by JM Bannon
“He is an investigator of the papal See, a Jesuit priest.”
“An inquisitor!” hissed Glynnis. “Why did you not mention this earlier! What have you told him of me?”
“Little if anything Glynnis”
“I should hope not! An inquisitor is never good news. They may not burn witches anymore, but they have other unpleasant methods of hunting down and destroying those they call witches. The Necronists have escaped their attention only because of the power of the Emperor Napoleon who protects and nurtures them.”
“Please let me explain, there are other things I have to tell you. With Father Barnard I examined the cellar under the reliquary and there was a small tunnel, similar to those in the old church. I told the Father about the creatures I had seen using my mirror. I also told him about my dreams and visions. He seemed quite understanding and had even read some of the books I have been reading.”
“The Jesuits are nothing if not well educated!” Glynnis murmured.
“It is the vision I had the night we met that I must tell you about.” Rose took a deep breath then continued.
“Glynnis, my vision that night told me a different story to the one in your tapestry. I found myself in the body of Garwen as she lay with Aelthered early in the morning. I saw the events unfold that morning. Garwen was not the demon’s spawn she has been made out to be, it was she who imprisoned the demon, with the aid of the Morghanin and the Angel Ariel!” she paused waiting for Glynnis to comment. The other woman just sat face impassive, but her lips were clamped tight.
“Garwen offered to be baptized in the church to prove she was no demon, Ostric objected, but the other priests there did perform the ceremony and she was baptized without harm.
It was then that we found ourselves in a strange place.” She continued to describe the dream, “Garwen calling her sisters and along with the angel the demon was entombed.” As she spoke of the imprisonment of the demon Glynnis leant forward and put her arms on her desk as she stared intently at Rose.
“it was Aethelred’s plan to have Ostric venerated and disguise the truth,” Rose came to a stop and waited for Glynnis to laugh or berate her.
“The return of the relic has been instrumental in completing the bridge between your church and the old ways, but I fear I did not see the truth after all. Instead of strengthening our ability to ward against the demon, I have brought about the means to free him.” Glynis looked intently at Rose.
“Tonight, is more important than I knew. I asked you here tonight to ask you to become one with us, to join our sisterhood, to become the one who is the bridge just as Garwen was.
The theft of the relic makes me fear that time is growing short that we face the greatest challenge of our lives. We must not allow the demon his freedom. Please join with us, lend us your power,” beseeched Glynnis.
“Oh no, I have had enough of all of this. I have made up my mind to forget all about matters outside the teachings of the church and to concentrate on being a good and devoted nun. If Ostric could be corrupted, the same could happen to me. Madeline is dead and I fear I may join her.
“Rose, you saw those rifts in the field. Can you doubt the mystical force you saw with your own eyes? Not just the demon trying to escape but the power from the ley lines! Lines of force that circle the globe and join us all! You know you will never be able to turn your back on the world of the unseen. You have the sight!
“I know the doubts and fear that course through your mind! I have lived that life. A life of knowledge and fear and doubt, that what I have seen will come to pass or worse has already occurred and I cannot change matters! It has brought me sorrow and joy, so much so that each day that comes, I cannot decide if this is a gift or a curse.” Glynnis said with heart wrenching passion. Rose could see the tears standing in her eyes.”
“Rose, you have the power to be the strongest of us all, I can feel it in you, it is a light burning bright!”
“Let me ask you this, Rose, when you use your gift, when you look in the mirror, when you try to see the reason why bad things are happening, do you feel that what you do is bad or wrong or do you finally feel free and able to be yourself?”
Rose thought on the question, “I…. I feel that finally I was able to make sense of things.”
“Yes! It is as if you have been going through life in need of spectacles. Without the right prescription you are nearly blind, but with the right glasses...”
Glynnis held up one of the crystal lenses, “The world comes into focus and you can see and be comfortable with the environment around you. Until your sight is corrected you are plagued and confused by shadows and forms that you just can’t quite discern”
Glynnis picked up a green stone from her desk and held it up to the light. It caught the light and refracted it so that the outlines of the stone were blurred.
“This is Peridotite, this is its green aspect, it can be found in other colors such as you see here,” she gestured to the crystal lenses on the desk.
“It is one of the most ancient rocks on earth. It has come from deep in the earth. As it has travelled through the earth and its history, fragments of that history have become embedded in the stone like a memory. When it is made into a lens, then that memory can be released. More importantly, it can draw other memories of events to it. Those events must be local to where the lens is employed, they cannot ‘far see’, that requires other tools.”
Rose sat deep in thought, looking at the lenses on the desk before her.
“Glynnis are these difficult to reproduce?”
“No Rose they are not. If you have access to the stones, then they may be ground to your specification. How you use them after they have been ground is up to you. Take this one with you I feel you may have need of it before too long for some reason!”
Rose took the proffered lens and carefully put it in her pocket she could feel the weight of it there.
Glynnis went to the wall where she pulled on a bell rope before heading to the stairs.
