Month 12, Day 4, 10:00AM

Marie

Marie and Poe returned to the same copper station they had visited the prior week. Marie, again, carried Poe’s big box of components. Poe had said he might cast some low powered divination spells. Marie did note that he seemed better, and he wasn’t smoking. She took that as a good sign. He did not explain his sudden smoking habit, but she liked it better when he didn’t smoke, and he seemed sharper somehow.

He met Lieutenant Robards in a crowded office and they left to meet with the station captain. This left Marie on a hard bench outside an interview room. Marie rested the box on the bench next to her, and she tried to relax.

She felt angry, sad, fearful, and nervous all at once. She still felt distraught about Mille. She tried to put it out of her mind, but she found it unbearable. Mama was probably right, and Millie needed rest. This did not make it easy to sit and wait.

Nor did all the strange looks from passing coppers. At first, Marie thought it was because of her dour expression. She realized this might give a bad impression, so she smiled and tried to look cheerful. But the looks didn’t stop.

They were surreptitiously checking her against what looked suspiciously like copies of a certain poster. Posters that Marie had seen on the way in. She stood up, strode to the common table where the posters were neatly stacked, then grabbed one. A box of broad headed tacks supplied her with a way to hang it. She strode briskly back to the bench, and tacked the poster of the Raven Queen up next to her.

Honestly! She looked nothing like the woman. The next copper didn't need to check a piece of paper from their pocket; they just glanced briefly between the poster and Marie’s cheerful smile.

Sometime after the fourth copper had checked to be sure that Marie was, in fact, not the Raven Queen, the door to the interview room opened, providing a much needed distraction.

The bony fingered sorcerer, Themius, came through, leading a skinny teen. The teen was especially odd, Marie thought. Before walking through the door, he checked to see if the way was clear.

Themius spoke the to boy with mild condescension.

“Nothing wrong with you boy. Luck magic doesn't exist anyway, so if you really are worried about whatever this tattoo is, just burn it off.”

“Thank you for your time, Master Themius. I will consider it.” The teen replied. From the boy’s horrified expression, Marie guessed he would rather pull off a fingernail.

“I understand that Lieutenant Robards has another consultant arranged to meet you. Wait here on this bench, and he’ll be along shortly.”

The teen glanced at Marie, and then looked at the bench. He placed his bag next to it carefully.

“Can’t be too careful!” he chuckled mirthlessly, then leaned over, visually checked the bench’s legs, then ran his fingers over the smooth plain board that made its seat, before he sat next to her. But, he sat carefully, as if he could jump up if the bench suddenly collapsed.

Something about the routine did not fit. She’d watched Poe work for a while, and as they sat next to each other for a few moments, Marie tried to puzzle out what didn’t seem normal. After a few moments, Marie realized what it was.

His unusual behavior made her examine the teen more closely. He was probably close to the same age as her, a beautiful dark skin, eyes obscured by glasses, wooly head of hair, sturdy plain clothes, and a strange contraption hanging around his neck. The strange box looked familiar, but Marie couldn't place where she’d seen one before. He was watching her from the corner of his eye, and began to fidget.

“So, when did you meet the Raven Queen?” Marie asked.

“The Raven Queen?” He turned to her and sputtered. “How did you … Ah, what makes you say that?”

“No reason.” Marie lied. Maybe he hadn’t met the Raven Queen. But, he was the first person in ages who did not ask if Marie was the Raven Queen, or even double check the poster. ‘Honestly, just because I like black?’ Marie thought.

“Are you a witness?” She asked.

“No! ... Or, yes, sort of. But, I’m not here to be a witness.”

“Oh, so you have met her! Did you see her conjure a monster like the wind? Or did she turn into a Raven?” Marie realized this fanciful questioning would be no place to start, so she asked the simple question that Poe would want to know. “Did you see what she stole?”

“Er. She stole a book. Didn’t she?”

“I wouldn’t know. I’m not a witness.”

The boy’ puzzled look finally gave way to a question.

“Then … who are you?”

“Marie.”

“Just Marie?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, I’m not being polite.” He looked a little embarrassed. The teen held out his hand. “I’m Percival Irving. You can call me Percy.”

“Charmed.” She always liked that greeting. Like she was an aristo, rather than a cleaner’s daughter.

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Marie took his hand in hers. His hand was delicate and surprisingly firm in hers. But, there was some sort of tattoo on his wrist. She didn’t get a good look. He withdrew his hand, and covered it with a sleeve.

“So, Marie. What are you here for?”

“I am with the August Agency. My … supervisor, Mr. Poe, is here to meet with Lieutenant Robards about a boy with a curse.”

“Oh.” Percy sagged.

“I imagine its you?”

“Probably.”

Since he seemed a little dejected, Marie tried to think of a happier conversation topic and failed. Curiosity, however, couldn’t contain her for long.

“What is that box around your neck?”

“Oh!” Percy brightened. “It’s a camera obscura! This one is the Vista 500. It makes pictures of whatever I point it at. It’s the wave of the future. It’s made with the new thaumaturge created spell arrays.” Percy pointed at the fine tracery of metals that crossed the box. Marie peered at the complex spell arrays with interest.

“Oh, that looks complex.” Marie said. And, it did. The camera was orders of magnitude more complicated than the spell she used to make the raven call. “What’s the round thing in the middle?”

