Phillips Harbour
Monday, October 26, 1868. Morning.
After talking over the events of the previous evening, and some poking about at the Analysis Engine, Mr. Shaft and Caliban head out to Dr. Greene's to see how Miss Townes fared the night.
They find her awake and disgruntled. Although nothing's happened to Miss Pau and she remains in Dr. Greene's custody, Slate spotted Yotee hanging around just before dawn. Miss Townes did not exactly get a good night's sleep, snoozing in a chair in Dr. Greene's office.
"I say, Dr. Townes, did you get any sleep at all last night?" Herbert asks cautiously.
The ape's concerned look spells out a smiliar question.
The doctor rubs the bridge of her nose between thumb and forefinger, squinting a little. "Some. Not as much as I would have liked," she admits. "I had hoped Reverend Hale would come to see me." She tilts her head, her neck cracking, followed by her back when she stretches out. "The coyote did come, though. At least I think so... Slate spotted him. I didn't see him myself."
"Ook eek ook?" asks Caliban. Did he say anything?
"He did not attempt to make contact with Miss Pau then?" Herbert asks, and looks away from the stretching woman out of politeness. "I don't suppose you have gotten Miss Pau's opinion of Yotee's actions?"
Slate shakes her head at Caliban. No. He barked a little, just enough to get my attention, and then ran off so everyone'd think I was yelling over nothing. The mare looks distinctly bitter about this.
The ape looks thoughtful at the horse, rubbing his chin.
Bernice hides another yawn behind her fist. "I suspect Slate thwarted whatever plan he may have had by alerting us. Or else he was merely checking to see how carefully we were defending Miss Pau. I did speak with her, at least. She is a very reasonable woman."
"Did you convince her to withdraw, or find out if she knows the precise location of Yotee's residence?" Herbert asks.
The chimpanzee walks outside to sniff around the borders of the house a bit.
Caliban picks up the scent of coyote around the house; not as strong as if he'd marked anywhere, but the faint odor of having passed through. A few spots of scent some yards back from the locked and shuttered window where Miss Pau is being held, and a stronger odor around one of the windows on the other side of the house.
Bernice adopts a thoughtful, if guarded, look. "I don't know if it was anything so directly productive, Mr. Shaft... but we did get to know each other better. I made my point and she made hers. I must admit, she had the first compelling ideas for her side that I've been presented with." Her expression becomes a little more worried. "She didn't know about the coyote until I mentioned him, actually. I thought it fair enough to speak of him."
The ape goes back around to the inside and sniffs at the window to see if the coyote managed to gain entrance that way.
After a few moments of sniffing around in the parlor, Caliban's pretty sure that the coyote's been in there.
Caliban goes to report this to Miss Townes and his master, pointing out how far the trail goes, at least as far as he can smell.
"Ook, ook eek eek," the chimpanzee reports troubledly. I think Trouble did manage to get in, Doc.
"He was INSIDE?" Bernice exclaims. She stamps a foot, frustrated. "He must have drawn us out and slipped past. Blast it, I'm a fool."
The chimp was able to trace the coyote's trail to the locked door to Dr. Greene's office. He'd need someone to unlock the door to follow it in, though.
Bernice touches a hand to her forehead, looking exhasperated. "Well, when I left the office to accompany Rev. Locke, I set a jar above the door... it was undisturbed when I returned. He might have had time to speak with Miss Pau, I suppose."
Dr. Greene's house is split between two halves, each with a separate front door. The office half has a door into a small foyer, where patients can wait and where Locke's been sleeping. Beyond that is an entrance to the office/treatment room, where Miss Pau is staying. On the residence side, there's a door from the parlor that also leads to the treatment room. Both doors into the treatment room were locked on the previous night. When Bernice stepped out, she used the door to the office foyer.
Yotee's trail leads from the parlor window to the locked door from parlor to treatment room.
"Well, I imagine the simplest way to discover such is to ask Miss Pau," Herbert reasons.
