Our partisans are scattering for the moment, but with every expectation of reconvening in Snodbury in Worcestershire. The plan is as follows:

Inspector and Mrs MacGreggor, as well as Mr Frazer, have taken the milk train, which left Edenfield at 3 this morning. The Inspector and Mr Frazer go in response to the local Constable’s request for assistance in the unusual death of Sir Robert Plank. Mrs MacGreggor attends in the hope that she may preserve Sir Robert if he is in the same type of comatose state as Major Dunbar. Mr and Mrs Salmalin have also taken that train, ostensibly to accompany the Cowperthwaites’ luggage and ensure that all is in readiness at our host’s home at Brinkley Court, but more truthfully because Simon felt the need of Mystical assistance.

The rest of us will be only slightly behind them, as we are to take the 4:30 train this morning. Violet is even now assisting Daru with advice as to what to pack for baby Galen–Violet now being quite adept in the art of traveling with babies.

Monday, 9 April 1872
(continued--9:00 am)

We have arrived at Brinkley Court in reasonably good order–aside from a bit of a bad moment being held at gunpoint by our host, Mr Thomas Travers. Apparently he either had not received news from his wife of our impending invasion or he had forgot about it, (the hour being so very early when we arrived), and at times we resemble a dangerous mob rather than the usual house party guests. The coachman, named Chalke, had quite a task getting all of us loaded into various carriages, and our luggage into carts.

We have had a bit of breakfast now, and have heard reports from our advance party. Of first importance is Helen’s determination that Sir Robert Plank is indeed deceased, apparently some time Saturday. I have transcribed all the relevant discoveries in my case notes, and already this case promises to be complex.

We are attempting to downplay the fact that our entire party is working together. To that end, we will be calling on the Plank house in separate groups, with only the Inspector’s group overtly investigating. The others of us will be divided up and will make ordinary condolence calls. Of course it is most unlikely that any of us will be admitted, none of us being especially close to Sir Robert’s family. Frankly, I find it revolting to be calling on the recently bereaved family, like so many idly curious gossip mongers, making the pretence of sympathy in order to pry. Still, it must be done if we are to unravel the mystery, find the girl, and possibly prevent further attacks by “angelic” entities.

Sir Cosmo will be heading the first party, which will include Lady Cowperthwaite, myself, Wilhelmina and Mr O’Flaherty. Sir Cosmo might be expected to be acquainted with Sir Robert since Sir Cosmo has been following the various controversies regarding Atlantis and related antiquities. The pretext for the rest of us will be that Mr O’Flaherty is Wilhelmina’s History tutor (indeed!), and that after we make this call we will all be proceeding to Littleton to look at some historic monuments there.
After we have departed, Lt and Mrs Wooster will call, as part of the Brinkley Court establishment offering suitable neighbourly sentiments.

Lastly, Mrs Cuthbert and Sir Spencer will call. At some point, these calls will result in a social invitation to see and speak to the family and see the house.

(continued-- 1:30 pm)

Contrary to my expectations, we were received at Doverton Abbey. Mr John Plank, on hearing of our call, was moved to invite Sir Cosmo, Lady Cowperthwaite, and myself in. I could immediately understand some of Mr Frazer’s and the MacGreggors’ comments once I saw the interior. Such a rambling, shambling old place. Much of it is shut up, but every part of the house I saw was positively teeming with peculiar trinkets, all crammed in with no readily identifiable order.

One of the more thought-provoking articles in this collection was a chunk of painted wall from India. The painting depicted Kali–but the face of Kali bore a startling resemblance to Lady Cowperthwaite. The Fragment appeared to be quite old–certainly older than Lady Cowperthwaite’s 20 years. In the image, Kali had trod on some frightful monster, and in the foreground, a child with blue skin and an ornate headdress looked to be dancing about. I brought Lady Cowperthwaite to see it. She was most interested in the portrait of the child. She said it looked precisely like a dream she had had of her son at 4 years of age or so. I can’t be sure how to credit this. Memories of dreams are easily reshaped in retrospect, but Lady Cowperthwaite has had several such dreams that have proved out.

We have planted a seed which may earn us a return visit at leisure to examine the house: Sir Cosmo offered our collective assistance in identifying and cataloguing some of Sir Robert’s various collections.

