In reply to Count Sigismund Bathony (msg # 205):

"We have a dozen good men here of our own, plus some British army troops guarding this area from "tomb robbers" and "revolutionaries". There have been no cultists here for weeks!"

In reply to Salim bin Kabina (msg # 203):

"Yes, the poor men. They did not deserve it." Chi-yin added.

JM stared about in amazement at the thought of the time that had passed.  Shaking himself he nodded at the suggestions.  "We should at least blast the throne but carefully.  Do not touch it.  The murals... perhaps they should be spared if they are not... dangerous."

A group of Alexander's men under Salim climbed down through the hole into Nyarlathotep's hidden throne room in the Lesser Bent Pyramid overlooking the town of Dashur.

After a short pause, the call came that the room was clear. Matt had vanished, perhaps through that infernal doorway into the past, and of course poor Chalky's vapourised remains were painted over much of the room's surfaces.

Meanwhile, a few men remained to render some aid and comfort to the survivors. Tea and biscuits. JM especially felt the mania that had envelop him loosen its grip and fade away.

Soon the word came that a ladder had been rigged, allowing any who wished to reenter to do so safely and easily after they climbed up.

It was still a few hours before dawn.

Meanwhile back near the Nile on his motor yacht, Alexander received word from a runner that his friends and companions had been sighted safe and sound. They had entered the Lesser Bent Pyramid, then went missing for two weeks, then had reappeared again after their absence, but this time in a hidden and never-before discovered room inside the Lesser Bent Pyramid.

JM sat outside the pyramid and took a long drink of whiskey.  He refused to go back into the pyramid stating that he'd had enough of whatever had happened inside.

"There's no way we're going to be able to catch up with these villains if we keep losing pages in our appointment schedulers like this! This mountain in Kenya, is it accessible by river? I mean to say, if they left on boat, do you think they're going there?"

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 211):

The Count nods in agreement to Cynthia as he puffs on a newly lit cigar. Reading about this sort of thing is very much different to experiencing it first hand and the idea of returning to the room fills him with dread.



-

Mr Perkins spends several minutes trying to light his pipe and gives up in frustration as he spills tobacco down the side of his trousers and onto the sand. His hands are shaking quite terribly and the simple task would seem to be beyond him as the Count points his leather Dunhill cigar case in his direction, Mr Perkins admits defeat and takes one as the Count also provides a light with a long match.

-

JM sets down the bottle of whiskey and stood.  "Kenya... I can't get us too the mountain but I can certainly set us down in Nairobi or the RAF station outside of the town.  We could even fly a few search missions to scout out the territory before we head off into the wilderness."

Dawn was close to breaking. Alexander said, "Everyone, let's get to my motor yacht. I'll have my man Salim record everything. Do you want to leave it like it is, under our guard? There is another option."

He pointed to the Lesser Bent Pyrmid, where the throne room was located.

"I talked to Dr. Khafour. He is adamant that this structure is not of antiquity. There are no records of it anywhere. It's like it appeared here yesterday. Therefore the Egyptian government and the Museum cares not what happens to it. What with all I've paid them off they better not! To that end I have brought a quantity of explosives with which to demolish most of the top, collapse the infernal throne room. We can pay the local villagers carry away the rest of the stones."

In reply to Alexander Hussein Mahfouz (msg # 215):

Roger was brought up from the yacht anchored in the Nile, along with some armed Bedouin porters. They traveled on foot past the darkened town of Dashur, then through farmland towards the escarpment to the west where silent pyramids loomed. When he arrived he noticed the temple his friend were gathered by was smaller than others he'd seen, and was distinctly off-shaped and slumped a bit to the side. Far up on its flank was what seemed (from this distance) a small hole, barely large than man-sized.

Waiting for him were Alexander and his man, Salim. Then the Romanian Count, Sisigmund Bathony, and his man, a Londoner named Perkins. His friend and fellow pilot, JM, was there with Cynthia, the American dilettante. Missing was the Australian pilot chap, Chalky, and his Negro friend, Matt Clancy. But there was a Chinese woman there he did not recognise.

In reply to Alexander Hussein Mahfouz (msg # 215):

"I am not sure what that will accomplish really other then take some time and create a lot of noise. Did we come to any conclusion as to what the pyramid was used for if anything ?"


-

JM shook his head.  "Destroy the whole thing and then salt the ground like the Romans did to Carthage as far as I am concerned.  At least after we take whatever recordings are needed for clues.  I for one won't go back inside."

He waved as he saw the new arrival approach.  "Roger Bedford, what are you doing here in this forsaken land old friend?  I thought you were still in Cairo or Daakar."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:04, Mon 25 May 2020.

"Hello, old chap!" exclaims Roger as he shakes JM's hand.

