Angelique’s Journel

1) Type of BGA:
Personal:

(2) Short Explanation: Angelique will interview Father Michael of the ENY Catholic Church. Wit the goal of convincing him to take up the post of archbishop of New Orleans once the city is retaken.

3) Relevant Proficiency, Skill or Contacts: Contacts in the ENY
Angelique will do this at the ENY in and around the facilities of the ENY Catholic Church.

5) What do you expect the outcome to be:

Angelique expects to convince Father Michael to take up the post explaining to him that President Hall will propose his appointment to the post when he reaches Rome and suggest that is the best solution to the spiritual needs of a city that has a heavy mystical component. Father Michael being familiar with the Straga in the ENY.

6) Maximum Points to devote to this BGA (file BGAs in order of priority)

3 Points

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Type of BGA:

1) Personal:

2) Short Explanation: Return to the ENY taking a job at a bar near the airfield where she trained. This is to give her an income and keep her flying skills up. She is also studying the articles on the Manhattan Airships. Visiting the landing sites where they come and go from the ENY.

3) Relevant Proficiency, Skill or Contacts: Contacts General Sykes and Neco Tosconia.

4) Where are you doing this thing (geographically):

Angelique will do this near the ENY airfield where she trained.

5) What do you expect the outcome to be::

Angelique expects be able to support her self and learn more about aviation both in the ENY and Manhatten, particularly airship operations.

6) Maximum Points to devote to this BGA (file BGAs in order of priority)

1 Point

Sorry for being late I was having trouble with my e-mail and didn’t the deadline word in a timely fashion.

1) Type of BGA:
Joint: Title Training for the Imperial Esoteric

(2) Short Explanation: Angelique will depart Ft. Took leaving the operations there in the hands of her assistant manager. From there she will go to the major ENY army base where the fire starter from Boston is being held. Spend time with her helping her to learn to control her gift.

3) Relevant Proficiency, Skill or Contacts: Contacts and her own fire starting gift.

4) Where are you doing this thing (geographically):
Angelique will do this at the ENY major military base where the fire starter is being held.

5) What do you expect the outcome to be::

Angelique expects with others trying to help the woman to control her gift and or gifts so she is not a danger to either herself or others.

6) Maximum Points to devote to this BGA (file BGAs in order of priority)

1 Point
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1) Type of BGA:
Personal:

(2) Short Explanation: Angelique will once she feels free to leave the Army base. She will depart Ft. Took leaving the operations there in the hands of her assistant manager. From there she will go to the ENY flight training center to use my skills become an aviator. I have kept my self in battle trim, my eyesight is 20/20 and I see in the dark. Better than those with night vision gear.

3) Relevant Proficiency, Skill or Contacts: Contacts and her own native fighting abilities.

4) Where are you doing this thing (geographically):
Angelique will do this at the ENY flight training center.

5) What do you expect the outcome to be:

Angelique expects to become an aviator, fighter pilot, bomber or transport pilot. Eventually she would like to work with the airship squadron for the retaking of NOLA.

6) Maximum Points to devote to this BGA (file BGAs in order of priority)

3 Points

1) Type of BGA:
Investigation
2) Short Description
Research into Marry Magdaline
3) Relevant Proficiency, Skill or Contacts:
Contacts with the Archbishop’s archives
4) Where are you doing this thing (geographically):
New Orleans
5) What do you expect the outcome to be (select one, erase the others):

FYI Only

6) Maximum Points to devote to this BGA
2
7) Long description - If necessary
Continue my research into Mary Magdaline.

1) Type of BGA:
Investigation
2) Short Description
Research into the missing women.
3) Relevant Proficiency, Skill or Contacts:
Contacts with the police and the missing women’s friends.
4) Where are you doing this thing (geographically):
New Orleans
5) What do you expect the outcome to be (select one, erase the others):

FYI Only

6) Maximum Points to devote to this BGA
2
7) Long description - If necessary
Try to look for a common thread between the missing women.

A Day in the life of Angelique Marie De Sanma
By
Joanna Meredith Winston
(Aka Joanna Whillamina Maguire)

Angelique Marie De Sanma lay in bed in that state between sleep and waking; where the mind is not sure what is reality and what is a dream. She became aware a foot fall on the wooden floor of the hallway outside her bedroom door. Instinctively she reached for the pistol in the special holster on her brass head board of her four poster bed. Her right closed around grip her trigger finger slipping inside the trigger guard. Then she stopped when she realized where she was, relaxing her hold on the weapon Angelique let he self sink back into the bed without drawing the pistol.

Abby knocked lightly then entered Angelique’s bedroom.

“Mornin Miss Angelique.” Abby said as she moved to open the curtains which kept the daylight out of the room after entering.

Stretching to bring herself fully awake Angelique replied as she fumbled on the night stand for her sunglasses with her eyes closed, “Good morning Abby”.

