George Cubbins

## George Cubbins (Karim)

**George Cubbins**, known as **George Casper Karim** in the *Lockwood & Co.* television series, is a ghost-hunter and the deputy of Lockwood & Co., one of London's smallest psychical detection agencies. As the brains of the agency and the team's primary researcher, he prefers to have preparation time to plan carefully before cases.

On the *Lockwood & Co.* television series, George is portrayed by Ali Hadji-Heshmati.

## Biography

### Early life

He was raised in an average home with no significant or dramatic death attached to his life. In the television series he mentions that he has never been outside London. It is unknown if George had another job before joining the Fittes Agency before being fired six months later for insubordination, and joining A.J. Lockwood & Co. at least a year before Lucy Carlyle joined, as he mentions that he had lived at 35 Portland Row for a year during Lucy's interview. In the *Lockwood & Co.* television series, he tells Lucy that he has three siblings who are all engineers and complains to Lockwood about the possibility of telling his parents he "lost another job" due to Lockwood's reckless actions.

### The new agent

George quickly settles into life working for Lockwood & Co., living there as an on-site psychical investigation agent and historical researcher into ghostly phenomena. He witnesses the coming and going of two other members of staff who do not prove ideal, leading the company to place an advertisement for a new agent. He oversees the interviews for the new agents along with Anthony Lockwood, company head. The new candidates prove less than promising. When it seems as though the interviews are done for the day, George answers a summons from the doorbell, believing it to be a delivery person with donuts from the nearby shop. It is instead an unexpected applicant, a girl named Lucy Carlyle.

George is reluctant at first to even let Lucy in. He believes her at first to be a "bolter", like the other candidate they have inside who is just wrapping up. Nevertheless, at Lockwood's urging, he invites her in. He skeptically witnesses her interview. When Lockwood explains the nature of the interview's first test, which involved a toothbrushing cup with no psychic power, Lucy gets up to leave, saying that she'll find her own way out. George calls her "feisty" and she tells him that he can step over to her and she'll show him just how feisty she is. Lockwood calms them both down, telling her that it was a legitimate test, as many other applicants have made up nonsensical stories about the cup.

The interview continues, with Lucy successfully identifying the provenance of several actual psychically charged artifacts. Lockwood, however, says nothing in response to her assertions and following a sustained silence, Lucy eats two biscuits and then starts to leave, saying she'll see herself out. At this, George asks Lockwood to tell her about the biscuit rule and Lockwood explains that those who are agents for the company eat biscuits in turn in a strict rotation, that it keeps things fair. Lucy is hired.

### The Sheen Road case

Lucy quickly settles into life at 35 Portland Row, but it seems to her as George does not like her very much. In return, she doesn't like him very much either, finding herself put off by his slovenly appearance, "uniquely slappable face" and silly glasses. Besides this, there are his habits, which include staring at her in a blank, expressionless sort of way and conducting strange experiments on a sealed Skull in a jar.

One evening, after Lucy has been on the job in several cases, she returns home to 35 Portland Row following a particularly disastrous case. She and Lockwood had gone out to 62 Sheen Road, but found themselves utterly unprepared for the nature of the haunting within, burning down the house and sending Lockwood to the hospital. She returns home to find out from George that Lockwood has now been taken to Scotland Yard. George is utterly distraught, informing Lucy that Lockwood has been Ghost-Touched.

George chastises Lucy for not being there for Lockwood. He tells her that it was apparently a bad case and that the hospital staff had to manhandle Lockwood into the ambulance because he kept trying to go off to find her. Lucy is annoyed at George having a "hissy fit," telling him it isn't the time. George, however, is not amused. He tells Lucy that she never makes any notes, criticising her and Lockwood for running off before he could provide them with vital research.

Lucy tells him that "faffing about with old papers" gets them nothing and he tells her he should have waited. He reveals to her that he discovered the identity of the ghost responsible for the haunting, Annabel Ward. Had they known about her existence, they might have suspected the powerful Type Two ghost that was waiting for them and taken more time. Following Lockwood's return, Lucy and George sit in companionable silence for sometime, the two finally having come to an understanding. Afterwards, they are there with Lockwood as he admits a visitor: Inspector Montagu Barnes of DEPRAC and learn the terrible news that DEPRAC is holding them entirely responsible for the burning of the house and the £60,000 fee for the damages to it.

