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01:26, 6th May 2024 (GMT+0)

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 1.

Posted by The GMFor group 0
Spider
player, 98 posts
Sun 10 Mar 2024
at 01:00
  • msg #19

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 7

Spider assures the woman she has not met any of the political luminaries, nor Edison or Tesla, though he would be honored.  He thanks her and heads back to the hotel.

He raises his glass to Thorne's toast, and adds, "And to getting home safe.  Until then, we're not done."
Jack
player, 194 posts
Sun 10 Mar 2024
at 04:18
  • msg #20

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 7

Jack does as Ben says and minds his own business. He enjoys the dinner and champagne toasts that evening, and asks, “How soon will we be able to find passage home? Are there any sights we should take in before we go?”
The GM
GM, 258 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 11 Mar 2024
at 00:19
  • msg #21

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 8

Expedition part 10: Going home pt 8
---Spider----
The shopkeeper smiles.  "I hope your children are happy with your generous gifts !  Have a lovely visit in Cape Town."


---Everyone, at dinner---

Spider raises his glass to Thorne's toast, and adds, "And to getting home safe.  Until then, we're not done."

Spider's toast was honoured with some more champagne.  It seemed danger was a world away, after a day in civilisation.  Jack had three mysterious items stowed in his luggage, Ben looked as if he'd caught up on his sleep, and Thorne and Fritz seemed on normal speaking terms with everyone.

As for the return home, Ben responds, checking his watch.  "We're calling home in a few minutes, to find out what they've arranged.  I'm sure there's plenty to do around town, but we won't know how much time we have until we check with the office."

And then, one of the hotel staff hurried up to the table, wringing his hands.  "I beg pardon for this unseemly intrusion," he said. "There's a disturbance upstairs with your dogs.  They are - making noise, and some of the guests have complained."

----Upstairs-----

There were indeed huskies making noise in the rooms, specifically the one where the excavated treasure was stored.  The sound is a grating howl, made by several of the dogs, and a raspier one from Bruno.  Upon the Agents' arrival, the dogs quieted, still making concerned yowls and yips; several of them were surrounding another husky, which lay quiet and still on the floor.  The husky was dead - sprawled on the shredded carpet, and its mouth was open.  It had apparently had a seizure during its death.  Bruno stood guard over the stash, hackles raised.

"Son of a bitch," Thorne sounded mad.
"That's the dog that drank my lemonade," Ben said, standing very still.
"You - out." Thorne told the hotel staffer, who quickly retreated.  Fritz came closer to the dead dog, the rest of them shifting to allow him to approach.
"Poisoned.  Something that gave him seizures."  Fritz said, kneeling beside the stricken animal.  "Gums are pale, looks like asphyxiation.  How much did you drink, boss ?"
"Almost none of it, I took a sip then Jack told me news that made me spit it out.  The dog drank from my glass and didn't like it, then I tipped it out in the sink." Ben said.
"Macey told us that you 'would die' on this trip.  Was it a warning ?"  Thorne said.
"I really would rather not die," Ben said.
"We all ate the same meal tonight, apart from the turnips, which I hate," Thorne said. "It is less likely that we would all be poisoned at the same time, and we weren't the only guests eating the steak.  When did you order the lemonade ?"
"Room service said it was complimentary.  The waiter asked how many glasses I wanted, but you were all out and about, so I said, just the one.  Then I fell asleep on the balcony." Ben replied. "I forgot about the lemonade until Jack woke me up."
"Remember what that waiter looked like," Thorne said. "How should we handle this ?"
"First, check in with Edith to find out what our return will take," Ben said. "If someone is trying to kill me, that means they already know who I am, or were taking a calculated risk."
"I signed in under my own name, and so did Fritz," Thorne said.  "Spider sounds Australian, and Jack sounds Southern - Ben, you're the only Northern accent here, so they could easily place you as Ben Weintraub from Maine, especially if they have your physical description.  Too late to switch names.  You'd better stay in the rooms."  Thorne quickly checked the French doors that led to the balcony, then swung the curtains closed.

"All right," Ben said. "Jack, you'll go down to the telephone cabinet, that's the only way to make an international call.  Tell Edith Code Green - that means we may be in danger.  Find out the details on getting us home.  Who can guard him ?"

