S4: I Drink and I Know Things
[Dr. Robert
Cope’s Updating Mrs. Lake regarding the Expedition Status]
Friday evening,
8 Sept: Dearest Pearl, these
last weeks have been a whirlwind of activities, especially now that
Starkweather has upped the sailing date to tomorrow. No time for lounging on
the veranda sipping mint tea. I can’t complain too much about the early sail as
it does put me one week closer to finding out just what happened to your
husband and my dear friend. I’ve always felt (still feel) I should have been
with Professor Lake; but, you know Charles. How he swayed me into staying
behind to cover his classes. I should also mention another member of the team,
Dr. Orendorf, has purpose in finding out what happened. It was his father also
lost in the failed expedition.
Hopefully, between the
two of us, we can keep the expedition focused on that stated goal. For it seems
this James Starkweather is all about personal fame; his goals seem to change
like the tide. Such as him now in competition with the industrialist Miss
Acacia Lexington who just announced her own expedition. Which prompted his
revised sailing date despite our backlog of supply orders needed for the
expedition. I can only hope we can fill any supply void on our transitioning
the Panama Canal or re-supply in Melbourne. As much as I can only hope
Professor William Moore can hogtie and gag James to avoid any more press
releases before we sail.
I need to keep this
letter short as I have a dinner outing tonight with the two newest members of
the expedition team. Yes, women. I only wanted to welcome them aboard but I
guess my “southern charm” got the better of them. And my bad luck that both Dr.
Orendorf and Mr. Sampson made it back from their appointed rounds in time to
invite themselves along. Ha, they are good fellows. In fact, we will be bunking
together during the voyage. We seem to work well together. As long as they
don’t try to horn in on my dates. At least Wilbur knows the town and can
recommend dinner and dance locales. Maybe I’ll show some of my famous dance
moves that you so enjoyed. And frustrated Charles. The poor man with two left
feet. I tried to teach him.
We have already moved
aboard ship as we sail at high-tide tomorrow…probably afternoon. Oskar excited
about the medical report he gathered from that asylum where Danforth was
institutionalized. Redacted names but he hopes to identify his record to learn
what troubled the man about his part in the failed ’31 expedition. As for
Wilbur, he failed in his efforts to contact members of Miss Lexington’s
expedition team. Seems she is closed mouth and also has tight security around
her ship, the SS Tallahassee. Another good-ole southern
gal.
Another reason Oskar and
I get along so well. The man knows his drinks. One case each of bourdon and
scotch. I think I can give up locker space to help store it. And then his gift
of a box of Cuban cigars. I do think the man is bartering for time with my
ladies. In closing, I hope to be writing within a couple of months about
bringing your husband home. Your forever friend and confidant, Robert.
|
|
|
Instead, my tale is of the
night marred by the scene of a dock fire next to our ship. The orange glow on
the horizon during our taxi ride back before curfew. Then the explosion that
even rocked our taxi. The 3 guards at the security gate knocked prone and
unconscious. Dr. Oskar rushed to their aid as I first escorted the ladies
safely aboard ship before returning to help. Meanwhile, Wilbur searched the
pier for more injured as he suspected more members caught in the explosion as
they too returned before curfew. The warehouse on the pier, next to our ship,
was ablaze. You could smell the gasoline fumes. And I’d just inventoried the
place to know there were dozens of 50-gallon drums stored inside. A bomb ready
to sink the ship and level the area for a quarter-mile if we couldn’t put it
out. “Oh Shit” doesn’t adequately describe the threat.
Anyway, the fire was
intense, even thru my leather jacket draped over my head. Gagging and with teary
eyes, yet we still managed to pull the unconscious guards to safety. And that’s
when I spied the ship cargo-boom stretched out over the pier with a cargo-net
holding a dozen gasoline drums too near the pier inferno. And that’s when I saw
Starkweather aboard ship fighting with fleeing stevedores. I rushed aboard to
lend aid to the firehose he wielded as Wilbur ran past to deal with the cargo-boom.
Neither of us Heavy-Machinery-Operators, but he wise enough to just release the
break that held the chain holding the netting. I envisioned more gasoline added
to the fire, but God was with us as the drums tumbled into the Hudson River.
But we still weren’t out
of harms-way; the pier still ablaze and those stored drums oh so near. Thus,
the ship captain directed the crew to release the lines letting us drift into
the river away from the flames. And that’s when I realized Oskar wasn’t aboard.
And that’s when Wilbur noticed another pier with a smaller fire as he
announced, “That’s the SS Tallahassee pulling away from
its own blazing dock.” Starkweather’s reaction? “That bitch! I bet she started
her small dock fire as a distraction to let her sail early. Get the jump on
us.” My impression of the man standing at the firehose now dashed to reality
that the man is just a “Dick.”
