In the strange case of Vera Endecott, Nicole Collins and Rhyaad deAnnar have seeming sought in vain any information regarding an antique film projector. They suspect that the mysterious device known as the Farnsworth Projector has been used to restore Vera Endecott, using as a host body, the hapless Natasha Snow. And what of poor Natasha? Is she lost forever? Are they too late to save her? And so, having found little help at the Miskatonic University they now seek information from the strange Doctor Praetorius. Off the coast, they are aware that David Collins has built a facility for the Diogenes Club a secret lab. There they hope to find some answers regarding the projector only, what they are about to discover will have far more implications for the future of Collinsport.
Act 1, Scene 1 The Busted Flush
The sky was the color of the lead of a number two pencil. The whole of the day had been grey and overcast and for that reason Nikki had arisen earlier than normal and driven to the dock specified by Chief St. Clair. Nikki did not know who owned the house or the dock, she only knew the boat, The Busted Flush, belonged to St. Clair. More than a boat, it was an yacht — but Nikki had gleaned from St. Clair it had taken ‘a boat’ against a flush in a poker game for St. Clair to own the keys she had given her.
She strode down the dock, the wind whipping the overcoat – which she wore as Esther constantly reminded her that not wearing one in Maine at this time of the year was just too damned suspicious — about her. The wind chill off the Atlantic must have been painful–if she felt the cold as others would. For her it was merely chilly.
As she approached the yacht, the first thing that came to mind was that perhaps she should have asked St. Clair to ferry them to the island rather than borrowing the boat. It was much bigger than anything she had every handled.
She stepped upon the gangplank, the high heels of her boots silent. The olive water splashing up between the dock and boat below her, she looked down with a sudden vertigo . . . was this the effect said of running water against a vampire? She had never experienced vertigo before.
Quickly forcing herself across the gangplank and onto the boat she recovered. Oh, yes, once inside, this would be an Internal Affairs folder yet to be opened, there was no way St. Clair bought this boat on a policeman’s salary. It was a good thing she knew how the Chief had won it — else she would have begun to suspect the lovely St. Clair of nefarious activities. Although, she did suspect St. Clair of nefarious activities — she worked for agencies on and off the record, and had done things some would have considered monstrous if they had not been done against monsters.
She turned as she saw behind her movement in her peripheral vision.
Rhyaad stood on the dock.
“Oooo! Big boat,” he said clapping his hands together. “Where ever did you get it Nikki?”
“Evening Rhy, it’s St. Clair’s. She loaned it to me.” Nikki tells him as she makes her way through the cabin toward the chrome ladder leading up to the Captain’s deck. She stands a moment, hands on her hips, looking at the large instrument panel.
“It is a little bigger than the boat my friend had when we used to take it out on the Mediterranean. Might need a hand with this monster.” Nikki smiles.
“Hope it is fine I invited Oliver as well,” Rhyaad said as he looked the craft over, “I have not been sailing in quite a while, Nikki. This should be fun. Oliver . . . Come up and join us on the bridge.”
Rhyaad climbed up the ladder and stood beside Nikki looking at the controls — he raised an eyebrow.
Oliver arrived a few seconds behind Rhyaad. Nikki turned to look at humans smiled as they both looked at the size of the craft and then at her. She smiled in return to their cocked heads, “Yes, as I was saying, it is a bit larger then the boat my friend had when we went sailing on the Mediterranean.”
“Not sure how St. Clair handles this alone.” Nikki said checking the controls.
“It’s her connections. Delta Green and all that. I suppose she can finagle quite a lot if she wants to”, Rhyaad commented, thinking Nikki was commenting on just who it was possible that she could afford such a craft, which was of course what he is thinking, as he stares out at the horizon.
“I do so hope Esther makes it.” Nikki says as she looks back out the yacht’s windows toward the dock.
“Glad you could make it, Oliver,” Rhyaad smiled at the young man. “You won’t have to worry about any ‘corporate’ people seeing you out here. We are going to a remote island.”
Oliver smiled and nodded, looking over the luxurious yacht, “I’m glad you brought me.”
“Yes, it’s Saint Eustace Island, It’s about five or six miles northeast of Collinsport.” Nikki explained.
Rhyaad turned now to Oliver to explain further, “And this Doctor Praetorius we are going to see, he is quite intelligent. Perhaps he and his organization might even be able to help you out with a little advise. But we’ll see about that.”
“It has a research lab there now, David apparently had it built for the Diogenes Club.” Nikki ruminates as she runs her long fingers over the controls.
