It's not too hard to get Alouette to let go. It tilts its head at John, not sure what the question refers to or if it's a question at all, then recalls that if you want someone to notice things, you point at them. It points John out to Augustus.

"He is John John Smith, he has fighting sticks and throws fast stones." Then it points Augustus out to John: "He is AUG-US-TUS, he is plus plus clever and talks to cows and angels and has a devil rabbit person thing that lives in his lungs."

It's not sure whether John may has Dr.Ward before, so it introduces him as well, pointing. "He is Dr.Ward: he is a Man of Genius and Complicated. If you break things that belong to Dr.Ward or question his honour he will shoot you from ten paces away." It tilts its head the other way at the sling, but doesn't seem to grasp its significance. It looks about. "When is it?"

Ward takes out a golden pocket watch, opens it, and consults it. "It is...oh, my. How time flies. It's just after 3 o'clock in the afternoon."

He puts the watch away. "Now, to business. Alouette, there is a man who has been buried up to his neck and left to die in the rain. I should like your help digging him out again. Would you kindly accompany us on this task?"

He also looks at John and Augustus. "My injury limits my ability to hitch up horses to the carriage. Would you kindly help me make everything ready?"

Augustus nods once, moving off to collect his inventions and tools as wuickly as he may, "Of course!  I'll see if Abraham would assist us as well."  His odd ear attachment is donned, its cabling going down to the case now slung from his shoulder.  From his other side is hung his odd trumpet and a satchel.  In hand is the scientist's trumpet gun.  Coughing a bit, he heads out past John Smith with purpose, "Come, Mr. Smith!  There's work to do.  Its good to have purpose."  His cough grows a bit louder, between mutters as he heads towards the house to call out the servant's assistant, "I don't know what that machine meant by a rabbit in my lungs...  Its quite mad at times...  No, that doesn't even make sense..."

John blinked at Alouette, his typical response to the machines behavior, before he nodded to Augustus and Dr. Ward, more for Alouettes benefit than for having met them. He looked like he was about to attempt to explain something to the machine and thought better of it when Dr. Ward requested his assistance. "Sure thing, it's only polite after all." he said and would proceed to assist the doctor in getting things prepared.

"Yes." Alouette patters happily after the others as they move off. Seeing Augustus has gone on ahead a bit, it addresses its question to Dr.Ward, because he talks more:
"What is 'rape'?"

Then, in case he needs context to work out words, like it does: "Gus Shaw was talking about it before he pointed a gun at Gangatsu. Self told Gus Shaw not to hurt mortals, but then Gus Shaw shot self. Many times." It continues to witter, innocent and devastatingly perceptive: "Where is Dr.Ward injured? Did the damned Yankee come back from another place? Can AUG-US-TUS fix you or will God do it? Where is Called Charging Bear?"


[[ >_< This is what happens when an aetheric entity that can only semi-control the "subconscious" of a derranged automaton hates someone's guts. Bear in mind it has the experience-based comprehension of a six-year-old and whilst it will accept answers like 'a very bad thing', it can be persistent with what seems important and may simply dump the question on someone else later]]

The group gathers together. Abraham is less than thrilled to see Alouette up and walking about again, but he agrees to help hitch the horses up.

In a few minutes, the carriage is ready, and everything is ready to go. The carriage rolls out into the rain, with Abraham leading the horses and Ward sitting shotgun, leaving Alouette, Augustus, and John to huddle in the cabin. not that there's much protection from the cold in here, but the windows have glass panes that keep the rain out and afford them some privacy to chat a bit as it rolls along the plain, following a creek westward.

In reply to Alouette (msg #37):

[[OOC: Backposting a little, since Alouette's comment must have posted just before mine did, so I didn't even see it...]]

Ward frowns at the Automaton's questions. "So many questions. But I cannot answer them right now...perhaps once we have completed our task, I can converse with you further. But for now, Let me assure you that my shoulder will mend, Charging Bear has returned to town...and we will need to have a discussion about just what happened to you when you left."

Augustus still seems quite pleased with himself as the quartet heads out in the storm.  His seat would be taken next to Alouette, over whom he would fuss a bit, "Now, you must take care, Alouette.  I've patched up the majority of the holes, but in this weather you cannot take any chances.  I've no idea the harm humidty could do..."  At which point he trails off into a hacking cough, which he quickly covers with a handkerchief.  Apparently, the damp weather isn't good for him either.

