Sunday, June 26, 1066 SE, continued
Reviewing this morning’s Katarina Chronicle, Marigold reads the front-page article to her friends and tells Branna that her name is misspelled. Branna is incensed. Looking at the other front-page article, Branna mentions to Mon and Marigold that the article does not provide a list of the prisoners who escaped nor mention the names of escapees. Mon suspects that the explosion at Sidorov Manor might have been a distraction to allow someone to infiltrate the Cathedral and exfiltrate prisoners. Mon then wonders whether Anya is one of the prisoners rescued from the Cathedral’s dungeons. Marigold is concerned that some of these prisoners might seek to escape Katarina on their ships when they depart on Tuesday.
Spending a little silver, Marigold sends out pageboys to gather information on the prisoners who are reported to have escaped. Meanwhile, with the Marquess currently homeless and deprived of all of her clothes, Mon proposes that the Legendary
could donate some of the fancier dresses in the costume department to
have a temporary wardrobe while she works on replacing her losses. Branna and Marigold consider this a good idea, so they head to the theater and enter the administrative quarter, looking for Sir Gregory.
Passing by accounting, they observe Josef and his coworkers counting the receipts from the night before. Mon inquires about the previous night's success. Josef tells the actor they are pleased with the funds collected; the house has been sold out every night since the King arrived.
They reach Sir Gregory’s office, only to see it dark. Obviously, Sir Gregory would not be at work on a Sunday morning. Mon uses the device Orest created for him to contact Sir Gregory. The theater owner forgot he had this device and is surprised to be contacted. Mon can hear Sir Gregory conversing with Ony, and Sir Gregory tells his butler he will lie down and nap until the horse races at Thunderhoof Downs.
The pageboy Marigold queries for information and returns with additional details concerning the escaped prisoners in the Cathedral.
Bohdan Chernyak,
54, was a charismatic scholar and philosopher. He advocated for a
society where power was distributed more equitably and individual
freedoms were paramount. His writings challenged the absolute authority
of the Church. He was imprisoned for sedition and heresy four years ago.
Olena Kravchenko, 41, was a fiery orator and leader of a peasant uprising in Klara.
She demanded land reform and an end to the oppressive taxation system.
Her short-lived rebellion was brutally suppressed, and she was
imprisoned nine years ago to serve as an example to others.
Yurii Fedorov, 48, was a prominent merchant and banker who openly criticized the Cardinal's
economic policies, arguing they were stifling trade and harming the
common people. He was convicted of treason and undermining the authority
of the Church and was imprisoned two years ago.
Dmytro Melnyk,
30, was a renowned artist and sculptor who satirized the excesses of
the nobility and the corruption within the Church. His art was deemed
subversive and blasphemous, leading to his imprisonment two years ago.
Sofiya Koval,
44, was a scholar and theologian who questioned the infallibility of
the Church and advocated for a more nuanced interpretation of religious
doctrine. Her writings were deemed heretical, and she was imprisoned to
prevent the spread of her ideas last year.
Ivan Horbach,
63, was a healer and herbalist who practiced folk medicine
incorporating ancient pagan traditions. His methods were condemned as
witchcraft, and he was imprisoned eleven years ago to protect the
Church's monopoly on healing.
Hanna Lysenko,
19, was a young woman who claimed to have visions and communicate with
spirits. Her teachings attracted a small but devoted following, but the
Church deemed her a dangerous heretic and imprisoned her last year.
Mykola Ivanenko,
52, was an alchemist and inventor who experimented with forbidden
knowledge, including manipulating the elements and creating artificial
life. His experiments were deemed a threat to the natural order, and he
was imprisoned for his transgressions five years ago.
Tetiana Kolesnyk,
47, was an astrologer and seer with an uncanny ability to predict
future events. Her knowledge was considered a threat to the established
order, and she was imprisoned four years ago to prevent her from sharing
her insights. She correctly predicted the arrival of the Cardinal on Katarina.
Andriy Petrov,
age unknown, is suspected of being a skilled spy and assassin in the
service of a foreign adversary. He was caught infiltrating the Cathedral's inner circle. His mission remains unclear, but the Cardinal fears he may have compromised the security of the Church. Petrov was imprisoned over two years ago to prevent him from revealing his secrets or carrying out further attacks.
Mon notices that Anya is not mentioned anywhere on the list. Marigold gives the pageboy another silver coin to thank him for his efforts. She suggests that Mon visit Captain Popov to see if the good captain has acquired additional information from his sources.