Angelique like Abby had been born and raised in New Orleans the city of eternal night where the city never seen daylight since Angelique was born. The mystic forces of the city had sought to quell a disturbance which had threatened the city. Their workings ended at 11:59:59pm on July 16, 1889, the very moment Angelique came into the world drawing her first breath. The doctor had to remove the call from her head so she could breathe properly the call being a sign of potential for supernatural activity. Her birth had been in her parents’ middle class home in the Garden District of the city.

Slipping on her sunglasses Angelique adjusted to the increased light in the room.
She then got out of bed taking off her night shirt and proceeding to prepare her self for her day. She looked as her self in the full length mirror in the room as Angelique took her hair brush off the night stand brushing her short hair. It was streaked with grey and her face was lined by her 48 years. There were scars on her body and tattoos from the mystical practices she was familiar with as well.

The scars were from the injuries she had received as a hunter. As well as living with the Indian tribe that had saved her life, helping to defend them.

“I put the water on for the coffee.” Abby said as she slid back the last of the curtains.

“Thank you Abby I will be along shortly to help in the kitchen with breakfast when I am done in the bathroom.” Angelique replied.
“You takes your time Miss Angelique I get to it. I knows how you likes to say your prayers before you eat.” Abby said as she exited the bedroom of her employer.

“They will be said in their own good time Abby.” Angelique replied softly her mind on other business as she entered the bathroom associated with her bedroom.

Once there Angelique took care of her bodily needs, cleaning up she went back into her bedroom put a set of clean underwear followed by a simple skirt and blouse. On her feet she placed pair of Indian moccasins she had made for herself years ago.

As she exited her bedroom, the bell at the front door of the house sounded. Angelique and Abby headed for the door. The bell sounded twice, the postman always rang twice.

“That you Mr. Riley?” Angelique asked before she opened the door, a shotgun close at hand to the front door.

“Yes mam, it’s me.” the regular postman’s voice came from the other side of the door.

Angelique opened the door to reveal the postal rider who carried the mail to farms in the light zone Up River from the city. His Appaloosa horse tied to the white picket that surrounded Angelique’s home. There on its back were large leather saddle bags clearly stuffed with mail for the Up River people on his route.

“Good Morning Miss De Sanma and you too Miss Washington.”

“Looks likes you gots a heavy bag today.” Abby said referring to the large leather bag that was stamped with the NOPS around his broad shoulders. Its brown leather set against the light grey of his suit topped by a billed cap to shade his brown eyes which did not need sunglasses as he had been born and raised in the light zone.

“That I do. I have your paper Miss De Sanma, a letter from your lawyers and another from your bankers. I also have a letter from your cousin in the 9th Ward Miss Washington.” He said as he handed Angelique her mail followed by Abby’s letter.

Uniting the string holding the Times – Picayune to glance at the headlines

“Big doings in town the gate is sort of open on a more or less permanent basis. Lots of train traffic between New Orleans and Pen State.”

“Be new things at the Emporium you gona go shoppin?” Abby remarked at the sound.

“Very likely Abby I’ll have to see if there is any thing I could use at the bar. You might find something for yourself as well. Can you stay for coffee perhaps breakfast?” Angelique responded.

“No mam not today, I have several special deliveries pieces of mail to their recipients. However I thought to stop check on you and Miss Washington.”

“Far be it from us to keep you from your appointed rounds, and thank you for your concern for us Mr. Riley. Another time perhaps.”

“Another time ladies.” Mr. Riley replied briefly touching his cap with his right hand turned making his way down the steps of the front porch mounting his horse he waved good by to the two women now on the porch riding up the dirt road northward. Abby pocketed her letter in her apron heading for the kitchen.

Angelique placed her mail on the night stand in her bedroom then made for the Kitchen surveyed what Abby had accomplished and proceeded to tend the bacon in the Iron frying pan while the other woman stirred the grits also on the large wood burning cast iron stove.

“I put rolls in the oven just like you ask me to last night.”

“Thank you, Abby.” Angelique replied as she glanced over at the dark skinned woman working next to her.

Sunlight flooded through the large windows of the kitchen making it so the two women working there could see well enough in spite of their protective eye ware to prepare food for themselves safely despite the dark glasses they both wore.

The work went smoothly as they went about the tasks of preparing their meal Abby stopped stirring the grits went make orange juice for them by cutting 6 oranges in half then juicing them using a glass juicer. Angelique would periodically stir the grits the go back to tending the bacon till it was crisp. She then pulled from roll dispenser mounted under the cabinets a segment of brown paper placing on one of the counters near the stove. Angelique then placed the bacon on the brown paper to drain the grease.

