Beasts and Super-Beasts

Leonard Bilsiter is the sort of man who finds the ordinary world far too dull, preferring instead the secretive charms of an imagined mysticism he picked up during a stalled train stop in the Russian wilderness. Fresh from a bizarre encounter with a Siberian trader, he returns to England brimming with tales of “Siberian Magic” and the promise of turning vegetables into birds, much to the skeptical delight of his social circle. When he arrives at a lively house‑party hosted by the flamboyant Mary Hampton, his reputation as a possible wonder‑worker—or charlatan—sparks both curiosity and gentle mockery among the guests.

The conversation soon turns absurdly specific when Mrs. Hampton, half‑serious, half‑joking, asks Leonard to transform her into a she‑wolf for the evening’s entertainment. Into this mix steps the razor‑tongued Clovis Sangrail, whose off‑hand question about borrowing a tame she‑wolf named Louisa adds a layer of dry wit that undercuts the supernatural claims. Listeners are treated to a sparkling blend of Edwardian satire, eccentric characters, and the tantalising hint that something truly uncanny may be lurking just beneath the polite chatter.