Currently, Miss Pau and Rev. Locke are awake and talking in the treatment room. Dr. Greene is out seeing a patient. Mrs. Greene is out in the detached kitchen, doing something-or-other.
Having discovered the trail leads to the -- apparently still locked -- door, the chimpanzee returns outside to discuss this with the wiser humans. Maybe he just hadda little chat with her, Caliban theorizes. Or maybe he left a callin' card or somethin'. I could tell if I were in there, whether he'd gotten in or not.
"I should check your bandages anyway," says Bernice, though she changed the dressings not more than a day or two ago. "I'm not sure how much information we want to give Miss Pau, but I suppose the cat's fairly well out of the bag by now."
"Ah, of course," Herbert says, remembering their 'excuse' for visiting. "Caliban and Pau have a little code for communicating that we worked out at the sheriff's office. We have to also be mindful that Yotee could have a human accomplice."
When Caliban and the others go into the treatment room, Miss Pau looks up from her seat by the window. She smiles and waves to them, while Rev. Locke rises from the chair pulled near hers. "Good morning, Miss Townes, Mr. Shaft."
"Oh, you're busy," Herbert says. "Should I wait in the foyer?"
"Good morning, Miss Pau, Reverend," says Townes, folding her hands. "I hope your sleep wasn't disturbed last night."
"No need, sir. Miss Pau and I were only chatting," Locke says, with customary stiffness.
Miss Pau smiels to Miss Townes. "I sleep well," she replies softly.
The chimpanzee snuffles around the room curiously, as if the smells of the different medicines and instruments might have changed significantly since the last time he was there. "Ook, eek," he says as he doffs his fez toward Miss Pau, nearing her. G'morning, Miss!
"Ah, very well then," Herbert says, holding his hat. "I don't suppose you and your fellows have made further progress in tracking down the beast?" he asks the reverend.
Bernice lays a light hand on the ape's shoulder, and continues on to the treatment room. "Let's get that wound checked, Mr. Caliban."
"Not to my knowledge, I'm afraid. But I have been somewhat isolated of necessity here, of late," Locke answers Herbert. He frowns as Caliban snuffles his way from the parlor door to the window and Miss Pau's bed. Miss Pau reaches out one hand to pat Caliban's head as he passes her.
The chimpanzee smiles and makes an evident sigh of contentment at the patting, before letting himself be obediently steered away by Miss Townes.
"Oh, sorry to hear that, Reverend," Herbert says. "I had assumed you would all be taking turns on watch, as it were."
Locke waves a hand in dismissal. "It's nothing to regret. Merely doing my duty before God. It would be better if we had more hands, of course, but one makes do with what one has."
The chimpanzee gives Miss Townes a worried-looking expression as she reaches for his bandages. He furtively presses four fingers into her hand, making indentations in her palm, before looking toward Miss Pau on the bed.
"I hadn't thought of it in that light," Shaft admits to the man. "But, I'm certain your group will be formidable enough even though it is small."
The doctor frowns, glancing at the bed and looking as frustrated as before. The four-legged troublemaker somehow bypassed everything. She lets out a sigh, and simply returns to taking care of the dressing.
"We do what we may. The rest is in God's hands, and His will suffices," Locke says, with clear sincerity. "How is your animal doing?"
Shaft turns to Bernice to answer that. "Is the wound healing?" he asks.
Caliban sits obediently for treatment, though his eyes look worried.
Miss Pau sits by the window. The shutters are closed but the day isn't too cold, and the slats have been shifted open enough to admit some sunlight. She glances between them, quiet.
The wounds look pretty good; the frequent changing of the dressings has kept them quite clean and some of them are fading to white scars. A few spots are still inflamed and tender.
Well, at least there's something for Bernice to be pleased about, and she pats Caliban's shoulder. "These are looking much better. The smaller ones are pretty well closed, and I think I can take the rest of the stitches out."
The ape looks a little relieved. "Ook," he says. Thanks, Doc!
So will I be able to play the piano after this? quips the chimpanzee.
