Emily awoke...with no idea what the dream meant.

It was Friday and everyone had their chores to perform. Work proceeded on the theatre and finally the basements had been evacuated of most of the water. Jules had work at the factory and Jo had asked to be allowed to continue her work with the transliterator. The annals of the missin craftmasons had turned into a cracking good read what with all the betrayals and backstabbing and all...These Ksirifai guys sounded pretty serious. Cordelia spent the day mentally preparing herself for another meeting with her Mentor and Emily had to prepare herself for a meeting with Edward Cheltenham (the dead man from the party some days ago.)

This turned out to be not so easy. Dougie,Emily's little brother, sort of understands about his odd sister and is kind of interested in the weird stuff that surrounds her. Emily had hoped to use this interest to cajole her brother to act as her lookout while she went to the club that night and spoke to Cheltenham. Unfortunately, the moment the word "Vampire" slipped out of her mouth the game was up and dougie was hollering for mother...Who thankfully didn't believe a word of it. But did admonish Emily for filling his head with such fanciful tales. Jo would have to be the lone lookout tonight.

That afternoon, Jules arrived at the Royal Society for the Preservation of Scientific Inquiry Admiralty Club at the behest of Edmund Bartholomew. They chatted pleasantries and got to know one another in a most amiable fashion with some cigars and brandy until Jules noticed a particular pair of eyes on him.

These eyes belonged to the one and only Giselle Deveraux. Otherwise known as Captain Tromos.

Tromos made her way over and introduced herself to Bartholomew while Jules tried to maintain his composure. They verbally jousted for a number of minutes while sizing one another up. Giselle requested a calling card so that she could "renew her acquaintance" with Jules. With a bit of quick thinking, Jules performed a bit of ledgerdemain which changed the address on the card to read 1060 W. Addison St. ( a bit of an in-joke) and presented it to her as propriety demanded. He hastily made his home only to find Jo missing which worried him endlessly until she returned later.

The weather turned nasty as Cordelia and Thomas made for Fullrooney Manor. upon arrival, Cordelia was escorted into the study and a very terse exchange commenced between her and Praeger. He insulted her for the lack of conciseness of her report until she produced written notes which he quickly scanned. He ordered her to do something about the west end slasher business and then also ordered her to pay the protection money to mick beller and his men. His reasoning being that not to do so would attract undue attention. During this meeting he also sussed out that she had allready figured out that her mind had been tampered with and by whom. He made it most clear that things were going on that she was not going to be told about until it was decided that she was ready and that was utterly final. Then he curtly dismissed her.Cordelia comforted herself with the knowledge that she hadn't told Praeger a thing about the journal.

On the way home, Cordelia realized that they were being followed. Their shadowers turned out to be Mick Beller and one of his bully boys. Cordelia told Thomas, who attempted to lose them. Unfortunately, the nasty weather and london traffic conspired against them and the chase was on. Thomas was thrashed with a horsewhip, He unlimbered his large pipe and swung but failed to connect with his assailant. Cordelia however had been busy. Even with the bumping carriage, Cordelia found the necessary wherwithal to focus Ars Essentiae calling down a stroke of lightning upon the enemy carriage. Public as hell, but also effective.

Returning home, Thomas buttonholed Cordelia and gave her the fishy eye about how "coincidental" that lightning bolt was. Cordelia was disinclined to explain it to him but tried...perhaps unsuccessfully...to assauge his fears.

Later that evening, Emily and Jo arrived at their rendezvous in front of Cheltenham's Club (The Societas De Occultum.) Once it was explained that Jo was simply there to lookout and not tangle with undead types. (which she had procured a small pistol for) Emily entered the club and prepared to meet her destiny.

Edward Cheltenham entered with his compatriot Colin Montgomery (this is something of an in-joke as well as Colin Montgomery is an extreremly potent Tremere chantry regent in my modern chronicle.) Feeling the bard's tounge come on her she began blurting out personal infomation about Mr Montgomery who excused himself with some alacrity.

Cheltenham,obscurely pleased at his clanmates discomfiture, made an effort to make Emily comfortable. He began by reiterating his belief that they had common goals. A benefactor who wished to remain nameless wanted to stop the killings in the west end. He had retained Cheltenham to solve the problem and Cheltenham in turn had sought out motivated supernaturals and offered a bounty for his capture and/or destruction. The Slasher was a Vampire who was attacking the actresses. (The Benefactor is some sort of Ventrue obviously who is trying to protect his herd.) They didn't know who exactly but they had an idea.

To this end, Cheltenham produced some reports. While the Scotland Yard types had apparently locked up the investigation for their own reasons. Metropolitan police invariably found the bodies...and filed their own reports. These had been procured by Cheltenham and they would give Emily a place to start. He also cautioned Emily that others had also been retained for this very purpose. Cheltenham also indicated that he would be interested in continuing their association after this business was over. Emily surprised herself by saying the same.

Jo seemed actually happy to see Emily re-emerge from the club and they proceeded home.

Upon arriving at home, Jo let herself into her room, put away her pistol and yelped in surprise to find Jules sitting on her bed. Controlling his temper he explained in tones as measured as he could muster that Tromos was in town. This brought about a change in the normally tough-as-nails Jo that frankly worried Jules.

Jo is absolutely terrified of her mother. In fact it came down to her begging Jules to pack their bags and leave tonight. With a bit of talking, he managed to convince her to relax and stick it out until they could reunite with the ship.

The next day was saturday and as such was a good work day the cabal. With the basement unflooded, Jules resolved to explore the basement. It was filled with mold,wet rot,rat turds,ruined props,and costumes, The Sub-basement held interesting leyline signatures and a man sized rat.

This was unexpected to say the least. The Rat attacked and happily Jules used his electrified walking stick to enable himself to escape to the elevator.