His son, Jean, was born in June 1888.
In Pajakombo, at their home.
In a small isolated hospital near lake Toba.
An upper central incisor and upper second molar is found,
Discovered by Eugene in Lida Ajer, 1888. The find sparked debate due to their unusual morphologies. With no accurate was of determining age many wrote the teeth off. Dubois himself apparently concluded that they were too young for what he needed and shortly after moved on to search Java.
It wasn't until 2017 that the teeth were confirmed human, dating around 40,000 - 80,000 years old.
Discovered by one of Eugene's cell teams.
The debate and reasoning as to why they were inconclusive is given through character conversation and reference is made to Java, and how the reality ended.
Eugene sees the find as proof that they are in the right place, and insists on pushing on to see the sight for himself.
As the plot and search progresses, deviating from reality more into fiction the 'What if' takes a hold, fate rears her head, and the historical accuracy merges with the alternate events of my curious little imagination.
Researching this man, and trying to see inside his head, has been both frustrating and incredibly fun. There is so much more I could have included in the book, but since it wasn't super relevant--and I didn't realise what use some of it could have been until this moment--it was probably best that I left a lot of it out.
Wouldn't want the book turning even more into a basket of historical easter eggs very few people would notice.
London
I've always loved when fiction incorporates instances of real people and/or events. It incorporates two of my favourite subjects after all--History and Literature.
Books have always been fascinating to me because of how they allow the reader to see inside an author's mind, or continue conversations with writers long dead, but also because, as an author, you get to explore humanity. As an historical author, you get to explore the 'what ifs' with real people turned characters.
While my original characters all contain certain elements of real people that make them feel like they lived--at least to me--I always find myself referencing real connections.
Like Sir John Edmund Commerell, referenced briefly as owing Charles a favour in chapter 36.
- A member of parliament, decorated Admiral, favoured by both Kaiser Wilhelm II and the queen (both of whom are Charles' relatives) Along with 'Cousin Friedrich' (chp 26) A prince of Saxe-Meiningen and Duke of Saxony, and 'Aunt Feo' (chp 7) Aka - Princess Fedora, the niece of Queen Victoria, and mother to Prince Friedrich.
Or
Oscar Wilde, whom I couldn't help but reference in chapter 2 when my research revealed that he lived in Grosvenor Square during the years of Nathaniel's adolescence. (and just a few doors down too). Considering his writing, outlook, and unusual height he seemed like the perfect influence for Nathaniel's youth.
Like fate. He would likely have been the one to introduce Nathaniel to Polly the parrot at The Cheshire Cheese.
Or even, the blink and you miss it references to the 19th Earl of Morton as Nathaniel's uncle in chapter 17, or Nathaniel Rothschild, 1st Baron as a potential mentor figure to Charles in chapter 29.
Sir John Edmund Commerell
Oscar Wilde
Prince Friedrich of
Saxe-Meiningen
Princess Fedora of Hohenlohe-Langenburg
Polly, who greeted patrons of Ye Old Cheshire Cheese by name, swore, imitated corks popping and gave fake orders. Lived for 40 years
Nathaniel Mayer Rothschild,
1st Baron Rothschild.
But the most prominent, and most fun to explore, is Eugene Dubois.
The man who found the 'Missing link' despite ridicule and criticisms. Whose height, determination, and hardworking determination (a quality the people of Sumatra were not used to seeing in the dutch occupiers) meant he viewed with awe, and this is the character who became Nathaniel's mentor in Heads or Tails.
In reality it was his pale blue eyes, combined with his often fierce personality, and solid sense of justice, that lead to locals likening him to Garuda. Questioning whether or not he could see into the future, or a human's soul.
Discovering this man, if you haven't already realised, played a fairy significant role in shaping the narrative of Heads or Tails.
