The Madman

The St Agnes' Asylum

Wednesday, October 17th 1928

Detective Constable William Hunter, watched as a doctor who’d been in the audience as well, helped the last of the disturbed playgoers into the back of an ambulance, as he turned he suddenly spotted his old friend and nemesis Lady Verity, sitting in the back of a Black Mariah chatting amiably to someone he vaguely recognised. Sighing heavily, he went over and had her and her friend, whom she introduced as Henry, released into his custody and then headed back inside The Scala. The somewhat bizarre after-show party was already starting to wind down, though the Talbot Estes was still holding forth to a small coterie of admirers. Identifying himself to the playwright he requested an interview in more private surroundings, and somewhat reluctantly Estes invited him back to his office. Stephen and AC meanwhile found themselves talking to Norton the somewhat distressed theatre manager, with whom they agreed that there should be no more performances of the play. They did manage to arrange a tour backstage, and one of the actresses Hannah, escorted them round – though they found nothing untoward.  

Bill’s interview with Estes didn’t reveal much apart from his obsession with the “success” of his first night, though Bill did secure a promise from him that he could borrow a translation of the original French play that Carcosa was based on – The King in Yellow. As he and Lady Verity returned to the foyer to find thingspretty  much over and only a few people (the members of the party) still hanging around. Lady Verity invited everyone to a  late supper at The Savoy and, as they left, they saw Estes entering a heated discussion with Norton.  After the supper at the Savoy (at which they agreed to meet again next day for lunch at The Dorchester) they retired to their various abodes, though no-one slept comfortably.

Thursday, October 18th 1928

Next morning, Bill went to Estes’ flat to retrieve the copy of the play - finding the playwright struggling with the fact his “triumph” would be short lived as the Scala would put on no more performances. Lady Verity headed to the British Library to research what she could about the plays. They met at The Dorchester as arranged, to discuss the curious events and agreed to keep in touch, Bill enlisted Lady Verity  help in reading The King in Yellow. Normal life resumed – more or less – as all continued to be troubled by unsettling dreams which none of them could quite remember.

Saturday, October 20th 1928

A couple of days later Alan received a letter from Dr Charles Highsmith, superintendent of St Agnes Asylum in Weobley Herefordshire, requesting a meeting on the 28th at the Great Western Hotel in London. The next couple of weeks passed peacefully enough though there was a strange air of expectancy in the city, and occasional outbreaks of random violence, and the appearamce in odd places of  unsettling graffiti saying “The King Will Come” and even the reported sightings of the Yellow Sign. Lady Verity and Bill continued their reading of the translated play, finding it odd, dreamlike and somehow unsettlin. The ideas and thoughts expressed within giving them insights into strange and esoteric world-views that made them uneasy.

Sunday, October 28th 1928

On the 28th Alan arrived at the Great Western with Henry and Bill in tow.  At the meeting, Highsmith explained that the patient he wishes to consult Alan about is Alexander Roby, who has been committed to St Agnes for the last 2 years following the brutal murders of his father and sister, killings he initially claimed responsibility for, but was never in fact charged with. Highsmith has to make a recommendation for the release, or otherwise, of Roby and was leaning towards release when he came under pressure from the Roby family, through the conduit of family physician Dr Lionel Trollope to keep Alexander confined. 

The head of Alexander's family is his brother, the prominent banker Grahame Roby. Highsmith wishes to understand the motives behind the family's position, but they hasn't been able to get them to reveal any details. He also wants Alan's professional opinion of the state of mind of Alexander Roby, and asks Alan to come to Herefordshire for a consult. 
Intrigued, though unsure of his suitability for what amounts to a private investigation, Alan agreed. Bill did a quick search though the archives for the investigation of the Roby murders but found little, save they were brutal and the investigation was shut-down suddenly when Roby confessed and was subsequently committed to St Agnes’s.

Tuesday, October 30th 1928

 On the 31st Alan, Bill and Henry met up and took the 10:20 from Paddington, eventually arriving as St. Agnes’s late in the afternoon. Highsmith offers them accommodation, but they declined and decide to stay at The Wheatsheaf in the village. Highsmith described Roby's symptoms - extreme night terrors, or scotophobia, which manifest around the anniversary of the Roby murders in October each year and continue until April.

The attacks are controlled with high doses of laudanum. apart from these attacks, Roby is uncommunicative and seems to live in a world of his own. Highsmith suggests that Alan examine Roby first thing in the morning, and instructs two of his male staff, Nurse Price and Reeves, his secretary, to accompany him.

Highsmith then arranged to have them driven back to the village and they spend a pleasant  evening in the pub.

Wednesday, October 31st 1928, All Hallow's Eve

Next morning, bright and early, the car was waiting for them to take them to St Agnes’s as soon as they finished breakfast ( forgoing the porridge and kedgeree in favour of the Full English). En-route to Roby's cell Price asked if Bill is here about 'the murder', which turned out not to be the Roby killings, but a murder that happened within the asylum a year before. Bill asked if he can talk to Price about that after seeing Roby.
In Roby's cell, the madman was reading a book and did not react to his visitors. Alan cast an eye over  Roby's books, which he discerned were all poetry by modern poets such as Graves and Pound, and spotted marginal notes in pencil throughout them.

Eventually he got a response from Roby, who went into a strange monologue, which Reeves recorded in shorthand to be typed up later. Amongst other things, Roby refered to unknown associates called Malcolm Quarrie and Edwards. 