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GM:  Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 16 March, next post Sunday
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Spider
player, 99 posts
Sat 16 Mar 2024
at 23:20
  • msg #22

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 8

Spider said, "I'll go with him.  The rest of you lot stay with Ben.  We won't be gone long."
Jack
player, 195 posts
Sun 17 Mar 2024
at 01:05
  • msg #23

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 8

Jack checks his .45 and holsters it under his jacket, and pats his pocket where the wand is no doubt resting, then immediately heads for the lobby with Spider.
   “If we meet any resistance or see anyone suspicious, let’s keep at least one alive to question.”
   He will call Edith and give her the code, as well as getting the info on their departure.
   If everything seems normal, he will approach the concierge and ask about any strange activity in the hotel today, however seemingly unrelated.
The GM
GM, 259 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 18 Mar 2024
at 01:02
  • msg #24

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 9

Expedition part 10: Going home pt 9

Jack prepares for visiting the hotel lobby in order to make an international telephone call to the Grey Building.   He is armed and ready, and Spider likewise prepares for the worst.  They head downstairs, cautiously.

The hotel lobby seems quiet and relaxed; the night clerk is shuffling some paperwork and looks up to greet them in polite English.  "Good evening, gentlemen, is there anything I may assist you with ?"  Upon hearing they want to make a telephone call, he goes to the cabinet and holds the door open, then returns to the desk, where he sorts the papers and puts them into different slots on the wall.  One person might sit comfortably within the telephone cabinet, but two men would be stuffed.  Spider has the option to lean by the ajar doorway to the cabinet, near a tall potted plant, or to place himself across the room.  Both are good vantage points and offer a view of the front door and the entrance to the dining room and corridor.

The lobby has a generous array of seating, with understated electric lighting.  Only one guest is seated in the lobby, an elderly woman in a Prussian blue dress, a feathered hat pinned to her grey curls, a cane leaning on the cushion next to her.  She has a pair of gloves that she's fussing with, apparently waiting for someone.  There is ambient noise from the dining room, where food and drink is still being served.

Jack goes to the cabinet and dials up the international operator, spending some time to get through; the connection is somewhat scratchy.  "Yes, Sir, I have your party on the line," the operator tells him, and he is connected to the Grey Building.
"Mr. Sterling !"  Edith's voice is warm and cheerful.  He can hear Mills the Mouse in the background, talking to someone.  There was also a clicking sound on the line.  "I have good news about your travel details.  We have arranged for Mr. Gruber to collect you in three days."
Jack relayed the message about Code Green; there was just the slightest hesitation as Edith processed the information.  "Of course.  Wonderful.  I'll see about necessary arrangements.  I trust everyone is all right ?  It is my fondest wish that you are all well.  Mr. Macey presents his compliments to everyone."

Spider sees someone approaching the hotel's main doors, staggering.  It is a woman in a black dress, her long chestnut brown hair straggling from a bun; she is quite pretty but seems to be drunk.  The night clerk also notes the woman, and goes to the door, speaking in concerned Africaans. "Is jy reg, jong dame ? Kan ek jou help ?"  Spider knew something was very wrong with her.

She didn't respond to the night clerk, but lurched forward, stumbling over the carpeting.   The night clerk went to meet her, trying to catch her before she collapsed; she reached out towards Jack, her hand red with blood, and sagged into the night clerk's arms; blood smeared from her over his light grey suit.  The old woman screamed, pointing - there was a dagger in the young woman's back, dug deep.  It was Annika, from the Curiosity Shop, and she was trying to tell Jack something.  "Kyk glas...gevaar..."  Annika coughed, blood staining her lips.

The night clerk yelled towards the dining room, catching the attention of one of the wait staff.  "Is daar 'n dokter in die kamer ?!"
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GM:  Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time please, Spider, let me know if you're standing by the telephone cabinet or across the room, as the two vantage points will give different perspectives, and Jack, anything you want to tell Edith or otherwise deal with, please respond by Saturday, 23 March, next post Sunday
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Jack
player, 196 posts
Sun 24 Mar 2024
at 07:10
  • msg #25

