The Magnus Archives - MAG 118 - The Masquerade

Episode Date: September 12, 2018

Case #0170608-A/BOriginal recordings of Magnus Institute visit to the House of Wax, Great Yarmouth, and an internal management dispute.Content Warnings for this episode are at the end of the show notes.Thanks to this week's Patrons: Mia Boberg Winlöf, Rowan, Ben Vacha, Delta Tango, Katherine Weinberg, Victoria S, Elizabeth Brown, Jejune, C Belli, Rebecca Gelernter.If you'd like to support us, head to www.patreon.com/rustyquillEdited this week by Brock Winstead & Alexander J Newall.Performances:"The Archivist" - Jonathan Sims"Martin Blackwood" - Alexander J Newall"Basira Hussain" - Frank Voss"Alice 'Daisy' Tonner" - Fay Roberts"Melanie King" - Lydia Nicholas"Tim Stoker" - Mike LeBeau"Elias Bouchard" - Ben Meredith"Nicola Orsinov" - Jessica LawSound effects this week by FedeFrede, daboy291, pfranzen, crazyadamos, amholma, jeffdutton10, jcdecha & previously credited artists via freesound.org.Check out our merchandise at https://www.redbubble.com/people/rustyquill/collections/708982-the-magnus-archives-s1You can subscribe to this podcast using your podcast software of choice, or by visiting www.rustyquill.com/subscribePlease rate and review on your software of choice, it really helps us to spread the podcast to new listeners, so share the fear.Content Warning for:  body horror    emotional cruelty    gun violence    abandonment Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is the first radio ad you can smell. The new Cinnabon Pull-Apart only at Wendy's. It's ooey, gooey, and just five bucks with a small coffee all day long. Taxes extra at participating Wendy's until May 5th. Terms and conditions apply. As women, our life stages come with unique risk factors. Like when our estrogen levels drop during menopause, causing the risk of heart disease to go up.

Know your risks. Visit heartandstroke.ca Hi everyone, Alex here. I'd just like to take a moment to thank some of our patrons. Mia Boberg-Winlough, Rowan, Ben Vatcher, Delta Tango, Catherine Weinberg, S Elizabeth Brown Jejun C Belly Rebecca Gellenter Thank you all. We really appreciate your support. If you'd like to join them, go to www.patreon.com forward slash rustyquill and take a look at our rewards. The Magnus Archives Episode 118 The Masquerade Are you listening?

Good. Case 007-1304. Statement of Ivo Lensik. Alright. Harold Silvana, number 0020406. He'll probably do. All right, then. 014-0207, Dylan Anderson. Yeah?

Okay. Okay. Yeah? Okay There's plenty more on the pile Martin Martin, open the door Sorry, Elias I can't hear you There's a door in the way

Martin, I do not have time for this And maybe you should make time Unlock the door now I thought you had a key Martin I'm not going anywhere. I would hurry, though, if I were you. Come on.

Right. Shut up. It's just cobwebs. There's no such thing as just cobwebs. I don't like it. Tough. Is this it? Yeah. We plant the last of it here.

Then this place will go up nice. What's the range on the detonator? Same as the last time you asked. Where is everybody? Preparing, I guess. I haven't seen any of them since the last of, er, whatever the hell that was went inside. It's too quiet. Could be a trap.

And if it is, I give this a squeeze. No more trap. And no more us. Don't fret it. And anyway, it's not like we're alone in here. Look, there's Prince Charles. Oh, if he'd been in an accident. Or the Beatles. If they'd all been in separate accidents, like Ringo was in a horrible fire or Paul was in a car crash. That's a classic.

Yes, Tim, I remember them. The waxworks are bad. Just keep an eye on them and if they start moving, hit them with an axe. Sure. John? Yes? When you were, um, kidnapped, did you leave a tape recorder here? What? I don't think so. Why? Is there... Oh.

Yeah. For God's sake. So where did it. Why? Is that... Oh. Yeah. For God's sake. So where did it come from? Not important right now. Turn it off. Yes, I'm weird. Hello. What are you doing?

That one. That one was Benjamin Hattendi. He went fast enough with the key. What are you doing? Oh, I'm sorry. Can you not just look into my head? Read my mind? What's wrong? Too busy trying to keep an eye on everything?