Abby peaked in the oven and removed the rolls as they were done. She let them cool before putting them in a cloth lined wicker basket. The last item on the menu was cheese omelets. Angelique used the bacon pan cook them in, the cheese was a sharp cheddar. Which she grated from a wedge into a bowl then cracked four eggs mixing them in another bowl.

When it was all done Angelique and Abby took every thing into the dinning room of the house laid out the table for their meal. Angelique said the blessing over the meal as it was her turn.

Their meal when it was finished was cleared away and the dishes washed by both women. Angelique went into her bedroom there at her personal prayer space with her rosary, prayer, book and bible on the upper shelf. It was at a convenient height for her to take down while she kneeled on the padded rail attached. On the place where her rosary was there was a small statue of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa and vive of Erzulie Dantor associated with the Black Madonna. Angelique respected the Loa of the Voodoo and honored one of the mother figures of that faith as well as her own Catholic faith.

Making the sign of the cross, she took up her rosary Angelique began recite the rosary. After proceeding through the prescribed prayers for the first half of the rosary, Angelique put the rosary back in its place she then prayed for the strength to see her through this day. It was special as it was the one year anniversary of the death of her son Joseph Pier. The boy had been 10 when Yellow Fever had taken him. Angelique buried him near their home, in doing so she put a large part of her heart in that small grave that was a year ah ago this very day his birthday.

Joseph Pier had come to her as a gift from God. Angelique was taking out the empties from her bar operations to outback of the Black Madonna the name of her bar. In the alley Angelique was putting down a crate of empties when she first saw the basket placed between two stacks of empties in cases. A large wharf rat was beginning to investigate the basket and its contents. The contents moved and cried like a baby. The rat stopped briefly and went on to further investigate the contents.

Angelique grabbed the rat by the tail flinging it further down the alley. Upon examining the contents of the basket, she found a new born baby boy, so new in this world that the stub of his umbilical cord was newly cut and had not yet dried. Angelique took the basket back into her bar sending one of her employees for the police to report finding the child.

The police arrived and she told them how she came to have the child in her care. Rather than place the child in the hands of others, Angelique took the boy into her heart and her home. Till then she had not spent much time in light area up river of the City since her return to New Orleans, however she decided to raise the boy in the light her new home having recently been completed there. Rather than over the Black Madonna it was alright for her to live over the bar, but not her child.

Abby Washington had come into Angelique’s life shortly after finding Joseph Pier De Sanma as he was called at his baptism to help with the boy’s raising. Angelique alternated her time between the dark and the light. She sought to be a devoted mother and spent her life in the light and less in the dark except for the need to run her bar or to hunt.

Today was a day that Angelique would be staying in the light zone so there was house work and various tasks in her herb and flower gardens to perform. House work was next, so Angelique ended her prayers with the sign of the cross returning to her feet Angelique took down an apron from the back of her bedroom door. Putting it on she set about the task of making first her bed then hanging up her night shirt, Angelique went into her bathroom cleaning the sink and toilet and bidet. This was followed by the tub/shower. She then dusted her bedroom going on to dust and sweep the floor of the dining room. While she worked Angelique sang a popular Blues tune in New Orleans Saint James Infirmary Blues.

Angelique caught up with Abby who was dusting the parlor; Angelique set her self to sweeping the hardwood floor. Angelique swept the accumulated dirt out the front door. She then followed it on to the parch sweeping the dirt there out on to the ground.

“I’ll make us some ham sandwiches for our lunch.” Abby said as she stepped onto the porch.

“I’ll get the lemonade.” Angelique said as she and Abby went back into the house.

Lunch went quickly and Angelique went out into the garden to tend her plants she had changed into blue denim style overalls before going out again putting the apron back on its door hook in her bedroom. Then she donned ah broad brimmed straw hat shaded her face and she wore gloves to protect her hands from the sun. During the two hours she worked weeding, punning and harvesting both flowers and herbs, as she did so Angelique addressed the sprits of the plants thanking them for their sacrifice.

Angelique put the fresh flowers in vases partially filled them with water, arranging them around the house gathering the ones that were wilting throwing them on compost heap outside the kitchen door. As she did so, Angelique thanked the sprits of the flowers for their gifts of fragrance and beauty now faded. Finally she took a vase of rose buds Joseph Pier’s favorite flowers making her way up the hill behind the house to a iron railing fence surrounding the grave of her son.

Letting her self through the gate in the fence to place the vase on pedestal at the foot of the boy’s grave setting the old vase aside to take it in the house when she was done, she then kneeled down to speak to her son.

“Happy birth day my son, it’s a warm day, cloud cover indicates a storm is coming later in the day possibly by dinner time. Something is going on Joseph the Postman says trains are running more frequently to Pen state. I miss you, I miss you so very much my son.” Angelique said softly tears welling in her eyes that did not fall.

A shadow cast itself over Angelique and her son’s grave, the voice of Monsignor Michael Donovan spoke “He is with God now my child.”

