Session 5

Tuesday 13th November

The private detective Walsh contacts Withers about Edwards and Lawrence Bacon. Edwards has long gone from the last known address, leaving no trace. Bacon has run his shop in Islington for several deacdes and is still there. He rarely if ever leaves and the shop is open by appointment only.

Nathaniel Browne visits Talbot Estus to return ‘Le Roi en Jeune’. Michael Gillen seems to have moved out, and Estus is dishevelled and his apartment is a mess. He has beens truggling to make any headway at all on his novel and seems unwell. A passionate discussion on The King in Yellow ensues, and Browne lends Estus his copy of ‘der Wanderer durch den See’. Estus reveals a dream he has had, of Cassilda’s palace surrounded by flocks of black flying creatures similar to the Springer Mound Monsters.

Wednesday 14th November

Withers hears from his private detective about Malcolm Quarrie. Quarrie left the Royal Society in 1926, apparently to go overseas.The current resident of his former address does not no where but holds some mail for him, including letters from Pembroke College, Oxford.

Withers asks Andrew Saunders if he can help, as he has a contact at Oxford, and Saunders calls his friend John Tolkien to ask if John can find out anything about Quarrie. Tolkien recalls Quarrie’s name – he was fellow scholar of Anglo-Saxon who once corresponded with him, as they had a mutual acquaintance. Quarrie wrote a book called ‘British Gods’ which was astudy of pre-Roman Anglo-Saxon deities. Tolkien owns a copy and invites Saunders to dinner in Oxford on Saturday.

Saunders also contacts the Archaeology Department at Oxford and locates Professor Hudson, who was on the Springer Mound dig in 1907, as a graduate student. This dig was nothing more than a training dig organised by a now deceased Professor, and it found nothing of interest. However, when Hudson lists the students on the dig he mentions a ‘Charles Edwards’ who he is sure died at the Somme.

Thursday 15th November

Bartlett calls St Agnes Asylum to tell Dr. Charles Highsmith that he will be recommending that Alexander Roby be released. Highsmith asks Bartlett to attend the release hearing in Hereford on November 30th to speak on Roby's behalf. Bartlett agrees.

Friday 16th November

Once again everyone meets for dinner at Bartlett's house to discuss events.

Saturday 17th November

Andrew Saunders travels to Oxford to meet Professor Tolkien and discuss Malcolm Quarrie. Tolkien knows little, but is able to give Saunders a copy of 'British Gods'.

Sunday 18th November

The investigators have a quiet sunday, getting on with their lives. Saunders reads a good chunk of 'British Gods'.

Monday 19th November

Browne calls Talbot Estus to try to persuade him to see Doctor Bartlett, but Estus refuses.

Saunders attempts to trace Malcolm Quarrie via the Royal Society, but the best he can discover is that Quarrie is believed to have travelled to 'the continent'.

Tuesday 20th November

Doctor Bartlett receives a letter from someone called Gresty. In the letter, Gresty claims to have been a part of the same group as Alexander Roby, Lawrence Bacon, Malcolm Quarrie, Edwards and Coombes, and that the group has split up. He also asks their assistance in dealing with Bacon, who he says will go out on the night of the full moon (November 27th). Gresty says that he will prevent Coombes from being present, and that this will make Bacon easier to handle.

Bartlett and Withers discuss the letter. Bartlett phones Delia Morrison about Gresty, but she has never heard of him. He also tells Delia to contact Withers or himself if she thinks of anything that may be helpful.

Wednesday 21st November

Delia Morrison calls Withers, saying she has found something and would like him to visit at six that evening. Withers is suspicious of Delia's motives and invites Bartlett.

When they arrive they find that Peter Morrison is present and Delia has a black eye. Withers reacts with anger, and Morrison, who has been drinking, challenges him to a fist fight.

Withers and Morrison face off in the front garden, and Withers wins handily, his second and final blow smashing into Morrison's midriff and rupturing a kidney. Delia spits on her helpless husband and says 'if you ever lay a hand on me again, you are dead.' Morrison ends up hospitalised, but the police press no charges as Bartlett was witness to Morrison'd starting the fight.

Delia apologises to Withers for using him this way - she has no more information about Roby. She bids 'adieu' to him with a gentle kiss.

Thursday 22nd November

At Saunders' urging Browne visits Malcolm Quarrie's former home and gains mail that was meant for him by posing as a relative. The letters include a couple from his mother in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire which refer to a 'Hillary', who seems to be Quarrie's estranged wife and announce the death of Quarrie's father. In the second letter his mother effectively disowns his and says she is moving away to live with 'Aunt Tessie'. No addresses are included in the letters.

Saunders decides to seek Quarrie in European academia and starts sending off cables to various learned institutions.

Walsh, the private detective reports to Withers that there has been no movement of any interest at Lawrence Bacon's shop. In the light of the Gresty letter Withers ended Walsh's employ, deciding its time to take a personal interest.

Withers gives his sister Anna Delia Morrison's address and number and asks Anna to look after Delia.

Doctor Bartlett finds a disturbing note scribbled in a psychological journal that refers to The King in Yellow, but is unable to locate it a second time.

Friday 23rd November

The weekly dinner at Doctor Bartlett's house becomes a discussion about the situation with Lawrence Bacon and the Gresty letter. After much debate it is agreed that all four investigators will watch, and attempt to follow Bacon on the 27th, and that the police will not be informed in advance.

Saturday 24th November

In preparation for Tuesday night, Withers and Browne recce the area around Bacon's shop. Browne finds a good hiding place in the gardens of the Royal Fever Hospital, opposite the shop while Withers traces the route to the canal, as described in Vincent Tuck's Report.