Along with Dubois, his two engineers Anthonie De Winter and Gerardus Kriele are people who once lived and worked on Sumatra in pursuit of the 'missing link'. However, I could find very little on them other than their names, roles, and a hint at their drinking/smoking habits, so much more of their personalities are created by me.
A biography by Pat Shipman about Eugene Dubois on the other hand, opened my eyes to a fiercely loyal, incredibly stubborn, science driven individual who ventured to the perfect location for a fictional 'What if? and the manipulation began.
Eugene Dubois
Fact
Meet
Fiction
Eugene Dubois took his wife Anna, and young daughter Marie-Eugenie, with him when he was stationed on Sumatra for an 8 year post as a military doctor.
They arrived in December 1887, only to be delayed due to consent and funding, until May 1888 when they move to Pajakombo.
Nathaniel joins them on Sumatra in December 1887. Dubois is already awaiting transfer approval. They depart in May for Lake Toba
Eugene Dubois spoke 5 different languages, survived Malaria twice, and saved men from a cave in because he heard it before it fully began
When learning Malay on the voyage from Holland to Sumatra, his instructors find it amusing to teach him nonsense phrases about planting pianos.
Eugene helps Nathaniel to learn Dutch and Malay, and finds joy in teaching him nonsense about planting pianos, which limits Nathaniel's grasp on Malay.
So singular in his thinking, and judgment upon the cowardice of the men around him, Dubois stubbornly insisted on crawling through a narrow cave chamber during one of his cave explorations.
He had to crawl out backwards which lead to him becoming stuck. He panicked and called for help.
It requires several men to pull him out
He enters the crawl space and becomes stuck, there is only Nathaniel and a young man there to try and help.
Personally insisted and oversaw the brutal punishment of his men when he discovered they had raided a village of women.
Finding even the punishment barbaric he later creates his own punishment for men he discovered later had been apart of the raids but had avoided punishment. (They were made to carry a large elephant fossil on their backs while they go about their work).
The Duboises move to Java
Eugene leads them to the caves.
Along with real people, I take immense pleasure in including minuscule references to reality in my fiction.
For instance, the 'headlines' read by Simon in chapter 19 were taken from London Newspapers from late October 1889.
‘Woman found in bush, potential child of Lepperton settler lost in ‘74, married to Māori? Star upon chest, brothers to identify’
‘Plea to organise Society of Women to send out respectable domestics to colonies’
‘Absence granted to Messrs, Horrell and Moody’
The poem 'Invictus', which Nathaniel fines comfort in, was first published in 1888. The story he was reading before Sumatra 'She' was first serialised in 1887, completed in 1888, which is why Nathaniel doesn't know the end.
The Savoy hotel had its grand opening in August 1889, though in order to fit with my story I pushed it back to October 1889.
It was the first purpose built luxury hotel in Britain, and the first building to be fully lit by electricity, and have an 'ascending room' - aka Elevator. This hotel was the first place to introduce dinner dances, where upper society could come together, dine, and socialise with entertainment. These events played a large role in the emancipation of women, who'd previously been considered un-respectable is seen publicly dining.
The Garrick Theatre, did also open its doors for the first time in 1889, with the play The Profligate. Viewed and discussed by Nathaniel, Charles, and Alexander in chapter 13.
Again, some creative licensing was necessary to move the opening back by a few months from April to October to fit the story, but if you are as much of a weird little history boffin as I am, you will be happy to know that the information given by Alexander, and the opinions expressed by the three of them, reflect how the play was received at the time.
The headlines/praise Charles inwardly mocks are taken again from papers/reviews published at the time.
"...That would have been more realistic.” Or endeavoured to make The Telegraph’s pronouncement of its ‘throbbing humanity’ less ridiculous.'
"John believed that such a resolution would leave the audience disheartened. Thus, he had him rewrite it prior to production.” He finished with a nonchalant shrug, flicking ash from his cigarette. “Although I cannot profess great admiration for the ultimate denouement they chose,...'
- 'Heads or Tails'
- 'Heads or Tails'
