The air within the dingy white plaster walls of that well frequented, but oft maligned, establishment was thick with the flowery haze that emanated from the long narrow pipes of its patrons. Men lazed, barely conscious, in rough-hewn wooden bunks that lined the walls on both sides. Women, scarcely clothed, walked along the bunks; occasionally climbing in with some half senseless man who was perfectly content to accept their company in exchange for a few puffs off the pipe or a palmful of pence. If luck were with the woman her customer might fall into a sound slumber and she could avail herself of his personal property. The feculant den was infested by rats and fleas which found the warm, passive bodies a source of comfort and sustenance - the floor was ripe with their droppings. Recessed away from this scene was an alcove reserved for guests of means who had the desire for greater privacy. In this room was a larger circular bed, it possessed no bed frame and was heavily stained. The mattress was grey and worn thin. It appeared the only care the bed received was the occasional restuffing with straw. A thick, greasy red blanket was spread over it while an excessive spray of pillows of various shapes, sizes, and fabrics concealed where the bed met the wall. On the bed two women attended to a spare young man who lay propped up between them, taking a drag from his thin pipe, and holding each in opposite arms. The first woman was worthy of little note. Her tightly curled dark hair framed her piqued ashen face in a manner that, while not especially unpleasing, gave the impression of desperate poverty. Her eyes were great and dark with a vague hollowness. Her clothes, what little she wore, were grey and tattered with no ornamentation - they hung from her thin frame as a wet curtain over a wire cage. In age she could not have exceeded her early twenties yet she seemed much more worn and ravaged than her years would suggest. She kneeled next to the man with a hand stroking his bared chest. The second woman was quite the opposite of the first. Her figure was full to the point of near plumpness - she had no shame in it and bore it for all who passed by to see. Her sleek auburn hair shined as it cascaded in waves down her shoulders and back. Her eyes, though lined, glimmered and her rose colored lips glistened as she pressed them against the neck of the man repeatedly. He smiled lazily at her and stroked her hair then he took another drag. In such a place as this the magnificent Lady Cox was as shameless as only the most brazen harlot. If this Stygian lair were not heaven, Jet mused, it was certainly as close as he ever cared to get.
From down the hall he vaguely heard what sounded like a scuffle - not an unusual occurrence in this place - yet there was something off about the tone. It didn't quite strike him as that of a man desperate for even the smallest sampling but unable to lay down so much as a penny for it, or the furious tones of a man who had lost his belongings to his temporary bedmate who haughtily denied her involvement in the matter. A gruff voice hollered, "Get out of my shop!" to which a ringing, high pitched voice answered "A shop, more like a den of robbers! And I shall just as happily turn you out as our Lord did the moneylenders at the temple. It is on His errand of mercy I am here. These people have been subjected to such a degenerate and miserable state that the fires of hell would likely seem a dear relief - and you stand as their tormentor!" the voice accused.
"Their tormentor!" the gruff voice howled with laughter. "My pet, I am their benefactor!"
"Some benefactor you are - when did these people last know a decent meal?" the voice seemed to be moving down the hallway.
"Well I'll bite little lady! Let us see for ourselves whether these poor sinners prefer my Hell to your Heaven."
"Ladies, gentlemen: I invite you to come to our meeting this evening and fill your bellies. There is no need to be ashamed, we are all children of God." She continued in this manner down the hall followed by lewd and obnoxious callbacks from the patrons. Finally the owner of the voice appeared in the alcove flanked by two men. She wore a naval blue uniform with shining buttons and brown gloves. Her black shoes were somewhat worn but highly polished. On her head she wore a stiff matching modest blue bonnet which was tied in a neat bow in the front. Her face was plump, as was the rest of her form, and softly framed by a halo of soft mouse brown ringlets. Her cheeks were round with a slight rose hue at the apples which, when placed in the context of her complexion, gave the overall impression of ripe peaches. Her mouth was fine with full lips reddened from the exertion of preaching. But it was her eyes that were her most arresting feature - they were deep, heavily lashed, and of the softest brown - like those of a fawn. The mere fact they were open wide staring with the little mouth momentarily agape only further cemented the impression of a baby animal to Jet. Apparently, the sight of Lady Cox had caught her by surprise. But this only lasted for a moment. Those fine eyes suddenly fixed on Jet and narrowed into slits and her small Irish nose scrunched up, those lips pursed as they enunciated one solitary syllable heavy with accusation: "You!"
