Dearest Father…
Things have gone from wonderful to me being as lost as ever once more. I awoke yesterday to find that all I could hear in my mind was screaming. It sounded like Arnold’s screams and I fear something terrible has harmed him… It wasn’t his scream of rage or annoyance as per normal. This was fright, Father. Fright that would fell a grown man… I am very worried. I’m going to find my friend Erehwon and plead with her to take me to Babbage… I have to know what really happened. I’ll be looking to find Helio as well… He helped me find my friend once, I know he can help me again… And I need some comfort as well. I need someone to tell me that everything will work out, even if it is a lie. I need to hear some good in all of this, because if I have to do so, I will turn to my darker side. I will use whatever means necessary to find Arnold and bring him home. I suspicion that there are two individuals who may have done this, for much different reasons : one is the old man Canergak. He hurt Arnold with no thought the last time, who’s to say he wasn’t behind this? Add in that I don’t trust the old man, and …Let me just say that if I write you from a jail cell soon, it will be too late for me. The second person (if one can call him that now) is Metier. Yes, I know I wrote home that he was dead. But apparently his ghost has been causing trouble all over Babbage and if I am wrong about Cangergak, then I will have to be sure that it is him. There is no other faction that I can clearly say would have something against Arnold… In spite of his attitude. (If that Lighthouse man has had any say in this, I may strangle him as well, just for good measure. I may do so in any occasion… I’ll explain that to you later.) Even though I have made a huge mistake in my lessons, I have to go back. I have to look for Arnold and I have to avenge this act. I will instruct my husband on what to write to you if I do not live through this. I know you understand, Thaddeus. I know you understand that I must do this. For Arnold. He has done so much for me (more than even you know of) that I would be not a scratch human at all if I didn’t rush to his aid now.
I haven’t said this in years, but please pray for me, Papa. Pray that I somehow make this right in the end…Or in my eventual end.
I love you. Expect a letter soon, either way.
With love,
Maddox
Erehwon watched one of Andel’s lieutenant’s airship’s running lights fade into the night, bearing Maddox away to Babbage. She heard fabric tearing and looked down to see she was ripping the weave of her dupata in her clenched hands.
“Mary, Mother of saints and angels, hear my prayer. Please look after Maddie, and Arnold, wherever he’s gone to must be within your sight.”
Boasts from ghosts… could it be possible that what the spectre of Metier had said was true? Had Metier even been here at the clock on Saturday night? Or had that been another Coleridge-dream born in the chamber of the hookah? The last three days are a blur. Who’s clothes am I wearing? Still… Arnold had been here on Saturday afternoon. And what was he raving about this time? Something about mops. That cat should learn to chill. Even nine lives are too short to get your whiskers in such a twitch. I hope he is okay… my place has never been so clean since he’s been taking care of it. I’ll give him a couple of days to work off this latest sulk. If he doesn’t show, perhaps I’ll send a letter of inquiry off to Maddox Lionheart. I think she likes me.