Chapter Seventeen: The Documentary Is Ready And An Experiment Is Tried.
It was June. Isabella was now at home. She was six months pregnant. The hospital told her to please rest. She knew technically all there was to know about pregnancy and having a baby, more or less. However, her dedication was such that she found staying at home a real problem. At school, it was half term. Formal exams, GCSE's, and 'A' levels had already started, plus there were all the internal school examinations. This meant a lot of sitting around for me in examination rooms, which was not a problem,
Yes, as dear reader you have probably gathered, each new chapter starts with the coming together of the Slippery Jake committee.
Detective Chief Inspector Higgins worked his butt off during the week. He was available 24/7 for any eventuality. His seniors cut him some slack on these Friday afternoons. He could cover the weekends no problem. The same applied to the two newly qualified Inspectors, Justin and James. Again, being totally in love with Lina and Magda, they wanted to spend all the time they could with them. The weekends for them were a different matter though. They could be 'on-call' at any time.
Of course, Percy and Humphrey were pretty much part of the furniture in the Lounge Bar of the Bull.
Doctor Amelia Smith, sister of the Detective Chief Inspector came along this time with Professor James Hudson. Their university terms had not quite finished at Oxford. They were becoming increasingly intrigued by developments. Many of their other colleagues wanted to turn up. They very much wanted them along as they could all certainly contribute a lot. However, the committee was starting to get a bit too large. Some kind of management of this was needed. Sandra and Kevin were there of course, with all their equipment, waiting to see if Old Slippery would reappear.
Plus of course, Pamela Parsons from the BBC was there. Yes, an extremely busy lady, but she could always find time for these Friday afternoon meetings. Especially this one, more on that later.
Three tables were now needed along the left side of the Lounge Bar, adjacent to the entrance hall. The other regulars in the Lounge Bar were well used to these meetings as well.
The learned religious visitors were also making the Bull a feature of their Friday afternoons.
Imam Mohamed Abdullah and Rabbi Abraham could not stay long on a Friday owing to religious services.
The Reverend Frampton and Father O'Halligan did not have these problems. They were also developing a taste for the fine real ales on offer at the Bull.
Both the Rabbi and Imam said they had to go. Pamela Parsons made sure they had copies of all the web links necessary to see the preview of the BBC documentary, plus email and Skype links. With this they both bid their adieus, promising to get in contact with Pamela Parsons if they had any feedback about the documentary.
There was one interesting newcomer, Jane Harrison, from the Society of Friends, a Quaker. The Quakers very much listened. They would not speak unless they had something really important to contribute. This was very much the case with Jane. There were no 'ego trips' with the Quakers.
Both Father O 'Halligan and the Reverend William Frampton, had like the Chief Inspector, taken to the delights of the Bull Public House, with its fine ales and food. Bethany, the Wicca representative, was of course keen on these ancient English ales that were still produced at the Bull.
This time Old Slippery did not need any prompting. That would be Lina or Magda cleaning his chair. He was already sitting 'regally' on his throne, rubbing his short goatee tenderly. This wispy beard seemed to come and go. He too was pretty familiar with this Friday afternoon routine. This was also the case with many of the customers in the Lounge Bar. The regulars also were getting pretty used to Old Slippery and didn't seem too bothered by him either. The Bull was doing very well. Beryl's daughters were now helping out regularly on a Friday. The downstairs Restaurant was also packed.
Many of the regulars knew of the Friday meetings. Some nearby loved to listen in if they could. Yes, the press had surreptitiously sneaked in. They were biding their time. They knew that the BBC documentary was in the 'offing'. The Detective Chief Inspector and Pamela Parsons knew they were there as well. Some copy and articles were produced from time to time, but they expected all of this to blow wide open again with the TV documentary.
Pamela Parsons had brought her laptop and set it up for everyone to see. There was a problem with volume so everybody had to lean in to hear the programme properly. This was the actual BBC documentary that was about to be broadcast. A set of headphones for everyone would not be practical. She had again sent secure web links to everyone with a copy of the programme with the express condition that nobody was to send copies out until after the documentary had been broadcast.
Even Old Slippery was leaning over from the other side of the room trying to see what was going on.
The documentary started with a summary of the life of Old Slippery. Both Professor James Hudson and Dr. Amelia Smith were featured. The event with the Russian Mafia was also referred to. Slippery's other descendants were left out. This was to save embarrassment for Sid the landlord and the Detective Chief Inspector. Plus inviting unwanted probing from the press.
The issue of 'his awareness' was dealt upon. Just what are we dealing with here? As I have said before, this is not your typical scary ghost in white sheets floating around the room.
Pamela touched on the more philosophical and religious aspects at the end of the programme. This where our debates at present were starting to head. The postgraduate students that were writing a variety of Phds on matters relating to Old Slippery were fully acknowledged in the programme credits.