When Roby asked each of them if they've “seen the Yellow Sign”, Alan and Bill said 'no', but Henry said “yes” and from that point forward the madman addressed all his remarks to Henry, ending by singing a few verses (which Bill recognised as being  from  Cassilda's Song ) before lapsing into uncommunicative silence.

After that, Roby returned to reading his poetry, so Alan sent Reeves to type up the statement and Bill went with Price to the staff break-room to hear about the asylum murder of November 27th, 1927. 

The murder was brutal and mysterious. A nurse called Cuthbert Yates was slashed to death with at least 2 knives in the cell of Roby's neighbour, the brain-damaged Lucius Harriwell. The police initially suspected Harriwell, but since he was clearly insane and already indefinitely incarcerated they saw no point in prosecution. The asylum staff, however, don't believe Harriwell capable of such a thing - he was found cowering in his cell, insisting 'the Devil' was responsible, and athough two blood-stained kitchen knives were found, there were no fingerprints on them.

Roby was heavily sedated at the time, and despite the interesting parallels with the Roby murders, could not have been involved. Alan got agreement from Highsmith to interview  Harriwell, but they found him completely deranged. 
As they took their leave  of St Agnes’s, Alan promised to continue his investigations and report back before Roby’s hearing.
On their way back to London, Bill stopped off in Hereford to consult with the local CID - to find that they were stumped on the murder.They had identified two distinct  blood types at the murder scene, and found a badly slashed nurses uniform at the site, but none of the staff, or indeed any of the inmates, showed any sign of injury, nor had another body been found.

The Plot Thickens

Thursday, November 1st 1928

Bill received a call on arriving in the office from Inspector Reeves of Hereford CID informing him there has been another murder at St. Agnes’s. Calling Alan and Henry, the three met at Paddington and head back to Weobley, arriving late in the afternoon. Dr Highsmith was not particularly pleased to see them and was not surprisingly in a foul mood, concerned for the impact on the reputation of the sanatorium, however Alan and Bill managed to calm him and secure access to the site. It proved to be a frustrating visit, the police investigation was in its early stages and all the officer in charge, DC Matthams, can tell them is that the murder bears all the hallmarks of the first one. He agreed to put a rush on the forensic results and let Bill know the results. They attempted to take rooms at The Wheatsheaf only to find the local police have beaten them to it and  they end up lodging with one of the local widow women. That night their dreams are troubled as they have become used to. Bill’s dream is particularly vivid and this time as he jolts awake screaming (and waking the others), he remembers every detail vividly. Though shaken and obviously disturbed  he promptly goes to sleep when ordered to by Alan.

Back in London, Steven decided to write to the Bibliotheque National in Paris to see if he can find out the circumstances relating to the banning of the original play Le Roi en Jaune. AC made an appointment with Roby’s brother at Coutts’s ostensibly to shift his banking there. He found Graham Roby  to be a somewhat reserved character, though when AC casually dropped in a reference to another murder at St. Agnes’s , Roby seemed genuinely shocked and as AC left, he overheard Roby on the phone to Dr Highsmith demanding an update on his brother.

Lady Verity meanwhile made an appointment to see Dr Trollope, using her lack of sleep and headaches as an excuse. Dr Trollope however recognised her as a noted amateur sleuth and correctly guessed she was actually investigating the Rob murders. However, he did agree to see her that evening at 5.00PM at his house. At the meeting Trollope seemed somewhat distracted, though he was willing to discuss the murders, saying that both bodies bore signs of terrible wounds, though the father had somehow been drained of blood. Alexander was upstairs and distraught. He claimed responsibility for the murders though there was no sign of blood or other physical evidence.  Dr Trollope told her that he had been instrumental in securing Alexander’s confinement in St. Agnes’s.

Friday, November 2nd 1928

While reading Daily Express at breakfast, AC noted the latest news of the presidential election in the US, reports of worsening snow across Scotland, and a short article detailing the murder of one Dr Lionel Trollope in St. James’s park, the chief suspect being described as a “tall dark-haired man with sharp features”. Lady Verity was visited by Detective Inspector Andrew Taylor as being one of the last people to see Dr Trollope alive, Taylor made some notes about the Robey murders, but seemed inclined to think Trollope’s murder was unconnected. When the others travelled back from Weobley they met for coffee and brought each other up to speed with what they had learned.

Saturday, November 3rd 1928

Bill tried to get some more information about Dr Trollope’s murder, but it is clear that Taylor is treating this as a simple robbery gone wrong. He and Henry both tried to track down Quarrie and Edwards, but made little progress. Alan, somewhat surprisingly, received a letter from the late Dr Trollope. The letter, dated the day of the doctor's death,  detailed the circumstances of the Roby murders, but more unnervingly recounted a visit to Alexander where when reading to Roby from the book he had written, The Walker by the Lake, Dr Trollope had a vision of his own death - a vision that had now proved all to accurate. The letter also mentioned that prior to the murders Graham Roby , concerned at the company his brother was keeping, had  retained a private investigator, Vincent Tuck to investigate them.

Sunday, November 4th 1928.

A day of rest, contemplation and puzzlement. Snow begins to fall.

Monday, November 5th 1928, Guy Fawkes Night.

The morning papers are full of speculation about the American election and report of worsening weather across the UK. Trudging through the rapidly blackening slush, Lady Verity and AC track down Vincent Tuck in his office above a pub in Wapping. Tuck is initially reluctant, finally, however, after some cajoling and a "retainer", he agreed to tell them what he knows if they leave him alone. He told them that he followed Alexander Roby for three weeks in November 1925, during which time Roby spent most evenings in the company of Lawrence Bacon, Malcolm Quarrie and a man called Edwards. He provided addresses and background information for these three men as  well as Alexander's ex-fiancée - Delia Hartston.

