Ultima Ratio Regum, Scene II

Erin snapped a picture of the second sigil on her phone, then sent it off to Rakesh. "Miss Chan seems to have done far more research on the topic then ourselves," she noted, casually. "We found the owner of the other sigil. The Dweller Behind the Night. The scene they announced at Elysium described was some manner of sacrifice to him, perhaps."

"I heard him called Jacob Wright once, in a dream," Erin mostly lied. "No reason to think that name is his, more than any other."

liez

Erin simply shook her head, interested in what Cynthia had to say.

"Is it now," Erin replied, rather dryly. "I feel like several of us would like to speak to him."

Underwood listened attentively to Lauren's summation, typing away internally as he did so. That Chan character bore watching, even more so than before her durance. Thorough, connected, and newly aligned with New Jerusalem: it was a potent combination.

"You'd be the expert as far as the Brood's concerned, Cynthia…not really my department. Oh--" He snapped his fingers once or twice, trying to remember something. "--We're talking about a line of demonic evidence stretching back through the '40's; '50's, right? That Perish character, Darrow, the one wrapped up with the King affair…wasn't he operating back then? Connected, too, in that line? Another lead we could run down, if hands-on research turns up nothing."

"You feel correctly," Underwood added, drily.

Lauren frowned. Then why mention it? "It's better than no name at all. Have you tried looking it up?"

"Oh! Right. Well, I don't think there's any harm in giving him a call," she suggested. As much as Lauren would have liked to speak to Perish herself (she him and his friends)... she couldn't.

Lauren shrugged and glanced back over her shoulder. "Be my guest." She wasn't particularly eager to be stuck in a car alone with Miss Bell, anyway.

"Not yet," Erin replied.

"Ah! Well... do they have a phone? I don't believe I have the number," Erin said, after a moment's recollection.

"Thank you. However, I do believe the issue is Othello will not feel likewise. I don't suppose we feel a bit of cloak and dagger would be worth the trouble? I could pose as you, Miss Darrow, and everyone else could hide with you in the car. Depending on the size of the car. I have no way to do anything about my reflection, or shadow, but if it's dark by the time we reach him he will not notice."

Erin glanced at Underwood, who in theory could have posed as Lauren as well, but was kind enough not to mention it.

Underwood glanced at Erin, and very much appreciated that she was kind enough not to mention it. He patted his knees decisively. "I'm game. Provided we can all squeeze in there before you close the door, Darrow, you can do that stealth jobbie you do and loop me in. That works, right?"

"Yeah, I have a number for Perish." Lauren pulled up his contact on her phone, and tossed it at Underwood.

Lauren frowned. "Well," she said after a moment, "I guess it could work? You'd have to open and close the doors so we could get in, yes. Though... I don't know what he wants me for, exactly. If it's something you can't do, he'll probably catch you." She shrugged. "Actually, if you're going to ask him things I wouldn't, then he's probably going to catch you anyway."

Erin, Lauren, Underwood, Cynthia, Mary

"Do you want me to come?" Mary said quietly, looking from Lauren to Erin and back. Othello had spoken to her, and said it would be alright. Did she really want to be a part of this? She'd have to find out.

Cynthia quirked her head as the arrival of Miss Bell and the possibility of someone named Perish having relevant information interrupted her account. In any case she took a breath. "I spoke to Father Giles, who owes me a few favors and was active at the time as well. There was a covey of Brood members operating almost openly in London back in the fifties, did some spree-killing and the like, demonic sacrifices. They were broken up after a few years, but at least two members of the covey managed to get out un-staked, a shadow named Armand and a savage named Locke -- and Locke was reported to have one bright blue eye."

"Niall was one of the Hounds who brought them down, and Sheridan was High Sheriff at the time." Cynthia added.

"Locke... another name for him. That's good, now we have two to look into," Lauren said, pleased. "Do you know anything else about either Locke or Armand?"

"Then... I wonder if they knew, when the letter was read..." Lauren frowned. She could go ask Sheridan... but Sheridan was fairly good at lying to Lauren's face if she needed to.

"Ha. That liar. Begum Rajani mentioned the name 'Jason Locke' right in front of him, and he claimed not to know it. They all fought in the Great Rebellion in India, it seems," Erin noted. She seemed mildly amused. "He was very quick to start prowling about when I simply mentioned Winslow Lake's name, as well. Odd, wouldn't you say, if he had no reason to be suspicious?"

"Do you want to come, Mary?" Erin asked, seriously. "We... how large is this car, precisely?"

Underwood had been dialing a rather long international number on Sparky in the interim. Presuming he was put through:

"Hello, Mr. Villeneuve? Jack Thomas Underwood, here -- you know, from the King affair? Yeah! I know, long time no talk to. Listen, Mr. Villeneuve, much as I'd like to catch up, I'm on the clock right now: got a cold case in London that me and Darrow are running down, from when Perish was on the beat. Some of his angle on it, too. Is the guy around? I dunno if he knew we were going to call, or what…"

With Perish, this was not unreasonable to presume. Regardless, Underwood put Sparky on speaker, and, if the retired London detective was indeed in evidence, gave an abbreviated summary of the relevant cases that had happened during his tenure (glossing over Mack's specific involvement). Had he been involved at all, and regardless, did he have any insight on the demonic angle?