Masks of Nyarlathotep 6

Journal of Mrs Evelyn Wooldridge

January 1925, New York

Monday 19th

After the reading of Jackson Elias’ will, we have a discussion of what we need to do next. Tomorrow, we have a meeting with Erica Carlyle at her house, but nothing else is planned for the rest of today. Currently, our to do list looks something like this:

• We could go to talk to the person on Death Row, Hilton Adams
• We have a meeting with Professor Cowles on Thursday evening in Arkham
• Do we need to follow up on the Ju Ju house?
• Wait for information on the book from the British Library.
• We need to find out about Captain Walter Robson, who ‘broke’ the case about the killings.

Tuesday 20th

There was heavy snow overnight, much more than we’d get in London at this time of year. After hiring a car to take us to Clayton’s, the journey is a somewhat precarious one along snow and ice covered roads as we head out of the city. As we approach the junction leading to the Claytone estate, there is a sudden explosion up ahead and a tree falls down blocking the road.

Our driver’s head explodes, splattering me with blood. A number of dark shapes can be seen moving outside along the snow banks that line the road. There seem to be about eight of them, and they are shooting at us. Monty begins to shoot back, hitting a couple of them. I’ve seen war, but mostly its after effects. Being so close to a gun fight isn’t something that I’m used to, so I drop into the foot well of back seat and take cover.

As they run towards the car, it becomes apparent that they are wearing the headbands with the same symbol of the cult that attacked and killed Elias. The shooting continues, as Lefty and Clayton also shoot back at our attackers. It appears that I am the only one who didn’t bring a gun to a drive in the country. Not that it would have helped, since the only shooting I’ve done is with a rifle against birds.

One of the cultists charges the car, smashing into the door next to me as he apparently slips and slides on the ice. I try to hold the door shut, as a second cultist turns up, pulling on the door handle. Trying something clever, I kick the door fully open, hoping to bash in the head of the cultist leaning against it. The other cultist catches the door though, and now there’s nothing between me and them.

As one of them grabs at me, there is a loud howl and a large snarling hound leaps onto the cultist, forcing his head into my lap. The other cultist tries to shoot the creature, but is also set upon by another hound. As they are distracted, I scramble over to the other side of the car, pulling myself out onto the road. Most of the cultists are lying dead or bleeding in the snow, whilst my companions are finishing the rest off. Clayton and Lefty have been shot, but nothing that looks immediately fatal.

A man on a horse rides up, calling to the two dogs to pull back. When challenged by Monty who is brandishing an FBI badge (Monty seems to have several such badges to flash, depending on circumstances, so I’m not certain how authentic they all are), the rider identifies himself as Frank Smith of the Clayton Estate.

I give Clayton’s and Lefty’s wounds a quick check, and bind them, though they will need a visit to a hospital to have the bullets removed. Frank Smith offers help, and a ride for me to the gate house where there is a telephone from where we can call for police and medical aid.

One of the cultists is still alive, so I bind his wounds, and also his hands to ensure he doesn’t try anything stupid. It may be possible to question him later.

A man on a horse turns up, calling to the two dogs.

After getting to the gatehouse and making use of the telephone, we wait. Miss Carlyle comes out to meet us, and starts ordering her staff around to get them to tidy things up and ensuring that the relevant authorities have been called. She then invites me back to the house to get cleaned up – an offer I gratefully accept.

Meanwhile, Monty went looking for a car or any evidence of how the cultists got here. He finds a truck with the name of a Harlem registered company on it. There’s that Harlem connection again. Once everyone returns from the hospital, we are provided with refreshment until Miss Carlyle is able to see us.

Late afternoon, we are invited into Miss Carlyle’s office, where there is also Bradly Grey, her lawyer.

I start by asking about the Expedition. She says that she was the business heir that her father was expecting her brother to be. She loved her brother very much, but he always needed something more. Like their mother, he had hobbies. After their parents died, she hoped that he would take over the business. Instead, he met the woman Nichonka Buney.

