The Magnus Archives - MAG 154 - Bloody Mary

Episode Date: September 19, 2019

Case #0082107Statement of Eric Delano, recorded 21st July 2008. Regarding his life, Mary Keay and the Archives.Audio recording by Gertrude RobinsonThanks to this week's Patrons: Peter Davis, Charlotte Dunn, Nicky, Jordan Bouchard, Jaz Vallin, Jess?, Dane McGuire, Jessica Deyo, Rebecca Hansen, KippIf you'd like to join them be sure to visit www.patreon.com/rustyquillEdited this week by Annie Fitch, Brock Winstead & Alexander J Newall.Written by Jonathan Sims and directed by Alexander J Newall.Performances:- "The Archivist" - Jonathan Sims- "Gertrude Robinson" - Sue Sims- "Eric Delano" - Richard Soames- "Martin Blackwood" - Alexander J NewallSound effects this week by Typinh, hykenfreak, SoundsForHim & 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 notes:- Murder- Physical violence- Domestic abuse- Self-inflicted woundsJoin our community:WEBSITE: rustyquill.comFACEBOOK: facebook.com/therustyquillTWITTER: @therustyquillREDDIT: reddit.com/r/RustyQuillEMAIL: [e-mail] Magnus Archives is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill Ltd. and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Sharealike 4.0 International Licence Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episode 154. Bloody Mary. ТРЕВОЖНАЯ МУЗЫКА I've been doing a lot of thinking after what happened with Daisy last week. About what I can do. What I am. What feels right. I found a... I went back to Peter's office, to that box of tapes, started rifling through, and I started to try and pay attention to the ones I wasn't drawn to. The tapes I instinctively wanted to discard. There was one, this one, that my hand pulled back from.

I dropped it twice when I went to pick it up. Even now I'm struggling to press play. I am the avatar of awful knowledge and revealed secrets. So what does it not want me to know? Right. No use putting it off further. When he opened his eyes, he of course saw nothing, but he heard her breathing, slow and steady and focused, and he immediately knew that she was finally going to kill him. When the garden shears plunged into his chest,

he was surprised by how little actual pain there was, just the sudden feel of moisture on his chest, and the realisation that his body was growing weak, fading away. He wished she would say she was sorry she was doing this, that she loved him, that she would miss him, that he knew better, and his final thought was a gentle sadness at how little he was surprised. And so Eric Delano ended. Eric? Gertrude, I...

What... What am I doing here? Mary. She gave me your page. She... Oh. Yes. Well, I'm sorry.

Wasn't even hard for her, was it? Handing me over? No sign of regret? No. No. No. I'm sorry, Eric. I know this must be hard. I just read your death. I didn't realise it had been quite so...

You should have seen what she did to my body afterwards. Did you? Oh, yes. She bound me first and then made me watch. Don't really know why. Wasn't really in the best state of mind to ask. Maybe she just wanted some company. While she disposed of your body?

God, it was a mess. I mean, parts of me kind of suspected she'd killed before, but clearly she hadn't done it enough to be a decent hand at chopping up and dumping bodies. She was having a real bad time with it. My legs were all over the shop. Would probably have been funny if it hadn't been me. What's it like, being bound to the book?

I don't know how to describe it. Never was great with words. Bad. It feels bad. All the time. I know that I'm not really Eric. I'm just a memory someone wrote down. It hurts most of the time.

I don't like it. But you're still here. I suppose. Mary used to get me out to bounce ideas off of, talk through her thoughts and theories. Never listened to me, obviously, but nothing new there. Well, it's good to see you, I suppose. You too. You got old. Better than being dead. Fair enough. To be honest, I'm impressed more than anything. Hard to get old in this business. You either die or you stay young. Er, stay young. How did Mary look? She got old, too.

I suppose that makes sense. And Jerry? Have you seen my son? No. I've never met him, I'm afraid. Mary talks of him a lot. She seems very proud. That's not as reassuring as you think it is.

I see your point. Why did she give me to you? I don't know. She seemed to think it was a gift. Charming. She said she had one final mystery to explore with the book. Oh. Oh. You know what that means, right? I have a pretty strong suspicion, yes. What? I was just thinking, five years as a husband, God knows how many is her possession. And she just couldn't stand

the thought of being bound in the same book as me. I'm sorry. Yeah, it doesn't feel great. But being dead, I suppose you don't feel things quite as strongly. It's all a bit flat. I'm aware of the heartbreak but I don't know if I actually feel it it's strange really yes, yes it sounds it so what now?

I'm not entirely sure I was probably going to burn you if you're amenable to the idea. Yes. Yes, I think that would be for the best. I'm just trying to figure out if there was a reason she gave you to me. The way she was smiling, as if she was handing over a secret. I don't know. Do you have any questions? Any unfinished business? Of course.

When she killed you, there were plenty of outstanding cases and such, but nothing that would still be relevant. Sorry, what do you mean? Well, you were working on quite a few statements when she killed you. Gertrude, I left the archives months before she killed me. What? No, that's... that's not possible. Of course, they didn't tell you. Why would they?

