Going back to a beginning of sorts is the best way to explain how I met Mr Immanuel Paley. Some months before the incident in the Chinese desert, I was working at Newcastle University with Dr Mayola Guilder on a piece of research in relation to Dystopian worlds. Dr Mayola Guilder was a very warm and welcoming woman, with beautiful afro hair, like the iconic activist Angela Davis. In her late forties, Dr Guilder often liked to research and teach on her main specialism, Utopian and Dystopian worlds, the ideas of perfect places and unpleasant ones. Dr Guilder was a great co-researcher; she was passionate, healthily ambitious, and very inspiring. She was someone in the department of the social sciences that I looked up to.
It was nearing time for the University Christmas break when the snow started to fall in Newcastle. The large fluffy drops of snow came down thick and fast neatly laying on top of each previous sheet of white. The snow was a beautiful sight, covering any blemishes, stains, and sad looking grass of the city. I decided to take a winter walk out in the snow. There was always something exciting about snow, and it seemed to signify the start of a truly festive feel for the Christmas ahead. As I walked through the snow, hearing a small crunch every time I shifted my weight from my left foot to my right, my ringtone started to chime. I pulled off my right-hand glove with my teeth and then pushed my right hand into my coat pocket to retrieve my chunky phone and to pull up the ariel on the top. As I pulled the phone out, I looked at the screen, it was a withheld number. I was sceptical about who might be calling, thinking it was most probably an unwanted call, but I answered it, nevertheless. I grabbed my glove being held firmly between my teeth with my left hand and shoved the unused glove in my left pocket.
"Hello," I started. As I was about to ask who it was, I got the answer immediately, I recognised the voice, there was no mistaking it.
"Hello, A.J. what are you doing right now? I need to meet you," it was Dr Guilder. She spoke more quickly than usual.
"Hi Mayola, I was just having a walk out in the snow, embracing the time of year," I replied, "Where were you wanting to meet?"
There was a pause then Dr Guilder instructed me, "Meet me at the University, can you get there in twenty minutes?" I looked at my watch and replied in a heartbeat, "Yes, I can meet you in the Claremont Building," I answered.
It was unusual for Dr Guilder to ring me on a weekend and for her to wish to meet up unplanned, but I was happy to do so. I walked to the University at a steady pace and was there with one minute to spare. As I made my way into the building the heat inside made my cheeks sting slightly. I removed by gloves and hat and unzipped my coat to welcome the newfound warmth of the building to warm my extremities. I decided to walk to the fourth floor instead of taking the lift. As I reached the second floor, I heard quickening footsteps coming the other way. As I turned the corner, I saw it was Dr Guilder coming towards me.
"Turn around, we are going out straight away," Dr Guilder said holding a briefcase in one hand and shooing me back down the way I had come with the other hand, looking at me and then glancing back down at the stairs in front of her.
"Ok," I answered turning around and grabbing the opposite banister, "Where are we going?"
"We are getting the train to London," she replied.
"Oh Ok, this wasn't on our original schedule," I said, a little confused, "Is this to do with our research?"
"It is. OK I have bought us open returns for the train, all expenses will be paid," she replied, answering my question as quickly as she could, with minimal detail. We walked quickly and purposefully to the train station through the continuing snow flurry. The number of footprints in the snow seemed endless by the time we had made our way through the busy city centre. When we reached the train station, we checked the boards and saw there was a train leaving in fifteen minutes for London. We made our way to the correct platform, and I decided to sit on one of the seats along the platform and made myself as comfortable as was feasibly possible on the unwelcoming cold hard metal seat. Dr Guilder however spent the time waiting for the train pacing back and forth alongside the row of seats where I was sat, with a firm grip on her briefcase. Seemingly lost in her own thoughts.
The train pulled into the station a few minutes later and we made our way on with several December shoppers and some workers in suits, perhaps they had weekend business trips to attend to. Once we had sat down and the train doors had closed, accompanied by the familiar beeps Dr Guilder looked around and then opened her briefcase balanced on her knees. "I have information here from a gentleman. This is who we are going to see. I thought we could have a look through the documents together and get you up to speed on the journey," Dr Guilder said as she handed me the first document in the pile.
