Lord John Grey / Stephan von Namtzen
The book extracts that inspired each picture can be found under the cut:
âGustav is of my own breedingâthe best I have obtained so far.â Von Namtzen spoke with obvious pride. [...] Badgers. He is bred most particularly to hunt badgers.â âReally?â Grey was impressed. He had met a few badgers, and knew of nothingâincluding human beingsâwilling to engage with one; the badgerâs reputation for ferocity was extremely well founded. [Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade]
He had been trying to suppress the feeling Stephan roused in him, but in the end, such things were never controllableâthey rose up. Sometimes like the bursting of a mortar shell, sometimes like the inexorable green spike of a crocus pushing through snow and iceâbut they rose up. [Lord John and the Succubus]Â
Stephan von Namtzen turned and met his eyes, lifting a glass in salute, and at the end of the room the musicians still played Handel, like the music of his life, beauty and serenity interrupted always by the thunder of distant fire. [Lord John and the Private Matter]
âHave you any messages for me to carry, to the troops at the bridge?â Grey asked. âSince I will be going in that direction, anyway.â One English regiment lay to the south of the town, the otherâBodgerâsâto the north, between the town and the river. A small group of the Prussian artillery under Stephanâs command was stationed a few miles beyond, guarding the bridge at Aschenwald. [Lord John and the Succubus]
âMy club. The Society for the Appreciation of the English Beefsteak. We are taking dinner there today, with Captain von Namtzen.â He felt a small warmth at thought of Stephan. [The Scottish Prisoner]
The notion, as it had been explained to him, was that a white stallion had the power to detect the presence of the supernatural. The horse would stop at the grave of the succubus, which could then be opened and steps taken to destroy the creature. [...] Von Namtzen had insisted upon making the stallion a gift to Grey, âin token of our alliance and our friendship,â he had said firmly, clapping Grey upon both shoulders and then seizing him in fraternal embrace, kissing him formally upon both cheeks and mouth. At least, Grey was obliged to consider it a fraternal embrace, unless and until circumstance might prove it otherwise. [Lord John and the Succubus]
He swallowed audibly. âIf ⊠I mean ⊠if you âŠâ âI will do it very slowly, ja.â Stephan smiled, sudden as the sun coming from behind clouds, and reached for the large cushion they had used earlier. He threw it down and patted it. âCome then, and bend over. I will oil you.â [The Scottish Prisoner]
There was a bowl of flowers on the table. Chinese chrysanthemums, the color of rust, glowing in the setting sun. An odd thing to find in a hunting lodge, but von Namtzen loved flowersâor had used to. [Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade]
âI must go,â he said abruptly, and stood up, brushing crumbs from his shirt ruffle. âItâs very late.â âMust you go?â Stephan sounded surprised, but rose, too. âIâyes. StephanâIâm so glad we met this evening,â he said on impulse, and held out a hand. Stephan took it, but rather than shake it, drew him close, and the taste of oranges was suddenly in his mouth. [The Scottish Prisoner]

















