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09:35, 19th March 2024 (GMT+0)

London.

Posted by The KeeperFor group 0
The Keeper
GM, 140 posts
Tony Stroppa
Mon 17 Oct 2011
at 06:20
  • msg #56

Re: London

Park Lane Hotel:

Before midnight, Phil made it alive back to the Park Lane Hotel on Piccadilly. Traffic was much lighter at that late hour but travelled slowly due to the inky murk.

At his urging the driver went in and had the front desk call up. Simmons came down with a coat and hat, handing them off to Phil. Once Phil looked more presentable, they entered the lift to the 4th floor.

Outside the windows, Green Park was an ocean of darkness, as the fog reduced the electric streetlights to sullen sparks. At the far side of the park, not very far away, Buckingham Palace was completely unseen in the mist. Inside slept the King and his family, secure in the knowledge that at least the sun hadn't yet set on the British Empire.
This message was last edited by the GM at 07:02, Mon 17 Oct 2011.
Francis Simmons
NPC, 8 posts
Faithful Manservant
Mon 17 Oct 2011
at 07:01
  • msg #57

Re: London

4th Floor, Park Lane Hotel

In the corridor outside the door to the room he shared with Howard, Simmons stopped and took back his coat.

"Thank God that you're getting a new set of clothes tomorrow! Hand-tailored and all. Should look real fine on you, Mister Webley."

"Say, what time is Mister Lampton coming back? It's getting late, I want to get things ready for him and all."

"As well, Professor Fulty and the Major are still up, tellin' each other stories, I imagine. I asked and they say you can join them for a nightcap before you retire."

Phil Webley
player, 16 posts
Drifter - Good looking
Weak, sickly and clumsy
Mon 17 Oct 2011
at 16:36
  • msg #58

Re: London

In reply to Francis Simmons (msg #57):

"I'm not sure when Mister Lampton coming back, I cut my hoboing trip short.  Too much competition, I'm afraid.  I'll take a shower and clean up before meeting the others for a nightcap."
Phil hits the showers....
The Keeper
GM, 145 posts
Tony Stroppa
Wed 19 Oct 2011
at 03:49
  • msg #59

Re: London

In reply to Phil Webley (msg #58):

The shower was in a claw-foot tub and Phil luxuriated in the unlimited hot water. Not to mention the free soap and safety razor!

Afterwards, he changed into comfortable clothing and knocked on the next door over.
Prof. Ralph T. Fulty
NPC, 2 posts
Archaeologist
University of Milwaukee
Wed 19 Oct 2011
at 03:56
  • msg #60

Re: London

From inside the room Phil heard, "is that Phil? Come in!"
Phil Webley
player, 17 posts
Drifter - Good looking
Weak, sickly and clumsy
Wed 19 Oct 2011
at 11:17
  • msg #61

Re: London

In reply to Prof. Ralph T. Fulty (msg #60):

Phil leaves the bath, and leaves a huge ring of scum.  He dresses in pajama bottoms, socks and a bathrobe.
"Hiya Ralph, how about a nightcap?  It's rather cold and wet outside tonight."
Prof. Ralph T. Fulty
NPC, 3 posts
Archaeologist
University of Milwaukee
Wed 19 Oct 2011
at 22:33
  • msg #62

Re: London

In reply to Phil Webley (msg #61):

"Come in, then! What is your pleasure?"

Phil entered, and immediately smelled cigar and pipe smoke, and gun oil.

Fulty opened the door, letting Phil inside. Ralph had his pipe in hand, and Phil could also smell cigar smoke and gun oil.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:45, Wed 19 Oct 2011.
Major Charles Storm
NPC, 3 posts
Major, US Army, Ret.
Former Cavalryman
Wed 19 Oct 2011
at 22:45
  • msg #63

Re: London

Storm was sitting at the writing desk, smoking a cigar. Beside his hand was an old Colt .45 Peacemaker revolver and empty highball glass. Spread out on an oily cloth on the desk was a disassembled Colt automatic (M1911) in the process of being cleaned.

"I'll have another Cuba Libre, my good man. I was just telling Ralph here about the attack on San Juan House in Cuba against the Spaniards. Did you ever serve? Where did you get that Luger I saw you waving around?"
Phil Webley
player, 18 posts
Drifter - Good looking
Weak, sickly and clumsy
Thu 20 Oct 2011
at 02:48
  • msg #64

Re: London

In reply to Prof. Ralph T. Fulty (msg #62):

"Just good old American whiskey please.  Ahhh, the smell of gun oil before bed; what a grand smell.  May I borrow your cleaning kit, the Luger could use a good cleaning?  The Luger, I ahhh, picked it up after the Great War in New York.
As for serving, no.  I was a bit too young for The War and was doing time errr, other things after The War.  I suspect I would not have made too good of a soldier."

Prof. Ralph T. Fulty
NPC, 4 posts
Archaeologist
University of Milwaukee
Thu 20 Oct 2011
at 09:01
  • msg #65

Re: London

In reply to Phil Webley (msg #64):

"One Scotch Whiskey, neat, one Cuba Libre coming up."

