Debutante 1800’s
Renfield sat at his desk in his tiny room next to the kitchen of the “
“You see dear students, at first we peel of some of the external layer and make a small cut around the…Yes, mr. Pettibone?”
“Correct me if I’m wrong professor but if I peel the skin, oh let me just demonstrate, like this, won’t I…”
“No! No! No! Sit down Pettibone! “
I said sit! Ugh… great, you’ve just killed the cadaver, aren’t you proud of yourself Horace?”
The student stood in an awkward silence trying to hide his head in his arms, as if he was a tortoise.
“Well this is all for today, remember, do your exercise at all time, think about the lectures and don’t cut nervous dexteri for the sake of science! Class dismissed”
Professor Legginson sat down at his desk while Renfield entered the class room.
“What is it Thomas, I don’t have time for the likes of you.”
‘Ehh, his on to me again.
“Could you please tell me where can I find Doctor Gladstone, he is not in his office.
“Doctor Gladstone is in the lower library of the Academy, feel free to bother him as you bothered me.”
“Umm, thank you professor”
“Off you go.”
Thomas left the class room and went down the corridor and stares to the lower library. Little did they know that Doctor Gladstone has discovered something of vital importance, although he just saw the peak of a mountain…
“Ahhh! Renfiled! Good that you’re here, come, come, quick!” He whispered.
“Doctor I apologize for my late entrance, it was due to…”
“Shuush boy! Not a word, just take a look” Thomas took a quick peak.
“It’s the 9th edition of the Stellar Astrologer”
“Yes! And…!!!”
“And?”
“And!” Thomas took a deep breath.
“Dear doctor I seem to fail to see your point”
“Well just take a closer look, anything special you see??”
“… the dates might be mistyped but other than that hm,..” suddenly and out of the blue, Renfield started seeing the mark of Providence to blur and fade in and out of the picture. “Oh…”
“Ha! You see it do you?!”
“I… is this a trick? A kind of special paper maybe?
“Bah! My boy! Its purest out of the purest!” Doctor started babbling again and poor Renfield felt that its going to take ages to get something useful out of him.
“Ok Doctor, I presume it has something to do with… “
“With the
“Yes” “But Doctor, there is no known to man magick in this universe since the gone of the Fourth Stone of Abdel Sunt, we all know it, and it happened millennia ago.”
“That’s what I’m trying to refute! The magick was not gone with the Fourth Stone of Abdel Sunt. Although indeed it has weakened, it has gone underground, disappeared from the site of the human beings for millennia’s but no, not gone. The secret orders kept it for them selves”. ‘Is this a joke…?’ thought Thomas
“Alright, I assume that there is something more to it but please…”
“Oh shush you! You think I’m crazy” ‘If only’ thought Renfield and smirked.
“I will show you the full potential of this magazine! Come, we must leave”
They left and went to the labs.
“Here, see?” “What is…??” In the lab there stood a sturdy looking, heavy contraption with an humongous nozzle, strings, wires and bolts, cogs and levers and tanks… and much, much more.
“H-how did you…??”
“Wha-wh-what is this hellish contraption?”
“You say you don’t like it?”
“No! I love it! Its, beautiful!”
“Ha, ha, come boy, you will learn to see the true nature”
“When did you built it?”
“After work, it took me a year and a half but I finaly made it. All I needed was this issue of the magazine”
“Turn it on, I want to try it”
“Ho, ho, ho, but you don’t know what it does yet, do you?”
“What does it do?”
“It creates pure essence of magic from the source that is…”
“That is…??” “Anthracite!”
“What? Incredible! Are you sure it works?”
“Well, not yet, not in full, but very close, and this magazine will help me fullfil its purpose!” “Alright, lets give it a go”
Doctor smiled “Sure, You can give it a try, but be warned its not fully tested”
“I’ll be alright…” Gladstone started pulling levers and pulling strings, the big machine started moaning and finally the big cog behind it started to move faster and faster. After a while they saw the sparks and suddenly a loud blow with a static discharge. A small vortex opened for a short time of a blink of the eye”
“Tremendous!”
“I told you it works!”
“Doctor I need to…”
“Now, now, lets not be hasty, you go now and take care of what you need to I’ll tinker with my machine until its time to show it in public. Science my dear friend, was never so close to…” Suddenly an explosion thrown them to the ground! They slide across the room, the smokes burnt the nostrils and blinded Renfield. With a heavy pain in the back and lungs. The dust started fading and Renfield noticed a group of five man dragging Doctor Gladstone away. His head was hurting, his vision was cross eyed, and this high pitched sound in his ears was giving him a real painful migraine, he couldn’t get up but suddenly he felt as some force would guide him, he jumped and punched one of the attackers. The man in a black leather suit, with a breathing mask on his face and a helmet turned around and sprayed some liquid in Renfield’s eyes. It made them burn.
