Part Twenty Nine

*A fresh beginning, a moment of quiet, a deadly game...*

### Content Warnings

Sneezing noises, train crashes, chase sequences, gun violence, assault/strangling/murder attempt, metal screeching.

## Summary

On a train to New York, John and Arthur discuss their plans to find the Order of the Fallen Star, and decide to seek information from Daniel. They are interrupted by a man with an out-stretched hand. Handing his ticket over, Arthur introduces himself as Will Henley. They comfort a nervous traveler, Percival Griffiths, before receiving a letter with Arthur’s name. Arthur flees, realizing the ticket-taker was not an employee, and deduces that Larson might have sent the man to harm him.

They head to the back of the train and discuss how to decouple the caboose to escape. The man arrives and Arthur narrowly dodges him. He introduces himself as the Butcher. The Butcher and Arthur have an altercation, during which Arthur decouples the cars. As the caboose trails behind, the Butcher gives Arthur one last smile and a tip of the hat.

## Synopsis

Arthur briefly has a flashback sequence to Yellow’s dialogue as he washes his face in the train bathroom. It is revealed that he and John are heading to New York, and purchased a suit, a haircut, and a mustache in Albany. The duo are arguing; as Arthur returns to his seat, John claims that Arthur is still treating him like a passenger. It’s revealed that the light-hearted argument started because John wants to see a movie and Arthur had refused.

Reminding him of the Arkham murders, Arthur nevertheless promises to see one in New York. Satiated, John drops it. They move to a quiet car and discuss The Order of the Fallen Star. They recall Matthew’s words about the Order. Arthur recalls that Bella’s father, Daniel, is a Freemason and there may be overlap between the societies. They decide to talk to him in New York, despite Arthur’s reservations.

Their conversation ends as John points out a man next to them, holding out his hand. Arthur hands over his ticket, introduces himself as Will Henley, and the man leaves. Another man enters, nervous and talking to himself. Arthur stays seated. The man sneezes, and Arthur hands over their handkerchief (to John’s chagrin).

The man introduces himself as Percival Griffiths, says that he’s nervous on trains, his usual traveling companion his absent, and thought Arthur might also be a poor traveler with his talking aloud. Arthur tells a short story to distract him.

In the story, a man named Mat Rullen trudges through Alaska, noting the uncaring forces of nature. All that he loved had died, and he is walking towards an old friend’s cabin. Upon arriving, his friend asks why he is there. Mat reveals he killed a man and had to leave California. His friend, revealed as Charlie, tells him he cannot stay, despite Mat’s pleading.

Before Arthur can finish the story, Arthur receives a letter from a pageboy. It is a single piece of paper, reading only ‘Arthur Lester’.

John notices the so-called ticket-taker is watching them and smiling. Arthur realizes the man is wearing a pinstripe suit, not a uniform, and starts to run towards the back of the train. In addition, Arthur deduces that the ‘ticket-taker’ was a ruse meant to confirm his identity, and that he intends to herd Arthur towards the back of the train. He theorizes that this man is sent by Larson to do him harm.

Arthur suggests trapping the man in the caboose and decoupling it, uncertain whether retreating to the rest of the train would endanger others. Arthur’s deductions remind John why he enjoyed investigative work; pleased, Arthur affirms that John is his eyes, and he’d “best be training them to think like [him].”

They enter the caboose and open the window. John remarks that it’s strange they didn’t see the man while they fled; realizing the man used the top of the train, Arthur dodges just as he attacks. Curious, the man remarks that Arthur isn’t looking at him, and asks if he can see.

They fight. Extricating himself, Arthur runs for the door. The man holds Arthur down as the side-rails bend, keeping Arthur’s head inches from the ground. Arthur tears his cheek. Despite having an advantage, the man lets him go, stating that he can’t leave the train with Arthur all over him. He is impressed by Arthur’s temerity, and introduces himself as the Butcher.

Arthur decouples the caboose beneath the Butcher’s notice. The Butcher again asks if Arthur can see him. Arthur responds that he can and asks why he kills, the Butcher responds with the phrase ‘memento mori’. The Butcher again asks if Arthur can see him, and Arthur responds that he doesn’t need to see him to kill him.

After Arthur refuses to answer whether he’s an innocent man, the Butcher responds that they’re alike. He drops the pin, revealing his plan, and leaps to safety on the adjoining car. As the caboose pulls away, John notices the Butcher smiling and tipping his hat to them.

## Votes

* Chapter 141: Get Up [26] / **Stay Seated [133]**
* Chapter 142: **Get Up to Get the Letter [137]** / Ignore the Call [22]
* Chapter 143: **Head to the Caboose [95]** / Stay with the Crowd [87]
* Chapter 144: **Try to Separate the Cars [165]** / Jump From The Train [14]
* Chapter 145: No vote.

## Trivia

* The fake name Arthur gives, Will Henley, is the author of Invictus: the 'I am the Captain of my Soul' poem, previously referenced by Arthur.
* 'Memento Mori' is a Latin phrase meaning 'remember [you have] to die', used to refer to the inevitability of death.
* A challenge was held on the official Discord’s Patreon channels to find the short story Arthur recalls to Percival. The story had no online PDFs, story summaries, or even mentions on the authors’ Wikipedia page. A member of the discord found it through a 2-star review on Google Books that was 13 years old at the time. The story is *Solitude* by Ben Ames Williams.
* "Stay With the Crowd" was in the lead for the Chapter 143 poll for several days before "Head to the Caboose" spawned a wave of memes, pushing it into the lead within a day. Patrons parodied poetry and created songs, some even changing their profile images in honor of the option. The choice has jokingly been named “Loose the Caboose” after Arthur’s decision to decouple the car.