Chapter 10: November 1st

[Snapper]

Crozier:

Psych 40%,0 [ooc]Success[/ooc]

[HoneyDog]

Crozier & Isolde,When Isolde mentioned about the dog-thing travelling through corners, Vandorff's eyes flickered in recognition. He definitely knows something.

[Snapper]

Crozier:

The Captain gives a grunt of both frustration and surprise.

"He knows more than he's saying. Drugging me does not make me like you more. Talk, you fool."

Crozier lets his brooding anger show for a moment.

[HoneyDog]

“What do you know, Doctor?” asks Blessing. “Talk to us.”

Vandorff shakes his head.

“Nothing! I didn’t talk to Joan. I told you already!”

[Philulhu]

”It’s your choice, Vandorff!” snapped Vic. “You either help us and tell us what you know, or you’re surplus to requirements. If you’re the latter, well, we might soon be in need of a sacrifice...”

[aine]

“You’ve seen it? Haven’t you? Was it when you sent poor Billy back to the beginning of time? And then somehow he brought the dog-thing with him. And now it’s wandering around in the corners here.” Isolde glances at the corner of the room.

[Mephistophilis]

Harry walks behind Vandorff's wheelchair and puts his hand on Vandorff's shoulder. He crouches down and whispers in his ear, 'I'm in no mood for being patient.' He takes the handles to Vandorff's chair and tips him onto the floor, standing above him. 'Don't make me angry, doctor.'

[HoneyDog]

“This is outrageous!” shouts the Doctor from the floor. “I haven’t seen what you’re talking about!”

“Then what do you know?” asks Blessing.

“Get me up!” Vandorff shouts.

Blessing gets him back in the chair, and Vandorff shakes the dust from his sleeves, his face red with anger.

“You have no right to treat me this way!” he screeches, but it is clear he is rattled.

Blessing points at the vials of the Liao drug.

“Perhaps you could get some first-hand information for us? My associates here aren’t sure that the drug really works. A little demonstration from you could help persuade them. How would you like to return to the dawn of time, like Billy?”

“No!” says Vandorff quickly. “All I know is what I read.”

He sighs.

“In that book”, he points to the Prinn volume on the bench, “mention is made of creatures that move and hunt through time. I realise now that that must be what Joan saw, or rather saw her. It should contain a means to stop it.”

He points to the shelves.

“The Hermes Trismegistus also mentions otherworldly creatures.”

[Philulhu]

”How long until this dog-creature returns?” asked Vic, approaching Vandorff and looking into his eyes. “Quickly now, Herr Doctor - we haven’t got all day!”

[Mr. Handy]

"Where in these books can we find the information we need?" demands Alexander. "We havena time to read the whole things."

[HoneyDog]

“I don’t know” snaps Vandorff. “The books are not indexed. You’ll just have to read them. And as for when this creature arrives, I have no idea. I told you, I only know what is in the books, and that was a brief mention. Joan appears to be the expert, no? She has been the one keeping this creature at bay.”

“Joan says tonight” Blessing reminds everyone.

“Then you’ll need a sacrifice, won’t you?” says Vandorff, with a nasty sneer. “You won’t be able to read those books in time, even if you manage to stay sane.”

[Philulhu]

”Don’t take that tone with us,” replied Vic. “Who do you think is first in line for sacrifice when that creature comes back?”

[HoneyDog]

“Ha!” Vandorff snorts. “You’re going to murder me? None of you are capable of that. That much is obvious.”

[Philulhu]

“Who said anything about murder? ” said Vic, coldly. “You have a choice. You help us defeat the creature or you will be the next sacrifice. It’s as simple as that.”

“I’ve seen what you did to that poor boy. Why would you think you deserve any more mercy that you gave him?”

[HoneyDog]

“If I’m your sacrifice, young lady, then you are obviously going to murder me.”

Vandorff shakes his head.

“This is idiotic. I am not swayed by your threats because I know you will not act on them. Nevertheless, if a sacrifice is necessary, then a suitable candidate does exist. Billy Ashworth. His existence in his present form cannot continue for much longer – indeed, he could mutate into something else entirely. I propose that you use him.”

[Mephistophilis]

Shaking his head, Harry says 'If I have to I will have no hesitation in ending you Dr Vandorff, over any poor wretch locked up here.'

[Philulhu]

Vic slapped Vandorff across the face.

“He’s not going to help,” she said to Harry. ”Tip him out. He can die crawling on the floor like the worm he is.”

[aine]

Isolde has gone pale. “We can’t murder him; we’ll be as bad as him if we do.” She whispers to Alexander so Vandorff can’t hear her.
Out aloud he says,
“Joan used those symbols to attract the creature. Is there any way we can trap it? I’m going to keep reading; I can scan the pages quickly until I find any reference to creatures and time.”
She bends her head to the book.

[Snapper]

Crozier:

The Captain had temporarily shut his eyes against the drug induced hangover, however, events woke him again.

He stands up and moves in front of Vandorff. "Stop, stop, stop! Remember yourselves, remember your stations, and breeding, and education. Well, all except Brown and Melody, and you're both trying to better yourselves."

"We do not threaten and torture cripples. How we treat our prisoners of war is a barometer of how civilised we are. And we are British. We export civilisation to the world."

He glares at Vandorff. "More civilised than your tin-pot collection of little dukedoms. And the Hippocratic oath clearly means little to you."

"If this insane doctor helps, he helps. If not, we chase this dog thing off together, shoulder to shoulder. No sacrifices of any description."

[Philulhu]

Vic stood in front of Crozier, her fist clenched. ”Did you not see what he has done to that poor boy?” she snapped. “I am all for justice and doing the right thing, but when we need him to help us, all he suggests is allowing the boy to be sacrificed! The justice he deserves should be painful and for his sake, mercifully short!”

”He would have no qualms about killing any of us and yet his weaselling words would make out us to be the murderers. Do as you will with him, Captain, but if the creature can’t be stopped then I’ll be pushing this blaggard in its way to buy us time!”