Miss Whitnell has caused a bit of trouble. She was so very adamant that we not leave the warded confines of the Consulate.

Rather than contradict her and openly overrule her insistence, Sir Cosmo has gone out on our errand to the St Jerome Chapterhouse. He has taken Mr Ramsay, Mr O'Flaherty, Inspector MacGregor, and George.

We learned about this because he left notes with instructions for Edward and for Miss Chigwidgeon. The note for Edward was delivered to me first, and I passed it to him without opening it (since it was so plainly from Sir Cosmo).

I was suffering some degree of distraction, unfortunately, as Edward had somehow found the pieces of some personal notes I had jotted down on the train to Metz and not sufficiently destroyed. Edward had put the pieces back together, and, seeing that it was my writing, had kindly returned it to me. Of course he read it first, but at least he gave it back instead of sharing it with anyone else.

I was moving about the house trying to find a fire where I could burn it when I realised Edward was no longer in his room. I met Miss Chigwidgeon and Miss Whitnell in the hall, and learned more of the course of action Sir Cosmo had undertaken.

I found Edward in Sir Cosmo's office and insisted that he show me the note he had received, as it was his justification for rummaging among some of Sir Cosmo's things.

Miss Whitnell confessed that she had written a note to Herr Schmidt inviting him to parlay. On one hand, this seems cowardly, since she wrote partly out of fear. On the other hand, it seems only fair to give him a chance to surrender before we beat him again. After all, Mr Salmalin was once our enemy, and Miss Whitnell managed to make him one of our greatest assets (Miss Chigwidgeon being another motivator there, of course).

Now we are all waiting for Sir Cosmo to return with news from the Chapterhouse.

Thursday 22 July
(afternoon)

Sir Cosmo's party has returned, somewhat the worse for meeting with Herr Schmidt on the way back.

Herr Schmidt attempted to break George's neck, but George has learned Mr Salmalin's trick for keeping Schmidt solid. With this, George and Mr O'Flaherty were able to do him some harm, and Sir Cosmo tested a new etheric weapon on him to good effect as well.

Unfortunately, Schmidt demonstrated a new talent and transformed into a 40-foot tall bronze giant (or was it 50 or 60 feet tall? That depends on who is telling the story). He struck Mr O'Flaherty and picked up and crushed Inspector MacGregor. Just as Schmidt did this, Sir Cosmo fired his weapon again and this caused not only Schmidt but also Inspector Mac Gregor to be electrocuted. Mr Ramsay then deployed some spell.

Schmidt vanished, leaving the Inspector falling from great height. Fortunately for him, one of the garden Faeries had surreptitiously accompanied them, and this faerie was able to get hold of the Inspector and slow his fall.

So, the carriage pulled up to the Consulate and Mrs Cuthbert was sent for at once. She mended George's bruises, revived both Mr O'Flaherty and Inspector MacGregor, then gave them some brandy and told them to rest.

I met the Inspector in the garden a bit later. He had gone there to thank the Faerie Birdseye for saving him from the fall. I had gone there to practise my archery, and to attempt to overcome my vexation about my lost note.

You see, after Edward gave it to me, I lost it again. Everyone asked me what I was looking for. I tried to indicate that it was a personal but unimportant note, and that anyone who found it should give it to me without reading it. I even went so far as to go into the garden and ask the faeries to find and return it to me.
Mr O'Flaherty brought it to me later, saying the Faeries had given it to him. I went directly to the Kitchen and threw it in the stove, only to see it vanish in a suspiciously non-burning flash of glittering light. Faeries.

I was very frustrated and flummoxed. I have felt very keenly that all my colleagues are speculating and joking about my personal concerns. I tried to stress that this note was not important, but they kept asking about it. If the faeries have it, I can only hope they will keep it, while I forget all about it.

Now, here I was in the Garden with the Inspector, who was the worse for drink. Emily had fled inside. The inspector was having a conversation, he said, with the ghost of his father (who, I'm happy to report, I could not see). The two of them made some very impertinent remarks about Mr Frazer and about me. I'm afraid I rather lost my temper, but I somehow refrained from slapping the man. Despite my anger, I had to recognise some truth in what he said to me.

