S-L-O-W-E-S-T Conversation Ever

You finally catch up with Marley again, this time keeping your distance. He seems to understand, and also stays back. While you're trying to figure out how to communicate, Marley starts waving his hands around. It takes a moment for you to realize that he's tracing out letters with the glowing tip of his finger. He's in the middle of saying "I A-M F-E-E-L-I-N-G R-E-A-S-O-N-A-B-L-Y W-E-L-L- F-O-R B-E-I-N-G C-O-N-V-E-R-T-E-D I-N-T-O T-H-E E-N-E-R-G-Y T-H-A-T M-Y B-R-O-T-H-E-R-, E-B-E-N-E-E-Z-E-R S-A-...."

There's more of that, for quite a long while. Eventually you spell some things back, and establish that Ebeneezer thinks Marley may be adding to the frusion drama. Marley replies that he was "R-E-A-L-L-Y-, R-E-A-L-L-Y A-F-R-A-I-D T-H-A-T M-I-G-H-T B-E T-H-E C-A-S-E ..." and that he's resigned himself to having to go. He asks you to relay the message that he's just fine, and he's going to go exploring in the center of the Earth for a while, somewhere away from the things of man. He does say he'll (briefly) check back in with Ebeneezer once every year. You're asked to deliver the message to the elder Samuels that he should put on his EEK meter ever year on Christmas Eve and wait for Marley to visit him.

With that, Marley fades into the ground, sketching out the world's slowest "G-O-O-D-B-Y-E-, M-Y F-R-I-E-N-D W-H-O I H-A-V-E J-U-S-T M-E-T" and you're left with only two more frusion spirits to visit before the night is out. No, just kidding. You go tell Ebeneezer the whole tale, and consider the case mostly wrapped up. Ebeneezer thanks you profusely for your assistance, and hands you a little phial filled with the prettiest frusion pieces he could find as a gift.

As a parting note he says the remaining frusion creatures should wear themselves out in as little as just another day, he suspects, but you're welcome to keep helping them along if you're so inclined.

You got an item: phial of Samuels

Location(s)

• Hyde Park streets
  

References

• Contains some hints at A Christmas Carol, Dickens's novella on which the names of the brothers are based.