Act VIII 'All aboard the skylark'

[Priest]

Act VIII: 'All aboard the skylark'

It takes about an hour to get up the necessary steam. But with the mooring ropes untied the barge soon begins its slow journey.As you travel you see bridges and historic buildings aplenty. As if unaware of you London roots, Gray, from his wheelhouse insists on pointing out sites like the Houses of Parliament, New Scotland Yard etc. He's boring but harmless.
Suddenly Gray points to a large steamer docked alongside the north bank, it proudly boast 'SS Pimlico'.

"There she is" he mutters as he steers the barge onto a mooring several yards upstream from the steamer.

Sat around the gangplank you can see four men playing cards.

[carnage_lee]

Nellie Bly

"So, this is where you dropped the crate earlier? Did you see the crate being loaded onto that steamer?" Nellie enquires as she hands her enamelled mug back to Gray.

[Priest]

Previously Nellie said:   "So, this is where you dropped the crate earlier? Did you see the crate being loaded onto that steamer?"

Gray takes the mug and throws the dregs over the side of the barge to join the dark grey waters of the Thames. As he places the empty mug on a shelf in the wheelhouse he nods.
"Aye, and those four were the ones who took it aboard the steamer. Muttered something about it being stowed below decks as he had instructed"

[carnage_lee]

Nellie Bly

"That's splendid! Nellie exclaims, smiling I am sure that Mr Wellington will reward you with the other half of his promised payment. Nellie moves over to the railing and studies the scene...

OOC:   What's the general layout like? Are they likely to be notices dis-embarking? Are then on the same side of the river? Perception (8) [dice]0[/dice]

[Priest]

Looking about you note that Gray has moored the barge about two hundred yards further up river than the steamer, on the same side. The location bears all the signs of the Thames during the late 19th Century, mud, filth and the all pervading stink of the river. Much of the bank, especially where you are has been built up to support larger vessels arriving from other lands. Large warehouses and other dockside buildings form a backdrop, on your way up river you passed under the still ongoing construction of what will become Tower Bridge (as seen in the Sherlock Holmes film).

There is little sign of life on the dockside, other than the usual swarms of seagulls. The arrival of the barge has failed to elicit any response from the card players, who carry on regardless. There is enough cover on the dockside to render your disembarkation unnoticed and allow surreptitious approach.

[Tabs]

"Let's sneak up, have a look see, and maybe overhear something useful?" says Klevendon.

[Papa Gateau]

Sneaking up on things! My kind of fun! says Roxborough with a grin and glint in his eye.

[carnage_lee]

Horatio Wellington

Wellington hand over the promised reward to Gray "Thank you for rendering us the services of your vessel Mr Gray it would seem that the end of our investigation is in sight." he says with more animation in his face than normal, like Roxburgh he too hunts prey... the methods may be dissimilar but the detective knows their quarry is near to hand. Moving over to join the others at the rail he to takes in the scene.

"'Sneaking' may be in order.. he replies to Roxborough's comment "We shall need to gain access to that vessel and do so without alerting those that may be inside, for I am sure that those ruffians are not the 'master mind' behind this plot. he indicates the small knot of men at the foot of the gang-plank.

Wellington grips the rail and studies the SS Pimlico in more detail "Roxborough you have sharp eyes... can you see any cables running onto the ship? Nightingale's device utilises electricity does it not?

[carnage_lee]

Nellie Bly

"Perhaps some kind of diversion rather than direct confrontation would enable us to lure those men away ...." Nellie ponders out-loud.

[Papa Gateau]

OOC:   Perception [dice]0[/dice]

Roxborough looks across to the other vessel I don't see anything obvious - let me get my binoculars out

[Priest]

With the aid of his binoculars, Roxborough can see a long black cable running from the nearest warehouse to the ship. It appears to run alongside the gangplank and disapear somwhere aboard the boat. He points it out to Wellington.

[carnage_lee]

Horatio Wellington

Wellington hands back the binoculars after taking a look for himself. "Thank you, my dear fellow." he says, his mind already working on a plan...."What weapons dis you happen to bring old boy?" he asks.

[Priest]

OOC:   Alack and alas, I seem to have misplaced the calibre of Roxborough's rather large hunting rifle which he is of course carryng in its case.

[carnage_lee]

OOC:   From memory it was a .70 ish? Huge calibre - I was trying to see if we had an more handguns available. Just checked - it was a .75!

[Papa Gateau]

I have Bertha here Roxborough taps his gun case affectionately What deviousness are planning dear boy? he asks conspiratorially.

[Tabs]

"If Mr. Roxborough is to climb the cable, he surely cannot take that monstrosity with him," says Klevendon, whilst looking at "Bertha." He adds: "That is the plan, I take it?"

[carnage_lee]

Horatio Wellington

"Climbing the cable was not my intention, dear fellow." Wellington says "I deduce that the cable is supplying the current that enables Nightingale's portal to operate, logic would dictate that if we sever that cable then the threat of any more reptilian monstrosities being drawn forth would vanish."

Wellington stops and turns looking at each of his companions in turn, "You realise, of course, that the very fact that the machine has been connected to a power source means that the mastermind behind this plot does intend to utilise the portal, we have to act swiftly to avoid disaster!" He smiles thinly, the endgame has started and Wellington relishes solving this 'mystery'... 'one in the eye' for his more famous 'rival', Holmes. "We need to render that machine inert and take the villain that has been orchestrating this plot to justice." he grips the hand-rail so tight that his knuckles turn white, eyes wide with an intense gleam.

[Tabs]

"Climbing the cable was not my intention, dear fellow." Wellington says

"Oh," replies Klevendon quietly and with a faint colouring of the cheeks.

[Papa Gateau]

Roxborough eyes the distance between the two vessels, his eyes flicker to the flag at it's stern as he gauges the wind strength and direction and then finally he checks the chop and swell of the tidal river.

A slight furrow creases his brow as he ponders the shot It's by no means an easy shot Wellington but I've made harder than this before. You can rely on Peter Roxborough and his trusty Bertha.

Yes, definitely - we can take that cable out! he smiles confidently.

[Priest]

OOC:   Papa G You will need 5 successes to make this shot. You may of course add Style points to your skill of 8