"The Impossible Adventure" / A Curious Discovery in Greece by H. T. W. Bousfield

[@markportwood4045]

What a fantastically weird tale, an absolute gem. Thank you Ian.

[@norayoder3189]

Lol🧐made my comment before I perused the comment section and we both apparently viewed this upload as a rare & precious literary jewel 😉that has become more lovely due to the faceting & polishing effects of Sir Ian’s narration❤️💎❤️

[@XadrumLtd]

A great and curious story. Something different. Thanks Ian, most enjoyable.

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Amazing story and narration. This is a fabulous weird tale. The story is truly amazing. Thanks, Ian!

[@bluegreenglue6565]

What a wonderful story! It really does make me so happy to hear new and unique stories such as this one. Thank you.

[@nancynickerson4341]

A delightful story, except for the rather tragic ending. I was hoping for a happier conclusion. Excellent narration, as always!

[@johannageisel5390]

It doesn't even make any sense. I mean, yeah, he got drunk and sang loudly, but that's no reason to be weird about it, Barbara. Just get married alreadly!

[@feralbluee]

i think so, too, it was a delightful story. but it seems to be easier to write this kind of ending than to figure out a more realistic, human way to conclude a story for both characters. even running off together over the rainbow bridge would have been more meaningful. it’s like, oh, i have to end this now - so everybody was run over by a truck. the end. have a great day :) 🌷🌱

[@lloydrobert6182]

Very impressive reading of a marvelous story! Thank you!

[@blakmajk3512]

Ultra Banger! Nice job, Ian! You’re the 🐐!

[@beverlyamarantes9775]

Goid evening to you Ian and the lovely Jen.

[@norayoder3189]

Another type of horror. As an adult and parent of a beautiful young adult, the palpable terror of worry is more easily relatable and perhaps because of the more familiar breed of anxiety it illicits in the heart and mind of a reader or in this case listener such as myself, it proves to be a most effective tool in the arsenal of an author of “horror”. In any case, thank you for unearthing and polishing this gem of a tale!

[@christosvoskresye]

Elicits, not illicits -- though perhaps there was indeed something illicit about this whole situation.

[@AcornElectron]

“Your witness says he saw us at half past eleven on the Gainesville pike, headed for Big Cypress Swamp. This is probably true, but I have no distinct memory of it as I was very, VERY drunk. The picture seared into my soul is of one scene only, and the hour must have been long after midnight; for a waning crescent moon was high in the vaporous heavens.” Keep up the good work and, as always, stay safe!

[@Eris123451]

The Testament of Harley Warren. To whomsoever it may concern, I the undersigned, Harley Warren hereby confirm, attest and verify that I am in fact quite dead and that I fully and reasonably expect and intend to persist in said condition for the foreseeable future, signed Harley Warren, (witnessed by Herbert West MD) On this day of our lord, 23rd December 1919. Underneath and scribbled in a different and barely legible hand, presumably that of Dr West are added the words; YOU FOOL. With thanks to the estate of Randolph Carter for their permission to reproduce this Testament, all other rights are reserved.

[@awarningtothecuriouswerewolves]

Give it a rest, Carter! Warren!

[@Eris123451]

@@AcornElectron You'r too kind, (I think; I had to look up PM'ing,) but it's fun sometimes just having a having a bit of a laugh; it made my wife smile so I posted it, but it's really all those great old authors and a few perhaps no so great but still huge fun and of course Ian and Jan and who work so bloody hard to keep all this going week after week month after month who make this site so enjoyable. Keep up the good work and, as always, stay safe.

[@Eris123451]

@@awarningtothecuriouswerewolves OK I'll go now.

[@awarningtothecuriouswerewolves]

@@Eris123451 -- Right Carter, but, before you go -- hang up the phone! Cheers Warren, who has no hang-ups!

[@stevecausey545]

That was a lot of fun. Until the end,of course.... excellent tale and excellent presentation.

[@rickyhurtt5568]

Thanks for another great story Ian

[@jeffashley5512]

Great Ian. Thanks for this tale. That frontispiece displayed remained me of the Parthenon in Nashville which is the only full size replica of the original. There is a 42-ft statue of Athena with Nike (6ft) held in her hand in the main hall. A must see for visitors to Nashville.

[@Eris123451]

In fact I think that's where the idea of a pissed Centaur running amok probably came from the Centaurs were invited to a wedding but drank wine and tried to rape the bride and other women, there's a famous frieze of it on the original Parthenon.