“Come, it grows late, and you have much to think about, I will ask Haines to have the carriage brought round to take you home, please give the Mother Superior my thanks for allowing this meeting.”
Rose made her way upstairs with more questions than when she had descended. At the top Haines waited in the foyer for her. She bid her host a goodnight and with Haines in attendance left the house and stood on the steps outside. The night was cool, and the sky was clear, filled with stars.
Haines spoke to her, “It would seem we may have a frost by morning Sister,” he observed.
“You may well be right Mr. Haines winter seems to be galloping towards us.”
She waited only a few moments before the carriage to take her back to the convent pulled up in front of the house and not long after she was seated in the carriage as it made its way down the long drive way and headed toward Chester.
Her hand strayed to the pocket of her habit and felt the outline of the crystal. She did indeed have much to think on.
Chapter Fifteen: Thursday the 30th of September 1852
2:20 PM, The Office of Sister Maria, Mother Superior
Rose had been allowed back into the Reliquary to continue her work now that Father Barnard had completed his investigations in the room. She had just brought up an armful of books from the cellar when Sister Judith had come to get her.
Judith had no more idea than Rose as to why the Mother Superior wanted to see her again.
When she arrived at the Mother Superiors office Sister Beatrix bid her follow her.
She was surprised to find herself back at the visitor’s parlour. She was even more surprised to find not just the Mother Superior but Father Barnard in attendance. There were clearly all sorts of rules being set aside at the moment.
Once she had made her obeisance, the Mother Superior unlocked the door between the outer parlour and the inner.
In the room on the other side the Sheriff was pacing back and forth while one of his sergeants stood
placidly in front of the door to the outside world.
The Sheriff made perfunctory acknowledgement of the Mother and Father Barnard before he launched a verbal attack on Rose
“I understand you were at the Culpepper house last night?” demanded the Sheriff.
“Yes Sir, I was.” Rose was confused, why was this not something the Mother Superior had dealt with?
“What can you tell me about your evening at the Culpepper Estate?” he asked.
Rose looked to the Mother Superior for guidance, Rose was confused by the man’s question. The Mother Superior just gave her a nod. The nod said, tell them the truth but Rose wasn’t prepared to tell all that had occurred without knowing what was behind the question.
“Mrs. Culpepper asked me to join her for dinner, and the Mother Superior instructed me to accept the invitation,” said Rose.
The others in the room made no response and Rose looked at them in turn for some clue as to what was wrong. The Mother Superior and Father Barnard’s faces were studies in blankness, neither of them gave anything away.
On the Sheriff’s face was impatience and he gestured irritably for her to continue.
“Her carriage picked me up here just before six of the clock. I arrived at the house about 30 minutes later I suppose. She offered me a drink and I had a small sherry.” Rose tried to ignore the look of approbation from the Mother Superior.
We mainly talked about the history of the land around here before Christianity and then the early Christian kings. She has a wonderful tapestry that depicts events from those times. We had a meal that I enjoyed very much, the dessert was ice cream! Have you ever had that it was beyond words!”
Rose was at her girlish best, gushing and flighty.
“After the meal the carriage brought me back to the Convent!” Rose disliked her evasions but felt the whole truth would not be believed or would cause problems for both herself and Glynnis.
“Oh, and she asked me to call her Glynnis!”
Rose felt it was time to put her inquisitor on the back foot, she doubted the Sheriff was on such intimate terms!
“Did you happen to notice anything strange about Mrs. Culpepper or her staff or guests?” the man probed.
Rose was concerned by the line of questioning, “I was the only guest. What is this about?” she turned to the Mother Superior.
“I am sorry Rose, but Mrs. Culpepper was attacked last night.”
“Is she alright?” Rose expressed her deep concern and shock. “What happened? When? She was fine when I left her!”
"She was found near the grove in Potters End she has suffered head injuries and is now in a coma at the hospital.”
Rose stood in silence her thoughts racing, she could not believe it.
“Where exactly did this happen?” she demanded. The Sheriff was so surprised by the command in her voice that he answered.
“It was next to the stile over the boundary wall that marked the edge of the field.
A piece of the upright had been broken off and looked to be the weapon used to attack her.”
Rose knew that she could not involve any of the other women she had met the other night. In particular she felt that the Sheriff would not appreciate knowing about his wife’s activities in this respect.
She looked at the Mother Superior and then at Father Barnard, he gave her a slight shake of his head.
“Then it was not close to the house? Have you spoken to Haines the butler?”
“We have, he states that Mrs. Culpepper was in the habit of taking walks late in the evening, he said she claimed it helped her sleep. He told me that Mrs. Culpepper left the house around 11 pm.”
“I do not see how I may help you then Sheriff, I left around ten thirty.”
The Sheriff sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
“Then I thank you Sister, for your assistance. Mother, Father, if you will excuse me I must see if Mrs. Culpepper has recovered at all.”
The Mother Superior herself showed the Sheriff out leaving Rose with Father Barnard.
He looked at her then checked if they could be overheard. “Sister, what did you learn last night?”
