A most curious doctor’s bag

I was in London recently. A layover, really. I only had a couple of hours, so I decided to see Baker Street before catching my flight home. I needed to stash my luggage at the train station, but there were no lockers. Apparently there are no lockers in any of the London stations. I asked if I could leave my bag at left baggage, and the woman behind the counter smiled at me and said sorry. As I was leaving I noticed an old closet, and thought I might hide my bags there. The door was unlocked. On a dusty shelf were some paint cans, and what appeared to be a doctor’s bag. I confess I took the bag, and never did see Baker Street.

The bag holds, and I am not making this up: an Erlenmeyer flask full of blood, I think; a dissecting kit; a bat skeleton; a rat skull; a locust; a stylized frog’s head; a death certificate; a hand written list; the interior workings of a music box; a locket; a medallion with Hebrew lettering; a key in the grip of some hemostats; and a brass unicorn.

The death certificate is for a woman named Victoria Phibes. Died at 21 years of age. Cause of death was possible carcinoma and “syncope following radical resection”.

The 10 plagues of Egypt.

So maybe this is Victoria Phibes. And, weirdly and creepily, the music box plays Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I really don’t know what to make of all this. Any thoughts?

~ by Rick on April 9, 2018.