The Beast in the Boat
The following account is reconstructed from several hands, and concerns the events below decks aboard the SS Verona on the night of the amulet's return.
The Professor returned to Lord Arbuthnott's cabin, while his Lordship went to the Salon to fetch Captain Leighton and Amin, meeting the Professor en route back to the cabin. As soon as they entered the cabin the ship heaved in a disconcerting fashion, the lights flickered and dimmed, and there appeared to be a reduction in speed. Everybody was convinced that this signified the arrival of the Beast.
There was a brief deliberation about going on deck or down below, but the Professor was convinced that Samson was on to something, and anyways, he wanted to retrieve his beloved pooch. Everyone agreed and the party followed the Professor to where he last heard Samson, and went below...
... to a scene of carnage. The stairs descended into a boiler room, steam and smoke was everywhere, and the noise of the engine thundering beyond the open door in the bulkhead made it difficult to see, hear or think. A boiler had burst, and a severely burnt stoker lay with his back against the side of the ship pointing to the engine room. His Lordship heard the shouting of men from the door opposite and looked in briefly to see stokers and engineers attempting to mitigate further damage to the ship — damping fires, shutting off water to the boiler etc. The Professor — who unbeknownst to anyone had a burgeoning interest in thermodynamics and steam engines — was able to ascertain that the boiler didn't burst from steam pressure. The rending of the boiler plate occurred at a point of strength, the weaker areas of the boiler still intact. Something had forced its way out of the boiler. The party could sense that strange, ominous feeling of oppression they felt in the presence of the Beast of Cardiff and it emanated from the machine room. His Lordship heard the barking of Samson, although they sounded to him more like the wild shrieks of a beast of the African plains.
They entered the engine room. His Lordship spotted something heaped on the floor in front of him. The Professor pumped and lit the hurricane lamp, while his Lordship, Amin and Captain Leighton pressed on. It was a body of an engineer with a savage bite-like wound on his neck, withered and drained of blood. His Lordship threw his overcoat over the corpse and pushed on. It was then that Amin spotted a dark shape of glistening black leather. Amin shouted above the din and the Beast reacted, turning a large yellow eye on the party before disappearing into the shadows. The Professor turned and secured the door behind them, putting the safety of the ship, its crew and passengers, before the party's own chance of escape. He also didn't want Samson haring off again.
The party crossed to the port-side of the ship in pursuit of the Beast, and turned in the direction of the last sighting. It was impossible to track by noise as the thundering of the still-engaged engine dominated all. The Professor passed the lantern to Spencer and looked nervously toward the ceiling. He felt the amulet vibrate in his pocket and, perhaps in frustration, flung it expertly over the head of his Lordship, only to discover it reappear in his pocket. It was then that the Beast struck from the shadows, leaping at the stalwart Sergeant Tomlinson who was bringing up the rear. Luckily the Sergeant saw the Beast coming and was able to lash out with his nightstick, before the Beast struck him down. The Professor then showed his mettle by unloading his shotgun into the Beast, blasting it back along the gangway. The Professor dropped to his aging knees to reload, and the Captain fired a volley into the prone Beast for good measure.
Something then leapt towards his Lordship at great speed, and his Lordship discharged his pistol before realising it was Samson. Fortunately he missed, perhaps realising his mistake as he pulled the trigger and fouling the shot. Either way, everyone was relieved that Samson was alive and the Beast dealt with. His Lordship told Spencer to escort the injured Tomlinson up to the cabins, and the Professor went with him, carrying the bloodied Samson in his arms.
The military men then searched the rest of the engine room, discovering the Steward, Hughie Pinkerton, shivering, pointing and yammering. Amin picked him up and escorted him above, along with his Lordship and Captain Leighton.
Strangely, life in the decks above carried on as normal, the lilt of a Viennese Waltz drifting from the Salon, the young ladies and gallants dancing late into the night seemingly without a care.
The party await the repercussions, if any, of the night and their activities, their first priority being to rest and recuperate. Four more nights of sailing full-steam to Port Said, longer with a limping ship. And every night the possibility of another attack. Port Said seems a long way away.
The papers note the hour: late upon the night of Wednesday, the twenty-fifth of October, 1893.