stroud is dead w/clue

we recieved an update the other day which said this:

TO: THE CIRCLE

FROM: THE OVERSEER

SUBJECT: STROUD IS DEAD

Members of the Circle,

Last week, federal officials apprehended Jack Stroud at the Hoover Dam in Nevada. He had arranged to meet with the Circle so that we could secure the Book of History in his possession. However, by the time a joint Circle/FBI team moved in, someone else had gotten to Stroud.

Marsuvees Black.

When the team found Stroud, he was unconscious and convulsing. He was unresponsive to on-scene medical treatment and was rushed by Medevac to a nearby hospital. En route, he went into cardiac arrest. He was, however, successfully resuscitated and moved to the ICU, where he remained under guard until he could be stabilized and moved to an FBI facility.

He regained consciousness on Monday and doctors cleared him for questioning, though only for short periods of time. Tuesday morning, Stroud was taken to an interrogation room where he met with an agent. You can hear the brief exchange here. By all observations, Stroud was coherent and seemed to be recovering well. However, six minutes into the interrogation, he collapsed. Doctors could not revive him and five minutes later he was declared deceased.

An hour ago, we received the results from Stroud's autopsy, which was performed yesterday. Most notable in the report are two observations:

(1) the case of death is unknown, though cardiac arrest is suspected. However, Meningococcal bacteria was found in fluid samples taken from his body; a finding that still puzzles us and the medical examiner.

(2) Upon examining Stroud's dental remains, it was discovered that one of his molars is fake and is actually some sort of electronic storage device, like an external hard drive. We are awaiting analysis of its contents, and will distribute that to you later today as soon as we have it.

Our search at the Dam for Black and the Book revealed nothing. Apparently, as a matter of personal protection, Stroud did not have the Book with him. A precaution that undoubtedly kept the Book out of Black's hands, but cost Stroud his life. We can only speculate how many lives were saved by him not having the Book. Sometimes heroes can be the most unlikely people.

Kara still remains missing. We recently investigated her apartment and found the place turned upside down. We are following up on some leads that we hope will be fruitful.

Watch for an update from me later today. Hopefully, we'll learn some answers to the secrets that died with Stroud.

The Overseer

The transcript to the audio is here(it's very long):

Agent: Mr. Stroud, I’m Special Agent Harmon, I understand you have waived your right to legal counsel, is that correct?

Stroud: That’s correct.

Agent: And, um, you’ve been made aware of your rights, is that correct?

Stroud: That’s correct.

Agent: Okay. And, uh, for the record, will you please state your full name, date of birth?

Stroud: [slight pause] My name is Jackson Stroud… I was born on 14 June 1963.

Agent: And you are a specialist book collector, book dealer, is that correct?

Stroud: Uh, yeah. Something like that. I, uh, I locate antiques for, umm, for collectors.

Agent: And, uh, it seems that this has got you into some trouble—we’ve been, we’ve been following you for a while; you’re a difficult man to find.

Stroud: It’s part of the job, Agent Harmon.

Agent: Mr. Stroud, would you mind telling me what you were doing on the Hoover Dam last night?

Stroud: Umm… [pause] I went to the Hoover Dam to meet up with a, uh, potential buyer.

Agent: Will you please tell me the name of this buyer, please?

Stroud: [slight pause] Not exactly sure who the buyer was supposed to be…

Agent: [interrupts] Come on, Mr. Stroud.

Stroud: There’s a woman, her name is Kara. She runs—

Agent: [interrupts again] What’s her last name?

Stroud: I don’t know. [slight pause] She’s part of this organization called “The Circle” or “The Order of the Circle,” umm, don’t really know what it is, but I do know that they want this book and that there’s another, uh, that there’s another party, his name is Black, who wants this book as well. I was supposed to meet Kara’s representative, but by the time I showed up at the Dam, Black was waiting for me.

Agent: Tell me a little bit more about this, uh, about this Mr. Black, because uh, obviously something went down. Umm [mumbles]

Stroud: Well, originally he contacted me through my, uh, my handler at the X Group, and said he had a book that was worth quite a bit of money to him, and that he needed my expertise in finding it. But when I found out that this “Circle” group wanted the book as well, and they were willing to do as much if not more than Black, I thought… you know…

Agent: You played them off against each other.

Stroud: Yeah. [lower] Basically. [louder] Come on, it’s all for money, right?

Agent: So tell me, what, what went down last night? What went wrong, what happened.

Stroud: So I show up at the Dam a little bit early. I’m supposed to meet the Circle at 6 o’clock, I show up at about 5:15, at the area where the statues are, the sculptures on the uh, on the Nevada side of the Dam. And uh, Black was there waiting for me.

Agent: Umm, you say you know his name, his full name?

Stroud: Marsuvees Black is his name.

Agent: Can you describe him to me please, Mr. Stroud?

