Dear Mr. Stroud

I have some questions about the mercenary named Verroq. I found him very interesting because he resisted so powerfull magical attacks and was a little bit sad about his death! :D

1. Where did he get his seven-leage boots?

2. Why does he know Lovelace and the others?

3. Who is he exactly? (Where does he come from? Is he some kind of a professional killer?)

Thank you for spending your time answering some of my questions.

Hi Affa,

Sorry about the delay answering your question. Yep, I like Verroq too, and was a bit sad he got killed off. He had potential to develop into a bigger plot strand, but somehow it didn't work out that way.

1. The Seven-league boots probably fall into the same category of magical artefact as the knowledge used in Prague to make the Golem. In other words, its a real local speciality, developed and jealously guarded by its practitioners. I guess that the boots were made somewhere in northern Europe, possibly even Britain, since it's in European folklore that the boots are first recorded. As to where exactly, Verroq can't tell us, because he's dead. Almost certainly he killed off whoever it was who made them, since that is what he's wont to do.

2. Being a particularly effective assassin (see question 3) Verroq eventually comes to the attention of the Powers in London - in this case Makepeace, Lovelace and their circle. They have occasional need of someone with his particular skills, since it isn't always politic to send djinn or other demons to kill off enemies etc. He's quiet, quick and effective, and hard for demons to overcome thanks to his high resilience.

3. Verroq's own origins are lost - I suspect he comes from southern Europe, north Africa or the middle East. Somehow, somewhere, he has become affiliated to the same Assassin sect begun by the Hermit of the Mountain (mentioned in PG, ch 1). He has the criss-cross insignia on the back of his hands. This sect is shadowy and fragmented and its members may well operate entirely individually.

All the best,

Jonathan