Up and Down

Long Ago and Now

Anna's head is throbbing with dull pain as she wakes up, and looking out through the windows she can see the angry roiling clouds.

There was no dawn on this day. Only twilight turning into dour gloom.

Mrs Chase calls her to breakfast, but she declines. The hunger has gone quiet as her stomach churns unsettled. The nervousness is getting the better of her.

Besides, if Anne cannot eat before the operation, why can she? It is only fair.

Sebastian seems to have the same idea as she walks over to a drawing room, finding him sitting there with his head in his hands.

She settles in an armchair at arm's length, and the two of them sit in silence, listening to the clock counting off the slivers of eternity.

"Have you changed your mind," she finally asks after a good ten minutes have passed without a word spoken between them, "I need you to greet Gilroy when he comes here."

"I will," his voice is listless, tired. Seems like she wasn't the only one struggling to sleep, "this all feels like a fever dream, Anna."

"I know," she sighs, sprawling back on the deep armchair, "any moment now, professor Binns is going to walk through me, waking me up and it was all just a figment of my overtaxed imagination."

"Yeah..."

She touches the dainty chain fixed through one of the buttonholes of her waistcoat and gets out her pocket watch. The time is exactly the same as the clock on a cupboard, of course, and she closes it with a soft snap.

"What did Ominis say to you?"

"... nothing much. Just that I need to trust you."

"Uh-huh."

Sebastian ignores her sceptical sound and gets up from the seat.

"I'm going to check on Anne."

"Very well. Mrs Chase has made breakfast for us..."

"I can't eat," he cuts off, turning away.

"Me too," she whispers. He looks back over his shoulder.

"Having doubts?"

"Nerves. No doubts."

"Very well then. I'll be there when that man arrives."

They didn't have to wait long. Soon after, Anna heard the doorbell ring, and Mr Bert hurrying over to let the doctor inside.

She gets up and palms her wand in her pocket, the warm wood giving her some reassurance.

"Mr Gilroy," Sebastian appears at the top of the stairs, hands clasped behind his back, "you're back."

"Mr Sallow, good to see you. Is your sister ready for the procedure?"

"As ready as she will ever be," Anna comes to stand beside Sebastian, a hand resting on his elbow, "how do you do, sir."

"Pardon me, and you are?..."

"Anna Jackdaw, sir," she bobs a small curtsy, "my father has already gone out for business, but he passes on his humblest apologies for not receiving you himself."

"Of course, of course, Mr Jackdaw is a busy man," Gilroy quickly introduces his assistants and looks around, "have you prepared the room?"

"We have. Please, follow me," Anna shows them in. Gilroy nods as he inspects the brightly lit room.

"Wonderful. Wonderful job indeed. We've brought the ether and carbolic acid dispersal machine, did Ms Sallow fast from midnight on?"

"Yes, sir."