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 9

Jack has nothing else to tell Edith. When Annika arrives, Jack likewise runs toward her. As Spider and the night clerk try to help her, Jack runs out the front doors, pulling the wand out, and looking for any threats or escaping parties. If he sees anyone on foot, he will hit them hard with a Magic Fist. If there is a vehicle speeding away, he will use the same spell to try to deflect its path into a light pole or building corner. (Keeper please make any rolls needed.) Either way he will try to subdue the perpetrator so they can't escape.
   If no threats are visible, he will run back inside and join the others trying to help Annika. He'll try to use the wand to stop the bleeding, putting his body between the wand and any curious onlookers if possible.
Spider
player, 100 posts
Sun 24 Mar 2024
at 22:55
  • msg #26

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 9

Spider would have been across the room.  Unless something really distracts him, he will try to render first aid to the woman.
The GM
GM, 260 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 25 Mar 2024
at 01:54
  • msg #27

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 10

Expedition part 10: Going Home pt 10

---Spider----

Spider, stationed across the room and having a good view of the front of the hotel, the corridor and the garden, sees a dark-clad figure running after Annika, but the person halted before they were within the lights of the foyer.  There was enough motion there to suggest a person taller and wider than Annika.  He is able to communicate this to Jack and go to see Annika, who is slumping to the carpet.

The old woman has stopped screaming but is shaking in terror.  From the dining room, a portly, balding man in a dark grey suit comes hurrying out, still clutching his linen napkin.  "Ek is 'n dokter," the man said, quickly moving to assist Spider.  He used the napkin to wrap the knife hilt, keeping it in place.  And, fortunately for Spider, he spoke English.  "Keep the hole plugged, I will try to judge what we are looking at here," he said.  "My name is Soren Hesselink, I am a doctor of osteopathy, but I served in the War.  Hai, Sophie, kry my sak," he called to a woman looking at them from the dining area.  She nodded and rushed off through the lobby, heading towards the car park.  She quickly returned with a black leather doctor's bag, placing it on the carpet next to Hesselink and kneeling by his side.  Annika was choking, blood dripping from her mouth.  "Bleeding is bad."  Hesselink said, telling Sophie to keep the knife steady, "We turn her on her side, try to get her breathing better.  Miss - we will turn you now.  I will need to find what is bleeding, seal it off. Dieter, water and soap and towels !  And lamps !"  The night clerk ran off to fetch, and so did one of the wait staff.    "Sophie, get the chloroform.  No time to get her to hospital."

Spider's first aid was tasked to its ultimate trying to keep Annika alive, but the doctor seemed competent and ready to deal with the matter, his companion Sophie also, who was loading a cloth with drops of chloroform.  "Between fifth and sixth rib, close to spine," Hesselink said.  "Miss, breath in.  Sophie, carefully.  Young man, keep her steady."  The doctor splashed alcohol onto his hands, then went for his scalpel.  The old woman fainted away onto the sofa she was seated on.

Jack darts for the door, looking for a shadowy figure, and thinks he sees movement in the garden that suggests someone is there.  The garden is a winding, sumptous bounty of flowers and trees, the path a pleasant pattern of brickwork.  The faint rasp of a shoe on the brickwork leads Jack onward.  The wand is again in his hand, unbidden.
"Daar is jy, klein towenaardaar," came a deep breathy voice at his back, all too close. "Ek wil my vergrootglas hê."
Jack whirled, casting the Fist of Yog Sothoth; the punishing invisible punch, but his target, a large figure in dark robes, merely exploded into wisps of black mist.  Harsh laughter echoed through the garden, and Jack was uncomfortably aware that there were more than one person out there; he heard footsteps from two different directions.

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GM:  Actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, please respond by Saturday, 30 March, next post Sunday
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Jack
player, 197 posts
Sat 30 Mar 2024
at 15:51
  • msg #28

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 10

Not keen to offer his back to either enemy, Jack crouches a bit and starts stepping quietly backward, perpendicular to a line between the two points where he heard them.  He hopes to keep both in front of him (though widely spaced) and put his back toward a wall or fence. As he moves, he shifts the wand to his left hand, keeping it pointed outward but near his body, and draws his .45 with his right hand. He will then cast a Deflect Harm on himself as he keeps moving. He is expecting that one enemy will make a distracting feint or attack and the other will try to blindside him immediately thereafter, so he concentrates on keeping his perception wide and unfocused. His intention is to fire his pistol at the first enemy he sees, and then immediately turn his attention to his open side and blast another Fist at whatever is coming that way. (If they don’t appear, he will move back to the garden entrance keeping alert, and head quickly inside.)
The GM
GM, 261 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 1 Apr 2024
at 00:43
  • msg #29

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 11


Expedition Part 10: Going Home pt 11

-----Jack-----

Jack crouches beside a large bush, then steps backwards as stealthily as possible, trying to figure out where the two people he heard were moving.  They were getting closer.

