Masks of Nyarlathotep 8

23rd January, 1925

We ask Alfred to book us tickets aboard the RMS Majestic, which is apparently the largest liner in the world. It is due to leave New York on the 28th. We get a couple of parlour suites and a stateroom. I use the opportunity to get some new clothes for the journey, whilst we go over the strange items we rescued from the Ju Ju House.

I also use the time to curl up with the book Africa’s Dark Sects. Monty catches the train to go to Washington, to report in to his department – of whatever department he does actually belong to. I’m not sure what it is he actually does, but he seems to have ID cards for most American agencies.

24th January

We invite Dr Lemming over to the hotel to show him some of the items we obtained.

• There is a long feathered shawl. There are flamingo feathers and kingfisher feathers, from East Africa.
• The clawed mittens are lion claws which he thinks are for cult initiation.
• There is a ‘dancing mask’, which consists of four faces around a basket that fits over the head. Dr Lemming puts it on to demonstrate, and as he puts it on, the leather straps seem to tighten around his neck. He seems fascinated by the experience, but manages to get it off.

He thinks it was used by cultists to contact whatever beings they were worshipping. The mask is the Mask of Hayama, a famous sorcerer known for his knowledge. He was from East Africa, in the middle ages. He was mostly associated with Kenya.

The four faces have different meanings. One is of healing; another of fertility and motherhood; the third is rulership and control; the last is of communication and delivery of ideas. As a whole, they are a dancing mask.

• There is a bowl, possibly from Great Zimbabwe. It could have been used for dreaming, for sending them to people.
• There is a rod with hieroglyphs on it. It has a Boabab tree design. We would need an Egyptologist to read the hieroglyphs.
• There is a cuneiform on a grey metal headband which is warm to the touch. The work of George Friedrick Grotfiend who originally deciphered cuneiform might help in figuring out what it was for.

When shown pictures of the headbands of the bloody tongue, which have human tongues on them, he gets all disturbed. On making the connection to the recent murders, he makes his excuses and leaves.

25th January

We receive an invitation from Johna Kensington, the publisher of Prosper House to go over tomorrow. He has more information on Jackson Elias.

Other than that, I spend Monday reading. Finishing the book, I arrange for it to be sent back to the library.

26th January

Johna is happy that we’ve solved Jackson’s murder. He’s had a telegram from a Mr Michael Mahony. He runs some small regional publications in London. Apparently he’s heard about Jackson’s death, and is offering his condolences. Jackson had been looking in his archives, and Mr Mahony is interested in paying for a copy of whatever Jackson was planning on publishing.

One of his publications is The Scoop, which I know of as a scandal sheet. We could possibly followup on this when we get to London. It may be that Mr Mahony has information pertaining to Jackson’s work.

Monty has returned from Washington, and isn’t feeling well. Apparently he picked up something whilst he was there.

27th January

Most of the day is spent packing up in preparation for the trip home.

28th January (day 1 at sea)

On Thursday, we are welcomed onboard the RMS Majestic by Mr Lancaster and Mr Bartlet the pursers. The Captain is Sir Bertrum Hayes. It is a very fancy vessel, with good first class facilities including a heated swimming pool. We are going to be onboard for six days.

Whilst Monty rests in his room, the rest of us have lunch in the restaurant, and notice that one of the other guests here is someone referred to as Professor Fuda. The name is familiar to me. I vaguely remember him as being mentioned as the Professor of Ancient History at Miskatonic University in Arkham. Somebody else on board who he seems to be acquainted with is Alvin Morely Patterson is the Professor of European History at Harvard.

After lunch, we are out to sea and the bars open. That evening, there is a cocktail party.

Professor Patterson is trying desperately to engage Professor Fuda in his current reading matter, but Fuda seems to be quite mono syllabic. This is Patterson’s retirement trip, in which he intends to travel around Europe. In particular, he wants to discuss Nameless Cults, the Golden Goblin edition.

There is non the less some interesting discussion about history and literature. One of the fellows, Mr Bloc, turns out to know hieroglyphics, so we may be able to borrow his skills later.

29th January (day 2 at sea)

In the morning, I go swimming.

Professor Paterson suggests everyone meets in the reading room for literary discussions. Fuda seems disapproving of our discussions about strange texts. Paterson invites me to see a demonstration of an experiment with the glass of Mortlam tomorrow afternoon. I’m not sure what this is going to involve, but it sounds like it could be unusual.

After making a copy of the inscriptions on the sceptre and bowl, I pass them to Mr Bloc to decipher them. For the hieroglyphics, he isn’t too sure. The hieroglyphs seem to mean power, a possessive and a name. Maybe something like “give your power to me”. The name might be that of a god, but he just has the possible letters “nymb”.

Based on my recent reading, I recognise that most Dark Sects are foes of Nyambe, the sky father, god of sun and creation. Nyambe is generally regarded as good, and worshipped in Cameroon and Congo etc. He created three aspects – strength, leadership and beauty.

Attempts to interpret the cuneiform from the metal head band though fail. He is able to write out the syllables though.