1822-05-30+-+James'+Journal

Dear Journal,

We have retrieved Arianne. Anglade was more crafty than I would have expected. I had no idea he had knowledge of chemistry and poisons. The whole operation leaves me with a sort of sick feeling. Each time we get tripped up by some sense of immediacy, and this time was no different. Our failure was to allow our sentimentalism to overcome our sense of caution. One advantage that the enemy will always have is emotional detachment: they are monsters.

Ben is dead, I wish I could be happy about that, but I'm not. I think he deserved a few things, but he didn't deserve that, I don't know why he chose to join us again, he shouldn't have. I'll have to tell his wife.

Rogers, on the other hand, has sold is soul to that thing. I don't know what to make of that. I don't even know if Rogers is bothered much by the fact. Perhaps he doesn't have a soul like we do. Though exactly what this soul is that we have is a question that nags at me. And Brocc, it seems like that curse that Aela warned us of has finally manifested.

Hopefully once we are done this next mission I can secure Arianne, and visit Mrs Clifford, and we can return to England and live in peace, at least for a while. I would like take a break from this. Mrs Clifford will undoubtedly need some help moving back to England and as the last people to see her husband alive, I feel some obligation. As far as I can tell, this hidden world of monsters self-regulates anyways, and my absence will be of little consequence.