Expedition part 10:  Going Home pt 1


The Agents had finally felt thawed out after a long while in very cold temperatures.  Their time aboard the Natalia had been stressful, at least until the mutiny had been stopped, and now land, with civilisation apparent, was close at hand.

No one save the Agents had gone anywhere near their cargo, fearing (justifiably) the horrible retribution that such an act would warrant.  The dogs seemed fine, enthused to be in a new place, apart from Bruno, who seemed sulky.  Ben once again laid an illusion spell on the Hellhound, so a gloomy Saint Bernard was sprawled on the deck, head down on his massive paws.

As the Agents prepared their gear for transport off the ship, seven of the crew came forward to ask for dogs, including Van Rooyen, who wanted two females as he had two daughters at home.  Thorne took care of the transactions of money and trinkets, collecting two scrimshaw pieces, a gold chain, a jade Buddha, and about thirty dollars to part with most of the dogs, leaving them eleven huskies, which included Fritz's team leader and of course, Bruno.  The dogs seemed perfectly all right with their new owners, including the one that de Vink got for Jannes.  The Captain's son hid somewhere as the Agents left the ship, their cargo lifted off by crane and secured in a wagon that Thorne rented.  Bruno accepted pulling the load, which was mostly their finds from the City of the Elder Things.

Captain de Vink waved them off the ship, and Van Rooyen bellowed, "Safe Travels !".  As for travel home, it would take a meeting with the harbormaster to check on what ships might be sailing.  The port was busy; there were steamers and even clippers, along with an array of fishing boats for local use.

"Gentlemen, we will take rooms at the Mount Nelson Hotel," Thorne announced, "As it is the best hotel in Cape Town.  Orange Street.  This way."
"I will telephone Washington when we get there," Ben said, shrugging a backpack of gear onto his shoulder.  The warm air was too much for their furs.  Their appearance was scruffy, unshorn and unkempt, but Thorne strode along like the King of the World.  The beckoning hope of hot running water, real food, and clean clothes was very tempting.  Trailing along with them were the remaining huskies, joyfully taking in the new scents of Cape Town.
Fritz fell into stride with Thorne, saying something too quiet for the others to catch. Thorne paused, looking at him, and said, "I'm sorry, Fritzi.  I am."
"I'm not the one you need to say that to." Fritz replied, then looking to Spider.  "Boss - see you in a few years."   He waved once, ducked around a pile of crates and was gone.
"Dammit," Thorne muttered, and set off towards the hotel again.  A bell began ringing out the hour - three in the afternoon.

The hotel staff might well have been shocked and dismayed to see such rabble arriving, but were far too well trained to say anything, especially since Thorne slapped gold coins on the counter and reached for the register book.  "I would like a suite of rooms for the five of us, private baths, a great deal of hot water and soap, a barber sent to the rooms, laundry service, and a steak dinner.  The dogs will be kept with us.  Where is your telephone ?"
"In the cabinet, there, Sir," the concierge immediately replied, then snapped his fingers for the bellhop to take charge of their fur coats.  Thorne began signing the book, then stopped. "I see Mr. Trachenberg is already here."
"He arrived this morning...Mr. Thorne.  The fourth floor balcony rooms are most suitable, and adjoin Mr. Trachenberg's room.  What time would you like dinner to be served, Mr. Thorne ?"
"Six o'clock.  Where is the best jeweler in town ?"
"On High Street, Imperial Jewelers," the concierge replied.  "Their diamonds are straight from de Beers and they do bespoke work for royalty."
"Excellent.  Send whiskey - bourbon, if you have it -to the rooms.  We will take most of the luggage up ourselves."

The hotel was posh, with Louis XV furniture, Persian carpets, lavishly ornate chandeliers, plastering and decoration.  The staff were all properly uniformed, unfailingly polite, and accepting of all the eccentricities of the guests, even if it meant unkempt, unshorn men wanting to carry their own odd luggage into their rooms, with an entourage of yipping, yowling wolf-like dogs trailing along.  The lift in the hotel could only accommodate one man with his gear at a time, making the transport upwards a slow process, but that gave the staff time to bring up a tray of light snacks with the bottles of alcohol.  The porcelain clawed-foot bathtubs were a thing of beauty.  Ben opted to telephone Washington at what was local time, 4 pm - which would be 8 am in the morning back in DC.  Fritz - the one from 1925 - had arrived with four extra suitcases of luggage, including suits, shoes and other clothing for each of the Agents, a resupply of ammunition, and a tin of baked treats from Edith's kitchen.

