{"sf1_id":1068677,"sf2_id":"1xJJbpZm","title":"In the Service of Mystery (Pt. 16)","author":"CofEFur","words":2164,"posted_at":"2016-09-06T11:50:00.000Z","tags":["Bird","Character Development","Clean","Collie","Crime","Dog","Hawk","Horse","Lion","Lynx","Owl","Plot Development","Priest"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1068677-in-the-service-of-mystery-pt-16","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/1xJJbpZm","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/de/eb/deeb9c95-7c54-4c4f-9a0a-7a1a0fd6c681","description":"#22 of In the Service of Mystery\n\nA slightly shorter update, and yet more Germanic Broadband.\n...Well it all appears to have gone horribly wrong for Father Francis","content":"We piled in and headed away from the checkpoint, continuing eastward.\u0026nbsp; I didn't feel myself begin to relax until we crossed out of the Borders Controlled Area and away from the military's sphere of influence.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; By the time we got back to the village it was early evening, we had lost most of the day with the hold-up at the checkpoint.\u0026nbsp; Normally, I would have driven directly to the church for evening prayer, but I decided to stop first at the vicarage to drop Kiniun's luggage off and for what my father had always euphemistically described as a 'comfort break'.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I gasped as we pulled into the curb.\u0026nbsp; During the course of the day, someone had daubed red and purple paint across the front door and my study window I hauled the brake lever into the locked position and wrenched the keys out of the ignition.\u0026nbsp; I leapt from the car and stood at the top of the garden path.\u0026nbsp; I stood stock still, my hackles raised, ears back and growling.\u0026nbsp; Never before had I seen this kind of attack against anyone's home, certainly not in Newtonshire.\n\n'What in heaven's name happened here?'\n\nKiniun's voice cut through my building rage.\n\n'I don't know, yet.\u0026nbsp; But, as sure as you're standing there, I'm going to find out.'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I made my way to the door.\u0026nbsp; As I put my paw out, I noticed a sheet of paper had been pinned to the door frame.\u0026nbsp; I ripped the paper down and unfolded it - the thick, crisp paper crackled under my claws.\u0026nbsp; I looked at what was written on the sheet.\n\n_The one who rules from below the earth seeks tribute,_\n\n_you, false priest, have stolen that which would feed_\n\n_the earth.\u0026nbsp; Return of the tribute or you shall suffer._\n\n_The consequences are far more terrible than you can conceive._\n\n_Mam lleuad yn derbyn yr afon o aberth._\n\nI waved the note at Kiniun and Harry.\n\n'First they do this to the house and then they, whoever they are, leave a cryptic note on my door.\u0026nbsp; What is going on?'\n\nHarry held his paws out and said in a low, even tone:\n\n'Francis, we don't know.\u0026nbsp; How could we?\u0026nbsp; Just call the police.\u0026nbsp; For the love of God don't do anything stupid.'\n\nI blinked at him, frankly, stupidly and then snatched my phone out of my pocket.\u0026nbsp; I dialled the emergency number and heard a click as the operator answered:\n\n'Which service do you require?'\n\n'Police, please.'\u0026nbsp; I said.\u0026nbsp; There was another click and another voice said:\n\n'Newtonshire Constabulary, go ahead caller.'\n\n'My house has been attacked, graffiti.\u0026nbsp; And, whoever did this left a threatening note.'\u0026nbsp; I could hear my voice quavering.\n\n'Thank you, caller.\u0026nbsp; May I take your name and address, please?'\n\n'Father Francis Shepherd.\u0026nbsp; The address: The Vicarage, Abbot's Road, Rayton-in-Amble, NW2 4PPF.'\n\n'Thank you, Father.\u0026nbsp; There is a car on its way to you now.\u0026nbsp; Please try not to disturb anything.\u0026nbsp; You may end the call.'\n\n'Th-Thank you.'\u0026nbsp; I stuttered and hung up.\u0026nbsp; 'We've got to wait for the police.'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I re-read the letter; it was no less cryptic at the second glance.\u0026nbsp; I passed the letter to Harry.\n\n'I've never come across paper like that before.'\u0026nbsp; I said to no one in particular.\n\n'It doesn't feel like paper to me.'\u0026nbsp; Said Harry.\n\n'May I see?'\u0026nbsp; Said Kiniun.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Harry held out the letter.\u0026nbsp; Kiniun took the sheet and held it to the fading light, then, he held it to his nose and sniffed it cautiously.\u0026nbsp; Both me and Harry looked at the lion askance and then glanced at one another.\u0026nbsp; Kiniun ignored us and began to feel around the edges of the sheet, teasing at the rough border with a claw.\u0026nbsp; He looked at us and ran a paw over his muzzle.\n\n'This is not paper.'\u0026nbsp; Kiniun said.