The Journal of Brother Solomon

Part 4

In which we search the archives for news and rumours about Adrasteia.

Fireday to Godsday, Stasisweek, Fireseason, 613

Right! While the ink’s drying on my University pass, I trawl through our monastery’s library. I find no direct reference to Adrasteia but when I mention ‘spiritual vengeance’ to Father Jerome, our librarian, he directs me to our current affairs archive for last year where I find a reference to the burning of a witch! That seems an extreme recourse; judicial hanging is the ubiquitous death sentence under Ducal justice (unless you’re a noble, of course, in which case you can expect beheading by an axe. (In fact the law is surprisingly specific about that, no beheading by sword or any other implement.) The reference I find gives no details but refers to a particular reference in the University archive so I gird my loins and venture forth into academia.

Of course the University library is actually many libraries. Father Saul has explained that the School of Spirit is in the Faculty of Natural Science, but perhaps my subject belongs in the Law School? But as it happens my reference takes me to the central library and the archives for the School of Administration & Government within the Faculty of Humanities.

I confess the size and complexity are a little overwhelming for someone not versed in the academic environment. After half-an-hour of wandering about various annexes, I find a short, bald clerk busily with paperwork.

I show my pass and ask if he can help me find my reference. His manner is brusque, as if he’s taking valuable time out from his important work to deal with a time-waster, but when he reads my note I swear he turns pale and licks his lips before advising me that it’s in the ‘restricted’ section. I ask if the tome is especially valuable but he just shakes his head and tells me to wait in a reading room.

I suppose I’m waiting perhaps ten minutes, when another man enters, bearing a large book with no obvious title. He gives his name as Dowix and waffles about some investigations uncovering matters deliberately left unregarded but all the time he’s talking I get the feeling he’s appraising me in some way. He asks what my interest is so I tell him as much as I can without mentioning Adrasteia by name (because Vandergraaf was very keen on that, as I recall).

Suddenly he must decide I’m ‘sound’ because he opens the book before me to a page somewhere near the middle, carefully using a sheet of parchment to cover the opposite page – apparently that’s too sensitive for me to know…

The book seems to be some sort of ledger and the page I’m looking at is dated Mobilityweek, Fireseason, 612 – pretty much this time last year, with the reference number matching that found in our library. I carefully copy the text…

“Father (minister) Percy has welcomed a new blessed member of the congregation to Hillsgreen Crossing. Gaillard, son of Avner the widower, was awestruck on Gods Day, Mobility Week Fire Season 612, exactly a year to the day after the unfortunate incident regarding the death by burning of the witch Ginniver.” Under this, a scrawled note in a different hand reads: “NFA. Asylum incarceration not required.”

I ask Dowix what ‘NFA’ means and he says ‘no further action’. He seems very thoughtful as he collects the book (which I notice has 611-612 on the spine in silver lettering). He says he would be very interested to learn the result of my investigations. He’s been very helpful and might be a useful contact in future so I make a note of his name and say I will be happy to provide a copy of my report, subject to the permission of my prior, Father Saul.

So it looks like I will be riding Keziah to Hillsgreen Crossing. Back at the Priory, Father Saul gives his permission for me investigate and send a copy of my report to Dowix. Father Saul seems to know his name but warns me to be careful in his presence. Of course, I know Father Saul has a somewhat strange sense of humour but he seems very serious when he says this – rather unnerving, to be honest.

So I meet George in the Brown Cow to swap notes, to Ariella with him along with a couple of Beavers that came up from Freetown with us. Ariella already knew Rufus from a year or so ago, and he and Bitey went with her to the nearest Wind temple, on a hill just outside town, to ask about a human barbarian named Malotov, who had saved their village from something horrible and had become a regular visitor but had recently gone missing.

Of course Ariella was there to ask about Adrasteia and the Beavers were after news about Malotov but then there came one of those strange synergies that make you wonder about the power of the Fate rune. A priest told Ariella that he’d heard a poem from a visitor that he recalled mentioned Adrasteia. Unfortunately he could only remember the first few verses – Ariella takes obvious pride in reciting the verses to us – I hope she’s not too offended that I wrote them down…

“In the Village by the Lake,

Home to Salmon and to Drake,

Ernesto, restless, lies awake;

He wished but to retire.

But the dreams they would not come;

In his head a beating drum.

There was no chance he would succumb,

His thoughts a ceaseless choir.

In his home of worldly treasures,

The memories of many pleasures –

Untold wealth by many measures –

He lived his life in quiet leisure.

The master of his ire.

Before the dawn there came a spark,

A frightening flicker in the dark

Against the blackness stoked and stark,

And then the flames rose higher.

Sadly he did not perceive

Or surely he would take his leave.

Stealing in, the flames did thieve,

Passers-by could not believe

A circumstance so dire.

Then at the door there came a blow

And anxiously repeated so,

That roused the sullen Ernesto

And saved him from the fire.

Before the flames did all devour,

There, escaping from the tower,

His guest and friend, a man of power,

Right in the eleventh hour

So neither did expire.

As Scot and he observed the blaze

Ernesto felt a clearing haze.

Saved lives, one cannot appraise

Did flame and chance conspire?

It wasn’t long before they found

That from a spirit, ancient bound,

A terror, not restrained by sound

Or from this earth, or mortal bound

Had made their home a pyre.

Ernesto swore he’d right the wrong,

Scot and others formed the throng,

And from them one, there came a song

Of fellowships Forged in Fire.

Of course all this poetry is making my eyes glaze over. The others seem to think this village must have Ducks but I look at all the references to fire and I wonder if this isn’t something to do with a dragon? But surely I’m just being fanciful. Of course, the barbarian was Malotov, which is why the Beavers are still with her.

Then George reveals what he’s learned: a priest in the Mercer Guildhall also mentioned Hillsgreen Crossing as the site of a strange event of which the locals are very reticent, but rumours speak of someone being burned at the stake! Doubtless this is the same event from my reference.

Seeking further information, George visited the Azraelite cemetery and temple in Moonguard and asked what they knew of the Hillsgreen Crossing event. He was told a villager was accused of witchcraft and burned.

It seems our path is leading us to Hillsgreen Crossing. The village is typically Selenite, about two days away, off the Loonz road and south of the River. It is time to saddle up Keziah again.