Stroud: Umm… [long pause] I don’t know…. About 6 foot 5, maybe, uh, he wore a black fedora, black trenchcoat, he had black hair that went to his shoulders, and… Let me ask you a question, Agent Harmon. Do you believe in the Devil? I don’t mean the idea of it, I mean a guy, or an it, or whatever, who is bent on chewing you up and spitting you out?

Agent: [long pause] I’ve seen a lot of pretty terrible things in my career, Mr. Stroud, but I can’t say I believe in the Devil… I mean I believe in the—

Stroud: [interrupts] Well you probably should, ‘cause I saw him, on that dam. This guy Black? Okay, so he’s there waiting for me, I’ve never met him in my entire life. He knows my name, he knows what I look like, he walks up to me, puts down a suitcase, says, “Here’s 20 million, give me the book.” I tell him I don’t have the book. I NEVER have the book with me. I mean, that’s what, that’s what keeps me alive, is not having the book with me. They usually just deposit the money, I give them the location of 3 books, one real, 2 decoys, and then they go get all three and then authenticate the right one. So…

Agent: [interrupts] You’re a careful man, Mr. Stroud.

Stroud: Well you have to be. So he sets down this suitcase, asks me for the book, tell him I didn’t have it.

Agent: Then what happened?

Stroud: [long pause] [sighs] I’m really not sure. He, uh…

Agent: [agitated] Come on, Mr. Stroud, how can you not be sure?

Stroud: [agitated as well] He took off his glove, okay? And there was no skin on his hand, and he, he [pause] put it on my chest, and looked me in the eye and it was just like ink black, and my heart started racing and I started feeling really hot, I mean like lightning had hit me. And then I heard myself screaming, and then that’s all I remember.

Agent: [interrupting] You expect me—

Stroud: [interrupting] Next thing I know I wake up.

Agent: You expect me to believe that, Mr. Stroud?

Stroud: [upset] Well you should, yeah. That’s what happened. You asked me what happened. I told you. [pause] I mean, I still don’t know, I mean, it was… I don’t know, I got really hot and then I started… [blows air]

Agent: You take any medication, Mr. Stroud?

Stroud: No.

Agent: Any kind of drugs?

Stroud: No.

Agent: Mr. Stroud, are you okay?

Stroud: Nah, it’s like really hot in here…

Agent: You’d like me to turn down the air conditioner?

Stroud: [sounding disoriented] Uh, no, uh… ah! [sound of someone collapsing]

Agent: Mr. Stroud? [audio ends]

then we recieved the first file from the tooth which is here along with its content written out for those who may be unable to read it:

Das Evangeliar Heinrichs des Lowen.

Client: August A.

STATUS: TRANSACTED

42 11' 49"/2 23' 29.25"

***

PROJ BLACKROCK/

DELIVERED. CAYMAN CONFIRMED.

1. Cosmographia. Ptol.

2. Une saison en enfer.

3. Codex Leicester. LDv.

4. First Folio. WS.

***

Client: Bob S.

STATUS: HOLDING

5/2/08 Kokopelli TrHead

1. Birds of America. JA.

2. DC Action #1. Super.

3. Amaz Fantasy #15. Spider.

***

Atgrph. WS.

1. 1894-S Barber Dime. LH.

2. Caspary Stamp. 1855/86. Backman.

***

PROJ SHOWDOWN

STAUS: 4th QUARTER

1. Story of Hist. Anon. (MB, DA, Circle)

2. Iranian volumes p/w: 180752138-256

If you look on page 256 of Chaos, which the last number is for, you see the message: "Paradise is the key" This is all we have a lead on thus far though.

adam

4-17 Back with Black

The full content of the overseers post is below:


URGENT: From the Overseer [4/17/08]
TO: THE CIRCLE
FROM: THE OVERSEER
SUBJECT: KARA, STROUD AND BLACK
Members of the Circle,

I wish I was contacting you under better circumstances, with word that Stroud is conscious (he isn't as of this morning), or that we've located the Book (we haven't). Instead, I have to inform you that the situation has taken a turn for the worse.

As you already know, Jack Stroud was apprehended yesterday at the Hoover Dam. What you may not know is that Kara was also at the scene, at my request, to coordinate with the FBI. She was scheduled to return from Nevada last night and then brief me this morning on Stroud's status.

I lost contact with her yesterday afternoon, and when she didn't call in for the scheduled briefing, my first assumption was something had gone wrong.

My suspicion was confirmed this morning when I received the following message.

While his voice and face are obscured, I believe the man in the video is Marsuvees Black. I also believe the person tied to the chair in the video may be Kara. The contents of the video lead me to believe that Black does not have the Book. If he did, he wouldn't waste his time with this side trail.

