Session XI: Crystals and Chinese Dragons

As the freezing air of the Limehouse district cut through Marion, even with Reginald’s coat draped over him, both men stopped a short distance from the wharf, standing next to a single man, shabbily dressed, a small fire blazing in a bucket at his feet.  Marion huddled over it in an attempt to release his bones from the freeze he was feeling.  The two men trudged for a quarter of an hour until they sighted the first Hansom Cab available to give them a lift back to their office.  Entering their office, Marion immediately shed his clothes down to his under garments, standing in front of the roaring fire place.  Reginald entered cautiously, the unlocked door alarming him, a fact Marion missed as he was too consumed with getting to the fire.  Reginald alerted Marion to the unlocked door and the obvious absence of Singh, Marion looked around the office, the toppled furniture and un-shelved books that had been cast across the floor showing signs of a struggle.  Reginald called for Singh in the silence, instead sighting blood trails across the floor.

Reginald conducted a thorough search of the premises as Marion changed into dry clothes in front of the fire, modesty leaving him in his effort to avoid hypothermia.  Feeling like himself again, Marion joined the search for evidence of who may have been inside the office.

Both men reloaded their pistols, Marion’s hands shaking from the cold far less than half an hour previous.  Convinced it was the Chinese criminals mentioned by Craig and Seamus, Reginald picked up the phone and called Scotland Yard.  Reginald boomed down the phone line that he was reporting a break in and a missing man.  Leaving a message for Inspector Craddock, Reginald hung up the phone, moved to the door and locked it with an internal bolt.  Marion moved into the kitchen, fetching some bread and cheese to eat, knowing that his body needed sustenance to maintain its temperature.

Looking around every room, the fowling pieces they had purchased were missing, along with several kitchen knives and Reginald’s sabre.  Eating and drinking without care, the brandy warming his throat, Marion asked if Reginald wanted to head back to Limehouse immediately or if they needed to rest before going back into the obvious danger that it posed.

After another hour, two police officers knocked on the door of the office, Reginald’s call to Scotland Yard causing the desk Sergeant to send two men in response.  Reginald gave his statement of his missing man and the missing weapons of personal significance.  After a short statement and a secondary and collaborative statement from Marion, the two officers began patrolling the area.

As the morning came, Marion was relieved to realise that the icy water of the river had not taken hold of him.  The aches of his fall and tired legs being the only symptoms, the standard trouble breathing and chill in his chest not present.  Making himself a cup of tea and a second for Reginald with his usual nip of Brandy inside, Marion sat in his chair, looking around the office that they had done their best to clean the previous night.

Calling the tavern where he contacted Seamus again, Marion explained he needed an update as soon as possible as he had new information to assist in locating where they needed to go.

Reginald joined Marion, drinking his tea quickly and thrusting his cup at Marion in silent request of a second, Reginald paced around the office in his robe and night shirt, both taken from the wardrobe he had claimed in the room he used when spending evenings at the office.  Reginald muttered to himself as to what he could do to find Singh, being reminded by Marion that Craddock would either be in attendance or calling shortly.

Reginald moved to the phone, relieved to hear that no offences had been committed at his home, his wife unnerved by the conversation and distressed at the report of the missing Singh.

Reginald hung up as a knock at the door called for his attention, opening the door, Inspector Craddock, Detective Sergeant Craig and two constables entered the office.  Craddock enquired as to what had happened in the evening.  Reginald burst with frustration, shortly being excused by Craddock who turned for a more detailed recount from Marion.  As Marion explained the series of events, Craddock interrupted as he told the two he sent no message.  Marion explained the deaths of several Chinese men and a mysterious stranger in a bowler hat who dispatched at least two men.

Craddock looked around the office, the blood stains still on the floor from the scuffle that had taken place.  Craddock collected Craig and demanded he make ready the troops, his intent being to enter Limehouse and shake down some Chinese establishments.  Taking their leave, Craddock and Craig exited the office quickly followed by their police constables.

Reginald dressed himself for another day on the streets of Limehouse, tucking his Webley into his waistband under his jacket, Marion doing the same, instead leaving his pistol in the medical bag he carried constantly.

A knock at the door far less audible than Craddock’s previous knock, Marion opened the door to see Seamus standing against the wall.  Marion asking Seamus to send his men into Limehouse and observe where the police go and what information they can find based on the location.

