"I may be a miscreant, but I am your miscreant," she says lightly. The situation is too grave for the lightness to make it to her countenance, so she simply shrugs. She checks her rifle while Robert feeds the Webley. "I have five rounds in this rifle, and that is all. I lost my pistol in the ambush."

Following Louis' quiet instructions, Robert leads the way to a spacious area overlooking the main street. He can clearly see the Old Barracks, and the street where he exited the cab. Louis' purse and jacket are here, the garment is spattered with blood. She settles cross legged onto the floor. "I must tell you what has passed since I left our home this afternoon."

Robert smiles tightly at Louis' comment and nods as he focuses on reloading. "I have a full magazine in the shotgun and a dozen rounds for the pistol counting what I am loading now." As they mount up to the fourth floor he winces a bit at the sight of the blood on her garment.  He sits down next to her and uncocks and sets the shotgun down on the ground next to him.

"Definitely tell me what happened.  If the Germans are so willing to spill blood here and that openly things must be desperate."

Louis nods. "Yes, they are." She takes a breath. "Penny's father heard a rumor that modern weapons were being smuggled to Avenel. Penny and I eventually found the source, a quartermaster with the South Wales Borderers named Brian Derry. I found that, for the last year, he has been shipping the arms through a Martian boat captain named Verinus."

"Penny told me earlier today that Harriet, who is Derry's lover, is also a German spy. She was seen meeting with a Hans Gelber, who is an attaché at the German embassy. That was especially alarming after what I saw at Verinus' canal boat the other day. He was loading crates stenciled with the word Winchester, not the Ordnance Stores Corps crates he received from Derry."

"Penny met me at the Fox and Hound, and we decided to follow Harriet. She went shopping, and then, at about five thirty, she took a cab here. She got out two blocks from here and stepped into an alley. We followed, and observed what appeared to be a robbery. When Penny and I intervened, several men and Martians attacked us."

Louis shakes her head. "How I got away, I do not know. Penny shot two of them, and they shot her to bits in return. I killed two men who were sneaking up from behind, took a rifle and a spare magazine from one, and ran. Harriet bolted, too, and I believe she had also been shot. I emptied my pistol at them, and then I dropped it during the climb up the fire escape. If we can find it, I have a spare cylinder with six more rounds."

"Since then, I've seen at least two Germans and several armed Martians about, probably searching for me. I saw you arrive, and I went to find you." She smiles wanly. "The rest you know."
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:01, Sat 12 Sept 2015.

Robert listens quietly, the situation now making sense.

"Harriet ran back to our apartment chased by a German.  She must have had a change of heart when she saw Penny killed and you attacked.  I would guess that she did not expect to get into something so dangerous and had a change of heart.  She died on our couch while warning me."

He frowned.  "That the Germans are providing modern arms, Winchesters to Avenel is the worst news I've heard in a long while.  We need to inform the authorities directly and put a stop to this."

Louis nods, visibly saddened by the news of Harriet's death. "I agree. We have no definite proof, just a strong and risky course of action that strongly supports our suspicions. My notes are at the apartment, but it is risky to travel at night here. Shall we assay it, or should we wait until morning?"

Robert listened and peered carefully down into the street.  "I think we'd best wait her for morning rather than risk ambush in the dark.  They know that we must be close and will be blocking all the likely exits.  I would say we take to the roofs but in the dark that has it's own dangers."  He pulled back from the window and pulled her sitting form against him.  "Do you have enough proof to bring the authorities in to seize the cargoes?  The German presence here along, up to no good should be enough for any magistrate."

Louis leans against him with a sigh. "I think, with my own sworn testimony and my cousin's support, we should be able to produce the proof we need. Poor Penny, her father will be distraught when he hears of her death." She straightens and reaches for her purse. Rummaging inside, she brings forth a paper wrapped parcel and a small bottle. "I was planning to serve this at home, but since we are here..." A moment's work, and she sets a table of cheese, wine, and biscuits on the paper. "Maybe not a proper repast, but it should hold us until morning." She lifts the bottle. "At least you're not French. The shop owner would drop dead of apoplexy if he saw us drink from the bottle."

Robert kept half an ear focused on the street below, still concerned that the German agents and their helpers might organize a search of the buildings as well.  He nodded though as Louis explained her thinking.  "It will still be dangerous to get out of here in the daylight but we might even clamber through the roofs and get a ways away from here before descending to the street level.  We'll need to wait for daylight for that."

He smiles as she produces the food and wine from her purse.  "You continually amaze me darling." Robert leans in and gives her a hug and kiss.  "Thank you for the meal."  He takes the proffered bottle and drinks.  "No, not French in the least although compared to the Germans they are bosom companions."

The street is quiet save for a pair of drunken men who walk by, English, by their speech.

They consume the meal in silence and with more than normal appetites. "I don't know why,"Louis says, "but one of the things a fight does is make me hungry."