### The mystery of Annabel Ward

Following these events, both George and Lockwood are shocked when the ghost of Annabel Ward unexpectedly appears in Lucy's bedroom. It turns out that Lucy had taken a necklace from Ward's body, which was the Source for her ghost. George and Lockwood are both shocked that Lucy would bring such a dangerous object into their home. When, however, they examine the necklace further, they discover an inscription in Latin and George describes the whole case surrounding Ward as being a bit of an exotic mystery. Lockwood realizes that this is *exactly* the case and that furthermore it could be just what the agency needs, as solving big mysteries earns agencies publicity that gets them big cases. He decides more research into the case is needed. For this, George's skills are vital. First, however, Lockwood has Lucy give a try at sensing something from the necklace. She learns from it that whoever gave it to her was the person who killed her.

The three take London's underground and pay a visit to the National Newspaper Archives. Along the way, George reveals that as best as he can translate, the inscription on the locket, "*Tormentum meum, laetitia mea*" means "My torment, my bliss." They enter the archives, but not before George is distracted by Rotwell agents passing out hot candied chestnuts. Inside, they set to work, Lucy and Lockwood awed by the grandeur of the building, but George in his element surrounded by books. They are accosted by Quill Kipps and his team, rivals from the Fittes Agency. During the confrontation, George confronts Kipps with the details of several past cases, pointing out that Kipps has the highest mortality rate of any team leader within Fittes and the fact that his fly is undone. The confrontation comes to a head when Kipps tries to come at George with his rapier, only for Lockwood to intercept him and then send it flying to the ceiling.

Kipps and his team dealt with, the three continue their work, with Lockwood finding an important lead about a man named Hugo Blake who was Ward's girlfriend. They learn that Blake was not arrested at the time due to lack of evidence, but realize that things may be different now with the discovery of Ward's body. Lockwood decides to go to the papers with their story, which results in DEPRAC reopening the investigation.

### The intruder

DEPRAC's investigation, however, leads to them unexpectedly calling Lucy in to try to make a personal identification of Blake as the murderer. This does not work, as Lucy's Talent does not work this way. They warn her that without evidence, they will have to let him go soon enough. Lucy is highly aggravated. George relates a recent indignity suffered by Quill Kipps and his team, sewer patrol, saying that they had a close encounter with something nasty and got soaked. This is cold comfort for Lucy, who notes that their casebook is empty, but George tells her it's better to be poor than soaked.

As they arrive back in Portland Row, Lockwood asks George what he did with the necklace. George tells him he put in a silver-case case with the trophies and Lockwood explains that there is a light on in their office window. George realizes that it is a torch: someone is in their house. They head inside and confront the intruder, succeeding in driving whoever it is out.

George calls the affair exciting, saying that they should have guests more often. In the aftermath, Lockwood asks George to check for the necklace, but he tells him that he already thought of it and its gone. Lockwood asks him if he's sure he put it on the shelves and George assures him he did. Lockwood laments the intruder having got it, but Lucy tells him this isn't the case. She reveals that she has taken to wearing it from a pendant around her neck.

George and Lockwood are once again astonished by Lucy's actions. Lockwood chastises her for getting too close to the ghost, but nevertheless feels that all went well. George makes the observation that thief was clearly after the necklace, as they did not even attempt to steal anything else, despite the fact that Lockwood owns a number of other curious and valuable objects. They realize that the necklace may contain another clue of some sort and upon examining it more closely discover that it is a locket and contains another inscription inside, reading "AW H.II.2115." They figure that "AW" must be Annabel Ward and that "H" refers to Hugo Blake. Before they can consider the matter further, however, they receive an unexpected visitor: John Fairfax of Fairfax Iron.

### The Fairfax proposal

Fairfax has an intriguing proposal for Lockwood & Co. He is aware of their massive debt and offers them a job at [[Combe Carey Hall], a property in Berkshire that he claims he is trying to unload. During the visit, he insults George by mistaking him for being office help instead of a proper agent. He and Lucy are outraged when Lockwood immediately accepts the case without consulting them first, citing the fact that they need the money from the case in order to stay afloat. They feel that the terms Fairfax has outlined are a death sentence. Among these is the condition that they not use any type of flares or other explosives, ostensibly because of what happened in the Sheen Road case, and George is particularly upset by the fact that they are being given only a couple of days before they must take on the job, when he feels that much longer is needed in order to properly research the case.

George points out that there are 15 other agencies in London that are larger than them, yet Lockwood apparently sees nothing fishy about the fact that it was them that Fairfax come to. Lockwood, however, firmly overrides all objections, sending George off to do what research he can in the time they have. At this point, Lucy is reassured by George's absence, having faith in his research skills to know that they will at least not be going in entirely blind. However, she is desperate to solve the Annabel Ward case and ends up conducting her own experiment, summoning the ghost and trying to get confirmation that it was Hugo Blake that killed her.

