The Gold-Bug

Dear all,

I apologise that this has taken so long to post.

According to Sonia's request, here is the apology that you all deserve. Put very simply I am sorry for my conduct on Saturday night and my behaviour prior to that. It is only now in the cold light of days past that I fully realise how inappropriate my actions were. My obsession with the code and finding the treasure turned me into someone I'm not. I am never as hostile or as willing to think the worst of people as I have been recently.

I do not have an excuse, merely that since taking over the hunt, it has been the only thing I could think about, the only thing that could excite me, something I could pursue. Sonia had been a great friend to me and I guess when I first took over it was out of duty to my friend, helping her at a difficult time in her life. Gradually, consumed by the hunt, I forgot our friendship. I became suspicious of everyone regardless, it is truly a horrible way to live when you feel like you can't trust anyone. The last thing I wanted was for my friendship with Sonia to become like that of Grandison and Moray. Please believe me that whilst my recent behaviour has been less than exemplary, unlike William Moray, I was never after Mr. Grandison's money.

In response to the message posted yesterday, thank you to the members of Scooby gang for the message you collectively posted, it is moving to see such loyalty to the cause. I do not care if you were part of the Scooby gang, it is now water under the bridge and I hold no grudges whatsoever, if I'm honest I quite admire your audacity.

To all Hunters together, I should say that the hard work, the time and level of ingenuity that has gone into the puzzle solving has been overwhelming, Mr Grandison and I would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Speaking of Mr. Grandison, a special mention should go to Peter and Alex for showing Mr Grandison round the puzzles in the Masque, you were patient, polite and most eloquent. I owe an extra apology to Bonnie, in my paranoid state of mind I singled you out, this was cruel and wrong. Your contribution to the hunt has been immeasurable, and I'm so sorry now for how I behaved. I've learnt a lot from this. It's going to be a new Phil here now.

We now have the chance to come together again and solve this mystery once and for all. The end is nearly upon us and I'd be honoured if we could all be there.

Allons-y!

Phil Harper

P.S. There is *no* hidden code in these words so do not try and find one.. :)

P.S.
I wanted to post the above quickly, but I read the recent debate on the forum about whether we should be granted access to the Scooby gang's secret forum. I think it's up to me to take the Hunters' lead on this. So here's the new nice Phil Harper.

I recognise the type of site it is from the information I was sent by the Scoobies' mole. I understand that for any of us to gain access, one of the Scoobies would have to give us their personal key. It's not like this forum where all you need is the url. And I understand that their forum by its nature was a more private place. For any of us on the outside to demand access would be a little bit like asking to read someone's diary. We have the absolute right to ask them to share their information which we can see them do now - I just need some assurance from you Steve M that you're actually human and not some walking super-computer! But I have to say that if Sonia posts us the genuine code in response to this, of which I have no doubt although we may need to be a little patient as I'm guessing she's far away, then we have all that we need to find what Moray buried, as I will post photos of the Voltaire letter.

So I'll say it again, we now have the chance to come together again and solve this mystery once and for all. The end is nearly upon us and I'd be honoured if we could all be there.

Allons-y once more!

Phil

P.P.S.
I'm going to be so bold as to suggest that we will have solved this in good time for a week Sunday, Sunday 30th March, and that all Hunters are if possible together wherever we need to be then. If not, don't worry, you won't be forgotten.

Phil, what a gracious post. Let's hope we can all now work together and thanks too for pointing out that there is no hidden code. That saves an evening's work looking for it.

I wonder if it might be possible to scan the relevant letter and see if some of the brighter codebreakers can make anything of it even without the proper sheet of code.

I get the impression that there are a lot of bored people desperate to get their teeth into something - anything!

Im thinking a group hug might be in order.

Dear Phil,
thank you for your apology! I apologise too, as I was very defiant if not a bit mean with you!
Looking forward to Goldbug day - the 30th March! I hope to see everyone there. United.
Best,
Bonnie

Alright. I'll go with the flow. Though I will say this: I think people have recently been waging an emotional war in what I believe has been a battle of wits. It's like bursting into tears when someone takes your bishop. I still do not see why we can't have access to the other forum on a single separate password. It's hardly like reading another's diary - they barely know each other.