 Lady Verity sensed that Tuck was holding something back, despite the cold in the room which was barely heated by a small gas fire, Tuck was continually wiping the sweat from his brow with a grimy handkerchief and nervously eying the empty gin bottle on his desk. He suddenly invited them down to the pub, where after several stiffeners he decided to tell them the 'whole truth'. Returning to his office, he gave them a typed report, told them not to read it until they have left, and wished them goodbye. The report turned out to describe Lawrence Bacon's apparent use of black magic to kill a vagrant. It's clear that this incident scared Tuck badly, and may have precipitated his heavy drinking.

 Alan meanwhile, after visits to many second-hand bookshops, finally managed to track down a copy of Der Wanderer Durch Den See, finding it to be  slim volume and a very odd read. The text was split into halves headed 'First Act' and 'Second Act' and described the dreams of an unnamed man, in the form of a case history. The dreams themselves were all recounted in German, though the rest of the text was in English. It seemed a fair guess that the book was in some way autobiographical. Neither narrative, nor poetry, nor drama, the book was nonetheless fascinating reading. The dreams relate to a power that the dreamer slowly comes to know, a power he refers to as 'The King', 'Kaiwan' or 'the Unspeakable One'. Eventually he visits the city of Carcosa, a place of beauty and contentment.

British Gods and British Weather

Tuesday, November 6th 1928

The papers were full of the election of Herbert Hoover as President of the United States, as the Investigators decided to split up and try and locate Alexander Roby’s missing Friends.

Lady Verity Tracked down Delia Hartson , now Morrison after her marriage,  and met her for afternoon tea. Delia proved to be beautiful and petite - and to have an apparent bruise under her makeup. Impressed at meeting the noted amateur sleuth, she told Verity that she and Alexander had met due to a mutual interest in the occult., however she felt that he had got in too deep to something and as his personality changed she had broken off the engagement. She mentioned that there was a fifth man in the group, Coombes, whom Alexander had warned her had violent tendencies. She went on to say that shortly before they split, Alexander kept talking about 'an event' due to take place in December 1925 in a Suffolk village called Clare Melford, and that 'nine teeth' had been prepared on a hill for this 'event'.

Alan and Henry attempt to see Lawrence Bacon but they find the house locked and barred with no response when the bell was rung. Talking to a local shopkeeper, they found out that Bacon is something of a recluse and rarely receives visitors. AC went to the Royal Society to tray and locate Quarrie, discovering that he resigned his position in 1926 and may have gone overseas. He did identify that Quarrie had a connection to Pembroke College Oxford. Bill spent an annoyingly frustrating day trying to find any trace of the mysterious Edwards to no avail.

That evening they met up and compared notes. AC said he would head out to Oxford in the morning to visit Pembroke College, disturbed by Verity’s recounting of her meeting with Delia, Bill asked if she would accompany him to meet Delia again. Alan, Stephen and Henry decided to head for the British Library to do some research.

Wednesday, November 7th 1928

AC had a pleasant day out in Oxford, despite the weather, and spent a pleasant visit with Professor Tolkien who knew Quarrie and told him told him that Quarrie had written a book called  British Gods which was a study of Anglo-Saxon deities in the West of England, however the last time Tolkien had heard from Quarrie bas back in 1926 and he believed he had gone overseas possibly Italy. Tolkien did tell him that Quarrie was married and that some mail had been forwarded to her by the university’s administration office. A quick visit to the office elicited an address in Tewksbury. Before leaving, AC secured a copy of Quarrie’s book from Tolkien.

The members of the  Party at the British Library discovered that the only reference to the  “nine teeth” was to a group of standing stones at a place called Springer Mound near the village of Clare Melford in Suffolk. It was a fairly undocumented site, as the standing stones themselves were long gone, existing only in local folklore. There had only been one archaeological dig at the site, which had found little of interest. Notwithstanding, they decided to visit the village the next day.

Bill and Lady Verity met with Delia again and Bill confronted her about her black eye, eventually he managed to get Delia to confide in him and after comforting her, and leaving her in Lady Verity’s care , he went to find Morrison in a local hostelry and threw a scare into him, threatening him with arrest unless he treated his wife better.

Thursday, November 8th 1928

After reading of the destruction of the Sicilian town of Mascali in an eruption of Mount Etna in the morning papers, the party decided to split up again. AC, Lady Verity and Bill would head to Tewkesbury by train, while Stephen, Alan and Henry decided to drive to Clare Melford despite the inclement conditions. The trip to Tewksbury proved to be a dead end, and returning to London early, they decided to join the others in Clare Melford taking the 17:30 train from Liverpool Street.

Stephen, Allan and Henry had an eventful trip by car, the snow made driving conditions difficult at best. The main roads were bad enough, but as soon as Stephen turned off onto the country lanes the weather conditions rapidly worsened.

About 10 miles short of Clare Melford, they found the road was blocked by snow drifts when Stephen drove into one. The managed to dig the car out (or rather Henry did) but by now the road behind them was completely covered in snow as well. They decided to hike cross-country to the nearby town of Haverhill about a couple of miles away. They arrived cold, wet and thoroughly miserable and took refuge in a local hostelry, The Rose and Crown.

