See Part One for story details.


The library door was open and wafts of the same black smoke that had filled their own home now settled about the hallway. It's darkness was mixing with the deeper, oozing blackness and forming a thick mist above the floor. From out of the shifting cloud came the familiar scuttling, dragging sounds. They looked to the study and saw that the hand had employed the assistance of the strange hybrid creature to open the room.

Vastra hurried past Jenny, her elbow catching the head that swung wildly in Jenny's hand. Jenny struggled against its writhing but held tight as she followed Vastra, cane raised and arm already swinging. Vastra attacked the mist, hands and feet thrashing through the darkness to grab at the creatures below and toss them through the open study door. She made a low hissing cry that grew in her throat to a battle roar that filled the hallway, echoing off the walls.

Jenny was momentarily distracted by the primal sounds, amazed when she caught a brief glimpse of her friend and saw a stranger in her place. The scales of her face were more pronounced, the teeth barred, the eyes burning with rage. Appendages flew, skittling along the surface of the darkness or dancing through the air, all landing with thuds on the wood of the study floor.

Jenny felt something tug at her trouser and had to kick hard to dislodge the grasp of whatever swarmed around her legs. She hacked down with the cane to drive the creatures back, swinging her free arm as the head jolted and rocked in her other hand. Jenny thought that it might be whispering something but she cast the thought aside as she cast another arm into the study.

Vastra had fallen back a little and was rummaging in her bag. Jenny felt the panic rising in her chest; what if they didn't have enough ammunition to deal with these creatures? Could a single door and Jenny herself hold them until Vastra returned with more?

But the panic lapsed, sucked down in a relieved breath as Vastra pulled two more of the strange shaped bottles. Jenny resumed the hacking motion of her arm until she could feel no more resistance from the cloud at her feet. She was close to the study door now, her arm still swinging back and forth to keep the creatures from escaping.

Vastra came to her side and readied the bottles. She turned to the head and stared at it. Jenny shook her arm hard, the face jumping around in front of Vastra's eyes and she snapped to herself again, her eyes burning with fire once more. Jenny didn't wait for the word, she simply tossed the head through the door followed by a muttered oath.

Vastra threw the bottles in as hard as she could, hoping to land at least one close to the book that rattled on its lectern as the limbs bustled around it The head bounced long the clouded floor, coming to rest near its base. Then her vision was blocked by the slamming door, the wood quivering in its frame as Jenny held the handle tight, her arms flexed against any resistance from beyond.

There was a brief moment of silence that felt like eons had past, then the handle shook under Jenny's grip, the wood bowing outward, then settling slowly into its frame with a long, pained creaking that was washed out by the two booming explosions that came in quick succession. They seemed much louder than the two that had shaken the library earlier, mixing in with a screaming, howling cry that might have come from the very depths of hell itself.

The two women waited, slumped against the wall and breathing hard. Jenny's hand was still wrapped around the door handle and Vastra reached out to gently loosen the fingers. The smaller hand dropped away and bounced against the door frame. They were silent for a long time, remaining still despite the gusts of rancid smoke that rushed out from around the door and took the place of the oozing darkness that had drifted away to nothing.

"Is that it do you think?" Jenny said eventually.

"I hope so, my dear, for I would prefer not to have to do that again. That is, if you don't mind?"

Jenny's lips quirked into a tired grin, "I think I'd manage without, if it's all the same to you." There was another long pause before Jenny added, "So that's really it then?"

Vastra pushed away from the wall to stare at the door. Thick, dark smoke still drifted from beneath it but there was no hint of the former blackness. And there was no sound from within, no sign of movement at all. They would have to open the door and check the room thoroughly, of course, but Vastra was more than willing to put that off for a moment longer.

"I believe so. The book, the head and the hand seem to have been the unholy trinity in this business and I believe we have taken care of them all. The book will have to be handled with a great deal of care, perhaps Mr Hoogstraten could offer a suggestion in -"

"Let's not give it to him though, eh?" Jenny interrupted.

"Just so, my dear. No, you are quite right; we will deal with the book in our own way," Vastra said with a firm nod, "and we will have the poor creatures within cremated as soon as possible, their ashes to be dealt with appropriately...whatever constitutes appropriately in such circumstances."

"The head too?"

"The head most certainly, for if there were anything more permanent that could be done with that abomination, I should have it done twice over."

With that decided, Vastra reached out and opened the study door slowly, her eyes steely as she watched the growing gap for any sign of danger within. There was none. More smoke wafted about them and the hallway filled with a sharp, cloying scent that mingled decay with saltpetre and singed papers. As the smoke cleared a little, the floor became more exposed and the women could see the limbs lying, twisted and blackened in heaps of smoldering flesh. Above them, the lectern gave off wisps of smoke that shifted around the book where it sat, blackened and still; all the evil energy of the thing purged, at least for the moment.

