Act One, Scene One - Arrival In Luxor.

[Cearlan]

OOC,Track Roll[url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/3959627/]1d100=20[/url]

[DrPeterson]

Rawson looks around somewhat befuddled, startled by the gunshots and he walks hurriedly after Mickey. He puffs, clearly not used to the commotion and exclaims exasperated.

"I say, Mr Finn, is Miss Gelert insinuating we run from the police? What utter madness! We shouldn't have left the poor girl with the professor's corpse, she's beyond herself with grief! You go help Mr Morton and I'll calm down Miss Gelert."

[Mr. Handy]

"I grew up in Ireland before and during the rising, sir," says Michael, running now. "When the police were on their way, running from them was an extraordinarily good idea!" He hurries for the exit, following Terry and Isopel.

[DrPeterson]

"I see."

Rawson looks around the entrance and lets out a deep sigh as he sees his Bollacher's covered corpse.

"You go on and catch up with Mr Morton, Mr Finn. I'm more than curious to find out who fired those shots, but as expedition leader it's my duty to address the police, besides, I think I owe it to my friend to make sure they don't make a terrible mess of the place."

[Mr. Handy]

"Right, boss," says Michael. "Take care." He speeds off to catch up.

[DrPeterson]

Rawson nods at Mickey, straightens his coat and moustache and walks to the front door to await the police.

[Aliktren]

ooc - oops,thanks - - should have checked that roll more carefully ;)

[Aliktren]

Terry Chasing the Fleeing Gunman

It doesn't take Terry long to find the fleeing figure, a somewhat portly gent dressed in fine servants garb is trying apparently unsuccessfully to scale the wall surrounding the grounds, as you approach he turns and looks at you in terror, he screams a few broken phrases "Tomb... so dark.." "Professor.. stone ... Keystone...Old Ones... Nile" at this last he brings his hands up to his face and screams, gouging at his eyes until the blood pours freely between his fingers before collapsing on the ground, unmoving and silent.

[Cearlan]

"Damn and blast!" curses Terry as the prone figure lies there uncaring and finally at peace. He tries to remember the words Aswald used for the fallen professor, "‘Oh Allah, this man is now under your care and protection, protect him from the trials of the grave and torment of .... the torment of .... hell I can't remember." He takes a deep breath to calm himself.

"Whatever torment this poor soul suffered, he deserved a far better end!" Terry bows his head for a moment's quiet contemplation.

"Merciful Lord look after this soul who died in extreme torment. I know he ain't a believer ... shoot neither am I really, but .... just look after him now his suffering is over."

He looks around and tries to determine how far away the sirens are and where the nearest exit lies.

[Tabs]

Isopel follows the outside wall to the front of Chicago House, all the while ducking down behind it, hoping that doing this and the dark will conceal her; her plan is to watch on the police.

Aliktren,Isopel wouldn't know about Cthulhu, etc.

[Aliktren]

Rawson, waiting for the authorities....

Spoiler:

OOC - it is assumed at this point that everyone else has spread out away from the building as per your posts, so you may or may not be able to observer what happens to Rawson.

Through the rain two police cars slide up to the entrance to Chicago House, and nine police officers disembark. The apparent leader points to Rawson standing on the doorstep and mutters something to the others in Arabic, and Rawson is grabbed and thrust against one of the cars, arms pinned behind him and placed in handcuffs. (ooc - any protestations are ignored)

Six of the police then enter the building, and after several minutes where you can dimly hear scattered and panicked shouting from within, one of the men emerges, there is a hurried conversation and then one of the cars departs, perhaps for the hospital, perhaps for more officers.

Rawson is wordlessly dumped into another car, and the car departs.

The officers do not check the grounds, and after a few minutes all but two of the men depart, and those two stand guard at the front door, muttering to each other and smoking cigarettes.

[Mr. Handy]

When the police are gone except for the guards at the front door, Michael speaks quietly to Isopel and Terry once he finds them. "Well, that's just swell," he mutters. "If only Mr. Rawson had come with us. We'll need to figure out where they've taken him and get him out." He shows the journal he picked up to the others. "We found this in a desk drawer. And there was writing on the mantlepiece. I decoded it as 'AWAKEN OLD ONES. FLOODING NILE.'"

[DrPeterson]

Despite the officers ignoring him, Rawson doesn't go without protest and over the weather and sirens, you can hear a few fragments of what he is shouting.

"...You can't do this to me, I'm an Englishman!...
The embassy will hear of this!..."

[Tabs]

"Mr. Finn, am I glad to see you! What on earth is going on? Mr. Rawson is right, you know,"--she struggles to conjure up an inoffensive name for the Egyptian police--"those natives have no right to treat an Englishman like this . . . when word of this gets out . . . " She looks at the journal, but doesn't comment upon it.

"I suppose we ought to go to the police station."

[Cearlan]

"Pompous ass, suppose we'll have to bail him out," mutters Terry shaking his head regrettably.

"The phrase 'AWAKEN OLD ONES. FLOODING NILE.' means nothing to me I'm afraid, but perhaps there is more to be learned from this book. I known the Nile floods every year, and there are stories about the old Egyptian Gods, Ra, Osiris and all them, but there are no guarantees that this is what this refers to. We can either get away from here to study it more, or do you think it worthwhile getting inside - possibly through the back door Isopel, Aswald and I found and continue our search. There only seems to be the two officers left here, and they are not the most diligent police I have seen." Terry looks around for responses from the group.

[Mr. Handy]

"Not as pleased as I am to see you, Miss Gelert," says Michael with a smile. "Mr. Rawson told us what to do as they were dragging him off. Before we go to the police station, we should visit the British Consulate. They don't look too kindly on my people, but they look after their own. Once they hear of how the Egyptians are treating him, they'll help us spring him. Times may be changing, but they still have some influence in Egypt.

"We could try to slip back inside through another entrance and poke around to see what the police missed, but we'll need to be very quiet so we don't alert the two they left outside the front door. They don't seem the most attentive lot, though. Speaking of Aswald, has anyone seen him?"

[Tabs]

As Terry speaks she pulls from her greatcoat pocket the drawings and carvings--octopuses and such like--she found in the nursery. "These are a bit fishy! Even the children were obsessed by watery ideas."

"I'd go to the British Consulate," says Isopel, ". . . but I don't know where it is. Aswald will know!" She adds: "I haven't seen him for a while, like you, Mr. Finn; he ran when he heard the police sirens."

"I don't like the idea of going back inside--too spooky! But if you fellows want to, I could wait in the kitchen?"

[Cearlan]

OOC,[color=#FF4000] Is the British Consulate close by? Despite being an American, having spent eighteen months in Cairo, what's the chances that Terry knows where it is[/color].

"We might be able to drop you off at the your Consulate Ms G'lert and if Mr. Finn is up for it he and I could come back - we may even find Aswald upon our return. Would that be more agreeable to you Isopel?"

edit;- changed Embassy to Consulate as per Mr Handy's later post

[Mr. Handy]

"I'm up for it," says Michael, nodding.

OOC,The British Embassy is in Cairo, the capital, but other cities would have consulates.

[Tabs]

"Okay, let's do it," says Isopel. "My suitcase: I'll wear my coat and pearls--to make the right sort of impression at the consulate!" She suddenly becomes serious, as if previously she had forgotten the gravity of the situation. "We'll save Mr. Rawson. Why, we are all owed money, aren't we?"