Connor went over and lent some help to Remi, grabbing the same mooring rope and hauling on it, his muscles rippling underneath his shirt as he put his back into it and heaved.

From his almost sailor-like stance as he worked, it looked like the felinoid was familiar with this sort of thing, indeed the tiger-man quietly hummed an old sea shanty tune as he pulled. As for helping with the coal, he could probably take quite a bit in one go, but he figured he'd help bring the ship down before worrying about that.

Grimsby set aside caution for the moment and joined Remi and Connor pulling on the rope. Still a bit battered from his last adventure, he did not contribute as much as the felinoid, but he hauled away stoically despite his pain.

Relieved that their airship seems to still be 'theirs', Bellgrove moves to assist Remi and the others with his cargo, which would is rather vital to their next moves.

Pulling the ship down to the ground is fairly easy. Remi has kept it rather neutrally buoyant just for this reason.

He's managed to acquire 1.5 tons of coal, and it needs loading from the car into the ship's scuttle. With Dash injured, most of the shoveling is done by Remi, Connor, Bellgrove and even Mercy. Alhough not as srong as the men, she's done her share of coal shoveling and knows the proper technique so keeps pace with the others.

tha leaves Stella and Dash to keep watch during the 30 minutes it takes to finish the loading, including supplies.

About the time that Remi says it's okay to board the ship, Stella spots someone lurking in the shadows out at the edge of the little park where they've landed. It's about 1am now. the dark makes it hard to tell just who is lurking. It could be a curious local, or it could be someone with a more nefarious purpose in mind.

Stella sits in the cab while the winching down and loading are accomplished, keeping watch from the windows. When she spots someone in the shadows, she quietly alights from the vehicle and joins the others.

Approaching Remi, she says in a murmur, "Captain, we are being watched. There is someone on the edge of the park looking in our direction. I've only seen the one individual, but perhaps we should board quickly."

Grimsby draws the Webley again and says quietly, "I can stand guard until the others have boarded."

"I can as well," Connor spoke up, having just loaded the last bag of coal and another box of supplies, his ears perked up as he took up a position opposite of Grimsby, still facing the mysterious intruder, but within reach of one of the mooring lines in case he ended up having to cut it and then maybe hang onto it and climb if the ship needed to make a fast getaway.

As only he and Stella were on "guard duty", Dash was obviously keeping watch in the opposite direction from Stella.  So, not having overheard Stellas whispered comment to Remi, Dash continues to watch for unfriendlies in his view.

When Stella reports a lurker to the Captain Bellgrove responds, "The Lady is right. We all ought to be moving quickly."

With coal and supplies loaded, Remi has everyone board quickly, and then the ground anchors are pulled up. Remi feeds more gas into the balloon, and as the ship rises above the surrounding buildings and trees, he fires up the engines and the ship heads out to the south over the harbor, gaining height as it goes.

There was no further actions by the lurker, and the ship soon leaves him and Marseilles behind.

Once clear of France, Remi gives a sigh of relief.

"Well, I can see that your sojourn into the Marseilles night life was not without a bit of excitement," Remi says. "Would any of you care to fill me on your adventures?"

Grimsby says, "We had quite a few adventures, separately and together, and found some new companions. For myself, I saw the British consul and he told me that a vessel that sounded like the one we were pursuing had stopped nearby for supplies.  I fear it also left word of our coming with the Vril Society's local allies; I was pursued by two ruffians, and when I took a cab to escape, I found it already occupied by a third man who attacked me; as I was fighting him off, the cab crashed into another which, very fortunately for me, was carrying my friends, and together we fought off the villains, shooting the man who had attacked me -- whom we have now brought along --and accounting for the others. I expect Miss Marbury and Mr. Hawkesbury can tell of their own experiences and how they found our new allies." He  nodded respectfully toward Bellgrove and Connor.

Connor, after scrambling aboard the airship, had found a place by one of the windows and had sat down to watch, having never been aboard one before. Although it was a little disorienting at first, but soon enough, the felinoid was enjoying himself a little sitting and watching the world go by below them, his long tail flicking idly back and forth behind him as he rested one of his handpaws on his chin.

When Remi asked if anybody would care sharing their adventures, Connor held back for the time being, letting the others go first before he'd share his own experiences thusfar.

"Yes, well, as to that." Dash picks up the story where Grimsby left off, "Miss Stella and myself went to Mittlemann, as planned. There, they were in the process of loading and supplying a ship, to sail out on the morning tide. However, before we could speak with Mssr. Mittlemann, we were called to by Connor ... this gentleman." Dash indicates the Tigerman standing nearby.

"He was caged among several other cages and crates marked as belonging to some carnival, or circus. He claimed ..." Dash raised a hand and gestured at Connor to wait a moment before interjecting, "... that he was being kidnapped by the carnival folk.  And I admit that the fact he was well spoken and dressed in streetclothes -- neither of which one would expect of a creature that would have required caged transport -- went a long way to confirming his story."