Lucy is discovered by Lockwood and George, who are furious. George asks her just what she could have possibly hoped to accomplish. In return, she argues that he is always conducting experiments on the Skull to no good end, asking how what he does is any different. He complains that she barely had the ghost constrained and that it was crazy for her to have done what she did after letting it loose on the house the other night. Lockwood, however, seems to have spotted something in the photo that Lucy had shown the ghost. When she tells him that the ghost saw the whole photo, he thanks her for providing a critical clue, baffling George with his unexpected change in mood. Lockwood, however, then asks George what he found about the case and he tells him that the haunting is even likely much worse than what Fairfax had told them.

### The haunting of Combe Carey Hall

As the three travel to Combe Carey Hall, George explains that it was once owned by a group of monks who were said to have been worshiping "darke things," before a group of barons got wind of this and burned the place down, with the monks still inside. Following this, the property was rebuilt with a series of rich families living there from the 1600s on, all of whom came to bad ends. He reveals that he even found a map of the place. At Lockwood's request, he relates another set of info: the details he found on the history of John Fairfax, such as him being a keen amateur actor in his youth.

The three arrive at Combe Carey Hall. There, after hearing various tales about the place from a caretaker named Bert Starkins, they meet with Fairfax, but not before he has their bags searched. After he has outlined the terms for the evening and is gone, Lockwood reveals that he secretly smuggled in seven magnesium flares as well as a new type of industrial grade flare. George points out that Fairfax will ruin them should they set fire to anything, but Lockwood says that it's worth it to ensure their safety.

They proceed with the case, George carefully taking temperature readings. Based on everything they discover and the floor plans that he found, George comes to the belief that there are secret rooms not marked on the plans. Throughout their discussions, Lockwood seems distracted, as though trying to place his finger on something, but not quite being able to. As they consider investigating the Hall's infamous "Red Room," he tells George and Lucy that they can back out now if they want. Lucy, however, feels that it's worth a look and George agrees, saying that she's talking sense for once.

Inside the Red Room, George produces a device called a "Door-Fixing Device," or DFD, which he wedges in the door, claiming to be the latest piece of tech which could save them. Lucy chastises it as looking like something that came out of a dumpster, but George tells her that it has an iron core and will stop the door from closing, which might keep them alive. Despite this, the group ends up finding themselves locked in anyway, faced the full horror of the Red Room, which turns out to be so named because the spirits manifest as blood which drips from the walls. George says whatever they're dealing with must be huge, as an ordinary Type Two ghost wouldn't have been able to close the door, only a Poltergeist, yet Poltergeists can't manifest in the manner of this ghost. Lockwood, however, seems to have come to some sort of realization. He has Lucy lead them through a secret exit.

### Discovering the Source and the Fairfax confrontation

Lockwood & Co. succeed in escaping through the secret exit and find that they are not followed. Lockwood speculates that this may be because the ghosts are tied only to that room, but George suspects it being because of the iron ring on the door as well as a lattice of iron strips hemming in the Visitor. They proceed on their way, Lockwood dropping the bombshell revelation that he believes it was somebody living and not the ghost who locked them in the room. As they move on, the temperature continues dropping and they come to a staircase that come to realize is the other talked about haunted phenomenon of the Hall, the "Screaming Staircase," despite the general belief of this being a larger staircase near the house's entrance.

As they prepare to move on, Lockwood shouts that he's been a fool. George demands that he start giving them answers, telling him that he's been acting odd for days, that it must be about Fairfax and he owes them an explanation. Lockwood says that they must find the Source first and then he'll tell them everything, but George demands that he tell them now. Lockwood insists that for now they must stay alert and concentrate on the case, Lucy agreeing, telling them that she hears the screaming of the stairs.

The three rush down the stairs, discovering the old well that the monks were tossed into after being killed. Despite all of them very nearly being fatally ghost-locked, they manage to seal the source by tossing a flare, creating a massive explosion that drives them all back. In the aftermath of this, Lucy discovers George with his glasses blown off and a hand bleeding, but otherwise alive and well. She slaps and shakes him back into consciousness, then goes to Lockwood, George lamenting that she doesn't do the same to him. As they make their way out, Lockwood reveals that the entire affair has been a setup, that it was Fairfax who killed Annabel Ward and lured them there hoping to finish them off as well. He realized when he saw Lucy's photograph that it was Fairfax in the picture that Ward's ghost reacted to, and he put together the remaining pieces when he learned that Fairfax had been heavily into the theater.

