Phillips Harbour
Saturday, October 10, 1868.
Mr. Shaft had persuaded Mrs. Stephenson and Miss Pau to join himself and the undertaker for an evening cruise tonight, which should leave the cemetary unattended until late that night. Caliban prepared dinner for their guests early, and left it in the oven for Mr. Shaft to place the final touches on before serving. More than half an hour before their guests were scheduled to arrive, Caliban set out for the graveyard.
After over two weeks in town, the appearance of the unattended chimpanzee doesn't cause much of a stir any more, although he still attracts a lot of notice. As he's strolling down Craft Street, he's startled to see Mr. Hobson coming; apparently, the undertaker is already on his way to the docks and will arrive quite early.
Equipped with the Primate Utility Gear, a big leather belt with pouches and sleeves for his tools as well as a magnesium flash bulb, and a backpack in which has been folded a measure of coarse canvas cloth, and into the loops of which has been tucked a folding shovel, the chimpanzee is none too eager to be seen. He ducks out of sight behind a nearby building and waits to see if Mr. Hobson has missed him or not.
Mr. Hobson, looking somber if well-dressed in a good black suit, has a decidedly distracted air to him. If he noticed the chimpanzee before Caliban ducked into hiding, he shows no signs of it.
Watching for a moment, the chimpanzee rubs his chin. A woodworker, huh? Still wonder if you'll come running if I mess with those things, Mr. Hobson. He waits to be sure that the undertaker is indeed bound for his master's boathouse.
The man passes Caliban's hiding spot and continues on towards the dock, pausing only to tip his hat to one of the matrons crossing the street.
The monkey pulls out a pocketwatch and studies it for a moment, before realizing it's too dark to read the face. He listens to the ticking as Mr. Hobson walks away, oddly comforted by the regular sound, then replaces it in his coat. Time to take to the back ways, ol' monkey, he thinks to himself with a wide grin.
By the time Caliban arrives at the out-of-the-way cemetary, the sun has set and the grey-blue light of evening illuminates the grass and simple markers of the graveyard. While the ambiant light isn't much, away from the building of town it's still enough to tell that the cemetary isn't deserted -- rather to the chimpanzee's surprise. A woman kneels on the most recent grave, her head bowed and hands resting on the cool earth.
Bummer, the monkey thinks to himself. Ain't digging with company. He lurks in the forest outskirt and watches her, with a glance now and then to see if there are any birds perched nearby for the night.
After moving a little closer and watching her for a while, Caliban discerns that the woman has tan skin and long black hair. Hard to identify her face at this distance, though she looks too feminine to be the woman he and Shaft saw poking around down by the river a week and a half ago. She gives the impression of someone ... communing. Caliban gets a certain prickling at the back of his neck, watching her.
The tan skin and the long black hair remind the chimpanzee of Miss Pai. Could it be? He slips through the trees to a closer vantage point, trying to stay out of line of sight. If it really is her...
On closer look, he realizes it's not Miss Pau, either. The hair is the right color, but her skin is the wrong shade of brown, and her face has a drawn, sharp look to it. Pau's face was rounder and more open. The prickling sensation intensifies as Caliban gets closer. He gets the suspicion that whatever she's communing with on the dead man's grave is maybe ... well ... communing back.
Okay, Caliban, this is creepy, the monkey thinks to himself. But if I wait a bit, she'll go away eventually, right? Or maybe not. What if she's a Player? Normal people don't go around havin' mental chit-chats with recently dead, mutilated, tattooed sailors. If she's a Player, she'll have a Companion. An' prolly the Companion'll be watching out for her. Having meandered through this line of thought while waiting, the monkey backs into the trees, then tries to spot any watching forms that could be her guardian. Could be in the graveyard... More likely to be keeping watch somewhere, probably watching the road.
Caliban regretfully discards his idea of trying to spook the woman. Anyone who can commune with a body in a grave probably can tell a real ghost from a fake one.
As his eyes rove over the area, he finally spots one animal staring at him: a large black crow who looks somewhat familiar.
The chimpanzee risks a low ook at the crow. Nevermore?
The crow caws its answer. Hey you, funny man-animal. Couldn't keep away, eh? The woman listening to ghosts lifts her head, startled by the cry.
The chimpanzee lays a finger across his lips and waits to see what the woman will do next, eyes back on her.
