TOPIC: Tatters of the King

III


Delia Morrison (nee Hartson)
From her marriage certificate Stevenson discovers Delia’s family home address (120 Southbury Road, Ponders End) and her married address (10 Turkey Street, Enfield). Calling upon her she was keen to get you away from her home and agreed to meet at a local tea shop. An over-bearing husband you later deduce.

Delia met Alexander Roby through a mutual interest in the occult. She simply liked to read about it. Alexander however, with a small circle of acquaintances, had a more active interest. Delia named Bacon, Edwards, Quarrie and Coombs; she didn’t much care for them.

The last time she saw Alexander was early December 1925. He was very excited about some sort of activity due to take place later that month, on a low hill near a place called Clare Melford in Sussex. He invited her. She declined. She never saw him again.

She gifts you a copy of The Wander by the Lake or Der Wanderer durch den See, written by Alexander Roby in 1925 in a mix of English and German passages. This copy has a personalised message inside the front cover –To Delia, all my love, Alexander.


British Gods
You already learned that Malcolm Quarrie has gone abroad. Clancy manages to track down a copy of Quarries’ book – British Gods: Religion and Myth in the Western Kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon Britain. The book rambles on about deities whose basis lay in Romano-Celtic and Saxon cultures, including a deity named Shub-Niggurath, whose worship probably originated in more ancient cultures. In the area of the Forest of Dean, Shub-Niggurath is also known as the Goat with a Thousand Young and blood sacrifices were made by the Celts in tribute to her.


No Joy at Liverpool Street
Lawrence Bacon’s residence and business at Liverpool Street looks like no ordinary shop. No shop window to browse and no welcoming door. The place is fronted by an iron fence and barred windows. To the rear it is protected by a high wall topped with broken glass. You elicit no reply to your visit, phone calls or telegram.


Roby’s Release Hearing
Piper telephones Dr Highsmith with a few more questions. Before the call is ended, Highsmith informs Piper that the hearing date for Alexander Roby’s petition for release is set for 30th November. Highsmith extends an open invitation should you wish to attend.


Clare Melford
You take the train to Clare Melford. The day of your journey there is snow in the air. Clare Melford Halt is at one end of the village, at the other end is the Railway Pub where you secure overnight accommodation. Speaking with the locals, you learn there’s only one hill near the village – Springer Mound. It’s on Farmer Jennings’ land. You’re warned to take care. Jennings is a grouch who doesn’t like folk trespassing on his property.


The Nine Stones
Next morning you walk through the snow and cut through a field and copse along a public right of way. Lying in a ditch, under cover of the copse, are nine large stones. They have inscriptions on them – you can’t read it all but it mentions expectancy, blind eyes, a hunter’s killer, nine teeth jutting from the earth, and the final words: Ia! Hastur! Lead us!


The Demise of Farmer Jennings
Jennings and his dogs appear. “Get orf my land!!” If you’re here for the stones he bids you take them with you. You’ve had your guineas worth. He fires his shotgun at a stone. Almost immediately a large black creature, with a long featureless face and wide ink-wet leather wings descends from the sky and rips poor Jennings in half. It’s work done, the creature flies away screeching.


Springer Mound
King arranges for friends to come and clean up the mess. They’ll be here in six hours. Meanwhile, a search of Jennings' property yields nothing of interest. The mound behind his house has signs of nine post holes, in a V shape with the wide part at the base of the mound a single posthole at its summit. The mound is uncultivated and the ground is a strange viscous mud. A sickly smell pervades the air. All reminiscent of Blossett’s dreaming at Weobley several days ago.


A Letter from Gresty
On return to London, Blossett finds a letter waiting for him. It predicts that Bacon will take a late night walk during the forthcoming full moon. A walk that will take him by Regent’s Canal. Follow him. Take a weapon. The author suggests he’ll keep Coombs out of the way. The letter is signed, W. Gresty.

.

I won't be there Thursday folks. Got covid.

Sant wrote:
Really sorry to hear that mate. Hope you get well soon

Get well soon mate.

Extract from the retrospective on Blossett, 2022.

... The next sample of Blossett's work is from what we here at the museum have dubbed the "London at Night" series. Almost exclusively rendered in charcoal, it features scenes of Londons landmarks circa 1930 but from Blossett's own peculiar perspective. Expect distorted geometry, a fascination with London's underbelly and exaltations to excess, depravity and the deranged. The next figure (Fig. 2) comes from said series but is particular in its abstract nature. Neither a landmark or a recognised scene, the image is titled 'Man in Black' was found alongside a notation from Blossett about a man in black, a piper, a son of Steven and a King of Clancy. What it all means we can not be too sure although the date of the work puts it contemporaneous as some rather strange events that occurred in London....

Fig 2

That sucks Sant.