Monzel's reading was interrupted as a portal opened and three haunters appeared. As Monzel came over a rather scared looking Spook handed her a paper with the Committee seal stamped on it. Breaking the seal she read the Committee's message:

To aid in your conquest of Gravenville please accept these new recruits. Prepare well as you have quite a lot of work ahead of you.

Setting the paper aside she looked over the ghosts before her. A scared Spook, a scruffy dog and what appeared to be the front half of a horse. Taking a seat she opened to their pages to figure out what they could do.

The half horse was apparently a Sandman named Hypnos who could prove useful if she ever needed to put someone to sleep…though then she wouldn't be able to scare them.

The dog Buck was classified as a Horde. As she would have guessed his hordes were made up of fleas. Odd but he might be a useful partner for Clatterclaws.

Finally she came to the page for the Spook. Her eyes immediately went to his bio with the hopes of finding out what his problem was.

"Quiver is terrified of everything including himself. However as it sometimes takes a thief to catch a thief sometimes it takes the scared to scare…"

As her mind processed that she noticed the map that covered the table shifting. The buildings that marked her successful missions were vanishing back into the map while two new structures rose…one of which was a boat sitting off the coast. Curious she tapped it and heard Balam's voice in her head.

"Mortals are such amusing creatures that we of the dead rarely feel the need to involve ourselves in their poorly justified beliefs…Unless of course those beliefs pertain to out existence. Don Bartholomew, a criminal mortal of some self-importance has been badmouthing the dead, claiming that 'There ain't no such ting as ghosts.' We ask that you…persuade him to change his mind."

Realizing that she would need some powerful haunters with her for this mission Monzel floated off to form a team…

As usual Monzel was first through the portal, eager to scout out the Don's ship while her team came through. Floating down to land on the deck she passed through a pair of double doors into what was obviously a lounge, complete with piano which was playing a jaunty little tune.

As the music cut off mid-note Monzel saw the piano player appear…feet buried in a bucket of cement and a fish stuck in his ghostly form. Sighing the pianist turned to see Monzel standing a few feet away.

"I was the Don's favorite pianist." The ghost said, standing. "He loved to hear me tickle the ivories. That all fell apart one night when the boss was in a particularly bad mood…I guess I played the wrong tune. Went and got myself shot…But hey, I'm a professional. I just want to finish the tune I was playing…If only I could remember what it was."

After a few more minutes with the piano player, Fingers according to her handbook Monzel moved out of the lounge. Hearing gun shots from behind a door marked Casino Monzel hurried over to investigate.

As she passed through the door she found herself staring down the barrel of a machine gun held by a ghost in the same type of suit she had seen some of Don Bartholomew's men wearing.

Seeing that she wasn't a mortal the gangster returned his attention to the man standing behind the roulette table but was still willing to acknowledge Monzel's presence with his tale.

"I didn't mind losing at the tables, the bank being Don Bartholomew's money and all. But that darn croupier's so afraid of the boss he made sure the house always wins. I catch him at it and the weasel shoots me dead with that little popgun. Ain't right you know? I gotta get him back."

Leaving the casino behind Monzel descended the grand staircase, passing several mortals in the hall before she passed through another door into the Don's quarters. Pausing before what seemed to be a memorial of some kind Monzel was started when a voice started calling from thin air.

Glancing around the Ghost Master's eyes fell on the urn that sat among the many pictures on the table. Leaning in close she could just make out the words being spoken.

"It was the dang Pulitzer had me snooping at the Don's grandmother's funeral but it was the goons with the guns had me hiding in the coffin see. That's when I really felt the heat, know what I'm saying? Now I'm just ashes in this here urn, the Don thinking I'm what's left of his grandma and all. If you could bust me loose I'd be grateful."

Making a mental note to see what she could do for the poor spirit Monzel quickly left, knowing her team would be growing anxious but wanting to finish scouting the ship as the Department of Clairvoyance claimed that there were 4 spirits trapped aboard the ship.

Passing through the kitchens where a chef was whistling as he cooked she came across another stairwell and having no alternative she took it…descending into the very bowels of the ship where the sloshing of water against the hull was clearly heard. As she stood on a platform overlooking a large amount of bilge Monzel narrowly avoided the figure that leapt from the water to float before her…chains snaking away under the water.

As she looked over the webbed feet and hands Monzel realized she had found the last trapped spirit.

"They call me Wavemaster, spirit of the oceans, undine of the deep. Curse the progeny of monkeys. Those who reave the waves and cast their fellow beings into the deep, their tendrils swathed in stone. Now they have imprisoned me within the dark oubliette from which I can not escape. If only the mortals were sufficiently motivated to empty this vile bilge water."

Having learned what she needed to know Monzel turned to return to her team when Wavemaster stopped her. "If you can restore blessed freedom to this imprisoned spirit by operating the pump Wavemaster will pledge her fealty to your cause."

As she hurried back to her waiting Haunters Monzel's mind was working on a way to show Don Bartholomew the error of his ways…

As the mortals continued to move about the ship Monzel gathered her team around her to discuss the plan.

"Lucky, head to the roulette table and if someone stops in to play make sure they win." She told the Gremlin who purred and ran off.