Alouette considers this, moves its head as through trying to look at the air and raises fingers near its casing.

*crklt!*

"Sparky." It agrees. It presses its head as flat as possible to the window, seeming utterly fascinated by the rain on the glass.

John sits in his seat and stares out into the rain filled landscape. He was lost in thought regarding the possibility of being reunited with his master. He wasn't sure why he had left, he should have known that without anything keeping him bound to those damned mines he would follow after, there was so much he needed to learn after all. He found himself handling one of his riverstones, try as he might the Ten Foot Punch evaded him, the closest he came was using his chi to fire the stones at incredible speeds. Only when he could could fire without the stones would he have that technique down.

He paused and turned to Augustus and Alouette. "How'd you come to be here to help fix Alouette up if'n I may ask." he said, he was normally silent but he knew little of the strange man who argued with himself.

Augustus, putting away his newly used handkerchief, starts to scold Alouette again.  But, perhaps because its futile anyway, he allows himself to be distracted by the stranger's question, "Ah well, I was actually trying to escape...."  He trails off quickly, voice lowering, "I was not going to tell him everything...  Stop nagging."  As quickly as it came, the distraction is over and the scientist continues as though he had never stopped, "...from some poor buisness dealings.  Found my way to Texas and a stagecoach ushered me to Blackthorn.  Whereupon, I stumbled across this marvel of a machine.  Dr. Ward has seen fit to guest me in his house, where I was available to render the repair work inquired about."  He pauses, throwing a meaningful glance to the automaton currently looking out the window, "The /second/ repair I have had to make.  Its a wonder its still in operation at all..."  Attention back again to the stranger, "And you?  How is it that you came across this mischievous machine?"

John nodded as Augustus spoke and couldn't help but chuckle despite himself "Met it at the bar in town. Caused quite a stir the followin' day, burried one of those union walkin' dead in the town crossroads." he said as he looked at Alouette. It felt like so many months ago but what was it, day before yesterday? Day before that? Not too terribly long ago that was for sure. Suffice to say his stay in Blackthorn has proven interesting thus far.

Augustus' brow creases a bit as he catches something in the man's quick re-telling, "I'm terribly sorry...  But did you reference "walking dead"?"  The scientist rolls his eyes a little and looks to the Doctor as a source of reason as he finds himself having to deal with yet another crazy person.

John shrugs, he's a fairly straight foward man who takes things as they come "He looked plenty dead to me. Rotting flesh and all that but up and moving around spoutin' something that sounded like backwards scripture." he paused "Least the two I've seen. Hopefully you won't find out one way or another, they're right unsettlin' to look at."

Alouette is apparently listening, though its brass fingers trace the fall of raindrops on the other side of the glass. "It was a demon that had stolen Union clay, AUG-US-TUS...not like, similar to, the damned Yankee wearing ash and dust that made a hole in Called Charging Bear and self then went to another place. Also not like Danny Albatross - he is differently alive like you and Gus Shaw..."

It reaches up to trace a silver squiggle of water. "It would be not good if Gus Shaw has killed Danny Albatross again...it turns Danny Albatross more wendigo, because his bird has to fix him. Christians should not eat people. Also, Gus Shaw should not scalp him, or Gangatsu: that is a sin. Self told Gus Shaw this."
This message was last edited by the player at 13:37, Sun 14 Nov 2010.

The coach rolls onward, quiet in the face of Alouette's pronouncement.

Looked at Alouette and then at Augustus before deciding it was time for him to remain silent once more. Apparently he had missed much and quite frankly there were other times for an explanation, preferably with someone who wasn't as... confusing to understand at times.

Augustus is quite obvious in his disbelief of the whole idea.  Shaking his head a bit, he returns, "Really now.  Alouette is a machine who misunderstands many things.  It can hardly be expected to think reasonably about such things."  Looking back to Mr. Smith finally, "But really sir, of all possible solutions you maintain this idea that the dead can rise again?  Folktales and poppycock.  Dead flesh cannot be reanimated.  Application of electrical current can sometimes stimulate reflexive muscle contraction, but that is not the same."  He pauses, brow creasing a bit as he mutters to himself, "Of course...  It is curious that so many different people in this area seem to believe..."

" I don't mean the cave in itself, I mean the breaking of the seal holding the snake, a cataclysm o sorts related to that event o time. Maybe it happen so the snake could get more.. More reach to others, like a plague..." She thinks a bit more openly, and it was a bit vexing not to go and see what was down that hole. She didn't mind dying, but she needed to pass on some knowledge to someone other then Angus Shaw.

