The Ward | Part 2

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And I thought that like a lot of the sound design was, I felt really ambitious. There's some great chase scenes in this episode, some great use of mechs, which is kind of one of the hallmarks of Leviathan. So I think this kind of called back a lot of the things that we like most about Leviathan Chronicles. I was actually struck by how well a lot of the sound design held up on this one. I was like, you know, pretty impressed with us from 15 years ago or however long ago. Luke is paying himself a compliment there because I believe he did most of the sound design in this episode. Oh, wait, sorry. I was impressed with my own self. I give it a 10. But no, you did a great job. These days, Luke mostly focuses on music. But for this one, I think he created and edited most of the sound effects. You know, one other thing that, you know, speaking of the sound design that I noted when we were going through it again is that, you know, one of the things I think is really special about kind of how we do our audio dramas, we always try to have extra voices be extra voices. So even if there's like a doorman that says hello or a bartender giving a drink, we always try and get a distinct voice for it. And here, because this was 10 years old, like we didn't have as much work, you know, remote recording software. The technology wasn't there to give us the wide net of awesome voice actors and cast that we have now. And you can see that in kind of like how we did some of the scenes. Yeah, we do a lot in the ward with very few actors. Like Christoph was saying, it's kind of a big action packed episode. But I think it's only like three or four actors total, not counting a couple dodgy voices that the three of us provided that are kind of ducked into the mix. But that's what we had to do back then. Like, we had it was. Yeah. I mean, if you listen particularly to like our latest stuff when the Invenious Expeditions, our cast size of ballooned and we do these huge ensembles now. So this we were kind of like trying to present as something that felt like it should be an ensemble cast, but really was only three or four actors for each of these parts. And you can hear it in parts where like there should maybe be another actor where we've we've we've like come up with creative ways to get around having to to cast a voice for a side character. You know, there's a character named Elizabeth that Harlequin speaks with at one point who talks to her on the phone. And instead of actually hearing her voice, we just hear this kind of like Charlie Brown-esque effect through the phone. I'm like... But the funny thing is, like, she's actually a real character. In fact, we did a Leviathan mini episode for a little bit. We were doing these kind of like five to ten minute episodes. And that's available on Patreon to listen to. And actually kind of ties into the beginning of season two of Leviathan. think is how did Lisette find Harlequin in the Pacific Ocean? That little mini episode between Harlequin and Elizabeth answers that question. And it's just, it's cool listening back to it, how all of these tie in together, just as we, you know, we didn't know that at the time. And so if you've been listening along to all these special edition stories so far, you'll know we've talked a lot about how Luke has had a lot of fun doing new theme songs at the beginning of each one as a riff on the Leviathan Chronicles. And I know, Christoph, I think you said this one is probably your favorite so far. Yeah, because you did such a good job of thematically, like Lissette, we always associate with France and Paris, but you preserved the Leviathan theme song so well. How did you do that? I was picturing Lissette and Harlequin walking down a dimly lit Parisian boulevard, and then they step into a happenin' Paris nightclub, and there's like a bunch of techno dancers. That's kind of, that was the imagery going on. You know, I had to whip out the accordion sounds for the beginning and then, yeah, but then it kicks into high gear with some like sweet, sweet techno. I love getting to sort of like combine genres like that. Oh, that's cool. That's cool. I, you know, Robin, I think it was your idea to refresh these episodes by having these original theme songs. And I am, you know, I'm surprised at how much it does kind of like they feel they feel new and tight. And that's it's been fun to. Yeah. And I think I while we're talking about the theme songs, I also we have to give a shout out to Len Peralta, who is the graphic artist we've been working with. He's been creating these awesome new covers for all the re-releases of these stories as well. So I think that's really turned out great. um it's fun to fun to see them on the on the charts and it's fun to see it they look they look cool on the screen um that's that's been fun to develop those together well the the other thing i wanted that going through it that i noted was i got to talk about harlequin one of the characters we hear about from fans the most is probably harlequin uh so this is obviously the origin story of him and