This morning’s papers were abuzz with our exploits, in varying degrees of accuracy.  Lady Cowperthwaite was delighted, Mr O’Flaherty was not.  The most extensive mention of my role declared that I had found the mysterious Captain Nemo and brought him back to assist, but fortunately for my pride did not indicate that I had taken an unintended dunking.  We should have some degree of deniability when we return home, as the most lengthy stories are also in the papers with the least journalistic credibility.

In the morning, Dr Langtry,  whom I met at Prof Peacock's rooms, paid a visit to us here.  As it happens, he is the local agent for the Lord High Warlock's office, and he called in response to a general hail from Mrs Salmalin.  Upon this further acquaintance, I can't say I like him.  I was quite outdone by his arrogance.  He had the temerity to suggest that I had some kind of mystic ability, and it was clear to me that if I didn't, he wouldn't think it worthwhile to speak to me.  He seems to think that the line between mystic persons and everyone else (whom he calls "mundane"), is absolute. Those without such abilities are as children who must be told nothing,  protected in a state of innocence for their own good.  He was like nothing so much as the white heads at the Linnean Society who insist that women are too delicate for science. 

We did, however, learn what we could from him, particularly regarding the murders.  He confirmed and clarified some of what Inspector MacGreggor had learned, and what the Mystics had learned from the objects the Inspector had brought back from the scene.   Someone calling himself Count Kolinzecki made arrangements to purchase a jeweled ritual knife and a mystical book.  The Kolinzecki familiar to Doctor Langtry was the person who attempted to sacrifice the child Namaste, who was himself killed, to prevent Vritra's ascendancy, by Rip Chigwidgeon, Manjula, and the parrot. The person who has made the recent effort to gain the knife and book could be a later holder of the title, or another person using the name for reasons of his own, or the previous person returned from apparent death. 

Dr Langtry seems to suspect Lord Vaughn, though Mr von Klatna and Count Lyndram are also candidates.  His seemingly reflexive antipathy toward Lord Vaughn made me reevaluate the latter's merits in a more positive light. 

A little while after Dr Langtry arrived, I was called by the housemaid, who brought me Miss Langtry's card.  For some reason, I had a notion she might not want her uncle to know of her visit, so I received her in the morning room.  My strange notion was unfounded, so after a short conversation, I brought her to the parlor, where I introduced her to Mrs Salmalin and Mrs Cuthbert.  I think we all like Miss Langtry very well, she seems much more natural and much less pompous than her uncle.  Mrs Cuthbert and Mrs Salmalin agree that she has some degree of mystical abilitiy, but not apparently highly cultivated at this point.   Eventually the Langtry party took their leave, and I felt I had gained at least a little insight into each of them.

This afternoon brought most of us to the promotion ceremony of now Post Captain Shadrach Pellew Moriarty.  Our friend is to be given the regular command of the Arabis.  We are all very proud of him. 
At the reception following the ceremony, we met many of the Navy officers stationed here, including Admiral Pinchingdale and his wife and daughter.   My notion that Lt Wooster is schoolmates with every reprehensible wag in the Navy was reaffirmed when we were introduced to Captain Miles Selwick, who we learned was a participant in the infamous Tiger Affair.  Not that he seemed so bad at first meeting.   His thoughtlessness only became apparent as I circulated during the party.

The susurration of gossip slowly revealed a predictably absurd scenario, in which Capt Selwick had unintentionally become engaged to Miss Alice Pinchingdale.  He does not actually want to marry her at all.  The arrangement was begun through the sort of hapless idiocy that I have come to expect from our Lt Wooster's circle of acquaintance.  Not that Miss Pinchingdale or her mother could be entirely blameless in the matter.  I can’t be certain at this point if their understanding is a matter of poorly-placed wishful thinking or of deliberate entrapment.  The further susurration was that Lt Wooster had determined to help his friend out of the jam, and we can imagine what sort of hazardous and ridiculous plot this will entail. 

Mrs Salmalin, Mrs Cuthbert, and I have begun our own campaign to redirect the match.  We quickly determined that another gentleman, of apparent good prospects, is quite besotted with Miss Pinchingdale, and has been for some time.  He had asked her father’s permission to pay his addresses, and was refused on the grounds that he is a lowly engineer.  Well, we can hardly let that sort of thinking go on.  I dropped a few words in praise of engineers into Miss P’s ear. 