Reginald and Marion both stopped what they were planning, instead of heading into Limehouse, deciding to stay in London and rest for the day, allowing Craddock to work and Seamus’s minions to observe, at least giving them an idea of where they needed to go in Limehouse to attempt to find Singh.

Craddock returned to the office of Lockhart and Collins in the early evening, reporting to the two men that they had gone through several establishments, all signs pointing to one of the larger Chinese gangs that operate in Limehouse.  Craddock unable to give any information regarding the location of Singh, he left the two in their office with little more information than they had in the morning.

Reginald looked on the desk and spotted the card for Fordyce, the former butler of Colonel Hollingsworth, enquiring via phone for a messenger to summon Fordyce from the address listed on the card.

As the evening got later, Fordyce arrived at the office, his tall stature filling the doorway.  Reginald addressed him as a colleague, asking if he would take on a position of a live in office attendant and clerk.  Fordyce, still looking for employment accepted the post, looking around the office and enquiring if he was free to arrange the space to his liking.  Reginald agreeing before taking his leave for the evening and returning home.  Fordyce made himself comfortable in the second spare room while Marion retired to his own room, thinking about how to best infiltrate Limehouse.

*

 Marion and Reginald wandered through the docks of Limehouse, weaving between alleys and making sure no one was paying them any particular attention.  Eventually the two of them ended up looking at the docks they had previously been attacked.  As they moved on, both Marion and Reginald noticed a strange man who seemed to be following them.  The two continued to wander the streets, hiding themselves in an alcove when they disappeared from the main view.  After failing to see the man move past them, they re-emerged from the alcove to sight the man some distance away, continuing on his own path.  Marion and Reginald followed the man at some distance, noticing he moved out of the main street and turning into a side street, Marion and Reginald turned into the street to come to a dead end filled with four doors, no sight of the man.

Turning to exit the side street, Marion and Reginald were met by three large Chinese men who refused to let them pass.  From behind them, the man who they were following had re-emerged and engaged them in conversation.  Reginald cutting to the point and demanding to know where his man Singh was being held.  Marion kept a sharp eye on the three men, his hand inside his medical bag and gripping his pistol.  Reginald’s conversation had turned to trading for the life of Singh, the Chinese man demanding the cube for the Indian.  Marion and Reginald unanimously agreed to the terms, the time and location of the meeting to take place as soon as possible.  Given the instructions that they would be approached with a location for the exchange as soon as they were able to prove they had what was desired.

Allowing the two to leave, the three large Chinese men parted, allowing Reginald and Marion to pass, Marion slamming his shoulder into the closest Chinese man as he passed, his frustration clear.

*

 Reginald removed the cube from the chimney in the office, handing it to Marion who opened the front door, standing on the steps, holding the cube over his head for anyone watching to see in plain view.  Turning on his heel and moving back inside the office, Marion placed the cube in the wooden box it was housed in before placing it on the small side table by the fireplace.

Reginald paced madly as he waited for the Chinese to make contact, Marion sat in his favourite chair, his skills at rolling his own cigarettes leaving much to be desired, his first cigarette falling apart as he reached the half way point.  Reginald lit his pipe and sipped on Brandy as he slowed his pacing, listening intently for any sounds at the door.

Marion successfully lit a cigarette that was holding together and began dialling the number for Scotland Yard, asking for Inspector Craddock, the desk Sergeant unable to connect the call.  The desk Sergeant advising that Craddock was already within the Limehouse district and had no determined time of return.

The knock at the door was faint, yet both men reaching for their pistols as Fordyce opened the door slowly, a small Chinese buy handing him a note.  Closing the door and passing the note to Reginald, it was poorly written, yet clear enough to determine the location was on a side street, off the main road of Limehouse.  Wasting no time, Reginald took his heaviest cane, tucked his pistol into his belt and made for the front door.

*

 The Hansom Cab stopped as close to the location as the driver was willing to go, Reginald and Marion exiting the cab and slowly moving towards the location.  Reginald could see up ahead of them a small man waving at him, the same man he had conversed with in the alley.  Marion soon noticed the same man who led them into a large restaurant, the dull lighting casting enough shadow across several faces they recognised, the patrons all brandishing tattoos that resembled snakes and fangs.