"Frightfully glad to see you again. I got wind that you finally came out from that pyramid again. What in the blazes were you doing in there for two weeks? More of this cult business? And what happened to your friends?"

He calls one of the porters over. "I brought some food and drink, as well as some first aid kits. We should get out of here and back to civilization."

JM gladly shook hands with his old friend.  He glanced over his shoulder at the pyramid and shuddered. Lowering his voice he continued; "Cursed work inside there, some kind of time slip or such.  It seemed only a few minutes to us inside but... well, two weeks... I would not have believed it... well, more than a couple of months ago since we were all tangled up in this mess."  JM shook his head.  "Well, we had an encounter with a being out of a nightmare.  One of the group was killed outright and the other... well he went elsewhere is all I can say."

Smiling JM nodded his head. "Food, drink and some sanity would be good.  There is a lot more to be said if you're willing to hear us out.  It's enough to get one sent to Bedlam but true enough unless the lot of us have been in a joint state of hysteria."

"Indeed, I don't think its continued existence can help us, or humanity at large. Better the thing be demolished. Although yes... Perhaps after we're a little further along on our own investigation. It's not clear the Brotherhood knows we visited, and I agree with the Count, I see no reason to disabuse them of that.

"How quickly can we get moving? And how precisely do we know the location of the ceremony? If we need to do rooting about, we might do some investigations first here among friends. But if you're able to find it on a chart, there's nothing left for us here, I think."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 221):

Alexander looked up at the hole near the top of the pyramid. "If that wasn't there before, then perhaps he knows now."

He then studied the group, noticing Chi-Yin. "Good morning, miss. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Alexander, this is Roger. I trust you have met everyone else here. I have heard about you from my friend, Mah'mud. You were part of the Clive expedition, then left. Since then you've been staying in Dashur. And Mah'mud has been keeping an eye on you."

Chi-Yin recalled that the boy who was her local guide was Mah'mud, and she'd been staying with his aunt in the nearby town of Dashur to pursue her studies independently from the wicked Sir Clive.

In reply to Alexander Hussein Mahfouz (msg # 222):

"Yes. He's a good lad." she nodded."I'm Wong Chi-yin." she added, so he knew her name.

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 221):

Realising he hadn't answered Cynthia's questions, he continued.

"We can take my motor yacht right now back down the Nile to Cario.

"One person I can think of who might know about the ceremony is the high priest of the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh, Omar al-Shakti. But he has almost a private army.

"The other person who might know is Sir Clive. His expedition out at Memphis is sponsored by the Penhew Institute, a nest of cultists. It's the same organisation that sent the Penhew expedition to their death. Or perhaps not? At least the Brotherhood of the Black Pharaoh was smashed in England by you folks. Miss Wong here was part of that expedition, until she left. And if you recall, there is that dutch fellow, Jan van Huevelen. He was also part of the Clive expedition before leaving.

"I forgot to mention,the Dutchman has finished his translation of the scrolls he found in the temple of Bast. He said that due to your help he is willing to help make introductions with Sir Clive. And, well, he's said some things that are rather odd."

This message was last edited by the player at 03:49, Tue 23 June 2020.

JM shook his head.  "I say blow the cursed thing up and collapse it into rubble.  We can stay out of the limelight if the destruction is sponsored by the government." He paused.  "We need to move quickly but as Cynthia states we should do some investigation quickly while we can.  I say we talk to this Dutch fellow first and see what he has to say." 

He turned to Chi-yin; "Do you think that we can approach Sir Clive without giving ourselves away Miss?"  JM glanced around at the others. "We'll need a plausible excuse to talk to Sir CLive but it is probably worth it.  We can either have miss Wong introduce us or van Huevelen."

"I would like to go speak with the Dutchman and see the results of the translations. I'm certain the introduction can be arranged after. We've lost time again. I'd like to leave right away, even if that means a disruption to van Huevelen's sleep tonight."

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg # 226):

"That can be arranged. Come, my yacht is waiting. Let's be away back down the Nile to Cairo. We'll deal with the temple and throne room later. Everything shall be recorded, then destroyed." The sun was now rising into the sky. The cool morning air began to warm rapidly. Alexander had his touring car brought around the base of the pyramid to bring them to his yacht, then downriver to Cairo.

In reply to John-Marc Falcon (msg # 225):

''I should think so. I can't imagine what excuse we could come up with though, so we do not disturb his suspicions.'' Chi-yin replied.

"Ok, Dutchman first and then Sir Clive."  JM followed along with the others.  He nodded slowly.  "We'll figure the rest out I suppose."

Cynthia pauses a moment approaching the boat, remembering the beasts that attacked the city in the river... but it's still a sight better than driving. At this rate, the only way she'll feel save traveling anywhere is in retired WWI airplanes.