Journey to New Europa

Chapter 36, Watching a Nightmare

I am not sure of the spellings of much of the world that we travel through in Falkenstein... so forgive me for the attempts... I tried to log as much as I could and well... I just know stuff is spelled wrong.

This is my first shot at a log... my style, I suspect, is different the eloquence we are used to from the pen of Earl. Bear with me... thanks! ;^)

-Susan

We open with our settling up at the Tavern. We thank Angus for his hospitality and head on back to our inn across Edinburgh.

We stop off at the library to see if anything new or suspicious is in the papers these days and find that nothing of note has transpired.

Robbie, who has been happily chugging away at the ciphers and codes of the Crime League, has managed to finally break the code and has a successful translation of the notes that were usurped via Tom's second sight. The code seems to use first names and some such actions of tasks to be done. There is no certain correlation to current knowledge of affairs but, some of the information may prove quite useful in blackmail, etc. The messages do bespeak of crimes and the like misfortunes.

Robbie thinks that he should make a decoding machine for Holmes to use. He also postulates that he would like to take advantage of the current technology of analytical engines. He does however, need to learn considerably more about Lady Lovelace's machine language. We learn that Lady Lovelace is in residence in London. Robbie thinks going to ask Angus about automation is a good idea.

While speaking to Angus of the current state of automation, and pointing out that his Tavern is a wonderful example of that task, Robbie learns that there are two types of automation.

Machines to do specific purposes, code engines.
Analytical engines, general purpose.

Angus believes that Robbie would need a rather large creation to handle the deciphering of the Crime League code.

Robbie asks who builds the best analytical engines around. Angus offers the obvious that Babbage & Co do certainly make the finest.

But, Angus has a cousin who builds the devices that greatly exceeds the Babbage engine in one important facet... size. Angus' cousin works for the Bayernese government embassy under the auspices of King Ludwig. Such works can be found in Falkenstein, Neuschwanstein, and Kraftholt. The builder goes by the title Rhyme Enginemeister.

Robbie drafts a message to the Bayernese embassy asking about the use of one of these small analytical engines.

As evening falls and our group prepares for sleep, Mithriel glamours up a projection screen for the dream monitor device that is wired up to Kate to see if we can catch the recurring nightmare. Robbie takes the watch for the dream nightmare to come through the monitor as the rest of us bed down.

So the question is... Do we catch a nightmare... Yes!

Robbie signals us that we have activity. We gather around the glamorvision and see the following images disclose themselves from Kate's dreaming mind:

• A craggy landscape is seen in the shrouded grey foggy mists.
• A plaintive cry is heard in a language that is unable to be understood.
• The mist darkens dramatically in one direction as if a shadow is blocking the mist turning from fog to dark cloud.
• The voice, still plaintive cries out more continuously, it is getting fainter yet more troubled. The cry is being smothered by the dark cloud.

Suddenly Kate wakes from the dream and she is startled.

Tom tries to gather facts about Kate's perception of the dream. She believes she understood what the voice was saying, yet the language used was not known to any of us, including Kate.

Tom says he may be able to trace back the voice with a probe... in other homelands. He is quite unsure of whether or not this will work here.

Salimar detects that the voice is "from outside this realm". Very far away somewhere or sometime. Perhaps a visit to our local Acton home is in order to get a grip on some of the folks we left behind in other Faerie realms. We briefly discuss how we found Auberon with the Fast Times but we do not have a pointer back to Vinyagarond... But Morrolan does!

We all go back to sleep for a fresh start in the morning to go see MacLeish.

We get a message from MacLeish in the morning telling us that the prognosis is good. Although the troubles still exist. He does not specify the troubles so we call on him to discuss the latest readings and such.

We head over to the MacLeish estate where Salimar opens the queries asking in what way the "balance feels out of balance".

MacLeish still conveys the line that "Things are getting better but the balance is still our of kilter".

Salimar proposes an analogy and asks if there is still "too much coal in the air" and that perhaps our being here has "triggered" the rains to come and wash some of the dirt from the air.

MacLeish likes this analogy and offers that the Druids have been unable to analyze the problems at hand. Some kind of war is being fought on many fronts. Since we have been involved, there are now some neutral places to be found.

