Play@YSDC

Posted: **Tue Jun 10, 2008 1:37 pm**

This thread continues directly on from the end of the “A Reunion?” and “Johnny Stakes Out the Penhew Foundation” threads.

****************************************

The Ritz Hotel - Piccadilly, London
10:05pm - Wednesday 28th January, 1925

Maksim drives the overcrowded Bentley back to the Ritz, he keeps one eye on the rear view mirror the whole time, but no-one seems to be following them. As they pass close by Leicester Square, Nathaniel can’t help wondering whether his beloved shop Dodgy Pages is still intact.

Inside the famous luxury hotel it is business as usual, nightmare extra-dimensional alien entities may prowl the foggy streets of London, but inside the glittering Ritz Hotel guests still enjoy English snobbery at it’s finest!

Nobody expects to see Johnny back from his reconnaissance mission until the morning, but as they walk into the hotel’s foyer they notice the Chinese detective sitting quietly by one the Ritz’s well stocked bars.

Posted: **Tue Jun 10, 2008 2:17 pm**

Elizabeth makes eye contact with Johnny, inclines her head toward the lifts, and heads straight up to their suites. "I'll have room service bring us some booze," she announces to no one and everyone.

Posted: **Tue Jun 10, 2008 9:30 pm**

Johnny takes ten minutes to carefully watch the front doors after the group's arrival. Then he slips out of his seat and makes his way to the rooms through a circuitous route he mapped during his ealier "security inspection" of the hotel.

Once up in the room he nods to Miss D, tips his hat to the newcomers and plants himself by the window watching the outside of the hotel through a curtain.

Posted: **Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:17 am**

Caroline starts examining her hands.

Posted: **Wed Jun 11, 2008 4:02 am**

Andrei bustles into the lobby ahead of everyone else. He calls out, "What's your room number, I'll meet you up there!"

The barrel-chested Russian pulls out his thick wallet and books a third room as quickly as possible, then gallops up the stairs to meet the others.

- - - - - - -

Once everyone is gathered in the room, he triumphantly produces a cluster of wafer-thin black fragments from his pocket and presents them to the others. It appears to be the shattered remains of an egg shell, or an empty seed pod.

"Look! This is what that creature came from! I followed the sorcerer that conjured the creature, the miserable bastard was hiding in an alley. I almost had him, but he ran away."

Anyone who knows Andrei well would think he's putting on a show - he's never been so exuberant, his eyes rarely glitter with such delight. He uses the term "sorcerer" as though meeting was a common occurance. One would think he's making fun of the situation, but he keeps acting the same way without breaking into his usual moody, dark self.

"I think we all have a lot to discuss. We've learned a lot. Lets hear what you've all discovered, in great detail, please. Information is our best weapon!"

He sits down and leans forward expectantly.

Posted: **Wed Jun 11, 2008 1:58 pm**

"Um ..." says Caroline. With the andrenaline gone, she doesn't quite know what to do with herself, let alone Andrei.

Posted: **Wed Jun 11, 2008 2:01 pm**

Elizabeth pours herself a glass of scotch and takes a sip, eying Andrei with a look that's hard to read. "Why don't you start?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 11, 2008 6:30 pm**

"Well, like I said, I found these fragments! There was a man in the alley watching us at the Bentley. He was the sorcerer, and this is what the Chimera came from!" He looks at everyone for a moment. "Come on, cheer up, this is a sign that its a material thing, it follows a logic that we can eventually understand, and conquer! This is where the esteemed Jackson Elias failed, and we will succeed."

"You see, I've scoured Jackson's documents, and other writings, and I now realise that Mr. Elias refused to let his mind accept certain metaphysical logics. There are other things afoot in this world, Elizabeth, I know what you're thinking, you think I've gone mad, I can tell by the way you're looking at me, but I'm not! I simply understand what is required of us! Of me! You'll see! We can find these bastards! We have the tools!"

He taps his temple excitedly and grins.

"First thing tommorrow I'll have someone inspect these fragments, so we can ascertain their origin. That will be a good first step, don't you think?"

"But, please, lets hear what the rest of you have discovered. It's a fascinating puzzle, and we need to inspect every piece in detail."

Posted: **Wed Jun 11, 2008 7:44 pm**

"Um ..." says Caroline. "I think I need to go wash up again." She exits.

Posted: **Wed Jun 11, 2008 8:27 pm**

Nethaniel sits down and listens carefully to Andrei, bting his nails and watching Caroline. The idea of a sorceror summoning this creature waas not out of the realm of possibility. He had certainly read material on the subject but nothing specific.

A Sorceror? Bolocks! Perhaps a cultist found the egg and placed it in our immediate vicinity, but I certainly doubt that it was summoned through what.... magic?

Nethaniel looks down at Caroline's hands...

You missed a spot dear!

On second thought... I won't rule magic out quite yet. With the discovery of the painting containing clear divinitory properties, the violent dreams you lot have been having and that thing we met in the alley...

Nethaniel shivers and begins to scrub at his trousers again.

We have to get our hands on that text at all costs. It could shed a great deal of light on our current conundrum.

Posted: **Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:45 am**

Johnny splits his attention between the window and the discussion. He looks.... wary.

Posted: **Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:54 am**

OC Timour would've taken the painting in from the car, wrapped under a large blanket or whatever he could get his hands on.

Timour laughs raucously and walks behind Andrei, slapping him on the back.

"Hahahah!!!! Andrei.....you think we were all born yesterday! Hahahaha!!!! You don't really think we'd believe you do you? This monster was not a youngling hatched from an egg! Hahahahaaa!!!!"

Timour continues snickering, walking over to the bar and pouring himself a drink. He turns around, smiling broadly at Andrei's animated show. He raises his glass in the air, "To Andrei! And his good love of jokes! Hahahhaa!!!"

Posted: **Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:08 am**

"Oh, dear," Caroline, looking at her hands again, says to Nathaniel. "I have? I must confess, I don't see anything. Perhaps you'd better come into the washroom and show me."

Posted: **Thu Jun 12, 2008 2:34 pm**

Elizabeth ignores the others in the room and speaks directly to Andrei, anger beginning to color her words. "After you left us at the train station we came here to plan together. Caroline and I went to the Penhew Foundation to speak with Mr. Gavigan. He told us some about the exhibition and seemed to think the negro woman was behind their demise. He began to grow suspicious of our questioning, and we left. Johnny has just returned from his own investigation.

"Then we went to see this crazy painter. He was insane and his mother ..." Elizabeth is uncharacteristically lost for words for a moment and loses some of the color in her face. "I do not know what to think of what we saw there. He had painted gruesome scenes. There was one of those cultists in their masks worshiping their horrible beast. There was another of you all at the museum. We bought it and left."

Elizabeth seems as if she's about to say more, but bites her tongue.

Posted: **Thu Jun 12, 2008 5:55 pm**

"Oh, and there was that lovely painting of the pale woman," Caroline calls out from the washroom over the sound of running water. "Don't forget about that, Beth. We should've bought that one too."

Posted: **Thu Jun 12, 2008 6:39 pm**

Nathaniel smiles at Caroline..

Certainly.

He follows her to the bathroom and turns on the lights. Nethaniel then proceeds to wash his own hands thoroughly, instructing Caroline on the proper method for cleaning your hands.

Wash... rinse... and repeat!

He makes polite friendly English conversation with Caroline as she they wash their hands together.

So Caroline.. You don't mind if I call you Caroline do you luv? What part of the States do you call home. I once attended a conference on Native American spiritual practices in New York but I'm afraid I didn't have much time for traveling. I hear the west coast is lovely now isn't it?

Posted: **Thu Jun 12, 2008 10:49 pm**

Andrei leans back in his chair and folds his arms protectively when Timour laughs at him. His rapid change in mood is as noticeable as a dark cloud passing over the sun.

Elizabeth might occasionally catch Andrei watching her during the conversation, but he always looks away quickly, avoiding eye contact with her.

"What about you, Johnny?"

Posted: **Thu Jun 12, 2008 11:05 pm**

DSIGFUSS wrote:Nathaniel smiles at Caroline..

Certainly.

He follows her to the bathroom and turns on the lights. Nethaniel then proceeds to wash his own hands thoroughly, instructing Caroline on the proper method for cleaning your hands.

Wash... rinse... and repeat!

He makes polite friendly English conversation with Caroline as she they wash their hands together.

So Caroline.. You don't mind if I call you Caroline do you luv? What part of the States do you call home. I once attended a conference on Native American spiritual practices in New York but I'm afraid I didn't have much time for traveling. I hear the west coast is lovely now isn't it?

"Well, we are washing our hands together, so I suppose you may call me Caroline rather than Dr. Ward. Though it's true, I barely know you. No, I'm not originally from New York; I'm from Baltimore and then came to New York." Looking at her hands again, she asks, "How do they look now?" She's talking at a rather manic pace.

OOC: Flooding is knocking out Internet around town. I'll post tomorrow at work, anyway, assuming we're still "up" there.

Posted: **Fri Jun 13, 2008 1:43 am**

coffee demon wrote:"What about you, Johnny?"

Johnny looks around the room, pausing to look more intently at Gwen and Nathaniel (or in the direction of the bathroom if Nathaniel isn't in the room).

Yes. Well. Seeing as how he's not going to get out of talking he goes on.

The Penhew Foundation is, or at least employees of it are, involved with a multi-racial criminal gang. The gang controls at least one the warehouse in the Limehouse, the Chinese district of the city, where they store and ship military hardware. The sort of items Maksim seems to favor. From the way the items were packed I am certain they are doing this illicitly.

A criminal syndicate, much of the sort as we postulated was at the heart of the matter. Johnny seems oddly pleased.

As he adjusts his seat to get his rolling papers and tobacco out of his pocket something heavy slides around, bumping against the windowsill.

The Chinese man lets out a vaguely irritated sigh. They also ship.... other things. Several crates left the Penhew Foundation today shortly after closing time, the destined for Shang-hai. They arrived at the warehouse under extremely tight guard, a man named Punji was supervising. They were only at the warehouse a few hours before they were picked up by another group and taken to a nearby ship. They didn't contain guns....

Johnny removes several heavy mechanical and electrical components from his pockets and puts them on the table. As he returns to the windowsill he absentmindedly wipes his hands as if they're dirtied somehow.

Posted: **Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:32 am**

Elizabeth walks over to the table to look at what Johnny put there. "What are they? What are they for?"

"That is very interesting, Johnny. Perhaps Jackson also stumbled across the Foundation's illegal activities. Is this the link to that photograph we found? Perhaps Caroline can give us her opinion," Elizabeth raises an eyebrow at the strange hand-washing activities, "but my instinct is to think that Mr. Gavigan is not aware of these dealings. If these criminal activities are related to the cult, and they in turn were responsible for whatever happened to the Expedition ... I just do not see how he would be involved. He really did seem upset by what happened to them."

Elizabeth pauses for a moment. "And I know that we had that strange experience with our dreams and, well, what happened to Timour," she looks embarrassed to be mentioning it, "but I think after tonight we have no choice but to admit that there is something ... I am not sure what to call it, but something supernatural or magical at work here." She turns to speak directly to Johnny. "After Caroline, Timour and I found the others at the museum, we were attacked by some strange kind of creature." She shivers and crosses her arms protectively. "It was like fog, but it had tentacles, and it tried to strangle ... Anyway, it was something supernatural, and luckily we managed to drive it away with light, but at least some of these strange things are real."

Posted: **Fri Jun 13, 2008 4:36 am**

Nethaniel stops washing his hands and grabs a hand towel. He turns around to listen, still concerend about the state of Caroline's hands.

No.... One more time luv! The nails... it's still under the nails.

He ponders the significance of a criminal organization funding a cult like th Bloody Tongue. Escpecially a cult with a connection to this sort of brutal mysticism. He then turns to Andrei.

What in bloody blue blazes did you get me into Mister Zaitsov? Well... not that I'm complaining rather... I find this all incredibly fascinating but I can't help but wonder what what you mean to do? I don't forsee the cult of the Bloody Tongue giving up the chase so easily. In fact if they have the resources you're proposing, it's not out of the realm of possibility that they followed us back here now is it?

Posted: **Fri Jun 13, 2008 5:33 am**

Andrei grabs another piece of the machinery and turns it over in his hands, trying to ascertain its purpose.

"Yes, they may have followed us, Mister Moore. There's no use living in fear about it, though, is there? Let them come!"

Contrary to his words, Andrei glances fearfully at the darkened window.

"It seems that we have a number of options, then. This Penhew Foundation - this is something we need to look into further. We need to determine what this is..." he shakes the device in his hand.

"We also have a lead from the Arabs who attacked us at the British Museum. One of the men had a card for a club in Soho."

Andrei gets out of the chair and closes all the curtains.

"I think we have him on the run now. I propose we maintain the initiative and drive to this club in Soho as soon as possible. Tonight!"

