Who: Zipporah Bakst, Arabella Ward, Adrien Green What: Letters between friends after this Where: The London Post When: 8th November to 11th November, 1888
My dear friend,
I have a replica of your grandmother's crystal ready for you to test its resonance. I believe the lattice is correct, but it will require your testing to be certain.
I also have the set of two bracelets, which are of brass, bronze, nickel silver--which contains no true silver, rose gold, German silver--this also contains no silver, pewter, and Queen's metal. I know we tested samples of each metal on your friend with the silver sensitivity, but if there is any reaction to prolonged contact, I hope you will let me know so that I may remedy the design.
I spoke to a gentleman about a matter recently during which he had quite an unusual reaction, and I wonder if you might tell me more about the 'wolf people' you once mentioned. I should not like to offend or upset him further through my ignorance, and I profess myself very curious now that I've had such an encounter.
I hope that you enjoyed the remainder of your evening at the masquerade, and look forward to speaking with you soon. I should be in most days, but if I am not, Papa will be able to supply your order. He knows where my commissions are kept.
Ever your friend,
Arabella Ward
~
My dearest Arabella,
I am so glad for to be receiveing your notes, and your thoughts. I did enjoy the masquerade mostly, and the foods were very good. I thought the danceing would be of difficulty, but people were quite kind. You made for a very handsome witch.
That is the best of news for the commissions, and I cannot wait to see them and you. I shall try for to call when you are going to be present, for otherwise it would be quite the pity.
What was the encounter? There was the moon this weekend, I very much hope it was not of danger to your persons. The wolf peoples have moods that wax and wayne as the moon does, and the bloods can be high when it is full. What should you care for to know? I shall tell you whatever you should wish, although I also do not know very much, I can ask my wolf friends and they can tell me.
With love,
Zipporah bat Esther Bakst
~
My dear friend Zipporah,
I'm glad you had a chance to sample the food, as I also found it excellent, and ate far too much cream in my desire to taste everything of interest. You are a very good dancer, and I enjoyed partnering you, so I shouldn't worry about that. I would tell you if it were otherwise.
I am often home, but if I should miss you, I will be certain to see you again. We could take the air and walk sometime, as I go out far too rarely to enjoy the parks.
I cut myself on a metal box - I am fine, there is no need to worry, it is quite shallow and there is no infection - and began to bleed, and the gentleman accompanying me seemed to react quite violently--not toward me, but within himself. His eyes became quite vivid and bright, and there were quite sharp teeth in his mouth, as wolves have. I would go so far as to call them fangs, were they not in an otherwise human face. He mastered himself quickly, and seemed quite embarrassed and unhappy at his lapse. He made no move to harm me, and indeed I was perfectly safe with him the entire time.
Do you think he could be one of the wolf people? If so, I would wish to know whatever you feel might be useful in dealing with him, as I consider the gentleman a personal friend and would not want to lose his wisdom and companionship. I confess I am also very curious, after seeing such a change, which I had not thought possible. I find myself hoping to know more about such a strange race, whom I had not thought could live among us without notice.
Your friend, Arabella Ward
~
My friend,
I am glad for to hear that you are safe and well, and that the cut was not seveer. I suspect that your gentleman is not a wolf man, but an alukah -- a persons who requires the blood of others for to survive. They used to be the humans, but were transformed, and once transformed, are quite powerful and strong, and feed on the blood. I have desided that they are not of the devil, nor do they appear to be malishus spirits.
The alukah I know tends to show her fangs when vecksed, but it seems as though your gentleman was taken by surprise by your bloods. I am glad he did not hurt you. My alukah I know would not hurt me unless she were very angry with me, or driven mad by hunger, or were very badly hurt and needed the bloods as a matter of survival, and she has a lady friend who gives her bloods, and a store she goes to for to purchase additional bloods, so that is not something I am worried for, but some may not be as thoughtfull.
They can also heal others with their spits. If he was trying for to hide what he is, I can see why he would not offer to heal you. But now that you know, in future, you could ask him should it be needing.
You should be safe with him if he is indeed your friend. You should try not for to cut yourself in future in his presents for to be polite, but that is all.