The attack came swiftly; just as he pulled the .45, he heard the pounding of footsteps to his left side.   The hissing voice came from above his head, now speaking in English.  "I have you now, little mage !"

The figure rushing towards him on the path to his left was dressed in dark clothes, possibly a robe; Jack's wand flicked up and out, and the attacker tumbled off the path like a bouncing ball, landing in some topiary.


Jack's attention was then drawn to his right, and he fired at the onrushing person in a dark robe, prompting a shrill shriek of pain; the person tripped and rolled, sprawling onto the brickwork path in an untidy sprawl.  The report of the firearm echoed against the hotel walls.  The voice above him screeched then, a violent sound that resonated in Jack's bones, but the wand was already whipping in the Deflect Harm spell, faster than Jack had ever cast before. He caught his breath as three black daggers raining down from above impacted on the spell's shielding and froze there, embedded in the spell.

A man's voice, on the path off to Jack's left, maybe twenty paces away, in surprise, "Wat de hel gaan hier aan ?"

Jack was simultaneously happy - and concerned - to see a policeman.  This one was wearing a khaki uniform with black boots, a pith helmet, and had one hand on a truncheon handle, the other on the grip of a holstered handgun.  The handgun was swiftly drawn and pointed at Jack.  "Polisie !  Laat sak jou wapen !  Ek plaas jou in hegtenis !"  The meaning was unmistakeable - the policeman wanted Jack to lower the weapon, and it looked like there might be an arrest in the near future.  The policeman looked fierce; not particularly big and strong, but tough like old leather.

The daggers remained suspended in the air above Jack's head, though he could no longer hear the mocking voice.

---Spider----

Trying to keep Annika alive, the doctor, his assistant and Spider are busy, while the staff hurries up with towels, water, and extra lamps to provide light for an impromptu operating theatre.  The night clerk holds a lamp steady for Hesselink, who is rapidly cutting open Annika's dress to reveal the wound.   "I have called police," Dieter the night clerk tells them, "And for ambulance."

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GM:  Actions, please, for the next minute of game time, please respond by Saturday 6 April, next post Sunday.
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Spider
player, 101 posts
Sat 6 Apr 2024
at 23:59
  • msg #30

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 11


Not wanting to interfere with a true professional, Spider finally backs away and wipes his hands on a towel.  He then notices Jack has vanished and goes in search of him.
Jack
player, 198 posts
Sun 7 Apr 2024
at 14:22
  • msg #31

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 11

Jack lifts his hands, but does knot empty them, and speaks rapidly but clearly.
“Be careful, there are two of them. They attacked a young woman. Stabbed her with a knife. She’s in the hotel with a doctor. I’m trying to catch them.”
He continues to watch for attacks while he speaks, and will not hesitate to fire the wand or pistol again, including to defend the policeman.
The GM
GM, 262 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 8 Apr 2024
at 00:31
  • msg #32

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 12

Expedition part 10: Going Home pt 12

---Spider----

Spider leaves the hotel foyer, while Hesselink and his assistant are working to save Annika's life.  He thought he'd heard a gunshot outside, and Jack was missing.

--Jack---
Jack raises his hands, the wand emitting a bright white glow that outlined the shapes of the daggers above his head.  The policeman didn't seem to understand much English, but was able to pick up a few words, though he did not lower his weapon or change his stance - and he did glance up briefly and see the suspended daggers.

There was the sound of footsteps on the brickwork path, heading away fast, and another pair of footsteps heading towards them.  Jack noticed the policeman heard this also, with a slight grimace.

"Hokay, Cowboy,"  the policeman said in rough English, again glancing at the daggers in the air.   "Put...gun on ground.  I am Policeman.  You shoot the man ?  You see..die mesaanval...die cut of the...knife ?"