“I know father and I wish I was with him, you wouldn’t be here unless there was something was up down river.”

“No, I wouldn’t, have heard about the increased rail traffic to Pen State.”

“Yes Mr. Riley our postman mentioned it.”

Rising to her feet she turned to meet the Catholic priest, Angelique noticed the white envelope in his right hand it was sealed with a wax seal.

“Orders from the Cardinal’s Board?” Angelique asked.

“Actually it is from Archbishop Finn directly, as his secretary he placed it in my hands to be given into yours and yours alone.”

“I see, I take it the matter is so urgent I cannot have all of my day off.”

“Sadly it is indeed that urgent.” The priest replied as he offered the letter to Angelique.

Taking it from the Monsignor she opened it and read the letter silently.

Looking up she replied, “I’ll have to pack and then go back to the Black Madonna to pick up my gear. Once I’m ready, I am to report to the Archbishop in person.”

“I have a steam launch at your landing.”

“That will save a little time.” Angelique replied some what sarcastically as she picked up the old vase with her left hand then exited the family grave yard just big enough to burry her son and herself when the time came.

Closing the gate behind her, she went down the hill to the house where she made the priest welcome in her parlor, and asked Abby to get him some lemonade from the ice box while she went to her bed room to pack.

Once in her bed room, Angelique cried as she felt the anguish of this day and the fact that she could not have it to her self. Drying her eyes she got out of her gardening cloths, she washed her face and hands in the sink in her bedroom. Once back in the bedroom she put the skirt back on she had worn earlier in the day. She changed out of her work boots into a pair of ordinary flat shoes and set the aside the work boots to come with her.

From the top of the Armoire she took down the large red cloth suitcase with wheels and a handle that she had found in the Post Holocaust Mid West traveling back to New Orleans. This she put on to her bed opening it for packing.

Opening the Armoire she took down a good cloth coat, matching skirt and jacket dark blue in color a white hooded caftan these were folded and placed in the suitcase as well as another skirt. The silk robe and sleep set went in as well. She also took down from the Armoire a black blouse, two white ones and one with a floral pattern. These also went into the suitcase. From her dresser, she took two sets of under ware including socks, a blue turtleneck silk blouse, a burgundy turtleneck silk blouse a pair blue jeans and her good corset.

The door to the Armoire was still open and she looked in its direction and thought about the red silk Chinese style dress it had black trim, it was embroidered gold dragons and phoenixes on it. She had it from her days in the Empire of New York when she had served as a courtesan while she attended Cornell University. The Church had sent her there for higher education that had been many years ago. She turned to the courtesan’s art to supplement her meager income from the church. The dress still fit her and showed off her figure nicely, she put it in the suitcase along with her jade jewelry and two belts from her dresser to go with it other jewelry went in the suitcase. The Cornell track suit, track shorts, and camisole would come with her as well.

Her toiletries were placed into a small zippered bag that was placed into the suitcase from the bathroom, along with her favorite scents from her dresser. Makeup was packed, the red wig and wig cap as well also on the dresser were packed she had used one like it to help disguise herself when she was a college student. Her work boots went into an outer pouch of the suitcase. She surveyed the suitcase, her bathroom and room. She was done here, so she closed it up and rolled it out of her room into the hall heading for the parlor in the front of the house.

“I’m ready father.” Angelique said as she put on a shoulder holster with the pistol and knife this came from the coat rack by the front door. A grey coat came off the coat rack, as did her purse that was also hung on the wrack she put it across her body in a manner so as to not obstruct her access to her weapons. Lastly and a large brimmed hat came from the same rack and onto her head from the table by the door, her keys and black leather gloves were the final items Angelique needed to be ready to indeed leave.
Raising from his chair the priest opened the front door for Angelique

“How long you be gone.”

“I don’t know Abby the Archbishop asked me to pack for a journey of indeterminate length, so I have. The Monsignor and I have to go into town then I am off to I do not know where.”

“You be careful Miss Angelique, come back safe.”

“I’ll try Abby, I’ll try.” Angelique replied as she left her house perhaps for the last time pulling the suitcase behind her.

The trip down the steps which lead to the landing consisted of a private dock with a bell which those calling of Angelique and Abby usually rung or sounded their steam whistles if they had them to announce their presence. There is also a flag station which served to alert the launch operators to stop to pick up Angelique or Abby. The boatman was known to Angelique as she used him regularly to come and go to her home up river in the light. Mr. Ryan a burley Irishman helped Angelique with getting her things into the boat. He then helped the priest into the boat as well.

He then stoked the small boiler with wood and then cast off his lines. Taking the tiller he opened the steam engines throttle he then set his launch into the flow of the river, heading south to New Orleans. The launch passed the farms which supplied the city with its food some of these were owned by Angelique and leased to her neighbors. Just short of the gate was the New Orleans Postal System Post Office which served the Up River area. Offices and stables were located there where mail was sorted sent into the city or to the farmland.

