Cogs Of Fate

The Oath

1854

"What is that smell?" Rufus complained as the team walked down the cobblestone streets of Westminster.

Lucy's eyes scanned the buildings that lined the uneven street. They were the same old brownstone buildings that towered over them, some with shutters that were barely hanging onto the windows. Clotheslines extended from one high window on one side to the other, crossing over the street, old clothes pinned to them. Lucy felt that not much had changed from 1854 and when they came in 1888.

"That smell is most likely the sewers," Lucy explained. "Cholera was a major plague for much of London during this time. It killed well over 10,000 people."

"How worried should I be about catching this?" Rufus asked nose crinkled still from the smell.

"Don't drink the water," Flynn mentioned.

Lucy said, "Given the time, this is probably the beginning of the outbreak. There were reports of it hitting the Soho district on August 31st. It killed 127 people within the first three days of September."

"And we're here on the 1st," Rufus muttered. "Lovely."

"So, what would Rittenhouse gain from this?" Wyatt questioned. "Wouldn't a worldwide plague be catastrophic for everyone?"

Lucy cocked her head slightly. "It's hard to say."

Wyatt grabbed her arm, stopping her. "Let's think about this for a moment. Who would be the biggest targets for Rittenhouse?"

Lucy's lips twitched as she thought it over. "Well, Queen Victoria is the reigning monarch right now..."

"Is Rittenhouse stupid enough to take out the Queen?" Rufus asked, covering his nose with his elbow.

Lucy sighed as she glanced about the square. People were already coughing and sickly. She watched as people were carrying buckets over to the water pump in the middle of the square.

"We better keep moving," Flynn suggested. "Maybe someone will catch our eye."

As they continued to walk by, Lucy watched as the line for the pump grew. She could tell that the outbreak had already started its vengeance on these people.

The team walked into the next neighborhood. The air was cleaner and less offensive to their noses. Rufus inhaled deeply. "I had almost forgotten how nice clean air is!"

The atmosphere where they were standing was cleaner. Even the streets were cleaner compared to the district they had just come from. The residents were healthier than those they'd seen. They walked briskly toward the church up the road.

"Where's everyone going?" Rufus asked. "It's not Sunday, is it?"

"Only one way to find out," Wyatt said, motioning with his hand for them to follow. "Come on."

As the team approached the church, they saw signs plastered on the doors and fences. Lucy pointed to one, reading it. "Looks like they're meeting to discuss the reasons for why people are getting sick."

"Shall we?" Flynn asked, extending his hand out so they could walk before him.

Rufus blinked at him. "I'm not sure that's a good idea," he remarked. "What if Rittenhouse is in there?"

"That's a good reason to be in there, don't you think?" Flynn retorted. "If they are in there, it would help us understand the reasons why."

Rufus groaned. "I hate my job."