Andrei stands over everyone unnervingly, eyeing them intently with his piercing blue eyes. A subtle grin creeps across his face.

Posted: **Fri Jun 13, 2008 9:09 am**

The machinery parts that Johnny acquired from the warehouse look sophisticated, high-tech and very expensive – constructed from strange light-weight alloys, they are quite unlike any mechanical or electrical components that any of the investigators have ever seen before.

To Maksim and Timour the components look like they might be a part of and aeroplane engine, although it would certainly be unlike the engine that powered their own fighter during the Great War.

Posted: **Fri Jun 13, 2008 2:15 pm**

"Oh, you're right," Caroline says to Nathaniel, her skin already a bit pink and raw. "One more time, then.

"So, Mr. Moore, are you married? As you can see"--she shakes the hand bearing "her" ring at him--"I am, to one of the Russian lugs, the one who can't remember he has a flashlight." The last she says rather loudly. "So I could be in the market for a new husband." She smiles warmly.

Posted: **Sun Jun 15, 2008 11:30 pm**

Gwen has been sitting numbly, taking in as much information as she can. She laughs uncomfortably at Caroline and Nethaniel's antics before breaking into a warmer laugh. When Andrei mentions the club, she speaks up.
"Um, Andrei... Clubs close in 10 minutes, or have been closed for an hour already. And most of us don't seem to have the, enthusiasm, you possess right now. It might be best to war for tomorrow. I still can't believe all this is real, but I suppose it has to be.

Posted: **Mon Jun 16, 2008 2:35 am**

Johnny does not stare at Miss Downing while she speaks. But he does stop rolling his cigarette and sit there, somewhat dumbstruck.

I'm... very sorry to hear you were attacked. He manages to say.

As the conversation continues he sits and listens. After a while he finishes rolling his cigarette and lights up.

Posted: **Mon Jun 16, 2008 3:51 am**

Johnny wrote:I'm... very sorry to hear you were attacked.

"Yes, well, maybe we will all sleep with the lights on tonight." Elizabeth gives Johnny a tired smile.

"Andrei, this lady," she turns to Gwen, "may I call you Gwen, by the way? I feel as if in all this excitement we were never properly introduced, but having gone through it all we must now forgo formalities, don't you agree?" Without waiting for a response (since she assumes it will be positive), she turns back to Andrei. "Andrei, Gwen is quite right, and besides, I do not think that we have anyone 'on the run', nor is running off to the lair of evil villains likely to do any good. Think of what happened to the police in Harlem. We have learned quite a lot today, and have many avenues of investigation to pursue, but tonight I think our best course of action is to all stay here in the relative safety of the Ritz and recuperate. I do not want to see anyone else hurt." She says the last sentence with significant emotion coloring her voice.

Posted: **Mon Jun 16, 2008 1:09 pm**

Grafster wrote:Johnny will almost certainly take a look. (viewed through his lense of extreme skepticism). You can link post if it's easier. No point in retyping.

Lighting up his cigarette, Johnny takes a closer look at the painting while listening to the conversation.

The painting shows a large room in a museum; the room contains Egyptian exhibits - sculptures and statues. In the background a young woman's body lies in a pool of blood. Two men stand over the body, one has his back turned so Johnny can’t be sure, but he looks rather like Maksim Rukov; the other is definitely the strange Englishman Nathaniel Moore! In the foreground Andrei Zatisov flees from the scene - holding a revolver. He's running towards something insubstantial that lurks in the shadows, Johnny tries to see more clearly what it is, but the artist has painted it in such a way that it is impossible to make out any details.

Disturbing though it is, the painting is a masterpiece, depicting the museum in great detail. The ‘creature’ is nothing that Johhny recognises, indeed it is more a suggestion of something dreadful and insubstantial lurking in the darkest shadows - waiting for Andrei to approach.

Posted: **Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:47 pm**

Andrei is completely quiet now. He's back to his usual brooding, but this time it seems a little different. He's not looking up occasionally like he used to, trying to see if anyone is paying attention to him. Now he's just staring into the distance with a childish pout on his lips.

Andrei looks up when Johnny picks up the painting, and heads to the door and slips out. If anyone was watching, he had his hotel key in his hand, so you can assume he's gone to his own room.

Posted: **Mon Jun 16, 2008 5:53 pm**

Timour looks at the others as Andrei leaves, making eye contact with Maks and Nathaniel, then follows after Andrei. He takes the machinery pieces with him, if they were left behind.

"I'll go see what this is all about," he mutters as he leaves.

[OC This has peaked Timour's curiousity, and he'd yell after Andrei until he caught up to him.]

Posted: **Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:03 pm**

"No, please let me." Elizabeth stops Timour and follows after Andrei herself.

ooc: Sorry, Elizabeth's been planning on confronting Andrei tonight.

Posted: **Mon Jun 16, 2008 6:36 pm**

Timour looks at Elizabeth crossly, "What do you mean, no? This is business...if you wish to join me come along. If this is more about your lovebird nonsense, perhaps you should visit him in his room later and have a personal chat, hm?" He says it roughly, storming out of the room after her.

Posted: **Mon Jun 16, 2008 9:52 pm**

Elizabeth clenches her jaw and ignores Timour following along behind her.

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:13 am**

Andrei must have been moving fast after he left the suite, because he's already halfway to the main staircase when Elizabeth and Timour enter the hall.

He glances back at them, then turns to continue down the hall, then realizes he's not going to avoid some kind of conversation. He dawdles awkwardly, clutching his satchel, waiting for them to catch up.

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:32 am**

Elizabeth walks up to Andrei and puts her hands on her hips. "You cannot keep running away like this. It does no good." She looks over at Timour and hesitates with whatever else she had been ready to say.

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 5:35 am**

Johnny seems to be unfazed by the painting. He looks it over carefully, trying to pick out subtle details.

Remarkably good depictions. That's Andrei and Maksim and.... he pauses and returns to the drama unfolding around him. Who is this woman supposed to be? He points at the painting. Are the police going to be looking for us?

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:00 am**

"I'm not running away." Andrei pulls nervously at the back of his neck and tries to avoid eye contact. He's been more distant lately, to be sure, but he almost seems like a different person now. His lower lip quivers like he's about to cry, and he seems extremely uncomfortable with this confrontation.

"I just want to go to my room."

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 7:36 am**

Timour looks a bit uncomfortable at Elizabeth's confrontational stance, and quickly changes the subject.

"Andrei! You've....said some.....interesting things." He looks at Elizabeth awkwardly, then walks between them and tries to catch Andrei's arm to guide him away from Elizabeth.

He speaks in hushed tones, "This....club? You really think.....well that it's...." Timour furrows his brow, trying to formulate words, then leans in, looking at Elizabeth nervously, "Do they know where we are?"

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 1:53 pm**

In the Hallway, outside Elizabeth’s suite – The Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly, London
10:20pm – Wednesday 28th January, 1928

Further down the hallway – behind Andrei and between him and the main staircase – a bell chimes once as the elevator halts on this floor. The three investigators hear the elevator doors rattle as the bellboy slides them open.

It is impossible for Timour or Elizabeth to see who is inside the elevator from where they are standing, particularly with Andrei’s bulk in the way.

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:48 pm**

The hair stands up on the back of Andrei's neck at the sound of the bell. He spins around, frozen in place, waiting for its occupants to emerge.

[OC: How far are we from the elevator, and how far from the rooms Elizabeth rented?]

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 4:56 pm**

Timour instinctively yanks Elizabeth out of the line of view and waves at Andrei to follow.

[OC Any cover....corners etc?]

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:32 pm**

Nethaniel stares at the painting behind Johhny, still quite disturbed that he's even in it.

This just bloody well happened. The wee bird worked with Gwen right luv? At the museum? I suspect she was a witness or some sort.. she asked the wrong bloke the wrong question I'd wager.

Nethaniel turns back to Caroline smiling.

Nice work then luv! Really got them digits clean then now didn't you? Would you be so kind as to hand me one of them scrubs then so I can have a proper go at it?

Nethaniel looks back to the painting.

More importantly... when was this painted and by who. Are we familiar with the artist then?

Posted: **Tue Jun 17, 2008 10:54 pm**

In the Hallway, outside Elizabeth’s suite – The Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly, London
10:20pm – Wednesday 28th January, 1928

Timour looks for cover, but the hotel corridor offers nowhere to hide and the elevator is only ten feet away.

A hotel porter emerges from the open elevator doors carrying two bulky suitcases; behind him walk a well dressed middle aged couple. The lady is rather portly, she’s wearing a long fur coat and an elegant hat and she looks really excited by the glittering hotel. The man on the other hand looks very stern, although he nods politely at Andrei as he approaches. He is tall and slim, and dressed in a brown suit and an expensive looking woollen overcoat, his greying black hair is slicked back. Either he doesn’t notice Andrei’s obvious state of distress, or he chooses to ignore it.

The trio pass by the investigators, and the porter lets his charges into the suite across the corridor from Elizabeth’s. As he enters his room the tall man looks back to stare disdainfully at Elizabeth and the two Russians.

Posted: **Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:47 am**

Elizabeth stares right back at the man, her raised eyebrow daring him to say something.

"Come, gentlemen," she says to the Russians, "let us take this conversation elsewhere."

Posted: **Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:11 am**

DSIGFUSS wrote:Nethaniel stares at the painting behind Johhny, still quite disturbed that he's even in it.

Nethaniel looks back to the painting.

More importantly... when was this painted and by who. Are we familiar with the artist then?

That would be Miles Shipley? I believe that's his name. He's an artist. We were given to understand that our murdered friend had expressed an interest in his work when he visited a local newspaper before his untimely death.

They were visiting him just to take a break from all this seriousness. Johnny seems to be speaking half to himself and half to Nethaniel

DSIGFUSS wrote: This just bloody well happened. The wee bird worked with Gwen right luv? At the museum? I suspect she was a witness or some sort.. she asked the wrong bloke the wrong question I'd wager.

This is... your friend? Johnny inquires of Gwen, his manner is somewhat kind.

Posted: **Wed Jun 18, 2008 2:41 pm**

Grafster wrote:This is... your friend? Johnny inquires of Gwen, his manner is somewhat kind.

"Yes, I'd like to know, too," Caroline says as she hands Nathaniel a "scrub." She continues to take an unusually possessive interest in Nathaniel's, er, situation. Perhaps it's just the shock of the evening's events?

Posted: **Wed Jun 18, 2008 4:15 pm**

Andrei also returns the couples' stare.

"Okay", he replies quietly.

Andrei heads to his room on the lower floors. [OC: Assuming at least one of the others follow], Andrei enters his room and sits on the edge of the bed, shoulders slumped.

Posted: **Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:03 am**

Elizabeth follows Andrei to his room. She enters, glances around the interior, and sits in a comfortable chair. [Assuming Timour also comes along,] She turns to Timour and waits for him to speak.

Posted: **Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:35 am**

Maksim, who has stood leaning in the window frame, peering out into the street but seeing nothing, finally raises his head. "What does he mean, items I favor? A warehouse full of books?" He looks over, confused, looking around for Johnny. "Or cars? Or planes? What do I favor now?" He seems agitated, with a dark look that speaks volumes. Then he turns and marches into the bathroom.

"What are you two doing? Did you always used to do that? Wash your hands repeatedly and all? Then he takes a closer look at Caroline's hands, grasping it despite her best wishes. "Did you used to wash them this thoroughly when you were a doctor? Do surgeons? Seems a bit ... excessive if you ask me."

He knows he should be gentler, less curt, but deep down he wants to anger these people enough that he'll be allowed to leave - yet part of him wants to draw her attention to her own issues. Draw her attention to the insanity he sees bubbling within her gaze. He'd dealt with a lot of shell-shocked soldiers ... perhaps this was just a new variation?

Posted: **Thu Jun 19, 2008 7:38 am**

Timour wrinkles his brow thoughtfully and pulls his brandy flask from his jacket, offering it to Andrei.

"So....Andrei.....these people you met....tell me....how did you meet them?"

Timour fishes around in his jacket pocket for his cigarette case while he waits for Andrei to answer him. He doesn't break his eye contact, however, which causes his jacket to flail comically as he blindly rustles away in it.

Posted: **Thu Jun 19, 2008 8:27 am**

Nethaniel takes the scrub from Caroline and begins gently cleaning the muck from his tweed jacket.

Getting dragged by your tongue down some dark alley tends to scuff a man's suit mate! Me and the Misses were just attending to some proper grooming. A doctor? Fascinating!

Nethaniel finishes wiping his jacket and removes his glasses. He takes out a white hankerchief and wipes them clean. He turns back to the painting and inspects it again.

Does the artist Miles Shipley live in London?

Posted: **Thu Jun 19, 2008 2:01 pm**

Johnny continues to look at Gwen waiting for a response.

DSIGFUSS wrote: Does the artist Miles Shipley live in London?

