Catherine may be no soldier, but one thing she is capable of doing extremely well is pretending to shop. She gives Solar a friendly smile, an attempt to reassure him, but easily mistaken for her natural cheerfulness. She doesn't put too much attention on him, instead using most of her effort to try to make her and her guardian's presence seem natural.

While his companions are distracting Solar's companions, Grimsby continues to close in on them, ready to intervene if they display hostility, or even suspicion.

"Yes, yes... He's all paid up," one of the men says to Joseph.

"You can take the horse back into the barn now."

Something seems to catch the man's attention; an odd expression crosses his face--something between a frown and concern.

"What is it, Walsh?" the other man says, and starts to look around. He spots Grimsby and the ladies.

"We have company," he tells Walsh who then looks up.

Joseph is close enough that he can see Walsh's eyes appear to 'harden' as he evaluates Grimsby.

As Joseph is giving attention to the horses, he's managed to slip his hand forward alongside the horse's nose, putting his hand within reach of Walsh's gun though it's through the fence. The horse lowers its head slightly, and Joseph catches a glimpse of Felicity stalking forward behind the three men.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:01, Mon 18 Feb 2019.

For the moment, Grimsby simply continues moving moving toward Solar and his companions, without making any obviously threatening gestures.

Felicity had no idea where Joseph had gotten to, though she knew he'd slipped through the fence on one side and had planned on making a stealthy way over to the other side.

And as long as Grimsby and the ladies were distracting the... guards, Felicity could approach from behind.

Since they had not worked out any signal or sign for when to act, she had to go on her own initiative. Now, while they were distracted... she started moving forward as silently as she could, trying to avoid from stepping on anything that might make noise.

She crossed about half of the open distance when one of the horses moved and she saw Joseph. She caught just enough sound to realize he was in a conversation with the men. She saw that as a sign, and began running forward. She knew that running would make noise in the dirt, though, and if the men heard her and turned, she had both of her guns drawn and if the guards turned and didn't immediately surrender she was perfectly prepared to shoot them!

Her thoughts were racing faster than she was running, though, as she tried to decide on the best course of action: run up and put a gun against the head of one, yell out and get them to turn or run up and either tackle them or hit them on the back of the head with the butt of her pistols.

In reply to Felicity Van Horn (msg # 673):

Meanwhile, Joseph was equally unsure of the next action he should take.  The two city-thug types weren't exactly shoving Dr. Solar around or treating him like a prisoner, but at the same time, Dr. Solar didn't appear to be under any undue stress or nervousness.

In other words, Joseph still didn't know if Solar was a prisoner or a confederate of the two thugs.

And that's when he saw Felicity pull her hoglegs and start jogging closer.

~~Aw, Hell!~~ Joseph thought, as he thrust his hand through the rails of the fence, making a play for Walsh's gun.  His intent being to pull the gun, cock it, and have it pointed at Walsh by the time Felicity arrived and started the fracas.

Seeing that Felicity and Joseph had made their moves, Grimsby drew his own pistol and leveled it at the nearer of the two thugs, saying "Stay quite still, gentlemen. You are surrounded."

Catherine shifted a little away from Grimsby and the three men in case fighting started, looking around for cover. "Please don't do anything rash" she told the three. "I would hate for there to have to be any unpleasantness."

By the time she got close enough, Joseph and Grimsby had made their move as well. Two more steps and she was able to place her guns against the back of the heads of Solar and the other guy that Joseph wasn't dealing with.

"Don't... move." she said as the guns touched their heads.

Joseph didn't quite get a good glimpse of the gun the man was holding, so he couldn't tell if the safety was on or not. If he was holding Solar hostage, it wouldn't be.

He easily grabbed the man's arm. It would have been easier to bend his arm up, but if he did that, the gun might go off and the bullet could strike Joseph or the horse. Instead, he bent the arm downward to direct the bullet at the ground if the gun went off.

Between Grimsby's shout and Felicity's words, the man only made an instinctive reflex to fight the hand on his arm before looking up, looking back at Felicity and then looking at Joseph. Still, he wasn't quite ready to give up completely.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he seemed to snarl a bit at Joseph.

In reply to GM SteamRoller (msg # 678):

"We've been looking for the good Doctor, here, and want to ask him a few questions." Joseph answered, "What business it of yours?"

Grimsby looked at Doctor Solar and the other man and said  "Please keep quite still. The guns you feel against your heads are in the hands of a very good shot, to say nothing of my own pistol."

In reply to Grimsby H. Baskerville (msg # 680):

"Yeah, what he said." Joseph adds, laying on his southern accent a little thick, "Us Americans and our guns, ya know.  Now do be a gent and drop that gun you're holding on to.  We really do want this to end pleasantly--but we'll have no objection to turning this place into the O.K. Corral if that's what you want."

Realizing he was seriously outgunned even if there wasn't a gun to the back of his head, Helmuth let his gun drop to the ground.

"We are business associates of Dr. Solar," he replied to Joseph. "The gun is to protect him from the likes of you!"

"That is a poor interpretation of our relationship!" Dr. Solar replies a bit vehemently.

"They've been holding me hostage. They forced me to use my invention on that poor man. Do you know--is he all right?"

In reply to Dr. Mathias Solar (msg # 683):

As the--assumed--kidnapper has dropped his gun, Joseph lets go of the man's arm and takes a half-step back, drawing his own LeMat pistol.  Given the proximity of the two horses--as well as the presence of a fence between Joseph and this Helmuth--Joseph feels safe enough to keep his pistol pointed at the ground.  For now.

