Fourth Fragment: The Secret Mission Part Two

[Reader]

We used to be all about the missing memories and Brandon as the cure for breaking open this lie of a world. But I think there’s another group that has spread through us like a virus. And I think I’m the only one who knows. They’re using us to get to Brandon, to get to you… to get to the Book. Sacha doesn’t see it. She’s blind. She was our leader and now it feels like she’s being led by someone else.

You have to keep The Timeline, it is important, aligning with Brandon is our best chance to reach him. I still believe that. But I think the Devoted are going to leave you with nothing at the last hour to take this for themselves. They’re not telling you everything. At the park, under the bridge, there was a note with the coin that led them to a buried package That’s where this latest trial came from. The audio from a cassette, and the mazes.

But they’re not giving you all the information Brandon left behind. Why? Why would they only dole out help at the last minute if they really wanted all of us to make it to the end together? Because they’re stringing you along, and planning to leave you stranded. They plan on connecting with Brandon by themselves. And now they want your Book of Briars too.

This isn’t the family I joined ten years ago. I don’t know what The Devoted are anymore. So I’m going to help you if I can, tell you everything I know, but you have to pretend on the forum like you discovered it on your own. Please. I’ve seen people disappear for less than this.

Here’s what I know from notes I’ve seen: Begin at the animals. The frog is in the fountain, the mouse is on the mushroom, the lion’s at the library.

I don’t know where the owl is (neither do they, but they’re close) but they know it’s hidden unlike the others and they know it has something to do with knowledge.

Please keep me safe and I’ll do what I can to help you beat them. I wanted to reach Brandon, that’s why we all signed on, but I don’t think Sacha is going to let us. So now I just want out. I’ll send more if I find more.

I have to go. For now. We can beat them together.

[Kelsey]

I think the first number might be 3?

The first’s at eight, a morn delight. But when’s the last that falls at night?

The clock plays its first nursery rhyme at 8 and the last at 6. The last song during regular seasons is Old King Cole - and he had 3 fiddlers.

The Real Central Park Zoo/Tower

[Leigha]

I think it would be 6, because it asks when’s the last that falls at night.

[Kelsey]

That could definitely work. Probably overthought that one

[Leigha]

Grand Central Station’s ceiling mural. The stars are misplaced.

Ah Ha! The clock in Grand Central, made by Tiffany’s has four opal faces.

[Leigha]

Murray Leinster, “The Runaway Skyscraper”
"Leinster’s first science fiction story, “The Runaway Skyscraper”, appeared in the February 22, 1919 issue of Argosy, and was reprinted in the June 1926 issue of Hugo Gernsback’s first science fiction magazine, Amazing Stories. In the 1930s, he published several science fiction stories and serials in Amazing and Astounding Stories "
“Leinster was an early writer of parallel universe stories”
In the Runaway Skyscaper series there are 8 stories. I don’t know if that’s the number we’re looking for or the total number of stories he wrote (a lot).

[grimangel53]

i go to lunch and suddenly miss everything. rock on. good going @H3RM3S!

now to figure this out!

[Leigha]

Above the L’s sanctuary, (the L train’s terminus at 14th and eighth streets)
A copper shrine to industry (a beehive clock)
4 workers upon its face

“Entrances are located at the corners of Eighth Avenue and 14th, 15th, and 16th Streets”
4 entrances. 4+4=8.

[Leigha]

Broadway , “curtains rise and doors close”
“calls for eight and sometimes 2”. Most Broadway shows start between 7-8pm, matinees typically between 1-3 pm.
The Paramount Theater (33 stories tall) has a clock

[Revenir]

Apologies if this has been posted somewhere, but I found this with a search of Nath’l Fisher.

“Dimly visible in the metalwork surrounding this clock on Duane St. is the florid inscription Nath’l Fisher & Co… The inscription is clearer on the other side (click for image). The business manufactured boots and shoes and also functioned as a wholesale dealer. The founder was Nathaniel Fisher (1818-1880).”

Not sure about the chemist thing, but I’ll keep looking. It’s a clock to match the other ones, at least?

[Robert]

Seems like you guys are doing great. I really can’t make heads or tails of that note, myself. Keep up the good work!

[Leigha]

@Robert, we’re looking for clocks on or near buildings in NYC. 6 of them.
Ignore the first 4 lines and last four lines of the poem (for now) Each two-line stanza between them is a coded instruction for how to find each clock. (and the numbers we need to “make the call”).

[Leigha]

@Revenir, there’s a drugstore nearby (‘chemist’) What I can’t figure out is where is the number we’re looking for. Dropped a cent between his feet, left this number on his street. maybe a manhole cover or some kind of medallion embedded somewhere on Duane Street?

[H3RM3S]

Kind of unrelated but what do we think the numbers on the disks mean? We should try to figure that out.

[Leigha]

We’ve got four of the numbers solved ( 6, 8, 8, and 33). We’ve got two more to go, The Grand Central clock and The Duane Street clock.
(edit) The Grand Central Clock, 88 keys. One more to go!

[Leigha]

We already did, they’re the ISBN# for a book about the architecture of New York. Also most likely the number we need to enter at theforestofdarkeningglass, once the devoted uploads the next files. That is, if they do.

[Revenir]

Speaking of the Devoted, when should we pretend to solve the cloister puzzle publicly? They might cut us off if we don’t “solve” it in time.

[Robert]

We’d have to backtrack to the maps, but yes. We should probably post Tom’s maps and reasoning. If we post farther then that they’ll know someone told us about the Cloisters.

In terms of the Grand Central clock. It mentions keys and someone playing the piano. Maybe 88 for 88 keys on a piano?

[Revenir]

Do you have the address of the drugstore? I couldn’t find it. I was looking at the address of the clock (144 Duane st) on google maps street view, but I didn’t notice any numbers.

[Leigha]

It’s at the corner of Duane and Broadway.