“It’s a lens that helps capture the light and make the picture. This camera’s lens is really good; you can get pictures really close, or really far away. The light goes through the lens, and onto a ‘negative’ disks to capture the picture, and then after you develop the negative, you can make a print of the image as many times as you want. They’re really accurate too. Like much better than a portrait. And there’s a way to link the camera to a light crystal that will flash so you can take pictures even in a dark studio. The flash automatically moves a shutter—that’s this thing here—” Percy pointed to a visible piece behind the lens, “which can open and close up to 1/500 of a second!” Marie was not sure what that meant, but Percy seemed very impressed.

“So. Okay, but what is it good for?”

“Well, for a little silver, you can make an exact portrait. Like, if the someone saw the Raven Queen, and they had a camera obscura, they could take a picture and then they’d know exactly what she looked like!”

“Don’t you think that would make the Raven Queen angry?”

“Why would she be upset?” Percy sounded genuinely puzzled.

“Well, if I was the Raven Queen, which I’m not, and someone had a perfect portrait, I’d want to stop them giving it to the Coppers.”

“Why?”

‘Surely this boy isn’t that thickheaded?” Marie thought. She closed one eye and peered at him suspiciously. ‘Is this part of his curse?’

Marie pointed to the poster. “That’s an okay image of her, right? But. Is it exactly what she looks like?”

The teen looked thoughtful for a moment, remembering.

“No, she didn’t look exactly like that.” He said.

He really had seen her before! Marie tried not be too smug.

“If everyone knew exactly what she looked like, wouldn’t it be easier to recognize her?” She asked.

Realization dawned on Percy’s face.

“Also,” Marie continued, “the Raven Queen is known for being vindictive. Wouldn’t she be angry with someone who shared a perfect picture?”

“Oh.” He swallowed. “I didn’t think about that.”

Marie smiled sweetly. ‘He’s not really dumb, he just doesn’t understand how the underworld works.’

“Of course, if someone had a picture like that, maybe they could sell it to the Raven Queen; she might pay to keep it out of the hands of her enemies. If she didn’t just kill them.”

“Yes.” Percy gulped, and then nodded thoughtfully. “But, I’d never take a picture of the Raven Queen; that seems risky just to make a little gold.”

Marie nodded in agreement. ‘Risky indeed.’ Marie thought.

“Tell me more about your camera?” Marie asked. It was fascinating how magic created these pictures from life.

Percy tried to explain how the camera worked, and he answered Marie’s questions to the best of his ability. Percy admired the results; Marie admired the methods. Percy, however, did not know much about the spell arrays that the camera used.

Marie couldn’t tell him what little she knew, because she worried that Poe wouldn’t approve.

Poe eventually returned with Lieutenant Robards from whatever he was doing, probably making the oath. Frank was pleased about something or other, because he seemed cheerful.

Percy stood and greeted the Robards warmly.

Robards led them back into the interview room. Marie set the component box at one end of the rectangular table. With only three chairs around it, Marie had to remain standing while the other three took their places around it. Poe sat on one side, and Robards and Percy sat on the other, them Poe began his examination. Marie just stood next to Poe’s shoulder.

Marie noticed a single conspicuous moth fluttering around the dim overhead light.

“So, what can you tell me about this curse?”

“I have always had bad luck.”

“Really? Nothing you do succeeds?”

“Well, no. More like, the kind of luck that makes it important for me to look up every time I pass under a balcony, just to make sure no potted plants are plunging toward my head. The kind that makes me carry around a second pair of glasses and shoes everywhere I go.”

“So … bad luck. A carriage might turn a corner at just the wrong moment, or a handrail give way and drop you in a canal.”

“Something like that.” Percy shuddered, and Robards smirked. “But, its been better recently. Sort of.”

“How?”

Percy began explaining that he’d met a hag and bought a talisman, then he’d still had bad luck, but it was … more directed. He patiently explained some of these adventures. Marie found them bizarre. More surprising, she recognized the Morrow thieves. These were dangerous men, and his story sounded impossible.

‘Accidentally overpower them?’ Marie thought. ‘Magic would almost certainly have to be involved.’

Poe took this explanation entirely without comment. He just allowed Percy to tell his story, and Poe nodded along. Marie noticed, however, that the Koi on Poe’s coat had a drifting quality; the movements were subtle, but the coat was coming alive. Poe didn’t seem to notice, and he continued his interrogation.

“So. A tattoo? Would you show it to me?”

Percy dutifully rolled up a sleeve and showed it. Poe reached out to hold the boy’s wrist. Poe leaned over the table to get a good look. Marie peered over Poe’s shoulder. There were beautifully fine lines traced into a bug of some kind. It looked like …

“A moth?” Poe recoiled, jumping up and knocking his chair over.

Marie jumped back from the falling chair and Poe.

Percy pulled back his arm.

“Are you ok, Mr. Poe?” Percy asked.

“You saw it Marie? The moth?” Poe blurted to Marie.

“I … yeah.”

“It’s the same. It’s the same variety.” Poe said. “I don’t know what that means. It’s …” Poe started muttering to himself.

“Are you well, Frank?” Robards asked.

“No. I’m not.” Poe replied with a shaking voice. “Frigg was warning us to stay away. Why didn’t I listen?”