The three arrive aboveground, Lockwood talking about the locket and what it proves, only for Fairfax to confront them and ask just what it does prove. Helped by Percy Grebe, his personal chauffeur and assistant, he forces them back inside to a safe study in Combe Carey Hall. There, he demands to know where the locket is. George tells him that they won't help them, that he'll only chuck them down the well. Lockwood, however, outlines the details of all they've discovered and when he again demands to know what they've done with the locket and gets no response, he tells Grebe to shoot Lucy. Both Lockwood and George shout for him to wait, but Lucy reveals that she once again has the locket on her person. She uses to it release the ghost of Annabel Ward, who appears and goes straight for Fairfax, fatally ghost-touching him before disappearing for good.

### After the Hall

A DEPRAC team is sent in to render Combe Carey Hall fully safe. Among them are members of Kipps's team, whom George takes great pleasure in needling. Following the case, Lockwood & Co. have a celebratory feast at 35 Portland Row. Lockwood notes the positive attention that the case has brought them and George points this out as being because they actually did *not* burn down the client's house this time.

Lockwood and Lucy lament the fact that they were forced to keep quiet about Fairfax's true role in the affair and that they were forced to leave behind a number of strange artifacts to DEPRAC. George, however, happily reveals that he snatched a pair of goggles from the scene, ones which Fairfax wore when the ghost was released, but didn't seem to do him in any good. Lucy notes a strange, harp-like marking on them, but George doesn't recognize it and promises to keep experimenting. Following a discussion by Lockwood and Lucy, George notes that he's forgotten the donuts in the basement, but Lucy tells him that she'll get them.

### Newfound fame

Following the Combe Carey Hall case, Lockwood & Co. enjoys a seven-month period of rising publicity and acclaim. They work a number of prestigious cases, including the exorcism of a Dark Spectre from a forest and a tomb investigation that leads to them being short-listed for an Agency of the Month award. During this time, Lucy also reveals to Lockwood and George that the Skull in the jar with George stole spoke to her. Despite, however, George conducting a number of nasty experiments on the Skull, it refuses to speak to Lucy again during this period, remaining stubbornly silent.

The seven months are marked not just by fame, but also by ongoing rivalry with Quill Kipps and his team, them stealing the credit for a number of important cases from out under Lockwood & Co.'s noses. This comes to a head during the case of Wimbledon Wraiths, when Lockwood & Co. find themselves in a tight spot due to a critical research failure of George's. Kipps and his company save them, but insist on taking full credit for the case. After this, George complains that Lockwood & Co. could beat them in a fair fight and Lockwood decides to make it a bet, the terms of the agreement being that the next time they get a joint case, the winner be the one awarded the commission for the case and the loser has to place an ad in the *Times* declaring the winner's infinite superiority.

### Kensal Green

Lockwood & Co. is approached by Paul Saunders and Albert Joplin of Sweet Dreams Excavation and Clearance regarding a case they want them to work. They explain that they have been hired by DEPRAC to investigate Kensal Green Cemetery as part of DERPAC's new policy on seeking out "Active Remains" and rendering them safe before they can cause problems. George is immediately fascinated by the details of the case, which involve an occult scientist named Doctor Edmund Bickerstaff who died under mysterious circumstances. Furthermore, he quickly bonds with Joplin, whom recognizes as being the author of a chapter in a book titled *History of London's Graveyards*.

Lockwood & Co. accept the case and proceed to Kensal Green. They succeed in excavating and neutralizing Edmund Bickerstaff's body with a silver net. However, while doing so, they hear a strange buzzing emanating from a mirror-like object within the coffin. Afterwards, George seems oddly subdued, as though in distress, but also with an odd yearning far-off look in his eyes. He also keeps looking back towards the coffin. While Lockwood is busy finalizing the details of their payment with Saunders, Lucy is tipped off by a workman that George is once again approaching the coffin, with Joplin in tow. To Lucy's horror, George has opened the coffin, trying to study an inscription, and this has resulted in the ghost of Edmund Bickerstaff manifesting. By throwing her rapier, Lucy manages to save the two in time.

After Lockwood & Co. are safely back home, Lockwood unleashes his fury upon George. He criticises him for completely violating procedure. George tries to argue that the whole thing is important historically, that it could tell them something about the Problem, but Lockwood does not care, saying that it's no longer their business. He tells George that he needs to get his priorities straight, even going so far as to chastise him for his failure at missing important pieces of info regarding the Wimbledon Wraiths case. After this, George goes off to make cocoa and Lockwood, realizing he's gone too far, knows he has to make things up with him.

