Disturbance Diabolic
Wednesday, 10 April 1872
After their naps, several members of the household took leave to investigate yet further clues found in the scribblings of Mr Oliphant. Her ladyship remained at the townhouse to look after Master Galen while she continued to study the books recovered from Oliphant's lodgings. Mrs Frazer was next door, tending to her babies and pursuing studies of her own.
My attention was attracted toward Sir Spencer's house by a strange noise. I cry suddenly cut-off. Mr Salmalin was already on his way when I reached the window. Stuart had also heard something, and had already retrieved his rifle. I informed Her Ladyship, who insisted on getting her own rifle and joining the our parties. Her Ladyship and I went to the front door of Sir Spencer's, while Stuart and Tattvick went through the garden.
We could clearly see the unconscious form of an oriental man dressed in footman's livery laying between the shrubbery on the west side of the house.
Then we heard gunfire. I persuaded Her Ladyship to stand back far enough to shoot anyone waiting inside while I got the door open. I found Peter laying on the floor inside the doorway. He had been knocked insensible, but was alive. We could hear Mrs Frazer's raised voice, talking to an unfamiliar man. We both started for the stairs and had an awkward moment as we collided. We tried to sort ourselves out without making more noise.
The distintive sound of bones breaking upstairs brought us both up short. Her Ladyship steadied herself and aimed her rifle up the stairs, finger curled 'round the trigger. I decided not to argue and let her lead the way.
We had only ascended a few steps when we heard the sound of something running. I say something because first it clearly had more than two feet, and second it made an unmistakeably clicking sound on the wood, not unlike sound a dog's claws make while trotting across a hard wood floor, though considerabling louder.
The sound was at the top of the stairs, but we could see nothing.
Her Ladyship fired, blowing a troublingly large hole in the wall and ceiling above the stairs.
Something ducked. I couldn't see the creature, there was a blur or a ripple in the air, as if the edges of its form gave off an almost invisible vapour. The railing shattered, as if a creature the size of a pony had fallen through it. A table, chair, and two vases in the hall below was smashed as the unseen thing fell.
Her Ladyship called out that she had missed whatever it was, and that it was running toward the kitchen. As she did this, she swung the barrel of her gun that direction.
Mr Salmalin appeared, as if by magic, in midair--or I should say midleap--from the landing at the top of the stairs toward the the space where the creature had landing.
Her Ladyship told me later that she had just been squeezing the trigger for another shot, when Mr Salmalin appeared in her line of sight. Her grinned at her, she said, just before he vanished.
Because that is what he did the moment he landed on the floor. He simply melted into thin air.
Before we could exchange a word, I heard Mr Humphries, Sir Spencer's chef, calling out in indignation. There were sounds of a struggle, that a clang as if something had stuck something unyielding a nasty blow with a frying pan.
Stuart and Tattvick were calling out instructions to someone--presumably Mr Humphries--to get out of the line of fine.
We hurried down the stairs and ran toward the kitchen. Pots, pans, and utensils were scattered everywhere. The back door stood open, hanging crooked as one hinge had been ripped from the door frame. Mr Humphries was moving pans off the stove, to prevent the food he was cooking from burning. As we ran past, there was another gunshot in the garden.
Rather irrately Mr Humphries called out, "Don't you dare kill that infernal creature until I give it a piece of my mind!"
He followed us out the door, a cleaver clutched in each fist.
Stuart, Tattvick, Mr Frazer, Turgenov, and Mr Salmalin were circling an empty space in the middle of the yard. Mr Salmalin punched at the air. His fist hit something, but all we saw was a violet or blue shimmering in the air. Turgenov leaped in, jaws snapping at some other part of this unseen something. There was a similar shimmer, and perhaps a crackle or sizzling sound. Mr Frazer's fist produced a similar effect, as did Tattvick's sword, and the butt of Stuart's rifle.
We advanced slowly.
Even though we could not see it, we seemed to be herding the creature. We were all so intent on the unseen creature, that I didn't notice the sound of the clockwork brougham pulling up. Suddenly there was a palpable change in the air. In the spot we had all been watching and lunging at suddenly had an unmistakeble shape. We still could not see the creature, but it was as if the air itself had caught fire for a moment, and the space where the invisible being was could briefly be discerned by the burning around it. A large, triangular head was what I noticed first, as if a giant preying mantis stood in our midst. There were many legs, as a spider or a crab, including to large forboding claws raised to strike at us.
