//------------------------------//
// Chapter 11 
// Story: Lost Reflections 
// by Purple Patch 
//------------------------------//

“Pip was alright the next day. Celestia knows what happened, they weren’t exactly clear on the subject” Nancy stared at the dregs of her paper tea cup “I came clean about what Dodger had been putting me and Pip through all these years...what I’d let him put us through...”
“It wasn’t your fault, Nancy”
“That’s never very convincing...Still, I would’ve lost my son if weren’t for you” Nancy rested her head on her friend’s shoulder “I never saw Dodger again after that. With any luck he took my advice and got well and truly lost”
“I know all that, Nancy. But what I don’t quite get is why are you getting your mane in knots about him and this Dinky?”
Nancy closed her eyes a moment.
“I was still a filly when I fell for Dodger. Back when he had something that could pass for style”
“I remember...He was in a gang, wasn’t he”
“Fillies love a bad colt, that’s what I always told myself” The world-weary earth pony shook her head “Freedom was sweet while it lasted, I don’t mind saying it. Then I got pregnant...And I knew it was over. I could accept that. I was old enough, smart enough, or so I thought. But not Dodger. He didn’t want the party to end. He didn’t want responsibilities. He just kept on being what he’d always been, however poorly suited he was to the role. He wasn’t a bad colt anymore...he was a bad stallion...” she sniffed “And I kept letting that stallion into my life...into Pip’s life...And I’m worried...I’m worried Pip will make the same mistake. That she’ll turn out like Dodger...Or...Celestia help me...Or he will...”
The blue unicorn scoffed.
“Oh come on, Nancy! Pip? Turning into Dodger? He’s more likely to turn into blooming Fleur de Lis!”
Nancy tried to smile but found bad memories welling up inside her.
“I just remember how horrible I was to you back before I had Pip...I always said you were soft. I always gave you a hard time...you and Marmalade...” She was close to crying “You were lucky to have a stallion like him, Blue”
“Yeah...I really was...” Blue Murder murmured “Still...That’s all in the past. Our foals are the future and that’s what we need to keep safe, you and me, eh?”
The earth pony managed a smile.
“Maybe I am just worrying over nothing”
“Welcome to motherhood, Nancy. You’re looking out for the boy, there’s nothing wrong with that. What’s important is we do it wisely, for their sakes as well as ours”
There came a whistle as the train to the outskirts approached.
“Well...” Blue sighed “I’d better be off. Take care, old girl”


*


Tybalt had finally hit a target facing behind him. He was certainly satisfied, spinning the rifle on his hoof and whooping.
Balisong shook her head. Tybalt was young and headstrong as all the newbies tended to be.
Times were she’d been the youngest recruit among the mercenaries. And Cascadius had never let her forget it. He wasn’t disparaging but he was very firm. Even after she’d been a foal soldier in the Siege of Maneila and the Horneo Manhunts, the paymaster had been adamant she start from the bottom-rung in terms of mercenary work. It was only through several successful missions beforehoof that she was allowed to partake in the strike on Canterlot seven years ago. However well that went, she had at least proven herself which meant she had the privilege as serving as a commander in the organisation of theirs, permitted to take to missions solo.
This meant she could do things her way.
She made her way to Cascadius’s study, passing by Royal Flush. She suddenly leaned in close, leering at him, causing the portly politician to flinch and nearly tripping him over. The mare sniggered as he gracelessly picked himself up.
Royal Flush had once been the most feared stallion in the outskirts. The blubbering worm he’d been reduced to was testament to Cascadius’s skill in humbling others.
She gently knocked on the door and opened it.
Cascadius was sitting with his back to his desk, playing on a flute. It was an old country lilt that was pleasant on the ears.
Balisong made sure to let him finish the verse he was on before interrupting him. Not because he’d get angry but because she was rather enjoying the song.
It finished at last and Cascadius looked up, smiling.
“Hello there, Bali. What news?”
“We’ve got a new arrival, sir”
“He’s arrived at last, has he?” The paymaster rose to his hooves “Well, better make ourselves presentable”
Balisong frowned.
“I don’t like it. Working with his sort”
“Now, Bali, you’re not going to get all patronising again are you?” Cascadius gave her a look of disapproval “I recall, last time, you very much hurt Corax’s feelings”
The mare rolled her eyes.
“Well, I’m sorry I took issue with his cannibalising of prisoners, sir, but...”
“But nothing. He doesn’t have a go at you for what you get up to with the prisoners” He smiled as Balisong gave a startled shudder “I see everything that goes on here, Bali. You’ve no right to hold yourself above your colleagues. I’m sure there are many who would call you out on it if they felt the wish”
“I don’t kill the prisoners” she mumbled.
“They wish you would” Cascadius gave her a measured look “I’m not going to stop you. What you do to your own quarry is your business...and the films you make are making quite a decent bit. Just make sure you don’t compromise our operations”
Balisong shrugged.
“The camera never leaves the cell, boss. And it’s hardly likely the Equestrians are going to sit down and watch them”
“We can only hope. I expect you to take responsibility, Bali. Now...I must welcome a very old acquaintance”


