In reply to George Perkins (msg # 340):

"Of course, yes."

The Count retrieves his shoulder holster from his carpet bag and puts it on. Then he opens the case and takes out his rifle before loading it and standing by the hanger door with the rifle out of sight.

"There is of course the chance that those who started the fire are still at the airport."

JM nods and goes back to the plane to get his pistol.  He stuffs it in his coat pocket.  "A bit of money may get our flight plan mislaid.  I'll try that approach.  As for our flight path I say we continue with our plan to cross over the Med and then head east to Cairo.  It's the fastest and I think speed is now in order."

He heads out to the tower to file his flight plan.  JM will use his command of the Italian language and a pile of Lira to get their flight plan forgotten after they leave.

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 343):

Karlheinz checked his Mauser, then stuffed it in a pocket of his leather flight suit.

"Ya, there is much danger here. I think the Commercial is ready to fly, let's be on our way when the arrangements are made."

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 344):

"Right. John-Marc, old man, you fix the flight plan with the Eye-Ties. I'll stay and get the Brisfit in tip-top shape, then follow you to Egypt when I can. Jolly good luck to you!"

JM pauses.  "Thanks for being willing to stay and keep an eye on the Brisfit Robert.  She's a prize and I'd hate to lose her or have the repairs done badly."  He looks about. "I'm not the best fast talker, perhaps miss Fuller or Holloway might come with me.  It's a bit non-gallant I admit but a pretty face might serve to ease our task."

Cynthia grins, "Non-gallant? Hardly. It's nice for a lady to feel useful now and again."

Cynthia takes a moment to touch up her hair and her skirts. Of course, she's successfully avoided a hangar fire in favor of croissants, so she's quite presentable already. And with that, she'll lead the way to the little office. She approaches the man at the desk, eyes red, hands intertwined. She speaks with a slight quiver, in English, interspersed with the few Italian words she picked up.

"I'm ... I'm sorry to ask this of you, sir. But I fear I must beg of you a favor. That plane I'm on, we're about to leave, but, well ... there's a man, and, well ... please, he can't know where I've gone. Is there, perhaps, anything I can do so he doesn't know?"

Molly waits a little longer before entering to give Cynthia a chance to "set the stage".  While she waited, she unbuttoned another button and refreshed her makeup.   Then she hurried over to where Cynthia was.

With her eyes wide and a pouty lip, she walked over to where Cynthia was, looking back as if somebody was trailing them.  She wrung her handkerchief in her hands and dabbed her eyes before taking a deep breath.  "Cynthia?  What are we to do?  Will they help?"

JM stayed to the rear, his attitude more of a hired pilot.  He could not help but admire both women as they presented themselves nicely for the men.  He gave Molly a wink as she adjusted her decolletage.  Moving in behind them he held out the flight plan with money folded with it.  "The ladies have asked me to file a flight plan that would distract this un gallant man for at least a bit."

The Count continued to guard the plane as the others made the arrangements to leave. He had been joined by Mr Perkins once all the luggage had been loaded and he had done a quick check of the hanger. He nodded to his friend as he took up a position next to him.

"It would seem we have stirred up a hornets nest. I do hope the Father will be safe."

The poor airport official looked like he'd been hit with a mackerel, or more to the point didn't know what hit him. He didn't dare refuse the pleas and entreaties of these gorgeous creatures that seemed to have descended from heaven.

"Ah... si is! Bene! Bene! The rain, she is stopping. You can fly when you like! I have your flight plan, and your friend will stay to fix your other plane. I see no problems with this, have a good flight. It is too bad you will not be staying in Roma for longer, I would be glad to show you more of the City of Lights!"

In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 351):

Dr. Weston asked for a full run-down of the incident while they waited.

"I hope so as well. From what you've said, it could be the one man or an entire cabal! If I were a cultist, then being in charge of the forbidden books is where I should like to be, yes? And this brother Casimir, he spent time in Kenya and Africa, as the story goes, so perhaps he ended up being converted and not the other way around.