"Why are we going to see him on such short notice?" I asked. I was quite intrigued.
"Immanuel is having to move soon," Dr Guilder offered, "And I found out rather late on about this." With that Dr Guilder offered me a half smile. There was something, or several things, that she was not sharing with me at that point. But I was not too alarmed. 'She must have her reasons' was my thought at the time. And she was someone who I trusted, both professionally and personally.
Later in the journey, as I was busy scanning, yet another cryptic document that Dr Immanuel Paley had sent to Dr Guilder, she seemed to decide it was time to give me a little more information. Perhaps she was feeling a slight pang of guilt with the thought she may be deceiving me in some way. "Immanuel is being admitted to a mental health institute in London in a few days," Dr Guilder said quietly so others around us couldn't hear, "There will be restrictions on who can and cannot see him. I've been led to believe it will only be a select few family members who will be able to visit him after the move initially."
"Oh, I see," I replied. "This is not anything to do with our research project then?" I said, knowing the stringent rules around participation. "No, no," Dr Guilder replied shaking her head at the same time. "This is something separate," she added. I nodded in acknowledgement and went back to reading Immanuel's scrawling's.
Dr Guilder went on to share that Immanuel had experienced a very fortunate upbringing, coming from a very wealthy family. He had studied at Durham University as a young man and was a man of the natural sciences. His later published works, in popular academic journals focused on the idea of utopian worlds and stars and planets outside of our solar system. I could see why Dr Mayola was interested in what he had written. It was linked to her field and her passion, but why it seemed so important to see him in person was not clear at that stage. Particularly when it was not linked to our funded research project. Where did Dr Guilder get the money for our train tickets?
From what I could make out in Paley's handwritten notes he seemed to be talking about a perfect place, a utopian world. He referred to this perfect place as Eva's place. He worked on the logic that you can imagine a perfect place; therefore, a perfect place must exist. The same premise had been used for centuries to justify the existence of God by many, 'If you can conceive of God as the most powerful being in existence, then God must exist and be the most powerful being'.
I had come to the end of the final document Immanuel had sent Dr Guilder and she looked at me, waiting for my thoughts. Astronomy and physics were not my forte. I was not forthcoming with my thoughts, leading Dr Guilder to prompt me to speak with a mix of intrigue and a tinge of impatience, "So, what do you think?" she asked.
"Well," I began, "It is very abstract and philosophical, which makes it somewhat hard to follow his train of thought at times. But I must admit I am quite interested in meeting this Dr Immanuel Paley," Dr Guilder looked at me and smiled.
The train came to its final stop at London Kings Cross. Dr Guilder shuffled all the papers together and shoved them back into her briefcase. We followed the many other travellers off the train and onto the platform. As we walked along the platform to the exit Dr Guilder spoke, "Immanuel has promised me he has some evidence of his discovers that he is willing to share with me," she turned to me, "He trusts me. And I am hoping he will come to trust you too." There was a small look of sadness in her eyes. At that time, I wasn't sure why there was a hint of melancholy to what she was saying., but Dr Guilder soon brushed any blues away and offered me a smile.
We made our way to the underground and found ourselves at Holborn station. From there Dr Guilder took me to Lamb Street and we walked quickly through the busy streams of people walking in both directions. Dr Guilder grabbed my arm, "Come on keep up," she said. When we came to a stop, we were stood outside a beautiful tall building with a large wooden navy-blue door with a shiny golden horseshoe shaped door knocker acting as a lovely finishing touch to the front of the entrance.
"This is it," Dr Guilder said, waving her hand in the direction of the deep-blue front door. We walked up a few steps to reach the welcoming entrance of the beautiful Victorian style building which spanned three floors. I peered through the front window and could see how tall the ceiling was inside. Dr Guilder used the door knocker and we waited. As we waited, I thought of how my Saturday had so quickly taken a turn. Earlier that morning I could not have predicted that this would be where I was standing that afternoon.
