Issue #27 RRP $8.95 Rory Douglas Abel Aliette ... - Upgrade Systems

The Case of the Overdressed Man
Five, bold lines of chalk had been drawn around the figure, standing out like slashes
of white against the grubby, dusty cellar floor and forming a perfect pentagram.
Nick arrived back at the house to find Dr Theosophus at his desk. He was studying
a large book, closely appraising the text and making occasional notes with a large
goose quill.
Nick knocked on the door to announce his presence.
The doctor looked up. “Back already? Find out anything?”
Nick nodded and related what he had seen in the cellar. Dr Theosophus put his
quill down and rubbed his face.
“It is worse than I feared,” he said. “We must return there tonight and stop this
happening.”
“Stop what?” a voice spoke from the doorway. They both turned to face the
newcomer. It was Alex Connaught, still dressed in his hat and scarf.
“Mr. Connaught,” Dr Theosophus said in greeting. “Please come in.”
“You have seen Lavinia?” Connaught did not move from his position in the
doorway.
“Yes.”
“She is all right?”
“She—” Dr Theosophus hesitated. “She’s as well as can be expected,” he said.
“I must see her.” Alex Connaught seemed agitated; his hands flexed at his sides.
“I don’t think that would be a good idea,” Nick said, without thinking. “She thinks
you’re dead.“
“No!” Connaught shouted. “I will see her.” He turned and left the room. Nick
hurried after him, but by the time he reached the street, Connaught was no longer
in sight.
Nick returned to Dr Theosophus and apologised again.
“It’s not your fault, Nick,” he said. “It’s a force of nature.”
“What do you mean?” Nick asked, puzzled.
“Magic and Science are like oil and water, Nick. They cannot be mixed. But I fear
that is exactly what Mr. Svenson is attempting to do.”
The hansom cab dropped the two of them at the end of the road. Dr Theosophus
paid the driver and watched as he drove off into the night, the horses’ hooves fading
into silence.
Fire imps glowed and flared in the carriage lamps at the ends of the drives and the
shadows twisted and changed as they made their way along the pavement.
The carriage lamps at the end of Daniel Svenson’s drive were unlit and, as they
grew nearer, Nick could see that the whole house was dark.
“Good, we won’t be seen,” he said. Dr Theosophus nodded and followed Nick up
the drive and into the bushes. They reached the back of the house without raising any
alarm, though the doctor seemed unable to move through the bushes quietly.
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