The Diary of Raoul Grincheux

Part 39

In which our heroes rescue another adventurer, Lord Brantifax gets his just desserts and other ghosts are freed…

Wildday, Deathweek, Seaseason, 613 – late afternoon

Az the ravens iz circlin’ down, the toffs decide we camp this side ov the river, where it ain’t so shadowy. They reckon we wonts to do wot needs doin’ at the ‘ouse in daylite an’ I’z an ‘appy rat.

We sets three wotches an’ I’z on the midnite wotch wiv Sieur Alphonse an’ Venique but when Lady Samal, Sieur Thomas an’ Groka wakes us up they sez sumwun ‘az cast Sunbrite up at the lodge, wot’s a Heliot roonspell, an’ now they ‘ears sumwun gallopin’ down the road.

I can ‘ear the gallopin’ change az the ‘orse hits the far end ov the bridj so I crouches down at this end where the wall ov the bridj can ‘ide me from the rider but Sieur Alphonse iz ded brave an’ stands in the road wiv a torch yellin’ for ‘im to stop – ded commandin’ he iz, Sieur Alphonse iz good at this.

I’z bout to jump the rider from the side when he sez in Helionic, “Omigawd! I’z so glad to see yer!” Sounds like he’z wun ov us an’ inna torchlite I sees he’s wearin’ livry (that’s wot they calls cloves toffs giv they’z flunkies wiv the toff’s shield on). I reckon I’z seen it before in Heliopolis, the de Barbaque famly ain’t that rich (well they’z toffs so they iz rich but not all that rich, know what I mean?) but the word onna street iz they’z reel loyal to the Sun King. Turns out they’z rellies ov Sieur Alphonse parrently.

Turns out the rider’s called Seth an’ his lord’s bin downed by the Abbot an’ anuvver flunky called Jethro iz also hurt. Seth begs the toffs to ‘elp so we wakes the last wotch (Eliza, Spathi, Blen an’ the uvver ravens) an’ gets the chariots an’ cart ‘arnessd. (The ravens an’ Blen iz gonna ride the cart wot I’z drivin’, Sieur Alphonse an’ Sieur Thomas iz drivin’ they’z chariots an’ evrywun else iz ridin’.)

Az we’z all ridin’ for the lodge, Seth tells us Henri de Barbaque came norf from Godsport for a bit ov venturin’ an’ when he ‘eard ov that pome in the Sophia Sundome he worked it all out an’ came for a looksee ‘cos he’z after the Trezhur ov corss.

He sent Jethro an’ Seth for a looksee but sudden-like the cortyard got all lit up from the Sunbrite an’ they ‘eard clangin’, ‘owlin an’ screamin’. They got back to find Lord Henri battlin’ the Abbot wiv a bunch of dogs (so he’z got more than just the two Spathi killed) but the Abbot dint like the Sunbrite an’ cleared off but Lord Henri fell down.

While I’z hearin’ this I’z drivin’ reel ‘ard to keep up wiv the chariots but sum ov the riders iz fallin’ back. When we gets to the gate there’z two torches stuck in the ground outside but when Seth yells anuvver flunky inna same livry cums out – turns out this iz Jethro an’ he sez hiz lordship’s in a bad way.

We finds a lite chariot inna cortyard wiv wun ‘orse ded in the traces an’ me nose smells blud on the ground – an’ sumfink else wot worrits me. There’z also a burnt bush but you gets that when a Heliot toff’s bin inna blarny.

We finds Lord Henri slumpd gainst a wall inna carrij ‘ouse, wearin’ bronze. Sieur Alphonse sez I shood take a look at ‘im. I can see he’z bin hacked bout a bit wiv sevral wounds – wun from a club, I reckon, an’ sum nasty dogbites…

Oh-oh! That’s wot I smelld out in the cortyard. I remembers the Abbot’s ghool-dogs from two weeks ago so I ‘az a sniff an’ me nose reckons Lord Henri’s cort ghoolishness! Now I reckon I cood rustle up a poltiss in an’ hour mebbe but we got a shaman wot can do that layin’ on ‘ands fing, like a King Rat priest. So Madrina gets out a drum an’ shamany kit an’ gets to work.

Turns out the uvver ‘orse from the chariot iz also hurt - it’z bin bit too but lucky it ain’t got ghoolishness. I binds up a nasty slash on its side an’ Sieur Thomas givs it sum Zenohealin’ wiv Power from Jethro, Seth an’ Lady Samal.

Seth tells us bout the battle annit looks like he got Frited by the Abbot, like Sieur Thomas an’ Sieur Alphonse, but it din’t kill him.

