"Certainly," replied Walter accepting the new drink when it was ordered. His last one was largely untouched however, his sipping of it has noticeably slowed down since something about Jesse Hughes had occurred to him.

He waited intendly for what Jesse had to say.

Richard retook his seat as the second round of drinks was ordered. He checked his watch and then placed it back into his pocket as the tumblers were placed in front of them. He took a sip as he wondered what Mr Hughes wanted to add.


-

Monty also leaned in, curious what the Folklorist had to add to the conversation now that their benefactor had departed.

In reply to haruspex (msg # 36):

"Illness is the doctor to whom we pay most heed; to kindness, to knowledge, we make promise only; pain we obey." Marcel Proust

  Lucky stops, turns around and sits down. He notes, "The señor, looks not so well.  Is it bad?"

This message was deleted by the player at 10:50, Wed 03 June 2020.

Harker grumbled something under his breath, something along the lines of the fortitude of upper class stomachs or lack thereof, but kept it to himself. He smiled the polite, forced smile of someone that would clearly prefer to be somewhere else, before sitting down again "Alright. I reckon I can stay for one more round. 'Specially if you're buying. What's up?"

Charles was rising to leave but sits back down at the request of Mr Hughes and helps himself to another drink, "I'm with Mr Carpenter, so long as you're buying the drinks we can speak all evening."

He then produces another cigarette and carefully lights it while watching the folklorist intently.

When Larkin and Mendoza are gone, Hughes grins and tips his hat at Walter.

"Mr. Luscombe here, I think, has seen through my little facade," he says. "Probably the picture on the back of that book you mentioned, huh?" he adds with a wry laugh. "Never did think it caught my rugged good looks."

He sips his drink and leans forward, drawing the others in to a conspiratorial circle by speaking softly.

"My real name is Elias. Jackson Elias," he starts. "Nobody famous, but I've published a book or two on the occult. I'm down here in South America for a follow up on the piece I wrote six years ago about Mayan Death Cults. There are some crazy legends in the mountains. And that's where I first got wind of Larkin.

"He was trying to drum up an expedition six months ago to to explore a pyramid in Puno, but the locals would have nothing to do with it. I heard about it from a Professor Sanchez, over the University of San Marco. He offered to fund and outfit the expedition, but Larkin turned him down.

"Next thing I know, he's got ads in papers all over the world, asking for investors and adventurers to join him. When he had an offer of all the help he could use right here, on his doorstep.

"And that Mendoza! He's a horror show, right. I've heard some wild tales about him, too.

"Anyway, I decided to hitch along with his latest plan and see what he's up to. I though I could keep it on the QT, but Mr, Luscombe here has twigged my little subterfuge, and I don't want it to come out in the wrong way. Can I count on you fellows to keep it quiet?"

Harker scratched at his chops, his face twisted into an ugly grimace. "Death cults and pyramids go hand in hand down these parts and the locals don't like foreigners messing around in their business, huh? I don't reckon you're breaking any new ground there Mr.Elias. I'm just here to get paid." he drank his drink and looked him hard in the eye.
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 08:18, Thu 04 June 2020.

"I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up." Benjamin Franklin

  Lucky shrugs then, in a sinister tone responds, "As long as you don't mess with us finding riches and don't stop me from getting my fair "cut", you can call yourself General Grant."

  Lucky pulls out another cigar and lites it. "Carpenter, don't we have something to do?"  Lucky gets up and heads for the door.

Monty listened as Mr Hughes, sorry, Mr Elias, told his tale. Curious indeed!

“Mr ‘Hughes’, while I dislike subterfuge in the main I do understand your caution in this matter. I will not break your confidence, though I shan’t lie if challenged. I am a scientist, and am only interested in discovering truths, wherever they may lie.”

Harker stood, without breaking his gaze at Elias-Hughes "Aye. Reckon we do." he responded to Ortega, his tone as stony as his expression. He nodded again to the others "Gents. This don't sound like none of my business. Good night." His piece said, he followed Ortega to the door.

"So Mr.Ortega..." he began, much more relaxed "...What's the game tonight? Drink? Girls? Cards? You pick." he grinned and gave the latino a hearty slap on the shoulder as they made their way out.

In reply to Harker Carpenter (msg # 48):

"People in bars are always claiming to be boxers, hoping thereby to ward off attack, like a black snake will vibrate its tail in leaves and try to impersonate a rattlesnake." William S. Burroughs, And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks

  Lucky smiles and offers Carpenter a cigar, "Let's begin with a drink!"

