Act One, Scene One - Arrival In Luxor.

[DrPeterson]

"What a suitably dramatic weather to start our venture here!", Herbert looks out at the downpour and sighs as prepares to get out of the car.

"I'm sure the professor will accommodate us with hot tea and a stiff drink to warm our souls and dry our skins. Now knowing this, let us venture out into this mad weather! Once more unto the breach, dear friends!", he gets out, briskly stepping towards the gate of Chicago House.

[Garrett]

"Yes indeed!" Aswald says cheerily at Herberts remark. Pansy ass Europeans, I've slept outside in worse weather then this. He thinks to himself arrogantly.

[Mr. Handy]

"Most Egyptians would probably be grateful for more weather like this," says Michael. "A lot of this country is desert, except for the area near the Nile. Still, let's not spend any more time in it than we have to." He gathers his things, gets out of the car, and hurries for the front door.

[Aliktren]

As you disembark the car and step forward you are confronted by Chicago House.

Steps rise from the gate to a stone courtyard overlooking the grounds. Tall windows flank a pair of elaborate great doors on the side opposite your approach

There is a wet squelch as Micky advances, and on examination you find you have crushed a small frog. Looking up you are all able to see that the courtyard is slowly seething, not a trick of the darkness, the entire courtyard moves slowly, heaving with frogs, small frogs, large frogs, unaccountably packed into every nook of the courtyard like a living carpet. you can see a single guttering light from somewhere within the building, but apart from the frogs the place is utterly silent and otherwise dark. The doors are closed.

[Aliktren]

[Garrett]

"AHH!" Aswald yells in surprise, dropped the bags he was carrying, with the exception of the duffel that is still around his neck."Get off me you slimy little Hayawanaat!" Aswald screams out, as well as other various Arabic swear words as he pulls out his machete. He hesitates for a moment, not sure where to start, before he begins viciously stomping and hacking with his machete into the giant green blanket; attempting to get the frogs away from him.

[DrPeterson]

Rawson recoils in disgust, looking somewhat aghast at the writhing mass of amphibians. He looks at Mickey before heading back to the car.
"Mr Finn, would you be so good as to ring and announce our presence? This is all highly irregular!"


Back at the car, he frowns at Isopel,
"Miss Gelert, perhaps it is prudent you wait in the car for a moment longer."
He then turns to the driver and asks rather sternly:
"I was under the impression that Professor Bollancher was expecting us, but there's no one here apart from an oversized collection of frogs! Explain yourself, man!"


"And by Jove, Aswad, desist your mutilation of those critters, you're more likely to cut your own toe off, swinging like that!"

[Garrett]

"Tozz fiik you ibn iš-šarmuuTa!" Aswald yells back at Rawson without thinking, brimming from adrenaline. It's doubtful Rawson, or any of his companions, understood what he said but from the tone one would assume it wasn't friendly. Aswald proceeds slowly towards the manors door, stomping on the smaller frogs and slicing at the big ones.
OOC-

I don't know if you saw the post earlier but all bold is spoken in Arabic,in case your curious what he said translates roughly to 'screw you you son of a whore.'

[Mr. Handy]

"Right, Mr. Rawson," says Michael, striding to the front door and trying to avoid stepping on more frogs. "Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Have the plagues of Egypt returned? What next? The Nile turning to blood? Locusts? Hailstones?" Shaking his head, he rings the doorbell.

[Aliktren]

The Driver looks as perplexed as anyone when challenged by Mr Rawson, "not like this earlier sir, perhaps the storm" and he shrugs, and turns, watching Aswald in amazement.

For Mickey, the doorbell remains unanswered,and the elaborately designed doors adorned with ancient Egyptian motifs remain firmly closed.

[Garrett]

OOC- I didn't quite understand the last post, does that mean the door was locked for me and Mr. Handy too? If so Aswald tries to pick it with his skeleton key.
http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3884405/ success 49.

[Tabs]

Once more unto the breach, dear friends!"

Isopel wracks her brains for a suitable Shakespeare reply, but alas, she wasn't paying attention during Mr. Ramsay's English Lit. class. She giggles: "He-he!"

[Aswald] begins viciously stomping and hacking with his machete into the giant green blanket

She presses her nose to the glass of the car window.

"Do you think he's alright? In the head, I mean."

"Miss Gelert, perhaps it is prudent you wait in the car for a moment longer."

"Yes." She watches the moving mass of animals in the courtyard. "Frogs, why did it have to be frogs?"

[Tabs]

[ooc: I think that no one has answered the doorbell and the door is locked.]

[Aliktren]

OOC - position check,yes you guys are cracking on so two of you were heading to the door,I assumed as Mickey simply strode there he now has both messy shoes and was first there, as no hacking was involved!! OOC : dont forget there are 5 peeps in the party - at this point Aswald and Mickey are by the door together, Isopel is in the car with Mr Rawson and Terry just be aware you may need to go a little slowly now so we all enjoy the innards of Chicago House without missing anything :)

After a very brief struggle with the lock Aswald hears a satisfying snick and the door is unlocked and can be opened.

[Garrett]

"Haha!" Aswald yells as he pushes the door open. "IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A RUN FOR THE HOUSE NOW IS THE TIME!" He yells back at the car before turning to Michael, "We should probably wait for them before we continue huh?" he says grudgingly, clearly wanting to get in the house and away from the rain and vermin outside. He then looks back into the courtyard where he had dropped Isopel's bags, and I should really go back for those, ah screw it I'll just say I forgot about them in the heat of the moment He thinks to himself.

[Cearlan]

"Just wait here ma'am till we see what's going on hereabouts." intones Terry gravely as he heads out of the car, crunching on the carpet of amphibians with his full weight.

Grimacing at the feel of crunching bones under his feet, he calls to the driver "Is there any way you can get closer to the steps man?"

Ascending the steps up to the portico he reaches Aswald and says "Great job with the door there - didn't get your name back there by the way."

[DrPeterson]

Rawson frowns deeply, trying to grasp something of the cacophony Aswad shouted, but gives up with a shrug.
He looks back to the driver and nods in a friendlier fashion than before.
"Yes, it must be the sudden downpour that drove those creatures out of hiding!", he proclaims knowledgeably, subtly echoing the driver's assumption.

Spoiler:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3885181/Natural History Fail

Spoiler:

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3885190/Fast Talk Success

As Terry gets out of the car, Rawson notices the open gate and exclaims his delight.
"Ah! It looks like the door is open after all!"

Quite oblivious he tells the driver:"I trust you will see to our luggage being brought inside?"
Not really waiting for an answer, he turns back to Isopel :
"Miss Gelert, might I have the honoured of trying to escort you through this amphibious maze, or shall we ask Mr Morton to carry you?"

Rawson awaits Isopel's answer outside of the car, rivulets of rain running down his face and trailing his scarred cheek.

[Garrett]

"Aswad Chafulumisa my friend." Aswald replies happily, returning to his calm, friendly demeanor now that he is somewhat removed from the craziness about. Aswald peers into the darkness of the house but waits for the others before entering.

[Mr. Handy]

"Yes, nicely done," Michael says to Aswald. He also looks inside through the open door.

[Tabs]

the courtyard where he had dropped Isopel's bags

. . . and as Terry heads to the portico.

"Mr. Morton, please would you pick up my luggage, especially my crocodile skin suitcase, on your way to the house. Aswad seems to have dropped them--in his struggle with the frogs."

"Miss Gelert, might I have the honoured of trying to escort you through this amphibious maze, or shall we ask Mr Morton to carry you?"

"Escort me, please." She ignores the other suggestion.