It took almost an hour
to get the warehouse blaze under control as the harbor master directed us to a
different pier. Starkweather irate and wanting to give chase of Miss
Lexington’s ship. But Professor Moore and our ship Captain in command, “The
police need us to dock so they can investigate. Don’t turn the headlines
against us and make us look guilty.” Indeed, our William Moore knows how to
focus James. But the real pisser was Starkweather dragging Wilbur and I along to
show off as ‘heroes’ to the reporters and flashing cameras. To then thrust
Oskar to the microphone, “This man. I didn’t see him as the action type. But this
brave doctor risked his own life and limb to tackle the arsonist. Gave the man
a thrashing! Come Dr. Orendorf, tell the media how you thwarted the foul deeds
of this man intent on sinking our expedition.”
As much as I seethed at
Starkweather involving me, I stood silent listening to Oskar. “I only did what
any human would do under the circumstances. As I tended the wounded, I happened
to see another man running thru the warehouse. Not away from the blaze but
inside. The way he peered around the corners told me he was up to no good. So,
I followed. Inside where I found an open kerosine can with coke-bottles and
rags nearby. The makings of incendiary bombs! I rushed in pursuit as he weaved
around railcars and across the dock where the Royal Italian
was anchored. I caught up to him at the chain-link fence before he could
escape. Despite his knife, I was able to bloody his nose and convince him to
surrender. He claims he “didn’t do anything. I was just trying to get away”,
but that is for the police to decide.”
I’d write more, but Dr.
Orendorf opened another bottle of scotch and I feel it my duty to help consume
the evidence.
Saturday
night, 9 Sept: Dear
Pearl, I can only hope it was the scotch that made Wilbur snore so loudly
during the morning hours. Otherwise, it will be a long voyage else I smother
him with his pillow. Anyway, seems our departure has been delayed 2 days as we
have to replace the gasoline cans and supplies lost in the fire. At the rate I
seen newspaper headlines that include Starkweather’s mug, I begin to question
whether he’s involved behind the scenes creating these events just to advertise
his expedition. Did I say that I despise the man?
Anyway, Oskar has had
time to read thru the asylum case files. Recognized the record that equates to
Danforth, “Severe anxiety and depression brought on by nervous exhaustion
during his Antarctica expedition.” Delusions, deceptive, ambiguous, neurotic.
Fantasies about the whole world being watched by some great being. Nothing to
indicate he the one writing the threatening notes. But one thing did catch my
ear as Oskar read, “People murdered by someone in the group.” Could your
Charles have been murdered?!
|
|
|
|
As if that wasn’t
intriguing enough, Oskar got a note delivered to his ship Medical ward. An
invite by the famous painter Nicholas Roerich. To speak about our voyage.
Wilbur and I accompanied him. It turns out this Russian diplomat was kidnapped
on the SS Tallahassee gangplank by Germans then taken
elsewhere and assaulted. He explained how he was a messenger employed by our
own MU Professor Dyer. To deliver a sealed manuscript to Mr. Starkweather
regarding the Antarctic expedition. Yet when James failed to accept audience,
Roerich contacted Miss Lexington also sailing south.
Anyway, the German
interrogators hounded him regarding Dyer, Danforth, and Pym. You know, the man
mentioned in in JW Lexington’s manuscript. Supposedly a personal account of his
disturbing recollections of “macabre…a tribe of inhuman horrors that dwelt in
the Antarctic practicing human sacrifice.” Is Dyer’s manuscript related to
Pym’s account? Maybe Dyer’s package was the missing chapters of Pym’s 16-page
collection.
Whatever the case,
Nicholas is now concerned Acacia sailed before meeting him. And his concerns
she may be working for the Germans. For, as he tells it, he knew she and her
father long ago. How she dabbled with fascism and thus current interest in both
Chancellor Hitler and Italy’s Mousseline. If only we could contact Dyer
himself. But he supposedly is in isolation in the South Seas around Hawaii. As
for Danforth, I do not know what to make of the records Oskar read to us. I can
only hope that the next time I contact you, I have good news. As always, your
friend Robert.
Dr. Robert
Cope’s BIO
He's always composed
himself as a Southern Gentleman type but isn't afraid of expressing his
opinion. He respects Moore quite a lot as they both are in the geological department
in Miskatonic U. He despises Starkweather and his lust for fame, preferring the
old ways of being a scientist: to study in relative obscurity, being respected
academically rather than monetarily. As for Charlene the botanist, he may be
seeing her as a as a future "ex-Mrs. Cope". He has never
married, always considering himself a man not worth marrying, thus why he plans
the "ex" before anything.
And yes, he was best friends with Lake, with whom he taught Paleontology alongside at Miskatonic U until the expedition and Lake's resulting death. He's always felt like he should've been there with Lake and regrets not going with him. He'd certainly be in contact with Lake's wife, letting her know about everything going on.
In terms of how he conducts himself in the field, he's very analytical but relaxed and not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Next episode: https://rigglebmm.blogspot.com/2020/10/s5-ship-on-line-stand-ready-for-boarding.html
Comments
Post a Comment