Case File MO67

Witness Recording #16

Marshal: Good afternoon. Please state your name for the voice recorder?

Witness: Recorder? They really do give you Marshals all sort of newfancied things. I am Nathan Wilmington, also known as Prospero on stage.

Marshal: Thank you. Should I call you Prospero or Nathan?

Witness: [laughter] I don’t think I’ll ever be called Prospero again. Call me Nat.

Marshal: No longer interested in performing?

Witness: Oh, heavens no. The stage and I are strange bedfellows. I simply intend to become a theater actor instead. Less gunpowder, more respectability, and I get to keep wearing fine outfits. If you want to call me Prospero again, you’ll have to wait until you see me in Shakespeare.

Marshal: As far as I can tell, you’ve already been part of a comedy of errors.

Witness: Pardon?

Marshal: …Never mind. So you don’t have strong ties to this magician persona? I understand you were fond of it even outside of the stage.

[silence]

Witness: It was a fun role to play, for a while. Mixing stage magic in with the hooded kind. Now that the real stuff’s nearly gotten me in trouble, the fun’s gone out of it.

Marshal: I see. Now, please recount what you remember from the evening of October 16th.

Witness: Well, I’d just finished my act. Got a little bit sloppy, burnt my fingers during the finale. I was back at the wagons, running water over them, when I heard shouting coming from the stage. Didn’t think anything of it at first; sometimes shows’ll get a bit rowdy, you know. Then the Wench found me, grabbed me by the shoulders and asked me for my fake fireballs.

Marshal: And you gave them to her without further explanation?

Witness: I…listen, when a beautiful woman asks you for something, you say yes. I don’t know if you claymen still got that urge but-

Marshal: I would encourage you to remain appropriate, Mr. Wilmington. Even though you are not being charged as of yet, this is still a serious legal matter and should be treated as such.

Witness: Ah, yes, of course. My apologies. What I mean is that the Wench - I mean, Ms. Walstead - gets along better with me than most of the other performers, and I was…well I was more fond of her than Campbell. I trusted her.

Witness: So yes, I gave her a few packets of gunpowder, and she ran off with them. I stayed in my wagon sucking my fingers until I realized that it was half an hour after the show usually ends but nobody had come back. So I went back towards the stage and you and the big one-armed guy were putting half the circus in chains.

Marshal: And then you ran.

Witness: [scoffs] More like I tried to. Got tackled by one of your guys before I made it five steps. I didn’t do anything wrong and I didn’t want to get arrested because of someone else, or under false pretenses. They tell stories in Arkansas about what you do to prisoners…

Marshal: I see. Thank you for your recollection. Were you aware that Marvin Williamson was employing real magi?

Witness: Well…there had been rumors about it in St. Louis, but they were just rumors. Just about anybody who used to own a plantation gets those rumors, because they were funding half the mages in the South.

Marshal: And would you have refused to join the circus if you knew they were employing real magi?

Witness: I mean, uh, I plead the fourth?

Marshal: I see. I think we’re done with this inquiry. Federal law enforcement will contact you regarding any more official questions. Good luck with the career in theater!

Witness: Pleasure to help, my good clayman! To thine own self be true, as the Bard once said.

PRINTOUT COMPLETE 091609272024

Case File MO67

Witness Recording #19

Marshal: Good afternoon. Please state your name for the voice recorder.

Witness: [muffled noises]

Marshal: No, a bit closer, thank you.

Witness: Burk Young.

Witness: So Andrus Young would be…

Witness: Back in the pen, sir.

Marshal: Thank you, just making sure the details are correct.

Witness: You need to talk to him later? We switch next this midnight.

Marshal: That shouldn’t be necessary. You were both near the stage when the incident took place.

Witness: Yes sir, but it was my turn to be the mule that night. Mules see good but they’re short and the crowd was rowdy.

