(From the diary of Mr. Salmalin)
20 July, 1870
I failed.
Sir Cosmo sent me to search the estate for other enemies. Somewhere (and we still have not determined where they were hidden) eight foul undead carrion creatures were hidden in the house. They lay a trap for the others and greviously injured Miss Whitnell and Mr. O'Flaherty. Miss Chigwidgeon, Miss Sinclair, Dr. Sinnaig, and the Marquis were also injured and placed in jeopardy because of my incompetence. If not for Mrs. Cuthbert...
Our day never really started. Or rather, the previous day never ended. I was still searching the upper stories of the main house when Miss Sinclair discovered our old acquaintance, Dr. Sinnaig, being held prisoner in the dungeons. He was in a sorry state. He says that he was attending a symposium some weeks ago where he met Baron von Gower, who invited him to discuss, privately, his theories on illnesses of the brain. He was rendered unconcious and came to his senses in this estate, a prisoner, where he was forced to assist Comte d'Erlette and von Gower in medical examinations of undead creatures.
While Miss Sinclair and Insp. MacGregor were sorting out Dr. Sinnaig, Mr. Ramsay had discovered that the vampire bound in one of the other cells of the dungeon was immune to the usual method of killing: a wooden stake through the heart.
Dr. Sinnaig explained that he had seen many other traditional methods of destroying the undead tested on a number of other of these creatures, with differing degrees of success. He said there were at least four more vampires which he knew to be immune to staking, beheading, and fire. Though he had no idea where the creatures were, at the moment. I learned all of this a bit after the fact, when Sir Cosmo found me, apprised me of the situation, and sent me into the basements to look for hidden chambers.
While I was doing this, the servants of the household were going about their usual duties of making breakfast. Sir Cosmo and Brigadier Peacock were still questioning the Prussian officers about their orders. The other members of the League were either pursuing their own areas of inquiry or getting some sleep.
Edward had been set the task to estimate the firing range of the Prussian's large gun. I found Edward and a very uncomfortable Emily outside the house at one point. Edward had a group of the Prussian artillary officers gathered around a cannon and was making them explain it to him. Emily stood nearby, avoiding the eyes of the young men. At a later point in the day I overheard Edward trying to convince Sir Cosmo to let him keep the cannon. I'm not certain how he expects to carry it home, let alone where he would keep it in London.
Miss Whitnell, Mrs. Cuthbert, and Insp. MacGregor attempted to interrogate Baron von Gower about the vampires. They made no further progress with him than Sir Cosmo and the Brigadier had earlier. They then recruited Miss Chigwdigeon to assist with the interrogation. Miss Whitnell was apparently very unhappy with how Miss Chigwidgeon questioned the baron. Miss Chigwidgeon's methods failed, as well. Sir Cosmo was consulted, and he decided to move the baron from the comfortable guest room on the second floor to one of the dungeons. He recruited Mr. O'Flaherty to carry the baron down.
Upon reaching the basement, the baron was informed that Sir Cosmo intended to lock him into the cell with the chained vampire, since the baron had called Miss Whitnell's sanity into question when she asked him about vampires. This gambit was successful, and the baron finally admitted he knew about the other vampires and he knew one method of killing them: set them afire while the light of the sun is shining upon them. Sir Cosmo had the baron locked into one of the other cells.
When I completed my search of the sub-basement, I returned to the main floor to find new activity underway. Messages had been received from both the Belgian government and the British Ambassador. More Prussian troups had been captured near three key rail stations. One group had been captured by the Belgian authorities. One was captured by the French agents we met two days later, and turned over to the Belgians, and the third was captured by Count Orlov, the Russian diplomat Sir Cosmo and the others met in June. It seems that all of the signatories of the treating guaranteeing Belgium's neutrality, save Prussia, are working toward that end. There was also a report that Commander Wooster had been forced to destroy a rail bridge in the northeast of the country. One of the Prussian's large train guns was now laying in the Great North Canal.