---both-----

Spider skidded around a corner featuring a very pleasantly groomed topiary, nearly tripping on a crumpled body clad in a dark robe sprawled across the brickwork path.  There was no question that the person was dead, no one could survive that much blood loss.  Up ahead, he could see Jack's back; Jack's arms were raised, his right hand holding his sidearm and his left holding the wand, whose white glow illuminated three daggers - the same style as the one in Annika's back - frozen in the air about two feet above Jack's head; facing Jack was a man in a khaki uniform.  The set of the man's stance said 'military' or 'policeman', and he was holding a handgun on Jack.  Spider could hear the man speaking to Jack, but half of it was in Africaans.

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GM:  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, by Saturday, 13 April, next post Sunday.
________________
Jack
player, 199 posts
Sun 14 Apr 2024
at 17:08
  • msg #33

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 12

[OC: Sorry so late, not feeling well.]
Jack steps to his right and drops the pistol a short distance onto soft ground while maintaining the protective spell. If the daggers remain over the spot where he was, he will relax the spell and let them continue to the ground. On the other hand, if they move with him, or point at anyone else, he will try to think of a way to dispel them or fling them away. Failing all of that, he will step behind a tree so they fly into the trunk.
After dealing with the daggers, he will cooperate fully with the policeman except that he will not give up the wand if asked , simply sliding it into a pocket instead.
The GM
GM, 263 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 15 Apr 2024
at 00:20
  • msg #34

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 13


Expedition part 10: Going Home pt 13

Jack stepped carefully out from under the knives and dropped the protective spell and his firearm onto the grass.  The three black daggers immediately drove deep into the bricks, hilts quivering, where he had been standing.

The policeman observed this with only a grimace, and nodded to Jack to step back a few paces, so that the policeman could retrieve Jack's M1911a.  From the courtyard outside the hotel, there were screeching tires and shouting.  "Oi, Hey, hier in die tuin !"  The policeman yells, still holding his handgun on Jack.  There were more sounds of footsteps on the pathways, both coming and going, and abruptly, Spider had two policemen shouting at him while a third ran past him.

"Hey, Kees," the policeman who was now behind Jack.
"Sander, vertaal asseblief vir hierdie man," the first policeman said, and rattled off a lot of South African.  The other officer, younger with a thick brown mustache, began translating.
"Sir, I am placing you under arrest for suspicion of assault, place your hands on your head, turn around and stand there, I am going to hand cuff you.  The - " there was some discussion between the two about the wand, Jack figured, then, "Please put the glowing thing away - carefully."  Confident that it would return if he needed it, Jack set it back into its case.

He was handcuffed, as was Spider, their weapons were confiscated, and they were walked back to the hotel lobby under police escort, where Annika was being loaded onto a rolling gurney and headed towards an ambulance.  One policeman remained behind to observe the daggers, still stuck deep in the bricks.  Hesselink and his companion Sophie looked to be heading with the emergency responders.   Spider and Jack were walked into an office room and sat down on two sturdy wooden chairs.  The desk opposite them was clean, empty of all but a notepad and a pencil, which one of the lower ranked policemen took up and made ready to write down things.  The tough one, Kees, that arrested Jack seemed to outrank the other two police in the room, and began speaking in Africaans.  His manner was efficient and brusque.

Sander, the policeman that spoke good English translated.  "I need your names, your addresses, the reason why you are here at this hotel, what you were doing out in the garden, and we are confiscating your passports until such time as we have cleared you of any involvement in a crime.  A young woman has been seriously injured, but her uncle was killed.  Since neither of you were at the initial crime scene, we know you were not responsible for the murder, but we need to know more.  Did either of you hear or see the assault on Annika Vrees ?"

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GM: Actions, or rather explanations, for the next fifteen minutes of game time, please respond  by Saturday 20 April, next post Sunday, hope you feel better J.
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Jack
player, 200 posts
Sun 21 Apr 2024
at 03:18
  • msg #35