"Boo, you're going to be roaming the ship. I've heard at least three mortals whistling and one of them may be the one Fingers is trying to remember." Monzel continued as she turned toward the Spook.

"Clatterclaws, Buck, Moonscream, you'll be setting up outside the Don's quarters. That spot has access to both staircases and the majority of the sleeping quarters so plasm should be no problem here. Remember, we have haunters trapped here that require mortals to be freed so watch your powers. I'd prefer not to have a Temporal Clerk bring us back here later."

As the Hordes and Banshee headed off to bind into the mortal world Monzel turned her eyes toward the Don's page in the handbook…

Without the aid of Boo's chains to draw the mortals in Clatterclaws had to guess when to strike and showed surprisingly good timing for a spider, unleashing his legion of arachnids onto the head of a very surprised goon who was coming from the stairs.

He made the mistake of running toward his room though and was stopped in his tracks as a scruffy dog appeared in the hallway. He was even more surprised when a mass of fleas leapt off the dog's fur, bounced across the floor and jumped onto his legs. The terrible cacophony of noise that erupted behind him sent his terror to new heights and moments later he had leapt over the rail into the bay and was swimming for shore.

Meanwhile Lucky was having great fun messing with the croupier. The ships captain had shown up to play and the cat had made sure to charm him before the wheel was spun. She could sense the fear building in his body as the stack of chips in front of him dwindled and the pile in front of the captain grew. As the captain made his wager and the wheel spun Lucky felt her strength ebbing. She saw the captain pluck the last chips from the croupier before she collapsed; the strain of charming a mortal for so long had exhausted the Gremlin.

In the bowels of the ship Monzel was following the stewardess. Boo had sent her on a fool's errand and she was heading for the bilge. Passing through the floor Monzel diverted some of the plasm flow into Wavemaster's powers.

As Julie stepped off the stairs she screamed…Water was running down the walls and adding to the bilge water that had gathered in the bottom of the ship. Splashing through puddles on the catwalk she pulled the switch next to the boiler controls and sighed in relief as the thumping of the bilge pump echoed off the metal walls. As she left she marveled at how much the bilge had gone done already…

"The vastness of the ocean is mine once more. It will be an honor to serve you." Wavemaster said as her chains faded to nothing. Looking over the power listing for the Elemental Monzel smiled, this was going to be fun.

Don Bartholomew was grumbling furiously as he headed for his quarters. He was not one to stand for foolish pranks but his men seemed to think otherwise. Half his people had jumped overboard screaming about ghosts…Idiots. Everyone knew that ghosts were nonexistent. Though he had to wonder where they had been hiding all the fake spiders.

As he entered the rich purple interior of his cabin his eyes fell on the memorial across from his bed. With his gaze locked on the pictures around the urn he didn't notice the object that landed on his head. It took several moments before he tore his gaze away and saw a fish pass by an inch from his nose.

Glancing around the room he saw more fish on the floor, the bed, the shelves and everywhere else, seemingly falling out of thin air. A loud cracking noise drew his attention back to the urn as it split neatly in half, leaving a pile of ashes. As he watched a swirl of mist rose up from the ashes and surged toward him.

Ray, the Don's second in command was coming to report on the events plaguing the ship when the door flew open and the Don rushed past.

"Thanks Chief, Oh and hold the front page. I feel a story coming on…" The very charred form of Flash Jordan said as adjusted the camera around her neck.

A check of the ship revealed that nearly all the mortals had fled overboard. The chef Jude Klous, Eddie the croupier and Bartholomew himself were the only ones left aboard. Boo was tailing Klous, trying to get him to the lounge while Clatterclaws and Buck had been moved to drive off Eddie. Lucky had been freed of her binding so she could regain her strength.

The sound of piano music drew Monzel to the lounge in time to see Klous jump ship as Fingers worked his powers on the piano. Turning he saw Monzel and smiled. "Say, you're one heck of a conductor. Got any requests?"

As she upped Boo's power band gunfire echoed nearby followed by screams. Worst case scenarios leaping to mind she rushed across the hall with Boo and Fingers behind her. As she passed through the wall of the casino Monzel relaxed. Knuckles was firing on Eddie as he fled toward the prow with Buck loping along behind him.

As he lowered his gun Knuckles turned toward Monzel. "Ha! That croupier sure can run! I guess you're the boss now, got anyone you need leaning on?" After assuring the mobster that she didn't need anyone "leaned on" Monzel led her small group to the bridge where the Don had fled to.

Checking her handbook the young Ghost Master could see that the Don was nearly at the breaking point. As Moonscream and Buck arrived Monzel nodded them forward.

A moment later a scream was heard and the door flew open as the fearless Don Bartholomew ran past the invisible ghosts with the terrible form of Moonscream drifting along behind him. A few minutes later she heard a splash and then the voice of Balam in her head.

"Don Bartholomew has fled in terror. He will not deny our existence lightly in the future."

As the voice faded a bright golden cloud appeared and was absorbed into her handbook. Looking Monzel was astounded at the reward she had been given. Summoning up the portal that would return them to the Ghoul Room Monzel wondered what her next assignment would be.