Wilhelmina was clever enough to discover that Miss P, while supposedly indifferent to this fellow, is actually quite jealous and possessive of him if he seems to be enjoying conversation with some other young woman.  (I was rather amazed when Miss P referred to Wilhelmina as “that woman”—she is scarcely in long skirts, and I can’t help but see her as a hoyden!)

We contrived to instigate a tour of the ship that the besotted Leftenant is building.   It is in the next berth to the Selene, and Wilhelmina was already agitating to look at it.  It incorporates some of the designs she developed with Mr Reed, so of course we are all anxious to examine it.

That was not the end of our doings today.  We had our dinner party at the Viceregal residence.  I was very happy to meet the Vicereine, Lady Ambridge.  I expected her to be a clever and sensible person, partly because her son Admiral Lord Miles Naismith is so remarkably clever.   Also partly because it was at her recommendation that we found the dressmakers who were so readily able to produce our gowns complete with League adaptations.  It took far less explanation than I had expected, suggesting that they had tackled such projects for her in the past.

She is respected in her own right partly because she successfully commanded the rescue of the women and children of Nawanger during the mutiny.  She is the sort of person who gets her way by a combination of reason and force of personality;  unlike some bullying matrons, she is really very sensible.  I quite like her.

Mrs Salmalin and I sought her advice in the Pinchingdale-Selwick match and also asked her for information about Lord Vaughn.  She was helpful in matters great and small alike.

We met a number of the notables of British Society in Bombay.  Wilhelmina had a long and animated talk with Lt the Hon Thomas Collins, concerning the possibilities of using rocket kites for reconnaisance.  She has a way of finding persons interested in her technical expertise--perhaps because anyone not interested in being regaled in military armament by a young girl veers away quickly, or is dismissed from conversation by the girl herself.  I only feel sorry for anyone pinned beside her at dinner who doesn't want to hear her opinions on the pressure tolerances of different kinds of steel.  Despite not being Out in Society, she attends more parties as an adult than is usual for a girl her age.  She is steadfastly resistant to practicing decorous conversations about weather (except where it affects artillery or kites).

The dinner was fine, though I probably should not have eaten any of the curried lamb.  


Tuesday, 22 June, 1875

The morning brought an interesting turn of events.  Li Tsin, the Chinese sorcerer we captured while fighting Wu Chang, requested an audience--with Lobsang.  As the sorcerer is shortly to be executed for piracy, this request had some of the weight of Final Wishes, and with some trepidation Lobsang acceded.  Many of us went with him, both to show our protective influence and out of sheer curiosity. 

Li Tsin confirmed the belief that Lobsang is the youngest son of the late Wu Chang, but added that he himself was not Wu Chang's brother, as we had believed, but rather another son.  Wu Chang has "dragon blood" which made him long-lived and nearly invulnerable.  Li Tsin is apparently not so slow to age. Not all Wu Chang's  offspring have the same set of qualities.  Lobsang's manifestation of his heritage is yet to become apparent.  Li Tsin was mildly helpful in giving Lobsang information, but seemed mainly concerned with unburdening his conscience.  Lobsang seemed to take it all very coolly, not showing any agitation, seeming somewhat disdainful of Li Tsin's talk of his destiny.  Interesting.  At least Lobsang has shown a full measure of good traits such as kindness and joy, which if cultivated, can protect him from some of the bad effects of his parentage.

After that was done, we spent yet another afternoon at the dressmakers.  There are so many of us, and we need so much!  And I expect we will probably destroy half of the new clothes before we get home to England. 

This morning, Mrs Salmalin sent a note to Lord Vaughn requesting permission to call, and this afternoon when we returned to the house, there was a card from him.  It was too late in the day to return the call, we are planning to try again tomorrow.

Wednesday, 23 June 1875

I have had a minor victory today, but the enjoyment of it has been quite spoilt by my being much out of temper with Mr O'Flaherty.

Our little conspiracy to redirect the Pinchingdale-Selwick match seems to be succeeding, but at the cost of a great ruckus and wet stockings.

We toured the new ironclad vessel, presently called "Thane Creek", as arranged, and Miss Pinchingdale's interest in Lieutenant MacAllistair was unmistakable.  As we were all having a look at one of the watertight flotation compartments, Mr O'Flaherty took it into his head to demonstrate the seal of the hatch--he locked us in and overtightened the wheel--it tore away in his great hands!  We were just reassuring Miss Pinchingdale that the engineers would have the door open in no time when I heard a peculiar distant noise, followed by a great deal of running and shouting, then followed by the sound of moving water.