“What’s the Diogenes Club?”. Oliver asks.
“The club is a gentleman’s club in London, my Liramaer.” Rhyaad told him, “Supposedly. Whereas it appears they are yet another secret organization; one that deals with supernatural forces. Praetorious even claims he mentored Doctor Frankenstein.”
Oliver chuckled now with somewhat baffled eyes, “So, you’re saying he existed too?”
Nikki turns her attention from the controls back to the dock, “They say they are part of British Intelligence, the Club. Commissioned by the Queen to quietly exist so as to cope with matters beyond the preview of regular police and other intelligence services.”
“Oh yes…. It’s quite a deep rabbit hole you fall into when you enter our world, Oliver.” Rhyaad smiles.
She leans forward now with a smile, “Oh, there is Esther now.”
Along the wooden dock Esther can be seen walking toward the boat, hands deep in her overcoat pockets buffeted as she is by the wind.
Nikki moves past Rhyaad and Oliver and descends the ladder into the main cabin of the yacht, and back outside along the deck, holding on to a brass fitting as the boat rocks against the choppy waves, “Esther! So glad you could make it.”
Esther stands looking at the rather large ship, “Nik. This thing’s as big as a house!”
Nikki laughs, “Well, St. Clair never told me how big it was. So, come on aboard.”
“Sure thing,” Esther walks over the gangway and steadys herself on the railing.
“Certainly hope we can find this secret lab.” Nikki says, helping Esther aboard.
“Not too secret if you find it.” Esther can’t resist.
Nikki looks at her with a smile.
Esther looks around, “This does not seem like a police boat…”
“St. Clair — sometimes does not seem like a policeman to me.” Nikki agrees.
Rhyaad walked over behind Oliver and put a hand on his shoulder. “There’s an underwater observation deck below. Would you like to take a look at it? I think Nikki can do the driving, as it were.”
“Nice to have you with us Oliver.” Nikki pats his shoulder as she pushes past him to head once more back to the Captain’s chair.
Oliver smiled and looked at Nikki, “Thank you,” and he then looked up at Rhyaad, “Yeah, I’d love to.”
Esther now having ascended to the bridge stands looking over the gleaming glass and brass of the immense amount of controls, the three chairs and apparent navigation wheels, “You know how to sail this thing Nik?”
Nikki taking her overcoat off and tossing it aside slid into the captain’s chair, “Hope I figure this monstrosity out. I have driven a few yacths off the coast of France, but none this size before.”
“Everyone ready,” Nikki asks.
“I think so?” Esther said sounding none to certain as she took hold of a brass bulkhead handle attached to the wall.
“Do you mind, Nikki?” Rhyaad asked in a low voice as he leaned close to her, “If we watch the voyage from down there.” He gave Esther that little bow of the head and a smile. “Glad you could come, Esther. Maybe you can help Nikki? The last time I drove a boat was in the 1960’s… this thing looks more like a spaceship to me. I’m afraid I would not be of much help.”
Esther looked at him with a look that said oh yeah, right I have so much yachting experience.
Nikki suddenly looks back at the dock seeing that the the boat is still tied to the dock. “Oh, Esther I left one mooring line attached, could you be a dear and just unwrapped the rope and toss on the dock, thank you ever so much.”
“Sure . . .”. Esther unbuckled her seat belt and gets up, climbs down from the bridge to the main cabin and then wanders back onto the deck. In a bit of forward thinking, she takes the gangway and places it on the deck She then sees the mooring line and starts to make at the knot.
Rhyaad curled a finger at Oliver and lead him down below…
Esther continued to try and untie the knot.
Nikki got up and moved over to the window and smiled, “That’s it Esther!” she said aloud.
Oliver smiled and blushed following Rhyaad.
On the dock Esther began to get frusterated with how to loosen the knot.
Nikki moving back to the captain’s chair nodded to Rhyaad below in the mian cabin, “Oh and yes, if you guys want to go below, Esther and I can handle everything topside.”
Esther took a quick look around and then took out her knife and began cutting the mooring line. Hacked through, she smiled and took a look at her handy-work and the. She put her knife away and made her way back on board, the boat drifting back to bump against the dock.
“Need to go Nik!” She said.
Below, Oliver marvels at the sight of the under water paradise, “This is beautiful.”
With a seductive little smile Rhyaad led Oliver towards the front of the glass-windowed underwater room and laid down on the padding. “Have you ever seen anything like this before?”
