We have secured the estate and person of Baron von Gower. We have held against a close incursion of nasty hags. We have unexpectedly re-discovered an old ally.

Here is how it has unfolded:

While I waited for Mr Ramsay to conclude his interrogation of the vampire, I heard a scratching noise from another cell down the corridor. I alerted my colleagues and went cautiously down the hall. I looked into the cell in question and saw none other than Dr Creven Sinnaig. I was, of course, suspicious, as I know that Schmidt has the ability to change shape, and I thought this could be some similar trick. Yet, why would such a villain choose this particular form to take? And why would he be locked in the cell?

I went back to Mr Ramsay, who had determined that he would learn nothing more from the vampire. He drove a wooden stake into the creature's chest, and was obviously shocked when it seemed unharmed. He hastily left the cell, locked it, and came down the corridor with me to examine the putative Dr Sinnaig.

Mr Ramsay declared that he thought this really was Dr Sinnaig. We took him, still in manacles, up to the chapel-turned-temple to be further examined by the other Mystics.

He told us that he had been abducted from a symposium in London and forced to work with Comte d'Erlette and Baron von Gower on truly horrible experiments on undead creatures. This included the procedure which made the vampire impervious to the stake through the heart. He was able to give us some information about the goings-on here, but he had certainly not been in the confidence of his captors.

I then returned to my vigil with Miss Metzger. We were still keeping her tied to her chair, with her permission, against the possibility that whatever sorcerer had her soul might try to use her against us. I thought the least I could do was keep her company. And keep an eye on her.

My willingness to attend this duty freed the mystics for consultation with Baron von Raalik (the Abbott of St Jerome) who had just arrived. Also they could consult with the other prisoner freed by Mrs Cuthbert, who has identified himself as Hassan al din Kabur (something like that, I will have to ask him to repeat it). This fellow is apparently a mystic from the Ottoman Empire, and he has especial knowledge of the Efreets and of the animal-shaped artifacts such as the Lion.

After general inquiry, we determined that the Comte and the Baron von Gower had been experimenting with various undead creatures in order to share some immortality. They seem to have been at least somewhat successful since the Comte was over 300 years old. Of course, there is no cure for stupidity, and he doomed himself by getting crosswise of us.

Von Gower has learned nothing from the fate of his late ally, and refused to cooperate with Miss Whitnell when she asked him to tell us about the other adjusted vampires reported to be at large. Miss Whitnell asked him politely, but he wouldn't talk to anyone who couldn't offer him immunity from prosecution for his crimes.

He continued to maintain that he had been an innocent bystander whose estate had been overrun by Prussian invaders. He was very smug until Sir Cosmo took him down to the cellars and made to imprison him in the same cell as the remaining vampire (upon whom, you will recall, he had been experimenting). Well, then he told us just about all he knew.

We have now been forewarned that 5 vampires remain. They had been sent out on a mission and were ordered to return tonight. They are bound by some mystical bracelets or some such thing.
Von Gower also revealed that these vampires can only be killed by simultaneous application of daylight and fire. Now, we can hardly entertain the vampires until dawn if they return at nightfall. Even we would eventually tire, and none of us are at our best at present. The Mystics have taken it under advisement.

One reason we are not "at our best" is that all our attempts to rest have been interrupted and thwarted most cruelly. As each of us finished our most pressing tasks and attempted to find rooms in this vast manor, each of us was attacked by something.

I had been chatting with Miss Metzger, who turns out to be a mostly decent young woman. Mr Frazer had retired from the field when the awkwardness of being in the same room with the two of us became too much for him.

After a time, I heard Mr Frazer clearing his throat just outside the door. I opened the door to admit him, and he asked to speak to me privately. Not wanting to leave Miss Metzger alone, I stepped forward into the hallway to call for Mr Ramsay to relieve my vigil.

This brought me closer to Mr Frazer-only it wasn't Mr Frazer at all. It smelled wrong, and as I approached it, an illusion of some kind wavered. I gave an undignified squawk and retreated, slamming the door. I started shouting to alert the others (my words were: "Help, Help, Undead" --how embarrassing.)

The creature started pounding on the door. I rushed to Miss Metzger and started to untie her from the chair so we two could escape through the window. I had only partly succeeded when the creature burst through, quite ruining the door's hinges.

The thing was human-formed, a woman in fact, but of such absurdly fairy-tale appearance I might have laughed but for gagging on its stench. It had mould-grey skin, lank and matted hair, and bony limbs. Its eyes were nearly reptilian in character, and its teeth were rotten, jagged fangs.

I shot it.

It shrieked in pain and anger, but kept coming. Miss Metzger, still only half untied, was muttering under her breath. I tried to move somewhat away from her, but before I could get far the creature was upon me. I picked up a dainty antique side table and attempted to bash the hag, but furniture-dueling is not my forte. I ended up tangling myself up with the attacker, and we both crashed to the floor. It struck my left side with its taloned hands, but the steel boning of my corset deflected the claws.