Despite their exhaustion, Vastra and Jenny worked tirelessly to clear the study, piling the limbs up in the hallway and wrapping the book in thick layers of blanket. A runner was sent to the offices of Milton And Milton and the two women waited for the arrival of the agent and his men. They all paled visibly when they entered the house, Mr Milton having to excuse himself and return to the London air to recover. There he spent some time dealing with irate neighbours who had been disturbed by the bumping and banging of the preceding few hours.

Vastra gave her orders to the men, leading two of them down to Charles Borlsover's labratory to clear the now entirely dead inhabitants from their cages. She returned to find Jenny standing over the bundle of rags that was actually one of the most dangerous books on the planet. She was staring down at it, the cane back in her hand, the heavy brass handle hovering over the blankets as if warding off evil. Which was exactly what she was doing.

"Why not just have this burned too, Madame?"

"Alas, I fear it might do more harm than good, my dear."

"How can-" Jenny stopped, shook her head and said, "Never mind, let's just get it out of here, eh?"

Vastra placed a gentle hand on Jenny's arm and eased her around and away from the book. The dark eyes rose to stare into Vastra's face with a haunted expression that Vastra regretted deeply. Their adventures of recent months had been most hard on her friend and she would not have wished any of it on the remarkable young woman.

"I am sorry, Jenny."

Vastra lifted her hand, running her fingertips over Jenny's dirt-stained cheek. Jenny's eyes cast around the hallway, her body tensing for a moment but Vastra's gaze never left her face, her fingers never halting their gentle motion. Jenny relaxed and closed her eyes, feeling the faint contact calm her even as it sent a tingle through her body.

"Don't be sorry. If we weren't here to deal with this, who would, eh?"

"Who indeed. Still, I propose a quieter few weeks, perhaps a simple theft or a disappearance. What say you?"

Jenny grinned, her eyes slowly opening to take in Vastra's growing smile and the emotions that danced behind her eyes. She lifted her own hand and pressed it to her face, trapping Vastra's fingers to her cheek. They remained that way for a while, paying no heed to the men who bustled about them, entirely unconcerned with any surprised glances or knowing looks that they might have received.

Then there was a polite cough from the doorway and the women were forced to part. Jenny scowled at Mr Milton, from whom the noise originated. Vastra touched her shoulder in sympathy, then allowed her hand to fall to her side, her fingers still warmed from the contact. They walked to the doorway, joining Mr Milton on the steps to the house. The man had barely been inside for two seconds yet he looked more pale and pained than any of his men or the two women themselves.

"Ladies, forgive me for interrupting your," he hesitated delicately, "contemplations but I fear I must request an explanation."

"Must you really, Mr Milton?" Vastra said.

"I must indeed, for I must know how best to frame the sale of the residence. I fear that word of such strange happenings must inevitably reduce the interest in -"

"We'll take it," Jenny said.

"We would be happy to -" Vastra began at exactly the same moment.

The two women stared at each other, Milton looking from one to the other in amazement. He watched the silent communication between the veiled and cloaked Madame Vastra and the unconventionally attired Miss Flint. He felt that he should be scandalised but there was something so uniquely right about these two strange women and their obvious bond that he couldn't bring himself to muster such a response. He was not apt to judge and these two remarkable people would not be interested in his opinions even if he was.

"You surprise me, my dear," Vastra said, Milton forgotten as she studied her friend closely.

Jenny grinned, "I'm a bit surprised myself, Madame. It's just, well, a nice big house like this, plenty of room for the both of us and even a ready-made labratory for yourself. At a very good price too, I have no doubt," she added pointedly in Milton's direction before looking back to Vastra, "And we certainly know that the place has been cleared of any dangers, don't we?"

"That we do. And you would not be troubled by our early memories of the place?"

"I'd rather be sure of what's been before us and know that it's finished with, Madame, wouldn't you?"

"I would indeed. Then it is settled," Vastra said, turning to Milton, "Miss Flint and I will take the house. Do you agree?"

Milton blinked at the women for a moment, feeling the weight of Vastra's eyes from behind the heavy lace of her veil and the glare from the smaller woman at her side. He had so rarely been on the wrong end of a deal - certainly not when dealing with women - but he felt sure that the matter was well and truly out of his hands and that a gratious acceptance was his only recourse.

He gave a formal bow and injecting as much dignity into his tone as possible, said, "I believe we have made a sale, Madame Vastra, Miss Flint. And many congratulations on taking such a fine residence as your new abode. I will have the paperwork drawn up immediately. At a fair price," he added with a smile.

They shook on the agreement and Milton hurried off to finalise the matter before anyone could change their minds. Vastra and Jenny took advantage of the presence of Milton's men to direct the clearance of the Borlsover's belongings and discuss amongst themselves their future home. A quiet calm settled on the place as if their agreement to take the house had cleansed it of any lingering malignity.

And no-one noticed the strange twitching of the study curtains as something climbed down from above or the low creak of the door as it was opened from within. Work was commencing in the upstairs of the house when there came a shuffling, clicking sound from the hallway. The sight of a hand walking on its fingertips down the house steps was surely an apparition and nothing more.