Report Update.
Antwerp.
17 July 1870.
MacGreggor.
Night. Staying at consulate with the League. Cap’n M questioned all. Full tale disclosed. Cap’n M accompanied Viscount Bufton (Consul) and the Earl of Maynooth (Ambassador) to speak with the Belgian authorities. Consulate representatives return, but leave again with Sir C for more meetings with local governmentals. All retired to bed.
03:00. Woke by dream…no, nightmare by the end. Idyllic at first, home and hearth that any could desire, lovely children (daughters, of course!). But there is unquiet. A mob at the roadway, armed! Come to burn the witch, my wife! She appears and with a gesture the mob is aflame instead. It was Miss Whitnell. Quite alarming (Note: Send a request to Miss W to have a private talk) – a singular occurrence!
Then Sir C and others return. Dressed and went to them. Sir C and Cap’n M writing reports. Spoke with Sir C, talks went well and we are once again free to roam beyond the consulate. Left them to finish reports and went back to my room. Sleep elusive. Dream haunts me, bitter-sweet.
18 July 1870.
Morning. Disturbance at breakfast. Reporters demanding words
from Dr. W and his man O’Flaherty. All left by rear entrance.
Someone is following. Driver disguised, bearded fellow inside
carriage. Called ours to halt and jumped to intercept other with
Mr. O and Mr. C. Disguise slips and Mr. O knows driver as “Fritz”.
Interrogate man inside carriage. Dr. Fate swears they are on
an emergency mission. Mr. O gets Fritz to say that they don’t
have anything to do with Gen. Sheridan. Escort carriage to villa.
Interrogate again with Sir C and Miss C. Sent off a note to
Cap’n M regards Dr. Fate. Ruckus outside interrupts. Keep
Dr. Fate with us and investigate. Mr. R and Deveril kidnapped.
Mistaken identity of Deveril for Dr. W. Fate divulges America’s
plan to use Dr. W’s inventions (Note: A Dr. Arinax is
imprisoned in S. France!). France & Prussia after Dr.
W too! Mr. O is down! Fritz bested him? Dr. Fate drops his
coat, is dressed in rockets. Grabs his Fritz and takes off.
Henri tackles Fate, throwing off angle of ascent, but lets go
when Fate’s pants become ablaze. Fate and Fritz land 4 miles
off per Dr. W. Send note to Cap’n M regards their location.
League look for Deveril and Mr. R.
Mystic’s and Frazer’s dog found the trail of the carriage. Distraction en route, but trail end results at a dock. Scent leads Turganov to a ship. Discuss strategy. Send Edward to reconnoiter by way of anchor line. Found Mr. R and Deveril bound in hold. Mystics chanted, said taking boat easier now. Led League onto ship and to hold. Adversaries all seem drunk! Find our two missing men. Now many in League seem drunk. More magic? Not affected. Work to free Mr. R and Deveril of ropes. Dodge a charge by woman with sword. Miss W and a confused Miss B engage the woman. Mrs. C shoots her. Work more on ropes. Mr. O appears and knocks woman out. Odd stranger appears. Miss S introduces herself and learns he is Manfred Berri. Let all know we best leave. Outside there are Belgian police under a Erick Reginer. They were after the men he says are Scillians who had taken our friends. Leave them with ship and Mr. Berri (Note: Mystics say this is another half-“fae” like Schmidt). Return to consulate with woman who is Natasha (only name admitted). Learn those Belgian police were French agents! Leave Natasha to Cap’n M and return to Villa. En route, drop Mr. R, Mrs. C and Miss W at local Order of St. Jerome. Tried to dissuade after events of previous day, to no avail.
Afternoon. Villa. Bathe. Others check the surrounding yard and report a small dog has been around. Servants verify. Frazer reports Turgenov relayed same dog’s scent near consulate. Take late lunch/tea with all. Return to Antwerp, retrieve Miss C, Mr. R and Mrs. C (Note: All is well, fear unjustified) and continue to glassworks. Mystics chant, will try to find what happened to Mr. A here. Take Frazer and go into glassworks to ask for witnesses. Complaints that all was told to Duveen quashed when told we are British looking into countryman’s death. Catch a glimpse of someone in rafters. White coat, pants, shoes and hat! Disappeared through rafters to another room. Asked and learned room used for extra inventory, locked and only key with owner. Odd feeling of something missed. Worker screams, seems he has forgotten who he is and what he does. Others run to help. Use confusion to force locked door with no success. Man in white has disappeared. Another odd sensation which renders more confused, including self. Return to League outside. Many confused. One new man unknown to all but Mr. O. Another odd sensation and senses return. Edward investigates glassworks upon hearing of my failure to open lock. Mr. O’s acquaintance (Obidiah) hurries off. Follow to see him drive a carriage with man in white inside. Edward is right there. League regroups and heads back to consulate. Report Edward’s find of rifles in the locked room!
Evening. Miss W and Mrs. C insist a visit to injured worker in hospital. Return to Villa. Told there is a strange woman chained in back water closet. Same reporter as at consulate this morning. No reasoning with the blithering woman. Sir C disassembles pipes, Miss B grabs woman and they cart her out. Say they have warned her off. Supper and sleep.
19 July 1870.
Morning. London Times with breakfast. Unheard of atrocities
inflicted upon many children by one female caretaker, now in custody.
Ghastly. Sir C has had word from consulate. Rifles gone this
morning. Authorities must have put off following up too long.
Right unprofessional that! Discussion of day’s plans including
taking mystics to inspect Mr. A’s remaining shoe (Note:
Confer with Frazer about possibilities of missing shoe locale).
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