[For Steerpike] Till the least of the last is dust...

[77th_emo_earl]

It's been some days since the poster went up in the main room, asking for any information on the whereabouts of Titus Groan, and some might think the trail is going cold. But the only thing going cold is the weather.

At some distance from the house, well into the woods, well past the Stone Table, Steerpike might find something disturbing: a lump with longish brown hair, protruding from the deep snow. There might be a foot sticking from the drift several feet away.

It's as disturbing as it sounds, and it's likely going to take a while to find the rest...

Title taken from the Schoolmasters' verse, aka the lyrics for the main title theme for the BBC miniseries. Primarily for Steerpike, but given the condition that the body is going to be in, it's likely to turn into a limited mingler...

Comments

[not-snake-bite.livejournal.com]

Steerpike was just going about, taking a long walk for himself. He's not had much action of late, his life, in fact, feels almost normal, though he occasionally wonders where the annoying half-brother went.

It must be fate.

It must be irony.

At any rate, he'll stumble upon the hair. And after a moment of vague horror.... he'll start digging.

[77th-earl.livejournal.com]

As he digs deeper, he'll uncover a very familiar face, though by now, it's gone pasty-white, the skin like cold, damp ivory to the touch. The eyes are half open and cloudy, but the face is unmistakable.

[not-snake-bite.livejournal.com]

Well, for once in his lifetime....

Steerpike is going to SCREAM.

Like a girl.

[death-dawg.livejournal.com]

Jacquel has been combing the woods, in dog form, sniffing at the snow -- which helps him to cover more ground quickly. But hearing that scream, he lifts his ears and scampers off in the direction of the sound. Before he gets within eyeshot, he phases back into human form, stepping into Steerpike's line of sight. "Sir, are you all right?" he asks, concerned.

[not-snake-bite.livejournal.com]

"--- d----- d---- dead."

Is all that Steerpike manages, pointing at the corpse.

[death-dawg.livejournal.com]

He follows the direction of the young man's pointing hand. He's found bodies in just about every condition imaginable. Dismembered in the snow is a fairly unusual one. He steps closer, kneeling down, and carefully turning the head over to examine it. "Was it someone whom you knew?" he asks. He hasn't met Titus, but the thought crosses his mind that this may well be their missing young man.

[not-snake-bite.livejournal.com]

"Aye," is what Steerpike finds to answer, for a moment.

And then.

"He was from Gormenghast."

And no-one hurts him.

Except me.

[death-dawg.livejournal.com]

"Were you both from there?" he asks, simply acquainting himself with the young man. He really doubts this young man is the killer: no one reacts to a body like that, if they'd had a hand in the murder. From a deep, inner pocket of his coat, he takes out a short, wooden stake with a twist of orange plastic tied to it, and pressing it into the snow, marking the location.

[not-snake-bite.livejournal.com]

"Aye," Steerpike replies. "He was the Earl. I was the kitchen rat. I think we'd have been happier, though, had our places been swapped."

[death-dawg.livejournal.com]

"Rather a bit like Mark Twain's 'The Prince and the Pauper'," he says, reaching into another deep pocket of his coat and taking out a black plastic bag, unfolding it. "Do you know if he had any enemies here?" he asks.

[not-snake-bite.livejournal.com]

Steerpike has no idea who this Mark Twain of yours is, Jacquel.

He'll have to go read, though.

"None," he lies.

Seeing as he's one.

[death-dawg.livejournal.com]

Luckily, this is the nigh side of the hall of judgement and Jacquel can't see Steerpike's intent, though that paucity of words is a little odd. "None that you know of?" he asks, laying out the plastic bag and opening it.

[not-snake-bite.livejournal.com]

Steerpike takes a bit too long perhaps to make up his mind, but his answer is perhaps more earnest than he would like it to be.

"Aye," he says, again.

He's trying not to look disturbed, but he is.

[OOC: And in the spirit of wrapping up things, how about we assume that they bring back the body, without too many questions being asked, and call it a wrap?]

[death-dawg.livejournal.com]

That works for me! Jacquel has also ruled out Steerpike as a suspect: he's too unsettled to have had a hand in what happened; that and he feels a certain amount of sympathy for the young man: no one needs to see that.

[not-snake-bite.livejournal.com]

Great, thanks! <3