Ben returned to the suite of rooms after the others had gotten their baths and a barber was calmly trimming Jack's hair.  Spider was in the bath, but the door was ajar so that he could hear the conversation.  Five of the huskies were spread across one of the beds, while the rest were sunbathing on the balcony, while Bruno idly chewed on a large bone the kitchen had brought up for him.  Their treasures were heaped in a closet, under the heavy furs.

"All is well at home," their boss reported, "The office is in good order.  Apparently some help was sent in from the other branch to keep the place running.  The office manager is making some calls to get us home - we'll check in again after dinner."
"Good.  I'm going into town to do some shopping."  Thorne said, buttoning up his suit coat, his hair and beard already cleaned up quite fashionably.

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GM:: Glad you liked the Mountains of Madness.  Actions, etc, for the next hour of game time, where are you going in the hotel, or in the town ?  Please respond by Saturday, 27 January, next post Sunday

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This message was last edited by the GM at 22:19, Mon 22 Jan.

Jack greets the “new” Fritz and gladly accepts the luggage. He thoroughly enjoys the bath and barbering, then happily dons a smart suit. Feeling reinvigorated and civilized, he heads out to send a telegram informing his parents of his safe arrival in Capetown. On his way back to the suite for dinner, he’ll ask a few folks where the most interesting curio and antique shops may be found, in preparation for an outing the next morning.

Expedition Part 10:   Going Home pt 2

Jack greeted the 1925 Fritz, who greeted the agents with his typical German reserve and then departed.   Something was different, though - Jack had spent too much time in close quarters with Fritz not to spot that there was something wrong.   Probably when Fritz dumped Thorne's suitcase on the floor and strode off in a huff.

 Just getting cleaned up, a fresh shave and cut and a familiar, well-pressed suit is a good feeling.  He headed downstairs, noting Ben was on the telephone again, apparently talking to his family, to judge from the man's expression.  The concierge provided Jack with directions to the telegraph office, a short way down the road.

As Jack stepped off the hotel patio to go send a telegram, he heard a delightful feminine laugh, with something in Africaans, and hears a familiar voice reply - Fritz.  The woman laughed again, and Jack can catch sight of the lush garden alongside the hotel, where a pretty woman, very richly dressed in grey silk and diamonds, was flirting with Fritz Trachenberg.  She was about thirty years old, dark hair swept up and pinned with a fancy feathered hat, and she seems quite taken with the German.  They both have cocktails in hand; a martini for her and an old-fashioned for Fritz.

A chubby woman in a checked cotton dress is driving a small open carriage toward the harbour and the telegraph office; two young girls, one in a blue dress and another in pink, are seated in the back, and the bay pony pulling the carriage has been decked out in ribbons and bows.  The sun - warm and fine, is bright enough that all of the women are wearing sun bonnets.
As Jack tips his hat to the ladies, he spots another motion that attracts his attention - Thorne, moving fast down another street, further into town.

Jack sent his telegram via a clerk who spoke four languages, English among them.  "Welcome to Cape Town," the clerk said.  "If there is a reply, where shall I send it ?"

Jack then goes to have a look around town, figuring he had about an hour to browse the shops before getting back for dinner.  There were shops along High Street, including the jeweler's place that Thorne had asked about.  A shop with the simple signage "Antiques and Curiosities" got Jack's attention.  The inside was a riot of glass-fronted cases with a variety of items, from African tribal masks and weapons, ivory carvings, brass statuettes, pottery, trinkets and knick knacks.  Some looked far too new and cheap to be anything good, but there were a few items in the one case that caught his eye.  The proprietor, a thin, bald man in a dark suit, greeted him in Africaans.

