The Lull has concluded.

I should have known, when we got notes from Inspector MacGregor and Mr Frazer yesterday, that the rest of us would be summoned shortly. I have simply been wondering whether we would be required to attend to the difficulties occurring in Canada or the increasing tension between France and Prussia. Now here we are on the way to Brussels.

According to Sir Cosmo, England intends to honor the treaties which bind us to protect the neutrality of Belgium. Prussia and France, in hidden defiance of their similar treaties, both seem to be massing armaments and preparing to march across Belgium in order to grapple with one another.

Now, a British diplomat from the Embassy has died under "Mysterious Circumstances." Inspector MacGregor and his "clerk" Mr Frazer have been dispatched to investigate.

At the same time, the Ironclad HMS Orion, under the command of a Captain Hogate, has been dispatched to give a show of strength in protection of the Port of Antwerp. Our occasional colleague Captain Moriarty has been assigned as Naval Attache with Lt Wooster (and his faithful batman) to assist.

The Orion is carrying some newly developed armaments, a "rocket battery." The developers of these new armaments, Dr Jebediah Wilson and a few of his colleagues, have also joined the crew, to engage in further field testing.

It just so happens that Sir Cosmo has taken his grandfather's suggestion to go to the Continent to escape the stifling air of London with his new fiancée (and her chaperones, and their households). What a coincidence that this little trip will take all of us to Antwerp, where we are to visit the manufactory of another Railroad industrialist.

And what a surprise it will be when we all meet up in Antwerp and Brussels! Imagine the coincidence of that.

So, here are all of us of Sir Cosmo's household and the Cuthberts' establishment. We have traveled by Sir Cosmo's private railcars (and two borrowed from his friend Mr Balderstoke), to Dover, and are crossing the channel.

Emily has finally quieted down…she has been complaining, with evident anxiety, about this trip. She has never been on a boat, never been out of England. Indeed, I don't think she has ever been outside of London ere now. Miss Whitnell and Mrs Cuthbert have given her some sort of treatment for anxiety and mal-de-mer, and she is therefore less irritating.

I will have to take that girl in hand, I can see. She could single-handedly wipe out a platoon, but she's afraid of just about everything. We have been working on her comportment, hoping that would improve her confidence, but it hasn't had the looked-for effect yet. I will have to pick my time to speak to her. I have been trying to determine what approach to take next. I can hardly threaten her with dismissal, since she would gladly escape from our company if she could. What can I say to stiffen her spine?

Several of my companions are sleeping, since we have had little opportunity to rest in recent days. Indeed, we received our briefing about this trip during the carriage ride back from the engagement festivities, and immediately commenced to pack and prepare.

I daresay this is a good time to collect my thoughts and record some notes about our mission.

Our two-fold plan is this:
1) Discover the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr Richard Arkwright. The deceased was a minor member of the diplomatic staff at the British Embassy in Brussels, but he was also an observer for Sir Anthony; therefore, his death may imply a serious threat.

2) Discommode the French and the Prussians in their wishes to invade one another across the soil of Belgium.

In the consideration of the first item, Sir Cosmo briefed us regarding the most recent inquiries and reports made by the late Mr Arkwright, as well as the peculiar circumstances surrounding his death.

His movements during his last evening are reported as follows:
8:40 pm Tuesday: seen boarding train from Brussels to Antwerp.
10:00 pm: seen debarking same train in Antwerp.
11:00 pm: seen at glassworks in Antwerp.
11:06 pm: arrived at Embassy in Brussels and went to own office
11:40 pm: left Embassy in Brussels, saying "goodnight" to guard
6:00 am Wednesday: Struck by train on the Antwerp-Cologne line, at a point about 2 miles outside Antwerp.

When his body was identified and the Embassy was notified, his colleagues searched his office immediately, and discovered a number of documents missing.

The Reports and the inquiries that Mr Arkwright had submitted to his superiors in Sir Anthony's organisation include the following:
1) An inquiry about the history of "Gaspard du Nord." Although Sir Anthony's sources do not recognise this name as a current French Agent, Mr Ramsay does recognise it. I am told that Gaspard du Nord is the name of a 13thC necromancer who repented of his sorcery and became a scholar and a demon-hunter. Whether this is a strange nom-de-guerre or a very old scholar remains to be seen.

2) An inquiry about a Comte d'Erlette.
This is a more current figure, a French noble who was tied to some very gruesome ritual killings. He is also linked with the Teutonic Knights, a militaristic society which also numbers Herr Hans Bopp in its ranks.

