6 August 1871, Sunday

Our departure for Gravesend was accomplished as swiftly as possible given the large party that was to travel. Our train was not full, enabling our entire party to find seats. I spent most of the ride reading “A History of the Lords of Abydos” and found myself waking from a brief nap as the train pulled in to the Gravesend station. We were able to secure both carriages and horses from a stable near the station. I exercised the option of having a horse to myself, being unsure of how events would play out in our search for the Comte.

No sooner had we started down the road to town when Mrs Cuthbert called out that Edward and Mrs Frazer were in danger from a flaming ninja. We had left Mrs Frazer, Miss Bertilde, and Edward all, safely we supposed, back at the house in London. From what I could understand of Mrs Cuthbert’s vison, they were now at the shipyards and in danger.

I pulled my horse to a stop and attempted a spell to try to put the fire out. Since, with members of our League involved, fire frequently precedes large explosions. I had no idea if I could have any effect from so far away but the urgency in Mrs Cuthbert’s voice compelled me to try. My effort appeared to be in vain. I was able to gather the necessary power, but the spell did not come off as I had planned, and the power dissipated to no effect.

Or almost no effect. Not long after my attempt, none other than the Comte himself came riding down the road. He commented that I had made it easy for him to find us before turning to Inspector MacGreggor with a message. He had kidnapped Miss Helen and was holding her hostage in exchange for the Dynamo. He gave the inspector a lock of Miss Helen’s hair and a warning that she would be killed if the Dynamo were not delivered to him by midnight.

The Comte turned to ride away. Mr Salmalin and I were dispatched to find the telegraph office and the operator and get a telegram to Sir Cosmo as quickly as we could manage. I was not optimistic that our errand would be quickly completed given that it was early evening on a Sunday.

We went never-the-less, with Mr Salmalin climbing up behind me on my horse. Fortunately the horse was a sturdy beast and well able to carry us both.

As we rode away we could hear an argument breaking out amongst the remaining members of the League.

We found the telegraph office in the back of a local post office and were lucky to find the operator still there, apparently conversing with some of his fellow telegraph operators in their off hours. I printed out the message I wanted sent and watched with interest as the fellow translated it into taps of his telegraph key.

Once the message had been sent and confirmed, Mr Salmalin and I considered whether it would be best to wait for a response or rejoin the League. During our conversation, I could feel Mrs Cuthbert raising power and that decided us. We mounted the horse and tracked down our fellows.
They were halfway across town near the docks when we caught up with them. Mrs Cuthbert had determined that Miss Helen was being held on one of eight boats that were anchored out in the harbor.

Mr O’Flaherty and Sir Spencer had found a pub that was open. I heard later that Mr O’Flaherty was quite annoyed not to be given any of the ‘special’ tea. I bought a stale loaf of bread while Inspector MacGreggor and Mr Frazer were officially inspecting the pub.

I had found a place to tie up my horse where he could get some water and settled myself on a bench outside in the summer twilight. I used the loaf to attract a seagull to my side. I was a bit nervous. I do not have much experience ‘borrowing’ but managed it none-the-less. The seagull was willing to explore the area out around the suspicious boats. Once there we discovered a disturbance. Miss Helen had managed to escape from her captors and was hiding up on deck and doing something to the rigging. I was very tempted to see if the gull would fly down and peck at the sailors searching for her but decided it would be better to get back to my body with the news as quickly as possible. I noted the name of the boat and nudged the seagull back to land with the promise of food.

We returned and I opened my eyes to find Mrs Cuthbert watching over me– though not for long. Apparently Miss Helen had managed to set fire to the rigging of the boat drawing the attention of many people on shore. I quickly opened one of the tins of kippers I keep in my reticule for Edward and gave it to the seagull.

We heard someone shout that a police steam launch was leaving from the pier and we picked up our skirts and ran for the boat. Mr O’Flaherty and Inspector MacGreggor were on a smallish rowboat with Mr O’Flaherty hauling at the oars with his considerable strength. Lady Cowperthwaite and Mr Salmalin wound up on the fire boat.

We all made it aboard the miscreant’s ship, the constables securing as many of the ship’s crew as possible. Inspector MacGreggor, Sir Spencer and I followed the shouting to a locked door below decks. The Comte was on our side of the door shouting though it. Miss Helen was inside threatening to blow up the ship if he broke down the door. Inspector MacGreggor charged the Comte and punched him. The Comte was already in a state as a result of Miss Helen’s one-woman uprising. He turned on the Inspector viciously. The Inspector shot him. The corridor was so narrow I could not get a good look at what happened. I heard the Comte say something about killing us all. Then a tremendous bang deafened me and I saw the Comte’s chest become bloody shreds. He died. There was blood spatter on the door behind him, on Inspector MacGreggor, and on the walls.

No matter how often we face such situations it never really gets easier. We did not have time to cover the body before Miss Helen was convinced rescue had at last arrived. She did collapse briefly in Simon’s arms but pulled herself together admirably quickly and allowed me to escort her to the police boat.

We were able to get a message to the telegraph office letting Sir Cosmo know that the situation in Gravesend had been resolved in our favor and reporting that we would be returning by the first available train.