In the case were three items that seemed noteworthy.  A polished rock crystal magnifying glass, obviously old, set in darkly tarnished silver, about the size of his palm.  A ratty-looking old book, no discernable title, ripped leather cover and tattered parchment pages. A man's ring, shiny silver or white gold, set with a band of mother of pearl, in a blue velvet ring box.

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GM:  Actions, please, for the next half hour of game time, by Saturday 3 February, next post Sunday

Spider knows if he comes back without a present for Cress, and some for the kids, he'll be inn even worse trouble.  And she will need something unusual.  He asks the concierge for a place with unique pieces or objet d'art or jewelry.

[OC Sorry so late, dealing with family drama all week]
   Jack leaves his comrades to their pursuits. He tells the telegraph clerk the name of his hotel, although he does not expect a reply.
   Jack is intrigued by the objects in the shop’s case, and asks (in apologetic English) to see the book and the magnifying glass. He will examine them and try to get a “feel” for them. Unless they feel dangerous, he will ask the prices for both, and then ask for a deal if the ring is thrown in, too. (After all, he doubts he will be back in this area any time soon!)

Expedition part 10: Going Home pt 3

---Jack---
Jack's query in English prompts the old shopkeeper to give him a gentle
'please wait' hand signal, and then he shuffled to a door in the back of the store, calling for "Annika !"  Presently there is the tromp of shoes on the stairs coming down to the store, and a lovely woman of about 25, wearing a black dress, looks around the door at Jack as the old man speaks in Africaans.  Her hair is waist-long, chestnut brown, she's holding a hair brush.

"I speak English," she said.  Jack explains he wants to look at the three items, and she rapidly translates.  The old man lays out a velvet cloth on the counter and brings out the magnifying glass first.  As soon as Jack touches it, he feels a sharp tingle, just as when he holds the wand.  The crystal is chipped and scratched, and it seems very old.  He can't make out the symbols on the edge, they are rough hashmarks, the pattern giving a clue that it's a language.

The old man begins speaking, and Annika translates.  "It's very old, possibly from the city of Babylon.  The most unique item in the shop.  The price is 600 dollars US."  Jack could buy a new deluxe Model T sedan for that !  "The book is also very old, it was purchased in a lot from an estate sale in Johannesburg, an Englishman.  My uncle asks you to not touch it or open it without gloves on, it is fragile."  She offers Jack a pair of clean cotton gloves if he wants to examine the book.  "The book is 500 dollars US.  The ring is white gold, with mother of pearl, a man's ring, also from the Englishman's estate.  It costs 50 dollars US."   The prices seem high.

The book's pages are age-stained dark brown and brittle, and he can make out some kind of drawings and spidery writing, but it looks as if a child had gotten hold of the book at some point and made a hash of scribbles.  It would require significant restoration to be readable.  As far as bargaining might go, he'd have to try his chances and roll to Persuade....

---Spider---
Spider goes to the concierge to ask about where to shop.  "There is the jeweler's shop on High Street," the man says, giving directions, "And if you follow High Street to Second Avenue, there is a toy shop, called Spieeltjes.  Also on High Street is a curiosities shop, but be careful what you buy there.   There are some bargains...and some surprises."

Spider sets out to see the town, spotting Fritz talking to a lovely woman in a grey dress; the two of them are strolling around the garden of the hotel.  Ben was in the lobby, in the phone cabinet; Jack has gone into town, as has Thorne.  Spider takes in the sights of the city, noting people about their business, a teenage boy piling up baskets of vegetables onto a produce stand, two older men playing chess at a table outside a cafe, a woman in a businesslike green dress carrying a leather briefcase.  On the way down High Street, Spider spots Thorne through the window of the jeweler's.  The window displays were the sort of stuff Cressida wore, artsy designs in gold and platinum.  Thorne was looking at rings, and the debate over them was pretty lively with the shopkeeper, a middle-aged man in grey suit.  Watching Thorne in action was always entertaining; it looked like the object of interest was a man's diamond ring set in gold; the diamond was huge, at least three carats.  The bargaining was spirited, both of them evenly matched, but it was all in Africaans.  Finally, Thorne gave in, pulled out his wallet, and started counting out money - over a thousand dollars.  "Spider, you want anything ?"  Thorne asked, having noticed Spider was there.