### Researching and experimenting

These affairs are unexpectedly interrupted when, after Lockwood and George leave the room, the Skull once again starts talking to Lucy. Though she starts to summon the two, it asks her to keep the conversation between those them. It insults George as being fat and insinuates that Lockwood is keeping a terrible secret behind the door in 35 Portland Row that he has never allowed them to open. After this, she goes to Lockwood and George it stops talking. George is excited by the possibility of communicating with a Type Three ghost, but less pleased by the ghost's words. Before they can really consider the matter further, however, Lockwood receives a phone call from Saunders informing him that a Night Watch child knocked out and the mirror from the coffin stolen.

Lockwood & Co. is drafted to try to solve the case, along with Kipps and his team. The two teams decide that this is the perfect opportunity to make good on their bet. George wants to go immediately to the National Archives to research the case, but Lockwood insists on him accompanying as they make a survey of the crime scene. They interrogate a Night Watch boy who gives up two names: the relic-men Jack Carver and Duane Neddles. George believes the boy to be simply making up names, but Lockwood seems to accept his words. They then end up discovering the dead body of Neddles, who appears to have died of fright.

With this, George is sent off to the Archives, while Lucy and Lockwood meet with a relic-woman named Flo Bones. From her, they receive details on how to contact Carver, as well as the name of Julius Winkman, who runs an antiques shop. They return home to find a note from George, saying that he's out to buy more crisps. They also discover his latest experiment with the Skull: roasting it in the oven at various temperatures and observing the spirit's reactions. Lockwood comments that George's experiments are getting out control and he needs to have a word with him later.

Lucy and Lockwood decide to visit the Winkman antiques store undercover, but discover nothing to help them with the case and get thrown out bodily for their trouble. They return home to find George, wondering if he might have had better luck than them. George tells them that he has, but to Lockwood's great irritation, his report is about his progress with his experiments on the Skull. He reminds George that they're not getting paid for this and demands that George focus on the job at hand. After everyone takes some time to cool down, George provides his report, which turns out to have some pretty good information.

George explains that Bickerstaff was known to hang about graveyards and had a child servant who was often seen dragging something behind him in a heavy sack. Following his death, bones were discovered in an empty room in his house. He also had two associates by the names of Mary Dulac and Simon Wilberforce and both disappeared around the same time as Bickerstaff, only for Dulac to reappear nearly ten years later, discovered as a wild woman living in a forest. He reports also that she wrote a book called *The Confessions of Mary Dulac* that he wants to read, but has yet to be able to get a hold of. They speculate on these events, only to be interrupted by a strange tapping. At the door of 35 Portland Row is Jack Carver and when they open it, he falls forward, a dagger in his back.

### Stories from a Skull

As he lays dying, Jack Carver says several things, including "Seven from it, seven not one" and "You see things, such terrible things." In the aftermath, DEPRAC is summoned with Inspector Barnes coming, and George realizes he must hide the Skull, as they had told Barnes they had gotten rid of it. After DEPRAC clears out, they discuss Carver and what he must have seen. George comments that he saw *something* in the mirror and whatever it was, it made him want to see more. Lucy states that whatever it is is so bad that you die of fright if you see it properly and speculates that Bickerstaff looked too and it caused him to go mad and shoot himself. "*No*," comes a voice that only Lucy can hear. "*That wasn't the way it happened.*"

This time, Lucy does not hesitate to share the fact that the Skull is talking again with Lockwood and George. As George grabs the jar containing it, it forms terrible faces, referring to him as a torturer and saying that it'll suck the life from his bones. The three immediately set to trying to get what information they can out of it, Lucy relating its words. She warns them that it will be careful, as it is likely to say things that will be insulting and she can't have them getting upset each time she relays this information.

The Skull is, as expected, perverse and sarcastic. Nevertheless, it does reveal certain key points of information. It tells them that it knew Edmund Bickerstaff, calling him a great man and a visionary. It tells them that the mirror, known as the Bone Glass, gives enlightenment. Perhaps most importantly, it hints at the existence of important papers hidden within the derelict mansion where Bickerstaff conducted his experiments. It tells them that they are all too blind to see Bickerstaff's legacy, before fading away and going silent.

The three discuss the Skull's revelations, or lack thereof. George confirms that the Skull is most certainly the first known Type Three since the celebrated accounts of Marissa Fittes. They decide that one thing is for sure, that the possibility of papers that can help them with the case is too tantalising to pass up. Thus, they proceed to the Bickerstaff ruins. George reports that he had visited the Records Office in Chertsey, hoping to secure a copy of Mary Dulac's *Confessions* book, only to learn that it had been stolen.

