Editorial
There is a certain hunger in all of us. It is human nature to be so curious, to the point of destruction of the self. Why is it that a person would torture oneself so? For what? To know? To relive? To keep alive a legacy, or continue one? To atone for a sin? Or, simply, for hunger. Oh, how many lives has it cost. So much pain, so much suffering, all self-inflicted and still the result of an outside force.
Who is to blame? The fool that trusted or the traitor who gave the order? Both of them, monsters in their own right. One more tragic than the other, certainly, but with no less blame. It may be folly to follow your heart. Follow the voice.
What do they find in the cold? Oh, how one would love to know. This hunger, this thirst for mystery uncovered.
It is human nature to be so curious, but it is not for humans to know all.
All shall be Well.
Art of London
A Hell to Pay
By Wolf Grim Rine
Wolf was a 26 year old man wearing a monocle on his left eye, a black top hat, white suit with a blue tie and carried a cane. Despite it being perpetually night it was a nice day in The Neath. Wolf had a modest house next to the observatory as well as a pet raven on his shoulders. “Hello good sir.” Said a Devil who walked up to Wolf. His eyes were a brilliant crimson and glowed in the dark cavern. “We at The Brass Embassy have need of your services Mr. Rine. With your tact at conversations we feel you may be able to handle a problem for us.” He took out a card from his breast pocket and handed it to me. “We expect it to be handled with due diligence.” The devil tipped his hat and vanished in a burst of flames with a haunting cackling echoing. The area he stood also had visible scorch marks. Wolf took little notice of the dramatic exit as he was quite familiar with The Brass Embassy. He then looked at the card it had an address “666 Asmodeus Boulevard” He nodded and tossed the card away as it quickly burst into flames. Secret messages from devils tend to destroy themselves stead of requiring the reader to it made things so much easier.
Wolf tapped his cane against the door and waited no one answered. He sighed and tapped again harder to make more noise. Still no answer. He checked to see if the door was locked it wasn’t he then entered the room. The address was that of a one floor townhouse. It had a bedroom a small kitchen, powder room and one very dead woman. Wolf rolled his eyes as he walked up to her. She’s been dead a day or so, she had no eyes he couldn’t decide if they were gouged out or if she in general really had no eyeballs. Given the city either option was totally plausible. He decided to poke her with his cane as he looked down in mild contempt as if her being dead was more an inconvenience to him then her being dead was to her. Artemius flew over to a wardrobe and started speaking in a high squeaky voice. “Clue!” Wolf walked over to it petted his pet bird and pulled open the drawer.
“Ah interesting.” There was a soul in the drawer and Wolf figured it was the woman’s soul. Only a moron would keep their soul on them so maybe it was somebody else’s. The soul was not fresh not one itty-bit and made him cough at the smell, he threw it across the room and the jar shattered as the soul wailed and dissolved into oblivion. Wolf then brushed himself off and let Artemius get back on his shoulder. “Well this was a waste of bloody effort.” He started to walk away when he heard a noise. “A zombie would be deeply inconvenienced.” He said turning around to see indeed the woman was standing upright. Wolf rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose this was so not what he needed right now. He splayed out a hand and streams of green energy burst from his palm as it hit the woman. “Speak you stupid creature.”
“Urgh… I…. Saw… A… D-D” And then she collapsed dead.. Again Wolf just shook his head and left.
Wolf tapped on the door to The Brass Embassy and out came a devil male who smiled. “Ah did we settle our affair we sent you after?”
Wolf glared at him he was used to Devils. “No and you shouldn’t take me for an idiot.”
The devil looked mockingly offended. “Me? Insult one our best associates?”
Wolf gestured behind the devil and a second more important looking male devil walked up to them. He wore a monocle that made his left eye shine brighter than normal, and held a glass with a wailing soul in it it also had a martini olive in it. “Yes gentlemen?” The second devil asked.
Wolf wasted no time. “Your friend here tried to get me to offend the noble Brass Embassy with returning a spoiled soul to him. Hell knows what he was intending to do with it.” Without missing a beat the more refined devil put his glass down on a table then pinned the other by the neck against the wall.
“Spoiled Soul?” He said with intense malice in his voice. The other choked as he struggled to get loose one think he could teleport but maybe devils can interrupt another’s teleporting.
Wolf took no emotion to this affair and took a rat to feed Artemius and then looked up with the refined devil alone. “We are terribly sorry to have a devil attempt such a poor excuse for a scandal. We shall mail you compensation.” He bowed took his glass back and closed the door. Wolf picked up a small piece of ember off the floor where the dead devil was and smiled.
“Well too bad they trust me here.” And walked away.
News of Art, Art of News
The Seventh Letter
It is a rare opportunity that we get to see such a play. At least once a year, on the request of Lilac. In the hidden-away theaters, the lost parlours, the backroom stages. The play is infamously known, not only for what and how it depicts, but also for what it achieves. Even those with little attunement to the going-ons of Fallen London, an observant viewer can figure dark secrets from this simple play. The origins of it are hard to be found. Just who would so willingly give up such secrets? We suppose there is vengeance to be found.
There is little to be said of this play that had not been said before. We may revisit it one day again. For now, dear readers, beware the Seventh Letter.
Ask Mother Goose
Dear Mother Goose,
Have I doomed myself?
Seeking
Dear Seeking,
Oh, so easily and so willingly, and so long ago.
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