thenib
New Member
Prologue
Friday 10-April-1903
The flickering candle sent animated shadows scurrying around the walls of the small cellar. Trying to ignore the dreadful smell of stale beer and liquor, Professor Stanley Patterson placed the large book on the stand on the table and took a step back. Ever the perfectionist, he studied the books position and with shaking hands, leant forward and gently pushed it to the left so it was in the middle. Satisfied, he nervously wrung his trembling hands together and took another step back.
His book, The Time Travellers Companion, was the culmination of more than four years hard work; the world’s first fully functional time machine. The two ancient Mayan codices, ‘borrowed’ from a temple in Guatemala had brought one of his childhood dreams to reality. Stanley shuddered at the memory of what he had first thought to be a costly and mostly wasted eight months in Central America.
His relationship with expedition sponsor Dr Angus Fuller, a dour Scotsman, had started out as an amicable one, but it soon became obvious he was only using Stanley for his own ends. When the trip to the Mayan lands failed to bring the wealth and fame Stanley had suggested may be possible, the awful man had blamed him for its failure and had constantly hounded him for restitution ever since. He had gradually paid off a huge portion of his debt but still owed far more than he actually owned.
The two codices, or books of scripts, he had surreptitiously removed from The Temple of the Jaguar held the most incredibly detailed plans for a kind of machine Stanley would never have dreamt possible. Little by little, he had managed to decipher the complex hieroglyphics and build the machine. Following the plans, he had miniaturised it and embossed it onto the pages of the book that now sat before him. Placed at the beginning of each chapter were certain key phrases that, when read aloud, would cause each part of the machine to leave the page and assemble itself. At the very end of the book was a separate phrase to restore the machine to the pages.
Picking up the large candle he made his way to the concealed entrance in the stairs and eased himself out through the small gap, then quietly pushed the steps back into place. Not even the current landlord of the Inn knew of the hidden cellar, though Stanley had been using it for years. He had stayed at The Old Marsh Inn on his way to London on numerous occasions and stashed other ‘treasures’ down there for safe keeping many times; more than once he had hidden there from angry creditors and sneaked out when the coast was clear.
He crept up the stairs and tiptoed into his room, dawn was not far away and he needed to rest. He hadn’t slept properly in months, not since the completion of the, as yet, untried machine. He couldn’t wait to see the Guild member’s faces. Oh, he knew exactly what they thought of him and had heard some of the callous comments they’d made. This time it would be different, this time, he had something special to show them.
***
The Pickering brothers, Charlie and Saul, sat in the main bar of the Inn watching Stanley Patterson boasting about his invention, which he claimed, would change the world forever. The bar was busy as usual for a Friday, after the daylong livestock and produce markets.
“But what if ‘e ain't got any money?” Saul asked his older brother.
“You ‘eard what Dr Fuller said, if ‘e can’t pay, we top ‘im.”
“I ain’t so keen ‘o that, if we get caught we’ll ‘ang fer sure.”
“We won’t get caught, Dr Fuller says to whack ‘im at the top of the stairs and push ‘im down so’s folk’ll think ‘e fell.”
“But what if ‘e ain’t dead?”
“If ‘e ain’t dead when ‘e reaches the bottom, I’ll whack ‘im again.”
Stanley finished his drink and headed through the archway that led to the stairs. Charlie and Saul followed him, watching from the bottom of the steep, dimly lit stairs as Stanley turned the corner at the top. A short hallway led to the four bedrooms and the shared bathroom at the far end. Saul crept quietly up the stairs and turned the corner just as Stanley locked his door on the way out.
“Mr Patterson is it?” Saul asked.
“Yes it is, what can I do for you sir?” Stanley replied, eyeing Saul suspiciously.
“Dr Fuller asked me to see you about the money what you owe.”
“You can tell Dr Fuller I’ll have his money by the end of next week.”
Saul manoeuvred around so the professor had his back to the stairs.
“Well now, see, Dr Fuller wouldn’t like that, ‘e wouldn’t like that at all.”
“I’m afraid I have no spare money right now but by the end of next week I will be able to repay him in full. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”
Stanley never heard a thing. Charlie appeared silently behind him and brought the leather blackjack down with all his strength and struck a fatal blow to the back of his head. Stanley Patterson’s life ended before he hit the floor.
“Open the window so’s we can get out of ‘ere then give me a hand.”