The Bickerstaff house investigation has mixed results. They succeed in securing the papers that the Skull described. They, also, however, have a run-in with Kipps's team. The negative energy between them stirs up the terrible spirit of the house, resulting in a harrowing encounter with a a ghost and a ghostly simulation of the rats which ate through the body serving as its source.

### The papers

Back at Portland Row, Lucy is furious with the Skull, ready to chuck it in the Fittes furnaces of Clerkenwell. George insists that there's no way that they can do this, that the Skull is far too valuable as a Type Three, but Lucy is livid. They discuss where things stand with the case and George expresses that he'd still really like to get a hold of Dulac's *Confessions*, suspecting they hold a key clue.

They study the papers and discover that most of them are written in Latin. George, with Lockwood's grudging agreement, states that he'll get Albert Joplin to help them translate them. They consider another set of papers, which prove more immediately revealing, as they are pictures. They show that Bickerstaff was robbing graves and used seven sources to make the Glass.

Lucy asks just what it is for and George explains that it is for looking through to the Other Side. Before they can continue their conversation further, they hear a tapping on the window. At first, they worry that it is a ghostly visitor, but it turns out to be Flo Bones, the relic-woman that Lucy and Lockwood consulted with before. She brings the news that Julius Winkman is holding his auction at midnight following the next day. They realize that this is the same night that the Fittes party is being held and decide to take card of two birds with one stone.

### The party and the auction

The three prepare as best they can for the Fittes party. For George, this means pretty much nothing, other than conjuring up a dinner jacket that is saggy and looks like an orangutan. Lockwood tells him he will have to do, though later compliments him on making an effort when he reveals that he brushed his teeth. At the party, Lockwood at first wants to mingle, but then gets an idea and asks George about the Black Library, wherein they might be able to find a copy of Dulac's *Confessions* book.

The conversation is interrupted when the three are personally greeted by the hostess, Penelope Fittes. She thanks them for recovering of the body of her friend, who was lost in an attempt at tackling Combe Carey Hall. She utterly fails to recognize George, despite his having worked for the company previously. George laments that ordinary agents hardly even got to see her, that she almost never came down from her apartment. With this, he declares that they *should* take a look at the Black Library.

The three succeed in gaining access to the Black Library, but are forced to hide when Penelope makes an appearance with her assistant. During the affair, George manages to cram himself under a table and Lockwood jokes that he should join a circus, that people would pay good money to see contortions like his. Joking aside, George is delighted that they have nevertheless succeeded in securing the *Confessions* book. He suggests that they nip away somewhere and read it immediately, but Lockwood tells him that they don't have time. They head off to meet with Flo Bones to sneak into the auction, but first have an unfortunate encounter with Inspector Barnes and are forced to shake off both him and Kipps's team.

As they meet with Flo, Lockwood outlines the plan. George is to create a diversion, then wait with Flo in her boat, the *Mathilda*. He tells him that if things go well, they'll meet back up, but if not, it's Plan H and they'll go their separate ways. George tries to plead to come with him, but Lockwood tells him that he has his role he needs to play. Lucy tells him afterwards that she thinks he needs to have a word with him, that he's feeling left out, but Lockwood tells her much the same.

Everything goes exactly as planned at first, with George succeeding creating a diversion as the auction is about to start by tossing magnesium flares through the window. Lockwood and Lucy are pursued by a man who was particularly adamant on bidding for the Bone Glass. As they reach the rooftop of the warehouse, they are cornered by the man and toss the Bone Glass to George. Unable to rejoin him, Lockwood shouts for him to take it and go. He and Lucy are then forced to leap into the river to shake their pursuer.

### To Kensal Green again

Lucy and Lockwood return home to find that George has not yet arrived, figuring that he must just have had trouble finding a taxi to take him. They shower and put some food on, then settle to read over the *Confessions* book, discovering that it was Mary Dulac who killed Bickerstaff after he tried to make her look into the Bone Glass. Lockwood reflects on the fact that everyone seems obsessed by the Glass, including George, despite the fact that it seems to kill whoever looks at it. He realizes, however, that Lucy is not paying attention and she points out a note that has been left on their Thinking Cloth - "*Gone to see a friend about the mirror. Back soon. G.*"

The two realize that George went to see Joplin. What's more, the Skull knows, as Lucy can see its face cackling. She demands information, but it refuses to cough up, even when they threaten to burn it. Lucy then realizes what makes it tick and threatens instead to bury it so deep that nobody will ever find it if it doesn't reveal what it knows. The Skull laments that it thought that George was the cruel one, but reveals that George did come back with Joplin. The two had an argument and it was clear that Joplin was fully in the thrall of Bickerstaff's ghost, but George was still fighting and thus left the note.

