Act One, Scene 2 - The Ali Baba

[Aliktren]

When you finally locate the Embassy it is a large building in substantial grounds with several severe looking guards at the gate, you are examined carefully but not stopped from entering, the foyer is bright and airy, and you are offered seats by a bespectacled functionary who after some dithering finally sits, introduces himself as Mr Cuthbert-Mawkins and asks what he might do to help.

[Garrett]

Aswald strolls in, and takes a seat, but says nothing.

[Mr. Handy]

Michael stands to one side to allow Isopel to come forward and speak first, as she is actually British - not to mention much prettier than he is. While he has a silver tongue, he'd rather hold off on using it unless it proves necessary. His Irish accent would not go over that well.

[Tabs]

Isopel mentally steels herself; she unbuttons her expensive fur coat to reveal her necklace of pearls. Sitting down beside Mr. Cuthbert-Mawkins she says in her best English society accent:

"My friend, a Mr. Herbert Rawson,--a prominent British business man--has been mistakenly arrested by the local police. We--his colleagues--are most concerned for his safety. Can you find out where he has been taken? which police station? " She adds: "Mr. Rawson is a gentleman."

[Aliktren]

"Arrested you say!" he seems about to say something else but notes Aswald and appears to reconsider....

Well, this is terrible, just terrible madam, let me at once telephone the Egyptian Police and see if we cannot put this matter straight at once"

He picks up the extremely modern looking phone, complete with a large dial and a small trumpet at one end and after a stilted conversaqtion with the Operator is put through, apparently to the police"

"Hello is that the Police, yes, British Embassy here, I believe you may have arrested a British Citizen last night, one err..Rawson, a Mr Herbert Rawson, a citizen of the Crown"

There is a muffled response and then a lengthy pause, Cuthbert Mawkins fills the time by smiling politely at Isopel and adjusting his jacket.

After several minutes the person on the other end responds

"No! - what do you mean no, I have a young lady here who is positively certain of the event don't you know" ...." really".... "and you've checked the cells, he couldn't be somewhere else ?" "well what do you plan to do about it !" "What do you mean nothing, damn your hide ?" " I shall be speaking to the Ambassador, he will hear of this!" with a perfunctory goodbye he slams down the receiver...

"Really Miss Golpert you must excuse my foul language, my humblest apologies, these confounded dar....err Police...anyway, I am afraid the Police have no record of your friend, no arrest listed, no British people in the cells, nothing, I am most terribly sorry my dear, I shall try again in a while but it would seem that your friend is missing at least for the moment, I wonder what could have happened?!"

[Garrett]

"Maybe he ran his mouth like a superior, egocentric dumb ass and the cops decided to leave him in a ditch for it. That would be my guess." Aswald thinks to himself with some amusement, before remembering that finding Mr. Rawson is his best bet on being paid.

[Mr. Handy]

Michael says nothing yet, as Isopel seems to be doing just fine.

[Tabs]

"O," says Isopel.

Arrested you say!" he seems about to say something else but notes Aswald and appears to reconsider....

She stands. "Mr. Cuthbert-Mawkins, would you be so kind as to come with me?" Isopel paces out of earshot of her "colleagues." "Is there anything else you are not telling me?" She bites her lip. "Please?"

[Cearlan]

Sitting beside Aswald, Terry closely watches as Isopel moves to one side with Cuthbert-Mawkins and strains to hear what is said, if at all possible.

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[Aliktren]

Mr Cuthbert-Mawkins flushes bright crimson and stammers, err, why no m'am, I was just trying to err, well, avoid upsetting your servant" and he glances in Aswalds direction "really, the police seem to know nothing of this matter, a complete mystery, are you quite sure it was the police ?", these darkies you know, all look alike and all that, ahem."

[Tabs]

Isopel whispers: "You share the opinion of my mother: 'All colonials should not be trusted.'

"Just one moment, Mr. Cuthbert-Mawkins." She returns to Michael, Terry and Aswald.

"What do we do now?"

[Cearlan]

Terry steps forwards;

"I know I am not one of your subjects, but Mr Mawson was a friend and colleague. You will no doubt have heard of the goings on at Chicago House by now? Well all I can add to what Iso ... err to what Miss G'lert has already told you is that a police car screeched to a halt in front of the building where Mr Mawson was standing and he was rather unceremoniously bundled into the car and driven off at high speed. There are a couple of the officers still guarding the building if that would be of any help."

[Mr. Handy]

"Excellent idea," says Michael. "If someone from the embassy accompanies us back to Chicago House and the guards are still there, that will prove that the police are lying - or that these fellows are not really the police at all. Funny how they showed up so soon after we arrived."

[Cearlan]

Terry thinks for a moment then says;

"Hey you know I never even thought about that ... just how did they get there so darned fast? So how about it Sir, will you either accompany us or send someone with a little authority to come with us to the police station? We'd surely appreciate any help you can give us, but I'd be prepared to bet that Mr. Mawson would appreciate your intervening on his behalf all the more."

[Aliktren]

"Well of course, umm, let me just see if we can find some embassy security people to accompany us, as it sounds like something fishy may be going on! I would like to come and investigate this myself, can't have the Queens citizens disappearing now can we ", he smiles sweetly at Ispoel.

Mr Cuthbert-Mawson disappears for a few minutes and then returns with two burly looking embassy guards with rifles slung over their shoulders, he escorts you all outside and purloins two smart looking UK Embassy vehicles and directs the drivers towards Chicago House.

[Cearlan]

Terry smiles tightly at Isopel before saying, "Don't worry Isopel, Mr Cuthbert-Mawson and his men may well soon have this sorted out and hopefully Mr Rawson will be freed."

Turning to Aswald he asks "I know we scattered from Chicago House rather quickly but did you see them take Rawson at all? did they seem familiar to you Aswald?"

[Mr. Handy]

Michael goes up to one of the trucks, opening the door for Isopel. "Yes, those goons who took Mr. Rawson will soon regret it," he says.

[Tabs]

Isopel returns a sweet smile to Mr. Cuthbert-Mawson.

"Well done, Terry."

She nods to Michael and sits in the truck. "Oh, I hope so."

[Mr. Handy]

Michael climbs aboard and sits next to Isopel, grinning. "We'll find those ruffians and make them tell us where they've taken Mr. Rawson," he says, brimming with confidence. "Depend on it."

[Garrett]

"No I didn't recognize them at all.[Spoiler-Button](I'm assuming at least)[/Spoiler-Button] I would bet some serious cash on my theory, they were police and they left him in a ditch for being an annoyance. If that's the case he'll show up in a day or two when he finds his way into town, unless they killed him which is much less likely." Aswald says, falling into step beside his companions.