The night passed uneventfully, leading into a day that was begun at the most pleasant of places possible. The dining room of the Savoy was speckled with guests who had risen early enough for breakfast, and they were being served at the moment. It seemed also to be a gathering place for guests, who greeted each other and joined in for their first meal of the day.

Moretti woke early. His shoulders ached and he blinked repeatedly against the lingering sensation of grit trapped beneath his eyelids. He was well aware that he hadn't slept enough and equally certain that there was no point in trying to return to bed. He'd managed to function under worse circumstances.

Confident that Cotton and O'Connor could provide the others with a fair account of the previous night's events, he didn't hurry downstairs. Instead, he picked up the phone and requested that a pot of coffee be brought to his room. He then showered and dressed.

When the coffee arrived, Moretti poured himself a cup and sat down at the small desk in his room. He lit a Modiano, then retrieved the parchment they had taken from the spice merchant's home from his coat pocket. Spreading it out with great care, he examined what he found written there.

OOC: Keeper, let me know if you need any rolls from me.

As the morning light bled through heavy curtains Tommy blinked slowly awake. He was sat, alone, still dressed, in a broad lounge chair at the foot of a bed occupied by the gently resting form of Millicent. After what she'd been through he couldn't leave her, and so at last whiskey in hand he had fallen asleep while the woman slumbered close by.
Easing himself upward so as not to disturb her peace the reporter quietly slipped from the room, returning to his own accommodation to  shower and change. The searing heat of the water on his skin focussed the mind and so when at last he approached the breakfast area to be seated he was at least alert, if not distracted by events of the night prior.

At least the police had not woken them...

Politly he waited to be seated. "Yes, I'm with the Elias party. Have any of my companions been seated yet?".
He peered over the waiters shoulder as he scanned for a familiar face and inivitation to breakfast.

"Elias party? I believe you're the first, Mr. Cotton. How many seats will your party require?" he asked.

"We'll take that large round table in the corner with eight seats," Rosalie supplied smoothly as she arrived behind Tommy.  She'd awoken in a very good mood for some mysterious reason and was far more chipper than she usually was at that time of day.  She gave Thomas a warm smile.  "Come sit with me, Mister Cotton, and we can chat while we wait for the others.  I think they will be down shortly."

There was something reassuring about seeing Rosalie's cheery smile.
"Morning-someone sounds like she slept well?!" he smiled gently, following her to the table.

With the waiter lingering he ordered politly.
"Could I get some coffee pal? Make it strong.".

Turning to Rosa he added grimly "Long night. We've got some important stuff to talk about.".

Stanley entered the dining room and joined the others for breakfast. He too seemed as if a good night's sleep had done his spirits a world of good.

Seeing the others he headed over to join them "Good morning. I trust everyone is well."

Bo strolled into the dining room and spotted his friends at a large table. He approached Tommy from behind, grabbing both shoulders and squeezing.

"Hey, champ," he says heartily, "How'd your hot date turn out?"

He slides around to take a seat beside Stan with a view of the door.

"Anyone seen Leo yet today?"

As if on cue, Leo walked in with a smile on his face. "Right here, Walter." He took one of the empty seats at the table and looked around at the others. "Feels nice to be sleeping in a bed that doesn't move up and down all night long. How's everyone doing this morning?"

Rosalie offered a warm smile to the others as they joined the table.  Her gaze lingered a moment longer on Stanley as he arrived, but her uncle's commentary soon drew her attention.  "I think my room was tilting this way and that last night, but that was probably from drinking too many cocktails.  I slept very soundly, however."  She added a few lumps of sugar and cream to her cup as the coffee arrived.  "I didn't see any of you stroll in before I retired last night.  Were you out late?  Find out anything interesting?"

"Mannaggia," Moretti said softly, leaning back in his chair and running a hand through his hair. With the Brotherhood's roots, it stood to reason that the parchment was inscribed in ancient characters, well beyond the reach of his meager education. Perhaps Rosalie could puzzle out its meaning. If not, Derby Sabini or one of his men might know someone that dealt in black market antiquities. There was also Ebenezer Albright, who Moretti had done business with on one occasion. The old man seemed knowledgeable, but Moretti doubted he'd lend a hand to anyone unless they waved a small fortune under his nose.

He folded the parchment and placed it in the drawer of his desk, then finished his cigarette and a second cup of coffee. Rising, he took his wine colored tie from the closet and went to the mirror to tie it.

And froze. Blinking at his reflection, he let out a slow, shuddering breath. Had he seen...?

No. No. He reached up, rubbing his jaw with his hand. It was the same scarred face he had looked at for years. Reaching out, he touched the glass to find it cool to the touch and perfectly ordinary.

The words tumbled out of his throat in a whisper, familiar to him since childhood. "Santa Maria, Madre di Dio, prega per noi peccatori, adesso e nell'ora della nostra morte. Amen."

Mechanically, he tied his tie and left the room, heading downstairs.

---

When he reached the dining room, he nodded to everyone with a polite smile. Clapping Cotton on the shoulder, he said, "You doing alright this morning, paisan?"

He noted that O'Connor wasn't present. Admittedly, she had had a fair amount to drink at the end of the evening, but if she didn't appear soon, he knew that they would need to check on her. Finding an empty seat, he silently took in the layout of the room as he waited for a fresh cup of coffee.

When Rosalie asked her question, he looked to Cotton. "Do you want to tell them, or should I?"

It seemed to Stanley that everyone was slipping some playful innuendo into their comments, and on one occasion he had almost spit out his coffee.

Despite years of training in controlling his expressionson he was sure everyone knew what had transpired between he and Rosalie. Sitting across from Rosalie he already was wishing that the night before had never ended.


But when Vincent had arrived and cut straight to the matter, Bishop turned his attention back to the job at hand.

How'd your hot date turn out?
The reporter sighed as he recalled Zubaida's allure. "As far as hot dates go...lets say there's room from improvement.".
Pursing his lips he blew gently across the surface of his scolding hot coffee, waiting for the others to make themselves comfortable. He was relived when Vincent appeared, glad the man would be there to pick up anything his story might miss.
While the Italian settled he addressed the unspoken question.
"I left Milly asleep upstairs. Slept on the couch in her suite.". Seeing his words catch the attention of the others he clarified.
"We had a rough night...".

Meaningfully he waited until the group were alone before beginning the tale in a low voice.
"So when we left you, we headed to the York Minster to wait for our dancing freind. I half expected her not to show, but sure enough she did. And while I'd have loved a date, it was information she had for us rather than kisses.

Turns out something I'd said caught her interest. The murders. She claimed the people behind 'em were the Brother Hood of the Black Pharaoh.". Seeing recognition in Leo's eyes he nodded. "That's right. Same group - she mentioned them first, not me.

Anyway, she said every month they meet at the Blue Pyramid around midnight. Some truck comes for them and maybe twenty customers, all men, get in to go some place outside the city. Zubaida couldn't tell us who they were, save for one name. Tewfik al-Sayed, a Spice Merchant who has...", glancing at Vincent he corrected himself grimly "...had a store on Wardour street.".

Taking a slow gulp of coffee the reporter paused before continuing.
"Zubaida was sure they had killed her boyfriend, but she was too scared to tell the police. To be honest I cant blame her. I think she figured if I could get some story published it might throw some light on the place without exposing her.
Thing is, it turns out Wardour street was on the way home. So we, ahem, took a visit.".

Tommy paused knowing the others might have questions or incase Vincent wanted to chip in.

As wonderful as the night before had been the urgency in Cotton's voice drew Bishop in quickly. Listening to the subtle clues it was clear that the trio had seen some  actionew last night and from the sound of it that al-Sayad or his shop was the worse for it.

Cotton was doing fine. He didn't need Moretti jumping in and muddling the account. He listened in silence as he sipped his coffee, hoping that the dark liquid would somehow revive him further.

When Cotton paused, Moretti cleared his throat. Looking to Leo, he added the only detail he felt was relevant. "I want to make one thing clear, sir. The decision to enter the shop was mine. The responsibility rests with me."

  Millicent woke with a gasp breathing heavily then calmed down some realizing it had just been a dream. She lowered her head back down then thought better of it feeling that the sheets underneath of her were soaked with sweat. Thanking silently to whoever had closed the curtains she groggy stumbled out of bed, aftereffects of the early morning booze giving her a nasty hangover.

  Not too in a rush, she took her time showering, dressing and popping some pills for her headache. She didn't see anyone around so assumed the others were probably downstairs getting breakfast. Heading down she soon appeared dressed simply and wearing sunglasses indoors, and made her way to the table where the others were seated.