‘Arrrrghh…” moaned Thomas. The bandits ran off in the sound of policeman whistles, and screams of innocents. Thomas felt very nauseous he vomited and fainted…
… ‘Thom, Thom,… are you alright?” He woke up with a wee headache.
“Goodness Gracious Thom, I thought you will never wake up.” The young woman kneeled close to Renfield.
“Emma”
“Oh Thom,… they took him.” At first he was confused, but slowly memory was coming back. “I, I know, remember, it was men in…”
“Easy Thomas, I found you here lying on the floor, in your own vomit. What happened?” Renfield got up feeling a disturbing sensation in his stomach and head.
“I, I think. I don’t know. They had masks and black leather suits.” Emma sat on the chair, “Professor White called the doctor, I think you should sit down. Its better for you in this condition. He shrugged and rubbed his neck
“Never mind that.” He said “I can cope with it”.
“Poor Fillias, they took him, why? Its not like he had enemies.”
“I think this” he motioned towards the machine “Is the reason”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know, he wouldn’t tell me. Ahhh my memory, for the Blood of Christ!”
“Relax, I’ll get you some coffee”
“No need”. Emma caressed her copper red colored hair. “I wish there was something we could do about it…”
“There is.” They looked towards the door.
“And you sir are?”
“sir Artemis O’Flannery, at your service” He entered the laboratory with light step and hasty move.
“No time to waste, the Evil Genius is at large, and we must stop his hellish plot before its too late!”
“Wh-why? I mean how? Where? What?”
Artemis sighed “No time, boy! Action! We need action!”
“Of course, but first, who are you, I mean, we don’t know you. Except your name of course.” “Ah this I will tell you when we get out of here. I managed to stop sergeant Buntree but he won’t hesitate any longer, now, move!” And they left the laboratory and the university campus.
…“Tell me Mikail, what difference does it make? I die – you win. You die – I lose. Its always the same.
“Mrhrhrmrhrhh…”
“Yesss Mikail, you sleep, you need rest, before I make you do those things to them… that I planned. Rest my son. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!”…
“As I said, my name is Artemis, and I am here under the jurisdiction of The Blue Shift. We are a law enforcement group. We are funded by an anonymous group of ‘Tall man’ you don’t need to know more. And nor shall I tell you. Here. Take this Thom.” He gave him a Flintlock pistol.”
“A…a…I don’t know how to use this.”
“Easy, aim – shoot. Childs play”
“What about Emma?”
“She’s going with us”
“Wha-?!”
“I agree with mister O’Flannery”
“Thank you dear.” He smiled.
“We need to get ready, now, I will tell you the plan, oh, of course, here Emma, you need protection to.” He gave her a rifle
“Do you know how to use this?”
“Well… my uncle did take me hunting…”
“…” Renfield was shocked
“You never told me!?”
“Hm, since you never asked.”
“A Debutante! And guns!”
“Oh shush. Listen to Artemis. Besides, if you want to have the job done…”
“Alright kids, ease on down. Like I said, we got job to do, and we will create a diversion.” He showed them the map of a small camp near the woods.
“Here, see this? This is the hill where Emma will camp and give us protection from those ill rotten bastards,… pardon me my language miss.”
“Of course” “And here, you Thom, and me, with a little help from my friends living in these woods, we will go in at noon, that is exactly in 28 minutes from now. Are you ready boy?”
“I seem not to have no other option.” “
Good lad! Ok, lets get ready, Emma, you’ve got the needed ammunition so I leave you here, in any case that you somehow are discovered, blow this whistle.” She took the whistle from his hand.
“Lets roll!”
Lance was eating. Lance never liked canned food, but what else could be there to eat? In travel especially. So he ate. When he peeked at the horizon, he noticed one… no, two shady characters. He got up and pulled out his springcoil pistol.
‘Maybe I should alert the guys?’ he thought
‘Nah, its probably some peons, coming home from work.’
“You there!” He shouted” “Stop this instance!”
“What seems to be the problem sir?”
“Who are you and what are you doing here?”
“Why we are coming back from the rail station.”
‘Just as I thought, heh’ he smiled.