He briskly made his way to the landing pad where airships docked and departed. The entire place was bustling as the deck crew and maintenance made way for an enormous brass airship about the size of a dragon king.
The Ubu Roi. Cascadius had only ever seen it once from a distance.
Billowing vapour and dust, the ship’s massive doors opened and a congregation of creatures funnelled out in lockstep.
Rhinos. Several varieties. In the Ivorium States, the rhinos were categorized into the servant classes but, while the skull-horned cultures enjoyed the privilege of soldier or attendant duty, the common hair-horned cultures were classed as slaves, pressed into hard-labour, in this case, pulling a palanquin.
Many centuries ago, almost every beast in Zebrica was slave to the mighty Ivorium Warlords, the smaller races of elephant among the first and the zebra among the most numerous. But one rebellion after another, sometimes with Equestrian aid but more often without, had left the Ivorium’s slaver empire a paltry fraction of what it had once been.
Nonetheless, one particular warlord still possessed significant power and influence, both things Cascadius wanted.
The palanquin nearly swayed under the staggering girth of the one upon it. The warlord towered over any creature on four hooves Cascadius knew. Unlike the common elephants, the mighty beast’s lower jaw was long enough to touch the tip of his trunk with two jutting teeth-like tusks while the two formidable tusks beside his trunk were both ten feet long and adorned with thick gold and gemstone rings. He was draped in a purple, crimson and turquoise cloak with golden tassels and a high, three-tiered, jewel-encrusted crown. Wealth hung from his body in everything he wore and held. His palanquin itself was of a similar decor. A square inch of it would feed a family for a season.
He wasn’t alone on the palanquin either. Surrounding him was his prized harem girls. This particular warlord was known for his covetousness of young females he’d hear about from near and far and his harem comprised of some of the most shapely and beautiful creatures in the world. Ponies, zebra, antelope, two deer, an okapi, and even a young giraffe. All swathed in coloured silks, lithe, nubile and terribly solemn, they kept their heads bowed and did their best to huddle together for emotional support. The paymaster pleasantly recognised Princess Sembel, the runaway he'd returned a year ago.
Cascadius held out one hoof respectfully to receive him and his host.
“Welcome to our abode, Excellency Schnortel”


