Dear M.,

I am glad to hear from you. I hope your journey was safe and comfortable. Apologies for vagueness on my part. It’s safe to say that our communications may be compromised; both of the couriers believe they were followed while in St. Louis. I’ll risk one letter, if only to say no more letters. The Marshals are not above infiltrating courier services; it’s only a matter of time before we’re caught.

It has been a frustrating month so far. I’m up to three pounds but one of those was the result of dirty work I’d rather not repeat. If I forego all ethical limitations concerning my patients I might be able to hit the requisite seventy-five by next summer. If I forego all ethical limitations period, next spring. I’m wondering whether it’s a flaw with the contraption, some optimization problem. It’s not proper equipment for this work, after all; perhaps my Protestantism upset its calibration.

The doctor thinks I’m being watched, and I have to agree. The Lily-White Wizards failed to kill me, but they have made all of this so much harder. In my desperation, I raised far too many questions, and now the town is thankful, but unpredictable and curious. The mayor was one of my most fervent advocates and now he seems almost embarrassed whenever we talk. The pastor, after treating me with barely-veiled contempt for months, just announced a Christmas dinner for the entire town - including me. Lord knows what he’s planning there. I’ve been trying to bring Geraldine into my confidence, going through the necessary steps so she doesn’t reject the truth outright, but teaching Dr. O’s theories is far more difficult than learning them, and her patience is fraying.

And all the while, the Marshal’s new recruit lurks in the house of a dead man, just down the road. She’s been perfectly charming and witty the few times we’ve talked, but I think we both know why she’s actually here. The Marshal is a noble man at heart, as does his new recruit. As allies against the circus, they were indispensible. But even if they can be convinced of the cause, they’d want the government to approve, there’d be appeals and counter-appeals, and it may take years to be allowed to move forward. Never mind that they’d be eager to get their hands on the craft; letting it fall into the hands of the state would be unforgivable.

I’ll see what I can do to increase the extraction rate. A word: Geraldine will be coming with me when I flee the town, assuming she absorbs all the necessary information safely. She remains overconfident and impatient, but there is a maturity underneath that shines through when you least expect it. She’s more than earned a seat next to me as I take my leave. I say this all professionally. As a friend, I’m growing quite fond of her, teaching difficulties aside. I even got to give her fashion advice today. Just ensure that the doctor’s man has a room for her, and be polite whenever the two of you meet.

Noticed Freestone visiting the cobbler right before dusk; rare of him to be out that late. Managed to ply him with the usual tricks & alcohol. Even drunk, he refused to reveal any information about Freestone - incredible that a Negro can inspire such loyalty in such a man - but when he passed out, I found this letter in his effects. Clever Negro. He knows we have no reason to search Mr. Fry’s mail. Copied it by hand, resealed it and put it back in Fry’s pocket.

What in the damn is this ‘equipment’ he’s talking about? Nothing actionable yet. ‘Dirty work’ is suspicious. Maybe the loony pastor has a point with the grave tampering. I guess I get to lurk in graveyards now.

‘The doctor’ is most likely Theodore Birch, Freestone’s predecessor. This lines up with a theory Mr. Macy gave the Marshal. Who is Dr. O?

At least we agree that I’m charming and witty. I understand not trusting the government but at no point does he say anything he’s doing is actually illegal. Did he know this would be discovered? Or is he just too smart to not write ‘Please arrest me for all the crimes I’ve been doing’ on paper, even in private?

He’s surprisingly taciturn about Geraldine, though I doubt he’d put his true feelings down in text if he thought he was watched. The criminality of interracial marriage is currently in question, but the attitudes of the townsfolk here won’t be. She gets away with a lot because she has the Mayor’s protection, and because the town’s collectively given up on her acting like a common woman of her age. Most women would be embroiled in scandal just for a professional relationship with a male Negro. But if it turned romantic, even that wouldn’t protect them.

Something in here is key. I just need to figure out what to leverage. Maybe Marshal knows who Dr. O is?