Yes, that was certainly my understanding... That they were visiting his house earlier this evening.

Posted: **Thu Jun 19, 2008 6:56 pm**

Caroline looks at her hands agian, sees perhaps for the first time how red and raw they are. "Uh, well, no, now that you mention it," she says to Maks. "I, um, don't usually wash this ... thoroughly. It did seem like a good idea at the time." To Nathaniel, she says, "I'm sorry. What were we talking about?"

Posted: **Fri Jun 20, 2008 12:59 am**

Grafster wrote:This is... your friend? Johnny inquires of Gwen, his manner is somewhat kind.

Decrepit wrote:"Yes, I'd like to know, too," Caroline says...

Gwen continues to stare at the painting, “Who is this man, this Miles Shipley? How could he paint this?”

Looking at the creature depicted in the corner she whispers to herself, “He painted the creature, how could he know all of this?”

Grafster wrote:Johnny continues to look at Gwen waiting for a response.

For the first time Gwen seems to notice Johnny looking at her, “Oh sorry yes she was – my friend I mean – Alison, Alison Taylor, she was my assistant. She hadn’t worked at the museum for all that long; she’d only finished university last summer.”

Gwen looks sadly at Miles’ depiction of Alison’s butchered body, “They just beat her with their clubs – no warning – she never had a chance. She didn’t fight, but they didn’t care. And once she’d collapsed they stabbed her in the chest and just left her to die.”

“One of them laughed.”

“Why? What do they want with me? And why kill poor Alison? Why?”

Gwen faces Johnny, “Who are you people!? What are you involved in? And why have me and Nathaniel been dragged into it?”

Posted: **Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:37 pm**

Timour Rukov wrote:"So....Andrei.....these people you met....tell me....how did you meet them?"

"What are you talking about? The sorceror? You don't believe me anyways! Laugh all you want, I know whats going on here... or at least, I'm starting to get an idea..."

He looks at Elizabeth and Timour accusingly for a moment, then sighs and rubs his face.

"I just want to go to sleep. I'm not running away! Look at me! I'm right. Here. Let me be, please."

Posted: **Fri Jun 20, 2008 5:53 pm**

Elizabeth crosses her legs and looks at Timour. She's obviously not ready to leave yet.

Posted: **Fri Jun 20, 2008 6:10 pm**

Timour reclines with an amused grin, "A moment ago you wanted us all to run off with you to chase down some cult lead you find.....now you just want to go to bed?" He looks at Elizabeth, still grinning, and lights his cigarette. "Come on, Andrei. You forget who my brother is....I know sulking when I see it! Now, tell me what you were trying to in the room. I will listen now, alright my friend? Tell me how you met him."

Posted: **Sat Jun 21, 2008 10:35 pm**

"Who are you talking about? The sorceror? He was in the alley, he was watching us when that... when the Chimera attacked us. That's what I'm talking about! Do you understand what this means? The Chimera was controlled by the man! This egg!" He pats his pocket again. "It came from this egg!" He's getting excited again, but in trying to make Timour and Elizabeth understand, he slows down and exhales.

"If someone, a normal PERSON, could control the Chimera, then that means we're saved! It's within OUR power to understand these things as well! To control them, defeat them, or whatever we need to do! Do you see what I mean? This is what I was saying, this is what Elias Jackson didn't understand, and this is why he died. I'm sorry, Elizabeth. But it's true. He didn't take that EXTRA STEP! And WE will!"

Andrei's eyes are wide, watching Timour and Elizabeth expectantly. His blabbering brings back his confidence, and flushes his cheeks with colour.

Posted: **Mon Jun 23, 2008 12:09 am**

Elizabeth slowly exhales. "So we don't just have to be on the run from these people. We can protect ourselves. That's what you want to understand."

Posted: **Mon Jun 23, 2008 4:03 am**

Timour strokes his moustache thoughtfully, and looks somewhat confused.

"Well, what I meant was the club in Soho....you said you met a fellow with a card from there.....you said you wanted us all to go there tonight." Timour's eyes dance somewhat at the prospect of adventure, but he looks nervously at Elizabeth. "Why do you want us to go there, Andrei? Did you mean we should hide there....or is there something you're looking for?"

Posted: **Mon Jun 23, 2008 6:18 am**

Raiko wrote: Gwen faces Johnny, “Who are you people!? What are you involved in? And why have me and Nathaniel been dragged into it?”

Well miss. That's a fair question.
My name is Wong, but everyone calls me Johnny.
Johnny extends a small hand for a firm shake.

Honestly? We've stumbled into this ourselves really. A good friend of my employer, Miss Downing, died recently. In New York. He was... killed rather brutally. He'd been acting erratically and asked Miss Downing to meet him with some friends about two weeks ago.

We found the body actually, unfortunately almost immediately after the crime. As you probably ascertained these gentlemen have a bit of war service under their belts, and wound up in a bit of a fight. It made the papers.

After that we seem to be running into trouble everywhere.

But, that shouldn't concern you. You should certainly go home, or better yet to the house of your family or a close friend. He reaches out to give the woman a gentle squeeze on the shoulder. You've had a terrible shock. Some of our associates have very vivid imaginations, and haven't been getting much sleep; not the best thing for someone who's just experienced as difficult as you have to be around...

A good rest with family is the best for that sort of thing. One of us could drive you, or we could arrange for a taxi cab...

Posted: **Mon Jun 23, 2008 7:19 am**

Gwen takes Johnny's hand and reintroduces herself.
"Pleased to meet you Mr. Wong. Gwen Everettson."
As Johnny tells of the groups discovery of Jackson Elias, Gwen extends her sympathies. When Johnny seems to downplay the significance of the party's supernatural encounters.
"Mr. Wong, what happened in the Museum was brutal and inhumane. And what happened in the alley was just as horrible and is not a reaction to stress. It was real. This is not Just an international gang of criminals, this is something more...
"And as for staying with family, they're all in Wales! I'm not going home alone. I would prefer to stay with someone I know, and Nethaniel fits the bill. This all seems almost like some of those ancient myth-cycles, like in some of the books I've read at the Museum."

Posted: **Tue Jun 24, 2008 5:27 am**

And Jackson was me mate. Poor ponce! I've en interest in finding out who killed em'

Nethaniel puts his arm uncomfortably around Gwen. Lacking the people sklls necessary to comfort a woman in distress, he pats her on the shoulder before quickly removing his hand.

Ummm...Perhaps some of those books Mister Zuckov was after might give us some insight into what we're actually dealing with now wouldn't they. Gwen... you must have a key to get into the museum?

Posted: **Tue Jun 24, 2008 7:58 pm**

Elizabeth wrote:"So we don't just have to be on the run from these people. We can protect ourselves. That's what you want to understand."

"Exactly! Jackson ran! Not us! Not only can we protect ourselves, we can understand what this is all about. There is some logic, just beyong the limits of our understanding, I can feel it. Can't you feel it? We're piecing something together! We're getting there! Maybe we'll be hatching our own Chimera, if we're lucky, soon enough! HA!"

Timour Rukov wrote:"Well, what I meant was the club in Soho....you said you met a fellow with a card from there.....you said you wanted us all to go there tonight." Timour's eyes dance somewhat at the prospect of adventure, but he looks nervously at Elizabeth. "Why do you want us to go there, Andrei? Did you mean we should hide there....or is there something you're looking for?"

"Met a fellow! Yes, he tried to shoot me! He was wrestling with the librarian, Gwen, when Nathaniel, Maks and I went to the British Museum. There were three of them. One got away. They obviously wanted something from the Museum." Andrei looks away for a moment, and holds back from completing his thought aloud.

"They were Arabs. Well, dark-skinned folk, but not Asian. Not African, either. One had a card in his pocket for this Pyramid Club in Soho. The one that got away - I figured that we could find his description in Soho, maybe. He was a huge man, hard to miss. At the least, he would know what they were looking for in the museum."

"They MUST be associated with these Bloody Tongue fellows, don't you think?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:58 am**

"So you're looking for trouble eh?" Timour rubs his chin and glances sideways at Elizabeth, cracking a smile at her, then leans in closer, "Between you and me, Andrei, I'd love to go see what the devil these fellows are up to. But not with the dames in tow. It seems everyone's tired and overwhelmed. How be we take the car for a midnight drive and find out ourselves? Maybe we can talk Maks into coming along."

Posted: **Wed Jun 25, 2008 1:38 pm**

Andrei wrote:"Exactly! Jackson ran! Not us! Not only can we protect ourselves, we can understand what this is all about. There is some logic, just beyong the limits of our understanding, I can feel it. Can't you feel it? We're piecing something together! We're getting there! Maybe we'll be hatching our own Chimera, if we're lucky, soon enough! HA!"

Very quietly, Elizabeth says, "But that beast was evil ..."

Elizabeth looks unhappy at Timour's suggestion, but refrains from saying anything.

Posted: **Wed Jun 25, 2008 4:52 pm**

Gwen furows her brow in thought. "A key, yes. But that shoudn't be neccessary with your credentials Nethaniel. It would be a routine matter to admit you to the restricted section. During business hours, very easy and above board. Now if Mr. Zaitsev needs a look, you could copy materiel, but it would take days to get his papers sorted. Why don't we wait 'till tomorrow and you and I can hit the stacks, eh?"

Posted: **Wed Jun 25, 2008 6:13 pm**

"I need a lie-down," Caroline says to no one in particular. Maks's comment derailed her train of thought and shattered the clarity that handwashing with Nethaniel had seemed to bring her. Part of her wonders, What has happened to me?

Posted: **Wed Jun 25, 2008 7:14 pm**

Timour Rukov wrote:"Between you and me, Andrei, I'd love to go see what the devil these fellows are up to. But not with the dames in tow. It seems everyone's tired and overwhelmed. How be we take the car for a midnight drive and find out ourselves? Maybe we can talk Maks into coming along."

Andrei watches Elizabeth as he speaks to Timour.

"If the bar is closed now, like they say, I don't think it'll do us any good tonight. Tommorrow, though... when it opens, maybe we should go by there and ask a few questions."

Posted: **Wed Jun 25, 2008 8:51 pm**

Nethaniel nods to Gwen while looking concernedly towards Caroline.

Well I do suppose it could sit till tomorrow then Gwen. I'll get a proper list from Mr. Zukov and then we'll hit the stacks... after tea coarse. I'm just a wee bit dodgy about that bloody bloody tongue cult. If Mr. Zukov believes these Tomes to be significant in any way, then what's to say this cult isn't on it too. They may have already nicked the bloody books. Poncey buggers!

Nethaniel turns back to Caroline and removes his glasses, wiping them clean a second time.

You Ok luv? You're looking a wee bit dodgy of late. Don't dismay though... You got all that grime and what not from under your nails I must say. You're the cleanest lady in the lot now aren't you! Not a spot on yah! A picture of prefect hygeine.... Most attractive in a young healthy bird such as yourself. Specially under these conditions in this bacterial frappe we're laying our heads.

Posted: **Thu Jun 26, 2008 2:25 am**

Elizabeth leans back in the chair, tension visibly leaving her body.

"Well, then. No more escapades tonight. Timour, if there is nothing else, may I ask you to let me speak to Andrei in private?"

Posted: **Thu Jun 26, 2008 7:52 am**

"Yeaaah, normal," murmurs Maksim to himself for a moment. He eyes Caroline slyly, a taunt framed on his lips, but he changes it to bait, hoping for a bit of the old feisty "How-dare-you" of yesterdays. "Want me to take you to bed? Tuck you in and see you safe and sound?" He tries to keep the comment innocent enough to not set the Englishman off and with his handsome looks, that was rarely hard. Innocence or guilt, neither mattered when it came to Caroline and her assumptions of him.

In reality, he had an urge to play the drunken protector of one room or another. Prop his back up against a door and finish the bottle he had in his coat.

Posted: **Fri Jun 27, 2008 12:01 am**

Timour's eyes flicker with disappointment at the prospect of leaving a midnight adventure to daylight hours, but he rises, nodding to Elizabeth all the same.

"See you in the morning then," he mumbles dejectedly as he leaves.

Posted: **Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:16 am**

For the first time in a long time, Andrei maintains eye contact with Elizabeth, after Timour shuts the door. He tries to look calm.

Posted: **Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:23 am**

Laraqua wrote:"Want me to take you to bed? Tuck you in and see you safe and sound?"

"Sure, come along," Caroline says. "I could use the company."

Posted: **Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:19 am**

This time Elizabeth is the one who looks away first. "Well. It has been a long time since we've been alone. This hasn't been working for a while now, you know. You've been ... distant." She looks up to see his reaction.

Posted: **Mon Jun 30, 2008 6:49 pm**

Andrei's face falls into a dead expression. His heart feels lumpy and awful. He looks blankly at Elizabeth, waiting for her to continue, hoping she's not going to say what he thinks she's going to say.