The launch reached the place where Up River met the City of Night as the light zone residents called New Orleans. It was not a gradual change from light to dark it was as if an electric light had been turned off. These lights had been amazement to Angelique when she traveled first to Pen State and from there to the Empire of New York where she went to college. She drove her roommate to distraction turning on and off the lights in there rooms for the first three days she was there. The oil lamp running lights on the launch had been lit and gave their light as the launch proceeded cautiously through the gate. With the light change Angelique and the priest removed their eye protection.

In terms of travel time it was a little over an hour for the boat to take her to the public docks near Jackson Square where a number of small steam launches and private boats docked let off passengers and light cargo. Heavy cargos where handled at larger docks and where houses along the river front of the city.

Angelique and the priest took an open carriage cab to the Black Madonna located at the corner of Dryades and Melpomene Streets, on the edge of the Vieux Carre or French Quarter of the city, one of the oldest neighborhoods in the City and Storyville the principal Red Light district of the city. The journey to Angelique’s bar and grill was longer than the boat trip as the streets of the French Quarter were crowded with revelers celebrating the perpetual Mardi gras which had gripped the city since the fall of darkness some 40 years ago as far as New Orleans was concerned. While living among the Indians, time had moved at a different pace so that it left Angelique 48 years old.

Paying the driver to wait for them Angelique did not go through the main doors into the revelries within her establishment instead she choose to take the alley entrance and go up the back stairs.

As she started to mount the stairs carrying her suitcase, a woman’s voice called out with trembling in its tone her from beneath the stairs saying, “Miss De Sanma”

“Who is it?” Angelique replied as she headed back down the stairs.

“Sukie Dupree”

In the dim light of the ally coming through the shaded windows of the rear of the building next door it was clear that Sukie had been badly assaulted.

“Your pimp did this to you didn’t he?” Angelique said with an edge of anger in voice.

She didn’t answer as Angelique gently turned Sukie’s head from side to side to better see the other woman’s face.

“Do you want out of the life, yes or no?”

“Yes.”

“Very well come with me.”

“There is no time for this.” the priest said

Facing the priest and her left index finger in the air between them Angelique said forcefully, “For this father, there is always time.”

Taking Sukie in her right hand and pulling her suitcase toward the rear ground floor entrance of her establishment with her left they reached the door. Into the ordered chaos which the kitchen of any eating establishment, Angelique swept with Sukie and her things, the sight of their employer brought everyone to a halt. The staff were used to Angelique bringing woman into her place by the front or rear door, the prep cook Phillip Radcliff swished as he went for soap water and towels the Sue Chief took time to get a chair from the dining area for Sukie to sit in.

Steve Palmer the on duty manager and Sid the bouncer came into the kitchen.

“Miss De Sanma what do we do for her? Steve asked

“To start with I’m going to clean her up, Steve I’ll want her to have a job as soon as she has rested and fed.”

“Yes mam.”

“Sid I want you and the other bouncers to look out for her and her pimp Bill Towers is not set foot in this place or have any contact with Sukie.”

“She’s covered like a rug.” The tall strongly built man replied reassuringly.

“Do we have room up stairs, if not she is to have my room I won’t need it for a while.”

“We do Marry moved out earlier she’s getting married in a few hours.”

“Please give her my regrets but I can’t be there I have other urgent business to attend to. Steve I would appreciate it if you could see too it that my wedding gift gets to her.”

“I’ll see to it Miss De Sanma.” Steve replied as he got the others back to their duties.

Phillip returned with the things needed to clean Sukie up Angelique went to work cleaning and tending Sukie’s wounds. When she was done, Angelique took Sukie up to the second floor using the interior stairs that led from the kitchen to a hallway that gave access to the upstairs rooms. Angelique led Sukie to her new room showing her where the bathroom was located. From a linen closet Angelique got a set of clean sheets and pillowcases making the bed for Sukie.

“Why do you help girls like me?”

“I have my reasons Sukie and that is all you or any one else needs to know.”

“Thank you Miss De Sanma, I’ll make you proud of me.”

“I know you will I’ll speak to one of the waitresses who lives here and have her go shopping with you for a new set of cloths what you have on now is torn and just won’t do for your new life. One of the bouncers will go with the two of you to make sure no one bothers you.”

“Again thank you.”

“Rest and care for yourself that is all the thanks I will ever need, I’ll send a note to MD Stone to examine you in the next few days, to make sure you don’t have any other damage that isn’t visible at the moment.” Angelique replied then left Sukie in her room.