3) A recent report about several crates of weaponry found at the rail line on the Prussian side of the Prussia-Belgium border. The crates had been marked as "farm implements." They must grow vicious beets in Prussia.

Friday, 16 July, 1870
(late evening)

We have been settled fairly comfortably at the Villa Royale Hotel in Brussels. We were received by a Colonel Peacock and his wife with a reasonably pleasant dinner in the dining room here in the Hotel. This Colonel Peacock is the Military Attache to our Embassy here in Brussels. He looks it, too. The very caricature of the bluff military gentleman.

We were introduced to a few other diplomats and British citizens who passed through the dining room. None of them seemed to be greatly important to our interests here.

Matters became more interesting when we attended upon the Earl of Maynooth at the Embassy, and were also introduced to his son, Mr Thomas Adair (these are the Father and younger brother, respectively, of the Lord Henry Adair whom I met at Lord Greyminster's ball in April). Both of these gentlemen are in the confidence of Sir Anthony and are aware of our purpose here in Belgium.

We were granted access to the offices of the late Mr Arkwright. As always, there was some concern about whether I or the mystics should examine the scene first, since I tend to obscure the traces they seek and vice versa. I started by looking at the desk, which had had all its documents removed, and they began with the emptied wall safe.

The mystics all perceived a very unusual "aura" around the ransacked areas. None of the locks had been forced, though Mr Thomas Adair indicated that the safe had been very difficult to open when they checked it after the body had been found.

From my vantage across the room, I could see why...the wall itself had been disturbed and somehow knocked out of square.

The Mystics utilised one of their scrying methods, while I left the room in search of any traces in the hallways. The report of the scrying described a gentleman, apparently Mr Arkwright, coming into the office and going to the desk. He then reached into the locked drawers (without opening them) and drew out sheaves of papers.

Next he walked to the wall and stood before the safe. He paused for a moment to don heavy gloves. He then reached into the wall as though it (or he) was made of smoke. He drew forth from the wall the entire box of the wall safe, leaving the wall somewhat distorted but not broken. He set the safe casing down and began to work on the back of it, releasing the screws in quick succession. Once it was open, he retrieved all the papers within, then put it all back together, including putting the safe back into the wall.

As he did this, his face seemed to flicker, and he became a slim man with red hair, arched brows and pointed ears. The mystics all said he strongly resembled Admiral LeCoq and Miss Mitzi. Their hypothesis is that this person is Fey or part-Fey with an ability to change or disguise his shape by magic and also the ability to become intangible. The reason he went through the elaborate removal of the safe was because it was made of steel or iron, and he could not reach through it.

Having learned all we could at the Embassy, we have all returned to the Hotel. The Mystics, and also Miss Chigwidgeon, have planned to meditate in order to gather clues through dreams. Absurd and unreliable as this sounds, past experience with my colleagues has shown that it sometimes offers insights, though usually not clear information. It certainly isn't evidence, though it sometimes suggests places we might look for evidence.

We will see what they say in the morning.

Saturday, 17 July, 1870
(midday)

It has been a busy morning, but now I am slightly at loose ends. This morning brought our various parties together, and we have divided again.

I am presently seated in the scant shade of a prototype railcar at the Manufactory of Mr Charles van der Poole, in the outskirts of Antwerp. I elected to chaperone Miss Chigwidgeon while Miss Whitnell and Mrs Cuthbert go to the morgue with Inspector Mac Gregor and Mr Frazer.

I would have liked to go, but one of us ladies must stay with Miss Chigwidgeon, and Mr Frazer and the Inspector have most likely learned as much as I could from the remains. Miss Whitnell and Mrs Cuthbert will be better able to complete whatever procedure they have in mind if I am not there. That group is also accompanied by Mr Cuthbert and by Salmalin.

Mr Ramsay will travel partway with them and stop at the St Jerome Chapterhouse in Antwerp proper.

So, I have a quiet moment to take some notes. The train yard has been fairly interesting (Edward is ecstatic). I have had an opportunity to hone some of my technical French.

We are expecting the others to rejoin us shortly. We have made arrangements for a picnic luncheon-- the Marquis has acquired some luxury foodstuffs. The lot of it smells vile, but I suppose that is the nature of foreign food.

Meanwhile, I shall relate the events of the morning...
We all rose fairly early, as we knew we would be removing to our rented villa at Antwerp today.

As we breakfasted in the Sitting room, the Mystics shared their dreams.

Mr Ramsay's dream focused on a set of Mystical books (not surprising, given his vocation). He described a man adding a necromantic book into a series of similar books with apparent satisfaction. We do not know how this is relevant, except that a man of the same description appeared also in Mrs Cuthbert's dream.