Oliver smiled and lay beside him, “I haven”t . . . It’s amazing.”
Esther stands a bit uneasy as she feels every rock and sway of the boat as it moves port to starboard. Bow to stern. Port to starboard. She hears the large engines start as Nikki turns them on to stop the boat from rocking back not the dock.
“Come on up here and join me.” Nikki said over her shoulder to Esther down below.
Esther nodded and made her way back up the chrome ladder and onto the bridge, where she returned to her original seat.
Nikki looks over to her with a slight frown, “I guess I will find out if it’s a myth about Vampires and running water.”
Rhyaad took Oliver’s hand and held it. “Then we are doing something new together! I haven’t either… I mean, not like this. I’ve ridden in a glass bottomed boat before, but they didn’t have boats like this the last year I went boating. This is all new and beautiful, is it not?”
Esther scratched her head underneath her hat as she looked at all the colored dials, wondering how Nikki knew what all of these meant.
Nikki holding the wheel, turns it and presses forward the throttle as the yacht begins to vibrate.
“Here we go.”
“If you say so Nik.”
As Nikki slowly let the throttle out and the boat began to move away from the dock and she began to steer it away, taking note of how easy the boat handled, she looked over at Esther reassuringly, “Sort of like riding a bicycle.”
Nikki turned to boat out and curved toward the sea.
“Well…this isn’t so bad…” Esther said as she looked out the window to see the dark green sea passing down below her window as Nikki turned on the running lights.
Oliver smiled and looked into Rhyaad’s eyes, “It truly is.” Rhyadd aware of the excitement intermingled with a sort of passion in his eyes.
With a wide curve and then straightening out to ride the waves, Nikki now set course out to the open sea, “Okay this bloody thing is supposed to be only five or six miles out.”. She enters the coordinates into a navigational computer — coordinates given to her by Doctor Praetorius.
Nikki looked over at Esther, ‘And how have you been today, Esther.”
Esther looked a bit green around the gills, nodded, “I have been better…”
As The Busted Flush moves out into the ocean dusk gives way to night.
Rhyaad’s excitement was also genuine, and his blue eyes sparkled as if glinting with an inner light. “Yes, and it gives us an opportunity to smooch while they aren’t looking,” he pointed a thumb at the decks above. When the boat began to move, he cried out, “Oh, wonderful!” as the scene of the watery bottom began to unfold.
Nikki checked the GPS — looked at the compass.
Oliver, looking at the ocean below marveled and then blushed at the suggestion of Rhyaad, even as he waited for Rhy to make the first move.
Nikki continued to follow the GPS tracking, adjusting the wheel in order to keep the compass steady.
Rhyaad reached over and stroked Oliver’s soft hair and looked into his eyes a moment, then kissed him gently. He was no longer paying much attention to the view, his eye firmly fixed on Oliver.
Esther held on to the chair’s arms tightly, but was beginning to like the view, the sensation of moving out over the water.
“I am so glad you came Esther — I am not sure just what this Doctor wants to talk about — again.” Nikki said looking over to her.
Oliver’s breath quickened and his heart sped, his hand on Rhyaad’s chest kissing him back intently.
Esther began to look at several of the ships dials, gauges, screens — one lf which she now understood to be an mariner’s weather satellite feed.
Rhyaad forgot all else for a brief moment as he kissed Oliver back passionately, having to remember to break it eventually to let the man breathe. When he finally pulled back he went back to playing with his hair and smiling at him. “I hope the voyage takes a long time. But I fear it will be short.”
“Very cloudy . . . sure there’s not going to be a storm?” Esther asked.
The big boat cruses along as it cuts through the water and into the night. The bright running lights reflecting off the water.
Oliver breathes deeply and licks his lips, “I hope it lasts forever,” he whispers.
“Alas…. nothing does.” Rhyaad sighed, “But I am so glad you came along.” He kissed him again, lightly.
Esther becoming more relaxed now relaxed reached over and began flipping through the radio stations, turning from the nautical weather station, and found a rock station playing “It’s Your Thing,” and so she flips a control so that it played through the whole boat.
Oliver looked at him, “Your life does,” he said as he nuzzled his nose on Rhyaad’s.
Esther looks at Nikki, “Oh my. sorry. let me see if I can fix this.”. And so she started work with the radio in order to try to turn the volume down. But unable to turn it down. She decided to just shuts the radio off.
“Oh, sometimes it seems like it does. But let’s not talk about that now.” Rhyaad said and nuzzled his nose back. “Eskimo kisses, they call this.”
