The Unseen Servant forums

Dr. Morgan:

Frank barks a laugh at David's jibe, and gladly accepts a cigarette. Through a cloud of smoke he adds, "We should keep our ears open. I don't trust that conniving girl one bit."

Grognardsw wrote:At the cafe Reginald and Harold conclude their talk.

"Certainly, I'll leave those chemical instructions. It was good seeing you Reginald. I'll check in with Agent Mulder to see if my services may be of use. Let me know when you head out to New Orleans, I may like to come."

"Of course, old friend," says Reginald. "And thank you for the chemical instructions. We'll be in touch soon."

Reginald makes a mental note to make a few phone calls after his appointment with Dr. Ferdinand.

Grognardsw wrote:Reginald leaves the cafe and briskly walks back up College Hill and over to the West side flats. There in a colonial house office the troubled occultist meets with Dr. Albert Ferdinand, a psychologist of some note who has treated several Brown University staffers.

"Good afternoon Mr. Wilkins. May I call you Reginald? Tell me what has brought you here today."

"Yes, Reginald is fine, Dr. Ferdinand," he says. "As for why I'm here.... Well, it's hard to explain.

"To put it as simply as I can, doctor, I ... I think I may be losing my mind. Lately I've seen things that ... should not be. I just want to be able to trust my mind again. And I've had such disturbing dreams...." Reginald looks down, shaking his head, remembering his experience at the Court Street mural, and beneath Club Z, and at the Shunned House. He whimpers slightly.

Reginald looks up at the psychologist, his glistening eyes pleading for help.

Dr. Clarke:

"I hope Edith can get some answers from the girl. If not we still need to prove her linage to Chertovski and see if she had any contact with the murdered girl Mr. Albertoni found at the old mill. It's very likely they has a class together or was part of the same social club or circles."

Dr. Morgan:

Frank nods his head in agreement, takes another drag off his smoke, and anxiously awaits word from Edith.

Dr. Clark and Dr. Morgan step out of Asenath Waite's room as Edith Walton remains to talk with the enigmatic Miskatonic senior.

The two professors loiter about in the common room on the floor, chatting and smoking. About ten minutes later Edith returns.

"She is quite intelligent and mature for someone of her age,"comments Edith. "She is a cousin of Chertovski. She's quite shaken by witnessing the murder, and the rape. She thinks men are horrible and doesn't trust any of you. She is thinking of transferring to Wellesley College, the women's school, to avoid men altogether. The murdered girl Elsie Wendall was a friend of Asenath. They lived on the same floor."







Reginald lies down on the psychologist couch and opens up about his experiences.

"I see," replies Dr. Ferdinand, nodding sagely.

The occultist hints at the terrors he has seen, not sure yet if he should be specific in detail lest he get locked up in a sanitarium.

"And how does this make you feel?"

The murders... the investigation...

"Most interesting."

... the almost unbelievable black knowledge.

"Tell me about your mother."





At the Providence library Marius sees his follower walk into the library, spot him, sit down at a chair and read the newspaper.

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist with issues

Grognardsw wrote:Reginald lies down on the psychologist couch and opens up about his experiences.

"I see," replies Dr. Ferdinand, nodding sagely.

The occultist hints at the terrors he has seen, not sure yet if he should be specific in detail lest he get locked up in a sanitarium.

"And how does this make you feel?"

"Scared, of course," says Reginald. At first he wonders if the doctor believes him. But of course he doesn't, who would? Reginald realizes that perhaps he should tread carefully here. He doesn't want to get locked up, but he also needs the help. On the other hand, he knows this cult has deep roots. Could Dr. Ferdinand be a member? Could Reginald be giving away information to the enemies he is hunting?

Or is this case simply making him paranoid?

Grognardsw wrote:The murders... the investigation...

"Most interesting."

... the almost unbelievable black knowledge.

"Tell me about your mother."

"She died several years ago. I was still a history student at Brown at the time. She fell ill while I was studying abroad.

"Why do you ask?"

Marius Albertoni, hunter

Marius thinks for a moment, tapping the pistol beneath his coat. He grabs a copy of the paper and sits down next to the shadower, looking preoccupied with the news and muttering to himself.

"Would you look at that. Some screwy Socialist tried to shoot Mussolini. The world's just gone mad, hasn't it?"

He glances at the man out of the corner of his eye for a reaction.

Dr. Morgan:

Frank lowers his voice to a whisper, "I suggest we keep an eye on this young lady. She knows more than she is letting on. Gaining access to her room while she is away might provide more answers."

In the Providence library...

The man lowers his newspaper and looks at Marius. "Yes, we live in strange time." His voice is heavy with a Middle Eastern accent.