Fortunately, we did not actually cross paths with Mr George Plank. I will need to remain under Sir Cosmo’s aegis and beneath Mr George’s notice. I know the latter does not approve of me since I revealed the true authorship of Peter Sinclair’s naturalist works. Mr John Plank, a notably more liberal sort, has continued his correspondence with me-- he knows enough about pollination to appreciate my more recent works.

While Mr O’Flaherty and Wilhelmina were wandering the grounds “discussing the architecture,” they came upon two strange things in close proximity: A stained glass window depicting angels and a thinly-disguised occult emblem identified by Mrs Salmalin as the “Eye of Rambaldi”, overlooking a large circular area of withered grass. While examining both items and conversing with a passerby, both Wilhelmina and Mr O’Flaherty found themselves becoming suddenly and unusually weary, to the point of fainting away once they returned to the carriage.

As we were all leaving the Abbey, we crossed paths with the Cuthberts, and warned of the possible hazard.

We were fortunate in that Mr William Plank is an adherent of Spiritualism, and shares some mutual Acquaintance with some of Mrs Cuthbert’s circle. He has heard of her successes in contacting spirits, and asked her quietly but directly, to help unravel the mysteries of “what is amiss” at Doverton Abbey. How Mr William will arrange that, given Mr George’s views on the matter will prove interesting, I’m sure.

Now we have all returned to Brinkley Court for luncheon, and to compare notes. Inspector MacGreggor and Mr Frazer have gone off again to search out Mr Oliphant and other matters of interest. The Mystics are performing some scrying rituals. Wilhelmina is sleeping off the effects of the strange area of dessication on the lawn of Doverton Abbey. I will next attempt some analysis of the sample we took there.

(continued--late evening)

All of our partisans have returned, and we all agreed that we should look again at Sir Robert’s study. Scrying by the mystics has suggested the existence of a secret passageway behind the rather dreadful painting behind the desk. After a typical amount of turmoil and disagreement about who would go, and in what groups, and what pretext we could use, we are only awaiting the carriages. All of us save the Cuthberts are going, in more-or-less the same groups as we used before, pressing to commence our inventory of Sir Robert’s artifacts. Inspector MacGreggor hopes to impress Mr George Plank with the urgency of discovering if any items are missing--any stolen items might provide a clue as to a possible killer.

We shall see if our boldness will carry us through.

Notes re peculiar declarations, dreams and visions of uncertain significance.

1) 4:30 am--Mrs Cake:

As we were preparing to board our train this morning, Mrs Cake of the Edenfield parish Altar Guild, approached Lady Cowperthwaite and said: “He’s too young to dance.” And before Lady C could ask what this meant, she continued, “about 4 years old.” Then, as we boarded the train, she called, “and stay away from the dead grass.”
This sounds utter nonsense to me, but Lady Cowperthwaite and Mrs Cuthbert seem to think these statements may have significance.

1a) See notes re Doverton Abbey for possible significance of dead grass and being “too young to dance”.

2) 5:25 am--Mrs Cuthbert’s dream aboard the train:

Mrs Cuthbert reported the following dream, experienced during a doze aboard the train:

Mrs C finds herself in a room with a woman dressed in rich gown with panniers. She is carrying her head, which is complete with a crown. The headless queen goes into a hallway, which has a long shelf along each wall with many different heads on each: Male and female, of various ages, and in various states of decay. Mrs C follows the figure along the hall until it stops at a seemingly recent head, that of an elderly man. The figure attempts to put this head onto its own shoulders, but drops the head to the floor instead. It wanders away, seeming confused. Mrs Cuthbert picks up the head and secures it to the figure’s neck. The eyes open, glowing, and its voice says: “What do you want?”
She replies, “Nothing. I want to help.” The figure walks away.

Mrs C hears music and follows the sound. She looks into another room and sees a man playing an organ. He looks up and says, “You’re not Mr Salmalin.” The conversation which follows is strange, but Mrs C says that she determined that this figure was “the dark mirror of everybody,” an entity of dreaming.

Next, Mrs C enters a different room, which looks like a chapel. She finds her sister Lillian Comtesse de Brabant weeping over an open casket. The occupant of the casket is Mrs Cuthbert herself. C de B says, “I’m sorry. I saved your Granddaughter.”
Further unhelpful, prophetic-sounding conversation.