Madrina duz her bit an’ this horrid black fing cums out ov Lord Henri an’ she sendz it packin’, so he’s alrite.

Lord Henri sez he’d bin let go from the army in Godsport an’ came norf for a bit ov venturin’. Hiz dad sent Jethro an’ Seth to look after ‘im. Az well az ‘em, Lord Henri adda skwire called Jacques but he’z gon missin’ an’ he’z worrit the Abbot mite ‘av got ‘im.

So we goes out for a looksee (anna sniff, ov corss). We works out Lord Henri fort in hiz chariot – must ‘av bin doin’ reel short charges, but when the ‘orse got killd he stayed in his chariot until the Abbot went back frew the hedj.

Me nose an’ the tracks find small feet goin’ from the chariot to the front door ov the ‘ouse, wot’s open. In the lobby we sees the cellar door’z shut but the hall door iz open. Sumwun sez they can ‘ear singin’!

Blen sez there aint no unded in the ‘ouse so me nose leads the way. Seth cums wiv us an’ so duz Madrina an’ two ravens. Me nose sez he ran up the stairs an’ frew the parler an’ up the stairs to the nursry. Az we goes up we ‘ears a yung bloke singin’ nursry rimes an’ we finds this lad dressd like a Heliot sittin’ onna floor an’ playin’ wiv dolls!

Hearin’ us cum up the stairs he turns an’ sez, “Az you cum to play a game? Az you seen mummy an’ daddy?” Oops! I’z in a Spirit cult an’ I reckons yung Jacques iz possessd by that little girl, Sylphine.

So Sieur Thomas chats to her… him… wotever while the toffs let the shaman frew. He asks if she’z gonna let Jacques go but she sez she likes bein’ live an’ Sieur Thomas agrees wiv her.

So Madrina sez she can sort this but for now she dunt reckon Jacques in daynjer so she dunt wont to get ‘eavy wiv Sylphine. Madrina wonts to move all the spirits long. She talks to the littl girl in Spiritspeech an’ I’z ded proud I can follow her az she gets Sylphine to cum look at the ‘orses an’ mebbe leave the boy.

So we all goes back to the carrij ‘ouse where the toffs sez we waits for dawn to deal wiv Lord Brantifax down the well. Jacques iz still playin’ wiv dols an’ we can see ‘im sittin’ kinda crooked an’ Madrina finks that’s ‘cos Sylphine woz bent in the spine when she woz livin’.

Sum ov us gets a bit ov kip an’ Jethro’s getting’ sweet on Eliza but we’z all up for dawn to see Helios Sunspear the uvver side of the hedj again – it’s takin’ a lot ov punishment, if you asks me.

Godsday, Deathweek, Seaseason, 613

Spite the Sunspear, dawn iz a bit cloudy an’ chilly, looks like rain. But Eliza reckons it shood be ded nice inna few dayz. I reckon she’s bin spired by the Sunspear ‘cos she cooks up a crackin’ brekfust! Yung Jacques ‘az two helpins ‘cos Sylphine iz ded ‘ungry ‘cos she ain’t tasted no food in sixty years!

Lord Henri iz much better but he’z a bit unshaw why a pair ov Heliot toffs azza rat an’ raven for ‘ealers but he’z ded grateful all the same. He dunt seem to know Sieur Alphonse izza rellie but Sieur Alphonse puts him rite. Lord Henri seems a bit ov a wet blanket to me but he wonts to stay an’ fite the Darkness.

Sieur Alphonse asks wot he knows bout hiz famly ‘istry an’ it’s not a lot. His mum used to sing a song but he can’t remember the words. He knows the Abbot must be from old Hrum Abbey.

So Sieur Thomas sez it’z time to go down to the well. Spathi haz the shackls but he finks sumwun else shood use ‘em to cast the Free Ghost wot’s got more Power. So Madrina sez she can get wun ov her spirits to soften Lord Brantifax up so the spell shood work an’ Sieur Thomas sez he’z game for castin’ the spell, wot means he’z gotta climb down inside the well!

Two ravens stay wiv Jacques an’ the ‘orses an’ the rest ovvus heds down the cellar – it’z a bit cramped but wiv all our torches an’ lanterns it’s ded brite. We can all ‘ear Lord Brantifax mutterin’, “Where’z Bron? Where are you, boy?” an’ “I can’t get out!” In the tower basemint we sees the bottom rows ov stones iz bigger an’ blacker an’ got scratchin’s – sum ov ‘em scratchins look like tentikles! They reminds me a bit ov the stones ov Yrum from last Fireseason.

