2 April, 1871

She asks the most astonishing questions.

After the upstairs breakfast, Lady Cowperthwaite gathered the ladies in the courtyard for practice. Though yesterday was the first time in months that they had all been together, much of that session had been spent in stretching and getting to know everyone's skill level once more.

Miss Bertilde was made aware of Mrs Frazer's condition and seems more troubled by it than is entirely warranted. I decided it wouldn't be appropriate to explain how George's mother took out one of the Billingham's, and two of his companions, while in considerably further along in the same condition. It also seems to upset them when I mention those things.

Lady Cowperthwaite had promised the elderly Shorrock sisters she would attend church service this morning. Miss Whi Mrs Salmalin and Mrs Frazer had observed this would be an excellent opportunity for them to meet more of the neighbors and perhaps learn information useful to the Inspector's current cases.

I drove the Landau. Edward drove the drag and four. Edward spent the service working on one of the small engines from the workshop. I watched and listened. Mrs Salmalin had identifed Mr Frederick Shorrock's driver as the man driving the carriage who had spied through an opening in a hedge at the Dearden House, where the Shorrocks live. He behaved mostly as the other drivers, dozing on the seat of the two-wheel trap while awaiting the return of his employer.

After church and luncheon, MacGreggor, the Frazers, and Mr O'Flaherty called on the Shorrocks to explain about the business with the ice house. It was not long before they sent for the mystics to sort out a problem. Mr Nathan Shorrock, and the entire apparatus in which he has been hibernating, had been removed from the ice house sometime after our misadventure.

Examination of the grounds, as well as some divination spells, revealed that a group of very well-organized men had removed the apparatus. According to the visions, the body had been secured in an abandoned coal mine somewhere within the parish. There were protective spells interferring with a more precise location, however, Sir Cosmo has excellent maps of the parish and the surrounding districts, including the mines, since most of the mines in this region are owned by Sir Cosmo or Lord Greyminster.

MacGreggor and the Frazers suspected that the leader of this group was likely Dr. O'Brien, a professional rival of Mr Shorrock, and the village physician, whose absence from church this morning had created some comment.

The League split into two parties. Sir Cosmo, Lady Cowperthwaite, and Miss Bertilde were to call on the doctor on a social pretext. They would observe him, look for clues of a connection with the kidnapping, and if necessary prevent him from interferring with the rescue. Which the rest of us undertook. We visited coal mines until we found the correct one. The mine had been shut down some years ago, and there were several warning signs blocking the entrance. It was clear that a cart and several men had tramped the ground near the entrance, and something had been drawn down the rails which ran into the tunnel, presumably an old coal cart.

There was some argument how best to proceed. Edward wanted to go in the scouting party with George and Myself. At the insistance of the others, he stayed with Sir Spencer's group (Sir Spencer, Wooster, and MacGreggor), who were to follow a short distance behind the scouting party. The ladies (including Miss Helen Shorrock) made up the next group, with Mr Frazer and Mr O'Flaherty guarding the rear.

George and I proceeded into the darkness. Only minor mystical wards seemed to guard the tunnels, though sounds of some sort of human activity could be heard at a deeper level. Eventually I detected an absence of noise where there should have been a slight echo. There was the familiar foreboding sense that an opponent was observing us, though we were moving very carefully in total darkness.

It soon became clear that we were up against an opponent as equally skilled at stealth as either of us. We circled and listened for some moments, then George did what I was contemplating. He intentionally scuffed his elbow against the wall, revealing his location. The enemy took the bait. Fortunately George's parrying is excellent. I lunged forward. We each struck the enemy, George from the front, I from the back, with our katars. I was not quite quick enough with my free hand in grasping his throat. He was able to cry out a short, indistinct sound, perhaps a single word, before we silenced him.

There was a sudden reduction in the sounds ahead. By this point the clockwork and hydraulic apparatus of the experiment could be heard, but incidental sounds of the human guards had ceased.

We advanced.

They were in a side chamber, right beneath a ventilation shaft. There was indirect sunlight, but it was quite faint. The smell of lamp oil and a recently snuffed wick was strong in the air. I could hear none of them. I could barely sense a dangerous presence at all. I silently recited the Mantra of the Seed of the Undefined, trying to perceive our opponents.

Suddenly a blade was swinging for my neck. I parried. George was also under attack. I could barely perceive three of our enemy attacking me, and at least two attacking George. We parried and dodged and weaved, looking for an opening. As I was supposed to signal the others when it was safe for the mystics to advance, or signal when we needed assistance, I called out, "Not at all clear." Which I hoped they would interpret correctly.

It seemed only a moment later the area filled with sorcerous light. Edward rushed into the fight. Sir Spencer, Wooster, and MacGreggor tried to pick opponents. Since George and I were both making ourselves difficult to see, this posed something of a problem for them. MacGreggor made his way around the periphery of the room.

