Library Research Monday (5 Sep 2001) Agatha and Tom try to find out more about the Siege des Anges and Harcourt Manor, in the library.

Ainigton Public Library
This library is surprisingly large for such a small town as Ainigton, and is crafted in the same overblown neo-Gothic style that characterizes several of the more impressive structures in town, right down to gargoyles and grotesques in the supporting stonework, and crouching lions perched on each side of the grand stairs leading up to the front doors. A labyrinth of bookshelves divides the interior, with a Restricted Section mysteriously hidden in the back (and only accessible to adults), but with plenty of other opportunities for younger readers and self-appointed explorers.

It's Monday, and Thomas and Agatha have managed to get a few minutes to catch up on some research they said they were going to do some time ago, on some of the secrets of Ainigton...

"Things get weirder all the time in this town, Agatha," Thomas says to the girl that walks next to him as they enter. "First, this whole Jruuh business. Now these odd quests, apparently bequeathed by some 'Sorcerer' visiting, along with his Familiar, Bragwaine." He shakes his head. "Has everyone gone nuts, or is it me?"

"Is there any answer to that question that isn't disturbing?" the girl responds. "I just want to look up info on the Siege for now. That's at least something real."

Tom nods. "Sounds good. I think I'll go dig up anything I can find on the Manor. After all, I did find that map there. Who knows, perhaps there are secret passages, or perhaps the old residents did notable events that affected town development. Maybe it even relates to the Siege."

"Shhhh!" says the librarian sternly as the two children chatter amongst themselves upon entering the library. It's not as if there are many for them to disturb, though. Most children are not here during the daytime, doing research, during summer vacation. (There aren't many adults, either, doing such a thing.) The only possible thing they might be disturbing is the cat lazing on the back of one of the stone lions just outside the entrance, but the feline doesn't seem to mind. (Purr, purr, purr.)

"Sorry!" Agatha whispers to the librarian.

"Oops! Sorry," Thomas also whispers, then he recovers and smiles at the librarian. "Madam, could you direct me to the section covering town history and construction? I'm curious to investigate the old Manor house that's being renovated."

The librarian raises her nose slightly, apparently satisfied at the assertion of her authority. Ginny Hortons, who is working as a librarian's assistant during the summer, just shakes her head in disgust at the antics of the "children".

"Miss Hortons?" the librarian asks, adjusting her wire-rimmed spectacles, as she looks over them and to the side. "Could you show young Mister Winthrope to the Local Interest section?"

Tom twitches at hearing the librarian ask her to show him to the section.

Clearing her throat, Agatha asks, "Would that also be where I could find out about the history of the Siege des Anges?"

Ginny, a 15-year old high school freshman who has red hair and green eyes (not an uncommon combination in these parts, oddly enough), smiles primly. "Yes. I'll show you the way, if you'll be so kind as to follow me," she says, in a tone mimicking that of the librarian, such that one can almost hear the word "children" tacked on to the end.

"Only because I need the information," mumbles Thomas under his breath, looking seriously annoyed with having to suffer through her condescending mannerisms. He does not see why adults like her, she's so fake.

Agatha just smirks and follows along. It always amuses her to see Tom get annoyed over little slights, whether they come from crows or freshmen.

Ginny's attitude seems to make it that much longer, since she makes it quite obvious from her mannerisms (as soon as she's out of view of any adults) that she'd far rather be somewhere else. This helps to make the short journey to the historical section seem that much longer. Or perhaps she's deliberately taking longer than necessary. Just outside the aisle, she pauses at a table where a frail-looking boy with black hair in a cut not unlike Simon's, with almost bottle-glass-thick spectacles, sits, amidst a pile of books and maps. "Do you need any help?" she says, solicitously, in a saccharine sweet voice.

"No, ma'am," the boy says, as if to an adult, although he could very well be just as old as she is.

Tom glances at the kid at the table to see if he recognizes him. He squeezes his hands tight, resisting the urge to say something to Ginny, knowing that the quickest way to get rid of her is not to encourage her attitude.

"Here you go," Ginny says, gesturing to a fairly short aisle (the rest of the row being taken up by the newspaper section). "If you need any help reaching the higher books, I can get you a step-stool," she says to Tom.

Agatha actually pauses to look over the boy's shoulder. "I can get the high books for you, Tommy," Agatha comments.

