Professor Angus Trilby

It suddenly struck Trilby that the man was quite serious. Had something about the business arrangement gone sour? Had the woman attempted to cheat the Devareauxs? Had the stupid woman put in jepardy his own relationship with the clan? If so, he'd find the hussy and deal with her himself. Sebastian's question didn't have the tone of an inquisition, but Trilby tread carefully. "Well, I can nae say that I ken her especially well. She broke into mae house during that ruckus with Killingsworth. We got tae talking, and one thing led tae another. If I'm honest with maeself, I'd say that I like her, despite her unnatural manner of making a living. When she told me the nature of the cargo she was needing tae sell, I thought of you and your family. Did something go amiss?"

"Fille? Fille? I don't know any...oh, you mean that red-headed she-devil." Trilby eyed the man with sudden delighted interest. "And just what would yea be needing tae know about her, that yea could nae ask her yourself?"

Trilby lauged. 'Ah, and aren't yea the rare one? Practically ready tae spew on mae clean floor, yet still playing the innocent. And why would I be needing supplies ordered or delivered in the murder hours of the morning, eh?" Then he paused. "Although, if yea happen tae have a bit of powdered orris root on yea, that'd be a handy thing." He moved to a nearby shelf where a glass vial sat filled with an amber liquid. When Souris returned with a large mug of coffee, Trilby emptied the vial into the steaming liquid and then handed the cup to Sebastian. "Here, this should ease the cannons going off in your head." Trilby watched as Sebastian eyed the drink with suspicion. "It's nae poison. Not only will it ease the grenados in your head, but it will also ease the pain in that bruised jaw of yours. Must hae been an interesting night, Sebastian, even for a Devereaux."

Trilby stood in the center of his rooftop patio keeping a watchful eye on the two laborers fixing his roof. One was a fat, stocky man who Trilby feared would fall through the roof rather than fix it. "Mind where yea step, yea clumbsy idiot," he shouted, as the man dropped a tile, which slid to the edge of the roof, slipped over and crashed into the patio, narrowly missing the mounted dog skeleton. "Drop another, yea bleeding, flea-infested son of a cane-rat, and I'll skin yea alive." Trilby railed. Souris popped his head through the door which led into the house. "Dat man below, he be awake now." Trilby pulled his attention away from the roof. "Is he, by God? Well, we'd best go see to him then. He followed the houseboy down the stairs and into the spare room where he'd pushed, pulled, and finally shoved a drunken Sebastian into bed in the early hours of the morning. "Sae, it's alive, is it?" He cocked a bushy red brow. "Though I must say, yea look like something the gulls been picking at. While Souris brews yea up some stong coffee, why don't yea tell me just why in blazes yea came pounding on my door at the crack a' dawn, sae reeling drunk yea could nea stand?"

Aye, I'm well aquainted with the Devereaux clan, as I favor their bookstore. And, I regret tae admit, I hae spent time in the company of a red-headed she-devil pirate. I'm hoping the storm washed her and her villianous crew tae another port, but I fear I've nae seen the last of her. But I nae think you and I hae had the pleasure of meeting. I believe yea still be recovering from a bit of injury, sae that may accound for it.

Professor Trilby lay abed, scowling at the hole in the roof above his head. Tomorrow some stout-hearted lads were coming to replace the tiles blown off during the storm, but until then, he could see a few stars through the head-sized gap. It also let in an army of flying insects which were attracted to the oil lamp burning on a side table. The bugs also seemed determined to take up evening residence in his beard. He was also extreamly annoyed with the constant, high-pitched whine of mosquitos. "Bloody evil nits," he muttered, waving a hand in front of his face. Cleopatra, who lay near his feet, glanced up, yawned, then went back to sleep. Trilby turned the page of a rare book on herbology, swatted another bug crawling on his forehead, and glared down at the cat. "Tae bad you're only good at catching mice. Mayhap yea should develope a taste for beetle and rid me of half this plague." Cleopatra cocked an ear, but kept her eyes closed.

I was born in Scotland fifty-eight years ago, nae that it's any of your business. The study of nature, chemicals, and humans are mae interests, and mae interest is sae great, that I was asked nae so politely tae leave mae post as professor at Oxford University, mainly due tae a slight miscalculation involving volatile elements. I don't know why they made such a fuss, as no one was killed. Sae, I came tae Jamiaca where I could further mae studies without having some stuffy old Don hanging over mae shoulder like a bloody vulture, making sure I didn't ruffle anyone's feathers. I live in a sturdy — and private — town house, with a queenly ginger cat named Cleopatra, and a young Jamaican servant boy named Souris. If yea come calling, nae mind the smell of sulpher.