Jack Ridpath is writing a suicide letter and plans to jump into the River Thames to die. A woman arrives and dissuades Ridpath from jumping, even addressing him by his name despite being a stranger. She introduces herself as Mrs. Bartholomew and as an emissary of the Chapel of Night. Ridpath is aware of the Chapel and that their emissaries come to those who have lost all hope. Bartholomew asks Ridpath to come with her to the Chapel of Night.
Jago and Litefoot have just returned from the 51st century after passing through a portal of chronoplasm. Despite the familiar 19th century surroundings, Litefoot is not certain whether they successfully returned to their time, but Jago is too preoccupied with alliteratively describing the positive familiarity of London to listen. Both men decide to ponder over it at the Red Tavern.
On the streets of London, Ridpath is walking with Mrs Bartholomew a much changed and happier man. Ridpath praises Bartholomew on how her voice seems to reassure him despite not understanding what she says. She leads Bartholomew to a road which Ridpath states has a rather unsavoury reputation, but Bartholomew is insistent and even namedrops his parents and grandparents, much to Ridpath’s confusion. She states that this road leads to the Chapel of Night…
Jago and Litefoot arrive outside the Red Tavern. Litefoot feels something is off about the Red Tavern, but Jago puts his friend’s mind at ease and the two enter the Red Tavern. Both men are pleased to see a familiar face behind the bar – Ellie. They are both even more surprised that Ellie does not recognise them…
Bartholomew leads Ridpath into the Chapel of Night. Ridpath is uneasy about all the strange technology littered around the place. Bartholomew calls for her servants to appear and several men shuffle out of the darkness in a zombie-like manner. She states they were men who now aid a higher purpose…and Ridpath will join them. Ridpath panics as the zombie-men grab hold of him and wire him up to a strange, alien machine and activate it. Bartholomew reminds Ridpath that he did agree to come with her as he screams out in pain. Once the machine stops its process, Ridpath is unwired from the machine and Bartholomew addresses him as her Lord. ‘Ridpath’, now with a deep, inhuman voice, states that his body is weak, but it will suffice and that he and his love Bartholomew have much to prepare for conquest…
On the streets of London, Jago believes Ellie has been hypnotised, hence why she does not recognise them. Litefoot has a different theory which concerns the portal they entered to arrive here, which he states if it turns out to be correct will be rather worrying. Litefoot decides that they should go to the Police Station to find Inspector Quick.
At the Chapel of Night, ‘Ridpath’ is still getting accustomed to his new body but congratulates Bartholomew on securing the safety of his people. Bartholomew states that they should make haste to summon through their warriors to claim the planet. ‘Ridpath’ cries out in pain as he complains that his host is too weak to contain his spirit. ‘Ridpath’s’ body begins to die and the evil force with is expelled, much to Bartholomew’s despair. Nonetheless, she promises to save him once again and orders her servants to get rid of Ridpath’s body. They need to find another host for her Lord…
As they walk, they pass a beggar on the streets that Jago recognises, Toby Brokesmith – an old friend. Brokesmith in turn recognises Jago, except he has not seen Jago since they were at school together, while Jago tells him it has only been a few years since they saw each other as adults. He calmly refuses any help from the Infernal Investigators and quietly leaves. Jago is perplexed that Brokesmith did not recall any history that they had together as adults. Litefoot is now adamant that they find Inspector Quick. It is not just their friends that have changed…but the whole world!
Bartholomew is pleased that Ridpath’s body has been disposed of. She orders her grunting zombie servants to guard the chapel while she journeys out into the city to find another suitable host for her Lord…
As they ride via carriage to the Police Station, Jago surmises that they must be in another dream world. But Litefoot is still not certain and knows that his answer will lie with Inspector Quick.
Brokesmith is begging on the streets when he is approached by Bartholomew. When Bartholomew implicates that Brokesmith would simply spend his begging money on alcohol, he retorts that he spends his money on accommodation and other necessities. Hearing this, Bartholomew tricks Brokesmith into implicating that he has given up on life and offers to take him to a place where he will have everything he will need…The Chapel of Night…
Jago and Litefoot arrive at the Police Station, where they are surprised to find Inspector Quick recognises Litefoot but is unfamiliar with Jago. Litefoot quizzes Quick on their standing as colleagues, to which Quick simply states that he usually calls Litefoot to perform autopsies on murder victims and nothing more. Quick mentions that he sent a message to Litefoot asking for him to look at a body found dumped in the river with an unknown cause of death. With this information, Litefoot begins to understand what is happening. But before he can explain, Quick introduces the two men to Sergeant Delaney, who will help oversee Litefoot’s autopsy. Litefoot agrees to look at the corpse. He quietly confides in Jago that the dead man may have something to do with the strange goings on…
On the streets of London, Brokesmith admits to Bartholomew that he knows there is more to the Chapel of Night than she lets on, but nonetheless is curious to see what the Chapel of Night really is.
