Curator’s note: Letter sent by messenger to Sir Cosmo Copperthwaite:
2 AUG 1871
Dear Sir,
I will not be able to join you and the group this morning, and would particularly request that you let Mr. Salmalin know that I cannot make this mornings exercises but humbly request some very specialized instruction starting this evening. This all relates to a very urgent matter that may have consequences with everyone involved with our group.
Last night, after the excitement, when I went to my room, who should greet me inside but none other than Niall Malloy and two of his associates. It seems that he is aware of our entire group, since he has tied the ruckus that generated when the ladies entered with me, and he is holding me responsible for the damage on his little warehouse bar. His proposal is that I fight his top boy at the end of the week to square this.
I have agreed to this. Curse me for a fool to not realize the trouble I was stepping into in the first place, but I am not a complete fool. We have fought monsters that I had no understanding of before I met, and am only barely understanding now. This particular type of monster I have seen many stripe of before.
Since he is aware of my association with all of you, even if I am no longer directly employed as a bodyguard, he knows how greatly it would hurt me if misfortune were to happen to any of you, and he would pick members at random and at their most vulnerable. Little doubt he is entirely aware of who we are, or at least is gathering intimate information. The fact that he could wander inside the home of any of us unannounced and armed with only two of his men disturbs me greatly.
He may yet be exploring the sport money side of this. His boy hasn’t been beaten in years, and I doubt any of the locals would bet against him. How they would shine for me depends on what reputation and rumors are spread in this district about me, and how they enterpret my work versus Mr. Box. I doubt it though. If he were primarily concerned with the money, I would already know either to make it good for 90 rounds and no longer or not to hurt his boy enough to make it look like he has a chance of beating you for 75.
So it’s very likely I am to take a drubbing
as a warning to others for causing any uncomfort to the Rusty
Nail. Now I’m certain that you and the others will not want
to see this happen. I am not looking forward to it either, but
I must. Unless you have the power to rid London of the entire
underworld by Saturday Night, anything that would seem to be an
attempt by me to cross the Nail will be retaliated against by
something ugly happening to one of you. I cannot bear that happening,
friend. I must at the very least, maintain the appearance of training
for the fight of my lif career. It might be doubly wise
not to be seen as having anything other than a distant relationship
to me by anyone in the league.
If you or the others have different ideas, I’m open to entertain them of course, but I submit that I’ve seen the results of many who have tried to defeat or cross this type before, and the result.
I remain your servant and your friend sir,
Seamus Micheal O’Flaherty
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