\u0026nbsp; 'Not paper at all.'\n\n'What is it then?'\u0026nbsp; I asked.\n\n'It is, what is the word?\u0026nbsp; Ah, yes, it is vellum.\u0026nbsp; I thought that it has not been made in this country for centuries.\u0026nbsp; It is made from the skin of an animal, cleaned and dried.'\n\nI shuddered, the very idea repulsed me.\n\n'Who would even make such a thing?'\u0026nbsp; Asked Harry.\n\n'I last saw vellum back home.'\u0026nbsp; Said Kiniun.\u0026nbsp; 'When I returned to my village after my ordination as a priest, to destroy the vellum scroll.\u0026nbsp; You see, each En-gal shaman had a vellum scroll of the rites of the shaman-mages.\u0026nbsp; The shaman-mages would call it an \"honour\" to be used for this.\u0026nbsp; It was no honour; vellum can only be made from the skin of a young animal.\u0026nbsp; Where is the honour in the denial of a young life?'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; There was a quiet anger in Kiniun's voice, he sheathed and unsheathed his claws, flexing his paws.\n\n'A terrible thing.'\u0026nbsp; Said Kiniun.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I nodded, Harry did nothing, there was a distant, distracted look in his eyes.\u0026nbsp; I was about to ask Harry how he was, when the promised police car turned the corner from the High Street.\u0026nbsp; As it pulled to a halt, the scene was bleached in the blue and white lights of the car, with each flash it was as if we became ghosts, pale and unreal.\u0026nbsp; It was a comfort to see the police car, the shield of the Newtonshire Constabulary within its blue starburst emblazoned on the door spoke of competence and trust.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I studied the shield as the police officer gathered some equipment from the passenger seat.\u0026nbsp; The police in Newtonshire used the same coat of arms as both the Diocese of Newton and the county council: it was a shield split in half vertically with a red lion rampant on the left-hand side and a gold cross on the right, all on a blue background.\u0026nbsp; Underneath was the traditional motto of the Counts of Newton: '_Iustitiam, Pacem, Legemque_' - 'For Justice, Peace and Law'.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; We watched as the police officer exited the car.\u0026nbsp; It appeared that today was a day for renewing old acquaintances, as the officer was Sergeant Lamri; although now, she was Inspector Lamri.\u0026nbsp; As she walked up the path, she adjusted the angle of her cap and then stopped dead in her tracks.\u0026nbsp; I was just as surprised as she appears to be, I was standing on my doorstep with my mouth hanging open.\n\n'I wondered if it could be you.'\u0026nbsp; She said.\u0026nbsp; 'That's the problem with this job, you never get to meet people under good circumstances.'\n\n'I suppose not.'\u0026nbsp; I replied, grappling for some composure.\u0026nbsp; 'Still, it's good to see a friendly face.\u0026nbsp; I must say: I wasn't expecting so exalted an officer as you to turn up for this.\u0026nbsp; I thought that Inspectors had to do all their policing from behind a desk.'\n\n'Normally I am deskbound,' Said Lamri, 'But, being an Inspector has its perks; so, every so often I requisition a squad car and go out on patrol.\u0026nbsp; It just happened that I was the nearest unit when your call came through.'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; She paused and took in the scene.\n\n'You've got a proper mess here.'\u0026nbsp; She continued.\u0026nbsp; 'There's not a huge amount that can be done until the SOCO, that's Scene of Crime Officer, van gets here from Newton.\u0026nbsp; I'll radio for the SOCO on duty now and then our need to take statements from each of you.\u0026nbsp; Can you get into the house by another route?\u0026nbsp; I don't want to disturb anything on the front door if I can help it.'\n\n'There's a pass around the side of the house.'\u0026nbsp; I said.\u0026nbsp; We can let ourselves in through the kitchen door.'\n\n'Good, I'll radio for the SOCO van and meet you in your kitchen.'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; She turned away from us and began to speak softly into her radio set.\u0026nbsp; I led Harry and Kiniun along the path.\u0026nbsp; I was relieved to see that whoever had attacks my home had not made it into the back garden.\u0026nbsp; I unlocked the door and let my companions into the house.\u0026nbsp; Shortly, we heard the sound of Inspector Lamri's hooves on the patio.\u0026nbsp; We all looked up as the police officer entered.\n\n'The SOCO van is on its way, there should be a forensics team here in half an hour.'\n\nShe took a seat at the table and fished a notepad and pen out of a pocket.\n\n'I'll have to take witness statements from all of you.\u0026nbsp; Do you mind if we take your statements now?'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; I shrugged, Harry waved a paw and Kiniun shook his head.