A hearty glare raised to the man as he called her some orient flavor name, emerald eyes watching as he explained out his thoughts. She looked at him for a long moment and shook her head.

" In both of our cultures. The Snake is a trickster, deceitful, a creature of unfathomed evil. That ain't a coincidence." She moved away from him a bit in processing this.

" Dun't be a dumbfu'k, Gus. You owe it squat. " Su's harden nature rising again for a moment. " Healer my ass. It brought the dead to life, killin and runnin a mok. It brought up a monster made o bodies, ya admitted ta seening and it kilt yer own people. It brought Tex back ta be stronger and invun'rable, but he's in pain and people are scar'd of 'im til da end and after yer gone, he won't have no one. I honestly feel sorry for him too. Only person in this damn town that turned to be an alright fella. Hmmph. The list o weird and mournful shit goes on." She was pacing a little, her grip upon her sword flexing a bit.

 "Yer prolly 'ight about healin on d'em Union boys. Could be why the dead monster beast down d'ere didn't touch 'em. All'o'em hollow things. Okay.. That makes sense." She started and nodded a bit. " Don't  ever say dat thin's a healer. If it was something good, someone wouldn't seal it away in sleep. It's Mean. It's Old. It'll kill us all, b'cuz it's too strong ta die."

She shook her head and pulled on her pants and gathered her gear. " I can't stay here.. "

"Angel," Alouette corrects, not offended in the least.

"Demons can make dead clay move, AUG-US-TUS, if it once did know life, or it has eyes. They are a different energy - aetheric, not electric. If demons get physicality, they can use it, like, similar to, thoughts move your clay. Soul...aetheric energy, to electrical energy, to...movingmental energy. Differently alive people also draw from aether more than food, which is...people fuel. Why is the ground on top in the rain?"
It may take a few moments to realise it's talking about refraction in raindrops.

John turned away from the window and looked at Augustus for a moment, he had met the type before, to blind to what they know to be the 'truth' and 'fact' to open to any other possibilities. Perhaps there was a scientific reason for that yank to have been walkin' around with a decomposin' body but if so then it was beyond anything John had ever heard or read. "Saw it, touched it, dropped it. If'n I'm wrong I'm wrong but it looked dead, smelled dead, and I doubt that yank sounded like that when he was marchin' with his brothers." he paused and looked out the window once more "If things continue the way they have been, I wouldn be surprised if y'end up seein' one yerself here soon."

"Yeah, it's a healer. That don't make it nice." Gus says. "Dr. Ward said once that some diseases are actually caused by the body tryin' to heal itself but goin' too far. And there's Ward himself...he's a doctor, but he also fought in the war, and there's all that weird shit he can do with his mumbo-jumbo. So yeah, the ability to heal stuff don't automatically make a one o' the good guys."

"At the same time, though, you don't know shit about Tex aside from what you saw in town. He was always big, angry, and a moron. It was how he was born. The snake didn't do that to him, it just...made him moreso, if that makes sense..."

Gus suddenly stops speaking. "Hey...do you hear that?"

[[OOC: Gatsu, make a notice Check.]]

" Then keep yer trust in 'em and you'll die from it, jus dun't get in my way." A stern resolve put an end to that, they will not see eye to eye on this and she knew it. Another reason why she needs to speak to someone with a mind not hailed by the serpent.

" I spoke ta Tex, stop actin like shit I'm sayin is just a guess. I might sem off me fu'kin mind, but I.." She paused as he spoke up. She went quiet and listened for the sound. it was faint, but getting closer. It was a couch.. " Well, sounds like a ride." She slipped on her sandals and headed out to the rain. " Get yer shit and move yer ass."

"Yeah. I suppose so." Gus says, buckling his gunbelt back on. He grabs one of the smoldering boards from the fire and breathes new life into the flames before stepping out of the mine entrance and waving it. It's still raining heavily, but perhaps it might get noticed...

[[OOC: Those of you in the coach can make a Notice check (-1) to see the burning brand being waved around in time to try and let the driver know.

Gatsu, if you have any ideas to try and gain some visibility, you can help reduce that penalty if you come up with a good plan.]]

" We're out a bit far. Shoot off a round to get their attention." She started and moved out a bit more into the rain. If they didn't see Guss, then maybe she could get close enough to be heard.