 "Good morning," Millicent said, "though it doesn't feel particularly good, Sorry I'm late but I got a damned awful headache. God I could use some of that coffee, but nothing to eat please, I don't think my stomach could handle it." Seating herself she poured a cup of black coffee and sipped gingerly at it. Gesturing to Vincent and Tommy she asked, "did they tell you what happened yet last night?"

"They were just getting to it," Rosalie answered.  "Morning, Millicent. You look a bit worse for wear.  I am almost sad to hear I missed some of the action."  Her eyes flitted briefly to Stanley, hint of a smile playing about her lips.  "Almost."

Taking a drink of coffee, she glanced back to Thomas.  "Please continue.  Vincent looks like he ran over someone's dog, so I know this story has to be good.  What happened?"

Tommy was glad to see Millicent emerge looking at least mostly human and smiled as she sat. The whole family was back together.

"So, like I was saying, we decided to walk by the place on the way home.". He looked at Vincent as he 'confessed' to the crime.
The decision to enter the shop was mine. The responsibility rests with me.
"Ah, but we didn't stop you either did we? We did the thing together, I aint letting you take the blame.".
Imagining a furrow forming on Bishop's brow he held up a hand to calm objections and hurriedly added;
"Look I know it was bold. But the place seemed empty. We saw an opportunity and we took it. But it's what happened inside that matters.".

While a waiter deftly delivered various plates of breakfast Tommy composed himself before continuing.
"We broke in through a back ally. The place was dark, we figured empty. Downstairs a store room adjacent to front store. It all looked legit enough as far spice stores go, so we carried on our investigation upstairs. That's where things got interesting.

There was this mirror...it was just weird. Covered in carvings, a big thing too. Plus a cabinet full of little Egyptian statues, a Koran, and a desk. Mr Morretti worked his magic and that's when we found it. There was a secret compartment and inside..." his expression darkened "...all kinds of things.".
Tommy looked at Bishop and Bo. They'd both been at the Juju house - they'd understand the chill he felt.
"Ceremonial stuff. A robe, scepters, parchment. Vincent took it all.". He glanced at the Italian for confirmation. "Little vials, an inverted ankh. Things a normal person dosn't have. We would have investigated more but before we knew it someone was opening the door downstairs. Tewfik I assume.".
Recalling the adrenaline of the moment Tommy continued the dark tale, his voice hushed and urgent.
"There was nowhere to hide. The bastard found us. Did something to Milly before we could jump him. We struggled until Vincent got 'im and broke his head in a fall down the stairs.". The reporter shrugged, leaning back.
"Of course then we had to get out of there. The commotion might have alerted neighbours, so Milly and I left first while Vincent tidied the place up. I didn't see any curtains twitching but it was dark and we were moving quick. Eventually we all met up back here.".

Now there were sure to be questions...
This message was last edited by the player at 15:56, Fri 16 Sept 2016.

Leo smiled at his niece when she said she slept soundly - with all that they had seen the last few days, sleep wasn't always easy to find.

He greeted Vincent when he arrived, and then settled in to listen to what he and Cotton had to say. His face betrayed a little bit of surprise at what they'd found, and Leo shook off Vincent responsibility taking. "Doing some investigation at night was a good idea."

He looked up at Millicent as she joined them, though his doctoring instincts kicked in as soon as she mentioned not feeling well. "Millicent, if you feel nauseous, there are at least a half-dozen sorts of tea that will be better for your stomach than coffee. And seeing as we're in London, I suspect getting some tea would be a simple matter." He waited to see if she would listen to Doctor's orders - he would happily order something that would do her well.

Once Leo had seen to her ailment, he returned to the conversation and listened to what Tommy had to say. He had many questions, but his concern for Millicent was now magnified and took precedent over everything else. He looked over at her again. "What did he do to you?" His voice and face were filled with concern.

Bo listened with amusement to Rosalie and Stan's banter, pleased for both.

As Tommy began his tale, Bo felt his nerves twitch. If he'd known what they were getting into... Nervously, his fingers reduced a scone to crumbs, when Vince took the responsibility for entering the shop, Bo's mouth went dry and he gulped at his coffee.

His eyes went to Millicent, searching for any sign of physical injury. When Tommy said the spice merchant was killed, he murmured approvingly "Good job" at Vince.  Knowing they had gotten clear, he relaxed and ate his remaining scone.

Although listening intently, Stanley could not resist returning Rosalie's attention with a smile.

Turning back to the others "I'm glad you all escaped unharmed."

Bishop was about to ask if they have covered their trail. But knowing Vincent, he decided he could trust that his friend had done enough to make sure that the police would be mislead.

"Did any of the objects you recovered provide any useful clues?"

  Millicent listened to Tommy's tale of their adventure. She looked a bit uncomfortable when he told of what happened to her as if speaking of it dredged up the memory once more and even more so when Dr. Elias wanted to know. Setting her cup down, Millicent took off her glasses to get a better look at the Doctor, reluctantly nodded and said;

   "If you think it would help then by all means, though I think it's more of the hangover than anything else. As for what happened." She hesitated and pursed her lips thinking then shook her head. "I actually don't really know. The others were fighting with the Egyptian, he spoke some words and then I saw such strange and horrible images, they...they seemed to consume me and I guess I blanked out. From what the others told me, I was screaming like a banshee but they were able to bring me back. I don't know exactly what that bastard did, but I'll tell you, I never want to experience it again. Do you think Doctor," she added, "that I'll be ok?" Millicent looked at him with uncharacteristic worry on her face.

She threw Vincent a worried look.  Broken head sounded like reporter speak for 'dead'.  Shifting attention back to Millicent, she frowned slightly.  "It sounds something like hypnosis."  She looked to her uncle for his opinion.  "That shouldn't be possible, should it?"

As Millicent spoke Stanley remember the Juju House. He remberee his mind torn at by horrors.not the horrors of the dead and dying, or of the killing,but the horrors inflicted upon him by the Voodoo of the Juju House.

"I endured something very similar. A few words and a gesture and my mind turned against me. I would never want to relive it, but in time you should shake the I'll effects and someday even the memory. "

Moretti idly pushed his food around his plate with his fork, unable to muster the appetite to eat. Glancing around to make certain no one else was in earshot, he spoke quietly, "We set up the best ambush we could given the circumstances. We were able to catch al-Sayed by surprise, but couldn't take him down before he...did what he did to Miss O'Connor."

He shook his head regretfully. Putting his fork down, he reached for his coffee. "There's nothing that would tie what happened to anyone here. It looks like a burglary that was interrupted. Like the shopkeeper surprised some thugs who broke in, got himself beaten to death."

Even as he said it, Moretti recognized one of the things that was haunting him. He'd done his fair share of murder at the behest of Joe the Boss, but such orders usually involved pulling a trigger. Quick. Clean. Impersonal. He'd never killed anyone with his bare hands before.

Regardless, we monsters are good at covering our tracks.


Moretti frowned. "They definitely prove that al-Sayed was part of the Brotherhood." Looking to Leo, he said, "I know you've also read Life as a God, sir. Some of the symbols on the clothing and articles we gathered coincides with those described by Montgomery Crompton. There's no mistaking it."

He sighed. "But some of the other items we found...I honestly don't know what they mean. Tommy mentioned a piece of parchment. It's written in Egyptian Hieroglyphics. I suspect whatever the text is is important, given that it was carefully concealed with al-Sayed's Brotherhood accoutrements. Maybe Rosalie can make sense of it."

"Also the mirror..." His voice trailed off. For a noticeable moment, Moretti was silent. Blinking, he said, "Besides its unusual shape, the frame featured faces that looked inhuman...melted. But when Miss O'Connor removed it from the wall, she found markings engraved on the back. Cuneiform. I copied them into my notebook."

He slowly turned his coffee cup in his hands. "No one's going to give much thought to al-Sayed's shop being unexpectedly closed for a day. But when it stays closed, I expect people will come to investigate. Especially other members of the Brotherhood. As Tommy said, Zubaida indicated that the cult has a gathering place outside the city. If we keep watch, it might be that we could tail them. Find out where other members live. Even learn the location of their...place of worship." He shrugged. "It was an idea we had discussed last night."

Draining his coffee, he returned his attention to Leo. "I can gather what we collected. Maybe bring it to your room, sir? So that everyone can examine what was found."

Bishop listened carefully. He would have liked the chance to search the shop himself. Give the trying circumstances it seemed possible something had been over looked. Thinking about the story, Bishop thought of the possibilities of things being traced back to them and other than Cotton's date it seemed likely enough to be dismissed, but far less likely to be dismissed by any other devotees of the Black Pharaoh.