Nevermore rustles his wings, indifferent. He flaps to a tree branch closer to Caliban, then caws again. Her? She's up here now and again. Big interest in wasted food, that one.
Caliban scratches behind an ear, considering this and watching to see if the woman makes a move for the trees. He risks another few quiet eeks, She gonna be here long?
Could be, Nevermore says. The woman is now peering at the dark forest where Caliban and the bird are conversing, her eyebrows drawn together in a frown.
"Who's there?" she asks, suddently.
The chimpanzee moves back farther into the forest and waits to see if the woman approaches, weighing his options.
Perhaps the movement catches her eye, for the woman stands, brushing dirt from her skirt. She takes a few advance to the treeline, but stops outside of it. "I said, who's there? Show yourself!"
No way, lady, thinks the monkey to himself, definitely spooked as he presses further into the lee of a tree. This is definitely no ordinary town lady.
After a minute or two, the woman draws away from the trees. She pauses beside the grave, looking troubled. She shakes her head, murmuring something under her breath. Then, she turns and walks out of the cemetary, back to the road.
Huh. She gave up already? The chimpanzee takes his hand out of the pouch where he'd cached his flash bulb, and lays it over the pocket where his watch reposes, feeling the ticking. Or maybe she was talking to a Companion. Wait a bit, see if it's a trap. He lays low for a moment more to be sure she really is gone and that there's no obvious animal in sight watching for an interloper.
There are other animals around, of course. Several other birds in addition to Nevermore, squirrels too numerous to count, a rabbit nibbling on a patch of clover, a mole poking its head out of its tunnel as if to gets its bearings ... When any animal could be a spy, it's hard not to worry about all of them. But if any of those animals are watching out for Caliban or the cemetary in particular, they're good actors. they all look as though they're going about the ordinary tasks of survival and reproduction.
After a few minutes of watching, the monkey decides that the coast seems to be clear. Hey, Nevermore, he ooks softly. I need someone to keep a lookout for me while I dig up one of these bodies. I'll give you some of it if you keep an eye out and warn me if someone's coming.
Nevermore throws back his head in crowish laugh. Deal! he says. Who am I looking out for?
People coming up along the road, the monkey says. They won't be happy if they catch me diggin' up stuff. He unfolds his shovel and prepares to get to work.
Fair enough. You dig the food, I'll make sure the humans don't come by to ruin the meal, Nevermore replies. He flaps into the sky, banking back and forth across the sky.
The monkey, looking around once more for any lights that might betray a watcher, heads for the graveyard with alacrity, pausing a moment to check if any interesting clues were left by the new grave. He sets the canvas tarpaulin to one side and takes a second to pray silently, Miss Albason, hope you don't mind, but me and the boss really need your body so we can power the machinery that'll help us stop the Bad Thing from coming. And uh, please forgive Nevermore, he's a hungry growing bird. But it's all part of the circle of life, right? He bows over the grave with clasped hands, praying for forgiveness, and then, unclasping his hands, hefting his shovel, sets to work.
The prickling sensation is still with Caliban as the shovel first bites the earth. But after his prayer, it's changed a little. He feels a peculiar sense of calm and acceptance.
With a faint half-smile, the monkey continues his grim work, working as fast as he can. Shovel bites in, lift, heave dirt to one side. Repeat, step after step after step.
The shovel has not quite reached the casket lid when the cry comes from Nevermore. Cart coming down the road, he warns, flying past over head.
Cursing his ill luck, the monkey takes his shovel and absconds for the edge of the forest. Could be competition, he warns Nevermore in a set of terse ooks. If they're set on poaching the body, you won't get any, but let's wait and see what they do first.
I'm thinking, if they're after the body, we can work together and scare 'em off, the monkey suggests.
Nevermore caws with laughter again. Am I a Scare-Crow now?
Heh heh! Good one. The ape grins up at the crow and then settles in to watch the cart pass by... if they're lucky.
The cart rumbles along the road, a draft horse pulling it at a slow walk away from town. A couple of empty crates rattle in the back of it, and a man hunches on the bench, staring forward at the reins.
The ape considers. Crates. Cart. Why didn't he bring a cart for dragging the body back? Arrange the crates right... He watches silently, hoping that the crescent moon's light won't be enough to show the dug-up grave.