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 13

Jack complies fully. He gives his name and address, the number of their suite in the hotel, and tells Officer Sander truthfully when they arrived here from their university expedition in Antarctica. He offers further the approximate time he entered Annika's uncle's antique shop and bought some expensive curios, and that Annika translated for the transaction. He mentions that they shooed him out because they were in a hurry to go to a funeral. He also mentions the poisoned lemonade just earlier.
   "I did not see either of them after that until Annika appeared at the front door of the hotel as I was talking to our secretary in America on the lobby phone. She came through the door in obvious distress, so Mr. Mallory, the desk clerk, and I all moved to help her. She appeared to be reaching toward me, and said something in Afrikaans; the clerk might know what it was. Then she collapsed and we saw the dagger in her back. Mr. Mallory said he had also seen a large, shadowy person just outside the light of the doorway. I ran out to try to apprehend the person and heard him run into the garden. He yelled something at me in Afrikaans. Then I heard a second set of footsteps, and realized there were two of them. They came at me from both sides, so I shot one. The other I knocked into the bushes, but I heard him run away." Jack adds the direction he heard the retreat.
Spider
player, 102 posts
Sun 21 Apr 2024
at 21:11
  • msg #36

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 13

Spider gives them his personal details and says, "We saw someone do something to the woman.  My mate here went after him, and I moved to help the young lady.  I've got some basic medical skills from the war, so thankfully the doctor came to take over."
The GM
GM, 264 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 22 Apr 2024
at 01:11
  • msg #37

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 14

---both----

The policemen confer with each other in whispers, and the night clerk, Dieter, was called into the office room.

"The young lady said something about glass, and danger," Dieter reported.  "This guest -" he nodded at Spider, "Was trying to help treat the young lady.  The other guest was at the telephone cabinet.  He ran into the garden, and then they were both in the garden, after I had telephoned from the office for police and ambulance."

There was another conference, with Dieter being sent out to talk to the hotel manager, who looked ruffled - he was still fixing the studs on his sleeve cuffs.  It was about eight o'clock now.  The furor had calmed down and the dining room was back in business, while two handymen went to work at clearing up the mess in the foyer.  The fainting little old lady had also been whisked away into the ambulance.

The policeman in charge, Kees, departed the room, while Sander looked over his notes.

"You purchased items from the Curiousity Shop, Mr. Sterling.  Was one of them made of glass ?  And the person who got this lemonade, they are all right ?  The hotel only delivers drinks ordered by guests to their rooms, and there is no record of anyone delivering lemonade to your rooms."

But before he could get answers, there was a thunderous pounding on the door, with a familiar voice - Thorne, declaring something in loud Africaans. "Maak hierdie vervloekte deur oop, ek is hulle regsadviseur !"
"I speak English, Sir," Sander the policeman said politely, and went to open the door.  Thorne looked angry, but after a quick look at Spider and Jack - handcuffed, but not damaged, he subsided.

Sander stepped back to sit behind the desk.  "These gentlemen have not been arrested yet - not formally.  The handcuffs are a precaution, but Sergeant Kees will find out what is going on."
"I will stay in this room and answer for them if you ask them anything else," Thorne said.
"It's really not necessary, Sir."  Sander said.  "But if you feel you must, then please remain.  In fact, it might be safer if you are in the company of the police if indeed an attempt was made on one of your lives.  May I have your name for the records ?"
"Very well," Thorne replied.  "My name is Captain Thomas Thorne the Third, and I am the expedition facilitator.  These men are my responsibility."
It took a moment, as Sander was jotting down the notes, then his jaw fell open.
"YOU ?"  Sander pushed back from the desk like the Devil himself had just spoken, staring at Thorne.  The candlestick telephone on the desk rang, a local call; the policeman fumbled for the receiver, picking up the transmitter, eyes not leaving Thorne.  "Uh huh....uh huh....Calabar gif....so, wat wil jy hê moet ek doen, Sersant ?"  He listened for a moment, then nodded, and disconnected the call.
"Sergeant Kees will be down immediately," he said, still watching Thorne, who merely raised one eyebrow and glared back.

Kees came into the room, eyes narrowed, taking in Thorne and the tableau.  He went to stand beside Sander, and folded his arms, eyeing the three Agents. "Sê vir hulle dat hulle vanaand in hul kamers moet bly en ons sal wagte plaas.  Vra hulle wanneer hulle gaan."
"Sergeant Kees requests you stay in your rooms tonight and we will post guards, and when are you leaving ?"  Sander translated.
"The cuffs come off now," Thorne said. "Haal die boeie af. Gee hul eiendom terug.  Give them back their weapons."
"Albei die duiwels is hier," Kees said to Sander, who was sweating as he wrote on the notepad.

