Mark Meltzer Writings: Days 165-172

Journal, "The Stoic Ivory Pawn"
THE STOIC IVORY PAWN

Brief stopover in Reykjavik - at my insistence. Capt. Ferrence is eager to complete our deal & drop me at my destination - his crew is even more eager to be rid of me. But I had to take my chance meeting the man who helped Lutwidge reach his "Wonderland."

The Ivory Pawn was a grim old sailor - face scarred with age, he regarded me with an impassive squint as he tottered down the planks. He held a sign of recognition - a chesspiece carved from whalebone. I followed him to an old fisherman's shack, barely warmed by a black iron stove. He toasted me with a beer chilled in a crab cage. Then he told me what he knew.

Lutwidge arrive in 1958 towards the end of the first conflicts in Iceland's "Cod War" with England - a battle over fishing rights. Lutwidge had latched onto the story of an English trawler that had gotten into a stand-off with an Icelandic naval vessel. Fortunately for the English fishermen, the HMS Russell rolled in to save the day while the trawler fled into international waters. Rumor had it that it lost its bearings, radioing back a story of an alarming encounter with a light- house miles from any land! The trawler got lucky again - it nearly capsized as it reversed course but it limped back home - the tale of its ghostly encounter forgotten in the shadow of its more historic role.

Apparently this story gave Lutwidge the final key to the location of Rapture.

Ivory Pawn provided me with a tape - an intercept recorded that fateful night by the Icelandic Coast Guard.

Combined with Capt. Ferrence's encyclopedic knowledge of military history - the tape also gave me the final clues to reveal the next - and last - layer of OOL's puzzle box.

But I remain more confused than ever. Five steps to Rapture??? What do they signify?

Journal, "Shipwreck Shore"
SHIPWRECK SHORE

Following the guidance of Lutwidge's chart - insane though it seems. We briefly landed on SURTSEY - the desolate volcanic isle that roiled up from the deeps a scant few years ago. An impressive collec- tion of debris washed up here - including a few items I've seen before. A good sign that we are close to Rapture?

Troubling to be amongst the remnant of broken ships, lost travel- ers. how many of them met their fate because they came too close to precisely what we are chasing? noted a few broken religious artifacts amongst the debris. Mentioned it to Capt. Ferrence when I showed him some photos of the wreckage.

Ferrence admitted to me that this was not the first time he'd smuggled contraband. In fact, one of his earliest runs - he was aboard a ship that was moving through these waters with a hold full of various religious artifacts. Ferrence assumed they were holding contraband (that's what gave him the idea to use the plaster Buddhas for the guns). he never knew precisely where the cargo of artifacts were bound - he got his ass dumped in Reykjavik for asking too many questions.

The crew is becoming increasingly impatient. they're eager to reach safe haven in Holland - but Ferrence has insisted on completing our contract. Despite his many failings - Casey Ferrence is, if nothing else, a man of his word. he has sworn to get me to my destination - even if I insist on following Lutwidge's strange five point circling path to reach, at last, the mystery at the center.

I try to sleep and dream of Cindy. Awake to a vision of her - glowing in the blinking ruby light of the Box. Voices outside the hatch - Ferrence arguing with the new crewmen. Managed to catch some of it on tape.

Note on Crewmen Recording
1820 HRS - approx

Reviewing audio files when I heard commotion on deck. Instinctually punched the record button as I ran up to see. The Italian was shouting to the other crewmen - claims he'd seen something on the port side - a boat, glowing eyes staring at him. And giggles - LIKE LITTLE GIRLS. By the time anyone else reached him, there was nothing but an abandoned dinghy. Lost it in the searchlight - but Ferrence is reversing course to intercept