The mirror sounded as if it was almost certainly connected to the cult. "Did you take the mirror as well?"

Moretti shook his head. "No. It was too large. Too unwieldy. Even as late as it was, I thought carrying it all the way back to the Savoy might attract unwanted curiosity."

Bishop wondered if the mirror would prove dangerous."Perhaps we could find a way to get back in there and destroy it. Clearly this man has some dark gift. Even burning down the shop might be on the table?"

Even as he spoke he knew how he must sound. It was probably just a mirror. But something about the way Vincent had spoken about it caused Bishop to feel it was something more.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:47, Sun 18 Sept 2016.

Although he didn't feel at liberty to discuss it openly, contemplating the mirror further was the last thing Moretti wished to do. At least for now. He felt certain that once the others had discussed the matter further, if they felt he had erred by not taking the mirror, or destroying it, a way to correct the mistake would present itself. But at the moment, his nerves were too raw to consider the situation deeply.

Craving a cigarette, he pushed away from the table. Standing, he said to Leo, "If you'll excuse me sir, I'm going to step outside for a moment. I'll return to my room shortly. Just call when everyone is ready to see what we discovered."

He glanced at O'Connor. Although she had absolved him of blame last night, he still felt a pang of guilt over what had happened to her at the spice shop. "I'm glad you're up and about, Miss O'Connor."

Giving Bo a nod, he patted Cotton on the shoulder as he departed. As far as he was concerned, the reporter was family. Just as in New York, he'd shown remarkable courage last night.

Tapping a Modiano out of his cigarette case, he made his way to the nearest courtyard, suddenly eager to see the morning sky.

"I'd like to see everything you all wrote down after breakfast," Rosalie noted.  The Egyptian angle had her curious and she itched to see what translations the symbols might hold.  But her empty stomach took precedence just then.  "I definitely don't think we should let this brotherhood business drop.  It's far too close to what we found in New York."

She threw Vincent a worried look as he left, exchanging a glance with her uncle soon after.  It looked like Leo was going to have his hands full with all the therapy he was going to have to provide.

Wordlessly, Bo leaves the table and goes after Vince, catching up to him in the courtyard. He shakes out his own cigarette from the pack and lights both from a single match.

"How ya doing, Vince?"

Millicent looked at Stanley with a bit of surprise.

 "Really? How horrible that you had to experience this too. It's good to hear that I'll be alright but I hope it doesn't take too long."

 She went silent for a moment, than spoke, "If these two attacks were similar, does that mean others we encounter may try the same thing again?" She gave a slight shudder at that.

  When talking about the mirror, Millicent spoke up.

"That might not be a bad idea, there is definitely something weird with it. When I looked into it, it was showing me....well me, but a different me, both an older and younger one somehow with different clothes. I'll tell you, it gave me more than a bit of the heebie-jeebies."

Moretti accepted the light with a grin. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it. Shaking his head, he took a drag on his cigarette, exhaling slowly.

"I was going to tell you I was fine, but you know me too well. You'd figure I was lying," he said. Taking another draw, he added, "You remember that crazy Cajun moonshiner, lived south of New Orleans? What was his name...Lejeune? Didn't have any front teeth, but he sure could run a still. What I wouldn't give for a jar of his liquid magic right about now."

He looked down at the ground. Part of him wanted to talk about the mirror. The problem was he didn't know how. But what he'd seen within it wasn't the only thing that was beleaguering him.

"I never beat anyone to death, Bo," he said, "You, better than most, know the kinds of things I've done. But I never had to do that. Take someone's life away with my bare hands. I'm not saying the coglione didn't have it coming, but...I don't know, pointing a gun's a hell of a lot easier."

"But it's not just that. Last night, when I heard Zubaida talk about how afraid she was, how someone she loved was taken from her, I thought going into that spice shop and getting answers was the right thing to do. Especially if it was another group like those assassini from the Juju House. You know, find out who they were, get some justice for the innocents they'd murdered, the people they left grieving."

He tapped the ash from his cigarette. "But now, I think I handled it wrong. Not because of what happened to al-Sayed, but...working for Joe, it's different. You go in some place you know there might be trouble, everyone with you is the same. You're all a bunch of no account thugs who work for the family. Guys that'll all do some pretty bad things before they end up in a box on Hart Island, the world a better place for them being gone. Raised in Harlem, die in Harlem. It's what you agreed to when you joined in, signed your life away."

He looked at Bo, his expression remorseful. "Tommy and Miss O'Connor, they're not like me, Bo. They're good people. You and I both know O'Connor's had her hands in some shady business, but not the sort of monstrous things I've done. And here, sure she's working for Carlyle, but in the end, she's just trying to get answers like everyone else. And Tommy...he's shown the kind of loyalty you can't get from your own blood. Ready to risk it all to find out what happened to Jackson."

"By pushing my way into that shop last night, I put them both in harm's way. And look what happened. Al-Sayed did something to Miss O'Connor I can't even explain. I should have brought everyone back here, handed it all over to Bishop. Let him decide how it needed to be handled. Either that, or go it alone."

He smiled humorlessly. "And then there's the mirror that I left behind, intact."

He took another drag, his eyes distant. "I'm starting to think it was a mistake, me coming to England. In New York, I know the game. Maybe I should've hung back. Not been so stupid to believe I could contribute anything useful over here. Getting people to sell you liquor is one thing. This is something different. If I'd stayed behind...or if I go back, I could use Joe's resources to make certain all the Bloody Tongue people were hunted down and exterminated. The boss wouldn't have any problem giving a little to that cause. And I wouldn't get anyone hurt...anyone that didn't have it coming, anyway."

He took a last pull on his Modiano and crushed it out on his heel. Managing a smile, he said, "Damn. Enough about me, huh? So, Rosalie and Stanley? Bishop's a lucky bastardo. Hell, I've had a crush on Rosalie since I was ten." He nodded. "Stanley's smart enough to recognize his good fortune. He'll do right by her. She deserves a good man."

Bo is silent as Vince spills his guts, hoping that letting him get it all his chest is the right call. When he starts talking about Stan and Rosalie, he grins back.

"Yeah, looks like Stan got the big prize this time. Good for him. And good for Rosalie if it ends up that way. Hell, we've all been a little in love with her all these years. Maybe more than a little, hey?"

He crushes out his butt and lights another fag.

"As for you, paisan, you better not run out on me. I can't watch everybody's back by myself and Stan's gonna be protecting Rosalie first from now on and himself last, if I know the big lug.

"As for last night, I  ain't gonna second guess your call. You got us some good information with your break-in. If you'd brought the others home first, the spice merchant would have been home before you got back or gotten home before you were done tossing the place.

"And you were protecting the others when you went after the guy. If he'd put you out of action, instead of Milly... We'd probably be wondering where all three of you were this morning, and going down to the London morgue to arrange for shipping your bodies home. You did right, Vincenzo, you did good."

He grinds out another butt with his heel.

"We're in a war now, old friend, just like all the guys who went to France in '17. Most of them were just ordinary people too, maybe even good people, I don't know. And they all went where they had to go and did what they had to do and took the same chances as everybody else. And some of them didn't make it.

"Leo, Tommy, Milly, Rosalie, they're here and none of them got drafted. Maybe none of us're gonna be sailing home, but I believe we're on the side of the angels and we got to give it all we got.

"Okay? You okay?"

When Bo spoke of Rosalie, Moretti smiled and nodded in agreement, his cheeks reddening slightly. "Yeah," he said, "Maybe more than a little."

He listened closely as Bo talked, grateful for his friend's encouragement and wisdom. Bo was one of the few people in his life that Moretti could always count on.

"I'm okay. Really. Thanks for helping me see it straight, Bo. I guess, looking back on it this morning...I just felt responsible for it all, you know? I didn't want to be the reason that people I cared about got hurt. I've just got to remember, we all went into this thing with our eyes open."

He clapped Bo on the shoulder. "Besides, I gotta stick around to help keep you out of trouble, huh? But I tell you one thing. Before we leave this miserable country, you and I, we're going to look up Derby Sabini, make him tell us where we can find some real food around here. Panelle. Arancini. Pesto alla trapanese. Pasta alla Norma. We're gonna have one decent meal before we put London behind us. We'll even drag Tommy along. Give the kid a culinary education."

He pointed up with his thumb. "I'm going to head upstairs. Get everything ready for people to look at."

"Thanks again, Bo. You're a real friend."

