11 | A Tale of Three Cities

In which Havock meets his match, in more ways than one.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I Heeart three d are.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
For full exposure. Listen with that phones.

Speaker 3 (00:08):
Havoctown is a production of iHeart Podcasts and Grimm and
Mild from Aaron Mankey Headphones recommended Listener discretion advised.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hello, Governor Tyler, mister Havoc, how may I assist you
this evening? Well, you can tell me what the hell
you think you're doing about the situation in Havoc. Mister Havoc,
I've deployed the New Hampshire National Guard to assist the
CDC authorities already there how many I've what how many troops?

(00:49):
Two hundred for the purposes of keeping order fromp polling
numbers right now leading into the elections. I don't see
how that has anything. I'll tell you your neck connect with
Bill Johnson, A single percentage point could swing it to him.
I'd imagine a massive influx of cash into his campaign
with weeks ago may help him to Now you've listened

(01:10):
to me, Jory Havoc. I listened to me e vacuous,
sniveling ideologue that Barry men better than you. I've taken
down presidents, cardinals, kings. Governor, do you think you can
just don't know who the hell you think you are
Jery Havock. But I can assure you that no, no, dammit, poraen.

Speaker 1 (02:11):
God, Jesus, what now it's a whole convoy. Oh and
the fire trucks. Should I get it? Yeah, I guess, dotties.

Speaker 4 (02:26):
Who's calling?

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (02:28):
Hey, hey, it's Sylvie. Hold on, who is it? It's Marie?
Give me the phone. Hi. How was.

Speaker 2 (02:38):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:38):
I was on my way out of town.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
But what.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Jesus were there? Any? My god?

Speaker 2 (02:50):
What? What? What? Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:53):
I'm not going anywhere. The roads are going to be blocked.
At this point, I think, Oh, okay, see you shortly.
I guess, well, well, don't leave me hanging. There's been
some sort of attack on the hospital. What like? What

(03:14):
or vampires? I don't honestly know.

Speaker 3 (03:20):
Well, all right, then we stay put, I mean, unless
we come out of attack by vampires.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
Oh too soon, let's keep reading. Okay.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
Great wealth does not bestow meaning on a life. Oh no,
poor boy. Great wealth does not bestow means.

Speaker 2 (03:43):
As I grew older, I required less in the way
of nourishment, at first, going days between feedings and then weeks.
By the time I have been what I am for
a century, so feedings were a month's apart and seemed
to stay there, s craving would calm and going between
my feelings. But largely, like everything else, I'd wrenged control

(04:06):
of the impulses so that I could focus on growing
my world. As my businesses spread out over the continent
and across the seas, As I accrude and consolidated powers,
reached my fingers into the spy strade thanking government, so
grew my desperation. Nothing was enough, and so my coffers

(04:31):
were filled. I found that the core of me, a dreadful,
yawning emptiness of was a vacuum, absorbing everything I touched,
but never feeling full. I found myself growing reckless, with
my person, walking dangerous streets late at night, starting fights

(04:51):
with men much larger and less stable than myself. When
I heard of the unrest in France, I told my
inferiors that I saw in it a uni week opportunity.
Many of the more savvy among the French gentry had
begun to see the winds changing, and were attempting to
liquidate and flee before the undress became violence. Even those

(05:11):
who were wilfully blind have begun moving their words around,
and I believed it myself when I told Elsie, my
employ that we could be the conduit through which it
had wealth flowed, our bank in England, a safe place
for which that wealth could be kept for a price,
of course. But something deeper in me just wished to

(05:35):
place myself in the center of that strife. That part
of me had created, the violence, something shrouded in the
shadows that even I dared not gaze upon directly. I
believe now that it was not blood lost, but a
certain longing for death, as there was little less to conquer,

(05:57):
and so as tensions rose to the boiling point, I
found my way into the city of Paris. Between my
business dealings, I would frequently find myself walking the filthy streets,
wearing velvet and lace, silk and finer re poudered as
any aristocrat, flaunting my velvet, ostentatiously meeting the eyes of

(06:19):
every lefty student and hungry ruffian, waiting for the violence
I saw great to be visited upon me.

