Upon their prey they steal



Monday, 2 August, 1870

Something is wrong with me. Terribly wrong. Wymms snuck up to Sir Cosmo's suite while we were all gathered therein, and eavesdropped on the conversation for several minutes. What's more, several of his officers moved into position throughout the hotel, surrounding us.

I sensed none of it.

Yes, Wymms could give lessons in temple in silent movement. Perhaps Sir Cosmo is correct in saying I should feel no shame for that. But the extremely large constable, Deiter, I believe is the name, is clumsier than Wooster.

I must identify this problem and set it right.

The household is unharmed and free to travel, but it is only because Wymms would rather we cause trouble somewhere else, as Miss Sinclair put it. Not because he didn't have the means, opportunity, and excuse to lock up most of the household on very serious charges. The charges might have come to nothing at trial, but during the interim they would have been in danger. And it was my fault.

At this point, if I were making a personal report to Mr. Graves, he would no doubt chastise me for several things, including not starting my narrative at the beginning. I can remedy that, at least.

This morning the household rose reasonably early. Most of the household took breakfast in the hotel dining room.

Sir Cosmo, Lt. Wooster, and Insp. MacGreggor all had official visits to make. Sir Cosmo needed to deliver certain confidential information to the British Ambassador, Lt. Wooster (and Mr. Caine) needed to deliver similar information to the Defence Attache at the Embassy. The inspector needed to follow up with Captain Kapitan Wymms regarding some police inquiries.

Meanwhile Miss Whitnell, Mr. Ramsay, and Mrs. Cuthbert were to meet with the leader of the local chapter of the Order of St. Jerome, a Prof. Kemp. Miss Sinclair, Edward, Dr. Wilson, Mr. O'Flaherty and several other members of the household went along with them to see the Library, which Mr. Ramsay had been going on about the previous evening.

Unsichtbare Hochschule is a collection of several stone buildings around a park-like square. Miss Whitnell and Mr. Ramsay and the others had little difficulty seeing Prof. Kemp. He's what Mr. Graves would call a very eccentric gentleman. He is a mage of some power, and perhaps his odd behavior is some sort of elaborate ruse to make his enemies underestimate him. His hat was something to behold.

I do not know if the mystics learned anything useful from him, though he gave did give them letters of introduction to the Librarian and to the Archduke. At the library the party had considerably more success, though the Librarian was a most unusual mage. His assistant, an associate professor who seemed not much older than Miss Chigwidgeon or Emily, was very helpful.

Mr. Ramsay, Miss Whitnell, and Edward spent quite some time copying maps and drawing from various books. We also learned that the Order's chapterhouse in Konigsberg was destroy about a year ago. The assistant believes the sudden sinkhole that swallowed the building was caused by Herr Bopp. The Order hasn't retaliated because they lack the resources to defeat the Teutonic Knights.

He was also able to tell us about some of the magickal artifacts which the Knights have captured over the centuries. When the Knights first came to this part of the world in the 13th Century, they immediately began converting the native "pagans." Those who would not convert were tried as heretics and executed. It wasn't very satisfying to learn that the Europeans have been just as eager to mistreat each other as they have the people in other parts of the world.

Sir Cosmo, Insp. MacGreggor, and the others joined the party at the library and assisted in the research as they could. At least MacGreggor and Caine assisted. Wooster was his usual distracted self. Sir Cosmo and Miss Chigwidgeon and Miss Sinclair and Mr. Frazer all spent time walking up and down the aisles between the bookshelves, but their attention was seldom on the books.

Eventually the party concluded they had learned all that we could learn from the Library. They next moved on to meeting Archduke Wilhelm. The Archduke is an elderly man of uncertain health. He is not as eccentric as the Chancellor, though he is very hard of hearing. He is not a mage, yet his aura possesses mage-like qualities. Mrs. Cuthbert said that because he is the leader of a religious order he gains certain mystic perogatives. I think that is what she said. I must remember to ask George what the word means.

