Lockwood & Co.: The Creeping Shadow (47 page)

“She’s
her
?” I repeated.

“Exactly. Penelope Fittes
is
Marissa Fittes. They’re one and the same person.”

* indicates a Type One ghost

** indicates a Type Two ghost

Agency, Psychic Investigation
—A business specializing in the containment and destruction of
ghosts
. There are more than a dozen agencies in London alone. The largest two (the Fittes Agency and the Rotwell Agency) have hundreds of employees; the smallest (Lockwood & Co.) has three. Most agencies are run by adult supervisors, but all rely heavily on children with strong psychic
Talent
.

Apparition
—The shape formed by a
ghost
during a
manifestation
. Apparitions usually mimic the shape of the dead person, but animals and objects are also seen. Some can be quite unusual. The
Specter
in the recent Limehouse Docks case manifested as a greenly glowing king cobra, while the infamous Bell Street Horror took the guise of a patchwork doll. Powerful or weak, most ghosts do not (or cannot) alter their appearance.
Changers
are the exception to this rule.

Aura
—The radiance surrounding many
apparitions
. Most auras are fairly faint, and are seen best out of the corner of the eye. Strong, bright auras are known as
other-light
. A few
ghosts
, such as
Dark Specters
, radiate black auras that are darker than the night around them.

Bone Man*
—Name given to a particular variety of
Type One ghost
, probably a sub-type of
Shade
. Bone Men are hairless, emaciated forms, with skin clinging to their skulls and rib cages. They glow with a bright, pale
other-light
. Though superficially similar to some
Wraiths
, they are always passive and generally somewhat dismal.

Chain net
—A net made of finely spun
silver
chains; a versatile variety of
Seal
.

Changer**
—A rare and dangerous
Type Two
ghost
, powerful enough to alter its appearance during a
manifestation
.

Chill
—The sharp drop in temperature that occurs when a
ghost
is near. One of the four usual indicators of an imminent
manifestation
, the others being
malaise
,
miasma
, and
creeping fear
. Chill may extend over a wide area, or be concentrated in specific cold spots.

Cluster
—A group of
ghosts
occupying a small area.

Cold Maiden*
—A gray, misty female form, often wearing old-fashioned dress, seen indistinctly at a distance. Cold Maidens radiate powerful feelings of melancholy and
malaise
. As a rule, they rarely draw close to the living, but exceptions
have
been known.

Corpse-bell
—A deep-toned bell rung in churches to announce funerals.

Creeping fear
—A sense of inexplicable dread often experienced in the build-up to a
manifestation
. Often accompanied by
chill
,
miasma
, and
malaise
.

Curfew
—In response to the
Problem
, the British Government enforces nightly curfews in many inhabited areas. During curfew, which begins shortly after dusk and finishes at dawn, ordinary people are encouraged to remain indoors, safe behind their home
defenses
. In many towns, the beginning and end of the night’s curfew are marked by the sounding of a warning bell.

Dark Specter**
—A frightening variety of
Type Two ghost
that manifests as a moving patch of darkness. Sometimes the
apparition
at the center of the darkness is dimly visible; at other times the black cloud is fluid and formless, perhaps shrinking to the size of a pulsing heart, or expanding at speed to engulf a room.

Death-glow
—An energy trace left at the exact spot where a death took place. The more violent the death, the brighter the glow. Strong glows may persist for many years.

Defenses against ghosts
—The three principal defenses, in order of effectiveness, are
silver
,
iron
, and
salt
.
Lavender
also affords some protection, as does bright light and running
water
.

DEPRAC
—The Department of Psychic Research and Control. A government organization devoted to tackling the
Problem
. DEPRAC investigates the nature of
ghosts
, seeks to destroy the most dangerous ones, and monitors the activities of the many competing
agencies
.

Ectoplasm
—A strange, variable substance from which
ghosts
are formed. In its concentrated state, ectoplasm is very harmful to the living.

Fittes furnaces
—The popular name for the Greater London Metropolitan Furnaces for the Disposal of Psychic Artifacts, in Clerkenwell, where dangerous psychic
Sources
are destroyed by fire.

Fittes Manual
—A famous book of instruction for ghost-hunters written by Marissa Fittes, the founder of Britain’s first psychic investigation
agency
.

Floating Bride*
—A female
Type One ghost
, a variety of
Cold Maiden
. Floating Brides are generally headless, or missing another part of their anatomy. Some search for their missing extremity; others cradle it or hold it mournfully aloft. Named after the ghosts of two royal brides, beheaded at Hampton Court Palace.