Lissette. But it's been fun to see how his performance has evolved. And I think this is one of those examples where William just, whenever he has a soliloquy to deliver, I think he just sticks the landing. He knows this character so well. And I just love whenever we give him a big meaty piece he just does such a good job of uh embodying the character and being both sensitive and vulnerable and arrogant all at the same time he he really knows how to how to ham it up on the big chunks of dialogue and there's there's quite a few of those in the ward it's it's great hearing his voice all right well without any further ado uh we're really happy to keep uh giving you these great vintage episodes to listen to. And we hope you enjoyed The Ward Part 2. Bye-bye. The Ward. A Leviathan Chronicles story. Part 2 The heavy rain drenched the Parisian streets, creating thick brown rivers running along the gutters into the heavy sewer grate. The boulevards glistened in the yellow lap light as Harlequin walked brusquely through the Marais arrondissement, while Lisette reluctantly trudged along behind him. I hate the rain. You need to think like a thief, my pet. The rain reduces our visibility and also reduces the presence of meddlesome bystanders that could spot us and report something suspicious. The rain is our friend. I don't like my friend. The pair turned down Rue de Tresor and walked towards a small coffee shop at the end of the street. Elizabeth, my dear. Harlequin met up with his old colleague, Elizabeth, to get the young girl her counterfeit British passport. The crafty forger had also thrown in a French passport in order to completely ensure that she now owed Harlequin no more favours. Such a pleasure doing business with you, Elizabeth. You continue to have the charm of a Syrian arms dealer. Lisette now had what she needed to leave the country for the first time in her entire young life. Together they took the channel home, and Harlequin welcomed her into his London manor. He had his manservant show her to the finest guest room in the residence, While he retired to his office for the better part of the evening to plan the ambitious heist, Lisette settled in much easier than Harlequin had expected, attempting neither escape nor theft. On the second night, Lisette joined Harlequin in his office as they discussed what exactly was expected of her. Harlequin quickly trusted her speed agility and slight of hand and was delighted to find she was a capable acrobat He did not allow himself to wonder why Madame Guinevere had instructed the girls to become so limber Together they developed an infiltration plan while studying the blueprints for the Saint Cathedral After spending most of the waking hours training the young girl, Harlequin equipped Lisette with a light headset to be in communication with him at all times and fitted her a black bodysuit and mask. It's too tight. By Sunday, they were back through the tunnel, arriving at sundown in Paris. More whining? I realize it's a function of your age, but you really must curtail your incessant whining. Monsieur Harlequin, it is past noon. Madame Jean-Pierre will be looking for me. And will she be looking for you at Saint-Chapelle? Or will she be searching all the hotels in Paris? Or my fake address in York? The world is an awfully big place, Lisette. Harlequin did indeed have a flat he kept in York. He preferred to hide most of his truths in a convenient lie, to protect himself if need be. Lisette was only a child, and he was already determined to keep her safe. But it would be a long while before he could fully trust such a capable young thief, especially given that she had been so abused at the hand of the adults in her life. I must warn you, Harlequin, the madame is very efficient. After this job, you never need return to her or Paris again, if you prefer. All right, the most difficult aspect of your catsuit will be wearing the hood. It may make the headset uncomfortable, but it's safer to conceal you from the electronic nose that sniffs out any adult pheromone that enters the church's inner sanctum. Are you sure it won't smell me? In theory, if you are not sexually mature, you will not exude the scent it is looking for. Ugh, disgusting. It is the way things work, my dear. It is neither disgusting nor wonderful, it simply is. And it is something we need to take into account. Now, I'm going to ask you one more time and I can't afford for you to be shy and lie to me. Au revoir, Cérigne. Have you started doing it yet? No. Don't frown at me about that, mademoiselle. You know I have no personal interest in your womanly secrets. I am only interested in stealing certain items in this church and I am not interested in either of us getting caught. Harlequin smiled and beamed at the child confidently. Lisette, however, did not return Harlequin's gaze. What? What is it? You have to decide. Decide what? Am I just a child to you, or am I a partner in your escapade? Ah, you want to know where you stand? Orphan, slave, lolita, whore, child, thief, partner. Which hat will you put on? Well, you tell me. Don't ask me for my decision. I want to hear yours. I... I... The