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- Dec 4, 2017
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Not sure where else to ask and my google-fu isn't cutting it. It concerns a story I read as a child many years ago.
It was done by a well-known English author, but not one generally noted as a sci-fi writer. He (and I'm pretty sure it was a he) was certainly writing in the 1900s and I think 1930s or 40s, maybe 1950s. The story concerns a Restoration nobleman, quite a rake at the time, determining that eating raw carp will provide immortality. (Yes, ick.) He locked himself, his wife and his mistress into an labyrinth under his country house, with strict instructions and some sort of trust set up so that his heirs would continue to provide him carp as well as other necessities, forever.
A modern researcher finds some clues. The nobleman's line has almost ended and his only descendants consist of two elderly spinsters who still faithfully feed whatever's behind the big padlocked doors. The researcher spies on them and finds that the trio inside is still alive but not particularly human anymore.
That's not much to go on, but if anybody could steer me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.
tp
It was done by a well-known English author, but not one generally noted as a sci-fi writer. He (and I'm pretty sure it was a he) was certainly writing in the 1900s and I think 1930s or 40s, maybe 1950s. The story concerns a Restoration nobleman, quite a rake at the time, determining that eating raw carp will provide immortality. (Yes, ick.) He locked himself, his wife and his mistress into an labyrinth under his country house, with strict instructions and some sort of trust set up so that his heirs would continue to provide him carp as well as other necessities, forever.
A modern researcher finds some clues. The nobleman's line has almost ended and his only descendants consist of two elderly spinsters who still faithfully feed whatever's behind the big padlocked doors. The researcher spies on them and finds that the trio inside is still alive but not particularly human anymore.
That's not much to go on, but if anybody could steer me in the right direction, I would appreciate it.
tp
