13 September 1243
I received a knock at my airship door at around 9 o'clock this morning. To my biggest surprise, it was Father David Connor, himself, greeting me warmly and asking to speak with me in his Office.
I hesitated at first, for I felt that, based on what he had been doing the past few days, that he was trying to subdue me in order to throttle his agenda with the University. But then I reasoned that I had the support of the Headmaster and my other partakers in this investigation. Furthermore, with respect to Winsley, if there was anything noteworthy the Chaplain said, I would simply write it down with a footnote indicating that the information was from the Chaplain, and simply have my co-investigators peer-review them. So I accepted the Chaplain's offer. He bought me breakfast at the Slack (the University cafe), and then showed me his Office.
A very peculiar man the University Chaplain was, for he had a typewriter. I thought for the life of me that the Clerics of the Circlarian Realm believed in communication only by writing or word of mouth. But nonetheless, he had indicated in his Office framed on his wall certification from the Alconist Domain of Transfiguration.
Another thing I thought very peculiar was that his Alconist Cross had a uniquely shaped star in the middle. Unlike the eight-sided stones of other crosses, the Chaplain's had more than eight sides. I could not count them in time. But also, this center piece seemed to be suspended in mid-air with nothing to attach it to the rest of the pendant.
My qualms against him have not yet died though. He tried to sway me to believe his stance on dymensionalism, which was worse than I imagined. In fact, I am concerned that his attempts to get the University masses to demonize the practice will lead them into dangerously ignoring the real threat: Darius Weller. And furthermore, Father Connor's persuasion is very effective. In fact, I felt myself begin to be swayed. I could not put a finger on the precise reason, but I felt as if I was drifting into a black void and that he was the only one who could save me. He suggested that my investigative measures, which directly handled darkfire scripts, are putting me in danger of exposure. I feel that this is paranoia, but again, I will have my co-investigators peer-review the Chaplain's recorded testimony.
**
I was reading the Cabotton Journal, the paper for the town of Cabotton proper and discovered that, indeed, the group of people I saw chanting and demonstrating in the streets Cabotton proper on my way back from the Chaplain's Office were opposed to Bryan Kempt's initiative. As I thought, with shock, they recognized me and were shouting insults at me. I could not, for the life of me, understand what this was all about.
However, the Cabotton Journal does shed a little bit of light on what was going on. Apparently, the group of protestors outside the city hall were opposed to the reward initiative against Darius Weller not because of any question of Weller's moral alignment but because of the popular consensus among the protestors that this is all a setup to favor 10'000 qors to those associated with "Club Merlin."
Merlin Kent Ogden in his life had apparently established an inner ring of people who have had the upper hand in the Cabotton community, getting better capital for starting businesses and better places to live. And those not a part of "Club Merlin," are left to deal with more difficult circumstances, including being denied exemptions from local business taxes. So these protestors, consisting of "the outsiders," have determined that this investigation is culminating to an inside favor to reward those living the privilege of "Club Merlin."
I will investigate that at a later time whenever the more pressing case of Darius Weller is resolved.
**
This evening, I presented what the Chaplain said to the Headmaster, police chiefs, and the roommates. And all of us came to a consensus that the Chaplain was, indeed, paranoid.