As it turns out, the water gates which should eventually open and allow the completed vessel to float were mysteriously, accidentally opened by our very own Lt Wooster, causing a great inrush of water and the near sinking of this far-from-finished vessel. 

Needless to say, this added a certain urgency to the need to extricate us from this sealed compartment.  We would be quite safe from drowning, but we would certainly run out of air if the vessel sank and they had to raise it to get us out.  This was no excuse for the complete pandemonium that ensued.

Wilhelmina gave orders to George on the other side of the door and ran off.  I could not hear what she said, because Miss Pinchingdale was on the verge of hysterics and Mr O'Flaherty decided to try to break open the bulkhead with his fists.  George called through the door to ask how much room we had, and when I described the dimensions of our compartment, he cryptically suggested that we ladies take cover as far as possible from the door.  Well, Mr O'Flaherty decided that meant they were about to shoot some kind of artillery to break down the door, which was absurd, since it would have taken some time to drag something large down to this corridor and I would have heard it.  I was trying to find out what George was doing, and he would not explain, or even if he tried, Mr O'Flaherty was making a row about how we must take cover--as if that would help in this tiny space. All we could make out from George was that Mrs Salmalin should try to gather some of her mystical powers in preparation for whatever he was about to do. 
 
What with Mr O'Flaherty banging and carrying on, and Miss Pinchingdale on the verge of total panic, I'm afraid I rather lost my head.  I started to imagine that possibly George had contrived some kind of explosive--after all, he is very fast, and between the influences of Wilhelmina and Mr Salmalin, he doesn't always pause for reflection, and certainly not for explanation. I most urgently wanted to know what he was going to do, and I tried to forestall any really rash action--our situation was serious, but not so immediately dire that it was worth the risk of an explosion.  But Mr O'Flaherty was adamant that we take cover, and as I coudn't get any response from George, I thought at last it was my only open course. 

It shortly became apparent that George is much more sensible than Mr O'Flaherty.  He was simply concentrating on pulling the steel of the door apart with his bare hands.  He peeled it back like the lid of a tin of herring, and Mr O'Flaherty pitched in with a will once he decided that no gunpowder was involved. We clambered out and made our way abovedecks. 

By this time, there was little to do but stay out of the way and watch--at least for those of us who had accompanied Miss Pinchingdale.  Lt MacAllistair showed to great advantage in the masterful handling of the crisis. Mrs Wooster had overcome her fear of the rushing water enough to help haul the various men up from the flooding lower decks with ropes--many of these men had heard of her fearsome prowess in the battle against Wu Chang, but they were still amazed to come to the top and find a tiny little woman dragging them upward.  Wilhelmina had harangued the repeair crew working on the Selene until they had gotten some of the great hoses strung over and attached to that vessel's superior pumps.

By the time it was safe to disembark, Lt MacAllistair was the hero of the day, and Lt Wooster was in the naval equivalent of the doghouse.  He still says the floodgates were an accident, but he and some of his confederates (including Mr O'Flaherty) had been conspiring to make it necessary for Lt MacAllistair to rescue Miss Pinchingdale and thus win her heart and her father's gratitude. 

Thursday 24 June 1875

The day was taken up with a tour of Elephanta cave.  These granite caverns are situated on a smallish island near the harbour.  They have been carved out over centuries, and the whole complex is full of granite statuary of Hindu deities and stories.  The carvings are graceful and ornate, though some have sustained damage-- mostly from the Portuguese and other European hotheads using them for target practice.  There was one room which the guide said was for "men only." Mr Frazer declined to go in, so I was forced to stand as close as I could to the cave entrance overhear the guide's story.  It was only some embarassing but probably apocryphal story about some vaguely designated king who was too obese to sire an heir in the ordinary way, and the bizarre methods attempted to allow him to try.  I don't feel that I missed much in the way of cultural artistry in being forbidden to look at the accompanying sculpture, so it wasn't worth my while to sneak in to see. 

The caves were beautifully cool, one of the chief selling points of the tour.

This evening after dinner, Sir Cosmo informed us that he is making arrangements for us all to travel by train to Mhow, a British outpost inland and uphill.  From there, we are to travel by elephant caravan to Balaghat, the site of the Temple of Kali where a number of the artifacts from the destroyed Bombay temple were taken.  We hope to learn more about Manjula, and possibly even meet her.  Some of the party are delighted with the prospect of riding elephants.  I am reserving judgement.