Then Inspector MacGregor felt in his coat pocket and said he had something that Herr Schmidt had put there. He drew out a letter addressed to"the Witch of Darlson," which plainly meant Miss Whitnell. I inspected it carefully for traps, though the Inspector was again very impertinent. I left him to deliver the note to Miss Whitnell.

I found Miss Whitnell in the Library with Mr Hassan, where they had been mystically communicating with the Efreet which lives in the Bull Artifact, the one held by Herr Bopp. This creature had shown some willingness to assist us before. It was now able to reveal some intelligence which it had gathered from being in the very heart of Herr Bopp's citadel. (How like that short-sighted Bopp to not realise that the Artifact which is constrained to serve him will find ways to confound him whenever possible).

They learned more about the parentage of Schmidt, including the name of his Fey parent.

The Mystics convened to invite this Fey parent to speak to us, in the hope of convincing him to intercede and restrain his wayward offspring. According to Mr Hassan, there is some sort of treaty which prevents the Faerie kingdom from war with the Human world. The Mystics hoped that the Faeries might at least bar Herr Schmidt from returning to the Faerie world to hide and recuperate when next we beat him.

Miss Whitnell prevailed upon Mrs Middleton to loan us a wine service suitable for serving an esteemed guest, and the Mystics set up a protective circle in the Library. The rest of us lingered outside the library in case we should be needed.

The Fey guest proved fairly friendly, though from the description of his manner he struck me as rather a dissipated minor aristocrat. He promised no particular outcome, thought he said he would address the matter with the King of Faerie. He seemed shocked that his son would stoop to assassination (as though killing one key person was somehow less honorable than killing fields full of soldiers who all have families, not to mention all the crops ruined!)

Now that we have finished that, we are ready for the next step.

Part of what Sir Cosmo's party learned on their foray to the Chapterhouse was that Herr Schmidt and his accomplice Tot have taken up residence in the House of Monsieur Ladeau, the sorcerer we captured at the church yesterday. They managed to trick the St Jerome's operatives who went to recover a dangerous magical book.

Now we are in final preparations to find and subdue Schmidt. A number of St Jerome's people, including Miss Magda, are here to join us. We have filled our pockets with iron weapons.
Miss Whitnell has performed one of her blessings on several of the party. I hope we can prevent Schmidt from coming back this time. He is becoming annoying.

Thursday 22 July 1870
(late night)

We are victorious again, and this time I think it will stick.

Our party arrived at the Ladeau mansion in the late afternoon. Mr Salmalin, George, and Mr Frazer began with reconnaissance of the outside of the house and reported no activity. Miss Madga was anxious to be the first inside-- she is rather impetuous. We all followed her in, wary of traps. There was various evidence that the household servants had been abducted. We followed drag marks to a Library, where a hidden bookshelf door had been left standing open-- obviously a trap.

Edward took the precaution of tying a rope about his waist and securing it to a large heavy desk in the Library behind us-- in case of trap doors and so forth.

We found a pagan temple with a black statue of a Sphinx-- a female, somewhat Grecian-style figure, with wings and a blank face. The altar was covered in blood, which proved (much to our relief) to be from a sheep. All of us looked about and at last we found a compartment under the statue's pedestal. In side it was a very large semi-precious stone-- a Moonstone. This stone had numerous fractures throughout it, which created several reflective planes.

Miss Chigwidgeon looked at it and described a scene where Dr Jeffers and his daughter were in a small room with Herr Schmidt. Edward looked and described another small room with a group of five people in servants' clothing, all tied to chairs being menaced by Tot and another view of Schmidt. As Edward leaned forward to try to see and describe the room, he suddenly vanished, seemingly into the stone. The rope still led from the desk, but it seemed to go right into the smooth surface of the Moonstone.

We immediately queued up to grab the rope and follow Edward. Miss Magda went first, then I. Mr O'Flaherty was behind me... I felt myself floating in a featureless black space, and then I suddenly found myself in the small room. Miss Magda was already fighting with Schmidt. I called to Edward to untie the prisoners. I drew my pistol and instructed Tot to move away from the prisoners. The little toad had the temerity to chuckle snidely and ignore me! I shot him. He fell to the floor clutching his chest. I walked toward him, my gun still on him, and began to unwind some twine from the waist of my skirt. Tot looked cowed, but I was not fooled. I could see him moving his hand toward his inside pocket–I shot him again, and tied him up. He was still breathing, but with an ominous gurgle.