Mary probably thought it was funnier if you didn't know, and Wright would have preferred you not to know. How is he, by the way? James. He died about twelve years ago. Elias is head of the Institute now. Elias? Elias Bouchard? Seriously? He has changed a lot. Must have.

So, what did they not want me to know? I quit. You... I'm sorry? You quit? Yeah. I figured out how. I... I just assumed...

How? Well, that's it, isn't it? I suppose that's why she gave me to you. One final screw you to the eye. Eric, how did you quit? Eric? Sorry, I just... I don't mean to be a dick, but, well, it's been a long time since I've had any sort of leverage, I guess. Just a little bit of power. It's kind of nice. Are you going to tell me?

Thinking about it. Think harder? You know, you were never actually that nice to me when I worked for you, Gertrude. Not like Michael or Emma. Eric! Gertrude. Not like Michael or Emma. Eric! What? Are you going to threaten me? Look at me.

The best I can currently hope for is to be burnt to ash. I'm going to tell you. Just, maybe there's a price. What do you want? I don't know. I haven't had a chance to think. Eric! Fine. I... I want't know. I haven't had a chance to think. Eric!

Fine. I want two things. I'm listening. I want you to find my son. If Mary is... If she's gone, or worse, I want you to make sure he's all right. I'm not exactly a mother figure.

You could hardly do worse than her. Fine. But I don't know what growing up with Mary has done to him. If he's gone rotten, I can't promise anything. I understand. I suppose he might be useful. Sentimental as ever. And the second thing?

I want to make my statement. Is that really necessary? I don't want to disappear on her terms. Or yours. I want to speak my piece. Have it recorded. Fine. Tape's running.

Subject is Eric Delano, recorded 21st July 2008, regarding... What else? Me, Mary and the Archives. As you wish. Begin whenever you're ready. I'm almost not sure where to start now it comes to it. I always loved ghosts. They fascinated me. Not the rattling chains and horror part of it, of course, but the mystery, the promise of secret knowledge, of seeing something that no one else was privy to. A secret world. It gripped my imagination. So when I finished my Masters in Library Science and saw a vacancy at the Magnus Institute of all places, I jumped at the chance. The chance to pursue my passion and my career at the same time seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up. It was only an assistant archivist position, of course, but that was fine. A good entry position. I'd soon move on,

I told myself. Yeah. And for the first few years, it was pretty much exactly the job I expected. Longer hours than I hoped, and the archivist seemed less interested in doing her job than I was, doing her job than I was, but all told there were worse places to work. Then I met Mary. She was like no one had ever met before in my life. She was beautiful, like a shark is beautiful. Every movement she made was deliberate, sharp, and her eyes were always focused on something, always watching. And when she looked at me, I always felt afraid. But there was something else, something under the fear, something that made me feel very aware of all my blood.

I don't know what she saw in me, not really, but when she walked up to me and told me that I was taking her to dinner, I couldn't help but nod. I've always been... I wouldn't call myself a coward, but I've never been in a fight never even been punched maybe it's luck maybe just the fact that I can never really bring myself to push back on people and Mary pushed so hard harder even than you I let her because she gave me something I had never before experienced. Danger. The thing she taught me had me do. I'd never known anything like it. Whenever I kissed her, it tasted like blood. I knew what she was, I think. What she was capable of.

But I convinced myself that I was safe. That she loved me. It made me feel special. That I was somehow protected from all the cold cruelty that she'd tried to keep hidden but leaked out in so many ways. cruelty that she'd tried to keep hidden but leaked out in so many ways. I remember visiting her shortly after she'd started her books business, and I found her sitting opposite a corpse, a well-dressed middle-aged man who sat in the huge armchair she'd kept in the back office. She looked me in the eye and told me he was her uncle, prone to drink, making an unexpected visit, and had passed out in the chair.

I knew she didn't have an uncle, and I knew the man was dead. She didn't lie to me because she expected me to believe her. She lied because she expected me to obey her. And I did. We rescheduled our date to the following day. But you know what the strange thing is? Despite death even my own murder i still don't feel like she betrayed me she was what she was and i knew that and even when i told myself that she would never harm me of course not i was her and her true love. Even then, the only one lying was me. She never promised anything, not even in her vows. She never betrayed me. Not like you. She never played dumb when I was stalked by bloated, blood-sucking things, or told me I was imagining it when I saw your friend Adelaide drop a screaming box into the Thames. She didn't try to keep me in the dark just so I wouldn't stop being useful.

