Episode 1 - "Libris Inferis"; Chapter 1

[grdell]

The gentleman leads Charlie and Dominic into an adjoining room, lit by gas burners and conservatively appointed. A man, obviously a servant of some kind, is just laying out a silver tea service on a sideboard. Also on the sideboard is a selection of cheeses and fruits, next to a platter piled high with steaming slices of ham. Plates, cups and flatware sit ready at the near end.

"A simple repast, but one I trust will suffice. Please, help yourselves. Neville, I know the clothes we are having prepared for these gentlemen are not yet ready, but do we have something they could cover up with in the meantime?"

The servant, a young man of upright bearing, and obviously well-trained, takes a quick bow before responding. "I'll see what we have, sir." He then turns and exits the room with an almost military precision.

* * *

"Well now, with the men out of the room, we can all relax a bit, yes?" says Alice. She moves over to one corner, where a worse-for-wear wardrobe is doing its mean best not to collapse. Opening the door with a conspicuous creak, she peers inside. "I don't know what we have that may fit any of you, but until the clothes that we ordered arrive, I'm afraid you'll have to make do with what's in here."

[Seeya]

Anne rises slowly from her bed, and moves to inspect the contents of the closet.  With Alice's assistance she digs around until she finds something adequate to the purpose.  She takes the garment and moves away to put it on.  There are many questions to be asked, but for now, she is mourning her sister and brother in law.  Her parents must be devastated.

[opensesame]

Aurora waits until the men have left before wrapping a sheet about herself and rising in similar fashion to the gypsy woman.  She rises and heads over to the 'nurse' and the woman who had spoken of the death of her family.  Stopping a few steps away from Anne she says quietly, "I am truly sorry for your loss.  If there is anything..."  She pauses and considers her words before continuing.  "I do not know our... circumstances but you have whatever aid I can give."

[Seeya]

Aurora waits until the men have left before wrapping a sheet about herself and rising in similar fashion to the gypsy woman.  She rises and heads over to the 'nurse' and the woman who had spoken of the death of her family.  Stopping a few steps away from Anne she says quietly, "I am truly sorry for your loss.  If there is anything..."  She pauses and considers her words before continuing.  "I do not know our... circumstances but you have whatever aid I can give."

"Thank you," Anne quietly replies. "How long have we been here, do you know?  I am wondering if my parents have been informed of the loss of their daughter.  They will be destroyed.  I should return home as quickly as possible."

[opensesame]

Aurora says, "I'm sorry no, I know nothing.  My last recollections are of the performance and then I was dreaming."  The most wondrous dreams, she thinks to herself. 

She peeks within the wardrobe and sighs.  "Well if we are to proceed we must be dressed."  Aurora shuffles through the slim pickings and pulls out a few articles.  She shakes them out, examining them critically before accepting the unavoidable.  She shrugs out of her own chemise and dons the new one she had found.  Over that went a very simple dress.  The sleeves were a trifle short but otherwise it would do. 

Once dressed she asks Alice, "Can you tell us why we are here and not in hospital Alice?"

[Radical Dreamer]

Calysta joined the other two women in retrieving more suitable clothing.  She felt sorry for the woman having lost both her husband and her sister in one night.  Quickly she recited a chant in her native tongue to ward off spirits of the dead.  Surely those that died under such sudden circumstances would be angry about their fates and might come back to torment the living. 

There was more that must be done though but perhaps they could ease the pain of the departed by making a proper show of grief.  Sifting through the odd collection of clothing she found a linen scarf, white in color.  To her own culture the color white was one of mourning as well as purity and protection.  "Here, wear this."

[grdell]

"Thank you," Anne quietly replies. "How long have we been here, do you know?  I am wondering if my parents have been informed of the loss of their daughter.  They will be destroyed.  I should return home as quickly as possible."

"You all have been asleep for about ten hours. It is now -" she consults a watch that she pulls from one of her apron pockets - "seven thirty-four in the morning of February the fifteenth."

Once dressed she asks Alice, "Can you tell us why we are here and not in hospital Alice?"

"Frankly, a normal hospital would not know what to do with you. You will find your situations drastically different from that to which you were previously accustomed, I'm afraid. Prospero's show did a great deal more than just kill nearly a thousand innocent people... But I'll leave it up to Mr. Manderly to fill in all the details; he knows far more about it than I."

When all three ladies are attired to their satisfaction, Alice shows them into the other room where Mr. Manderly had already taken the men. She indicates the laden sideboard and invites them to help themselves to refreshments.

[Seeya]

Anne is not very hungry.  Only 10 hours, and so many dead?  It's unlikely the victims have even been identified yet.  She takes a cup of tea and a piece of toast, and sits down.  She assumes that these few survivors have been secluded to protect them from the public eye.

"I don't wish to impose upon your hospitality, Mr. Manderly, but circumstances require it.  Could arrangements be made to take me to the morgue?  I need to find my dear sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. John Barnes.  They need to be taken home for burial" she says.

