| Don | Benjamin Steele | Former airship steel mage, now enlivening the Naysmith machine. |
| Barry | Arvy Penrington | Avaricious ex-military man "out of Africa". |
| Marian | Voronika Costorari | Lovely gypsy bargainer; seer of spirits. |
| Will | Maxwell Ramsey | Egyptologist and sharp-shooter. |
| Sunny | Andrew Forester | Graduate student, radiologist, chemist, photographer, and tutor. |
| Mike | Mortimer Homme | Forester's Cambridge roommate; walking dead man. |
| Sheryl | Sister Sunshine | Lame druidess-healer, companion to the Tibetan pony Lungta. |
| NPC | Lungta | Pony avatar of Annapurna, Mountain of Life. An Old One. |
| NPC | George McGregor | Surveyor for Prof. Challenger; admirer of Miss Costorari. |
Synopsis:
A series of murders related to the Katabet Tomb mummy’s curse is ruining the career of Mr. Ramsey’s uncle, an airship captain who brought to Anglia from the tomb a peculiar mechanical scarab with a Swiss makers mark. Penrington captures the Times reporter Travis as a possible culprit. Even closer to “home”, Mr. Forester’s new roommate is viciously disemboweled by something unknown but brought back to a semblance of life by Lungta. The mysterious visitor Mr. J.A. Smutts (of the triangle-eye symbol and the plain ring) introduces the concepts of Nosophorous, the plague carrier, once known as Katabet, and the possible counters of the long-lived Count de Saint-Germain and the Dagger of Tihuta (the latter believed to be en route to the Ottoman sultan) The Party now believes Travis is an insane agent of Nosophorous, “the Master.”
Lord Truro engages Miss Costorari and party to obtain surviving manuscripts from the ancient Library of Alexandria; his accountant seems to have draconian and mystic means of tracking expenses.
Following St-Germain to Vienna, Our Heroes meet an imposter and learn of the Ordo Illuminatus. Our Heroes attend a symphony performance and follow the rich industrialist Karl Kellner to a magic portal under the stage where a mysterious woman, Lady Kira, interested in starting a world war, has them attacked. Major Lasher – whom the Party believes is THE St.-Germain – arrives to close the portal, rescue Kellner, and provide some explanations, particularly that OUR plague carrier is Katabe of Arcadia, the “King Arthur” of his kind (the nosferatu), and can only be destroyed by himself. Mr. Homme contains a piece of the Plague Carrier. He can be kept at bay by someone wielding a weapon of Honour and Valor or heaven-sent. Our Heroes venture into the sewers of Vienna and bring forth such a weapon once wielded by a Teutonic Knight against invading Turks: a shovel.
(The “plain ring” has been seen on Smutts, Homme’s uncle Detective Gregson, Druid Woodward, and a painting of an early Eckrenford baron associated with St-Germain. It seems to have some association with the Tibetan “White Lodge”.)
Buda, Hungary. Late Spring.
Morty spoke to Mr. Ramsey, “Probably you should wire your uncle to tell him that it was the mummy’s curse.”
Voronika spoke to Mort, “And you should tell your uncle. Perhaps he can help Captain Ramsey to get his job back.”
Mr. Ramsey answered with regret, “It would only be for my uncle’s peace of mind. Detective Gregson still could not help my uncle; there is no proof yet.”
Our Heroes drew two conclusions:
Mention of that name on the voyage down the Danube elicited from one fellow passenger the comment, “Tihuta is a restaurant on the Rosenplazan in Buda.” Thus Our Heroes disembarked in Buda. Its twin city of Pesh held the higher ground on the other side of the river. Buda itself had two hills crowned with castles. Much of the city was, however, slums.
The group found reasonable lodging near the river and set out to find Restaurant Tihuta – to no avail. Penrington then resorted to his knowledge of the streets to find a gypsy restaurant in the area. He was told, “Yes, but it would be dangerous for the likes of you.” It was in one of the slums. Voronika and McGregor “dressed down” to pay the place a visit in the midday. She’d noticed that girls and married women in the area wore head scarves. Although of an age to do without, Our Gypsy chose to wear a scarf. Voronika took the precaution of wrapping her sword. (Only military carry swords as part of regular dress.) In the restaurant, Voronika asked about her clan and received suspicious looks. Apparently the Mensch do not know any Romanichal (British Roma). Most of these Mensch spoke German, not Romani.
Shopping in the area, the two adventurers noticed that all jewelry sold was of copper or gold.
Voronika: “Why no silver?”
Shopkeeper: “Silver can be found in the cutlery shops with Hungarian craftsmen.”
