Dr. Enki Madison
Born on Manhattan’s Upper West side to successful “archeologists” (who were, more often than not, little more than well-dressed thieves of ancient antiquities) Doctor Madison’s parents raised and educated him for a pedigree on the more legitimate side of their burgeoning field.
Notwithstanding the prestige of his official credentials, after completing his graduate work and entering the field, Enki soon realized there was simply not enough money in “legitimate” archeology to make a decent living (and certainly not one that would support an expensive young wife and son with high expectations of a comfortable life in a sought-after New York neighborhood and social scene).
A little more than three years ago, a combination of desperation and morally unmoored entrepreneurial aspirations led Enki to try his hand at selling some of his “unclaimed findings” in the public square - - that is, the black market. Failing to take precautions of hiding his identity when making these moonlight transactions is what ultimately led to his disgrace.
After returning from an excavation site in Iraq four years ago, Enki was discovered attempting to sell a stolen cuneiform tablet at auction in New York. A successful sale of the piece could very well have made him a millionaire overnight, however, his unfailing horrendous bad-luck, instead resulted in a grand larceny conviction, an ongoing appeal to strip him of his PHD with his University (the University of Chicago), the immediate termination of his position at the Natural History Museum in New York as well as a permanent ban from ever participating in any of the museum’s antiquities transactions.
The punishment with the museum hit him particularly hard as this was not only where he primarily made his living since coming into the field but also a place to which Enki has a powerful nostalgic connection, having frequently visited the museum with his parents as a child. Those memories are particularly dear as time with his parents was always wanting. Though Enki was technically “home-schooled” most of his learning was at the hands of hired tutors and au pairs (his parents being perpetually consumed by their work and status as Upper West Side socialites). This “cultured” upbringing left little opportunity for Enki to even make (let alone spend time with) friends as a child - - a situation Enki remedied by manifesting his own “best” (if only imaginary) friend Archimedes, a man appearing to be in his 60’s and always donning a purple toga, Archimedes was always sure to appear and offer support during those long hours when Enki’s parents would leave him alone and when he was consumed by the myriad of childhood fears.
Meanwhile, the cuneiform tablet scandal was not only crippling professionally and financially but, personally as well. Respectable woman as she is, the disgrace, loss of income and gossip amongst their friends was too much for Anastasia to handle . . . she divorced him in August of 79’ at the beginning of the 2nd year of his sentence at Sing Sing . . . Enki has seen neither his ex-wife nor his (now eight-year-old) son, little William since.
Enki completed his sentence 8 months ago and was released on August 8, 1980. His professional career in shambles, the last 8 months have been particularly rough. Unable to find work since his release and having spent the last of the money from his parents on a pauperish West 88th Street studio apartment and a rusted-out used 1970 pea-green AMC Gremlin (which barley runs) Enki spent an unproportionate amount of his remaining available cash on a few custom Italian suits in an attempt to project through this increasingly thin and decaying veneer the level of success and status needed to regain his now compromised position in the “polite” social circles he was once at home in.
Bespectacled, well-dressed and always clean shaven though he appears, his always sunken eyes perpetually suggest deep rumination, distracted by the anxiety of his increasingly desperate financial situation exacerbated by his never-failing bad luck (which must be due for a change) Enki’s financial condition has also been aggravated by his unchecked predisposition for the perennial “get rich quick” scheme, having now lost what little he had left to bad stock tips, “easy to flip” real estate deals, retired studs and similar scams.
Enki has never tied himself to modern day morality through conventional religious practice and his advanced anthropological education and professional experience demanded he take eclectic and accepting views on even extraordinarily fringe occult practices such as astrology, spiritualism and tarot (after all, with so many believers, they can’t all be wrong).
Though never prone to melancholy or despair, the tumultuous and unfortunate turns of his fate have now removed any reservations this modern-day hedonist had to the use of alcohol and other drugs as coping mechanisms. While Archimedes does sometimes still appear and offer his support during these terrible benders, Enki cannot say this self-destructive habit of binging has not been without, at least one, upside . . . indeed it was apparently during one of these “blackouts” that Enki met and made the most important friend of his life (aside from Archimedes).
Waking up one Sunday afternoon fully-dressed on the floor of his shoe-box apartment and remembering little to nothing of the two days hitherto he found himself accompanied by a charming furry companion of about a foot and a half in stature who, judging from his own condition, appeared to have participated in the same bender Enki had indulged in. Enki has since come to find Cocho, the spider monkey, not only a useful professional associate but also, quite frankly, the best friend he’s ever known. Cocho is now the friend Enki most relies on for purpose in his life and, having formed this inimitable bond, Enki cannot bear the idea of life without Cocho.
Never accepting ill-fate or the rotten hand that Lady Bad Luck so often deals to him, Enki has been plotting his “comeback” for months now and tonight will be the beginning of his return to grace. Just over two months ago his patient research (and favors on account to his few remaining contacts) finally bore fruit and he learned that the original manuscript of Charles Fort’s Book of The Damned would be making its way into the City on its way to Brooke Astor’s private collection - - it would be that is, unless Enki could help it.
Supposedly, the manuscript had additional unpublished chapters dealing with some of the darker sides of the occult - - human sacrifice, summoning of extra-dimensional demons and things of this nature - - luckily, devil worship has always made Enki smile, so this piece was particularly alluring. Some of the additional pages also supposedly contained cyphered secret information on the topics, and it was this part of the manuscript’s reputation (rumor or not) that drove the value of the manuscript to exorbitant heights with the educated collector.
Moreover, given the lurid nature of the value imposing information, Enki knew the Astor people wouldn’t admit to ownership let alone report it stolen. The manuscript went missing in late January while making its way from Albany to the Astor collection in New York . . . well, missing from the Astors . . . in fact, it has been part of the small “Madison Collection” since that time awaiting sale at the April 1, 1981 evening spring auction at the Natural History Museum.
The idea of his first big success since his disgrace being at the Natural History Museum is particularly satisfying and Enki is looking forward to defiantly returning to swagger in the face of those former friends and associates who so callously turned their back on him in his time of misfortune.
Of course, he cannot reveal too much, while he is technically still permitted to enter the museum, he, of course, cannot make the sale in his own name. For this, he has reluctantly hired a third-party go between . . . a criminal fence. It is this arrangement that is causing him considerable anxiety. Though this ‘fence’ came highly recommended from a reliable source (indeed, the same source who provided him the information he used to acquire the manuscript) Enki has yet to meet this ‘go between’ (or work out the details of his commission or their profit sharing).
But worrying will do nothing to help the situation now. The manuscript has already been delivered to the Museum and will appear at auction tonight under the name “Lyle Hartwood.” At this point there is nothing more for Dr. Madison to do, other than hope fortune will finally turn in his favor and this “Mr. Hartwood” reveal himself to be a charming and polite businessman capable of maintaining cool composure and refined poise in a tense upscale and educated social scene, failing that, he shall at least hope Mr. Hartwood has some charming good looks to get him through the event with the high-end and cut-throat New York antiquities dealers.
The American Museum of Natural HIstory Museum, April 1, 1981 - - The Auction Gets Underway
Dr. Madison’s Listening Music