Ahead, Nikki’s keen vision could see a strange installation. Some odd towers reaching up, out of the water. Something that looked like a helipad. In the middle some central installation. The complex wasn’t on the island proper, but instead was build out to sea.
Esther could now see the approaching buildings built like some kind of off-shore scientific complex — it all looked liked something from a James Bond movie, the lair of the villain. She clutched tightly to the arms of her chair.
Oliver playfully kissed Rhyaad’s, “I never met an eskimo.”
Nikki slows the boat down as it gently glides up to the central building. Nikki shits the engines down, and lets the boat coast up to the dock. She quickly gets up for her chair and moves down to toss a mooring line, jump on the desk and wrap,the heavy hemp around a pylon of the dock.
Esther sat staring at a screen trying to determine what an area of dark blue on a map display meant.
“Oh, I thought it was boring, when I met them. Mostly I stayed away from them. But that’s another long story. Years and years in the arctic wastelands was not much fun.” Rhyaad told Oliver.
Oliver looked at Rhy, “You lived in an arctic wasteland?”
“Alas… we are there already.” Rhyaad said as he took note that the boat had slowed down and so they went up to the dock.
“I was escaping from the world of men. Or so I deluded myself.”. He added.
Esther stands, unsteadily and makes her way down from the bridge.
Act 2, Scene 1, The Secret Laboratory Facility of the Diogenes Club
For a moment she expected to hear that oh so familiar theme music as she stepped out on the slick circular concrete desk of the large off-shore building. In the darkness of the night, the cold waves of the North Atlantic lapping hungrily at the base of the structure the lights in the near distance blinking unsyncopated on the out-lying towers, halogen lights directed straight up to form bluish-white columns of light the whole bizarre, out of the ocean, tableau looked so much like some lavishly constructed villain’s lair from a James Bond movie. She half suspected that upon their approach some massive underwater hydraulics had been activated so as to lift this small archipelago of unusually designed out-lying structures and small narrow towers, a centralized helipad, and this apparent command center, up out of the ocean. As the group disembarked from the yacht to walk along the concrete outer platform marveling at its architecture — yet another film cam to mind as Nikki thought that in a long-shot from overhead they must have looked so very much like Dorothy and her companions approaching now the gates of OZ.
“That’s a horse of another color.” Nikki says.
“What?”. Rhyadd asks over the sound of the ocean.
“Nothing sorry.” She steps over to the double doors. They have no discernible latch or way to open, no visible locksnor is there any hint of an intercom or surveillance system. Just smooth concrete walls and blank doors. She reaches out her hand to touch one of the doors, her fingertips pressing against their metallic surface; and suddenly she hears a metallic whirl and click of gears as the doors begin to open.
She looks back at her companions.
Rhyaad nearest her with Oliver in tow; Esther standing on the outside platform holding onto to a light pylon for support. Everyone looks with acute interest as she steps through the threshold.
The place is amazing. It is a strange brew of advanced technology and old Victorian design. Lab tables with Bunsen Burners, beakers, distilling columns, condensors, tubes, curved, curled, and straight; bottles of various coloured liquids; various coloured bottles, brown, blue, black; green and marble onyx pedestals and mortars; baroque chemical equipment and pipework, all the trappings of an alchemist working in a chemist’s shop. There were odd electronic devices, steampunk designed consoles, Telsa coils, towering switch panels with bizarrely complicated dials and controls, antique Jacob Ladders, wall panels, transformer grids. Several operating tables, some with restraints.
“I must say this certainly looks like something from Frankenstein.” Nikki says as they enter the building.
“Indeed, it does…” Rhyaad replies as he looked around the large laboratory.
“Well. Look who has decided to call?” Dr. Praetorius said coming down the curved staircase ahead.
“Ah, it’s Doctor P”, Rhyaad says and nods his head to him. “This place is amazing. You’d put Doctor Frankenstein to shame, certainly.”
Preatorius smiles and for a moment Nikki felt she had as yet to see a smile as malevolent, “Well, you should have seen Victor’s. His of course was always by far the most elaborate and grandiose . . . certainly in comparison to Henry’s . . . But then Victor was of course genius.”
The impeccably dressed doctor continues down the stairs, his hand lightly running down the rail, his other in his pants pocket.
“Dr. Praetorius.” Nikki says watching him descend, “You did invite us to see your lab.”
“Indeed I did.”