I can only guess, but I don't think Stroud had the Book with him in Nevada. Men like Stroud never make face to face hand-off's if they wish to stay alive. My guess is Stroud was surprised to find Black at the dam, Black made a move, but was thwarted and fled when the FBI moved in. We may not know what really happened until Stroud wakes. If he wakes.

Where do we stand then? The Book is still out there and the only man who knows its location is in a coma. We don't know what information, if any, Black squeezed out of him. What we do know is Black may have Kara, and is giving us 72 hours to solve a riddle. This may be a diversion so Black can buy time, but we can't leave Kara in his hands.

Watch the video for its full contents, but here is the riddle:
"The stones markedBeneath the wheelTell secrets and revealThe names.A nomad, a friar,Everyman, a liar,But the looking glassReveals the true identity."
Black wants us to tell him who he's talking about. He said the answer should be posted to the BOH.com boards, so he obviously has been watching us this whole time. Is watching us. So be watchful. As I type this I am en route to the holding facility where Stroud is. Work on finding Kara. The moment I have an update on Stroud I will pass it along.Elyon be with you, friends.
The Overseer

this info was followed by the actual video, which the transcript for is here:

"Bravo, friends. Did you really think that getting the book back would be that easy? ‘Course you did; you’re the Circle. Hopeless idealists, like Hunter himself. You should know that the book and I are like Black and White, baby. Love and Hate. Sin and Grace. We belong together. I am the puppet master and you are simple players in a game, my game. Stroud tried to play me, but he just wasn’t smart enough. Let’s play, shall we? But this time, let’s play for a prize. [Riddle] If you know, tell me, what’s the true identity? Surely you know I hold Kara’s life in the palms of my hands. You have 72 hours to post an answer on your message boards, or things will end badly for her. I’ll be watching, like always."

Soon afterward we were contacted via the message boards by black himself with the username "wanna trip?" His posts in full are:

My, isn't this fun? Watch the marionettes dance, dance, dance in circles. Never realizing that tug is the puppetmaster's string jerking them around.
*Tug* Tug* You feel me? Sure you do. *Tug* Tug*
Anyone wanna trip? I know I do. Stroud wanted to, he just didn't know how. Of course, he threw a monkey into the works yesterday. Too bad for Kara. It just delays the inevitable. I can smell the musty, old leather of the book already. Here bookie, bookie, bookie. Come to daddy... So, here we are. More precisely, here you are. I've been here all along. You've just caught up. Make you a deal: I'll let the puppets ask one question. Only one. Talk among yourselves and PM me your one question...and I don't mean one per puppet. One. Don't waste it. Why would I do that? Because I like a good showdown...and I want you to look back on Kara's demise and wonder, "What if we asked the wrong question?" Because you probably will...
One question. You have one hour.
Marsuvees Black
52 minutes.
45 minutes. Dance, puppets, dance.
*Yawn* 35 minutes. Tick tock, tick tock.
Is it cold in here, or is it just you? (talking about the previos guesses at the origional clue)
7 minutes by my watch.
4 minutes
yes, guys...an answer please. or a question. whatever.
time to trip. 30 secs.
door closes in 10...9...
and the buzzer sounds. how did we do? let's see.
Hello puppets. The question on the table is: "What is the significance of the stones of David?"
The stones of David have nothing to do with my riddle.
But, alas, you played so hard. I can't leave you with nothing, so how about I toss you a bone?
David Abraham's journal. The tattered page speaks. Thanks for playing.
236
and then he commented on one user's signature.


It is obvious what we must do now. We must use all this info to figure out the clue and fast! Feel free to post your ideas here if you wish.

clue solved

There was a vid posted today and this is the content of that video:

I was in the warehouse... But, no one noticed No one asked
Earth Axis (Pic)
Library (Pic)
One more chance
Tornado (Pic)
Dessert (Pic)
Skin Virtual Chamber/Lab (Pic)
It's a destination, not a journey
Where the justice of the peace was born
Library (Pic)
Skin Virtual Chamber/Lab (Pic)
Or is it both?
MITTWOCH
Hear 1 Clock Chime
in the middle of the road where power flows
Hear 5 more Clock Chimes

There were comments made today by a man we know as Gerard Lafontaine about the circle and how close we are to the actual clue. He made some interesting comments, here they are with added comments by me:

