Editing Swords To Plowshares
Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
The edit can be undone.
Please check the comparison below to verify that this is what you want to do, and then save the changes below to finish undoing the edit.
| Latest revision | Your text | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| + | <br><br> | ||
| + | |||
| + | |||
''August 19th, 1867, Monday''<br> | ''August 19th, 1867, Monday''<br> | ||
''En route to Nurnberg''<br> | ''En route to Nurnberg''<br> | ||
| − | '' | + | ''1045 hrs, local time''<br><br> |
| Line 82: | Line 85: | ||
--- | --- | ||
| − | Dion cursed inwardly. ''Blast this woman and the easy intimacy she has achieved with Catherine based on one wild night of irresponsible escapism!'' he thought to himself. Anticipating her mood and demeanor was impossible, and SHE was impossible. ''In private, she makes me feel as if I am some penny dreadful masher or conversational rapist, but in public she holds me up for abuse and ridicule as the very embodiment of social mores I myself find as dreadful as herself. Catherine knows my heart | + | Dion cursed inwardly. ''Blast this woman and the easy intimacy she has achieved with Catherine based on one wild night of irresponsible escapism!'' he thought to himself. Anticipating her mood and demeanor was impossible, and SHE was impossible. ''In private, she makes me feel as if I am some penny dreadful masher or conversational rapist, but in public she holds me up for abuse and ridicule as the very embodiment of social mores I myself find as dreadful as herself. Catherine knows my heart, he assured himself. Lord Drake seems willing to take me on terms of at least valued employee. Even Bertie and his doxy seem open to acting in reasoned ways and accepting the facade of intrusive but protective caregiver. This circus girl presumes to JUDGE me based on my willingness to KNOW the rules of how Catherine's life must be arranged, and ACT in such a way that her spirit is not crushed in the effort to preserve her standing''. He shook his head ruefully.<br><br> |
“Madame, you do not know me,” he said sonorously. “Repeatedly, you take exception to me, my statements, my desire for Catherine to APPEAR to accord herself with society's expectations.” The hobbit stepped back from the tall human woman, defensively. “These rules, these boundaries, these restrictions, even my somewhat ridiculous manner of speaking are tools.” Dion held his hands out in front of his body as if to keep her from clawing at him. “I gained my familiarity with these rules by flouting them. I was an unlettered baker's boy in Belgium, until I ran away from home and became a wizard based on a drunken bet. I was taught to use a gun to great effect, merely because Monsignor the Colonel found it so very droll to watch a child sized person struggle with a pistol larger than his own hands. You see merely a servant with presumption and a shirt front stuffed with hot air.” Dion turned away from Josephine to stare out the window of the fast moving train, but stared at her reflection in the coal smoke smudged glass. “I have not risen so far that I am dizzy from the height, but by keeping place, I have advanced, and keeping my place means keeping Catherine from falling from her place. My son will be a PROFESSIONAL. Only one, on what money I make in service, it's true. It will be hard, because I can save only for College, not private school. There will be a Beignet known for his skill with the law or with medicine, rather than for donuts or how servile they can be.”<br><br> | “Madame, you do not know me,” he said sonorously. “Repeatedly, you take exception to me, my statements, my desire for Catherine to APPEAR to accord herself with society's expectations.” The hobbit stepped back from the tall human woman, defensively. “These rules, these boundaries, these restrictions, even my somewhat ridiculous manner of speaking are tools.” Dion held his hands out in front of his body as if to keep her from clawing at him. “I gained my familiarity with these rules by flouting them. I was an unlettered baker's boy in Belgium, until I ran away from home and became a wizard based on a drunken bet. I was taught to use a gun to great effect, merely because Monsignor the Colonel found it so very droll to watch a child sized person struggle with a pistol larger than his own hands. You see merely a servant with presumption and a shirt front stuffed with hot air.” Dion turned away from Josephine to stare out the window of the fast moving train, but stared at her reflection in the coal smoke smudged glass. “I have not risen so far that I am dizzy from the height, but by keeping place, I have advanced, and keeping my place means keeping Catherine from falling from her place. My son will be a PROFESSIONAL. Only one, on what money I make in service, it's true. It will be hard, because I can save only for College, not private school. There will be a Beignet known for his skill with the law or with medicine, rather than for donuts or how servile they can be.”<br><br> | ||
| Line 128: | Line 131: | ||
Should she tell him of what Arthur MacEwan had divulged? ''You’ve come this far, why stop now?''<br><br> | Should she tell him of what Arthur MacEwan had divulged? ''You’ve come this far, why stop now?''<br><br> | ||
| − | "When you were observing the gargoyle at the Societe du Nord, I went back to Trumpshaw's and spoke to one of Sir John's men there. He was once the station chief of Bern and he told me a few things about my father and his associates." Josephine stroked the | + | "When you were observing the gargoyle at the Societe du Nord, I went back to Trumpshaw's and spoke to one of Sir John's men there. He was once the station chief of Bern and he told me a few things about my father and his associates." Josephine stroked the velvet armrests of her seat, unable to hide her unease. She'd never spoken of her father or what he did to anyone outside William's troupe and a decade of reticence was not overcome in a mere moment. "I last saw my father outside Ravensburg, in Württemberg, the morning of 17 October, 1856. He'd been travelling all over Bayern and the surrounding region talking to people in taverns and listening to the gossip. Obviously looking for something or someone. And then he abruptly left me in the care of people he trusted and took off. The man at Trumpshaw's told me my father had been sent to Eiger to investigate something. And at the same time, his associates had been sent to two other places. Schulmann had been sent to Nurnberg and had disappeared. Drum had been dispatched to northern Italy and likewise disappeared. His last known position was Genoa. My father had already been to Switzerland and had found nothing but when he was sent to Eiger, he too disappeared. I haven't seen him since.<br><br> |
