I had hit my limit in needing a drink and only had enough coin left for one more night’s stay in the city. Hence, why I found myself in the Cheese, a pub that had been serving drinks at 145 Fleet Street, on Wine Office Court since 1538. In truth, far beneath the cellars and foundations of this building was a rabbit warren of caverns and large caves that were big enough they could have housed castles, for it was like a hidden city down there.
I knew this thanks to the supernatural force that had once lived there over a thousand years ago. But it had long since been left abandoned, and over time a city had grown above its lost treasures with its mortal inhabitants having not a dicky about its existence. And what could I say… I was a creature of habit coming back here time and time again.
Now as for the man, Watson, and why he and his band of co-conspirators had wanted another plague epidemic to hit once the Queen had died, had been simple. It had been done to try and prevent the King from coming here for his coronation. They had managed this for a while but not in preventing James from actually coming to London. Therefore, it was said that their next plan had been to have James surprised and seized somewhere. But then this didn’t work, as slighted and rebuffed drunken fools often had loose and loud tongues. Which meant that while the fopdoodles (which was another word I could claim to have created) spoke loudly about their plans in capturing the Tower of London, converting the King to Catholicism and making Watson Lord Keeper, they were overheard and betrayed to the King.
This led to Watson being captured in August at Hay-on-Wye on the Welsh border. I had heard rumours that this plot had been just the beginning, for something bigger was coming. A plot so big that it had the power to reshape English history, they said, and that its parliament and royalty would fall.
Something to do with…
Gunpowder.
But like most things in this city, these were merely whispers. However, as Watson’s execution drew near, those whispers grew into something deeper and far more serious than simply trying to manipulate a King.
But as far as I was concerned, the gobermouch (again, one of mine) was getting what was coming to him. Now, as for me, well I had no choice but to reach out to one of my contacts to try and secure a passage off this damn island, back to where I knew I had more of a chance at disappearing for good.
Back to my conkers… My own Realm.
Because I had run from my arrest and skipped out on my trial, one I knew that I would be found guilty at. For I knew that the King of Kings wanted to hold someone accountable for the loss of mortal life that had swept the city these last six months. Of course, Pan was in the wind, but not before he had given me up to the authorities, doing so quicker than I could say, black rat come back. Because, as I had been busy questioning why Pan hadn't taken the journey himself, he had been plotting this from the beginning. He had me believing his spoken word on the matter that it was too dangerous for him to travel, due to being wanted man.
But well, this hadn't been entirely true.
For like I said, Pan had a plan from the beginning. This plan being that there would be many witnesses to me travelling with a trunk starting back all the way from the east. A woman dressed like a man had something to hide and only looked more guilty, but as an Imp, well doing such only more so.
But as for Pan, he had only a few mortal minds to control to wipe free any sight of him. Meaning the bastard had set me up to take the fall for this from the very start. So, as I was being hunted, he had quickly taking his loot and fled the city.
However, this wasn't before a few things happened, one in particular that utterly broke my heart. This had been after I had threatened to go to the King himself and explain what Pan had done. I knew this would have come with a beating at the very least, but I had been hoping it was enough of a threat that he would