able to pull him away.
Gloriana identified this threat as a Corpse Candle
and I think I recall something similar to this in Tolkien’s
book. (I wonder whether Tolkien came to the
Dreamlands when he was writing his famous book and observed these Corpse
Candles and the threat they pose?) Anyway the threat
is resolved, thankfully without incident as Adam’s intervention brakes the enchantment.
Continuing
on, our next encounter is a threat of completely different ilk as it is an
attack upon Gloriana in the form of a snare lying
across the path. Gloriana is suddenly was pulled from
her feet dragged into the undergrowth. Thinking quickly, I grab hold of her
knowing full well that my strength will most likely be insufficient to resist
the pull but hoping that the addition of my weight will buy us enough time for
my male companions to pull her free.
Gloriana appears to be trapped in such a way that
she is unable to get to her sword even when all of us hold her and she suggests
that I should try and cut her free using her blade. But once I look at the
woody tendril holding her I realise that I have a better weapon for the task in
my medical bag, to whit a bone saw. As I get the bone saw and go to work the
plant in question quickly realises the threat my weapon poses and releases its
grip on Gloriana, retracting the tendril. (Well I
must admit that is a first, me saving Gloriana from a
physical threat instead of the other way round.)
Once
Gloriana is free we are able to continue our quest to
find a way out of this horrible place. Soon, however, we come upon another gap
in the canopy. I am initially worried that we have somehow lost our way and
that we are back at the faerie circle but my fears are soon alleviated as once
we get closer we are able to see there is no magical circle of mushrooms in
this clearing but three humanoid figures. Two of which appeared to be old women
who are collecting some of the smaller fungal growths.
The
women are both dressed head to foot in black and have sharp features and large
black pointy hats. In other words they are the perfect witch stereotypes,
complete with warts and wizened claw like hands.
Unbidden
I recall St John telling us about an encounter similar to this in his dream and
begin looking for the witch’s broomsticks as this could be a possible route out
of this place. I finally observe the two broomsticks on the edge of the
clearing, resting against one of the tree-sized fungal growths with their
bristles pointing up. However, this possible escape plan is swiftly dashed for
we are spotted as we approach the clearing. Unfortunately my dress is just too
noticeable to allow sneaking around.
After
spotting us the two witches swiftly make their way to the broomsticks but
before they reach them one of the witches turns and
points a wizened talon in the direction of Gloriana
and speaks what I assume is a word of power, which appears to have no effect.
Then the two old witches grasp their broomsticks and fly away, cackling.
This
just leaves one figure standing in the clearing, a male who, while relatively attractive,
is unusual in the fact that not only are all his clothes jet black but his skin
is of similar hue, as are his teeth and eyeballs!
The
man indicates we should enter the clearing and as we do so he gives us a
knowing look which shows that he knows more about us than we would want anyone
to know, let alone a stranger. The man, however, appears surprised that I am
dressed how I am. I cannot swear to this but he appears to recognise something
about the dress I am wearing as he ask, me where I have obtained it, I declare
that it was a gift. At this the man smiles and declares that he too has given
us gifts and that he is worried that we do not appreciate these gifts enough as
he implies that we need to use them more.
This
decides a few things in my head. I take Geoffrey Baxter’s mask from my bag and
hold it up, asking if it was one of his gifts in question. While he does not
answer in truth it is implied that the other two items are the binoculars and
the whistle, none of which I am overly keen to use.
This
also indicates quite clearly to me who we are talking to…that this is Mr N!
Unfortunately we are trapped inside this damnable forest and this one creature
is all that can get us all out. So I ask if he can show us the way. The man
indicates with his right arm a dead straight path at the far side of the
clearing, which I could have sworn was not there a few moments before. The man
indicates this is the only way out, for were we to attempt track back through
the forest in hope of getting to the point where we initially entered our time
would run out and Nurgal would claim us all.
Adam
attempts to read the emotions of the man as he speaks and is convinced that the
man is lying, but I suspect Adam is mistaken on this occasion as the man is Mr
N and as such is a god so his emotions may display differently.