world will try to force you into roles it finds convenient. It will tell you you're just a child. Just a young girl not capable of reaching whatever heights you set your heart upon. Don't let it. You are who you want to be. And sometimes you can wear even more than one hat and be more than one person. I have been a doctor, a thief, lover, wanderer, liar, priest, and a hundred more. I am exactly who I want to be. Your path is yours, and only yours to decide. But you have put me in the role of a thief. I don't recall forcing you to steal from me. You are already a thief, Lisette. You are using your ability to work with me in order to gain your own freedom. If you feel trapped here, then walk. Walk away. Cancel our agreement and I promise I won't chase you. Go. I will stay. I will be a thief with you, Monsieur Harlequin. Delighted to hear it, Lisette. Now you've added another hat to your wardrobe. And what is that? Someone I can trust. Now, your hood. With both of them now dressed in the specially equipped infiltration suits, Harlequin and Lisette made their way to the side door of the church, which was locked with a standard mechanical bolt. As we practiced in London, my dear. Harlequin watched as Lisette's tiny hand made short work of the locks, meticulously picking them. Once inside, the initial security system blinked menacingly, and Harlequin rushed to the panel to disarm it. We have ten seconds before the security systems go on full alert. How do you know the code? I don't. I need to pry off this panel and rewire it. And you're sure you know how to do it? It is something I feel confident doing, but not when a brazen child is asking me incessant questions. Ah, there we go. The first obstacle complete with flying colours. Harlequin was fully aware that Lisette had another benefit as a partner, and that was her diminutive size. This made it quite easy for Harlequin to boost her into the Saint-Chapelle's ventilation system, into which a grown man could never fit. Unfortunately for Lisette, the tight vent system started vertically straight up, and she had to brace herself as she climbed up and away from Harlequin. Vents are easy. Vertical vents? No, merci. Don't worry, my dear. The duct system will level out in another five meters. Stay focused. And what will you be doing in the meantime? Making sure your way back is clear. Will you keep talking to me? As much as I can, pet. There could be a security guard to deal with. You will likely hear a small scuffle if so. Don't be alarmed. All right. I have reached an intersection. I go left, oui? Correct. And I'm going to have to sign off for a moment. You keep edging along until you see the museum chamber below you. You know the one. And above all, stay silent. Harlequin had heard footsteps, the slow and casual steps of a bored security guard. He quickly replaced the security system casing on the wall and looked around for a room to duck into. He ran lightly down the hall into the shadows and found himself outside the very doorway he had seduced young Helene in. He slipped inside and closed the doors silently behind him. Safe for now. Do not come back down the shaft until I have stated it is safe. Do you understand? Oui, but Aliquin, I'm at the vertical shaft above the museum chamber. We have a problem. What's that? Once I go down, I won't be able to get back up. That's impossible. I studied the layout of the room three days ago. You should be able to use the Roman statue of the Virgin to climb down and safely climb back up. Well, that's the problem. It's being stolen. I beg your pardon? You heard me. What do you mean, it's being stolen? No, it's being stolen. Right now. Belonging. Lisette looked down through the cross-ventilation grate above the museum chamber, where two large men dressed in black were moving the statue of the Virgin Mary away from the vent. The alarm panel on the wall blinked feverly, looking as if it had been disarmed and then smashed. The two men below Lisette began to argue in French. They're wearing some sort of mechanical suits. Is it possible? They look like robots. I agree, not like do. Mechanical suits? Stay calm. Exactly watch if they take. The room is empty. They are taking a statue out now. They are arguing about the blood of Christ or something. Oh shit! Damn, damn, damn! Looks like our evening's over. We worked so hard to beat the electronic nose and now someone else has triggered it for us. Our prize is gone, they said. Our only goal now is to get out of here as fast as possible. Are you coming back or shall I leave you here? Don't you dare fucking leave me! I turn a phrase to encourage you to hurry along. However, if the authorities do get here, I will be forced to make my escape. So I encourage you. I'm coming, you passed out. Harlequin looked out of the office of St. Chappelle to the Paris streets and heard the approaching arrival of the authorities. He scanned the office one last time, never one to ignore an opportunity, and spied a locked briefcase beside the desk. He grabbed it and exited the office, sprinting as silently as possible down the hall, hoping to catch sight of the other thieves. He turned a corner and stopped in the shadow of a hanging shroud to see the security guard standing beneath the open vent, calling the police on his radio. My apologies, Lisette. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. Harlequin turned to search the museum for an easier exit. Loathed to leave the girl behind, but his strong sense of self-preservation drove him to escape above all things. He then heard a sharp cry and turned back around. Lisette came falling out of the vent like a hammer. She caught the guard squarely between the shoulder and neck, causing him to crumple like cardboard. She rolled when she hit the floor and leaped to her feet before Harlequin. My dear Lisette, I love it when you show me the more ferocious side of your character. But we need to move, now. What's in the police case? I have no idea. It would just be a pity to leave without some sort of souvenir. Come on, this way. Harlequin and Lisette left by the side door through which they came, sprinting down the alleyway behind the church. Lisette looked surprised when Harlequin held up his hand to stop her. I want to know who got away with my treasures. Harlequin, the police! They put me back with Madame Javier! I think there's a vantage point over there from behind the garbage bin at the end of the alleyway. How small do you think you can make yourself, he says. I'm scared. We should never fear the truth, my dear. We may end up stealing something more valuable than I thought tonight. A little bit of knowledge. Come on. The two of them scrambled behind the putrid garbage bin and peeked across the street, panting as the police arrived. Two sizable men slowly wheeled the Virgin Mary statue out of the door they exited, moving it easily on a rolling dolly. They moved on hurriedly and carefully with no sense of anxiety or haste regarding the closing distance of the police officers. Surrounding their limbs were massive steel rods and pistons bolstering their arms and legs. They appeared to be prototypes of sleek mech suits that allowed them to lift and carry several times that of a normal human. That statue must weigh a tiny number of only one place a suit that advanced could have come from. Where are they running? They know they don't have to. Watch, my dear. Six police officers quickly surrounded the statue-stealers, who were heading towards a matte grey van parked at the end of the alley. Their guns were drawn and aimed at the intruders. One of the policemen glanced inside the door and noticed the fallen security guard and shouted for an ambulance The giant men carefully sat the statue down and turned to face the officers the pistons in their suits sighing as the great weight was lowered Come on, I have an idea. They have guns! And they're not pointing them at us. Let's go, follow my lead. A crowd had begun to gather outside the alleyway, drawn by the bright police lights. The officers surrounding the men in their mech suits were shouting urgently at them to put their hands up to surrender. Harlequin and Lisette discreetly wandered out from behind the garbage bin and blended into the growing crowd, forming polite curiosity on their faces. They edged out, away from the officers, climbing over a small stone wall until they were back hidden under the loading crates, a few meters away from the van they spied earlier. In the shadows again, they could now see the conflict between the police and the intruders, this time from behind. Well done, Harlequin. Now the police are pointing their guns at us. I needed a better vantage point. Stay behind the church if you're worried. The men had gone to their knees as the nervous police officers stepped towards them. Three kept their guns trained on the men, while the other two approached with handcuffs. The sixth officer was inside, Harlequin assumed, caring for the security guard that Lisette had knocked out. The moment the officers touched the tree branch-like arms of the surrendering men, they exploded to their feet with inhumane speed, grabbing the officers' wrists and crushing them in their massive mechanical hands. One of the officers standing guard panicked and fired his gun, but the man closest to the church blocked the bullet with the body of the other police officer in his garage. Now we run. Where? Harlequin! But Harlequin was already off, sprinting past the fight across the alleyway. Lisette went slower, keeping her eyes on the police officer's unfortunate conflict. The man closest to the church had thrown the wounded officer at his compatriot, taking them both down where they lay groaning on the pavement. The second mech occupied himself with grabbing the other arm of the officer he held, crushing that wrist as well. He took the incapacitated officer and swung him as if he were nothing more than a limp dog, knocking the other two officers in the face with the officer's legs. The mech roughly dropped the officer he was holding and swiftly kicked the man in the head, forcing Lisette to hear the grotesque snap from where she stood 50 feet away. Alec Queen, that's Steve's van. How did you get it? For being afraid of bullets, you seem to enjoy spending time in their