I second David S' comment.

I'll be in Ireland on the 30th - but I just managed to buy 2 tickets for the 25th, so I'll go try to find anything that may be helpful - any suggestions? I'll try for the seance, and if one of my musical friends comes with me, I'll try for Moray's chamber as well. Maurice has plied me with vodka on the two times I've attended before, so maybe I could try asking him for the key instead?

Oddly enough I'll be in Ireland too. But I look forward to the beautifully crafted prose that will be the full accounts of my fellow hunters!

Thank you Phil, I am so glad to finally hear from you, it will help to restore everyone's faith in the group! Wonderful to meet you on Saturday and you Mr Grandison. I hope now we are back on track.

I am so pleased that with Phil's post everyone seems to be coming together. I have been reading the forums with much confusion over the last few days. I have not known what to say that could ease the friction. Of course I have no hard feelings, I just want everyone to work together. I hope that we all truly forgive any discrepancies and put them behind us. We are going to get to the bottom of this one together I hope.
Although a bit late I want also to say how lovely it was to meet you all on Saturday. A big thank you to Zoe for recognising my gold and Dom for both easing my apprehension and putting up with my temporarily inhibited vocabulary. And a smile also to Bonnie, Steve, Peter, Charlie and The Flagrant Plaigerist for being especially lovely. Though you were all lovely I just happen to have forgotten some of your names. :)

Wow I am such a hippy! I second the group hug!Xx

Phil - I'm very impressed with your posts. And very flattered (I think). Now we just need to hear from Sonia, who I hope is happy and well.

I'm at MOTRD on 29th March so I'm ideally placed should there be any really last minute investigations necessary !

I have concert tickets (Kate Rusby) for the evening of the 30th so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a day-time rendezvous - but somehow I know I'll have to be wherever / whenever we need to be.

Well said, Phil.

I'll look forward to seeing you on the 30th.

That makes three of us in the group hug! : D Got to be a game in that.... (ponders off into the distance)...

hellodean and Dom W, I think there are a couple of snaps of you out there - want to see them?

Yep! Definitely! Xx

'Where are they?' would have been the logical response!

I'll join that group hug! And thanks hellodean, you were lovely too!

oops. need to lose the Berenice. Sorry.

On email... we'll try to get them to you if you have posted it... be warned, almost everyone has a double chin!

PS, Phil, I can confirm that Steve is, in fact, a computer.

Oh dear! I am not looking forward to that, but curiosity and nostalgia will overcome my vanity! It's tanyadeanatgmaildotcom Xx

Rats! What events have passed while I was away from this site!!! Amazing! I wish I had been there Saturday. However, I look forward to Goldbug day!

hellodean - I return your big thanks. I didn't know anyone either so you were a bit of a lifeline to me too!

Plagiarist - thanks for the offer of the photos. I look forward to seeing a vision of myself several years from now (or at least I hope I don't really have a double chin now!). I'm at dominiclwilliams at yahoo.co.uk

No worries :)
My double chin will be worse than yours no doubt! So fear not!
Why are we still awake and checking the forum?! insanity perhaps?

It's definitely not healthy - it's about the fourth time I've checked today. My excuse is I have to check something in my emails for tomorrow. Yet to open my email account though!

Four times!? You sure it wasn't more!?
I have no excuse!
...anyway I will stop clogging up Phil's message... sorry guys. Praise be Plaigerist for the random chat thread!

if anyone has a double chin it's my fault as I took the pic- and I should point you to the '15th...' thread for my equally ham fisted movie links.

Glad so many of us are feeling better.

Now does anyone have a socket set? I had to change a blown
valve in Steve's central drive engine and until i screw his head back on he can't make any posts.

how could I neglect to thank Phil?
it was a pleasure to accompany you too, and i had hoped i had treated mr g well enough, though I admit to having a little trouble conversing with him, and feared he might find a night at the masque a journey equivalent to traversing the alps.