Baron von Raalik, of the Order of St. Jerome, had also arrived. He was anxious to examine d'Erlette's body and confirm that the sorcerer were truly dead. He was skeptical because of the condition of a vow he swore to "The Powers"--he would not rest until he had brought d'Erlette's evil to an end. This is why he, von Raalik, has lived so long. He expected to die when d'Erlette did. Miss Whitnell pointed out that perhaps von Raalik would continue to live until all the plans set in motion by d'Erlette had been stopped. They proceeded to the chapel and their examinations.
I continued searching the house. I had found a small number of secret doors, which I had shown to Sir Cosmo. So far none had contained any danger. But I was feeling a growing sense of dread. Something was wrong--but I could not tell what. I followed the sense of unease upward, until I had reached the fifth floor. I had not fully searched this area. It wasn't long before I found another hidden, behind which were stairs leading into what could only be a small loft or attic. Then I heard Miss Whitnell behind me.
She needed to speak to me, she said. I turned to face her and asked what she needed.
She had changed clothes. She was wearing a sari -- the same one she had worn the day she, Miss Chidwidgion, and Mrs. Cuthbert had dressed up in them for the day. I was more than surprised, I was suspicious. How had she had time to change clothing and climb four flights of stairs while I was searching this floor? And why would she do so now, with so many pressing matters before her? I concentrated on the Mantra of the Fifteen Syllables of the First Goddess, thinking she was an illusion sent to lure me into a trap.
She did not fade away. In fact, her aura grew stronger, as it does when Miss Whitnell is gathering power to cast a spell. The aura began to take on the vibrations of Kali -- not unlike Miss Chigwidgeon's does when the goddess takes her.
Miss Whitnell's eyes became like the black depths of eternity. She opened her mouth, and Kali-Maha's voice came from it. She asked me if I had forgotten my place and my duty.
I found myself on my knees before my goddess.
She said many things to me--astonishing, frightening things. Then she told me I was her tool, a very useful tool who had served her well, and that she would continue to use me only so long as I served her purposes.
At that moment, I knew it was not Kali standing before me. Because I knew the truth, the truth Kali had whispered to me when I was dead, before Miss Sinclair pulled my body from the river Thames. The truth I had been unable to comprehend, despite all the times Miss Whitnell, Mrs. Cuthbert, and Miss Chigwidgeon had tried to tell me, until that one moment, on the same river, when Miss Chigwidgeon explained it in a new way.
"I am not a tool." I did not mean to speak the words aloud, but I did.
Before I could move, she had me. Her hands were on my neck. She had thrown me against the wall. As she strangled me, she asked, "Isn't this what you want?"
I tried the Mantra of the Swan of Knowledge. I tried the Mantra of Five Letters. None of them worked, and still I could not detect what was behind the illusion. I tried to visualize the Seal of Soloman that Miss Whitnell and the others had used to bind Schmidt.
She vanished like a mist.
I heard screams--shouts for help, really. Miss Whitnell and Miss Chigwidgeon. From below me. I rushed toward their cries, cursing myself for a fool. I collided with Miss Chigwidgeon on the third floor landing. She was rushing to Miss Whitnell's aid. She said a shape-changing demon had tricked her and almost killed her, that she feared Miss Whitnell was in the same danger. She touched me with the iron weapon she had been carrying for the last few days.
When she did, my hearing became clearer, my senses sharper. I could sense undead creatures nearby, inside one of the bedrooms. I kicked the door open, and there two of the foul things were rolling Miss Whitnell inside a carpet. We killed them. We unwrapped Miss Whitnell. There was bruising visible on the side of her face, and blood trickling from a wound. She was not breathing.
I picked her up and shouted for Mrs. Cuthbert.
There were more noises outside, but I heard Mrs. Cuthbert calling that she was downstairs, near the chapel. I took the quickest route to her. She had me lay down Miss Whitnell on a divan in the room, then she lay her hands on her as she called forth her healing powers. A moment later, Miss Whitnell took in a breath. She coughed and her eyes came open.