path. Get in. The set scrambled into the van as Harlequin mashed the accelerator down. The van bounced out of the alleyway and clipped one of the police cars jostling Harlequin in the set. That's what I love about this jar. The little surprises one day. Harlequin! The man is running after us! Not to worry. He can't catch us in this van. Hmm, probably not. With the police officers neutralized and the crowd scattered by the careening van, the mechs now focused their attention on Harlequin. As he looked in his rearview mirror, even his normally unflappable demeanor was shaken as he saw the unharmed man piloting the mech. Sprinting behind him, carrying the statue of the Virgin high above his head, Lisette moved to look in the mirror, but Harlequin put his hand firmly on her arm. Crouch down in your seat. Felt yourself in tight. This could get a little rough. What's going on? Is he coming? No, he's stopped. It was not a comforting remark. With an impossible feat of strength, the man reared back and heaved the statue in a massive arc straight towards the retreating van. Harlequin did some quick calculations in his head and slammed both feet on the brakes. The valuable artifacts in the back of the van bounced around forcefully, and Harlequin winced when he finally heard something shatter. Still, it was the right decision. A split second later, the one-ton statue of the Virgin exploded on the pavement inches in front of the van. Harlequin took a deep breath and floored the gas again, swerving around the broken remains of the Virgin Mary and raced further down the boulevard. Pity about the statue. I always liked that one. How did he do that? I can't believe... That is a question best not ask now. We are not out of the proverbial woods yet, Lizette. The giant meth exploded down Descartes Avenue, racing and leaping in giant steps. It quickly closed the gap between it and the escaping van before bounding high into the mountain. Believe it or not, I actually expected that. He's going to punch his way in. How tall would you say this van is? What? I'm thinking about two and a half meters. Add that to the at least two meters that these fellows are and... Yes! There! Harlequin flung the van hard to the right and sped down a narrow cobblestone street. The giant atop of their van easily held firm despite the van lifting onto its two left wheels. Suddenly, sharp metal erupted into the van as an enormous mechanical hand burst through the roof. They grabbed the edge of the metal roof and began peeling it back as if it were a piece of ripe fruit. The metal hand lunged for Luzetta, but she threw herself against the rear doors in time. Harlequin picked up speed and edged closer to the side of a building, knocking aside garbage cans and crates that littered the street. Hold on. He passed under a low-hanging fire escape, and with a roar, the giant mech was clotheslined off the band, landing in an unconscious heap on the dark street, Without pausing to see if he had incapacitated the mech, Harlequin pinned the throttle after turning left off the street and headed towards the West Bank. Well, that was exciting, wasn't it? Is it going to come after us? I am hoping not, at least after that impact. But those fellows seem to be able to sustain a bit more injury than most people, than most humans. I think our best course of action is to remove ourselves from this area and find a way to get us and the artifacts in this van back to London as quickly as possible. and I know someone in Paris who can help us. What were those things? Those mechanical men? I'm sure I haven't the slightest idea. But Harlequin did know. He knew that no one could create such anthropomorphic technology except for the Eden Initiative and that meant Evangeline had wanted something that was inside the Saint-Chapelle Church. His mind wanted to race to consider the possibilities but his discipline kept Harlequin focused on more urgent matters at hand. The first item of business would be to successfully escape Paris with the stolen bounty in the back of the van. It hadn't been such an unproductive evening after all. Hi, this is Rob Benedict. And I am Richard Speight. We were both on a little show you might know called Supernatural. It had a pretty good run. 15 seasons, 327 episodes. And though we have seen, of course, every episode many times, we figured, hey, now that we're wrapped, let's watch it all again. And we can't do that alone. So we're inviting the cast and crew that made the show along for the ride. We've got writers, producers, composers, directors, and we'll, of course, have some actors on as well, including some certain guys that played some certain pretty iconic brothers. It was kind of a little bit of a left-field choice in the best way possible. The note from Kripke was, he's great, we love him, but we're looking for like a really intelligent Duchovny type. With 15 seasons to explore, it's going to be the road trip of several lifetimes. So please join us and subscribe to Supernatural then and now. Oh, please, not that music. That music gives me nightmares from my childhood. Could we get something a little bit lighter, some lighter