Tom grins widely at Ginny. "Nah, perhaps I'll just climb the shelf and get the books," he says, waggling his eyebrows a bit. Of course, he wouldn't, but he can't resist tweaking her, just once.

This tweaks her, predictably enough, as evidenced by the wrinkle of her nose. "I wouldn't advise that, Tommy," she says. "Call me if you need any help." She turns to leave, her ponytail swinging behind her as she does so.

"I wouldn't call you if I was bleeding to death," mutters Thomas, rolling his eyes as Ginny walks away. He turns and shrugs to Agatha. "Couldn't resist. Sorry." Thomas heads to the stacks and starts to look over the book titles, looking for books on the architecture of the original homes of Ainigton. He also makes a mental note to look grab anything that might be a genealogical history of the town as well. He can't help but steal a glance toward the kid at the table from time to time, curious about what he's reading.

It looks like the boy at the table has a topographical map of the area surrounding Ainigton spread out on the table before him. Thomas is quite certain of this, as he has used that same map numerous times himself.

"Yeah," is all Agatha says in reply, and starts from the opposite end of the stacks, looking through the "S" section in case there's an actual book devoted to the Siege des Anges.

"Good map," comments Thomas to the kid as he goes down one row of books. "Very useful to find interesting tidbits about the town and natural formations. Helped me locate a few places now and then," he adds.

For his efforts, Tom manages to find a book titled, "Ainigton Beautiful," which seems to cover the general topic of its architecture and a bit about its history. There are actually two copies of the book, and it definitely looks like a small press run. Agatha's efforts, however, fail to find anything specifically about the Siege des Anges. Perhaps that's a little too specialized for this library.

"Did you find something, Tom?" Agatha asks as her own initial search comes up blank.

"Mmm," says the boy at the table, nodding his head, closing a notebook he was scribbling some sort of notes into, and shuffling a book titled "The History of the Holy Grail" on top of it.

Tom flips to the index of the book and starts to skim over it, to see if any entries about the Manor are listed. "Well, something," Thomas says over to Agatha. "It's about the town and has a few things on buildings -- checking the index now." Before he resumes looking at the index, he comments to the kid, "If you ever want firsthand info about the area, I'm the one to ask. Name's Thomas."

The index of the book includes such interesting chapters as "The Angels of Ainigton" and "Ghosts of Harcourt Manor".

"Pleased to meet you," says the boy at the table in a quiet and not-very-enthusiastic tone. "Maximillan Winters," he tacks onto the end.

After a glance at the index from over Tom's shoulder, Agatha decides to take the second copy of the book for herself, figuring the chapter on Angels is what she needs. "Is that your cat outside?" the girl suddenly asks, once Max has introduced himself.

"Yes," Max answers, somewhat curtly, though still in a quiet voice.

"Ooo," Tom comments softly, delighted at his find. He flips to the chapter on ghosts. Undaunted, he continues chatting at the boy quietly as he looks over the page, "Like there's a great older home being restored. I'm helping out at the place and wanted to learn about its layout and architecture, in case secrets are hidden there. I can't resist a mystery."

Max only nods quietly, flipping open the book on the Grail, and thumbing through it, head lowered closer to the pages.

As for the book Tom has, it looks like a bit of a read -- probably more information than he can comfortably glean while still standing or leaning against the bookshelves, unless he only plans on skimming.

"Tell Bragwaine I said hello, will you?" says Thomas before he walks over to a table to sit down and read over the chapter.

Agatha glances at Tom, then at Max and his map and book. So, it's his cat. I wonder what sort of footprints he leaves with those braces on? She sits down and turns to the section on angels.

Thomas manages to find a wealth of information on Harcourt Manor, though only a disappointingly small portion actually touches on the issues of ghosts. It seems that the titles were named with a bit of flair for sensationalism, rather than truth in advertising.

Ground was broken on the Harcourt Manor in 1884, by Fenton M. Harcourt, who had made his money on the silver being produced in the nearby town. He married an actress from Europe, and began building this house for their future family. They moved in on October, 1895, along with a baby boy, John, then aged six months.

John M. Harcourt went to Yale in 1913, graduated with honors, and moved to Boston to pursue a career in banking. On Black Thursday, October 24, 1929, he lost his fortune and much of his parents', which he had been investing for them, and committed suicide, jumping out of a skyscraper window. His grieving parents had his body flown back to Ainigton and buried behind the Old Church.