I realized at that moment that I had been clutching her hand. Which was completely inappropriate, on every possible level. I let go of it, relieved that she was alive.
She snatched me hand back and gave me such a look. I couldn't say anything. I couldn't think. I just sat there, dumbfounded, while Mrs. Cuthbert asked her questions and continued attending to her. Miss Chigwidgeon joined us and began to explain what happened. There were more noises outside of the room. Miss Sinclair, Mr. Deveril, and Mr. Cuthbert ran off to find the Marquis and the Doctor, who were both missing. Mr. O'Flaherty fell from an upper story, but Mrs. Cuthbert's saint prevented him from being harmed.
There were ghuls everywhere, it seems. They called themselves the Sisterhood of Jhe. Mr. Ramsay and Baron von Raalik knew of them. Even Hassan had heard of the creatures. Hoping to end the world. They were allied with d'Erlette. They were trying to kill several of our League as part of a ritual to raise some greater demon from one of the hells. While Mr. Ramsay and von Raalik and Hassan were examining a book taken from the ghuls, and comparing it to books ceased from d'Erlette, they speculated that the ghuls may have been trying to bring back d'Erlette. The ghuls were all killed, but not before they had wounded several of our number.
Everyone was gathering in the room. When Sir Cosmo arrived, he was dressed in a dressing gown and pyjamas. He seemed a bit distracted at first, with a slightly odd smile. Miss Chigwidgeon was going about touching everyone with iron, and soon everyone was touching everyone with iron to make certain we had dispatched all the shapeshifters.
I missed much of what happened because Miss Whitnell refused to release my hand. I suggested, under my breath so that no one else could hear me (I thought), that I should help search the house. Miss Whitnell gave me the look again. And then I felt Sir Cosmo's hand squeeze my shoulder, as he announced that he, Mr. Cuthbert, and Mr. Frazer would search the upper floors, while MacGregor, Deveril and Wilson searched the lower, and von Raalik, Hassan, and Ramsey cast an exorcism spell to purge any remaining evil spirits from the house.
Everyone had been awake far too long. However, several of those attacked had been waylaid while looking for a suitable room to sleep in. There is no shortage of beds in the house, but they're all in separate rooms scattered around. Miss Whitnell was insistent that we should not be all separated again. Miss Sinclair attempted to talk her out of the notion, but had even less luck than I had at freeing my hand.
A few other members of the league agreed that separating into rooms might be dangerous. Brigadier Peacock and Sir Cosmo had a brief discussion, and it was decided that the Great Hall could be converted into a camp, or sorts. Bedding was hauled down from the upper floors. Some sheets and tapestries were strung up to separate the room into a men's and women's section.
Miss Whitnell only agreed to let go of me when Miss Chigwidgeon came to lead her to bed. She gripped Miss Chigwidgeon almost as fiercely as she had me, and I realized that it was the fear of being alone and tricked by the ghuls again that had her behaving this way.
As most of the league slept, von Raalik and Hassan continued to study the books and discuss ways of dealing with the nigh-invulnerable vampire agents, Miss Metzger's trapped soul, and the larger plans of d'Erlette's sorcerous allies. By the time everyone awakened, a plan had been developed.
Before the plan could be fully discussed and implemented, Miss Whitnell took me aside again to speak about things which I thought we had agreed we could not discuss until her year of mourning has ended. I do not understand. She is the one who explained so emphatically just days ago how wrong it would be for a man to express any feeling other than friendly concern toward her during this time. In fairness, part of what she needed to tell me was a different, though related, matter. The ghul took my shape in order to lure her into a trap--just as one of the other creatures had disguised itself as Sir Cosmo to trick Miss Chigwidgeon. These creatures can look into our hearts and mind and learn our secrets. I had deduced that myself, and I told her as such.
Except that I couldn't tell her how I had deduced that, because I would be telling her something that I cannot tell her. Yet. These English rules are maddening. But not unlike our own, and I understand the purpose they serve. It takes time for a heart bruised by the death of a family member to recover. But that is another matter for another time.
