The Savage Letters: Flint & The None-Seeing Eye

October 10 - 58

Urgent! For PROF. GERRICHT SAVAGE's eyes only.

Dear Prof. G. Savage.

It is not common for my correspondence to act as more than a telling of the facts as close to the truth as my fickle memory may muster. Since defining the function of Madistone house much information of procured curios has been communicated with little aplomb or embellishment. I fear however that on this occasion the circumstances demand a slight deviation in tone.

It is well within your knowledge that attempts at intellectual espionage have increased. Whilst these are themselves singular it is the curious behaviour of the residents of Connollham coupled with these acts which demands that I ask of you a favour most unprofessional but nonetheless life-affecting. Before the query is made it demands your full understanding. If you would kindly set aside sufficient time to read this in detail I would like to recount the peculiar sights of Flint and The None-Seeing Eye.

The Savage Letters: Elusion, The Riddle and Nostalgia

September 12 - 58

Dear Prof. G. Savage.

Of course it is well known to you that our attempts to engage our antagonist failed. This man, perhaps collection of men, are to be anything but underestimated. Their foresight stretches leagues beyond ours, and such are their abilities that we may not yet be able to explain them.

However what may seem to them as mere incidental losses present our faculty with a fine opportunity for installing permanent fixtures for our anomalous studies. I would consider this a great step back in our assumed position in the race for knowledge, a minor step back in our containment of the problem, yet a great step forward for foresight and planning. This is completely besides the fact that we have procured two more anomalous items in the process (perhaps three, see addendum). Hence it is my prerogative to present to you the farce and warning of elusion, The Riddle and Nostalgia.

The Savage Letters: The Kalopsia Fractal

August 30 - 58

Dear Prof. G. Savage

I write to you this day with mounting concern about the public knowledge of the missing artefacts of Dr. Prendergast and other assorted anomalies. Whilst I am sure the general populous remain ignorant as to the spread of this strangeness there is inescapable evidence of a specific band for whom curiosity in our efforts is mounting. To this end the Natural Sciences department of West Merton College has recently endured at least one significant invasion of privacy. Of this you are clearly aware, however the issue may be more convoluted than originally feared, extending the fears arisen by the events at Loch Llenli. Furthermore in this letter I intend to explain fully the unforeseeable and unavoidable loss of Mr. Standler from our staff during experimentation. As such I present to you the details of my worrying investigation into this attack and the issue of the Kalopsia Fractal.

The Savage Letters: Loch Llenli

August 14 - 58

Dear Professor G. Savage,

It does not befit my character to succumb to a shattering of formality, to lapse from that which is proper and into incredulous dances of fantasy. My occupation is - or perhaps was - that of a scientist, a figure of precision and study for whom phantasms and faeries should be isolated to the young, the impressionable and those with sparse sanity. I fear since the unfortunate case of Dr. Prendergast and the discovery of Io that these sensibilities had flown, as if some startled magpie, to leave only glimmering susceptibility to suggestion in it place.

During the fortnight of my leave I saw this escaping of reason for what it was: a subsidence of the foundations of that which I held true for so many years. First the amorphous unnaturalism of Io followed by the shattering of many known laws of physics and chemistry shewed by the cold lamp and the shadow of thorns respectively. That psychology should be so pliable as to be affected by the incense of St. Leonard's chapel and the life-long mystery of the postmaster's secret nurtured concern within me, mutating soon to fear. That I could be so susceptible to the bizarre that I might posit a purely philosophical theory to the sorry case of the Neverwhere is nought but an indication for how far these happenings have drawn me from rationalism.

Thankfully my leave permitted reprise from this pseudo-insanity, although not by the means I had predicted. Since the magpie had flown it duly returned to its nest, as oft they do, with shiny trinket in-talon. The clasped toy, a shilling of excellent reflection, was two-sided: heads projected an image of myself, to repair what need be done; the tails-side was altogether more sepulchral, a ghastly indicator of man's worst ambitions and evils, and a muddied apparition in the waters of Loch Llenli.

The Savage Letters: The Postmaster's Secret (The Letter of 'I')

August 7 - 58
Dear Prof G. Savage,

PLEASE READ THIS LETTER FIRST!

