Ch.13b. No.5 (Joe)

[jp1885]

While not the most observant of people, Joe tries to make sense of the mess. Can he see anything conspicuously missing, signs of a struggle or perhaps footprints or scuff marks?

[10] = 10
Spot hidden 25 d%: [ 10 ] = 10

[Philulhu]

It seems to Joe that the French priest spends so much time dealing his flock that he has little time for such earthly matters as personal hygiene and tidiness. There doesn’t appear to be anything missing from his tent, except for Pombal himself.

[jp1885]

Muttering to himself about French hygiene, Joe exits the tent and carefully ties up the flaps.

Scanning the grounds for the missing priest, he heads for the church, figuring that’s the most likely place he’ll be if not at the hospital.

[Philulhu]

Joe headed out in the direction of the church. The ground was damp and it was heavy going with mud sticking to his boots.

As he approached the church, he could see more clearly the damage it had sustained. The walls were broken down and were battered by shrapnel and pockmarked with bullet holes. It looked like some attempts had been made to clear some of the rubble, but still much remained, with the nave crisscrossed with fallen roof timbers.

[jp1885]

Acutely aware that he should be administering to his ‘parishioners’, Joe doesn’t want to hang around for too long.

“Father Pombal!” he calls, carefully moving through the rubble of the church.

[Philulhu]

There was no reply to Joe’s call, except for a solitary raven flapping its wings noisily as it landed on the stone cill of a broken window.

Can I have a Listen or Spot Hidden, please?

[jp1885]

[23] = 23
Listen 65 d%: [ 23 ] = 23

Years spent in the confession booth makes Joe better at listening than looking…

[Philulhu]

From up near where the ruins of the alter stood, there came a groaning sound… …

[jp1885]

“Father Pombal?”

Joe rushes over to the ruined altar.

[Philulhu]

Behind the alter, the French priest was lying face down on the floor. He groaned again and tried to lift himself up but his hands just pushed ineffectually against the remains of the stone floor.

[jp1885]

"Saints preserve us!" Joe exclaims as he rushes over to the recumbent priest. "Are you alright Father? What happened?"

He attempts to look the poor fellow over and help him up if his injuries (assuming he is indeed injured) allow.

[15] = 15
First aid 70 d%: [ 15 ] = 15

[Philulhu]

Clearly Pombal wasn’t in any state to talk, he merely groaned again and feebly pushed at the ground without the slightest effect.

[jp1885]

Joe rushes over to Pombal and helps him to his feet.

“What happened man? Here, let me check you over.”

[Philulhu]

Joe found his French counterpart to be a dead weight and lifting him off the floor wasn’t going to happen, but he did manage to sit him up to lean against the altar stone. Pombal muttered to himself in French as he shook his head groggily and Joe could see a large contusion at the base of his skull. ”What happened to me?” he asked.

[jp1885]

“I found you lying on the floor, out cold,” Joe replies. “Can you stand? We’d better get you to the hospital to be looked at.”

“Can you remember anything?”

[Philulhu]

Pombal shook his head. ”I heard noise. Then…” He rubbed a lump on the back of his head.

[jp1885]

“Were you hit by falling masonry I wonder?” wonders Joe, looking around for loose stonework.

“I sure hope no one clobbered you! What were you doing here anyway?” he asks.

[Philulhu]

Spot hidden, please.

[jp1885]

[7] = 7
Spot hidden 25 d%: [ 7 ] = 7
Crikey!

Joe squints through the gloom of the ruined church.

[Philulhu]

There’s very little of the church left above shoulder height. Most of it has been destroyed by shelling.

From where he stood behind the altar, Joe noticed that one of what at first glance appeared to be a carved stone panel stood slightly proud at one end. Furthermore, an arc etched in the debris suggested that the panel may open…