music here? Are you a fan of true crime TV shows? And what about Unsolved Mysteries, the show that jumpstarted all of our love of true crime? I'm Ellen Marsh. And I'm Joey Taranto. And we host I Think Not, a true crime comedy podcast covering some of the wildest stories from your favorite true crime campy TV shows all the way to Unsolved Mysteries. Baby, you will laugh. You will cry. You'll think about true crime in a whole new way. And you'll also ask yourself, who gave these people mics? New episodes of I Think Not are released every Wednesday with bonus episodes out every Thursday on Patreon. And every Monday you can listen to our True Crime Rundown, where we go over the top true crime headlines of the week. So come and join us wherever you listen to your podcasts. Welcome to the realms of peril and glory. Explore the mechanically magical vistas of Vale. The paranormal mysteries of liminal London And the cyberpunk chaos of Cyborg Be awed by our incredible guests From familiar shows like Oxventure and No Rolls Barred Search realms of peril and glory to find out more Several hours later, Harlequin and Lisette sat in the cosy premier class of the Eurostar 3 train, streaking through the channel to London. Harlequin had released the stolen items from the church into the care of the reluctant and openly hostile Elizabeth, who agreed to help him only on the condition that he was now heavily in her debt, even after writing her a cheque for 75,000 francs. Harlequin was too enamored with his unexpected treasures to argue. He took a quick inventory, then dumped the van a mile from the train station. On the train, an exhausted Lisette dozed against his shoulder as he went over the scrap of paper that inventory the evening's take. Augustine death finger bone of Ethelberger golden crucifix that once belonged to Louis the one All precious but not worth that kind of attempted theft we witnessed last night Why were those mechs there Evangeline rarely deploys Leviathan technology on the surface What is it she was looking for? What time is it that we're going to... Time for you to go back to sleep. No, I was dreaming. What were you dreaming about? Madame Jean-Vierre. Ah, then welcome back to reality. Would you like to try your hand at more lockpicking? I might have one or two spares that I keep in my bag to... Lisette stared back at him with wide, sleepy brown eyes. I can't figure out who would have risked so much to damage the church and clean out their relics. I have my suspicions, but it doesn't make sense. I'm hoping this briefcase might yield some answers. Here, I can do that. There. Huh. Alec, it doesn't look like anything is here. Papers. Just papers that... You overlook the pot, my dear. The Dunhill attache case was separated into several distinct compartments to hold papers or other items the carrier wished to keep apart from within the briefcase. Nestled by the papers in a six-inch square space in the lower right-hand corner was a small cotton-wrapped box. With the case closed, it would have been settled snugly against the lid. Harlequin removed the cotton and found a tightly taped styrofoam box. He removed the tiny knife he kept embedded in his Vacheron Constantine watch and slit the tape to remove a tiny pot with a tight-fitting lid. He set the ancient-looking vessel on the folding table in front of him, not trusting his hands to remain still. The pot appeared primeval, and he could tell immediately by the faded colors and the particular style that it was utterly priceless. A tiny pot? That's it? That's all? It's not the pot. It's what's inside of it. Well, open it! No, I already know what's inside. How do you know? Blood. Very old blood. Harlequin did not even try to find a lie to tell Lisette. He knew what was in the pot as easily as he knew whose blood it was. His own. Hundreds of years prior, Harlequin had been a priest in Scotland. Injured while trying to help Evangeline solve the mystery of a rogue plague that swept through the highlands, he was on the brink of death when Evangeline made him immortal with the use of a star stone. This was done explicitly against his will, and he abandoned her in Leviathan City to explore his immortality alone on the surface. He remembered that night in the basement of his tiny church, piercing his skin with a knife repeatedly, collecting the blood and watching himself heal supernaturally. He had taken the collected blood in tiny pots used for medicinal creams. He wanted to find out if there were any new properties in his blood. He remembered that a couple of centuries later, the blood had been found and worshipped as the blood of Christ himself. Still, he had never expected the pot to fall into his hands again. It looks important, Ali-Quem. Is it worth very much? Why was it in the briefcase in the office? Shouldn't it be under some greater security? I don't know. Perhaps it had just arrived. Oh, they were leaving it there to be stolen. Look at this knot. What? What is that? Give it here, Lisette. Intercepted before transfer to lab for testing. Assumed to be blood of Christ. Believed by Kassa to be the final pot of blood from one of her