Mrs Cuthbert described scenes of the torture and murder of Mr Arkwright. She saw again, more clearly, the man who had pillaged Mr Arkwright's office. Also, she described a short, bald man with spectacles, who inflicted the tortures. He was called "Tot", which I know from my studies with Mr Frazer is the German word for "death." Very symbolic, I'm sure. She saw a man in a grey suit of somewhat foppish elegance, who appeared to be directing the others and demanding results. This man matched the description Mr Ramsay gave of the man with the books.

She also saw Baron de Ritter there, he being one of the worthies we met briefly last evening. Colonel Peacock had said that he was in some sort of Commerce. Mrs Cuthbert said that in her dream, he was observing the torture and making comments, but seemed aloof and not actively of their faction. We will have to learn more about him to determine if he is involved, or merely a random dream character inserted by Mrs Cuthbert's imagination.

The dream proceeded and when Mr Arkwright was near death, the Fey agent picked him up and carried him. He leapt into the air and flew, through a stained-glass window and outside. Her dream followed them through the air to an open area near a rail line. When a Train was approaching at speed, the Fey agent dropped Mr Arkwright into its path.

Miss Whitnell did not describe her dream in detail, but indicated that the Fey agent with red hair appeared in it. She said that the action of the dream occurred in India. It sounds less relevant to our investigation.

Miss Chigwidgeon described another dream set in India, featuring Salmalin, Mr Fong Chigwidgeon, and Mr Chadwick. Again, it sounded too random to be related to our investigation, though poor Miss Chigwidgeon found it quite disturbing.

We had almost finished our breakfast when Mr Thomas Adair arrived with a message which had come to the Embassy. Mr Frazer's message indicated that he and Inspector MacGregor needed us, specifically Miss Whitnell and Mrs Cuthbert, due to the turn their investigation has been taking.

We were asked to report to the HMS Orion, where we could "stop by to visit our acquaintances" and "coincidentally" meet up with Mr Frazer and Inspector MacGregor. And so we did.

We set out immediately for Antwerp. We scarcely set foot in the Villa Sir Cosmo will be renting for us all, before we proceeded to the docks.

After a bit of milling around, and being given an enthusiastic tour of the new weapon emplacements, we met Mr Frazer and the Inspector. They introduced us to a new acquaintance, an American named Quentin Deveril. This man had been tracing a supposed monk called Gaspard du Nord. Dr Wilson and his party had heard about this man's search in the course of their own inquiries.

Inspector MacGregor and Mr Frazer had already met up with the Wilson party (what a jolly coincidence!).
They all spoke with Mr Deveril at some length, and determined a degree of common cause with him.

This American had just gone upstairs to his room when he was attacked by a powerful person of apparently magical nature. Both Deveril and his attacker were on the outside of the hotel when the Wilson group and Inspector MacGregor and Mr Frazer joined the fray. Our friends managed to drive off the attacker, with some injury to Mr Deveril and Mr O'Flaherty.

Mr Frazer and Mr Caine apparently recognised the attacker as a Prussian operative named Schmidt. By comparing descriptions, we have a reasonable certainty that Schmidt is Fey agent the Mystics have described. Mr Frazer suggested that all repair to the HMS Orion because he thought the iron hull might offer some protection from this Schmidt.

Upon our meeting, Mrs Cuthbert was able to treat the two injured men, and we were all told about the activities of the various Prussian agents witnessed so far.

Mr Deveril's account of his adventures revolves around the theft of a book from a Monastery in Wallachia and the murder of an acolyte there. The apparent thief is a man who came to the monastery claiming to be a monk himself and giving the name Gaspard du Nord. The stolen book could be the same book reported by Mr Ramsay in his dream.

When Mr Deveril began combing the cities of Europe for Gaspard du Nord, he was set upon and badly beaten. He did not see his attackers, but men matching descriptions of Schmidt and Tot had been seen loitering in the area and had been inquiring after Deveril.

When Mr Deveril and Mr O'Flaherty were improved and Mrs Cuthbert rested from her care of them, we ventured forth from the ship. We stopped at the Consulate and sent two wires:
1) to Miss Mitzi (whose everyday name is Nigel Templeton) asking for advice in dealing with Schmidt
2) to Admiral LeCoq, simply apprising him the Schmidt is busy here. We suppose that a Fey sorcerer with allegiance to France might be interested in the doings of a similar sorcerer working for Prussia. It is rather a case of fighting Fire with Fire.

