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Yay! Update. :D

Looks great, though it ended with another cliffhanger. :(

Firstly, we still don't know what happened to Heyward. Secondly, I'm not quite sure why the house blew up. Looks like I'll have to peruse the previous updates for that. Thirdly, perhaps Preston will catch on to Black's game. Fourthly, fear from Black is scary in and of itself. Fifthly, Anne better watch out. Sixthly, keep those updates coming. :D
 
Cat.... my of my do you have a way of turning something on its head and shaking all sorts of interesting things loose. I canna wait to see how Thomas has taken this little mistake of Black's and how he is going to combat Black now that he knows a little bit of the truth!
 
I have a feeling that Preston finding the swastika will be significant. As for Heyward, I have various different theories but none of them actually make sense, so I guess I will have to wait and see. :D
 
I have to agree Preston finding "Tom's bent cross" is certainly significant and may once more turn Preston towards the path of being Tom's ally instead of an unwitting pawn used against him.

I'm curious what happened to Tom and why his patron blew up the house? Surely it wouldn't have sough to finish black in such a manner, though maybe it wasn't above infuriating him?

I'm also curious what is going to happen to our fair nation of America at this point.
 
Wel, well, well. At least Anne got away. But did she get away alone or did she go with Tom. Where is Tom and what happened to him? And will John get his head out of the part of his anatomy he previously has been unable to find with both hands?

Many and varied questions. I can't wait to find out.
I am just glad that the hero is still alive. Though he is sort of climbing out of the Reichenbach falls.... And I only read spiritualist crap if it is good spiritualist crap. Of course, if you write it, it's bound to be good.

I can barely wait for the next update, I hope this is just as great as this one. Dw
 
I think that the patron blew everything up because there was something in the house that needed to be destroyed. And I hope Heyward got out, because it looks like Black's efforts to kill him may have backfired. I would have less faith in the patron if he killed his own man.
 
Fiftypence said:
As for Heyward, I have various different theories but none of them actually make sense, so I guess I will have to wait and see. :D

My position exactly! You took the words right out of my mouth (or my fingers, as it were).

I suppose the news in this last chapter was as optimistic as we could have hoped for. I am worried about Exeter; he seems more and more to be a proverbial loose cannon, barely under the control even of Black.
 
Ah Jasen...can't ever do anything right, but remains useful nonetheless.

Now what indeed has happened to Thomas? I admit, you have me curious once again. It seems fitting that Black should feel some of the pain he has caused others, and I knew that Anne would find herself in the crosshairs eventually. But Heyward...I knew you wouldn't kill him off. Find some way to make us think that, sure...but he isn't gone yet.
 
So Tom has fled with Anne. I wonder what Tom told her that convinced her to go? Preston finds the cross with bent arms that Tom warned him about but what is he going to do with this information? Hopefully nothing spontaneous or he could end up like Tom, fleeing for his life. And Exeter has returned to the story by of course, killing someone. :D I admit to being puzzled by who exploded the house. I don’t think Tom did it so I’m at a loss. I was also surprised that Black failed in taking over Tom. It sounds like Black was also surprised but that happens when someone who thinks they are all powerful trip over their own feet. ;)

Joe
 
Storey said:
I admit to being puzzled by who exploded the house. I don’t think Tom did it so I’m at a loss.
That makes two of us, Joe. Or, looking at the previous comments, a whole lot of people. Now, having said I don't have a clue, I can't resist offering one, very unlikely, explanation:

Angelic Airstrike, anyone? :) The Big Nose himself steering that celestial laser-guided bunker buster into Black's den of evil?

Nice how that last update showed how Black is not nearly as in control as I had suspected him to be: he's not nearly in control of Exeter, who seems to be nothing but a lumbering killing machine; he's not nearly as much in control of Rutledge as he himself would have thought; his control over Preston is slipping away; he didn't manage to take over Heyward; the knife attack by Heyward did a lot more damage than I had expected.

All in all, there seems to be some room for hope. Hope that Black can be defeated, hope that Preston might actually turn out alright (oh dear. I've said it. Now his development is bound to be set back for another half decade or so).

Excellent update, with many more questions raised than answered.
 
fj44: Uhm...lessee:
First - stay tuned!
Second - good question.
Third - Perhaps!
Fourth - YES
Fifth - Yes again! :)
Sixth - Can do!

Draco Rexus: Thomas isn't doing much right this second, but we'll get to him soon.

Fiftypence: Preston's finding the bent cross is definitely significant. Whether good or bad depends a lot on HIM....and we know how much we can count on John!

Machiavellian: We'll get to America soon enough. As it stands, the north is still dealing with the Vermont problem, and Philadelphia's getting more and more paranoid.