Marshal: Ah. Well I’ll see if we require him later. Would you like me to look into breaking this mule enchantment? I would believe it’d cause much consternation in the long run.

Witness: Consternation, sir?

Marshal: Trouble. A lot of trouble, Burk.

Witness: Well, sir, Andy and I know much about books or any trades. Our mule act pays enough to keep us fed and that’s all we really want.

Marshal: I see. Now, about the night of October 16th?

Witness: The Negro picked a fight with the Duke.

Marshal: Yes, I understand that happened, but do you have any specific details?

[silence]

Witness: I think the Duke shot at him.

Marshal: Yes, I understand that-

Witness: Got him twice in the chest, I think. And it didn’t stop him.

[silence]

Marshal: Are you certain?

Witness: Yes, sir. I think it makes sense, sir. Negros are tougher than us. That’s why they were good as slaves.

Marshal: Burk, I don’t believe current scientific theory supports that.

Witness: Theory, sir?

Marshal: …That’s not how bodies work, Negro or otherwise.

Witness: Then how did he survive getting shot?

Marshal: …I suppose that’s a good question. What happened after that.

Witness: The crowd got scared and ran. I couldn’t see anything past them. Started running myself.

Witness: Think I bumped into Mr. Pemberton. He had a bottle of something that he was going to throw at the Negro and he spilled it.

Marshal: I see. Did you know Mr. Pemberton has been hospitalized since the 16th? Severe acid burns.

Witness: Um. No.

Witness: [shuffling noises]

Witness: Am I in trouble, sir?

Marshal: Not from us, but he might press civil charges. It may be best to keep that information to yourself.

Witness: Alright, sir. After that, I ran into the woods. Eventually, Andrus tracked me down. We fuss a lot but we’re still brothers, we look out for each other.

Marshal: That’s very comforting to hear, Burk. Thank you for your time.

Witness: Um. Mr. Marshal, do you know anyone looking for a new horse act?

Marshal: Unfortunately, most of my time is spent on thaumatological…chasing rogue wizards. I don’t know much about the performing arts. However, I was working with some actors who were part of Kimball’s New York hippodrama. I’ll give you their contact information, though I’d recommend you take the cork out of your act beforehand.

Witness: That’s really nice of you, sir. You’re nothing like what Marvin said you’d be like.

Marshal: I would think I am above the expectations of a failed plantation owner. Good day, Burk.

PRINTOUT COMPLETE 091809272024

Case File MO67

Witness Recording #21

Marshal: Good afternoon. Please state your name for the voice recorder.

Witness: Matilda Walstead.

Marshal: Also known as the Blue Wench.

Witness: Oh I’ve got a lot more names than that, but those aren’t going on record. How long do we have to stay here, you brick? The rest of the troupe lives close, but I have to get all the way back to the East Coast, and I’d like to do that before winter starts.

Marshal: ‘Brick’?

Witness: Clay, feldspar, whatever. I don’t know what they use to turn you from men into this.

Marshal: …We’ve finished searching the area and disposing of any magical items and homunculi. We just need to finish collecting eyewitness accounts and you’ll be free to go.

Marshal: I am trying to finish this process quickly and efficiently and I would appreciate your cooperation.

Witness: Fine. I’m just…tired of this place. It was awful being here before that nightmare of a night. I’ve barely slept since.

Marshal: I see. I don’t sleep anymore but my assistants would recommend some tea to help with that. There’s a spice from the South that works well with chamomile particularly after homunculi.

Witness: I’ll run one down after we’re done then. Shall we?

Marshal: Quite. Now, your recollection of the 16th?

Witness: I was late to the stage. Marvin kept shuffling around my slot to try and push performers that played better with the rural folk. Halfway from the wagons, I get run down by…well, now I know she’s the Mayor’s child. Then I just knew her as the precocious voyeur.

Marshal: …Pardon?