Looking between Tommy and Millicent, she asked in a quiet voice, "Did anyone notice you go in or come out?  Any sort of alarm raised?  I'm wondering if this man's death might have been noticed last night.  It would be risky going back there this morning if this was a public shop.  He might have customers or co-workers."

Leo listened to the conversation of those around and nodded at Vincent's suggestion. Gathering everything somewhere private would be a good next step. He nodded at Rosalie's question, but gestured toward the exit. "Let's head upstairs and continue our conversation there. It seems we have some more clues to examine, further plans for investigation to make, and some connections between here and New York to discuss."

Leo made his way over to the waiter that had handled their table and had the bill for the meal charged to his room.

Tommy nodded to Vincent as he slipped away followed by 'Bo. Glad for a moment to think of simpler times he tucked into his breakfast proper, surprised to realize how hungry he was.

With a mouthful of bacon and egg he shook his head at Rosalie's question before gulping it down. "Nope. I dont think anyone saw us and there was no alarm. Although...". He looked apologetically to Millicent. "...it aint Milly's fault but she did make a hell of a noise. We might have gotten lucky; the Brit's built with good hard stone. Maybe the sound was muffled or the neighbors slept through it. Still, I don't think any of the three of us should be seen by the place for a while.".

Sweeping up some rogue ketchup with a wedge of toast he continued.
"I do think it would do no harm for someone else to check in on Wardour Street soon though.". The reporter nodded toward Bishop. "Do you fancy a morning walk over there big guy?
Either the alarm was raised last night, which means we need to know someone saw or heard us. And more importantly, the cops are on the lookout...probably for a stunning redhead and her dashing dark haired companion.

Or we got away with it. Which means," he glanced at his watch " the store should have only opened recently and people will assume Twefik is out on an errand or something. No one is going to start to worry until later today or maybe tomorrow if the store stays closed.". He paused to emphasize his point.
"Unless the people who check the place out are cultists. Then it'd do no harm to see who is overly interested and for us to follow 'em. I doubt they'd tip of the police either.".

Tommy shrugged. "Basically, eyes on the place this morning would be a good thing. Right?".

Bo slides into his chair, picking up knife and fork: "Vince is going upstairs to get the stuff ready for inspection." He slices up his eggs and raises a forkful just as--


Bo's shoulders slump, but he shovels in a couple mouthfuls of egg, washing it down with gulps of coffee, still warm in his cup. As the others rise to follow his uncle, Walter slaps a rasher of bacon between two pieces of toast. Wrapping his sandwich in a linen napkin, he shoves the package into one pocket and a pear in the other.

He hurries for the elevator.

Moretti was waiting at the door to Leo's room when he and the rest of the group arrived.

When everyone entered, Moretti put the skullcap, robe, and scepters on a table, then handed the inverted ankh on the chain to Leo, knowing that the symbol would be immediately familiar to him.

Opening his notebook to the page with the transcribed cuneiform, he set it out on the desk, alongside the unfolded piece of parchment.

That done, he moved to an out of the way corner and leaned against the wall with his arms crossed while the others examined what had been taken.

Rosalie examined all of the items, but paid special attention to the drawings in Vincent's notebook.  She looked at it from all angles, a bit puzzled over the writing and style.  Eventually, she shook her head and put it down so that everyone else could have a look.  "Very curious."


20:50, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 78 using 1d100 with rolls of 78.  Occult (27).
20:49, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 4 using 1d100 with rolls of 4.  Archaeology (21).
20:47, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 97 using 1d100 with rolls of 97.  Egyptian Hieroglyphics (41).

Rosalie's attempt to read the hieroglyphics on the scroll was not successful, as she realized it would take her a more careful and considered study to master what was before her. She was confident with time that she could unlock its meaning, as she recognized certain familiar patterns.

The markings in Vincent's notebook, she readily identified as Cuneiform.

She leaned over the scroll briefly before addressing the others.  "I'm fairly certain the Cuneiform is Sumerian, though there is little chance of translating it without the resources of a good library.  The scroll, as well.  The glyphs are too varied to form a reasonable translation without reference materials.  Perfectly printed text would be easier, but so much of the writing is subjective to the author's style that it can easily be misinterpreted." 

Slurping down the dregs of his coffee Tommy cleaned his hands on a napkin and stood to follow the others. He walked alongside Bishop incase the PI had any response to his suggestions before, and thought idly about Zubaida.

Bishop thought over the idea of returning to the place.It would have been better to do so last night but their might still be time.

"If we are going to do it we had better do it now." Bishop said.

"We should bring a bag that we can carry anything back in, needs to be big enough for the item." Bishop suggested.

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 45):

Bo sits in an armchair, finishing his sandwich, the pear on a side-table.

"I vote against going near the place, Stan. You don't want to be one of those mooks that gets arrested because he goes back to the scene of the crime. Or worse, stirs up some interest in the lodge brothers. At least let the place cool off a couple of days.

"Besides, Vince probably got everything worth getting. The mirror? Let Rosalie figure out the inscription and we'll see if that tells us what the dingus is."

Holding the napkin under his chin, he takes a big bite of the pear.

Leo took the inverted Ankh and frowned for a few moments as he looked over the item. "Yes, this is quite familiar. For those that haven't read Life as a God, this is one of the symbols of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharoah as described by the author. The Brotherhood's initiation rites include rituals of both orgiastic and murderous varieties. The Brotherhood has quite a few shockingly disgusting rituals that it apparently performs. In addition to the inverted ankh, there is also a spiked club that is apparenlty important to the rituals of this particular cult."

Leo paused a moment and considered. "The cult is said to have been brought back to England in 1805. They seek to wipe out the rule of man for the rule of what they call the true gods. Apparently one of the things they do is ritually sacrifice humans using the spiked club - it apparently has a bronze spike they use to pierce the heart of their victim."

He looked around at the others. "I do think the idea of keeping an eye on the place today makes some sense, though it shouldn't be any of those that were there yesterday, just in case it comes to questioning of whereabouts and things of that nature. And I agree with Stanley that time is of the essence. However, I'm with Walter in that trying to remove the mirror is too great a risk for very questionable reward. We have the inscription. And the mirror isn't likely to be removed except by any of his fellow members."

"I hear you Bo. I have the same concerns. But I want to get
A look at the place." Bishop replied.

"It could be the police are already there. It could be his friends are already there. Could be no one has stumbled over us body. As he was our best lead might be worth staking it out and tailing any one who stops by but leaves without calling the cops." Bishop further explained.

Moretti cleared his throat.

"We got in through the back door," he said, "The room behind the shop proper was a storeroom. It held crates and packages of spices...stock for the store. There wasn't anything remarkable there or in the public area of the shop. Up front there were spices for sale. A cash register. Nothing of note behind the counter. We searched for an entrance to a basement. Never found anything."

"The living area upstairs was where the mirror was, along with the desk that held the hidden drawer, where most of these items came from. Aside from it, the desk's contents were mostly ordinary business correspondence. The rest of the room's contents were unexceptional, items and furnishings that you'd expect to find in a residence of this type."

"There were three other rooms on the upper floor: a bedroom, a washroom, and a small kitchen. The chest in the bedroom only held clothing. I checked the other two rooms before I left. Didn't find anything of interest."

"The mirror was the only unusual item we didn't take."

He sighed. "If someone goes in the public area of the shop, it won't take long for them to find al-Sayed."

"In the end, watching the place and tailing anyone noteworthy will likely be the only way to locate other members of the Brotherhood. I'm not afraid of taking part in the watch. The streets were empty when I left the place, but it would still probably best if I took the graveyard shift, just on the off-hand chance someone in the neighborhood noticed me. Given their penchant for making people vanish, I'd bet that the cult will try to keep the death hidden if they're the ones who discover it."

He glanced over at Cotton. "Whoever's keeping an eye on the place needs to pay attention if a van pulls up in front of it. Like Mr. Cotton mentioned downstairs, Zubaida said that the cult uses one to transport the faithful once a month."

"Say, about that van. Did the dancer mention whether anything was written on the side of it, like a company name?" Bo asks, trying to keep pear juice off of his shirt.

"I think my time would be better spent researching.  The British Museum has an extensive library, with varied collections, including materials on and from Ancient Egypt and the general area of Mesopotamia.  If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll give them a ring and see about reserving a space and access to research these writings."  Leaving them in discussion at the table, she picked up the room's telephone and asked to be connected to the museum.

"If we are going to watch the place and tail any leads we will need a couple of cars. Something that would stand out to much. Maybe Tommy can take me over there meanwhile you two can pick up the cars. Some bagged lunches and a few thermoses of coffee would help as well." Bishop said.

