During the months prior to his disappearence prof. Samor began mentioning pieces of a theory he was formulating for a future course he planned to start at the University. The basis for this theory was a series of unrelated discoveries which Samor was able to connect using his bizarre "rift theory".
The rift theory was formulated from, among other things, a bird's nest, an insect, an axe head, an amulet, and a series of stone stairways spread across the east coast of the United States. At this point professor Samor's illness must be considered in deciding whether the evidence he presented actually add up to a tangible theory or whether the relationships he drew between them were merely the product of his schizophrenia. While he was a brilliant man it must be understood that Samor was afflicted by a severe disease of the mind and might not have been able to distinguish fantasy from reality when examining his evidence.
The rift theory was formulated from, among other things, a bird's nest, an insect, an axe head, an amulet, and a series of stone stairways spread across the east coast of the United States. At this point professor Samor's illness must be considered in deciding whether the evidence he presented actually add up to a tangible theory or whether the relationships he drew between them were merely the product of his schizophrenia. While he was a brilliant man it must be understood that Samor was afflicted by a severe disease of the mind and might not have been able to distinguish fantasy from reality when examining his evidence.
The Chittiqua / Weaver Bird Connection
Professor Samor first became intrigued with the idea of contact between Africa and North America when he observed the similarities between the woven baskets of the Chittiqua Indians, native to western Pennsylvania, and the nest structure of the West African Weaver birds. In time he began to suspect a connection between the two; either that the Chittiqua had some influence from West African culture or that the birds themselves had roots in North America.
Sigara Balleni
At this point in time professor Samor's conjectures were nothing more than a muse, but all that changed in April of 1999 when he was contacted by a close friend, Edward Segar, a photo-journalist for National Geographic. Segar had just returned from an expedition into the swamps of northern Gabon and southern Equatorial Guinea. He told Samor of a fascinating discovery; the Sigara balenni, a tiny water beetle that inhabits the brackish waters of Florida's everglades. Apparently the same beetle also inhabits the brackish waters of the swamps of West Africa.
According to Samor's notes the article about the Sigara balleni was supposed to have appeared in the June 2005 edition of National Geographic magazine. However, after prof. Samor submitted a small editorial on the subject to a local scientific journal Edward Segar's upcoming article was cut and Segar himself was reassigned to an expedition to central Brazil. Following this incident professor Samor became increasingly paranoid about someone trying to silence his work on the rift theory. His journal notes are filled with scribbled messages about strange men with black suites and Australian cigarettes. His conjectures as to their identity led him to believe they were agents of historical textbook publication companies eager to supress his work. His paranoia only escalated after a mysterious "field trip" to Egypt.
Egypt: the African Axe Head
During the summer of 1998 professor Samor took an abrupt field trip to Egypt, which he claimed was to gather information for use in future courses. The board at Hinge was a little taken back by this, but eventually granted his request. They were a little more shocked when they learned two weeks later that professor Samor had been arrested for trespassing inside the Sphinx. Later, a special delegatioin (which included myself), was sent to secure his release from jail. When we returned he showed me what he claimed to have found in the tunnel system beneath the Sphinx; an iron axe head whose origins were later traced back to West Africa.
India: the Amulet of Makaundi
The last evidence professor Samor cites in his theory is an Indian amulet of questionable origin. Allegdly he received the item in the mail from an unknown source, though he suspected it to be his old friend Edward Segar. The amulet, which I have seen but never studied or dated, depicts two central figures with a mysterious boat and a palace between them. With the amulet was a blank sheet of paper containing only two typed words: "Samoa" & "Makaundi". With further investigation Samor uncovered the full length of the Makaundian epic as an oral tradition among some of the people of the South Pacific island of Samoa. The stories speak of a great prince (Makaundi) who set of on a journey accross the oceans of the world. Professor Samor believed that the amulet confirmed the legend by depicting Makaundi and his mysterious wife next to his ship.
I was never a believer in Samor's theories, only a friend. We shared an interest in the mysteries of the ancient world, but Samor's interests extended into a desire to correlate those mysteries into something more. Whether that "something more" was another theory or an even deeper mystery, he sought a way to justify his facination with history beyond a benign interest. When he first dissapeared I believed he had simply taken another field trip, such as his trip to Egypt. I concluded that Samor must have finally found some place rich enough in history that he never wanted to be found. Then, two months ago, I received an email from someone claiming to have seen him in Japan. And while he was puportedly in good health and spirits, he was in grave danger and needed my help. But to help Samor I must find him, and to find him I must follow the same trail he is following; his theories, despite my disbelief in them.
