Wednesday, 8
September
Tonight was the King's dinner. Our group was
pulled in for an outfit inspection. A funny little lady
checked everything out to make sure things like we could hold our hats
under our arms without needing to unpin things. Henry managed to
go out the wrong door and met a couple charming girls and their
governess. Then He had to go and mention cheese. I suddenly
started craving cheese.
We were shown into the hall and to tables where there were snacks
before the main course. The snacks were quails and there were big
slices of those mangled vegetable things with roses carved in them and
dip in the middle of the roses. It was all posh and everything.
No cheese, though.
Then they started announcing for people to come forward. They
called me, Henry, Lady C, Wilamina, Sir Spencer, and the Duke of Florin
(as well as some others, of course). As we were going up, the
helpful servant escorting me up told me how to accept the sash.
Outside of chocolate, servants are one of the best things about being
rich. Although I still feel bad about giving orders for things I
can do perfectly well myself. But I wouldn't give up Cain.
Unless I had to of course. Things do change.... In any
case, we were all given awards for this morning's hunt. I got an
award for bringing down the most game and was inducted into the order
of the hunt. Henry was also inducted, and the king made a joke at
His expense. Also, an odd compliment to me. It was
something about Him not bringing down as much game as I might explain
why I had the higher rank...
Willamina got the biggest stag and was proclaimed master of the hunt or
something. She got a gold necklace and a gold circlet with
antlers on it. She then lead the dancing with the crown
prince. I got to do some lovely dancing with Henry. We even
finally found cheese. Unfortunately, shortly after that, I
noticed that Willamina wasn't in the ballroom anymore. Henry and
I went to go find her out in the garden. We met her coming in
(being followed by Mrs. Pinker, which I was glad to see), and decided
to continue out in the garden and do an anarchist patrol. While
patroling, we heard a body being dragged and went to find the
source. The governess we briefly met earlier was poking a body
with a bent poker and talking to it in some foreign language.
German I'm guessing. On second glance, the body was human shaped
but not very human. In any case, she ended up throwing the body
in the stream. Lady C (who was on the other side of the stream)
and I and Henry all started clapping for her. She looked kind of
annoyed. Then a little girl popped up and also started
clapping. Another little girl also came out of the bushes and
started talking with her (I'm assuming) sister. The governess
looked even more exasperated that the girls were out here. I
asked the governess how hard she had to hit the thing to bend the
poker. She said something odd about it being just a
trick. Shortly after that, she herded the girls back
inside.
Then Lady C gave Henry the rest of a Nanny Special. Henry knocked
it back and then slowly fell over. Luckily Mr. Samaline caught
Him before He hit the ground too hard.
We all went home shortly after.
Thursday
I made Henry join us for weapons work this morning. Luckily for
Him, Cain was ready with the restorative. Shortly afterwards, we
all trooped off to town. Apparently the anarchist we captured was
killed at the jail in the night. There was lots of investigating.
After the investigating, Sir Cosmo treated us to lunch at a chocolate
shop. A Chocolate Shop! I was in heaven!
After lunch we headed off to the university for an expo thing. We
were in a booth with partially dissected corpses and such. Then
the clocks all went off early. And then wouldn't stop going
off. I suggested that Willamina could maybe help fix the clock
and we headed off to the carriage. We met Prince Steffan at the
carriage. He helped us get to the clock tower without needing to
go through the crowd that had gathered. Of course, it involved
flying up to an airship, flying over to the clock, and dropping down to
the clock. In boats. That float. Augh.
Inside the tower, we found a crispy man and blue flashy crystals.
Wilamina and another clock man who came with us got the gonging
stopped. Then Wilamina pulled out a contraption and tried to do
something with the flashy crystals. It didn't go so well.
Then Lady C down below yelled up for Wilamina not to touch the
crystals. Wilamina had just started to talk about doing something
with the crystal (grounding or some such), when the chain jerked and
rivets starting to pop. We all took cover and the clock above
fell through the floor. It was very loud. Oh and Steffan is
more and more amazing the more I see of him. When the dust
settled, Prince Steffan was hanging below the ledge hanging on to the
other clock man. All were righted and up at the top of the tower
soon enough. We had to go through the airship ordeal again to get
to the ground.
Only then Henry was more babbly than usual. And he seemed to be
talking to someone invisible. Wanted to take me dancing right
away. In a pub. Of all the nerve. Mrs. Cuthbert said
there was someone else in his head. We all headed over to a Mrs.
Oobermantel's house where she served us tea. He had the oddest
half a conversation. And then He started talking about possibly
dying. I reminded Him that if He left me alone with Them, I was
going to be Extremely Unhappy. Then He started talking about
Them. In mixed company. With people I didn't know.
How DARE He! I left and started using a bow to feather a
tree. He has a lot of making up to do...
When I walked in, He was saying to whomever that He lived to make me
happy. I don't know if He really meant to say it, but it was
sweet. Shortly after that. Mrs. Cuthbert and Mrs. Oobermantel got
Henry's flask and did something to pull the unseen presence into
it. Normally I'm glad for any stoppage in drinking, but now He'll
have to buy another flask. Not cheap...
And our day isn't done yet. There's still a ball tonight.
The British embassy one. We just got home and still need to
dress. In a different dress. And they're letting me wear my
uniform again! I'm all for that. Mr. Cain also informed me
that it's a smaller ball as well. I approve.
Home late again. It was a fairly quiet affair. There was
dancing. And cheese. And Henry was more attentive than
usual. I approve. Except that he keeps talking about that
Hugo fellow. I don't approve. And something about a giant
cake mixer. Well, I am thoroughly exhausted. Bed now.
Friday
We're heading off to Coselle today. We're currently on the train
heading there. It's kind of nice to get out of town. And
away from exploding clocks and Hugos.
We went to a train yard and Wilamina and Sir Cosmo started asking about
cranes. They were invited to go up into a crane. I thought,
that since Sir Cosmo was there, it would be ok to stay and guard the
base of the crane. Then I wouldn't have to go up somewhere where
I could fall and splat. Or bounce as they keep telling me. As if
that's useful. In any case, Mrs. Pinker went up with them.
Sigh. I failed again as a chaperone. So when Lady C went
poking around, I tried to both follow her and watch the crane. I
wish they'd stay together more. It makes my job really difficult.
Lady C decided to follow a gentleman that she saw sneak through a
door. I had to follow her. I had to. Wilamina
was with Sir Cosmo, Mrs. Pinkerton, George, and a couple of
guards. We heard a commotion in the direction we were going and
ran that way. She through a door open and dodged the cannon
pointing at her. I followed. The next thing I knew, the
floor was sinking. No the building was sinking. No. Lady C
and I were rising up in a balloon. Noooooooooooo! And then the
basket started shaking. I looked below and He was hanging from a
rope below us. I yelled at him not to fall. Don't leave me
alone!
Proceed to Lady C is crazy
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