I would very much like a walk in the parks. I shall be sure for to wear my comfortable shoes and a muffler when I visit next.
With love,
Zipporah bat Esther Bakst
~
My dear friend Zipporah,
If I did not know you to be truthful, and to know of strange and secret things, I would assume your letter was in fun as a friendly joke, and that you were writing a sensational novel or penny dreadful tale for my enjoyment.
As it is, I am not quite sure what to make of this, except to say that if there is any person who would hurt you if she were angry, physically and causing you to bleed in any way other than what naturally occurs, then I do not like to think of you being near her with such a risk unless she is very even-tempered. Even then, it seems dangerous.
Are these people from far-away islands or continents? Is that why we do not know of them more generally? It seems impossible to have not heard of such a thing, but then you are strange and wonderful as well, which I do mean as a compliment.
This business of offering blood seems dreadful, but I understand if it is needful. I sometimes need blood for my alchemy work, and do not mind letting it--do you think I should make a gift of apology to the gentleman with a vial, to cause him less worry and embarrassment? I do not like to think of him not surviving, and while I am sure that will not be the case, it seems a small thing to offer some nourishment. Does this alukah you know require very much blood? Surely it cannot be too much, if there is a lady who often offers her own.
Thank you for your helpfulness, as always. I find conversation with you illuminating to the imagination, even when it is in the form of a letter.
Ever your friend, Arabella
~
My dear friend,
I believe it is best when fresh, and can be an exchange that is quite of a personal nature. For my alukah, the two I have known who have given her bloods have been quite close friends indeed, peoples she trusts, and likes, and they in turn trust her. I am uncertain of all the situations, and it may not apply for everyone, but I believe the peoples who would supply her in that way are also her lovers, so it may give your gentleman friend a suggestion you would not care to give.
Or perhaps you would?
He seems like you do hold him in high esteem.
You are very dear for to be worried. Please do not be. I only meant for to say that her taking my bloods without asking would be dire indeed. She can get vecksed from time to time, but should I ever be in true danger, Ach would protect me, and he has never been bothered by her in the least.
There are always dangers. I am glad she is my friend, and not my enemy.
I do not know how much of the bloods they require on a normal bases, for one time I had to supply her after she was very badly hurt, by going to a store and purchaseing some, and it took a great deal of bloods, but that was not normal, she said as much.
I call them alukah because that is what my peoples call them, but they are not only from Russia. They are very secretive, and do not wish for their nature to be known, but they are from everyplace. They do not age, so some are quite old. I have not asked my alukah much of her past, how she came to be transformed, but I am interested.
Perhaps I shall ask her when I see her next.
I think you are strange and wonderful too, in the best of the ways.
With love,
Zipporah bat Esther Bakst
~
My dear friend,
I appreciate your advice in helping me to avoid an awkward situation. While I do hold the gentleman in high esteem, I have no interest in leaving science and alchemy to bear children and manage a household. I will care for my father when he grows older and am more than content with my work. I suspect this will not shock you, as I am well past the age of marrying and it would not be likely for me to do so outside of the personal advertisements in the newspaper.
Also, he is my librarian, and more valuable to me by far than a husband. You would understand if you had ever come to him with a research question. He is very thorough and intelligent. I should like you to meet him one day, as I hold you similarly in very good opinion.
I can see how a lady offering another lady blood should be seen correctly as a gesture of friendship, while a lady offering a gentleman the same thing might be misunderstood. It is a pity, as I should like to make some demonstration of remorse over so flustering him.
I am glad that you have Ach. He is a very good brother, even if he is one of spirit instead of flesh. Please give him my good wishes if you believe he might benefit from them.
Your friend, Arabella
~
My friend,
I have told Ach of your well wishes. I am gratefull for him every day. It is such a blessing to feel truly safe, and he is very good at listening. He listened as I talked of you, just now.
I am glad your alukah is your friend, and that you enjoy his company so. I am certain your thoughtfullness and respect of him and his works will be reward enough, as I have found knowing you to be a rich gift indeed. You might also purchase him a book. After all, they do like those, I have heard.