She never made me complicit in a thousand nightmares and lives ruined for the sick joy of some otherworldly voyeur. Compared to that, I suppose a few murders were easier to stomach. But I couldn't be part of it. Not once Mary told me what was really going on. I know what you say, what you think you're doing. Saving the world one poor doomed soul at a time. I mean, I understand I do, but I

couldn't be a part of it. Not when I saw what happened to everyone else you involved. I had to get out to escape this place. I had a son to look after. He needed me. Or so I thought. And that's when you turn nasty, isn't it? When all your resources, they no longer want to serve their purpose. I suppose you didn't know there was a way out, a way to escape. But if you had, would you have told me? Mary, at least, played straight with me. She knew all about the Institute. And when we were married, when she was sure I could handle it, she laid it all out for me. The powers, the rituals, all the messy little cogs of the games you play with the universe. She laid out her own plans as well. Her dreams of

power. In many ways, I guess they were no better than yours. But at least she didn't bother to hide behind noble aims. Maybe that's why I chose her in the end. At least she was honest. Or perhaps I actually was afraid. Terrified of the crossroads where I'd found myself, and I chose the option I thought might keep Jerry safe. At least if I was home with him I could perhaps soften the edges of his mother. I suppose I never really understood. No matter how clear the situation was, how well it was explained to me, I just couldn't see the parts of it that I didn't want to. Two years I tried to figure out how to quit. How to leave this place.

And when I finally did. When I felt the watcher's grip slip away. It left me in such a state I was no more used to Mary. And she did what Mary does. It was fitting, I suppose. Even after everything. She made me taste blood one last time. Well, thank you for that. I'll make sure it's stored somewhere safe.

Right. Something wrong? I just... I thought it would be more of a relief. I'm sorry, it wasn't as cathartic as you were hoping. But we had an agreement. Yeah, I know. we had an agreement. Yeah, I know. So, how did you do it? How did you quit the archives? It was actually really simple. Not easy, but simple. You'll kick yourself when I tell you.

Okay. You were almost there, you know. With your theory that James could watch us through any eye, even an illustration. So what did you do? How did you sever that link? My God. I left to avoid dragging my family, my son, into this life. To try and look after him. But Mary decided that a newly blinded husband was simply too much of a burden. Did you need to do anything special?

Any ritual? Just as long as they're useless. I went the extra mile, destroyed them completely, but I'm sure you'll find something neater. The strong acid precisely applied? That sounds more your style. If you decide to do it, that is. I don't know. No. It's not an easy sacrifice to make, is it? I still have work to do. Don't you always? Yeah. Anyway, I think I'll probably do some

research of my own before the rather extreme step of blinding myself. It's the only way. Trust me. I tried them all. Yes. I remember. So, was there anything else?

No. No, I don't think so. Then if you don't mind, I think I'd like to go away now. Yes. I think that's probably for the best. Your certain burning will work. If it doesn't, I'm sure you'll figure something out. Then let's get it over with.

If you see Mary again, tell her... No. I guess there's not really anything else to say. Fuck. Oh, right. Hello, again. Sorry, pal. False alarm this time. Oh, unless... Peter! Look, Peter...

John! God, don't do that! Sorry, I just... It's fine. You just surprised me. Jesus, are you alright? You look like hell. Oh, right. I'm kind of weak. Hungry, I guess. Sort of. I've been trying to avoid sticking to old statements. Thank you for your little intervention, by the way.

Look, I wouldn't have had to if you had been... Yes, no, I know, I'm sorry. That didn't come out right. Honestly, thank you. It's been hell, but I did need to hear it. Oh, um, good. Are the others helping? Oh, they've been keeping a very close eye on me.

But that's not important. Well, it is important, but it's not why I'm here. John, calm down. What do you want? I know. I know what you said. But I just... I think I've found a way for us to leave the Institute. Okay.

Yeah. But it's... It's pretty drastic. What, you've got to gouge your eyes out or something? Fuck off. Right. Right.

Right. Wow. Okay. Like, permanently? I don't know. I mean, I suppose. If your vision comes back, the Beholding probably does as well. Probably. But it's not like it's easy to only blind yourself temporarily anyway. Yeah. Yeah. Have you told the others? No, you're the first. Why? Because I trust you. I'm trying to think about what to do, and I... Well, if I did try this, I don't want to do it alone.

We could leave here. You and me. Escape. John, don't do this. Do what? Make it my decision. I'm not... I mean, could you even survive at this stage? Is there anything else keeping you alive? I don't know. I don't know. But

maybe it's worth it. The risk you and me together getting out of here. One way or another. John. No. No, of course, this was stupid. You have your own plans going on, don't you?

Just... Look, I need to see this thing through with Peter to the end. If what he's saying is even half true, I need to be there. But what if you don't? I mean, we could just leave. I mean, whatever their plan is for me, I am damn sure that doing that isn't it. I could derail everything. We could derail everything and then just leave.

What? Nothing. It's just... It's just ironic. That's all. Martin. Who are you kidding, John? You're not going to do any of that. I could. But you won't.

That's why you came to me, isn't it? You know I can't do it. Not now. You don't want to blind yourself. You don't want to die. What you want is a reason to not do those things. So, you come to me. Well, you're welcome. Because I can't follow you on this one. The loneliness really got you, hasn't it?

You know, I think it always did. Maybe. Well, I'll be here if you ever do need me. I hope so. Just don't wait too long, okay? If you haven't already. Yeah. Yeah. The Magnus Archives is a podcast distributed by Rusty Quill and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Sharealike 4.0 international license.

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