The city of Seth

[Mr. Handy]

Or Portuguese, thinks Paula, her suspicions seemingly confirmed.

[kabukiman]

"5 men not including the leader. If you have a map I can point it".

[ghill]

"That would be most helpful" says Paulus "They do not sound like people we would wish to bump into" he adds with as genuine a smile as he can.

OOC:   Paulus will make sure that the team buys a good spread of dishes and that they leave a generous tip as well as continuing a general friendly conversation with the old man. Unless anyone else has any further questions can I suggest we move on, the more info we can gather on these guys the better but we are probably better off doing that by observing them in the field?

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,I've asked everything I can think of, and I'm ready to keep moving.

[kabukiman]

OOC: So it's late now (10 PM). What do you pretend to do? Return to your camp? Or try to find the expedition?

[ghill]

OOC:   I would personaly preffer to go back the camp, and get a good nights rest. I don't want to stumble into these guys in the dark. I'd far rather find them in the day light and then put them under observation.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,I agree, let's head for the camp.

[kabukiman]

The next day:

When you awake next day after 5 AM with the sunrise, it's still cold. You take a quick breakfast and prepare yourself.


OOC: Any special plans before you arrive near the camp?

[ghill]

OOC:   Not really. Apart from looking like credible tourists (with cameras etc etc)and making sure weapons are well concealed we need to agree some kind of story when we stumble upon them. I mean I think for typical tourists if it looks like a genuine archaeological dig then that would be interesting enough to make them want a closer look and ask questions. I certainly would.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,We could also pretend we got lost in the desert and stumbled across them, to explain why we happened to be in the area.

[ghill]

OOC:   Except we have a guide and probably want an excuse to be in the area in the future. We could even be entirely honest and say people in town told us there was a dig going on and we thought it would be interesting to take a look.

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,I hadn't remembered that we had a guide. In that case, that sounds like a better plan.

[kabukiman]

You travel for some time in a landscape flat, with of small rock; then you see an area all white. You continue for some time and it starts to be mountainous. You suddenly see a camp with 3 tents, 2 vehicles, with just one guy armed with a machine gun; the area in the camp is the limit where a car can be drive, it's too rocky after that.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/19787482@N04/6472497697

[Mr. Handy]

"How do you want to make the approach?" asks Paula. "Shall we just walk right up to him and introduce ourselves?"

[ghill]

We say heard there was an archaeological dig out here, we wondered whether this was it and can we have a look....we'll happily donate some cash to the whatever charity or establishment they represent blah, blah, blah , lots of childish enthusiasm, and if they reject our requests we walk away looking very sad for ourselves a missed opportunity Says Paulus

[Mr. Handy]

"Sounds good," says Paula. "If they're who we think they are, I fully expect them to tell us to go away."

[kabukiman]

You drive near the camp and you notice that the guard (a young man in his early twenties, maybe younger) is very nervous with your presence. He starts shouting in a broken english (but not with an arab accent):
-Private property! Go away!

[ghill]

Paulus jumps out of the vehicle all smiles, open hands and large gestures (basically a friendly idiot)

"Wow, man is this the dig? The guys back in town said you guys were conducting an archaeological dig. Paula said she's been on a dig back home with her brother he's a researcher in Native American History you know American Indians and all and well she said it had been great fun and Parker there he's got this thing for ancient Egypt and lost treasures so he thought it would be really interesting, hell we all thought it would be interesting to see what you guys were up to, so here we are. Drove right over to ask you guys see if we could have a look see or you know even move some dirt for you? We'll happily throw some cash at whatever charity or fund or school you guys are funded by."

Paulus doesn't stop speaking until he's standing right in front of the young man. He walks in a straight line so obscuring the others from the guard's view.

[Mr. Handy]

Paula follows Paulus, though it's a little difficult for him to block the view of her when she's at least a foot and a half taller than him. She has her camera out and starts taking pictures of the site and the guard.

[kabukiman]

"No picture, no picture!"- he seems furious. Then: "Go away quick, boss will be mad".
Suddenly he seems to remember he has a gun, and starts screaming:
"Go away or I use this!"