Moments later the door swung open and there stood a man who I was guessing was Dr Immanuel himself. He was a tall and wily looking man wearing a tweed jacket and some tweed trousers and a bright yellow top that was quite offensive to the eye. He had a good head of white hair and a heavy gold looking chain running from one part of his jacket and into the left-hand pocket of the jacket. He slowly raised his arms flinging them out to his sides and then up above his head, "Welcome," he announced whilst taking a slight bow. "Mayola how good to see you, come in," he said cheerily, "And who is this you have brought with you?" he added theatrically waving a hand in my direction.
"This is A.J.," Mayola replied, "A.J. is working on some research with me at the University." I said hello and offered Dr Immanuel my hand for a handshake. He looked me up and down and then took my hand, offering a warm and strong shake.
"Do come in," Immanuel said as he let go of my hand and turned to return to the warmth of his home. "And close the door behind you," he added.
Immanuel led us through the hallway that had a beautiful staircase and intricately carved banister to our right-hand side. We then went through the bright green kitchen and into the dining room. The dining room had a very traditional feel to it, with dark wooden furniture. There was a solid wood dining table surrounded by six chairs, with a set of draws in the far corner of the room and a rather large bureau desk against the far wall.
"Please take a seat," Immanuel said, "Would you like a drink before we begin?" He was seemingly getting the hosting obligations started swiftly followed by saying "I will make us all some tea," and he glided out of the room before we could reply. Tea it was going to be.
I heard the water running and then the clinking of what I could guess were mugs and saucers. Dr Immanuel seemed to be in a good mood, and I could hear his humming and singing echo around the large kitchen and through to where we were sitting in the dining room.
"He seems Ok and capable to me, just a little eccentric," I said leaning over the Dr Guilder, so my voice did not risk travelling through to the other room.
"He has made some powerful enemies from what I can gather," Dr Guilder whispered as she leant over as close to me as she could get. I was about to ask a question when Paley came rushing through with a tray and I decided just to give a small nod to Dr Guilder in reply, not wanting to get off on the wrong foot with Dr Immanuel Paley.
After placing the tray on the table, Dr Immanuel sauntered around one side of the table handing us our cups and saucers then returned to the tray to pick up the tea pot. He elegantly poured tea into the three cups sat on the table, from a beautiful blue regal peacock tea set. I looked from the dining room through the folding glass doors, that separated the dining room and the living room. There was a comfy looking chair and sofa in there covered in books and papers. More papers were strewn all over the floor. It looked like there had been a Tasmanian devil whirling around in there causing havoc. I was guessing that the Tasmanian devil in this case was Dr Immanuel himself.
Dr Guilder lent down and pulled a pen and notepad out of her briefcase which was on the floor and placed the items on the dining table. She opened the notepad to the next fresh page. Dr Immanuel looked at me and then his gaze fell on the empty table in from of me, after which he turned to his deep mahogany set of draws. He made his way over to the draws and pulled one open and started to rummage around spiling papers onto the floor. He turned back around to face us both, with one swift move, and help some thick beige parchment up in the air triumphantly, "Here you go, here is some paper for you," he said, sliding the blank sheets of what looked like high quality paper over to me.
"Thank you," I replied. He then went back over to the large bureau and on returning to my side handed me an even more expensive looking pen. I thanked him again. He nodded and then walked around the table to take his seat opposite me. He pulled the chair out and sat with his legs crossed. He picked up his teacup with his little finger sticking out and took a sip of tea.
Immanuel began, "I am so close to unveiling the truth dear Mayola, the truth that I have kept concealed for years, that these fools want to cage me. But that won't stop me," he explained. "I made a promise, one that I will keep," he continued "Every living thing deserves justice."
We spoke to Dr Immanuel for two hours and as we did so his train of thought seemed to shoot off down different tracks. The many ramblings and meanderings through different lines of thought made it difficult to follow everything Dr Immanuel was saying, but I made notes, nevertheless. He seemed muddled and confused at points, but then sharp as a razor at others. And at times Dr Immanuel made a habit of alternating between calling Mayola by her name and calling her Eva. He would also refer to himself as Immanuel, Paley, Max Briop or Doctor. I asked him to spell Briop for me, it appeared to me to be an unusual second name.
