Howard Doshen

**Howard Doshen** was an editor for the New York Times and former coworker of Martin Rank.

## Biography

### Phase Three

Howard's name was briefly brought up in Phase Three in an email uncovered by Aether.While recruits worked on Fragment Eleven and Marty worked on Whistler, Aether continued searching the web for clues. In that, he posted a message for Marty, in the form of The Low Report. The podcast held a series of numbers that lead to a link on the Magiq Guide's website, which included an email from Marty's former colleague, Howard. Aether had added a note that said, "Found this. Even though he couldn’t believe. He loves you. Many who care. You are a brave, good man. Sometimes we are alone. But alone doesn’t mean wrong. Sometimes we are alone because we are only one who’s right. They need you, Marty. Mountaineers. On same side. Don’t have to be alone anymore. Tell them." The message revealed that Marty had been retired from the New York Times for many years, after the incident with Brandon Lachmann.

I'm sorry if I didn't react well at lunch. I was really happy to see you after all these years, really. Any bad blood there was is long gone, and never all that deep to begin with. It was a horrible accident, but that's all it was. There's no conspiracy. Don't you see how these thoughts have spiraled into the stuff you were telling me yesterday? He's not alive. He's not trying to blow open some global conspiracy from the shadows as an adult. He's just not.
You're trying to make sense of something horrible and painful that doesn't make sense and it's going to crush you. I worry about you, your mind, your sobriety. I don't want to get soft, but you were my brother, Marty. I feel like I lost a family member when you walked away from the paper, from your life.
I don't know what else to say. There's no conspiracy. If there was you have to believe I'd be there with you, fighting that fight. All that stuff you said, The Santa Colette Six, the girl in Jersey, those are fringe cases where kids went missing and then came back. They're not connected to the kid who drowned in the tunnels. I honestly wish they were. I would love for you to be a champion for them. Be the guy who rips all this open and uncovers the truth. But there's no truth. You deserve more than this. You're a great writer and one of the greatest, bravest men I've ever known. Please don't throw the rest of your life away on this. People who believe in conspiracy want the world to be richer, deeper, more resonant than it is. It's just life. And it's ugly and painful and without reason. But it's still worth living.
Please call me.
Howard.

Marty came clean after the email was found by recruits. He had been deeply depressed after the events with Augernon, feeling that every time he tried to do something good, someone would get hurt.

### The Monarch Papers: Flora and Fauna

Howard first appeared in Chapter 2, The Times, as one of the first real reporters that Marty encountered. As a teenager, Martin had tried to publish real, hard-hitting stories for his high school paper, but was rebuffed by his teachers. He went to the New York Times instead and spoke to Howard on his cigarette break. Having convinced Howard of his passion for true journalism, Howard agreed to publish his story of high school corruption. The story was published in the business section and left an impression on Howard. As Howard rose to the role of editor, he hired Marty once he graduated from college.

## References

1. ↑ http://forum.basecamp33.com/t/solved-fragment-eleven-durkonos/735/1447