Mark Meltzer Writings: Days 131-137

Journal, "Aboard the S.S. Nellie Bly"
ABOARD THE S.S. NELLIE BLY

Groggy and red-eyed - didn't get much sleep last night - too eager to see us ship out this A.M. A distinct chill in the air and mist clinging to the water - dicey getting through the choppy waves and the packed dock, but Capt. Ferrence is an old pro at this (worked as a maritime pilot in Hong Kong, he claims).

Knew I should be working on cracking the riddle of the next layer of the puzzle - but distracted by the sights & sounds of the ship. The Nellie Bly was one of the WWII Liberty Ships, it seems - one of the few to see action. (Chief Mate pointed out the rusted moorings that used to hold the guns - and the faded swastikas on the stacks, marking her "kills"!)

The crew is, by & large a quieter type than I expected... and surprisingly bookish. 2nd Mate advises me that reading is, by necessity, one of the few amusements available. Most of the crew trade pulp & pop literature. But the Captain is a different matter - his cabin is well stocked with Greek Classics, literature (Hesse, Machen ), philosophy (Nietzsche, Schoepenhauer !)& psychology (Wm. James , Carl Jung ). An elusive character - I'm left wondering exactly how & why Capt. Ferrence became a friend of Phil Isidore. He's not the paranoid crank or drunken lout I half-expected.

GOT TO WORK ON PUZZLE BOX LATE - NEED "FROZEN TRIANGLE"

''BOOK FOR CLUES. DON'T TELL ME I LEFT IT BEHIND???''

IN MONTAUK OR AT PHIL'S PLACE IN BALTIMORE??

MUST RADIO PHIL FIRST THING!!!

Journal, "First Dinner with Capt. Ferrence"
FIRST DINNER WITH CAPT. FERRENCE

The Captain was a mystery the first few days of the voyage... brusque, intense. Hints of mercurial intelligence flickering behind that leathery, mask-like face. I wondered what possible connection there could ever be between this man of the world and someone like Phil Isidore. Tonight, I found out.

Dinner, just the two of us, in my private cabin. Not a drop of wine or liquor... Capt. Ferrence seems to be a teetotaler. but the conversation itself was weirdly intoxicating. Ferrence hinted he knew more about my quest than I did. he forced upon me a volume of Jung's psychologi- cal writing - Vol. XX - and pointed out an essay on "Flying Saucers!"

In his weird swirl of words, grounded by that gruff New England accent - he hinted that my "aquatic anomalies" are some kind of vision - comparing them not only to U.F.O. sightings, but to encounters with ghosts, fairies, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. I admit it got my dander up. I asked him if he thinks I dreamed up everything I've encountered.

"It's not you that's dreaming, lad," he said. "It's the world."

Taped part of the conversation. Not sure what to make of this character!

Letter to Phil

 * Mark G. Meltzer


 * P.O. Box 4668 #32890


 * New York, N.Y. 10163

Phil Isidore c/o N.U.F.O.S. Baltimore, Md.

Phil:

Just wanted to thank you again - your contacts in the Southeast really came through and got me the info I needed. Only problem? I'm stuck again - though I suspect the info I need is in The Frozen Triangle.

Here's hoping my copy of the book is safe with the mail you forwarded from my New York P.O. Box. If everything works out, I'll be picking up the packet tomorrow at our scheduled stop in Nassau. Not sure exactly what Capt. Ferrence is loading in there.... As a freelance cargo freighter, he books as much of his hold as possible and picks up additional cargo on his own dime while he travels, hoping to unload it in Europe.

Beautiful blue waters - dolphins bobbing in the surf. If it wasn't for the grimness of my mission, I'd be enjoying this little cruise.


 * Yours,
 * Mark Meltzer
 * - Mark Meltzer

Journal, "Off the Island of Andros"
OFF THE ISLAND OF ANDROS

Killing time.... waiting for the answer I need to crack the next layer of the box... I sorted through the mail from one of my correspondents. Thought I'd discovered every kooky theory around - but had not encountered A.U.T.E.C. before!