Even Roger’s bodyguard and very close friend, Jack Brady, thought that she was a bad idea. Roger provided a lot of money to her, for whatever she wanted. This caused a lot of stress within the family and in the business. She was possibly the idea behind the Expedition, though Erica isn’t entirely certain about that.

Brady was absolutely loyal to her brother. He did most of the organisation for the Expedition. The others were better at spending money rather than making it.

• Nichonka Buney – a Poetess, of no breeding
• Hypatia Masters – Heiress of the Master’s armaments firm. Nicoli Steamburg wrote a book called Masters of Corruption. Her father mostly doted on her. She was educated in Switzerland, and her only interest seems to be photography. She did date Roger, but it never got serious.
  • She had an interesting friendship with Raoul Luis Piñera. Speak to Olivia de Bernardesta about him. Raoul is a Marxist living on his family’s money.
• Sir Aubrey Penhew she doesn’t know much about. I know he is a respected researcher, and his family have large tracts of land in western England. He has estates in the Cotswalds, and near Alexandria in Egypt. He also made a lot of money from American ammunition companies during the War.
• Dr Houston, possibly knew what was going on in her brother’s mind. Officially, he went in order to continue her brother’s treatment.
  • Emelda Bosch had been one of his patients, and she killed herself shortly before the expedition was announced. Maybe he was wanting to get away for a bit?
• Jack Brady spoke many languages, and Rogers saw to it that he escaped a manslaughter charge which led to their close relationship.

They all headed off to Egypt, and dug near Dahshur (the bent pyramid), because Penhew had academic connections in the area. Erica doesn’t know why they went to Kenya, but it was probably due to the Buney woman. She does seem to have a dislike for Nichonka Buney. It may be because of her actions, but I get the impression it’s as least as much to do with her social class and that she is from Kenya.

She provides us with a letter to give us access to Roger’s medical files, which we gratefully accept. Dr Houston’s notes may tell us a bit more about what Roger was planning when he came up with the idea for the Expedition. There have been a number of attempted break ins to the Clayton estate, so they have increased security now. Which I guess was fortunate for us. Or at least, me.

In Erica’s library, we discover a small hidden nook which has four books in it. They were secreted away by Roger.

• The Pnakotic Manuscripts, a 15th century book written in English.
• Sélections de Livre D’Ivon, – A french commentary on a Latin original by Gasper Ganord. Handwritten and bound in blue leather. The original was Libre Ivonus (The Book of Ivory)
• Amongst the Stones, an English hand written book by Justin Godfry in 1918. It contains poems.
• Life as a God. Handwritten again, bound in very fine leather.

I recall something written about the Pnakotic Manuscripts, and that someone became very obsessed with the book and was ‘put away’ back at the British Library. It was almost like opening the cover of the book set fire to his mind and destroyed his sanity according to one of the people who knew of the matter.

In the book “Life as a God”, is a bookmark. Turning to the bookmarked page, I’m not certain that it really makes much sense:

Its external angles were magnificent, and most strange; by their hideous beauty I was enraptured and enthralled, and I thought myself of the daylight fool’s who adjudged the housing of this room as mistaken. I laughed for the glory they missed. Through the twisted door to the jeweled throne of Darkness, I came with all reverence and humility, to gaze upon scenes of celestial majesty and rebirth. When the six lights were lit and the great words said, then He came in all the grace and splendour of the Higher Planes, and I longed to sever my veins so that my life might flow into his being, and make part of me a god!

I also find a reference to a “Black Pharaoh of Darkness”. And a rather graphic description of sacrifice.

Though Erica is originally against the idea, Monty manages to persuade her to loan us the books. She draws up a contract, though being a librarian, the correct return of books back to a library is something that is of sacred importance to me.

I spend the night reading the rest of the book. It was written by an English artist Montgomery Crompton. He went to Egypt in 1805, shortly after the Battle of the Nile. Most of it is incoherent dribble, written by someone who was completely off their trolley. He documents several unspeakable acts of barbarism he took part in with the locals. However, I get the strange feeling that I learned something from all of this. It’s going to take many more days of study to fully comprehend the entire book.

We decide to head to Arkham today, even though we don’t need to be there until tomorrow.