Next we all proceeded to examine the scene of Mr Arkwright's death, along the rails outside Antwerp. Mr Frazer and Inspector MacGregor told us about what they had learned so far. They also indicated that their local counterparts had chalked the events up to misadventure–that Mr Arkwright had been returning from an assignation and had stumbled upon the tracks while inebriated.

Mr Frazer and the Inspector indicated that there was plenty of evidence of foul play on the body, evidence of torture (which, incidently, confirms parts of Mrs Cuthbert's dream). Are the local police incompetent, or are they under some pressure to make light of the murder?

Once at the scene, Mr Frazer walked around with me, reviewing his earlier observations. He pointed out numerous footprints, none of which match Mr Arkwright's shoe. Mr Frazer mentioned that the second shoe has not been found. Perhaps when we find it, it will provide material evidence against the culprits.

I did some further sketches of the scene to supplement Inspector MacGregor's earlier drawings.

Meanwhile, the Mystics were scrying again.
They reported that they saw the Fey agent Schmidt flying through the air carrying the injured Arkwright. They exchanged a few words–Schmidt taunting, Arkwright defiant. As the train sped forward, Schmidt dropped Arkwright directly into its path.

This exposition coincides with the dream Mrs Cuthbert described. More importantly, it accounts for two strange phenomena:
-the lack of Arkwright's footprints at the scene
-the train engineer's testimony that Arkwright "leapt out of nowhere." A train engineer might be expected to watch the track and the terrain to either side for hazards, but would not be likely to look for hazards dropping from above.

The hour is growing late for luncheon...I wonder what could be keeping our colleagues?

Saturday, 17 July, 1870
(evening)

Today we have made rather a divot in the landscape of Antwerp.

As I was sitting in the rail yard, wondering about our friends, Miss Chigwidgeon raised an alarm. She was suddenly absolutely certain that our friends were in dire danger.

We climbed into our hired carriages and made haste for the middle of the town. As we traveled, the sky was clouding over with astonishing speed, and lightning was beginning to flash above us.

Our carriages went careening down the street, and we found our friends some way down the street from the Morgue.

In the street was the dreadful sight of our Miss Whitnell and Mr Salmalin laid out on the cobbles, with Mrs Cuthbert conducting her healing ritual over them.

Mrs Cuthbert looked terribly pale. Mr Ramsay had obviously just arrived, was joining her in her chanting, along with a handful of others I didn't know.

I knew to stay clear of them. Mr Frazer was just pulling himself upright, and I helped him rise and pick up Miss Whitnell's sword from the cobbles beside him. He seemed bruised and winded.

He told me that they had been attacked by Schmidt immediately after exiting the Morgue. The villain had landed atop the carriage, killed the hired coachman, and proceeded to attack the party. Our partisans had had a hard time of landing any blow upon him. They finally caught the knack of it, but not before he had dragged Miss Whitnell out of the fast-moving carriage to fall hard into the street.

Mr Salmalin had jumped down to assist her, as had Mr Frazer. They and Mr Cuthbert's gun must have done Schmidt some injury, for he vanished. Miss Whitnell's sword was bloodied.

Now, I was vastly relieved to see, Miss Whitnell was able to sit up, and Mr Salmalin was showing signs of recovery as well.

Mr Ramsay suggested that we should get off the street to a place of relative safety. At his suggestion, we retired to the St Jerome's Chapterhouse. The storm was increasing, with higher winds and ferocious lightning above.

We came into the Chapterhouse. I could hear a number of people chanting, and I knew I shouldn't go past the anterooms. Mr Ramsay said that the head of this chapter was leading an effort against Schmidt's master. All our mystics and the St Jerome's partisans who had come out to help Mr Ramsay moved into the inner chambers to help.

The rest of us were at loose ends, until we learned that these enemies were none other than the Teutonic Knights, and that they had a base of operations right here in Antwerp. Several of us simultaneously determined to effect a physical assault on the enemy stronghold while the Mystics worked against them on the...well, in their own way.

I admit I was quite carried away by the prospect of action against the villains who had tortured Mr Arkwright so terribly and had had the temerity to harm my friends. No one knocks our Miss Whitnell down with impunity!

So it was that all of us except Miss Whitnell, Mrs Cuthbert, and Mr Ramsay piled back into our carriages and followed Mr Salmalin's directions–he had said he could trace the aura of our enemies, and so he could.

We pulled up outside a beautiful old building. I was just wondering if we had been mistaken when the sound of breaking glass heralded the appearance of several rifle muzzles at he windows.