Speaker 1 (06:26):
You not die.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
One occasional rock was thrown, a little blood drawn here
runs there, But whenever I found myself giving into it,
my abused recoil, recognizing my ready willingness to submit myself
to the feast and the cudgel. It was not sporting,
they saw, and so I passed largely or molested through

(06:53):
the streets, as others of great velve cowered behind the
vaults that would not protect them in the end. On
one such walk, I passed the tavern in one of
the poor quarters, and inside hurt the sounds of revolution.

Speaker 4 (07:09):
Clearly, if the spring of popular government in time of
peace is virtue, the springs of popular government in revolution
are at once virtue and terror.

Speaker 2 (07:25):
I could feel the pulse of blood in a room,
smelled it bit feverishly within all of them. I could
not help but walk towards it.

Speaker 4 (07:36):
Terror is nothing else as a unjustice prompt, severe, inflexible.
It is therefore an emanation of virtue.

Speaker 2 (07:50):
And it did not take long for my presence among
the revolutionaries to be noticed. Cafe two is sigur tom.
What are you doing here? Clatten, the leader asked, to
which I replied, looking for my next meal. Wha Jesias?

(08:10):
That seemed to do the trick. They were on me, quickly,
brutally tearing up my clothing, scratching up my face, pounting
my body with fists and feet. The pain must exquisite,
and then I felt nothing. When I woke covers on

(08:35):
a bed in complete darkness. It was cold, musty the
sheets I lay on with them with my sweat, and
in the dark I could sense her. Who are you?

Speaker 5 (08:50):
I was waiting to ask you the same, how do
you feel?

Speaker 2 (08:55):
I hadn't time to answer before she struck a match
to light the stop of a candle, But I saw
on the flash took my press.

Speaker 5 (09:02):
Of her, Lucille, you must take me for someone else.

Speaker 2 (09:13):
But the resemblance was uncanny. Of the years, I had
become worried that the memory of her face had been
corrupted by distance. But now that it stood before me again,
the suddenity came rushing back. But you, it's it's uncuiebler.
It's incredible. You look just like her, Lucille.

Speaker 5 (09:37):
I assure you we have not met a coincidence.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
And as she stepped closer, the spell was broken. When
my Lucille's face was full, hers was drawn. While Lucia's
eyes were soft, hers contained a sharpness, a hunger. Still
there was a resemblance. So I guess at my weights
and tried to sit up and shop and stop me,

(10:04):
and I collapse back. I had indeed taken quite a beating.

Speaker 5 (10:09):
Now, no, my darling, you have healed very quickly, but
not yet enough to be walking around on your own
too feet.

Speaker 2 (10:16):
Who are you?

Speaker 5 (10:17):
I am a barmaid at the establishment. You entered so
foolishly dressed like a peagug.

Speaker 2 (10:23):
Stupid mistake.

Speaker 5 (10:26):
Do not lie to me. I saw your face as
you entered. You got exactly what you came to get.

Speaker 2 (10:33):
How did I get here? Well?

Speaker 5 (10:35):
After they beat you into a shapeless mess, I was
tasked with clearing you from the tavern floor. It was difficult,
as you were quite dead, and the men who put
you in a position were unwilling to assist in your removal.
I see, and so I dragged you into the alley,
and as I was going through your pockets, you began

(10:56):
to breathe again. A miracle, the first of many. Are
you a magician, a saint, or something else?

Speaker 2 (11:11):
The devil? I assure you I am none of these things.

Speaker 5 (11:20):
I have watched your wounds, clothes. You are not a
normal man.

Speaker 2 (11:24):
You are not afraid.

Speaker 5 (11:26):
Why would I be afraid? You couldn't walk across this
floor in your condition?

Speaker 2 (11:32):
And when I have finished healing.

