Play@YSDC

Waking on the floor, surrounded by the nubs of burnt down candles, Anna groggily gets to her feet. She has not slept well, visions of Catherine Exeter plaguing her dreams.

She stumbles to the toilet and stares at the crack in the wall, trying to process the events of last night.

The electricity was back on this morning, as was revealed when one of the orderlies tried to turn on the lights. The seam looked the same to Anna as it had before. There was no other indication that there had been a passage there before.

Eugene watches as Anna inspects the wall.

“Too much to expect she climbed out of a window I suppose?”

'There was a passageway there and now there's not. Who knows what else she is capable of now she is free' says Anna. 'I should have climbed back into the sewers and chased her when she escaped again. But that chance is passed.'

"Should've stopped her as soon as she was brought back here," Eugene mutters, half to himself. "But no-one listened to me... I suppose, why would they? Witches in this day and age..."

He visibly pulls himself together.

"We should find out if the creature killed anyone else last night, and if Major Steadman has been reported killed."

"We'll need the morning paper, then," said Maggie Duncan. "Shall we head upstairs and see if we can find one? And some breakfast wouldn't go amiss either."

Eugene is more than happy to peruse a newspaper over breakfast.

People filtered upstairs, and a solid English breakfast was served in the cafeteria. Eugene managed to get a copy of the morning newspaper, but it didn't mention Major Steadman at all. There were articles in there about the bombing of course, as well as known casualty lists so far and counts of planes lost for both the RAF and the Luftwaffe. The articles were optimistic that the RAF was turning the tide.

By the time breakfast was done, Story, Elizabeth, and Brook returned.

"Good morning," said Story. "We spent the night at St. James's Church again. How is everyone?"

Eugene, cheered by a hearty breakfast and some sunlight, smiles.

“Morning! Our plans went skew-whiff I’m afraid. The idiot orderlies let Exeter escape and her daughter is also on the loose. However it seems the good Major lost control of whatever he summoned and is dead. Also, their magic jewel has been stolen by some urchin or other.”

"They let her escape again?" said Brook. "Well, I guess they don't really know how to cope with magic."

"I think I know what must have happened to Major Steadman," said Story. "From our research, the Jaegerschreck requires a human sacrifice in order to control it. If the sacrifice is unavailable, the creature will take the summoner instead, back to its home dimension. I doubt we'll see him again. A pity he ended up that way, but he brought it upon himself. Too bad it didn't take the Shining Trapezohedron with it, but at least it's out of their hands now. It turned out that the Dagger of Thoth was in the vault in London, and I was able to convince Miss Siddons to let us borrow it. I have it in a carrying case. Whoever is good with a knife may wield it, but be warned: it has a powerful curse upon it."

"The Shining Trapezohedron is like a bad penny," said Elizabeth. "No matter what happens to it, it will eventually turn up. Where are Mrs. Cruckshank and Reverend Pennyfeather?"

OOC,[b]Elizabeth[/b]'s Luck roll (55% stat) to see if the dagger was in the vault: 0 [b]Story[/b]'s Persuade roll (85% / 2 = 42.5% skill) to convince [b]Carole Siddons[/b] to let them borrow it: 1 [b]Story[/b]'s Sanity roll (current level 76) for enduring the fourth night of the Blitz: 2 [b]Elizabeth[/b]'s Sanity roll (current level 58) for enduring the fourth night of the Blitz: 3

Anna wanders over to join the others. She overhears Brook, 'Well, there's not much some of us can do about magic!' she says, through tight lips.

'Mrs Cruckshank and the Reverend are at the hospital. I can give them a call. Do we have any leads for stopping Mrs Exeter and her pet?'

"If you mean the Jaegerschreck," said Story, "I have the means to handle it, and anyone can use light to at least keep it at bay. The Father of All Bats isn't her pet. It is an extremely powerful entity, and it no longer has need of her. The dagger may be able to stop it, but at a cost. Otherwise, light is our most powerful weapon. Now that it's daylight, they can't fly around outside. The Jaegerschreck appears to have returned to its dimension, and without the Shining Trapezohedron, they should be unable to summon another one. Stopping the Father of All Bats must be our highest priority, and we need to do it during the day, when it cannot escape."

'And where will it be during the day? Somewhere under the ground, maybe the sewers?' asks Anna.

"My guess would be the warehouse where it fled the night it was summoned," said Story. "The Home Guard had the place surrounded and sealed off, I recall. They couldn't have stopped it from leaving, but they would notice if it did. It may be laying low until it can successfully draw its intended host to it."

“So either Angus or myself then,” groans Eugene. “What do we do? Go to the warehouse and confront it, or wait for the blackout, when it’ll surely come for us.”

"I think we should go after it," said Story. "In daytime, it cannot flee, but at night it can roam London at will. Also, it might not come after you. As I said, it will try to draw you to it. The pull will grow stronger and stronger until it becomes irresistible. It is better that we confront the Father of All Bats before that happens."

“I hate to say it, but you’re right,” sighs Eugene. “Which takes us back to our original problem of getting me and Angus out of here.”

Anna laughs grimly, 'You should have come with me after Mrs Exeter, you'd have been out in a jiffy.'

"They'll never let me leave," said Angus. "The Home Guard gave them very clear orders. I dinna want to go nigh the beastie anyway."

Eugene pats Angus on the shoulder.

“If it is you it’s after, we’ll get to it first. If it’s me, then we’ll save it a journey.”

He turns to Anna.

“If you can get me out, I suppose I’m as ready as I’ll ever be to face the monster.”