MAG 193: A Stern Look

An examination of Elias Bouchard. Recorded by The Archivist in Situ.
==Pre-Statement==
Jonah Magnus is in his office, channeling the fear of the world. Jonathan Sims tells Martin that Jonah's finally become an immortal king of the ruined world. John speculates that for someone so close to the Eye, being the eye's pupil is probably both agonizing and blissful. Martin asks if John can smite him, but John says that Jonah is too close to the Eye to be smote. Martin suggests trying to reason with the real Elias, or even good old-fashioned murder. He suggests they find Jonah's true body and kill him. John speculates that the original body is gone, lost in the terror. He says he needs to do a statement again.
==Statement==
Elias sits across from James Wright, being interviewed for a job at the Magnus Institute. Wright's judging eyes remind Elias of his own father. Wright (whose lines are spoken by Jonah Magnus himself, as opposed to the Archivist) asks Elias what he is afraid of. Elias does not want to say that he is afraid of Wright's eyes, filled with curiosity and judgement, so instead he says he is afraid of spiders.
Suddenly, Elias cannot recall if he was really afraid of spiders or not, and vividly imagines a spider crawling up his body. His daydream is broken by a cough from Wright, who almost appears satisfied, as if given an answer he likes.
Wright asks if Elias has had any supernatural experiences, and Elias recalls a time when his friend, Allan Schrieber, found an old book with no library markings and only blank pages within. Later, Allan told Elias in a panicked state that some eyeless thing saw him through the pages. Allan could sometimes see it, coming closer and closer to him. Finally, Elias found Allan dead, blood splattered all over the room, his eyes missing. Elias does not tell Wright about this.
Wright asks Elias why he wants the job. Elias begins to give a prepared answer, but stops when he realizes that Wright knows the real answer: the Institute is simply the first step on the path to the position he actually feels he deserves. Elias recalls suddenly that he was sent a letter inviting him to interview despite having not sent out a CV (résumé). He tries to start over and give the answer again, but Wright stops him, asking why he chose to "heed the call" of the Institute. Elias responds that he somehow knows this is where he should be, and Wright promptly gives him the job.
Elias has a brief vision of an event which, unbeknownst to him, is his future possession by Jonah Magnus. He tries to smile, and thanks his new employer for the opportunity.
==Post-Statement==
John ends the statement, and Martin notes that it was an intense one. John tells Martin that Elias is gone, dead, with no hope of getting him back. He says that Martin was right about Jonah Magnus, that is still vulnerable through the body of Elias. John could destroy it, but that would mean the Eye would need a new pupil: John himself. He tells Martin that this is likely exactly what the Eye wants.
Category:The Magnus Archives Episodes