Nice place you have here. Quaint. Cozy. T-minus 2 days and you're not much closer to the book. Could it be that I've stumped the collective intelligence of the Circle? Have I planted doubts that make you second guess yourselves? It's like water, you know. Doubt. A drop of it is harmless, but a river of it unleashed could swallow a city. Most powerful thing on earth.(the hoover dam was suggested before as a possible location, the middle of the road where the power flows)

and:
faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is...anyone? anyone? not faith. Sorry LostWarrior.(a circle member commenting on the previous post) And, yes, I am Jack Stroud, Gerard LaFontaine, MacElroy, and a hundred other people. I am who I need to be, when I need to be. It's something most people can relate to, I'm sure...being someone else. I'm sure you can. At night, when no one is around, you too wonder what it would like to be anyone other than you. To live a life other than your own. Don't you? For all you know, you and I could be one and the same. ARE the same--with raw power in your hands, but not sure if the stories are true. Hoping that they are, but afraid to find out the story is hollow. But equally terrified to pop the strings, open the book and really find out that the story is true.(referring to the book) All you have to do is open it. Just. Open. It. Right? we're the same, you and me. both nomads. both with one foot in two worlds, longing for both but belonging to neither. Been in one so long that the other is a shadow on the back of your eyelids after the flashbulb has gone off. A ghost memory. But, you know how it goes, right? Of course you do.

and:
Mr. Mead would've been pleased with your efforts. So, here's to you Woody! Cheers!(elwood mead oversaw construction on the dam)

and:
Not M.R. Mead. Mister Mead. As in "Hello, Mister Mead. Pleasure to meet you. How are things at Reclamation these days?"(water reclamation) So close...oh, so close. No more hand holding.

and:
Not so, KylerMartyn.(another person who mentioned Stroud not showing his face thus far) The skydeck...the airport...I was at both. But, you wouldn't know that since you weren't at either. "Look, the wind blew through the trees just now! No, wait. I didn't see it, so it must not have been the wind. Never mind."

Mr. Darcy(another boarder) wrote:
Tis true. Some say that seeing is believing. Is that why you want to open the book, Gerald?
and he replied:
I've already opened it.

this got a responce from girlwith a song asking what he found which was, as he says:
a blank slate.

people were also talking about how the hoover dam fit with the clue, where the justice of the peace was born, gaining this response:
It fits. That you can't see it is your problem, not mine, friend.


Obviously we must meet him in the middle of the road where the power flows on the hoover dam. The rest of the clues just solve themselves.

Finally!

the clue came in a post from kara:
TO: THE CIRCLE

FROM: KARA

SUBJECT: STROUD/CHICAGO

Members of the Circle,

Last week we were led to believe that Jack Stroud, the man we now believe has the Book of History, would be at the skydeck of the Sears Tower in Chicago. A member of the Circle showed up at the Sears Tower at the appointed time, however Stroud was not there. Instead, they found a business card taped to one of the windows. It was a card for Josef McElroy, President of Skydeck Holdings. It wasn't long before we learned that we weren't meant to meet him on the top floor of the Sears Tower; we were supposed to meet at Skydeck's office several floors below.

The operative went to the office and found the door unlocked. The office was empty except for a small table set in the center of the front area. On top of the table was a deteriorating book. Moby Dick. The operative noticed that there seemed to be a message embedded in the cover. She carefully unbound the book and discovered the attached (see image).

Examine the book cover and determine what its purpose is. If you figure it out, email your findings to Paradise.Sage@yahoo.com. Our best guess is that Stroud is telling us where he will be next. A word of caution: I am concerned that Stroud is using our website and forums not just to communicate with us. It could be that he is communicating with Marsuvees Black right under our noses.

Good luck,

Kara

and contained this file:
http://booksofhistory.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/book.jpg
that file when looked at reveals the text:
Skydeck holdings Joseph J McElroy Pres. 233 Wacker Dr. Ste. 9570 Chicago IL 60606
thursday @ the h(o^2)use of dekketti
meet (the word meet doesn't seem to fit where it is placed)
the place of eve's genesis

The o^2 isn't in parenthesis but when you look at the white letters you see an M,the o^2 and an F which, when you play with the letters gives you FOOM (o^2=OO) the name of the studio that is making the graphic novels for ted.

There are also the numbers 978159554072 which is the isbn for ADAM, ted's newest and best (in my opinion) book.

the references in the text all refer to the books Adam and House in one way or another. Dekketti means Dekker/Perretti who worked together in house. The place of eve's genesis is a reference to adam. When we looked again at the foom studios websit we sayw that their blog:
http://foomstudios.wordpress.com/
was updated with this info:

Just a quick invite…
April 3, 2008, 8:59 am
Filed under: Uncategorized
A reminder…I will be hosting a private screening of HOUSE tonight in Conway, AR. If you are in the neighborhood stop by. We only have room for 50 people, though, so come early. Also, before the movie starts we will be showing an exclusive interview with Ted Dekker about his latest book, ADAM.

WHAT: Private screening of “HOUSE” the movie

WHERE: 1210 Hogan Rd., Warehouse #600, Conway, AR

WHEN: 7:30 p.m.

the address, when lookded up on any map site, turns out to be a fake and even addresses similar just turn up to be fake. This confirms the clue's part in the search, but I don't know why cause of course this all must be real. ;^)

Several people then emailed paradisesage with the info. We are, yet again, waiting on another clue