Allan, decided to stay the night in Haverhill, however Stephen and Henry were keen to press on and, discovering that the Stour Valley Railway was still running, despite the inclement conditions,  decided to catch the train to Clare Melford. As they boarded the train they spotted their friends in the front carriage.   

Arriving at their destination safely, they secured accomodations at The Railway public house, and then spent a pleasant enough evening listening-in on the local gossip. That night however, their dreams were even more disturbed than usual, Bill being particularily badly affected, Henry finally managed to calm him however, and get him back to sleep.

Springer Mound

 Friday, November 9th 1928

Next morning Alan rose and after a spot of shopping and a leisurely lunch got a a call from Stephen asking if he was going to join them in Clare Melford. He made his way down to the station and caught the train. He arrived at the Railway just as the others, with the exception of Bill who had remained in bed after his poor night's rest,  were finishing off their lunch and chatting to the publican, Blair, about the local farmer Jennings on whose land Springer Mound was located. He warned them that Jennings was a bit of a recluse and not exactly welcoming to visitors and that they had better stay of the public footpath.
 
By the time they set off it was around 2.30 and the sky was heavy and pregnant with the promise of more snow. Skirting round Jennings's Farmhouse they made their way up to the Mound, and were somewhat surprised as they climbed the path so see what looked like standing stones there. Closer examination revealed the stones not to be ancient monuments, but more modern constructions. The stones were nine feet tall, smooth-sided with pyramidal tops. They were expertly constructed from granite and weighed about a ton apiece. Each was also inscribed as follows:
 
 
As they were examining the monoliths, the barking of dogs alerted AC to the fact that someone was approaching.
 
A minute or so later Harold Jennings arrived on the scene carrying a shotgun and with his three dogs in tow. He was aggressive and shouted at AC “Take them. I want no more of your money. You’ve had your guinea’s worth. Take them off with you!” As the others gathered round AC tried to remonstrate unsuccessfully with the irate farmer, who angrily fired off a shot at the nearest monolith.
 
Suddenly there was an unearthly screech, and something plummeted down from the clouds and attacked the farmer. Stunned for a second the Party watched as the creature, all wings, claws and hideous beak, attacked Jennings who reeled back in fear, dropping his gun and raising his arms in front of his face as the creature grabbed him and lifted him bodily, before throwing his drained corpse to one side. Lady Verity fired off a shot, while AC lobbed a cricket ball with his best fast-bowling action. Stephen dived for Jennings's shotgun, turning and firing the remaining barrel.

Lady Verity fired off another shot before calling on the others to pull-back, but Henry closed and began pummelling the creature, trusting to his martial arts. Suddenly the air was rent by shriek, as another hideous creature plummeted down and attacked them.  The battle was furious and Stephen was badly injured before one of the creatures was apparently slain - by a six-worthy swipe of the bat by AC - and the other driven off, unable to take Henry's pummelling.
 
After the gruesome experience there was some debate about what to do whether to cover-up or report Jennings's death after which a search of the farmhouse revealed little save that Jennings was a poor housekeeper.
 
They decided to return to The Railway to find it silent and dark. Stephen and Allen went in, but there was no sign of Blair- or indeed Bill. Eventually they searched upstairs and found a scene of horror. Blair had been killed, although all that remained in the room was just his lower half. There was blood everywhere. Allan spotted a blood-splattered book amidst the carnage which he identified as a copy of Roby’s book Der Wanderer durch den See, next to the book was a silver whistle
 
Deciding they couldn’t ignore two such horrible deaths, Stephen dashed next door to the railway station and called the police. The police duly arrived, and after giving statements and leaving contact details, they wearily headed for home. Allan did his best to treat Stephen’s wounds and recommended a weeks bed-rest

Saturday, November 10th 1928.

Somewhat astonishingly Bill was located at safely home, with absolutely no memory of how he got there from Clare Melford, or in fact of ever having been to Clare Melford in the first place.

Tuesday, November 13th 1928

Having allowed the police a few days for their investigations – which seemed to be heading towards blaming an escaped animal from a zoo (ignoring the fact there were no animals actually missing) – they decided to head back to Clare Melford to get a closer look at the monoliths and were astonished to find them gone! Lady Verity noticed a strange smell, and clearing the snow, revealed the earth in the cetre of what had been the circle to be the source. The earth was spongy and soft and somehow wrong! Getting a shoverl from the farm AC dug a sample revealing viscous oily substance pervading the ground, which he resolved to send for analysis. Somewhat nonplussed and at a loss what to do next they returned to London.

Tuesday, November 20th 1928

AC received a letter from someone called William Gresty, who appeared to be somehow involved in what was going on with Roby, though no friend of Bacon whom he described as “a wicked man”. The letter told them that Bacon would be going on on the night of the next full moon and suggesting they follow him and stop him

Regent’s Canal

 Wednesday, November 21st 1928

Alan was taking breakfast and reading the news that the King had been taken seriously ill with septicaemia, when he received a call from Lady Verity inviting him to join the others for lunch at The Savoy, unfortunately as he had a lecture to give that day, he had to decline. The others met to decide what to do about the letter AC had received from Gresty, eventually deciding it was in their best interest to wait and follow Bacon on the night of the next full moon.
 

