Jules decided to head to the theater that morning and busy himself with projects while he puzzled out recent events. Emily was similarly stymied but decided to stay with Cordelia. She wasn't sure what upset her more. Praeger's misguided sense of priorities or the knowledge of who D.C. was in the journal... Dierdre Cavendish... Related to the elder Cavendish no doubt! and colluding with Praeger?

While discussing the hideous implications, They felt a twinge of nearby Correspondence Magick. While Robert's house is well warded against certain types of Magick, this was not one of them and the twinge seemed to come from within the House! This certainly discomfitted both ladies because as far they were aware they were the only mages in the house.

They began searching the house, ready for mayhem. A quick reconoiter discovered only Jo, Justine, and Betsy. Both Thomas and Ms. Graves were missing...and Ms. Graves's room was the source of the Correspondence disturbance. More disturbing was the disappearance of all of her personal articles

More distrubing was the cursory investigation of Thomas's quarters. While he might be anywhere on some errand of his own, it wasn't like him to be absent this early in the morning. His quarters also seemed to be somewhat spartan as if he had no personality. The only real personal article laying about was a dog-eared copy of the collected works of St. Augustine. How strange that a mere footman should be reading this.

Cordelia concluded that her home had been penetrated by spies. Not 1 minute later this suspicion was confirmed by the untimely arrival of Praeger who showed up filled with magely wrath, and without preamble began shouting, "Where's Crowley!"

Pissed and disinclined to being bullied, Cordelia opened up on him with her full- on hermetic whoop-ass. Emily too. Which was good and bad, It forced him to drop the sphere of energy he was holding which detonated at his feet.

Things got very serious very quickly. If it weren't for the anti-destruction wards placed by Robert the house would have been a complete loss. As it was, Emily caused the parlor floor to buckle under Praeger while Cordelia was busy warning Justine back to her room. The Dining room was damage a bit too and the chandelier was a total loss.

Things were getting unpleasant for our heroines as Praeger was begining to rally and in magely terms could have both of them for breakfast. When suddenly Thomas appeared and blasted him into the parlor with a bolt of Ars Essentiae.

Both women were understandably thunderstruck and stood by while he ran into the parlor and began pummeling Praeger into unconciousness. Master mage or not, he had not bothered to protect himself against a good right cross.

After that was all over. he looked up at the ladies and shame-facedly introduced himself as Thomas Potter...of the hermetic house of Quaesetori

The penny dropped for Cordelia then...Here was the source of the anonymous notes, the mysterious person who had moved the diary around and left it open to certain pages. Thomas explained that he was assigned here after Robert's suspicious death and had been wearing a cloaking stone (much like the one he had observed on Miss Graves) so that he wouldn't read as a mage.

Apparently, House Quaesetori thought that Robert's death was fishy too. and allthough officially they had closed down the investigation due to Tytalus pressure, Unofficially they had been watching things in order to capture the real culprits.

After Cordelia related the events of the last few days to him. it became clear that Praeger would stand trial along with his spy Ms. Graves (allready in custody) for crimes against the hermetic code. Thomas's inquiry into Crowley's whereabouts got nowhere. (Cordelia wasn't about to turn him over to "Hermetic Justice" after his help) But she was glad that House Quaesitori would help her look into this Blake person.

Thomas was glad the whole mess was over. He admitted he disliked lying to her and effectively using her as bait. and swore that if she was in need she could call on him as a friend.In fact...House Quaesetori could use such sterling people like her. It was clear that it was going to be troublesome to stay in Tytalus after word got out about this little debacle. But Cordelia sadly smiled and told him no. Tytalus needed a bit of reforming and she could think of no one better for the job.

Thomas smiled and admitted that he felt better about house Tytalus knowing that she was there. It was however time for him leave seeing as how his cover was blown. He also told Cordelia that he was planning on taking Betsy with him. Seems that not everything that had happened in the house hold had been a clever ruse. He had actually fallen for the old girl and planned on taking her with him to the Horizon, so that he could get her hearing fixed.

Jules returned later that day to find the house charred, the dining room destroyed, a great gaping hole in the front hallway and bereft of any sign of the servants. And yet, Cordelia seemed utterly at peace for the first time since he'd known her.

To say that he was puzzled was an epic understatement..