Oliver almost in disbelief looks at the lab, which, to him could only be described as the laboratory of a certifiably mad scientist, what with the leather straps dangling from various lab tables, as he remained quiet standing behind Rhyaad. It brought back old and unwanted memories.
Rhyaad motions to Oliver to follow. “Incredible, isn’t it?” he says softly to him. “It surpasses the strange laboratory of Doctor Artemis.
Regaining much of her fortitude now that she was once again back on land, Esther stands near Nikki and crosses her arms. She takes up the posture of a bodyguard, standing close to Nikki.
“So nice of you to finally stop by, The doctor said his smile merely wry now, “But my dear, everyone should be a bit careful in here, you see, some of these things don’t like — people.” And aware that Rhyaad is about to touch a rather ornate looking console, which looked rather more antique than dangerous, “Or those who are undead.”
Rhyaad looks over at the doctor, who is dressed as if he were about to go out to a formal dinner party, and stays his hand.
He raises an eyebrow at Praetorius. “What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Shall we say that the Ruling Cabal grants a certain permissiveness in allowing me to indulge my little experiments from time to time.”
Esther, who seems not to be the only member of the group enthralled by all of these chemical tables and the doing nothing machines, the silent Tesla Coils and ancient Jacob’s Ladders. Instead her observant eyes are busy scanning the room for any possible traps or hidden assailants. The whole thing to her speaks of being nothing other than a carefully orchestrated ruse a very elaborate trap. Her attention now drawn by a much smaller set of doors than the double ones through which they had entered, but there had appeared to be only one entrance into the building . . . right?
Dr. Praetorius, having reached the lab floor, moves from the curved staircase and strides over to Nikki rather nonchalantly. “Most excellent, I see that our security system has been modified and activated to your imprint. The doors did open for you without any difficulty?”
Nikki nodded, “Imprinted?”
“Yes, my dear, this facility responds now to only you and I.”
“Responds?”
Dr. Praetorius, a bit wary of everyone’s close proximity to various pieces of equipment, smiled, and with a flourish of his hand motioned toward the stairs he had just descended, “If you would care to accompany me . . . to the library, we can discuss there.”
“Ah, is that what it was?” Rhyaad says, “Electronic security?” He kept staring around at all the odd machinery, and also noticed the extra set of doors.
“In a manner of speaking.” He stands holding his arm out and his hand toward the stairs. “Shall we?”
Nikki offered her own hand, “After you doctor.”
Praetorius turned and moved effortlessly through the labyrinth of lab tables and odd machinery and retraced his steps back to the stairs. Esther still watching for a trap kept looking back behind her as she followed.
The second floor of the Diogenes facility was a huge, spacious library with sets of bookcases, designed in x formations at the compass points of the circular room. A large oval table dominated the center of the room. The tabletop, created in a detailed mosaic of various woods, depicted a rose symbol. Not a question mark Nikki thought as she approaches the conference table. She took notice of the two tall crystal glasses, each containing a dark, red liquid, detecting now the scent of blood.
Dr. Praetorius moves around the table, “As you can see . . . drinks for you and Mr de’Annar,” motioning toward the glasses, “And of course an ashtray for the ever suspicious Miss Esther. As you can readily see, I have been expecting you.”
“Telepathy?” Nikki asks gracefully sauntering to one of the chairs set with a glass of blood.
The Doctor smiles cheerfully, “No, that is but one of your many talents, my dear. Surveillance equipment.”
As if wary of whom would be first to be seated, the Doctor takes his place first at the table. Rhyadd aware of the two places before which a glass of Nikki’s favorite type of blood has bee placed silently takes a seat at one of them, as Nikki takes the other
Below in the laboratory, slipping out from behind some apparatus, which she had very little idea the usage of, Samantha Brook, not making a sound except for a very soft dripping noise clings to the shadows.
Esther remains standing off to the side, not sitting, nor saying anything, her arms folded, as she persists in anticipating a trap.
“Responds. You did not answer the question, Doctor.” Nikki says, lifting the thin crystal glass and takes note of the scent of the blood, AB+.
“Ah, yes. Not of my design of course, I being far more alchemical — but this facility is maintained by an Artificial Intelligence, which now has been formally resequenced so as to recognize you as the Extraordinary Member in charge.”
“In charge?” Rhyaad asks.
“Yes, of this facility and Diogenes base of operations.”
“Doctor — you seem to maintain the impression that I am going to remain a member of you little organization.”
“And you my dear seem to think you are not.”
“Perhaps that is why I am here.”