Librarians, that is. I am not certain of the tastes of alukah when it comes to that.
I should like for to meet him, as you like him so.
And there is a lady who wishes for to meet you as well. She is a very interesting lady who I have been writeing about the killings, and I told her of you, and that you were my good friend, and how you helped me on that day. She wishes for to invite us both to tea, and she does very good tea, the sandwiches especialy.
Husbands do have limited uses, do they not? My mother married for love, may G_d rest her soul, and my father was a good men, G_d rest his too, but I should be happy enough with my independens. Friends and lovers are far more useful, and you know they are there because they wish for to be.
I have not determined weather to have a child or not, but I am still young. My Auntie thinks it would be good, for to continue our line, and there are times I think it would be wonderfull for to have a being I have growed and made inside me become a person of her own, to stand on the shoulders of her ansestors, and be a marvel. I should be very proud of her. But not just now.
With love,
Zipporah bat Esther Bakst
~
My dear friend,
You are kind and thoughtful, as always. I have searched the shelves of our library for recent works--I believe he will be familiar already with many that I consider close friends, and I am not yet familiar with his direct interests, so I hope that he understands the gesture in sharing mine. In his place, do you think you would prefer On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances, or The Playbook of Metals? Each have their separate merits.
I have also searched for mention of your 'lay lines' in scientific texts, and while there has been much work done in electromagnetic properties, I am not convinced any of it directly correlates to your subject. I will continue to look, and perhaps ask my librarian for his recommendations.
I would very much like to attend tea with yourself and your colleague. Is she a person like you, who can sense things in the world that are not plain to others?
I too am more than content with friends, which are very novel to me, and with my work, and the company of my father and his colleagues. I do not believe I would welcome a lover, as anyone who so presses a suit can only hope for marriage and the privileges reserved for that state, and would demand a great deal of my time that is better reserved for books and study. It is better by far I feel to have friends and colleagues.
I believe you would be an excellent person to supervise the growth and learning of a child, and would raise them no doubt with wisdom and understanding of the world. If you should decide to acquire a daughter, she will be fortunate in her parentage. If she should have gifts like yours, then the world will be fortunate as well to have her in it.
Ever your friend, Arabella
~
Dear friend,
I am glad for to have possession of a dictionary, for your knowing far outstrips mine when it comes to a great many things. I do like the idea of a balance or equality between things which are different, for that describes you both rather well. Equilibrium is a beautiful word. I am glad for to learn it. And the roots of it, the equalness and freedom, it is quite apt, as is the fact it is cousins to the word librarian as well. I believe libre also stand for the books? I find the notion of books and freedom being from the same word to be very fitting.
My person is quite old and wise and very powerfull, with the sort of gifts that make mine seem poor indeed, but she can be merry, and curious, and very generus. I believe you should like her.
It sounds as though you shall never be lacking for company, includeing mine, of course, and lovers can be complicated, there is no mistakeing. Especialy if you do not wish the marriage, and that should be expected for you. I suppose that it is different for different peoples in society. I have no such expectation, for which I am glad, but even then, my love has brought me great joys, and also great worries. I am glad I have him, though. It adds salt to the dish.
I shall call day after tomorrow, I think, in the afternoon, and should you be there, I should like to walk with you very much.
With love,
Zipporah bat Esther Bakst
~
Dear Mr Green,
I wanted to thank you for your expertise on the matter at the bank, and a very sensible friend suggested that you might appreciate the gift of a book. While I would be interested to know your specific interests, in lieu of that information I have chosen one with which you may already be familiar, as it is now ten years old and has not fallen into obscurity to my knowledge. It is, however, American, and one of the first of its kind, so it may not have come to your attention. I read it when just beginning my own experiments, and found it useful and enlightening in its approach.
On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances, by Willard Gibbs.
My friend also had an excellent point about the word equilibrium, which she looked up at my query. She says that it contains the roots for books, equality, and freedom, which she finds fitting, and I believe you will appreciate.
I believe you and I may both find freedom in books, where we may not be able to find it, or equality, in society. I hope this is not too bold to say.