Sitting at a table in the centre of the restaurant, the man demanded the object that they had brought to trade for Singh.  Reginald demanded to know Singh was alive before agreeing to anything.  The small man laughed and nodded to one of the three men who had blocked the alley earlier.  One rising and walking to the front door and waving across the street.  Looking out the main window towards the street, two Chinese men emerged from a dark building across the street, hauling a large man wearing a turban who was bound with ropes.  Reginald recognised Singh immediately turning back to Marion and nodding to him.  Marion reluctantly removed the box from his medical bag and placing it on the table. 

Reginald and Marion rose from the table, moving to the exit without further words, moving quickly to where Singh was standing, flanked by the Chinese men.

The men released Singh as they received a nod from the man on the door at the Restaurant.

*

 Reginald paced through the office as Marion inspected Singh, patching light wounds and bandaging bruised limbs and ribs.  Reginald recited his plans aloud, demanding to take the life of the Chinese men involved, questioning Singh in between outbursts.  Singh recalled the strong smell of smoke where he was being held, Reginald immediately picking up the phone, calling Scotland Yard and demanding to speak to Inspector Craddock.

Marion looked around the room as he bandaged Singh, Fordyce had been busying himself about the property, cleaning and tidying all common surfaces.  Singh and Fordyce both eyed each other, a form of mutual respect between the two of them as they were both in service to Reginald and Marion in one form or another.

*

The doorbell chimed as Marion concluding mending Singh, Fordyce opening the door to a startled Godfrey who was already pacing around the office area.  Godfrey engaged Marion and Reginald immediately, desperate to take action regarding the reading he had been doing of the documents Marion had given him.  Godfrey explained he had been reading his Tarot cards and great evil was imminent, Bidwell’s house was the centre and that is where they needed to go without delay.

Godfrey strode back out the front door calling for Marion and Reginald to hurry.  Reginald asking Fordyce to monitor Singh as he put his heavy coat on and joined Marion who was standing next to Godfrey who had a carriage waiting.

 Arriving at the Mansion of John Bidwell, the police presence had disappeared, the home no longer an active crimes scene.  Marion led Reginald and Godfrey to the rear of the house where they had previously made entry through the kitchen.  To their surprise, the kitchen door was unlocked.  The three men entering as quietly as possible, Godfrey pulling a deck of cards from his pocket as he entered the kitchen.  The muttering of Godfrey was close to maddening for Reginald whose mind was still focussed on the violence that had befallen Singh.  Spying a light on upstairs, Reginald took the lead up the rear stairs of the house from the kitchen to the second floor.  The source of the light emitting from the library, where the gathering had been held where the three of them had sat at the table where the cube was first seen.

Moving quietly to the door, Reginald could hear hushed voices coming from within the room.  Reginald did not hesitate, pushing the door open, revolver in hand, the table was filled with the participants of the gathering that had taken place after the party of John Bidwell, the only people missing, the three of them and Bidwell himself.  Reginald demanded answers, Marion pulling his pistol from his bag as he entered the room behind Reginald, also shocked at the gathering.

Reginald waved his pistol around the room, all participants dismissing Reginald and Marion and speaking directly to Godfrey, all who were present explaining that Godfrey must be sharing their dreams as he had arrived at the time required for what they had come to do.

Reginald and Marion moved back towards the door, unsure of how to proceed given the dozen people in front of them all speaking of dreams and alike.

The lamps on the wall began to flutter, the candles on the table burning brighter to compensate for the flickering light.  A door opened at the far end of the room, the door they had seen Bidwell appear from on their first visit.  A robed figure appeared from the room, welcoming all in attendance, removing his hood, all were shocked to see Bidwell himself standing at the head of the table.  Bidwell approached the table and placed the cube on the table as he had done before, Reginald felt fear cross him as he gripped his revolver tightly.  As Bidwell placed the cube down, a thick smoke began to rise from the candles on the table.  Reginald called to Bidwell, demanding to know who he really was, raising his pistol at Bidwell’s face, pulling the hammer back in preparation to fire.

Marion stepped forward alongside Reginald as the smoke from the candles began to swirl as it thickened.  Sparks began to emit from the candles and the cube, a blue electricity like lightning flashing from the cube across the table.  The smoke turning to a funnel like shape as the people around the table began to recoil.

