Monday 3 February 2014

V: The Group Comes Together

Everybody gathers together in the room with Catherine and the painting. The Baron seems resigned to the fact that he needs your help and expertise - although goodness knows why.

Brindleton is the only one who remains absent. "Where is your military friend?" the Baron asks. "I hope he has not become lost."

14 comments:

  1. Kitson closely examines the painting, front and back. He tries not to stand between it and the girl.

    Do the faces look like portraits of real people or idealised faces?

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    1. Idealised faces. They are pale and there is definitely something sinister about them, despite their apparent serenity. As previously mentioned, there seems something oddly green about them, even though the pigment looks white.

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    2. "Gentlemen I can do no further good here. I shall make for the docks where I shall commendeer one of my ships, from thence, to Tynemouth.

      Any who wish to may join me. Those who ahve business in the town may go about it. The trip completed, I shall return and meet you at the club.

      Baron, good day to you."

      Exit Kitson

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  2. Brindleton returns, the diary hidden inside his shirt. (There was no way he was going to read it in time anyway... and now he has to improvise somehow but there it is).
    "Mmmsorry to keep you all waiting. What an unusual painting. Do we know who the figures are?"

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  3. [so the figures are arranged something like the Sephiroth - where is the 11th? And is there any connection between them? What are they doing?

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    1. Yes, like the Sephiroth. They are all arranged looking up at the viewer, with their arms held out towards one another to link together in a complicated fashion to reflect the bonds between the 'spheres' of the sephiroth. It's a bit impressionistic - the arms bend in rather unnatural ways, and are much too long for a real person. It's as if the painter needed to force them into that shape.

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  4. Hodgkiss takes out a small lens and peers at the back (if possible) to check for markings/script.

    "M'lord," he begins, not being entirely sure how to address a Baron, but being polite, "Might I be permitted to take a few scrapings of paint from the borders? In the course of my writing researchs - for Harrison Bentley, inventioner-detective - I have come across accounts of the reactions of compounds and chemicals that can have an extraordinary influence on the mind. It may be that the paints on this canvas have been treated in such a manner, though why someone would want to do that, who can say?"

    "May I?"

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    1. The Baron looks at Hodgkiss for a second. Then he sighs. "Yes. Yes, you may. I do not relish the thought of re-selling this painting in any event."

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  5. "Muh! Have we checked the back of this canvas for Arabic?"

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    1. (sotto voce) "Just wondering about that myself old chap!"

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    2. "Arabic?" asks the Baron. "Yes, there is some sort of fuzzy-wuzzy type language on the back." He shows you. You can note it down. It looks to your eyes as if it might be the same as on the previous painting, although it none of you know enough Arabic to say for certain.

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    3. "I wonder if this "Arabic" we've been seeing is actually Hebrew. Or... Aramaic? Or... mmmm..." Brindleton is stumped.
      "But wait! There are 10 figures in the Sephirah. Here I see 11! The missing link? An impostor?" He peers very closely at the painting, nose almost touching the canvas over the extra figure.

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    4. Brindleton thinks that the 'imposter' does seem to have a certain radiant green about him greater than the others. But that is all.

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