Sir John snored happily. He was dreaming something about a tall man with a mustache and a shorter fat man. They were carrying a stone made of the moon. There was something troubling about the dream but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Maybe it was just that the fire wasn’t as hot as it had been earlier.

“He’s Drugged!”

There was some banging from far away and something like a shout or a scream. There were footsteps running and more shouting and banging. Then he fancied he heard his wife’s voice in distress. That made him stir a bit but he was so comfortable it was hard to move. Perhaps he should just sleep some more. Then he thought he heard voices, a woman and a man, voices he knew. He heard the words ‘he’s drugged’ and wondered who they were talking about. Then he heard his wife’s voice say ‘reveiller’.

Sir John sat up bolt upright. Marie, Phlebotomous, and Miss Henderson stood around him.

“It’s Lord Anglestone, he has the lens,” said Sir John wide eyed.

“We know,” said Marie. “It’s why we are here.”

“He’s part of Draco Viridis, maybe the head,” said Sir John.

“We know this too,” said Marie.

“He’s going to use the lens to make a, a Dark Stone, an evil stone,” said Sir John.

“That bit is news,” said Marie. “But settle, mon cher, we are rescuing you, let’s get away and you can tell us what you’ve learnt.”

“No time,” said Sir John, “he’s doing it tonight. In a building built specially for it.”

“How do we find this place?” asked Phlebotomous. “Did he tell you where?”

“No,” said Sir John. “I was … in and out of consciousness.”

“Bet they’ll know,” said Miss Henderson. There were a number of large men scattered on the floor.

“Miss ‘enderson,” said Marie, “try not to hurt them. At least not again.”

Miss Henderson went over and picked up various frightened looking ruffians.

“There is a lunar eclipse tonight,” said Sir John, “or so he said. It seems like this whole operation is some kind of reverse alchemy. He intends to create this Summum Malorum, this evil stone. We have to go and stop it.”

There was a scream of terror from the other side of the room.

“But how, mon cher, we don’t know what he is doing or where,” said Marie.

“Got the address,” said Miss Henderson, “and, as luck would have it, the key. That gentleman with the limp had them both.”

“Very good, Miss Henderson,” said Sir John, “I think. I have one more task for you. Can you go to Mr Cunningham’s shop as quickly as you can and fetch Diarmuid. I fear we will need his help. Marie, Phlebotomous, we should go to this place and try and stop this evil before it’s too late.”

“Well, I…” said Phlebotomous, “it sounds a bit … dangerous.”

“Look man, sorry, vampire,” said Sir John, “are you part of this investigation or not?”

Phlebotomous’ face lit up, which made it seem luminous.

“I’m in,” he said with pride.

The Auld Alchemist: Chapter 13