However,
I suspect that on this occasion the master of deceit and misdirection is
telling the truth, particularly after he inquires about Alex and his beautiful
little girl. Mr N then informs us he has a gift that he wants delivered. The
gift seems to be an innocent blue flower which he states will make a pleasant
gift for Alex’s daughter. I am instantly suspicious as I seem to recall a
flower of a similar genus appearing somewhere else in our adventures;
unfortunately I cannot quite remember where I had encountered it before.
But
this flower is not the only attempt Mr N uses to try and unsettle our thoughts
for he has an enormous ego and of course he cannot resist gloating. As we are
leaving the clearing the man declares that he looks forward to crossing swords
with us again in Egypt. The man then steps back and fades from view.
Adam
of course has to overcome his misgivings to take the path Mr N had shown us, as
he still remains convinced that the man was lying. In the end he only follows
because the rest of us make his mind up for him for if he had not taken the
path he would have been left there alone.
Fortunately
for us on this occasion Mr N is true to his word and soon we emerged from the
forest some fifty of sixty yards from where we had originally entered, much to
my relief.
As
we emerge, however, Barbara once again envelopes me in bear hug, but the guys
quickly manage to release me. I realise once again that the dress has probably
been a little much. On the plus side, with one of its side effects in full
operation it had proved remarkably effective in keeping me clean.
But
I soon realise that if we want to get this mission finished I will need to
remove the dress and allow the rest of the group to function without
distraction. With this in mind I ask Gloriana and
Adrian Stimson to help me get it off. (Note: I only
asked Mr Stimson as it was clear to me that he was
batting for the other team.) Once I was free of the dress I found that the
enchantment effect it had exerted upon Barbara swiftly dissipated, allowing her
to return to normal.
Once
settled, we inform Barbara and Alex of our encounters and I hand Alex the blue
flower. He does not appear best pleased with this gift, which I suppose is not
surprising, given its source, as Alex uses some choice profanity and then even
goes as far as to question Mr N’s parentage!
Anyway,
that to one side, we now have seven puffballs which is enough for each one of
us to have one. However, to my mind that seems rather foolhardy as several
party members already have questionable sanity.
In
the end we decide to keep the group small and mobile. With this in mind we
reduce the group to three people, which means that each team member will have
two hours to get there and back.
Adrian
Stimson is obviously one of the chosen ones as he is
the only one with the requisite spell. But Mr Stimson
refuses to go without some strong arm protection so Alex agrees to take the
second place. The final member of the team needs to be relatively stable in the
mental department but also have good observation skills and in the end we
settle on Adam, who asks me if he could borrow Geoffrey Baxter’s mask as he
feels it may help by showing Mr Blake’s silver thread and allow the group to find
him that much quicker.
We
try to use the mask on the shoreline but find there to be a layer on the
surface of the sea that masks Mr Blake’s silver thread. Plus the altar
dedicated to Nurgal is glowing very brightly and obscuring
some details. Obviously this is because of the spirits belonging to the
sacrificial offerings’ for they are permanently given over to Nurgal as well as the fact that they appeared to have
become attached in some way to the heathen altar.
I
must admit I am relatively pleased not to be in the chosen three as the water
does not look at all inviting and this is confirmed in my mind as I watch the
three men enter the water. Adam is the first to go and he states that the water
feels warm and slightly greasy. He also remarks that there appears to be some
kind of unclean motes approaching but then he disappears beneath the surface
and for what happened next would have to wait until his report.
Alex
is the next to go and he nearly falls into the water as it appears that the
steps to the water are awfully treacherous. Once it comes time for him to enter
the water Alex appears reluctant as he feels the water has a horrible aura
about it, but Alex is my brave hero and it will not do for him to be seen to be
bottling out, so he steels himself and proceeds to enter the water. Finally
Adrian Stimson enters the water, leaving just
Barbara, Ezekiel, Gloriana and me sitting on the
shore and awaiting their return.
The
only problem we have now is knowing when our compatriots
will complete their quest and it was time to awaken, for we have no way to
communicate with our friends.
As
it turns out we sit for nearly an hour before Barbara, Ezekiel and Gloriana all suddenly felt a great upswell
of well-being. I did not, however, probably due to my own strong will. This
appears to imply that our friends have been successful in their quest and that
the end times are not in fact coming, at least on this occasion. Shortly after
this I feel someone shaking my shoulder and I awake to find myself back in
Nelson Blake’s apartment. Everyone is there with the exception of Alex and
Captain Wood and they all appear very happy so I was able to conclude the
mission to thwart Ghadamon has been a success.