“Well than be on your way, you have no business in here”
“Thank you.” In a nick of time O’Flannery hit the guard in the Adams Apple. “Grrhzzzzhrhr…” He choked trying to catch breath, his eyes were red and full of tears. Suddenly someone from around the tents came out.
“Ambush!” Yelled the newcomer.
“Shoot boy!” Sprawling from the tents were man in a number of 16 all armed with springcoil pistols. And than a loud thunder shook the trees in range, and one of them fell. ‘Emma!’ thought Renfield. And as if charmed, shadows from the woods, attacked the black leather suited ruffians.”
“We got them!”
Where is Gladstone, was the question, the bandits were there alone, Doctor was long gone taken by a black coach, that much Artemis could get by interrogating one of those men.
‘It is vital, we still have chance, and hope to find him’
“Artemis.”
“Hm?”
“They won’t kill him. They wouldn’t kidnap him in the first place” said Emma.
“Of course, you are right deary” he smiled warmly. What to do, what to do…
Mikail… it is time, time for you to move into our little game. Be ready. Now.
The train to Darlington was well kempt and still in good condition.
“I know a man. He will get us anywhere we please. He owes me still since the British Zulu War. A good lad. A bit hectic I would say.” They arrived under the door of Joshua Kent’s house.
“Yes! Yes! I’m coming, hold your horses!”
“What is i… oh no… no, NO, NO, NO!!!”
“Uhh, Josh…”
“Ha, ha! You the Devil!” he chuckled
“Come in, and who is this? Your offspring?”
“Well not exactly.”
“Come on in, make yourself comfortable!”
“Josh. I need a favor”
His smile died “Oh” “What is it, cause I am now a happily married man, I can’t go ‘Jumbo’ anymore.”
“Hmm, maybe one last time, for the good old times sake?”
“Depends. What do you want me to do?”
“We need to get to Posen.”
“Ah, hmm, well I guess I could deliver you there and save my hide before anything bad happens.”
“That’s all I ask”
“Well Posen than. Any exact location?”
“Konigsberg”
“Alright guys, buckle up, we’re going for a ride.”
“Yeeeeehaaa!!” The aircraft flew thru the air into the blue sky…
“Run!” The timer was set, no sooner that Renfield returned the dynamite blew up and opened the door to the bunker. At the sides the bodies of Posen troops were lying with holes in their uniforms, covered in thick dark blood. “This automaton gun is terrific”
“A gift from a friend”
“Move! Fall in!” more troops coming out the door fell under the fire of the automaton gun. “Ok I shall say, lets go in Thomas, you take group A I’ll take group B.
“Right. After me gentlemen!”
The fight towards the main chamber of the bunker took half an hour in which many have fallen to be the grave yard worms lunch. Finally at the main door”
“Open up!” the door shrieked and opened. They went inside and saw Doctor Gladstone sitting at the desk, with his hands chained to the chair, he was in fever.
“They drugged him.”
“Roooaaarrrrr!!!”
“What the Saint Mary…??!!” Mikail was standing in front of the door, a heavily muscled, yet with no pulse and blind eyed body of once something called a human being, with claws and teeth that could chop thru a bone.
“Let me handle this” said Artemis. He took an aim from an automaton gun, and drew a burst fire. The monster charged at him, knocking him down to the floor.
“Artemis!” “Thomas has for the first time felt, that he needs to act quick. He looked around and noticed a dead body of a Posen troop with a flamethrower. Without a second of thought he picked it up and ran towards the monster holding O’Flannery in his paws.
“Eat this!”
He shouted and pulled the trigger. The monster Growled and started running around in pain but holding Artemis close in his hand.
“Oh no!”
The scorching bodies fell to the ground. The Doctor was saved. Artemis gave his life, without a word, not thinking of himself. Just like that. And than there was only one thing that made it easier for Renfield. It was his Debutante. The woman he loved, the woman he could relate to in the darkest hour. But now he felt pain and sorrow that didn’t let him speak about those things, things of pleasant.
Epilogue
In the dark room sitting on the floor was a middle aged man playing with little rag dolls.
“I told you Mikail, that we will get what we need”
“Yes… we will get what we need…ha,…ha, ha… ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha!!!”
End
Note from the author: This is what I have come up with so far, no comment on the story, I don't want to imply anything to you, what you see is what there is and there is no point in retelling the story in the 'shovel-to-brain' manner. All I can add is that we sometimes need to sacrifice things for the general good of the whole, it leaving us with an empty gaze and a blur in the mind. Next story will be published as soon as its finished soooo: 'when its done!'
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