In any case, the Archduke was appointed Grandmaster of the Teutonic Knights by the Austrian Emporer. The King of Prussia has some say in the choice, as well. It is both a ceremonial and politcal post. While in Berlin the Archduke is living at a home belonging to the Austrian Emporer. He must remain in Berlin, he said, in case he is needed for some diplomatic mission. Some members of his staff clearly are suspicious of visitors. We learned, during the conversation, that some time ago his most faithful and trusted servant suffered a fatal hunting accident. Since that time, for some obscure political reasons, his usual Austrian honor guard has been replaced with Prussians.

The League believe the new Prussian guards are all agents of Herr Bopp. Mrs. Cuthbert and Miss Whitnell believe that the Archduke has control, however unwittingly, of some of the powers and artifacts of the Knights. They think specifically that the keys that he wears on his person, which anyone with the proper sight can see are charged with magickal power, prevents Bopp from exercising certain powers.

Since the League was certain the interview was being overheard by the servants, they did not speak to him of the problems with Bopp, or the danger they believe the Archduke is in. They did persuade him to compose a note to the Emporer requesting a return of the Austrian guards. I noticed that Edward also slipped a piece of paper into the Archduke's pocket. I assume it was a note of warning.

The League took their leave and went straight to the Austrian Embassy, where Sir Cosmo used his diplomatic credentials to speak to someone in charge. They spoke in German, which I still cannot understand. The Archduke's note will be sent to the Emporer, Sir Cosmo reported. The Austrians have also been told that we have reason to believe the Archduke's life is in danger.

We returned to the hotel. We had been followed during the last leg of our journey. I was not the only one in the party to notice. There was a protracted argument about what to do concerning the man who was spying on us.

Mr. Hassan, Miss Metzger, David, Stuart, and Tattvick were all well and unharmed at the hotel. The League was sharing information and discussing possible courses of action when George captured the burglar. The burglar had been climbing up the outside of the building when George found him. While the League was arguing what to do with the captured miscreant, Mr. O'Flaherty captured the man who had been following us.

With two prisoners, the argument became more protracted. We were able to learn that the burglar was part of an Anarchist Movement. He believed that the League was allied with Herr Bopp. He had been intent on stealing the Lion, which he seemed to believe was some sort of weapon. We didn't learn anything really from the other man. And then we found out that Captain Wymms had been listening to most of the conversation. And the building was surrounded by his officers. He had heard enough to arrest the party on charges. He insisted on interviewing Insp. MacGreggor's witnesses. It seems MacGreggor has been trying to find evidence of the murder of the young woman Bopp killed while our mystics were retrieving Miss Metzger's soul. He has been inquiring about for this murder. Wymms wanted to interview the witnesses.

Miss Whitnell and Miss Chigwidgeon admitted they were the ones who had witness the killing. After some discussion, it was agreed that Wymms would interview them separately in another room, with Insp. MacGreggor and Miss Sinclair present to observe that nothing untoward had happened. The rest of us were ordered to stay in Sir Cosmo's suite, although Sir Cosmo was allowed to send a message to the British Embassy. Mr. Hassan and George guarded the Lion (which is what the burglar had been come to steal). I stationed myself at the door where I could hear what was happening in the other room.

And tried to figure out how Wymms had caught us all by surprise. There is something wrong with me, I'm sure of it.

In the end, Wymms believed us about the murder, but agreed that there wasn't evidence to win at trial. He asked us to pack the Lion back in the trunk as it had been packed on the train. He then called in the hairy little constable we had met at the station. The constable picked up one end of the trunk scarcely an inch from the floor, then dropped it. He turned to the Captain and announced that the trunk sounded the same as the previous evening.

Wymms then explained that a member of the Archduke's staff had reported that we had stolen a valuable statue from the Archduke's residence. They had described the Lion in detail. The previous evening the unusual constable had mentioned that our luggage contained a single enormous piece of amber, that he suspected was quite valuable. Before coming up to the suite, Wymms had interviewed the hotel staff, and affirmed that the housekeeper had seen the Lion statue in our rooms last night. Before we were supposed to have stolen it from the Archduke.

Wymms explained he did not wish to arrest us if for no other reason than the jail would likely suffer a disaster such as the sinkhole that destroyed the St. Jerome building in Konigsberg. He also did not wish us to remain in Berlin, as he felt our enemies would attack us eventually--killing innocents in the process. We began packing.

