Session 5 (8) - The Bane of Bradley Grey

We return to the Carlyle conservatory with Bradley Grey, Charlie following a little behind.
Bradley seems pretty unsteady - it could be due to the memory of whatever happened in the study, or his excessive drinking, or perhaps both. Florence sits him down and tries to kindly coax some more information out of him. He draws a crude sketch of a shadowy dragon-like being, and explains that this is the "thing" that came through the wall. He mentions that it has given him nightmares, and he wonders if it was to do with Roger's "head-shrinky" stuff he was in to.
 
He blames everything on the negro woman that Roger was in a relationship with, and also mentions that Roger had a harem of two women he was dating - who both went on the expedition with him. Florence wonders if they knew about each other. He apparently used to frequent the Cotton Club in harlem, and would pick up women there also.
Bradley explains that he believes that miss Masters, the other girlfriend, was after Roger's money.
 
An estate employee brings in some books at the request of Bradley. I pick them up and take a look -
the first one is entitled "Life as a God" by Montgomery Crompton, the pages are un-numbered and it looks handwritten.
The next book is called "Africa's dark Sects", the green cloth cover is cracked and split, and there are notes written all through the margins.
Third is "People of the Monolith", it looks very nicely handcrafted with elaborate designs along the pages. The front cover has a medallion on it containing a thin slice of stone - Florence inspects it closer and decides it looks organic, but it can't be. Inside the front cover there is a message from someone called Tyler.
The fourth book is the "Pnakotic Manuscripts", it seems it was written in the 1400s, with pencil annotations and pieces cut out frequently.
The next book is "Selections from the Livre D'ivon", it is handwritten in french with grotesque images throughout and a recurring sigil. It looks old and ragged.
Last is "Monsters and their Kynde", I recognise this one as the one I sold to Erica recently.
 
Bradley explains that this collection has caused him a lot of difficulty, with multiple theft attempts and enquiries by other collectors. He never liked these books, and they are only here because Erica kept them in memory of her brother - in case he returned (which she desperately hoped would happen).
Therefore, Bradley gives them to us in the hopes that it might help us prevent further break ins and maintain the good image of the carlyles.
The topic of conversation shifts to the Carlyle expedition. The members were: Aubrey Penhue, a collector from London, was one of the members. Robert Houston, Roger's psychiatrist. Hepathia Masters, a photographer and girlfriend of Robert. Jack "Brass" Brady, a devoted friend of Roger, they met at University in California. Anastasia, negro girlfriend of Roger.
 
We take our leave, and thank Bradley for his help. When we exit the building, Ricardo, one of Antonio's boys who was guarding the study, is out having a smoke. He mentions that he might be able to get hold of some of the belongings of the people who they removed from the study, in exchange for some persuasion money. We pool together and provide a comfortable amount, and he promises to deliver as soon as he can.
 
Now the plan is: drop the books in the hotel safe to read later, have something to eat, follow up about Robert Houston's notes. Then head to the bar to meet Antonio like we promised yesterday. Maybe he will know something about the cotton club, too?
Florence tries to call Robert Houston's office number from the phone book, but it is disconnected. We get in touch with Jonah Kensington, and he has somebody look up Robert Houston's records - they are kept at the Medical Affairs Board.
 
For the rest of the afternoon we look through some of the books to fill in time.
Charlie skims through "Life as a God", it is sloppily written in a faux-egyptian font. Its an autobiography by a british soldier and artist. It details his dispatch into egypt in 1801, where he was injured and got occult fever-visions. It describes how he was inducted into a secret cult who worships "the Black Pharaoh". He then went back to live in liverpool and start his own british chapter of the cult, which was exposed and he was sent to an asylum. There is an after-note mentioning how this man was prone to delusions and believed he could achieve godhood through his cult practice.
 
Florence examines "People of the Monolith". The medallion centre appears to be stone, but on close examination, it looks like a cross-section of a worm like creature curled upon itself.
After a quick skim, this is a collection of poems written by Justin Jeffrey. The book seems very modren, all the poems have a similar structure to them. They seem to describe horrific creatures. A sample poem --
Out of the Old Land
"They lumber through the night with their elephantine tread;
I shudder in affright as I cower in my bed.
They lift colossal wings on the high gable roofs
Which tremble to the trample of their mastodonic hoofs."
 
I examine "Africa's Dark Sects". A collection of pages by Nigel Blackwell, an african explorer. There is a plate at the back of the book that states it belongs to the Harvard library! It was published in 1921, and mentions the fall of the christian church - africans started worshipping their own older deities - an ecstatic cult called "Hatoo" became popular. Nigel tries to convey in his book that the Belgians caused this to happen by enslaving the people and abusing them. There is a big focus on African people's rights. There is a compilation of his recollections while visiting french west africa and the congo, following these secret cults and religions to their roots.
A passage towards the end of the book touches upon a kenyan cult called "The Bloody Tongue" - with a symbol that I recognise from when it was carved into Jackson Elias's forehead!! It talks about rituals these cult members did to raise the dead and turn them into a "zambi" to do their bidding. The ritual steps are outlined in a very clinical manner. The cult members reside along a river next to the Mountain of the Black Wind, which seems to be their holy place.