Just then Schmidt crashed into the wall and slumped to the floor. Before I could congratulate Miss Magda, a new
Schmidt appeared, and immediately another. He seemed to have divided himself. Conveniently, each of his parts was somewhat weaker than the whole. I shot at the one attacking Edward, Edward fired one of his rockets into the ceiling, where it stuck and flared. Schmidt seemed to jump, grab Edward, and as I turned to face the one which appeared behind me, I discovered that it was the same one, holding Edward by the collar.

At once I stabbed it with my hatpin, then dropped to the floor to avoid the explosion and the foreseeable collapse of the ceiling. The rocket seemed to have rather a long fuse, and did not explode. Edward escaped the Schmidt's grasp, then bit and stabbed him. I took an iron-filing grenade from my pocket and hurled it upward to strike Schmidt in the face. He had just opened his mouth, and promptly his head started burning.

It became much more confusing from here, as more and more Schmidts kept appearing, and at intervals our allies appeared as well. Miss Chigwidgeon appeared and started fighting with a Schmidt, but the villain stepped right into her, preventing me from attacking him for fear of hurting her.

I had my hands full then, as another Schmidt appeared behind me as I tried to stand and stabbed me in the back. The boning of my corset deflected some of the blade's force, but I could feel the knife still sticking as I rolled away.

I threw my second filing grenade, at the assailant, but it passed through him. It did strike another Schmidt who was harassing one of my friends.

Miss Whitnell came through and began to chant. Sir Cosmo had arrived and was beside Miss Chigwidgeon and speaking softly to her-- her body seemed rigid, and her attention seemed to be inward. I was starting to feel light-headed from shock and loss of blood.

I was trying to reach the blade in my back, but I couldn't. Just then Mr Frazer came through. He saw me and rushed over with gratifying alacrity. He seemed a loss for what to do. I told him that he had my permission to remove the blade and apply direct pressure.

I watched the battle around us with a sense of detachment. I realised that Mr Frazer had an arm around my waist, enabling him to hold sufficient pressure on my wound. I felt quite safe there.

Mrs Cuthbert came through at some point. She helped Mr O'Flaherty first, as he was nearly dead (twice in one day-- he is certainly brave!) She had a few others to attend to. I waited where I was in perfect contentment.

I watched as our partisans defeated one Schmidt after another, with fists, knives, bullets, and the etheric pulse gun. At last there was just one standing. Miss Whitnell spoke some last syllables and all the fallen Schmidts were drawn like smoke into the body of the remaining one, and then more came as if from the walls and ceiling. Just then Mr Hassan appeared.

The re-integrated Schmidt grasped the rope around Edward's waist (our connection with the outside world), and snapped it like taut thread.
He started to speak, saying, "I am the only one who can get you out of here..." when Edward's rocket finally detonated. Instead of the expected fire and shower of stones, it exploded in a shower of iron filings, right onto Schmidt's head. He started to smoke, then to burn. Miss Whitnell added to his injury by throwing her particular silver solution on him.

Mr Hassan stood behind him and completed his own chant, holding out a small bronze bottle. Schmidt was sucked right into the bottle, along with several ounces of loose iron filings. Mr Hassan closed the bottle, pronounced a few more words, and with that Schmidt was beaten. Again.

I took the opportunity to sag against Mr Frazer. I admit it was theatrical, perhaps even dishonest. He didn't seem to mind. In truth, even once Mrs Cuthbert came over to help me, I still felt weaker than I would have expected, and I was glad for Mr Frazer's support. And not just because I was close enough to smell his soap.

Fortunately for all of us, Schmidt was mistaken in his belief that he was the only one who could get us out of this room. Mr Hassan had somehow maintained a connection to the Lion Artifact, and was able to conjure the flaming chariot. He carried us out of the magical room a few at a time. While we were waiting our turn, Edward went to the one apparent door and opened it. A door opened in the opposite wall, and Edward was there looking into the room from another identical room, full of us-- it was a sort of peculiar mirror. I cannot imagine what purpose such a door could serve.

