Previously in Frankengeld. The Mystery Club have listened to more research. Alicia's memories of wolfwere, her and Philip's trip to see the Oracles of ancient times. And everyone has heard the strange prophecy they gave. The Legend of the Frankengeld has been read out, the origins it seems of the wolfwere trait in Damion's' family. And finally the Natural History of the wolfwere has been described. Freida has started drawing her conclusions. Damion and Elodie are not wolfwere.
Now read on ...
17th June in the year 1784, in the evening.
Freida continued her conclusions.
"Damion's brother, does appear to be wolfwere. He has, I am told, the fur covered lower limbs. He has been sexually active for nine months, since he married his bride, Gerda, and can be expected to develop stronger wolfwere traits as time goes on."
It was clear that despite her modernity she was not prepared to say in public that he would develop an enormous phallus, and an increasingly cruel nature.
"Somewhere there is a harem of wolfwere females. We have seen with our own eyes enough evidence to prove this to our own satisfaction, if not enough for a court of law. It is reasonable to speculate that they are submissive to Damion's father, and therefore prepared to do crimes on his behalf. The balance of probability is that he ordered the death of the old doctor and his daughter, to clear the way for Damion to get the opportunity to run a medical practice. He treated them as simply obstacles to be removed. What other plans, I wonder, does he have?"
We were approaching the nub of the matter, everyone was tense, waiting for Freida's logic to send us into danger.
"To bring him to justice we must prove the link between him and the harem, and either arrest him, or otherwise deal with him. The harem, without guidance, may stop being a danger."
I mused that if my father was removed from the situation Karl might be supernaturally 'called' to become the harem's new master. That would disappoint Gerda as he might lose interest in her. But all in good time, I could mention that flaw in the plan later. Freida continued, referring to her notes.
"The evidence we saw suggested that the hunting lodge was only a temporary location for the harem. It is too close to Carlsbruck for their safety. Their activities would not remain secret for long. We must discover their true seraglio, if that is the word. I understand that Damion has brought a map, which we should study now."
I nervously looked in my bag for the map, despite checking the contents twice before I set out. It was there, thank goodness, for a trip to home and back would have delayed things. I pulled the map from my bag and a low table was cleared of wine glasses so it could be seen by all.
It was covered with fine detail, but in a very old-fashioned style. Among the tiny trees used to represent a forest, or the craggy outcrops to indicate mountains, buildings were represented by tiny drawings rather than top down blocks of grey. In a way they were more expressive of the function of the building - you could clearly distinguish between tower, castle, mill and farmhouse without the need for text. I gestured to Helena to take the lead, she had, after all, spent the most time studying the document.
"This map seems to show the extent of Frankengeld lands many years ago," she said. "This dotted red line shows the Frankengeld estate boundary which extends a considerable distance to the north east of Carlsbruck. Here is the current house just north of the town. Damion tells me that the inscription next to the drawing of the house suggests it was a minor residence in those days."
As she made this statement she pointed out the features on the map.
"Is the hunting lodge shown on the map?" asked Freida.
"I believe so," replied Helena, indicating a tiny drawing. "Look here, very close to Carlsbruck, is a tower that looks like it is in the right place."
'Your lands were considerable in those days," commented Alicia. "Are these far flung locations ..."she waved her hand over the more north-easterly part of the map "... still part of your estate?"
"If you had asked me six months ago," I replied. "I would have said that the entirety of our estate was Durishaus and three farms. I had no knowledge of anything further afield except in our ancient history, lost to time, and war, and reduced circumstances, many years past. Now I am not so sure."
"What is that larger building there?" asked Poppy. She was pointing at a tiny drawing of a castle perhaps two or three days travel north of Carlsbruck.
Helena frowned, concentrating, "I believe that this was the great castle at the heart of the Frankengeld empire in earlier times. If it still exists then it would be a suitable location for a seraglio. It appears to be within a well-concealed valley."
"And look," said Philip. "That could be a watchtower to the west of the castle. A possible vantage point for us to observe their lair, if it is not itself inhabited by fell things."
I looked closely at the map. Most of the other locations were towers, small castles, hunting lodges, farmsteads or windmills. As my finger traversed the terrain it fell onto the image of a tower, or perhaps an abandoned windmill, close to the modern Frankenstein estate. It was drawn in the style of all the other Frankengeld properties on the map, in a darker shade of ink. Could this be where Victor was conducting his current experiments? I wondered what, if anything, was 'alive' in that place - had he actually succeeded in bringing life to dead flesh? And, if so, what were the consequences of that act. I also wondered if Father knew that one of the old Frankengeld properties, now part of the Frankenstein estate, was being used today by Victor. Had he given his blessing to use the building? Was he a patron to Victor's work? And did he have plans for what came from Victor's hands?
I decided I was being paranoid, and seeing conspiracies everywhere, so I sat back content to watch and listen as strategies were discussed and options debated. It was clear that we were heading north, probably to occupy the watchtower, before approaching the castle. But everyone agreed that we needed to prepare. And nobody could agree exactly how we should prepare, and when we should move against my father. We agreed to wait. The fact that there was an Oracular prophecy about my family, and that the ghost at Durishaus also spoke of a prophecy, might mean we would get a sign when we should proceed. That a greater proof of his evil would emerge. Then we could act.
As agreed, we wandered out to the Summer Fair, took a table and sat in the warmth of the evening with drinks. My mind was full of the implications of the Mystery Club revelations and, for a while, I was poor company. Then Helena drew me back into the present by snuggling close and whispering, "Are you going to leave Madam Minna unsatisfied?"
I looked deep into her eyes but I couldn't detect if she was teasing me. She could have demanded my faithfulness, insisted I love her alone, refused to share my body with another. But no. Helena was ever aware of other people's needs. Perhaps this was because, when she lost her own husband, she had experienced what Madam Minna now suffered. The loss of physical companionship, of the touching of bodies, of the pleasure of intimate contact. I smiled at her, "What do you think I should do?"
"I think you should help her," Helena replied. "She is a little old fashioned to be comfortable using a servant like Johann, however desperate she might get. You would be a much more acceptable lover for her."
