92 The Void
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9th March 2024 / Aoster [late Match] AR12

Jack closes the door & the Oracle places a ward on the premises. Jack went to find Kat – Henry was otherwise engaged with the business of state in Alverton, but she and Percy were in Corjen and needed to know of the danger.

Maria opened the door and indicated that Kat was out on the town. He discovered that Ania Leon was no longer in residence and Maria had employed a new servant, Juanita, to take her place. Kat wanted to know where Ania was and why she had left but Maria didn’t know. Jack caught up with Kat in the Black Mire Inn, playing cards with half a dozen others.

He and Kat had a brief chat; she told him she was still trying to locate Ania, he told her of the latest mishap to afflict Miss Nineveh. Kat and Percy resumed the search as the afternoon wore on, which took them into the swamp where they found a rather oblivious Ania sitting in a wallow, plastered in mud and staring off at nothing at all. She was very unresponsive but after some patient efforts they were able to get her to accompany them back to the town where she was given a bath and cleaned up.

Kat went to see the Oracle who was still pacing about the perimeter of the ward. The Oracle agreed to look after Ania. Kat had some visitors in the morning, three ragamuffins in black clothing, a carriage parked up nearby with horses lathered and foaming after a long and arduous journey. They claimed to have been asked by Old Bridget to help with shoring up support for Lorenzo Visconti in Port Royal. They also gave a gift for Percy by way of a sweetener. They were a pair of earrings, black pearl with silver feathers dangling beneath.

Jack had meantime received two letters from Maria Zofia (the journalist) at the forge. Jack assessed that she was playing it a bit cagily, careful not to reveal too much and felt she had enough to start making demands. Jack then consulted with Kapihi about the Book. She suggests using the Gatekeeper to set matters right.

Kat meantime decided it was best if she flew to Port Royal and had a word with one of the Twins, and Ash explained how Old Bridget had become something of a leading underworld figure. Before she left he handed Kat a pocket watch, which she duly pocketed.

Kat arrived back from her travels and Percy told them about his dream. He was persuaded to assist, but first Elspeth’s ward would need to be lowered. She is reluctant to be so close to the Book and retires to the Oracle’s cave. Before going further they approach Lady Ashbury to check in on what the Archbishop is up to in Port Royal. She agrees and without further ado opens a window, changes into a bat and flies away.

Jack and Tyche departed to resume their Forge work with the Coven Rings. He also sent a message to Maria the intrepid journalist advising her to return to Corjen. At Percy’s behest, the Oracle let down the ward and Percy opened the door skull in hand, the Void roiling bare inches from him. Nineveh could hear him talking in a language that she didn’t recognise and then somehow the Void swirled about and was channelled into the skull, reducing, diminishing until it was no more.

Miles was on all fours with his clothes in tatters shielding a smaller figure underneath him. Ninevah could see it was Violet. Percy grinned triumphantly.