Mon heads to the Anchor’s Luck. With a large crowd congregating by the Cathedral for the upcoming church service at 10, he goes down the east staircase and makes it to Low Town. There is a clear lack of visible law enforcement in this section of town, as everyone is obviously focused on the King's visit to the Cathedral. Entering the Anchor’s Luck, Mon
finds the tavern empty of most of its usual guests, but a couple of
sailors stand by the counter drinking, while the old captain is seated
in his favorite chair by the fireplace,
Mon asks Popov to tell him about more adventures. Popov
regals him with his adventures at sea, his fight with the baby Kraken,
and the time he explored the merdwarf village at the bottom of the
ocean. Eventually, he gets to talking about the prisoners. Mon mentions Dhuka and that her sister Anya might have escaped. Popov tells him he hasn’t heard of any other folks having escaped, but then he yawns and suggests that Mon accompany him back to his apartment. Leaving the Anchor’s Luck, they turn right and enter the warren of workforce housing. Popov lives on the second floor of a tenement house. He unlocks the door to his small space and welcomes Mon inside. The curtains have been shot in his room, and it is eerily dark, but a shape in the Captain’s bed indicates someone else is in the room. Popov closes and locks the door behind him before parting the curtains. To Mon’s surprise, Anya is cuddled in the room, wrapped in a blanket despite the stifling June heat. Mon introduces himself and tells her he knows his sister Dhuka very well. Anya smiles sadly at him but does not say anything.
Popov and Mon discuss how to transport Anya and Dhuka off Katarina. In the end, Popov
suggests he take the girls tonight on his boat, as it is less likely
anyone would be watching in the middle of the night. He will then wait
for the Legendary’s ships to leave the harbor on Tuesday and intercept them at sea.
While Mon spends time with Popov, Branna makes her way to the Cathedral and is one of the last individuals allowed through security. She enters a packed Cathedral where security is omnipresent. She gets a seat on the last bench. Near the front, she can see the King and the Archduke, but the Archduke’s family is not in attendance. Branna has not attended a service at the Cathedral before, but she finds the ceremony pleasantly peaceful—until the Cardinal
steps in the pulpit. He informs the assembled folks that the theme of
his sermon today is “The Fires of Wrath Burn Upon the Wicked!”
The Cardinal, his voice booming through the grand hall of the Cathedral,
begins his sermon with a stern countenance, his voice clearly carrying
everywhere. “My brothers and sisters, I see the rot creeping into our
fair city of Katarina! Lawlessness runs rampant like a plague upon Katarina's
soul! Greed, lust, and a disregard for the divine law have taken root
in the hearts of men! The very foundations of our society tremble under
the weight of their sins!”
He
thunders, “The streets are no longer safe for honest folk! Rogues and
scoundrels roam free, preying upon the weak and the innocent. The
sanctity of our homes is violated, and their wickedness shatters the
peace of our souls! Do you not see, my flock, that the fires of hell
lick at our heels?”
The Cardinal’s
voice dropped to a menacing whisper, “But fear not, for God is just!
His wrath will descend upon the wicked, and the flames of eternal
damnation shall consume them! Let this be a warning to all who stray
from the righteous path! Repent, confess your sins, and return to the
light of the Lord, or face the eternal consequences!”
He
raised his voice again, “For I tell you, God’s patience is not
infinite! He has seen the wickedness in your hearts, the greed in your
eyes, and the lust in your souls! Turn from your wicked ways or face His
wrath! For the day of reckoning is nigh, and the fires of hell await
those who dare to defy the divine will!”
The Cardinal
concludes his sermon with a chilling pronouncement: “Let this be a
lesson to all! God watches over us, and he will not tolerate sin and
lawlessness in his kingdom!” He then descends from the pulpit, leaving
the congregation shaken and subdued.
As she exits the building, Branna runs into Dusana, who regularly attends church. They discuss the sermon. Dusana wonders whether this is a signal the Cardinal is sending to the royal troops who were supposed to be coming with the King to land and finally enforce the law. Dusana does not seem eager at the prospect of armed soldiers on the island.
With Branna at the Cathedral and Mon at the Anchor’s Luck, Marigold checks on Dhuka to ensure she’s fine. The child expresses her displeasure at being cooped up. Marigold tells her they will leave soon, so she should begin packing. Dhuka asks if she can return to her room and gather some of her things. Marigold agrees. With everyone at the Cathedral, Dhuka is probably safe. However, she tells her she’s only got an hour to pack up. She accompanies Dhuka back to the Legendary before departing to visit the Marquess of Sidorov.
