Cynthia: Minuo

Thank you again, Doctor. Your remarks were just the motivation I required to devise a suitable plan of action that would enable me to determine which of our suspects is the villain.

Without delay I phoned Doctor Godfrey and relayed my deep concern and apprehension that the assault on my person by the Aborigine Smiler (not conveyed in these terms, obviously) had in some way infected me with any of a number of blood-borne diseases, as I had been, in essence, showered with gore when Jeffrey shot him. The Doctor did his best to mollify me, but I made it clear that I would not be satisfied until he had run a complete blood-test on me.

Adjusting his schedule accordingly, Doctor Godfrey paid a visit to my home, and I insisted that both Garrett be present as well as my newly-hired security guard, should there be any trouble. I then set my computer to type and transmit all that I said in the event that the Magician, upon his unmasking, simply decided to eliminate me then and there- at the very least the three of you would be aware of his true identity.

As the Doctor prepared to insert the needle in my arm, I feigned an episode, where I claimed that the attempt to murder me and the subsequent grisly aftermath had left me scarred and terrified, and while I desired nothing more than to be certain that my blood was unpolluted, the act of penetrating my flesh with a needle was anathema to me.

As I expected, neither the icy Doctor Godfrey nor the dour Garrett reacted or cared much about my fictitious predicament, so I sweetened the pot, offering them each ten thousand dollars on the spot if they would only draw their own blood first, reassuring me that the process was indeed harmless.

The Doctor attempted to console me, telling me that the procedure could not be safer or more commonplace- and in any rate I would obviously feel nothing- but I refused to be accommodated, building upon my depiction of the neurotic patient and upping my offer to twenty thousand dollars. The Doctor hesitated, then finally agreed with an avaricious grin. Rolling up his sleeve, he turned the syringe upon himself and drew a small amount of blood, thereby unwittingly crossing himself off our list of suspects.

I pressed Garrett then, but he appeared repulsed by the entire proceeding. Shaking his head and cursing that he wanted no part of it, he stalked from the room.

Informing the Doctor that I no longer wished to go through with the procedure, I used my teeth to write him his check and to his consternation notified him that he was fired.

One down, three to go, and I believe I will take you up on one piece of advice, Doctor Yoshida: tomorrow I will give the appearance of choking, and when Garrett goes to clear my windpipe, I intend to bite him.

Cynthia: Littera

While the two of you luxuriate in your well-earned rest, perhaps Doctor Yoshida and I can ponder this clue as to the identity of our adversary. While it is entirely possible that the Magician- or "G.G." as the letters carved into his knife inform us are his initials- is completely unknown to us, I believe we will be best served by forming the assumption that he has in some fashion had contact with us, however briefly.

And so the list of those with whom we have been presented over the course of our investigation, and the admittedly wildly subjectively deduced probability that they are secretly the Magician:


-Garrett, my new caretaker. Since the authorities arrested and detained Jeffrey, my first caretaker, his replacement has proven himself to be an uncaring lout, without any interest in human interaction with me of any kind beyond the obligation of his profession. I understand all too well that caring for a quadriplegic can be a tedious and degrading assignment, but he truly does appear to gaze upon me as simply a slab of flesh that is being kept alive for no discernible reason.

For all that, while I detest him, I find myself crossing him off of the list of suspects simply because he is so thuggish. I tend to consider the Magician- while existing as a creature of staggering malevolence- to be more refined in his countenance. However, perhaps knowing this, he would present a more brutish face in an attempt to play on my expectations.

-Doctor Godsby, my physician. I have only written about the Doctor in passing, and in truth I barely know the man, but on my list of suspects I believe he should be at the very apex. Smooth, refined, exceedingly cold and brusque... he is most as I would imagine the Magician to be.

-Glen, owner of the shipping boat, the Liberator. (Miss Stroud, an update on his last name, if you please, at your convenience) While the description given of the man made it seem as though he was incapable of plotting even the most basic of schemes, again as with Garrett this could well have been the Magician praying on our assumptions of his natural disposition.


And allow me to relate on a personal note that I have never been more proud of you, Joshua, nor you, Miss Stroud. This last exploit in Australia was an enormous victory for us, and while I remain more committed than ever to our enterprise, if nothing else comes of this investigation, I can rest knowing that some measure of revenge has been meted out to our enemies.

Cynthia: Tutela

Following the assault upon my home, I have procured the services of a security firm and have hopefully been forthcoming enough regarding the extreme danger their guards will be in while in my presence. I debated granting access to this archive to the men assigned to me, but have decided against it, hoping that the fact that an agent of Homeland Security was murdered in my very bedroom will serve as warning enough as to the severity of the peril they face.

Thus far their staff has performed admirably, working in eight hour shifts and rotating different guards in and out. Frankly, other than the original introductions to the individual security personnel, I have no contact with them whatsoever.

I offered to allow Jeffrey some well-earned time away, but even after our horrific ordeal of the other night he refused. I must say that while I would not have blamed him for taking a leave, his loss would have been most keenly felt. Even before he saved my life by shooting the intruder Jeffrey felt like family to me, and with Joshua unable to come home the thought of interacting with another caregiver was a lonely one indeed.

My physician on call, Doctor Godsby, paid a visit after the attack, examining my body thoroughly for any injuries received during the incident. Apparently my sternum is deeply bruised from where the smiling gentleman leaned on my chest, but there is no structural damage and the only advantage of being paralyzed from the neck down is that any minor bodily injuries are easily ignored. While I would not question the Doctor's competence I do find him to be cold and generally disagreeable, and I have instructed Jeffrey to begin making inquiries as to a suitable replacement for him.

Miss Stroud, I do hope that you and Joshua act with the utmost care while overseas. If the Liberator is indeed headed for Wardang Island you must assume that the entire area is now or soon will be under surveillance by the enemy.