[opensesame]

Aurora walks in with a nod towards their 'host' Mr. Manderly.  She heads to the refreshments and sighs at the tea.  The English and their tea.  Coffee had made inroads into the country to be sure but it was still more often something they drank when they were out as a treat.  Tea was their lifeblood.  She accepted the lack of coffee and pours milk into a cup, adds sugar and then tea over the top.  She stirs it quietly with a small spoon and adds a piece of fruit to her plate. 

After a few sips she feels a bit better.

[Radical Dreamer]

Calysta nodded, seemingly appeased by Anne's acceptance of the scarf.  The Gajo weren't very perceptive to things like spirits so it was good to help them lest their own ignorance cause them harm.

As she entered the room with the other two women something in the back of her mind kept bothering her.  It was something that Alice said.  Something was not quite right about the situation the first of which being why did they all survive, seemingly without a scratch, while a thousand others didn't.  This Mr. Manderly knew something.

"And what did Alice mean by a 'normal' hospital would not know what to do with us?  I agree that my people's remedies are better than what can be found in this city but I feel fine.  I'm not bleeding or bruised and aside from my memories of that night being a little fuzzy everything seems alright so I don't see why a hospital is needed at all." the raven haired woman stated.

[Requiem]

Dominic had ceased talking or worrying about his troubles the moment his eyes took in all the food that was prepared. Never one to stand on ceremony, he quickly took a seat and began wolfing down anything edible that was within reach.

[grdell]

With everyone seated around the table at last, the well-dressed gentleman begins to speak.

"May I issue a long overdue formal greeting to you all. My name is Jonas Manderly, and this lovely young lady is my associate Miss Alice Tomlinson. We are, at present, the only members of an organization sworn to protect Great Britain from threats outside the ken of normal men." As preposterous as the last statement is on its surface, he speaks it in such plain language that he might have used to describe something as mundane and banal as gardening. "The five of you are here because you are the sole sane survivors of the events of last night. We found at least a dozen others who lived, but whose minds were utterly shattered by events. Poor wretches.

"I know many of you are wondering why you were singled out for survival while so many worthy others were not so spared. I cannot say, as I do not know. What I do know for certain is that none of you remain unaltered by the event. There were energies - powerful, mystical energies - unleashed last night the likes of which England has not seen for centuries. And, while the changes wrought in four of you I can only begin to guess about; one, Mr. Mitchell here, I have had the good fortune to examine."

He turns to address Charlie specifically. "You have been covered with symbols of protection from every religion, sect and cult known to man, and even some that aren't. I pride myself on being perhaps the world's greatest non-practicing expert on the occult, and there are some sigils that defy even my knowledge. You, Mr. Mitchell, seem now to be protected from every form of supernatural attack that could conceivably be thrown your way."

[opensesame]

The reality of her situation began to sink in with Aurora.  According to Mr. Manderly she was one of only a handful of survivors of the performance last night.  What had this Prospero unleashed that had caused so much harm?

"Mr. Manderly, my name is Aurora Ferrari.  I would be interested in a more specific explanation of last nights events.  You say we were exposed to powerful, mystical energies.  Was it from a device or somehow projected from this Prospero himself?  Why would someone inundate a crowd of people with such energy?  Was it simply an attack or was it Prospero's hope to bring about such transformations?  Have there been other incidents such as this?"

And why have I survived?  Have I been changed in some fashion?

[hero4hire]

He turns to address Charlie specifically. "You have been covered with symbols of protection from every religion, sect and cult known to man, and even some that aren't. I pride myself on being perhaps the world's greatest non-practicing expert on the occult, and there are some sigils that defy even my knowledge. You, Mr. Mitchell, seem now to be protected from every form of supernatural attack that could conceivably be thrown your way."

Charlie scoffed "You really expect us to believe this? Super...Natural? You are saying some sort of spell killed everyone and then the magic covered me with tattoos?" Obviously the prizefighter had no memory of the fateful performance and was getting agitated. Given the man's history it wouldn't be long before he started looking for someone to hit.

"Mr. Manderly, my name is Aurora Ferrari.  I would be interested in a more specific explanation of last nights events.  You say we were exposed to powerful, mystical energies.  Was it from a device or somehow projected from this Prospero himself?  Why would someone inundate a crowd of people with such energy?  Was it simply an attack or was it Prospero's hope to bring about such transformations?  Have there been other incidents such as this?"

"What? Are you daft? You don't actually believe this Mobsman¹ do you? I'd bet a Fushme² that this is some kind of racket."

_{1 Swindler usually well dressed
2 Five shillings}

[Seeya]

"It's true," Anne says, reliving the unpleasantness in her mind.  "I remember it all.  I was awake the entire time, and what I saw and heard... the screaming, Dear God,  help us all, the screaming..."  She buries her face in her hands as a sob escapes her.