by J M Bannon
The Peregrine hovered over the center of the town, completing the distribution of the purple gas cloud. It then began a widening circling patter that widened out, the dense purple mist faded, and the apparitions appeared to Rose. It took time to put the images into context; spiritual energy caught in the fabric of the aether, like stains on a tablecloth. Her expertise was reading those stains and determining the meal served on that table. Rose used her expertise to place the timeframe and connection of events, but there was something not right about these circumstances. The events were cataclysmic, Rose could see the moment when the townspeople lost their lives; it appeared as if a prairie wind blew into the homestead and as it whipped through, tore away the souls of everyone. Just over a week old, the fresh images were clear, intensified by the high death count. Rose closed her eyes to center herself; then upon re-opening the scene would reset and replay. After the third time of doing this, she had oriented herself. Similar to what she had observed from the photos of the Zeus Colonial, there appeared to be a movement of the souls from Harpsichord towards a central location.
"Gent's please grab the equipment and follow me," Rose said as she plodded step by step. She stopped occasionally to clear her mind and reset the scene, then moving a few more steps towards the point where all the life energy was flowing. Rose recognized that she did not have to keep reciting her incantations, she was more disciplined and could hold the state she needed to reset the scene. She moved off the main street towards the dry creek bed behind the town. The two Lawmen followed, carrying her gear like pack mules. Making her way around the buildings she again reset her mind and opened her eyes. Her stomach dropped as the scene played out and the individual spirits of the townspeople were pulled into a massive vortex; a black swirl of energy focused onto the location of the tipped over wagon. As she walked closer to the source, the wind-like rush of life energy caused her skin to prickle. Rose ducked and weaved to dodge the swirling souls as she proceeded forward. For her, it was as if she were there on the day it happened.
"Rose, what is it you're seeing, can you describe it?" asked Dolly.
Rose had completely forgotten her compatriots or the fact that the events she was witnessing happened a week ago. She snapped out of her state and all was gone.
"No surprise, but the event leads back to this spot," said Rose.
"That's where I found the unusual contraption we brought up to your airship," said Elmore.
"I want to set up the camera here," Rose said to Dolly.
Dolly had done this enough to know what help she required of him, opening the tripod and preparing the slides for her to shoot the pictures, to be observed later by the uninitiated in her phantasmagraph.
Rose was furiously shooting pictures of the scene. First the wagon, then shots of the town from the wagon, then she had an idea. Unbuttoning her coverall, she reached inside to her belt and retrieved the Rod of Raziel.
"Whoa, Rose, what are you up to now?" asked Dolly with a worried tone.
"Hey, do you two mind letting me in on the charade you have going on here?" asked Elmore.
"It's a relic, the thing in her hand that looks like an oversized ruler made for a King. She uses it like a wand when it appears that something is about to get nasty," explained Dolly.
"Oh, Dolly, not to worry. Enzo taught me how to tap into other channels with the Rod the other day. I will use it to clarify and understand the surrounding evidence,” Rose pulled off her gloves and threw them to the ground letting the cool silver rectangle rest on her palms.
As Rose began another meditative state, she heard Dolly explain the situation. "Rose is a practitioner of metaphysics. She uses ancient relics and this homegrown kit to make it all more scientific and better still, accessible for us uninitiated. Later she will develop these plates to give us a picture show of what happened here. Did I get that right, Rose?"