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GM:  Glad to have you both back !  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, by Saturday, 10 February, next post Sunday.  We are now at 26 years of MU (and post MU).
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Jack tries taking a look at the book and the ring through the crystal, and also checks for any inscription inside the ring.
   In any case, he wants some new items to occupy himself on the voyage home. Unless he picks up signs of danger, he will smile at the young lady and her uncle and make his offer.
   “Most interesting curios, indeed. I can offer you $900 American for all three, along with any information you have on them, such as the previous owner’s name.” He is willing to go to $1000 if the man haggles.
   [sending Persuasion roll following this post]

Spider grins at Thorne.  "Yeah, I need to get something nice for Cress.  Maybe a choker of some kind?"  He looks around the shop, hoping for inspiration.  "If not a choker, something with a pendant."

Expedition part 10: Going Home pt 4
---Spider----
Spider walked over to the glass cases, as the man in the suit placed Thorne's purchase in a blue velvet ring box.  There was an abundance of fancy jewelery on display, some ostentatious pieces, some more reserved.  Thorne pocketed the ring box and sauntered over.  "This is for the girl who drives a Rolls Royce and leaves it on the streets of DC," he said. "The pretty brunette.  Hey, this emerald and diamond choker, smarag en diamant halssnoer, watter soort winskoop kan ons daarvoor maak ?"  The choker in question was an elegant one, loops of gold and platinum holding rich green emeralds and bright diamonds in a leaf pattern.  Thorne had good taste.
The subsequent bargaining went back and forth for a while, until Thorne told Spider, "He'll go as low as 560 dollars, he says it's a French design."  In an undertone, the Southerner added, "I can loan you the money if you want.  You have back pay coming from work."  He allows Spider to think about that and engages with the jeweler again, this time about some earrings, a petite pair featuring pearls and small diamonds, then a second pair of ruby studs.  These are soon wrapped up in gift boxes and more money is exchanged.

As the accounts are settled, Thorne says to Spider, "I'm heading back to the hotel - I have something important to do." He checked his reflection in one of the many mirrors in the shop, adjusting the set of his pocket handkerchief and his collar.

---Jack-----
Jack tries to bargain, using Annika as a translator.  He's pretty sure that the girl is arguing with the older man, as well as translating, and he's picked up a few Africaans words in the weeks aboard the Natalia.  They were in some kind of hurry.  Annika put down her hair brush and started winding up her long hair into a bun, which she pinned in place using some fancy long hair pins from a display case.  "Ons kan nie laat wees nie," Annika told the man.  There was a pause, as the old man looked at the ticking grandfather clock, and said something.
"No less than 1000 US dollars," Annika said.  "The items came from the estate of Sir Basil Rose.  Some kind of English adventurer.  He died six months ago and there was an auction.  We had two more items, a metal puzzle box and a clockwork bird, they sold very quickly.  I am sorry, we must leave soon, we have to be at a funeral."  She was pinning a black velvet hat to her bun, with a mesh veil drapery attached to it.

Jack forks over the cash and Annika deftly, swiftly wraps the book in a silk cloth, then sets it into a sturdy pasteboard box, while her uncle carefully shuts the ring box and places it in a satin bag, cinching it shut with the bag cords.  The magnifying glass is wrapped in wads of cotton and placed in another pasteboard box with the curiosity shop's logo, an eye set in curliques, and all of this is placed in a strong canvas carrying bag for Jack to take away.  Without any further ado, and the briefest of thanks, the two hurry Jack out of the shop, lock the doors, and rush off down the street.

Outside the store, Jack hears a familiar sound - huskies talking.  Sitting in the back of the little carriage he saw earlier, now parked by the cafe, are two familiar-looking huskies, yowling and yipping, tails wagging, looking at the cafe.  The two girls he had seen earlier run from the cafe, holding sausage links.  The girls are giggling as the huskies happily gobble down their treats.  The pony, feeling left out, stomps a hoof and whinnies.

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GM:  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, by Saturday, 17 February, next post Sunday.
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Spider thanks Thorne for his offer and gladly accepts.  "I'l pay you back as soon as I get paid.  Now I just need to decide what to get the kids."  After the box with the choker is safely in his pocket he goes in search of the shop for presents for his children, still unsure what they might like.