Posted: **Tue Jul 01, 2008 1:21 am**

Johnny nods and listens politely to Gwen's introduction. He doesn't respond specifically to anything said. He seems to be working to keep his reactions deliberately neutral.

You seem to have a very brave spirit Ms. Everettson; I am glad to see you are so resilient. If it is not too difficult for you... can you think of why your friend would be killed? Was she seeing someone unusual, or did she have access to some sort of specific materials?

He coughs, and goes on before the young lady can respond, and.... have you reported her murder to the authorities?

Posted: **Tue Jul 01, 2008 4:09 am**

Gwen laughs uncomfortably, and looks sheepish after doing so. "My, I'm sorry, that was awkward. Allison hasn't been seeing anyone. If her post graduate work was anything like mine I don't see how she'd have the time. I think she was killed to eliminate witnesses. They were trying to kidnap me I think. And yes, the authorities were alerted. Nethaniel, the Rusians, and myself were interviewed by a Detective, my, what was his name?"

Posted: **Tue Jul 01, 2008 5:22 am**

Andrei's lack of reaction strikes the wrong chord with Elizabeth. She leans forward in her chair, easily maintaining eye contact now. "See? This is exactly what I mean! Here I am, right in front of you, verbalizing what we both know to be true, that things have gotten strained, and all you can do is just sit there! You don't even care enough to respond!

"Damn!" Elizabeth blushes with her strong language, but continues on. "Do you remember the coffee shop before this whole mess started? Before we went to the hotel to find Jackson? Even then we needed to talk, and although quite a few horrible things have happened between then and now, we just cannot leave this unresolved. I cannot.

"Andrei, either show me that you are still the man I met in Paris, or tell me that we are done so I can move on."

Posted: **Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:33 am**

Maksim nods, largely managing to keep from looking disappointed, Caroline-baiting had always been the most fun but it seemed she had loosened up ever since the events on the ship. She was almost acting like she thought he was human... He gives a little shrug and nods towards the door, speaking in an almost fatherly tone. "Come on then, let's get out of the bathroom and set you up in your room. I'm sure I can remember some Russian bed-time stories to lull you to sleep with. And if you still can't sleep, there's always vodka." He pats his flask. "And if this isn't enough, there's always the bottle in the car."

He'll head to whichever room she's stationed in, motioning for her to follow him. As he heads towards the door connecting to the corridor, his hand creeps towards where he's always kept his gun but will then move instinctively for his flashlight.

Posted: **Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:01 pm**

Indubitably! Gwen’s poor assistant was most definitely assassinated to keep her quiet. Gwen was the real target all along. It just goes to show what these Bloody Tongue wankers will do to complete their goals. We should exercise some bloody caution in the future now shouldn’t we?

Nethaniel rubs his eyes, tired from the night’s strenuous activities. He continues staring at the painting, looking for any clues the artist might have hidden in the background. (Symbols, hidden figures, etc...) He turns it around and inspects the back as well.

If the artist knew we were there, then perhaps he knew we would find this particular painting.

He absentmindedly listens to the others speaking as he tries to keep his eyes open while he works.

Posted: **Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:21 am**

Good that the police have been informed. I suspect we shall enjoy another round of appearing in the papers... Johnny does not look happy.

Johnny looks carefully at Gwen. They were after... you? He removes some tobacco and begins to carefully roll another cigarette.

When he finishes he lights it up inhaling slowly. I don't suppose you have any idea why?

Posted: **Thu Jul 03, 2008 7:33 am**

Elizabeth wrote:"See? This is exactly what I mean! Here I am, right in front of you, verbalizing what we both know to be true, that things have gotten strained, and all you can do is just sit there! You don't even care enough to respond!

"Damn!" Elizabeth blushes with her strong language, but continues on. "Do you remember the coffee shop before this whole mess started? Before we went to the hotel to find Jackson? Even then we needed to talk, and although quite a few horrible things have happened between then and now, we just cannot leave this unresolved. I cannot.

"Andrei, either show me that you are still the man I met in Paris, or tell me that we are done so I can move on."

Andrei sits upright on the edge of the bed.

"Show you!" He grabs her hand (or at least tries to.) "Ellie, listen. I know. Yes, we need to talk. There's a lot to talk about." I'm blabbing, come on Andrei, slow down here, this is your last chance.

Andrei draws in a deep breath and composes himself.

"Listen, Ellie. Here's the truth. I really... I really care for you a lot. All this mess, all I've wanted to do is fix it all so we can be back to how we were. Some of these things are really... it's hard to get my head around sometimes. We just haven't talked about it. We haven't had the time to talk about any of this! I've just been dealing with this on my own, and I thought... I didn't know what you thought."

He stops for a second and runs his hand through his hair, thinking and frowning. Finally, staring at the ground, he mumbles, "I want you to be happy, that's all."

Posted: **Fri Jul 04, 2008 1:58 pm**

Elizabeth lets her hand be grabbed and listens intently.

"Oh, Andrei." A tear slides down one cheek. "I'm not happy, not with your having withdrawn to deal with this on your own. Did you not realize that you've basically left me on my own? That all of this mess is frightening and horrible, and you have not been around to comfort me?"

She reaches her free hand up to Andrei's face. "We, all of us, need to deal with this together."

Posted: **Fri Jul 04, 2008 5:53 pm**

Andrei stands up and wraps his arms around Elizabeth. "I know, I know."

He rubs her back and strokes her hair to soothe her. "I won't leave you alone any more, I promise."

Posted: **Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:04 am**

Gwen seems to be at a loss. It never occurred to her why the arab men had come for her. "Well, I think maybe it had to do with my easy access to the restricted collection, or maybe they thought I was working with Nethaniel, and came for me first."

Posted: **Sat Jul 05, 2008 5:13 pm**

Elizabeth leans her head on Andrei's chest and quietly sighs, "Good."

Posted: **Sat Jul 05, 2008 7:31 pm**

Nethaniel looks up from the painting and approaches Gwen.

Mister Zuckov had already made the connection linking poor Jackson to myself and then to you Gwen. If this lot, be they ever so resourceful, could figure it out, then the bloody Bloody Tongue Cult shoudn't have too much trouble working it out now shold they? This Bloody Tongue cult appears to be very resourceful and determined to eliminate any and all leads that may link them to the work of Jackson Elias.

He removes his glasses and casually wipes them clean before placing them back on his face. He then opens his crossbow case and gently sets it on the bed. He opens it up and begins to take apart the crossbow, carefully cleaning and then organizing each part onto the towel Caroline had given him earlier. Nethaniel reasons with Gwen as he cleans his weapon.

We really need to take a proper gander at those private stacks Gwen. I beleive the Bloody Tongue Cult buggers belived that if you were to make any connection between Jackson and my death, if it were to come to that, you could have found the answers you sought in the museum library's private collection. These wankers are really covering all their bases now aren't they? I don't think we'll be safe luv.. till we expose these bastards for the devil worshiping ponces they are!

Posted: **Mon Jul 07, 2008 3:42 am**

"Right Nethaniel. In the morning. I'd like to hear more about what happened in America that makes these people think that one group is behind all this. Johnny, how did this Cult operate in America? Did they use the same, how do you say, modus operandi? Clubs with spikes on one side, sophisticated attacks? Were they arab?"

Posted: **Mon Jul 07, 2008 6:48 am**

Timour returns to the room, nodding to Johnny, and looking somewhat defeated. He sits down with the group, stretching his lanky legs out and crossing them at the ankle.

He appears to be trying to piece together what they've been talking about while he's gone, looking from person to person with a slightly confused look on his face.

Finally at a lul in the conversation, he thrusts his hand out to Nathaniel and nods at Gwen, "Name's Timour. Sorry to see you....in the..... predicament......you were in."

Posted: **Mon Jul 07, 2008 7:05 pm**

Nethaniel shakes Timour's hand with a firm Englisg grip.

Pleasure to make your aquaintance Timour. I'm feeling much better now thankyou!

Nethaniel wipes his hands clean before continuing.

We're just hashing out some of the more sinister details of the Bloody Tongue Cult's American operations. Would you care to join us!

Nethaniel then looks to Johnny waiting for his response and fidgeting with his glasses.

Yes! An excellent point Gwen! Did the cult follow the lot of you to England?

Posted: **Tue Jul 08, 2008 4:33 am**

Johnny's reluctance to speak speaks volumes about his interest in involving the newcomers. Seeing Timour return to the room and participate without objection he finally relents.

Well... I should begin by saying we, or at least I, am of the opinion that these "cults" are just a front for a sophisticated criminal operation. One that seems to be operating at least in Shang-hai, Hong Kong, New York, London and Kenya Africa.

They take advantage of the superstitions of recently arrived immigrants to form them into violent gangs based around whatever mythologies were prevalent or popular in their home regions. So the group in New York did some ritual mutilation of foreheads; and the group here apparently has a fixation with tongues.
Johnny digs through his notes to produce a copy of the mark cut into Jacksons' forehead.

Symbol Cut into Jackson's Forehead

The individual traits of these pseudo-religions are almost certainly tailored to the superstitions of the local immigrants they are recruiting.

There is some indication that they vary this a bit. Some Australian myth about a "sand-bat" apparently wound up getting mixed into some of the New York cult beliefs; perhaps an import to add a feeling of exoticism.

In any case, these so-called-cults are just recruiting operations. The whole thing is very cunning of course. The authorities see a bunch of violent maniacs and never look beyond them.

Posted: **Tue Jul 08, 2008 5:36 am**

Gwen listens to Johnny, entranced by the nefarious implications of an international criminal syndicate using immigrants to operate in Western society and elsewhere. As Johnny produces the drawing of the carving, she gasps.
"My, how curious! It looks almost like a circle of standing stones, a ceremonial space like Stonehenge. But I wonder what this group is striving for?"

Posted: **Wed Jul 09, 2008 4:03 am**

Yes... well... it was probably picked to seem occult and interesting.

Mostly they seem to be striving toward killing people who get to close to their criminal operations. They killed a half dozen police officers in New York.

Posted: **Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:32 pm**

"That's IT!" Timour slaps the chair's arm rest decisively, and gets up, beginning to pace. "One of us....or two would be a better plan....obviously newly arrived to London, will pose as fresh off the boat and attempt to be recruited. If what you say is true," Timour makes eye contact with Johnny, and he can see a spark of excitement in his eyes, "they'll be all over the pair of us to bring us in. So who's going to volunteer? I'll gladly break down this operation from the inside out. Who's with me?" He grins excitedly at the group, full of robust energy.

Posted: **Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:55 am**

Johnny looks at Timour with a mixture of admiration and horror.

That.... would be a good idea.... if we had any members who were of the proper ethnic groups and had the right kinds of relationships in the communities in which they recruit.
I ran into the same thing in San Francisco when I was a detective. Here it looks like you'd need to be be an arab, or chinese to get in; possibily a specific sort of arab or chinese.

And you'd probably need an introduction from someone who's already a member.

If we are going to try to do something, then I think it would be more reasonable to see if we can get the police to raid their warehouse. All that hidden military equipment should be of concern to someone.

We could also look at the boat that they moved their gadgetry onto, or examine the inside of the Penhew in more detail; they seem to have a hidden room in the courner by the basement.

Posted: **Sat Jul 12, 2008 4:16 am**

Nethaniel listens to Johnny attentively, nodding at the great deal of thought he had put into his assessment of the criminal aspect of this multinational cult organization.

Intersting theory mate!

A multinational criminal syndicate using various cultural cult symbols to draw in new blood then? I fear you may be underestimating the power of the cult here Johnathan. True... the criminal orginazation may be using cult symbols to draw attention to themselves or away from themselves rather... as far as the local authorities are concerned. I'm afraid there is a deeper supernatural connection that we just can't ignore. The strange dreams... the mysterious stranger Mr. Zuckov witnessed contolling that tentacled astral creature on the street. In my experience with this sort of thing, whatever higher power is driving this cult is clearly in control. Cut off their link to the power and we cut off the orginazation's head. They will become like any other two bit bloody ponce maffia outfit. The police can handle them from there now can't they! We have to tackle this from a different angle mate! Steal their power from under them... Break their link to the beyond!

Nethaniel stares intently at Johnny. He removes his glasses and quickly wipes them clean before placing them gently back on his nose.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2008 2:45 am**

Yes... I'm sure that will be important too.
Johnny's face is a mask of strained politeness.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:11 am**

Very good then..

Nethaniel nods to Johnny and then looks back to the painting studying it carefully for anything that he might have missed.

His self absorbed English snobiness allows Nethaniel to take Johnny's comment to heart. He feels like he's really making a difference.

Posted: **Mon Jul 14, 2008 6:17 pm**

Timour looks downright depressed at Johnny's words about the cult, and sits quietly, smoking. His long, lanky legs are outstretched and he slumps in his chair with a grimace on his face. Then his expression brightens for just a moment.