"Yes, Doctor, Senor Fidalgo--the local goat-herder your device was used on--is at the hospital and recovering just fine.  No apparent side-effects or trauma from being frozen solid in ice."

Joseph thought he saw Helmuth's companion surreptitiously shift his stance, possibly to get a better angle on Felicity ... maybe.  He grabbed the grip of his LeMat a little tighter, and kept his eye on the fellow.

"The, uh, the reports of the incident were not making much news, and likely would have faded into obscurity, were it not for the unquenchable curiosity of one man of science at Gibraltar--he simply could not let it rest when he heard of a man frozen in solid ice being un-frozen and coming back to life unharmed!"

"Doctor Solar, I present to you, Aubrey St. Claire.  He would like to speak with you, if it is convenient to you.  Perhaps these two gentlemen will see fit to..." Joseph suddenly brings his rather large LeMat pistol up and points it at the head of Helmuth's companion, cocking the pistol hammer.

"Mister, I swear ... if you ... don't ... stop ... twitchin ... I'm going to put a bullet straight through your head!  Now stop trying to get into a position to grab at the ladies gun!  In Texas, where we come from, that just ain't polite."

In reply to Joseph Rudyard Hunnisett (msg # 684):

Grimsby added, "And a British gentleman would never permit a ruffian to attack a lady."He gestured with his pistol to reinforce the warning.

In reply to Grimsby H. Baskerville (msg # 685):

Joseph nodded agreement with Grimsby's statement, then again addressed Solar,

"So, Doctor, what is your pleasure?  Our Man of Science, there, would be giddy as a schoolgirl to sit with you for a while and discuss your project--and you needn't worry about these gentlemen, if they have threatened you."

"If, however, we have misinterpreted this situation, and you would rather go with these men, Doctor, we will not prevent you.  We only stepped in because it seemed to us you might be under some compulsion.  If we're wrong, I sincerely apologize."

"Just let us know your wishes, Doctor, and we'll do the necessaries..."

"There are two more inside the house," Solar replies. "They are holding my invention, and my wagon is in the bard."

"I had approached Herr Schilling as a possible investor to perfect and manufacture my invention. He contacted his associates. They insisted on a demonstration. They forced me to target that man."

"Oh, pardon my manners! We have not been properly introduced! I am Doctor Mathias Solar, late of the Royal Joseph University in Budapest."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:01, Wed 27 Mar 2019.

In reply to Dr. Mathias Solar (msg # 687):

"Hijo de puta..." Joseph whispered in frustrated Mexican,

"Ah...and I suppose you would object to leaving either one behind...wouldn't you, Doctor?" Joseph asks with a tired frown.

Joseph quickly glances around, taking in the surroundings.  Though his military background was more naval than land-based, he'd still been taught the basics of tactics and strategy.  A plan was needed to not only get away with this Doctor Solar, but now with all the Doctor's research, as well, out from under the watchful guard of five, presumably armed, thugs.  And hopefully accomplishing all that without any running gunfights or killing.

At the New Richmond Naval Warfare Academy they'd taught him that he needed to anticipate the enemy's move, then get ahead of their plans--or, if you couldn't do that, then do something completely unexpected.

~~Unexpected...~~ Joseph thought to himself.

Joseph turned his attention away from Schilling and his companion and looked over at Brie,

"Excuse me, Miss...uh...Miss B!  Miss B!" Joseph calls to Brie, "Do you remember that trick you pulled, back on the road into town, on our friend El Diablo?  The trick you did for him..." Joseph makes a subtle nod towards Shilling as he says this, "...just before we gave him..." again, Joseph makes a subtle nod towards Shilling, "...a lift into town?  I know you're angry about my attitude towards that, but if you want me to eat crow, you should repeat it..." a third time, Joseph makes a tiny, subtle nod towards Shilling, "...again, sometime."

Catherine exhaled in relief when no bullets flew. She curtsied to the doctor as though circumstances were rather more formal. "Pleased to meet you, Doctor Solar. We've come a long way to see you. I'm eager to see this machine of yours, in more pleasant circumstances, of course."

"We could try to surprise them... or perhaps lure them out of the house. They'd have to come out if they thought the doctor was getting away, perhaps" Catherine said of the men in the house.

"Luring the men out would certainly be wiser than attacking them while they have the house as a fort." Grimsby agreed.

"We could always set it on fire," Felicity suggested, though you could tell it was only half-hearted.

"Maybe just set the tack shed on fire, then start yelling 'Fire! Fire!' and jump them when they come out."

"Under other circumstances, that might be a good idea," Aubrey replied.

"In this case, I suspect those inside will just grab Solar's invention and run. I would seriously doubt that they have any loyalty to their fellow businessmen here."

"I'm sure you Americans think of them as merely thugs, but they are more like robber barons. As far as they are concerned, anything they can get away with is alright. They have no concern for anyone's lives they ruin."

"Sadly, much of the British Empire has been built by such men."

"Why, whatever do you mean, Mr. Hunnisett?" Brie asked Joseph with feigned innocence.

She was feeling her oats, as the saying went, and decided to push her ability a bit to expand it to affect both men.

Once again, she felt no resistance. She'd half expected the German to be more psychically aware and therefore resistance.

A ripple in the air appeared between her and the two men, looking much like a heat shimmer, but only someone actually looking at her would have noticed that it started with her and moved across the gap to the two men.

As it turned out, the German was looking between Brie and Joseph... trying to decide if Joseph was attempting some sort of bluff or if Brie was really going to do something.