Capt. Ferrence has been acting cagey since Nassau - making sure the hold is under lock and key. (The Chief Mate, a rough and tumble sort with an endless floating craps game in the mess hall, has been in a foul mood. Scuttlebutt hints he wasn't happy about the Bahamas stop for one reason or another.)

Happened to mention AUTEC to the Capt. he took it upon himself to veer closer to Andros, where Naval project is allegedly based. Hoping to see "UAOs" (Unidentified Aquatic Objects) or whatever the conspiracy buffs called them. We didn't see anything - except a low flyover by an A4C Skyhawk ! Buzzed us until we left the waters.

All in all, an ominous side-trip. Ferrence not quite as stable as I thought?

(Writings below this line will be added to a new folder when it opens up.)

Journal, "Stopover in Puerto Plata"
STOPOVER IN PUERTO PLATA

The D.R. was our last stop in the Caribbean before the big push Eastward through what portends to be stormy seas. Made a futile effort to get through to Phil - somebody out there must have infor- mation on where the C-47 went down! (Of course - Carelton Rede claims that the story was never published before he set it down in The Frozen Triangle.)

A routine stop to pick up a load of coffee beans bound for Europe turned into a dramatic night! The 2nd Mate discovered "thieves" in the hold - he was held at knifepoint - shots fired before Capt. Ferrence took hold of the situation. The intruders weren't thieves at all (or the mate would surely have wound up dead)... they were fugitives, political prisoners - loyalists to ex-Pres. Juan Bosch seeking asylum.

The Capt. seemed sympathetic, despite the fugitives' far-left politics. He had no choice but to hand them over to junta's militia men. I learned from the Chief that some of our crew are "conscientious objectors" (read: draft dodgers! ) - their paperwork wouldn't stand close scrutiny. Best to co-operate with the locals!

Politics down here a dangerous subject... but I spoke with one of the officers in halting Spanish. Confirmed the "red light" had been seen in coastal waters in this area some months back. A sighting that never made it to the U.S. press!

Big storm brewing... but after this incident on the Island, Ferrence was eager to get back under way. Suspect that Inman has been trying to hail me -- but heavy cloud cover (and lightning!) has been playing havoc w/ the radio.

Journal, "Stormy Weather"
STORMY WEATHER

Rough few days that made me wonder if I we'd ever reach safe shores again - caught in the midst of Tropical Storm Hedy. Given a chance to turn back, Capt. Ferrence refused, paranoid that recent incident in Dom. Rep. was "part of a plot." Kept raving that our primary mission was to protect the cargo - regardless of all risk.

Ferrence stubbornly insisted on "finding the eye" and traveling eastward. The crew split in two - First Mate and others arguing to turn back, Bosun leading the Capt.'s loyalists. I was kept out of most of the drama -- largely because I laid low, stuck in my cabin with a bucket.

2nd Mate (who, so far, has seemed a distasteful & crude character) proved his worth - canny in dealing with the crisis, getting the men to set aside their differences & taking the helm for much of the worst of it. "Quit fighting or start sinking" was the takeaway quote.

A calm in the storm - my stomach stopped its somersaults. Angry 1st mate told me I could find Capt. Ferrence in the hold. There he was - pacing back and forth past crates secured in Bahamas, puffing his corncob pipe. Red-eyed, not making much sense. Rambling until he talked himself to sleep! I stomped out the glowing ashes from his reeking, fallen pipe - and afforded myself at a glance at what was so precious inside the crates. (Cheap plaster buddhas, painted gold! For this he risks life and limb?)

Wish I could've found direct route to the "Frozen Triangle." But not much point getting there without solutions to all of Lutwidge's riddles.

Looking forward to our stopover in Africa - dry land, please - the drier the better!