Monday, November 26th 1928

All of the investigators were feeling somewhat the worse for wear. Their recent lack of progress seemed to be making their troubled dreams somehow worse. Though as usual they only had fragmentary memories of what they dreamed about, it felt that somehow things were worsening. Lady Verity continued to see Allan professionally, while Allan himself studied Roby’s book each night in the hope of gleaning more information from it. Bill, toughened by his experience on the street, was considering seeking medical help with his increasingly fragile psyche, especially in the light of what had happened at Clare Melford, of which he still remembered nothing.

Eager to do something, Bill and AC headed off to Islington to recce Bacon’s house. They found it pretty much as Allan and Henry had a couple of weeks ago, all locked and barred and no sign of life. They went round to the back alley but could see little because of the high wall surrounding the property.
 

Tuesday, November 27th 1928

As news came on the radio that Edward, Prince of Wales had cut short his African trip to head home to the King's bedside, it was a bitterly cold night as the investigators assembled in Islington. Bundled in warm clothes and fortified by flasks of tea, or brandy according to their inclination, they took up posts to watch Bacon’s house. Allan and Henry took up station outside the London Fever Hospital, Lady Verity and Bill took up station outside the Royal Agricultural Hall, while AC and Stephen lurked in the back alley.
 
Eventually around three in the morning, they saw a huge, bearded man leave the house. He answered the description of Bacon, except that he was clearly a good 20 years younger than they had been expecting. Nevertheless, they followed him, somehow managing to avoid detection in the deserted streets. Bacon, if it was indeed he, followed the same route that he did when followed by Vincent Tuck.

Once near the Regents Canal he started looking in doorways and alleys. Bill and AC were closest when he stopped suddenly, shone his torch in to doorway of a disused warehouse, just off the canal path, and started to chant. A hideous screeching cacophony filled the air, joining with the chant, and  a horrific screaming came from within the doorway from the tram shetering there.
 
Bill and AC immediately leaped into action, racing down the towpath. While Bill fumbled for his revolver in the cold, AC reached into his voluminous pockets, and extracting a cricket ball, bowed it at the unsuspecting cultist.
Seeing them, the poor wretch in the doorway uttered a scream for help - which was swiftly cut off. This succeeded in drawing Bacon’s attention to them and the cultist turned, chanting horribly. Bill fired a warning shot as Bacon shouted “Coombes, Coombes, where are you man, you’re needed!”  and charged them.   Bill fired - the shot seemed to hit Bacon but deflect away, hardly slowing him. As Bacon closed on them the moonlight clearly showed his raised hands twisting, morphing and turning into the heads of a pair of hissing snakes!
 
The snake-arms flailed and fanged mouths struck both Bill and AC, who reeled as poison coursed through their body. As both Stephen and Lady Verity fire at Bacon – to no avail! Shouting "Push him in the water!", Bill tried to grapple the cultist, but obviously disoriented by the poison surging through his veins, failed to do so. Allan, sensibly, ducked into a nearby alleyway as Henry dashed forward, trying to shoot Bacon. Seeing this, Bill called out out that guns were useless, just before he slumped into unconsciousness. He was followed rapidly by AC as he too succumbed to the poison.

Lady Verity immediately dragged the unconscious policeman over to Allan, who drew his penknife and attempted to draw out the venom from the bite.  Stephen launched himself at the cultist, but his slight form proved ineffective against the brutish cultist, whose snake-arms lashed out at him biting him on the arm.  Lady Verity returned to drag AC over to Allan in the alleyway, noting he wasn't breathing.

Henry meanwhile closed cautiously, trying to avoid the hissing snakes  and use his martial arts to trip the cultist and force him into the canal . As he did, a shaky Bill launched himself suddenly from the alleyway, directly at their opponent. Their combined attack caused the brutish cultist to overbalance and plunge into the icy water below, he sank like a stone and did not resurface. Bill had gone into the water with Bacon to ensure he went under, and weakly dragged himself out.
 
While Alan treated the wounded, the others gathered to catch their breath. Someone suggested they needed to search the body, and Henry steeled himself and dropped into the icy water. As he attempted to retrieve the corpse, he was subjected to a final attack from the snake-arms.They retrieved a bone whistle and a stone with a curious carving on it as well as Bacon’s keys and wallet. They then let the corpse slide back into the watery depths and stood on the towpath, shaken  from their experience and shivering in the cold.

Bacon’s House

 Wednesday, November 28th 1928 

After standing about on the edge of the canal for a bit, Stephen eventually suggested going to Bacon’s House, where at least they could warm up. He was sorely disappointed when they arrived however, as they discovered that Bacon lived very frugally indeed,  only source of  heat being a small gas fire in the bedroom. The house had two stories and a cellar. The entire place was very untidy, dirty and dusty; packing cases, boxes and old newspapers took up all nearly all the available floor space, whilst books, bills, and manifolds littered every other surface including the stairs. The ground floor has a selection of middling quality Jacobean furniture, and more than a thousand occult, theological, and philosophical books shelved in no particular order. The top floor held a study and a bedroom.  As they explored, Bill detected a very bad smell coming from the closed door to the cellar.
 
In the study, Henry found a copy of something called the Turner Codex and immediately called for Allan, who was browsing the occult books below to come and examine it. In the bedroom Lady Verity found an exquisitely fashioned small rounded silver bell that sat in a receptacle — the latter serving to keep it upright. Both bell and holder were engraved with runic script and were polished to a sheen. Meanwhile downstairs, AC suddenly noticed that the cellar door, which had been closed, was now open!
 