Shaft heaves a sigh of relief. Then he turns to Locke, and says, "Forgive me, Reverend. Caliban represents a considerable investment of time and training for me. In my field, a human assistant simply can't be trusted not to sell my techniques to a competitor."
Locke gives a nod to Mr. Shaft; he doesn't look quite convinced, but there's some understanding there. "I know how an animal can become quite valuable as a companion."
At a knock at the door, Rev. Locke excuses himself to see who it is.
Bernice simply spares the chimp a rare grin, then opens her doctor's bag and busies herself making ready to tend the old stitches.
The chimpanzee looks over to the door, since the doctor hasn't yet set about taking the stitches out.
They can hear Locke answer the door and exchange a few words with a adolescent boy. A few moments later, the man returns with a frown on his face, studying a piece of paper. He folds it up and tucks it into the breast pocket of his jacket, nodding again to the others.
"Progress?" Herbert asks Locke.
"News. Rev. Hale wants to investigate Mrs. Stephenson's reclusive tenant. I don't imagine you know anything about the man, Mr. Shaft? A Mr. Randall Waite, I believe it is," Locke replies.
Townes says nothing, busying herself with what she knows best. She tilts Caliban's head in that gentle but insistant way that doctors have, and begins snipping through old stitches with a necked pair of scissors. There's a slight sting when she plucks the remnants away, but the move is quick and efficient, leaving little time to flinch or dwell on it.
"I did meet him once," Shaft says. "He did not strike me as a particularly social fellow."
"He doesn't attend church, either," Locke says, with an air of strong disapproval. Even Miss Pau attended church.
Caliban endures the stitch-removal with stolidity.
Bernice raises a brow at the conversation. "I don't think I've heard of this person, surprising considering how small Philip's Harbor is. Who is he?"
"All I know is that he is a farmer who leases land from Mrs. Stephenson," Shaft says. "I'm not even sure of what he is growing."
"He's renting a farmhouse outside of town. Hasn't been here long, a month or so, perhaps. Mrs. Stephenson says he's an English scholar looking for a peaceful spot to do research and get some writing done," Rev. Locke says. "He keeps to himself, all right. Not that that's a crime, of course." The last is delivered in tones that make it sound more like it is a crime.
"Goodness, I had no inkling that he was a fellow countryman," Shaft admits.
Miss Pau looks curious at this exchange. "I go see him for Mrs. Stephenson, once or twice. He like privacy, yes."
Bernice simply frowns, though she doesn't indicate what, if anything, she's disapproving of. Her hands remain gentle, easing the last of the stitches out, and she returns her attention to the closing wounds, preparing a cloth to wipe any dead skin away.
"Well then, I hope you will not mistake his reticence to talk as indication of a guilty secret," Shaft advises Locke. "Such a man may become quite stubborn if approached too aggressively."
"I am sure my fellows will take that into account," Locke says. "I shall remain here while they interview him. When did you encounter the gentleman, Mr. Shaft?"
The chimpanzee exhales as Doctor Townes seems to be done with removing stitches, revealing he's been holding his breath. He gives his master one eye by way of attention.
"Oh my, it was some time ago," Shaft admits, looking lost in thought. "Fairly early in the month, I think, when I still getting to know people."
Once his dressing has been changed, the others take their leave of Rev. Locke and Miss Pau. Mr. Shaft offer to escort Miss Townes to her home, an offer she takes him up on, even though it means walking rather than riding Slate.
Slate looks indignant and annoyed when she learns that Trouble had gotten into the house right beneath their noses. I can't believe it! That sneaky little overgrown rat! Ooo! I wish I had stomped on him when I had the chance! No wonder the hart tried to kill him!
He's got powers, no denyin' that now, the chimpanzee opines. Maybe he heep-mo-tized Locke into opening the door, maybe he just walked through it, but that 'yote's dangerous. An' I don't think we can count out Miss Pau for showin' up at the Banefire now.
