Martin's Diary, Entry 2


Time is a strange thing, particularly when you are not tied to a mortal body, but flit from one to another as you desire. I wrote the first entry in this diary full of good intent, I would keep it up to date with regular entries. Now, however, I see that more than a couple of weeks have passed without an entry, and so I must make amends, particularly given the recent events.

Things were quiet for a week or so after the events of my last record, but then we were joined by Lucas, an enthusiastic young Angel who had been assigned as Nathaniel's understudy.

This seemed to be start of the series of events I shall recount, though it would be a grave injustice to suggest that Lucas was responsible for them.

His arrival coincided with that of Terry Jackson, an American TV producer, who, we later learned, specialized in the sensational - and had decided that Southampton was the place to be. Bernard was to win the task of accompanying Terry on his exploits.

Bernard took very little time to find Terry's practiced enthusiasm wearing, but noticing his flight bag contained something bearing a definite resemblance to a katana decided there could be more here than just another American. Terry was also unduly interested (and well informed) as to the events of the week before.

To make the day complete, Tony was visited by a Triad of Judgment, who, after a brief discussion, left with him to examine Case's Dojo. There they found Case, Nathaniel and Lucas and myself. Case was relieved when his phone rang, as it gave him an excuse to leave the questioning - the caller was apparently a Malachite called Esek, wanting to warn Case that the Triad were about, and also that there was a Thief in town - a servitor of Valefor, and that they needed to talk.

The Triad were still busy irritating everyone when I got a call from Bernard. He quickly filled me in on Terry, and asked if I could meet him at the hotel with the aim of checking out Terry's bag. I happily agreed, and flipped out into a passing pigeon to fly over. I had no problems getting into the bag, which did indeed contain an antique katana, and quite a good one as far as I could tell. I was not able to get into the blade itself, however. A quick jaunt into the receptionist gave us Terry's room number, but that was about the extent of our investigations for the time being.

I headed off to catch up with Case while Bernard when off to his office to find things to keep Terry busy (and off our backs).

Case and I went off to scout out some of the more dubious haunts of the city, to see if we could get a lead on the Thief. We were not having much luck when we heard a distinct noise in the Symphony, so heaed that way to see what the problem was.

We found several of our colleagues fighting a group of thugs in the front of a disused church. Case immediately jumped into action, flattening one of them, before rushing into the church itself after a guy with long hair and a leather jacket poked his head out of the door then quickly moved back inside. Lucas followed Case inside, while Nathaniel dispatched another of the original gang.

Tony took this moment to appear, to inform us that he (actually she, in her current vessel) had just called the police, and we should move the car. I took over the car and got it clear, while Lucas, who had come back outside, grabbed Case's bike and moved it round the corner.

Suddenly the air was filled with billowing clouds of noxious gas emanating from the cemetery behind the church, and a voice called out 'Who Has Summoned Me ?' Nathaniel responded by invoking Gabriel, and were were faced with the spectacle of Gabriel and Saminga battling. Gabriel was more than a little enthusiastic in the use of flames to cleanse the foulness, and the church was soon ablaze. Lucas and I ran inside to discover Case unconscious on the floor, clutching a crystal. I grabbed him in a fireman's lift and we got out just before the building started to collapse.

As Case was in no state to drive, Lucas took his bike - we later discovered he went via Portsmouth (which was as far as the disturbance in the Symphony was easily detectable). The rest of us, with the exception of Nathaniel, took the car and got clear.

Case came round a while later, apparently having been 'inside' the crystal while unconscious. Tony and I went back to see what was going on at the remains of the church, to find Terry busy making a sensational story about the events, so I stayed around to keep an eye on things.

Unfortunately there was at least one witness to some of the nights events, and an account that could all to easily attract attention. Fortunately I was able to take control of the camera as it was stowed, and the interview was wiped as the machine merrily rewound then recorded the sounds of the journey back to the studio, and the view of the lenscap.

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