The Two Towers

The interior of the west tower looked more like a root cellar. Once you got inside, the eaves of the roof made the ceiling droop and hang around your shoulders. The atmosphere was hot and oppressive. A large desk sat squat under the small window. It was covered with melted candles and scraps of paper.
In the dark corners of the tower, clouded shapes undulated in the shadows. A slow breath; a Heartbeat.
The doctor's instruments were laid out on a small table to the side of the  desk. There were various steel probes and knives. A roll of gauze. Some unidentifiable remnants of gore that were missed in the routine cleaning. A large tome lay open on the floor, the pages dog eared and stained. The writing was inscrutable.
This was Dr. Eustratio Bananis' laboratory, perched high above the Downton Abbey courtyard.
A plaintive mewling groan came from the dark recesses of the shadows; the sound of chains clinking.

The second tower was located 50 miles east. In London.
The House of Lords met in Big Ben. There was a little room underneath the clock face, and  there the lord representatives sat, discussing fox hunts and steamer ships and the latest scientific research disproving the existence of angels. The House of Commons met in the Parliament building proper, but the lords preferred the secret room in the clock tower, were everyone sat around on pillowed cushions, smoking the hookah and composing haikus. When they were bored, they would venture out onto the rail underneath the clock face and act out scenes for the public, who never questioned the uncanny humanity of Big Ben's automatons.
Here Lord Kevin Pancreus sat with The Earl of Steve.
"We have a problem at the Downton Abbey, dear Earl. Lady Bathilde does not want to marry our Persian lord."

"That's no problem seat Kevin" said the earl. I never understood why the council was so fixated on bringing the easterners into the picture anyway."  The earl lazily tore the head off a fish and squeezed the body into a bowl. He rubbed the contents on his hands and face.

"The sin eaters have ... Experience with the matters in which we find ourselves involved, dear Earl. Abdul Walli Wud is a strong player to have in our corner when all of the pieces come to play."

"I disagree dear Kevin. I have the utmost faith in our dear doctor. He will come through for us, as his line always has. The uprising in the bog is standard. The gypsies have been a small annoyance since the days of Caerma'coth. I have no doubt that they will continue to be a non factor. We must keep our faith in Bananis, and trust his scions to hold up their end of the bargain. The ceremony will proceed as planned."

Lord Kevin opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He looked at the Earl.

They were interrupted by the grand doors opening and a procession of naked young ladies, with flowers in their hair, leading a dozen goats into the room on leashes of braided heather.
"Delightful!" said the Earl, before Kevin had formed a response. "Here come the goats!"