Bernice pats her mare's side comfortingly, though the doctor looks troubled herself. "You did the best of any of us, Slate. All I did was blunder about in the dark. Rev. Locke was with me when I left the office, Mr. Caliban. I was there the whole time except for when we went out to investigate, and when I'd left I'd tried to boobytrap the door... he might have gone in through the other one."
"Pau admitted to us that she could escape at any time she chose," Shaft notes. "She could have found a way to let the coyote inside."
Caliban scratches behind an ear vigorously. Huh. Maybe he made a noise so as to distract you both?
It worked if he did! He came up and yapped at me and then, poof, gone. Slate stomps a hoof in annoyance. I want our staff back from him, too. Little monster.
Bernice nods bitterly. "It could have been a ruse to lure me away. Like a simpleton, I fell for it." She sighs, and shakes her head. "No use lamenting it now. We know that the coyote and Pau are aware of each other, and are likely planning together now. They can pick a time to move when they wish."
Well, we got plenty of our own things to take care of, the chimpanzee opines. Can't spend all our time tryin' to stop 'em.
Maybe you should've let the witchhunters lock her up in a real jail, Slate says morosely, glancing over her shoulder towards the doctor's house. Do you think Rev. Locke can stop her from getting out?
The chimpanzee looks unhappy, but opines, It just wouldn't have been right to let them torture her. My boss's not the kinda guy who'd let that happen.
"At this point, I wouldn't count on that," Townes says. "Still, it isn't quite as simple as up and leaving. I think Locke is very cagey, moreso than he might seem. Did you hear his comment about companions? It just seemed... I don't know... conspicuous." She sighs again, rolling her shoulders. "Maybe I'm just being skittish. Still, the moment Miss Pau leaves, the witchhunters will be on full alert, and I don't think either Trouble or Pau can ignore their threat."
Shaft frowns, and notes, "If we don't retrieve the staff, we'll be outnumbered two Artifacts to one. I may not be able to boost the power of Hale's enough to counter that."
If they wait long enough, they can. Slate is glum. I mean, they're willing to destroy the whole world, or let some horrible monsters in that are going to do it, or something like that, aren't they? In Opening the portal. If they're willing to do that, they can't really be worried about human consequences. Miss Pau could escape on the morning of the 31st and all she'd have to do is hide for 12 hours until the Banefire. After that, nothing matters. Not to her, anyway. Right?
Slate flicks her ears at Shaft. What artifact does Hale have? she asks, forgetting the Englishman can't understand her.
Bernice says, "Slate would like to know what artifact Rev. Hale has... I must admit, I'm curious too."
"Prayer - the mouse - mentioned that he had one," Shaft says. "I think it might be a piece of the True Cross, but it could be something else."
The woman adds, "I also have that Stone... but as I understand it, the thing is only 'good' for Opening." She pushes a lock of hair out of her face, leaning close to her horse again. "For what it's worth, I do think Pau values life and people. We talked about why we're doing why we're doing... I still don't agree with her, but I at least know what her convictions are about."
"My only issue with Pau's belief is that it is based solely on belief," Shaft says. "She couldn't offer me anything to back it up."
Slate nods to Bernice. It's too important to make this choice without knowing what's going to happen, isn't it? And we know that ... She hesitates. Um. We know it's going to be bad, don't we? Because that's what the other druids thought. And St. John wanted to Open so it must be wrong.
If going by feelings means anything, there are spirits that live behind the Gate, and they want to be freed before they fade into... Nothingness, I guess, Caliban reveals. Yotee said as much, and I had this feeling he was right, somehow.
The doctor fidgets, wringing her hands. "It does come down to belief," she says. "When we discussed the issue at hand... certain things did make sense, from my limited perspective. I've been able to feel and speak to spirits since my time with the druids. Not ghosts, but spirits of the land. Pau can do the same, it seems." She strokes the mare's side, though she doesn't look reassured herself, and says, "Yes and no, Slate. Maybe I should explain, get our grip a little more certain."
Slate noses her Player's shoulder. I'm sure you're doing the right thing, she says, but she looks interested in hearing more.