The enormous gomphothere grinned as his slaves brought his vessel forward. He didn’t remove himself from it, he rarely ever did.
Schnortel was fat, even for a gomphothere, there was no denying it. He sort of dripped into the seat of his palanquin when he sat down, like a roll of dough dropped into a bowl and just...settling.
But he seemed in a decent mood, at least.
He spoke, his voice like that of all his kind, shrill and cacophonic, unlike the smaller, more common elephants who tended to be very sonorous.
“Mr Cascadius...” he guffawed “You seem to have done well for yourself”
“As have you” Cascadius’s true feelings about the Ivorium Warlord were mixed but he always made sure to show courtesy “We very much appreciate you coming here on such short notice”
“Just so long as you make it worth my while” Unlike Cascadius, Schnortel didn’t hide behind courtesy. A beast like him wasn’t capable of hiding behind much “The Ubu Roi will sail in your...venture and you will be granted a hundred of my best troops”
Cascadius smiled.
Skull-Horn Rhinos would make a fine addition to his ever-growing force, better yet a hundred of them.
“Of all three specialities?”
“As you requested” Schnortel nodded “Fifty Brontan Storm-Riders, thirty-five Teleoan Siege-Breakers and fifteen Uintan Seers. They will be more than a match for any paltry hoof-full of Equestrians”
“Don’t be too certain. A mere hoof-full can prove quite tenacious, I have found. Nonetheless, the Skull-Horn armies are formidable in battle and Equestria has never faced rhinos in open-field for quite some time”
“Just so long as I am sated”
“Of course, your Excellency. As promised, your debts to my organisation and any other in my influence are written-off and you shall enjoy the luxuries of a senior member of the organisation’s executive command. And after our operations are complete, you will be granted mercenary armies with fresh arms and munitions to mount a reconquista of Zebrica. You will also be allowed to keep a suitable share of the spoils in however way you’d prefer”
Schnortel gave the paymaster a measured look.
“One more thing” he held up one gigantic hoof “I have been informed that interfering upstart Fancy Pants has a new mare”
“This would be Fleur de Lis?” Cascadius suggested “Unicorn? Tall, thin, white coat and a primrose mane?”
“Yes. Fleur de Lis” the gomphothere grinned “I want her. I will give you my hundred best Skull-Horns to use in whatever way you like and I will have the rest of my armies at my command when I fight alongside you and your friends against Equestria. And if we claim the victory you’re so certain will be ours, I must have this Fleur de Lis”
“Sounds reasonable. What exactly will you do once you have her?”
“Everything” Schnortel answered with a cruel chuckle, licking his lips “I will break her in, the way a female was always broken in by my ancestors in the old Empire and add her to my...collection. And I will make her knave of a husband watch every moment!”
There was a pause.
“I think my employer will like that very much” Cascadius said at last with a smile “Fancy and Fleur proved quite detrimental to us in a previous run-in. I shan’t mind if you wish to settle old scores once they’re at your mercy”
“Excellent. My Empire will fight with you, paymaster, as long as you can deliver what you promise”
“I always do, your Excellency. My word is never broken. Now, you will find suitable refreshments in the chambers we’ve had prepared for you. If you’ll follow Mr Shadowplay” He turned to the approaching batpony “Is everything in order, Shadow?”
“Just a couple of things, sir. Blue Murder is currently en route to Boulette and should arrive at the rendezvous point in half an hour. And I got a transmission from Dr Bittersweet of Glanders Gate asking for you to appear at the asylum as soon as possible”
Cascadius groaned, rolling his eyes.
“That quack’s taking up far too much of my time than I’m happy with. Whatever it is, it had better be good”
“There’s just one more thing, sir” Shadow butted in “Miura and her fliers caught a griffin over the airspace. They’re bringing her over to the landing bay to receive your orders”
The paymaster’s eyebrows rose.
They’d been found?
This wasn’t meant to happen. This wasn't meant to happen at all!


There came a whistle as Miura landed alongside three pegasi and two griffins. One belonged to Sister Slashtalon’s battle-flock, the other was unfamiliar.
“Master Cascadius. We apprehended an intruder over the area. Awaiting course of action on your command” Miura said flatly, one hoof instinctively over the shaft of her katana.
Cascadius took in the trespasser.
The female griffin bore the features of a snowy owl, white feathers, speckled black, with a flat face, an elegant jet-black beak and wide, mesmerising, lemon-yellow eyes. The back half of her was, of course, a snow leopard, a smooth black-blotched tail swaying idly.
She smiled at Cascadius and spoke, her soft voice possessed of a prominent Farman accent.
“Greetings, Paymaster Cascadius. I am Strilda. I come on behalf of Jotnar Warhost”
Cascadius’s eyes widened and several of the mercenaries surrounding the griffin stepped back, startled.
“Jotnar?” the paymaster asked with awe “What reason do they have to seek us out?”
Strilda fluttered her eyelashes playfully.
“You are assembling a mercenary army, correct? For an attack on Equestria and its fair alicorn princess?”
Cascadius was growing ever more concerned.
“Yes but I sent no message to Jotnar”
Strilda shrugged.
“News travels fast”
“It wasn’t meant to” The paymaster’s voice grew noticeably angry and Miura pulled her blade half an inch out of it’s sheathe.
“Well, be that as it may, we have no intention of betraying you. On the contrary, our grand commander fully intends on, how you say, pitching in? We are, in fact, at this moment setting the stage, attacking the Crystal Empire’s fortress in Quartzwald”
Cascadius was quiet for a moment. His irritation was now apparent if only slightly.
“You do realise how much time and effort we’ve gone to in order to keep our operations a secret, correct?”
“Correct and completely understood. As far as the Crystal Empire and the Equestrians will know, it will simply be a random but effective raid by perpetrators unknown. To us, it shall be Jotnar’s initiation exercise. Your name will not be dropped at any point throughout. We are professionals”
Jotnar were many things but Cascadius wasn’t certain ‘professionals’ were one of them.
“See that we are not in any way compromised, Miss Strilda, and I will consider your organisation’s alliance with mine. Fail to do so, however, and Miura will guarantee you a gruesome death”
Miura gave a faint smile, cradling her weapon, but Strilda showed no sign of anxiety.
“Now if you excuse me” Cascadius rolled his eyes “Doctor’s appointment”


