Chapter 6a: The Museum (Harry and Helena)

[HoneyDog]

Harry and Helena lunch at a pleasant restaurant and subsequently go to Paice’s bookshop. Inside, that erstwhile individual is engaged in conversation with a familiar but unexpected figure – James Winter. He has been receiving an update on events from his uncle, and is concerned about his safety.

[Ebinthetropics]

Upon seeing his friends again, James Winter rushes to them, asking "Sir, madam, what the blue devil has been going on? I read in the morning edition yesterday that Major Gower was skewered on a fence like a roast on a spit. I rushed back as soon as the mess of my leave was straightened out. Some dolt in Admin confused my paperwork with that of a Corporal Winton, nice enough chap, but about a half foot taller, some matter to do with a bicycle...." he trails off, cogs still turning in effort to figure out how he could have been confused for an enlisted man... then snapping back to the problem at hand.
"Where are the doctor and sergeant major? What have you found out? Is my uncle in danger?"

[HoneyDog]

HelplessBysyander,I’m sorry HelplessBystander, I took your post out. It was confusing and didn’t refer to the question being asked. As I asked before, please read the posts more closely, look at what the other characters are saying.

OOC,Once the situation is explained to Winter (and we can just assume that he is told the facts without having to roleplay everything), Harry and Winter can both roll Idea about what step they can take next.

[Ebinthetropics]

idea=75%,[dice]0[/dice]

[Ebinthetropics]

"What a mess. Egyptian cults. Secret raids. I just don't know. Uncle," James asks, "you know these men, any lines of inquiry that might loosen tongues or open doors?"

[andyw666]

Harry laughs grimly and settles down with his pipe.

"Now, let's slow this race down a bit young James. I say, Mr Paice, no whisky about the place is there?"

"First, what we do know is both Major Gower and the Buff's former doctor have now been murdered, along with the two other chaps earlier. This is all connected to a raid on a place called Abadan by Hollingsworth and his men, and is some kind of reprisal. Far as we can see, the doctor wasn't directly involved. Seems to suggest the enemy is fairly indiscriminate."

Harry settles down with pipe and summarises what has been discovered. After which, he turns to Paice.

"Which brings us to you, Mr Paice, and the thought that you better not go home until we've settled this."

Idea,Harry is 85% and he rolls... [dice]0[/dice]

Question,Assuming Paice isn't a member, could Harry strange a room for him for a night or two at the A&N Club?

[HoneyDog]

OOC,Paice is a member of the club. He might be persuaded to spend his nights there.

Paice fetches a bottle of whiskey and some glasses.

“Well, my flat is above my shop, and I won’t be threatened out of doing business. But you’ll have my help too”.

He turns to Winter. “I’m sorry James, but it seems like the answers lay with Nick Hollingsworth. He might listen to me, but I doubt it. He’s an extremely stubborn man.”

Winter & Harry,Thinking about Faez, he must be staying somewhere. Perhaps he has a hotel room in the area?

[Ebinthetropics]

James pours a double for each of them as he starts speaking, then hands out the glasses. "Uncle, we don't need to tell you of all people that there is safety in numbers. This rogue, strong as he seems to be, has been picking off your fellow Buffs when alone (or in a crowd of mindless civilians, present company excluded of course from that epithet, Miss Helena), so why not reconsider holing up at the Club? Gather your Webley, some of your fine books here, and, oh my that IS nice," James remarks, after taking a swig of the whiskey. "And a bottle of this. Capital idea, sir," tipping his glass at Harry. "We'll escort you over there after a spell and get you installed in a room or comfy booth making sure a squad of stout comrades-in-arms is close by. Hopefully we'll meet our companions there and set out again to apprehend this fiend."

persuade=80%,[dice]0[/dice]

[HelplessBystander]

"Sounds like an idea." Helena nodded.

[HoneyDog]

”Well, yes, I suppose I could do that, at least for a night.” says Paice uncertainty. ” I hate to leave the shop, though. Actually, maybe I should stay. I can draw them out. Filthy blighters. I owe them for my comrades.”

[Ebinthetropics]

"Uncle, at least come with us to the Army Navy to meet up with our mates, whether or not you intend to stay the night. The six of us can put our heads together and mount a defense to make Rorke's Drift look like an upturned coffee table in a food fight. Here, there, wherever, but at least we'll be together. Obviously Miss Helena will wait outside if we all decide to stay there, but surely another member or two of our band can as well, to keep her company and together they can sound the alarm should the cur or curs show up. Then the full weight of our troop can come crashing down, and by morning light, the foe will be soundly defeated and your dear comrades, uncle, shall have been avenged!!" By the end of this speech, James is standing, one hand on his hip, the other with his glass raised high with the matching foot up on the seat he had been sitting in, gesturing and speaking not so much to his uncle or even the others in the room, but to England itself.

persuade = 80%,[dice]0[/dice]

After a few seconds go by in silence, James comes to his senses, looks slightly sheepish, sits back down in his seat, and sips his whiskey.
"What do you say, sir?" he asks Harry.

ooc to Andy and Bystander,what are Harry's and Helena's preferred form of address?

[andyw666]

Harry nods in agreement. "Hear, hear. Do see sense, old boy. We can't keep trying to find these blighters if we're constantly worrying about you, least of all young James here."

"And this isn't a withdrawal, it's consolidating our defences in expectation of the next assault. Rorke's Drift indeed."

Harry sips whisky happily.

OOC,No need to be too formal, Harry is a retired officer now. Harry or Captain I'd suggest.

[HoneyDog]

Ebinthetropics,Don’t worry, you only have to roll once.

”Very well” says Paice. ”I’ll stay at the club tonight. But only tonight.”

[andyw666]

Harry nods happily and knocks back his whisky. "Capital! Well, Mr Paice, if you're happy to shut up your bookstore, we'll escort you to the Club. Then we might go see if we can find where this Faez character is staying."

[HoneyDog]

“You want to go looking for Faez now?” asks Paice.

[HelplessBystander]

OOC:   Maybe lady or miss, I think.

"I suppose I will go along with this plan." Helena sighed. Perhaps slightly inconvenienced, but minor complications isn't going to put a downer on her mood. "Well, at least we have a clear goal in sight, let's go."

[HoneyDog]

OOC:   Lady is for the wife of a Lord; it wouldn't be applicable to Helena.

“Wait” says Paice. “If you’re planning to look for Faez, I’m going too. I said I’d stay at the club tonight, it’s only the afternoon now. You can take me later. This is not open to negotiation.” His tone of voice makes this very clear.

"So, what's your plan?"

[Ebinthetropics]

Hearing the steel in Paice's voice, James throws back the rest of his drink.
"THAT'S the uncle from my boyhood! Alright, since we have a few hours, why not check a few of the hotels near the Museum to see if they have an Egyptian fellow named Faez staying there?"
James gets up, and begins rummaging through the case he brought with him from the Officers' Quarters.

[andyw666]

OOC,Would our characters be able to identify decent hotels in the area of the great museum with a Know roll or something similar? Or does the Age of Victoria run to a London Tourist Guide Book I wonder? Those Victorians were an enterprising bunch.

[HoneyDog]

Paice speaks up. “There are some hotels in Bloomsbury. There’s also a lot on the north side of Oxford Street. I think we can discount anywhere too expensive, he’d probably have somewhere which is of good quality but more reasonably priced. It might be more effective if we split up to cover more ground. I’m afraid we’ll just have to pound the pavements if we want to cover everywhere. Shall we meet back here later?”

OOC,How does it sound? There's no guidebook I'm aware of. You'll just have to go door to door. I'll require a successful Luck roll.