Insanity

[Rezantis]

"It seems like it might be," Nathan replies, taking the stone and inspecting it again, "which just raises more questions.  Hathoway has a lot to answer.  And answer for."

"We should probably keep looking, though, and in my father's study.  Maybe there'll be something there."

[Brian]

She nods dutifully, pulling her hand away slowly.  Curiously, she still feels solid to Nathan while he's holding the stone, even when she isn't.  "Ought we look here more, first, or your father's study, then?"

[Rezantis]

"My father's study," Nathan answers, starting to move towards the door, "This was probably it, but that is what they were searching, I guess."

[Brian]

Molly dutifully follows down the hall, but halfway to his theoretical father's study, two people arrive.  One of them is the specter that Nathan met first (the elder Shuker?).  The other is the elderly cook.

"Master Shuker," the cook says first, offering a sympathetic smile, "it must be difficult, with your fiancee, and....   And Molly....  But you should eat something.  Would you like dinner brought to you?"

"Ah, Janson," the elder Shuker sighs.  Then he glances at Molly, and he frowns.  "And Molly -- she was always a cute one.  Why is Janson acting like she's not here?"

Molly blinks in astonishment, her mouth falling open.

[Rezantis]

"Thank you, Janson.  I don't think it's entirely hit me yet - either of them," Nathan answers the cook, "Learning about my fiancee, then this - I think we're all going to miss Molly."

Nathan manages to look visible upset.  It has, after all, not been a pleasant day.

"I'll be in my father's study.  If you could have something sent up, I would appreciate it."

[Brian]

"Right away, Sir," the chef says with a short bow.

He ambles away, while Molly points at the elder Shuker.  "You're dead!" she exclaims.

The elder Shuker is only slightly nonplussed.  "As you must be," he replies.

Molly flinches.  "Right," she says quietly.  "Erm.  This is awkward."

The elder Shuker shrugs, then turns back to Nathan.  "I was able to reach your friend, Dr. Christianson.  He would like to know about the technology and psychology of the Church, if we can tell him anything of those factors."

[Rezantis]

Nathan frowns at this, walking towards his original destination once the cook is safely out of earshot.

"Well, I can't tell him anything yet, but I'll see what I can discover.  Thank you for doing that.  Did he have anything useful he could tell you?"

[Brian]

Nathan hasn't had a chance to look into the elder Shuker's study.  It's much neater than his own, except where books have been pawed from shelves by thugs, and where a painting has been taken down (for whatever reason).  The furniture is almost identical.

Desk, typewriter, shelves....  There is the addition of a liquor cabinet, too -- almost behind the door, and easy to miss.  As it's starting to get dim, the house's corridor lights come on by themselves (or a servant somewhere flipped a switch).  The study's lights aren't turned on, however, and now it's getting a bit tricky to make out the titles of books, or other fine details.

Molly and the elder Shuker don't seem perturbed about the light, at least.

[Rezantis]

The obvious question first.

Nathan holds out the piece of jade to his father.  "Was this the artifact you mentioned?"

[Brian]

"No, actually," he says, glancing at it.  "I imagine you ... or the other you ... must have picked it up somewhere else.  The artifact you brought back was a stone tablet, if I recall."

"Other you?" Molly asks, confused.

"Not important," the elder Shuker says, waving a hand.  "At any rate, Dr. Christianson seemed to think that Inspector Holmes was trustworthy."

[Rezantis]

"I agree," Nathan says, nodding, "but it's good to hear Bjorn confirm it.  Do you know where I hid that tablet, then?  Hathoway sent some goons here earlier and they were searching the house for something - I presume that."

His face darkens.

"They threw Molly down the stairs."

[Brian]

Molly looks down.  The elder Shuker winces.  "Oh, dear," he sighs.  "Well, you have a vault behind the painting of your fiancee.  Have you checked there?"

[Rezantis]

"Nope - I hadn't had the chance to really turn either place upside down yet.  Back we go."

Nathan starts to head back to his own study!

[Brian]

Nathan's study is exactly as he left it.  Behind the painting of Magaret is a tiny iron vault door.  No dial, no handle, just a keyhole.

"This will be a bit more of a conundrum," the elder Shuker says with a frown.  "Unless I am mistaken, you had the key on you when you were ... er ... committed."

"I didn't think you'd gone round' the bend," Molly adds supportively.  "Just were a bit temperamental, was all."

[Rezantis]

"Hathoway . . . " Nathan muses, "that means that it's quite possible that the thugs he sent have it.  Otherwise it's yet another answer I'm going to need to pry out of him."

He blinks.  "You said I was raving, Molly?"