I recommend beards as being very effective in camouflaging double-chins and hiding circuit boards ;)

ahh. Phil. you are a brick. Thanks and it was almost kind of fun moling.

I love happy endings and this one is tantalizingly close!

BiBi/Mrs Bedbug/ Madeline/Robbly.

Phil

Thank you for your apology.
I'm sure you're not the only one who finds the hunt is the only thing they can think about.
I don't suppose you have heard from Sonia?
Let us know if you do.

Robbly, who are Bibi and Mrs Bedbug?

I think those are the aliases Robbly used for his moling activities.

Nice to feel the love back in the posts.
Looking forward to the 30th.
I'll be gold shoeing it again whether it is required or not -it just makes me feel excited putting them on.

After feeling decidedly underdressed at the last gathering, I may have perhaps, sort-of, slightly purhased a gold suit.

I should probably add that it doesn't look half as hideous as you're imagining.

I think we should definitely continue the gold theme! It was fun! I also enjoyed doing goldbug tattoos and will be happy to provide them to people again! I may have to take some drawing lessons from Charlie though. His looked ace.

I have so few gold clothes, loads of silver, shame that. And I just bought some silver shoes!

Hmm...I am possession of some gold facepaint though!

I cannot wait to see the gold suit!

I was in the circle on Saturday night, and very belatedely I'd like to apologise to Peter A for being the first to accuse him. Although he has since come forward as a Scooby, I had no way of knowing that at the time. My accusation was based soley on him rather suspiciously (and hastily) leaving the cirsle just as we were about to start nominating. So Peter A, please accept my heartfelt apology. As soon as everyone subsequently started self-nominating, I had a "Doh!" moment, and realised what I really should have done with my vote.

Delighted to see all the reconciliation that has gone on in the past couple of days. Things were getting rather depressing for a time there. The posts from Sonia, Mr G, Phil and all the Hunters have been excellent.

Finally, I just wanted to say what a pleasure it was to meet some of you on Saturday. I'm not great with names, but I remember chatting to Alex and Karen, and it was good to put faces to some of the other Hunters.

Looking forward to the 30th very much.

gold suit... respect.

Lets hope for the gold suit's sake we won't be digging up Battersea park.

Nah, if we're honest it's far more consistent, logical and likely that it's all somewhere in the Arts Centre. I mean, it would be nifty to take us all on a trip somewhere else in London- perhaps another building set up somewhere close by or something special like an old residence of Coleridge but that would be quite a departure from how things have been so far and would stretch their resources and our imaginations further.

wow - things have turned and turned and turned! In answer to Steve M's (or was it T) long ago question - I am not a hunter, but I share an office with one, and have become as addicted as he to the search for gold. Sadly I am hopeless at solving code or puzzles of any kind, and so fear I may never be admitted to the hunters club. I am however a lover of stories, and wonder if perhaps the events of the past weeks could be reflected in one of Poe's stories? A story that might provide a clue to take you further in the hunt ...

Afriad not, Peter, but I've think I found his spare battery.

Dear All,
So nice to feel the tone of joy return. I'm lucky enough to be going to Masque again tomorrow. If anyone has requests for me to try and fulfil, I'll try my hardest. Looking forward to seeing you all on the 30th.
Clare T

Hello Clare,
Nice to hear your account.
Just try to count the number of paces along Lavender Hill from the corner and see how far you get. Also have a look down the cask of amontillado passage in the cellar (although the stewards might not let you go down there)

I've only just learnt about the Hunt, rather late in the day, after finding out what I could on my own two visits to the Masque. Is it too late to become a Hunter? What do I need to do to join? I have just spent the best part of an afternoon being drawn into this incredibly world!

Elena: 'tis a tad late but Phil is your dude... he may be kind: we're meeting next Sunday from 6 pm... hope to see you then!