Tell me what you're doing and why. I just thought I'd, you know, drop a couple of ideas in the old suggestion box. Turns out my suggestion is... fire. And yet you haven't set the whole archives alight. So I assume this is... what's it called? A cry for attention.

Maybe I just thought it might hurt. No more than you're hurting yourself by acting out. Oh, that's it, isn't it? Martin's just acting out. I mean, Daisy's a rabid dog and Melanie's a potential killer. Tim's a rogue element. But Martin? Oh, Martin's just acting out. He'll have a cry and a lie down and feel much better. And if you're trying to convince me otherwise, then you are failing. Now, if you're quite done, I am very busy. Oh, sorry. Sorry, I'm not keeping you from

the show, am I? Well, you head back. I'll keep myself busy here. Albrecht von Closen is next, I think. He's quite an old one. Should go up very quickly. Did John put you up to this? You think I'm doing this for him? No. It's just the sort of half-baked scheme he'd come up with. And I'm well aware that you'll do just about anything for him. And I don't need to read your mind for that one. Do you really? Is it so hard to believe that I hate you as well? No, it's just hard to imagine that you would act on it.

You think I'm what, I'm bluffing? Oh, no. You've made that quite clear. So what? I don't get to be angry. I don't get to burn things. Just run around making tea while everyone else gets to actually have feelings. Please get to the point, Martin. Maybe there isn't one. All right? Maybe... Maybe you're just wasting my time. Yeah. Yeah, maybe. I see. That puts me in a difficult position. Good. You might want to turn the tape off, Martin. How much longer? I don't know. The others didn't take

this long. The others had clear structural weaknesses. This room doesn't. How hard can it be to blow up one building with all this stuff? It depends. Lots of other buildings close around it. I was told to be careful. Right. Fine. So would you say this was supposed to be Churchill or Alfred Hitchcock? Jowls like that could be either.

I mean, the suit is... Tim! Leave it! We should know what's going on. How close they are. We are not ready yet. If you start opening doors and they see you... You sure it's through there? I'm pretty sure.

I saw it a few times while I was here. They've knocked through most of the middle, hollowed it out, made a sort of auditorium. How big? I don't know. Big. I mean, it's not a huge building. I hollowed it out and made a sort of auditorium. How big? I don't know. Big. I mean, it's not a huge building. I don't know. Tonight was my first time seeing it from the outside.

At least in the flesh. I guess it does seem smaller. You're sure this is the right place? I am. This is definitely where they kept me. Although I don't remember quite this many waxworks.

Alright. Just don't want to get this far and find out we're in... This is the place. We need to see what's going on in there. Just ignore it. We have a job to do. Jesus. What? It moved. Right, okay. If they a job to do. Jesus! What? It moved.

Right, okay, if they're starting to, uh, we've got to go. No, like, it was just, it was just a flicker in his eyes. Look at this. Look, if the waxworks are coming alive, we need to go. Just shut up and look. Huh. Oh god. Oh god, they're not wax works what are you Christ Tim I think I think maybe we better see what's going on in there all right on three three

Holy... Yes. I suppose it is. Done? I, um... I think we might need all of it, Daisy. This place is, uh... It's bigger than we thought. Roger that.

Give me a couple of minutes. Sooner would be better. What is it? Fear fuels everything. Oh, of course. They'd need it for a grand ritual. What the hell is that thing. What is it? Fear fuels everything. Of course they'd need it for a grand ritual. What the hell is that thing? What's it doing to them? I think I used to call it the anglerfish. I knew it took the skin, used it to coat people made of sawdust and stuffing, but I suppose I thought it just ate the rest.

But no. It had a museum to fill with waxworks. And I guess you don't need skin to sing. To join the choir. Sorry. Looks like it wants to know what's going on. A pity. You know John listens to all of them. What? You don't want him hearing your big evil speech?

Just wanted to spare you the small amount of dignity you have left. Dignity? Oh, right, yeah. Like the dignity of being trapped in your flat by worms, or sleeping in the archives clutching a corkscrew, or fetching drinks for the thing that murdered your friend without you even noticing. Laughing at all their little jokes, then being left to wander impossible corridors for weeks. Are you done? Not even close. Because...

I've been thinking. It's not like you got this all-seeing thing recently. You've had it the whole time. I remember the way you looked at Sasha after the attack. You knew it wasn't her. And I reckon you knew Prentiss was lurking under the Institute too. And you did nothing. Why?