Angelique then turned to her reason for coming here, returning to her rooms Angelique went to Armoire from inside she took out the plastic rifle case that had been imported to New Orleans into it she put her auto loader pistol hunting knife, stake holders another shoulder holster rig and sharpened stakes. Her shotgun, sword whip and the other items that might be needed went in as well. Sealing it she took ammunition for her weapons placing them in a carpet bag. From the Armoire came out a black leather duster, pants, vest and steel armor these also went into another carpet bag. As did the things she used to go swimming at the YWCA.

Most of what she was packing were the tools of Angelique’s other business, as a member of the Dextera Deus. The so called Right Hand of God, (Dextera Deus), was a clandestine force that served to aid the Inquisition of the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans. Small in number these part detectives and warriors defended the people of the New Orleans from the supernatural creatures that prowled streets of the city.

The organization had been formed shortly after the fall of darkness on the city. At most there some 31 members of the Dextera Deus each of these have a priest of Monsignor Rank that serves as their handlers. The Hand members do not know each other except by the esoteric signature which each of them can sense almost all of them are women. Men are encouraged to become priests and Exorcists.

The handlers report to the Cardinal’s Board which overseas the operations of the Dextera Deus. Its purpose is to investigate and keep an eye on the various esoteric groups existing in the city when they do harm to the people by their ceremonies or summoning and conjuring up entities which prey on the people of the city. The Hand members seek them out bringing the offenders before the Inquisition to be dealt with and destroying their creations.

The truth be told Angelique would rather simply run the Black Madonna, which has become known for its good food, drink, honest games of chance and live music. She was considering retiring form the Hand.

However when she becomes aware of a situation that needs her attention she will deal with it, this usually happens when her handler Father Michael gives her written orders form the Cardinal’s Board. She will set out to carry out the orders she has been given, sometimes she would become aware through other means. Hand members usually work closely with priests trained as Exorcists to combat the monsters. Angelique knows more Exorcists in the city than Hand members although some of the Hand frequented the Black Madonna as a meeting place.

When on the hunt Angelique has three hard and fast personnel rules:

1. Never Compromise with evil.

2. Never leave a human alive or dead in the hands of the monsters.

3. Leave the monsters alone unless they impinge on the lives of the humans, when they do put them down utterly and ruthlessly.

These rules had earned her the unofficial title of Black Knight as on the hunt she dressed in black leather to better hide in the shadows and she is always heavily armed when thus dressed.

Angelique when she was assured that her equipment was packed, she sat at her desk writing the promised letter to Doctor Stone. Taking the note and her other things Angelique was about to leave her rooms, she stopped looking at the back of her bedroom door at the Xenia Warrior Princess leather jacket she took off her grey coat and put the leather one on. Hanging the grey one in its place she finally left and locked her rooms.

This jacket had come to her in a second hand shop while at Cornell. It had only been in the last 6 years she could afford to take her things out of storage in the Empire of New York and have them shipped to her in New Orleans other wise the jacket and the red silk dress would have been lost to her when she went with the Empire colonists to the Post Holocaust Mid West.

Down the same set of stairs into the kitchen Angelique put the two carpet bags into the larger suitcase. Leaving the rifle case, with the other bag, out of the way Angelique went into the main room of the Black Madonna looking about. She found the object of her search, Tommy Jackson a news boy for The Picayune he was having his meal after selling his allotment of papers.

“Good evening Tommy.” Angelique said as she approached his table.

At that moment Jelly Role Morton and his band began to play one of his compositions.

Looking up from his plate of Gumbo Tommy replied and stood saying, “Evenin Miss De Sanma. How can hep you?”

“When you are done with your dinner, I have a note I need taken to Doctor Stone, I have a dollar for you to take it for me, and I’ll leave the money with Steve. I’d go myself but I can’t spare the time. I have another appointment and I am already very late.” Angelique replied placing the folded paper on the table.

“Yes mam.” He replied as he sat down and began to shovel the gumbo in a rapid pace.

“Please child don’t bolt your food on my account.”

He said nothing but nodded his head and slowed down. Angelique returned to the bar area where Steve was tending bar at the left hand side of the bar was a statue of the Black Madonna and a viva of Erzulie Dantor the Voodoo Lwa
of mothers and lesbians. Angelique said a quick prayer for them to guide and guard her on her way. She then made arrangements with Steve to give the news boy his money when he returned. She also stopped to talk with one of the waitresses Mary O’ Riley to take Sukie shopping with one of the bouncers in tow. Steve and the other managers knew the drill to compensate from petty cash the personnel who spent money to help out a new employee hired with little or no resources of their own. Angelique would in most circumstances accompany such a shopping parties spend her own money but this time, she could not.

With that Angelique retrieved her things along with the priest they got back in the waiting carriage and made their way to the Archbishop’s residence. Once again Angelique had the cab wait for her; she would head back to the train station to board a train.