Hassan believed that one of the rituals he knows could reunite Miss Metzger with her soul. Mr. Ramsay and Miss Whitnell pointed out that the dark sorcerers of the Teutonic Knights were probably the ones holding the soul prisoner. Liberating the soul would certainly bring us to their attention. Hassan said he had thought of this. He also believed that he could, using the Lion, temporarily control the Bull of Damascus which is in the custody of the Teutonic Knights. He explained that his teacher had given him the annotated holy book, which has been passed down teacher-to-student in an unbroken line from one of the forty-nine wise men and women who created the Lion and its brother artefacts. Hassan explained at as the heir of one of the forty-nine, he has a particular affinity with the artefacts.
Baron von Raalik agreed that Hassan could probably do this thing. Von Raalik and Hassan also believed that, using the Lion, von Raalik could temporarily turn night into day, allowing us to destroy d'Erlette's invulnerable vampires. It was decided to test this. The mystics (plus myself and Inspector MacGregor) carried the Lion down to the dungeons. Von Raalik performed a ritual. A light, seeming as bright as the sun, flooded the vampire's cell. Ramsay thrust a torch against the vampire, who caught flame as if he were an oil-soaked pile of tinder. The creature was destroyed in a matter of moments.
The two enchanted armbands were all that remained of him. Hassan took custody of the bands.
We then returned the Lion to the chapel and began preparations for the next ritual. While we did this, Mr. Cuthbert, Mr. Deveril, Dr. Wilson, and Brigadier Peacock set up firing positions around the estate. The plan was to arrange things so that no matter which direction the vampires entered the grounds from, they could be caught in a cross fire of bullets, flaming arrows, and rockets.
Miss Metzger sat on a chair in the middle of the room. Hassan, Mrs. Cuthbert, and Miss Whitnell drew a seal of soloman around here. Then they and the other mystics got into position. I stood nearby, ready to defend them if necessary.
The mystics began chanting. Hassan called out in his native tongue. The Lion glowed with an inner fire as never before. Miss Whitnell, Mr. Ramsay, von Raalik, Hassan, and Mrs. Cuthbert were engulfed in the glow and rose above the floor, as they often do.
Miss Chigwidgeon was assisting with the chanting. Ordinarily the power does not lift her into the air. This time it did. Her head fell back as if she were unconcious. Her auro thrummed with the power of Kali.
Hassan cried out, gesturing. I could see the magic changing shape and color as his hands manipulated it. The very air hummed with the power. Hassan's hand lunged forward, as if he were snatching something out of the air. The power of the spell washed over me, and for a moment I could see another temple, far away. People were running from it. It glowed with an unearthly light not unlike that pouring from the Lion. A man, one that I do not know, was arguing with a girl. He was arguing about Kali. I realized that the girl was, someone, connected to Miss Chigwidgeon. The man stabbed the girl in the chest.
Miss Chigwidgeon fell to the floor, a moment before I could catch her. She said she was unhurt, but she was gripping her bosom at just the spot where the man had stabbed the girl in the brief vision. She murmured, "It isn't finished by half."
Hassan pointed suddenly at Miss Metzger. A flaming star seemed to fall from the heavens and to strike her. She gasped. The black curse that had clouded her aura suddenly vanished. Then Hassan spread both hands upward as if flinging petals toward heaven. The glow faded from the room. The mystics were lowered to the ground as the power dissipated. Hassan announced that the other sorcerers would not be able to find us.
The group became two clusters, one around Miss Chigwidgeon, the other other Miss Metzger. Once we had determined that neither was hurt and that Miss Metzger appeared free of control from the dark sorcerer (which now everyone was quite certain was this Hans Bopp I have occasionally heard Dr. Wilson and Lt. Wooster talk about), we could proceed with preparations for the return of the vampires.
The shooting stations were prepared. Bonfires were lit.