Mayola seemed to be following Dr Immanuel's thinking much more clearly that I was able to, and she took the lead on asking questions where Immanuel appears to pause in his long dialogues. It was now dark outside, and the streetlights amber tinge fell over the snowy ground below. The conversation was drawn to a close by Dr Immanuel and we thanked him for his time and for the tea. I asked to use the bathroom before we left. Paley told me to make my way up the stairs and it was the second door on the left. I climbed the stairs, running my hand up the beautiful banister that hugged the stairs. Once reaching the last step I made my way across the landing and something caught my eye. The door to the first room on my right was open slightly and I could see what looked like very garish and detailed wallpaper. Fascinated by this I pushed the door open and saw that it was not wallpaper at all but was in fact a wall. The wall was being used as a huge pin board of sorts. There were threads of cotton spun around many small pins crisscrossing across the chosen canvas. I could only assume that Dr Paley felt there were links between the information that he had placed pins over, connecting them with these fine lines. Making up part of these homemade wallpaper were smatterings of images of the night sky and constellations. Several images seemed to be focused on a small red star. I could hear that Dr Guilder and Dr Immanuel Paley had made their way into the kitchen, which was confirmed by the clinking of cups and saucers on hard surfaces. I quickly left the room, hoping I had returned the door to its original position and headed for the bathroom. As I came out of the bathroom, there was Paley stood on the landing. Had he realised I had been in part of his house I was not meant to be in?
"I have something for you," he said.
I looked at Paley "Right," I responded, waiting for him to tell me what it was. I glanced over at the room I had entered without permission, hoping Paley did not notice where my eyes had strayed to. He ushered me into one of the bedrooms with a large four poster bed, a beautiful wardrobe with a matching set of draws and a lavish mirror in the corner of the room. Paley went over to the set of draws and opened the top draw. As he did so I took the opportunity to ask a question in relation to something I was curious about., something Dr Paley had said, "Why did you keep calling Dr Guilder Eva? I thought Eva was a perfect place, not a perfect person?"
He replied, "Why Eva is a bright star that offers the possibility of endless connections." I was not sure what his answer meant but did not think much of it after that as at that moment he turned to face me with a golden necklace. He moved towards me holding the necklace out in from of him, "Oh, I don't really wear any jewellery," I said, thinking it was rather odd that he would think I would suit the necklace.
"You remind me of someone," he replied, "I think they would want you to wear this. And if you have it, it is not going to waste hidden away in this draw." Without wanting to hear another word of protest he unpinned the clasp and put the necklace round my neck.
"There It suits you," he said. I was not in agreement with him but politely thanked him for the gift.
Dr Paley and I joined Dr Guilder downstairs and Paley waved us off at his front door just as theatrically as he had greeted us. Dr Guilder and I waved, then turned away from Paley's lavish but somewhat chaotic home and started our walk back to the underground. As we walked, I tugged at my woolly hat to make sure my ears were covered, it was a cold evening.
"Come on, we will go and get something to eat before we head back to the train station," Dr Guilder suggested. I agreed, as I was rather hungry.
Once we had eaten and had spoken about our meeting with Dr Paley, we returned to the train station. Dr Guilder thanked me for coming with her. "It means a lot," she had said. On the train journey back to Newcastle Dr Gilder fell asleep. I took the time to read back over the notes I had made when we were with Dr Paley to see if I could make any more sense of them.
When we got back to Newcastle the snow was much thicker than when we had left. I walked back to the University campus with Dr Guilder to make sure she got back there safely as despite sleeping on the train she still looked rather drained. We both wished each other a Merry Christmas and parted ways.
"See you after the holidays," Dr Guilder shouted after me as I started to walk away. I gave a wave in acknowledgement and headed back home.
That snowy winters day marked my first encounter with Dr Immanuel Paley. And I had left Paley's house with so many questions. He had offered me very little with his cryptic riddles, or so I thought at the time.