PRIMORDIUM NULLA RETRORSUM
Chapter 9
AUTHOR: TowandaBR, Thisbee, Lady Cris Krux
Translation, Lady Cris Krux
DISCLAIMER: All of the characters of the series "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World" are property of John Landis, Telescene, Coote/Hayes, DirecTV, New Line Television, Space, Action Adventure Network, Goodman/Rosen Productions, and Richmel Productions.
SPOILERS: After HEART OF THE STORM
To all people who keep TLW alive by any means.
Once again thank you: Cris, Katybelle, Santa Crux.
Also in Portuguese: "PRIMORDIUM NULLA RETRORSUM"
"Here is the other ones, Malone." - Roxton arrived, bringing some of the journalist's journals. Ned was comfortably seated in the ground, in front of the lit fireplace, surrounded by some more copies.
"Thank you, Roxton."
The hunter went to the opposite side of the room, returning with two bottles. He removed his shoes, sitting down besides his also barefoot friend, to whom he offered a glass, already full of the scotch and water mix that would keep them sober for hours without withdrawing them from the drink's pleasure.
"Are you sure you want to do that, Malone? We can think about another solution."
"I'm sure that I don't want to do it. But I will..." - Ned threw the first journal into the fire. - "And you? Are you sure that you wouldn't like to read them?"
"Is there any secret that I should have known?"
"I wrote reflections about Summerlee, Challenger, you, and…" - the young man made a pause.
"Marguerite?" - Roxton smiled, and his eyes got lit just by pronouncing her name - "Whatever you had written about each one of us, Ned, it is the true." - The hunter threw the second journal into the fire.
Weeks before, the three of them had taken an important decision, and distributed their tasks.
Malone went back to downtown, collected his things, and drove to Avebury, where was comfortably hosted in the Roxton's manor, with a very important mission: exclude or change in his journals any reference that could give any clue about how to find the plateau. If it became necessary, he would add false clues to divert any explorer from the real goal.
When Roxton invited him to leave the boarding house and move to Avebury, at first Ned felt ill at ease. He would have to quit the job that, although not paying a lot, maintained him. Despite all his natural insecurity, since he was very young he got used to maintain himself, and he was not willing to live, even if for a short period of time, to Roxton's expenses. Noticing Ned's hesitation, John called him for a personal talk.
"Think about it as a job. The most important job of all."
"I know, Roxton, but I don't get why I should quit my job and move to your house. I won't be at ease."
"I will give you several reasons. One: You have to complete this job as fast as possible and you need good conditions to perform it - you cannot make a mistake. Two: we don't want any curious fellow deciding to seek you or, even worse, somebody invading you room and stealing your journals. Three: I am one of the richest men in all England and offering you a shelter won't bankrupt me. Four: Enjoy all the comfort that you can now, because if everything goes well, soon we will be running from raptors, hunting our food and fixing the treehouse. Five, and more important..."
"What?"
"You will obey because I am older and taller than you. I can punch you."
"I am faster and you would never reach me." - the journalist laughed.
"You became very impertinent, little rascal." - the hunter ended the discussion laughing.
Unlike Malone who went to Avebury to accomplish his mission, Roxton's job would demand that he was seen for as many people as it was possible to.
He assumed his role as the last and noble representative of Roxton's clan. He went to all the events he was able to, and he seemed to have a good time with all that pomp.
If somebody asked him about his adventures, the hunter pulled a chair, and assuming a deliberately arrogant attitude, he kept talking about his feats for hours.
When anybody asked about the Challenger expedition, he seemed to become even prouder, and he told the adventures in details, emphasizing how much he had been important, helping and usually saving his trip companions. What nobody ever noticed was that, behind those hall's vainglories, there was not a single veridical situation, and that was exactly the hunter's secret diversion. To deceive those fools attentive to histories that never existed, and that they would spread out all around until they reached the ears of the fellows from the Zoological Society.
Roxton also made fast trips to the interior of England, and those had a single objective: to spend money. He saw no sense in simply leave everything behind, and decided he would made good use of his fortune. He chose places distant from London, and carefully wrote down everything that he needed to know. After that, he would come back to downtown's noise.
He was also in charge of the preparations for their journey. For that, he ordered supplies using another name. They were expensively sent through cargo ships directly to a rented warehouse in Belem.
John also went to Italy, where he looked for a factory that could make a balloon in the shortest time frame possible. He paid much more than what the balloon was worth, and made it to be shipped also directly to South America.