Jack tries to get out of their way quickly, offering sincere thanks and condolences. He smiles at the girls with the huskies, then begins strolling back towards the hotel. He keeps an eye out for shifty characters who might try to swipe his bag, and avoids any alleyways or other isolated areas.
At the hotel suite, he removes the ring and puts it in his pocket, then places the bag with the other items in the secure closet with the alien technology. If Ben is around, Jack will tell him of his purchases and ask if he knows anything about the former owner, or about the crystal lens. Otherwise, he will descend to the hotel bar and have a drink before dinner. Whenever he meets up with Thorne, Jack will show him the ring and ask his opinion of it.

Expedition Part 10: Going Home pt 5

----Spider----
Spider loads the velvet jewelry case into his inside jacket pocket.  "You're welcome," Thorne told him. "You'd better keep her happy with you - she's a rare one."  Then he was gone, back in the direction of the hotel.

Spider moves into the town, noting the normal business of the day.  People in normal clothes, not layered in furs, are going about their errands.  A woman in a green dress walks up to a plain grey stone building and knocks, and is let inside.  A pair of old women are sizing up the offerings at a produce stand while a teenage boy in an apron arranges vegetables on display.
The street signs are clear, though in Africaans, and he is able to find the toy shop without difficulty, as there is a huge rocking horse on display in the window.  Inside, the shelves are laden with brightly painted wooden toys, while vivid kites hang from the ceiling.  A tiny, plump woman with curly grey hair is doing something complex with small tools to a miniature metal train; she wears goggles that magnify the job and an apron laden with more tools over a plain grey dress.  "Net 'n minuut,"  she mutters, acknowledging Spider's arrival.  "Hoe kan ek jou help ?"

At Spider's greeting in English, the woman nodded. "I speak English pretty good.  My first husband was English.  You have children ?  They are stay at home, or they are adventure ?"
She carefully set down the train, a gleaming engine in black and gold paint, clearly an expensive item.  The goggles were propped up on her curls, and she wiped her hands clean of grease on a handy towel.   "What can I show you ?"

--Jack----

Jack sees the huskies and the girls, and headed back to the hotel.  The quick brush-off at the Curiosities shop seemed a little strange, but this was a different country.

No one seemed too interested in Jack, though he did notice the locals were looking at him now and then - Cape Town was a major port and his clothes were not European cut or fashion.  The concierge at the hotel nodded a polite greeting to him, and Jack went up the luxurious suite of rooms, finding Ben snoozing in a chaise longue on the balcony, a tall drink next to him - some kind of lemonade, while Bruno was sprawled just inside the room, in front of the pile of gear. There were a bunch of huskies sunning themselves on the balcony as well.

Ben woke with little intervention, picked up his lemonade, then promptly spat it across the balcony as Jack mentioned the name Basil Rose.  "WHAT ?!  He's dead ?  Are you sure ?"  It turned out that Algernon Maxwell and Basil Rose were bitter rivals, and Rose's wallet was deeper than Maxwell's, so many items they had bid on at auction were won by Rose.  "Hell, if you got anything from that estate, it's bound to be something."  Ben looked at the book, just a brief glance, and didn't touch it.  "That needs a lot of work to restore it.  Marcus Faulkner can probably fix it over at Orne Library."  The ring got a second look.  "There's something odd about it.  Don't touch it or put it on right now, just in case it's cursed. Rose liked cursed items."  The magnifying glass was another matter; Ben squinted at it, holding it in his handkerchief.  "It's not from Babylon.  It's not Akkadian either.  The inscription is in Ogham, which means it could more than a millennia old.  I don't know the language well enough to translate it, but I'm sure we have resources back in DC that will help.  And it's got that feel to it.  Did you look through it at anything ?"

A husky got up, slurped at Ben's forgotten lemonade, and complained about it, raising the rest of the loafers from their repose.  Suddenly the huskies were active and demanding.  "I think they may need a walk outside," Ben said. "I fed them an hour ago."

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GM:  Actions, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 24 February, next post is Sunday
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