In reply to Jesse Hughes (msg # 44):

"Yes, Mr. Jackson, I did recognise you from a book I read on the boat over," replied Walter with a nod of achknowledgement, pondering something as he spoke. "A lucky selection in London before I left I think. One thing though. Why did you need to keep your name secret from Professor Larkin? Were you concerned that he wouldn't let you join us if he knew who you really were? And what about Mendoza? He has been staring daggers at you all evening. Does he know who you really are? Is that the reason for his dislike of you? Or is there something else? And please do tell us the wild tales about him. I am very happy to keep your confidence about your real name as long as you are truthful with all of us." He smiled at Elias before continuing, giving him his best winning smile. "You are clearly better informed about the background to this expedition so please share away."

He took another sip of his drink. They were stronger than he had expected.


OOC: GM - I don't know if some form of Persuade or Charm check is required to get Elias talking but please say if it is (or just make the dice rolls in secret on my behalf). Walter has Persuade 60% and Charm 50%. He also has Psychology 30% should that be relevant.

"Well, Mr Elias, we've all had cause to adopt a nom de plume now and again. Nothing wrong with that. Your secret is safe with me."

Charles carefully extinguishes his cigarette, clearly the most interested he's been in events all evening. "What makes you think there's anything untoward about Mr Larkin's plans? I would imagine that bringing a museum into this kind of thing involves all sorts of strings and they'll have funny notions about displaying pieces for free. Presumably Mr Larkin thought if he sorts it out independently we get to make arrangements for what we find with no stuffy museum breathing down our necks? There's nothing wrong with that either."

Hughes loads and lights his pipe while he talks and as he tells his tale, he has the gift of bringing the images to life for his audience.

He tells you that in researching a follow up to his very successful book on Mayan Death Cults he spent many hours among the written sources held in some of New York’s research libraries; There he  discovered references to the legends of the kharisiri also often referred to as the pishtaku:  white-faced men who sucked the life out of innocent farmers and their families in the Peruvian highlands. While the historical information seemed to be mostly fanciful folklore, Elias found that these accounts gained credence when he found contemporary stories of murder and mutilation in the same locales. Seeking a new direction for a new book, he believed he had enough reason to suppose that some form of pagan ritual was at the root of the tales of the pishtaku, and that in all likelihood, the attacks were perpetrated by humans, perhaps as some form of human sacrifice, which to his mind, could be evidence of death cult operating in Peru.

Thinking of the country’s history, he soon developed the hypothesis that the legends stemmed from the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. Had a cult that had arrived with the Spanish survived to the modern-day? Elias now believes that the details of the myths indicate an all-too-real cult that practices murder as ritual practice.

He made his way to Peru last year, and spent four months in the southern Andean highlands, in the region around Lake Titicaca, meeting the local people and researching stories of the pishtaku. He soon realized that many people saw the pishtaku not as stories from history but as a real and  tangible threat. While some could only pass on second-hand accounts, a few were able to recount seeing pale-faced monsters from personal experience. Currently, Elias considers such first-hand information to illustrate the fact that a death cult is still active in the region.

While speaking with the locals, Elias was warned about a man named Luis de Mendoza; a person mentioned by some as a man to be feared. While no one was able to provide concrete proof of any wrongdoings, some even referred to de Mendoza as a pishtaku. Elias, ever the rationalist, took this as an indication that the man was a key figure in the death cult, rather than an actual monster. Making note of the name, Elias was surprised to encounter de Mendoza in Puno, although the two men did not actually meet there.

Instead, Elias followed him from a distance, making notes of his movements and contacts. In so doing, Elias learned of de Mendoza’s association with Augustus Larkin and, ultimately, Larkin’s plan to find and explore a lost pyramid. While no one has been able to confirm the fact, Elias believes that the pyramid and surrounding site are, somehow, linked to the pishtaku.

"This very real, gentlemen," he concludes his tale. "I came looking for history and I found an active horror story. Someone is killing the farmers up there in the mountains and these two are involved somehow. I think I may have asked a few too many questions, and Mendoza may be on to me.

"I don't know why Larkin turned down the museum's offer of help and decided instead to seek independents like yourselves. But I think the answers to those questions are up there in the mountains. And I intend to find out what is going on. I give you fair warning because I do not think either of these hombres are telling the truth. Whatever reason Larkin wants to find that pyramid, Mendoza wants it too. And that scares me silly."