At this moment, Miss Metzger, still in her chair, strained toward us with an outstretched foot. She pronounced some strange syllables and stamped her foot upon the entangled creature. It shrieked again and was still for a moment. Miss Metzger said, "Kill it with iron!" I remembered the hatpin Miss Whitnell had given me for just such a purpose (it always pays to be prepared).

I stabbed the creature repeatedly. I'm afraid that Mr Ramsay thought me quite mad when he rushed into the room to find me vigorously stabbing a desiccated pile of papery ashes.

As my own attacker was subdued, I could hear mayhem underway all about the house. I ran out to the great hall to discover Mrs Cuthbert working over the prostrate form of Miss Whitnell, with Salmalin and Miss Chigwidgeon hovering. Mr O'Flaherty was groaning on one of the landings of the grand stair. Doors were opening and closing all around as members of the party who had been sleeping emerged from various rooms-including Sir Cosmo, Mr Cuthbert, and the real Mr Frazer.

I heard crashing from below, and followed the sounds to the wine cellar, where three more hags were pursuing Dr Sinnaig and the Marquis around a circular pattern chalked on the floor. Mr Deveril and Mr Cuthbert were right alongside me, and we made short work of the hags. I mussed up their chalked circle as best I could, though it had been mostly obliterated already by spilt wine from an upset rack of now-broken bottles.

We returned upstairs and counted heads. All of our party were accounted for, including Edward, whom I found by listening for his resonant snoring. Miss Chigwidgeon walked around touching each person with a wrought iron candelabrum which she had found somewhere, just to make sure we were all really ourselves.

Miss Whitnell was the most seriously injured among us. She had been cornered by two of the hags, the first having lured her to a solitary room by disguising itself as Salmalin and pretending to help her find a quiet place to sleep.

Miss Chigwidgeon had fought off her own attacker (which had disguised itself as Sir Cosmo), and rushed to Miss Whitnell's aid. Salmalin was also coming in from the distant corner of the house where he had been patrolling. The two of them defeated Miss Whitnell's attackers, and brought her out to be revived by Mrs Cuthbert.

The next to require Mrs Cuthbert's help was Mr O'Flaherty, who had been poisoned by one of the creatures posing as a kitchenmaid with a tray of food and drink. These creatures were evidently cunning and able to perceive what each one of us would find most disarming. When the dust cleared, the more knowledgeable mystics were able to identify the creatures as members of some bizarre cannibalistic cult.

Once we were all accounted for, some of the Gentlemen went off in teams to re-check the premises, and Mr Ramsay, Mr Hassan, and the Abbott worked some further ritual to "exorcise" any further hazards such as the hags.

Even after these precautions, Miss Whitnell was adamant that none of us be separated from the others. Her experience being tricked by the hags has shaken her very badly–she wouldn't let go Salmalin's hand even once Mrs Cuthbert had brought her out of delirium. Upon reflection, the group concluded that this was sensible, and we prepared to bivouac in the great hall.

We have divided the room with an improvised curtain, giving the ladies our own cloister. This effort of modesty is nearly absurd. I suspect that Miss Chigwidgeon took advantage of her primary chaperones being occupied in a life-and-death matter to sneak away to find Sir Cosmo privately. At least they were not alone very long.

We have brought bedding out of all the rooms. I have still been attempting to keep the household staff under some observation, but that has proved untenable (witness that fact that I examined Most of the food that we were given by the kitchen, but Mr O'Flaherty managed to get himself poisoned despite my efforts). The staff seems to view this change of command with equanimity (recall that the poisoned food was not actually given us by the real Kitchen–rather by one of the hags).

We are settling in to rest as best we can. The Abbott and Mr Hassan and Mr Ramsay are still discussing ideas for solving some of our difficulties–the imminent return of 5 unkillable vampires being fairly urgent. The rest of us must sleep while we have daylight.

Tuesday, 20 July 1870
(continued–6:00 pm)

The party is stirring and preparing to face the next danger...or several dangers.

Mrs Cuthbert has done some further work with Miss Whitnell, who now seems much better than she did before our rest. Mrs Cuthbert was also kind enough to massage my shoulder, as the bruise I received at the talons of the hag stiffened up terribly while I slept on my makeshift pallet.

The first trial of our Mystics' skills has been successfully concluded. The Vampire in the cellar has been dispatched by the application of imitation daylight, generated with a ritual featuring the amber Lion artifact, in combination with ordinary torches.

This success means that the rest of us can begin to work on the plan to eliminate the remaining vampires. I am making arrows ready so they can be set alight and, I hope, combust the vampires. Dr Wilson, Edward, Mr Cuthbert and Mr Deveril are preparing their most explosive offerings as well.