That was all the confirmation our League needed. We all took cover on the far side of our carriages. Edward stood for a moment looking at the building, carefully took aim, and fired through a window into the cellars of the building. Mr Cuthbert and the others laid down covering fire while the Marquis somehow persuaded the horses to back one of the carriages closer to one of the building's doors.

I had once again left myself with no suitable weapon. I threw a few rocks, and I think I hit one of the rifle-wielders in the head, but I can't say of certainty, because Mr Frazer pushed me back behind the carriage before I could see.

Dr Wilson and the Marquis vaulted wildly over the carriage next to the door, and launched themselves into a first-floor window. Mr O'Flaherty had just got himself up to the window when all three of them came tumbling back out, followed by a close explosion.

Edward shot another rocket toward the cellars.

I could hear a continuance of explosions, some larger booms and some smaller staccato pops. It was becoming painful, and I had my hands over my ears. I could smell a quantity of black powder (a smell I have become surprisingly familiar with). Several of the party determined that it was time to retreat.

I began to count heads to ensure we were all accounted for. This effort was interrupted when Mr Frazer wrapped an arm about my waist and flung me over his shoulder. He ran for cover. From my undignified position, I could see the building going up like a burnt offering to some bloodthirsty god. I saw some fiery thing emerge above the top of the building and speed away. Perhaps it was some burning debris, or perhaps it was the escape of the leader of the Teutonic Knights. Either way, the building was thoroughly leveled.

So, rather than standing around giving people the idea that a troupe of English acrobats had come to blow up their landmarks, we retreated again to the Chapterhouse.

Now it is much later in the evening. We have been sitting in an anteroom of the Consulate, kept waiting here like naughty schoolgirls awaiting the judgement of the Headmistress.

As we have been talking about the day's adventures, I have only just learned how close we came to losing both Miss Whitnell and Mr Salmalin. He seems fairly composed–he has been returned from certain death numerous times while in our service, perhaps he's accustomed to it.

Miss Whitnell, on the other hand, looks terribly shaken.

I have learned that while they were at the Morgue, she and Mrs Cuthbert had attempted to communicate with Mr Arkwright's spirit and determined that he was in the thrall of a Necromancer. They had quite a struggle to free him. They were very brave–they began rituals anew three times, knowing full well after the first that their opponent was very powerful. They dared not give up for fear that the Necromancer would have time to prepare and be harder to defeat later.

As they completed their last ritual, the enemy somehow made their candles explode. Mr Salmalin saw it building and threw himself in front of the Ladies to shield them. Mrs Cuthbert had to heal him before they could even leave the building.

So, they were already wearied when Agent Schmidt was dispatched to attack them. I was astonished that one enemy could deliver such destruction to our company. This Schmidt will have much to answer for when we catch him.

Miss Whitnell has exacted some revenge already–she declared with satisfaction that she had kicked him where a villain best deserves to be kicked. There is evidently some advantage in growing up with brothers and a hot temper.

Mr Fraser seems mostly recovered from his part in the melee at the morgue... considering how he picked me up as though I were a sack of grain. It was undignified. But I must say...well.

Saturday, 18 July, 1870
Items to look into:
re Comte d'Erlette (alias the Grey Man):
1) Where is Comte d'Erlette's country establishment?
2) Can Comte d'Erlette be identified as the thief of the Wallachian book and the murderer of the acolyte? Is the Comte using the pseudonym Gaspard du Nord? Ask Mr Deveril for a description.
3) How did the name Gaspard du Nord come to Arkwright's attention?
4) Is Comte d'Erlette acting for the Prussian Government, or is he causing instability in his own interests?

re Herr Schmidt:
1) Is he alive? Probably alive but injured. Where would he go to ground to recover?

re Arkwright murder:
1) find evidence to convince the Juge d'Instruction in case it is necessary.
2) where is the second shoe? Can the Mystics scry with the shoe we have? I would like to find that shoe in a location which will provide evidence against Schmidt and Tot.
3) what was Arkwright doing at the glassworks? I think he was meeting someone there...was it a real someone, or was it entirely a trap devised by Schmidt and Tot?
4) can we recover the codebooks and Embassy papers? Perhaps more scrying will help.

note: It is possible that all the evidence we are seeking was in the building we destroyed.

re Edward:
1) who thought it was a good idea to let a 9-year-old child build a rocket gun? He destroyed that entire historic landmark.
Of course, the Teutonic Knights were the ones who filled it with explosives.

re Baron de Ritter:
1) discover any involvement. Only connected by Mrs Cuthbert's dream, so far. Ask Mr Thomas Adair for information.

Proceed to My hands full

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