The Beginning of the End [ Active / Semi-Open ]

[hurtfew]

Since his surprising loss at the election Gilbert Norrell has gone deep into hiding. Whispers say he rarely leaves his house, and yet more say he has been demanding a recount and investigation! That much, at least, is certainly true. A recount was done in a few territories, and at least one uncovered some suspicious vote meddling, but not anything they could pin on anyone. Nothing significant enough to change the result. Gilbert Norrell has lost, and after how certain his victory seemed it is a hollow thing indeed.

Tapping On The Glass


Yet Gilbert Norrell is not the only one to be suspicious of this sudden turn of events.

Childermass knows how hard Norrell campaigned, how much support he raised, how loud and forward his supporters were. Certainly after all the chaos with fae in the build up things seemed sure to fall in his favour. So, when Norrell instructs him (as he is wont to do) to investigate it is perhaps no surprise that he was planning to look into it anyway. Perhaps no surprise that he even found something, although the hows and whys are of course likely a surprise to Norrell.

The man is jumpy, perhaps more so than usual. Even at his best Gilbert Norrell held a distinct air of paranoia about him. Why should he not? He has a reputation, and one people should very much like to besmirch! They are jealous, of course, and he expects treachery at every turn! Oh, they would very much like to destroy him he is sure! Very much like to overturn his good work and bring the country to ruin!

The longer it goes on, the more convinced he becomes. His house is warded with as many spells as he can cast, and Norrell keeps to his library -- in a state of constant vigilance for intruders and betrayers while he researches. The world outside spins on, yet he takes little notice.

The knock startles Norrell in the quiet, and he stares down the doorway before Childermass stumbles in.

It takes him only a few short seconds to ascertain that he is not in good shape.

"Childermass!" he exclaims, "where on earth have you been? What has happened to you?" He rings a bell impatiently for someone else to come, frowning at the man as he stands and moves around the desk -- not quite willing to come too close but hesitantly uncertain if he should be helping. "I sent you out to find information, not involve yourself in a brawl!"



A Whisper of Treachery


Even so much as he is concerned about attacks on himself, about the poor state of things now he is no longer on the Night Council, he still does have time for his coven. That, of course, includes Elizabeth DeWitt. She may be an American, yet he has grown rather fond of her. She at least appears to listen to him, and while she is somewhat strong willed he knows she does have talent. If only she would just apply herself more to books...!

It is therefore pleasant of her to visit him for her tutelage still, and he has invited her into his library -- where tea and sandwiches have been served to help things along.

"Of course," he is saying while pushing some tea toward her, "I was as much surprised as you were. I am still quite certain that foul play was involved -- oh, very certain indeed! Yet it has become difficult to do anything about such a thing. The Night Council would not want it public such a thing is even possible, you see! Oh, no, they must be seen to be correct in all things! I am sure that is why they refuse to help me. I have written to them many a time, yet nothing has come of it. Childermass is looking into it, though. You will see. Childermass is good at these things."

Taking a sandwich he offers her a slightly forced smile and holds out a plate of them for her. How good it is to have someone to talk to who understands!



A Meeting of Witches


It is late when the knock at the door comes, and the summer storm rains so heavy against the glass he thinks it only that at first. Then, between the rumbles of thunder, he hears it again. A strange thing, too, since not many tend to visit Gilbert Norrell now he has less influence -- especially not at this hour. Yet the knocking is insistent, and after a moment he leans back and takes off his glasses, lofts an eyebrow at Childermass that suggests he go see to it.

The house is much heavier in its warding than it used to be, thick with magic to keep away fae largely, but his offer to Nancy of help in a time of need is one that will still stand -- and there is nothing to prevent a fellow witch coming near.

Especially not one who is invited it, and lead through the labyrinthine magic.

Comments

[knowstheworld]

Childermass sighs. The least he could do is offer him a glass of water? Though the fact that he's rung for help is something at least, he supposes. He wonders who will come, and whether they will have enough sense to care what sort of condition he's in.

"Yes, the vote," he growls, because what the hell else could he be talking about. He knows what sort of reaction this reveal is going to draw out in the other man and he has more than a bad feeling about it. "Mr Norrell, you mustn't continue to go looking for these people," he says, evading the truth of the matter. "They are dangerous. Following down this line will bring you nothing but trouble."