Monsignor Donavan led the way to the Archbishop’s private study Angelique retained custody of her things rather than leave them in the carriage. When she and Monsignor Donavan entered after the priest knocked announcing their presence. Angelique left her things just inside the door.

The study was lighted by a number of oil lamps, the Louis the XIV desk was piled high with documents in the middle of this, seated at the desk was Archbishop Finn. It had been his predecessor who had been Archbishop at the time of Nightfall. He soon realized that with its coming the forces of darkness would need a counter force.

He began to gather the persons who would become part of the Dextera Deus. Individuals among the faithful who were sensitive to mystic forces were to be found and encouraged to develop their gifts. Angelique had been one such individual as a young teen aged girl she began to be aware of these same forces. Her parents did not know what do with her she was not mentally defective or insane. They turned to the church for help the then Archbishop saw in the youngster a potential warrior for Christ.

With this in mind the then Archbishop of New Orleans made arrangements for Angelique to attend the finest Catholic schools in the city she was not only encouraged to excel at her scholarship which she did, but was schooled in her faith and practice. These allowed Angelique’s mystic gifts to be developed further. When she graduated with the equivalent of a High School education at 16 there were no Catholic institutions of higher learning in New Orleans at the time. That could finish her preparations her for the battle against the forces of darkness which were now fully active in the city.

The closest was at Cornell in the Empire of New York she was sent there at some expense to the Archdiocese. They had paid for her books, tuition, and partially paid for her room and board. Her parents while who were middle class
could not afford to keep their daughter supplied so far away from New Orleans the transportation costs being too high.

The Catholic Church has one of the finest intelligence services in the world; word eventually reached the Archbishop’s Office of how Angelique had ensured a roof over her head, cloths on her back and food in her belly. As a result of her education she became a well known as a first class courtesan, using the name Salina Blanko, as well as honing her skills as a hunter of the things in the night.

Officially neither Archbishop Finn nor his predecessor could approve of her choices the Church however needed warriors. So they overlooked her endiscressions making use of her skills as an investigator and protector. There were rumors of course that she occasionally even now Angelique took a lover not necessarily always a man, but that was between God and her confessor.

Looking up Archbishop Finn put down his pen standing he said, “Thank you Monsignor for bringing Miss De Sanma, please leave us, however Monsignor I want you to escort her to the train station.” The archbishop said smiling in thick Irish accent.

“Of course your eminence.” Monsignor Donavan replied and with drew from the study.

“How are you my dear? I see you’re ready to travel.”

“Well enough your eminence. I am curious why you summoned me personally.”
Angelique replied as she approached the Archbishop shaking his hand as it was offered.

“Please be seated there is much for us to be talk about.”

Angelique sat across from the Archbishop.

“Can I be offer you some cherry my dear?”

“I won’t turn it down.”

“Very well.” Archbishop replied as he poured some of the liquid from its crystal decanter into two glasses.

“Are you aware of the increased train traffic to Pen State?” the archbishop said as he handed a glass to Angelique

“The Mr. Riley our Postman mentioned it.” replied accepting the glass.

“Good it seems the gate is opened on a more or less perminant basis.” The archbishop replies as he raised his glass

“I’m sure it will be good for commerce in the city and perhaps progress. I’d love to see the tech level of the city raised to something like what I experienced at Cornell” Angelique said raising her own glass

“That’s true, was it much of shock for you?” he said after taking a sip.

“At first, but I adapted I’ve tried to encourage the development of some of it such as electricity and telephones, but that has not happened as quickly I would have liked.” Angelique replied after taking a sip of her sherry.

“Perhapse it will now.”

“I hoe so.”

“You’ve been asked for my dear.”

“By who?”

“By people who want to investigate all of this, word has come from Pen State that meeting is to be held there. The event which shattered the universe into its part will be shut off finally. I’ll want you to be go to represent the Church and the City to find out more about what has happened. Reporting back to me as soon you can.”

“Do I go alone or with an Exorcist?”

“For now you’ll be traveling alone.”

“Will I be traveling as a diplomat?”

“I’ve not had time to arrange that, but I’ll be doin my best along those lines.”

“Then the contents of my baggage could well prove problematic.”

“You were asked for, they know what you are. They know what you’ll be bringing.”

“I see.”

“There will be delegations from some of the places you have been to. I need information.”

“Any restrictions on methods and sources?”

“I can’t order you to do any thing sinful or illegal now can I?”

“No you can’t.”

“Be descrete and don’t get caught.”

“I’ll do my best to not embarrass every one.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“Very well I’d best be going.” Angelique said as she rose from her chair.

“God go with you my child. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.” The Archbishop replied and made the gesture of blessing over Angelique.

With that Angelique retrieved her things meeting with Monsignor Donavon down stairs, they both headed to the train station.

