Winter 1813 - As If From Pandora's Treasure Chest

We heard screaming in the library. It was the wail of a man who had lost all hope, even the hope of a swift end. Uncle Billy drew his sword. Uncle Boris laughed. "Steel is not the weapon we need now," he said. "The prisoners of that box had no flesh to cut and no hearts to pierce."

Summer 1810 - A Favor for Honest Boris

Boris arrived, as usual, soon after sundown. Unusually, he had no smile for me. "Child, I need your father," he said. "There are worse things than me abroad this night."