"Just about, except that this process requires focus on my part; a babbling Scotsmen can impede concentration." As Rose opened herself up to the power of the Rod, she first felt her boss seething with a comeback but biting his tongue so not to disturb her, then she picked up Elmore's lustful interest as he watched her, then all was drowned out by the flood of pain and anguish that flowed through her. The sheer terror and agony of all those people rushing towards nothingness brought forth a deep, dark and sad place, similar to the experience when she learned of her mother's death. Feeling the emotional plunge, she steeled herself, taking in a full chest of air to look beyond the pain of the townspeople, further back into time to see the wagon veer off the trail. The spokes of one wheel were splintered, and the Driver was trying to unload the wagon when the team suddenly spooked and jumped. The man hit the ground head first then the wagon crushed him. Rose cringed when she saw the odd way he landed breaking his neck, but then the force of the wagon pulled the team back, shattering the wheel then dropping the full weight of the wagon onto his head. Rose sensed his spirit leaving then she observed the outline of the device on the ground, surrounded by a strange ruby hued glow. What followed was a replay of the whirlwind of souls drawing into the device. This time she couldn't bear the pain and fell to her knees weeping as the lenses fogged from her sobs, she tore the helmet off.
10:55 a.m The Town of Harpsichord
Elmore didn't know what to do or say, he felt awkward as Rose was blathering uncontrollably crouched on the ground. "Can we get you over to the Sheriff's office, you can lie down there and have a rest," said the Marshal, trying to console her.
"That would be good," Rose blurted out between sobs and hyperventilating.
Dolly got her to her feet then picked her up. He nodded to Elmore to go, so he led the way to the office. Elmore was surprised that Dolly could lift her, he had assumed the Detective to be a little soft coming from the city. Once they reached the office, Dolly set Rose down on the lower bunk. She rolled towards the wall and continued to whimper covering her head with the pillow. Dolly walked to the front of the Sheriff's office. "Let's go collect all the gear, Marshal.”
"What do you make of all that," asked Elmore as he and Dolly went back out to gather up Rose's equipment.
"Emotional strain I guess, you got to understand Laddie, I have seen some of the strangest shit in my life and she was there to deal with it. Yet she has been party to even more bizarre experiences," Dolly stopped to load his pipe and start puffing. "And don't be fooled, she is tough as nails but she has had it a wee bit hard. When I first met her people treated her like shit. Hell, she was an Ex-Catholic Nun in a Protestant country living on scraps. Now she's got a job she loves and has come into some money, but that doesn't change the hard road she has to walk and the dark world she investigates."
With the pipe clenched in his teeth, Dolly reached in his jacket and pulled out a tin box. He popped it open to show Elmore the strangest bullets he had ever seen. They contained nitrite paper with powder adhered to lead slugs, embedded with a tiny, glowing, blue crystal.
"She made these for me they are imbued with eldritch gas, just in case I ever get into another situation where normal bullets won't kill a man,” shared Dolly.
Elmore was perplexed by that comment, "What are you talking about?"
"I have more than once, had encounters with the supernatural. Normal methods were inadequate, and I am just a man, so Rose made these for my protection. She truly is extraordinary after what I've seen her accomplish with her tinkering and control of the metaphysical; I forget that she is human too. I think we saw some of that come out," mused the Detective.
"I don't follow. I mean I realize what happened here was some kind of evil, we have a town full of wrinkled corpses. I hope we now can get to burying them, but she was just walking around with that gizmo on her head and yelling at you to load photo plates,"
"You'll see. Wait until she produces the photo plates then you will get a glimpse into what she sees. Back when we first met I was the same way, she would walk around a room with smoke and crystals then tell me about ghosts and spirits;
it was right out of a séance. Then you see I had one experience that removed my skepticism, I shot a man that wouldn't die. Saw it with my own eyes, two pistol shots as close as I am to you. I could see through the fucking hole in his head and he just laughed at me," Dolly reported with a serious look.
"Like a zombie?"
"Worse, a human possessed by a demon. Now I carry bullets that will kill one of those entities, and I also know if I am to protect the people of London, I need Rose."
This was all too weird, thought Elmore. "I will appreciate it when you two get me some evidence. In the meantime why don't we get back with this equipment then pay a visit to our friends from the railroad? I suspect our man from the Astor Company will be eager to see his gizmo again. If it's all right with you, I would like to bring him up to look at that thing I found and see how he reacts when I tell him the only way he leaves with it is if he sprouts wings and flies away."