"That will leave Leo, Millicent and Rosalie to look after each other at the museum." Bishop added relieved that Rosie wasn't staying clear of the action for now.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:24, Wed 21 Sept 2016.

  Finishing up her coffee, Millicent left with the others and went upstairs. She watched with interest as the Doctor and Rosalie did their examinations on what they brought back. She wasn't surprised to hear about the cult's rituals seeing what happened to her and all. These people sounded bad, and unfortunately, they were the key to finding out what was going on here.

  Millicent paled slightly when the talk of going back to the shop came. She really did not want to risk it again. It sounded though like the men were going to deal with it today, leaving the others to do more research; safe research she added to herself giving a inward sigh of relief.

  "I certainly don't mind going to help out," Milly said in agreement. "I was the only one he saw for sure so he knows my face now. Besides, it might give me a chance to talk with the Doctor about what happened to me, plus get that tea."

 "Be careful if you do decide to go back inside that shop. Those devils probably have other tricks up their sleeves."

In reply to Walter 'Bo' Brandon (msg # 50):

His memory jogged, Moretti shook his head in frustration. "Sorry, Bo. Too little sleep. It wasn't a van, it was a truck that Zubaida said picked up the cult members at the Blue Pyramid. A truck."

"Zubaida said she didn't pay too much attention to the truck or who got in it. Al-Sayed was the only member that she had recognized. Never gave us any identifying information about the vehicle."

He frowned. "But, she did say that the truck came to do its monthly pick up of cult members early in the month. She indicated that it wasn't on the same day, but that it was always near the beginning of each month."

"February first is day after tomorrow."

Following up on the news about the truck and the beginning of the month "So let's stake out the shop today and tonight. If someone is going to come by to check on him and maybe clean the place out it will probably happens shortly."

"So Tommy and I should get over there. You two come as soon as you can secure a couple of automobiles. Sound like a plan?"

Leo nodded at the outlined plan. "All sounds good to me. We'll see what we can dig up in the museum while you're investigating. Should we just plan for you to meet us at the museum later? Or would you prefer to eventually reconvene here?"

Tommy had been listening closely as the others mulled over plans.
"I can take you toward the place Stanley, but dont reckon its wise to set foot on that street again soon. If the cops are there they could be looking for someone of my description.".
He shrugged.
"If we got lucky though the place will still be quiet and what we did there undisturbed. Then you can loiter and see if anyone is unnecessarily interested.

Maybe I'll head over to the Pyramid and see if Zubaida is around?".
Frowning the reporter described his frustration.
"Despite what we've found, we still have no idea what this has to do with Roger Carlyle right? That's what brought Jackson here in the first place, and I never asked her about it yesterday.".

He paused, listening to what the others had to say.
"Anyway, the stuff we found at the Spice store proves this Black Pharaoh thing. Jackson was on to them and they are plenty real.
Which means we have to question how the London cops dismissed them so readily out of hand.  Maybe Barrington just aint the best sleuth, but Stanley, if you do see the cops over there be careful who you trust.".

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 55):

"Vince and I can see about hiring a couple of cars, sure. When we've got them, we'll cruise over to the address and you can flag us down."

Leo considered the question about Roger Carlyle, and tapped his chin in thought. "Roger Carlyle almost certainly read the book that contained details on this particular cult. Perhaps that is the connection?"

Leo's brow scrunched together as he considered. "Also possible we missed something at the Penhew Foundation."

When Tommy suggested that he and Bishop pursue leads on their own quickly replied "Splitting up will get us killed .. or worse."

"The last thing that girl needs is you showing up and bringing any more attention." Bishop added. His mind had already done the math.

"That girl was the best hope the cops had to tie them to anything. If this thisnguy'so pals finning him pushing up daisies, it won't take long to put the heat on that her."

"Her best hope is we deal with them before they can finger her as the one who tipped us off. It is probably our best hope too."

"We can take a cab over there. Act like a couple lost tourists and have the cabbie make a few passes looking for some friend of ours we are supposed to meet. If Scotland Yard is on it they won't be shy about showing it."

"If the coast is clear we can try and find a spot to watch the place from and see if someone shows up poking about and try and tail em."

If all that fails we can watch for that truck in the coming nights if we have not been discovered first."

She looked to Leo and nodded in agreement.  "I'm certain there is more to find at Penhew, but there is little chance of us discovering it without breaking in.  The director certainly wasn't forthcoming.  But perhaps he might be a connection that we could follow if we have no leads from the spice shop?  I am almost certain that he is somehow involved in this cult." 

The reporters brow furrowed.
"Stanley, I agree we are better staying together. But you are planning on sitting outside a joint that I broke in to last night where we killed a man. Watching the Spice shop is safe for you, but we dont know if the cops are looking for a man of my description yet.".
He shook his head.
"And how on earth are our enemy supposed to suddenly guess that Zubaida exposed them? If they thought she was a risk, she'd be dead already. There must be tons of other customers or people who could expose Tewfik...
If we are lucky Vincent setting the place up like a break-in should alleviate suspicion. But if you really think she's in danger, which she might well be, then WE have to get to her first and bring her in. She's seen us all, knows most of our names. More-over, she's innocent and I wont stand by waiting for her to be murdered.".

Tommy shrugged.
"I can keep away from Zubaida, but I cant go back to Wardour Street yet. I might as well hand myself in to the police.".

"Getting into the Foundation is something that could be accomplished," Moretti said. His eyes slid over to Cotton and he smirked. "Mr. Cotton here is quite talented in that regard. But it wouldn't be like getting into the spice shop. We'd need to give the place a good once over. Figure out where Gavigan's office is in advance."

He frowned. "Inspector Barrington did say that Gavigan was pretty open about his low opinion of Jackson. I wonder if he made those statements to discredit Jackson. To ensure that the police didn't take Jackson's explanations regarding the Brotherhood seriously."

He listened to Cotton discuss Zubaida. "I don't think Zubaida would be associated with what happened at al-Sayed's shop. With regard to meeting with us, as fearful as she was, there's no doubt that she was watchful for followers. Her interview with us was brief. She didn't want to linger." He frowned. "But if there's a chance she's in danger, I agree that we should try to protect her. I could always see if some innocuous passage could be secured for her out of the country. Maybe to the States? But I'm inclined to think you should have another clandestine meeting with her, Tommy. Ask her some questions about the community, the regulars at the Blue Pyramid. She may have noticed details, be aware of certain information that she doesn't recognize as important, that very well may be. Are there any regulars that only show up early in the month? Anyone that's treated with a great deal of deference...or fear? Those sorts of things might provide valuable clues." He shrugged. "We'd just need to figure out the best way to set it up. Somewhere out of the way."

Moretti grinned. "Plus...you'd get a chance to talk to her again, Tommy. Let her know how you're working on breaking the story of a lifetime."

Tommy chuckled at Vincent's praise of his talents.
"Who me?". The reporter raised his palms in mock innocence.
"The door was unlocked when I got there, honest guv. But I suppose I could help out on a visit to the Foundation.".
He paused.
"Say, when you guys visited before, was it by appointment only? Or do they have a public museum or something? A couple of us could play innocent tourists and get lost in there?".

He leant forward to listen as Moretti continued. Now he thought of it, it sure would be nice to see Zubaida again; to be the American hero. Such thoughts were boyish fantasy though, a way of making light of the situation. The growing man inside him glanced at Milly, realizing an equal desire to keep an eye on her after the experiences of the night before.

  Millicent looked at the young reporter and thought for a moment, then said. "Mr. Bishop does have kind of a point Tommy but I'm inclined for you to try. But if you do for heavens sake be careful. You've seen what those bastards can do and I don't want you to experience what I did, it's horrible." She gave a slight shudder.

 "And don't worry about me," she added. "I'll be with the good Doctor here, I should be fine."

"Perhaps you should go with Vincent then Tommy. I can head over to watch the shop with Bo. But we still need a car in case we can tail someone from the shop." Bishop looked at the others to see if they agreed.

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 66):

"Glad to tag along, Stan, but I doubt we'll need a car. It's like New York, most people walk or hop a bus. We could get a hired car though, if you want. Concierge here can likely have one here in about an hour."

"Good to have you on board Bo." Bishop replied.

"Perhaps one of the cabbies in front of the hotel could be hired for the day."

"As for the Penhew Foundation, we could make a go of that tonight." Bishop was already getting ready to depart. Glancing over to Rosalie he smiled as he longed to kiss her. Normally stone faced, his thoughts would have been clear to a blind man.