Unfortunately
this was only the equivalent of a temporary patch as Ghadamon
is still down there and eventually this is all going to happen all over again.
As
we talk it appears Alex was not present because when he had awoken he had
expressed concern about his daughter and left to go and check up on her. While
he was gone I asked Adrian Stimson what happened and
I acquired his account.
The
water was darker than it should have been but probably this was due to the film
on the surface and this could have caused visibility issues but they were
surrounded by unusual black creatures that seemed very eager to get to them. Mr
Stimson describes the creatures as being a cross
between a conger eel and a piranha and that they snapped and coiled mere
centimetres from them, obviously repelled by the effect of the puffballs. (The
book had stated that they also offered protection from Ghadamon’s
minions - these conger eel creatures we discovered were known as Servants of Ghadamon.)
Adam
reported that he also observed a pale blue glow with the help of the mask and
it was to this that they set their path. Adam also reported having seen the
twin tell-tale silver cords moving off at right angles, just like in the waking
world.
But
on the way Mr Stimson reported that he observed a
door at the bottom of the sea and they detoured to see what this implied.
Carefully approaching the door Alex prepared himself for whatever lurked beyond
it while Adam opened the door to reveal an empty carpeted bedroom totally
devoid of water. Even though the door was open the room remained dry almost as
if there was a field preventing the water’s entry. They noted this peculiarity
but closed the door and continued on.
Soon
they were in sight of their goal, Ghadamon’s Lair,
and they were able to see the thing that was taking Mr Blake’s place in all its
hideous detail.
Ghadamon’s form is that of a huge bloated blue sphere
covered in yellow pustules and, judging by its sheer size, it is likely to be
in excess of half a ton and right upon the top of the sphere there was the most
hideous sight of the head of Nelson Blake, bloated and obviously in great pain.
Mr
Stimson admitted that this was a hideous sight and
initially he was forced to fight against the flee response as he knew that if
he failed here then the doom foretold would rain down upon everyone. Mr Stimson felt that the appearance of Ghadamon
also affected his companions as Alex appeared to begin talking to himself and,
before Mr Stimson or Adam could see the problem, Alex
blinked out. Adam fortunately appeared to have suffered the least and still
remained to support Mr Stimson which proved vital.
As
they were now in position, Mr Stimson began to intone
the spell which would hopefully separate Mr Blake’s spirit from that of Ghadamon and put a stop to the transfer that Mr Stimson was convinced was entering its final stages. The
spell, however, involved Mr Stimson remaining within
ten yards of Ghadamon, but as he would be using all
of his concentration it would be difficult for him to move around on the
unstable ground, especially as while the spell was being intoned it seemed that
Ghadamon became aware of the threat and began to pull
his mighty bulk in Mr Stimson’s direction. Judging
the time and the distance it was clear that Ghadamon
would reach Mr Stimson before the spell’s conclusion
so it was fortunate that Adam had remained as he was able to move Mr Stimson without disrupting his concentration.
As
the spell reached its climax a dazzling beam somewhat akin to a laser beam
travelled between Mr Stimson and Ghadamon
and when it ceased Mr Blake’s head was gone - as was Adam, who it appeared had
been caught by the beam!
Mr
Stimson was now alone with an angry god and his
minions closing in. Suddenly Mr Stimson claimed he
felt pain in his upper right arm as one of the Servants of Ghadamon
penetrated his protective layer. Obviously the enchantment created by the
puffballs was starting to waver so Mr Stimson turned
and began his escape attempt.
However,
it soon became clear that it would be virtually impossible to escape the way he
had come, but then Mr Stimson remembered the door
they had discovered earlier and even though there was no way of knowing what
horrors lay in that bedroom it was infinitely preferable to this present
situation. Mr Stimson got to the door and dived
through, and closing the door just before Ghadamon
and his servants ran him down.
Once
inside, however, he was quickly able to assess his surroundings that appeared
to be remarkably familiar, for the walls of the room were of dark wood
panelling and the room was dominated by a large curtained four-poster bed.