[@jeffashley5512]

@@Eris123451 The lower ring of frieze depictions have the battle of the Centaurs on the Nashville Parthenon. It's not an exact replica but was as close as they could get at the time of construction in 1897. The current version is the permanent structure from that Centennial Exposition celebrating Tennessee's statehood in 1796. There's a pictorial history of the exposition in the lower hall of all the monuments built for the exposition. They even had a pyramid but it was not retained Centennial Park.

[@Eris123451]

@@jeffashley5512 That's pretty impressive actually and in an ideal I'd have loved to have seen the Statue of Athena, (but I'm not going to get to visit America again at 65,) but I've seen a couple of casts of the friezes taken directly from the originals, (which are now in the British Museum,) and to be honest although everyone goes on about them they're a bit of a mess. Two and a half thousand years plus and getting blown up by the Ottomans hasn't done them any favors at all. Take care.

[@thefisherking78]

I seen't it! I live not far from there.

[@jeffashley5512]

@@thefisherking78 I'm down in Murfreesboro so I'm not too far away myself. Lol

[@mauricedavis2160]

Enjoyed very much as always Sir, excellent in every respect!!!🙏👍👻

[@SixTough]

Wonderful story, thank you Ian

[@williamfawkes8379]

Alas, poor Ferdinand, he was napping in a bed of flowers, and accidentally stung by a drunken bee.

[@johnjones2nd667]

That's was really a grand tale!

[@soulreaver1983]

Absolutely 💯 awesome many thanks Ian hope you are well dude!!!😎👍👍

[@shannonandsheila1403]

I tell you cant nobody read them like you. other readers i cant follow your reading speed allows time to build the narration in the mind. Well done

[@bertramgunn]

Good clean story 👏 👌

[@Arwcwb]

Was looking for this! Thanks!

[@rneustel388]

Fascinating!

[@ginapitocchelliarnp1844]

Listening from Florida! Love it!♥️

[@ScullyPop]

You've been a big inspiration to me.

[@Nerodrgn]

A really good story indeed

[@navelriver]

Great fiction, professionally spoken as fact.

[@sawyerbates2032]

Just as I finished the Ocean Dread 2 last night, this gets uploaded today? I feel so spoiled.

[@Kojoanna]

Nice story, good job😊

[@anthonybarnwell767]

Great story Mr Gordon ☺️☺️

[@gohboy56]

Oh so poignant! I realize that it was going to end in a sad manner, but I can't help brooding over the cause of the fire. My feelings run to the manservant and his wife

[@boneman-calciumenjoyer8290]

@Wrobbie Wrintoul now what were you doing in the comment section before finishing the story you silly goose?

[@robbabcock_]

A very weird tale indeed! 👏

[@awarningtothecuriouswerewolves]

I found the whole thing impossible...unnameable I can accept, but this!!! I didn't just stumble down the Gainesville Pike, you know! Cheers Warren, atheistic materialist &...flaneur!

[@LTPottenger]

Very interesting about their attitude and dwindling nature. That could easily happen in inbreeding depression causing weird behavior then boom you're gone.

[@WhiteLongSword7]

I might've missed it, but what caused the fire? The ritualistic dance?

[@michaelrobinson996]

most likely the manservent, best was to kill a pagan to them is fire

[@tishahouse846]

Listening from the uk wales ❤️

[@browniepudding8315]

Great story ! How did the house go alight ??? From. Charlie’s drunken stupor or someone witness him and burn it down with him in it on purpose ?

[@johannageisel5390]

So, the two male servants dealt perfectly well with the revelation and Barbara went crazy. Very realistic.

[@PoffinFresh]

The female servant Elsa had no problem, so it’s not a gender issue. Barbara was in love, probably wanted to marry and have children with Charles, then found out she’d been deceived in a shocking way.

[@FestArc]

Is Warren really dead? Or are you just trying to upset us?

[@mjrchapin]

Strangely plausible!

[@frankmcgovern5445]

“Only a plain woman can hope for a faithful husband.” Kind of a d*ck call. Many EXTREMELY good-looking men are partners with exceedingly attractive women and don’t stray. I’d know. What??! I WOULD!

[@alswann2702]

Poor Warren

[@AcornElectron]

Don’t believe the voices. Warren is fine. It’s a tax dodge.

[@awarningtothecuriouswerewolves]

Yup -- not much future in death! Warren!