There were two other children, Anastasia and Bryant. Anastasia moved to Hollywood to pursue an acting career. Bryant moved to New York and became a starving poet, and eventually took up spiritualism.

After the death of Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt in April of 1939, Bryant Harcourt inherited the house, and returned home to oversee the property. He began conducting seances out of the property, scandalizing the neighbors, especially as strange people would begin to arrive in town and visit at the manor.

This ended in 1944 when, evidently while he was conducting a seance in the cupola of the manor, and lightning struck the house. While the lightning rod successfully grounded the bolt and thus no burning occurred, it appears that he died of a heart attack brought on by the experience. His partners in the seance left town quickly.

Anastasia Harcourt declined to return to the house, choosing to remain in Hollywood. She eventually died without children, and the house reverted to the ownership of the town. The book claims a "recent" interest in restoring the house by a local historical society, but Tom's own experience suggests that naught has come of it.

There are a number of artsy details here and there about the house, but nothing along the lines of blueprints to be found in this particular volume. It seems that someone considered the house to be of historical significance, and remarkable in various boring architectural details. It makes only passing references to ghost stories associated with the house -- generally along the lines of ghosts of its previous occupants being seen in the cupola or roaming about the house as mysterious lights.

As for Agatha's research attempts, she finds a wealth of information on the Siege des Anges ... and some other noteworthy architecture about town:

The architect of the Siege des Anges, and also planner of many of the civic buildings including Government Circle, was one Mortimer Bonney.

According to the short biography, he was born and educated in England, and came to America during the peak of the Gold Rush. The town founders saw his work on San Francisco homes and invited him to come and help improve their civic center, which at the time, was mainly rude wooden buildings; they felt that their urban image needed improvement.

Bonney himself was supposed to have been a very religious man and said often that the ground of Ainigton was blessed by God and his angels, but that it was up to man to live on it and make it prosperous. Angels featured prominently into his plans, and several stonemasons became rich off of the various works that he commissioned.

While there was much debate in the town over whether the Angel was supposed to be drawing his sword or sheathing it, Mortimer himself never answered this question.

As for when Ainigton and its unusual monuments were built, it seems that what is now Ainigton was built during the Gold Rush era, circa 1849, and the park's construction came some years after that.

Tom scribbles down all the lineage and ownership information on the manor, then slides the book over to Agatha. "Interesting lineage, and a oddball did live there once, but nothing on actual layout. I should check out Town Hall and see if they have plans on file," says Thomas.

Agatha writes down what information she finds on Mortimer Bonney in her notebook, for use in further research. "I wonder how far back the newspaper archives go here?"

Tom nods. "Well, I know they go back to the turn of the century, as I nosed about for old maps and such about the town a ways back relating to that map. What do you have in mind?"

Meanwhile, Maximillan gets up from his table, carrying the book on the Grail back to its proper place. Once he's up, it's hard to miss that he's walking with the aid of some sort of braces about his legs -- and a cane that he leans on with each deliberate step.

Tom notices Maximillan get up and he waves to him. "Hey, have a good rest of the day. See you around," he says to the boy.

"Bonney's obituary, for one thing," Agatha says. "That'd be in the newspapers, I'm sure."

Maximillan only nods in response to Tom, his body shaking with an odd and wobbly gait that makes it appear as if he might simply fall over at any given moment. The stance of his legs is almost painful to look at, not quite bow-legged, and definitely not straight. He takes another trip over to return the maps, and then gathers up his notebooks and other papers.

Tom looks back to Agatha. "If they have things back that far, it's probably there. He sounded pretty famous, after all"

Tom glances back to Max for a moment. An image flashes through his mind of Boris and his gang o' thugs tormenting him. Well, hopefully Boris isn't that low. He gets up from the table and returns the book to the proper place on the shelf. After all, he wouldn't want to strain Ginny with asking her to return it. She'd complain for a week about how "children" cause so much work at the library. "Shall we look in the newspapers for notable reports on the Siege and Manor before heading out?" he asks Agatha.

"Have you ever used the news archives before, Tom?" Agatha asks in answer. "I mean ... is there like a super-index, or do you just have to look through them all by hand? Otherwise we'll have to ask Ginny for help."

"Well, there's usually a card catalog to look through. They break down by years and topics, I believe," guesses Thomas.

"Oh, well, let's look into that first then, since we're here," the girl says.