Lockwood and Lucy argue over the fact that they neglected to realize the signs, even though a part of them could see how badly George had been affected by the ghost. They then deduce that it was Joplin that killed Jack Carver and that George is even greater danger than they thought. The Skull laughs over how long it has taken them to come to this conclusion and tells them to have fun with whatever is left of George. Lockwood, however, grabs up its jar, telling it that it's coming too.

The two arrive at Kensal Green, only to discover that George is most likely in the catacombs below. They can't figure out, however, how to operate the catafalque to get underground and don't get much help from the Skull. They then unexpectedly discover that Kipps's team is there, searching for Kipps, him having tailed George. To compound this, a group of thugs sent by Winkman appears.

### Conflict in the catacombs

Lockwood orders Lucy to go back and find George, while he and Kipps's team battle Winkman's forces. Aided reluctantly by the Skull, Lucy manages to make her way belowground. She discovers George in a terrible state, tied up in a chair and knocked out, with Kipps in another chair across from him. The Bone Glass has been set up in a circle of iron chains, with Bickerstaff's body present as well. She tries to rouse George, but Kipps tells her that he's out cold and asks her to free him instead. She does, and he explains that Joplin went to investigate a noise, but will soon be back. He explains that he found Joplin and George fighting above and tried to intervene, but got knocked out and tied up for his trouble.

Lucy searches around for a key, but to no avail. Kipps tells her that Joplin will most likely have it, but at that moment, Joplin himself appears and holds Lucy at knifepoint. He binds her to a chair as well, then slaps George back to consciousness. Upon his waking up, Lucy tells him that she's really angry with him. He apologizes, saying that he can't explain, that he felt a desire and *had* to look at the mirror again. He went along with Joplin, but upon seeing Bickerstaff's coffin, his head cleared and he tried to get away, but Joplin wouldn't let him.

Joplin explains that George showing him Bickerstaff's papers was the icing on the cake and George rages for Joplin having betrayed him. Joplin unveils the mirror, demanding that George look and tell him what he sees. George closes his eyes, but Joplin tells him to open them, that he knows that he wants to. George continues to ignore his plea, but he tells him that he will kill Lucy if he doesn't. George tells him that he will and Lucy tells him not to do it, but he says that it's no good, that he has to look. He opens his eyes, telling Joplin that he sees beautiful things. Then, to Lucy's horror, he seems to go slack and his eyelids droop. Lucy shouts for him to wake up, but Kipps tells her that it's no good, that he's gone.

Lucy insists that he's only sleeping, but Joplin is livid. He tries to force Lucy to look instead and she tells him that she has a Type Three. He, however, does not believe her. He demands that she pull out George's body and sit in his chair, but she tells him that she won't. She tells him that she will collect her rapier and then kill him. As he raises his knife, George unexpectedly springs to life. The two of them manage to succeed in temporarily subduing Joplin and with aid from the Skull, Lucy destroys the Bone Glass. Lockwood then appears as Joplin takes a gun and tries to shoot Lucy and George, revealing that the gun is an ancient model and won't work due to being waterlogged from the catacombs. In his anger, Joplin tries to flee, but ends up breaking the iron chains and is Ghost-Touched by the Bickerstaff ghost.

### Remaining mysteries

In the aftermath of the affair, a DEPRAC team headed by Inspector Barnes arrives. Lockwood & Co. is awarded the case, but Lockwood releases Kipps from the bet. Lockwood and Lucy find themselves with one burning question: how was it that George was able to survive looking into the Bone Glass seemingly with no ill effects whatsoever. He explains that during his fight with Joplin, his spectacles were knocked off and Joplin never noticed. When he looked into the Bone Glass, he didn't see a thing, as he's totally blind at that distance.

The three return home, basking in the glow of the successful case and the fact that their check from Barnes has cleared. They have a celebratory meal, mostly cooked by George. This is done as a means of apology, Lockwood and Lucy not bothering to tell him that he really doesn't need to. They discuss the nature of the Bone Glass and whether it was really all it was cracked up to be. George says that he thinks that it was a window, that Bickerstaff's theory makes a weird sort of sense to him. He wonders about what would happened if you put enough Sources together, but upon seeing Lockwood and Lucy's reactions leaves off, saying that he's no longer interested.

Lucy wonders just what they are going to do with the Skull, given that despite how perverse it has been, it ultimately did try to help them. George says that it's too important to be destroyed, but Lockwood says that ultimately it should be left to Lucy. She tells them that she doesn't want it destroyed, but she doesn't want her connection to it revealed to the general public yet either. George reveals that within the Black Library was the same symbol that they found on John Fairfax's goggles. Lockwood tells them both he has something he's been meaning to say, saying that he does not want them to be anymore secrets between them.

