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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Silver Moon" data-source="post: 4120293" data-attributes="member: 8530">Chapter Two-hundred-eighty, “Philadelphia Bound”, Thursday, June 22nd ,  12:45 A.M.They arrive at the train station where a check with the night clerk shows that a train to Philadelphia will arrive at 2:15 with a 2:30 departure time and arrival in the city at approximately 6:00 A.M. The cost is 75-cents for a regular seat or $ 2.00 for a bed in the Pullman car.   A Western Union telegraph operator is also on duty and will send telegrams for the cost of $ .50 to $ 1.00 depending upon the message length.After they spoke to the clerk Kate said, "Let's get the Pullman car; we all need rest. I have enough money. I'm going to send a telegram as well. Two or three, probably."   Kate got paper from the operator and began to compose her messages.Ruby also got paper from the telegraph operator. It was getting increasingly difficult to keep her eyes open and think so she tried to keep it simple. In the middle of her writing she had to stop and ask Kate twice where they were heading. Finally she hands her telegraph back to the operator. "This is urgent, please make sure Mr. George Eastman in Rochester receives it immediately." Ruby‘s message says:Kate quickly penned a message to Ginnie, instructing her to share it with the teachers and letting them know she would be away at least one more day.  Next she wrote to Conrad, saying:Lastly she wrote to Kevin Tomlinson:The tickets are purchased and the telegrams are all sent.   The group finds some benches to sit on while they wait.   At 1:45 A.M. the telegraph operator seeks out Ruby with a telegram for her.  It reads:Ruby smiles tiredly. "George will meet us in Philadelphia. He's wired ahead and gotten us some rooms. He's so thoughtful like that." She hands the telegraph to Kate. "In case I forget where I put it," she says, before laying her head on Kate's shoulder. Nanuet seemed to be keeping a close eye on Nana, the rest of her friends were alright and George was on his way. All was as right as it was going to be and she could keep her eyes open no longer. Feeling more exhausted than she ever had, she drifts off to a light sleep.Kate's arm was behind Ruby's back, and she wished she could sleep too. But it wouldn't be much longer before the train arrived and she could sleep just a little bit. She kept herself awake by talking about his magazine with Mr. Howells, asking if there was any way she'd be able to get it in Arizona, and asking what had been in it recently to pass the time.Nanuet awakens the group shortly after the train pulls into the station. The conductor helps direct the six to a half-dozen adjacent beds in the Pullman car, the still-invisible Maska accompanying Nanuet. Despite the movement of the train and the almost coffin-like sleeping compartments none have any difficulty drifting off to sleep, nor do any awaken during the train stops in Stroudsburg, Allentown and Norristown. The conductor awakens them upon the train arrival in Philadelphia.Kate woke sandy-eyed and cranky, but did her best to put on a pleasant face for the others. No one had any luggage, so it was only a matter of getting everyone awake and moving. She turned to her teacher and Ruby. "You two need to see the Arch-Bishop. Do you want to go to the hotel first, or to the church. It's early, I'm not sure when the church starts seeing supplicants."  Ruby, barely awake mutters to her companions, "Can we go to the hotel please? I'm so tired... I can't go on, I need sleep.""That answers that," Kate said. She turned to Mr. Howells and Mrs. Carpenter. "What more can we do for you? I'm sure we could get more rooms at the hotel if they're needed. Mrs. Carpenter, I know this is home for you, is someone coming to fetch you?"  She states, "I sent a telegram to Julien. He should be around here somewhere." Howells says, "I need to go find out what become of my luggage from the other train. They must have it in storage.""You two might want to visit a priest." Ruby wobbles a bit, taking Kate by the hand to steady herself. She would let Kate lead her now, and Nana was in good hands with Nanuet. She looks at their two traveling companions who are looking at her funny, she wasn't sure if it was her comment or her unsteady nature. "I'm just saying."   Kate says, "Good, I don't want to leave you by yourself when you're still unwell. Mr. Howells, I'm sure it will take us a few minutes to arrange for you cab. We can wait while you inquire about your things." She turned back to the lady and said, "If you won't come with us, I hope you'll see your own priest soon. They may be able to help with the fatigue if you can't shake it off."  Gonzales tells Carpenter and Howells "My friend is right, that hypnotist used some arcane wizards magics on several of us which only the Arch-Bishop can cure. Check on your husband and luggage respectively but then meet us out front, we'll hire a cab to take us to the cathedral.""Please," Kate said sincerely. She looked at Ruby, so desperate for sleep. But she knew from experience that seeing the Arch-Bishop would take her a long way toward feeling better. "I've met the Arch-Bishop before, he's very kind and I'm sure he'll help. We'll be waiting for you." She nodded at both and made sure she was satisfied they would come, then helped Ruby walk toward the front of the station.   