Ghost
—The spirit of a dead person. Ghosts have existed throughout history, but—for unclear reasons—are now increasingly common. There are many varieties; broadly speaking, however, they can be organized into three main groups (
See
Type One
,
Type Two
,
Type Three
). Ghosts always linger near a
Source
, which is often the place of their death. They are at their strongest after dark, and most particularly between the hours of midnight and two a.m. Most are unaware or uninterested in the living. A few are actively hostile.

Ghost-bomb
—A weapon consisting of a
ghost
trapped in a
silver-glass
prison. When the glass breaks, the spirit emerges to spread fear and
ghost-touch
among the living.

Ghost-cult
—A group of people who, for a variety of reasons, share an unhealthy interest in the returning dead.

Ghost-fog
—A thin, greenish-white mist, occasionally produced during a
manifestation
. Possibly formed of
ectoplasm
, it is cold and unpleasant, but not itself dangerous to the touch.

Ghost-jar
—A
silver-glass
receptacle used to constrain an active
Source
.

Ghost-lamp
—An electrically powered streetlight that sends out beams of strong white light to discourage
ghosts
. Most ghost-lamps have shutters fixed over their glass lenses; these snap on and off at intervals throughout the night.

Ghost-lock
—A dangerous power displayed by
Type Two
ghosts
, possibly an extension of
malaise
. Victims are sapped of their willpower, and overcome by a feeling of terrible despair. Their muscles seem as heavy as lead, and they can no longer think or move freely. In most cases they end up transfixed, waiting helplessly as the hungry ghost glides closer and closer….

Ghost-touch
—The effect of bodily contact with an
apparition
, and the most deadly power of an aggressive
ghost
. Beginning with a sensation of sharp, overwhelming cold, ghost-touch swiftly spreads an icy numbness around the body. One after another, vital organs fail; soon the body turns bluish and starts to swell. Without swift medical intervention, often in the form of adrenaline injections to stimulate the heart, ghost-touch is usually fatal.

Glimmer*
—The faintest perceptible
Type One
ghost
. Glimmers manifest only as flecks of
other-light
flitting through the air. They can be touched or walked through without harm.

Greek Fire
—Another name for
magnesium flares
. Early weapons of this kind were apparently used against
ghosts
during the days of the Eastern Roman Empire, a thousand years ago.

Haunting
—
See
Manifestation
.

Ichor
—
Ectoplasm
in its thickest, most concentrated form. It burns many materials, and is safely constrained only by
silver-glass
.

Iron
—An ancient and important protection against
ghosts
of all kinds. Ordinary people fortify their homes with iron decorations, and carry it on their persons in the form of
wards
. Agents carry iron
rapiers
and chains, and so rely on it for both attack and defense.

Lavender
—The strong sweet smell of this plant is thought to discourage evil spirits. As a result, many people wear dried sprigs of lavender, or burn it to release the pungent smoke. Agents sometimes carry vials of lavender water or small explosive lavender grenades to use against weak
Type Ones
.

Limbless**
—A swollen, misshapen variety of
Type Two
ghost
, with a generally human head and torso, but lacking recognizable arms and legs. With
Wraiths
and
Raw-bones
, one of the least pleasing
apparitions
. Often accompanied by strong sensations of
miasma
and
creeping fear
.

Listening
—One of the three main categories of psychic
Talent
.
Sensitives
with this ability are able to hear the voices of the dead, echoes of past events, and other unnatural sounds associated with
manifestations
.

Lurker*
—A variety of
Type One
ghost
that hangs back in the shadows, rarely moving, never approaching the living, but spreading strong feelings of anxiety and
creeping fear
.

Magnesium flare
—A metal canister with a breakable glass seal, containing magnesium, iron, salt, gunpowder and an igniting device. An important
agency
weapon against aggressive
ghosts
.

Malaise
—A feeling of despondent lethargy often experienced when a
ghost
is approaching. In extreme cases this can deepen into dangerous
ghost-lock
.

Manifestation
—A ghostly occurrence. May involve all kinds of supernatural phenomena, including sounds, smells, odd sensations, moving objects, drops in temperature, and the glimpse of
apparitions
.

Miasma
—An unpleasant atmosphere, often including disagreeable tastes and smells, experienced in the run-up to a
manifestation
. Regularly accompanied by
creeping fear
,
malaise
, and
chill
.

Night watch
—Groups of children, usually working for large companies and local government councils, who guard factories, offices, and public areas after dark. Though not allowed to use
rapiers
, night-watch children have long
iron
-tipped spears to keep
apparitions
at bay.

Nimbus
—A ring-shaped
aura
; a bright but grainy halo of
other-light
that may surround a
Source
or
apparition
.

Operative
—Another name for a psychic investigation agent.

Other-light
—An eerie, unnatural light radiating from some
apparitions
.