Railway Station Waiting Room

[Mr. Handy]

"Perhaps the station master went to the gents for a bit," says Kate, "though he picked a fine time to do it." She turns to Artemis. "You could see if he's in there, unlike us. Mr. Hagan is already looking about upstairs. I'll visit the ladies' waiting room and see if there's anyone there."

[Ejstricker]

"Perhaps that new fellow over there knows something of the missing station master," says the countess to Kate, glancing sidelong at Frank Durant as he enters.

[Ritterton]

'I agree, that may be where he is at. But, he's cutting it close if we are to catch a train in a few minutes." Artemis nodded in agreement to Kate's suggestion. He looked at his wrist watch, shook his head in disbelief, and walked into the Gentlemen's Restroom.

[Mr. Handy]

"I think he's only just arrived," says Kate, "though it wouldn't hurt to ask him - and warn him of the danger. Would you like to, or shall I?"

[Ritterton]

Artemis walked back into the waiting room with his walking stick taping out a staccato that accented the puzzled scowl on his face. In his left hand was filled papers.

"I think this is the oddest train station, Artemis spoke at the ladies and the new arrival. "I wasn't able to find the Station Mayer, but did find a stack of these rambling, bewildering I guess religious pamphlets."

He waived them out in front of him as he came to a stop near the ladies.

[RhinoRat]

The tapping of a cane stirred Frank from his thoughts. He looked up to see a gentleman waving around some pamphlets, and inside Frank hoped it wasn't a Bible-thumper trying to spread some "good word". He didn't have anything against Bibles....or thumpers for that matter. He just wasn't currently in the mood, and didn't want anything keeping him from a good seat on the train.

He thought one of the ladies glanced in his direction, which seemed unlikely, but he offered a small smile and a friendly nod just in case. He certainly didn't want to seem rude. But he also didn't want to seem like he was staring, so he quickly glanced back down at his watch, then went back to waiting for the train.

OOC:   Can someone explain how to get an image in your post? Apparently I am doing it wrong. Thanks!

[Overlord87]

Well, this is getting better and better, thinks Jonathan as he reads the religious pamphlet. He can almost feel the ideas for a new novel gathering in his mind... the strange medallion, the mysterious pamphlets, the missing station master... then the train finally arrives, but once aboard the passengers start disappearing one after another... yes, this strange prank could clearly give him some inspiration.

"What time is it? I think the train will be here any minute now. Then the station master is bound to make his appearance... right?"

[Ritterton]

Artemis laughed aloud and then caught himself. "Sorry, sorry, it's just that we have all been trying to figure out where that man actually might be. As it seems he has left the station, and us waiting here without out him."

Artemis smiled and walked over to the new addition and extended his right hand. "Artemis Richter, welcome to our little strangeness."

[RhinoRat]

OOC:   I am assuming Artemis is talking to Frank (as the new guy). If not, let me know and I will delete this post. Thanks. I am still getting the hang of things.

Anyone looking at Frank might notice he is just slightly below average in height, with a cheap ill-fitting suit that makes him seem just slightly underweight as well. Overall a very common looking person. Not unattractive, but certainly not attractive. Just your plain average Joe. Possibly a little more rundown looking than most. The only thing that might make him stand out is his strikingly black hair and moustache, and a quiet air of self confidence.

"Nice to meet you. Frank Durant here," he says taking the hand that was extended toward him and shaking it firmly.
"Who is it you are looking for? And what do mean 'strangeness'?" , he asked with a wry look still afraid that the man might be interested in saving his soul.

[Mr. Handy]

"And I'm Kate Lacey," says Kate, joining them. She's a tall, pretty woman with black hair. She wears a black dress with a purple overcoat on top of it. The dress is elegant, but it is a couple of years old and slightly out of fashion. It probably would have a cost a year's worth of ration points these days and was obviously acquired before the war. "We're trying to find the station master. Here, I think you'd better read this. One of our fellow passengers found it." She shows him the letter.

[RhinoRat]

Frank Durant

"I am very pleased to meet you Miss Lacey", he says with a nod in her direction, "The Station Master? I was just talking to him not too long ago, I am sure he is around."

He pauses for a moment thinking.

"I saw two fellas earlier walking away from the station, but I think they were the drivers of the cars parked outside. Neither one looked like the Station Master though. I found it odd that they drove down, then walked to a car that was waiting for them back up the road a ways.....but I guess that doesn't help at all with the Station Master. I am sure he will be around. I have been here for a few hours, and he normally gets busy right before a train shows up, so he is probably just taking care of some last minute duties."

