The Barker Street Irregulars case 1 Crowned Panic.

[CPT_J_Percell]

"My Wolfen sense's are perfect for Bird watching!" he said smiling.

[Stella Gaslight]

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear."   Came a highly amused voice from behind them.

Celia rolled her eyes. She had seen him in the shadows just waiting for a grand entrance.  "You are finally out of bed?"

"Never touched it. I have been theorizing."  My poor walls Celia thought. "How much do you all know about the ravens that live in the tower of London?"

[CPT_J_Percell]

"Taste like Chicken?"

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"other than the fact that they are big, black birds, not much at all..."  replied Mallard, his entire being focused on Charley, he could almost taste the sweet mystery that was about to come. The anticipation was building within him, he craved a case- and finally, after many weeks of boredom, he could be of use.

[Ranger Reid]

Reid spoke softly  "Seven saves the crown. If legends hold true."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"Is that the legend thing, that if the ravens leave the tower, our illustrious kingdom will go to pot or something?" said Mallard very sarcastically.

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia smiled it was nice that someone else followed some of the old traditions.  "You are right. Legend says that the kingdom and the Tower will fall if the seven ravens ever leave the fortress. But there wings are clipped and they are under guard." And she knew not all of the guards were mortal and unswayable.  "So what happened?"

"Seven where there last night but only six were left this morning. No trace was left and none of the guards saw anything even the ones that never sleep." Charlie shrugged murders in locked rooms  he was fine with but this had him baffled.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"That's interesting... can't have flown off, couldn't have been smuggled out, so either it was one of the guards, or it's still there... can't rule out spiritual interference either, maybe something in the sewers beneath the ground?" said Mallard, with a smile.

[walking stick]

"You'll need that rope Captain it's spell proof. Those are spirit bags, essential when facing Those In White.  As for the magical significance of ravens don't any of you think about the Celtic Legends? How many people here besides Toby can read runes. It isn't The Empire that's in danger, it's The Realm and if you don't know the difference by now then you will be woefully unprepared when someone tries to use The Morrigan.  My dears, of all the ancient forces that shouldn't be disturbed." by the end of this speech Beety wasn't smiling and she didn't look the least bit vague.

[Ranger Reid]

Reid looked at Beety and smiled a short hard smile.  He didn't know anything of London towers, but he did know the clan stories his mam had told him as a child.

[Stella Gaslight]

"I was hoping I had read the signs wrong. There has been some pushing from odd corners lately."  Toby looked nervously at Celia who put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We will be just fine. I swore an oath to you after all."  The trouble was she had no idea how to make sure of that  but he needed her to be strong so she would be. 

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"aha!" exclaimed Mallard, "spirit bags... they are very interesting things which I have never heard of in my entire life. What do they do, exactly? as for the matter of the Raven, I would prefer to remain purely scientific about this, but that blasted troll has ruled out any chance of that, could you shed some light on these wickedly dangerous beasties?"

[walking stick]

Beety tilted her head to one side and hunched her shoulders, then she stood tall nearly expressionless.  Among the ancient clans the meaning would be clear enough and Reid was of the old blood.  
"Mallard you've seen magic at work it has rules, The spirit bags are the equivalent of an inoculation against poison. The magic we face will be much more noisome than any sewer.  As for shedding some light, bringing things of that nature out of the darkness is exactly what we don't want to do."  The Irregulars recalled seeing Beety get that look twice before, neither time had been an easy case.

[Steampunk Away]

"First a troll, now a raven is missing, if I knew any better I would say that Odin has decided that London is his new home, or perhaps Loki," He looks at Beety,"and they always said he was a master of disguise."

Abraham laughs and tosses the bag into the air, "Thank you Beety, I'll try and not lose it."

"Now for this case. What if someone impersonated a guard? We could see if Beety could go that route and get another raven, and simply return it. Or we could ask some locals who work on the black market for any leads. Anyone else got ideas?"

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"I could do some investigative work around where the birds are kept, there must be some form of clue as to how they got it, if there is no sign of a forced entry, either it is magic or someone with a key- guards and the keeper are the main suspects. we also need to establish a motive, is it to bring England to it's knees, or for something most... sinister..."

[Ranger Reid]

I could get invited to assist the official investigation.     

[walking stick]

"Mallard remember your family were named for a bird. In magic this may be a weakness or a protection."