*


Rarity had made good on her promise.
She was currently just outside Colonel Quimper’s office, hidden behind the open door to the disabled officer’s washroom. She assumed from ponies like the Colonel that Boulette’s military didn’t have any disabled officers.
Through some spells, kept weak to avoid detection, she could just overhear the conversation.
But Quimper had gone to his office alone.
So who was he talking to?
“I’ll ensure your orders are carried out”
“See that they are. This is still my city. Those damn questie nags are gonna’ get what’s coming to them!”
“Oh they will, sir. Count on that. I have two stallions in my close circle who would be more than up for the task”
Quimper was the one calling the other ‘sir’.
So somepony in that room, a stallion with a gruff and somewhat chewy voice was the Colonel’s superior.
She didn’t know if Boulette had any officers ranking higher than the Colonel but it certainly wasn’t Peregrine or his lieutenants in there.
“So once they’re dealt with, what then. With respect, it’s hardly likely the Princess will take kindly to it”
“By that time, we’ll have identified the mercenaries. They’ll all be linked to foreign powers and it will be clear to the ponies of the city that Equestrian intervention can’t keep them any safer. What that idiot princess said to you won’t matter, not once we’re done with her. And once I return, we’ll be free to restore Boulette’s military to its fullest capacity”
“And then we claim back what they took from us. We claim all that’s rightfully ours”
“Starting with Canterlot”
Rarity placed one hoof to her mouth in shock but made no sound.
“I’ll have Sergeants Angrius and Etric sent up immediately for their assignment”
‘That, it seems, is my cue to leave’ Rarity thought, ducking her way out into the main corridor. She’d spent considerable time learning to gain attention from the crowd. Avoiding it was simply a matter of doing the opposite. Fortunately there weren’t many guards up until the main corridor who would think she’d simply come from anywhere.
Finally free of the drab, worn, old barracks, she focussed on finding Twilight Sparkle.
She’d want to hear this.
Rarity tapped at her communicator and, to her surprise, found it unresponsive.
Tapping it a couple more times and trying to activate it with her magic proved fruitless.
‘Oh well. I suppose slogging through this ghastly city to meet her in person is in order’
Trotting along, Rarity was distressed at the looks the populace gave her as she passed. It took her back to her awkward time in Canterlot trying to curry favour with the local elite. Jet Set and Upper Crust were always ready with some snide remark to set the others chortling in that obnoxious way.
But this was somehow different. This wasn’t mere disdain or conceit. This was something far darker.
This was hatred.
And even before assuming her duties as a Bearer of Harmony, young Rarity had always found hatred such an unhealthy habit, not to say unseemly.