Lockwood takes the two to the landing containing the secret door, the one that he's never allowed them open. He tells them to open the handle and just go right in. George asks if there isn't some sort of secret lock or trap, but he tells them that there isn't, that he always trusted them. Lucy points out that trust goes both ways, saying that he doesn't have to if he doesn't want to. He tells them that he's been thinking about it for a long time and that when the Skull started talking about it, he knew it was the right time. Seeing that neither of them are making a move, he opens the door instead and leads them in. As George clears his throat, Lucy is the first to speak, asking if the room contains a secret about his parents. He tells her that she's close. "My sister."

## Characteristics

### Personality

George does not tolerate hypocrites and has a somewhat acerbic sense of humour. He has an unhealthy interest in the origins of the Problem and the nature of ghosts and the afterlife, which has sometimes led him into serious trouble. he also has an odd habit of drawing rude cartoons on the thinking cloth. Having said that, he is a diligent, passionate and skilled researcher and is at home amongst dusty archives or surrounded by piles of reference books at the library.

George is very much a "by the book" agent - the polar opposite of Lockwood's devil-may-care approach to ghost hunting. Despite this, his curiosity regarding the Problem sometimes causes him to do things which are very much outside the book, such as stealing psychic artifacts and experimenting on them.

### Physical attributes

Portly, with sandy blonde hair and blue eyes, George wears glasses which he constantly removes to polish the lenses on his shirt or jumper. George is of slovenly appearance - even dressed in "smart" clothes, he looks an untidy mess.

### Abilities

George has the wondrous Talent of Touch,*[citation needed]* although perhaps not as good as Lucy Carlyle. He also has Sight (inferior to Anthony Lockwood's ability), but has little talent for Listening. He is considered to be a general all-rounder, not greatly skilled in any particular area, but of some talent in all. He is also a skilled researcher, able to spend hours scouring obscure archives and articles to discover crucial pieces of historical information. He also has the ability to consume much unhealthy foods…

### Relationships

George and Flo Bones showed signs of liking each other and eventually they agreed to go out.

## Behind the scenes

* In an author Q&A, it was suggested by Jonathan Stroud that there may be a romance between George and Flo Bones in future novels.*[citation needed]*
* His middle name in the television series, Casper, would seem to be a nod to the character Casper the Friendly Ghost.
* Whereas in the original novels, George is described as being somewhat of a slob, sometimes leaving messes of food, in the television series he is known to sometimes clean obsessively when stressed. He is also depicted as being a talented chef, often cooking the meals for Lockwood & Co.
* A number of aspects of George's story are changed in the Netflix television series, particularly in the set of episodes adapting the events of *The Whispering Skull*.
	+ Rather than George making the initial suggestion of a competition between Lockwood & Co. and Kipps's team, it is instead entirely Lockwood's idea and George is annoyed by it, due to it placing the company at risk. This is because whereas in the original novel the loser was supposed to take out an ad in *The Times* declaring the other team superior, in the television series, it is instead modified into never working in the industry again.
	+ George is depicted as repeatedly drawing hypnotic spirals after being ensnared by the Bone Glass, something which is never mentioned in the novel.
	+ George does not attend the Fittes ball, but instead remains behind with Joplin (in the television series Pamela Joplin instead of Albert Joplin) at 35 Portland Row. As such, instead of it being George's spur-of-the-moment suggestion to search the Black Library for Mary Dulac's *Confessions* book, Lockwood and Lucy arrive at the ball with this already in mind.
	+ As the television series is not restricted to Lucy's first-person perspective, a number of scenes are presented with George and Flo Bones together on Flo's boat, *Matilda*. Flo notices that George has been mesmerised by the Bone Glass and tries to snap him out of it. The two seem to form a bit of a romantic interest and Flo accompanies George to take the mirror back to DEPRAC. She, however, suggests that they might simply head off together and toss it deep into the river before going out to eat somewhere. George seems to consider this suggestion, but by the time he can try to make good on it, she has already biked away. He then goes to a phone booth and telephones Joplin, telling her that he has the mirror.
	+ Rather than George staring into the Bone Glass with his glasses off and feigning death, Lucy instead takes his place, enticing Joplin with the idea that her power is much stronger than Joplin's and that she has a Type Three with her. When the time comes to look, she instead holds the jar containing the Skull up in front of the mirror, resulting in a stream of energy being directed toward it.

## References

1. ↑ *The Whispering Skull*, chapter needed specified
2. ↑ *The Empty Grave*, chapter needed specified