Speaker 5 (11:34):
Why would you hurt the one person in the whole
city who would help you.

Speaker 2 (11:40):
And what you wish for in return for happening?

Speaker 5 (11:44):
We'll see. Let me get you something to eat. No,
don't bother, you're not hungry, not yet?

Speaker 2 (11:53):
The water?

Speaker 1 (11:54):
No whine?

Speaker 2 (11:56):
No?

Speaker 5 (12:00):
Why are you doing an experiment?

Speaker 2 (12:03):
She climbed onto the bed, pressing herself tightly against me.
I could feel the strum of her pulse through her bodies.
After such agony, this drill ran through me. Hunger, of course, hunger,
but also something else, a deep with desire, more base.

(12:27):
And then her face touching mine, sliding up until her
neck pressed itself against my lips.

Speaker 5 (12:37):
Why are you you're trembling?

Speaker 2 (12:39):
I'm not well.

Speaker 5 (12:41):
You feel desire, I feel pain? Hm. The question is
do you wish to rubish me or devour me?

Speaker 1 (12:53):
Or is it both?

Speaker 2 (12:56):
Please?

Speaker 1 (12:57):
I believe I know what you are.

Speaker 5 (13:01):
We had stories about your kind in my village to
scare children into coming home or dark, and still you
are not afraid. What's there to be afraid of? A
look around you? The world burns soon, the city will
go up like a powder keg. The rich and poor
alike would be swept up in it? Why fear the inevitable?

Speaker 2 (13:22):
What is your name?

Speaker 5 (13:24):
Sophia Jury?

Speaker 2 (13:27):
Thank you for collecting me, But you should have left
me in the hardway.

Speaker 5 (13:33):
But then I wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet my.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
Salvation, your salvation.

Speaker 5 (13:40):
I was brought here by a Russian nobleman, and then
he abandoned me when he lost his wealth. I've been
trapped in this wretched city ever since.

Speaker 2 (13:50):
You wish to take me from here.

Speaker 5 (13:53):
To hell wherever it is your going, consider it payment
for my kindnesses, and then we can discuss the matter further.
Do we have an agreement?

Speaker 2 (14:08):
What could I do but acvious? And so two days later,
when my wounds had largely healed, we dressed ourselves in
the plain clothes of the peasants and set off from
the similar envirolence of Paris, making our a vest via
an odd courage. Sofia insists that I hide my van
as mobs of revolutionist stocks of roads outside of Paris

(14:32):
looking for hiding gentry, and so event under assumed names
doctor and missus Mannette, our solitary forms, runous buildings, divers,
tenaries and the like, and boarded the ferry to England.
Within days London suited Sofia were. Neither of us had

(14:59):
in interest in society. And so when I was not
conducting my business with with walks streets at all hours,
finding ourselves having a rich means selling the terms, seeing
all manner of art and theater, she had a voracious
hunger for knowledge, for the full experience of existence. Her

(15:21):
life before had been a struggle to strive. Born in
a poor village, not unlike my own, she had managed
to find work, first as a scullery maid in the
nobles house, and then, through machinations that she would not share,
out of some secret chain, she had managed her way
into working in the ladies chambers, using her charm to

(15:41):
soon become the darling. And so she began to see
the world from that narrow advantage. And when the family
found themselves in exile from their own country, she traveled
with them to Paris, where they fell upon hard times.
Her life had made her a quick study of language skill,
but most importantly of people. She could ingratiate herself to

(16:06):
the most solitary of people that she traveled with me
alone as many decades as testaments are sad, and despite
myself my heart so long hardened by such solitude, and
my station began to soften.

Speaker 6 (16:39):
The mariner, whose eye is bright, whose beard with age
is whore, is gone. And now the wedding guest turned
from the bridegroom's door. He went like one that hath
been stunned, and is of sense Forlorn, a sadder and
wiser man.

Speaker 2 (17:00):
He rose the morrow morn bravocorac, as marvelous now as
when it was first written.

