Oebalus Pugnax 7/7

It took a few minutes for the fire to take off, but when it did there was no stopping it. As Beetle, Rudi, O. and Cassandra watched from the front lawn, an orange glow sped from the kitchen to the dining room, then into the bedrooms. Rudi was surprised at how quickly the building went up, since it was built mostly of stone. She mentioned this to Beetle.

"Sure, it's made of rock," Beetle agreed, "but the beams, carpets, and furniture seem to be highly flammable."

"And there are a few gas lines throughout the house, too," O. spoke up. "I probably don't have a job anymore, thanks to you. But it's not a huge deal," he continued, "because I've always wanted to do this." He casually lit his cigarette on a burning section of hedge.

Cassandra frowned, angry that her boss could be so indifferent while their place of employment burned down in front of them. "What about our stuff?" she whined.

"That's true," Rudi agreed sadly. "All of my comfortable clothes are beyond saving."

"That isn't all," Beetle said, turning. "It's getting close to the dungeon. Do you think we should bring Nanashi and Celestia out here?"

"Definitely!" Rudi cried, sprinting towards the cells. She was stopped short, however, by Cassandra's grip on her arm. "Hey, let me go!"

Cassandra frowned at her disapprovingly. "Those cells are granite. The prisoners will be absolutely fine."

Rudi glared at Cassandra until she looked away a little guiltily. "And... Sir William commanded me not to let them out under any circumstances."

"They! Could! Die!" Rudi screamed, flinging Cassandra around in an attempt to shake her off. Cassandra sent a pleading look toward O.

"Not my problem anymore," he remarked calmly as he watched the conflagration. There was thick, oily smoke spilling from the windows now, and the poisonous fumes forced the onlookers back a few feet.

"You... you... argh!" Rudi snarled at Cassandra. She continued to hold on with fingers strengthened from constant bread kneading. Her legs, sturdy from running errands, dug her feet into the ground. When Rudi finally realized it was futile, she stood still, her head bowed in shame, and prayed that her friends would be all right. Then, to her immense surprise, Cassandra slowly went limp. Rudi looked up in surprise to see Beetle carefully lowering Cassandra to the ground. Rudi gaped in astonishment for a moment, then began laughing uncontrollably.

"I know you said you were a pacifist!" She giggled. "Will she be all right?"

Beetle nodded as they headed towards the stable. "I choked her unconscious, just like Gustav taught me. She should be perfectly fine in a bit." Beetle coughed on a cloud of putrid smoke. "Hopefully I didn't take too long deciding to use violence. It looks like the stable is on fire already."

~ ❧ ~

Meanwhile, the column of ash and flame hadn't escaped notice. Informants from a nearby town telegraphed London, and Holmes had sent Watson within an hour.

"But why go there when our case needs so much work in the city?!" Watson had disagreed. "When we look at it frankly, we don't have nearly enough evidence to win a case."

Holmes had only waved him away. He would only say, "it is necessary. Take one of the Irregulars with you and go."

Watson had obeyed grudgingly. By the time he arrived, it was so dark that all he could see was a murky glow in the forest. He had the Irregular run down suspect pathways until he found the one leading to the fire. At the third stop, the boy tripped on something in the road. When he looked at the object, his face paled. He held up the scrap of fabric for Watson to see.

"Well, what is it?" Watson asked irritably.

"This hat belongs to a legendary street theft," the boy explained. "None of us have seen her in months. If she's there, I'm worried..."

"What's her name?" Watson asked. If she wasn't one of the names he had been told to listen for, they would have to continue on. It looked to him like the fire was farther south.

"Her street name was Wolf of Chaos," the boy said, furrowing his brow. "She didn't use her real name much, but I think... it was something like... Rudi Jones."

"That man..." Watson sputtered, "is genius! Let's go!"

~ ❧ ~

Rudi took a huge breath, then plunged into the wall of fetid smoke. Beetle followed behind her. His injured leg slowed him down considerably, but he could still make sure Rudi stayed safe. "Run as low as you can!" he told her. "The smoke gets thicker higher up because - gasp – cough...!"