Robert has relaxed and mellowed out both from the food and wine and the fact that it seems that there is no sign of pursuit or a search.  He smiles as he stretches his legs out, the shotgun propped next to him and the pistol near at hand.  "There is something about facing death and danger that sharpens all the senses and feelings." He raised the half empty bottle to her.  "To us against the world,"  Robert took a swig and handed it to her after wiping the neck with his handkerchief.

"To us,"Louis replies with a smile. She rises up on her hands and knees, leaning in to kiss Robert. "The other thing it does it make me quite amorous. Can you help me with that, kind sir?"

Robert laughed softly deep in his chest.  He returned her kiss, sweeping her around his his arms so that she was sitting in his lap.  "You are a saucy American wench, just as I like it."  He leaned in and kissed her again before she could speak, holding her tightly and letting the trials of the afternoon wash themselves out against her lithe and limber frame.  Finally he came up fro air and smiled at her.  "That burden I will willingly bear my darling."

Louis rises up on her knees, and begins to unbutton her blouse. "I'm glad to hear that."

An hour later, they are lying on a makeshift bed of Louis' duster under them, and Robert's coat as a blanket. Louis snuggles close to her husband, aglow with the joy of their lovemaking. The faint glow of the streetlights provides some illumination against the Martian night.

Robert's breathing is finally returned to normal as he savors the warmth of her body and her love.  Despite the dangers around them the world is a hazy place of physical and mental pleasure and intense satisfaction.  He props himself up on one elbow to look down at her face, his eyes shining in the dim light from the street.

"I could never in my life before I met you imagine loving someone as much as I do you Louis.  You complete me and fill empty spots that I never knew existed." Robert gently strokes her face. "Every day is joy."

Louis blinks away tears, her eyes shining in the dim light. "I love you, Robert Darlington." She settles down against him, her head cradled on his shoulder. Soon, they both drift off to sleep...

Syrtis Major (May 24, 1899, 6am) The morning sun finds Robert and Louis waking up in the room. A woman's voice carries faintly from elsewhere in the building, speaking loudly but not in an alarmed manner. Louis sits up and stretches, gloriously unclothed in the day's light. "Good morning, husband," she says with a broad smile.
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:38, Thu 17 Sept 2015.

Robert smiled as he woke up with the warmth of his wife next to him.  He smiled, a look of content and even hunger as her skin glowed in the soft light of dawn.  Robert reached down and stroked her face while his other hand rested on her hip.  "Good morning precious wife."

Louis rises up on her knees to stretch, catching the sunlight across her body. "As much as I'd like to stay here with you, we must be about stopping the Germans and their arms shipments." She reaches for her underclothing. "How do you think we should proceed?"

Robert continues to admire his wife quite openly as she dresses with a loving smile.  "An open attack in the daylight is less likely.  I say we make a bold move and head directly to the nearest place we can catch a cab.  You can wear my coat and hat with your hair tucked under. You'll look enough like a man from a distance to perhaps confuse the pursuit."

"We have quite the mess to sort through," Louis says as she slides her camisole over her head and down over her breasts."The Germans and their henchmen will surely seek us at our home, and near our places of employment. If I were their master, I would also detail a man to watch near where we were last seen."

She steps into the riding pants she preferred to wear, rather than a skirt. "As you say, a bold move may be the best stratagem, and we have no time for a more cautious approach."

Robert dressed with quick efficiency as well.  He helped her into her camisole and breeches, more to savor the touch and feel of her than really providing aid.  He handed his heavy coat to Louis as she finished and then glanced out the window carefully.  "Hopefully the streets are fairly crowded.  We also might be able to buy additional pieces of clothing for the two of us from the residents down below to further disguise our appearance.  I would say we go directly to the Club as it would not be expected and there are many men of action there that can provide aid."

Louis presses playfully against him, savoring his touch. She steps into her boots, and takes Robert's coat. A moment's work with her hair, and she slips her cap over it, hiding it from view. From any distance, the tall American will pass for a man, for the coat hides her bosom fairly well. She picks up her rifle and her handbag.

 There are a few pedestrians on the street, mostly Martians, but there is a group of humans walking together toward the Old Barracks.

Louis nods. "There are several stores in this district that specialize in castoff clothing, maybe we can go to one of them. As you say, the Club is a good first destination."

Robert looks fairly disheveled without a jacket and his hair still mussed from the night before.  He looks about as they enter the street, trying to look nonchalant.  As the enemy had worked with Martians the night before, any of the various natives could be enemy as well.  He nodded at her comment and after a moment of look found a used clothing store.  "Good idea, and ducking into a store should flush out any shadows." Stepping out boldly he crossed the street and headed down a block in the opposite direction they wanted to hit the store.

No one takes any note of the pair as they walk along. Louis stays close by, carrying her own coat over her arm to conceal her rifle. They make it to the clothing shop without any problems. There are no signs, but the stack of clothing visible through the front window clearly shows what the establishment sells.

Robert leads the way into the shop.  "Get a couple scruffy jackets, scarves and hats for us, maybe a rucksack so we look like laborers.  I'll talk to the shopkeeper."  He went up to the shopkeeper.  "We need a set of clothes, my friend will pick out."