He takes the letter Kate Lacey was holding out, reads a few paragraphs, and scratches his head. He hands the letter back and says, "I am sorry Miss, I am not good with riddles and such. I don't actually know what to make of that. Where did you find it?"

[Overlord87]

"Yes, forgive me for not introducing myself earlier... name's Jonathan Alden. What I meant earlier was that while we might not be able to find the station master, he surely must be nearby... and we'll be able to meet him when the train arrives." Jonathan shrugs while adding: "Unless he's also part of the prank, obviously."

[Ejstricker]

Countess looks somewhat puzzled by all this. "Prank?" Was all the Countess questioned in an almost rude tone.

[Overlord87]

"Well, yes, prank... what else do you think this might be?", Jonathan asks, puzzled.

[Ritterton]

"Gentlemen, I don't think that we are part of a prank," Artemis looked at both Frank and Jonathan with a seriousness that matched his robe. He leaned into his hardened walking stick, the light catching the silver adornments that said YPRES, AEF, PARIS, and other places. Some bore a patina that came with decades of exposure and polish. Others, like a Zeppelin or set of Olympic rings were much newer and the edges much more crisp catching the light at sharper angles.

"Good lady, is there any reason we shouldn't consider the letter for what it may be, a warning or dare say a plea? "

[RhinoRat]

Frank Durant

"If you don't mind my asking, where did the letter come from? Who was it addressed to?", Frank asked.

The people now surrounding him were clearly from a higher social standing than he. While it didn't exactly make him uncomfortable, he was painfully aware that his opinions probably wouldn't matter much to them. But the ladies were more than attractive, and the gentlemen seemed like decent fellows, plus his blasted curiousity once again was getting the better of him. So even though he couldn't make heads or tales of the letter, and he couldn't even speak, let alone read, any foreign languages, he decided he might stick around to see where the conversation would lead. Of course the train would be arriving any minute, but maybe they could continue the conversation there.

[Mr. Handy]

"I didn't find it," says Kate. "It was Mr. Hagan who found the letter, and he went upstairs. I have no reason to doubt what's in the letter. Some of it sounds strange, but we can't afford to ignore the possible danger under the circumstances. That's why we were looking for the station master, to warn him. If this letter is right, something's going to happen to the 8:30 train. Maybe an act of sabotage, I don't know. But we have to warn people."

[RhinoRat]

Frank Durant

Frank hesitated momentarily. Internally he was debating on whether he should tell the lady that he didn't find anything suspicious or dangerous about the letter. Perhaps just trying to calm her fears would be the best course of action.

"That certainly was an odd letter Miss. My take on it was that the person writing the letter seemed to want to meet with the person the letter was intended for, so he or she was telling them not to get on the train. There wasn't really a threat against the train, it just said to miss the train and then to go home, right? And the person writing it says they are working to help England, so if you believe the rest of it then you should believe that part too, I would think," Frank calmly stated, trying to sound reasonable about the whole crazy affair. "But if there is something I can do to help, just let me know and I will see what I can do."

[Laraqua]

Something small thuds against the wall outside, not far from the door.

Photography spend for RhinoRat from the railway station platform,[list][*]Declan O'Donoghue used to be a fireman in the thirties and achieved local fame after pulling three children from a particularly deadly fire. This fame held him in good stead when he started taking pictures of people during the Great Depression. He is said to have been a handsome man, which also encouraged people to call on him as a portrait photographer though his passion has always been for landscapes. When the war began and he didn't enlist, people called him a coward. [*]That all changed in July of this year when he hauled two British airmen from a burning plane which landed well, if on fire, and while the airmen survived relatively unharmed when he hauled them to safety, he regrettably caught on fire and had to roll about to extinguish it. His face was badly burned in the ordeal but the local fellows rallied around him for some plastic surgery and he was given this position as a Station Master to replace a fellow who had left for the war. Now he is regaled as a local hero.[/list]

[Mr. Handy]

Kate nearly jumps out of her skin at the thump, already frightened by the tone of the letter. "Sir, that's not the impression I got from reading the letter," she replies. "The author told his contact to go home, not to meet him - or her." She peers at the handwriting to try to determine if a man or a woman wrote it. "It also says that the longer he or she lingers in the station before 8:30, the harder it will be to escape. Escape from what? Something dangerous, obviously. No, there's nothing innocuous about this letter, and that's not even taking into account the Arabic portions, which I can't read. Miss Aston could, and she was even more terrified than I was. She rushed outside just before you came in, so you may have seen her. Right before she left, she said she wanted nothing to do with terrorists or Dark Pharaoh cults, so I suppose she must be trying to flee."