Episode III: The Basques

The Basques

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ARCHIVIST

Statement of Jacob Grimm, regarding a the disappearance of the last speakers of the Basque-Icelandic Pidgin. Original statement given as part of a letter to Robert Smirke, September 19th 1863. Audio recording by Jonathan Simps, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.

Statement Begins:

ARCHIVIST (STATEMENT)

Salutations Robert Smirke

I write to you of troubling events, as I know of no Other who can interpret them so. You know that I study matters of Language, as a Philologist, though I also take a keen interest in Folklore and oral History which brings me in contact with the Subnatural. Yet the Tale I share here has brought me Face to Face with it like never before.

I had recently been informed of a shocking Discovery - speakers of the purported Basque-Icelandic pidgin alive! Despite my old and frail Age - I requested that instead of visiting them, they should visit me to document their Language. I simply wish my Brother Wilhelm, God rest his Soul, has been present to do so wirh me. They obliged and travelled all the way here to Berlin.

This is where the Trouble began.

They were lodged in a newly built Hotel that had recently taken on the design of a Door by an architect by the name of Bockhacker. It purported to be a 'Door without Draft of Air' and operated on the complex Principle of spinning round allowing Folk to travel around a central fulcrum point clockwise.

The Basques adored this new Device, and would spend all Day walking round it. Sometimes they would run into it, and one of them procured a whelled Cart with basket on top in which they would push Eachother towards it.

The Manager at the hotel became gradually irate at this childish Behaviour and politely requested they stop. I translated as best I could but the Basques demanded one last spin. 

The Manager obliged and all half a dozen Basques piled into the Cart, with One pushing. To the Manager's horror they began building Speed, gaining pace up to the door. He shouted but little could be done - as the final Basque hopped inside and the Cart came crashing into the door.

The Door erupted in an Explosion of Glass. And here is the mysery of the tale - we finally peered back to look there, both the Door and the Basques were no more. We expected bloody Vicera draping the Debris, but instead the Cart was all that remained - completely empty.

I believe this matter most suited for you due to your Research and abominable Architecture. I hope that you can help bring some Clarity or Classification. The Lesson I have learnt from this whole Ordeal, however, is simple - don't put all your Basques in one Exit.

I look forward to your Reply,

Jacob Grimm

ARCHIVIST

End statement.

Always a treat to find a piece of history tucked into the wrong section of the archive. Obviously there isn’t much follow-up to be done here, but to slake my own interest I have done a little bit of digging myself, which I include here for completeness sake. 

Jacob Grimm is indeed one of the two Brother's Grimm - Wolhelm having died only four years previous - and this brings up some rather interesting possibilities about their tales. Jacob, incidentally, wouldn't have been able to receive a reply from Smirke - as he died only one day after the date of the letter. Which rather begs the question…

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