Wilbur Gowervine

****W******ilbur Gowervine**is a Skellansen enthusiast who came to stay at Greenglass House.

## Biography

### *Greenglass House*

Dr. Gowervine and Mrs. Hereward arrived to Greenglass House at the same time, sharing a ride on the *Whilforber Whirlwind*. The railcar was full of luggage and the guests looked very angry. Milo began to welcome the two as they disembarked the railcar, but Dr. Gowervine took something off the pile and all the luggage came down. Mrs. Hereward and Dr. Gowervine shouted at each other, and Milo eventually managed to quiet them. Milo pretended this had not happened and led them up the path to the inn. Dr. Gowervine refused Milo's offer to help him with his bags, and seemed upset that there were more guests at the inn.

When Milo returned to Greenglass House, Mrs. Hereward and Dr. Gowervine were shouting at each other in the middle of the living room. Mr. Pine was trying to calm the two down, without success, but eventually Mr. Pine screamed at them and they quieted. Mr. Pine said that they could only stay if they acted like adults, and each guest gave their names, though neither knew how long they planned to stay. Milo led the new guests up the stairs and they chose their rooms. Dr. Gowervine smoked a pipe on the porch before going up to bed.

Milo saw Dr. Gowervine sneak into Clem's room. Milo watched until Dr. Gowervine left, but did not notice whether Dr. Gowervine had taken anything. During Mrs. Hereward's story, he interrupted multiple times, to her annoyance. In the morning, Dr. Gowervine was not among those who were stolen from, and he seemed not to know that this made him suspicious. Mrs. Hereward especially was upset at him, and Milo wondered whether Dr. Gowervine could have been the thief. After Mrs. Hereward blew up at him, Dr. Gowervine eventually agreed to have his room searched.

When the power went out, Dr. Gowervine and Mrs. Hereward were yelling again, then later about Fenster when he arrived. Milo quieted them by clicking a lighter on in their faces, then made them distribute candlesticks. When Dr. Gowervine made as if to start yelling again, Milo sent him out to get firewood, which he did.

Dr. Gowervine agreed to tell a story in order to cheer Georgie up. He told of Lowell Skellansen, saying that all the stained glass in Greenglass House had made him think of it. According to Dr. Gowervine, Skellansen had agreed to make a window displaying the story of Doc Holystone. No one, he said, knew what had happened to the famous artist. After he finished, Milo and Meddy theorized that he was at Greenglass House to seek information on Lowell Skellansen. Dr. Gowervine then lied about not having known that Greenglass House had belonged to Doc Holystone. They theorized that he thought there was a vidimus hidden at the inn, the containing the secret of Doc Holystone's death and the plan for Skellansen's window.

Later in the morning, Dr. Gowervine hurried down the stairs, bellowing. He had been robbed, and revealed that what was missing was his brown satchel. Dr. Gowervine was very upset and described the satchel excessively, blowing up multiple times. He revealed that his satchel contained the entirety of his research on Lowell Skellansen, and was angry at himself for telling the tale. Milo later found the bag, and Dr. Gowervine accepted it, astonished, and went through the bag to make sure everything was in it.

During Mr. Vinge's tale, in which he painted Doc Holystone as a criminal, Dr. Gowervine spoke up multiple times. He corrected Mr. Vinge's facts, adding information on the cruelty of Deacon and Morvengarde, and what had actually happened. He noted that he'd studied the case of Doc Holystone for fifteen years. Dr. Gowervine later cut Mr. Vinge off, saying that Doc Holystone had not been a criminal and that Dr. Gowervine had, in fact, considered him a hero. Mr. Vinge ordered Dr. Gowervine to sit down, however, displaying his customs ID.

Milo and Meddy went searching for Doc Holystone's final cargo, thinking about what Dr. Gowervine had said and what they assumed he thought, and using some things from his satchel. Milo eventually discovered the Sirin figurine inside the ship chandelier. After Mr. Vinge left, Dr. Gowervine confirmed with Milo what had happened, and seemed very eager for a look at the figure. Dr. Gowervine thought he should have realized that the chandelier was Skellansen's work, though all his sources had indicated a story window. Dr. Gowervine seemed disappointed that the treasures were not his.

Milo had other ideas. He climbed up on the stool again, reached into the chandelier again, and there he found something in a tube. He allowed Dr. Gowervine to look first. Dr. Gowervine unrolled the paper to reveal the cartoon for Skellansen's Doc Holystone window, to Dr. Gowervine's delight. The Pines and Meddy allowed Dr. Gowervine to borrow the cartoon, and have it displayed at the City University. As he left, Dr. Gowervine seemed quite content, and thanked the Pines before going.

### *Ghosts of Greenglass House*

Dr. Gowervine had presented the cartoon or Skellansen's window about Doc Holystone at City University and given a lecture. Milo noted that Dr. Gowervine had promised to only tell his department chair where he'd found it. Georgie and Clem did not trust Emmett Syebuck, and wanted to check with Dr. Gowervine, whom they figured would know Emmett. Clem left a message for Dr. Gowervine.

Emmett asked Mrs. Pine if they knew Dr. Gowervine, asking if Dr. Gowervine had been at Greenglass House the previous Christmas. However, the Pines said that they colud not share information about their guests. Clem tried again to get ahold of Dr. Gowervine but he did not answer the phone.

Dr. Gowervine eventually called, and to Milo's surprise he sounded very cheerful. Dr. Gowervine asked Milo to get Clem and Georgie, saying that this was complicated and he should speak directly to them. Dr. Gowervine confirmed he recognized Emmett's name, but the phone then cut out.

Milo pretended to have heard what Dr. Gowervine said about Emmett. Emmett beliveed him, noting that Dr. Gowervine rarely picked up his messages. Milo knew from Dr. Gowervine's tone that Emmett was not who he said he was. He told Emmett that Dr. Gowervine had not been able to tell who Emmett actually was, so Georgie still thought he was the thief. Milo supposed that since Dr. Gowervine knew Emmett, so Emmett probably actually was interested in art. Emmett confirmed this, saying that Dr. Gowervine had been his advisor. Clem and Georgie were baffled at the timing of Dr. Gowervine's phone trouble, and Milo wondered if Emmett had caused it.

## Personality and Traits

Dr. Gowervine has a hot temper, and he and Mrs. Hereward often got into arguments. However, he could also be very kind, as seen when he told a story to cheer Georgie up, stood up to Mr. Vinge, and was given the cartoon by Milo.

## Physical Appearance

Dr. Gowervine is very short and round. He has dark hair, and reminds Milo of an angry schoolteacher. He is described as "gawky".