Rudi, already standing at the cell door, was fumbling with the key in the dark. Fortunately, the beam above her head caught fire, providing a muted red light she could just see by. Unfortunately, dripping tar and falling cinders made it hard for her to concentrate. She opened the doors as quickly as possible. Nanashi helped her lift Celestia, who was unconscious from the tarry fumes. Together the four of them stumbled outside, coughing, light-headed, and nauseous. Cassandra met them on the lawn.

"Go back in there! You can't be out! Get back now!" Cassandra pounded on Nanashi with her small, ineffective fists, then sat down on the grass and cried. Tears left slimy black trails down her round face. Rudi noticed that her own eyes were watering, but it was from the acrid smoke. She motioned for everyone to back farther away from the fire, then she, Beetle, and Nanashi inspected Celestia.

Beetle checked the pulse in her neck and it seemed to be strong. "She will probably be okay, but I don't know what we are going to do from here," he said with a sigh. "We burned down the house and completely destroyed our cover at the same time. O. might unlock the gate for us, but I don't know the way home at all, and even if you remembered, it would be too far to walk."

"That's a problem," Rudi agreed, "but I'll make us some food and places to sleep. We can figure out what to do in the morning."

Beetle and Rudi left Celestia in Nanashi's care and approached O. "Can you please unlock the gate for us?" Rudi asked cautiously.

O. was still staring contemplatively at the fire. "That snob irked me so, ordering me around like a dog. I even heard him call me 'that' a few times instead of 'who'. It's pretty satisfying, watching this place burn to the ground. Sure, I'll unlock the gate for you, brat." He sighed wistfully. "If only my brother were here to see this. He loves - loved - a good fire."

Rudi hurried away and began collecting sticks. "What should I do?" Beetle called after her.

"Start a fire!" she answered. Beetle had a hard time figuring out how, since it was far too hot to get close to the burning house. Eventually, he found a very long stick - nearly a tree - and lit it from a piece of burning debris.

Meanwhile, Rudi built two small lean-tos, then captured some moles from the lawn. She killed them, then skinned them before cutting off their tiny feet and roasting them over the fire. For religious reasons, she went hungry for the night, and got to enjoy the sight of Cassandra eating a rodent. Rudi only revealed what the meat was when everyone had finished eating. Beetle, who always tried to be objective and practical, didn't have a hard time eating. His only complaint was that there weren't nearly enough to go around.

Celestia woke up for a few moments, but she seemed dazed and less responsive than usual. Rudi led her to the lean-to and they lay down, covered their faces to keep out the ash, and fell into a fitful sleep.

~ ❧ ~

Celestia woke up in the middle of the night. She was squished against Rudi, but the other girl was wearing a thick coat so her body didn't share any heat. Celestia's body was covered in itchy white ash and dirt from sleeping on the ground. She looked around, trying to figure out where she was. She couldn't remember leaving her cell, but Rudi wouldn't be next to her if she were still there. Celestia strained her nose and ears for clues to her location. The air smelled oily and poisonous, and she thought she could hear people talking nearby, but she couldn't register everything they were saying.

"I tell you, sirs, I haven't been near this mansion in months. I got lost hunting earlier today, and I happened to end up here by pure coincidence..."

"You'll find it difficult to fool me, Mr. Boots," a different man countered. "I've dealt with you and your kind before."

"Really, I don't have an inkling..." the voices stopped near Celestia. She sat up and tried to look around, but all she could see were branches illuminated by a sullen red glow. She bumped into one with her head and it slipped, sliding down to rest on Rudi's head.

"Owww..." Rudi made some sleepy snortling sounds, then woke up completely. "Westy... you can't sit up in the lean-to. You'll break it." Celestia shook her head and waited for Rudi to notice the intruders, but the other girl turned over and quickly fell back to sleep. 

"Where is the witness?" Celestia heard the second man say. His voice sounded grouchy and slightly familiar.

"What on earth are you talking about? Do you have a warrant?" O. Boots was close enough for Celestia to recognize his voice. Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us; for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which he spake unto us: it shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God, she remembered. Why were these men looking for rocks?

A third, unfamiliar voice joined the conversation. "Where is the Wolf of Chaos? What have you done with her?!"