For a while, it looks as though the man appears to go by without paying any attention to the graveyard. Then his gaze strays over, and he gives a startled grunt. He pulls back on the reins, halting the drafthorse, and stares intently at the grave. The sun is long down now, and there's little light to see by except for that of the crescent moon and stars -- so even if he is looking at the open grave, it's not clear how much he'd see.
The ape's lips press together. Nevermore, go distract him, he suggests. Maybe he'll be spooked enough that he won't come back.
I dunno, Nevermore says hesitantly. What if he's got a thunderstick?
Then come back here soon as you see him get it out, and I'll think of something else, the ape says encouragingly.
The crow flaps his wings, looking uncertain. Maybe he'll get bored on his own. The man is still peering in the direction of the open grave.
Well, if he doesn't, then all that food is gonna get buried again, the ape says. And we were so close!
Caliban adds as a final touch, I could just smell it. Perfectly ripe!
"I dunno what that is, Bess, ya think I oughta take a look?" the man says, apparently to his horse. "Graveyard's no place to be at night, though ... " He starts to lay the reins to one side of the bench.
Spurred into action by the man's growing resolve and Caliban's promise of food, Nevermore flutters into the air. He circles for altitude, then dive-bombs towards the human, screaming defiance. Bloody stupid food-burying waste-of-air creature GET AWAY FROM MY MEAL!
The chimpanzee moves along the side of the graveyard, intent on pursuing a second option if the first one fails. He picks up a small rock, nice point on the end, good weight, and gauges the direction and trajectory he'll need to hit the horse on the rear.
The horse takes less time to panick than the man does. As Nevermore swoops low, the animal bolts forward with heretofore unsuspected speed. "Damn crazy -- !" The human lifts one hand to ward off Nevermore's assault, grabbing the reins with his other hand. As the cart rattles forward, the man attempts to soothe Bess to a slower pace. He does not, however, attempt to halt the cart entirely. Nevermore makes another pass just to be sure, but the man appears to have decided he doesn't really need to know if anything even spookier is going on in a cemetary at night.
The ape waits to be sure that the cart is out of distance, before waving Nevermore back down and returning to the work of corpse retrieval. Nice job! You really had his number. Extra piece for you!
The crow preens his black feathers, landing on the marker of the half-dug grave. You think so? I sure told him! He won't be back for my dinner. Nosy humans!
They sure are nosy, agrees the ape as he fetches his shovel out again. I've almost got it here, let me just finish uncovering it and get the body out, then you can take your pick. Keep an eye out, there might be another one along though.
Oh, all right. There's always more of them, the bird admits. He flutters back to patrol.
The chimpanzee sets back to work, invoking a silent prayer to the spirits to give him the good luck not to get interrupted again.
Caliban's prayer is answer with a "yes", and, there's no more trouble. Soon, the chimp uncovers the casket and pry back the lid. As he hauls out shroud-wrapped corpse, Nevermore flaps back to the grave. Now? the bird caws, eyeing the body hungrily.
The ape considers, taking a deep breath and leaning on his shovel. He invokes a silent prayer to Miss Albason to forgive this particular intrusion. Pick out the parts you want and I'll get for you, he says to the bird. Then I've gotta wrap this up and leg it outta here.
Eyes and vitals, the bird answers promptly. I can peck 'em out myself, no trouble.
Caliban peels the shroud out and lets Nevermore set about his business, while he starts filling the grave back in. To himself, he thinks, Boy, Mr. Hobson's not gonna be happy.
The crow gobbles down one eye, then clacks his beak together. Umph, funny taste, he says, but pecks out the other one anyway. He claws the stomach a few times, pecking at it, but quits without making much of a mess. No, taste's all off. Stupid humans! Even the food they bury is ruined. He hops away in disgust. You can have the rest, an' good luck with it!
Thanks, Nevermore, the chimpanzee says. He rolls the body up in canvas and moves it into the edge of the forest, before returning to finish the job of filling the grave back in and smoothing the top. At least that way Mr. Hobson won't notice it until the next time he goes out to the graveyard, rather than as soon as he comes back.
Nevermore gives another disappointed caw, and flaps back into the air.
