The task has fallen to me to relate the particulars of my late employer's recent departure from this world.  Thankfully, I am above suspicion in the matter, having been cleared by the police.  Often a butler, such as myself, makes for a natural prime suspect (as indeed I was) however I was able to prove beyond a doubt my whereabouts on the night in question.  Unfortunately (or fortunately!) there are no witnesses who can attest to the circumstances surrounding Lord Mulready's disappearance.  But I know where he is and I know what happened to him. 

I have been able to piece the story together thanks in large part to the existence of his Lordship's journal.  He kept meticulous records of his experiments.  He was fascinated with the occult and he recorded spells, recipies, phases of the moon, and all manner of things of that nature.  He was a great collector of such things as well.  His library actually contains a fifteenth century Latin edition of the notorious Necronomicon, the ancient book of the dead.  He was in the process of translating it so he could unlock its secrets.  In fact it was a passage in that dangerous book which started the whole business of the Black Mirror. 

For years he had lusted over the thought of aquiring the authentic Black Mirror of Dame Alice Kyteler of Kilkenny.  It seems Dame Alice was an Irish sorceress who poisoned her first three husbands and drove the fourth mad by casting spells upon him.  Apparently this last man, Sir John le Poer, did regain enough of his senses to expose Dame Alice as a witch.  This was around the time of Pope John XXII whose Papal Bull Super illius specula fired the imagination of Richard de Ledrede, Bishop of Ossory who confiscated Dame Alice's items of sorcery (powders, ointments, herbs, etc.) and had them burned in 1324.  Somehow her Black Mirror escaped this fate.  According to her consort Petronilla of Meath (who was herself burned at the stake in November of that year) Dame Alice fled to England and a young apprentice of the coven, one M. Foster-O'Neal, made off with the mirror.  This is the same M. Foster-O'Neal who became famous for apparently weaving spells into such poems as ever bright ~ ever burning and Dream World, not to mention Black Mirror itself, a copy of which is written in Lord Mulready's journal:

It was apparently his intention to “crack the code” of this poem and discover the spell which should no doubt be used with the Black Mirror. 

Dame Alice's mirror next resurfaced around 1583 among the possessions of the Earl of Desmond.  Legend has it that the Earl's wife surprised him in his chamber while he was preparing to indulge himself in some sort of “black art”.  She begged him to let her stay with him and learn the secrets of the occult.  He agreed but cautioned her that she must remain silent no matter what she may see.  She witnessed in silence his transitions to a great vulture, an old hag and then a terrible serpent, but when he changed back into a man and stretched across the floor from one wall to the other, she could control herself no longer.  She let out a scream and the castle sank to the bottom of the lake, the Lough Gur.  And the legend doesn't stop there.  Every seven years the Earl makes an appearance galloping upon a white horse with silver horseshoes.  Supposedly, when the horse wears out the shoes, the spell will be broken and the Earl will return to his former glory.  A blacksmith named Teague O'Neill claims to have seen the Earl up close on one of these occasions.  It may be this O'Neill who came into posession of the Black Mirror at that time.  At any rate, it somehow came to be owned by another O'Neal, one Sir Henry who was killed at the Seige of Limerick in 1691.  It was passed down through his family, eventually making its way to England, where my former employer finally aquired it.  Or so he thought. 

It turned out that the mirror which Lord Mulready purchased was a fake.  He was discussing his new aquisition at a gathering at which Sir Henry O'Neal de Hane Segrave happened to be present.  Segrave questioned the authenticity of the piece, citing as evidence the fact that he himself actually had it as it had been passed down through the O'Neal family for over two centuries.  It just so happened that Segrave was in need of a great deal of money for the purpose of building a speedboat capable of winning the British International Trophy from the Americans.  The two men struck a deal and Segrave brought the Black Mirror to Lord Mulready's manor.  (Unfortunately, Segrave later died on Lake Windermere in his new speedboat, Miss England II, after breaking the world record for speed.)

Inspection of the two mirrors showed that Segrave had been telling the truth.  Upon removal from its silk bag, it was seen that Segrave's frame was made of ebony.  The frame of the other was made of oak.  Another thing was the black coating.  Segrave's was scratch resistant; the fake was covered with black felt.  Under the felt was black paint—but not the sort that would have been made from charcoal and plant oils—this seemed to be commercial paint like that used on an automobile!  Lord Mulready would have been furious if he had not been delighted instead to have the authentic Black Mirror of Dame Alice of Kilkenny in his possession at last.  In small letters there was carved into the ebony frame one word which satisfied Lord Mulready completely concerning the authenticity of this mirror—Elenwyn, the nom de plume of M. Foster-O'Neal herself. 

He began preparations the very next day.  According to his journal, the mirror had to be “energized” with fluid condenser (to which he added a few drops of his own blood) and cleaned with alcohol.  Then it would be ready to use at the next full moon. 

It was Lord Mulready's intention to conjur up the spirit of “Robin, son of Art” who is supposedly the daemon with which Dame Alice had dealt.  Failing that, he intended to contact Dame Alice herself!  On the first available full moon he prepared his chamber by creating a “circle of protection”, burning incense, and lighting two white votive candles whose light “must not be reflected in the mirror”.  He then placed the mirror upright on top of a white cloth and seated himself in front of it with Necronomicon and The Complete Works of Maisha Foster-O'Neal open to Black Mirror. 

His journal ends thus: “I shall now breathe deeply and rhythmically, relaxing myself and entering into a state of trance.” 

The police came and inspected the scene (from which I had removed Lord Mulready's journal) but could ascertain nothing, for they know nothing about scrying.  I don't know very much myself, but I had his Lordship's journal and familiarity with his library.  I created a circle of protection of my own and burned some incense.  I lit two votive candles, the only light in the room as I prepared to give my energy to the Black Mirror. 

I imagined myself filled with white light until I could feel its power.  I channelled it into my hands, imagining that I held a ball.  I then directed the light into the Black Mirror making it ready to accept my thoughts.  I began to breathe in a rhythmical fashion and felt myself entering a trance.  I focused on my circle of protection until I felt completely at ease.  I opened my eyes and gazed at the mirror which seemed to be covered with a dark mist.  As the mist dissipated he came slowly into view.  The face of my former employer stared back at me from within the Black Mirror.  It had worked; I had contacted Lord Mulready! 

The binding spell I put upon him should keep him just where he is.  As for me, I shall greatly enjoy my newly found personal freedom while the Black Mirror of Dame Alice Kyteler sits snugly in its silk sack where it shall remain.