"Johnny! That fellow that painted those paintings. Did anyone tell you about him? He was a real piece o' work, him and his mum. I would hazard a guess to say he were involved somehow....if only a worshipper of some two headed beast in the basement. By the way, did you meet up with Andrei while he found the lead at the club in Soho?"

Posted: **Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:00 am**

"Johnny! That fellow that painted those paintings. Did anyone tell you about him? He was a real piece o' work, him and his mum. I would hazard a guess to say he were involved somehow....if only a worshipper of some two headed beast in the basement. By the way, did you meet up with Andrei while he found the lead at the club in Soho?"

I am afraid that I was not aware of Andre's exploits at the club or the painter. Do tell us about them.

***************************************

OOC: Once Timour's explanation and any resultant discussion is completed.

So. You'll be staying with us for the night. The safest thing really. The young lady will have to stay here I'm afraid, with Miss Downing and the good doctor.
I'll arrange for another bed..

Nethaniel, was it? You'll have to stay in the men's suite. I'll show you the way.

Johnny, leaning on his cane, guides Nethaniel to the men's suite, makes the necessary preparations before heading to his room (the servants room attached to Miss Downings suite)

Posted: **Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:24 am**

Oh! Very well then!

Nethaniel hustles and busltes with his things and then follows Johnny out! He stops at the door to make sure he has properly said his goodbyes and good nights.

Good evening then ladies. Gentlemen... Good night Gwen. Tommorow for tea then? We'll get a fresh crack at those stacks?

Posted: **Wed Jul 16, 2008 7:25 am**

grafster wrote:I am afraid that I was not aware of Andre's exploits at the club or the painter. Do tell us about them.

Tiimour sits up in his chair and leans forward with a grin teasing at his lips and spreading in his excitement.

"Well, we went to see this painter, and it was him and his old mum in a place downtown. I walked up and knocked on the door, the girls followed once I asked to see the paintings. They don't really do house calls too much....and was I ever glad to get a chance to see the whole collection! I mean the one we got, we just had to buy it. Or....er...Elizabeth did I suppose. But the others! They were fascinating! Peculiar really. Each one was repulsive in it's own right....from a pale woman sleeping on a pile of snakes, a bite mark on her neck, to a giant eye with stacks of teeth hidden in the pupil. Once we got into the attic where he paints, they locked the door behind us. Peculiar isn't it? I don't know why. And Caroline swears she saw some kind of beast in shadows along the wall. I suppose you'll have to ask her about that because I don't know what she was rambling on about."

Timour pauses, furrowing his brow and thinking back to the strange evening they visited the Shipley's house. "This painting, was one of many in the stacks. All three of us thought it was peculiar that the artist could paint Andrei without ever having met him. And see here? Where he's fleeing with the gun in his hand?" Timour gestures to the painting and the dark space immediately in Andrei's future. "We asked him about it...and Miles said something along the lines of 'it's his dark future that he's running to'. I tried to get more but..." Timour shakes his head, clearly frustrated at his own ambiguity, "he insisted he knew nothing. And that is was just a painting. It's clearly not! Look at the head dress! Just like the one that attacked me." He shudders involuntarily, smiling apologetically at Nathaniel, knowing full well how touchy the subject must be for him. "Well anyways, the pair of them were quite the nutjobs. But a very interesting stack of paintings, I must say!"

Posted: **Thu Jul 17, 2008 3:24 am**

That... is very interesting. Quite odd. Thank you for filling us in.

Johnny makes his greetings and heads to make preparations for the rooms and so forth.

Posted: **Tue Jul 22, 2008 10:00 am**

The Ritz Hotel – 150 Piccadilly, London
08:30am – Thursday 29th January, 1925

The night passes without incident and the party rise to an extravagant breakfast in the Ritz’s glittering restaurant.

Unfortunately the thick fog outside hasn’t lifted yet, apparently it’s likely to last until it rains.

Posted: **Tue Jul 22, 2008 11:21 pm**

Johnny finishes his morning stretches and slips out, some what compulsively into the hallway for a bit of a recon. Having acertained there is nothing unusual going on on their floor he manages to control his urge to cover the entire hotel and return for breakfast.

When he sees Timour he hands him a carefully transcribed note from his notebook. Remember this? From our visit to The Scoop?

Posted: **Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:00 am**

Timour sits in the hotel restaurant with a warm cup of coffee and a newspaper, but pries his eyes away when he sees Johnny approach. He munches away on a muffin and motions to Johnny to take one of the other chairs at the table.

After a quick skim of Johnny's notepad, he points at the notes from the first article with a nod. He knocks on the page a few times with a pointed finger while he finishes chewing, "This feller must know something. Alan Groot. We should look him up."

He motions to the waitress to come around for another cup of coffee as well.

Posted: **Thu Jul 24, 2008 3:03 am**

Nethaniel finishes making his bed and then opens his journal. He sits quietly on the edge of the bed scribbling notes and thought on the previous day's various encounters with the Bloody Tongue Cult.

Satisfied he noted everything, Nethaniel rises and heads for his door. He turns off the light and then quickly flicks it back on... A short out of place crease in the corner of the bedspread prevents Nethaniel from going anywhere...

He rips off the sheets and starts all over again.

Posted: **Fri Jul 25, 2008 8:39 am**

Johnny leans back in his chair staring off into space. I think that we should probably talk more broadly about the investigation before we pursue specific leads.

He begins to tick things off on his fingers.
We were attacked last night.
We are now associates of several individuals who are well known to this criminal group; we know that they are equipped with military equipment.
They may well be in contact with their New York group.
Our first priority should be our safety.
The second should probably be trying to get the police involved. Bringing their organization out into the open would increase our safety. Now? Silencing us must be an attractive option for them.

The detective digs out his rolling papers, expression carefully neutral.

Posted: **Fri Jul 25, 2008 9:47 pm**

Nethaniel finally makes it down to breakfast holding a cup of tea. He catches the end of Johnny's statement.

Agreed! Safety should be our primary concern at this point. Gwen and I will be hitting the stacks this morning... trying to delve further into the occult side of all this bloody madness... Perhaps we'll be able to provide some much needed defenses for all of these paranormal attacks we've been experiencing. We'd appreciate some back up, however... I dare say that Gwen and I would be ill prepared for another attack if the Bloody Tongue should make an untimely appearance at the museum. Perhaps Mr. Zuckov and Miss Elizabeth could accompany us.

Posted: **Mon Jul 28, 2008 2:52 pm**

Caroline finally comes down to join the others. The events of the past day or so have taken on a sepia tone, as if they were in someone else's distant past. Everything today has a slightly gauzy feel to it, and she offers no comment other than a murmured "good morning" if addressed.

Posted: **Mon Jul 28, 2008 4:53 pm**

Timour shakes his head at Johnny's words, "We can't go to the police. They'll tell us to mind our own business...I think it's a very bad idea indeed. The investigators yesterday at the museum were adamant enough about our dealings with these events. Going to the police would only increase their suspicion of us. I think we should change hotels every few days, while staying in London, and use different names of course." Timour's eyes flicker to Nathaniel's. " The books are at the museum you say? I can accompany you there, if that's what you wish. I'd be interested to go to the club in Soho Andrei'd mentioned, however. Perhaps Max could drive you to the museum, and come along for your piece of mind."

Posted: **Tue Jul 29, 2008 3:45 am**

ooc- Mr. Zuckov is Andrei I thought. He was the one who wanted to see the books in the first place.

Posted: **Tue Jul 29, 2008 6:36 am**

Maksim sleeps in. He found the whole business rather too tiresome and had made sure of finishing the vodka in his flask to aid in the kip. If he slept long enough, he reasoned, he'd be able to miss out on everything. So when he briefly awoke he simply rolled over and went night-night.

Posted: **Wed Jul 30, 2008 2:10 pm**

Though it took some effort, Caroline finally spoke. "I think someone needs to go see Miles Shipley and his mother again, although I think we need to go with the utmost caution. Although I know Johnny doesn't believe in the authenticity of the occult aspect of all of this, it's hard for me to deny that Miles ... knows things that he shouldn't. If he can paint our future, then any sort of hiding or changing locations we do is fairly worthless."

Posted: **Thu Jul 31, 2008 1:59 am**

Nethaniel continues to stir his tea, his spoon clinking against the porcelain cup.

Most certainly Caroline! Mister Shipley should be a definite priority. I'm not normally one for burglary and such but if we could get our hands on a few of his painting it may give us some invaluable insight into the comings and going of this bloody bloody tongue cult. As to the validity of the occult aspect to this case.... I say John.... please... More than one of us was assualted last night by the strangest creature I've ever seen...

Nethaniel stops stirring and looks around the table, particularly at Johnny.

Unless everyone here is aware of the supernatural dangers we now face... I fear for our safety and our very souls. Perhaps you should meet this Mister Shipley Johnathan? Put his precognative abilities to the test if you will?

Posted: **Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:17 am**

"Do you really think it's a good idea to organize a hit on the Shipley residence?!" Timour interjects, seemingly aghast by his expression and nearly spitting out his mouthful of coffee at the very idea, "You are aware of what I told Johnny last night about him, after you went to bed that is.....that he may well paint the future....that he may well be involved in the cult and this mess.....that he knows too much and him and his mother are far too involved for their own good??? The three of us...Elizabeth, Caroline and I....we went to visit him and there were some....er.....supernatural experiences. Caroline.....do you care to interject? About the.....er.....crocodile? On the wall?"

Posted: **Thu Jul 31, 2008 2:37 pm**

"Well," Caroline says, "there was ... um, something. I'm not sure what it was.

"I don't think any of us, Timour, is suggesting that this wouldn't be a dangerous undertaking. But, honestly, what isn't at this point? My feeling was that anyone who can predict our future can know what we're doing, which makes everything else we do doubly dangerous, even suicidal."

She feels herself warming to the subject and coming out of her cocoon the past day had spun around her. "But you may be right, in a sense. We may not want to do that first, or you may want to do something else. There are perhaps ... safer avenues for you to explore, Timour."

Posted: **Fri Aug 01, 2008 6:00 am**

Maksim nears awakening. Yawns. Stretches. Rolls over, one arm reaching out as though groping for a non-existent lady. Then he reaches up, grabs his pillow, and wraps himself around it for something to hug.

Posted: **Sat Aug 02, 2008 4:37 am**

Elizabeth and Andrei enter the dining room, arm in arm. "Good morning," Elizabeth greets those already at the table. She smiles and sits. "Have we determined a plan for today?"

Posted: **Sat Aug 02, 2008 4:40 am**

Timour can't help but take Caroline's comment about 'safer avenues' the wrong way.

He puffs up the muscles in his chest, and sits, redfaced, trying to drink his coffee without spilling. His hand shakes.

"That's not what I meant," he manages to say between clenched teeth.

Posted: **Tue Aug 05, 2008 2:28 am**

Nethaniel fidgets with his glasses nervously, wiping them thoroughly. He is thankful for Elizabeth and Andrei's timely entrance. He thought that matters were about to get heated and Nethaniel does not handle conflict very well.

Ahh Miss Elizabeth... Mister Zukov! Lovely of you to join us! Spot of tea?

Nethaniel gives the couple a chance to take their seats before continuing.

Very well then... I had alot to ponder while we were sleeping and quite honestly I just couldn't get that creature that attacked me last night out of my mind. The Old English noggin' just kept on spinning in circles trying to place it if you catch my meaning. Mytholgy texts and what have you aside, I remembered the attack on this Alan Groot chap some time ago. It all points to a local legend the townsfolk of Derbyshire in Lesser-Edale, call Beast of Derwent. A little flashy I must admit but the similarities to the creatures that attacked us last night are too close to ignore know aren't they.

It's a long train ride to Derbyshire so I suggest we do a little more sleuthing about London before we consider tackling this Beast of Derwent. The tomes in Gwen's private stacks might give us a better chance at defending ourselves from these cultists and their ahem... sorcery.. Plus I have some books on the creature back at the Dodgy Pages. All folklore mind you, but perhaps some of it will prove valuable then won't it?

I've also a contact at the Brown’s Resident Clinic for the Insane. A Dr Arthur Moore. Perhaps Mister Moore could be of assistance. Give us some insight into other who claim to have confronted the Beast of Derwent...

Posted: **Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:38 am**

"Hello, Beth," Caroline says, feeling more like her old self. "I'm afraid we're all plans and no resolution so far. I've suggeseted that we need to deal somehow with the Shipley boy and his future-seeing paintings, but Nethaniel and Timour have some other notions. Honestly, though, I'm not sure what we'd do with Miles. Our abilities seem so ... inadequte next to what he can do. But I worry that without stopping someone who can see our future, our other efforts are for naught."

Posted: **Tue Aug 05, 2008 5:05 am**

Andrei listens to the others, half looking over their shoulders for something in the distance.

Could it be another chimera, or a Beast of Derwent? One of Andrei's haunted imaginings?

Finally, Andrei spots what he's looking for.