O. made a thoroughly disgusted sound. "Oh, fine. I was supposed to watch the house, but a little girl burned it down and now I really need to get out of here before Sir William returns to wring my neck! Let me go, peasants!" Celestia recognized the name Sir William. Nanashi complained about him all the time. Was he here?

As usual, Celestia was having a hard time understanding what was going on. It gave her a feeling of immense frustration. When Nanashi had been reading to her and had looked up to see her face full of confusion, she would get the same feeling. He would always smile at her, and once he read, “Perhaps to be able to learn things quickly isn't everything. To be kind is worth a great deal to other people... Lots of clever people have done harm and have been wicked.” For some reason, it had made Celestia feel better when he read that. She wondered where Nanashi was now. She worried that he might not be safe.

Carefully, Celestia slipped out of the lean-to and felt her way along the tall metal fence. She listened for Nanashi's subtle, soft breathing, but Rudi's snoring and the men's arguing made it hard to concentrate. Celestia could see a glowing light a few hundred feet away. It sounded like the newcomers were over there. If only they would stop talking.

Celestia didn't see the second lean-to until she bumped into it. It made an ominous creaking sound. "Nanashi?" she called quietly.

She heard someone wake up inside, then, "What is it, child?" Nanashi, forgetting where he was, tried to sit up. His head hit the low roof of the lean-to and dislodged the main beam, causing the fragile structure to collapse on him and the still-sleeping Beetle. Nanashi cried out, waking Rudi and Cassandra. He also alerted O. Boots and company to his location. Celestia began to cry when she realized she had buried Nanashi under a pile of wood, which added to the general confusion.

Finally, Rudi untangled herself from her own lean-to and ran over. She ordered Watson, the boy, and O. to free Beetle and Nanashi, and everyone helped except O., who politely declined. "I can't be dirtying my clothes," he explained, "as this fellow tells me I'm to go on trial tomorrow."

When everyone was safe, Watson tried to figure out what was going on, but Celestia was still bawling uncontrollably. She was hungry, tired, and disoriented. Rudi tried to calm her down, but the new boy was impeding her attempts. "You're the Wolf of Chaos! That's incredible! There is definitely some chaos going on here!"

"Yes, I need to take care of - "

"Can I have your autograph?!"

Watson picked Celestia up and began to rock her soothingly. In a few moments, the decimated lawn quieted as Celestia fell back to sleep.

O. rolled his eyes at the doctor. "What are you doing?"

"I may not be a pediatrician, but I know when a child is tired," Watson answered. "Now, I would appreciate it if everyone would come with me. The trial is in a few hours, and I need to get all of your statements to Holmes before then."

~ ❧ ~

It was impossible for Celestia to stay asleep for long. Loud noises bombarded her semi-conscious mind like the thumping of hooves, then she realized that she was hearing hoof beats. She sat up and attempted to remember what was going on.

There had been smoke and flames, and she had slept outside, and Watson had carried her somewhere... Celestia had a nauseating feeling, like her mind was bending inside out. Had it all been a dream? Or was her life repeating itself?

Someone bumped into her, jostling her fully awake, and she realized she had been mistaken. She had definitely never been anywhere this crowded in her short life. Rudi, Cassandra, Beetle, and another boy were all wiggling around the inside of the coach, talking loudly and laughing. O. was shouting at them, trying to force them to calm down, while Nanashi and Watson had apparently given up and were leaned back in the seat, pretending to nap.

"Westy!" Rudi screamed over O.'s demands for silence. "You've been asleep for forever! Come on, we're playing Bloody Knuckles."

"Owww!" Cassandra screamed. She was not very good at the game.

"Would you just! Stop! Making! Noise! I'll strangle you!" O. bellowed. Since he was handcuffed, it was not a convincing threat. "I hate children!"

Celestia joined the game, and the hours passed quickly as the boisterous cab neared London.

~ ❧ ~

After several long hours, the cab stopped and everyone spilled out in front of a huge, sombre-looking building. O. took the chance to begin striding nonchalantly away, but Watson grabbed him by the collar and dragged him up the marble steps and through the intimidating double doors.