Once there Angelique found she had a ticket prepaid for her to travel at least as far as Pen State where this new adventure beyond her native New Orleans Angelique could not even begin to speculate on. She noticed Marie St Croix one of the senior Voodoo practitioners in the city was also apparently boarding the train.

Angelique wondered if any of the member of the other delegations would be people she had met in her travels, it would be good to see old friends. Such as Christiana De Luca the young college student from Cornell who had come to New Orleans spending a year there was studying at Tulane to further her degree in Anthropology.

Angelique hoped Christiana had learned a little more common sense she had almost gotten killed on the mean streets of New Orleans by one of the monsters.
Christiana had slipped her bodyguard leash as it were someone who was as a warrior worthy of being a member of the Hand. Angelique had been hunting on another matter when she came upon the young woman saving her life. Loosing a member of the Imperial family of New York would have been a serious situation for New Orleans.

Running into one of her old clients such as Edward Sykes now General Sykes of head of the ENY Air Force they had dated at Cornell as well. If the article in the Times - Picayune had been correct he was Christiania’s new husband that could be as problematic as her baggage, especially since Christiania was Strega an Italian witch. The same article reported the death of Louis Margaret Sykes 8 months before under mysterious circumstances. Louis was someone Angelique had known at Cornell it saddened Angelique to learn that her acquaintance was dead.

Angelique had not only been a courtesan while in ENY but a Hire Girl on the trading caravan that had brought her back to New Orleans. This meeting could be interesting in the Chinese sense of the word. Not quite Oh God! Oh God! We’re all going to die. However, things could get rather difficult.

The train whistle sounded, Angelique said a prayer for the souls of the mail clerks and trainmen who had vanished when a mail train leaving New Orleans had been caught in a closing gate going to who knows where some four years ago. She then said prayers to the Black Madonna and Erzulie Dantor for herself and those she left behind.

The train lurched forward slowly gathering speed. The train raced forward into the gate. Taking Angelique away from the city of her birth as it had done some 32 years ago. The memories flooded back and she wished they had stayed buried in her past. Tears came to her eyes she wiped them with a blue handkerchief.

Then she had been 16 traveling with Father d’ Anjou who had been training Angelique to develop her mystic gifts he was the Exorcist she worked with. He like the others who had accompanied her into the Post Holocaust Mid West were dead. The ENY had its own reasons to establish a colony there. Presumably looking for salvage from abandoned military bases such as Whiteman Air Force Base.
Calamity both human and natural served to kill off the colonists including father d’ Anjou leaving Angelique alone wandering the wilderness. Without food, water or medicine Angelique was weak and herself near death when a hunting party of Indians who brought her back to their village.

There Angelique hovered between life and death for some time. She was nursed back to health by the group’s medicine woman. Once strong enough to care for herself Angelique choose to stay with them, as a she felt her mission had failed and that God has spared her for some other purpose. She continued in her faith and prayers having saved a bible and a prayer book belonging to father d’ Anjou.

While living among them, she observed their ways and trying to teach them about God and the Church. They readily took to the teachings of the Bible and Church, but they still practiced their pagan rites, for their part the members of her village gave her the name Praying Woman. She noted these in her diary and noted that the people lived a fairly successful and happy existence on the land even though they blended the church and pagan practices much like Voodoo in her native New Orleans.

She began to ask questions and learn about their beliefs, and taking note to look for magical or technological foolery. When she could find none, and the Indians showed her the similarity between their great deity and God, she began learning
everything she could. She spent the next several years living in relatively
primitive conditions, as a lay missionary and exorcist amongst the Natives doing what ever work for support or defense of the village was needed.

A trading caravan came through the village heading for New Orleans it took Angelique three years with the caravan working as a Hire Girl on the caravan making a good living doing so. Ultimately returning to her birthplace to find her parents’ dead of Yellow Fever. She had inherited her family home and her father’s business interests. These she left to be run by the trust division of the Bank of New Orleans. The house she sold as it was no longer her home and set up the Black Madonna. Having lived in a land of light Angelique set about to buy land and build a house Up River many of the furnishings of her parent’s house went into the Up River home.

Angelique reflected on her life and its ups and downs, God was clearly not done with her yet. She’d be with her son if he were so with the same sense of wonder that had been with her at16 tempered by 32 additional years of living Angelique headed into the unknown.

The End?

I must say it was good to see old acquaintences from my college days at Cornell I have fond memories of those days. The challenges of my courses and other matters. I met people from other threaeds and this was good meet new people. From what I learned our various worlds were in danger and I am determined to do what I can aid in trying to saving as much of what remains of our worlds.

Events were dramatic and opened my eyes to my need be a part of this. Archbishop Finn personally asked me to go and see what was going on. To gather as much information as I could when it was over I reported my experiences to the Archbishop my life went on from there until I was needed in Lincoln County New Mexico

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