Loose Ends and Missing Pages

James travels to the Prior of Dunster in southern Sussex to visit Brother Alfred a Benedictine Monk and fellow Watcher for advise on a phrase he found in the margin of 'Piercing the Infernal Realm' to remind Jonas to, "Check on the Six Hallows." The Priory is a well-built Norman tower which stands on a high hill over the village of Dunster. James and travelers, the scribe Paul and his assistant Eustace, were greeted by the monks who brought them to a private room.

Alfred was an old man who was nearly blind and was accompanied by a boy named James. James passed the Watcher question to Alfred to which he replied, "We do." James then discussed the matter openly that he was investigating a magic tomb belonging to a marched wizard and ran across a glossed note of seemed importance for which his own lore on the subject failed him, and he had brought the book for him to review. They excused themselves to the scriptorium which being occupied they refrained from discussing the matter until afternoon prayers.

On Alfred’s advice, that afternoon James tried to get friendly with the Brother Philip the Librarian. The meeting with the Librarian was at first tense, for a few moments the brutish knight and an erudite monk just stared at each other. But then James spoke perfect Latin and was well versed in the Arts and Sciences, and this seemed oppositions intrigued the scholar to find out more. After a few dropped names from Oxford, the Magister in Artibus Edward of Milton and a coincidental mutual friend at the Priory of Inverurie where James was Apprenticed, led to full access to the extensive library of over twenty books. They set upon the books looking for clues and the astute Eustace noticed that some pages were missing. They shared this knowledge with Alfred but asked him to hold his tongue until the next evening so they would have time to investigate.

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