Next, Mrs C goes into another room and finds Wilhelmina and Mrs Wooster. There is some discussion which seems to relate to Mrs Wooster’s recent experience being “pulled out of her body” when Mrs C encountered the hazardous angel entity. Wilhelmina is working with a number of various crystals. Mrs C asks what they are for. Wilhelmina replies: “Powering things. Storing things.” (How many times have I told Wilhelmina to be more specific and to avoid general terms like “things”?)

After Wilhelmina says “Watch this!” Mrs C awakened.

2a) Upon seeing Helen’s sketch of the late Sir Robert’s face, Mrs Cuthbert identified the last head of her dream as his.

3) Mrs Salmalin reported, once we rejoined, that she had received a communique from Mr Moody of the Lord High Warlock’s office (this communique was in the form of a talking owl--how outré).

She had reported to the LHW on the arrival of the Comte de Brabant in England. The reported reply: Upon Arrival, the Comte had called on both the Foreign Office and the LHW to present his credentials. He has been appointed as a French Imperial Commissioner for research or some such, which seems comparable to Sir Cosmo’s position. The LHW, further identified him as a notably powerful warlock with a reasonably good reputation, and a member of at least 2 magical orders.
The Comte announced his plan to take a house in the Edenfield area for the summer.
So, the Comte seems to be operating in the open, though I would hardly put any trust in that. At least for now he is out of the way of our immediate work.

4) Sir Robert Plank: see “notes on Sir Robert and Doverton Abbey” for results of various scrying rituals and strange incidents.

5) Scrying on a threatening letter found among Sir Robt’s papers: see “notes re threatening letters and the possibility of poisoning”

Notes re Persons relevant to this case

1) Constable Betts: Local constable who requested assistance from the Met Police. Seems sharp and helpful. Has said right out that he wants help to divert ill feeling against himself if the investigation digs up unpleasantness with Sir Robert’s heir, the family, and the neighborhood. Reasonable–after all, he must stay here and keep peace long after we have solved the case and departed. Wise man.

2) Sir Robert Plank: see “notes on Sir Robert and Doverton Abbey”

3) Smethurst: Sir Robert’s butler

4) Dr Merridew: Sir Robert’s physician

5) Mr George Plank: Sir Robt’s nephew & heir. A lecturer in Biology at Cambridge. A former correspondent of “Peter” Sinclair, probably hostile to myself.

5a) Very conservative and concerned with reputation
5b) hostile to Mr Oliphant, considering him responsible for encouraging Sir Robt’s “deplorable tendencies”.

6) Mr William Plank: Sir Robt’s younger nephew. MP for Upton-Snodbury-Littleton

6a) acquainted with some of Mrs Cuthbert’s clients, and hoping to employ her particular talents to discover what is “amiss” at Doverton Abbey.

7) Mr John Plank,: son of George Plank. A Fellow in Biology at Oxford, and a continuing correspondent of mine.

7a) John Plank received my party when we came to offer condolences,
7b) Staying here at Doverton Abbey as guests of John Plank:
Miss Eleanor Carringford (John’s fiancée), Mr Bruce Carringford (Eleanor’s brother).
7c) Miss Carringford asked after Col Dunbar, being acquainted with him because her aunt is Margaret Carringford, Col Dunbar’s fiancée. -- Inquire discreetly as to how this double connexion has occurred.

8) Mr Lawrence Oliphant: The Journalist of our acquaintance is also an acquaintance of Sir Robt.

8a) Employs the same 2 oriental servants as attended him when we saw him at Goxhill last year.
8b) Per Const. Betts, Mr Oliphant was the first to suggest the possibility of “foul play” in Sir Robt’s death. Was asked to leave by Mr George Plank, and is now staying at an inn in Snodbury.
8c) See notes re: possibility of poisoning
8d) Per Inspector MacGreggor, from interview in Littleton:
Sir Robt invited Mr Oliphant to visit, and indicated that he would shortly publish a new book. Sir Robt wanted publicity for his book, but would not talk about the subject of the book. Mr Oliphant remained, hoping to get enough information to actually write an article.
8e) Mr Oliphant suggested many parties with grudges against Sir Robt (see notes on Sir Robt and Doverton Abbey and on threats and possibility of poisoning).