"Waiter! Excuse me!"

Andrei orders a coffee and a glass of orange juice, and waits until the waiter leaves before continuing.

"Well, it's a long day, and there's a lot to do. I suppose we could split up and accomplish some of the less dangerous things, get more done that way. Then we can reconvene in the afternoon and take care of some of the more... frightening angles." He glances at Elizabeth and smiles warmly. Andrei seems more calm than he's been since the whole adventure started.

"I'd like to hire a car. We can't do much with only one. Then I'd like to go back to the British Museum, and see what Gwen can do about getting that book. Or at least ensuring that no one else can get their hands on it. I also hid my weapon in the museum, I'd like to get it back. Then I'll go wherever you all want. Who's coming with me? Mister Moore, Gwen, I suppose you should both come along."

Posted: **Tue Aug 05, 2008 6:27 am**

An excellent idea Mr. Zukov. Good show! Perhaps if we could peruse the books ourselves we could come up with some sort of proper defense against the Beast of Derwin.

Posted: **Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:36 am**

At Moore's suggestion, Andrei adjusts his collar and scratches the back of his neck nervously.

"Not a bad idea, Mr. Moore."

He involuntarily glances at Elizabeth.

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2008 3:30 am**

Maksim scratches his nose, stretches a little, frowns a little as though something bad were happening in his dream, then he gives a little dreamy smile.

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:57 am**

Timour slaps the table with a loud clap, all of a sudden. "Where in the hell is Maks?" He asks of no one in particular. Truth be told he's looked uncomfortable since Caroline's pointed comment.

He swigs back his coffee and pushes his chair back abruptly. "I'm gonna go wake the bugger up," he mutters as he leaves.

He set two fingers in the air while passing by the waitor. He hoped they wouldn't forget his two egg omelette with extra cheese and onion. Damn that Maksimilian! Bother!

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2008 2:34 pm**

Elizabeth reaches over and puts a hand on Andrei's shoulder. She smiles. "Excellent, so some of us will go to the museum for a bit of researching. What else?"

She turns to Caroline. "My dear, I really have no desire to return to the Shipley's." She shivers. "That place is not ... right. Perhaps something could or should be done, but I have no idea myself."

"We really must learn more about the Penhew Foundation and Mr. Gavigan. I would like to speak with him frankly, as my intuition tells me that he would be sympathetic to us, but I understand we must be careful." She nods at Johnny.

"And Inspector Barrington? We could see if he knows anything of value about this whole mess."

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:05 pm**

"Well, I suppose you're right, Beth," Caroline says. "I don't have any great desire to return there either, and perhaps it can wait till other avenues are explored. I'll come along with whoever needs help, then. And where is Maks, anyway?"

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2008 10:12 pm**

After fixing a spot of tea and toast, Gwen chips in with her suggestion. "I say, we could attempt to do a spot of research at the Museum. Nethaniel and I can get started, while I can see what I can do about getting Andrei the proper papers. I'm sure my boss might be able to overlook a few irregularities considering Andrei's brave actions in saving my life and preventing damages to the museum, heh, of sorts. One of us invovled in the attack should then see Inspector Barrington this afternoon. Perhaps Johnny can bring his evidence against Penhew to light."

Posted: **Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:48 pm**

I would be happy to speak to the inspector. he glances over at Miss D. We need to make sure everyone is proptected. If this section of the organization operates as the new York one does... Daylight attacks are a possibility.

Posted: **Thu Aug 07, 2008 6:41 am**

Gwen wrote:"I say, we could attempt to do a spot of research at the Museum. Nethaniel and I can get started, while I can see what I can do about getting Andrei the proper papers. I'm sure my boss might be able to overlook a few irregularities considering Andrei's brave actions in saving my life and preventing damages to the museum, heh, of sorts.

"I'd like that."

Andrei nods gravely at Johnny's observation that the assassins might attack during the day.

"Lets plan this carefully then. If Gwen, Nathaniel and I go to the museum, perhaps we should bring along some more muscle. Maks was with us when everything happened last time..." He looks at the entrances for Maks' arrival, but doesn't see him.

"I think it would be better to bring someone who wasn't with us, though. Just in case we meet the same people who attacked Gwen. It would be nice to have someone they might not recognize. Johnny, I'd like you to accompany Miss Downing, keep her safe*. So perhaps Timour should come with us."

"Where and when shall we reconvene, then?"

*[OC: Andrei is treating Johnny as a servant, still. I'm not rude like this, but Andrei is, unfortunately. I hope you don't mind, Grafster.]

Posted: **Fri Aug 08, 2008 1:52 pm**

Andrei wrote:"Where and when shall we reconvene, then?"

"I suppose that depends on how long you plan on researching. Shall we meet back here for tea or dinner?"

She looks at Caroline and Johnny. "While they are at the museum, we will go speak with the Inspector? And maybe try to learn more about the Penhew Foundation?"

Posted: **Sun Aug 10, 2008 6:54 am**

Maksim pulls the covers up over his head.

Posted: **Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:13 am**

Johnny nods to Miss D.

He'll excuse himself from breakfast early to do a quick check of the outside of the building (exiting through a rear door and spending five minutes watching people loiter about) before returning to the lobby to check who's waiting and then rejoining the group.

Posted: **Tue Aug 12, 2008 12:46 am**

Caroline also offers her assent.

Posted: **Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:13 am**

Maksim offers a brief snort as he rolls over again, one arm flopping over the side of the bed.

Posted: **Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:00 am**

Timour finds Maks in bed, just as he suspected, and rolls his eyes. What a lazy ars...it was always like him to sleep in when there were decisions to be made. He wondered for a split second if Caroline had kept him up for a midnight romp....then smiled to himself. Then he goes to the sink and fills the ice bucket with a bath of nice, warm water.

He skulks over to the bed and immerses Maks' hand in it, trying to calm his snickering.

Posted: **Wed Aug 13, 2008 7:37 am**

<<I've been drifting in and out of sleep quite deliberately over the past hour,>> says Maksim in Russian. Then he launches himself out of the bed, upending the bucket of warm water over the both of them, and knocking Timour back a few steps though the more muscular Russian would doubtless stand his ground once the moment of surprise wore off.

Posted: **Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:23 pm**

Good show! It's settled then. After a spot of tea and a few bangars we'll be off!

Nathaniel politely orders some sausages and sits quietly, smiling and nodding politely at any of the investigators that make eye contact with him. Every so often he sips his tea and then removes his glasses to wipe the steam from the lenses.

Posted: **Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:44 am**

Timour makes a face at Maksim, "Oh well, pardon me lazy! Don't you s'pose it's time to get up? Have some coffee....eggs....wink at the ladies, Maksim? Or are you going to lay around in bed all morning long and take time to curl your hair?" He laughs and musses Maks' hair. "Let's go!"

Posted: **Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:03 am**

Maksim winces and pouts. "What ladies? Oh, you mean Elizabeth and Caroline?" He gives a wry smile. "I suppose they count as female ... but hardly ladies." He sighs. "I'm so bored I'm ready to sleep again." He climbs back into bed.

Posted: **Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:37 am**

Timour whips the blankets off the bed, and douses Maks with the rest of the water from the bucket.

"Get up you lazy fool!" Then he bolts. He knew Maks' would get him back otherwise.

Posted: **Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:52 am**

Maksim comes roaring out of the bed and flings himself onto Timour, using his superior speed to launch himself at the man, throwing his wet pyjama-clad body straight into his brother and hoping to knock him off balance (with your strength, though, you'd be like a rock). Falling back with irritation, he suddenly begins laughing heartily. <<So when will we get to ditch these fools and do something that's actually fun?>>

Posted: **Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:19 am**

"Fun?? You want fun??? After you went and asked Caroline to marry you? NOW you want fun??? Really, Maks, it's far easier to run out on a lady if you don't leave a ring behind....have I taught you nothing?" Timour laughs and tries to pop Maks in the stomach. "C'mon, get dressed. You'll miss all the bangers and mash."

Posted: **Fri Aug 15, 2008 8:04 am**

Maksim side steps the punch gracefully and then looks around for his suitcase. <<She knows it means nothing!>> There seems a touch of irritation there but at Timour or Caroline? <<She wouldn't care should I enjoy some female company!>>

Posted: **Sat Aug 16, 2008 6:16 am**

Timour closes his eyes and shakes his head. "Fine Maks," he says, lifting his face to show a broad grin. "We'll go lady-fishing...but will you put some pants on please?" He gestures at Maks' wet pyjamas and begins to smirk, "What will they think of you, dressed like that?"

Posted: **Sun Aug 17, 2008 12:58 am**

Maksim fetches his clothes and shunts him out of the room to get changed.

Posted: **Wed Aug 20, 2008 1:41 pm**

It is almost 10:30 by the time everyone’s had breakfast, the restaurants of the Ritz Hotel are magnificent, but the service certainly isn’t fast – still it does add to the relaxed atmosphere. The slow pace does mean though that Andrei’s Rolls-Royce is ready by the time they’ve finished eating, Johnny having made all of the arrangements for the luxurious hire car after his circuit of the hotel’s grounds.

So at half past ten the two teams of investigators finally set off in the two cars, Maksim is at the wheel of the powerful Bentley racing car, while the Rolls-Royce purrs out onto Piccadilly with Johnny in the driver’s seat.

The worst of the morning traffic has gone now, though the thick fog still hangs oppressively over the city.

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:24 pm**

The story continues in the Scotland Yard and British Museum Threads.

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:27 pm**

The Ritz Hotel
1:45pm – Thursday 29th January, 1925

When Maksim, Timour, Andrei, Nethaniel and Gwen arrive back at the Ritz, they find that Elizabeth, Caroline and Johnny are already there waiting for them.

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 2:30 pm**

Elizabeth looks up and smiles when the others return. She rises and gives Andrei a hug. Turning to them all she says, "Did you all have fun at the museum? We spoke to a detective who seemed quite sure that all this mess would be resolved once they found their last suspect." Her expression grows grim. "The fellow they captured died in his cell last night. Suffocation, but they could not figure out how he did it." She raises an eyebrow to emphasize what is being left unsaid. But then her eyes sparkle once again. "Oh, and you should have seen how Johnny blandly told the detective about the weapons he saw! The police are sure to check that out right away."

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 5:05 pm**

"We've been talking about plans," Caroline adds, "including the Foundation and the club. I'm not sure we shouldn't just wait for the police to sort this out, though--isn't that their job?"

Posted: **Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:56 pm**

Well the bobbies won't be making the connections to this case that we've made Miss Caroline now will they?

Nethaniel takes out his notes.

It would appear that these attacks have some historical significance as well. I believe I can trace their origins to a small plot of land neary Derby. I have some pages at home that might give us a more specific locale to start the hunt for the creature that attacked us in the alley. It's old... Roman old... or at least the species has been around for some time. Whether or not this Derby creature is the same as the beastie that attacked us or the same as a crature that attacked and killed a Legion of Roman soldiers is still meant to be seen. I perused an article at the library that suggested this monster hatches from eggs. Perhaps the cult has found a nest of sorts.

Posted: **Wed Oct 08, 2008 3:12 am**

Johnny nods at Miss Downing's acknowledgment.

As the discussion turns to the supernatural the detective desperately keeps a straight face, deftly rolling a cigarette but not lighting it.

Posted: **Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:57 pm**

The Ritz Restaurant – The Ritz Hotel, Piccadilly, London
1:46pm – Thursday 29th January, 1925

Lunch in the Ritz Restaurant is exquisite, three courses (six if you prefer!) with the option of a different wine to accompany each course, and of course tea, lots of tea.

The restaurant itself is magnificently furnished, it’s atmosphere is relaxing, and it’s staff attentive and polite. The restaurant also offers the same spectacular views across the park as the Palm Court where the investigators enjoyed their afternoon tea yesterday.

: The Ritz Restaurant; ritz.jpg (25.94 KiB) Viewed 1081 times

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 3:29 am**

Caroline notes Johnny''s thinly veiled skepticism, an attitude she mostly shared, although she wasn't quite the doubter she might once have been. Something had happened to them that couldn't rationally be explained in the three dimensions of life she was used to. Still, she wasn't quite ready to go trapsing off to Derby looking for supernatural eggs. She really was starting to feel that the police were the ones best suited to handling this, that maybe if they just waited things would resolve themselves. This, too, might be irrational, but it was the slender hope she clung to secretly.

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:02 am**

imme wrote:She rises and gives Andrei a hug.

Andrei returns Elizabeth’s embrace, he seems excited and whispers, “I’ve something to show you later!”

He takes a seat next to her at the table and tries to contain his excitement, but after the first course of food he can’t wait any longer. Placing his satchel on the table, and taking care not to expose his revolver to public view, Andrei pulls out the photo-static copy of the Pnakotic Manuscripts that Professor Wilson gave to him. He speaks in a whisper, but a whisper that is loud and excited enough to be heard by everyone at the table.