Sometimes he needed to be alone for some time. However, his soul was not lonely. In his innermost Roxton knew he would never be alone.
Although he was the source of the plan, Challenger hated the mission he would have to accomplish.
He left immediately to London, to join the great expedition of the Zoological Society. When arriving, he was informed that the preparations would take some months and that they would take the most modern equipments. George got scared when discovering that besides scientists, hunters, geologists and doctors, among his trip companions would be mainly former-members of the artillery and infantry of the British army.
Well armed, they were men trained for the combat and not for the scientific exploration. It was terrifying just to imagine what could happen if they would meet the Zanga, ape-men or any other plateau community.
Challenger made every effort. He was the first to arrive at work, and the last one to leave. In the meetings, he participated actively with (false) information, suggestions and contagious enthusiasm. He made everything that could maintain that expedition always more distant from the target.
In his heart, he wished for the day in that he would finally come back, with his friends, to his home.
The scientist entered the room, meeting the journalist and the hunter.
"Take a glass, George. Join us."
Challenger smiled and sat down close to his friends, who served him with something to drink. He helped to throw the remaining diaries into the fire.
"Can I ask you a question, Malone?" - the scientist snapped, without waiting for an answer - "I read the new version of the journals and I think it's excellent... But I am curious about one thing..."
"...there is not one word either about Marguerite, Veronica or Finn." – John interrupted.
"Exactly. Why?"
"I wouldn't like that any reference about them was shared with people who didn't knew they like we do. That's all." - Ned simply answered.
"A toast to that." - Challenger raised his glass, and the other joined him.
"This was the last one." - Roxton threw the last journal that was in his hands into the fire.
"No." – Ned interrupted. He got up and went to the closest table - "This is the last one." - Malone warmly caressed the leather cover of his most precious possession at that moment, and threw it into the fire under the surprised look from his friends – "Let's not take any chance…' – He drank the remaining scotch from his glass.
"It's better we go to sleep, my friends. Tomorrow will be a great day."
They woke up before five in the morning, and the last preparations were concluded. Before they finished the breakfast, the hunter got up.
"Roxton, could you please put this in the beginning of the book?" – Ned asked, handing him a piece of work facing up, clearly indicating an implicit authorization for the hunter to read it.
"For two wonderful ladies."
"It will be my pleasure." - Roxton smiled - "I'll be right back... Coburn?"
"Yes, sir."
"I need to talk to you."
The hunter escorted the old man to the office, and offered him the chair in front of his desk. Roxton opened the locker, from where he took several envelopes. The butler was curious.
"I have some things that I would like you to do. As you probably have already noticed by all the arrangements, my friends and me are about to leave. And believe me when I say that I don't have any intention of coming back." - the man got surprised, but kept the low voice tone that was his characteristic.
"I beg your pardon, sir?"
"I'm leaving, and its better that you don't know more than this. But I have some things that I would like you to do."
"Certainly, milord."
Roxton took several envelopes tied together, with a string.
"Each envelope should be taken personally to their addressees. Each one of them contains a considerable amount of money and actions. I want you to be sure that each one of the orphanages and boarding schools maintained by the convents listed here will make good use of the money. In addition, never, at any moment, mention my name. Say that it is your donation, or don't say anything."
He took one more envelope.
"In here you will find a book and resources to publish it. It will be done in chapters, in pamphlet format, to be sell weekly in the streets of London. Just a warning: not a word, not a comma, must be increased, excluded or modified. You can read it if you want to, but just after our departure."
"Consider it done, sir."
"And now, the last thing." - he took one more envelope and handed it to Coburn who waited for the instructions - "Open it."
The butler obeyed, and after looking to its content, he faced the hunter.
"Sir... I... I cannot accept it."
"Coburn, everything is already in your name. This property and the other few remaining things are yours. Enjoy a little bit your life, my friend." – Roxton warmly hugged the man whom he always counted with.
"If you won't come back, how can you be so sure that I will do everything you are asking me to?"
"I can have a lot of defects, but I'm proud to always choose my friends well." - the hunter smiled, leaving the place.
After months of preparations, they proceeded to the harbor from where, installed in the best accommodations available in the ship, they finally departed to Belem.
Seated in the office of his new house, Coburn opened the book that his former boss had trusted him with, and started reading:
"1. There Are Heroisms All Round UsMr. Hungerton, her father, really was the most tactless person upon earth,..." (1)
TO BE CONTINUED...
Please R&R
(1) The Lost World – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.