Mhow should prove interesting.  It is primarily a British Army post, but quite a large one.  The significant native population is largely employed in support services.  Mrs Salmalin lived there when she was married to Capt Forrester, and it is also Tattvick's childhood home. 


Friday 25 June 1875

Today I at last discovered what the great secret Wilhelmina has been engineering along with the younger children.  It has been causing me some anxiety that nearly every time I have come into the house, Owen barks once and I hear a scurrying and whispering coming form the nursery or schoolroom.  When I follow the sound, I see Wilhelmina and the younger children, sitting mild as milk reading a story or something.  All of them look unconvincingly innocent, and none of them will tell me what they are doing.  I asked Turgenov, who is usually there with them, and he was intentionally obscure.  I asked Sgt Frazer who professed to know nothing, then Mr Frazer, who said he was sure it was fine, but it was supposed to be a surprise.

Well, now I know.  Wilhelmina has created a set of large clockwork toys,  constructed for riding on, in the shapes of different animals. Each of the children has the animal of his or her choosing:  Octavia has a hawk, Galen has a peacock , Caroline chose a wolf , and Robert a frog.  Wilhelmina herself has a tiger.  All of them together made a whirring and clanking parade, the animals walking in a fair approximation of natural gait, the children riding atop in gleeful pride.  Wilhelmina told us that they will ultimately have gilded and gem-encrusted skins over the gears and mechanisms, though at present they have only a few of their final markings. They are brilliant inventions...but how are we to get them back to England?

We have also had a nearly endless parade of deliveries today.  The dresses that are ready, a variety of provisions and equipment for our journey, all being brought and packed up by ourselves and our staff.  

The other point of interest today is that Mrs Salmalin and I finally came to grips with Lord Vaughn.  We called on him at his lodgings just before (he said) he was about to come to call on us.  For all his unsavoury reputation, I found him refreshingly honest.  He could be a very accomplished liar, but I think not.  He is considered dangerous because he actually says what he thinks, whether other people like it or not, whereas someone like Dr Langtry lies or misleads in order to maintain a socially acceptable facade.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        


Saturday, 26 June, 1875

Perhaps it is too early to even write this here in my own diary.  I believe that I am (at last!) again increasing.  The belief has been confirmed by Mrs. Cuthbert.   Though, this time, I knew it myself without her giving me any meaningful looks.  I can’t quite describe how I know—I simply realised today, as soon as I had settled myself on the train with the company, that I felt different.   Not bad, just somehow…more. 

I feel none of the profound fear that shook me when I learned of the Condition the first time.  Well, very little fear at least.  I am, rather, elated.  I had begun to resign myself to having just two children—neither Benton’s family nor my own run to many offspring, and I am hardly in the first flush of youth.  I had decided that I could be perfectly happy with my two wonderful, healthy, clever offspring.  I had even hardened myself, as best I was able, against the goading of my Father-in-law (who could simply not restrain his indelicate comments or his unreasonable expectations).
Of course, now every female of appropriate childbearing circumstance in our group is in the same Condition.  This could become interesting.  How fortunate that I, at least, am not so subject to the emotional instability that plagues so many women. 
And, how not-quite-delightful to face the prospect of an arduous journey through the sweltering and teeming jungles, on the backs of elephants, in the most delicate phase of the Condition.  Although I am becoming somewhat accustomed to the peculiarities of the food here, I can hardly expect that I can maintain my equanimity facing horrible scraps of fish roasted on sticks under these circumstances.
It has only been these few days, since we made landfall, I think.   I must be very careful for a little while, at least.  I am not sure whether to tell Benton just yet.  I would like to share my happiness as soon as may be, but I would hate to see him saddened if anything were to go amiss—he is very sensitive to such things.  Still, his father will most likely let the news slip all too soon (if he hasn’t already), and I would rather tell him myself. 

I was not so absorbed in contemplating my own Condition that I failed to notice the other people on the train with us.  

Lord Vaughn is here, and I had a short conversation with him, perfectly civil. 

Dr Langtry is in another of the first-class compartments.  We are acquainted with a number of other travelers.

Since we have already met nearly all the members of British Society resident in Bombay at the time of our arrival, it stands to reason that we would be already acquainted with every British person in the first-class carriages.  So why do I feel as though all of them are following us and  this train is one long rolling conspiracy?

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