Robbie tells of Kate's nightmare. MacLeish seems to nod and says, "This dream is not unlike the problems we sense."

Salimar presses MacLeish if he knows of any Druids who have been 'lost' or have recently gone missing... perhaps sending out for help.

He does not know off hand but takes much of this in as new information. And holds fast to believing that a great conflict is the problem but whose is still unanswered.

Robbie details our meeting with Father Thomas to MacLeish as well as telling him of the Crime League as well. MacLeish seems willing and interested in confronting the Order of St. Boniface to explore the research on the dream/nightmare angle.

Salimar asks if another "call for the solution" can be made with us in attendance. As last time the Druids did this they got us, so perhaps this time we could get more knowledge of the problems or be given the solution to have to implement. MacLeish is not sure if the call will bring more details to the solution or another storm. He will get back to us in time if anything should develop. We take our leave.

We try to decide about leaving Edinburgh this evening. We stop at the station and make reservations for this evening and for the morning train.

We venture a message to Father Thomas asking if he would be available to help us with Kate's nightmare this evening. If so, we stay the night.

Father Thomas agrees and we make arrangements with Angus to take over the better part of half the rooms in his inn for this evening. Staying out at the Tavern is much more convenient for Father Thomas.

Our rooms are a marvel of Angus' automation skills. We are instructed in the auto-cleaning services, in room meals, and clothing cleaning services available to us. Angus delights in showing Robbie the ropes of the workings of the inn.

We use the reservation cards for dinner to call for food and we also reserve for breakfast while we are at it. Father Thomas arrives, we take supper and describe to the Father about the monitor being successful at tracking the dream signature.

Father Thomas says he can set up a partial ward and make contact with Kate but will be able to keep it on a tether.

Folks set out to bed, Robbie takes the watch and tries to keep Father Thomas entertained and alert enough to keep the ward up and hold onto the tether in Kate's mind.

It is a long night and Father Thomas is to the point of exhaustion, as he is not used to nights without sleep in the abbey.

Do we catch another dream? Yes!

Robbie alerts everyone and Father Thomas scrambles to a more awake attentive state of mind.

With Father Thomas in tow we see... the craggy landscape and the woeful mists are back. We see a small shadowy figure running through the mists. More like scurrying as if a creature. All of a sudden we feel the impending Doom.

Father Thomas snaps in a quick breath, gathers his robes closely about himself and exclaims "Dear Lord!". He musters up full wards and the Doom creature feeling abates for a time. That little voice still mutters and murmurs...

Kate wakes from this dream... not feeling as if she woke from the nightmare at all but completely unable to remember anything.

Father Thomas is babbling and rocking back and forth. Trying to come to grips with what has just transpired. Prayer and incomprehensible blather spill from poor Father Thomas.

Tom puts Kate on the net and relays the events.

Abbot Father Thomas finally speaks after much prayer and close counsel with his spiritual center. He explains that he tried to seek after the one that fled. He was ineffective and cannot tell us more about the dark thing that came. Although he does offer us a definitive statement that what ever it was it was "very mal-aligned" and that its potency and strength caught him much by surprise.

Salimar asks if it was of an hellish nature. The Abbot believes it has infernal influences but, it was not of this world, nor of the spirit world nor of the Faerie realms.

The father suggests we get assistance from a St. Boniface member more specialized in this regard. He will write a letter asking if this other member could help in this matter.

Salimar asks if the Father can trace or divine the nature of the smaller voice. He meditate and then speculates that it may be a fey presence. The bad dark thing may be an 'unholy' from an other worldly place.

The Father believes that fey are inherently good but perhaps not as good as those who can enter a Church or place of God. He makes the speculation that the dark thing must be unholy in that his holy forces seemed to push the dark away for a time.

It has been a grueling evening and we offer Father Thomas rest in one of our rooms for the evening.

In the morning we will be gone because we have a train to catch back to London. So before we call it a night we give the Father both of our London addresses and tell him to contact us with any information that may help in this quest.

We get a good rest and in the morning we take care of all the room bills and make a generous donation to the Abbey. We take breakfast and call some coaches to get us off to the train station.

We are on the brass car of the London morning express out of Edinburgh.