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[nascensibility]

Hallo. Erm. I have...multiple announcements, I suppose. One is that the book club we established months ago, which fell to the wayside when there was an unfortunate incident at the library-

[Murder. It was murder. And she found the body. Let's move on.]

-is going to start up again. I've posted a sheet on the library doors for people to recommend books they would prefer to read and discuss. Secondly, and more importantly, I know that just about everyone has noticed the riddle the Duchess left. Far be it from me to encourage the scurrilous behaviour of questionable individuals, but those of us who have been here for some time know better - when last we were given a riddle, Wonderland was plagued by all manner of unfortunate fictional monsters.

[The late and grieved Mark Meltzer, in all his investigatory influence, has left a lingering effect on his pupil and peer, who appears steadfastly determined to solve this particular puzzle before any more beasties burst forth from the Mansion's belly.

It should be noted, dear listeners, that Evelyn is planted firmly in front of her library niche, where a good portion of the wall has been taken up by papers and notes, some of them a year old and others freshly scribed, a few bits of red string linking facts and events together. Is it the work of a professional archaeologist and researcher, or a manic conspiracy theorist?

You decide.]

I've begun compiling old notes from the last riddle and put them alongside my notes from this one in the event there are connexions. There are a number of hidden words and statements, you see- the...the most evident of these are the bolded letters that form the word "mount," the green letters that spell "closet," lower and upper letters spelling "liar" and "old," et cetera. But there- there is absolutely more to this, more than I thought there was-

[She reaches for two larger pads of paper, one of which has a series of zeroes and ones with text beneath it, the other dots and dashes accompanied by tiny notations that detail the numerological meaning of the number eight.]

There is further hidden text. Holding a finger over the word "true" in the message, there appear ten figures of three dashes and two dots, Morse code for the number eight. Over the word "cost," there are dozens upon dozens of ones and zeroes. It's a binary code!

[If she looks frightfully ecstatic, it's because she loves being smart.]

I've translated it to uncover a hidden poem which may, perhaps, raise more questions than it will answer them, but I should like everyone's input. This is something we have to solve together.

Comments

text;

[radiopalkiller]

[ Philip underlines same thing, and adds: ]

EXACTLY, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT THE DISPLAY SAYS

[ He goes back to the (7) and (84) in his first sentence, and circles them, scribbling unevenly underneath: ]

ROOM NUMBER?

KEY FOR A CODE?

[nascensibility]

[Evelyn abandons her writing because she remembers, belatedly, that Philip can hear her through the glass. She recalls her own time on the other side, and not fondly.]

All right, so- so the actual display says seven minutes and eighty-four seconds.

[Philip has a point, and he clawed his way through an underground facility with a number of codes, keys, cards, and feral dogs.]

The binary code suggests mirrors and reflections, some of us have wondered if the sword could be hidden on your side. I could check rooms seven and eighty-four on- [Oh, God. Which floor? Or maybe one is the floor and the other is the room number?] No, I- floor seven. Room eighty-four. I can check it on this side, and you can check it on yours?

[radiopalkiller]

[ Philip has his doubts himself, but even Red's riddles were more comprehensive than this bloody thing they're being made to chase here. At this point he would be entirely unsurprised if the Duchess was expecting them to find one singular useful clue in a barrel of red herrings.

At least their current way of communicating spares him that rant. ]

WILL DO. MEET YOU UPSTAIRS?

[nascensibility]

See you there!

[Frantic skipping-up-the-steps aside, Evelyn is only harried because she worries that the majority of the hints mean nothing, but wading through them is the only way they might find the needle in the haystack.

The room is covered in Mark's handwriting, the walls, the- the furniture, the ceiling. Treading softly across a carpet covered with the same design, Evelyn can safely conclude that this is nothing more than a snide comment on how very wrong she is.

She pulls a THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE SEA sheet off of a standing mirror, expression of trepidation glued to her face.

Waiting for Philip.]

[radiopalkiller]

[ On the other side of the mirrors Philip frustratedly tears through walls covered in French Toast recipes, only to find massive amounts of nothing whatsoever, and a window to the other side, partially covered in some absurd tapestry as well, with Evie already standing behind it.

Philip quickly pulls out his pen. ]

NOTHING USEFUL HERE

MIGHT THROW IN THE TOWEL TO BE HONEST

LISTEN UNLESS YOUVE GOT ANOTHER LEAD FOR

ME TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS SIDE I THINK ILL

TRY AND GET SOME READINGS NEAR THE

CORE INSTEAD

OK?

[ Not the most refined thing he's ever penned, not from any angle, but the prolonged mirrorside holiday is starting to wear on him. ]

[nascensibility]

[Philip's response is frustrating, hardly ideal, but if he's lacking a resource then the best course of action might be to move on. Evelyn nods.]

Nothing on my side. I'll see you when this is over.

[A happier thought, perhaps then she can clear the air about Will. Evelyn almost turns to go before pressing a hand to the glass.]

...Philip? Be careful.

[radiopalkiller]

[ He hesitates halfway out the door, but Christ, no, this isn't an "unspoken response will do" kind of thing, especially when he can't actually speak, or even let her see an encouraging nod. He steps back towards the mirror, palm pressed against hers in unseen reciprocation. ]

WILL DO

GET US HOME SOON

GOOD LUCK

[ He pockets his pen, and doesn't linger after the last line. ]