At Miskatonic University, Chambers Hall dormitory, the Yellow Floor...

Dr. Clarke is taciturn, perhaps unsettled that his dear Edith has stepped into the investigation more directly in talking with Asenath Waite.

"I suppose so," Edith says to Dr. Morgan. "But the girl has gone through so much, so her behavior probably isn't her normal. To lose a good friend in such a grisly manner, and then what happened in Red Hook. You boys better be careful snooping around in her room. If you get caught or noticed skulking about the dorm by other students, particularly given you're on 'sabbatical', you could be in hot water."





In the office of psychiatrist Dr. Albert Ferdinand...


Reginald looks hard at Dr. Ferdinand, trying to judge if the man is part of this dread cult. He was referred by trusted Brown University contacts, so the book dealer decides it's his growing paranoia getting the better of him. Or is it?

Dr. Ferdinand's words break Reginald's line of thought. "I asked about your mother I have sometimes found that deep-seated psychological problems are often rooted in the mother. But of likely more importance in your case is the unconscious mind. On the surface of the mind is consciousness, which consists of those thoughts that are the focus of our attention now, and this is seen as the tip of the iceberg. The preconscious consists of all which can be retrieved from memory. The most significant region is the unconscious. Here lie the processes that are the real cause of most behavior. Like an iceberg, the most important part of the mind is the part you cannot see."

"The unconscious mind acts as a repository, a ‘cauldron’ of primitive wishes and impulse kept at bay and mediated by the preconscious area. For example, some events and desires were too frightening or painful for patients to acknowledge, and such information is locked away in the unconscious mind. This can happen through the process of repression. The unconscious mind governs behavior to a greater degree than people suspect. Indeed, the goal of psychoanalysis is to make the unconscious conscious."

The psychotherapist continues talking for some time, engaging Reginald in more questions and explorations. He realizes that this first session is but the start of a long journey of many sessions that will delve into his psyche (and those other terms the doctor used - id, ego and superego) and hopefully stabilize and reverse his mental stress.

Dr. Clarke:

"I knew she would be connected to Elsie Wendall in some way. Friends were they you say. What did you ask her about Elsie? Did you discuss anything about her murder? When the last time she saw her? Damn! She hiding something I know it. Her connection to this whole mess is not a coincident. What about her sister Elspeth? Is she also transferring?"

Dr. Morgan:

"Yes, Ms. Waite most certainly knows more than she is letting on. I do not mean to sound callous, Edith, but I feel no sympathy for this girl. You were not at the Shunned House. You didn't see how she acted. That girl manipulated that agent, and I even overheard her whispering lecherous things in Father Vaughan's ear. She is not what she seems." He looks around to make sure they are not being watched and continues, "We would be wise to heed your advice about acting with caution."

Edith Walton continues her conversation with the Miskatonic men as they walk down the stairs.

"Elsie was not a close friend, she said, but someone she knew from the floor. They would sneak a smoke together in the back of the building sometimes. Asenath heard about her grisly death. She maintains a jealous boyfriend who lived on the other side of town did it."

"Elspeth didn't come up really. Being a recent graduate, she's not as close to the situation."

Edith pauses.

"What happened to that Sam Archer, the man who killed Chertovski?"

Dr. Clarke:

Grognardsw wrote: "What happened to that Sam Archer, the man who killed Chertovski?"

"I don't know. Still on the run I suppose. The B.O.I. is actively looking for him. I'm sure they will track him down shortly. I just hope when they do find him he will surrender peacefully. You know, he had sort of a madness in his eye that day. Like a solider from the war, cold, lacking emotion. No indication that he would commit cold blooded murder that day."

Dr. Clarke changes the subject.

"Well it's Saturday, no classes today. Too bad. It would have giving us a great opportunity to search Ms. Waite's room undisturbed. We'll have to wait until she leaves and hope that she is gone for a while. Or we could create a reason for her to leave. Edith how close are you with her sister Elspeth? Do you think you can talk to her? Tell her that you visited Asenath and that she is still very upset by the events that unfolded not long ago. Suggest that she take her out to get her mind off things for a while. Perhaps we can see if the local dance hall is holding on of the ridiculous marathon dance contests, or possible take in a picture? I saw the local picture house had the new Chaplin flim "The Gold Rush". That should keep them away long enough for us to search around. What do you think?"

Marius Albertoni

Grognardsw wrote:In the Providence library...

The man lowers his newspaper and looks at Marius. "Yes, we live in strange time." His voice is heavy with a Middle Eastern accent.

Recalling some of the strange words spoken by his colleagues when testing the waters, Marius takes a gamble. He holds out his hand for a shake and says, "Cthulhu fthagn, brother. You don't happen to work for Algier Joassaint, do you? He's just the man I'd like to see."

