Today has been a strange day. The place that I thought was the safest in this whole town, the Cathedral, has been breached. The infection is not spreading like a natural disease would. It's clear that someone is behind today's tragedy, but who?
All the women who were accused of spreading the disease has turned out to be innocent. Their blood samples showed no signs of infection. The accusations were part of the intrigues that fills this town.
The only lead I have now is the mysterious Klara. She's just a young girl, but still people talk about her like she's a witch or something. They call her the Devotress... Devoted to what? Anyway, surely she is a human just like the rest of us? If so, a blood sample from her should be enough.
The ones with the closest ties to her is Catherina and Alexander Saburov. I have heard that they are giving her food and shelter in these trying times. They seem to think of Klara as a misunderstood saint. I should head over there and see if I can find Klara and confront her.
Now that the sun is up, it seems like the criminals are out in force. The showdown at the Apiary later today will probably be a big one. There's still a lot of time until then...
It's around this time that the amount of enemies REALLY ramps up in the locked down districts. Any time you are in or near an area with yellow light, watch out. Often you will get attacked from multiple directions. It's often best to just run away and let the guards act as distractions. From now on, the guards can (and often will) die if they get into big fights. Don't worry, they get replaced very quickly.
I wonder why Alexander picked this location for his mansion. It's just so far off from all the other upper-class citizens. There are lots of winding alleys nearby and finding the right way can be rather hard when you have to look out for plague clouds and infected people at the same time.
This is the home of Catherina Saburov. It's part of the Saburov residence but for some reason she has a separate entrance on the other side of the building. She is one of the mistresses, but from what I've heard her influence is more or less gone and she is considered a bit odd...
That must be Klara! I wasn't expecting her to be here.
: I wish the Devotress is caught soon! The dreadful creature, offspring of the wild steppe, born from clay and bones.Bachelor: Then who is standing next to you?
Catherina: There? That's not her! How could you think that?! Don't you see, that is my adoptive daughter Klara.
Bachelor: That's the one I'm looking for. Have you heard about what happened in the Cathedral today?
Catherina: But she is not guilty! Don't you know that she is a saint? She helps you. She cures people. She has already saved almost one hundred and fifty people from their graves!
Bachelor: She is accused of the outbreak in the Cathedral.
Catherina: She wasn't the one who was in the Cathedral. It was the impostor! She even tried to sneak into our home under the mask of our daughter. But we expelled her, and she crept back to the cemetery. That's the right place for her. She nestled there, near Laska, the mad girl. Our Klara hates her.
Bachelor: I need to take a sample of her blood.
Catherina: No, never! How dare you put her under such suspicions? If you offend the grave living in her with your mistrust, she will lose her wonderful powers.
: Well? Did you meet the impostor on your way here?Bachelor: I don't know who you are talking about.
Klara: She's looking for you! And she is about to get you. So far you've been lucky, but only because of a few mistakes she has made.
Bachelor: Who would try to do something like that?
Klara: The Devotress! She looks just like me... But she is a ghost, a demon! She can never be a real human being. Never! Disgusting, malicious murderer. She pretends to be me. I have been looking for her everywhere, but she always runs away. It was she who brought the illness to us, on purpose.
Bachelor: Catherine said something about this, but I think you're just trying to fool me.
Klara: She brings the illness to all the houses. She does not break through the walls, because all the doors are open to her. The trustful children, they think that it's me! I learned all about it today. People are attracted to her, and then she puts a hand on their lips or near their hearts.
Bachelor: If you're not the Devotress yourself then who are you? Explain yourself!
Klara: I am Klara. The force over which no people have power over. I work wonders with my hands. I am also named the angel messenger!
Bachelor: There are no such thing as angels.
Klara: How do you know? How can you, sunk in your gloom of rebellious science and in horrors of false doctrines, argue about the heavenly? Get away from me, Bachelor. By the authority given to me I tell you to back off!
Bachelor: You have no authority over me.
Klara: I feel like I'm going out of my mind. Why so much hate? When did the hearts of everyone in this town turn against me?
Bachelor: You're just trying to make excuses. I don't have time for this... I'm going to talk to your father. You better not do anything stupid in the meantime.
: She will remain here under my responsibility. Me and Alexander will warrant for her. I won't let you touch my daughter!Bachelor: I will talk to Alexander. Keep Klara under house arrest. The girl must stay here, at least until tomorrow evening. If she is involved with any of this you can be sure Karminskiy will take interest in her strange tales. Until then, I don't want any of her so called miracles.
Catherina: Orf will come.
Bachelor: Orf? Really?
Catherina: Yes. Karminskiy was withdrawn. He is needed in war. They needed the hangman and the punisher for some difficult operations.
Bachelor: It is strange... Orf does not fit this role very well.
: This is the end... This is the town the Inquisitor will see tomorrow!Bachelor: I'm here about Klara.
Alexander: Bachelor... Klara is not who she pretends to be. I cannot ignore the evidence any more. Too much speaks against her. She may even really be the murderer of Simon and the messenger of the Land. I have made a decision to expel her from our house and to deprive her of our protection.
Bachelor: I was told that she was like a daughter to you. Catherina is very protective of her.
Alexander: Everything has changed. Now I do not have a daughter. She is a murderer, thief and liar. Everybody in town rejects her. Catherina just refuses to accept it. The last person who still communicates with her is Laska, and she is not completely sane.
Bachelor: So Laska knows a lot about her? Maybe she can help me find some evidence.
Alexander: Yes. Her place is at the cemetery. I don't think you'll have any trouble finding her.
Bachelor: Yes, I know where she lives.
Alexander: In fact, Catherina felt that Klara was not a human! But we trusted her and took her in despite that. To me she seemed to be carrying a kind force, granted to us to deliver us through the plague.
Bachelor: And now you don't trust her at all?
Alexander: The wierd forces that reside within her do not share human views of evil and good. The border separating the good and evil of our earth is thin and faltering even from the point of view of a human... We cannot understand her ancient logic.
Bachelor: You're talking like one of the primitive hunters of the steppe... Well, let's find out for real who she is. Do I have your permission to take a sample of her blood? She didn't want to cooperate with me.
Alexander: Yes, please do that.
Klara is gone! Curse her and curse Catherina for making a mockery of me like this. She must have fled as soon as I entered Alexander's door. I know she is hiding something and once I find her again I will force every secret out of her!
Summary: We met with Klara who clearly got something to hide. She has fled from us and is hiding somewhere. We know that she is friends with Laska who tends to the cemetery, so we might as well head there to see if she can help us.
Before that we will go check on Spichka to see what his letter was about.
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