She wracked her brains for where Twilight must have headed. This was going to be a longer day than she would have liked. And she’d made plans to be back at the flat soon.
She didn’t like leaving her dear Spike all on his own. He never tried to show it but leaving the little dragon out of things took its toll on him. She’d promised herself it would stop many months ago. And she enjoyed being together with just them. Hopefully Angel would fall asleep.
She remembered now. Twilight had been anxious to head to the scene of the crime.
Finding the Crossfort wasn’t going to be all too difficult, just follow the day-old trail of carnage.
She stopped by a road-sign and map and was put off by some of the posters hung up around it, all forecasting doom and degradation at the hooves of Equestria and its foreign allies and encouraging violence in their own streets.
Looking past that, Rarity saw a shortcut to the Crossfort via the subway. No doubt a squalid venture through the underbelly of the already tasteless cityscape.  She pursed her lips at the thought.
Anything to make this quick. She just wanted to meet Twilight, give her a brief summary of what she’d learnt and hopefully talk it over clearer back at the flat. She found the city’s atmosphere growing more distasteful by the moment.
She followed the directions to the subway, taking her down a rather grimy alley. She had a sullen suspicion it only got worse from here.
‘Just find Twilight and then back to the flat for a well-deserved bubble-bath’ she promised herself.
She came to the subway entrance and found she was not alone.
Two stallions with shaven manes dressed in black jackets near as sordid as themselves were approaching her from the opposite alley, eyeing her in ways she was distinctly uncomfortable with.
“Don’t you move a muscle, questie. We got something to say to you” one of them sneered.
Rarity was not about to let the two thugs intimidate her. She turned up her muzzle and glanced at them through half-closed eyes, her lashes fluttering.
“Sirs, I shall move whichever of my muscles I please as I have nothing whatsoever to say to you”
“Oh this one thinks she’s smart, huh” the other one sniggered “You’re different to that orange cowherd nag, that’s for sure”
“I dare say. That is both a blessing and a curse for many different reasons. But if you’ve crossed her already, you have by now realised we’re not to be trifled with”
“Oh that’s what you like to think, don’t ya!” She noticed one of them was removing something from the jacket. A flash of metal greeted her eyes as he drew a knife.
She took great effort to remain composed but managed to do so nicely.
“Sirs...I would not advise that” She spoke almost like a disapproving mother.
“You shut up! We’re done with this, you hear?!” the knife-wielder was losing patience “We’re done with you pansy-flank little pay-rides thinking you can step on us! Us! You ought to be the ones kissing the ground! It’s all you’re good for! And you’ll do it right now if you want to keep your face!”
Rarity was about to offer another comment to register general unrufflement.
But then stopped.
Her face fell and paled as she steadily raised a hoof.
The thug grinned wickedly.
“Oh you don’t like this, huh? You don’t want to feel it somewhere?”
“I know what she’d rather feel somewhere”
Rarity’s face was now a picture of worry as she pointed towards them.
“You’ve had this coming, nag!” the knife-wielder was readying himself, still a fair distance away from her.
“Let’s send all those filly-foolers a message, the way we do things in...”
“Huuuuuuuuuuuur”


Both of them stopped, their faces falling to dread just as quickly as they slowly turned around.
A flash of metal appeared, far greater than the knife.
Rarity’s eyes widened with terror as the shriek the two assailants prepared to give was cut off with their heads in one swoop.
Their bodies slumped to the ground, parting for their killer.
Rarity took a step back as the stallion before her stepped forward.
She found herself staring at one of the most hideous ponies she’d ever seen.
And for once, it wasn’t down to his apparel though that, in itself, left much to be desired. He was dressed in a black coat assembled from what looked like matted hair with a few belts slung across his person. He was also wearing a hat, a drab, wide-brimmed flaxen specimen, stained and torn at the edges.
But what got most of her attention was his face.
His sickly beige coat resembled frayed hempen cloth than anything else and was torn open in multiple places, exposing bone and teeth behind it. His milky eyes bulged in his sunken sockets and, upon a closer look, revealed themselves to be devoid of eyelids. The earlier thought about his coat looking like torn fabric seemed appropriate as his mouth had been sown shut, poorly. Thick tangled thread kept his lips from opening too wide, setting his face in a demented grimace, and from which escaped unintelligible monosyllabic groans.
Pinkie and Rainbow Dash had always talked about zombies on Nightmare Night which Applejack and Twilight always dismissed, Fluttershy fearfully hoped weren’t real and Rarity never paid much thought to.
But if this stallion before her wasn’t a zombie, he was a close enough approximation.
Aside from his face, the thing that most caught Rarity’s attention was his weapon of choice, a large, double-ended blade held by a wooden handle in the centre. He was trailing one end of it along the ground as he paced toward her.
“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuur” he groaned again.
Rarity tried to mumble something but no words escaped her. She was transfixed by the sights before her.
She’d just witnessed ponies die in a horrible manner.
And now she was watching as their killer approached her with similar ends in mind.
This couldn’t possibly have been happening.
She’d never dreamed ever in her life that she would meet with such an event.
This was all so unbelievable.
And yet nothing could have been more real.
The stallion’s eyes were fixed on her, unmoving gaze piercing her as the blade soon would.
He raised it off the ground. The movement caused Rarity to at last find her hooves as she ducked a swipe meant for her neck and ran down the subway as fast as her hooves could carry her. The stallion was in pursuit judging by the snarling groans her way. Yet he made no sound with his hooves.
For the first time in ages, it seemed darkness might be her salvation.


