Read the Annotated Edition

Wail of an Ebbing Tide Annotated Edition © 2016 Xena Torres www.bitchofrome.com/pennydreadful Penny Dreadful is the copyright property of Showtime and Sky. It was created by John Logan and produced by Desert Wolf Productions and Neal Street Productions. This fan fiction story has been written for entertainment purposes only out of love for the show and out of respect to my fellow Dreadfuls. Dedicated to Eva Green for the gift of Vanessa Ives & my fellow Dreadfuls INTRODUCTION Why do an annotated edition? The purpose of an annotated text is to aid in the comprehension of the story. Perhaps it seems vain, or like a writer who refuses to see their material is overly complicated, but I would argue it is a sign of respect to the reader to not “dumb it down.” Penny Dreadful was a complex series that never talked down to its audience, so why write a fan fiction based on the series and assume the reader needs to have the story spoon-fed to them? As I stated in the author’s note of Wail of an Ebbing Tide, this story is best enjoyed if read at least twice. There are complexities wo- ven throughout the book that will be easier to pick up on a second read, but even doing that will not reveal everything the story has to offer; no reader is a master scholar in every subject with an eidetic memory. Like Penny Dreadful, the book is laced with references to the clas- sic literary sources, but even if you’ve read Dracula and Frankenstein, that does not make every reference obvious. Poetry is easy enough to find with a quick internet search, but what about the Fulke Greville inspired Christopher Hitchens quote, the subtle allusion to prostitution from George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, or the more modern literary references? Some of these are just for fun, while others provide additional insight into the scene or characters, insight that the reader may miss if they are not familiar with the referenced works, or do not happen to make the connections. It does not prevent the reader from enjoying the story, but it does deny some deeper connections to it. A Dreadful myself, I still had to refresh my memory, even when I knew what scene or line I was wanting to make a callback to. Some quotes and scenes simply stand out stronger than others, especially depending on your own personal connection to the show and the characters. Wail of an Ebbing Tide contains a range of references, some obvious, most subtle, and would require a wealth of knowledge that no single person could possess, including this author. I spent a consid- erable amount of effort doing a wide range of research in a variety of areas and subjects, besides drawing from my own educational background and personal areas of interest. References aside, like a great episode of Penny Dreadful, the writ- ing is not designed to clobber you over the head; I chose instead to respect your intelligence. The information is there, but may require some mining, some thought, or some debate and discussion with fellow fans. That’s one thing I loved about Penny Dreadful: discussing the episode and trying to dissect it with a fellow fan, trying to gather all the evidence and piece together what was really going on. As a concluding story, Wail of an Ebbing Tide required me to apply most of my own thoughts and theories to spell out what it all meant in the end, but even as I provided those conclusions, I avoided, where I could, the grand reveal that took all the mystery away from you. In doing so, beta readers enjoyed discussing the book with me, sharing their own theories and insights, but that did not mean they had no interest in my intent. So, Dreadfuls, I decided it made sense to provide you with this annotated edition of Wail of an Ebbing Tide, to give you access to my thought process, my intent behind not only the plot and character development, but also the sources referenced, the mythology in- cluded, and the Penny Dreadful callbacks. Enjoy. CONTENTS PROLOGUE: THE BLESSED DARK 1 PART I: BLOODY BUT UNBOWED 29 PART II: OUT OF THE NIGHT 67 PART III: BLACK AS THE PIT 97 PART IV: MIDNIGHT WITH NO PAIN 143 PART V: COME TO DUST 171 PART VI: HORROR OF THE SHADE 205 than opened the door and stepped into the white bricked room. He felt stifling heat from the hundreds of burning candles, smell- ing the hot wax as it dripped down to the floor. Seeing no familiars, he set his drawn gun back into the holster, but kept his tingling fingers close to the grips of his weapons, praying he would not need to draw them. She stood at the end of the shallow hall in the middle of the small, circular room with her back to him. As he stepped closer, she slowly turned her body just enough for her eyes to make contact with his. Her skin was pale be- yond life, except around her eyes where it was tinged red. Her irises held him. He had seen playfulness and delight in those eyes; strength, compassion, hard- ness, and even cruelty. The eyes were the same flesh, but they were not her eyes. They were dead. His chest pain- fully constricted as he realized his des- 3 XENA TORRES 1 This is a nod to a quote perate desire to save her did not mean from the TV show Gar- that he could. goyles. The gargoyle, Hud- “Miss Ives,” he said softly as he en- son, when being asked his tered the room, closing the distance name before he had one replies, “Must you hu- between them. mans name everything? She pivoted, gliding as if not touch- No ing the ground, and faced him. “After thing's real to you 'til all this time and all we’ve shared, still you've named it, given it limits.” so formal, Mr. Chandler?” Her voice, but not her voice. 2 Lucifer. “Vanessa.” “Not quite.” “Amunet,” he ventured. She gave him a dangerous half smile. “Somewhat. If it suits you to so call me, I’ll allow it. You humans do like to name a thing as though that gives you some power over it.”1 He took a few more steps, leaving an arm’s length between them. Her black hair trailed over the long, white dress, which seemed so foreign to him on her body; she was a dark thing, now even more so: the Mother of Evil un- leashing death upon the world, but un- like Vanessa, dressed in white. She studied him with razor eyes, seemingly able to look right through him to his soul. He supposed she was doing just that. “Quite the adventure you had in America. You were nearly ready to join yourself to my other be- loved,2 yet here you come to challenge 4 WAIL OF AN EBBING TIDE me to this bloody dance once more. How hypocritical of you, Lupus Dei.” “I want to talk to Vanessa.” “She can hear you, our dear Miss Ives. She’s here with me as I have always been here with her. This prudish era, her strong rebellious will; trapped within the faith of a repressive, false religion...I have not experienced a heart so close to my own in more years than you could imagine. I stirred in my cage and the scorpion stung her down to her soul, calling out to my beloveds. With her I have always felt so free. I have given her that same gift.” She began to circle him. Though nothing about her posture or her movements suggested an attack, Ethan tensed anyway. “You would claim to love her, but you are here to try to shackle her by shackling me. You’ve seen her true self, Ethan, you know her heart. Before you now we both stand. Even if you could restrain me, she will always be the scorpion.” “I don’t want to restrain her.” “Good. Then leave this place, Lupus Dei, for she is free with me and my be- loved.” “I don’t want to restrain her, and I know her heart; this is not her. You are not her. I don’t know if you’re trying to lie to me or yourself. Vanessa’s heart is 5 XENA TORRES 3 Lupus Dei never seemed pure.” to be fully realized on Pe- “Her love for broken things?” she nny Dreadful. Besides be- questioned with a mocking tone. ing a rather boring look- “Yes.” ing werewolf, he did not factor in the final battles “And what of her cruelty?” against Lucifer or Dracula “You are responsible for that.” in terms of protecting Va- “Am I?” nessa from them in any “Yes.” real way. In 207 “Little Scorpion,” She smiled again, delighted by the Mr. Lyle notes: “The de- game, a game only she knew the rules mon, the hound, the scor- to and one Ethan had no clue how to pion. Endlessly circling win. “Well then, shall we have blood, one another,” suggesting Lupus Dei, or are you just another Lupus Dei was directly part of the entire spiritual mindless animal? Not that it matters; war that was being waged you have failed either way.” throughout the series over “I don’t understand.” Vanessa. With Kaetenay “Ah, you didn’t know you weren’t being a werewolf as well, Ethan lost even this uni- the only one.

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