“What? To pound on my desk? To thunderously throw in your resignation?” Dr. Praetorious suggested. “I think not.”
Samantha Brook crawls up the stairs opposite those she had watched Ryhaad ascend, being extremely cautious that they don’t squeak, pausing near the top to listen.
“So, you’re saying the building let her in?” Esther asks suspiciously, “Are you telling me that the building can choose who enters?”
“Yes–although it had to wait for final sequencing until she actually touched the door in order to finish imprinting her, owing to the fact she doesn’t show up well with facial or retina recognition — vampire you know.”
Esther can’t help her eyes now beginning to scan the room for evidence of this Artificial Intelligence.
Samantha lowers herself, crouching, as she nears the top of the stairs, her head just below the landing.
Rhyaad nods, “Some of us refuse to digitize.” He reaches forward to take the glass of blood set before him.
“I would give you the tour, but there must be more pressing matters to attended to . . . ” the Doctor says as he reached into his dinner jacket pocket and withdrew a silver cigarette case and removed a Dunhill,
“Do come and sit Esther. I’m sure the doctor can provide you with some less . . . organic beverage.”. Rhyaad says looking over to Esther, who stands back from the conference table, arms crossed, looking not at all comfortable — which she wasn’t as everything about this place, this crazy doctor made her wary.
“I’m fine. Thanks.”
“Oh, yes, tea, water gin!” The Doctor says, “Yes, a spot of gin would do nicely.”
“You and your gin, Doctor!” Rhyaad comments, “And this room. What’s with this bloody rose motif? It would seem better suited to some vampire coven, if i do say so.”
“Ah, well, everything here is as always ‘Under the Rose” so to speak.” The Doctor rising from the table, steps over to the nearest bookcase, where he finds a small glass and a bottle of gin. “My only weakness,” he pours himself a drink.
Samantha Brook on the staircase quietly opens her bag and began carefully unzip the large zip-lock bag that protected the sketchbook, which she removed, so she could begin taking notes.
“So, my dear, what can I do for you?” The Doctor asks stepping back to the conference table with his drink in hand, “I would like to think it is the pleasure of my company, or an interest in the lab, which brought you here — but I feel there is . . . something more . . . am I not correct?”
“Yes, well, you see, we have a case . . .” Nikki begins.
“Vera Endecott.” He nods.
Nikki and Esther’s eyes narrow.
“Or to be more precise, Lillian Margaret Snow. Ghastly reading that — the death of the film critic. Ian Finch, I believe.” The Doctor says taking a sip of his drink and looking over the rim of his glass, “Much too precisely the way poor Vera died.”
“Yes–Well we are in need of some specialized information.” Rhyaad comments.
“Specialized information?” The Doctor genuinely intrigued.
“We tried getting some information from Dr. Artemis, who either didn’t know anything or was not being forthcoming if he did.” Rhyaad told Praetorius.
“Artemis?” The Doctor repeated the name.
“He’s at the Miskatonic University.”
Praetorius sipped his gin and smiled, “Oh that institute of higher opinion. I think I know of the man– by reputation.”
“What do you know about the Farnsworth Projector?”
“Oh, the Farnsworth Projector, a fascinating piece of fiction.”
“Fiction?” Nikki asked sharply, “We have seen what it can do.”
“Fiction? It’s not fiction, Doctor and it’s been used.” Rhyaad explained.
Dr. Praetorius smiles, “You have seen what magic can do focused through the projector — but by itself . . . . It is rather useless — save for projecting old films.”
“Useless? They’ve . . . well – they do have a mage, Doctor.” Rhyadd conceded, “A man named Blair. And he has . . . for lack of a better word . . . reincarnated Lillian Snow in the body of Natasha.”
“Yes, well, I would dare say, if you were to examine this projector closely what you would find it is sitting rather strategically among or upon some rather cryptic magical formulas and drawings — while someone with a considerable amount of magical power is either operating it, or standing very close, so as to direct their incantation and necromantic energy through it.”
Rhyaad nods “Yes, Blair used magical drawings–I saw them. The projector was sitting atop them.”
The Doctor raises his glass of gin in his direction, “As I so indicated.”
He took another sip of gin, “Blair — yes that would of course be Nicholas Blair. Although that is not his real name — he has been in and around New England, oh, I think since long before 1690, when he fled the Salem Witch Trials. And, yes, Blair could certainly make use of the projector.”
“1690?” Rhyaad blinks. “How can he be so old? Is he a vampire?”