Marion raised his pistol as carefully as possible at the cube, the flashes giving him no end of distress.

Reginald squeezed the trigger as he had Bidwell dead to rights, the 455 calibre bullet slamming into his face, causing him to recoil.  Turning back to Reginald, Bidwell’s face had been replaced with that of Bartlett.  Both men horrified at what they were looking at as Bidwell’s face changed in front of them.  Movement began to form in the smoky funnel that was now forming more of a tunnel.  Marion pulled the trigger of pistol, his bullet ricocheting off the crystal and slamming into the wall behind Reginald.

 The occupants of the room desperately trying to leave, the doors failed to open as the occupants of the space began to scream and wail.  Reginald and Marion moved towards Bartlett, both firing, the body in front of them being riddled with pistol bullets, both watched in horror as they watched Bartlett’s face change from Bartlett, to a Chinese woman, to Constable Baker, back to Bidwell.  Marion’s attention was caught by something moving in the tunnel of smoke.  Large, worm like creatures appearing in the darkness, pale flesh resembling a centipede mixed with many other forms on insects.  Marion’s arm lowered from Bidwell as his pistol was empty, yet Marion could not take his eyes from the creatures he was watching through the tunnel of smoke.  One of the creatures possessing a glowing orb resembling a globe as it drew closer to where Marion and Reginald stood.

 Reginald turned his attention to the tunnel, aiming his pistol at the closest creature, firing at the glowing orb in its possession.  Several more beings drew closer to the tunnel, all carrying various items of obscurity.  A beam of light flashed through the tunnel, striking Marion in the chest, sending him recoiling against the library wall, Reginald watched in horror as Marion’s chest was little more than a hole big enough to fit a dinner plate through, his lifeless body turning to ash as it slumped over.

Reginald turned his attention back to the tunnel, clicking the trigger of his pistol as he had run out of bullets.

A second beam of light flashed across the tunnel, passing through Reginald, as it struck him, he opened his eyes, screaming in his chair by the fireplace in the office of Lockhart and Collins.

Marion burst from his room also screaming, vomit on the front of his shirt, urine soaking his legs as he fell to the floor, curling up in a ball and falling silent.

Fordyce and Singh came from their rooms, standing in the hallway with Reginald over Marion who was clearly in shock.  Wrapping Marion in a blanket, Reginald enlisted the help of the two others to get Marion clean and back in to his bed.

 Dawn broke across London to find Reginald sitting in Marion’s room, Marion finally upright, both men explaining the same dream to each other.  Both men began to prepare for another day, Marion far slower than Reginald, Fordyce explaining that after the two of them returned the previous evening with Singh, all retired for the evening, everything they had seen from Godfrey’s arrival onward was simply dreams.

 Both eating less than they were used to, Marion’s stomach was making it difficult to keep food down.  Reginald doing his best to keep his usual routine, however witnessing his friend vaporise in front of him had clearly left an imprint on his mind.

The doorbell chimed, Fordyce answering promptly, Godfrey walking in somewhat cautiously.  Reginald called Godfrey to sit across from him in the office.  Godfrey enquired if they had seen what he had seen during the night, the three men sharing the same story, all except where they varied in opinion, Godfrey explaining that Reginald and Marion had come to collect him, yet Reginald explained that Godfrey had come to collect them in his dream.

 Godfrey continued to explain his vision, the clarity was far superior to that of his cryptic vision the previous night of a yellow dragon breathing fire surrounded by faceless men.  Godfrey explaining that after the two of them had fallen, the large worm entities came through the tunnel and were released upon the world.

Marion followed Godfrey’s previous thought, the description of the yellow dragon breathing fire.  Marion connecting the vision to a possible location where Singh may have been held, thick smoke and a yellow dragon snorting fire.

 Godfrey continued rambling about his dream, agreeing with his own argument of needing to contact the others present in the dream and to discuss with them.

 Reginald and Marion rose from their chairs as they followed the rambling Godfrey as he moved out the front door continuing to discuss consulting the others.