Witness: I caught her peeking at me while I was changing after a show. At first I thought she was a young man up to some impropriety. Then I found out her sex and I didn’t know what to think. My best guess was that she was some kind of independent investigator, probably going after Marvin for tax fraud.

Witness: But I don’t think I would have mistaken her for a voyeur if she wasn’t a bit of one herself. I’ve seen my fair share of-

[silence]

Witness: On second thought, I don’t want to put this on record. Ah…the Mayor isn’t going to be listening to this, is he?

Marshal: These records will be kept solely for the purpose of informing future marshals. What worries you about the Mayor?

Witness: Him finding out that I kissed his daughter and threw her dress into a lake. It’s the sort of thing that gets you in trouble with municipal officials, in my experience.

[silence]

Witness: My, I didn’t know your ilk could still blush.

Marshal: Perhaps we should return to your testimony. Please continue.

Witness: She told me to stay away from the stage for my own safety. That there was likely to be a rogue sorcery incident and I might get hurt.

Marshal: Interesting. Based on your earlier…testimony, I assumed that you weren’t on the best terms with her.

Witness: To be perfectly honest, I thought it was a trap, and I told her as much. And then she told me…

Witness: “You’re not like the others in the circus. I don’t think you like them, and I don’t think they like you. I think you can be better than them. You’re a cruel schemer but you don’t deserve to get clawed apart because of people who don’t care about you.”

Witness: Something along those lines. Then she raced back to the stage. I stuck around for a bit because I wasn’t sure whether to listen to her or not, but then I saw the audience running out and screaming.

Marshal: And this is when you went to Nat for the gunpowder satchels.

Witness: Nat? Right, Prospero. I almost forget he has something besides that sobriquets. But yes, he used fire to help chase away the creature that forced us on this wretched detour in the first place. Lacking a proper weapon, I figured it was my best chance at helping. Everybody knows how to throw things.

Marshal: I see. My assistants have been interviewing some of the surviving locals. Many of them mention a burst of fire saving them from a rampaging homunculi, launched from God knows where.

Marshal: I think you should be proud of yourself, Ms. Walstead.

[silence]

Witness: Yeah, proud.

Witness: I helped out a few of the farmers and then headed to the stage. Found Geraldine trussed up by a bunch of vines; managed to burn them away without setting either of us on fire. Hey, Marshal, did the confederacy have any mages that could make plants grow that quickly? Why bother with slaves or homunculi in your fields when you can just grow things magically?

Marshal: I understand that this was a new innovation created post-War. Thus the title of ‘Thorn’.

Witness: [groan] That stuck-up prude, of course she would.

Witness: There was some fight happening backstage. She insisted on wading into it herself, so I made her take the rest of the gunpowder satchels. After that I ran out to get more gunpowder from Prospero at the wagons, but I ran into one of your people.

Marshal: That matches with their reports. I think that covers it. Thank you, Ms. Walstead.

[silence]

Witness: Hey, clayman, are you taking volunteers?

Marshal: Pardon?

Witness: Well, you see…

[silence]

Witness: She thought I could be better than the circus. I don’t think I have been, but I’d be willing to take a shot at it. Haven’t done much in my life besides performing, but I can read and write as well as anyone and I know my way around people.

Marshal: I’m…pleasantly surprised. I’m not in charge of hiring decisions, but I can recommend you. Talk to Vandelay outside; he’ll be the one with the scar across his nose. If there’s a place for you, he’ll find it.

Witness: Just like that?

Marshal: We can’t afford to discriminate on grounds of gender, background or race. If you’re qualified, we’ll find a place for you.

Witness: Already miles ahead of my last employer. Marvin’s more fond of Taming of the Shrew than Macbeth, if you get my meaning.

Marshal: I believe I do. Good luck, Ms. Walstead. I hope your hands will stay cleaner than the Lady’s.

Witness: [laugh] Well they’ll stay cleaner than Campbell’s.

PRINTOUT COMPLETE 092009272024