He clenches his pipe between his teeth and sits back to hear what the others have to say about his story

Walter listened to Elias explain his suspicions. "And you are certain that Professor Larkin is implicated as well as Mendoza? Could it be that Mendoza has manipulated the Professor and simply persuaded him to avoid working with the museum as that will increase the likelihood of any items found going to the museum and not to auction? It could be that Professor Larkin's motivations are simply financial." He didn't say it but it occurred to Walter that several people sat round the table were probably motivated by the financial aspects of the expedition as well.

"Regardless I will come and help you with this as it is clearly the right thing to do," he continued. He was a former British Army Officer and a Gentleman. No other course of action was acceptable and if he could face down German Sturmtruppen, or Stormtroopers, then he wasn't about to be scared of some deranged members of a death cult. "If it leads to another book however then I would like a credit within it, possibly even to co-author it with you, depending on what happens." The last was said with a friendly smile.

Monty’s face paled at the, discussion of murder and death cults. That wasn’t what he signed up for. He picked up his tumbler and drained the brandy inside, the strong liquor assaulting his throat.

He tried to think about his predicament. Should he make his excuses and withdraw right now? But then he would have to go home and face Mother! And marriage! Suddenly the death cult didn’t seem so terrifying...

He refilled his pipe, packing the tobacco down while trying to ignore trembling fingers, hoping the other men wouldn’t see his nerves. He struck a match, immediately regretting it as the flickering light betrayed his fear. He lit the pipe and sucked down a large lungful of air, then blew out great clouds. That calmed him, and his nerves softened.

“Well, Mr Hughes, this all sounds grim indeed, and if half what you say is true then we would do well to be cautious. However, I would still like to accompany you all in this endeavour. There is clearly much to be learned, and if we can help the local populace at the same time then all will benefit from our efforts. I’m in!” He did his best to sound brave, but felt a slight tremor in his voice as he spoke. He flushed slightly, and went to take another drink before remembering his glass was empty, so waved to the waiter to bring him another.

He also made a mental note to go shopping in the morning, hoping to find a serviceable revolver to bring with him on the expedition. Hopefully it wouldn’t be needed, but he would rather not take his chances.

In reply to Jesse Hughes (msg # 52):

"Try again; you have millions of alternatives. Fill yourself with the bullets of hope and you will kill failure with one shot." Israelmore Ayivor, Dream Big!: See Your Bigger Picture!

  Lucky hearing what Hughes says before he leaves for the door, he shrugs and comments to Carpenter, "Well, That sounds like we need more bullets and shells to take along!"

Richard enjoyed his drink and pipe he listened to each man as they spoke. It would seem that perhaps they had not been told the whole story which was unfortunate as these things rarely got off the ground in the best of circumstances.

-

"Well, you guys seem pretty gung ho for the treasure," drawls Hughes as the others make their preparations for a night on the town. "If any of you are interested in following up and getting some more of the archaeological details on what we might find up there, I've arranged to meet up with Professor Sanchez tomorrow at two o'clock in the afternoon at his office in the Museo de Arqueología y Antropología." His Spanish is good, but with a Cuban accent rather than Mexican or Castilian.

"It's a Saturday and the museum is open -- though my understanding is there's not really a line at the door." He laughs at his own joke.

Charles nods sagely as he stands up and finishes the last of his drink, "Well, Mr Hughes" he pauses for a theatrical wink at the name, "I for one will see you there. If nothing else we might get an idea as to how much the content of this trove might be worth. I'll see you all anon."

With that he tips his hat at the others and makes to leave.

In reply to Jesse Hughes (msg # 57):

"Yes Mr Hughes I to shall accompany you, if you don't mind ?" He takes another sip and then finishes his drink.

-

“Yes, I will accompany you too. I shall see you tomorrow, shall we say 1.30 outside the museum?”

Once their business for the evening was concluded, Monty retired to his hotel.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:11, Fri 12 June 2020.

"I will join you as well," Walter agreed with a polite nod to Hughes as he finished his drink.

---

Once they had separated from Hughes and were making their way back to their hotel, Walter addressed the rest of his companions who were still present. "If anyone wants to borrow the book that Mr. Hughes referenced then please let me know. As he mentioned I recognised him from author's picture inside the front cover and that's how I knew that his real name was Jackson Elias. It's an interesting read."