Mrs Cuthbert and I took the time to cast a Lay to Rest spell upon the Comte. It did not appear to have any effect. The Comte’s spirit seems to have slipped away, a fact I find rather disturbing.

While searching the boat we found both the Rod and Tablet secured aboard. The Rod was relatively easy to secure but the Tablet was quite large and surprisingly heavy. It also had a strange flickering mirror in the center that seemed to want to catch one’s eye. I put it in a sack and asked Mr O’Flaherty to keep custody of it, forgetting that Mr O’Flaherty is nearly as curious and just as bloody-minded as Edward.

I should not have been surprised when I heard the loud thump of Mr O’Flaherty falling to the deck with the Tablet now attached to his head. It soon reverted to its original form, releasing the now unconscious Mr O’Flaherty from its grip.

He was still unconscious when we returned to town to turn in our horse and carriage and board the train home. Fortunately Inspector MacGreggor was able to dragoon a few of the constables into loading him onto the train for us.

Now we are on the train home. Inspector MacGreggor is sitting with Miss Helen taking down details of her abduction and try to discover if she learned anything of use while aboard the boat. I have returned to my former chaperone duties and am trying to keep awake as the train rocks us onward.

~Later~

We all made it home safely. Miss Helen has been returned to her Aunts who are in transports of joy that she has been recovered so quickly. The aunts had reported her kidnaping to the police and when they did not receive a prompt enough response they took their concerns to Sir Cosmo. Fortunately our second telegram arrived in London in time to stop him from setting out to Gravesend.

From what little I have learned so far, those left behind in London had anything but a the quiet afternoon we hoped for them. Apparently Madame de Vere turned Edward into a dragon this afternoon during the battle at the shipyards. I am not clear on all the details. Miss Bertilde nearly pounced on Mr Salmalin upon our arrival home in order to show him the new sword Lieutenant Wooster captured and gave to her. Not that she mentioned that worthy by name– she just has a way of saying “Him” that very clearly refers to the Lieutenant and no one else.

Our partisans were able to stop an off-shoot of that Other League from destroying half of London with a terbinite bomb, blast a half-fae half-dragon creature back to faerie, and otherwise make quite a mess of the dry dock facility at the shipyard. The Swan Boat is secure once more and Madame de Vere seems to have been of considerable help in the afternoon battle.

We have put Mr O’Flaherty to bed and dosed him with laudanum until we can bring in an expert see to him. Mr Salmalin and Miss Bertilde will keep watch over him. I am going to see if I can get the dratted book to yield any information pertinent to his condition. Even though it is quite late the household is still quite stirred up from the events of the day.

~Later~

This time it was not Edward’s fault. He was possessed by Wapawet.

I don’t even remember now how it all started. Edward had gone off to work in the carriage house. The rest of us were trying to settle down for the night. Mrs Cuthbert and I felt a strong surge of power building and went out to the yard to check on it. There was a shattering of glass and Mr O’Flaherty jumped from his bedroom window to land on his feet in the flowerbed. His aura was glowing strangely and he had a symbol glowing on his forehead. George was lying unconscious on the drive half-way between the carriage house and the main house

Suddenly were all in action. Mrs Cuthbert and I tried a spell to dispossess Edward of the god but he struck us before we could complete the spell. I found myself in Great-Aunt Hethalyn’s cottage. Apparently that is where I go when my body is unconscious. She suggested that a more indirect approach might be more effective. I thought about trying to call upon Hearne to fight for control of Mr O’Flaherty, but I don’t have much experience with that entity. Instead, I asked Kali, very politely, for aid.

Apparently she came, for Lady Cowperthwaite suddenly joined me in the cottage. She did not know what was going on, so we looked out though the window into the world. We could see her body, with Kali’s boiling aura pouring off it, stalk across the yard and take Wapawet to task. I could also see that Edward/Wapawet had assembled all of the artifacts, along with the dynamo, into a new combination. He was using the power from that creation to strike at those members of the League still standing. The Swan Boat was there also, and was protecting Sir Cosmo with its energy shield. It was all very confusing, so I started gathering power for the Shape the Elements spell. I hopped to suppress the power that Wapawet was using and make it safer for the others to go in after him. Before I could do that, Mrs Frazer shot an etheric pulse gun at the dynamo. The explosion was terrific. I cast my spell, trying to contain the blast, and could feel Mrs Cuthbert and two other powerful witches lending their power to it.

When I at last came to, Kali had departed, taking Wapawet with her. The carriage house was still standing. A cloud of smoke rolled into the sky from some of the more singed bits. Wilhelmina had retaken her body and Mr O’Flaherty was coming round with tremendous headache and what looked like a broken nose.

Mrs Cuthbert was moving among us all, healing us of the wounds inflicted by Wapawet’s devices. I didn’t realize this until later, but apparently Madame de Vere was riding around in Mrs Cuthbert’s head, lending a hand. I must remember to send her a thank you note. Mr Moody and several of his associates arrived just in time to help with the clean up, as did Inspector MacGreggor who had been alerted by the DFT that we might be in trouble (again). He was not very happy at having been rousted out of bed but did stay to ensure that the situation was under control and to take a few notes of his own.