"However, taking into account the quasi-legal status of our mission, as well as the possibility that the Vril Societys assassins might be dogging our tracks, I felt that involvement in an illegal slavery operation might be ... counter-productive to our needs.  I had every intention of bringing the situation to Mssr. Mittlemans attention -- as I was sure Mittlemann was not involved in such activities; a fact I later confirmed."

"I failed to take into account the power of female moral outrage, however, and before I could stop her, Miss Stella had freed the ... gentleman.  He then quickly boarded the nearby ship and proceeded to hunt down those he knew to be involved in his incarceration, and thrashed them quite publicly.  I do understand the impulse, and most likely would have done the same, if I were in his place.  However, I wasn't in that position, I was in the position of needing to keep Miss Stella and myself, and our mission, from being either delayed or even halted by French officials."

"I resolved that we needed to get out of there quickly, before any of the dozen-or-so Longshoremen, or even some sailor from the ship, should report the fracas on the docks, and summon the Gendarmes. I quickly consulted with Mssr. Mittleman, as Connor beat his way through the ship -- Mittlemann knew nothing of value, by the way -- and then, gathering Miss Stella, I suggested to Mr. Holmes, here, that avoiding the Gendarmes might be prudent and, simply to avoid the possibility of our mission coming to French attention, I offered him passage on this vessel, and out of France."

Dash took a breath, but when he opened his mouth to continue, something caught his attention, and he turned, frowning, to face Bellgrove.

"I had almost forgotten. Bellgrove, Mister Wander, here, showed up during the fracas on the dock, offering his assistance. But ... just what were you doing there, Sir, to show up so serendipitously?"

"How about I throw you in a cage sometime, steal all your things from you, then say you don't have a soul or deserve to be treated as anything but an animal, then we can see how long you'll like it," Connor sniffed indignantly at Dash, muttering in a quieter tone, "It's not as if I'm a vagrant or something, I have a respectable profession and a firm of my own to run."

The felinoid still couldn't believe how the human man was essentially rubbing his nose in the whole incident, even after he'd done his best to assist them, almost, just almost, wishing he'd kept his muzzle shut and let the show-people take him.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:02, Mon 21 July 2014.

Grimsby noting the tigerman seemed a bit disgruntled, interposed, "However it came about, I am very glad to make the acquaintance of one of your race, sir --I heard you called Connor, but I fear I did not catch your last name.  I have heard legends of such people in Yunnan, but I have never had the honor of meeting one before. I hope you can tell me something of the history of your people when time permits."

Dash slapped his forehead, then pulled his hand down over his face, to his chin, in frustration.

"Dammit, Mr. Holmes!  Are you intentionally being stupid?" Dash demands in a louder-than-normal voice, "No! No, let me correct that!  You are not being stupid, you are just ignorant; but I do not know if it is intentional, or simply your nature.  I just said that I would have had Mittleman set you free, and deal with those who abducted you!  I explained that I did not want to get directly involved for fear that it would force your involvement in the dangerous affairs which we are about!"

"But all you heard was 'I refused to free you'!  And you continue to ignore the fact that by Stella and myself getting directly involved in your release, we have forced you into a position which, now, may threaten your very life!  Let me ask you, Mr. Holmes, prior to tonight, how many times have you been attacked by an assassin wearing mechanical armor, never the less been shot at by one?  I'd be willing to bet good money that the events of this evening have never happened to you before, yes?"

"Now, right now, at this moment, you may be quite willing -- perhaps even pleased -- to join us in this endeavor.  Now you have most, if not all, of the facts with which to make a free choice.  The choice is now yours to stay involved.  But the fact is, that when Stella -- and I appologize, Miss Mulberry, if I sound angry or accusatory, I do not mean to be -- but the fact is, that when Stella opened the cage you were in -- without warning you that getting involved with us might lead you to being attacked by assassins and chased by a global Secret Society -- the fact is that she dragged you into involvement with us without giving you a choice."

"I willingly admit that you have been of tremendous assistance, and are a stout fellow -- one that I now would trust to have at my side -- but tell me, Mr. Holmes, if you would -- when Stella freed you, starting the sequence of events that got you involved in our dangerous business without first warning you ... please tell me how that differs from the actions of those scoundrels who threw you into a cage, without first asking you if you wanted to go into the cage?"

"Do you see my dillemma now, sir?  For us to take action and free you ourselves, has caused you to be forced into these dangerous proceedings, without giving you a choice.  That you may have chosen to join us, if we had told you of these consequences beforehand, is irrelevant.  We unintentionally gave you no such opportunity to choose."