Voronika: “Is copper mined locally?”
Shopkeeper: “Oh, yes, in the mountains.”
Penrington was unimpressed by stories told by sports fishermen: the Danube offered no dangers.
The locals hunt boar in the forest on the Transylvanian plateau to the east. The mountains are dangerous due to wolves. The plateau is ‘civilized’ by Romanian standards. The coach services have lists of places to which they travel in that direction, but no maps.
“This is the home of legends,” Penrington was told, so he encouraged ghost stories. Some one mentioned that little people come out of the ground. A story was told that two years ago, green people descended in a bright light from heaven and stole half a village. In return, Penrington told a story of cannibals in Africa. However the audience went quiet; there seemed to be something about cannibalism that touched a note close to home.
Conversation started up albeit quietly. Across the room, Voronika thought she heard accented “old language.” She rose and walked over to a table in that vicinity; they shut up and stared at her. In Romani, she said, “It’s been some time since I’ve spoken with my own kind.” The gypsy introduced herself; one man nodded perplexed. An old woman came to Voronika’s side and said, “You have some of the sight. Why are you here?”
Voronika: “Grandmother, we are traveling in search of something.”
Old Woman: “The scent of Death follows you.”
Voronika: “It is part and parcel of our travels, unfortunately. May we sit and talk?”
Old Woman” “No, I’m afraid not.” She disappeared.
Voronika looked at the staring men. “Sometimes having the sight is really unpleasant.” Three of the five men made the sign to ward off the evil eye. [The others clearly did not understand Romani.]
Meanwhile, a woman with loose hair descended the stairs and came over to Our Heroes’ table, looking at each of the men in turn. Mort tried to make conversation with her, but it became clear that she thought there was only one reason gadje men would come to such a place. As Voronika returned, he asked, “How did that go?” Our gypsy replied, “Not well at all.”
An old man came around the bar and stared at Voronika thru rheumy eyes, “Are you the daughter of <her grandfather>?”
Voronika: “My grandfather.” She whispered to Mort, “Do you see him?” The dead man shook his head and she then continued the first conversation, “He has passed on.”
Old Man: “I’m sorry to hear that. Passed away in some young girl’s bed?”
Voronika: “Grandmother said he died peacefully in bed. She too has also passed on.”
Old Man: “I’m sorry to hear that. Did he marry her?”
Voronika gave a synopsis of her family history and added, “Will you tell me your name?”
The Old Man gave her his name and disappeared.
Mort: “Are you going through a lot of ghosts?”
Voronika: “A couple.”
Voronika bribed the barkeep with about the price of two meals. She learned that that he had never been East and, if it was information from there she wanted, she should speak with the Kalderash. His people were Mensch, from Germany, which tribe she knew as Sinti. Eventually she realized that he used the Romanian term Tsigani for Roma/ gypsy; that the local Romanichal (British Roma) lived on the south side of town; that the Kalderash could be found “here and there.”
His opinions of the Kalderash were: “They are not real gypsies. The charge too much for what they make. They are tinkers, smiths working in copper and gold. They wander the lands to the east. They are creepy.”
As the party left, they were aware that many eyes were evaluating their state of drunkenness and considering their vulnerability.
Voronika: The tribe co-operating with the Plague Carrier would be the Kalderash.”
Mort: “Why do you think so?”
Voronika: “Their creepy feeling. They wander East. They only work with copper and gold; no silver.”
Penrington checked the coach service schedules. No Tihuta on the stop-over lists.
Voronika and McGregor visited a Kalderash workshop. There were several covered wagons in its courtyard and the main entrance was barred by a bouncer who spoke to them through a grating. He clearly did not trust Romanichal, wouldn’t grant admittance, and claimed no familiarity with the term “Tihuta.” Voronika did not believe him. The conversation became more laboured. Suddenly McGregor grabbed her elbow, “Run!” Three burly gypsies had rounded the corner, ready for “business”. The two Anglish left hurriedly. McGregor growled, “Those are not pleasant people.”
Introductions found Prof. Vambery identifying Steele as “A golem. From northern legends. You still have him under control? It is very bad when they go mad and start slaughtering.” Steele, who does not understand German, simply bowed.
Forester asked about Peter Straub. He’s told to go to Cologne for the full story of a wolf eating children. The professor said, “There are still werewolves about. Every full moon they go mad and hunt humans. The have human intelligence and more cunning, and they are stronger as well. If they are caught in human form, they can be dismembered and burned. When they are in wolf form, use a crossbow. I recommend silver-tipped bolts. Some of my students experimented with silver bullets in a rifle, but something in the heat generated in firing, damages the silver such that it is not effective.”