Litefoot and Delaney enter the mortuary and find the body awaiting them on the slab. Delaney informs Litefoot that the body has no formal identification apart from a letter signed by a man called Jack, so they assume that is his name. Litefoot deduces from looking at the body that something artificial took an intense amount of strain on his body and caused it to shut down. Delaney mentions that other bodies have been discovered in the same manner. He then asks Litefoot if he is familiar with a place called the Chapel of Night…
Bartholomew and Brokesmith enter the Chapel of Night. Bartholomew is surprised that Brokesmith is not as scared as the other people she has brought in. In fact, he begins to ask about all the machinery in the room and their purposes, as well as a lot of other inane questions. Suddenly, Bartholomew’s zombie-like servants shuffle out into the open. Rather than being terrified at the sight of them, Brokesmith maintains his rather quizzical and insightful questions. Bartholomew soon realises that Brokesmith is not a desperate beggar and has been lied to. Brokesmith reveals that he is in fact an undercover journalist trying to uncover the secrets of the Chapel of Night. Bartholomew calmly, yet angrily realises that she has been tricked and commands her servants to take hold of Bartholomew and wire him into the machine…
Delaney explains that he and the police have had suspicions about the Chapel of Night but have no solid evidence to go upon. Plus, they believe Mrs. Bartholomew may know more than she is letting on. Litefoot decides to return to Jago, but Delaney tells him that he has not performed the autopsy. Litefoot assures him that he will return soon to do so…but if his theory is correct, a man who looks identical to Litefoot will arrive momentarily to do so in his stead. A statement that leaves Delaney more than bewildered…
Litefoot walks out into the station lobby and finds that Jago has disappeared. Delaney promises to ask at the desk. Litefoot fears that his friend has wondered off into a city that is not as familiar as he believes and all the people he thinks he knows are not who they really are…
Jago returns to the street where he discovered Brokesmith but cannot seem to find him. He meets with a homeless woman who informs him that Brokesmith has been taken off the street by the Chapel of Night…
Delaney informs Litefoot that Jago was last seen heading towards an old rookery street. Litefoot deduces that he has gone to look for Brokesmith. Before he leaves to investigate, Delaney tells Litefoot that they have just received reports of strange lights and sounds of screaming coming from the Chapel of Night and would appreciate it if Litefoot would accompany them to investigate.
Inside the Chapel of Night, Brokesmith, now wired up to the machinery, threatens to expose the Chapel of Night. Bartholomew calmly states that Brokesmith’s dishonesty forced her hand and reveals that she and her servants have plans to conquer the world. The servants activate the machine and Brokesmith screams out in terror…
On the way to the Chapel of Night. Litefoot asks Delaney why the Chapel of Night is so suspicious. Delaney explains that strange bodies start cropping up, people disappearing off the streets and people have been seen going into the Chapel of Night but not coming out…
Inside the Chapel of Night, the process on Brokesmith is completed and the same demonic voice booms out of him. ‘Brokesmith’ marvels at how much stronger this new body is, but the original Brokesmith’s spirit is much stronger than anticipated as his voice surfaces demanding to know what has happened to him. ‘Brokesmith’ demands his servants increase the machine’s currents to give him an edge in suppressing the original Brokesmith. Unfortunately, the increase in currents kill Brokesmith and render his body lifeless. Once more failing to secure a body for her Lord, Bartholomew orders her servants to dispose of Brokesmith’s body. Bartholomew hears a knock at the door of the Chapel. She answers and finds a man who introduces himself as Jago. Bartholomew orders her servants to seize Jago and the zombies shuffle towards him…
Litefoot and Delaney approach the Chapel of Night to stake out the building before investigating. Delaney looks through a window into the building and spots Jago inside. Litefoot approaches the door and prepares to storm inside…
Bartholomew has her servants wire Jago up to the machinery. She informs Jago that his body is about to play host to a powerful Lord who will summon his armies to invade this world. She feels that she has made the right choice as she can sense Jago has travelled across the realms and through time. His mind and body will be suitable to sustain the strain caused by the possession. The machine is activated and Jago screams out in pain as the electricity courses through him. With the experiment completed, Jago is possessed by the evil demon, but Bartholomew is not so sure as his voice sounds different from the other bodies. Suddenly, Litefoot enters the Chapel and demands to know who Bartholomew really is and where she is from. ‘Jago’ demands to be freed so he can deal with Litefoot himself, to which the servants comply. Litefoot explains his long-awaited theory is that he and Jago have not returned to their proper time and place as they had hoped, but into a parallel universe where certain events are different to his universe. Bartholomew compliments Litefoot on his theory and confirms that she too came from another universe albeit as a disembodied intelligence. She comes from an Earth where the Anglo-Saxons rule the world. Litefoot realises that the Earth she came from was a world where there was no pivotal Battle of Hasting or Normandy Invasion of Britain. She is not an alien being at all, but a human from another parallel Earth! Bartholomew explains that now that she has her Lord in a new body, she plans to bring more of her people through and conquer this reality as well. Litefoot tells her however that her new Lord is not who he appears to be. ‘Jago’ drops his act and reveals that her machine must have malfunctioned after she overloaded it trying to help her Lord combat Toby in his body…he was never possessed at all! Delaney and his men burst into the church and surround Bartholomew and her zombies. But Bartholomew refuses to be taken and with a ghoulish shriek, her spirit inhabiting the body she acquired exorcises itself, leaving behind a rather confused woman…
At the Red Tavern, both men reflect on the events that have transpired. Litefoot compliments Jago on his performance in the Chapel to pretend he was possessed. But Jago feels guilty that he was unable to save Brokesmith, so he and Litefoot decide to raise a toast to Brokesmith in his memory. But Jago does pose one more pressing question…how are they going to return to their universe?
