2 August 1871, Wednesday

What an up-and-down day!

I spent Tuesday morning working with Lady Cowperthwaite on her correspondence. Though in truth we were able to dispatch it quite handily and were working on translating chapter 7 of Atlas O’Flaherty and the Crown Jewel into Hindi– we get so few opportunities to write in Hindi we have to take them where we can. I think our translation is quite passable although the dearth of really well done Hindi/English dictionaries does vex one. I have started compiling a list of words I have learned but know just enough about linguistics to realize that it will take a serious scholar many years and hundreds of bottles of ink to do justice to such a project. Nevertheless I might pass a copy of my rather esoteric list on to Mr W in our Employer’s office. I have enjoyed working with the tutor he suggested and have seen some incremental improvement in my understanding of the foundations of both Language and Cypher.

However that is neither here nor there in regards to this account. Lady Cowperthwaite and I were debating the best way to translate a particularly tricky paragraph when Sir Cosmo stopped by to ask us to attend him in his study.

I found my husband already there and I could tell that he was unsure of what was going on. That in turn made me nervous. Before panic could override me Sir Cosmo drew out a very official looking document and began reading it off. It took a moment for the formal phrasing of an official Pardon to penetrate my confused mind.

My Husband, Mr Ravvi Salmalin, who I love more dearly than words can say, has been officially Pardoned by Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria for any criminal acts he may have committed while involved in a thuggee cult (and since merely being a member is a Capital Crime this is no small thing). Sir Cosmo said that this copy was for Mr Salmalin but that other copies had been properly filed, including one with Our Employer’s office. Then he and Lady Cowperthwaite left Mr Salmalin and I alone in the Sir Cosmo’s study. I was so relieved, tears started flowing rather freely. My husband seemed more concerned for me than aware of what protection had been extended to him.

Of course, having the Pardon in the official record does has it’s drawbacks– if Mrs John gets wind of it there is likely to be a new attack of the vapours. I can almost hear her now.... However that would be borrowing trouble when I have enough of my own as it is.

After I had recovered myself, Mr Salmalin returned to his duties. I took myself off to dress for the evening’s entertainment. We have been invited en masse to attend a reception of at Burlington House. Ruth was very excited to receive an invitation since the Linnean Society is very exclusive. I didn’t quite follow all of what she said but was pleased to have opportunity to see my friend in her element. There will be a great many displays and exhibits and some of her drawings will be featured.

Ruth’s Condition has progressed but she had decided to risk a raised eyebrow or two in order to get out and meet with more of her fellow Naturalists. Miss Bertilde and I were to watch over Miss Wilhelmina for the duration of the event so that Ruth could enjoy the festivities. I dressed accordingly in my dark grey wool with the maroon trim. Miss Bertilde had borrowed one of Ruth’s governess outfits for the evening so we were something of a matched set.

We all arrived without incident and I left my husband to do his duty watching over the carriages with George and went inside.

I let Miss Bertilde hover over Miss Wilhelmina while I hung back and tried to keep an eye on the room at large. Over the course of the evening we met four people of note: Madame Lillian De Vere, Mrs Cuthbert’s older sister (though they are alike enough to be twins which created some confusion as neither expected the other to be present), the Ambassador from the Empire of France, Vicomte De Mulineaus, the Comte de Montelimar a vintner, amateur Naturalist and supporter of the Bourbon claimant to the French throne (which caused a bit of awkwardness) and Sir Matthew Whemple the author of “The Legacy of Egypt” (which most of the household has read and picked apart rather unmercifully).

It was clear that Miss Wilhelmina was angling for an invitation to his house in order to see his private collection of Egyptian artifacts. I joined the conversation and was able to provide the information that Miss Wilhelmina is Sir Cosmo’s ward after which Sir Matthew warmed up considerably and an invitation was issued for tomorrow, late morning. During this conversation I sent Miss Bertilde off to the refreshment table– an entire evening of hearing Miss Wilhelmina rattle on about science was causing Miss Bertilde’s eyes to glaze over to a rather astonishing degree. She returned a short while later looking much more in possession of herself.