"Fine with me," Dolly agreed picking up most of the gear. Together with Elmore's help, the two sauntered back towards the jail.
"You folks sure have a lot of stuff to carry around," said Elmore.
"Laddie, did you see the cast of characters I am running with?"
"While the company is enjoyable and they all are pleasant to look at, those women are the biggest bunch of pack rats I have ever seen,” the Marshal cajoled. "If one of them is not buying the latest whatever, the other one is building it from scratch. Rose is actually quite frugal, the worse of the lot is the tiny Kraut, she is bloody brilliant and as rich as the Queen. Next time you see me I'll be one of twenty Sherpas hauling around these girls' bags," whined Dolly. As the two entered the Sheriff's office he quickly stopped talking when he saw Rose up and composed, speaking with the Native American.
"Elmore, Hanska here, who by the way, I am not sure why you have him locked up, was just telling me that there are several locations he can show us where herds of buffalo were killed in the same way," said Rose.
"And just as many shot, skinned and butchered, but recently there have been whole herds with the black death. It started last year. The culling of herds switched from shooting and skinning to this dark magic. Whole herds dead the life pulled out of them. My people have moved farther north where the herds are being pushed," shared Hanska. "Where did Wally go off to?" asked Elmore. "He left a wire type reply on your desk. He told me to tell you he was riding back with the others to Denver City," recited Rose.
"It's late and there is a storm coming, why would those dolts ride off now rather than wait to go in the morning?" Elmore was disgusted with the lack of support from the posse he had deputized.
"Laddie, if I were them I would get out of town as quick as I could. You have a bunch of dead folks, my Constable is prattling on about a disease and Indian curses, and you have a dozen desperadoes looming around the town," rattled off Dolly.
"I get your point. I guess my leadership and inspiration require fortification," replied the Marshal. Humanity never seemed to run out of ways to disappoint him.
"I'll need you two to dash over to the runabout, so I can get the plates processed," Rose rolled her eyes up to the ceiling while thinking; still red and swollen from crying but had regained their curious spirit. "Figure on three hours to get the slides developed then we'll have a look and you can see with your own eyes how that device killed the town of Harpsichord. What you see swirling inside are human souls."
"This is just like the Moya case, these folks have been under a Pen Ha.." Dolly fumbled with the pronunciation.
"Pwen Hanaan, the life stealing voodoo ritual. Yes, but on an industrial scale. This device or one like it was used on the Colonial. The photos will show a similar phenomenon but I know more from the scale and depth of this Scry. When I used the Rod, I could gather a greater depth of the situation. Our Wagoner slid off the road leaving town cracking the spokes of the wheel. While unloading the wagon, the horses bolted, and the wagon tipped over into the river bed. Two unfortunate results came of the accident; the driver was killed in the fall and the device detonated and absorbed all the life force into it," said Rose sitting on the edge of the bunk.
"So, everyone is in that thing up on your airship?" asked Elmore.
"Yes, that is correct,” Confirmed Rose.
"Well, let's get them out and back into their skins," urged Elmore.
"I wish it were that easy. I know of no one alive who is capable of doing that, nor do I know the repercussions of if we were to do so," Rose said with a distant look on her face, "Oh, and Elmore, I am not sure what your plan is with Hanska here, but he wasn't in any of the visions I saw. I used the Rod while questioning him and he can take us to places where herds of buffalo have been culled similarly it may be worth having a look."
"Dead cows and calves for miles," muttered Hanska from inside the cell.
"After we finish up here, we will see what Hanska has to show us and then I'll let you be on your way. Now let's get things wrapped up, identify who is responsible and help me figure out how to revive these people,” said the Marshal.
Rose got up and walked over to Elmore looking him in the eyes then spoke with a serious tone, "Marshal, like I said, I don't know who could bring them back and where to even start looking. Rather than trying to bring these people back and incurring the consequences, I suggest we figure a way to help them onto their next existence; fix on a solution for safe passage. Until then, we need to safeguard the device."