“This is it Ellie! The Pnakotic Manuscripts, the book that we stupidly left in Erica Carlyle’s safe. This is what they were after!”

“Well part of it anyway. Some professor, his name was Fiennes, removed lots of the pages and then killed himself, or so they say. He left a code!”

Andrei takes out his notes, several pages of scribbled out random characters are followed by a fragmentary message. “They came after him too Ellie! But he calls them the Brotherhood, they’re probably the one’s who killed him. I think he must have hidden the rest of the pages, and this is what we need to find them.”

Changing subject abruptly, Andrei puts his arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders as he says, “I’m still going to this Pyramid club in Soho, it’s the only real clue that we have. Ellie can come with me, but I’ll go alone if I have to.”

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 9:14 am**

Maksim explains what he found in Africa’s Dark Sects, the same book that Jackson Elias tried to obtain from the library at Harvard, “This seems to confirm Jackson’s suspicions that this cult is active in Kenya, that part was written in 1916 – before Carlyle’s expedition even began. There is nothing in the book to say that they spread to America or London.”

Turning to Timour he asks, “So what did you get up to at the museum brother?”

He laughs, “My brother grows restless with all of this reading I think. He is happier to shoot up the villains with his machinegun!”

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 5:52 pm**

Elizabeth puts a hand on Andrei's knee and smiles up at him. "You want to dance the night away at an exotic club? I suppose I am not very good at being inconspicuous anyway. It's not like I'm the best one to go sneaking after Gavigan."

Posted: **Fri Oct 10, 2008 10:41 pm**

Between bites of sandwich and sips of tea, Gwen makes the following points:
"Well, I know there seems to be quite a bit of odd activity going on, but I think we should try to keep our focus. The mother and son with his paintings don't seem to be involved in the larger conspiracy here, involving the Egyptian murders, Bloody Tongue, and Brotherhood. I would also suggest that we stay away from this creature's nest. Nethaniel and I should continue our research in the mean while. Perhaps it can be defeated by more, arcane means? As for our other investigations, following Gavigan seems to be very important. I'd be glad to assist in whatever course we decide to take."

Posted: **Sun Oct 12, 2008 5:25 am**

"Is it possible the son is simply a psychic?" Maksim asked. "I once attended a seance where the lady could tell all sorts of things about the past, present and future. If he's just a psychic, then he's just got some really interesting paintings to show us."

OOC: Still happy Maksim. I gotta go finish my thesis my Friday so I'll be posting after then. Feel free to keep running Maks, Raiko.

Posted: **Mon Oct 13, 2008 9:52 am**

Johnny looks profoundly uncomfortable at the mention of "club" from Miss Downing's lips.

Johnny seems to be thinking quickly; rolling the cigarette back and forth between his fingers.

Given that the police have warned you and the good doctor specifically not to go there, we might find ourselves in a bit of an awkward position should they notice you. Or arrest you during a raid. And, if, rather when we... visit... the Foundation this evening we will need an expert on occult matters.

Nethaniel will be investigating this egg, ah, situation; since this is... a potentially new species of life..." Johnny fords bravely through the statement with nary a twitch, "The good doctor's expertise in matter biological would be required; and they're require a someone who is, well, capable of taking care of any trouble they might encounter. Such as Timour.

As I mentioned, since we'll be visiting the Penhew tonight, and Nethaniel will be out of town, Andrei would be a logical person to join us. We may not be able to remove everything we find and there could be... things of an obscure religious nature, which could require on-the-spot interpretation".

And Maksim of course will be the driver, should we be uncovered, we will require the our most gifted driver, the detective looks at the Russian. Perhaps we could visit the pawn shop later this week. Say, after any police raids? With, say, a few of us remaining behind in the car with weaponry.

Just to be sure.

Posted: **Mon Oct 13, 2008 1:28 pm**

For a second Andrei looks chest-fallen as his plan to look at the Blue Pyramid Club once again does not receive the universal support that he expected. He looks away from Johnny, rearranging his pile of notes and absently fingering the collar of his shirt; it appears that he is about to descend into another of his sulks, or even that he might storm off alone again. Suddenly though he seems to find some conviction, possibly thanks to Elizabeth at least supporting his idea.

“But Johnny, we have evidence that one of the gunmen at least, was a member of this club. What harm can there be if me and Ellie just visit the club – we should be in no danger.”

“There is little reason for the police to raid; such clubs are not illegal here as they are in America. We would merely be tourists.”

Gaining in confidence Andrei once again begin to address Johnny as a subordinate, “Anyway the club closes before midnight, we could visit the club first and check out the Penhew Foundation later, you are right – my expertise will probably be useful. You should follow this Edward Gavigan when he leaves tonight, perhaps with Maks and Timour for protection – Gavigan may have powerful sorcery, like those men in Harlem.”

“We shall all meet back up, near to the Foundation at midnight.”

“I think it is wrong for us to put too much faith in the English police. They seem like bungling idiots to me; we have more leads in a single day than Barrington found in a year. The police here are like those in the old country – puppets of the ruling elite. You’ll never get them to move against the likes of the Penhew Foundation.”

Posted: **Mon Oct 13, 2008 11:12 pm**

"I like Johnny's plan, it covers as many angles as possible. I like Andrei's, it covers more. Only problem is, it sounds like we're doing things in pairs and trios. Which is good stuff for remaining inconspicuous ... but if we run into any more supernatural things or cultists then we're better off in greater numbers. Each thread we follow may draw us more attention from different enemies, whether gangsters, psychics, weird monsters or more cultists. This is already looking like an international conspiracy. We can't get away with thinking we're all up against one set of bad guys. So yeah, obviously we gotta follow the leads, but I'm not so sure if doing everything in pairs is going to keep us safe. Of course, do things in a big, meaty group and there goes the stealth idea..." Maksim looks confused but figures no one'll listen to his concerns anyway. "So what do we do?"

Posted: **Tue Oct 14, 2008 1:47 am**

Raiko wrote:For a second Andrei looks chest-fallen as his plan to look at the Blue Pyramid Club once again does not receive the universal support that he expected. He looks away from Johnny, rearranging his pile of notes and absently fingering the collar of his shirt; it appears that he is about to descend into another of his sulks, or even that he might storm off alone again. Suddenly though he seems to find some conviction, possibly thanks to Elizabeth at least supporting his idea.

“But Johnny, we have evidence that one of the gunmen at least, was a member of this club. What harm can there be if me and Ellie just visit the club – we should be in no danger.”

“There is little reason for the police to raid; such clubs are not illegal here as they are in America. We would merely be tourists.”

The problem, really with that assertion is that the police inspector we spoke to today, the one who is acting on very slim evidence to raid a warehouse looking for weaponry, at our request specifically told Miss Downing and Dr. Ward not to go there.

Whatever you may feel is the roll of constabulary you should understand that the police feel that their role is to enforce the laws of the land. Laws that we are quite likely to run afoul with at some point. If our tip turns out to be fruitful then we may be able to plead for leniency in the future. Flaunting the recommendations of the person whose assistance we may require in the future is.... potentially very unwise.

If this brotherhood is anything like their cell in New York we are all, potentially, in tremendous danger. However incompetent you may feel they are, we need all the allies we can get.

I have no problem with someone investigating the club, but you should be investigating; most effective investigations operate under the premise that the investigator avoids gathering unnecessary attention. Two attractive young ladies will draw attention. It will not escape the attention of the police; it will not escape the attention of members of this brotherhood, if any are there.

If your premise, which is that the blue pyramid club is a hub for brotherhood activity, is correct you need to understand that the usual rules of social conduct do not apply. Anyone who goes there is potentially taking their live in their hands.

If you are wrong, Johnny opens his hand slightly, then it will be a pleasant divergence.

I am all for doing as much as is reasonably, prudently possible today. Perhaps we could follow up some of the other leads such as this Tewfik al-Sayed’s shop during the day, case the foundation again, and rest in the evening? That would leave us fresh for when we need it most.

Posted: **Tue Oct 14, 2008 2:10 am**

"I'm willing to go wherever I can to help," Caroline says. "If that means going with Nethanael, that's fine. I'm not much good on a stakeout, probably. I do agree with Johnny, though, about not splitting up into too many groups."

Posted: **Tue Oct 14, 2008 5:48 am**

Elizabeth looks a little surprised at Johnny's response to Andrei. Maybe it was how straightforward he was, or maybe it was just that he rarely says so many words at once. She takes Andrei's hand. "You know, darling, perhaps this whole trip to the club would be a bother after all. It is true that the police are watching the place, and this fellow did warn us not to go. Besides, at least in Harlem they have hot music. What do they have in Soho?

"No, the whole thrill of it is gone now that we know the police are there, don't you think? Let us go visit this al-Sayed's shop instead. As you said, the police do not know what they are doing. He was suspicious for some reason, and we should learn more about him." She turns to ask Johnny, "What kind of shop was it anyway?" She smiles up at Andrei. "Maybe you can find me some nice bobble."

Posted: **Tue Oct 14, 2008 10:02 am**

Andrei smiles and hugs Elizabeth more tightly, “I shall go wherever Ellie does, of course. These maniacs must not be allowed to divide us again.”

“You are right Johnny ; the club can wait for now. We must gather more information before walking into the lions’ den. Perhaps there is more to this Tewfik al-Sayed than those Keystone Cops could find. And we are sure to find something at the Penhew Foundation, if they are involved at all.”

“How many of us should visit the spice shop though? We must be safe, but not arouse suspicion.”

“And what of Edward Gavigan? As Gwen said, he must be followed.”

A blue uniformed hotel porter approaches the table, “Miss Downing? There is a phone call for you; Scotland Yard.”

Posted: **Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:01 pm**

Nethaniel nods in agreement to Elizabeth.

The nest at Derby can wait luv. I don't find it very prudent to go tromping off into the foggy highlands, searching for monsters and such on my lonesome. I'd like to tag along and see what we uncover at Tewfik al-Sayed's shop if you don't mind. That, or help track down this Gavigan chap. If he start up with his magic again, it might be a good idea to have a fellow about with some knowledge in such thing now wouldn't it?

Posted: **Wed Oct 15, 2008 3:26 am**

Johnny seems to relax, finally lighting his cigarette.

As a group we are quite diverse, and draw attention to ourselves. At the same time there is almost certainly no need for us to appear to have come together. If we were to place a premium on safty? Five of us would go in the car and park out of sight.

I would like to visit the shop first, just to make a routine purchase. It's a spice shop, I can inquire about some Chinese herbs; appear to be a confused traveler perhaps. If one or two people could come in, while I was there and do something dramatic... that may give me a chance to look around. The fourth and fifth could wait in the car; hopefully they're assistance would not be required.

Of course, if this al-Sayed is part of the criminal group then it is not without some risk. But the police have investigated the man, perhaps he was simply an unfortunate who was at the scene, and picked up because of his race.

Perhaps the distraction could be two people discussing the Scoop's article about these.... he looks over at Nethanael. Finally half mumbles "...new creatures"

As far as some other options: the detective ticks things of on his fingers in his usual habit"
1. It would be interesting to see if Nethanael's house is being watched. It would give us an idea of their sophistication. The group in New York used uneducated negro immigrants as footsolders; is this brotherhood limited the same way?
2. Following Gavigan is an activity best performed by two or three, in the early evening; we can combine it with a better inspection of our approach for the later visit.

Johnny stops at his middle finger. "There are other possibilities of course.

Posted: **Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:00 am**

Raiko wrote:A blue uniformed hotel porter approaches the table, “Miss Downing? There is a phone call for you; Scotland Yard.”

"Yes, Johnny, you can figure out a plan for us. Excuse me please." She leaves the table and follows the porter to the phone.

"This is Elizabeth Downing."

Posted: **Wed Oct 15, 2008 12:57 pm**

<<Hello Miss Downing, it’s Detective Inspector Barrington here. I’d like to thank you and your associates for your information; we are just about to head over to that warehouse with twenty good men.>>

<<But that’s not the main reason for the call; Jones said that you were worried about the Egyptian Murders case? Well you can rest easy and enjoy the rest of your visit to London now, because we’ve got the last man!>>

The Inspector pauses dramatically:

<<It turns out he was in hospital all along. Some chap found him slumped in a backstreet in Soho late last night, in a state of complete shock. The lights are on, but there’s no-one home, as they say! I suppose that once he realised the game was up, it was just too much for his mind to take.>>

<<Apparently things like this – and the suicide of the other killer – are quite common with such types. They think that they are invincible – choosen by God, or whatever – and then their warped reality comes crashing down around them once the long arm of the law finally catches up. Invincible they aren’t!>>

<<Anyway I suppose I’ve got Mr Moore and your two Russian friends to thank for breaking the case. We’ve got the last man under twenty-four hour guard at the hospital, but the doctors don’t hold much hope of him recovering. I expect he’ll live out the rest of his days in a padded cell. He’s not likely to be fit to stand trial; which will save him from the hangman’s noose, more’s the pity!>>

Posted: **Wed Oct 15, 2008 2:15 pm**

Caroline has been looking at Andrei a bit anxiously as he rattled off his plans; now she relaxes a little as Johnny seems back in charge. After the detective finishes his rundown, she says, "Well, I'm probably no good for watching Gavigan, as he met Beth and me already. Perhaps Maks and I can go to the shop with Johnny and provide that distraction?"