Moretti turned to Cotton. "If we're going to try to get another conversation with Zubaida, there's several ways we could play it. I'm open to suggestions."

"This is my thinking. It's still early. I'm guessing that the Blue Pyramid does some business with the lunch crowd, which means that employees should be coming in to open the place up in the next couple of hours. Maybe we find an inconspicuous spot to watch the restaurant, keep our eyes peeled for Zubaida. When we see her, we try to intercept her, take her somewhere quiet to talk."

"If it works out, I'm planning to hang back, let you ask the questions."

Tommy shrugged.
"I think picking her up at the Pyramid makes sense. I dont suppose it would be too unusual visiting two days in a row, but agreed; its better we dont make our faces too recognizable and find a place near by to watch.
The other option would be the Scoop - but I don't think we use them. Anything we say will end up in print so lets tap up Mahoney only when we need him.".

Looking to the others he glanced at his watch.
"Sounds like we are ready to move. Shall we agree to reconvene in a few hours - say, 3pm at the York Minster on Dean Street? That's pretty close to where Bo, Stanley, Vincent and I will be. Otherwise if we need to communicate I suggest we leave messages with the concierge here - we can phone 'em in if needs be.".

He looked to Vincent.
"Ready?".

"Rather than leaving messages in the strange hands of concierges, Mr. Cotton, I suggest you direct them to me. I can remain here and collect information you may have, passing it to others at need," he said.

Leo nodded at Avery's interjection, he was about to suggest the same thing. "Yes, please leave messages with Avery, particularly if you can't make the meeting time for some reason. Planning to meet at three sounds good to me."

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 68):

"Taxi parked there'll stand out like a sore thumb, don't ya think? Besides, gonna get expensive at cab rates. Let's hire a car for ourselves. The concierge can steer us to one -- unless avery's ahead of us on this one."

"Ah yes Avery, of course. That would make far more sense!".
He was glad to have the able valet with them.

"Good luck everyone.".

In reply to Walter 'Bo' Brandon (msg # 73):

"That works. Let me grab a few things from my room." Bishop said. If they were hiring a car they would have no issuegoing heeled.

Moretti nodded in response to Cotton's suggestion. "You're right. Showing up two days in a row shouldn't attract any unwanted attention. I'm sure the Pyramid gets plenty of return business from customers who have fallen under the spell of one dancer or another. Worst case, we can go in there to find her but, as you said, I'd like keep our faces as unfamiliar as possible at the place. With a truckload of the Brotherhood gathering there once a month, someone that works there is aware of the cult, and is cooperating with them, out of fear if nothing else."

"Yes," he answered when Cotton asked if he was ready to depart. Before leaving, he gathered any items that weren't needed for the Museum and secured them in his room.

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 75):

Bo was waiting by the elevator when Stan came out of his room. They ride down together to inquire with the concierge about hiring a car.

"Take care," she said to those departing, quite seriously.  They all knew how dangerous this investigation had already been, so she knew they would take precautions to protect themselves, but she couldn't help but worry.

Once the others had gone, she turned to her uncle and Millicent.  "I would be very happy of your company at the museum.  I could use your researching skills, Uncle.  You always seem to have a knack for finding what you need in a library."

 Millicent watched the men get prepared to leave, then wished them well. "Good luck and for heaven's sake, be careful; and if you do get to see Zubaida Tommy, well just be your suave self." she gave a wink at him, showing a little of her old self.

 Afterwards, Millicent stood with the Doctor and Rosalie and gave a nod when the other woman asked for Millicent to join her.

 "That sounds like a fine idea, it will be a nice change of pace from bar hopping and sneaking around shops;" she said in light jest. "I mean it's not like anything bad would happen there right?" I'm sure there probably something I could help you with; and maybe I could talk with Dr. Elias more about what happened to me."

Just be your suave self.
Despite himself the young reporter blushed. He was far from suave, but Millie's words were a welcome boost. A little bashfully he responded with false bravado; "Obviously! Zubes will be putty in my hands.".
Trying to show he wasn't tooooo flustered he smiled earnestly to soften the mood. moreover, as the group dispersed...Bo and Bishop walking away, Tommy almost awkwardly lingered by the red head. His youthful bravado was replaced by halting concern.

"I'm glad you are ok Millicent.". Tommy confided awkwardly, lowering his eyes. "Good luck today. Hopefully this time tomorrow we can reminisce over a beer.".

Seeing Vincent stir the younger man cleared his throat.
"Shall we adjourn Mr Moretti?".

Stanley had hesitated to leave Rosalie. He wanted to be with her to keep her safe, but knew that the best way to keep her safe was to find the men behind the killings in London before they discovered their dead accomplice and followed the clues back to the group. Before leaving Stanley looked at Rosie, smiled and tipped his hat.

Stopping off in his room, Bishop picked up the weapons he had gotten through customs as well as a few extra shells. If there was trouble Bishop and Bo would be armed.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:59, Thu 29 Sept 2016.

"Sure," Moretti answered.

When they well out of earshot from Leo's room, Moretti grinned mischievously and said, "I think I've had you pegged wrong, Mr. Cotton. Last night, I was convinced that you were completely entranced by the exotic young lady we rendezvoused with at the pub. Now, I'm thinking that your feelings are leading you in a more...Irish direction."

Leo nodded at his niece's suggestion - he did enjoy libraries. "Yes, I have spent a lot of time around stacks of books, Rosie. Perhaps we can turn up something helpful beyond your planned research."

His gaze moved over to Millicent, though his eyebrows inched upwards when she proclaimed the library safe. He had stopped considering anyplace safe, but that didn't mean he couldn't reassure her. "Nothing bad should happen there. But that doesn't mean we should let our guard down. And I'd be happy to discuss what happened to you." He was looking forward to it - perhaps it would provide some insight into the cult they now faced.

As the others got ready to depart, he gave them a thin smile. "Have a care, fellows. Don't take unnecessary risks."

Once the other men had departed, Leo looked at the ladies. "Shall we be off then?"

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 81):

Bo looks doubtfully at the pistols, shaking his head.

"Stanley, you are a rascal.

"Really think it's a good idea when we don't really need to anticipate violence? Not sure I'm anxious to see the inside of a British gaol."

"I always anticipate the possibility of violence." Bishop replied. There was no menace in his tone, just the certainty of a man who had spent the last decade dealing with problems using physical trauma as lever to achieve his goals.

"Since we have an automobile of our own we can stash the in the car, but at least they will be at hand if needed." Bishop added.

"If Scotland Yard had any idea what they might be facing they would arm every man, woman and child in England."

When the car had arrived, and they had been handed the keys Bishop looked "You up to drive?"

OOC Not sure what kind of driver Bo is, though I Bishop would know.

In reply to Stanley Bishop (msg # 85):

Bo shrugs as Stan pockets the pistol.

"Sure, I'll take the wheel." Though not a professional wheelman by any means, Bo knows he's a cut above the average mug.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:09, Fri 30 Sept 2016.

 Millicent gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you're right Doctor, just still recovering from all the craziness last night; puts a girl a little on edge you know. And that sounds grand, maybe talking about it will help me work it ll out and get some better sleep."

 Getting her coat, Milly got ready and moved over tot the door, she was looking forward to the ambiance of a nice, quiet museum. "I'm ready, lets go see what we can dig up, eh?" 

By the time the others had made their departures, Dr. Elias, Rosalie, and Millicent were ready to be underway. It was easy enough to get a cab from the hotel, taking them right to the British Museum again, where they made for the Reading Room. 

---

OOC: Rosalie, give me a Library u

Leo mostly made small talk while they were in the cab, as one never knew who the cabbie really was.

Once they made their way to the museum, Leo first checked with Rosie to see if she needed any help. "Rosie, let me know if you could use help finding anything. Once you've settled in, I'd like to chat a bit more with Millicent about last evening."

The museum felt like home.  Rosalie loved England, London especially, and spending time in her birthplace was a real treat.  How often had her father taken her to the various museums in town?  The library within the British Museum was vast and had several departments dedicated to various eras in history.  Mentally noting which she'd need to visit, Rosalie set up a research station for herself at the polished table and gave her uncle a nod.

"I certainly will, Uncle.  It might take me some time to find the references I need, so you two should have plenty of time to talk things over."  She threw Millicent a pitying look and gave her a squeeze on the arm.  "I will see the two of you in a bit."

Leaving them to their discussion, Rosalie ventured off into the stacks in search of books that might help her translations.  The books here were well cared for and the shelves dust free.  Whoever was in charge of building the library took great pains to keep it tidy.


