Success!
So much work to do. We have found a good place beneath the Cathedral. I can’t believe I never found it when I was a student! I brought Falodir the pocketwatch and he let me into special collections. The records are spotty, but there was enough. There a level below the public works tunnels, some are still connected to the sewers, but most are blocked off. We have split into teams to open the tunnels and break into the current network. I have even found a way into Mornington’s storage, The mortar is old and crumbling, we were able make a hole small enough for us to wriggle through. Could we possibly enlarge it enought to get one of his casks through? Haha! That would be bold, no, I can always drain it into bottles to carry and there is less chance of being missed.
They always complain that there is not enough meat. It is hard to imagine that there was always fresh meat where they were, I don’t even want to think about what it was they were eating. It could not have been us, at least, not all the time. There are too many of them for that to be sustainable. Maybe Mornington’s stock will distract them. I would bring them some of the Punch, but that always makes Emerson hungry, so that might not be wise.
Now I have a new problem. Mumsy, the old bat, thinks Falodir was flirting with me with the way he likes to annoy me by swatting me with his ears when he can catch me not looking. She knows I gave him that watch, now she’s giving me that look like I’m some kind of whoopsie. At least she shut up for most of the trip back, but the silence is even worse. I bought some flowers with the rest of my money after dropping her at her house to bring to Momoe, but when I saw her with Arnold, I gave them to Njal instead. I didn’t stay long after that, because Thomas and the others were waiting and there is much work to do.
Spring cannot come soon enough.
Has there been a more glorious day! The boy has come through! What better tonic than the anticipation of a move to elevate the spirit, to excite that sense of elan which has layed dormant far too long.
The good cheer has spread. Earlier I saw Spurgan and Mortimer break into spontaneous dance. With smiles of joy we tighten our belts and gather our things. It takes little time as we wear no clothes and have no possessions.
Mortimer has seen our new home. He followed the boy, keeping to the shadows. Mortimer tells me the boy had a contact at the cathedral, a former intimate of his who was more than happy to help for a small gift of jewelry. From what I understand the new lair is now ready. And so we move once more. To a new part of the city and a place to call our own. Stanton Morlock assures me it is an easy stroll to the Welcoming Centre.
I have given up on the hope of Father ever returning. We will follow the boy. Our trials are at an end. And so we move onward, to start a new life.
Emerson looked up from the crossword he had been puzzling over as he was suddenly struck by a random recollection.
“Junie,” he called across the bar of the Gangplank. “Did we give the Squire extra money last week for something?”
Junie shrugged and shook her head. “We could have, why?”
Emerson shrugged, “Who knows…”
“I was just curious why it mattered.” Junie laughed.
“What?” Emerson looked up again, “No, that was the clue.” he said. “An nine-letter word that starts with ‘A‘; clue: ‘who knows‘
“Answerers?” suggested Junie.
“I was thinking ‘automaton‘ – but without enough letters the answer is not clear just yet.” Emerson tapped the page. “Too bad the Squire’s not here, I’d ask him.”
“About the money or about the crossword?” Junie asked.
“Yes.” Emerson replied.
“He has been pretty slippery lately, I don’t know if he’d give you a straight answer if you asked,” she said.
Emerson pursed his lips as he concentrated. “I think we did give him some money…”
“Wait!” Junie said suddenly. “A ‘gnostic’ knows…maybe it is ‘agnostic.’ That could work, right?” She started counting the letters out on her fingers.
“Oh, good guess but not enough letters.” Emerson smiled. “It really is terribly vague.”
“I’ll think about it while I make pies,” she said. “Martin asked me to make extra today. Some special occasion or housewarming or something…he didn’t give details.”
“When does he ever?” Emerson shook his head and chuckled as he watched her struggle to tie an apron around her waist.
“Hey,” he said, setting the paper aside,”need some help?”
“With the apron or the baking?” she asked with a grin.
“Yes,” he replied.