Some time and a great amount of research later (without the benefit of such modern wonders as microfilm to aid the search -- not available in this out-of-the-way town despite the inordinate size of the library), Agatha and Thomas stumble across a newspaper report that actually has quotes from earlier newspaper articles that don't happen to also be present in the archives -- at least, not anything that the children have access to. (For that, they'll probably have to check out the newspaper office.) Nonetheless, they do manage to find some references to the Siege des Anges.

It seems that the Siege des Anges was originally a park, then revised by Bonney's design, which he said had come to him in a dream. He is quoted in a speech, claiming that the interlocked circles symbolize the Trinity of God; that is, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. That they are presented as three circles where four might seem essential to provide complete symmetry, he said, is by design: mankind is the fourth circle, the pinnacle and proof of God's creation.

There was considerable debate in town over the suitability of his design, but ultimately the design was carried forward and the Siege des Anges, the nearby school (then the town's only school) and the Government Circle were all approved.

Other news items concerning the Siege, alas, are far less interesting (or weird, anyway), mostly involve plans to change the design, or improve the landscaping, or civic events occurring there.

Despite stated plans to change the design, however, it seems that the most the park has ever been modified, was to add a historical placard here, or some flower beds there. Nothing has significantly altered the overall layout of the park and its obscure spiritual significance.

"It came to him in a dream," Agatha says, sounding disappointed. "So he didn't know about the Siege of Stone and Water probably."

"Um, maybe he was sleepwalking or sick and stumbled across the Siege of Stone and Water?" suggests Thomas.

The girl shakes her head, unconvinced. "Probably some supernatural thing. Maybe angels really did show him the plan, or at least that's what he thought."

Tom looks at Agatha. "You can't be serious. Supernatural whatsits showing him the plan?"

"Ahem," says Ginny, leaning against the edge of the filing cabinets bordering in the newspaper archive section. "Are you two still back here? Don't tell me this is for a school assignment. If I catch you up to something, I will report it."

Agatha throws an arm around Tom's shoulders, and grins at Ginny. "Jealous?" she teases.

Ginny scowls. "That does it. I'm telling Mrs. Jackson."

"Actually, Ginny, this is for our own learning about some of the design of this town and why the Siege looks the way it does. It's called personal development. Maybe you should try it sometime, who knows, it might even make you likeable," retorts Tom, then blinking repeatedly as he realizes he has Agatha's arm around him.

"Hey, I'm just kidding, Ginny," Agatha says quickly. "We're looking up stuff out of curiosity. Like, did you know that the design for the Siege des Anges came to the architect in a dream?"

Ginny wrinkles her nose, pausing in mid-step, about to head back up, but then she walks up and grabs one of the papers from Agatha, and glances at it. "Okay. I guess you really are reading the newspaper." She gives Thomas a hostile glance. "But I'm warning you. If I catch you up to something, I will report it." With that, she turns and leaves them alone at last.

"Twit," mutters Thomas. He then glances at Agatha. "If you ever put your arm around me like that again ... I'll -- ooo! I'll never live that down!"

Agatha straightens the paper back out. "Anyway ... like I was saying, if it came in a dream, then maybe someone or something sent him the dream, right?"

"Sent him a dream? This is dreams, Agatha, not radio. How?" says Thomas.

Staring straight at Thomas, Agatha challenges, "Tell me Tom, do you know for sure where dreams come from? Does anybody?"

"No," replies Thomas, "but that sounds so far-fetched. Anyway, I'm not going to argue over it. It's interesting to know where he claimed to have gotten them, and he's dead and turned to dust by now, so we can't ask."

"Aha!" he adds suddenly. "I know! We can have a seance at the Manor. They used to do that, you know -- argh!" He shakes his head and suddenly falls forward from his seated position to let it drop onto the table with a soft thud.

A flash of red from Agatha's point of view warns her that Ginny is peeking around the corner again, but then she's gone again.

"Now that is a silly idea," Agatha says, shaking her head, and going quiet when she catches a glimpse of an eavesdropper.

"Don't tell me we're being spied on or something," mutters Thomas, muffled, with his face still to the table, a few moments after Agatha goes silent.

"Who would be such a loser that they'd have to spy on children to feel good about themselves?" Agatha rhetorically asks quietly, and returns the newspaper with the article about the Siege's origins back into the archive.