We contemplated the mystery of why Herr Schmidt had divided himself as he had–since this weakened each of the segments to the point where we could beat them...him. We concluded that his intent had been to draw each of us to a separate facet of the moonstone and beat us individually. He hadn't counted on Edward's rope, which enabled us to all come to the same place and fight him together. No enemy can withstand the League en masse.

I was particularly pleased with Edward's work, and I was not entirely surprised that he and I made a formidable team. I must remember to praise him and thank him for helping me.

At last we all arrived back in the Temple room at the Ladeau house. Most of us went out to search the house, while Hassan made one more trip in the fiery chariot to locate and retrieve Dr Jeffers and Miss Jeffers, who had been seen imprisoned or hiding in another facet of the stone.

Quite an assemblage was awaiting us at the Ladeau house. The most August party was the whole array of the Faerie King's court, appearing in a great swoop of sparkle. He thanked us gravely, and took custody of the bottle containing Schmidt. He said he would send it to hell.

We also met Erich Regnier and M. Manfred Berri, who told us that they had just thwarted another assassination attempt against the Emperor–this time the attacker was a Fey person all set to use something called "Elf-shot" which is supposedly incurably fatal to humans. This explained one of the many boasts made by Schmidt during our time in the small room-- not that I had paid much attention at the time.

We were surprised to see Miss Mitzi awaiting us. M. Berri, I recall, is her niece (though Miss Mitzi did remember to say "nephew"). It was very kind of her to come so far to assist us!

I made a point to make certain that Miss Mitzi had been introduced to Miss Metzger, who had been waiting for us as well. She appeared most gratified that we had beaten Schmidt so soundly, though I could tell she had been hoping for an opportunity to trounce him personally.

I didn't really see what Miss Metzger and Miss Mitzi made of one another, as I was being bundled into a carriage to return to the Consulate.

We have all just managed to get washed up. I have given my torn and bloodied clothing to Tattvick, who has kindly offered to clean and repair them for me. She has by now gained some expertise in these tasks.

Friday, 23 July 1870

I slept uncommonly soundly last night, and woke hungry. I breakfasted on tea, toast, two muffins, an apple, and some eggs.

My back is stiff where I was stabbed, but sound. I participated in exercises and felt much more limber by the time we finished.

Tattvick did a lovely job mending my bodice and got most of the blood out of the chemise. The corset has been mended, but will need two new bones put in to replace the bent ones. I am wearing my spare one.

The news is grim today. The Prussian army has advanced to form a line about 12 miles from this city. We have received reports that another of the extra-large cannons has been brought in and is being set up about 16 miles away, aimed this direction. Mrs Cuthbert has looked into the future and foreseen the bombardment of Metz (well, even I can foretell that much!)

It is now essential to evacuate the British citizens, particularly the children. Unfortunately, the railways have been obstructed, whether by sabotage or by efforts to contain enemy movements (e.g. Lt Wooster's action in Belgium)

We have hit upon the clever scheme of evacuating the family directly to London by use of the Fiery Chariot.

This plan presents an additional advantage: Several of us have, by turns, attempted to convince Mrs Middleton that magic exists. I myself had a discussion with her just last evening. I was trying to explain that her gifted daughter Elinor might need special schooling, because she could perceive and manipulate things that persons like Mrs Middleton and myself could not understand.

I don't know if she believed me at all or if she thinks I'm just one of her mother's crackpot friends. Once she takes a ride in that chariot, though, she might just have to acknowledge the possibility that magic exists.

Now we are attempting to formulate a plan to disable the giant cannon. Edward hit upon a brilliant idea. Apparently the cannon produces so much heat with each firing that the barrel melts and changes its size. Therefore, the cannon shells are of specially calculated sizes, to each fit through the barrel in a particular sequence. If they are not fired in the correct sequence, a too-large shell will get stuck in the barrel and explode the breech.

So, all this plan requires is a small team of saboteurs with number stencils and a can of paint.

This plan has an added advantage in that the cannon will only be destroyed if it is fired. If peace breaks out unexpectedly, no one will get hurt.