It screamed. An unearthly cry that chilled to the bone. And then it was gone.
The master ran into the garden, holding an etheric pulse weapon.
Mr Frazer and Her Ladyship both asked where the demon had gone.
Mr Salmalin said his wife and Mrs Cuthbert had exorcised it. Did that mean it was gone, or simply injured? We were not certain. The ladies themselves arrived a moment later, and were no more certain that we. Mrs Cuthbert was attempting to divine the creature's location when Mrs Frazer finally joined us.
She quickly explained that Mr Oliphant had confronted her upstairs, threatened her in some manner before Mr Salmalin had incapacitated him. Hearing all of us arrive, she had decided it would be best to bind Oliphant hand and foot so he could not cause more mischeif while we were distracted with the creature. She was explaining more about what had happened when we were all surprised by an eeiry light that engulfed her, became blinding for a heartbeat and then vanished.
And seemed to take her with it.
We were all quite upset by this development, Mr Frazer most of all. We searched but could find no sign of her.
George and Mr Salmalin went to retrieve the unconscious bodies of Mr Oliphant and his servants. I assisted Mr Humphries in straightening the kitchen while the others discussed the next plan of action. George and Salmalin returned with only Mr Oliphant's body. The two oriental servants were nowhere to be found.
Mrs Salmalin was convinced Oliphant remained a focus of the demon's power, and wished to do something to neutralize this. She and Mr Humphries got into a bit of a row about it, and I was quite happy not to be the person responsible for the premises for once.
Mrs Cuthbert suggested a ritual to locate Mrs Frazer, and further suggested the she and Mrs Salmalin relocate to the nursery to do this, they asked Mr Frazer to accompany them, as he and the babies have spiritual connections to Mrs Frazer and would make the ritual more likely to succeed. Insp. MacGreggor arrived, out of breath and distraught (having been awakened, he said, by his father) while we were awaiting the news from the ladies.
They returned sometime later and declared that the demons had spirited Mrs Frazer straight up into the sky. Perhaps hundreds of miles. As they were explaining this, Mrs Cuthbert began speaking to the air as if another person were with us. She explained that it was Merlin, or his spirit at any rate, relaying a message from Edward. Mrs Cuthbert told us that Edward, the Lieutenant and Mrs Wooster, Mr O'Flaherty, and Sir Spencer had located the the missing girl, as well as having found some sort of treasure trove of Merlin's secrets underneath the Tower of London. And with these things they might be able to resuce Mrs Frazer.
Everyone quickly gathered weapons and supplies, and then they were off to the Tower.
We cleaned up as best we could.
A few hours later they returned--with Mrs Frazer unharmed (though she and her dress were covered in some noxious material which had a consistency not unlike dried blood, but was entirely the wrong color and smell!).
As I understand it, they mounted a rescue, using some device in this "Merlin Chamber" to send themselves to the "Shadow Ship" where they engaged in a terrific battle before leaving again by the same means. Though not before this ship had been sabotaged in some manner so that it was destroyed with all hands. The master didn't explain much before he collapsed from exhaustion, though he did express some worry at having to explain to someone that he may have committed an act of war against creatures not of this world.
I reminded him that as the creatures had taken hostile action against citizens of the crown right inside London, perhaps those who matter would agree it was justified.
Edward, Mr O'Flaherty, Mrs Wooster, Sir Spencer, Lt Wooster, and Mr Caine did not return with the others, but remained at the Tower, continuing some project there related to other aspects of this troubling affair.
In the morning, Her Ladyship requested that we make up a hamper or two with enough food for everyone, as they intended to return to the Tower and finish business.
A few the master and most of the others returned. I still have not learned all the details, but I am given to understand that the winged beings have agreed to withdrawn and cause no further trouble. They have left Miss Botley with the means to undue the damage their search for their missing compatriot has caused. As such, the master asked me to make arrangements for an immediate journey to Edenfield. Miss Botley and several other members of the household intend to revive Colonel Dunbar.
Meanwhile...
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