The mare looks uneasy at Caliban's suggestion. I guess you can't blame spirits for not wanting to disappear forever. But that doesn't mean we can let them take our world, does it?
"You mean you can feel what's on the other side?" Herbert asks Bernice.
Maybe they're supposed to pass on, an' they're rebelling, Caliban says. He shrugs unhappily.
Like that ghost girl you caught, who doesn't want to go away forever. Slate looks like she's trying to convince herself that making them go away forever is the right thing to do. Dead things shouldn't linger in this world. Right? She doesn't seem to be completely successful.
Bernice looks up as if she could search her own memory with her eyes, and speaks with the sort of cadance that comes with recital. "The Ovates have taught us that ours is not the only world to exist, that all things came from a Source, and all things would eventually return to it. It is our tradition to mourn a death when we celebrate a birth, to honor the person who died in the world behind us and allowed the new person to be born into ours." Her cadance falters. "This... Opening would seem to support that idea, and if things could come back through it, a balance is disturbed... or so I should think. St. John seemed to believe she could attain some sort of power through this... and Mssr. Girard as well, before he.. er.. before he thought better of it."
Shaft actually stops in his tracks. "Up until now, all of the Openers' reasons seemed different. Now though, it makes sense. St. John and Girard thought the spirits would reward them, or do their bidding once released."
So these're spirits that don' wanna move on to the next world... An' when the moon's just right, they've got a shot at breakin' back in? asks Caliban.
I think St. John thought they were going to destroy all the humans, Slate offers. I mean, that's sort of what Llewelyn said her arguments boiled down to, isn't it? She thought humans were evil and destroying the Earth, and that the spirits would kill all the humans and leave the animals to have a kind of people-free paradise. Or something.
Townes nods, stopping as well so she doesn't leave the englishman behind. "Pau simply wishes to release them into this world, as far as I can tell. She believes that our great spirits are dying, and what troubles me most is that the druids agree on this point, to an extent. The Ovates were certain that it had more to do with mankind's infatuation with machines, forgetting the old ways." She hesitates and holds a hand out mincingly. "No offense intended, Mr. Shaft." She nods at Slate, and continues, "That is what St. John intended. For all we know, the spirits may do that. Pau doesn't know what they'll do either, she admitted to me that a great calamity may happen... but she is firm in her belief that this is what our world's spirits need if they're to survive, and it is true that our world needs our spirits to thrive."
Slate flats her ears at this last. But ... we don't need to Open to save the spirits, do we? Surely there's something less drastic we can do. If there were fewer machines or more druids, we could save them that way. Right?
Caliban rubs behind his ears. I dunno, they want in pretty bad, maybe they'd just say whatever they thought we wanted to hear. I knew some weasels like that back in England... Where can we get the straight story?
Bernice puts her hands on her hips. "I should think so! Miss Pau thinks this Opening is natural, that it's some necessary event that's being prevented by Closers. If that were the case, however, why doesn't it Open by itself?"
Slate nods, looking reassured. Then her ears swivel out to the sides. Um. Would it Open by itself, if the Closers didn't stop it? She looks at Caliban and Shaft to see if they know the answer.
Caliban looks at the boss.
Shaft is thinking again, and then says, "We need to find the Unicorn. We need to know if it's on this side of the portal or the other. It may well be that the intentions of the ones who Open influence the spirits somehow or not. And I don't know if the portal would open on its own in the absence of Closers."
The young woman begins worrying at her skirts with her hands. "I don't think anyone has all the answers, Mr. Caliban. We're all going on what we think is right. I've probably gone into this with the least knowledge of anyone, but I do have the impression that the.. whatever it is stays closed unless it's Opened. I think past records of the Game where the Players ran afoul of each other bore this out, though my recollection is imperfect at best." She looks at Shaft, knitting her brow. "And what is this Unicorn I keep hearing about?"
"The Mikkelsen's have been following it to this place, all the way from Europe," Herbert explains. "Rae can see it in visions, but they haven't seen it in the flesh yet."
