Manfred's house burned down last night. I fear Old Tom, Dr Price, and their boys had a hand in it, but official word from the Rev Halzberg is they were at a pot luck at the time. No chance of getting a different song from those birds. There was a body in the house, they believe it was M himself, but was badly burnt and hard to tell. Report this morn says they found him in a circle of candles and books, looked demonic, some of the books were covered in strange symbols. Got asked if I knew anything after police were told we had received a strangely marked bell from him. I told them we had got a decorative bell, sure, but it weren't good for use and we no longer had it. They seemed content with that.

I put in for a move downstream. I want no more of this business in Allegheney.

Asked after Manfred as I hadn't heard from him in a few days. No-one in town has seen him, but Old Tom spit when I mentioned his name. I fear he and his boys have linked M and his bell to that business with the red Indian, there had been word he'd been raising ghosts on the river, and turned on him. These logs are the only place I know are safe to record what they're doing now.​ Word has it the Wozniak estate has been all but shunned. Old Tom came around asking if I'd heard anything on the river about Joanna and the boy. I told them I hadn't, and made sure to remind him that the river was starting to improve. I don't believe he was listening. Whatever they have in their heads, I don't think it will come out now but through their hands.

​Foul smell from the river again today, many dead fish. Old Tom insisted the entire community is cursed because of some red man. He brought around a reverend to bless the boat and say a prayer for the river. We humored him, it certainly don't hurt, but I grow concerned about his obsession with this man; reminded him not to do anything brash. He waved me off.

Current was slow.

Old Tom joined Reverend Halzberg and I on our Tuesday brunch. Tom reports that the river had a burst of dead fish this morning and fears the waters are cursed. He says the crew of the Hastings have reason to believe something was called from the water shortly before the savage arrived.
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Concerned for the fate of the river, we collected a few more fishermen and made for the Wozniak estate. Viktor was welcoming, and heard our case for sending the boy away, but informed us that Joanna was in the City to-day and assured us that he had already seen to it that the savage was far from Allegheny. When pressed, he confessed that he had given the boy a parcel of land to live on!

​We informed him that such sacrifices to a dark spirit would surely doom us all, but he was insistent it was the only option he had. We left feeling that we would get no resolution from the Wozniaks without more pressure, and spent the after-noon gathering supporters and posting flyers. We shall see their estate fall before we allow this curse to consume our city.

Manfred delivered his bell today. Silver, etched with beautiful pattern and symbols. I asked him if the symbols had to do with those books he’s been reading, he assured they don’t mean nothing. Gave it a test on the Allegheny, above and below Pittsburg. Sound insufficient for our needs, promised M to ask our nicer boat if they need something pretty.

​I hope they decline. Could swear something was stirring in the water when it was a-ringing.