An unforeseen development: Two of the Prussian soldiers, among their special agents, have volunteered to assist us. One of them is the tall blonde woman reported to be a werewolf. The other claims to be a "dhampire," which is a hybrid of a human and a vampire. This latter fellow dislikes vampires violently, since he is the result of an attack by a male vampire against his mother. His name is Gefreiter Lichtenwaller, and the woman is Gefreiter von Erbersbach. Both of them have given their word not to attempt escape, not to attack us. I think this is risky, but Lichtenwaller in particular claims abilities which might assist us–abilities whose likelihood is confirmed by Mr Ramsay's and Mr Hassan's information .

Mr Hassan has also had an idea for how we (or they, the mystics) can help Miss Metzger.

Mr Hassan's proposal revolves around seizing some control from a distance over the Bull artifact. This entire course is predicated on a two-fold surmise: 1) the bull is held by Herr Hans Bopp. 2) Herr Bopp also holds Miss Metzger in thrall. This sounds tenuous to me, but Mr Hassan and the others seem confident of this much at least.

I hope it works, as the awkwardness of keeping her tied to a chair is beginning to wear on me. We have had some informative discussions, she and I, but I cannot feel quite at ease with her.

They are going to proceed with that plan next. Mr Frazer is helping me make arrows, and I have sent him off to find some more rags and some kerosene. His thoughts appear to be elsewhere than on the work in hand.

Tuesday 20 July, 1870
(continued–late evening)

The Good news:
1) The plan to defeat the vampires was successful. We had adequate warning of their approach thanks to Lichtenwaller's signal. The daylight ritual worked very well, blinding the flying Vampires and making them vulnerable. I got one or two with my arrows, and the others did very well with their various rockets. We didn't even start a wildfire or destroy any buildings.

2) The plan to free Miss Metzger from our enemy Herr Bopp was also successful. The Mystics reported that they retrieved her soul and also set up some sort of shielding magic to make it harder for Bopp to locate us and her.

3) We have gotten word of Lt Wooster's success in preventing the large artillery and numerous units of Prussian infantry from reaching their planned deployment.

4) We have also gotten word that several bands of Prussian agents have been captured, more-or-less mysteriously, by other groups of foreign agents, such as M. Reignier's team and a group from Russia led by Count Orlov (whom we met so long ago at the Legion Fidele concert).

The Bad news:
1) Only four of the altered vampires returned, leaving one still at large with other orders.

2) The Dispatch box we retrieved from the ashes of the 4 vampires indicates that the Prussians' next plan is to assassinate Emperor Napoleon III of France. This is problematic to us, as the Emperor is the cooler head in the French Government at present, and has been trying to dissuade their parliament from war with Prussia. Loss of the Emperor at this time would certainly exacerbate the situation.

3) While the Mystics were involved in their effort to free Miss Metzger, Miss Chigwidgeon was somehow involved in the action in an unlooked-for fashion. I don't understand what they were talking about, but somehow Miss Chigwidgeon was transported to Herr Bopp's stronghold. Her presence there caused Bopp to stab a young girl, probably fatally. Herr Bopp was reportedly very angry about Miss Metzger's release, and will probably be able to trace us before too long.

4) We have examined the iron crates dedicated to holding Herr Schmidt's head and body and found them empty. The Mystics say that this indicates that somewhere a new body is being mystically conjured for him, and the disintegration of his former body means that the new body is far enough along to commit him. The surmise is that Herr Bopp is behind the conjuring, and that means he either knows or will soon know where we have been.

We have left the von Gower manor behind and are steaming away in the modified train, en route to Metz in France. The dispatch box tells us that the Emperor of France is going there and that Schmidt is to be sent there. Of course, Schmidt was still in one piece when this was written, but the probability that he is being reconstituted suggests that this plan is still likely to proceed. And Herr Schmidt is awfully fast.

The Abbott is proceeding to Brussels in the company of the Brigadier, and he will employ his arts to locate the remaining vampire. Mr Hassan is to accompany us, carrying the Lion Artifact. He has been very helpful so far.

Miss Whitnell is quite anxious about the return of Herr Schmidt. This is understandable, as he nearly killed her just the other day. Of course, we have killed him twice for his trouble. If only we could get him to stay dead. I think the key to this may be in the oath he swore to the King of Prussia, if we can find out exactly what it is.

Miss Whitnell seems to be at her wits end. She has, I think, suffered too many shocks in the last few days to maintain any clarity of thought. Among other things, I have concluded that Miss Chigwidgeon's belief about Miss Whitnell's attachment to Mr Salmalin may have some truth to it. He did defend her against Herr Schmidt and nearly died as a result. That would turn any woman's head.

I hesitate to intrude, but in her present state, she could do something rash and potentially embarrassing for everyone. I have, after all, helped many a young lady sort out her feelings regarding unsuitable matches. Perhaps a dose of pointed questioning will be helpful.

Proceed to 5. The Americans were trouble

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