"Do you know what the Alps are like in October, sir? It might still be pleasant in the lowlands but Eiger itself would be treacherous. I cannot remember exactly the conditions that shrouded it that day of the year but it is commonly known that one does not tackle that mountain so late in the autumn on a whim. It would be very dangerous for a man to go up there alone, much less a man with a child in tow. Because of this I am not entirely certain if his disappearance can be traced to a natural occurrence such as avalanche or climbing mishap, or if he was taken by fouler, more deliberate means. I only know that he is gone. And not long thereafter, Schulmann goes missing and turns up at the British Embassy in Berlin, miles and miles from Nurnberg... in a carpet bag. In pieces. Delivered by an agent many there believed to be Clockwork. Of Clockwork, there is little more to tell. Clockwork is reputed to be a beautiful woman. It is reputed that she knew my father. It is also reputed that she disappeared soon after delivering Schulmann to the Embassy and yet, I do not think she is dead. Why else would Sir John tell me to look for her?"<br><br> | "Do you know what the Alps are like in October, sir? It might still be pleasant in the lowlands but Eiger itself would be treacherous. I cannot remember exactly the conditions that shrouded it that day of the year but it is commonly known that one does not tackle that mountain so late in the autumn on a whim. It would be very dangerous for a man to go up there alone, much less a man with a child in tow. Because of this I am not entirely certain if his disappearance can be traced to a natural occurrence such as avalanche or climbing mishap, or if he was taken by fouler, more deliberate means. I only know that he is gone. And not long thereafter, Schulmann goes missing and turns up at the British Embassy in Berlin, miles and miles from Nurnberg... in a carpet bag. In pieces. Delivered by an agent many there believed to be Clockwork. Of Clockwork, there is little more to tell. Clockwork is reputed to be a beautiful woman. It is reputed that she knew my father. It is also reputed that she disappeared soon after delivering Schulmann to the Embassy and yet, I do not think she is dead. Why else would Sir John tell me to look for her?"<br><br> | ||
| − | Josephine shook her head and gripped her | + | Josephine shook her head and gripped her chair. She knew there was no calling her words back. The secrets that she'd kept for over a decade were now out in the open and in the hands of a man--a powerful mage--she barely knew. The fact that he was attached to Katherine and Colonel Fleming kept her from complete panic that she'd divulged too much to the wrong person, that she'd fatally erred with precious intelligence she should have taken with her to her grave. And yet, information was useless unless applied and sometimes one had to divulge it to achieve its proper application.<br><br> |
"I am sorry. I realize I may have given you too much information to process but I have carried so much inside my head for so long, it is a relief beyond description to finally have someone to tell it to. I apologize if I've overstepped myself. Please forgive me."<br><br> | "I am sorry. I realize I may have given you too much information to process but I have carried so much inside my head for so long, it is a relief beyond description to finally have someone to tell it to. I apologize if I've overstepped myself. Please forgive me."<br><br> | ||
| Line 145: | Line 148: | ||
| − | Recognizing the overture of friendship wrapped in a deft dismissal, Josephine was reluctant to spurn the former even as she regretted the latter. | + | Recognizing the overture of friendship wrapped in a deft dismissal, Josephine was reluctant to spurn the former even as she regretted the latter. All things in good time, Jo, but you've forgotten something. Something important. So said her father's voice in her head and in a flash, she knew what she'd neglected to mention in her briefing. She eyed the compartment door: wide open. There was no discreet, secure way she could mention it now. It would have to wait until she could talk to him again and Beignet had given her the opportunity she needed. So she rose and straightened her skirt and nodded her acquiescence.<br><br> |
"Please," she said. "That would be lovely. I may yet have managed to dredge up more information from memory when you return."<br><br> | "Please," she said. "That would be lovely. I may yet have managed to dredge up more information from memory when you return."<br><br> | ||
| Line 151: | Line 154: | ||
There being nothing for it, she left Beignet's compartment and turned her footsteps toward Katherine's. She pulled her watch and checked the time. She still owed Ezekiel a little over an hour before she was pledged to check on him. ''Perhaps he has already finished apologizing to Michael and the Host and will be with Katherine and Flora. When Beignet arrives, everyone will be there and I shall not have to repeat everything twice.''<br><br> | There being nothing for it, she left Beignet's compartment and turned her footsteps toward Katherine's. She pulled her watch and checked the time. She still owed Ezekiel a little over an hour before she was pledged to check on him. ''Perhaps he has already finished apologizing to Michael and the Host and will be with Katherine and Flora. When Beignet arrives, everyone will be there and I shall not have to repeat everything twice.''<br><br> | ||
| − | She sighed and resting her forehead on the doorframe of Katherine's compartment, she closed her eyes and tried not to sink to the carpet where she stood. She was tired, so incredibly tired, and she knew no small part of it was completely the fault of revealing her deepest hurt--even so tiny a part of it--to another. ''It's done, Jo. Chin up. Move on.'' Josephine put her hand to the latch and | + | She sighed and resting her forehead on the doorframe of Katherine's compartment, she closed her eyes and tried not to sink to the carpet where she stood. She was tired, so incredibly tired, and she knew no small part of it was completely the fault of revealing her deepest hurt--even so tiny a part of it--to another. ''It's done, Jo. Chin up. Move on.'' Josephine put her hand to the latch and knocked, listening for permission to enter.<br><br> |
--- | --- | ||