Now Elmore sat down. "That's it? We are just supposed to let them stay in that jar, forever?"
"If my friend Preston wasn't sequestered away with a psychiatrist, I would solicit his help, but he still wouldn't be my first choice for who to ask about this device," Rose replied.
"Well, let's talk to this person. Innocent people are trapped inside that thing, and I think we need to do something about it,” said Elmore.
"It's not a person, it's a group. Have you heard of the Necronists?"
"Not this again," Elmore forgot Dolly was standing there until he spoke. He turned to him, curious why he reacted so.
"Rose, you have been hell-bent on connecting them to this case. Show the proof, and I will pursue it, but we need solid evidence," guided the Detective.
"Dolly, I am not suggesting they did this, though I have suspicions. Speaking as a professional, the Necronist Guild have conducted the most advanced research in the metaphysics of life and death,"
"You're referring to that French death cult?" asked Elmore.
"Yes, but it's not a cult; they are experimenters and practitioners of metaphysics," Rose explained, "The Necronists are organized into several branches; the White Wyrding are the main researchers into life-force, then there is the Blue Wyrding, focused on spiritual divination. They are not too different from any other spiritualists manipulating warp and weft of the aether to project or to contact the afterworld. Dolly and I have had a run in with the Missionary Wyrding known as the Adepts."
"They're a cult and the Adept is the strong arm,” added Dolly. “They are well organized and have the favor of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte."
"The closest mission I know of is located in New Orleans. They don't do well here in the States, as they tend to rile up the Christians with their alternative views,"
Rose looked at Elmore then at Dolly and smiled, "If we require Necronist help, we must visit the Eternal Circle in Paris and speak directly with Guild Masters Crocus and Saint-Yves. If anyone has insight into returning the souls to their host or bringing them safely to the next world, it would be those two."
6:40 p.m. Rail siding at Harpsichord
Dolly followed a few paces behind Elmore as they marched towards the locomotive. A private train with only the three cars and surrounded by McMillan's men, who had watched Elmore and Dolly march towards the train. They had been sitting idle and observing all day; growing late they had started fires for illumination and warmth, in early spring temperatures dropped quickly at night.
Rose had taken the plates and equipment and returned
to the Peregrine to process the images. The three discussed the next steps, Elmore and Dolly would interview Wilburn and offer him a visit to the Peregrine while Rose completed processing the photographic evidence. As they moved up the hill, Dolly felt the first rain drop hit him. The air smelled of rain and earlier he had noticed how the clouds swirled in thunderstorm formation. As a city dweller, observing the open, flat landscape it seemed as though he could see forever. The heavy clouds were miles away but closing in, a drop in temperature would surely bring nasty conditions. "Does it snow this late in the year?" the Scot questioned.
"We get some of our biggest storms in March. If it gets any colder, there will be a foot of snow on the ground by morning,"
Ugh, I'm not cut for this rustic life. "I may need to get boots, my feet are already cold," admitted Dolly.
Leary and two others moved over to intercept them before they got to the train.
"What you want?" the short Trapper in a buffalo skin coat asked sharply.
"We need to discuss this missing equipment with your Boss," offered Elmore casually, but he had his Henry rifle at the ready, resting on his shoulder.
"Come on in Marshal and have a drink to warm up," it was McMillan standing on the stoop of the last carriage. He sported a waistcoat and shirtsleeves and was rubbing his arms to keep the chill off.
One henchman stepped out of the way letting the two Lawmen pass. "Come on I'm freezing my ass off," said the railroad man easing the door of the car open for the men. Inside, a luxurious haven surrounded, it was like they were in a hotel room. The space was cozy and well-appointed with brass trim, burgundy velvet upholstery and beautifully finished dark burl wood. Wilburn was sitting on a settee, warming his hands near the Ben Franklin stove. "My Chinaman has made hot toddies, you interested in one?"