“Only that this sisterhood is made up of middle aged women who need to find better fields for their passion!”
Rose hated to lie but she knew Glynnis would not want her secrets divulged to an inquisitor.
Father Barnard looked at her for a long time, his brow creased in thought then he smiled and nodded.
“I understand Rose, I understand!”
11:20 PM, The Cell of Sister Rose, Carmelite Convent,
Rose had been sitting in her cell for the rest of the day after being dismissed by the Mother Superior. She had told her to return there and pray for Mrs. Culpepper.
About an hour ago, the nightly contemplation bell had rung, Rose should have knelt by her bed and said her prayers, before getting undressed and into bed. Instead, she had circled the small cell, pacing, lying on her bed then pacing again.
She removed her habit and put on the dress her mother had made. She picked up her satchel and carefully checked it contained the mirror and candles then picked up the crystal lens from her pillow.
As she checked the items in the bag she thought about the night before. During the drive home from the Culpepper Estate she had stared blindly out of the window, contemplating what she would do. In the end, she was not ready to deny her gift, as Mrs. Culpepper had called it; nor was she ready to embrace it, so she left the carriage with no firm decision made.
Now with the news of another attack, one on the leader of the sisterhood, on someone she had spoken with about her situation, Rose knew she had to try and find the creatures and whoever was aiding or controlling them.
Slowly opening the door, she checked to make sure the hallway was empty then made her way by candlelight down the corridor and to the cloisters. She stood in the shadows but could see no one else around, nit that she expected to find anyone. Seeing no one she made her way quietly over to the reliquary.
She was surprised to find light seeping round the edges and underneath the door. For a moment she was unsure what to do, then she tried the handle. It gave a click as she turned it and she felt the door open. It should have been locked! Who was in there? Had the thief returned? She threw caution to the wind and opened the door ready to step inside and do battle.
Inside the room a single candle illuminated a small desk at which was sat Father Barnard. He looked up from the book he was reading and did not seem surprised to see her.
“Come in Rose,” he said quietly, “and close the door.”
Rose entered the room and closed the door behind her then turned to face the priest. Before she could speak, he stood and walked over to her. He stood for a moment silently contemplating her then gestured to the bag she carried. She passed it to him and he peered inside then returned it to her before going back to his chair. As he sat he spoke to Rose.
“I expected you some time ago Rose but am glad you did not disappoint me. I assume from the contents of the bag that you are going somewhere to try and see past events? Perhaps to see what happened to Mrs. Culpepper? Am I right?” His voice was quiet and calm as he questioned her.
“Yes Father, after the news about Mrs. Culpepper I thought, that I might be able to shed some light on things. I was going to start here and see if with the aid of a crystal Mrs. Culpepper gave me, I could see more than I had before of what befell Sister Madeline.”
“Very well, proceed; I am interested to see you at work.”
Rose stared at the priest for a moment unsure if she had heard correctly. He wanted her to use the scrying mirror? Was he trying to trap her? To catch her in the act so to speak, of heretical actions?
The priest could see her anxiety. “It’s alright Rose, you have nothing to fear from me.”
Rose began setting up her candles, lighting them first to give the room more illumination and then to begin her scrying ritual of the relic cabinet. She uttered the incantation and
angled the copper mirror. This time she added the green lens to the equation, looking through it into the mirror, she began to see movement, she moved the mirror slightly and gave a small gasp as the scene it revealed became clear.
Revealed to her in the mirror was Madeline sleeping in her chair, another one of the old nun’s countless cat naps.
Father Barnard came and stood at her shoulder.
“Can you see it?” asked Rose.
“I see nothing but my reflection. Tell me what you see,” directed Bernard.
Rose explained how Behind the sleeping nun she saw the trapdoor to the cellar inch upwards and three sets of glowing red eyes peering from the space.
One by one the imps Rose had seen before made their way into the room. They let the door down quietly and crept towards Sister Madeline.
One of the creatures made a sudden leap upwards and its clawed hands gripped the neck of the sleeping nun. Its weight pulled her head backwards and she and the chair hit the ground.
As the creature had grabbed her neck, Sister Madeline awoke, her eyes went wide and before her mouth could open to scream she hit the ground. The creature grasping her neck lifted her head up then twisted it to one side in a swift movement. Sister Madeline’s body went stiff then fell limp.
As Rose watched in shock, the face of the creature blurred, and Rose saw it had changed ever so slightly to resemble the younger of the Watts girls. Her mind reeled at the sight, how could it be? The creature wiggled the dead nun’s neck then left the body to join its fellows.
As Rose watched the three creatures scrambled up onto the catafalque and opened the case holding the relic. Between them they were able to open the chest and lift out the skull. The three then made their way back to the trap door and lifting it disappeared into the darkness below.
The lens had enabled her to see past events with clarity after sharing what she saw she turned to the Inquisitor for direction, “What now, Father?”
“The evidence would seem to be clear Rose, there is a malevolence of some kind at work here. What do you propose to do next?”