Reginald Wilkins, bookdealer and occultist with issues

Grognardsw wrote: In the office of psychiatrist Dr. Albert Ferdinand...


Reginald looks hard at Dr. Ferdinand, trying to judge if the man is part of this dread cult. He was referred by trusted Brown University contacts, so the book dealer decides it's his growing paranoia getting the better of him. Or is it?

Dr. Ferdinand's words break Reginald's line of thought. "I asked about your mother I have sometimes found that deep-seated psychological problems are often rooted in the mother. But of likely more importance in your case is the unconscious mind. On the surface of the mind is consciousness, which consists of those thoughts that are the focus of our attention now, and this is seen as the tip of the iceberg. The preconscious consists of all which can be retrieved from memory. The most significant region is the unconscious. Here lie the processes that are the real cause of most behavior. Like an iceberg, the most important part of the mind is the part you cannot see."

"The unconscious mind acts as a repository, a ‘cauldron’ of primitive wishes and impulse kept at bay and mediated by the preconscious area. For example, some events and desires were too frightening or painful for patients to acknowledge, and such information is locked away in the unconscious mind. This can happen through the process of repression. The unconscious mind governs behavior to a greater degree than people suspect. Indeed, the goal of psychoanalysis is to make the unconscious conscious."

The psychotherapist continues talking for some time, engaging Reginald in more questions and explorations. He realizes that this first session is but the start of a long journey of many sessions that will delve into his psyche (and those other terms the doctor used - id, ego and superego) and hopefully stabilize and reverse his mental stress.

Reginald is fascinated by this talk of unconscious and preconscious minds, layer upon layer of hidden meaning, just below the surface of the observation. An entire universe, made up of thought, obvious once you've seen it but almost nonsensical to the uninitiated.

He is at once strangely comfortable and horrified at what he has learned about his psyche. And why does it sound so familiar? Has he heard it before?

"Elspath and I play occasional tennis," Edith answers Dr. Clark. "I can try to get her to take her sister out. If not this afternoon, perhaps this evening when Asenath goes to dinner. Perhaps she'll be out tonight. Do one of you intend on watching the building for Aenath's exit?"

"I guess this means that you and I won't be going out tonight ourselves?" Edith asks, with perhaps a mischievous look in her eye.

Dr. Clark, Dr. Morgan and Edith leave the building and agree to meet later around dinnertime at Dr. Clark's nearby house. Edith says she'll call Dr. Clark at his house if she is successful in getting Asenath out of her room this afternoon.





In the office of psychiatrist Dr. Albert Ferdinand, Reginald Wilkins and the psychotherapist continue their conversation.





In the Providence library...

The foreigner looks at Marius with suspicion.

"Why do you seek Algier!"

Reginald returns to his apartment after the appointment with Dr. Ferdinand. The occultist feels he's taken a good first step in the rebalancing of his mind.

The book dealer flips through the Pnakotic Manuscripts, marveling at how knowledge can have such profound impact on man. Reginald finds some ephemera in the front flap pages. Paperwork from the sale of this volume from a famous occult auction some years ago.

Dr. Morgan:

At Edith's inquery about watching for Ms. Waithe's departure, Frank volunteers, "I will watch for her exit after we have established she will be leaving. We have to make sure she will be gone for some time so that we can fully investigate her apartment without the risk of being discovered."

Marius Albertoni

Grognardsw wrote:In the Providence library...

The foreigner looks at Marius with suspicion.

"Why do you seek Algier!"

"Why does Algier seek me?" replies Marius. "This outfit I'm tangled up with, they've got Algier's number and it won't look pretty for him. Chertovski was pretty foolish about keeping his evidence, and they found a hell of a lot of stuff on Algier while cleaning through his place. If your boss doesn't get himself shot, he'll hang, and so will all you goons. I could have you arrested right now just on the suspicion that you once breathed same air as his rotten carnies."

He flips to another page of the newspaper and leans in a little closer, hoping his fast talk is convincing. "Look, amico: we had a misunderstanding at the freak show, sure. But all I did was stumble on some kid's corpse, and now I've got everyone both sides of Purgatory trying to off me. It's agitating. You tell Algier I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. It's water under the bridge to me. The BOI is running crazy, pulling itself apart—they'll probably start shooting each other once they've shot all the criminals they're after. I don't want to be around when that happens, I'm out of this. You can tell your boss that when the BOI sets out for Mt. Hatheg-Kla and closes that gate for good, I won't be on that boat. All I want is to be left alone. Capisce?"

After Marius speaks, the man looks menacingly at the hunter, gets up silently and walks out of the library.