Speaker 6 (17:09):
I thank you, Havoc. It means much, coming from one
who is best known for his fleet.

Speaker 2 (17:15):
A question, Yes, missus Havoc.

Speaker 5 (17:18):
It is a problem of imagery. Do go on, madam,
day after day, day after day? We stuck nor breath
nor motion, as idle as a sculpture upon a marble ocean.

Speaker 6 (17:43):
I'm impressed that you've memorized the passage.

Speaker 5 (17:45):
Isn't a marble sculpture? Heavy?

Speaker 2 (17:50):
But that is the point.

Speaker 5 (17:52):
It's immovable, Yes, yes, yes, but it brings to mind
a stone that would sink. Would their imagery captured the
stillness without all the weight, perhaps as idle as a

(18:13):
painted ship upon a painted ocean. You see the repetition
of the world even mirrors the exhaustion of the sameness
of the days within the dolbrooms.

Speaker 3 (18:27):
Hmmm.

Speaker 6 (18:32):
I must offer my condolences, Havoc.

Speaker 2 (18:35):
And why is that it seems as though you've married
a poet. Through Sofia's eyes, I saw the world and
knew as a single wander to be safered. I saw
humanity as something strange and lovely. I felt was the
first time since clawing myself out of the grave, something

(19:00):
approaching joy. She was giving me life in the ways
that pumping blood had not, and I was entirely unprepared
for what came next. I had a message. When I failed,
I would dress well, even extravagantly in leaning on lace

(19:21):
and very wet, and then make my way to the
hunting ground. It would begin in a busy place, a tavern,
a theater, a night market, such as the one I
found myself trolling on this night. You find someone with
the sharp eyes, someone who is watching the crowd as
intently as you, someone who is looking for something, a weakness,

(19:47):
a chink in the armor, something to exploit and then
become that weakness. Hmm. I could feel when the hungry
eyes fell on Ah, they sink, look at this tasty
fruit ready to pluck. And then I would do everything

(20:09):
my power to ignore my prayer as they stalked me about,
flashing my purse, working towards the edge of the crowd,
and then I would make my break from it, wandering
down the quiet side streets and waiting for my prayer
to catch up. This is night was not different until

(20:29):
you you are following me. What do you want? Why?

Speaker 7 (20:35):
Nothing at all, my lord, just out for a night's straw.
When I saw you taking the dangerous path away from
the market.

Speaker 2 (20:42):
Then you're here to to protect me? Not at all,
my lord? Do you wish me harm?

Speaker 7 (20:50):
I wish for your ring, sir, and your purse and
those fancy boots.

Speaker 2 (20:55):
Oh and if I do not give them over, I've
been known to cut the rings off if they're not
freely giving as you raise.

Speaker 5 (21:14):
It's really not as violent as I thought, Sophia. You
really are quite strong. You managed to overpower them so quickly.
It's over in a flash.

Speaker 2 (21:24):
What are you doing here? Why are you?

Speaker 5 (21:27):
I just I wanted to see with my own eyes
how you feed yourself. It's dangerous here, you know, not
for you tell me, darling, how badly does it hurt?

Speaker 2 (21:41):
I'd imagine the penny's intense, but very brief, the broad
loss the experience causes people to lose consciousness.

Speaker 5 (21:48):
Darling, don't be foolish, son, What do you mean? I
knew you wouldn't allow me to watch you, so I
followed you in secret.

Speaker 1 (22:00):
I'm sorry.

Speaker 5 (22:02):
I did not mean to betray your trust, but I
needed to know if I could stomach it watching you eat,
And having watched it now closely, I can say without
a doubt, it is the most natural thing in the world.
So I ask you again, how badly does it hurt

(22:27):
to be turned?

Speaker 2 (22:28):
I do not know. I don't remember how it happened
to me. Have you turned others only once? If I
know of, And I was not happy about it, just
dazed and hungry and living like a rat.

Speaker 5 (22:42):
But you would care for me, wouldn't you, no matter
how difficult, no matter how it went, how what my love.
I wished to remain by your side. I wish to
experience what you experience.