originals. Get pot to drop point number ten. Ten? Who's number ten? An idiot who fancies himself as a spy. But there must have been a miscommunication. The men were there to clean out the relics to make it look like it was a random burglary. But the briefcase must have been left in the wrong area. You're not going to tell me what's going on, are you? Ah, Lisette. You have been invaluable in this venture and have proven worthy of my trust. But the truth of this situation is not something I am ready to share. So I could lie to you or not tell you anything. Which would you prefer? You're very strange. Withholding the truth, it is. But I can tell you the following. Those men were at the museum to get this briefcase. This is a specially sealed jar that contains blood that is hundreds of years old. There must have been a mix-up with the communications in that it wasn't where it was supposed to be when they broke in. Can you tell me who they are? I can be totally honest when I say I don't know exactly. But it can't be good. I'm so tired. As you should be. It's been a rather hectic 12 hours, and it's well past whatever I imagine your bedtime is. As I said, you were invaluable, Lisette. Once we arrive in London and both get some sleep, we can discuss your future. Alec Queen? Yes? Do you pray? There was a time I did pray very fervently, but the father and I do not talk much these days. Why not? That's not important right now. Do you need to pray before you sleep? I want to pray for my friends back with Madame Xavier. I got out and am free with you. They are still there. Trapped. What will be their fate, Harlequin? What will happen to them? I don't know. That is a far better reason to pray than any I could think of. Harlequin took the young girl's petite hands and prepared to pray with her. But she was already asleep. He decided it was just as well. God didn't hear the prayers of the soulless, and Harlequin had been without for hundreds of years. When he prayed, he reckoned all God heard was the whistling of the hollow inside him. The Eurostar train sped its way through the Dark Channel, and all Harlequin could feel was the weight of millions of gallons of water pressing down on him from above, reminding him of Leviathan. You have been listening to The Ward, a Leviathan Chronicles story. This episode was made possible by the generous support of our listeners. To listen ad-free and get exclusive bonus content and behind-the-scenes footage, become a subscriber at patreon.com slash leviathanchronicles. The Ward was written by Mer Lafferty and Christoph Leputka. Directed by Nobi Nakanishi. Produced by Robin Shaw. Executive produced by Amish Johnny. Original music by Luke Allen. Sound design and editing by Luke Allen and Robin Shaw. Starring Michelle-Anne Dunphy as Lizette, William T.N. Hall as Harlequin, Karen Heyman as Helene, Laura Post as Madame Guinevere Lalibet, and Samantha Parker as the narrator. For a full cast list and to learn more about our other audio productions, go to leviathanaudioproductions.com or follow us on social media. Thank you for supporting Leviathan Audio and thank you for listening. The films of peril and glory. Explore the mechanically magical vistas of Vale. The paranormal mysteries of liminal London. And the cyberpunk chaos of Cyborg. Fall in love with our core cast. Or be awed by our incredible guests from familiar shows like Oxventure, Three Black Halflings, and No Rolls Barred. Ignite your imagination and discover the Realms of Peril and Glory today. Go to RealmsPod.com or search Realms of Peril and Glory wherever you listen to podcasts. Two, one, you win! Oh, the Regency era. You might know it as the time when Bridgerton takes place, or the time when Jane Austen wrote her books. But the Regency era was also an explosive time of social change, sex scandals, and maybe the worst king in British history. And on the Vulgar History podcast, we're going to be looking at the balls, the gowns, and all the scandal of the Regency era. Vulgar History is a women's history podcast, and our Regency era series will be focusing on the most rebellious women of this time. That includes Jane Austen herself, who is maybe more radical than you might have thought. We'll also be talking about queer icons like Anne Lister, scientists like Mary Anning and Ada Lovelace, as well as other scandalous actresses, royal mistresses, rebellious princesses, and other lesser-known figures who made history happen in England in the Regency era. Listen to Vulgar History wherever you get podcasts. Hedgehog has been thrust into a not-so-dark, not-so-stormy, hard-boiled detective story that probably nobody saw coming. Follow Sonic and the Intrepid Chaotix Detective Agency as they take on their biggest case yet. This high-flying, action-packed adventure will take them across the world, fighting for every clue they can find. It's one heck of a tale, which is good, Because this story might be the only thing that can save their lives. Well, if that's all, I can just dispose of you. Wait, what? All will be revealed in... Sonic the Hedgehog presents The Chaotix Case Files. Listen now, wherever you get your podcasts.