Now for the difficulty: choosing the team. Some of our party, the most experienced agents, want to go without the rest of us. That would be Mr Frazer, and Mr Caine, who want to take only the Marquis with them. Needless to say, the rest of us have quashed that idea.

I pointed out that when we split up, we are much more vulnerable. The general outcry, mostly from ladies who refuse to be left behind, has prompted this plan:

Most of us will go together to a point within 2 miles of the cannon emplacement. Our chosen team will approach and attempt the sabotage in the subtlest way. This team will consist of Mr Frazer, Mr Caine, the Marquis, and Edward.

The rest of us will wait in reserve. If the other team is discovered or if the plan doesn't work, we will be in place to create a distraction, mount a rescue, curse the cannon, or any number of additional plans.

The difficulty of how to reach the emplacement has been solved through the intelligence of the Garden Faeries, who know of a "rabbithole" which allows quick passage to a circle of standing stones, less than 2 miles from the Prussian encampment and the cannon.

I only hope that whatever makes this "rabbithole" work will work on me, or I will have to stay behind. I suppose if I was able to travel into the Moonstone, this should work as well.

We all have disguises to pass for people of the countryside. Miss Chigwidgeon has leapt at the opportunity to dress as a boy. Miss Whitnell and I have opted for disguises as Prussian camp laundresses, but we are carrying boy's clothes in our baskets, just in case. The gentlemen are mostly farmers of various types.

A few of us are not going on this expedition. Hassan, Inspector MacGregor, and Emily are escorting the Middleton family to London. Mr Ramsay is at the Chapterhouse to examine the Moonstone (which has been called the "Eye of Eternity" or some such thing), and also the very dangerous magical book recovered from the Ladeau house.

Dusk will be coming on soon. We are about to set out for the small island in the center of the river, where this end of the "rabbithole" is to be found.
With any luck, we will still be able to stop this ridiculous war.

Saturday 24 July, 1870
(mid-morning)

We have returned from our sabotage expedition. All has proceeded more-or-less as planned.

We had a few worried moments:
As we walked through the subterranean tunnels of the "rabbithole" we heard the singing of some sort of fey creatures-- I had to restrain Edward from running off toward them.

Once we emerged in a field by the circle of stones, we were almost caught by a Prussian patrol. Lt Wooster was startled by a little rabbit, and shrieked in alarm. A passing patrol heard him and shone their lanterns toward us. Most of us dropped to the cover of the tall grain crops around us. Mr Cuthbert was pinned, though. He stood still, and proceeded to act the innocent farmer. The soldiers seemed suspicious, until Edward ran out, calling him Grandpere and hugging his legs. The soldiers then simply warned the "old farmer" that it wasn't safe here, that he should go far away and leave his farm.

After a time, we crept onward and found a ridge from which to view the camp and the big gun. The chosen team crept forward, and the rest of us waited.

They returned some time later, reporting that their mission was accomplished. They had had a few fits and starts, but overall things had gone well.

We waited just over the ridge until morning, so we could see whether the plan had worked. We were very still. It was cool, and I listened to the wind in the grasses, and the gradual rousing of the birds, and the distant sounds of the Prussian camp.
I thought, a few times, that Mr Frazer was about to speak to me, but his discipline in this dangerous circumstance seemed to prevent him. Edward had to be shushed more than a few times, though.

At last the morning came. We listened for the sounds of the great gun being prepared to fire. Sure enough, at the critical moment of firing, the cannon shell stuck, and the entire thing blew apart. Were preparing to sneak away when we observed something very strange in the distance. We looked and saw the approach of Admiral LeCoq's aerofrigate, La Victoire. It flew not only the French Fleet Admiral's flag, but also royal emblems of Bavaria, Wurttemburg, and the Kingdom of Two Sicilies.

In additon, there were several other airships, flying the flags of Bavaria and of Wurttemburg. Around the ponderous balloons fluttered a flock of strange birdlike machines.

This surprising coalition of airships and bird-ships attacked the Prussians. We fled the scene and returned to Metz through the "rabbithole." Edward practically had to be carried away, he so wanted to watch the airships and all in action.

We have returned and made out our various reports. The League is settling in for some well-earned rest.