[@arslan6608]

22:24 bookmark

[@lifewladye]

and of course..... the tragic end...another great story

[@Ivanhoe52]

Lovely story. Somewhat like ' The Shape of the Water', but opposite.

[@chrissieapple7313]

How could he pass as an invalid? Surely the horse part of his body would be enormous?!

[@bigsarge2085]

👍

[@thumperpaul155]

Horse from the waist down .. does that mean?

[@Jynxxxycat]

Poor Charles! 😞 I think that if I fell in love with the top half of someone, I could learn to live with the appearance of their bottom half, if it were unusual. Mind you, I think spiders are cute, so it would probably be hella difficult to put me off, physically. 😆

[@christosvoskresye]

Honestly, this story strikes me more as a wasted opportunity than anything else. It does not preserve the mystery, like "The Man Who Went Too Far" or "The Grove of Ashtaroth", nor does it explore the mystery like one of the Alan Quatermain stories would have.

[@addictiontransfer3731]

how the hell did the fire start? are we to asume charles started it in a drunken state? kinda random...

[@michaelrobinson996]

he was murdered. There were warnings from the servant throughout. but you can't confront anyone on something like that. especially when he was affected by magic

[@addictiontransfer3731]

@@michaelrobinson996 who was affected by magic? Are you saying the servant murdered him? If so we're never told that and the author certainly never hinted he thought the servent murdered him.. The author (of the notes i mean) said he loved Charles, if he thought his servant murdered him wouldnt he have shown some pretty serious anger towards him? even if he couldnt prove it?

[@michaelrobinson996]

@@addictiontransfer3731 the narrator was, he said he doesn't know how he got his niece dressed or how they got outside, meaning he wasn't really himself at that moment. And the house keeper was pretty clear he didn't like Charles or want him around.

[@addictiontransfer3731]

@@upliftunderdog So youre saying the Author is lying about the end? that he didnt leave to bring the girl to the doctor, only to come back to find the fire having burned down the house with Charles in it? That would be even more bizare than the servant doing it. eapcially since hes writing these notes for himself so why just leave out all of that..Plus he seemed to really love charles. Idk i buy the other guys theory alot more than David doing it

[@addictiontransfer3731]

@@michaelrobinson996 Thats used as an expression tho.. im all for subtlety, but using him saying that as evidence he definitely killed the person he had been fervantly caring for for 6 months or more and someone he saod he loved seems a bit strange. I can believe the servant may have down it, but i went back and checked and rheres nothing mentioning he did it either and its hard for me to believe that David (the Auther/narrator) would just casually say he doesnt know what happened if he suspected his servant for murdering him. Plus why not just tell charles to go away. Thatd at least give him a shot at life, why save him in the first place if it meant he was really planning on killing him if he exposed himself? Did David really believe that being paraded around by the powers if he was captured would be worse than burning to death? cuz i doubt charles would agree and the author didnt seem that stupid.

[@jamesm9560]

Damn. Damn. Damn.

[@danielx555]

He un-filly-ally said that he had never cared much for his mother.

[@toddblackwood129]

Oh myyyyyyyyyyyyy… ;)

[@blixten2928]

A classic story of love between a elderly-minded scholarly recluse and a beautiful young god (literally), a well-known gay fantasy: innocent, amusing, vain, hedonistic, curious -- a story that probably must end tragically, as so many gay romances once did, in literature and movies...

[@samsonsoturian6013]

The title sounds like the story of my career....

[@AcornElectron]

Get a book written? There’s a void for truth and oddness in the slice of life and reality written word arena.

[@TeethToothman]

☠️❣️☠️

[@ericbozenhard2773]

Am I the only one who thinks he murdered Charles after he dropped Barbara off at the doctor?

[@angelaverbowski995]

#118- ✅👍🏻

[@JennyLane8666]

What a wonderful story. One can't help falling in love with the err... Magnificent young man 🐴

[@Arwcwb]

Oh I get it now Charles was a Spy and now we're at War. lel

[@VildhjartaFanGurl]

GAY! I love it.

[@banterj]

What a dusappointing story…they had so much potential to take the story somewhere magnificent….he got drunk and the story rushed right to the end,just flopped with a thump…the hero didn’t write his story(so he remained a flopped),Charles didn’t get to live a free life,the romance with the niece gone,they just drugged her up at the hospital and sent her off…what was the point of any of this effort!🤭🤭🤭