As for why his patron intervened: jwolf kept asking!! Seriously, I can say the house exploding is why Black failed to take over Tom: He didn't have enough time before all hell, literally, broke loose. Now whether that justified an explosion as opposed to say.. an angry bee, that can be questioned. :)

Dead William: We'll find out about Tom in the next few posts. I'm not sure what you meant, but I have a sense the Reichenbach Falls are the least of his problems. :eek:

J. Passepartout: I agree, that'd make him a pretty lousy patron!

jwolf: Exeter's inability to be subtle is going to turn into a serious disadvantage for Black. As I think about it, I think I need to take back something I said a post or two ago: Jasen Exeter is still in there, per se, but I'd say his need for revenge and Black's power has warped his personality beyond anything recognizable.

coz1: You knew I wouldn't kill him off!? You just got through congratulating me on killing him off! "Bold move" I think you called it. :p :D

Storey: Surprise. Yes, I think that summarizes things nicely. As I'll discuss with Stuyvesant, Black's VERY surprised things aren't going his way right now. Tom of course received the surprise of a dozen lifetimes. Personally I'm a little surprised John's trying so hard to puzzle through this, though as we'll see Black has a few smokescreens in play.

Stuyvesant: Close! Very close! No angels though.

Fine, I'll tell you. It was a draconic airstrike. I couldn't think of any other way to stop Black, so I gave Draco Rexus a guest role. There, you got it out of me. :sniff:

:checks to see if they believe him:

You're right about Black. As I said a few posts ago, it most certainly appears that Tom's hopelessly outmatched... but Black continually overestimates himself and underestimates those around him. He frankly doesn't understand humanity, and that gives our heroes a tiny opening.
 
-= 141 =-

April 1784
South Carolina



Befor Mid: Tom chalenged by Pvt. Ricker at city gate. R describes as upset. Unshaven. Tired. Horse riden hard. T was in uniform and recognised, so admit.

About 1:30a: I find Tom at Mrs. Whiting's. We argued...


John Preston looked through his papers, rebuilding through note and annotation the hours leading up to Rutledge's house exploding. He was not a good writer, having learned the skill while working in his father's counting house as a boy. These papers then, written in a shaky hand and horribly misspelt, had taken a morning to prepare. It had been worth it though. It helped to organize his thoughts.

7:30a: Tom enters Ofc of quartrmstr. Orders suplys sent - Branchville. QM refused. Quere: When was T at Branchville? Why he cares? NOTE: QM lied. Capt. Barcer says QM organised food and blankets to Branchville til Mr. R stoped him about 8;30. Who told Mr. R?

John pondered these questions for a moment, then pulled over a notice he'd found nailed to the church announcement board this morning. The Patriot's League had met last night and, tired of waiting for John (and therefore the Carolina Guard) to denounce Heyward, had posted a bounty. Two hundred dollars. Dead or alive. Preston didn't know if what amounted to a private bounty was even legal, but he was quite sure anyone who could pay that kind of fee didn't care.

The problem was if this was Tom's idea of an assassination attempt, then it wasn't very good. The house had been aflame, so it could be argued that he'd attacked Rutledge and tried to cover the evidence. However, Rutledge had been found in what was left of the front foyer, and the injuries he suffered clearly came from the explosion. Far better to kill the man, then set the house on fire. Even if Heyward meant for him to be burned alive, there was no sign the victim had been bound or otherwise restrained.

About 9:30a: Capt. Pierce leaves Tom and Mr. R alone. P says Tom was hostile. (no surprise) Tom was not armd. though says Mr. R kept knyf in globe. Why? Mr. R liked that globe. Tom talkd about Indians.

Befor 10a: Hue and cry raised. Smoke and fire. 2d floor. Study?


The explosion was John's other big problem. He wasn't worried about the trigger: Rutledge's house was wood, and the fire had been going for some minutes before it exploded. Preston was by no means an expert, but he knew flames could travel very quickly without provocation or warning. Fire alone, however, does not mean explosion. There wasn't much that could do this: Gunpowder, but he'd already ruled that out. Unless the quartermaster was really lying and had given Tom a few kegs...

Unlikely. Plus, how would he have carried the kegs to the kitchen, where Cassie thought the explosion occurred from what she remembered of the layout, without someone seeing him? The guard at the door for example.