Notes re Sir Robert Plank and Doverton Abbey

1) Sir Robert Plank’s person:

80 years of age. In delicate health, but only as would be expected for his age.
Per butler Smethurst, a good employer,. Sharp words spoken just before his collapse were noted as unusual. Per Mr Frazer, none of the below stairs staff had anything ill to say of him (though of course they would not speak ill of any dead, much less their late employer)

1a) Sir Robert’s doctor believes the cause of collapse and subsequent death to be apoplexy–not surprising given his age and condition.
1b) Sir Robert is wearing 2 rings:
-a lapis scarab identical to those worn by Col Dunbar and Dr Kenyon.
-a gold band with inlaid rubies and sapphires forming a stylized emblem resembling an eye. Per Mrs Salmalin, this emblem was used by the 15th C sorcerer Rambaldi, whose notes and works seem to be connected to this case.

2) Doverton Abbey

-extensive building.
-Many various artifacts, reflecting a wide array of interests.
-Per Mrs Salmalin, a locus of mystical energy, apparently even before the construction of the Abbey buildings, and increased by the presence of numerous historical and religious artifacts.

2a) Sir Robert’s study
-Books: the study doubles as the Library, and has floor-to-ceiling shelves and at least two storeys in height.
-Painting behind desk: fully 22 feet in height and some 6 feet in width, depicting Jacob’s Ladder and the ascent of a variety of angelic beings. Rather amateurish, with garish colors, awkward composition, and graceless figures.
-Crocodile (possibly C. palustris, judging from the color and the texture of the hide) taxidermed and hanging from ceiling. Hope Sir Spencer does not get ideas.
-Floor: inlaid, somewhat subtly with the “eye of Rambaldi” emblem, centered on the area of Sir Robert’s desk.
-Window: stained glass depicting 2 angels extending their arms around an image of the earth. The configuration of the angels’ arms and the round Earth forms the same Rambaldi emblem as on the floor and Sir Robert’s ring

2b) Dead Grass:
Noted by Mr Frazer at his first visit, examined in greater detail by Wilhelmina and Mr O’Flaherty.
-the circular patch is apx 50 ft d. the grass is desiccated yellow-brown, and the patch has a fairly abrupt margin.
-per Mr O’Flaherty’s conversation with a passing local woman, the circle was noticed on Easter Sunday. No one seems to know the cause, but “strange lights” were seen that night. It is considered “bad luck” to go near the circle.
-both Mr O’Flaherty and Wilhelmina reported fatigue after standing on or near the patch for apx 10 min.
-My analysis of the soil and grass sample brought by Wilhelmina showed thorough dessication, including desiccated animal life: an earthworm, a centipede, 3 ants, a beetle larva, and numerous smaller mites, insect eggs, and other organisms one might expect in this area. The presence of these organisms suggested the sudden onset of the desiccating effect, since these mobile animals would otherwise have left the area before it killed them.
-I could find no perceptible traces of any chemical contaminant; Mrs Salmalin examined the sample using several tests as well, and found no unusual chemical traces.

3) Scrying results specifically relevant to Sir Robert:

3a) Mrs Salmalin’s first attempts at Doverton Abbey in the study were unsuccessful, producing visions apparently irrelevant to our investigation.

3b) back at Brinkley Court, a scrying ritual using Sir Robert’s pen as a focus produced the following narrative:
Sir Robert in his study. Opens a panel behind desk, concealed behind painting. Enters small secret room which contains, among other items, a large book and an “x” or cross in green crystal. He looks up to see a young man and a glowing entity–the same young man and entity as seen in the Dr Kenyon scrying.
The entity says “Who are you?”
Sir Robert replies," I am the Grand Master of the Vespertine Order of the Eye of Rambaldi."
The young man says, “ That is what you call yourself.”
The entity drifts toward Sir Robt and engulfs him. He collapses.
He was near enough to the desk at this point that the young man had only to catch him and lower him into the chair. Thus he was found by the household staff.

3c) Using the miniature portrait of a young woman, found on Sir Robt’s dressing table:
A young man in church. Clothing suggests this is perhaps 50 years ago. The young man is sketching a young woman who sits across the aisle. Following scenes show the young man apparently courting the young woman, and proposing marriage. Next, the young woman is dishevelled and distraught, being comforted by the young man and her own female family. She has apparently been ravished. Next the young man confronts another man–the younger self of Sir Robert. The young man has cornered him in a room that looks to be in the Abbey, armed with a pitchfork. Sir Robert is scornful, saying “and what is a worthless nobody like you going to do about it?”
The young man attacks, but Sir Robert raises a hand and the young man is flung backward, out a window, and falls at least one storey to the ground. Next, Sir Robert approaches the body and rifles its pockets, finding the miniature portrait.