\u0026nbsp; We gave Inspector Lamri our statements, all variations on a theme of 'we arrived home, and found the house like this'.\u0026nbsp; That was it until Kiniun gave Lamri the note from the door.\u0026nbsp; She sealed it in a clear plastic evidence bag.\u0026nbsp; The lion explained briefly about the vellum.\n\n'Vellum?' \u0026nbsp;She asked and Kiniun nodded.\u0026nbsp; 'If that's the case, this is much more serious than I had a first thought.\u0026nbsp; We could be dealing with a potential murder.'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; This was delivered in a flat, expressionless tone will stop I let my head drop into my paws and started to scratch vigorously at my muzzle.\u0026nbsp; It felt as if events, as if my whole life was rapidly slipping out of my grasp.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; It seemed perfectly absurd: in the past few days I had been less than subtly threatened by the Lord of the Manor; had to talk one of my closest friends down from the cathedral roof; met a lion who I had only half believed existed; seen more weird stuff than I had ever imagined; and now I was possibly part of the murder investigation.\u0026nbsp; I almost laughed aloud when I cast my mind back to the previous week, when my greatest worries had been getting the churchyard ready for the fête and quite how to get a few more villagers to come to church once in a while.\u0026nbsp; But, instead of laughing, I sighed and put my ears back - at that point it all just felt too much to deal with.\u0026nbsp; I let my nose rest on the table and sighed again.\n\n'A murder,' I whispered, 'That's... That's...'\n\nI looked up.\n\n'That's not what happens in sleepy little villages!'\u0026nbsp; I shouted and brought my paw down with a slam on the table.\u0026nbsp; Inspector Lamri and Kiniun both jumped at my sudden anger: Harry, on the other paw, had seen this all before and tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling.\u0026nbsp; It wasn't that my anger was not heartfelt, but it would be short lived.\u0026nbsp; By the time I calmed down again, I would be what Brian Strix had always called 'killer-robo-dog mode'.\u0026nbsp; After the anger, I would try and plan how to deal with the problem.\u0026nbsp; I spread my paws on the table and breathed out loudly through my nose.\n\n'Sorry, sorry,' I said, 'Rant over.\u0026nbsp; What happens now, Inspector?'\n\n'I can't do much until SOCO arrive.\u0026nbsp; I expect that this will pass out of my control, I'm not with CID.\u0026nbsp; I'll pass on what you've told me and then you'll need to be interviewed again so that my colleagues can build a picture of what you've been doing over the past few days.'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; One of Inspector Lamri's ears flicked at the sound of an engine outside.\n\n'Hopefully that's the SOCO van.'\u0026nbsp; She said.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Indeed it was, and shortly a pair of uniformed police scientists appeared in the kitchen doorway.\u0026nbsp; The taller of the two, a slightly built tawny owl, flexed her wings uncomfortably and her partner, a little rotund role who looked incredibly out of place in the dark blue of his uniform, entered the room.\n\n'Could we have a word, Inspector?'\u0026nbsp; He asked.\n\nShe nodded, and then said to us: 'Would you excuse me, I need to brief Doctor Arval and Professor Houlette.'\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The inspector herded the two scientists from the room and I could just make out their shapes as they passed the window.\u0026nbsp; Harry started to rattle cups and tea things, a distraction technique.\u0026nbsp; Sadly, I was unable to be distracted, my mind was poring over the events of the last days.\u0026nbsp; My thoughts kept lighting on isolated fragments of events, scraps of conversations, single movements and gestures.\u0026nbsp; I tried desperately to work out how they could be related.\u0026nbsp; The fire on the Oxfold Estate, the single minded stream of villagers (how could that be only yesterday evening?\u0026nbsp; It felt as if it had happened months ago.), the knife, the Abbey, Arthur Oxfold's threats and talk of 'old ways', Gerald.\u0026nbsp; These things spun around and around in my head until I was interrupted by Harry placing a mug of tea in front of me.\u0026nbsp; I grasped the mug gratefully, as if it could anchor my thoughts.\n\n\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; In the end, it was Inspector Lamri who brought me back to reality - there is nothing more real than a copper standing in your kitchen.\n\n  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"In the Service of Mystery","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1066027-in-the-service-of-mystery-pt-15.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1070630-in-the-service-of-mystery-pt-17.json"}}