After we had been at the reception for a few hours, Mr Salmalin appeared at my elbow. It was clear from the reactions of others around us that he was doing his best to remain inconspicuous to the point of invisibility. He asked me, very quietly, if I had seen Inspector MacGreggor about.

Apparently one of the footmen had been found in the alley unconscious and stripped of his uniform. Fortunately I had just seen Inspector MacGreggor taking his three ladies out for some air. I imparted that information to Mr Salmalin, left Miss Bertilde in charge of Miss Wilhelmina and started to pass the word among the League. The first person I encountered was Mrs Cuthbert. After briefing her, Mrs Frazer and Lady Cowperthwaite she and I headed out to the alley to see if we could help the stricken footman.

He had been moved into the kitchen. Mrs Cuthbert was able to bring him around, but he didn’t remember anything of use. One minute he had been out in the alley on break and the next he awoke in the kitchen. While we worked with the injured man, Inspector MacGreggor interviewed the rest of the staff to no avail.

When Mrs Cuthbert and I returned to our Party we found that Sir Spencer, Mr O’Flaherty, and Lieutenant Wooster had hared off in search of some ‘sport’ for Mr O’Flaherty. While the others discussed what to do Mrs Cuthbert and I tried to ascertain where both the felonious footman and our lost sheep had gotten to. My history spell was unsuccessful– I’m still having difficulty casting it reliably. I practised over the summer but was not performing well under pressure. I wonder if I should try a different brand of ink for the ritual?
Mrs Cuthbert’s divination was much more successful and told us that our friends were in the same part of Pickled Herring Road as our adversary. To top it all off the Vicomte De Mulineaus noted that he had seen a small carriage with what appeared to be the Comte de Montelimar’s footman on the driver’s seat following after Sir Spencer’s carriage when they left the premises. Whether or not he could be believed or was just throwing more fuel on the blazing fire that is the relationship between him and the Comte is unknown. However, it was about that point that we realized Prince Lukas of Florin was missing.

After a few questions we determined that Prince Lukas had likely joined Sir Spencer’s party. Mrs Cuthbert says they have much in common and have been thick as thieves at various official functions over the past month.

By this point, Inspector MacGreggor had returned from escorting his three charges home and we were all able to load into the carriages in search of Naill “The Rusty Nail” Malloy and his place of business.

Mrs Cuthbert and the map led us right to a very large warehouse in the Bermondsey district. There was very little light and we could hear what sounded like a very rowdy crowd deep inside the warehouse. Lady Cowperthwaite, Mrs Cuthbert and I determined to go in at once and find out what was going on.

We were greeted by a very loud crowd celebrating a bloody Atlas O’Flaherty. I thought I heard Sir Spencer’s voice saying something about ‘drinks all around’ as if the crowd needed more alcohol to fuel its wildness. My attention, however, was taken up by a man being carried away toward the back. He was on a stretcher. Mrs Cuthbert and I tried to make our way toward him. A rude man tried to block our way but I was having none of that and pushed past him. A fight erupted behind me but Mrs Cuthbert and I pushed onward, making it to the door of the back room just as the man was loaded onto a platform by his friends. The Voice of Kali sounded, stopping me in my tracks for a moment before Mrs Cuthbert reminded me that it was just Miss Chigwidgeon. I looked up as the platform began to rise up. I tried to monkey with the works of the winch but my spell fizzled as gas bombs went off around us. They gave off the most acrid smoke. Mrs Cuthbert and I got down and found what cover we could.

We could hear the fight still going on in the main room and then heard a terrible sound— Miss Bertilde screaming. I don’t think I have every heard such a heartrending noise. We could hear her attacking something but could see nothing. My last sight of the room had shown me that the only obvious enemies were disappearing though the ceiling. I took what I now realize to be a terrible risk on Miss Bertilde’s part and, with Mrs Cuthbert’s help, cast a soothe spell on her. Emily passed out just as the smoke was clearing.