Knocking on the door of Lady Sirenko’s townhouse, Marigold is greeted by Olehiv, who accompanies her to the sitting room. Marigold is surprised there are no servants aside from Olehiv. Marigold, the Marquess, and Lady Sirenko discuss the recent evasion at the Cathedral and who might be behind it. During the conversation, Mon sends Marigold a message about Anya, letting her know he has made contact with her and he will advise of the plan Popov and he crafted to get them off the island. Marigold tells the Marquess that they will exfiltrate Dhuka and take her to the mainland with them. The Marquess gives Marigold a purse containing 10 gold pieces for Dhuka’s sojourn in Sezja.
The Marquess then mentions she will attend the Thunderhoof Down horse races in the afternoon. Marigold raises the absence of staff. The Marquess informs her that, unfortunately, she will need to furlough most of her personnel until Sidorov Manor is reconstructed. Marigold tells her Branna will get her a few more elegant costumes from the Legendary she can wear for now until she can reconstitute a wardrobe. The Marquess is thrilled.
Returning to the Legendary, Mon, Branna, and Marigold meet for lunch. Branna has already selected and altered several outfits for the Marquess. Branna mentions Dusana attending church, and they speculate on whether Marigold’s boss might more conventional and conservative than they thoughts. Marigold then tells them Dhuka went to her room to pack a bag with the things she most wanted to take. Branna returns to her room to check on Dhuka, but she’s not there. They rush to her room in one of the ceilings of the Legendary.
Entering the room, the first thing Mon see is Dhuka sitting on her bed and staring at the wall. In a chair, near her is Dr. Sadistik. He greets the actor and his friends, and tells him he’s glad to see him again. Mon experiences a repressed memory. He remembers a clockwork mechanism Dr. Sadistik was working on connected to a little girl by pipes. He also recalls Dr. Sadistik purposefully breaks each of his fingers on right hand one at a time, before setting them back in.
Dr. Sadistik asks Mon if he would be willing to come back with him so they can pursue the great work the doctor began all these years ago. Mon declines, and Dr. Sadistik smirks and tells him his older sister might be an acceptable substitute. Mon sees the shadowy form of Zoryani splitting into two, hinting that he might have more than one sibling.
Branna removes Dhuka from the room. She willingly goes with the seamstress, even if she is not quite all there. Dr. Sadistik gently warns Mon that he’s an experiment that has not yet been completed. As the doctor leaves, Marigold steps on his outfit and Dr. Sadistik stumbles. He looks at her and smiles before leaving the room. Mon shadowsteps in front of him, surprising him.
Returning to her Palace room, Branna notices Dhuka
seems more engaged. She’s confused and does not remember much beyond
heading to her room. She wants to return to her room to pack her
favorite stuff. Branna agrees, but later today, when she returns from the horse races.
Escorted with two pageboys carrying boxes containing the Marquess’ temporary dresses, Branna and Marigold return to Lady Sirenko’s townhouse. Finally properly dressed, the Marquess heads with Branna and Marigold to Thunderhoof Down in her carriage.
Security is heavy, but they finally enter the stands. The Marquess heads to her box. Branna and Marigold notice Mon is already here, talking with Sir Gregory in his booth. He soon joins them. Mon mentions Pavel to the Marquess. As a master carpenter, he would be great at designing and leading the effort to rebuild Sidorov Manor. He also suggests that he will soon have a luxury apartment inside the Legendary and would be more than willing to let the Marquess live there.
As the first race sets up, betting begins, but the Marquess is displeased to find out there is a five gold piece bet limit per race. Mon relays the Marquess’ bet on Running Lightning at 7:1 to Sir Gregory through the device he gave him. Running Lightning speeds the track and wins the race, earning the Marquess and Sir Gregory a cool 35 gold pieces. As more races occur with the same betting limit, Mon realizes that someone stole the gold used for bets and that the explosion at Sidorov Manor might, in fact, have hidden the robbery at Thunderhoof Down. Who would have done it?
By the end of the afternoon, the Marquess correctly picked nine of the thirteen winners and earned 270 gold pieces. Thanks to Mon, Sir Gregory also made 270 gold pieces, which is nowhere near the amount he will need to pay his creditors tomorrow.
Returning home just before dinner, Branna escorts Dhuka back to her room. While there, she returns the cookbook that belonged to Dhuka’s mother where the Cardinal’s journal was hidden. It’s one of the few things Dhuka’s mother left her before she disappeared.