The Prussian woman, Gefreiter von Erbersbach, who is also a werewolf, asked to speak with the ones in charge. She explained that she and Gefreirter Lichtenwaller, were willing and able to assist in destroying the vampires. Lichtenwaller is, she claimed, the child of an ordinary mortal woman who was ravished by a vampire. He is not a vampire himself, but a being particularly adept at destroying the creatures. Mr. Deveril and von Raalik both commented that they had heard of such creatures in the legends of gypsies. Von Erbersbach and Lichtenwaller gave their word that, if they were allowed weapons to help destroy the vampires, they would not turn on us nor attempt to escape or free their fellow soldiers.
Among Lichtenwaller's powers is an ability to sense vampires from a great distance. This proved immensely useful.
We waited for a few hours after sundown, before Lichtenwaller, from an observation point atop one of the barnes, called out the warning. I was once again inside the chapel, ready to defend the mystics should one of the creatures make it that far.
The mystics began chanting. Von Raalik controlled this ritual. When he completed it, he pointed toward the ceiling and a tiny point of light, no larger than a bee, flew from his finger and flew upward, through the ceiling. Moments later, light poured through the windows of the chapel, as bright as the sun.
We heard gunshots and the sound of rocket fire. I heard Miss Sinclair relating the details later to Miss Whitnell and Mrs. Cuthbert. The creatures were flying through the air when they were first spotted. A giant eye seemed to open in the heavens, and sunlight filled the meadows. Those with rifles began firing.
Two of the vampires were hit right away. Edward's barrage of rockets exploded in the air above the others, showering sparks down on them. They creatures fell to the ground. Miss Sinclair said she could see right through the holes blown through the torso of one by Mr. Cuthbert's elephant gun. Dr. Wilson's second rocket it one of the creatures and set it ablaze.
Von Erbersbach and Lichtenwaller were running toward the creatures. Dr. Wilson and the Marquis were running after them. Mr. O'Flaherty did also, grumbling about Dr. Wilson running toward danger.
At least two vampites had been set afire by rockets or shrapnel. Bullets seemed to cause them discomfort, and the other two were trying to run. Apparently the artificial sunlight had weakened them sufficiently that they could no longer fly through the air as spirits. Lichtenwaller beheaded one with a single stroke of his cavalry sabre. The last was hit by several bullets and at least one fiery arrow. They were all destroyed.
Then soldiers had to run out with buckets of water to put out the meadow grass, which had been ignited. Licthenwaller and Von Erbersbach gathered up the enchanted armbands. Dr. Wilson found a metal dispatch box in the ashes of one of the creatures.
After the box had been examined for traps, Von Raalik opened the box. It contained a coded letter. Miss Whitnell went to work on it. The message was to d'Erlette, and had been written on the previous day. It informed that the Emporer of France was going to the city of Metz to take direct command of the forces there. Agents of Prussia were authorized to assassinate the Emporer. The phrasing of the last part sent Miss Whitnell to check the iron box where she had locked Schmidt's head.
The head was gone. Vanished completely. A later inspection of the Marqui's trunk left in the train revealed that the rest of Schmidt's body had also vanished. The mystics are in agreement that this means Schmidt has manifested in physical form, again. He has almost certainly been sent to kill the Emporer.
Brigadier Peacock and some of the soldiers are returning to Brussels, with Sir Cosmo's report, the coded message, and Baron von Gower as prisoner. Baron von Raalik has taken custody of the enchanted armbands and is returning to Antwerp. He says that when artefacts he has there, and the armbands, he might be able to locate the fifth vampire we were warned about. We have packed up everthing and are taking the remainder of the train to France.
We will attempt to reach the city of Metz and warn the French authorities.
I should spend some time soothing George. He overheard Miss Wilhelmina asking Sir Cosmo to send George back to England, so that he would be safe. Sir Cosmo said that he would only do such a thing if George were escorting her back to the safety of London. She replied with a rather perplexed, "But who would look after you?"
Proceed to Battles by Night
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