Posted: **Thu Oct 16, 2008 6:16 pm**

I would like to visit the shop first, just to make a routine purchase. It's a spice shop, I can inquire about some Chinese herbs; appear to be a confused traveler perhaps. If one or two people could come in, while I was there and do something dramatic... that may give me a chance to look around. The fourth and fifth could wait in the car; hopefully they're assistance would not be required.

Nethaniel interjects.

I'm not too sure that you're the most qualified man to be snooping around a magic shop in search of clues sir..
I dare say you couldn't tell the ingredients for an Egyptian love charm from a bag of fresh Basil. No offense mind you...
If he is linked to all this Bloody Tongue business, he'll have books and ritual components lying about. There may not be need to hide them.. London is a city of skeptics now isn't it? If anyone is to search for clues I beleive I should do it... Or Gwen of course though I don't fancy making her mind of for the lass now do I?

Nethaniel then looks to Johnny.

It's a good plan though lad! I'll follow it with some tweaking!

Posted: **Fri Oct 17, 2008 12:55 pm**

"Oh." Elizabeth pauses for a moment so that her voice will express appropriate enthusiasm. "That is good to hear. Thank you for letting me know. And I am sure you hear this frequently, but please be careful at the warehouse. I would hate for any of your men to be hurt."

Elizabeth will return to the table and inform the others of what she learned.

Posted: **Fri Oct 17, 2008 8:35 pm**

Gwen looks grimly enthusiastic at the notion of going to a shop owned by a potential member of the same Brotherhood that killed Alison.
"Good show Nethaniel, I should visit this al-Sayed. I could go under the pretense of finding appropriate components for use in the worship of Thoth, or some other anthropological premise. Maybe we can turn something up."

Posted: **Sun Oct 19, 2008 2:26 am**

Caroline excuses herself with the intention of catching Beth before she returns to the group.

Posted: **Sun Oct 19, 2008 1:56 pm**

As Caroline leaves the restaurant she spots Elizabeth across the foyer, handing the telephone receiver back to a member of the hotel's staff.

Posted: **Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:49 am**

"And how are we to distract them without tipping them off?" asked Maksim, looking at Caroline curiously.

Posted: **Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:49 pm**

Johnny leans back, watching as Caroline goes to meet Miss Downing. After a moment he returns his attention to the discussion of the spice shop.

Posted: **Mon Oct 20, 2008 1:56 pm**

Elizabeth greets her friend.
(for Caroline:)

Spoiler:

Posted: **Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:38 pm**

Posted: **Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:43 am**

Posted: **Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:14 pm**

Andrei watches Caroline leave, then turns back to the others.

“Maks is right, we need a plan.”

“Many of us are ‘foreign’ speaking in this city, and this al-Sayed might not speak English so well. A customer with ‘language difficulties’ might keep them distracted for a minute or two. Do you think we need longer Johnny?”

“Anyway we can’t all walk into the spice shop, they’re going to be suspicious even if we arrive separately. Nethaniel, you and Gwen are the only one’s that the London cultists know for sure. If you two visit al-Sayed’s shop, then you might tip him off that we’re onto him.”

Andrei looks thoughtfully at Nethaniel, “If you think you should really be in there though, then I think that me and Ellie should do something else, perhaps I’ll check out the club after all. If Inspector Barrington and that sergeant are raiding Johnny’s warehouse then I doubt that anyone will recognise us.”

Posted: **Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:20 pm**

Posted: **Tue Oct 21, 2008 3:58 pm**

Gwen pauses in thought, bristling at the thought of hiding from the brotherhood.
"Very well, I understand that they might recognize me and Nethaniel. But I don't think that should deter us from the task at hand. Obviously they know we are here and that we pose a problem for their, operation, whatever it is. We could time our "visit" to coincide with a distraction. Johnny told the police about the warehouse, right? Perhaps we should try something if the commence a raid?"

Posted: **Tue Oct 21, 2008 4:37 pm**

Good Show luv! A distraction would be magic! Somethig that would get Al-Sayed out of his shop, so's Gwen and I would get a much better chance of finding something we weren't supposed to then wouldn't we? Course we'll need someone with some skills in burglary... I couldn't pick me own nose... let alone a shop store lock.

Nethaniel looks at Johnny for some sort of approval. He seems to be the one the rest are turning to for leadership and Nethaniel trusts their instincts.

Posted: **Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:28 am**

Timour slaps the table decisively, "That's what I'm talking about! Let's hit that club in Soho, Andrei!"

Posted: **Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:54 am**

“I knew it!” grins Andrei, “great minds, they think alike!”

“Me, Timour, Ellie and Caroline will check out this club, while Johnny and the others visit Mr al-Sayed.”

“It is probably safer this way anyway Johnny, I expect that the club has little to do with all of this. You four must be careful though; did they not use a shop as cover in New York? I expect that it is the same here in London.”

“We will be careful of course, discrete; we shall appear to be tourists enjoying the club” Andrei laughs and pats the bulge of the big revolver inside his satchel, “but if these madmen mess with Andrei Zatisov and Timour Rukov then they will regret it!”

Posted: **Thu Oct 23, 2008 10:42 am**

ooc: sorry very little posting time

Johnny seems very torn. "So you've decided to visit the club after all? The one that the police specifically warned you not to. If you really feel that it's best to put yourself in what is either an awkward or else a potentially dangerous situation I feel obliged to accompany you. No matter how much my relative facility with locks may be beneficial elsewhere."

Posted: **Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:17 pm**

“But Johnny,” says Andrei, “That is silly, you can join us if you want, but Nethaniel needs your skills – and you know that Ellie will be safe with me and Timour to protect her.”

“This spice shop sounds just as dangerous as the club. Did you not say that this al-Sayed was the prime suspect of the police?”

“If he is the ring leader he will be suspicious if too many strangers lurk around his shop. He could be the man that sent the fog creature to attack us, so we need to tread carefully.”

Andrei pauses for a moment, “The man that they captured at the museum, the one who died in the police cells? Was he not also called al-Sayed?”

OOC,[color=#ff0000][u]OOC:[/u][/color] Made an Idea roll for Andrei to think of the al-Sayed connection. I feel a little uneasy while I’m running Andrei as an NPC, as I don’t want to appear to be railroading. I’m trying to stick to how I imagine Andrei is seeing things. I thought that I’d better explain my thoughts so that we don’t just keep going in circles. ;) As I see it, here are some of the things that you’ve discussed doing (sticking to places in London), together with Andrei’s thoughts on them. If someone has a plan that allows Andrei to be active, without visiting the club then he'll probably go for it. [list][*][b]The Spice Shop [/b](Andrei thinks that Johnny, Nethaniel and Gwen, with Maks either joining them or nearby in his car is enough). [*][b]The Penhew Foundation [/b](You plan to visit the foundation later at night, so he hasn’t given it any thought). [*][b]Following Edward Gavigan[/b] (Andrei plans to remain with Elizabeth, whom Gavigan has already met. In any case Andrei is very tall and so he doesn’t consider himself suitable to trail Gavigan). [*][b]Miles Shipley’s House[/b] (Andrei has no wish to meet the man who so accurately painted his future. He also believes Elizabeth’s story about Miles’ mother’s inhuman shadow). [*][b]Nethaniel’s Shop[/b] (Andrei is sure that the cultists will be there. He also thinks that Nethaniel is the best person to take a look at his own shop)[/list] That only really leaves the Blue Pyramid Club. If Nethaniel and Gwen had elected to go elsewhere, then Andrei would have agreed join Johnny checking out the shop. Since they (perfectly reasonably) decided that they should be checking out the spice shop, Andrei couldn’t think of anything better to do. And now that he has Timour in agreement, he’s even more determined (Andrei suffers a little from [i]Rukov envy[/i] after all). Andrei’s determined to actively to [i]something[/i] himself against the bad guys. He’s equally determined not to be separated from Elizabeth again

Posted: **Thu Oct 23, 2008 5:17 pm**

and walks with Caroline back to the group

"That was Inspector Barrington on the phone," Elizabeth says. "They found the last suspect comatose, so they think the investigation is wrapped up. He also said that they're going to raid the warehouse right now. Have we figured out what we are doing this afternoon?"

Posted: **Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:35 am**

Johnny's tone is neutral.

Right... now? That would offer us a unique opportunity to see how this group reacts to police interference. The New York group reacted violently, which was shockingly effective actually. This group is more subtle, and much more entrenched and sophisticated. And they have much greater resources of course. If they have the same number of zealots, and access to military weaponry... well... it would be best to know now.

I would like to see how they react to being raided.

Johnny finishes his cigarette and starts to roll another, his speech continues in a relaxed, rapid clip.

Our plans have not quite been finalized. There had been some discussion about following up Nethanial's discovery of the origin of the... fog-creature, which I believe people feel is a significant threat. Was probably used to kill Al-Sayid in his cell? Could potentially be used to kill any of use really... Even here....

But I believe that he now feels the Spice Shop may be magical and would be a better use of his time.

And Andrei and Timour are quite enthralled with the idea of escorting you to the club. Who knows? With the raid going on, if it is a haven for these criminals, may become very exciting. While I'm sure you'd be safe in the event of another gunfight I'm feel compelled to accompany you. Just in case, in the confusion, a stray bullet were to find it's way into your body.

I'd hate to explain to your father I knew you were going to into an armed enclave, one that we'd been warned specifically by local authorities to avoid, but that I'd decided not to accompany you, because I was trying to break into a wizards magic shop.

Posted: **Fri Oct 24, 2008 4:55 am**

Elizabeth sighs. "Yes, Johnny, you have made your point, and quite eloquently, too." She crumples her nose in distaste at his imagery. "I will not go to the club, at least not without you." She stands. "But, he did say they raid was going to happen right now, so if you want to see it we had better leave right away. We can argue about what to do next on the way there. Unless perhaps some of us could go to the spice shop while others watch the raid?"

Posted: **Fri Oct 24, 2008 11:37 am**

Andrei looks a little sulky again. He almost mumbles as he says, “I don’t think watching the English police, with their truncheons and their whistles raiding a warehouse full of madmen with machineguns sounds very safe either.”

He does nod reluctantly though, and says to Johnny, “Perhaps you are right though. Half of us should observe one place, while the other half investigates Tewfik al-Sayed’s Spice Shop.”

“It is clear that Johnny doesn’t trust me to protect Ellie, so he should be with us.”

Andrei laughs, and pats the Chinaman on the back, “It is just a joke, I welcome your company and your advice my friend. With your level head and me and Timour’s guns we will defeat these madmen!”

“But who should be in each group? And what is the correct place to observe while the raid happens? I agree that the warehouse is of interest, but I favour watching the club – only watching, from a safe distance.”

“If it is really the headquarters, then we should see a reaction. And Ellie said the investigation is closed – the police probably do not have their eyes on there now.”

“I shall go where you think best though Johnny.”

Posted: **Fri Oct 24, 2008 4:19 pm**

"A police raid might be about the safest time to look at anything concerned with this group--other than the site of the raid itself, of course," Caroline says. "They're bound to be distracted.

"You should know that if I come along to the warehouse, I would feel duty-bound to help any of the injured, be they friend or foe. While that might ultimately be to the good--helping a friend or keeping an enemy alive for questioning--it would also entangle us even more deeply. Lord, I feel awful even speaking like this, trying to evade my oath.

"Whatever we do, we must do quickly." She says this without irony, even though she hasn't really helped wrap up the plans either.

Posted: **Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:30 pm**

Nethaniel shakes his head as Johnny speaks down to him.

Now see here Jonathan… I understand your skepticism on the subject but that is no reason to be rude. We are dealing with ancient evil primordial forces here and your close minded American thinking is going to get people hurt or worse. How long are you going to dismiss the eyewitness accounts of your bloody friends? I apologize for my outburst Jonathan, but I honestly feel slighted by all this rubbish….. I’m no wizard. I have a PhD in Occult literature and deserve a smidgeon of respect in these matterS... We aren’t dealing with cheap parlor tricks or prestidigitation here? This cult has devised a way to control this creature that has clearly attacked us. Whether their means of control is chemical or arcane in nature, I can’t gather, but I think it prudent we find out so we can properly defend ourselves. I’m sure Andre wouldn’t fancy another encounter with the creature…. Would you Caroline… or you Elizabeth?

Nethaniel takes a deep breath, upset with himself for having lost his temper.

Now Gwen and I can hardly break into the spice shop on our own now can we?

Play@YSDC

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