The ape surveys his work. Not bad. 'Course it's hard to tell the color of the earth in moonlight... Bet it'll show in daytime. He folds the shovel and stows it as he returns to the forest's edge. Now to get the body back... Man, if I just had a cart. Maybe I should get the boss to buy me one. And a pony. A pony would be nice.
Unfortunately, while the newly turned earth is mounded much the same as the other fresh grave, Mrs. Albason's had had time to sprout some greenery -- now destroyed by Caliban's dig.
The monkey glances back at the graves, not missing this little detail, but not really being able to do anything about it either. He hefts the body up over one shoulder. Time to go for a boat ride, Miss Albason. Don't worry, I'll make sure the boss treats you with respect.
There's that curious prickling sense of contentment and understanding again. It seems a jarring contrast to the grisly task of hauling a somewhat mutilated corpse around, but at least it's more pleasant than any of the more appropriate feelings would be.
The next part of Caliban's plan goes off without trouble. He carries the canvas-wrapped corpse through woods and unpopulated fields down to an unoccupied to section of coast. There, he hides it, then goes back to the boathouse for a rowboat and one of the empty crates from their relocation to Phillip's Harbour. The mortal remains of Mrs. Albason are folded into the crate and hidden under cover, while Caliban waits in the rowboat for Mr. Shaft to return with The Babbage, and to see his dinner guests off.
Now to wait for the boss and Mr. Hobson to get back, Caliban thinks to himself as he settles into the rowboat with its crate. ("CONTENTS FRAGILE - THIS END UP") Once they're back and the boss sees that guy off, it'll be time to move. Feeling uncomfortably exposed, even if the coast seems clear, his gaze sweeps along the coastline until he finds a suitable cover. He jumps up again and lugs the body in place, then beaches the rowboat, before hunkering down in his new hidey-hole.
In the distance, the arclight of The Babbage comes on across the harbor, adding its brilliance to the sweep of the lighthouse. The houseboat slowly turns upon the water, heading back to the dock.
Oh good, I'm in the mood for a midnight snack, the chimpanzee thinks. But caution warns him to stay out of sight until enough time has passed that Mr. Hobson's gone. He waits, watching the lights of the boat, and then the lights of the boathouse.
Not long thereafter, the houseboat docks. After waiting a decent interval to make sure the guests have left, Caliban loads the crate into the rowboat. He returns to find his master waiting for him in the boathouse.
"Ah, Caliban!" Herbert says, looking relieved. "I was worried that I'd let Mr. Hobson leave too early. I hope you didn't run into any difficulties?"
"Ook!" The ape ties the rowboat up to a mooring point and gets out of the rowboat, his clothes dusty. A large crate marked 'CONTENTS FRAGILE' on one side and 'THIS END UP' on the other bobs up and down slowly in the boat behind him. Catching sight of his master, he looks toward the boathouse, then looks relieved at the news. He waves a hand as if brushing dust off his shirt nonchalantly.
"Excellent!" Shaft says, and goes to close the water doors once the rowboat is secured inside. "I learned quite a bit of information tonight from Miss Pau," he says, and then approaches the crate. "I suppose we should unpack things first though."
The ape unloads the crate with his master's help. "Ook?" he says questioningly.
Herbert hands Caliban a pair rubber gloves and a rubber apron, and talks while putting on his own set. "We have a name to the mysterious woman we saw at the river and in the Darklight photograph: Sarah St. John. Miss Pau believes her to be very dangerous, claiming she killed three Players at the last Game."
"Ook!" the monkey says with some alarm, accepting the gloves and apron. He prises the lid off of the crate to reveal a folded body, somewhat the worse for wear and tear - the eyes seem to have been gouged out and there are some scratches to the belly area as well. Once the body is up on the table, he bows toward her, clasping hands in evident prayer.
Herbert lights some incense sticks, which he places in a bowl. He holds this over the woman's head and begins to recite a Gnostic litany, part of the ritual to purify the body and trying not to dwell too much on the postmortem wounds. As he circles the table with the bowl, he asks Caliban, "This is how you found her?" during a break in the litany.
The monkey straightens up from his prayer. "Ook, ook, ewook," he says, shaking his head. He pantomimes a winged form, flapping its wings. Then he describes a talking motion with his hands, then himself digging, for there's nothing else that could be, and the winged form flying around, by turning around while flapping his hands. Pointing with one hand at the still-winging other hand, he then points to his eyes, and then away.