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday 27 April, next post is Sunday
---------------------------------------------
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 01:11, Mon 22 Apr.
Jack
player, 201 posts
Sun 28 Apr 2024
at 06:57
  • msg #38

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 14

Jack will answer about the lemonade and skip the question about the glass. He was not feeling too oppressed, but is nonetheless glad to see Thorne and to be uncuffed. And to get his pistol back.
   “Thank you, Captain Thorne. And now before we remove to our rooms, would you please ask the sergeant what became of the person I shot, and whether they’ve been identified yet? Perhaps we could take a quick look at him. It might help us all determine who the other assailant was that fled.”
   He will also speak to the concierge or the hotel manager, whichever is nearby: “Please have a bottle of Sedgwick’s Old Brown Sherry sent with my compliments to the doctor who helped the young lady, and another to his assistant. Billed to my personal account.”
   After all of that, he will go with his friends (careful not to let anyone be alone) back to their suite to check on the glass and to tell Ben everything.
Spider
player, 103 posts
Sun 28 Apr 2024
at 21:06
  • msg #39

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 14

Spider will keep his mouth shut, trusting in Thorne.  He tries his best to not look smug.
The GM
GM, 265 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 29 Apr 2024
at 00:31
  • msg #40

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 15


The Agents happily were uncuffed and their weapons were returned.  It looked like Sergeant Kees would rather step on a pile of rattlesnakes than spend another minute in the company of Thomas Thorne.  The night clerk and the manager cordially accepted Jack's order, very happy to have the matter removed from public view.

Sander translated for Jack about the person in the garden.  "The body was taken," was the response.  That meant there were at least two people in the garden, or a very strong one, to pick up and move a dead body that fast.

The police escorted Jack, Spider and Thorne up to their rooms, posting another constable at their door and at the door to the adjoining room.  The Agents could hear the huskies' claws tapping on the flooring, but otherwise it was silent.  Sergeant Kees rapped on the first door, where they had left Ben, Fritz and Thorne, and nodded at Sander, who was sweating and pale.  "Hello, we are returning these gentlemen to their room, please do not shoot us," Sander said.

Inside the room, the first thing the Agents noticed was that there was no sign of Ben, or Fritz; the curtains were still drawn, and the dogs seemed all right; Bruno was slouched near one of the overstuffed chairs.  Thorne seemed a little puffed out from the stairs, and headed for the chair by Bruno, who was disguised as a Saint Bernard; there was a slight draft in the room, then Ben stepped out of nowhere, as Thorne claimed the chair.  "I was getting worried," their boss said, unruffled.

Kees rattled off a lot of Africaans, which Sander translated as, "It was all an unfortunate misunderstanding.  Apologies for interrupting your holiday.  We will share what we can about the ongoing investigation, but we request that, for your own safety, you remain in your rooms.  We will post police here to keep you safe.  When are you leaving ?"
"A week or so," Thorne replied. "We need some rest.  What about the poison ? Are you going to test the dog that died ?"
Sander interpreted for his Sergeant then, and there was a pause as the man, who clearly knew Thorne and did not like him, considered the reply before responding.
"It was likely to be Calabar poison, it's from a local bean plant," Sander translated nervously. "Please do not accept any food from anyone you do not know.  The hotel staff will bring your meals directly to your rooms, and we will ask them to take the dog away so the coroner can test it."

"Waar is die ander duiwel ?"  Kees asked Thorne outright, having done a sweep of the room; the curious huskies were trotting alongside and behind him.
"Hy is wag en kyk, so let op jou manière," Thorne replied.  "Hy is baie gevaarliker as ek.  Ons sal gaan waar ons wil, en dit is te sleg vir jou."

"Ek haat jou, jy rotbastard," Kees muttered, and left the room to Sander.
"We are very sorry for any inconvenience," Constable Sander said, and scurried out after his Sergeant.  The door swung shut, and they heard a policeman stepping up to stand in front of it.
Thorne chuckled, leaning back in the chair, with Bruno nudging his knee to get patted on his scarred, scaly head.  "Yep, he remembers us all right."

Jack went to look at his three new treasures; all were in place.  The magnifying glass seemed fine.  Looking through it produced the same effect as before, magnifying things.