Forester: “Who was that student? May we talk to him?”
Vambery: “He’s out hunting now. His name is Dr. Van Helsing.”
Mort: “How does the curse work?”
Vambery: “In popular legend, one bite from a werewolf causes the victim to become a were. That is not so. If, in human form, a werewolf has relations with a woman, their children are were. That is somehow more difficult for people to accept.”
Mort: “Didn’t I hear something about three bites? No…”
Vambery: “Three bites, yes, if by a vampyr. That is Hungarian for nosferatu. But a vampyr only uses those three bites if he wishes to transfer the plague. The vampyrs are Lords of the Carpathians. She,” he nodded at the painting on his wall, “was the most famous. Countess Elisabeth Bathory.”
Forester, recognizing the name: “She bathed in her victim’s blood, didn’t she?”
Vambery: “Ah yes. I see you know some history. In 1614 she was brought to an end.”
Forester: “How was she killed?”
Vambery: “She was captured and imprisoned. If imprisoned, they go mad and kill themselves. But I have heard a legend of one who was imprisoned and would return to his home upon release.”
Mort, drily: “He was released earlier this year.”
Vambery: “That’s very bad. Where?”
Forester: “Egypt.”
Vambery: “Of course. Several thousand years ago, the Egyptians were the only ones who could imprison a vampyr for so long. I understand that his ancestral home is a pass in the Carpathians now called Borgo.”
Mort: “Tihuta?”
Vambery: “Yes, that was its name long ago. The Castle of Tihuta fell into ruin and a new castle Borgo was built, outside the city of Bistritz. Rumania used to be a hot bed for the plague carriers, but none has been seen there in many years.”
Mort: “Is that a territorial thing?”
Vambery: “The nosferatu are known to be vicious territorial creatures. They like complete command.”
Forester: “Does that command include werewolves?”
Vambery: “They have a way to speak with werewolves. It is not control, but the weres are amenable.”
Mort: “You did not mention gypsies.”
Vambery: “I collected most of the legends from gypsies.”
Mort: “A tribe enthralled?”
Vambery: “All sorts of bad traits are ascribed to gypsies by peasants.”
Mort: “How can we enlist the aid of other vampyrs against Katabe?”
Vambery: “Did I miss something? Are you going to fight Katabe?”
Mort: “I’m going to kill him.”
After that, the group had to take some time to convince the professor that he was not being made fun of by a student prank. During this time, all three notice a small painting – one panel of a triptych – of a familiar face: Major Lasher. Mort asked the professor to open the triptych and show them the rest: one panel featured a man wearing a surcote featuring the Maltese cross; the other panel, a regal woman wearing a small crown.
Vambery: “This piece is rather controversial. Those are Frances Recosi II and his wife. This” indicating the familiar face, “is not their acknowledged son. It was painted in the late 1600s.”
Mort: “How do they fit into myths and legends?”
Vambery: “The story of the immortal princeling who shows up time and again is a persistent legend.”
Mort proceeded to tell the professor the story of St-Germain.
Vambery: “You have seen his tomb? Then he proved not so immortal after all.”
Mort: “He is not going by that name any more.”
Forester, trying to head off any further revelations: “Why are there rumours of an immortal?”
Vambery: “There are simply lots of tales.”
Mort: “What do the tales suggest for werewolves?”
Vambery: “The locals believe in garlic. But crossbows have proved effective. The finest crossbows are made in Switzerland.”
Our adventures took their farewells.
Vambery: “Have a good time storming the castle.”
The gentlemen take a side trip to Ye Olde Curiousity Shoppe, hoping to find a crossbow, there not being time in the schedule to order some from Switzerland. Instead, Forester found a toy mechanical horse with a play setting that included a miniature gazebo. He purchased the toy, intending to give it to Sister Sunshine.
A few sight-seeing forays were also made. There were the ruins of a Roman amphitheatre north of town, “bigger than the Coliseum in Rome”.
After two days of that week had passed, Sister Sunshine and Mort were able to get another location fix on the Plague Carrier: due SE. Towards the weekend, the direction started moving north.
Mort’s bearing continued to move NE and was, he felt, definitely closer than it had been in Budapest.
Bistritz was in a narrow valley whose mountain walls looked to have various places which might be passes.
Mort realized that he had not “felt” his watcher in several days.
Nonetheless, the record from Lord Truro’s accountant continued to arrive on schedule every other day.
Next Run: Count Borgo
(a) Cumulative (b) Cumulative since Volume II (c) Cumulative since Volume III
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