Godfrey continued to mutter and walk, as Marion and Reginald took a step out from the door, Godfrey looked up to see he was standing in the street, looking to his right, he did not even have a chance to react as the horses and wheels of a carriage went over him, his body almost severing under the weight of the carriage.  Marin and Reginald halted in shock at watching their associate be run down before them.  Reginald briefly sighting the driver of the carriage who did not slow or stop, a brown coat, bandaged hand and bowler hat disappearing around a corner as he increased speed.

 Marion moved to Godfrey, blood oozing from his eyes, ears and throat, the marks of hooves in his chest, his lags crushed by the wheels of the carriage.  Godfrey was gone.

 Reginald moved to the phone, his voice filled the air with his harsh voice, informing Craddock over the phone that Godfrey had been killed, they had retrieved Singh, yet made no mention of the loss of the crystal cube.  Reginald continued to explain that they had questioned Singh and the information gained was the heavy smell of smoke and the climbing of stairs and alleyways from Singh, the mention of a Yellow Dragon and thick smoke some of the last words from Godfrey.

Craddock, who had been spending time in the Limehouse districts with his officers, yet his search had been broad and spread thin.  The addition of information regarding smoke and a yellow dragon giving him the idea that the locations with the densest congestion of smoke rich buildings and heavy criminal activity that he and his officers had encountered were near the docks.

 Craddock rounded up his officers, arming them with revolvers instead of clubs, consulting with Detective Sergeant Craig, he narrowed the location to a large establishment known as “The Golden Dragon”, the possible headquarters of where the criminal element was located.

Reginald and Marion hailed a Hansom Cab and gave the driver direction to the main entrance to the Limehouse district.

*

Sitting in the Hansom Cab, waiting for an activity to occur, Reginald and Marion both sprang to life as two police carriages and two Black Mariah coached passed them in the street, demanding the driver to follow the police convoy.

The cab arrived at the corner of Gow Street where the police wagons had come to a stop, already the constables filing into the building, the dulled sound of gunshots emanating from inside.  Glass windows broke as furniture smashed against them from the inside, Reginald and Marion exited the cab and made their way to where the police were entering what appeared to be a restaurant.

Reginald and Marion entered what was left of the front door from where the police had nearly removed it, Reginald announcing he was with Craddock as he passed the constables on the front door.  From within the building, a path of destruction was being made through the restaurant and up the stairs to the second floor, gunshots continued from various parts of the restaurant, the familiar voice of Craddock booming from upstairs.  Reginald and Marion kept behind the small army of police who had made their way up the stairs into a long corridor.  The sound of screaming men and women followed by gunshots continued to fill the air.  As the two of them looked in each room along the sides of the corridor, this establishment had been home to all manner of illegal activity, opium users, prostitutes and violent folk all littering every room.  As Reginald and Marion continued up another flight of stairs behind the voice of Craddock, confusion in the voice of Craddock and Craig as they moved along a second corridor.  Marion called to Reginald as he pulled back a curtain that was being used as a door.

A study lay before him, a workspace containing strange machinery powered by both steam and electricity, tools and equipment of all kinds littering benchtops and walls alike.  The far end of the room was filled with a large machine that was similar in design to the images they had seen littering the walls of where Bartlett’s body had been found.  Moving closer, Marion sighted the crystal cube lodged in the machine, calling to Reginald he summoned him closer.  Reginald halted his approach as he sighted the familiar glowing orb he witnessed in his dreams plugged into another part of the machine.

 Marion picked up a large piece of timber from the floor and swiped at the cube in an attempt to knock the cube free from the machine.  The cube crashed to the floor loudly as the timber planks echoed across the space.  As the cube broke free from the machine, the glowing orb immediately disappeared from view, as if it was never there, Marion wrapping the cube in some loose cloth that littered the workbenches, stuffing it into his bag.  Craddock’s voice boomed from behind the two men, demanding to know what they were doing, not willing to wait for an answer, he demanded thy leave immediately.

Marion and Reginald both did not hesitate and left as quickly as possible, both men moving swiftly towards the docks.  Reginald payed a Chinese fisherman well for the use of his boat, Marion placing the cube in a sack filled with rocks, covering it in chains.  The two paddled down the river, finding a deep current of the River Thames, satisfied that the cube was secure and weighted well, Marion dropped the heavy sack overboard, watching as the chained bag disappeared into the murky water beneath them.