He quickly called on the others and for a moment they stood in indecision, before Lady Verity seized the initiative and lighting a torch, led the way down into the equally cluttered cellar. This proved to be a pretty poor decision as they were almost immediately attacked from the darkness by slobbering, roughly bipedal creatures, with a slouching, vaguely canine aspect, a rubbery hide, and a mould-caked body, half-hooved feet, and scaled claws. The Investigators barely escaped with their lives from the attack, Henry indeed being wounded near to death before Bill dragged him out.

They fled up the stairs and blocked the cellar door with  piles of furniture from the storeroom. So shaken was he by this encounter, that AC liberally doused the furniture in brandy and set the lot alight!
 
Leaving the building ablaze, the badly shaken Investigators departed, Henry bundled-up in a makeshift stretcher and retired to Lady Verity’s townhouse, where Allan could treat the worst of their wounds. Stephen, preferring the care of his own physician, headed to Harley Street with some vague story about a “hunting accident”, and was immediately despatched to a private sanatorium in Zurich.

The rest of thet day and th enext Allan divided his time between treating the wounded and studying the Turner Codex. Sitting in Lady Verity's study on Thurday evening, and perusing the maddening text, he suddenly realised that Roby’s hearing was due the next day.
 

Friday, November 30th 1928

Leaving the wounded in the care of Lady Verity, who was the least injured, Allan took the train to Hereford to give evidence at Roby’s hearing. Roby himself was not present, but Dr Highsmith and Graham Roby were both in attendance. Dr. Highsmith was keen to see Roby released, believing his illness was under control, where Graham was vociferously against the release. Allan, as the independent expert witness, recommended that he be released, but remain under strict medical supervision. The court eventually agreed that Roby should be release to a convalescent home on the 1st of January, to give time for preparations for his care to be made. After the hearing, Allan returned immediately to London to discover another letter had arrived from the mysterious Gresty. This one thanked them for the “murder of Bacon” and amidst other seemingly confused ramblings, warned them that Edwards still “needed” Roby and “if he gets him there will be Hell to pay!”
 

Saturday, December 1st 1928

Noting in the headlines that the French Prime Minister had apparently attempted to resign, Allan was even more shocked to read in the morning papers that there had been another murder at St Agnes’s - and this time the victim was Roby! He called Dr. Highsmith and made arrangements to come down the next day. Highsmith also informed him that two nurses, Evans and Clarke were missing.
 

Sunday, December 2nd 1928

Arriving in Weobley, Allan was ushered into a very distraught Dr Highsmith’s officewho told him that he had just been informed by the police that the victim was not in fact Roby, but they believed it to be one of the missing nurses – Clarke! Which now makes the other missing nurse, Evans, the prime suspect. Highsmith askes that Allan and his friends continue their investigations into these very troubling affairs – especially as Roby is now missing and possibly kidnapped.
 

Monday, December 3rd 1928

Allan called Lady Verity and arranged for her to meet him in Leominster at Evan’s cottage. The police had already searched the place and found nothing and are happy to let tem have the key. Lady Verity took the train down and met Allan at the cottage where a policeman handed over the key. Searching the place they found little of interest save evidence of much bloodletting and two letters delivered that morning – one addressed to Michael Evans one one to Montague Edwards.

Checking with the post office they confirmed that letters to both men had been delivered to the cottage though the postman confirmed he had only ever seen Evans. Speaking to the neighbours also said that they had only ever seen Evans. This drew Allan and Lady Verity to the conclusion that “Michael Evans” and “Montague Edwards”were one and the same!

The Laird of Mullardoch

Tuesday, December 4th 1928

Returning to London, Allan resumed care of the injured back at Lady Verity’s while continuing his studies of The Turner Codex. Over the next few days Bill them appraised of the police investigation into the events at St Agnes’s, though the locals  seemed very focused on Hartwell as the culprit. Allan even headed down to Weobley to interview Harriwell and  left more convinced than  ever the police were on the wrong track! Towards the end of the week Stephen returned from Zurich.
 

Saturday. December 8th 1928

Bill received a note from Delia that Roby had hastily written to her asking her to meet him at “Edward’s place” on Loch Mullardoch and passed the news on to the others. Lady Verity immediately began making arrangements for tickets to inverness.  She also made arrangements for rooms at the Station Hotel in Inverness and for a car to be hired for their use. That afternoon, they  went out to various gentleman’s outfitters to purchase gear suitable for the Scottish highlands in the depths of winter. Henry tried to find out some information about the loch but there was not much available  in the local libraries other than it’s location.
 

Sunday, December 9th 1928

The Investigators arrived at Euston for the 07:20 for inverness. Despite the inclement conditions the train departed on time and made good speed for Manchester. During the brief stop at Manchester Henry spotted an anxious looking fellow board the train who appeared to be nervously fiddling with a whistle similar to they they had found on other of the cultists. Taking one of the the whistles that had already recovered, he Allan and AC found the fellow in second class and joined him. Allan conspicuously showing the whistle in his possession. Seeing the whistle the chap relaxed somewhat exclaiming that “at least he wasn’t the only one who was late!” While AC piled the anxious looking fellow with whisky from his hip-flask, they discerned his name was  Henry Lister. Henry asked if they too had received a letter from Edwards asking them to meet in Inverness on the 5th. Allan professed to some confusion about the the date. As the alcohol loosened the chap’s tongue it quickly became apparent he knew little of use and was obviously seriously out of his depth- and by the way he guzzled Henry’s scotch terrified out his wits! e did seem keen to show the other an obituary of Bacon’s that had appeared in the latest issue of The Occult Magazine. The piece mentioned Edwards, referring to him as as the Laird of Mullardoch. AC recognised the by-line of the author of the piece as one Aleister Crowley. By the time the train reached York, Lister was completely sozzled and AC arranged with the guard to have him removed from the train.
 