"Reid be very careful when your gloves are off, the tower is full of old pain and fear."

Beety looked at Abraham "My influences aren't norse and only some of yours are."

Odin wasn't the most outrageous suggestion she'd heard for who else she might be and Beety took it as a good sign that Abraham recognized that she had been a Raven singer even if he was wrong about whose ravens she'd sung for.

[Ranger Reid]

At mention of his gloves, Reid gave a hard look at the old woman.  Bad enough she knew Argyll signs, she apparently knew his family heritage, and didn't mind speaking of it in out loud.

[Stella Gaslight]

"I say we brake in to teams.  If the hounds have been called in there is no doubt in my mind they know who we are and will do anything they think they can get away with to be rid of our investigation.  As for me I can invoke the city directly but it is a hard trick to pull off and if anyone wants to lend a hand it would be welcome." Celia squared her shoulders they were the only active defence the city had and she was willing to put up with a huge amount of unpleasantness if it would help.

[Ranger Reid]

"Ma'am, do you have writing materials?  I need to send a wire."   


*Celia produces several sheets of fine paper and a quill pen almost as if she knew the request would come.

Reid writes the following:

1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Boss.  Reid.  Bored here.  Could help Scot Yard look for missing birds.  Could come home.  finish meeting with Stevie.  Pick.

After a few seconds thought, Reid asks Celia "Could you have this sent....  payment due?" 

[Stella Gaslight]

"I can get it to the tube mail depot in a heartbeat. just push the right eye in on the green man by your elbow and you will see what I mean." Not all the club was so modern but she squeezed in the comforts where she could.

[Ranger Reid]

Reid did as told, and when the gargoyle face on the wall opened his mouth, a small glass vial dropped down, resting on the lower jaw.  Reid unscrewed the topper.  He added the words "receiver will pay postage, immediate reply requested" and shoved his missive into the vial.  Replacing the topper, Reid put the glass holder back in the mouth and shut it.  There was a loud sound of rushing air.

Reid looked at the watching room.  "Should hear back fairly quickly."

He turned back to his meal.

[The Corsair]

The food was warm, which was more than could be said for most of JJ's meals these days. Or at least he remembered most of his food being cold this week. He didn't think too hard about it. It felt funny when he thought hard about the past. The wan light of the inn's lamps left him enough spots of shadow to hide and eat his snatched leftovers. At the same time they provided just enough brightness for him to read the letter in his pocket. He knew it was there, and he'd avoided touching it just yet. He wasn't sure why though. Instinct drove him. Just like the state of his recent meals, JJ had no recollection of how the letter came to him. But then that happened so often these days, he'd find exactly what he needed sitting there in his pocket one morning. This letter though, this was a strange one. Sometimes he'd needed fish hooks to catch food, or needle and thread to patch his clothes, and those had been there in his pockets so soon after the thought of needing them. Once or twice the object would arrive before he even needed it. This letter, he assumed, was the same way. It just didn't mean much of much to him just yet. And besides, what use was a letter? It wasn't even the sort that let him get money or food, it just had some words and numbers on it that matched the place he'd found himself at that morning.

Still, he told himself, the letter was important somehow. He was meant to be here, he just didn't know why yet. At least for now he had a warm meal...

*  *  *

He was outside a room, reaching for the doorhandle. He knew it would be locked. He stopped his hand before he touched it.

*  *  *

He was inside the room. The door was flat on the floor behind him. 'Why would someone break a door?' he wondered. Around the room, the people stared back at him like he was all bloodied or something nasty like that. 'How strange...' he thought. In a way, they reminded him of someone he thought he'd known once...

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia raised her hands and started to call upon the power stored in the wards but Toby reached out and grabbed a hold of her shaking his head.  He could feel something odd about this boy but it wasn't like the thunder head that was the man in white.  Instead he was slot all over with ripples like a pond in the rain.  Toby stepped up to the older boy barely reaching chest height. "You had better pick the door up and put it back if you can Mama Celia won't let you have cake if you make messes. Celia looked at both of them tense and ready to make it across the floor in two steps if things went bad.

[Ranger Reid]

When the door exploded inward, Reid almost went into fight mode, but he happened to be looking at his hostess, and at the old lady.  Neither had jumped or acted afraid, so he held his calm as well.