Holmes met them inside and hurried the large group into the courtroom. After taking all of their names, he sent Cassandra and O. over to the other side of the room, then had a speedy council of war with the remaining people.

"Mr. Utsuro, Beetle, Rudi, and Miss Westing," he addressed them, "you are witnesses. When your name is called, just stand up and say the most incriminating things about the members of the Swine's Dozen as you can think of."

"The most incriminating?" Rudi asked.

"Well, only true things, of course," Holmes amended.

"Durn. Who are the Swine's Dozen, again?"

"Watson, I'm turning them over to you," Holmes said, then hurried away to talk with O. Boots and a man in a top hat.

"Mr. Watson?" Beetle asked, "This trial -"

"All right, let me explain. Holmes organized this trial, so don't be surprised if it's a little unorthodox. You would normally be given representatives since you are minors but, frankly, we don't have time for that. And what else...? Oh, the Swine's Dozen is the name of the organization that kidnapped Celestia, Rudi. Now hurry and sit down, it looks like people are starting to show up."

Watson ushered everyone to the correct seat, then they waited. Celestia was covered with ash and it began to itch again as she waited for the trial to start. She wondered what sort of trial it was. A trial of faith?

People filed into the room until it was nearly as packed as the cab had been. Celestia couldn't see individuals from her seat in the front of the room, but she could hear a crowd's worth of breathing, coughing, and shuffling. Watson walked to the front of the room and began to read something.

"We are gathered here together for the trial of Sir William, Oliver Boots, Anya Boots, Johan Liebert, R. Nixon, Neotoma Phinks, Cassandra Phinks, Natalia Kabra, and Irene Kabra, tried together as the crime ring the 'Swine's Dozen'. Anya Boots and Johan Liebert are still at large. These individuals are suspected of multiple crimes, including insurance scams in the States, Chile, and - oh wait, wrong paper." Celestia heard rustling sounds, then Watson continued, "aforementioned individuals are suspected of kidnapping, imprisonment, and child neglect and endangerment." Watson's droning voice was soothing, and the courtroom was rapidly warming from the body heat of the spectators. Celestia's head drooped sleepily to the table in front of her.

~ ❧ ~

Celestia woke with a start to the pounding of a wooden gavel. The mood filling the courtroom was much more excited than when she had fallen asleep. People were booing deafeningly.

"I have objections!" Sir William struggled to be heard over the mob. "Allow me to speak!"

"No way!" Rudi screamed a few seats down from Celestia. She seemed pretty popular with the courtroom crowd, and Celestia heard several people take up her cry before the gavel, beating the table like a meat tenderizer, silenced everyone.

Sir William sighed and rubbed his brow exhaustedly with a scented handkerchief. "As my own representative," he began ponderously, "I object to your choice of witnesses. Two little girls and a boy are not going to convince any jury."

"Sir," Watson interjected, "you've ignored Mr. Utsuro."

"As if an oriental can be honest enough to count as a witness. Why, his testimony was pitiful! Gibbering away with his outlandish accent."

"And, Sir William," Watson continued, "you forget to mention how your men, Anya and Oliver Boots, attacked Mr. Holmes and I in a kidnapping attempt."

"You can't prove I had anything to do with that," Sir William answered lazily. He had never personally been on trial, but he decided he was starting to enjoy the experience. Nothing beat a good argument, especially when the loser is humiliated in front of a crowd. Perhaps he ought to begin a career in law. 

"We have one more witness," Watson announced, "then we will begin the jury proceedings." He strode to where Celestia sat, kicking her legs because they didn't reach the floor. "Miss Westing, orphan of the illustrious Colonel Westing. Miss Westing, please come here."

Celestia struggled out of her tall seat. It was difficult to walk, because her legs had fallen asleep and hadn't woken up at the same time as the rest of her. She hoped they were going somewhere to eat, but instead, Watson placed her hand on a book and said something about 'the truth and nothing...' but she didn't catch it all. She stood there for a moment observing the book, then sensed awkwardness. Looking up, she could tell by Watson's profusely sweating face that she was supposed to do something. Finally, he whispered, "Say 'I swear.' Please...!"

"Is where," Celestia repeated dutifully.

