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[sub][color=c0c0c0]"Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth, and makes us wiser than the birds of the heavens?"[/color][/sub]
[hr][color=c0c0c0][b]Location:[/b][/color] Almack's [/center][hr][hr]

	Mary gazed one more upon the deceased Arch Graveolase. Was his death the overall goal of this assault, or merely a coincidence? The Soulless, if guided by a single intelligence or purpose, could have taken many more victims this evening. They might yet. This could merely be a lull in the attack, or a setup designed to pick people off as they left for their homes. Another gruesome thought: If Buckingham was the objective in this assault, then Mary would be a target soon, herself. It might take a little time for word to get around, but when it started, it would prove to be scandalous. 

	Another reaching "if": Provided she actually survived to attend the meeting of the Graveolase, Mary would need a fair amount of support backing her, possibly with powerful fighters in entourage. With some disgust, Mary conceded to herself that she might have to play her hand at politics. She was familiar with the concept, having trained for many years at the Vatican and bring privy to some of the dealings of the Cardinals, Bishops, Grand Crosses, and the like, vying for Papal favor or trying to increase their status. Politics, indeed. She would need to surround herself with people she could trust. But that could wait. She had to tend to the scene at Almack's; detecting for the presence of any hidden Soulless and retrieving the mortal vessels of the recently departed, in hopes of helping to secure their eternal rest. 
 
	Mary was just about to open herself up to the extra-perceptive sense of [b][i]Tanter[/i][/b], when a scream sounded from nearby, followed by the roar of a great cat. The Apostolic had not heard a Tiger in a good, long while, let alone viewed one outside of a perilously rare visit to a zoo. When the beast entered, her first instinct was to protect those nearby, especially Elizaveta. But when it took up a defensive posture between the Grand Duchess and everyone else (including herself and Virginia), Mary forced herself to refrain from taking a fighter's stance. Still, her eyes were wide and knuckles tense, gripping her halberd. 

	[color=c0c0c0]"You have a lovely companion, Your Grace."[/color] was the extent to conversation that Mary could quietly muster at the moment. This would take some getting used to. [color=c0c0c0]"With your permission, please excuse me."[/color] she intoned respectfully, resuming her duty and utilizing her Trained skill of [i][b]Tanter[/b][/i].