"And as far as my sources know, there have always been Closers," he adds. "And what we are doing isn't a question of right and wrong. We Close because it is prudent, it is the only logical action in the face of such a large unknown. Closing may well be the wrong thing to do. But without knowing for sure, the risk of not Closing is too great."
The Morgan horse looks a bit more consoled by this idea, nodding her head.
Herbert thinks of something else, causing him to frown again, and starts walking once more. "The idea of the portal being a passage for spirits.. it would explain why they are drawn in by the banefire," he says.
Bernice, however, doesn't look wholly reassured. "Miss Pau said another thing... that this might be the last chance to Open. Dash it all..." She puts a fist into her palm. "This Unicorn might have answers, might it?"
"It's existence is the answer," Shaft says. "Rae described it as a creature of peace. If it's on the other side, then maybe she can tell us if there were others with it. If on our side.. we need to know what it thinks is the proper course of action."
Okay, so um... How do we find it? asks Caliban.
"We'll have to talk to Rae Mikkelsen again," Herbert notes, whether he understood Caliban's question or not.
Getting to the Red Flag doesn't take long. When they arrive, they learn that the Mikkelsens are actually still in, for a change. Gertie goes upstairs to announce their visitors, and comes down looking a bit perplexed. "They've invited you up," she says. She sounds dubious about this, probably because the inn rooms are somewhat cramped with two people in them, and jamming in four plus a monkey is going to be very overcrowded.
"Well, we shouldn't keep them waiting then," Shaft says, and then stands aside to let Bernice ascend the stairs first, gesturing for her to do so.
The chimpanzee deferentially follows after everyone else.
Bernice gives Gertie that friendly smile she keeps reserved for the girl, and troops up the stairs with the procession. "Thank you, Gertie."
Gustav answers the door to admit them. Rae is sitting on one bed, with a folding camp table before her spread with maps and diagrams. "Hello Mr. Shaft ... ah ... Miss Townes? she says, hesitant as she tries to remember the other woman's name. "It is good to zee you again."
Doffing his hat, Shaft asks the two women, "I take it you are familiar with one another already?"
The doctor confirms Rae's guess with a smile and a bob of her head. "Yes, miss. Thank you for having us up."
The chimpanzee squeezes in behind the adult humans and ooks a cheerful greeting to the Mikkelsens.
"Ve haf met, yes. You two ... ah ... play the same game, iff I understand?" Rae asks. She still looks a bit confused by the whole 'game' notion.
Herbert blinks at this, wondering how the Mikkelsen's found out about it. "We've come to ask you about the Unicorn a bit more, if that is alright?" he says in reply.
Townes fidgets again. Not especially comfortable around people already, she seems very much less so crammed into this small space. "Yes, Miss Mikkelsen. I'm sorry to have confused you with that bit earlier. I've since come to a better understanding." She quiets, letting Shaft go on.
"Ah. I admit, ve do not understand vat you do here, but ve are zympathetic," Rae says. Gustav looks more suspicious than sympathetic, but then, he always has. "You do a goot thing, in helping the China voman," she adds to Herbert.
The older woman pushes at her auburn hair uneasily. "I wish I understood what we did better. Actually, that's why we've come."
"Thank you, Miss Mikkelsen," Herbert says. "Striving to do good is why we are here, as well. I was wondering if you'd seen anything more of the Unicorn, and if.. if it was always alone, or if you could gauge its mood?"
"Ve haf not seen the unicorn yet," Rae says, but she's smiling. "But ve haf found some of its tracks, vit a strand from its mane, or fetlock." She takes a locket from around her neck and opens it. A long delicate strand of hair, iridescent white, uncoils out of it. She holds it up to the light and it glitters. "Ve are closer than ve efer come before, now."
The chimpanzee peers at the underside of the table, that having seemed the most unoccupied space to, er, occupy, and finds the view dissatisfactory. He squirms around until he can observe the hair. His mouth forms into a silent 'Ooooh'.