Mr O'Flaherty rushed in and grappled with one of the opponents. As we began to wound them, it became easier for the others to land blows. In a few more moments, the two more of them were dead, and three were unconcious.

By this point the rest of the party had moved forward. Miss Shorrock and Mrs Cuthbert quickly ascertained that Mr Shorrock was alive and still hibernating peacefully. Mr O'Flaherty carried the body of the first man George and I had fought into the room. Mr Frazer said that, based on their weapons he believed they were Ninjitsu--members of a Chinese or Japanese organization similar to the Thuggee cults.

The others were discussing how best to proceed when I sensed something. A shift in the balance of forces, is the best way I can describe it. MacGreggor called out a warning, his Father's spirit was trying to warn him about something. Mrs Cuthbert and Mrs Salmalin began chanting.

The three dead Ninjitsu began to smoulder, as if their bodies were on fire. I could sense dark magic at work in the corpses, but not what it was. The League began arguing about what it was, or how to stop it or how to move Mr Shorrock out of harm's way.

Mr O'Flaherty and I came up with the same notion at the same time. I threw one body over my shoulder, O'Flaherty threw the other two over each of us, and we ran as fast as we could out of the mine. The body grew warmer as we ran. They also seemed to grow lighter. When we reached the entrance of the mine, we hurled the bodies away from us. I believe we both expected them to explode in some fashion.

They continued to smoulder and shrink, as if burning up from the inside.

I could hear more running footsteps coming up behind us. And I could sense more dark magic. I could also feel a great surge of power further behind us, that sung in Vi Mrs Salmalin's voice.

Sir Spencer, Mr Frazer, and Wooster came charging out of the mouth of the mine, each with another smouldering body over their shoulder. They tossed them on the ground next to the others. Soon all that remained was an indeterminate smell of burning, and six sets of clothing. It was unclear whether the spell that dissolved them was an attack from their master, or if it was a result of our mystics interfering with the spells.

Miss Helen Shorrock and Mrs Cuthbert determined that Mr Shorrock was unharmed. Once we were certain no more foes lurked nearby, Edward and George returned to Edenfield Court to get a wagon suitable for transporting the apparatus. The aparatus was transported to the conservatory of Dearden House without mishap. Sir Comso and Lady Cowperthwaite had joined us by then.

They told a strange tale. Dr O'Brien, behaved strangely during the visit with Sir Cosmo and Lady Cowperthwaite. Miss Bertilde noticed that O'Brian's Chinese manservant was heavily armed, but with blades and weapons hidden in his clothing much as she hides her weapons. O'Brien became distressed midway through the interview. He said he felt ill and asked them to leave. Sir Cosmo instructed his driver to take the carriage slowly around the village, keeping O'Brian's house in site. Soon, O'Brian was seen leaving in his own carriage, his servant driving. He seemed to be heading toward the coal mine.

Sir Cosmo's party followed. Not quite a mile from the mine, the carriage inexplicably exploded, the horse running off, spooked across the countryside. They examined the wreckage, but could not determine what had caused the explosion. Mrs Salmalin and Mr O'Flaherty investigated the site afterward. Mrs Salmalin's spells revealed that Dr O'Brian had sensed the defeat of the ninjitsu. He sensed the spells that Mrs Salmalin and Mrs Cuthbert had performed while we were fighting the ninjitsu. From this he concluded that a very powerful sorcerous had killed his minions. He also had determined that an avatar of Kali was in the carriage pursuing him.

This information led him to believe that he was about to be captured, and the other people with whom he worked would be in danger. Precisely who these other people are, it is not clear. The explosion was his own spell, killing himself to avoid capture. His servant, who is probably a ninjitsu, escaped on the horse, unseen. Since the ninjitsu we battled in the cave could make themselves nearly impossible to see in much the same way that I and George learned in temple, I presume he used the same method.

After telling these details, Sir Cosmo became quite engrossed in discussing the medical condition of Mr Shorrock. Miss Bertilde was very uncomfortable with the topic, occupying herself outside the conservatory. MacGreggor and Frazer interviewed the elderly Shorrock sisters about the missing diamond, and events that led to the rift in the Shorrock family.

When Mr Nathan Shorrock was a young man working in the Colonial Service in the Cape Colony, his younger brother, Mr Horace Shorrock, remained in England and pursued a career in civil service here. He fell into the company of Mr Sean Malloy, a longshoreman of notorious reputation. According to the sisters, Horace Shorrock fell under Malloy's influence and was "led astray." There were several arguments between Horace Shorrock and his father during this time. When the father died, it fell to Horace Shorrock to deal with the estate and affairs until his elder brother could return from Africa. While managing the affairs, he came across some documents which led him to believe he had been denied some of his inheritance from his mother, who had died some years prior to the father.