The top of her head poking up in order see around the room, Samantha ducks back down quickly before she can be seen.
Only Esther, ever vigilant, catches the glimpse of some movement out of the corner of her eye and looks over toward the stairs.
“It is the camera that works, rather than the projector, you see. The Farnsworth
Projector is nothing more than a focusing device — it never worked properly and so it must be operated via magical incantation. But, if Nicholas Blair has successfully transmigrated Vera into Natasha, then you are I am afraid too, late to be of any help for poor little Natasha.”
Esther takes a step forward, peering at the stairs, “You are 100% sure that this building i secure?”
“You mean . . . Natasha is dead?” Rhyadd asks, and then looks at Esther rather curiously.
“Yes quite. Two souls in one body No, that ever works, I can tell you that from experience.” Dr. Praetorius says. He looks now at Esther, who was slowly moving toward the stairs where she had detected some movement. “We are quite secure, I can assure you, there are only those of us here, and the young woman who slipped in with you when you arrived.
“Young woman! What young woman? Esther places her hand on her pistol.
“What young woman!” Rhyaad echoes Esther’s question, and looks around.
“I think her name is Miss Brook.” Dr. Praetorius says.
“Samantha Brook? She is here?” Rhyaad nearly shouts
Samantha tries to hold her breath pretending to make herself invisible.
“I thought I smelled a wet human . . . is that her?” Rhyaad looks about.
Dr. Praetorius looks puzzled, “I assumed she came with you.”
“She most certainly did not!” Esther is adamant.
“No–how could she be here? And why would she be wet?” Rhyaad ponders.
“She is not with you, Miss Collins?” The doctor asks
Nikki sits her glass down very precisely, “Actually I don’t know if she is with me or not.”
The Doctor nods and sips his drink even as Esther makes her way cautiously toward the stairs where she had earlier seen the movement.
“So, if it all you needed was to discuss the projector, then, we can talk about that later.” Dr. Praetorius commented as a section of the conference table slid back to reveal a recess within which there was an iPad. He picked it up and tapped a few keys, “It is a bit late and it seems she is now expecting you.”
“No . . . We have wasted too much time already and a woman is dead, and so we need to discuss what to do about the Snow case now.” Rhyaad protests. “Esther, please invite Samantha in.”
“She?” Nikki asks, her voice growing more ominous as her eyes are darkening, “Who is this she who is now expecting me.”
“My dear, you can come out from the staircase, the building is aware of your presence . . . you are not being at all successful in trying to hide you know.” Dr. Praetorius, putting his iPod down, “So, yes, please do come have a seat.”
Esther removes her hand from the grip of her revolver, but does not ease up as she watches Samantha’s head pop up in the stairway. Her hair dripping. She stands and quickly moves over to take a seat at the table looking at Nikki very sheepishly.
“Yes, well the Snow case. Actually you see, we were aware of the recovery of certain of her missing films, and so, yes, it did have Diogenes interests. As for Nicholas Blair – well that I am sure she would much rather discuss that with you.
Nikki leans forward, “So, you were aware of this when, before she came to see me or after.”
“Let me assure you Miss Collins, we were unaware of Blair’s involvement until only just recently.”
“What exactly has happened to Natasha?” Rhyaad demands, “And you never answered my question, if he has been around since the 1690’s, how can Blair be so old?”
“Natasha has had her soul displaced. As two souls cannot inhabit the same body, as I said before, then the poor woman is I am more than certain dead. Blair Blair is a necromancer he is one of a group. A very dangerous group that has been around for quite some time.”
“Curmudgeonly old bastards always live too long,” Sam murmurs.
“His real name is Simon Orne.” Dr. Praetorious explains.
“So what, he drains the life out of young men to keep himself alive, or something like that?
Sam looks at Rhyaad, “Why not young women?”
“Or women . . .”. He answers, “But usually life-draining is a same sex thing, isn’t it?” He looks at her for a moment, “How did you get here anyway, Sam?”
“Swam.”
Something like that. The Doctor rechecks his iPad, “He and his group of fellow necromancers have been studying a very dangerous sort of magic for centuries they had developed a technique for transferring themselves into others long ago, and they have only advanced their knowledge and skills.
Esther looks at her, “Bulls***.”
The Doctor looks up at Esther.
“No, not you Doctor.”
“And so they are given long life by the whims of some very ancient an dangerous entities. But, as I said, she is expecting you Miss Collins and she will want to discuss this with you.”
“There’s this she again.” Esther says.