"Then it is here, in the physical world!" Herbert says with a smile. "Now we only need to talk to it."
Bernice's eyes widen, vivid green as her unease is momentarily forgotten, and she looks closer. "It's beautiful," she whispers.
"I think, maybe it trusts us now, after all this time? Maybe it vants us to find it. It visited a spring, Mr. Shaft, and ze vater there iss so pure you vould think it vere from some time vhen the world vas new-made." Rae smiles again. "Ve find other signs of it ... a tree that had been withering a few veeks ago, ve see it strangely much better yesterday." Gustav gives his sister an uncertain look about this. "Now ve trying to trace its steps, see if there is a pattern." She gestures to the maps and diagrams before them on the table. "Und you? How goes your Game?"
Caliban gives his boss a significant look, then looks toward the locket.
Shaft looks over the map - and realizes he should probably use some of these locations in the calculations for locating the banefire. "It.. goes. We think the Unicorn may perhaps be involved."
Mention of the game brings Bernice back to the notion of why they'd come, and she sighs, hugging her arms around herself. "We.. we don't know enough about it to be sure we're not making something go awry. The... land has spirits, you see..." She tumbles her hands one over the other, coming up short on how to explain. "Er... but we think the Unicorn may be able to tell us."
Gustav shifts uncomfortably on his feet. He says something to Rae in Norwegian, and she answers in kind, with a little shake of her head. He subsides. Rae looks back to their guests. "Please, be seated if you vish. Ve haf not much space but you may sit on the beds if you vill." She listens to Bernice, and nods a little. "This makes sense to me, I feel the spirits of the land, too. The unicorn, she loves the vorld and the spirits in it. Vell, most of them. But how is this involved vit your Game?"
"There are other worlds than this, with different spirits," Herbert explains as he tries to find a spot to sit on Gustav's bed. "The nature of these otherworldly spirits is critical to how we proceed."
The doctor leans forward, looking encouraged. "More and more, the Game seems to have everything to do with them. Many of the spirits of our world are in decline as men forget old ways. Some believe that their win of the game will allow new spirits to come and rejuvenate them. Some believe that doing so will only bring chaos and hurt them further. From what you say, it seems the Unicorn may know better than any of us. It may be the only one who can tell what will be best for this world. I want to help you find it."
As Bernice speaks, Caliban catches his master's eye. He pantomimes threading something into something, spinning it around with one finger, then his eyes look left, right, left until it settles on a direction.
There's plenty of space on Gustav's small bed, since Gustav is still standing. Rae scoots over on hers so Miss Townes will have a place to sit. She listens wide-eyed to the others. "Oh! Oh. Yes," she says, looking surprised and then nodding to Bernice. "That makes much sense to me. It seems to me that the Unicorn, she travels to places looking to help the vorld. But she cannot do enough on her own. I think maybe she vant me to help her, sometimes. But maybe it is these other spirits to whom she looks vor help."
Herbert blinks at Caliban's suggestion, but wonders if it will work. Certainly, it is worth trying. "We may be able to locate the Unicorn directly, using the hair that you've found," he suggests.
Townes moves to sit in the offered spot, smoothing her skirts to settle down. She seems almost excited as Rae explains, but simply listens for the moment to hear Herbert's notion.
Rae blinks. "You can?" she asks, excited at the idea.
"We've use a special compass to locate people before," Herbert explains. "By replacing a particular element with that hair, it should point to the Unicorn instead."
Rae opens her mouth is a silent 'O', her eyes glittering. "Oh, could you, Mr. Shaft? Zat vould be vunderful! To find the Unicorn at last!" Gustav's expression is mixed between hope and suspicion, but he says nothing to deter his sister.
Bernice looks pleased with the idea as well. "I'll try to help as best I can... I've some experience with tracking." She wrinkles her nose. "Not that it's served me very well this whole month. Still... we may be arriving at answers at last."
Glancing to Caliban, Herbert silently hopes it will be so simple, since he has no idea what else might be involved that Mrs. Everchild had done to make the compass find St. John in the first place..