Fortunately the curtains were closed upon whatever was occurring within for the
curtains were moving and noises implied activity within the bed. The room also
had a smell about it which Mr Stimson described as
being of rot, both of meat and of wood.
But
surprisingly this was not the most disturbing thing in this room for that was
reserved for the shadows on the walls, as they appeared to show people of many
periods and appeared agitated, yet there was no sign of anyone who could be
casting these shadows.
One
of the shadows appeared to be attempting to draw his attention more than the
others. It was that of a woman in a negligée who
appeared to be beckoning to him. However, as Mr Stimson
approached he claimed that he felt something pulling at him. Looking down, he
saw another shadow pulling at his!
With
this in mind Mr Stimson began to look for an exit.
There was, of course, the door through which he had entered but Ghadamon lay beyond that door so that was not an option. It
was then that Mr Stimson observed a large open space
upon the wall some six feet by four feet in dimension. It was unclear what lay
on the other side of this open space but this was a case of needs must and he
quickly moved a chair to the hole and began climbing though.
August 31st 2008: Suddenly Mr Stimson
felt a sharp pain in his philtrum which caused him to
awaken and the first thing he saw upon waking was Adam bending over him. It
appeared Adam had pinched him on his philtrum in an
effort to bring him back to the waking world, which I think was what Mr Stimson really required at that moment.
Now
that he had some time to get his thoughts in order he was soon able to recall
why the bedroom scene was so familiar for it was the perfect replica of ‘Fate’,
another of Mr Blake’s paintings from the Ghadamon
cycle.
Alex
was also there at that time but he quickly excused himself as he said he was
worried about his daughter, for it appeared that this was why the blue flower
had appeared so familiar; Alex’s daughter had received a similar dried flower
from the dark man in her dreams which had matched our description of Mr N
perfectly. Fortunately there was not a problem but Mr N is very close to
crossing the line, I feel.
Once
we are all awake we quickly check out Captain Wood’s surveillance equipment to
ascertain what is going on at the Royal Berkshire. Checking by the time stamp
we go to ten minutes before we awoke and clearly see Doctor Jones standing in
deep thought with his hand resting on the door handle. Finally he builds
himself up enough to open the door and step inside. Moments later he reappears,
snatching off his protective helmet so as to shout orders before disappearing
back into the room, quickly followed by several more staff. Obviously we cannot
see into the room but something clearly momentous has occurred and if we want
to know what it is we will need to get to the hospital.
I
agree to take Mr Stimson and we soon discover that
the thing that Mr Blake had been turning into has burst, leaving a very
malnourished Mr Blake lying upon the broken bed. The room itself is in a
terrible state and will need serious work to make it ready for another patient
but it seems this patient is going to make it.
Miss
Tilstrom is also in a much better state and seems
happy that her faith that Mr Blake was getting better has finally been
vindicated. Of course we will never be able to reveal what truly happened and
how close we came but it appears that both Mr Stimson
and Mr Blake will soon need to be seconded to MI13, either as agents or
advisors.
As
to the fate of the paintings themselves, Mr Blake donates his unfinished work
to Mr Stimson; the others remain in private
ownership, though Mrs Beryl Briggs, the owner of ‘Fate’, disappeared without
trace some months ago.
During
our debriefing it appears that Captain Wood also had an eventful evening as he
was involved in a running battle through Reading with a number of the Deep Ones
who it seems were actually emerging from the canal. It also seems that Captain
Wood was successful in rescuing a young male reveller who had crossed the path
of one of the Deep One priests and had seemingly suffered from the same
drowning spell the Deep Ones had attempted (and succeeded, I might add) to use
on me.
Initially
this had been a bit of a lone ranger job but the authorities were soon aware of
what was occurring and army units were drafted in to finish the job. Judging
from his report Captain Wood is clearly a top class soldier as he had
single-handedly accounted for at least two sentinels (which were described as
Deep Ones armed with huge tridents) and severely cripple
one of the spell casting priests with just a pistol. I must admit I was
impressed.
Anyway
this mission is now over and I have two missions of my own to fulfil: that
first of finding a new job somewhere other than the Royal Berkshire and as an
initial move to this end I request a meeting with Mr Hammond, where I will
inform him of my intent to seek employment elsewhere. The second mission is to
ensure that I have my locks changed and that the security company sort out
their security camera issues.