While Irene Adler and Jane Eyre settled into their new London lodgings, they received a visit from the deceased Professor Moriarty's right-hand man, Colonel Sebastian Moran. However, before he could impart any meaningful information regarding the intentions of Ayesha (She-who-must-be-obeyed), he was assassinated by Ayesha's vampiric henchwoman, Camilla.

Soon after Moran's demise, a courier sent by Madame Curie in Paris arrived carrying copies of secret plans of a highly scientific nature, which prompted an urgent visit to Lady Havisham at her country residence. There, the ever resourceful inventor was able to make sense of Curie's plans revealing that by using a newly discovered element called Radium, Ayesha was intending to construct a 'Death Ray Machine' capable of unimaginable destructive power.

However, thanks to the help of inventor Dr. Tesla, Ayesha already possessed a fully working device, which she wasted no time in testing on an unfortunate and treacherous accomplice. Emboldened by its success, Ayesha turned her attentions upon Adler and Eyre...

Story copyright Lavie Tidhar. Artwork copyright Paul McCaffrey.