When Nathan Shorrock returned, the discussions between the brothers about this legacy became heated arguments which often centered on the diamond. Eventually, Horace, who was married and had a son by that time, agreed to accept a sum of money from his brother, and relocate his family to Australia. After the family departed, Nathan Shorrock discovered that the diamond and other valuables were missing from the strongbox in his father's study. He presumed that Horace had taken the gems, but decided not to report the theft to the police to avoid scandal.

Several nights later, Sean Malloy was captured, red-handed, inside the house. Since Nathan Shorrock blamed Malloy for the changes in his brother's character, he decided to allow the police to charge Malloy with the theft. Nathan refused to speak of his brother again, and never read letters from him.

Miss Agatha, with the help of the parish vicar, carried out secret correspondence with the estranged brother, and later his son, throughout the years.

The interview with the older Shorrock sisters satisfied MacGreggor on several counts, but also led him to request that Mrs Salmalin and Mrs Cuthbert perform another history spell in Mr Nathan Shorrock's study, to determine what actually happened to the diamond.

The spell revealed that Mr Horace Shorrock, the younger brother of the naturalist currently hibernating in the apparatus, did removed the diamond and other valuables from his brother's study 20-some years ago. But he hid them in an old, disused portion of the house. Specifically a room that the two brothers had played in as children. He left a note containing clues, though not obvious ones.

It is Vic my w Mrs Salmalin's firm conviction that the younger brother suspected that Sean Malloy was plotting to steal the valuables. Horace was attempting to protect the family assetts and also appeal to his brother's sentimental memories of their childhood together. Unfortunately, Nathan Shorrock did not realize the significance of the letter, and concluded that his brother had taken the gems.

Mrs Cuthbert, Insp. MacGreggor, and Mrs Salmalin then questioned, once again, the younger of the elderly sisters. Not wishing to confuse the issue by explaining about the history spells, they asked her several questions about which parts of the house had been searched, the places the boys would have been familiar, and so forth. Miss Agatha remembered the sealed off rooms, and did not believe they had been searched.

The diamond was found in an old metal dispatch box, under a floorboard in the old north tower. The box also contains several mementos from the Shorrock brothers' childhood.

Mr Frederick Shorrock, son of Horace Shorrock, had sent a note to Insp. MacGreggor requesting an interview to discuss "important matters" which he seemed to believe had some bearing on the case. Mrs Salmalin insisted on accompanying the Inspector on the interview. Miss Bertilde also went along, in case there was trouble.

The interview apparently did not go well, though Mrs Salmalin insists it is entirely her fault. Apparently the Inspector and Mrs Salmalin argued, rather heatedly. About what, I am not completely certain. Mrs Salmalin is too upset to be objective. Miss Bertilde is too embarassed about it to discuss it. Despite the unusual bond we share, I don't believe the Inspector would discuss the matter with me. I believe he would think it unseemly to even admit the difficulty had occured.

It appears the Frederick Shorrock knows even less about the matters of the diamond and the rift than we did before this week. Mrs Salmalin believes he is merely concerned about the well being of his relatives. He has a deathbed message from his father to his uncle, but that seems to be the extent of his knowledge.

Mrs Salmalin and Miss Bertilde are both quite suspicions of Frederick Shorrock's manservant. MacGreggor had expressed suspicions about him earlier.

The Frazers, Mrs Cuthbert, and Miss Bertilde are spending the night at Dearden House. Their is concern about the safety of Mr Shorrock, who is not expected to wake from his slumber until tomorrow at the earliest. There is also concern about the safety of the diamond. MacGreggor was led to this story because of odd burlgaries in London just days ago. If MacGreggor's suspicion that the burglar stole the former lady's maid's diary in the belief that it contained information about the hiding place of the diamond, it is probably that the theives are in a position to watch Dearden House now, and my be aware that the diamond has been found. Even if they aren't aware, they may break into the house to seek the diamond from it's former hiding place.

When we had returned to the cottage Mrs Salmalin was very upset about the days events. She was trying to blame herself for things clearly out of her control. I attempted to point this out. I also mentioned what a great help her spells were. She did not seem pleased with my observations.

Then she asked a question I could scarce understand. I suppose she was just attempting to change the conversation. Some days ago she asked me on what date I was born. She seemed more than a little bit upset when I said I did not know. She was clearly more uncomfortable when I could not even say for certain in which year I had been born. Once I explained why, she still seemed troubled, but her curiousity appeared to be satisfied.

Tonight she asked me if I would mind if she considered either the seventh or eighth of April my birthday. I started to answer that if it would make her happy to do so, then of course she could. Then I realized why she had chosen those dates, only a week away, but precisely one year after my death, and the ending of my life as a Thuggee. It was perfect. It was right. And I could not think of any words that could possible express it. So I did the only thing I could think of.

I kissed her.

Proceed to 3. My Duty...

Return to the Others Index

Return to Main Menu

Contents this page copyright 2005 by Gene Breshears. All Rights Reserved.