Sunday, 25 July, 1870

It has been a quiet day. We rose and breakfasted, and heard the news that a cease-fire was in effect and that negotiations were underway for the end of this war. How very gratifying.

We all took our exercise and practised our languages. I did some lessons with Edward in Literature, since there has been plenty of Mathematics, French, and Latin lately.

I did a bit of mending, and sketched (from memory) some of the grasses and grains I saw yesterday. I sat in the garden with Edward and talked about the stages of growth of the various plants there. We talked about the life cycles of the insects we saw. It was so very pleasant.

Mr Frazer paused in his writing of reports long enough to come converse with Edward and me in German, and we learned some technical botanical terminology. That was pleasant, too, though Edward kept smirking.

Monday, 26 July, 1870

Today was full of pleasant excitement. All reports suggest that the negotiations are proceeding well, for France and its present allies. It would appear that Prussia will not attempt to maintain possession of the French lands it has held so briefly.

We received a visit from Admiral LeCoq. He thanked us, albeit unofficially, on behalf of the Emperor. He then invited us on a tour of the Airships.

We flew over the city aboard La Victoire, seeing the sights-- the building we helped destroy and the many buildings we helped save. We saw the decks and even the engine room of the Wurtemburg dirigible, and got to look closely at the bird-like machines. They call them "ornithopters."

They seem strange and ungainly to me, but they certainly served their purpose in destroying the Prussian gun emplacements. Edward was very keen to ride in one, but fortunately that proved impossible. I imagine we'll see a lot of sketches for such devices in his books for some time. Perhaps this will motivate him to study ornithology more diligently.

We returned after a long day, very pleased with ourselves.

Even so, we are beginning to turn our attention to the remaining matters.

We still must catch Herr Bopp, for I'm sure that he will be looking to do us harm for the blows we have dealt him. We must retrieve the Bull artifact from his custody and set it to work to better purpose.

We must also find out the fate of Miss Cecily Haverson, who disappeared while we were in Belgium. Many might wish that she will stay missing, but we can hardly just let her be abducted, even if she is a nuisance.

So, a return to Belgium is our most likely next course, as soon as it is safe to travel by rail once more.

Tuesday 27 July, 1870
(evening)

At last, I have made a declaration to Mr Frazer, and he has accepted me. It sounds terribly backward, but that is how it happened.

Now I am very happy...and yet I wonder if I have done the right thing. He was so tongue-tied, and Mrs Cuthbert and Miss Whitnell locked us in the parlour together, and now how can I be sure that he truly does love me and really does want to marry me?

Could he have said he wanted me only because he is too much the gentleman to leave my declaration, my forward and brazen challenge, unanswered? He knows, as much as I, that all our friends have been gossiping and conniving to bring us together. Even the ghost of his father and his dog have been at him to speak to me. Is he simply going along with everyone's expectations?

If he really loves me, how could he carry my note, my incriminating note, for at least a day, and not give me a word?

Ever since I first realised my infatuation with him, I have been hoping and doubting in alternation. Sometimes I am so certain that he loves me, that all there is to do is to settle the details of how and when we will marry. Other times, all the evidence which led me to believe in his love for me seems to evaporate, and I think I must be an utter fool to think he could be even slightly amused by my girlish hopes.

There have been times when I have been so certain of his love: When we were battling in the room inside the "Shattered Eye", he came to my side and held me to stanch the bleeding knife wound. I felt so safe, despite the fighting and danger around us. But would he not have done the same first aid for any of our party? Was the warmth I felt derived only from my own hopes?

And then, when he kissed me in the parlour, I could not imagine I could feel so...transformed, if he did not mean to love me. But what do I know of it? I certainly have no basis for comparison. I've never kissed a liar, have I?

I have seen many girls become engaged, with and without love in the match. It is difficult to know one's own mind and heart, and impossible to truly know another's.

How can I surrender myself to this uncertainty? How can I risk subjecting Mr Frazer-- Benton-- to unhappiness? Will I ever really know for certain if I have done the right thing?

If matters between Benton and me fail, I will not easily forgive Miss Whitnell and Mrs Cuthbert for putting me in that situation, I will never forgive myself for being so hasty.

If matters proceed well, I will bless my friends' names forever.

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