19:23, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 4 using 1d100 with rolls of 4.  Library Use (25).

BLAM!

  Millicent gave Rosalie a warm smile and said, "thank you, I'm sure Dr. Elias will be able to help me, good luck with your research."

  Watching her leave, Millicent then turned to the good Doctor. "Well, now's as good a time as any, right?" She gave a look around; "where's a good place to do this," she said in a voice that betrayed a  little bit of nervousness.

Rosalie's research was productive and efficient. While it was easy to get lost in the Reading Room's library, her searches tended to hit right at the source, yielding her the best materials on ancient languages that the library had to offer. The sole source for translating Cuneiform translated to German, and combined with an English-German dictionary, she knew she had what she needed on hand to make the translations of the markings on the back of the mirror that Vincent had found in the spice shop and copied down for her. Additionally, her existing expertise in hieroglyphics combined with the sources that she found gave her confidence that she would be able to tackle the scroll as well, and rather quickly at that.

Leo looked around to see if anyone was close by, then indicated that they should stay put. "I'd like to an eye on Rosie, and we're fairly well secluded here. Why don't you start by telling me what led up to the incident? Bring us back to where you were and how you were feeling."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:17, Tue 18 Oct 2016.

  Taking a seat near where Rosalie was working, Millicent thought for a moment on Dr. Elias's words than started speaking.

  "Well Doctor, we were in the spice shop on the upper floor searching for... well anything interesting. That's when the owner..., well I assume the owner came back and was downstairs. Having nowhere else to go, we quickly entered the bedroom and set a trap to hopefully subdue him and buy some time to escape." She stopped and backtracked her words.

   "Well make that the fellows did, I was busy searching for something that might help so did not see too much, more like heard. While searching a chest he came in, and there was a sound of pain. I turned to look and saw someone in the doorway pointing at me and mumbling something and then....then..." She stopped, licking her lips, a look of hesitation and pain crossing her face.

  "saw horrible images Doctor. I don't know what of, Buildings, of some kind, places so alien, but it was..was..too much and I guess I just blanked out, screaming according to the others though I really don't remember that part; Just when Tommy got me to stop."

  She finished and looked down to see that her hands had been working subconsciously, twisting a scarf she had taken off earlier. She looked back up at the Doctor.

  "Sounds crazy doesn't it? I mean how can people do hocus-pocus like that?"

Leo nodded as Millicent spoke of what she'd seen during their trip to the shop last evening. Her state of mind meant something. Or maybe it didn't - its not like he'd exactly dealt with this sort of thing before. Oh, he'd seen plenty of insanity. He had done a lot of research on patients who seemed to have lost their marbles, or were on their way to doing so. But this was different.

He shook his head when she said it sounded crazy. "I don't know how people do hocus-pocus exactly like what you describe...but there were some mentions of things, rituals and the like, in some of the stuff we've discovered. Roger Carlyle thought he'd discovered the ability to call forth powers exceeding what most of humanity believes to be possible."

He tapped a finger on the table as he thought. "And in some of the books I've been reading, there are rituals. One of them appears to be able to re-animate the body of the dead. So...let's just say I'm readjusting my understanding of what is truly possible. And if I readjust that from what I thought I knew...nothing you're saying sounds crazy. It sounds like we have a difficult and dangerous road ahead of us. And if you don't want to continue down this path with us, none of us will think ill of you. Every last one of us, well, I think you've heard what we've seen and what we are beginning to understand. So I assure you that you aren't crazy."

He paused and licked his top lip with the tip of his tongue as he considered. "Now, it sounds like you saw something, a vision of, what. A different reality? The future? Can think back to what you saw, or the image that was placed in your mind? It may be a vision of some importance as we attempt to unravel this mystery."

 Millicent listened to the Doctor's words then thought for a moment.

   "It would be so easy wouldn't it, to leave and all, all of this craziness behind. But," she said with a sad smile, "I don't think I would be too happy with that, knowing what was out there and wondering what is happening with you, with their plan, whatever it is. No Doctor Elias, I'm not going anywhere, foolish that it may sound. I came this far, I'll stick it out."

  Millicent sounded resolute, but a little worried too, then she continued.

  "I..I don't know if I can really describe what those images showed me; I wasn't quite in my right mind, if you know what I mean. Like I said, it was mainly places, buildings and such, rooms with odd angles, sometimes stars all around you; but everything felt so weird, it was very overwhelming."

Leo nodded at Millicent's response, glad that she was given the choice and decided to continue on, same as everyone else. It would be good for her psyche long-term, knowing that she hadn't been forced to stay. "I'm glad to hear that, your skills will be very helpful as we continue our investigation."

He went quiet as the woman described what she'd seen, at least in vague terms. He thought for a bit, then frowned briefly. "I'm not sure what to make of that, except that perhaps this fellow you ran into was trying to send frightening thoughts into your mind in order to cause you anguish. The places and things you saw, may exist. Or may be things that he imagined, or that deep down your mind knows would make you uneasy."

Leo paused. "Were there any living creatures in what you saw? Any words written anywhere?"

PM

  OOC: I'm sorry for taking so long, I didn't see someone had posted.

  Millicent thought for a moment and tried to remember. Her face contorted and she began breathing hard, her lip quivering. Then she closed her eyes and and shook her head in a negative response.

 "No, I'm sorry Doctor, try as I might I can't seem to really focus on anything. I...I can't really explain it. it's like I don't want to remember when I try too much to; maybe that's a good thing considering what that spell did to me? It might just make it worse." 

Leo nodded his agreement. "Entirely possible - if your mind has walled off those memories, there is probably good reason for it. Best not to go back there in that case. However, I'd like to do some visualization exercises with you. What are the most relaxing places for you to visit? Do you like the waves rolling onto the beach? A grassy meadow in the springtime?"

  Millicent, glad for the change of subject, looked curiously at the Doctor then shrugged and said, "sure if you think it will help." She thought for a moment then said; "let's see. I would say more meadow like back home, the rolling green hills, it's very relaxing driving cart through them on a nice sunny day." She gave a sigh; "it's been too long, I really need to back there to visit soon, maybe after all this is over."

Rosalie's research continued quite productively as she found the necessary materials for translation of the cuneiform characters. She identified it successfully as Babylon-era Sumerian, and used the Sumerian-German dictionary to translate it into German, then a German-English dictionary to bring it back into a language she understood.

---

Rosalie, can I get an Occult roll and a Cthulhu Mythos roll from you? If you loop Leo and Millicent into your findings, they can roll as well.

Leo nodded. "Grassy meadow it is. Start by closing your eyes and imagining that grassy meadow with rolling green hills from back home. You're driving a cart - what kind of cart is it?" Helping people achieve a better mental state was something Leo regularly practiced. He was hoping Millicent would benefit from one of the exercises he used.

   Following the Doctor's instructions, Milly focused on the scene in her mind. It was a nice scene, a calming one and soon she felt more relaxed. Focusing on the cart she spoke.

  "It was a typical Jaunting car, a little old fashioned I know, but fun to drive. I remember as a lass being driven by my Grandpappy and later being taught how to drive it myself." She gave a wistful sigh; "those were the days. I used it up until I left to go help with the war. Then I just got too busy to go back home. I hope he still has it."

 She gave a slight laugh, "boy, these exercises of yours are something Doctor, it's been a long while since I thought of that thing." 

Rosalie spent no small amount of time deciphering the scroll, using several different resources available to her to ensure she had the right translation.  What she found puzzled her greatly.  While her experience with Egyptology and the practices of various ancient peoples had exposed her to a variety of religious believes and rituals of the occult, she was far too practical a young woman to truly believe in magic.  Perhaps the things they had seen of late had blurred the lines of her logical nature a smidgen, but not to such a degree that she'd started believing in spells.

The cuneiform was far more challenging, but the results were puzzling there as well.  The text referred to the mirror and she found several references to such an artifact throughout history.  Could it be the same one?  The possibility excited her as she jotted down the details in her journal.  Of course, she didn't really know what to think of the tales of the mirror, but if it was as old as her references indicated, it would be a great find and a way to further her career.

Mindful of Millicent's need to speak privately with her Uncle, she returned to their private cubicle only when she'd decided they'd had plenty of time to converse.  Arms stuffed with books, she rejoined them, bright eyes indicating her excitement.

"I had quite a bit of good luck in the library.  They had exactly what I needed to work out these translations!"  She was more than little proud that she'd been able to find what she needed without her uncle's help.  As always, solving a puzzle gave her a sense of satisfaction.  "Though what I translated is quite odd, in my opinion."    Spreading out her materials, she began to outline what she'd discovered of both the scroll and the mirror, showing them the oddities that lay in each.