"A bird was talking to you while you worked, then mutilated the corpse before flying off?" Herbert guesses, and continues the ritual - anointing the woman's lips with special herbs, and drawing a symbol on her forehead with ash from the incense.
The ape shakes his head and scratches behind an ear, trying to figure out how to put it. He tries again: first he depicts himself digging, looking both ways furtively, then turning around and facing 'himself', he straightens up and looks stern as he claps a shoulder on the imaginary digger's shoulder and waggles a finger admonitively. The ape waves both hands, dismissing this scene with a strong negative. Then he portrays himself digging, then introduces the bird, then makes a 'talking' gesture by himself, then by the bird. He portrays holding out a hand to the bird, as if offering something. Then he pantomimes the bird flapping around, and motions from eye to ground.
The man pauses in his preparations to consider this. "The bird offered to keep a lookout while you worked?" he asks first.
The monkey nods. "Ook!" he says approvingly.
"Was it Lei, the nightingale?" Herbert then asks, before getting a bottle of alcohol from a shelf. Luckily, the woman had been embalmed, both preserving her and meaning there'd be less mess to deal with later.
The monkey shakes his head. He tries to imitate the bird's distinctive raucous caw.
"A crow then," Herbert says. "Was it a wild one, or someone's Companion?"
Caliban nods at first, then shakes his head at his master.
Shaft nods, and begins to cut away the woman's burial clothes. "It took the eyes as payment for keeping watch?" he asks.
"Ook ook," the monkey says with a nod. He considers the canvas that he'd used to wrap the body up, then starts folding it up tidily.
"And it scratched up her stomach as well?" Shaft asks as he sets out various knives and saws and other instruments, along with several glass vessels inscribed with Egyptian symbols - modern-day canopic jars.
"Ook," the monkey says agreeably. He raises a finger, then makes a flat hand, and points from the woman on the table to the hand. Then he depicts another flat hand next to the first one.
"Something about the grave next to hers?" Herbert asks, while putting on a pair of goggles and a gauze surgical mask.
The ape nods. He takes the next-door grave hand and puts it on the ground, then turns around and pretends to be a mourner by appearance, kneeling before the 'grave' with his hands on the area around it.
"Someone was paying respects at the adjacent grave? A human?" Herbert asks.
The ape nods. He makes motions around his chest as if cupping two objects, then points at the side of his head and makes draping motions, down to perhaps mid-waist, behind him.
"A woman with long hair," Shaft says, softly. From the registry, the grave to either side of the woman was likely that of a child. "That.. doesn't seem out of the ordinary," he comments.
Caliban shakes his head. He taps his forehead, then makes a talking gesture with one hand, then points downward.
"She was talking to the grave?" Shaft asks, still not thinking that to be out of the ordinary. "Did it respond?"
The ape shrugs, looking frustrated. He makes hoodoo gestures, wiggling his fingers, and pretends to look very frightened.
"She was trying to cast a spell then?" Herbert asks, sounding concerned. "Did she look like anyone you've seen before?"
Caliban shakes his head, once, then twice. "Ook." He makes the hair-draping gesture, then casts around for something - at last he settles on a length of charcoal that he's used for drawing, and holds this up.
"The color of her hair?" Shaft asks.
"Ook, ook," says the ape, nodding.
"Was she older looking than Mrs. Stephenson?" Shaft then asks, using the 20-questions approach.
Caliban shakes his head.
"Younger then?" the man asks.
A nod.
Herbert thinks. A young woman, but old enough to be adult-looking. "Was her skin pale?" he asks.
Caliban shakes his head. Seeing where his msater is going with this, he gets out a piece of paper and draws an oval, dots for eyes, a tiny little smile, then adds black hair to it in a cartoonish style. He adds a miniscule winged bird next to it. "Ook." He then draws another oval next to it, but this one is a little different in proportion, longer and thinner. The ape sketches in the hairstyle, long black hair. "Ook, ook."
"Someone taller and thinner than Miss Pau, but with similar features?" Shaft asks, figuring the first drawing to be Pau and Lei.
The ape frowns at this interpretation, then draws two lines underneath the first head, then flares them out to suggest a neck. He repeats this for the second head.
"Are you saying that there were two women at the grave?" Herbert asks in some confusion.