He poured Coca-Cola from a wasp-waist bottle into a highball glass, added Bacardi rum (imported from Cuba) and a slice of lime to make an "original" Cuba Libre for the Major. For Phil a finger of Scotch, neat, same for him but he added soda from the spritzer bottle.

Phil served them, then filled his pipe and lit it.

"Now. I've been waiting to tell the others when they get here the good news!"

"Jonas in New York insists that John-Marc chap is spot-on. There are some questions to ask to verify but I think it's just a formality.

"Jonas also wired us a 300 pounds for expenses. Very thoughtful of him! Should keep us here for a while, at least."

"Lastly, the news hasn't broken here but the police rounded up all the Bloody Tongue cult members a few days ago. Except for the ringleader. There are some documents that were found as well, something we might be able to make sense of. These are on a mail packet, should get here in a week or two."

Major Charles Storm
NPC, 4 posts
Major, US Army, Ret.
Former Cavalryman
Thu 20 Oct 2011
at 09:23
  • msg #66

Re: London

Phil Webley:
In reply to Prof. Ralph T. Fulty (msg #62):

"Just good old American whiskey please.  Ahhh, the smell of gun oil before bed; what a grand smell.  May I borrow your cleaning kit, the Luger could use a good cleaning?  The Luger, I ahhh, picked it up after the Great War in New York.
As for serving, no.  I was a bit too young for The War and was doing time errr, other things after The War.  I suspect I would not have made too good of a soldier."


"My pleasure." Storm grunted with a stifled laugh as he pulled on his cigar and handed Phil the cleaning kit. He started to assemble the M1911 with practiced hands.

Blowing out a blue plume of smoke he replied, "you never know, there's still time! Make a man out of you yet. You won't be hunting Indians like I did on the Frontier in the 3rd Cavalry or charge up San Juan Hill with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough-Riders either, but I'm sure the quality of wars will improve. After that last fiasco in France, it can't get any worse. Well, that German nationalist fellow, went to prison after that coup attempt, he's out now and still stirring up all kinds of trouble. Who knows where that will lead?"

Finished assembling the semi-auto Colt "automatic", Storm inserted the magazine and thumbed the slide lock. The slide closed with a metallic "Snap!", chambering a round, and he slipped on the safety catch. "There. Loaded and locked."

Storm sipped his rum and Coke. "Damn, Coca-Cola has sure gone downhill since they took the cocoa extract out of it. Not as, I don't know, invigorating, as it used to be!"

"And to come clean, I was in the cavalry in Texas but by the late 80's war bands whooping it up and jumping off the reservation was a thing of the past. I didn't ride with the Rough-Riders (they were volunteers, I was regular US Cavalry) but I did make friends with President Roosevelt during the Cuban campaign."

"May I see your little trophy? More than a few Doughboys took Luger '08s from German officers as booty during and after the war and brought them home. I never did but always liked them."

This message was last edited by the player at 11:54, Thu 20 Oct 2011.
Phil Webley
player, 19 posts
Drifter - Good looking
Weak, sickly and clumsy
Thu 20 Oct 2011
at 13:32
  • msg #67

Re: London

In reply to Major Charles Storm (msg #66):

Phil hands the Luger over to Charles.
"That 45 auto you carry is one hell of a handgun, way too much gun for me, and it's hard to conceal.  But, one shot and nothing, or no one, gets back up."
Doctor Phillip Weston
player, 7 posts
Professor/Doctor
Psychoanalyist
Thu 20 Oct 2011
at 20:13
  • msg #68

Re: London

Dr. Weston sat by quietly and had a brandy. He was not a man of action and all the running around and action had to rest and try and catch up to all that was going on.

At least he had a productive day at the library. Perhaps that was what he should be focusing on, research.
The Keeper
GM, 150 posts
Tony Stroppa
Thu 20 Oct 2011
at 22:24
  • msg #69

Re: London

The rest of the investigators returned to the hotel and their rooms. There was relief in finding Phil had safely returned on his own and was engaged in conversation with Ralph and Charles Storm.

Room assignments (all 4th floor double suites) were: Cynthia Holloway and Imran Singh, Howard Lampton and Simmons in luxury suites overlooking the park and Buckingham Palace, then down and across the hall were Prof. Fulty and Charles Storm, Phil Webley and Dr. Weston. John-Marc had to accept a single room on the other side of the hotel on the 1st floor.
Major Charles Storm
NPC, 5 posts
Major, US Army, Ret.
Former Cavalryman
Thu 20 Oct 2011
at 23:01
  • msg #70

Re: London

In reply to Phil Webley (msg #67):

Major Storm accepted the Luger, pulling the toggle and checking it to see it was cleared and how clean the chamber was. He grunted in satisfaction. "Bone-dry. Needs to be oiled every few days or there could be problems.

"The Colt semi-auto? People have taken to calling them "automatics" for some reason, due to the pulp stories and newspapers writing about gangsters, I imagine.