Sir Cosmo took that moment to come swinging through the wall with Lady Cowperthwaite in his arms. Between Miss Bertilde slashing at every box and barrel in the room and the Cowperthwaite crash, a great deal of flammable liquid was spilled over the floor. We were soaked in it before we realized what was happing.

Mrs Cuthbert and I looked at each other, then we both grabbed an end of Miss Bertilde and got out of the building– just in time to see flaming rockets falling from the sky.

I yelled “Fire” as loudly as possible and managed to put out one rocket before it landed. The other spiralled away. However I didn’t even have a chance to breathe in before I heard the tell-tale whoosh of a great deal of spirits catching. Mrs Cuthbert and I threw ourselves over Miss Bertilde before the Whoosh turned into a Boom!

From that point on it was all chanting as we tried to raise enough power to put the fire out. I learned later that Sir and Lady Cowperthwaite, Mr O’Flaherty, and Mr Frazer worked to evacuate the building while Inspector MacGreggor, Mrs Frazer, George, and Edward chased after the dirigible (for that was what had lifted Mr O’Flaherty’s opponent up into the sky) and Sir Spencer, Prince Lukas and Lieutenant Wooster made a sport of trying to disable the dirigible’s engines with the rifles Sir Spencer just happened to have with him in his carriage.

We made it safely home after finding Inspector MacGreggor, Edward and George on the other side of the Thames (George had gotten onto the dirigible during the confused lift-off, Edward had gone after George and Inspector MacGreggor was forced to do something to keep Mrs Frazer (and her twins) from grabbing the rope Edward had thrown down for her.

I suspect Mr Frazer was very glad he had not been there during the chase. Ruth and Emily were both quite overcome by the evening’s adventures. We returned Prince Lukas to his handlers at the Embassy– only to find out from Inspector Bradstreet that someone had filed a (false!) report that Sir Spencer had kidnapped the Prince.

We returned home to find a Mr Tebbit from the Foreign Office camped out in the parlour. Apparently the Netherlands is filing some sort of official protest against Sir Cosmo for the Events of the previous spring when we rescued two Dutch crewmen who had been stranded on the Island of Kor. Apparently they are claiming we stole their Undersea Boat without telling them. Given that we gave the Dutch crew a free ride back to England and salvaged their boat while they were with us I don’t see what they have to complain about.

Sir Cosmo has to go meet with Our Employer after he has had a chance to change his clothes and get a little breakfast into him. Many of the League are either too over-stimulated to sleep or are dropping in their tracks.

Mr Salmalin is now signalling that he needs my attention before he returns to duty.

<A bit later>

My husband wanted to tell me that the man I had so rudely brushed aside in the tavern, was none other than Niall Malloy. Apparently the fight that broke out started when one of his thugs tried to grab me and Mr Salmalin stopped him.

How was I to know?

After he had informed me of my mis-step I sat down and composed a letter of apology to Mr Malloy. Though I don’t know that I would have been much more polite if I had known who he was since I was trying to get to the rapidly disappearing injured man. After I informed my husband of my intention he sat me down and explained that men of Mr Malloy’s type do not see a courteous apology as anything but a sign of weakness. Mr Salmalin also explained with many pauses and long dreadful silences that such men are often cowards and if he determined that I was too well protected to make a satisfactory target he might well go after people I care for who do not have the protection of Sir Cosmo’s name and Mr Salmalin’s arm.

I burned the letter in the fire.

Mr Salmalin tried to get me to lay down for a few minutes. I did, but now I can hear Emily in the kitchen and it sounds like she is still crying.

I don’t know exactly what happened to her. Mr Salmalin says that it is a substance he knows of and it can induce terrible hallucinations of what the person breathing it most fears. Mrs Cuthbert and I seem to have some resistance to such things (we had a similar experience on Kor) but Emily appeared to catch the worst of it. She has not said what she saw but it must have been terrible to have such a long lasting effect on someone so strong in her own right.

I will put on my dressing gown and go to her.

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