Sir Cosmo was able to secure us berths on the evening train to Konigsberg. Not on the express, which would have gotten us there in only two hours or so, but the regular run. Most of the party again took seats in one of the passenger cars. I was in one of the baggage cars with Hassan, guarding the Lion. Insp. MacGreggor was with us, practicing his fighting technique. Dr. Wilson and Mr. O'Flaherty were with us, as well, along with Miss Whitnell, who was again practicing her magic.

We had not gotten far out of Berlin when the ghost of Insp. MacGreggor's father interrupted us to say that something had happened. He didn't know what, precisely, just that Mrs. Cuthbert had "gone silent." I was dispatched to the passenger cars. Miss Whitnell and Mr. Hassan began gathering power for a spell. I climbed on top of the train and made my way forward.

Approximately halfway to the passenger car where the party was I encountered Mr. Frazer and Miss Sinclair, who were making their way back to us. Some gentlemen had entered the passenger car and recognized Sir Cosmo. Sir Cosmo apparently recognized one of them as well. While the leader of this group engaged Sir Cosmo in conversation, his two compatriots had secretly set up some sort of device to flood the car with a sleeping gas as soon as the left. Mr. Frazer and Miss Sinclair had barely managed to get out into the fresh air. All of the others were sleeping very soundly, but apparently unharmed. Frazer and Miss Sinclair had propped open a door and the roof trap in hopes the fresh air would awaken everyone.

They suggested that these three gentlemen were heading to the baggage car. I agreed to return and warn the others, while they went back to the passenger to guard our sleeping companions.

I had just climbed down into the baggage car and related what was happening when we heard and felt the train being de-coupled. It sounded as if it was only one or two cars in front of ours where the decoupling had occured. Dr. Wilson, Mr. O'Flaherty, and Insp. MacGreggor went out to deal with our adversaries. I was charged with protected Miss Whitnell and Mr. Hassan.

Miss Whitnell took the power she and Mr. Hassan had gathered and poured it into a spell trying to reunite our section of the train with the rest.

Meanwhile, Mr. O'Flaherty and Insp. MacGreggor had discovered the three gentlemen on the platform at the head of the freight car just in front of our car. One of them had been told to "get the ornithopter" and was climbing on the side of the freight car, apparently trying to reach the loading door on the side of the car. MacGreggor and O'Flaherty fell upon the remaining gentlemen while Dr. Wilson, tied to the freight car with a sturdy rope, launched himself (with one of his rocket devices) toward the fast receding train.

It took Mr. O'Flaherty only a few moments to knock out the three gentlemen. One was actually knocked off the train and never seen again. Dr. Wilson reached the other car, thanks in no small part to Miss Whitnell's spell, and was able to tie the train together. Mr. O'Flaherty pulled the cars back together so MacGreggor could re-couple them.

In the other freight car we discovered the ornithopter. It was disassembled inside a large crate, along with tools. The design of the device included rockets, ones designed by Dr. Fate. Not even Edward seemed very interested in keeping it.

The three men who had attacked us were members of the same Anarchist Movement as the burglar met earlier. The leader of the three is Prof. Fedor Dolch. His two assistants was his brother, Randolf, and a young man called Conrad Schlagel. Randolf was the man who fell off the train in the fight. The train was still moving fast enough at the time that the fall might have been fatal, but slowly enough that it may not have been.

The gentlemen had another bottle of the chemical that produces the sleep gas and a hand drill. They had intended to drill a hole in the the baggage chair, then flood it with the sleep gas so they could steal the Lion. Apparently they were going to assemble the ornithopter atop one of the freight cars and fly away with the artifact.

Sir Cosmo decided the best way to dispose of them was to bind and gag them, place them inside the crate with the ornithopter, and address it to Captain Wymms in Berlin. He insisted that we drill some air holes in the crate, as well.

The train remains underway. Konigsbergs is at least an hour away. We had several more stops to make before arriving. Sir Cosmo and the others have gathered to discuss our next move.


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