Ruby asks, "A-are we going right there?"Kate says, "We should. I seem to remember time being important in this. I've been through it myself, Ruby. Remember how quickly we needed to get Nanuet help? You will feel so much better after you see him; after that your sleep will actually help you feel rested."   "I know," she whines, "I just feel tired now. I don't know how far I can make it. If we have to go now, let's go before I pass out." Ruby tries to pull Kate towards the cabs.They have a pair of cabs. Mrs. Carpenter comes out alongside a young handsome man who is helping to support her. Howells comes out with a porter helping him to carry his bag. They get into the second of the two cabs with Gonzales while Ruby, Kate, Nanuet and Maska get in the first one.  They ride for around a half-hour through the city, bustling with activity despite the early hour, soon arriving at the Cathedral. They enter and are approached by one of the junior priests.Kate moved a bit ahead of the others and waited respectfully, letting the gold bangle given to her in Greece at the high temple catch the light. She curtsied carefully, then rose. "Good morning, my name is Mrs. Kale. I met the Arch-Bishop in Arizona. We find ourselves in need of help and humbly ask to be allowed to see him."  Several more back-and-forth exchanges follow, assisted in part by Gonzales speaking to the man in Greek. They only need to speak to one more priest intermediary until they are ushered into the private meeting chambers of the Arch-Bishop. He soon arrives.  Kate was grateful they didn't have to pass through as many layers of bureaucracy as they did in Greece.   She curtsied more deeply than earlier. "Your Eminence. What a pleasure to see you again, and well-recovered."  He replies, "Indeed Mrs. Kale, there were no lasting effects from the misadventures in Arizona. I trust that all is well in Promise City?"Kate replies, "They are now, although the last month has some hair-raising moments. But the election is over and we now have our town government, despite the efforts of some to derail it. We had some continued problems with the Cowboy Gang as well, but what brings us happened here in the East. Bishop Costas performed some healing on me a week or so ago, has he happened to communicate with you about that? The reasons for it?"  The Arch-Bishop replies, "No, I have not heard from him directly. I do understand that his chief aide has now been reassigned to Athens, on the Patriarch's staff."  "Yes, on very high authority," Kate said with a smile. "Diana doesn't fool around."   She sighed and grew more serious. "We've had a long night. I can tell you a longer version of this story later, but we spent the night chasing down someone who had kidnapped Miss West, and then her Grandmother. Five vampires were destroyed last night, but not without cost to us. Four of us were either drained of blood or life energy. We seek healing."The priest is startled to hear of the undead but says that he has had some experience with them. He is capable to healing one person now, but will then have to rest until noon to heal another. He could heal the third person that evening and the forth the following morning.   Kate says, "We appreciate whatever you can do. Thank you so much." After a bit of discussion they decided to have Mr. Gonzales go first, then go to the hotel and return later with Ruby. Mrs. Carpenter agrees to wait until the next morning, as she has already arrived home and can rest there until the next day. It took about a half-hour for the priests to gather the supplies for the spell in a side chamber. Mr. Gonzales laid down, and Kate watched as the Arch-Bishop performed the now familiar spell. When Costas had performed it on her, Diana's power had left a protective putty in her wound. That was not here, so the jar was filled with some ingredients that swirled and coalesced as the Arch-Bishop prayed and chanted. When it was ready he rubbed it on the red marks on Mr. Gonzales' wrist. It disappeared into his skin and suddenly Gonzales began to breathe easier. Kate smiled and went to the old man. "I'm exhausted, but that's much better," he said.  The Arch-Bishop was exhausted as well, so they left quietly, agreeing to return later. The junior priests let them out and got them a cab, and they headed to the hotel.   They arrive at the hotel, all tired and ready for sleep. George had reserved each of them a room at the fancy hotel but Ruby wasn't taking in any details of the new lodgings like she normally would. Sleep was the only thing on her mind. Key in hand Ruby turns to the others and asks, "Is everyone going to rest now?"   kate says, "I think I'll stay up until after you're healed later. I don't want to just be getting to sleep when I have to get back up again. What I need most is to eat. I'll come wake you when we need to go if Mr. Eastman hasn't already."    Ruby nods. "Thank you Kate. I'd accompany you but I'm... I can't stay awake any longer. I'm hoping I can make it up to the room. You go eat, you need it."Kate says, "I'll walk you up, honey. Ten minutes isn't going to make a difference." She slipped her arm around Ruby's waist and started walking her toward the stairs with the others behind.   Ruby let Kate help her, she didn't have the energy at the moment to be brave.   "You know, I haven't even taken time to consider that Turner is gone, for good. It seems... not real. I don't even remember seeing him. I wish we would have stayed and searched around a little. I just... I don't know."Kate says, "I did search the place, although not as thoroughly as I would have liked. Would you really have wanted to see what he was carrying around with him? I don't think he had much there anyway, I'm not certain it was his original plan to take you there.  It will settle in. After the Arch-Bishop heals you you're going to feel a great deal better. Just imagine, you'll be able to start your life with George with no fear of Turner every coming back again."They climb the stairs slowly as Ruby listens to Kate's words.   Ruby says, "I didn't really want to see what he was carrying, I guess I just... not that I don't trust you guys, I do, but... we thought he was dead once before too. It's hard for me to believe he's really gone. I thought I would feel... different."Kate says, "You thought he hand some kind of permanent hold on your soul? Because he'd invaded your mind before? Thank the gods he wasn't as strong as that.  When there were so many of the creatures in Promise City, Diana actually came to the church and gave six arrows that would completely destroy a vampire. Nanuet used the last of them to destroy Turner. He really is gone. It would be easier to believe if he'd left a body to see, but there was only the pile of dust sitting next to you to prove he'd ever been there.""I don't know what I thought. I mean, I couldn't stop thinking about him, I thought I saw him every where, I dreamed about him all the time..." Ruby shakes her head. She continues in an unconvincing tone, "I'm just glad he's gone."   She is silent as they walk down the hallway. "Kate, do you ever wonder why we have been visited by the gods so much? They seem to help us everywhere we go and without their help we'd be..." She shrugs, "Not as well off as we are."Kate replies, "My understanding is the struggle between the nature spirits drew their attention. And Cochise County has a strong magical connection. But I'm not sure that all explains it for me. Why us in particular? Although when Diana was in the church, I understand she had gifts and tasks for others as well.  I suppose since we have more interesting lives, they get noticed more. Although Diana noticed Mrs. Eaton too, and she's lived quietly in Promise City. I don't know Ruby. Maybe we should ask the Arch-Bishop about it."Ruby says, "Do you really think he might know? It just seems so unlikely that they would choose us... The Arch- Bishop might think we're crazy too."   Kate says, "I imagine anyone the gods choose to favor thinks they're unlikely.  He might not know specifically, but he might have some insight. It never hurts to ask."   "You're right, it doesn't hurt." Ruby yawns before unlocking her door and pushing it open. "Enjoy your breakfast sweetie." She hugs Kate. "Thanks again."She kissed Ruby's cheek. "Get as much rest as you can. Try not to worry at things. I'll see you in a bit."   She waited until Ruby had gone inside before going back down the stairs. Once Ruby was inside the room she heads straight for the bed. She wanted to remove her clothing but after getting her shirt and skirt off she was too tired to remove the rest. She falls face first onto the bed and immediately falls to sleep.Mr. Howells had also rented himself a room, but Kate wasn't certain where he'd gone. She didn't want to go to her room and be tempted by the bed into sleep, so she went back downstairs to the restaurant and ordered breakfast.    Gonzales joins Kate for breakfast, being certain to order cups of hot water in which to place Dorita's tea so that they will get twice the amount of sleep as they would otherwise.   "Thank you, professeur aime," Kate said quietly. "You know, I think I‘m more emotionally exhausted than physically. I don't have time to sleep before we get Ruby healed, do I?"  He replies, "Sure you do, especially with Dorita's tea. There's a good three-and-a-half hours until we have to get up, which will become almost seven."   "Not the trip we were expecting, is it?" she sighed. "After we get home, I hope things are dull, just terribly boring for at least a month, just so I can rest. And Ruby will be upset that we are leaving so soon."   The breakfast and came and both Kate and her teacher attacked it with a will. "Will the sleep I get now be enough with what we got earlier for me to study effectively?" she asked after they had managed to start sating their appetites.   He replies, "It should be sufficient. I'll leave word to the bellhop to wake us up at 10:30, to give us both time to restudy our spells."   Kate replies, "Good. I'll be more comfortable then. Will we go home tonight then?"   He replies, "This afternoon actually, once we know that Ruby is safe and herself again. We'll have to see if she or Nanuet with to return with us, although when you factor in Maska's weight too the five of us would be more than I could bring in one trip."  Kate says, "I think Ruby will want to stay here a little longer. She just got engaged, and I'm not sure she'll be ready to see Jake yet. It's probably better for her if she does stay.   Nanuet may be ready to come home. He was vampire hunting, after all, and that seems to be all done now.   I want to know what the town council decided about a public school."   The two finish breakfast and then head upstairs to their respective rooms.</blockquote>

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