Tom sits back up and says, "That's easy: Ginny." He grins and gets up. "So, shall we get out of here? Think we have time to hit City Hall and check on plans for the Manor, or hold off until tomorrow?" asks Thomas.

Agatha packs her notebook, and asks, "That depends ... did you already ask Richard if he had a copy of the blueprints? Otherwise we might as well go to City Hall. Maybe Bonney had some kids that are still around. They'd have those sorts of records at City Hall too, wouldn't they?"

Tom nods. "I haven't asked Richard. I'm worried he thinks me weird now. Asking for that will just make him think me weirder. Plus, it's fun looking. And yah, I think they'd probably have that. Any city project information is probably stored there."

"Just so long as they don't charge us for looking it up," Agatha says.

Tom chuckles. "That'll be twenty-five cents, brain tax, please."

The trip to Town Hall is a lot faster, since it doesn't involve personally rifling through lots of documents. Actually working at Harcourt Manor proves to be ample enough reason to have cause to look up the blueprints as they are stored in the city records, and they are able to find a copy soon enough. The manor is two stories tall, with an attic level in which two loft rooms have gables looking out onto the countryside, and an attached tower which rises to an eight-windowed cupola. There is a combined root and wine cellar which can be accessed from the kitchen. The property includes a fair amount of countryside behind the house, on which are gardens, a stable, and some pastures.

Unfortunately, if there are any secret passages or anything quite so exciting, the blueprints don't show it, though there might well be space for hidden surprises under floor boards or behind wood paneling in the walls. (Tom, after all, has some experience in that area.)

They are also able to confirm the ownership of the manor through various hands. Most notably: built by Fenton M. Harcourt, then owned and lived in by Bryant Harcourt, then owned by Anastasia, who chose to live outside the town, then reverted to ownership by the town. Not surprisingly, it was purchased recently by Richard Kuning.

Agatha also manages to find some blueprints of the Siege and the area of the park. It, too, fails to show any great surprises.

However, by now it is getting late on into the day, and to their chagrin, they learn that the records office is closing before they can consult it for such details as Bonney family records. That will just have to wait for another day.

So, their research not quite complete but nonetheless having its own successes for a day's trouble, Thomas and Agatha head back out of Town Hall.

"So, do you figure Max is the one behind your treasure map?" Agatha asks Tom as they leave the building.

A small Siamese cat scampers by, collar jingling. It pauses only briefly to turn and look at Tom with its blue eyes, crossed, and lets out a brief, "Meow," before scampering along again.

Tom glances skyward. "Whoa, getting close to dinner. I'd best run home so I'm not late," says Thomas, "And yep, I do think so. Pretty darn positive. Does he have a sister? I think I met her earlier, claiming to be his 'Familiar' and a cat. The pendant she wore gave her away; it matched the wax seals." His eyes follow the cat. "Speaking of which..."

Agatha nods. "She was at church. But I don't remember seeing the cat there."

"Yeah, but the whole cross-eyed thing the cat just did. His sister did that in church at me. How weird," Tom replies. He shrugs. "Not that it's possible she is a Familiar, after all, but still."

"Uh huh," Agatha says, watching the retreating cat. "And the cat follows us, and also has the same little symbol on its collar? Have you ever seen it and the girl together?"

"Uhm," says Tom uncertainly, as he fidgets, until at last he answers, "No."

"Well, maybe you'd better try to, then," Agatha says, in a teasing tone, "just to be sure she doesn't turn into the cat."

Tom elbows Agatha. "Oh, c'mon. Don't start. I'm tired, and it's too close to dinner to get into an insult war." He glances up at the sky again. "And really, I've got to go. Stop by tomorrow and I'll show you all the cool stuff I did find from that treasure map." Thomas starts walking up the street, slowly, to hear Agatha's parting remarks.

"G'night Tom," Agatha says, and turns towards her own home. "At least the cat isn't a redhead with a ponytail, eh?"

"Thankfully not. I'd have to rethink my opinions of cats if she was," responds Thomas, his voice fading as he vanishes up the street.

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This site serves as a chronicle of sessions in an online roleplaying campaign moderated by Conrad "Lynx" Wong and May "Rowan" Wasserman. The contents of this site are (c) 2001, 2002 by Conrad Wong and May Wasserman except where stated otherwise. Despite the "children's fantasy" theme of this campaign, this site is not intended for young readership, due to mild language and violence.