"Close enough." Watson sighed, then led Celestia back to her seat. "Now, Miss Westing, I have some important questions for you. First, were you imprisoned in that man's house?" He waved his arm in the direction of Sir William. From his tone, Celestia guessed that it was very important that she answer correctly.

"Yes."

"Miss Westing, please speak up." He repeated the question.

"Yes!"

"Miss Westing."

"YES!" Celestia shouted. In that moment, she realized that she had little aptitude for speaking in front of crowds.

"Were you taken there against your will?" After a moment of silence, Watson clarified, "Stolen?"

"Yes." Celestia gathered her courage. "Because he hath sinned, and is guilty... um... he shall restore that which he took violently away!"

"And were you fed well while in said captivity?"

"Greatly distressed and hungry!"

"What is your personal opinion of the general character of Sir William and his associates - no - what do you think of your captors?"

"I daresay it is rather hard to be a rat...” Celestia said, staring coldly in Sir William's direction. “Nobody likes you." 

~ ❧ ~

After that, the trial went downhill pretty quickly, and it was clinched when O. decided to confess everything in exchange for a shorter prison term. While they waited for the jury to declare a verdict, Holmes took the whole group to a restaurant.

"How did you know where we were, Mr. Holmes?" Beetle asked, starry-eyed.

"It was really quite simple," Holmes answered, and launched into a complex description of the thought process that had captured the Swine's Dozen.

Meanwhile, Celestia sat at the end of the table, devouring her waffles ravenously, but without satisfaction. She was exhausted, but not in a way that sleep would fix. She was starving for normalcy and routine. The last few months had been confusing and so, so busy... If only she could find a place and stay there forever... "I want to go home," she whispered, but the celebration was too loud for anyone to hear her.

The walk back to the courtroom was just as wild, and Watson had a hard time keeping everyone together. When the verdict was announced, Rudi twirled Celestia around and screamed with joy. Everyone was too preoccupied to notice that Celestia seemed quiet and withdrawn.

It was late at night when the group arrived at Holmes' flat. The grown-ups sent the children to Beetle's old flat, where it was noisy and chaotic as Beetle tried to find spare toothbrushes and pyjamas and bedding for everyone. It was a simple thing for Celestia to sneak out. She stood in the hallway and found her bearings as the cold seeped from the wood floor into her little feet.

There was a chilly glow from the direction of the front door. The key was probably hanging near it somewhere. It would be possible to leave, and maybe even get far away before anyone noticed she was gone... Celestia squashed the musty, familiar thought process. She walked a short way down the hall and opened the door to Holmes' apartment.

Inside, it was smoky and warm. Holmes, Watson, and Nanashi had been talking, but they fell silent as Celestia wavered into the room. She stood by the door without saying a word.

Finally, Nanashi prodded, "Well? What is it, Miss Westing?"

Celestia took a deep breath, then cried, "I WANT TO GO Home... snifff..."  She blew her nose on her sleeve and tried desperately not to break into tears.

The three men exchanged uncomfortable glances. Watson cleared his throat. "Well, that would actually be pretty difficult to do." He frowned and whispered to Holmes, "She's improved greatly, but I don't know if Mary could handle a little girl at such short notice..."

Holmes took a meditative puff at his pipe. "Perhaps, then..."

~ ❧ ~

A carriage pulled up in front of the normally sombre yellow brick building. Today, someone had stocked all the pots with fresh, bright flowers, and a small gaggle of girls were repainting the wooden fence. It was a lovely spring day.

Watson got out of the carriage, followed closely by Beetle. They hurried to the gate. "Can you please let us in?" Watson asked.

"We have an appointment with the headmaster," Beetle chimed in, glancing at his watch.

The girls escorted them in, and as soon as they entered, a dark, sullen-looking teenager greeted them. She looked as if she were going to yell at the other children for getting paint all over, but since there were guests, she smiled tightly and said, "I'm afraid that lunch will be a little late today. Please come to the dining room and make yourselves comfortable." She led them down a hallway and into a large, light-filled room. The windows were open to let in some of the first warm day of the year. Watercolor paintings of flowers now graced the previously-bland dining room.