“It certainly sounds like Emmanuel Radnitzky’s camera to me . . . ” Sam interjects.
“And it is getting late, what with the time differential . . . It will be morning soon.”
Rhyaad glares at Sam, “You did not swim.”
Sam glances at Rhyaad before hissing sarcastically, Then me being soaking dripping wet is due solely to you being a sexy beast then?
“Where is this she?” Esther asks.
“I can’t help it if my sex appeal makes mortals wet”, Rhyaad taunts Sam. “But you did not swim. That’s impossible.”
“London.”
Your f*** messing with us. Esther says.
I will not ask again, Doctor Who is she? Nikkis eyes having gone a hade darker as she stills very still.
Catronia Kaye.
Esthers eyes narrow.
Nikki glares at the Doctor, “The woman who was going to abort me?”
The f****** woman who was going to put Nik in a jar? Esther takes a step forward, The f****** woman you said was dead?
Yes, I did say that, Dr. Praetorius admitted. And she should be but, she is not and she wants to see you, Miss Collins. Downstairs you will find a set of double doors they are a portal to the Diogenes Club in London. Open the door, step inside, you are in London.”
Right. Esther says looks at Nikki.
Rhyaad nods, “Its Portal technology, Esther. Or magic. Both exist. This does not in the least surprise me.”
Why London? Sam now taking off her jacket in order to work at wringing out the sleeves.
“London is the Diogenes Club’s headquarters.” The Doctor explains.
“Where is this door? I want to see her. Nikki rises from her chair.
Dr. Praetorius, drink in hand, arises from his seat also, “Come I will show you.”
Shouldnt you buy a girl dinner first before asking her to come with you? Sam mutters under her breath.
Esther steps over Nikki, Nik… She whispers aside, This does not seem right.
“As I recall, nobody did invite you, Samantha. What did you do? Hang on to the boat?” Rhyaad stands now to follow the Doctor.
The Doctor has begun to descend the stairs with Nikki and Esther closely following behind. Esther for her part trying her best to dissuade her friend from making some hazardous trip to see someone who has already threatened to do away with her before she was even born. Esther whispers to Nikki as they descend the curves staircase, Why do we have to go there? Why can she not come here? Nik, why was she expecting us . . .
I dont know Esther but . . . I have to see this woman. Nikkis voice cold, too cold, almost devoid of all emotion. And the one thing that worried Esther was that Nikki was definitely filled with emotion at the moment —
Sam looks back at Rhyaad as they follow down the stairs, Youre just all pissy cause your friend didnt commit me. She glares at him.
He glared back at Sam. “If you got here by clinging to our boatthen you should be committed.”
Nikki stops and turns suddenly, her eyes dark and intense, ”Sam, tell me how did you get here?”
Sam opens her arms wide still dripping, How do you think?
“You swam?”
Yes,” She answers, And courtesy of you Mr Rhyaady, I was proven not to be crazy.
“An obvious mistake on their part.” Rhyaad says, “Let’s go Nikki. Crazy-girl can tag along if she wants to.” He is trying to move Sam on, away from Nikki as he is well aware of Nikkis mood and Samantha has never seen Nikki whenever she allows the vampire within her free reign and one look in her eyes, eyes he recognizes, he feared that as soon as she stepped through the portal into London, she would not be stopped from wrenching this Kaye womans head right off.
Nikki can not be bothered with this at the moment, “I am going to see if this door leads to London. If any of you want to stay behind, I understand. It might be for the best.”
Esther, her hand on her pistol is next to Nikki she does not want to go through that door into she didnt know what . . . but she was not going to let Nik go through it alone. She looked over to Sam as if appraising this new diagnosis, Oh? So, you saw the specialist in Bangor?
Bite my glorious golden dildo tea sucker Sam now glares at Rhyaad who is trying to keep her from Nikki.
Esther looks up at Nikki, I’ll follow. Under her breath she mutters to herself, Going to England without a passport. I used to be such a law-abiding citizen . . .
Sam looks at Esther, No we saw someone tea sucker recommended.
She stepped away from moved to be next after Nikki and Esther through the door not wanting to be near Ryhaad.
“Yes my dear, that is the door to London . . . The Doctor says as he opens he double doors. The threshold is a swirl of light blue lightning, There is another set of door exactly like these and they lead back to here.”
Rhyaad steps up behind Sam, “You should be careful of whom you ask to ‘bite’, Samantha.”
“Miss Kaye is expecting you.”
TO BE CONTINUED . . .