"I was issued this in Manila when the 3rd was deployed to the Philippines. Needs to be oiled daily to be reliable but they say nothing else will put down a Moro tribesman like it will, least not the .38 revolvers we were issued before them.

"Never used it in combat, it's the badge of an officer and a cavalryman. With cavalry being replaced by combat cars and "tanks" the sabre is becoming ceremonial, too. But I was trained as a cavalryman to use a rifle or carbine, a pistol and even to perform a sabre charge. Last of a dying breed, I wager."

Howard Lampton
player, 31 posts
Noted Author
Fri 21 Oct 2011
at 02:25
  • msg #71

Re: London

Lampton greets his friends, declines a drink, and fills them in on the Blue Pyramid Club and Detective Sergeant Darlington.
Prof. Ralph T. Fulty
NPC, 5 posts
Archaeologist
University of Milwaukee
Fri 21 Oct 2011
at 03:14
  • msg #72

Re: London

In reply to Howard Lampton (msg #71):

Prof. Fulty poured a brandy for Dr. Weston. He asked John-Marc (gin and tonic) a few questions passed on by Jonas to verify his identity, and received satisfactory answers.

"A stroke of luck, by Jove! Meeting that Darlington fellow.

"Our meeting with Inspector Barrington a few days ago was less than satisfactory. I'm glad we have what seems to be a real lead, after all. Tewfik preys on people at the club. Once a month he takes victims in his truck someplace north. His warehouse? The Penhew Foundation?"


Ralph in turn related the rest of the news from America. How Jonas was partially funding their stay in London, and that most of the cultists at the Ju-Ju house were rounded up. (All save the high priest and his henchman Silas N'Kwame, who remain at large.) Documents and some artifacts were recovered by the police. Some materials are being sent by post to England, they will arrive in a matter of a week or two.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:53, Fri 21 Oct 2011.
Cynthia Jane Holloway
player, 41 posts
Dilettante
Globetrotting Free Spirit
Fri 21 Oct 2011
at 14:53
  • msg #73

Re: London

Cynthia and the rest arrive and enter the room with their companions. Cynthia takes quick stock of everyone present, and takes a seat, crossing her legs and her arms. She's not very engaged tonight. She sends her maid to acquire a drink she nurses, as she lets the boys update everyone else on the night's events.
Major Charles Storm
NPC, 6 posts
Major, US Army, Ret.
Former Cavalryman
Fri 21 Oct 2011
at 21:33
  • msg #74

Re: London

In reply to Cynthia Jane Holloway (msg #73):

When it's related to Storm that Darlington informed them that Imran was followed during the day, he asked, "Mister Singh, is that true?"

"That's something we should take care about, concealing our movements. Fortunately, it's quite simple. I should think that as long as we take different entrances other than the main one, perhaps run the odd decoy, switch taxis or combine taxi rides with the tube and so on, then they can't watch all of us at the same time!"

Imran Singh
player, 36 posts
Decorated Ex-Soldier
Loyal Sikh Manservant
Fri 21 Oct 2011
at 21:45
  • msg #75

Re: London

Singh delivers Cynthia's drink to her. Tucking the small silver tray under his arm, he turns to answer Major Storm, "I believe I was followed, sir. It was not unexpected. Your suggestions are very valid."
Major Charles Storm
NPC, 7 posts
Major, US Army, Ret.
Former Cavalryman
Fri 21 Oct 2011
at 22:37
  • msg #76

Re: London

In reply to Imran Singh (msg #75):

"I think it's possible someone was following us, too."

"Indeed I'm an amateur when it comes to precautions. This detective fellow, Darlington, I'll bet he'll have a better idea as to what we could do to make observation of our moves more difficult. Perhaps we can cook up some story for hotel management, about valuables and a thieving ring and some such to have them on the lookout, although I'm sure the hotel detective already has that covered."

Prof. Ralph T. Fulty
NPC, 6 posts
Archaeologist
University of Milwaukee
Fri 21 Oct 2011
at 22:53
  • msg #77

Re: London

Ralph raised his glass.

"Sounds like we've got a break in the case with this dancer, if I may call it that! As well, many of those thugs in New York have been rounded up (save the leader) but it should just be a matter of time. We're not done but perhaps it will only by a minor matter of time until all are served justice."

"A toast to justice!"

Howard Lampton
player, 32 posts
Noted Author
Sat 22 Oct 2011
at 13:02
  • msg #78

Re: London

"Well, it's been a late night and I'm for bed. Pleasant slumbers, all." Howard goes to his bedroom.
Imran Singh
player, 37 posts
Decorated Ex-Soldier
Loyal Sikh Manservant
Sat 22 Oct 2011
at 13:03
  • msg #79

Re: London

Singh helps Simmons tidy up and then goes to bed. He places his revolver on the nightstand.
Cynthia Jane Holloway
player, 42 posts
Dilettante
Globetrotting Free Spirit
Sat 22 Oct 2011
at 19:19
  • msg #80

Re: London

Cynthia toasts, drinks, and quietly excuses herself.
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