The ape shakes his head. He puts his hand over the second oval, then points at the left oval and its bird, then out at where the Babbage would be parked. Then he puts his hand over the first oval and its bird, and back in the direction of the graveyard. He points at the right oval and then pantomimes the 'mourner'.
"I see.. but are you saying there is a connection between the mourner and Miss Pau?" Herbert asks.
Caliban rubs his chin, and then shrugs.
Herbert pushes on, setting the description aside for the moment. "Was she frightened to be in the cemetery?"
Caliban shakes his head. "Ook." He pantomimes the mourning form, then taps the floor, making a small sound. Back in mourning form, he looks up and alert. "Ook!" After a bit, he stands and brushes dirt off of an inaginary dress and goes to the edge of the room. "Ook, ook!" Another pause, and then he makes tiny ooking noises at himself, apparently disgruntled, and walks back across the room. The ape drops his pose and resumes his more casual demeanor.
"She heard something that startled her and moved off, then told herself she was being silly and came back?" Herbert asks.
Caliban shakes his head. He points to himself and then at the first edge of the room. Then he makes a flat hand and points to where he was. Then he points to the other edge of the room, where he is now, and makes the walking gesture.
"She left the cemetery?" Shaft asks, rubbing his guaze-covered chin. "Or did she walk across it, as if looking for what startled her?"
Caliban nods to the first part, then shakes his head at the second part.
"She left," Shaft says. "And while she was at the grave, she was talking. Did she pause to listen, as if expecting a reply?"
Caliban shakes his head and then shrugs his shoulders. He taps his forehead meaningfully.
"You couldn't tell," Herbert says, then waggles a finger at the ape. "But, where you the one who made a noise in hopes of scaring her away?"
Caliban grins wryly and says nothing more, looking a little sheepish.
Herbert sighs, and slumps his shoulders. "Well, hopefully it will turn out alright. If the grave is discovered to be empty, the woman may come forward to say she heard a ghost, thus creating a new legend for Mr. Hobson to collect. But nothing else happened of note?"
The monkey pulls a face, then pantomimes himself digging. Then he makes flapping gestures with his hands, then points to his eyes and then to the floor. Caliban then proceeds to sit in a chair, and make apparent whipcracking motions with one hand, other hand held in the air loosely.
"The bird chided you to work faster?" Herbert asks, looking almost amused.
Caliban shakes his head. "Ook!" He fetches the paper and draws two circles, then a rectangle above those circles. Then he sketches a stick figure sitting on one end of the rectangle, then a four-legged, long-necked stick figure on the left side.
"You found a cart and horse to haul off the crate with?" Shaft asks, sounding impressed. "I don't suppose you snooped around in the shed again?"
The ape shakes his head again. "Ook!" He pantomimes himself digging, then makes the bird-flapping gesture, then points away in the distance. He shakes the sketch at his master.
"Oh, someone rode by in a wagon?" Shaft guesses.
A vigorous nod. He sits back in the chair, then looks to the side, then forward again, then does a visible doubletake and peers into the distance.
"The driver spotted you, or saw something else?" Herbert asks, hoping it was the latter.
The ape points to himself, then pretends to sneak away. He points to the sketch, then points at the ground and makes the flat hand to represent a grave.
"He saw the partially dug up grave?" Shaft asks.
Nod. The ape portrays the winged form, then swoops his flapping hands down at the chair where he'd been sitting. Then he picks up the sketch and pantomimes it jouncing a bit and then moving forward, in the direction of the horse.
"The crow attacked him and he hurried off?" Herbert asks.
A nod.
"Away from town?" the mans asks next, looking hopeful.
Caliban looks up at the ceiling, trying to recall, then nods slowly, then shrugs.
"You aren't sure, then?" Shaft asks, looking disappointed. "The news could be all over in the morning, then. You did fill the grave back in when you were finished, didn't you?"
A nod, and a slightly indignant look.
"Well then.. that's that," Herbert says, and picks up a saw and a knife. "Well done, Caliban. There is some turkey dinner left in the Babbage if you'd like to get a bit of supper while I.. ah.. attend to things here."
"Ook!" The ape gives his master an admonishing look, then bows to the woman on the table before backing out of the room.
Herbert reaffixes his mask, says a little prayer, and begins his work. Hopefully, the Analytical Engine will be fully functional in just a few days more..