The assassin followed her in, trudging at an ungainly pace around the subway, still making no noise with his hooves.
His blank, demented eyes scanned the shadows like some fell scavenger.
His head spun round to the flash of cyan magic to the side of him as Rarity fired a bolt from her horn.
It hit him right in the face but all that happened was that he craned his head back, facing away from her. He hadn’t even stepped back an inch. He looked back at where the magic had come from.
His face was smoking but hadn’t been marred in any other way than last she’d seen it. His expression was one of triumph as he snarled.
“Haaaaaaaaaaaaaar!”
Giving a small shriek, Rarity ran further down into the subway.
Down and down she sped, not knowing fully whether she was still being followed and not particularly caring. She wished to put as much distance between her and this unwavering menace as possible.
Finally, she tripped, slamming her face to the ground as the sound of bells filled the area.
A tight sensation gripping her chest far harder than the bruise to her face, she scrambled to a corner of pitch blackness in the large expanse of cold, wet stonework, shut her eyes, placed one hoof over her mouth and prayed this would all be over soon.
Above, Threadbare peered down into the ever-darkening subway.
He had heard the bells.
And they signalled the presence of another hunter.
One with a taste for flesh.


There came another deranged growl from above.
Rarity could feel her heart slamming against her chest.
Then the growl grew quieter, fading away.
The assassin was leaving at last.
The Bearer of Generosity engaged in a long sigh of relief, sinking down onto her rump, her legs weak from the arduous chase.
Then there came a click.
Then the sound of sliding stone as the way she’d come in slammed shut, blocking off all light.
She gave another squeak of terror and lit up her horn.
She didn’t like this one bit. She wanted to leave immediately.
Wait. She could hear wind. That must have led somewhere. She found her hooves and took a step.
And heard another step. One that was not her own.
And another. And another. And another.
She suddenly realised what she was hearing was not the wind at all.
It was breathing. Heavy breathing.
Hungry breathing.
She lit up her horn and had a feeling she was going to regret it.
The next instant, she was falling on her back, screaming at the sight of yet another horror.
A horrific sight came into view as her magic case a small but bright light. A creature with a primate build and a bony, emaciated structure. Dark, oil-black skin glistening in the light and monstrous claws that would be the nightmare of any hooficurist. But, like the assassin from before, the most distinguishing trait was its face.
Its jaw was entirely skinless, the skin around it pulled away in a fold like a sleeve. The lower half of the beast’s skull boasted a mouthful of jagged fangs and a long, trailing, red tongue.
Twin globes of glowing yellow stared at her from sunken sockets and Rarity saw that above those, the creature’s brain was exposed, its head cracked open down the middle.
As it crept towards her, it was joined by several others of its kind, hissing and snapping.
Rarity realised then that she was completely surrounded.
The light from her horn kept them only slightly at bay but she knew that if she cast any other spell at one of them, the rest would have her completely at their mercy.
With few options open, she tried a tactic Fluttershy had once given her when avoiding confrontation with large, territorial animals.
Taking one step slowly at a time, she edged past them.
The creatures kept her surrounded but drew back from the light, letting her walk on relatively unscathed.
Then something flickered in the darkness. She felt something small, hard and metallic hit her horn.
Several nerves deadened and her magic completely subsided. Rarity’s legs buckled as her body suddenly felt so much heavier.
Her eyes stung but forced themselves open as the creatures surrounded her, growling and grunting, tongues lashing at the air.
Rarity’s terror dwarfed any feeling of confusion but her sudden fatigue prevented her from showing such. She struggled to find a single hoof to place upon the ground as she felt one of their claws brush against her side.
It felt so very cold.
“Part!” A booming stallion’s voice sounded from the shadows and the beasts did so, scuttling away as the sound of gentle hoofs sounded slowly on the stonework.
Rarity was relieved for a moment.
Then the same stallion’s voice began laughing.
The bells were plucked, ringing again as the stallion spoke.
“I go and it is done. The bell invites me. Hear it not, dear one, for it is knell, that summons thee to heaven...or to hell”