The plants made a satisfying crunching sound under Cynthia's boot.

Bathony recognised the occult tomes they'd taken from Gavigan:

Africa's Dark Sects, (English)
G'Harne Fragnents, (English)
Book of Dyzan (English)
Liber Ivonis (Latin)

Alongside were the scrolls that were taken as well.

Additionally, there were several tomes taken from New York:

Selections De Livre D'Ivon (French)
People of the Monolith (English)
Life as a God (English)

There were other books on the occult, some rare, maybe a few at most that would fetch a good price.

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 167):

Molly chuckled at John-Marc's camera.  "Upstairs Downstairs all around stairs.  Yes yes.  I'll be right there.  You do realize Mr. Falcon that you are interrupting my chance to read this journal that I took?  I will decide later if I should thank you or not."

Molly went over to John-Marc and quickly took a picture of him (without warning) and set out to finish documenting the rest of what they found.  She pushed back the little bits of sanity that Molly seemed to prefer and tried to bring out more Mungo for such ghastly work but even Mungo had her limits and she shivered at what was around.

JM smiled at Molly's antics.  "It is unfortunate to expose you and Miss Holloway to such terrible things Miss Fuller.  Would that this is the end of these horrible events."

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 170):

"Thank you John-Marc.  As terrible as this is, it does remind me of something.  Hmm.  now what was taht.  Oh Yes, It's how my eyelids look like after an all night party."

Molly winked at John-Marc and went back to taking pictures so that they wouldn't see that her eyes were still haunted by the images she had seen.

Once he had made several small piles the Count produced one of his book bags and put all the stolen tomes and ten or so others he had collected as well as all the scrolls. He also put the mirror, sceptres and powders in the bag also.

Removing his note book from a pouch he makes a few notes and drawings from memory of the magical pattern that was before the mirror. The others would collect their own weapons before they departed so he left them there.

He then went back to the black statute and studied it, if there were hieroglyphics he would take a rubbing.

JM gave Molly a quick squeeze on the shoulder in encouragement. "You are a plucky, courageous woman Miss Fuller.  We are lucky to have you with us."  As she went about her work he continued to examine the room and it's contents, helping the Count catalog and collect items.

"Quite a treasure trove of the outre and bizarre Count.  Do you see any clues as to what exactly they were up to here?"

The Count continued to work as he spoke to Mr Falcon:

"I have never come across a semi-open cult operating as this one has. The ledger seams to point to Egypt and the Far East as additional locations for cults or some other nefarious business. I just hope we have smashed this one completely for our own sake."

"If you could give me a hand to move the weapons up we should nearly be ready. I hope the Inspector may give us access to this evidence once it is removed."

There were no hieroglyphs on the statue of the black Pharaoh, but several of the pieces of jewellery (inverted ankhs, others with some kind of mystical sigil) were similar to those worn by the cultists upstairs. They could be worth something, or at least valuable for research or identification purposes, so JM collected some of those and documented them as best he could.

Otherwise, there was the sound of clicks from Molly's camera, although it was uncertain how well they would turn out given the poor lighting. Cynthia gathered various papers and books, not knowing at the moment which would be most valuable. The unfinished letter seemed timely and important.

CSM Jones poked his head down, and visibly shuddered at the various gruesome implements. "Ah, sorry to bother you, but somethin's 'appening on the roof. Wotever's up there sounds like they're starting to take the bloody roof apart!"

"I think it's best we move and return with the daylight. We have the front door, which will take us past Singh, and whatever men he hasn't eliminated yet, and back to the boats, and the back door towards the river, yes?"

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 176):

The back door led to the closest riverbank. As well, that was closer to where Singh went. The front door led towards the obelisk and their landing site. As far as they knew, the boats were tied up there.

JM considered what they had found and assisted the Count with the weapons and the choice bits of information.  "We'd best keep or copy the ledger and the letter there.  I know the police will want it but we need to ensure that we have it for our own researches." He glanced up toward the rest of the building.  "If that thing is coming through the roof then we should go out the back and find Mr. Singh and then make for our boats as planned.  We'll just need to be prepared for an attack."

"I am quite loath to suggest it, but we could bait it off the roof and have the rest of out complement stationed in the second story again to aid their firing. It puts us in a lot of danger but I think it maybe better then everyone being exposed with the chance of fear taking over peoples actions."

"Not to mention, that forward team may be able to secure the boats and bring them around closer to the house."

Crashing and cracking sounds came from upstairs. Someone or something was breaking windows and ripping up the slate roof tiles.

Molly looked up as she heard all the noise and then over at the group.  "Perhaps it would behoove us to move.  I'm not sure this place will be structurally sound for long.  Make up your mind people before that "thing" on top of us makes up our mind for us."

Molly starts to tap her foot.  She wants to move away, she really doesn't want to do it by herself.

JM frowned.  "If it is some kind of dragon, a real dragon that these scum have summoned up from where ever such things lurk then it might fly as well.  We can't stay here though as that thing will be inside with us soon.  If it's busy tearing through the roof we might be able to get quite a ways away from it before it notices.  Then if we are all armed with rifles and stand firm we may be able to fend it off."  He shook his head.  "If only I could get to my aircraft then I could really engage the creature."

With time running out the Count made another suggestion;

"Could we not use some of the cults bodies as bait and fire on the "dragon" from the house. I think it would be suicide to move while it is alive and airborne."

"Or if we could make it to the truck, we may be able to outrun it."

JM regards the Count for a moment and then claps the man on the back.  "Good idea, good idea.  Let's make the bloody bastards serve in death at least."

With Mr Falcon confirming his agreement with the plan and no one else seeming to object the Count readied two bodies near the door for the drag out onto the driveway.

His intention to get the bodies out while the others cover him and Mr Falcon from the lower level. He would fire his revolver on the return trip back to the door to hopefully gain the creatures attention.

Mark moved to help carry the two bodies to the door.  "I'll cover you Count while you distract the thing.  Then we try to shoot at it if it takes the bait."

"Agreed, to the abhorrent task then."

He gave a look down the row of shooters, nearly one at each window. Before doffing his hat and grabbing the body under the arms to drag it into the courtyard. He dragged it into the light they had created, but not beyond. Before un-slinging his rifle and firing towards the area he had seen the hand earlier.

The Count then retreated into the door way and taking up a crouching position using the frame and wall for cover.

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 189):

Even Mungo had her moments of weakness and seeing people willing offering up the dead to whatever was out there was just....creepy.  She shivered and looked around at something else so she wouldn't have to think on it.  She wasn't sure exactly why it bothered her since they were dead, but it did.

JM nodded to the Count and assisted with one of the bodies, positioning it near the other and falling back to cover the open area.

Cynthia will busy herself with anything ... not in this room and not with the corpses. While the men are hauling bodies, she'll check over the survivors for signs of injury, explain the plan to them and that they must prepare to run, and then find a nice place to shoot at beasties raining down from the roof.