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Oscar takes the train back to London and starts asking around about Roby.
A person buying a book mentions that Randolph Carter had known Roby, and the next morning he can set up some time to talk to him.
Huh, wasn't that the guy Terrence talked to at the party? He seemed a bit much. But that's like 40% of his customers; he has a lot of experience in this area.
"They pathologize anyone who thinks differently. Who dares to look beyond their tiny circle of what people should care about."
Or about socialism. But that doesn't seem like Carter's bag honestly.
"Yeah. So I'm here because someone you know is locked up and it's for pretty fishy reasons. Is there any chance you remember an Alexander Roby? In an asylum, specifically, I mean."
"Oh, yeah. He was a sweetheart. It was horrible what happened to him. He might get out?"
A sweetheart, huh. "He does seem very sincere and like he's going through horrible things. And yes, we're working on convincing the psychiatrist he's harmless and should be free. Sounds like you knew him well and understand his plight, maybe you can help?"
"He wrote a book?" Oscar follows weird niche literary developments closely. This is a bit shocking. "He did mention something about his work. I feel for him-- it's extremely hard to write while imprisoned." Especially without writing implements but that's where Oscar comes in.
"Der Wanderer durch den See, published in English and German. It had a very small print run."
Oscar has vaguely heard of Whitehall. It's a small press, it sells... books.
He can't remember anything else they published.
He's probably ever sold anything they published.
"Right, Whitehall. I've carried some of their work before-- must have missed Roby's book somehow. It was a good book, in your opinion?" He doesn't really want to read an entire book by someone who admires The King In Yellow, and to be honest Whitehall is an entirely forgettable press in general. But it might be useful.
"It's a fascinating case study of a man's dreams. Sort of... toes the line between fiction and nonfiction?"
"It's about coming to understand a power that is essentially unknowable and far greater than man."
"Sounds very poetic," Oscar says in a measured tone of voice. "I should see if Roby likes Surrealism, lots of interesting stuff going on there with dreams. In any case-- that does sound partly biographical. Based on what I've heard." He feels kinda uncomfortable discussing the details of Roby's psyche with one of his admirers but if he's making art about it maybe that's not as bad.
"I think it was supposed to be autobiographical. Even though he calls the dreamer 'the man.'"
"Yeah. Slip of the tongue, sorry. I've heard he has some strange recurring dreams. He may have been influenced by a certain play." Sorry Roby. "Are there any-- recurring images, or motifs, in the book?"
"The dreamer calls the power 'The King,' but once 'Kaiwan' and once 'the Unspeakable One'. And eventually he visits the city of Carcosa. A place of beauty and contentment, although fundamentally inhuman."
He "may" have been "influenced" by a "certain play".
"Randolph, may I ask if you know the work Roby's referencing?"
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