"We will have to keep watches," Fritz said, emerging from a fold of curtain, his rifle slung over his shoulder and his belt carrying two pistols.  "Whomever tried to kill one of us will try again.  And we have to let the huskies out now and then, so they will have opportunity."
"The staff will walk them," Thorne said.
"Do we have anything from the office ?" Ben asked Jack.


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GM: Actions, etc, for the next hour of game time, please respond by Saturday, 4 May, next post Sunday
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Jack
player, 202 posts
Sun 5 May 2024
at 10:49
  • msg #41

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 15

“What do you mean, ‘the body was taken’?” Jack asks incredulously. “When? By whom? You officers were right there next to it. Did you get a look at it, Spider?”
   Other than clarifying this point, Jack heads up to the suite as already noted. He repeats his conversation with Edith to everyone, and shows the glass, ring, and notebook to his friends as well.
    “I guess this glass is what caused all the trouble. The figure in the garden — the one who seemed to be speaking from the air above me, and throwing those black daggers — called me “little mage” and spoke both English and Afrikaans. The one I shot and the other one I knocked away with the wand were both wearing dark robes, as near as I could tell.” He answers any other questions as best he can, and will stand watch whenever needed.
Spider
player, 104 posts
Sun 5 May 2024
at 21:02
  • msg #42

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 15

Spider volunteers for the first watch.  And he is willing to help the staff walk the huskies around the yard.
The GM
GM, 266 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 6 May 2024
at 01:13
  • msg #43

Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 16

Expedition part 10: Going Home pt 16

The Agents had perhaps hoped that their time in a civilized city would be pleasant, or at least, somewhat safe, and so far expectations had not been met.

Jack's query prompted some conversing back and forth from Kees and Sander, but the constable finally said, "It was gone.  We are investigating."  Thorne, meanwhile, had a smug grin on his face.  Spider could not recall much about the body; it could have been a man or a woman, but he was certain that the person was dead.

"They're pretty damn confused about that body too," Thorne reported once the police had departed the room.  "Kees recalls Fritzi and myself from our little job here a while ago.  Seems we made quite the impression upon him.  If he could pin a murder on us, he would - he's in a lather that the body's gone."

"I'm more concerned that you were recognized as a mage," Ben said to Jack. "That means someone - some power, either Elder or Outer god, has established a cult in this city.  Robes means cultists to me.  And they want Basil Rose's collection, that glass in particular.  All three items have magical properties, but I'm not willing to make a close examination of anything that Rose used to own, not without the laboratory back home.  Whom have we ticked off lately, besides the US Navy ?"

"A giant frozen snake ?"  Thorne suggested.
"A race of smelly five-lobed aliens ?"  Fritz asked.  "The list can get pretty long here."
"Why black daggers ?" Ben mused. "Jack, draw a picture of the daggers.  And they stayed stuck in the Deflect Harm spell - that is interesting.  I wonder if they were physical daggers, or metaphysical."

Watches were set, and Spider was firmly encouraged not to go outside with the huskies.  "We're going to make it tough to get at us," Ben said.
"I am not staying cooped up in this hotel for the next however many days it takes to get Gruber here," Thorne objected.
"You could write up your expenses report for reimbursement," Ben said dryly.
"Oh, that's pretty much already done, the draft's in my desk drawer, though I need to type up the addendums," Thorne replied. "I keep notes, receipts...you should know that by now."
"Yes, I've experienced your majestic works of popular fiction," Ben said, to Thorne's amused chuckle.  "If you really must go outside, I can put an illusion spell on you.  It would last about three hours, but - I'm not sure who, or what, is looking for us."
"No one lives forever," Thorne said. "I will not live in fear, though I do appreciate your concern."
"How do we go about looking for a cult ?"  Fritz asked. "Besides waiting for the next attack. I prefer a tactical advantage."
"The fake waiter knew enough to get into the hotel, and deliver to this room," Ben said. "But I don't have Agent Black's fine touch with scrying to try to re-examine the event."

There was a slight commotion outside the closed door; voices, in Africaans.  Fritz ducked to the side of the door, moving silently, drawing both pistols.  A hesitant knock on the door.
"Sirs," came the voice of Corporal Sander, "there is a telegram sent from America.  I will slide it under the door."  An envelope slid under the door.
It was from Washington, DC, and from the Grey Building.  "Beware the black pharaoh." was the message.

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next hour of game time, please respond by Saturday 11 May, next post Sunday
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