Written by David de Sola
DAY 1
"Go and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaid's singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.
If thou be'st born to strange sights,
Things invisible go see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till Age snow white hairs on thee;
Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me,
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear
No where
Lives a woman true, and fair.
If thou find'st one, let me know;
Such a pilgrimage were sweet.
Yet do not, I would not go,
Though at next door we might meet.
Though she were true when you met her,
And last till you write your letter,
Yet she
Will be
False, ere I come, to two or three." –John Donne; Song
Gabriel finished typing the concluding paragraph of his latest manuscript The Mutilation Killings to send to the German affiliate of his publishing company in Munich. His desk was covered with his notes, German newspapers, and Schattenjager diaries. The walls were covered with framed newspaper headlines and articles about the Voodoo Murders in New Orleans and the Mutilation Killings in Munich, as well as the first performance of the lost Wagner opera. As he finished the last word and saved the file, he slumped back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. It had been just shy of a year ago that he had survived his ordeal of becoming a werewolf. He closed his eyes and instantly fell asleep.
While asleep, Gabriel dreamed. He heard a haunting voice call him "Knight...Knight", like on a Nine Inch Nails song. He saw a piece of paper with odd symbols and writing on it. He saw himself facing some dark stranger clutching the talisman outward to show to the stranger. The stranger laughed, extended his hand, and by some unknown force, mangled Gabriel's hand so he would drop the talisman. The stranger then dragged Gabriel by his hair, lifted him up with no effort, and dropped him on a 7-foot stake, which penetrated him through his chest. Gabriel screamed.
Gabriel woke up and saw he was still in his office in Schloss Ritter. Gabriel shook it off and downed a cup of coffee. He grabbed the diskette with his manuscript and headed downstairs to eat. He headed down to the main lobby of the castle where Gerde had made lunch for herself and Gabriel.
"Well, did you finish the manuscript Gabriel?" Gerde asked.
"I most certainly did." Gabriel said, holding up the diskette.
"Good. Let's eat before you go send it to the publisher."
As Gerde and Gabriel ate their lunch and toasted a glass of champagne to the completion of his new novel, the telephone rang. Gabriel excused himself to answer the phone. He picked up the wireless. "Hello?"
"Gabriel, it's Grace. There is something going on..."
"Gracie! How are you? How's school going?"
"Fine Gabriel, but there's something going on here and I need..."
"Well fine, don't ask how I've been. It's all about you, you, you isn't it?"
"Gabriel, shut up and listen to me!!! There are a series of murders going on in New Haven. The police say it's a warped serial killer, but I think it's something...else."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, the victims are all Yale or Yale-associated professors with absolutely nothing in common, as far as I know. But Gabriel: they were ALL impaled through the chest after being lifted up and dropped. One of the victims weighed over 300 pounds. I just sense that something is up here besides some warped serial killer." Gabriel explained.
"Did you say...impaled through the chest?" Gabriel asked, startled at the strong resemblance to his dream.
"Yes. Just get down to New Haven as soon as you can. I'll work with you on the case in my spare time." Grace said.
"I'm there." Gabriel said hanging up the phone.
Gabriel explained the situation to Gerde, who immediately called the travel agency. Gabriel got into his BMW and drove to downtown Munich to drop the manuscript off at his publishing agency. He went back to the castle, where Gerde already had his tickets and packed his suitcase. Grace hid Gabriel's Schattenjager dagger in a special pocket of his suitcase covered in lead, which would not be seen through by any airport X-ray machine.
"Gabriel, you fly from Munich to New York first, then connect to Boston, then to Hartford. You can take a taxi to New Haven from there. I packed you the usual things: dagger, tape recorder, notepad, camera, and so on. Your flight leaves in four hours, so I'll drive you to the airport now." Gerde expained.
After 12 hours of flying, Gabriel finally arrived at Grace's apartment just outside the Yale campus. After a quick greeting, Gabriel slumped over on Grace's couch and slept.
If you have any comments, you can email David de Sola at ddesola@emerald.tufts.edu.
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