The arrived in Inverness at 7:20 that evening and gratefully retired to their rooms.
 

Monday, December 10th 1928

The hired car Lady Verity had arranged was waiting for them after breakfast that morning, and they set out for Cannich, the nearest village to the loch. Lady Verity drove cautiously because of the inclement conditions and they arrived safely  late in the morning. At the local post office she made enquires about lodgings ad they were pointed in the direction of the Glenaffrie Guest hose where they took rooms for the next few days. They also discovered that the loch was some 8 miles away and the road to Mullardoch House was a track-way and impassable by motor vehicle in these conditions – they would have to walk!
 
Allan queried about the availability of a guide and was pointed towards the cottage of “Fergus Mac” who had been a ghillie on one of the local estates before retiring. Allan quickly secured his services and after a slap-up lunch at the Guest House, they set out through the snow.
 
It was a long, cold trip ploughing through the freshly fallen snow. On they way they noted several curious things. Firstly the trees in the forest seemed to be leaning towards the loch as if some great wind had pushed them in that direction. Secondly they noted the compete absence of any sound, save their own laboured breathing. There was no birdsong or any other animal noises in the forest. The most curious thing of all they noticed however was a huge sac, rippling and throbbing and flecked with light. It moved squid-like, pulling itself through the air by long, groping tentacles that sawed on the wind and pulled on the branches with equal purchase. All were affected by the loathsome sight, but the fearsome apparition proved too much for Fergus who took to his heels, however the investigators gather their courage and pressed on. Allan led them down a side-track to where he could see the creature anchored above what looked very like  one of the monoliths they had seen at Springer Mound. Allan moved forward to get a closer look and the creature turned to regard him with lidless eyes – at which point Lady Verity offered him her field-glasses!
 
Using the glasses Allan could see that, like the one they seen at Springer Mound, there was a partial inscription on the side of the monolith – one of the lines from the prayer Welcome The Unspeakable One  he had seen in The Turner Codex. Stephen offered his brace of shotguns should they wish to take on the creature, but no one seemed anxious to take him up on his offer and they pressed on towards Mullardoch House.
 
As they approached the house, a largish two-storey stone hunting lodge, they could see two cars parked in front completely covered in snow. Suddenly, a thin white mist rolled up from the water and around and past the house. There was no noise, no lights, no movement. The mist thickened around them. Visibility quickly lessening, but as it did they caught a glimpse of something new. Between them and Mullardoch House stands another structure — a large white arch, it looks ceremonial, not unlike Marble Arch by Hyde Park. It looked completely incongruous in these surroundings and was not there a moment before...
 
As they struggled to make sense of this they became aware of other buildings around them. The mist was gone. Even behind them there were streets. They were standing in the middle of a city, a city that does not belong here. Somehow they all knew where they were, but only Lady Verity said it aloud – Carcosa!

To Walk The Earth In Carcosa

The investigators became increasingly bewildered as they entered the city which seemed to morph and change around them when they weren’t looking. Broad avenues became twisting alleyways, marble buildings seemed to transform into brick houses or wooden shacks. Bill became separated from the others after going back outside the city and then on his return found himself unable to locate his friends. The others after briefly searching for Bill and prompted by AC, headed deeper into the city. As they departed they noticed two creatures that looked like the Springer Beast fly overhead. 

The city seemed strangely desolate though from time to time they could hear the sounds of revelry. Suddenly from an upper window they saw a group of masked figure lean out and point down the street excitedly. Looking in that direction the a white-robed masked figure heading down the street before disappearing round a corner. Stephen shouted  up to one the men on the balcony, who replied in a language not English, but that they could somehow all understand. They ascertained that this was The Stranger, which Lady Verity vaguely remembered as being a character from the play The Queen and the Stranger and it’s source material The King in Yellow. The man told them to join the revelry and to make their way to The Palace.

Following The Stranger, occasionally glimpsed in the distance, the investigators headed deeper into the city, soon locating a high bridge, only a foot wide and without handrails, crossing a deep canal. They started across cautiously, but Allan and Lady Verity slipped on the marble surface and almost plunged the depths below.

Following a winding path they entered a Roman-style amphitheatre. Stephen spotted a figure lurking in the shadows and called out a warning, to be met by a flurry of shorts. Henry fired back, eliciting a cry of pain from the shadows. Calling pout that their attacker should surrender, AC dashed forward and punched their assailant on the nose. The assailant, reeled dropping his gun clutching at a wound in his arm and his bloody nose. Once calmed down, his wound roughly bandaged by Lady Verity, he introduced himself as Quentin Spence, and explained that he’s had enough of this place and was trying to leave. He’d come here at Edwards’ instructions, being a member of the Hastur ‘brotherhood’ for some time, but he had seen monsters and horrors here that were more than he had bargained for. He explained that Edwards has been attempting to summon The King in Yellow, somehow harnessing repeated performances of the play for power, but thus far has only succeeded in calling up more flying creatures and other horrible monstrosities. He said he was trying to find his way to the Sculpture Museum to find Roby to persuade him to send him home, as Roby was the only one who seemed to understand fully what was going on. When the investigators tried to press him to accompany them to the Palace, he fled into the city in panic.