Speaker 1 (23:01):
No, I have spent my life serving.

Speaker 5 (23:04):
I do not want to be your pets, upplating something
for you to wear on your arm and flay whether
and I I will not serve. I wish to rain
jury beside you. If you love me, if you truly
love me, you would wish this for.

Speaker 2 (23:22):
Me as well?

Speaker 5 (23:25):
Do you do you love me?

Speaker 2 (23:30):
And so the matter was decided.

Speaker 5 (23:33):
When no time like the present.

Speaker 2 (23:36):
Here on a dirty side street of the poor coatural
of the town.

Speaker 5 (23:41):
I was born in such a quarter. We met in
such a quarter. It is fitting. Besides, I do not
care to wait any longer as you wish.

Speaker 2 (23:54):
So I am not entirely sure. Heart's done. I usual
drink until the subject is dead. The times that I
didn't led me to believe that it was the disease
of the blood. I suppose. I just I'll give you
some of mine.

Speaker 5 (24:13):
Here your victim had a knife to run, Give me
your hand.

Speaker 2 (24:18):
What do you plan.

Speaker 5 (24:19):
Don't be a baby, darling. Now let me drink.

Speaker 2 (24:25):
And so she raised my hand to her lips and
drank greedily.

Speaker 5 (24:33):
Now what, No, I don't know.

Speaker 2 (24:37):
Now we wait, tell me do you feel anything?

Speaker 5 (24:45):
I don't.

Speaker 2 (24:48):
Of course, nothing happens that evening. It was the next day.
That's the first symptoms showed themselves. First a mark of
her nose ran, then a fever, and I said, it's
a rage, bringing sons, blood and sweat. Pouring from her.

(25:09):
She rented and raved through the day in the night,
and on the fifth day she died. I began to
doubt myself at that point, if I'm being honest, began
to doubt that I even could turn her. And that
doubt grew into a rising panic as the hours passed

(25:30):
and I stood witchual over her corpse, but said, of course, Sophia.

Speaker 1 (25:40):
Hello, darling, I'm thirsty.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
I had considered this possibility. Come in, Ah, is this here?
It is? And I can just have my way with her.
You can try, Sophia. This is Morrison. He is a

(26:04):
sailor in my employer. I ran into him by the
docks at the cat house.

Speaker 5 (26:09):
Oh mm hmmm.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
He has violent proclivities, does he? Ah?

Speaker 5 (26:18):
Miss, No, no touch me down there anymore.

Speaker 2 (26:22):
They're too afraid.

Speaker 5 (26:24):
But mister Hannaky says, you quite enjoy your little violence.
Does he come closer, Morrison?

Speaker 2 (26:36):
Ah, you're quite.

Speaker 5 (26:39):
The vision mission, so I've been talked.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
Help me, are you? The violence with which she failed
was terrifying or inspired, so unlike my first time, she
latched onto some man, wrapped her arms and legs about him.
Her sharp ite had found it joculars, so easily, and

(27:07):
now she clung to him as he thrashed and kicked
and finally surrendered to his final journey. Ah hmmm, so.

Speaker 6 (27:21):
More.

Speaker 2 (27:23):
I think I knew even in that moment that we
would have to live well ordered London, because the early
times are ravenous. And Sophia proved me right. Over the
coming days, two three songs a night, and still she thusted.
It was dizzy, and within a few days began to
draw attention in the press. The seaf evening of her

(27:45):
new existence. I began making our plans to move west
into the wiles of the Americas, those lawless lens, a
land borne of violence could easily bear a burton of
her thirst. Can do cassa?

Speaker 1 (28:02):
Jesus, what was that? Sounds like someone threw a brick
through the window.

Speaker 2 (28:08):
Sort of a bitch, I'm gonna go check it out.

Speaker 1 (28:12):
Shit, Sylvie, Wait, Sylvie. And then Jury Havoc himself stood
in the center of my bar, his eyes burning. He
was not happy.

