Goodbye Juliana

I have just had the best night's sleep since Jed and I retrieved Juliana and that cursed Amulet. I did not require the soporific tea, I collapsed into bed and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep untroubled by those terrors. I feel sure now that Juliana must truly be at rest.

Yesterday the citizens of New Babbage and I gathered in the church in the Canals to say our final farewells.



I read two short poems. I took care not to assume her faith, my own lack of such made this easier.
The first was by Samuel Butler, a man who stands between both religion and science a position that I now find myself taking, though it is ever uncomfortable. Though with every event, every curse and terror vistied upon us I become more sure that be there a god, or many gods that look upon this earth, I have no respect for them. I would not work nor love a man who would treat others as these so called gods do. Why then should I lower my standards for an immortal?

This is Mr. Butlers Poem

I fall asleep in the full and certain hope
That my slumber shall not be broken;
And that though I be all-forgetting,
Yet shall I not be all-forgotten,
But continue that life in the thoughts and deeds
Of those I loved.


The second poem was by dear John Keats. A posthumously published poem

On Death

Can death be sleep, when life is but a dream,

And scenes of bliss pass as a phantom by?

The transient pleasures as a vision seem,

And yet we think the greatest pain's to die.



How strange it is that man on earth should roam,

And lead a life of woe, but not forsake

His rugged path; nor dare he view alone

His future doom which is but to awake.









After the funeral we retired to Ruby's where we drank to Juliana's memory.

I truly feel that the weight of Juliana's ordeal has been lifted from my shoulders. We have finally put things to right.

The night was however tainted. Ill omens from the involvement of the Van Creeds with Sanus and Moriarty. Now is not the time to write of this. Things have gone too far and last night, a member of the league approached me. "In the absence of the professor, should we consider the league disbanded?". Like me he felt that the League is needed more now than ever. It will not be what it was before and perhaps that is for the better, the league can be rebuilt, but we need to take care to select but the few who can help us.

We have little time left, Samhain is soon upon us, we must be ready.