Third of June
Bygone Manor
My dear Louise,
I’ve obtained one core and three spawns. Immediately, I was able to establish that they are not a hive mind – none of them knew we’d captured the others!
To reabsorb a spawn, it seems the core – he calls himself John – must be able to make physical contact; I have therefore placed them in alternate cells in the panopticon, and have a man at all times watching them.
They spawned only yesterday, and that, according to John, is not unusual – he has himself had spawns reach three days, though he says that long is rare. One to two days is the normal way. He seems to resent his imprisonment, but has little concern for the spawns’ wellbeing in other regards. Nor are the spawns themselves worried. Like John, though, they demand to be freed.
I must go now, Louise. I’m giving tea to Lady Jacqueline.
Yours, faithfully
Evelyne
Tenth of June
Bygone Manor
Oh, Louise! Such wonderful developments.
The spawns are individualising. Already they are showing different sleep schedules, diverse appetites, and conflicting attitudes. That last is a shock to poor John – I do confess to have some pity for him. We are now on day eight of the spawn, and he has never himself seen a spawn this old.
I urge you to come see them, my dear! They may not last long, at least not in a coherent fashion.
Do come,
Evelyne
Thirteenth of June
Bygone Manor
Such a lot has happened, my dear Louise. The spawns are becoming weak, almost diluted. Their memories of their own days are intact, but they are losing touch with John’s older memories.
John is besides himself, begging now to be allowed to reabsorb them. It distressed him, I think, to see his own face so wretched, so distressed and confused. But the spawns, my dear! They are forgetting they are spawns. They will not now, I think, want to be reabsorbed, though I fear they may not be coherent enough even to object, if we wait much longer.
My darling Louise, will you not come before we must do away with them?
Evelyne
Twentieth of June
Cobcove
Lady Jacqueline’s ball was a great success. How I wish you’d come! I am returning to Bygone Manor later today; a hunt first, I think, for poor Daniel has been cooped up too long watching the spawns.
They were, when we left them, quite distressed. They have few memories now from before their spawning point. They are performing terribly on our tests, though I think this is more a result of their emotional state than any real cognitive decline.
John has given up begging. I think he fears, now, that they will not be easy to absorb. He has never heard of a spawn as old as his, and he seems to think they will destroy his own mind by brining too much – or too little, I might say – to it.
I will, tomorrow, put his theory to the test.
Might I not see you at town next week?
Evelyne
Twenty first of June
Bygone Manor
What a day, Louise, what a day! John did not want to absorb a spawn. Nor did any of the spawns want to be reabsorbed, though in all honesty I am not clear that they knew what that meant. Daniel had to force John at gunpoint, can you imagine? The spawn himself was easier to handle, being too confused and easily distracted to fight overmuch.
John wept for a long time after he reabsorbed the spawn. The remaining spawns were quiet, watchful, which they had not been since their tenth day – what a handful they have been, truly! John remains confused and distressed. He could be forced to perform the tests, but was too emotional for any real result. We must try again tomorrow; I will pause this letter until then.
It is next day, Louise. John has calmed himself during the night, but he is not as he had been. Most fascinating of all, he says he is not well enough now to spawn. He is, however, performing better on our tests.
Next day again, Louise, the twenty third. John, at gunpoint once again, spawned. It was the most appalling thing I have ever seen! The spawn is barely sentient. He can be made to eat and drink, to sleep in his cell, but he cannot converse, read, or seemingly recognise his own face on John and the other spawns. John is very distressed again.
The two older spawns are now almost empty. There is little personality there, and less thought. Daniel likens them to some of his patients who had suffered a substantial trauma to the head. Tomorrow, or perhaps after our visit to town, we will force John to absorb them again.
I shall bring this letter with me, since it is now delayed enough that surely I will see you faster than the post can catch you.
Evelyne
Twenty fifth of June,
Bygone Manor
How lovely it was to see Louise, my dear Jacqueline. You were correct in your estimation that she was unhappy with my experiment, but I believe she is willing to forgive me.
I was most unhappy, this morning, to discover that one of the older spawns had died during the night. The other old spawn is fearfully feeble. It is fascinating that, as their minds weaken, their bodies do as well. John would not reabsorb that spawn, not even at gunpoint – he preferred death. I could not, of course, let him die yet; it seems there is no way to force him to absorb.
Daniel wishes to put both spawns out of their misery. Out of his own misery, I think! He is tired of the panopticon. It is so hard to keep the men indoors when there is so much good hunting to be had.
I will try again to invite Louise to see John and his spawns before they die, I think.
Can I give you tea this Sunday, my dear?
Evelyne
Twenty sixth of June,
Bygone Manor
My dear Louise, won’t you please forgive me? I have, as you requested, put the spawns out of their misery. John is still in Bygone, though we have moved him to a more comfortable room, now that he is alone. He is diminished, in some way, but can, on command, spawn and reabsorb. We do not hold the spawns now, we simply observe the processes.
It is quite safe to visit him, and he might be happy to see a friendly face. He dislikes me and fears Daniel; perhaps you can ease his mind?
Yours, always
Evelyne
Second of July,
Bygone Manor
Poor John has managed to take his own life last night, Louise. I wish now that we had a spawn remaining – I do not quite believe John’s assertion that, when the core dies, the spawns die as well. I had proven very early in our tests that the core and spawns do not share physical sensations and events such as hunger, thirst, pain, and wounds. Why, then, will they share their hearts stopping?
We leave now for Paris to see out the season. I might, on our return, obtain another core to test what happens to its spawns when it dies. Perhaps a woman? No one has ever been certain what happens when a pregnant woman spawns. I should like to find out.
Come join us at the opera next week Louise,
Evelyne
Arkin Prose 
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