4) Comments:

It would appear that while Sir Robert seems well-respected and liked within his own household, he was not actually a noble or worthy man.
At some point in the past, he appears to have raped a young woman and killed her fiancé.
He appears to be a practitioner of a school of mystic study following the works of Rambaldi (that 15th C inventor who contrived the swan we saw at the French Embassy).
Mrs Salmalin has been reading what limited information she has found since we first saw that swan, and she finds these works to be quite horrible. While I acknowledge that Mrs Salmalin can be squeamish when it comes to studies using living subjects, I am forced to agree with her assessment. Rambaldi was, in fact, a dangerous maniac, who unfortunately documented some very interesting results. Those results seem to have encouraged others to take up some very ugly practices. Including, plainly, Sir Robert.

Notes re threatening letters and the possibility of poisoning:

1) Per Constable Betts, the first suggestion he heard of “foul play” came from Mr Oliphant.

Mr Oliphant reported seeing some threatening letters received by Sir Robert. Mr Oliphant said that Sir Robert seemed to give them no great regard. Mr Oliphant described the letter, and Constable Betts asked Smethurst about it. Smethurst said that Sir Robt had not mentioned any such letters, but that he remembered seeing some large envelopes with no return address. Smethurst was able to locate one, and Constable Betts has given it to Mr Frazer. It is unsigned, and written in an unpracticed hand, with very poor spelling and grammar. The paper is a coarse and generally inexpensive type, but not immediately identifiable as to source.

The letter reads:

“Repent your evil ways or you are doomed.
Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”

1b) Smethurst reported that many years (30) in the past, Sir Robt received a similar series of threatening letters from a tenant named Grice. That man had been tried and jailed for his threatening behaviour, but during the trial he had continued to insist that Sir Robt was practising witchcraft and satanic rituals. We will have to discover the current whereabouts of Mr Grice.

1c) Mrs Salmalin performed a scrying ritual on the most current threatening letter, and described the writer as a man 60 years of age, driving a dairy wagon, and at least passing near a train station marked “Towcester South Station.”

2) Mr George Plank insists that Mr Oliphant is guilty of poisoning Sir Robt.

2a) Sir Robt customarily took a pot of tea in his study at approximately 10:00 pm. On Friday evening, he rang shortly after it was delivered to say it tasted terrible. Smethurst cleared it away and checked it. He says the tea in the pot seemed fine, but there was some bitter residue in the cup. He attributed it to poorly rinsed soap. He washed the pot and cup, and brewed fresh using a different service.

When Smethurst brought the fresh pot, Sir Robt seemed “not himself” and uncharacteristically surly.

2b) Mr Oliphant was known to brew “potions” in the his rooms, and typically sent one of his oriental servants to her kitchen for a pot of boiling water. On this Friday evening, there was a minor difficulty in getting the water, and Mr Oliphant came down himself to investigate the delay. He was heard to ask which pot was for Sir Robert and which was for himself.

3) It is interesting that none of these events seemed to trigger any suspicions before Mr Oliphant and Mr G Plank started voicing their suspicions.
Smethurst is rather an elderly gentleman, and has the normal diffidence of a good butler, but I find it very convenient for a potential poisoner that Smethurst rinsed out the suspicious teacup and mentioned nothing about it. Can the Mystics learn if the teacup had any poison in it, and if so who put it there?

4) Mr Oliphant was able to tell Inspector MacGreggor about several possible motives and grudges among local populace:

-the Grice family, due to the humiliation and imprisonment of Sir Robert’s accuser 30 years ago.
-the assault on the young woman, 50 years ago, and the subsequent death of her fiance–neither crime ever solved, but evidently Mr Oliphant heard enough rumour even now to suggest that some locals blame Sir Robert. Per Mr Oliphant, the young woman’s family name was Botley. What is the exact connexion with the missing girl Evie?

5) per the Mystic’s scrying, it would appear that poisoning was not the cause of death. Still, we can hardly tell everyone that Sir Robt was killed by a glowing entity which appeared out of nowhere. Our best hope to approximate justice may be to learn the identity of the entity’s assistant, and look for some evidence which could link him to the scene. And of course some plausible explanation of the death.

Proceed to Two Mrs Salmalins and two Mrs Cuthberts

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