"Is your conscience bothering you or something, Mr. Hawkesbury? Is that why you have so many apparent qualms with my joining this endeavor?" Connor shot back, having rose to his feet and moved so he was face to face with Dash, his violet eyes seeming to flash as he glared at the human, "Look, if it makes you feel any better, I know very well the dangers that I face in going along with you, I just don't fret over it as much as you do, and not that it's any of your business, but yes, I have been shot at before in my life, I've also done many things that would make even a former Rough Rider like yourself turn white, so kindly do us all a favor and calm down before I knock you senseless.

As I recall, I was free to run out on you lot and leave you in the lurch, but I chose to honor my debt to you for releasing me, and that remains my choice even with the full facts, and yes, if I could do it all over again I would."

The tiger-person's face softened a little as he put a hand on Dash's shoulder, adding in a calmer tone, "What's done is done, mate, and I don't think I'm going to come back and haunt you if I do die, so please, stop worrying and let's get on with the task at hand." All that being said, Connor backed down and resumed his seat, heaving a slight sigh..

Bellgrove had waited for the exchange to trail off before he spoke up, "It sounds, Mr. Hawkesbury as if you've been here in Europe for a bit too long. With Miss Stella's actions Mr. Holmes has his liberty. Liberty is never an easy state to have, but it does have its advantages. Indeed, any man who says they prefer a life of reliable captivity to challenging freedom is probably not one you would wish to rely upon.

"That brings me, I suppose, to your question regarding my 'fortuitous' presence. As I told you all early in the taxi, I'm with the New York Herald. I'm investigating a number of stories I was there tonight, because what began as something about the variety of entertainments. That led me to sideshows. I heard rumors that there were 'animal-people' in certain shows. That led me to our meeting tonight."

Stella interposes her small frame between Dash and Connor. "Peace, gentlemen, peace," she says, laying a hand on the arm of each fellow, "Pray, forgive my impetuosity, Mr Hawkesbury. You can chalk it up to female sentiment, if you will. And, Mr Holmes, I'm certain that we can arrange your debarkation at some sufficiently agreeable location along the Mediterranean, at any time that you wish to forego our company."

She turns to Remi. "As you may have gathered, this is Connor Holmes, an Irishman it seems and, as is usual with his countrymen, a 'divil' of a fellow in a fight," she says, her mouth crooking in a small smile, "Mr Holmes, this is the esteemed master of this vessel, Captain Remi."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Mon 21 July 2014.

"Thank you, Miss Mullberry, but I believe I'll be doing more good by remaining in your party's company for awhile, and I am grateful you did insist on releasing me, otherwise I'd still be in quite the predicament," Connor replied, a bit more subdued and quietly now. The tiger-striped felinoid inclined his head when Stella introduced him to Remi, adding, "I am at your disposal, Captain, should you require the skills of a mechanical nature. If it needs building, repairing, or upgrading, I'm the cat for the job, not too shabby an operator either."

"I shall have to introduce you to Hugo," Mercy quips up at Connor's statement. "He's confined to the hold, for his weight shifting about the ship could cause problems, not to mention the ship tilting and toppling him overboard."

"Mechanics we have an abundance of... sky sailors not so much."

"Fortunately, the ship is small enough that Remi, with the able assistance of Viktor, can handle it pretty much on his own."

"So, have either of you ever been to Graustark?"

Dash takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out, as both Stella and Connor try to calm him.  However, there is still a little bit of a glare in his eyes when he says...

"But that's what I've been trying to say -- I'm sorry! I appologize for my earlier actions and attitude.  Of course there should have been no question about assisting you, Mr. Holmes ... Connor. I was just so wrapped up in trying to keep our activities discrete, and avoiding the attentions of these violent Vril people, that I wasn't thinking straight ... or, maybe it would be truer to say I was over-thinking everything"

"Helping someone in need is always the right thing to do, and doing the right thing should always supercede all other considerations.  Again, I appologize for not immediately coming to your aid, Connor, and, I would add that your actions since joining us have been nothing but commendable, sir.  You are a true gentleman, and a stout companion. Thank you."

Dash offers his hand.

"I'm not your garden-variety mechanic, miss, if you'll forgive my saying so," Connor replied to Mercy, "All the same, if there is need of me here, I am familiar with the workings of lighter-than-air ships, so please do not hesitate to ask if there is the need for another hand."


That being said, the felinoid took Dash's hand in a firm but not overbearing shake, when it was offered, the hint of a smile coming to the corners of his muzzle, "It's all right, Mr. Hawkesbury, apology accepted."

Stella puts both of her hands around the two gentlemen's, beaming at both of them.

When Mercy speaks to Conner about needing crewmen Bellgrove offers somewhat bashfully, "I am uncertain how helpful this will be given your needs, Captain, but I graduated West Point and served in the US Aerial Corps, myself. I can pilot and navigate and handle various crew duties, but I am afraid I do not have mechanical skills as such."