"One thing that I should mention, you were sent a telegram from London. Your solicitors reported that someone attempted to gain access to the stored paintings and statues that were left in their care. I believe they were not successful. But there is something significant with those pieces, especially the one of the man-bat that gave off an electric-like a shock when touched? Perhaps there is something in the tomes we have brought that could explain what is so special about them? It seems too great a coincidence that the cultists should make an attempt to gain access to your safe deposit boxes through clever forgeries the same day we arrived in Rome, I sense that somehow this was a plot in the works for days and the concurrent attack on you was more a target of opportunity.

"At any rate, I shall talk to Cynthia about this man-bat. I believe she has studied one or more of the books, perhaps she can shed some light on why the cultists deem those objects and artefacts important."

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 352):

Molly stifles a sniffle and smiles at the Italian.  "Oh thank you so much.  Perhaps one day we will meet again but I'll never forget you."

She then tugs on Cynthia's arm.  "We'd better go and get on board.  I...I think we should be going now."

In reply to Doctor Phillip Weston (msg # 353):

"That is distributing news indeed. I had advised the banks to up the level of security if such a thing was to happen and it would seem that my intuition was correct. I had hoped we had dealt this cult a fatal blow, but it would seem not."

"If we make it back to England it would seem that our job is not done. I assume they struck the shop even though all cult related items had been removed. I am sure CSM Jones and his guests would have dealt them a terrible blow."

"I will have to cable our friends in London once we are in Egypt and make sure all is well. The Detective Inspector will be in a better place to pursue the cult in our absence."

"Yes, thank you sir. You have saved us so much trouble and heartache." Cynthia hurries out with Molly and back to the plane.

"We should expect our flight plan has been properly misplaced!"

JM hands over the flight plan with a nod in the direction of the ladies and then follows.  Once outside he laughs.  "Well done ladies, well done.  That was as fine a bit of work as I've seen outside the West End playhouses."

When they arrive back at the hangar he calls out. "Ok, all is set with the flight plans.  Let's load up and leave immediately.  Miss Fuller and Miss Holloway did an outstanding job."

"I believe we are loaded Mr Falcon."

He waived at the Count to come closer to the plane while everyone boarded.

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 357):

Molly waited until she got back to the plane before winking at Cynthia.  "Well played Cynthia."

Molly smiled at John-Marc's words and bowed her head in acknowledgment.  "Thank you sir.  Shall we get all settle in now?"

JM nodded to Perkins.  "Thank you Mr. Perkins.  Karlheinz let's get the engines started and get started."  He offers his hand to assist the ladies.  "Ladies, can I help you up?"

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 360):

Molly allows John-Marc to assist her into the plane and smiles.

JM smiles back and lets his hand linger just a bit. "Always a pleasure Miss Fuller."

Soon, they finished loading up the Commercial as the rain subsided. With luck, they should get a couple good hours of flying in that day. As Roger (and the Italian customs man) waved to them, they took off into the early evening sky.

In reply to The Keeper (msg # 363):

Once in the plane, Dr. Weston spoke to Cynthia. "Miss Holloway, may I have a word? The statues, various artefacts and paintings we left behind in London, did you come across mention of them in those cultist tomes you read? I am especially interested in the man-bat statue, and there were paintings of it. Perhaps it is an idol of some god worshipped by these degenerates?"

Cynthia blows kisses and waves her kerchief to her valiant heroes on the ground. Such sweethearts!

JM waved to their comrades and guided the Commercial off through the air.  Once at cruising altitude he turned to KH.  "We probably should not have stopped in Paris.  It probably gave the cultists time to track us down.  Or perhaps the inquiries at the Vatican alerted them.  Regardless it seems that they attempted sabotage in London as well."

"Perhaps, but it played out for the better. No one harmed, and we recognize how foul the foe is. For everything else, fascists have a rigid respect for law that perhaps kept the cultists from acting openly like they might in Egypt."