Speaker 2 (28:30):
You have something of mine.

Speaker 1 (28:32):
You listen here, asshole. We know what you are, and
you can Sylvie. You can have your book. Okay, just
get out of here.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
I'm afraid we'll well pass that point.

Speaker 1 (28:45):
Now stay away from her.

Speaker 2 (28:51):
Quiet. I tried to be your friend. I won't for
you to remember that. I came to you in this
spirit of friendship, and it was your mistrust that brought
us to this rather sad point. Oh, it's something funny.

Speaker 1 (29:10):
There was never any chance of friendship. You are a monster.

Speaker 2 (29:16):
Stay back, you're moving behind the bar? Is it back there?
What the Bible? The steak Bible won't work on me.
I've read it too thoroughly to be impressed. Stopping story
poorly told, and frankly, I don't think you're strong enough
to get the steak into my heart.

Speaker 1 (29:32):
So I disagree. I've done it before.

Speaker 2 (29:36):
Really I've misjudged you. Then stop, I'm not going to
give you the opportunity. Why why what?

Speaker 1 (29:45):
Why did you come back here to finish what you started?

Speaker 2 (29:49):
And what did I start.

Speaker 1 (29:50):
The destruction of the town?

Speaker 2 (29:53):
Why would I destroy this town?

Speaker 1 (29:55):
I what what use would it be?

Speaker 2 (30:01):
Why would I draw this sort of attention to myself?

Speaker 6 (30:03):
Well?

Speaker 1 (30:05):
Why did you start this outbreak?

Speaker 2 (30:08):
Why would I do that?

Speaker 1 (30:10):
It's where Sophia died, where she.

Speaker 2 (30:12):
Was murdered by your grandfather.

Speaker 1 (30:15):
By the way she was killing people.

Speaker 2 (30:18):
I didn't come here to infect the town.

Speaker 1 (30:23):
Then why why are you here.

Speaker 2 (30:25):
To draw her out? Who finally her?

Speaker 1 (30:39):
Get away from her Havoc, Mari, get out of here.

Speaker 2 (30:44):
Run I was wondering, when you'd finally show your face.

Speaker 1 (30:48):
What what are you talking about?

Speaker 2 (30:51):
Travesty after travesty, befalling my business, the fires at the shipyards,
the factories, trains derailed, all the while the authorities eye
me as if I was causing all of it. It
took me a long time to figure out that there
was a mind behind it, and even longer to figure
out who was causing all the pandemonium.

Speaker 1 (31:12):
And here you are, Marie, What the hell is he
talking about?

Speaker 2 (31:17):
Corier? Come now, it's not every day that you get
to meet face to face with your ancestors. Well, don't
leave her in the dark, you monster. Say hello to
your granddaughter de Mares.

Speaker 3 (31:37):
Havoctown was created by me Aaron Manke. The show was
written and directed by Nicholas Takoski. This episode was edited
and sound designed by Nomes Griffin. Starring Jewels State as
Coreine Abbs, James Callus as Jerry Havoc, Felicia Day as
Sylvie Harris, with additional voice acting from Hannah Fearman, Eric Td,

(32:00):
Dick terhun Jack Lafferty, Jonathan Baron, Stephen Manley, David Davrees,
and Aaron Mankey. This season is directed by Nicholas Takowski
with assistant directors Sarah Klein and Jake Diamond, casting by
Sunday Bowling CSA and Meg Mormon CSA. Production coordinator Wayna Calderon.

(32:21):
Our theme song was created by Chris Childs executive producers
Aaron Mankey, Trevor Young, and Matt Frederick, with supervising producer
Rima Lkali and producers Nomes Griffin and Jesse Funk. Havoctown
is set in the Bridgewater Audio universe, which includes the
hit fiction podcasts Bridgewater and Consumed. Learn more about both shows,

(32:42):
as well as Havoctown at grimandmild dot com, and find
more podcasts from iHeartRadio by visiting the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.