Everybody was pretty impressed with the documentary. The general consensus was there was nothing that needed to be changed.
Pamela Parsons thought that these recent meetings with a variety of religious parties were moving the whole 'Slippery' investigation into new and very interesting areas. She had hinted this at the end of the programme. Was another programme needed for this or was this whole area so difficult to comprehend at the moment it would be impossible to do any justice to it?
It was at this point that Jane Harrison, the Quaker representative made an important point.
"I feel it is important that we continue these regular meetings here at the Bull Public House. And yes Pamela, they need to be managed. You are doing an excellent job by the way. This has thrown up many very profound issues. Plus using a wide body of religious, scientific, and 'lay people' so to speak"
"You mean us, dear lady?" Humphrey opinioned.
"Yes sir, good old common sense."
"Thank you ma'am" was his reply.
Dr. Amelia Smith and Professor James Hudson mentioned that colleagues of theirs were 'itching' to comer along. Colleagues at the Oxford physics department were really wanting to take 'readings' of Old Slippery, for example. Quite how they would do that and if the resident ghost allows them, would be quite a different matter?
It was becoming more and more clear that Old Slippery was developing a greater awareness of what was going on around him. He acknowledged the people around him. A number of us were wondering if we could get into direct contact with him and try and start up a conversation with him.
The general consensus was that Detective Chief Inspector John Higgins would be the best person to try this. He appeared to be one of Old Slippery's direct descendants and had a very good rapport with the Old Ghost.
At this point it would be worth noting that Dr. Amelia Smith, the sister of Detective Chief Inspector Higgins, was also a direct descendant, She too was once a 'Higgins'. She raised this at the meeting. She too might be of use but felt that a link had already been set up with the two gentlemen. Yes, the Old Ghost was freely roaming around her head. Was there something 'sexist' here? Being a Professor of Victorian studies this would not surprise her. However, she had enough on and felt that a degree of academic 'detachment' might be in order. So let the men get on with it, maybe?
This had all been telepathically read by Sid, the Chief Inspector, who both looked very sheepish. Old Slippery gave a big smirk. "These modern women really had become assertive, interesting."
Dr. Amelia Smith duly nodded back at him.
So there seemed to be a strange rapport starting to develop between. Old Slippery, the Detective Chief Inspector, and Sid the landlord. John Higgins had already mentioned that he had felt that Old Slippery was well and truly in 'his head'.
It was felt that it would be best to start with some simple conversations and build it up from there. Using there term 'okay' would not be any good as that did not come into general usage until after 1840.
Looking around the Lounge Bar it was pretty obvious what interested Old Slippery. Magda was busy cleaning a table ready for the next customers. This meant she had to bend over. This brought a big smile right across the Old Ghost's face. The Detective Chief Inspector lent over and said 'Nice', exaggerating the word. This did bring a response from Old Slippery. He 'mouthed back' "Yes, very nice!" The libidinous ancient ghoul again erupted in a huge grin. Magda ran across to James and seemed pretty distressed. Young detective James remonstrated with the Detective Chief Inspector. He was far from happy with his girlfriend being used as 'bait'.
Both Father O 'Halligan and the Reverend William Frampton were a bit taken aback by this. Pamela Parsons reassured them that this was the best way to grab Old Slippery's attention. It seemed to be working. The Detective Chief Inspector then took this a stage further.
He mouthed across to Slippery, "Are you happy now?"
The reply was pretty amazing, as Old Slippery produced quite a complex sentence in reply.
"Yes, given my present circumstances, this is as good as I can expect!"
Everybody in the Lounge Bar was following all of this transfixed. Beryl and Sid along with the bar staff were open-mouthed.
The remaining religious representatives were pretty nonplussed. Both Vihaan Bhat, the Hindu Priest, and Ashai, the Buddhist priest, said later they will go into deep meditation on these matters.
Dr. Amelia Smith and Professor James Hudson said that these turn of events have changed the gears up considerably. They too would have to ponder on these implications and see what could be done.
Humphrey looked up from his pint glass and said.
"Well ladies and gentlemen, we seem to have a horse that is charging away."
"I am inclined to agree Major." was Pamela Parson's reply.
"I will review Sandra's and Kevin's latest recordings."
I then added, "Is there any way I can help you, Pamela, as you must be extremely overworked.?"
"Just a bit!" She replied in an English sort of way. "Skype me later and we will see what we can do. Plus, I must try and keep in touch with all the parties involved."
"This is something I can also help you with.", I added.
"Yes, Paul. Thanks, get in touch later. The same with you Amelia and James, plus our new religious partners."
There was another factor. The press will certainly get 'wind' of all of this yet again, especially on top of the documentary coming out. There was a lot to think about now.