"Oi, me?" Jet pointed at himself with good-natured surprise. The woman seemed to assume recognition, she approached the trio in a haughty manner, completely ignoring the other parties and addressing Jet directly.
"I see your friend is not with you today? Or is he indisposed?" She announced loftily looking at him from the side of her eye.
"My friend?" Jet could not hide his confusion in charm, the drug had retarded his wits entirely. She fixed an icy stare upon him causing an involuntary shiver to shoot down his spine.
"Oh, have you forgotten me? For I have not forgotten you or your accomplice." She arched an eyebrow and turned her little nose up away from him adding coyly, "And neither has my bonnet." He sat perplexed for a second, suddenly his eye flew open.
"Oi! Oi! It's you, the plump biddie from the rally in W-ing!" He heaved forward pointing a finger at her; displacing his companions. "What are you doing here?" She paced the room leisurely, kicking up her toes in a staccato motion with every step as she replied,
"Father felt it was no longer safe for me in the South with the Skeleton Army, so he sent me here."
"What? Because it's safer in a London brothel?!" Jet exclaimed. She glanced around the room and then allowed her eyes to rest on him,
"Relatively speaking, of course."
"Of course." Jet gave a half smile that was met with complete indifference. Finally, one of the men accompanying her spoke:
"Sergeant Major Bertha, do you know this man?" the bespectacled gentleman inquired. The realization of an audience caused a sudden change in Jet's tone.
"Woahoho Major! I didn't know I was in the presence of an officer." he made a mock salute, from her face it was evident she was not amused by his antics. "Major Bertie! Come into our presence to battle the demons for our souls." He relaxed back into the arms of his ladies. Major Bertha also seemed to become aware of their companions. Her tone became deathly serious.
"It's Sergeant Major Bertha to you and if I could physically battle demons for your souls I would gladly take up arms against them, but as it is I arm myself for the spiritual battle with the sword of the spirit, the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation in the hope God will use me as a soldier in His war for your souls."
"Hang God!" ejaculated Jet with stunning force. The dark haired woman next to him was so scandalized by the sudden exclamation that she unconsciously made the sign of the cross over herself - a motion that was caught by the Sergeant Major. She gently approached the woman.
"Dear," she ventured tenderly. "If you find you are interested we are serving soup and bread in the square this evening, you are welcome to attend."
"I'm sorry, I'm quite sure she won't be able to attend your 'event' as I have retained her services for the evening." Lady Cox interjected. "Please be gone immediately, you are upsetting my guests."
"Unless you want you join us." Jet raised his eyebrows salaciously. "It would even the odds." He jerked his head towards the two men who, until this point, had been making every effort to avoid directly looking at the scandalous scene before them.
"If you can't join us tonight we will be serving supper all this week and we will be having a rally this Friday." the Sergeant Major continued reaching a hand out to the woman.
"Guard!" Lady Cox bellowed. A large man appeared behind the Salvationists. "Remove these interlopers immediately."
"And bring your children!" Bertha called out as the large man pulled her brusquely from the room.
"I will!" the dark haired woman cried back reaching for the other. There were the sounds of scuffling and the door slammed.
"Well, that was bothersome," Lady Cox sniffed. "You have children?" she asked the other woman. The woman looked at her hands.
"Yes ma'am, three."
"Do as I ask and they will eat for a month." Lady Cox placed her fingers under the woman's chin and pulled it close so their eyes were level. "Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes, ma'am." the woman replied. Lady Cox pulled her in and gave her a tender kiss. She pulled away from the woman with a smile.
"Good."