"Headmaster Utsuro will be here presently," the girl said as she left. "At least, I hope so."

Beetle and Watson sat down at one of the tables and waited. After a few moments, they were startled by a loud, violent-sounding thump, then a cry of pain. "Owww!"

Beetle shot upright. "Rudi! What's wrong?" The sounds continued, and he hurried up a flight of stairs toward the source. "Rudi?" He stopped in front of a dormitory door.

"Are you all right?"

"OW! Yes, I'm fine! Ouch! Just getting ready for lunch! Go back down, you shouldn't be seen by the girl's dormitory," Rudi admonished him, her voice muffled through the door.

Beetle obeyed. When he reached the landing, he saw that Nanashi had arrived and was sitting across from Watson. He looked healthier than last time Beetle had seen him and was speaking animatedly with Watson. Beetle sat down quietly at the other end of the bench.

"What of Sir William?" Nanashi was asking with feigned indifference.

"Most of the Dozen are facing pretty hefty sentences," Watson answered, "Though I think O. Boots will be out on parole soon, and Cassandra Phinks isn't going to be in Juvenile for long. Still no word of Johan Liebert."

Beetle tensed, worried that Nanashi might ask about Anya Boots, who Watson had tactfully omitted. After Gustav had strangled him senseless, Anya had been a lot more docile, almost completely sane. He had taken up Beetle's job and was boarding with Gustav and his wife. According to Gustav, Anya was quite law-abiding and definitely no longer a hazard to society. Holmes had agreed to ignore the matter, since most of Anya's crimes had been planned by O.

"How are you liking it here, Utsuro?" Watson asked, gracefully changing the subject.

"Quite well! I've been making a few changes - can you believe they used to put the children in a hole out back if they misbehaved? The previous Head was ev- I mean, had a very outdated view of child psychology. And we're gradually phasing out the brown and orange uniforms in favor of blue and violet. I think pastels might soothe some of our less-stable boarders. Speaking of which," Nanashi said, looking at the door, "here they come now!"

A torrent of girls, muddy, paint-splattered, and noisy, filed into the dining room. Several teachers directed students to their tables, and older girls came from the kitchen, carefully balancing pots of vegetable soup and platters of ham-and-cheese sandwiches.

Just as everyone settled down, Rudi hurried self-consciously down the staircase. Her unruly hair had been put up and she was wearing a new blue and violet uniform. She looked very pretty, even though her old pair of breeches was showing a few inches past the end of her skirt. She sat down across from Beetle, and one of the teachers said grace. When she had finished, Rudi apologised, "Sorry I'm late. Westy was doing my hair-" she made a face, "-and it took longer than -"

"Oh! Hi, Westy." Beetle greeted the little girl, who he had missed during Rudi's entrance.

Celestia, who had picked the space between Rudi and Nanashi, smiled. "Good morning."

"Why," Watson sputtered through a mouthful of sandwich, "she spoke! A full sentence!"

"And she has glasses..." Beetle observed.

"I have learned a lot here." Celestia pronounced her words slowly, but clearly. "I know the alphabet. I have glasses like Beetle to help me see -"

"Though she hardly ever uses them," Rudi interrupted, laughing. "She always wears them on top of her head like that."

"- and I found a dead bird under the window this morning and -"

"Miss Westing," Nanashi warned, "remember, we talk about things of general interest while we eat." He stifled a grin. "She still has a ways to go."

"Food?" Celestia gestured to the plate of sandwiches.

"Magic word," Rudi reminded her.

"Oebalus Pugnax."

"No." Rudi smiled. "You say that whenever you don't know something. Do you remember what we learned yesterday?"

Celestia frowned in thought. Finally, she answered, "Rudi, that's not a subject of general interest."

"Now look here -" Rudi was interrupted by a skinny girl with thin blond hair.

"Excuse me," she said. "Celestia said she would sit by me at lunch...?"

Celestia looked hopefully in Nanashi's direction. "Go ahead," he assured her.

Viggs grabbed Celestia's hand and the friends scampered away. Rudi smiled as she watched them. "Yes," she told Beetle, "she's a rather slow learner, but I think she's going to do fine here." 

The End

Thank you for reading :)