Madame de Vere had been one of the people lending much needed power to my spell. The other had been the old bookseller, who now revealed himself to be Merlin. He had lent Mrs Cuthbert his ring to allow her to heal us all with out exhausting herself. After all this, I was quite willing to take him at his word, but he insisted that we cast a history spell on the Swan Boat. Mrs Cuthbert and I did as he requested and learned that the Swan Boat was far older than even we had imagined. It is also apparently haunted by the spirit of the last Atlantean to own it. One of the few to survive the fall of that civilization.

Merlin has disabled all of the artifacts, he is taking a few back to Avalon with him, including the Swan Boat. Before leaving us, he cast a spell on the neighborhood, calming people who had heard some of the battle.

He also made a strange comment to Madame de Vere, saying that the sisters would forgive much, or some such. Since she was in Mrs Cuthbert’s head, I could not see her reaction, but I do wonder who the ‘sisters’ are and why Madame de Vere might feel a need to be forgiven.

Now it is well and truly past midnight. I have re-cast all of my wards and secured the property to the best of my ability. Mr Salmalin walked the perimeter with me. He took quite a beating, as did poor Miss Bertilde, at the hands of whatever had possessed Mr O’Flaherty and wanted to center himself after being healed– once more! by Mrs Cuthbert.

We have checked on Davy, Lady Cowperthwaite, and Mr O’Flaherty (who has been convinced to stay the night rather than wake his landlady at this late hour). Wapawet and all his works are gone. Kali and Merlin were very thorough (though I am certain Edward retains his drawings of the boat and other artifacts). I think Graves and Sir Cosmo between them managed to talk Miss Wilhelmina into sleeping in the house this evening. The smoke damage to the carriage house is not inconsiderable and it will be easier to assess the full damage in the morning.

7 August 1871, Monday

After a quiet morning catching up on Lady Cowperthwaite’s correspondence and consulting with Mr Chadwick regarding our charge’s schedules we received news that Lieutenant Wooster was to escort the Duchess of Inverness’s royal cortege across the channel to the royal wedding between the prince of France and the princess of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies.

While Inspector MacGreggor was toiling away at his notes writing up reports on the abduction and rescue of Miss Helen, he realized that the royal yacht was one of the possible targets mentioned. That information was forwarded to Sir Cosmo and Our Employer and we are now being dispatched to Portsmouth to search for agents of the enemy and hidden explosives. My new dresses will not be ready until Wednesday but I think I can make two of my older ones serve a bit longer.

Miss Bertilde has opted to stay behind and rest from our most recent adventures. Mrs Frazer is determined to pack up the babies and come with us. After her most recent experiences none of us will even think of trying to gainsay her.

8 August 1871, Tuesday

Lady Cowperthwaite and I have spent some time keeping Mrs Frazer and the babies company in the lovely hotel Sir Cosmo installed us in while Sir Cosmo has a bit of a lie down.

We searched the royal yacht this morning and found a cache of explosives placed where they would do the most harm and likely cause a the ship to sink quickly at the loss of all hands.

We were able to catch the culprit before he could abandon ship (he was a sailor assigned to the crew). We do not yet know if he was suborned by the Other League or was a willing member from the start. I am certain Inspector MacGreggor and Sir Cosmo will be able to sort that all out. Lady Cowperthwaite was quite insistent (as she should be) that Sir Cosmo take a rest. We will be searching another boat this afternoon and have four more to do after that.

I am glad that Sir Cosmo’s enforced rest is allowing Ravvi some time to rest and heal as well. I have learned a few of the subtle signs that tell when my husband is pushing through the pain and those were in evidence this morning.

9 August 1871, Wednesday

~Late Evening~

We are on our way home at last after a very busy day. Most of my compatriots are asleep in their seats. Mr and Mrs Frazer are holding the Robert and Caroline– all four heads lolling in time to the judder of the train. The babies travel exceptionally well and Miss Puddifoote is a treasure. I only hope that Lady Cowperthwaite will be so blessed when her turn at the maternal wheel comes. I have been trying to keep an eye on her these past few days. (I was concerned that all the unusual activity might have caused some harm to come to her.) Mrs Cuthbert has shown me a bit of what to look for, and while I don’t have her sensitivity, it looks like everything is progressing normally.

Our searches turned up nothing more than the one bomb and single suborned sailor. Hopefully all is safe and secure and the Duchess and Lieutenant Wooster will have an uneventful crossing. Lieutenant Wooster and Mr Caine arrived on the Rhinoceros this afternoon. We received a tour of their boat, which had been polished with astounding thoroughness. I did hear the Lieutenant ask Sir Cosmo if a second rocket battery could be installed on the aft decks. I did not hear Sir Cosmo’s reply.

All the ships in the Duchess’s escort are as secure as we can make them. Other than being wakened a few times during the night when Robert and Caroline made their needs known to their parents, it was an uneventful trip. I can only hope that the lack of telegrams from London has meant that Miss Bertilde and our two households have had a quiet time of it while we were away.

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