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After his binge with Ossian, Lucas receives the following note, sealed with a thumbprint, in Martin's hand.
The matter we spoke of earlier today is finished. The name of our friend's friend is Eyelet.
I leave the rest of it in your capable hands. Burn this when you are done and scatter the ashes.
The note is unsigned.
Bundled with the note in Martin's hand is a second note, sealed with a swan stamp in purple wax.
When Lucas breaks the seal, he finds a scrawled note on the bottom flap of the folded paper. It was obviously written in a hurry.
Cos --
Apologies. I'd meant to bring this by in person, but we've had a slight change of plans and M [---illegible----] Xanadu approx now. M tells me you are [illegible] odd dreams -- here is one I've had recently. He thought it might mean something.
My love to Solace; I wish her a speedy recovery.
CUNXa--- F
Lucas reads the note with a faint smile, then turns his attention to the contents.
The interior contents of the letter, in contrast, are neatly and elegantly written:
Dream:
I am at sea, on a trading voyage with Martin. A terrible storm arises. I am thrown from the ship and plunge deep into the water. As I fight my way back toward the surface, I see a dark shape hanging motionless in the water a few yards away. I realize it is Martin: he has hit his head and is unconscious. I swim toward him quickly to pull him to the surface; but before I reach him, a huge shape rises from the dark waters below: a man, but much larger, with flowing hair and a fish's tail instead of legs and a strange dark mark beside his eye. He grabs Martin; I know he means to drag him into the depths.
But then he sees me. He does not say anything, just stares at me with those intense eyes. I know what it means, though: he thinks Martin belongs to him. He turns towards the depths and begins swimming away, taking Martin with him.
I scream, long and loud and angry; and though I no longer have any breath left in my lungs, I prepare to pursue, to get Martin back or die trying.
But then a hand grabs me from behind and drags me up to the surface, into a boat. As soon as I catch my breath I see
And then it ends, abruptly, as if the writer were interrupted mid-sentence.
"Hmmm," says Lucas. "Martin being urgent, one would imagine."
Phillippe, who is building a wall out of small painted wooden bricks, looks up at this and makes an answering, querying gurgle.
"No," Lucas says to his son. "No matter. But I'd be interested to know if she shared this vision with him. It clearly harps his fears aright ... but has it fed them?"
In a slightly different tone he adds, "Not the pink next to the orange, Phillippe; it doesn't work."
But Phillippe, already dis-satisfied, has set the pink block down and reached for a blue one. Pleased by the effect, he gurgles again.
"Much better," approves Lucas. "If only Earth were still around ... I think you'd benefit from seeing some Matisse ... "
His son's tastes progressing well, he turns his attention to the letter again. "The call of Rebma?" he says. "I wonder ... what are the seas like ... the seas of Xanadu."
Lucas summons his favourite tobacconist to take another order - clearly, concern about Solace is increasing his tobacco intake.
But the order for nicotine at least is cursory. The saturnine Prudenter seems to sense this, settling his glasses more firmly on his long nose. They wink in the candlelight; the hour is late now.
"And my Lord has further orders?" he asks softly. Is there an underlying pleasure in his voice, a hint of voluptuous anticipation?
Lucas smiles faintly.
"How well you know me, Prudenter. Yes ... there is more.
"A woman named Eyelet. I need to know about her. All you can discover. You see, Prudenter, she has an appointment at the House of Sorrows."
A beat. A still pause in the hushed room, where only the fire splutters as a log cracks wide.
"As you please, my Lord."
"As I please," agrees Lucas. "And ... ah ... in an amiable frame of mind, I think."
Prudenter smiles - a thin-lipped smile that is very remote from humour.
"The nightmares," says Lucas. "You will, of course, pay particular attention to those."
"Of course, my Lord."
It takes several days to come up with the required information. But, as Lucas knows, there is more to be done to find out about a woman's inmost secrets than there is to find out the name of a stablehand who has run too many errands into the city.
[How does Lucas propose to have Eyelet brought to the House of Sorrows?]
[OOC - he would leave that to Prudenter to arrange. He expects that it will be done with complete discretion; depending on her situation, there might be an outcry at her disappearance, OR she might be removed without comment. But no-one will see when she goes, or where she goes, or how she goes.
And once there, she will be kept for several days anyway before Lucas appears to speak with her. Things will happen during those days which need not be drearily detailed - the techniques are, alas, all too well known. But in the rare intervals she is permitted to snatch a few minutes of sleep .. that will be a good time for nightmares.]
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XXVII: Spirit Walking and Trump Reading | Index | XIX: Seeing Things in Black and White