[hurtfew]

"Dangerous!" he exclaims, "trouble?! I already have nothing but trouble! I have been slandered, cheated of my position, now my servants are being attacked -- what would you have me do? Stand by and let this continue? Until it is me they attack? No! I will not let this rest --"

He rings the bell angrily, and a second later the door opens a fraction.

"There you are! Can you not see this man is bleeding? Fetch the doctor! And some water and a cloth!"

[knowstheworld]

With what little extra Childermass has left to spare for it, he rolls his eyes at the other man. Oh, he's very happy to ring a bell for help but to lift a finger on his own, to get his own hands dirty? Even in such a moment as this?

"They know that I was after them," he says. "They know that I will tell you. God only knows where they will take this next. You must be ready," Childermass warns the other man, although how he should be ready he cannot say for certain. He has to say, he's having more than a little difficulty keeping his head from spinning and his train of thought. Perhaps it has something to do with the blood loss...

[hurtfew]

"I will strengthen the wards," Norrell says, "nobody would dare come in here! I will not allow it. The coven will help, of course --"

A small, slightly ruffled and worried looking servant takes one look at Childermass and begins to pale. The snap of Norrell's temper sends him scattering again quickly, and the man thins his lips. Childermass can probably imagine the various irritable thoughts about lazy servants running through his mind.

"What did you find?" he continues on. "You must have found something! You would not be in this state, otherwise!"

'This state' being bleeding, generally, something Norrell is aware of but does not deem worthy of stopping an interrogation.

[knowstheworld]

Childermass glances over in the direction that the servant disappeared and sighs slightly. He'd like nothing more than to be anywhere but here. Possibly in hospital. Or at least laying down somewhere. Maybe if he had made his way to the kitchen first before through to here then some of the ladies who'd be working there at this time of the day would have at least done something. More than Norrell and his demands, at any rate.

"I followed the trail that I had uncovered, which led me to the fae. And then one of them became upset with my questions and decided to stab me. With a trident," Childermass grinds out at the other man. Is this what he wants to know? There really isn't that much more than that.

[hurtfew]

"A trident!" Norrell echoes, clearly horrified now. "Whatever was it doing with a trident!"

Clearly the important question. Who uses a trident these days?

[knowstheworld]

Childermass raises his eyebrows at the other man at the question. "Using it to stab other people with, apparently," he responds. "Where it came from, considering we had just come from the inside of a crowded club your guess is as good as mine, sir. No doubt there was some sort of fae magic involved."

The important part of this is that the pointy ends had gotten shoved into Childermass' shoulder. All three of them, at that. And it hurt more than anything, although he knows that if he'd been more injured then he'd probably have lost consciousness somewhere between here and there. "If it's any consolation, I don't think the fae intended to kill me," Childermass adds, a bit self-deprecatingly. Otherwise it would have likely done so.

[hurtfew]

Fae magic! Tridents! Norrell feels increasingly distressed by all this news, and it shows as his face begins to furrow deeper into discontent.

"Well what if they followed you here! What if it was a trap!" Since for all his confidence in his wards five minutes ago, the prospect of fae with tridents coming to his house is suddenly making him uneasy. He lunges for a book, begins to flick through for something uneasily. "Did they give you anything, Childermass? Slip something into your pockets? Why would they not kill you?"

A trap, surely! A way to bypass his wards!

[knowstheworld]

Childermass shakes his head. He can't remember being slipped anything. He can't remember the fae getting that close, certainly not after he had gotten shifty about him. Not unless you counted the whole stabbing incident. Besides, he has half a mind to protest that isn't being stabbed threat enough? Perhaps they had missed.

"They tried to trick me into a promise," he replies. "To try and keep me quiet. No doubt so that they would not have to worry about whether I lived or not."

[hurtfew]

"A promise!" Norrell echoes, voice rising further with consternation. "Now you are getting into deals with fae! Is this how things are to be now?"

'Tried' somewhat passed him by, for so disturbed is Norrell by the closeness of all these troubles to his person that nothing but worst-case scenarios occur to him. Attacks, spells, deals. All of this fae involvement is much outside his comfort zone!

[knowstheworld]

Childermass rolls his eyes slightly at the other man. "I promised them nothing," he insists. "I pulled what tricks I was able to get out of there as fast as I could before they were able to exact anything from me and came straight here." Instead of to hospital or anywhere he probably should have headed before coming straight to Norrell.

"They've painted a target on you, Mr Norrell. And now they know my association with you as well. You need to guard yourself. I would not be surprised if that election were only the beginning, given recent events." Being stabbed for prying and all.