So Madrina whistles up a big black bird spirit wot flies down the well an’ gives Lord Brantifax a good seein’ to. She casts Spiritsite on Sieur Thomas so he can see wot’s goin’ on. I get a weerd feelin’ like I can almost see it meself an’ then that Beaver spirit sez it woz him wot pushed Lord Brantifax down the well! Good on yer, mate!

When Sieur Thomas reckons Lord Brantifax iz beat up enuff he casts the spell an’ we all ‘ears a voice say, “You’z nicked!” Then Lord Brantifax screams “No…!” wot trails off like he’z goin’ a long way away. Then the bird spirit flies out an’ sudden-like we can all see down the well.

Lady Samal detects sumfink majik in the water at the bottom. She also sez there’z still spirits inna cellar, like the Beaver. Corss it’z me wot’z gotta go down an’ get the majik fing so I strips off to me shirt (‘cos there’z ladies bout), ties a rope round me middl an’ shimmies down, no trubbl. Seems that Beaver’s taken a shine to me an’ cums down wiv me – sez hiz name’s Robbie Murdie.

At the bottom wiv all the lite I can see sumfink metal but it’ll need a swim. Lady Samal casts Cordnayshun on me, to giv me an edj an’ I dives for it first time, no trubbl. I fink Robbie’s a bit impressd by that. I grabs a big metal key, all cuvvered in gunk (‘cos this well ain’t az nice as Lady Samal’s).

Wunce I’z climbed back up sumwun cleans it up an’ it’z gold but still a bit manky – Lady Samal sez it’z tarnished gold – I fort only silver got tarnished an’ that woz ‘cos ovvem Thanis but Lady Samal’s ded eddiecayted an’ knows a lot bout this stuff. I reckon the key bein’ tarnished gold iz a bit like Lord Brantifax, ‘cos he woz sort ov a tarnished Heliot. Lady Samal sez it’z sorta serramoanal, an Unlock matrix mebbe. She’z ded taken wiv the tarnished gold.

The toffs reckon the walled garden iz next so we open the gate for a furckle. There’z wot woz wunce a posh flowerbed next the ‘ouse an’ mebbe a kitchin garden furver away but they’z all overgrown now. The top end ov the garden woz an orchard an’ I reckon I mite still be able to scrump sum appls, pears an’ plums cum Urfseasson. But evryfing else iz ded grown over.

So next the toffs wont to look in that tunnel in the cellar. Spathi, Alphonse and Blen lead the way, follered by Eliza, me an’ Lady Samal, then the shaman an’ her ravens. The tunnel ain’t long an’ at the end izza ladder, dun reel nice. Spathi goes up an’ ‘az to shuv the stone hatch open. I smells smoke wunce he’z out.

We cums up in sumfink wot the toffs reckon iz a beer for burnin’ bodies – ‘cos that’s how Litebringers like to do foonrals. Sowf ov the beer iz a row of five graves marked wiv stone pillars bout two foot ‘igh, most wiv statyoos on ‘em an’ writin’.

First off iz Lord Brantifax’s – it’z got a statyoo ov Lord Brantifax, sorta crouchin’ on wun knee – it’z a sort ov joke ‘cos he cood be prayin’ or he cood be lookin’ at tracks. The words on hiz stone say, “Baron Brantifax, husband, farver, ‘unter”

Next iz smaller wiv a statyoo ovva sleepin’ dog, wot the toffs sez izza mastiff – there ain’t no writin’ but it’z gotta be for hiz dog, Bron.

The third wun iz just a stone wiv no statyoo an’ no writin’, wot’s a bit weerd.

The next stone azza statyoo ov an urn (sort ov like a fat vase) draped in a sheet – I dunt mean sumwun’s left a sheet over it, I means it’za stone statyoo showin’ an urn under a sheet – all maid ov stone. It sez “Heluthe, our pride an’ joy, lost too soon.” (Corss, we know Lord Brantifax did her in – ‘untid her down, the bâtard! I ‘opes he gets wots cummin to ‘im in the Rhadi Hall ov Justiss!)

Last izza statyoo ov a wivvered rose (wot I fink ain’t a very nice fing to put onna grave), it sez “Sylphine, bluvvid dorter” wot looks ded nice like all the rest an’ then “may she find pees ov mind” added kinda ruff, like it woz dun later by sumwun wot din’t know how to use a chisl.

Turns out ravens learn all bout Def Lore an’ Madrina sez the pillar inna middl wivout a statyoo or nuffink ain’t bin used. Probly ment for Lady Brantifax wunce but she woz burrid sumplace else. But she finks it’z weerd that the dog’s grave iz tween Lord an’ Lady Brantifax – but then we knows he liked hiz dog more than her.