I apologise for the lack of prior notice in regards to this communication, although the entire course of events may be entirely encompassed by the following points: The small chest to which this correspondence is attached is locked; I possess the key and it shall follow me to the highlands the moment this letter is concluded; I shall thence undertake a fortnight leave for the well-being of myself, the staff and any unfortunate soul who happens to come into contact with that cursed box; Nobody is to attempt to open it in my absence and it is my forthright recommendation that the box be either destroyed or made inaccessible to human curiosity immediately. I shall cede the key only upon your assurance that you comprehend the situation in absolute.

Perhaps you suspect this opine above my responsibilities, however I assure you that the circumstances call for it. You, perhaps more than most, know my disposition is not comfortable with issuing such demands of my superiors, alongside granting myself leave. I trust this is conviction enough that this issue is not to be taken in any lightness, and the following details of the last two hideous days' events should serve only to heighten this. Hence I present to you the sorry case of the letter of 'I'.

The Savage Letters: The Never-Where

July 15 - 58
Dear Prof. G. Savage

"If a tree were to fall in the forest, with no-body around to hear, does it make a sound?"

This oft-quoted conundrum has eluded proof in either direction since its conception. It remains a purely philosophical quandary as any scientific study would render the experiment pointless by definition. Whilst my understanding of deep philosophy is limited it is to such a problem my mind moved on this investigation. As such the situation eludes a captivating explanation but is readily observable and, I am pleased to say, has caused little in the way of misfortune. It is hence with curious mental invigoration and high spirits that I convey to you the case of the Appleby family and 'The Never-Where'.

The Savage Letters: Saint Leonard's Chapel

July 4 - 54

Dear Prof. G. Savage

It is not often I have the chance to correspond with you on matters of intrigue in such a narrow interval without prompt. I am glad you took well to my previous impromptu assignment and trust this week's curio sparks no change. I am perhaps apprehensive about detailing this case to you in the fashion to which I have become accustomed because it appears to have no immediate connection to the late Dr. Prendergast. We may in due time discover that some link exists, but as of the present I have entirely no explanation as to the bizarrities that continue to occur at Saint Leonard's Chapel.

The Savage Letters: The Shadow Of Thorns

Dear Prof. G. Savage,

It is not often I have the good fortune to contact you without prior engagement, but it seems that perhaps the misfortune of Dr. Prendergast's assets was not limited to my team's oversight. The spread of artefacts and curios may have wider area of effect than we anticipated. Perhaps the ruffians who had perished in the Cold Lamp incident are to blame in picking the goods. Perhaps those who preceded our visit were the relinquishers. Regardless of origin I believe this is a significant, hazardous breach and something must be done to stem the tide of misfortune spreading from Madistone House. As ever I shall do my best to detail the incident and hope you consider my findings satisfactory.

The Savage Letters: The Cold Lamp

Dear Prof. G. Savage,

If I may I would ask to begin this correspondence with a combination my sincerest apologies and heartfelt thanks. My sincerest apologies for not understanding the gravity of the previous situation, for allowing myself to be distracted so heavily by that which I believed to be of the most interest and for not performing your instructions with the rigour and order you expected. You have my word that any further tasks you would bestow upon me and my crew shall not suffer the same tainted attitude.

On such a tone, I offer my heartfelt thanks for allowing me to remedy the situation at the soonest possible opportunity. What follows in this letter is, at least what I hope to be, a detailed account of a thorough investigation and retrieval of the late Dr. Prendergast's 'Cold Lamp'. Whilst I hope my investigation was satisfactory it was not without its eccentricities and may perhaps not demonstrate the methodical approach with which I am familiar as a research fellow at your college. This report shall contain all the necessary details of our actions, discoveries and improvisations as well as the more intriguing details of the case.

The Savage Letters: Io

My dear friend Gerricht,

Before I declare my findings I would ask that I could once again give my thanks for allowing me this opportunity. I have mentioned before that this is an occasion I have been hoping for for some time, albeit under slightly less unfortunate circumstances. Should you wish for anything in return I shall hereafter be indebted to you, if only for the discovery of one item, an outline of which I shall give in due course. This is an informal covering note containing that information which I believe to be of more interest; for a more in-depth analysis I refer you to the attached report.