From Riding Officer James Harden’s Notebook
23: Report to Sir John Fielding
After our Meeting with Sir Stanford Wallace and Colonel Mustard regarding Gower, I was ordered to support the Colonel and make sure any Arrest was carried out by a Bow Street Agent. I was supplied with a Level III Ward, which needed to be wound up and would last for 30 Minutes. I had also recently been issued a new Truncheon that had an in-built wind-up Mechanism that was particularly effective at stunning the Afflicted.
Later that Day I was investigating in Clerkenwell, East of Saffron Hill, when I encountered Mustard and his Companions. They had a Device tracking Gower. I was informed the Target was in a Western Block adjacent to Turnmill Street. We circled the Block, and the Device indicated our Quarry was below ground.
I pushed the Door open with my boot and then started my Ward as some urchins emerged. I sent them on their Way and then I led the way down a Set of winding Steps and turned to the Left with Mustard calling out Directions as advised by the Device. I saw Shapes approaching and I struck the First on the Head with my whirring Truncheon and, after remarking their glowing green Eyes, quickly stunned two more. They all left a green Halo, which soon dissipated.
I burst into a Room with hanging Ropes and Ne’er-Do-Wells leaning on them, but I rushed past through into a second Room and then down some carved Steps. I heard Water gurgling below, and when I reached the Bottom there were rough Walls with a Stream running across and a Passage ahead. I leapt across the Stream and continued up the Passage ahead as indicated by the Colonel.
I emerged into an open Area with a Pool in the centre. There was a female Figure in the far Corner and as Mustard and I ran round either side of the Pool, I heard her mouthing the words of an Incantation. Fortunately, she coughed, marring her Spell, and she turned to flee. I set off in Pursuit with Mustard and his Companions in Support. After a tight Squeeze that did not seem to trouble Gower, the female figure, I came to a wider Area, and she chanted once more. This time her Incantation was complete and a strange, fell Creature with multiple Heads emerged from the mud. I tried to strike the Hydra-like Beast, but it dodged. Fortunately, I parried the multiple Attacks aimed in my Direction. The Colonel joined me, and I struck one of the Heads of the Hydra and lopped it off and then stunned a second Head.
I heard a command uttered by Mustard and I noticed the Beast had ceased its Attacks, so I also desisted. The Colonel demanded the Beast’s name, and it hissed a response, and then Mustard ordered it to attack its Summoner. The Beast turned at his order, trailing two limp Heads behind.
We followed it along a Passage which formed a narrow Ledge alongside the Stream. The Hydra ascended a Slope and then I heard the Thunks of Someone ascending a Ladder. The Hydra was unable to continue its Pursuit, so Mustard ordered it to begone whence it had come.
I led the Way up the Ladder, which emerged from a Well in a yard nearby. All was quiet. There was only one Exit from the Yard which led to another Yard behind two Sets of Tenements. After a few Minutes Mustard realised that the Device now indicated our Quarry had climbed up to the Rooftops.
Elmhill, Mustard and I ascended to the Roof of one of the tenements, where Elmhill spotted Gowerand ran after her closely followed by Mustard, while I followed more circumspectly being unused to climbing around on Rooftops. I have my suspicions where Elmhill had learnt his skills. Elmhill caught up to the Figure and tried to grapple her just as she tried to jump from the Rooftop. The Colonel grabbed Elmhill’s Ankles and Gower landed Face down on the steep Slope. I could not believe what I saw as Gower seemed to be defying Gravity and floating away like some sort of Kite. I grabbed hold of Mustard, and we formed a Chain trying to prevent Gower from making her Escape.
I decided Mustard was firm on the Rooftop without my Support, so I edged around my two Companions and then hit Gower with my whirring Truncheon. It was like hitting a Pig’s Bladder filled with Air and she bobbed away, but I did feel I had damaged her. Suddenly she was affected by Gravity once more and sank back to the Roof. She hit me and I went down. Mustard pulled a dagger and scored along her side, and she screamed. I regained my Footing and hit Gower. Mustard struck her again and she slumped. When I checked her Body, she was Dead.