OOC

22:23, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 3 using 1d100 with rolls of 3.  Occult (27).



Scroll:

Rosalie quickly learns that the scroll contains a magical spell, Body Warping of Gorgoroth.  It allows the caster to change his or her physical form. The caster must invoke Nyarlathotep and repeat the phrases of the spell for 1d6+4 minutes while expending 6 magic points and an additional magic point for each point of SIZ to be gained or lost in the body warping. This spell also costs 2d6 Sanity points and 1 point of POW each time cast. Only one alteration per casting is possible, and the effect is permanent until the spell is recast to change back again. This spell cannot be cast on another being.

The sorcerer can change to any shape and appearance though retaining personal abilities. This form must be fleshly, though it can appear to be of stone, wood, a rug, etc. Once changed into a new shape, the caster has the mobility of that shape. The caster's STR, CON, INT, POW, and DEX never change. If emulating a person, the sorcerer's APP becomes that of the individual emulated. The caster can take on only the form of what he or she knows.


Cuneiform:

The first part of the inscription identified the entity to whom the Mirror was dedicated— “Šen-šen ___ Gal (The Mirror {or Wrath} of the Great ___ )” but the symbol where the God or King’s name should go has been chiselled out. The cuneiform inscription continues that the Mirror was made in Lagash and is a gift from King (Lu-Gal) Bur-ra Bu-ri-ia-aš (“Servant of the Lord of Thunder and the Lands”) to his “brother”, King of Egypt, Ne-ne-fe-ka-____; (this has no meaning in Sumerian and is probably a phonetic transcription of the Egyptian Ne-Nefer-Ka-____; The symbol which should represent the patron god of this pharaoh is likewise destroyed). “When the King my Brother wishes to view his enemy, anoint the mirror with Ub-raan. When he wishes to strike his enemy, anoint the mirror with Ga-bé-se-gal. Let there be no misunderstanding between us.”

Obra’an/Ub-ra-an: {Sumerian: “The sound of the drum of heaven”: ub—drum; ra—to strike, bang; an—sky, heaven}

Gabeshegal/Ga-bé-se-gal: {Sumerian: “The milk sacred to/from the shrine of the great howling/buzzing one”: ga—milk; bé—buzz or howl; se—shrine, sacred, dedicated to a god; gal—great, supreme}

You believe this is an artifact of significant importance, and significant fame will accrue to the archaeologist who publishes a paper describing it.

The only references to the Mirror occur after Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798. You locate an anecdote about an occultist operating in Paris during the Second Restoration, from a biography of the occultist Collin de Plancy:

One fellow made a small fortune claiming to have a mirror which allowed him to espy the boudoirs of Paris’ most beautiful ladies. The mirror, a dull grey affair curiously stamped with Hebrew symbols, was said to have been recovered from an Egyptian tomb plundered during Napoleon’s excursions there a generation previous. Anointing its metal with foul-smelling Eastern unguents, the mystic gained all sorts of rewards for his services. He came to a bad end, after agreeing to kill, by magic, the husband of a wealthy patron. When her agents arrived at his chambers to demand satisfaction, the reprobate had fled, magic mirror in tow. His body was found in a Genoese brothel a few weeks later, his heart clawed out as if by a wolf.

OOC:

Rosalie, great Occult roll! Could you also make a Cthulhu Mythos roll? Leo and Millie can make one of those too. It's for more/different knowledge.

22:47, Today: Rosalie Elias rolled 18 using 1d100 with rolls of 18.  Cthulhu Mythos.

I didn't realize till after you rolled that Leo is the only one of you three with non zero Cthulhu Mythos lol

Leo nodded at Millicent and smiled at her response, though when Rosie came back, he thought it best to pause their exercise. "Excellent! Let's take a short break."

Leo turned his smile to Rosalie as she indicated her success, and then he dove into it as well. "Great work! Let me take a look at those oddities. Perhaps it's something related to what I've been reading."

06:19, Today: Dr. Leonardo Elias rolled 9 using 1d100 with rolls of 9.  Cthulhu Mythos (13).

Something here seemed to tie into this whole mystery they'd started unraveling.

19:58, Today: Millicent O'Connor rolled 33 using 1d100 with rolls of 33.  Cthulhu Mythos. She doesn't have any so I don't know what she was supposed to roll.


  The vision faded from her mind when Dr. Elias told her to stop and she went over to where Rosalie was to listen to her findings. She was impressed with how much she was able to find out; the woman was obviously good at her job.

She looked fearful at the scroll remembering her experience with this whole magic stuff.

   "It really does that? What in the world would one use it for? This mirror though, you think it is the same on they are talking about? That thing gave me the heebie jeebies, seeing myself change like that. I wonder what that cultist does with it?"

Leo seems to recall things as he reads it, but isn't sure exactly how he knows them.

"It sounds like the mirror I've read about," she said with a nod.  "But I don't know what they'd be doing with it.  Maybe they believe the myth and think that it shows or can show them their enemies or even help them destroy their enemies.  I'm not certain what enemies they believe they have.  Perhaps it is anyone that comes after their cult or threatens to expose them."

Leo paused and thought about what Rosalie had conveyed regarding the cuneiform. Something tugged at his brain, or perhaps pushed at it. Knowledge bloomed, though he knew not from where.

"Gabshegal is a black, powdery substance. It can either be derived from the Milk of Shub- Niggurath, or from the mysterious ores mined by the Mi-Go." He paused, then explained. "I think I must have read that in a book sometime. I'm not certain I know what a Shub-Niggurath is or a Mi-Go is."

The physician frowned. "The scroll reminds me of some of the stuff I've picked up from the books that Roger Carlyle had hidden away."

 Millicent gave the two a look, "from what I've seen, I really don't want to know what either of those things are. But," she hesitated a little. "I don't like what you're saying about that mirror. If it's true about that thing, couldn't they use it so see us? I mean wouldn't we be considered their enemies? For Christ's sake, I actually looked into the thing and it could have captured my image somehow." She looked around fearful like she would be about to spot something out of the ordinary."

"I would really like to see it for myself," Rosalie admitted.  "I'm not sure what's true and what's not, but there are enough stories about it that it's important historically -- if it is the same mirror."

She jotted down what Leo remembered with her own notes and then closed her journal.  "We should head back to check in with Avery and see if the others are finished with their errands.  I want to know if Bo and Stanley saw anyone at the spice shop."

"Are you two quite done, or do you need more time?  I could go back into the stacks if you're still chatting."

Leo shook his head. "We can continue chatting later. Though I do wonder - Millicent, did you see any black, powdery substance near the mirror before you were assaulted?" The existence of the mirror did concern Leo. Hopefully their intrepid group could do something about it.

OOC:

Millicent, make an Idea roll.

  Millicent gave a rather poignant negative shake of her head. "Oh no you would not Rosalie. Believe me, if you ever see that thing, stay away from it, or if you must be near it, don't look into the thing."

  At the Doctor's question, Millicent thought for a moment, "I'm not sure, but let me think, so much happened since then."

OOC: 13:26, Today: Millicent O'Connor rolled 32 using 1d100 with rolls of 32.  idea.

PM

  "Sorry," Millicent said finally remembering something. "I didn't see any kind of powder; but", she added, "there were some vials around that Vincent took, maybe it was inside those. You should ask him what he did with him when we get back. DO you think it would be of some use?"

Leo's eyes opened slightly wider. "Well, it might be of use if we get our hands on that mirror. If we can figure out how to use it without losing ourself in it..." Leo frowned and considered some more, but then looked to his niece. "What do you think about trying to make use of the, er, artifact?"

"I'm thinking that I want to have a look at it and study it before attempting anything.  The stories are all different, but they all indicate that this artifact, if it is the artifact, is dangerous.  Maybe even cursed.  We should be careful."  She gestured to Millie with one hand.  "If what she saw is any indication, we should be very, very careful." 

She began stacking books so they could be re-shelved and collected her writing materials and journal.  "I want to have another look at the other things the boys brought back.  If they didn't see anyone during their stakeout, we might be able to gain access to the shop again."

  "I would be very surprised if it were as easy as last time to get in there," Millicent said as she got ready to head back with the others. "Surely they can't be so lax or arrogant as to not expect someone to maybe try again after what happened." She shrugged, "unless they think we're not that stupid." She just hoped no one would get hurt if they did.

Leo nodded at the responses from both the women. "Study and great care sound like a good way to proceed with this thing. Let's head back and see how the others have made out. Perhaps our next step will become more clear."