Swamp gas could explode, but that was even more unlikely than Tom smuggling gunpowder in the house. Wait, didn't flour mills sometimes explode? The kitchen...what if Rutledge had simply bought some ill refined flour? He'd have to speak with a miller.(1)

In the distance, John heard the church bell ring once. Time. He stood from behind Anne Whiting's writing desk and surveyed the chaos wreaked by his men looking for clues to her whereabouts, and whether Tom might be there as well. Overturned furniture, drawers and boxes cut open in case of hidden compartments, torn and sliced garments for much the same reason. Some enterprising soul earned seven years bad luck by shattering a mirror. Naturally they'd found nothing. Whatever her reasons for leaving, it'd been sudden and unplanned.

"Unplanned," Preston muttered as he walked out of town, ignoring people trying to go about their lives in spite of soldiers on almost every street corner. It was a strange atmosphere: Fearful and anxious, certainly, but with a hint of a festival as if the increased security promised some sort of unexpected excitement.

Which, John reflected, was probably right.

The Hospital of St. Mary's stood about a mile outside town on the north road towards Wilmington. It was a low, one story brick building not unlike a squat castle overlooking its rich green fields and trees. The castle impression seemed reinforced by the strong military presence. Soldiers, some in oversized, sagging uniforms to accommodate growth, patrolled the grounds and iron fence surrounding the building. Preston stopped at the gate and frowned at a very young man - a boy really.

"Sir! You're expected! Please come with me!"

"If you show me the way," Preston replied, "who will guard the gate?"

This bit of trivia seemed to stump the youngster. John sighed and pushed past him. "I know the way." Soldiers at a hospital. He didn't know whether to be outraged, pleased or amused. Ever since some manic had snapped a patient's neck in Rutledge's own ward though, it was simply life.

He found Black sitting in a chair by the window of his private room. Once he'd recovered his wits they moved him away from the other patients, of course, and now he sat contemplating a tree. That, too, was one of God's creations. A good reason to kill it.

"John," he said without turning to the door. "Have you found Thomas or Anne?"

"No, sir. We are still combing the town. The League's taken their own steps." Preston removed his hat and walked past the neat, trim bed. He sat across from Black and rested his hands on the table.

"The League. I know." Black turned finally, and John looked down quickly. The horrible scars and burns to Rutledge's face were healing, remarkably fast according to the doctors, but they disgusted him nonetheless. Black regarded him for a moment, then continued. "They tire of your investigation. It is clear what occurred, is it not?"

"I do not doubt you," John lied. "I merely wish to establish a few points in my own mind. You'd agree that if we're to make an example of General Heyward's betrayal, then we must be able to clearly show any doubters proof of what's happened."

"My word is sufficient, John." Black smiled, which only made him look even worse as half his mouth refused to obey. "Do my looks displease you?"

"Of course not!" Preston met his eyes with difficulty.

Black held his gaze for a moment. "Yes they do," he said. "It is of no import. I would not go to you for beauty advice anyway."

Preston glared. He knew very well what it felt like to have one's face shredded and scarred. He'd carry the nightmares to his grave. "Then we are even," he snapped.

"Hardly." Black sniffed and turned away. "So? Tell me of your investigation."

John did, omitting nothing but his doubts. "I must aveer to the explosion," he said at last. "What caused it? We know it started in the kitchen. Were you carrying anything explosive?"

Black continued wishing death on his tree without turning. "The doctor asked me that. The answer is no. Clearly Thomas snuck something in there. If not gunpowder as you say, then I would not hazard what."

"How did General Heyward get something like that past your guard?"

Black turned and glared. "You are the one playing at detective. You tell me."

"I am not sure I care for your tone, Mister Rutledge."

Black grimaced. He might still need this fool. Otherwise he'd let Jasen have him. "My apologies... Colonel. My wounds trouble me."

John nodded and pushed a paper across the table. "Can you tell me what this symbol means?"

"You've been going through my papers!"

"We found them while searching the house."

"You were searching my house when you should have been catching my assassin? John, if you are going to insist on doing this you must get your priorities straight!"

"My priorities are fine! Tell me about the symbol!"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because General Heyward told me about it before the end of the last war! He said I should beware it!"

Black's jaw dropped, painful as it was. Oh, you little fool. He tried to warn you and you ran to me. Glorious! He smothered his glee and slowly nodded. "I see. Well, now at least I can tell you why the general wants me dead."

Preston leaned forward. "I'm listening."

Black weaved his tale slowly, carefully. They were a secret organization, he said, one dedicated to undoing the 1710 act dividing North and South Carolina. They first worked to influence the British, then when that failed encouraged the Carolinas to join the infant rebellion.

"That doesn't explain why he'd try to kill you."

"If you'll recall, Thomas was in Congress for awhile. While there, though, he fell under the influence of northern representatives jealous of our strength. Mister Adams was particularly obnoxious. I attempted to shield him as I could, but eventually they convinced him of our supposed misdeeds."

"And?"

