Work Text:
[A MOTEL, SOMEWHERE IN AMERICA]
[CLICK]
(Distant background road noise, the rattle and cough of an old air conditioning unit. The sound of a door closing.)
TIM
Welcome back. Any news from the outside world?
(A shaky sigh, then a short, sudden exclamation from the Archivist. The creak of bed springs as Tim jumps up to steady him.)
TIM
Whoa, hey now. Easy there. You all right?
ARCHIVIST
(hoarse, a bit strained)
Yes. Just...got dizzy is all.
TIM
That’s been happening a lot. You sure you’re all right?
ARCHIVIST
I’m fine, Tim. Stop fussing . You sound like Martin.
TIM
Martin usually has the right of it.
(The Archivist makes a grumpy noise. Tim sighs.)
What’s that? A letter?
ARCHIVIST
Yes, um..the man at the...at the front desk had it for us. I don’t...I don’t know how anyone even knows where we are to send us post, but..
TIM
We're on the great American road trip to find a dead man who might tell us how to stop a circus from ending the world, and mystery post is what gets you?
ARCHIVIST
Fair enough.
(a pause, intake of breath)
It's from Elias.
TIM
(immediate)
Burn it.
ARCHIVIST
What?
TIM
You've got that spooky lighter. Burn it and be done.
ARCHIVIST
Spooky lighter...?
TIM
Come on. The spiderweb one. You always have it on you.
ARCHIVIST
(distracted)
Mm, yes…
I-I think I need to open it.
TIM
Why? Who cares what the fuck Elias has to say?
ARCHIVIST
I do. I'm sorry, Tim, I don't like it either, but Elias is...the only person right now who I know has some answers.
TIM
Yeah, answers he refuses to give you until it's convenient for him. You can't trust him, Jon.
ARCHIVIST
I know. I don't trust him. I don't. But I...if he can tell me anything about what's going on... isn't it better to know?
TIM
Fine. Open the damn thing. I can't stop you. Just sit down before you keel over.
(Bed springs squeak again, then tearing paper as the Archivist opens the envelope)
ARCHIVIST
It's a statement.
TIM
Joy.
ARCHIVIST
"To tide you over." H-how does he...?
TIM
(a bitter laugh)
Right. Of course. Of course it's not just a regular illness. It's something spooky, some creepy eldritch bullshit --
ARCHIVIST
Tim--
TIM
How can you be so calm about this? You're away from your regularly scheduled diet of trauma for a few days and you what, start to go into withdrawal? And Elias knew, he knew this would happen, he probably posted that before we even left, that bastard--
ARCHIVIST
Tim, please...I need...god, my head.
TIM
All right, all right. Sorry. Read it. I'll just... Be over here with my fingers in my ears. Poke me when you're done.
ARCHIVIST
Right. R-right. Um...
Statement of Howard Ewing, regarding his interview with an unidentified member of British Transport Police. Original statement given February 1st, 2010. Audio recording by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.
Statement begins….
--
[LATER.]
TIM
Done?
ARCHIVIST
Yes. Yes, I...
TIM
Feeling any better?
ARCHIVIST
I...I think so, but I'm just...tired. I'm going to go to bed.
TIM
Jon--
ARCHIVIST
Tomorrow, Tim. Please.
TIM
Okay, fine. Tomorrow.
[CLICK]
[THE NEXT MORNING.]
[CLICK]
(The sound of the door opening and closing, then the slide and rattle of curtains being drawn. An inarticulate groan from Tim at the light.)
ARCHIVIST
(his voice much stronger, almost chipper)
Good morning.
TIM
Nrggh.
ARCHIVIST
They had breakfast out in the lobby. The coffee’s foul, but it might wake you up.
(Tim makes another inarticulate noise. He takes a sip of coffee, and the Archivist laughs at his noise of disgust.)
TIM
Feeling better, then?
ARCHIVIST
Much.
TIM
Hmph.
ARCHIVIST
Tim…
TIM
I know. I know.
I'm glad you're feeling better, I am. It's just...I hate this. This whole thing.
ARCHIVIST
I’m not exactly thrilled about it myself.
(Pause for a sip of coffee. The silence is heavy.)
TIM
So. Are we going to talk about it?
ARCHIVIST
What is there to talk about?
TIM
I mean...what does this mean for you? Do you need statements to survive now? What happens if you stop?
ARCHIVIST
I don't know. And I don't particularly want to find out. At least not right now.
TIM
Really? You're just going to lean into the eldritch bullshit?
ARCHIVIST
I-I suppose? You saw how I got. Dizzy, vague--sometimes it felt like I could barely string a coherent sentence together. I can't afford to get that bad again, not while we're here.
TIM
But there has to be some other way--
ARCHIVIST
I don't think there is. Not right now, at least. I--for whatever reason, it seems I need the statements to stay well. If Elias sends more, I have to keep reading them.
(Tim huffs, and the Archivist sighs in response.)
I don't like it any more than you do. But I don't think I have a choice. We need to keep going, to follow Gertrude's trail, and I can't do that if I'm ill. Maybe...maybe once we get back, once we stop the Unknowing we can...experiment. But right now, I need my wits about me. We both do.
TIM
I just...what happens to you if you keep going? Will you keep becoming more dependent on them? What does that look like? Will the written statements be enough? How do we--
ARCHIVIST
I don't know! (a pause.) I don't know.
TIM
It scares me.
ARCHIVIST
(softly)
I know. It scares me too. I don't want this, Tim. But we don't have a lot of other options.
(A long, long pause.)
TIM
Okay. Okay. Statements it is. For now.
ARCHIVIST
Thank you.
TIM
But when we get home, we’re going to figure out a way around this. Elias isn't getting any more of you without a fight.
ARCHIVIST
(tired, but smiling)
You promise?
TIM
I promise.
[CLICK]