Bill meanwhile wandered the streets of Carcosa alone, bewildered, and unaware of any of this. He eventually encountered a group of locals - Carcosan revellers, masked as they all are. One of these locals, a leatherworker named Noss took pity on Bill and offered to be his guide. He directed him to a place where “everyone ends up eventually” where he might  be reunited with his companions.

Elsewhere in the city, the others found themselves in an area of narrow winding residential streets. They occasionally caught a distant glimpse of the Stranger from the play,  and headed in the same direction eventually came Noss and his fellow revellers. Noss told them of the other outsider he had met and  he agreed to take them to him and they finally find Bill.

The reunited investigators head towards the small white building at the centre of a garden full of many fantastic works of sculpture, including a medusa, a perfect simulacrum of a cypress tree standing beside its living twin and, immediately outside the entrance to the building, four  Springer Mound Beasts which turned out not to be statues at all, but the real thing. A doorway led to a concourse and a great stairway leading into the first of a network of great underground galleries. Noss led the way, past two enormous and beautiful dioramas of New York City, one current and one futuristic, through a gallery of thousands of whistles from many times and cultures, each similar in its own way to the cult's bone whistles and via many other strange sights. In one gallery Bill found an unfinished clay man that reminded him of himself.

Eventually they discovered a circular study hall wherein they find Roby, now apparently sane and rational. Roby greeted Allan and Henry and was happy to discuss what’s happening. He explained he had brought Carcosa to Earth by writing it into being and now he can live here eternally. The city will remain on Earth for 6 more hours before it leaves, taken with it all who remain. The rest of the cult are staying in the Palace, where they are enjoying the Queen's hospitality, but Roby wanted some solitude.

At first Roby seems reluctant to believe that Edwards is trying to summon The King in Yellow, which is impossible in this place and time and attempting to do so so will bring Hastur in a terrible form that will kill everyone. Roby eventually agrees to head the Palace to “have a word” with Edwards – the investigators followed.

Roby led everyone to the lakeside. Across the Lake, they could see the roof of the palace is covered in hundreds of byakhee, but nonetheless they find a boat and start to row across. Halfway there a Spawn surfaced, dived under the boat and knocked it heavily, pitching Allan and Bill into the Lake. They were fortunately able to grab onto the boat and save themselves. Only Stephen got a clear view as the creature broke the surface off the stern and dived back into the depths. An hour or so later the boat reaches the crowded palace wharf and the investigators entered the massive and complex Palace of Cassilda.

Inside the palace they traveled through many halls and corridors, seeing occasional glimpses of revellers. Stephen sensed somehow that they are being followed, but all seem untoward - until they come across the corpse, his throat slashed. As they stood regarding this grisly sight, a young noblewoman turns the corner and runs straight into Bill. She apologises, introducing herself in French as Yolanda. Fortunately Stephen speaks French and they young woman offers to help them find the terrace where the visitors are performing their play – a play they are Yolanda tells them they are performing for the fourth consecutive evening, to an audience of hundreds of silent byakhee.

As they look down from the balcony at the performance below, Lady Verity and Bill, who have read the text of The King in Yellow, realise that the play is reaching it’s climax. The very air above the terrace seems to shimmer with power as Edwards is repeatedly struck with a sword, his blood flying everywhere, but his wounds healing instantly. Roby says that he is “just popping down to have a quiet word” - when Alan strikuckthe Chime of Tezchapti!

For a second it was if time froze, as the chime rings out, impossibly loud. The Players below staggered as is if struck, interupting their performance. Edwards turned, blood streaming from his wounds and screamed incoherently up at them - as Alan struck a second chime! A huge burst of pent-up energy was released from the atmosphere around the terrace and hit Edwards, literally exploding his body! The byakhee rose shrieking into the air.

Again for a second it is as if time had stopped, and then something begins to materialise over the lake. Something horrible, ancient and fundamentally wrong. It’s hideous monstrousness was something they could not un-see  as it reached out and  grabbed one of the cultists and fed him into a maw where it’s eyes should be! Stephen and Henry’s minds were unable to cope with the eldritch awfulness that they were seeing, and they stood there broken in silent supplication. AC, his stout Yorkshire sensibilities to the fore, was first to be able to draw his attention from the  scene and wisely fled.  Roby half-way down the steps called back “The English Garden… Yolanda will take you… and beware of Quarrie!”

One by one the other investigators dragged their attention from the horror in front of them as this formless abomination devoured the cultists one by one. Lady Verity dragged the unfortunate Henry with her, while Bill took charge of Stephen. Alan was last to leave the massacre of the cultists, and as he did he saw the byakhee begin to descend in pursuit of them. Led by Yolanda they fled through the labyrinthine corridors of the Palace, one step ahead of pursuing byakhee.  At once point they were attacked by someone they recognised as Coombes, but a couple of rounds from Bill’s Lee Enfield soon sorted him out!

They had to fight their way through byakhee the last few yards, but eventually prevailing, Yolanda pointed them towards the entrance to a maze. Passing through the maze they found themselves suddenly once more on the shores of Lake Mullardoch.

Not wanting to stay near Mullardoch House they headed around the loch  through the wintry conditions, eventually taking shelter in a bothy.

Next morning as they returned to Inverness, They read of how, the previoous night, a dozen of the villagers' of Cannich died, in an echo of events in Clare Melford's 'night of the curse'. On arriving in Inverness, the investigators took Henry and Stephen to the Inverness District Asylum for initial assessment. Alan then arranged for them to be transfered to St Agnes's for treatment closer to home.