"And so we tried to reason with him, of course. I, personally, even allowed that if he no longer agreed we would not make him fight for a cause he didn't believe him. That is why the Assembly sent him home and he wound up an army officer. Thomas saw this as an indirect attack on his reputation, however. I hold myself accountable, I did not explain myself clearly. He began seeing plots and trickery everywhere, afraid that we were after him when in fact we were not. His insistence that you beware our symbol proves he never forgot this."

John considered Black's story. It did seem to explain quite a bit of their decade long rivalry.

"It is no secret we disagreed on my solution to the Indian problem. That, taken with recent advances in our efforts to join with North Carolina, may have convinced him we were acting again. It could drive any man to desperation. Perhaps at the end Thomas went mad. Anxiety and paranoia have brought many honorable men low."

Was it possible? Certainly Tom had acted strange that last night. John would have to talk to the doctor, find out if there were any obvious signs of those illnesses. And where the devil had he gone?
-------------

"Halt! Halt and be recognized!"

Sergeant Greymane of His Majesty's 51st Foot pointed his rifle at the driver of the cart. The driver pulled on the reins. The horse swung its head to one side, tail flicking with annoyance, but stopped obediently.

The sergeant nodded to his two men, who shifted their aim to the horse lest the driver try to break through. Through his subordinates, General Burgoyne made it clear that the Americans in South Carolina could not be trusted, and anyone attempting to cross the border should be treated with the greatest suspicion. Greymane approached warily.

He nearly fired when the driver pulled back her hood, revealing red, unkempt hair. She glared down at him, ignoring the rifles. "Let me pass!"

"What is your business?" Greymane asked coldly, unimpressed.

"My...my husband's in back!" Anne Whiting cried, tossing her head for emphasis. "He needs a doctor!"
------------------

(1) Yes, I know that's not how flour dust explosions work. John doesn't!
 
AARRRGH!!!! Nope John is using both hands and still failing to find certain parts of his anatomy..... But at least he is thinking about the use of said hands. Eventually he might progress beyond grasping the air. Maybe. Possibly. When pigs fly.


Oh, as for the Reichenbach falls, that's where Holmes and Moriarty had their little spat. I think that was the part you did not understand.

Hmm, seems like Anne saved Tom, or maybe Tom isn't really burned. I wonder if the Brits will help or hinder.

Poor Anne, her lovely home destroyed, her life ruined, and all for a raving Loony. Maybe Tom ought to begin a political party.

And let Rutledge leave the poor tree alone, you ARBOROCIDAL MANIAC!!!

:D

Nice update. Now, if anyone wants me, I will be genetically engineering pigs and crossing them with condors.

DW
 
Great, just freaking great! We have Preston (he who shall evermore be known as a spoiled brat with no respect for those who try to help him!) trying to figure things out but all along playing right into Black's hands. Then we have dear Mr. Black, who despite is horrible estimation skills when it comes to humanity, is still running this show with our heroes playing catch-up and not doing that good a job at it so far. And finally we have Tom and Anne, running to the British (which in this case is not that bad of an idea, must have been Anne's, eh?) with no idea how badly hurt Tom is and just how even more unstable this little occasion is going to cause him to be.

Have a forgotten anything? Oh, that's right, our writAAR is still giving free reign to his arborocidal maniacal tendencies. ( :rofl: )

Can't wait to see what mess you get us into next, Cat! :D
 
Looks like that tree is safe for a little while. I don't think black can kill things just by willing death on them with his stare, though maybe he can?

I liked this update, especially the part with johns chickenscratch notes and him trying to figure out for himself what is going on.
 
Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. How is it, that Black can seemingly effortlessly confuse, misdirect and betray Preston, while Heyward cannot get any traction with the man, their close bonds and shared history notwithstanding?

Much as my hopes were raised by John's suspicions and attempts to reconstruct the events for himself, instead of relyinrg on Black's poisoned words (John even LIES to Black! Glory be!), they were subsequently dashed when Black's little 'Secret Society for the good of the Carolinas' bunk got unexpected traction with Preston's mind. Stubborn and hostile with his friends, yet easily swayed by his foes, the man's brain remains an enigma.

I'm hoping that Tom and Anne will be safe from Black's clutches in British Georgia, but I fear that the British Redcoats are no match for an angry Jasen Exeter.

PS: still looking forward to a plausible* explanation for the Rutledge housebombing.

*'Plausible' does not necessarily mean realistic. Just something that fits in the story's universe. Sadly, much as I like the Drakester, Draco as the Sword of Divine Justice doesn't quite cut it. ;)
 
HA!

But, like my middle son's favorite show says, "I'm on the Job!" :D :D