Saul opened the window and between them, they managed to get Stanley to the top of the stairs and tossed his lifeless body down to the bottom.
thenib
Friday 10-April-1903
The flickering candle sent animated shadows scurrying around the walls of the small cellar. Trying to ignore the dreadful smell of stale beer and liquor, Professor Stanley Patterson placed the large book on the stand on the table and took a step back. Ever the perfectionist, he studied the books position and with shaking hands, leant forward and gently pushed it to the left so it was in the middle. Satisfied, he nervously wrung his trembling hands together and took another step back.
His book, The Time Travellers Companion, was the culmination of more than four years hard work; the world’s first fully functional time machine. The two ancient Mayan codices, ‘borrowed’ from a temple in Guatemala had brought one of his childhood dreams to reality. Stanley shuddered at the memory of what he had first thought to be a costly and mostly wasted eight months in Central America.
His relationship with expedition sponsor Dr Angus Fuller, a dour Scotsman, had started out as an amicable one, but it soon became obvious he was only using Stanley for his own ends. When the trip to the Mayan lands failed to bring the wealth and fame Stanley had suggested may be possible, the awful man had blamed him for its failure and had constantly hounded him for restitution ever since. He had gradually paid off a huge portion of his debt but still owed far more than he actually owned.
The two codices, or books of scripts, he had surreptitiously removed from The Temple of the Jaguar held the most incredibly detailed plans for a kind of machine Stanley would never have dreamt possible. Little by little, he had managed to decipher the complex hieroglyphics and build the machine. Following the plans, he had miniaturised it and embossed it onto the pages of the book that now sat before him. Placed at the beginning of each chapter were certain key phrases that, when read aloud, would cause each part of the machine to leave the page and assemble itself. At the very end of the book was a separate phrase to restore the machine to the pages.
Picking up the large candle he made his way to the concealed entrance in the stairs and eased himself out through the small gap, then quietly pushed the steps back into place. Not even the current landlord of the Inn knew of the hidden cellar, though Stanley had been using it for years. He had stayed at The Old Marsh Inn on his way to London on numerous occasions and stashed other ‘treasures’ down there for safe keeping many times; more than once he had hidden there from angry creditors and sneaked out when the coast was clear.
He crept up the stairs and tiptoed into his room, dawn was not far away and he needed to rest. He hadn’t slept properly in months, not since the completion of the, as yet, untried machine. He couldn’t wait to see the Guild member’s faces. Oh, he knew exactly what they thought of him and had heard some of the callous comments they’d made. This time it would be different, this time, he had something special to show them.
***
The Pickering brothers, Charlie and Saul, sat in the main bar of the Inn watching Stanley Patterson boasting about his invention, which he claimed, would change the world forever. The bar was busy as usual for a Friday, after the daylong livestock and produce markets.
“But what if ‘e ain't got any money?” Saul asked his older brother.
“You ‘eard what Dr Fuller said, if ‘e can’t pay, we top ‘im.”
“I ain’t so keen ‘o that, if we get caught we’ll ‘ang fer sure.”
“We won’t get caught, Dr Fuller says to whack ‘im at the top of the stairs and push ‘im down so’s folk’ll think ‘e fell.”
“But what if ‘e ain’t dead?”
“If ‘e ain’t dead when ‘e reaches the bottom, I’ll whack ‘im again.”
Stanley finished his drink and headed through the archway that led to the stairs. Charlie and Saul followed him, watching from the bottom of the steep, dimly lit stairs as Stanley turned the corner at the top. A short hallway led to the four bedrooms and the shared bathroom at the far end. Saul crept quietly up the stairs and turned the corner just as Stanley locked his door on the way out.
“Mr Patterson is it?” Saul asked.
“Yes it is, what can I do for you sir?” Stanley replied, eyeing Saul suspiciously.
“Dr Fuller asked me to see you about the money what you owe.”
“You can tell Dr Fuller I’ll have his money by the end of next week.”
Saul manoeuvred around so the professor had his back to the stairs.
“Well now, see, Dr Fuller wouldn’t like that, ‘e wouldn’t like that at all.”
“I’m afraid I have no spare money right now but by the end of next week I will be able to repay him in full. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”
Stanley never heard a thing. Charlie appeared silently behind him and brought the leather blackjack down with all his strength and struck a fatal blow to the back of his head. Stanley Patterson’s life ended before he hit the floor.
“Open the window so’s we can get out of ‘ere then give me a hand.”
Saul opened the window and between them, they managed to get Stanley to the top of the stairs and tossed his lifeless body down to the bottom.
thenib
