Play@YSDC

Foreign Office, King Charles Street- London, England
8:30 AM - Monday, September 9, 1940



Archie, Phyllis, Benjamin, and Maggie were speaking to one of two soldiers guarding the entrance to the Foreign Office on King Charles Street, not far from Whitehall, the seat of government. It was here that the United Kingdom handled foreign relations, which were more important now than ever. While the United States of America did not look likely to enter the war any time soon, its help was critical in helping Britain keep the Germans at bay. The agreement last week to provide the Royal Navy with fifty destroyers was only the most recent example.

Story, Elizabeth, Brook, and Charles arrived from one direction, while Eddie and Eugene approached from another. They were now close enough to hear the conversation.

"I'm afraid I don't know where His Lordship is, ma'am," the soldier told Phyllis. "He's usually in by now, but he hasn't arrived yet. Must be delayed by bomb damage. I'm sure if you wait he'll show up sooner or later."

While pleased to catch up with everyone else, Eugene is worried by the news that Colville hasn't turned up for work.

"I hope they haven't got to him already... Does anyone know where he lives?"

"Oh goodness, he could be in terrible danger- if it's not too late already!" Phyllis is glad to see the others but the news is very grave. She looks at the soldier, "If Lord Colville is not here then you must send telephone his house immediately and if there's no answer, send a car and an ambulance round with some of us at least. The others can explain to your superiors. Please hurry!"

persuade,(70%) roll: 54

"I don't think Kensington was hit last night," said the soldier, "but I'll have someone place the call just in case." He ducked inside.

Charles turns to Eugene "He has a town house in Kensington, we have the address, if we can't get a car from here, a cab shouldn't be hard to find".

"Oh dear, oh dear! What a ta-do." Phyllis wrings her hands. "I do hope they answer, otherwise... And that means Dr Jerkins is in grave danger too. We did warn her and she knows to stay in the light but...
Oh, we met her patient at the sanitorium this morning; he's the only survivor from the home guard sent to investigate Catherine Exeter and that animal last night. The poor man has gone doolally with the shock of it all. Mrs Duncan, Mr Klein and I came here to try and get access to the report. With little hope, I might add."

"Actually we spoke to Dr. Jenkins too and also warned her, so we can only hope she's prepared. She also told us about that poor Home Guard chap."

Eugene sighs.

"The results of the raid have been classified top secret - we couldn't get a lot of information from the local police station, but we did gather that it went very badly, with that chap being the only survivor. If those men went through what I went through, then no wonder. The authorities have sealed the area, so at least they're taking this seriously."

"The only other thing we've managed to do is get ourselves a flare gun from Eddie's HQ, so at least we've got something to defend ourselves with if our torch batteries run out."

"So what now? Shall we wait until someone gets through to Colville or go to Kensington ourselves before it's too late?

Charles looks around for a taxi.

Charles Luck:75,[dice]0[/dice]

"Well as you know the address, we don't need to wait for the military." Says Phyllis, "Bit I'll just tell the guard we will find Lord Colville ourselves." She walks up to the other soldier and gives him her message before returning to the group. "Can you hurry with that taxi, young man?"

Story looks around at the group preparing to go to Kensington and says, "What if he's on his way here now? Valuable time would be wasted, we should at least wait a moment and find out if they can reach him."

With most of the young men called up into the military, and with rationing of petrol, there were few cabs operating in London these days. There hadn't been time to train women with the Knowledge of London they would need to be cabbies. However, this being the Foreign Office, there was a black cab idling outside, but one thing was clear: they would never all fit inside it. The only vehicle large enough to carry all of them would be a bus.

Charles thinks for a second. "I know the location, and we'll need those who are capable in a fight, if needed, so Mr Lawlor, Mr...errr Story... " he looked around a bit, despairing of the seeming physical ineptitude of those around him. "...Mr Thompson, and Mrs Cruckshank. I think between the five of us it should be enough to get started, the rest of you, Westminster station is..."

Charles Know roll: 85,[dice]0[/dice]

"... just around the corner, across from Big Ben, the Circle, and District lines heading west will take you to Kensington, then just ask directions to 61 Victoria Road. " He looked to the others "Unless anyone's got a better idea?"

"There's also my car. I should have just enough petrol in the tank."

OOC,It's not stated how Eddie and Eugene got to the FO, but if Eugene didn't drive there then we could double back to the church and get the car first.

"Bless you, dear, I'm well past sixty; far too old for a fight!" Exclaims Phyllis, although the way she handles her vast and heavy handbag could just prove otherwise.

"You young ones take the taxi and we oldies will shift for ourselves; we'll wait for the phone call and then try to get there somehow as soon as we can."

Just then, the soldier returned. "I just spoke to the butler," he said. "His Lordship went out last night and hasn't returned home. Must have spent the night in a shelter somewhere, is my guess."

With Eugene's car and the taxi, everyone would be able to fit.

"But where should we go looking for him? We can't just randomly check all the shelters? Or do we hope he has come back home in the meanwhile?" Benjamin says.

"I suggest we still go to his house - perhaps his butler has an idea of where he might go, or which clubs he frequents most often? pipes up Charles.