Why? Let's just get this over with, shall we? What? Like with Melanie? Just that perfect bit of information to leave me a wreck? Yes. Well, I hope you've got something better than that pathetic dig at my feelings for John. It's baffling, really. Such loyalty to someone who really treats you very badly.

Oh, is that supposed to be... what a revelation? You know, I really should have gone for that. Found something that would finally manage to shatter that precious image you have of him. But, as you say, I am very busy at the moment, so I suppose I'll just have to go with what I had prepared. Do it. Your mother. She's always been... difficult, hasn't she?

You take care of her for years, feed her, clean up after her, and now, with her condition degrading even further, she is the one that asked to move into a home to have it left to the nurses. She's the one that refuses your visits. She's always been... Strong-willed? Stubborn? No. No, Martin. You know the reason. Your mother simply hates you. You just don't know why. It's not your fault.

Though I know that isn't any consolation. It's just bad luck, really. How old were you when your father left? Eight? Nine? When your mother began to sicken and he decided he was done with you both. Not old enough to remember him with any great clarity, especially when your mother refused to keep any pictures of him. She never recovered from that betrayal.

He just tore her heart right out and took it with him. The thing is, though, Martin, if you ever do want to know exactly what your father looked like, all you have to do is look in a mirror. The resemblance is quite uncanny. The face of the man she hates, who destroyed her life, watching over her, feeding her, cleaning her, looking down on her with such pity.

Shut up! Do you want to know what she sees when she looks at you? Don't burn any more statements. I love you. Did you find anything? Yes, I... Jesus, are you okay? Do we have what we need? I think so, yes. He didn't even have a safe, just a few locked drawers. It was easy.

We... We need to leave. We need to kill him. Look at you. He needs to die. No. No.

No, I... I knew what this was going to be. It's not just for you. If we leave him alive... Melanie. Melanie, please. All right. Let's get thee somewhere safe. So what do we do? We can't help them. What, so we're just going to leave them to be skinned alive? What do you want me to do? You brought me in as a distraction, right?

What? Let me do it. Go in. Maybe you can get some of them. Tim, contrary to what you think, I did not bring you here to indulge your death. That's not what this is. No? No. You knew I might not be coming back.

I knew none of us might be coming back. And I'm not going to let anyone get killed for nothing. Except for those people in there. They're already dead! Not all of them! I am not losing you as well! Look, whatever we're going to do, we need to figure it out. Now. Fine. Look, John, I...

I'm done. What? It's all ready. Here. Oh, I thought you would want to, uh, do the honours. Safer with you. You know when it needs to happen. Right, okay. Come on. Let's go. Tim, come on. This isn't right. At least it'll be quick.

Tim, please. We have to go. Get back. Behind me. Will the audience please take that mission? The show. The Lincolns. Oh, God. Jesus.

Get the hell away from me. Where's... No. Don't move. Daisy. Daisy, it's me. No. I said don't move.

Daisy! Daisy! air-alike 4.0 international license. Today's episode was written by Jonathan Sims and directed by Alexander J. Newell. To subscribe, view associated material, or join our Patreon, visit RustyQuill.com. Rate and review us online, tweet us at TheRustyQuill, visit us on Facebook, or email us at mail at RustyQuill.com. visit us on Facebook or email us at mail at rustyquill.com. Join our communities on the forum via the website or on Reddit at r slash the Magnus Archives. Thanks for listening. To be continued... chilling and mind-bending stories, Audible has everything you need. Audible is the leader in audiobooks, so you'll always find the best and freshest selection of mysteries and thrillers to choose from. Sometimes you just want to get lost in a classic whodunit, and sometimes you

want to get wrapped up in a twisted new mystery where the tension is high and you just can't stop listening until you find out what happens next. Audible can take you places only you can imagine and whenever you want. On a run, doing errands, commuting or just relaxing at home. And it's not just audiobooks. Audible also gives you binge-worthy podcasts and exclusive originals with thousands of included titles you can listen to all you want and more get added every week. So if you're into secrets and suspense or you want to explore any other genre, remember there's more to imagine when you listen on audible your first audiobook is absolutely free when you sign up for a free 30-day trial at audible.ca this is the first radio ad you can smell the new cinnabon pull apart only

at wendy's it's ooey gooey and just five bucks for the small coffee all day long taxes extra at participating wendy's until May 5th. Terms and conditions apply.