The Experiment
Chp 10 (Southwark Cathedral)
The Cathedral's clock told me that it was twelve minuets past midnight now and I figured we we're okay to get out and have a look around.
I spoke in my softest tones to Rosalie walking on eggshells because I was uncertain if she had yet recovered from her earlier breakdown.
" I think we've waited long enough now it should be okay to go take a look around."
" If you think your ready to Rose?"
She was staring blankly ahead but the second I finished my sentence she snapped her head in my direction looking me directly in the eyes.
" You can stop speaking to me as if I'm some sort of delicate fragile widow or something, Edward!"
" I know what Emmett has done!"
I suddenly felt a small sigh of relief surge through me. This was the Rose I had known now for almost a century now, barks first asks questions latter. I was certain that her feisty temperament had returned intact.
Her thoughts also reassured me that she was well on her way to recovery
" and I intend to fix his mistakes and set him right as soon as we find Carlisle first."
Rosalie was certain now that we would find Carlisle first, and she was feeding my own determination for us to succeed. Remembering our purpose here I got out of the Mini Cooper watching as Rosalie followed me now.
We crossed the narrow road and approached the glorious Southwark Cathedral, which had been lit for the night. Buildings like this in London were frequent all over the city. However I was nonetheless impressed by the Cathedral's grandeur and stature. The tall stained glass windows and intricate gothic stonework were wonderful to behold. Rosalie interrupted my musing on the building with her exasperated tones.
" Let's get on with this Edward." What exactly are we looking for here?"
I was in for it now! She would most certainly not be pleased with my response that was for sure.
" I'm not actually certain to be honest"
" All I've got here is a map of the cathedral and its extension throughout the years".
I reached into my back pocket retrieving the wrinkled old map of the grounds around the cathedral and the adjoining church and burial grounds.
This was where my particular interested lay at the moment. I was certain that Carlisle could have only one reason for keeping tabs on a building like this.
It must have meant something to him during his human life. I wondered if he had possibly visited the cathedral with his father. Had they attended religious services here in the days before Carlisle had been turned?
Rosalie was obviously getting impatient I could hear her foot taping against the pavement as she snatched the document out of my hands.
After a mere 10-second assessment she exhaled loudly and rolled her eyes looking up at me.
" Isn't it obvious what we're looking for here Edward?"
" He's marked all the graves out with dates."
I was shocked as she pointed all round the map to the small and clear X's that were accompanied by dates. How had I not noticed them for what they were I wondered. Before I had thought that the date we're to list when each extension was added. However I had failed see that their we're too many dates. It would not be feasible to have so many extensions to the building. There were also many repeat dates as well.
It was clear now they were graves and some of them went as far back as 1220. However the majority of the dates listed were from the 16th century onwards.
Rosalie walked off in one direction and I went in another examining as I went any remaining evidence of tombstones or graves sites. A large majority had been completely wiped out all traces of them removed however many important ones remained.
I was shocked to discover a name that even I knew and was familiar with listed as having died in and being buried durring the earlier part of the 1600's. The name listed was not one of a renowned or famous man.
However I assumed that his brother's prestige's place in history had warranted him a space in the respected cathedral grounds. I stood near the remains of what was once Edmund Shakespeare the brother of the famous playwright had been buried here near the cathedral in 1607.
I now approached on a grouping of graves with dates ranging from 1603 to 1685, however I could not find the one I was looking for. I knew he would have to been buried some time around 1660 but their were no Cullen's listed any where on this map as far as I could tell.
I was beginning to give up hope and turned back in search of Rosalie. I found her near the front of the building starting transfixed at the large circular window, which resembled a Rose. I figured she was just finally noticing the beauty of the building and admiring the stained glass windows as I had been doing before. However this one I had not yet really looked at and I wondered why she was so memorized by it.
" What are you looking at Rosalie?" I whispered
Her response was delayed as she turned her head to look me directly.
"Its just annoying they haven't fixed it yet there's a piece of glass missing in that Rose shaped window at the very top right edge of it there".
I looked now where she pointed and sure enough noticed a small brightly lit gap in the glass window above.
This struck me as a bit strange as well and I looked down at my map again not even certain why I was doing so at this point. In very small and red print was labeled the exact date December 12th 1660 in the top right corner of the rose shaped window on my map of the cathedral.
" Rosalie that's it!"
"You're Brilliant!"
Suddenly it all made sense now and I was not shocked at all that Alice had been right of course. What we we're looking for was already gone and I was certain that Carlisle had taken it recently.
" That's what we've been looking for out here Rosalie!"
She gave me the worst kind of frown and I braced my self as her mouth opened again. I ready for the retort this time.
" A gap in a window?!" " We came all the way out here in the dead of the night to find that there is a gap in this window!"
She did have a point to her exasperation with this I was frustrated my self. What on earth could Carlisle want with a broken off piece of ancient stained glass window?
" I don't think it's an intentional gap put their Rosalie." "I'm pretty sure somebody broke the window and took of that piece."
" I'm looking at the map here and the date listed next to the window's gap is as close to Carlisle's death as I'm willing to take a guess on. "
Rosalie had been staring up at the window again and she now looked back at me with a slightly disturbed expression crawling into her features.
" Why on earth would Carlisle want to document something like that?"
As my family all knew Rosalie would forever suppress the circumstances and details of her own early demise and we could never blame her. I myself would hardly welcome with joy a return to the city of Chicago the place of my own ultimate break with mortality.
" I'm not sure Rosalie but I'm guessing it has something to do with what he's trying to accomplish here".
This all had to be connected somehow and I felt we we're just standing on the edge of a breakthrough.
At that very moment the wind gusted a strong forceful blow removing the treasured map from my strong and firm grasp as it blew. It was fortunate that my attention had been engaged otherwise as my reflexes where affected by this.
Instantly enough however I ran after the map, which had not blown away far. It was resting now near the bottom of the black Iron Gate that surrounded the perimeter of the building.
It was however not the only article I saw resting on the stone just beneath the lower bar of the gate. There was also a small plastic ID card. It looked temporary it was laminated paper with a small Polaroid picture in the top left corner.
It was a visitors badge from the research department of King College Hospital London. The photo recognition was instant he had not even bothered to travel under a false name. Carlisle would probably need to use his medical license in order to do research in the building. He could hardly turn up as a nobody and expect to be able to go wandering about the hospital as he pleased.
"Get in the car Rosalie!" I shouted louder than was necessary.
She instead ran to my side grabbing away the evidence for the second time this evening.
" Kings College Hospital, Do you know where that is exactly?"
I was sure we had passed it on the way to Dulwich College my memory infallible after all, however I could not recall the exact street address. Rosalie chuckled slightly as she flipped the badge over in her hands pointing to the back, which read:
" Property of Kings College Hospital London. If found please return to Kings College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 9RS.
We dashed back to the Mini and again I entered the postcode into the Satellite almost bouncing up and down with elation, exhilaration, and anxiety. We had now found where Carlisle was working the question was would we make it their in time?
--
So I know your all seriously puzzled ! I promise i know where this is going!
I'd love your theories on things PLEASE! I will consider giving cash prizes to the reader who can determine what Carlisle wants with the Glass window?
If you care to take note I've made it exactly 12 past 12 on the clock and the Exact word count of the content of this chapter is 1660. This is Carlisle's death date for the purposes of my story! Just thought you'd like to know how crazy I truly am!
Also for those of you who care I've posted a link to a picture of the place all lit up at night and with Christmas lights as well!
Its at Flicr .com /photos/parmiter/2353147554/
Good Stuff yet to come people!!
XXXX
Ashkey