Editing Swords To Plowshares
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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> | ||