Madrina sez the statyoo ov a sheet draped over an urn izza sort ov code meanin’ she died yung. Wot’z weerd izzat Sylphine ain’t bin dun the same way, like they fort she died when she woz ment to.

Sieur Alphonse wonts a closer look at them paintins so we traips back up to the attic. There’z two mirrors, wun broke but the uvver the toffs reckon cood be wurf 100 shillins – it duz look nice but it’z weerd seein’ yerself like that, know what I mean? But there’z also four pikturs.

First iz Lord an’ Lady Brantifax – kinda forml but while she’z in a posh frock he’z sorta dressed like he’z just bin huntin’, mud on hiz boots, an all! He looks fat anna bit knackered, sittin’ in wun ov the posh chairs from the hall. She’z stood behind him, holdin’ roses in wun ‘and wiv the uvver on hiz sholder. A grey dog, probly Bron, iz lyin’ on the floor. This iz the wun wot wunce hung ova the fireplace in the hall.

Next iz three deer onna hill lit by the dawn. Then there’z anuvver ov Bron cummin out ov a river wiv a big duck in it’z mowf (not a Duckpoint duck, I means just an ordnary duck wot flies). Last iz a piktur ov Helios inna chariot wiv fiery wheels pulld by griffins.

Meanwile Lady Samal ‘az bin lookin’ at the key. She’z cleaned it up an’ found a shield ovva toff wot she dun’t know but Sieur Thomas sez it’z the first lord of Hrum wot later became the arms ov Hrum Abbey. I dunt know nuffink bout all this ‘eraldry so this all goes ova me hed.

Sieur Thomas finks we shood take the key to the hedj ‘cos the toffs reckon it’z to open a gate to the Abbey. So Lady Samal takes it ova to the cortyard an’ kinda waves it at where the gate wood be if it wunt for the hedj an’ the hedj just there just ain’t there no more!

Frew the gate we sees a big space – much bigger than it shood be ‘cos when I looked ova the hedj from that tree two weeks ago it woz bout 160 yards cross. But this izza big moor cuvvered in shadders! Far way we can see wot looks like a small castle, bilt ov shadders, but wiv uvver bildins round it wot must be the Abbey.

Rite from the gate there’z a road ov stones goin’ to a big bildin bout 160 yards off, wot the toffs sez looks like a morzleeum, for puttin’ ded peepl away wunce they’z bin burnd to ashes. We spots sum peepl ridin’ ‘orses, scatterd bout, each wiv sum dogs – ghool dogs? They’z ‘ard to make out but they’z got javlins an’ large sheelds like Heliots but they’z not on chariots. But the toffs serfs all fite az lite cavlry, dunt they? I dunt reckon they can see us – they dunt cum near us, enyway.

The toffs mess around a bit an’ work out that the key lets us see all this but won’t let us frew. But then Sieur Alphonse reads the pome again an’ reckons it’ll only let us frew when the Sun goes down. Well merde!

So we gotta wait for dusk. At first the toffs reckon we shood avva kip but Sieur Thomas finks we shood deal wiv all them spirits inna cellar. So Madrina gets down to it…

First, she talks Sylphine into leavin’ Jacques an’ moovin on – when she cums out the lad it’s weerd ‘cos she dunt look bent no more. Madrina reckons Sylphine will be reborn ded kwik ‘cos she’s not got no bad stuff to work off in Hell. So that’s nice!

Madrina talks the sevral maids into leavin’, she sez it woz easy ‘cos they’s not finkin’ much no more.

But she reckons Heluthe wonts to stay behind an’ ‘elp us out. Seems she’s ded impressed wiv Sieur Thomas an’ will be ‘appy to live for a bit azza hawk. She dunt know no spells ‘cos she woz only nine when her dad did her in an’ she’z gotta learn flyin’.

Then Madrina hazza surprise for me ‘cos she reckons Robbie Murdie, the beaver, ‘az taken a shine to me an’ wood like to knock around in a new body. I ask if he’z keen on rats, ‘cos that’s kinda wot we use in King Rat, but he sez he’z finkin’ more ov a water vole. I’z no idea wot a water vole iz but parrently I needs to talk wiv a Sawtoof priest who can put me rite. Sawtoof iz soshihate to us so looks like I’z stoppin’ off in Iskar on the way back but I’z made up wiv that – it’ll be nice to ‘av a frend an’ mebbe he can giv me sum pointers bout swimmin’.

Cors, Madrina makes us bofe swear that wunce they’z dun Heluthe an’ Robbie must go on to wot cums after – well we’z a Spirit cult an’ I got no problem wiv that.

So, Sun’s goin’ down – time to see wots in that morzleeum.