"Most journeys begin less abruptly than they end, and to fix the true beginning of this one in either time or space is a task which I do not care to undertake."
-Goodbye. Goodbye and good luck.
-Au revoir, mes amis.
The train track turns and runs through low hills, the locomotive disappears, all that can be seen are puffs of steam; aboard it are Peter Fleming, Special Correspondent to The Times, and Ella Maillart, Swiss adventuress, they are at the beginning of a secretive--to the Chinese authorities, anyway--travel adventure. Their goal is British India.
ooc,[quote]I use Art(Cooking) for that. Amelia Delacroix in Zombie Apocalypse has it at 76%, so she is a master chef.[/quote]Okay. But what if Elisabeth rolls 100% ? ;)
Dao is a little put out that his advances toward Caroline have been thwarted; Jian and So giggle--as only Chinese men can; Ouyang looks intently at the passing houses, seemingly oblivious to any international tension.
Feng drives through Chengchow town for five minutes. He pulls-up beside an alley.
"Up these steps, Lady Elisabeth," says Ouyang. The Society men jump down and begin unloading their suitcases. Ouyang offers Elisabeth a hand down.
Santiago absently listens to the conversation whilst scanning the streets as they drive. He raises an eyebrow at Henry who looks just as flummoxed at the strange language as Santiago. When they pull up at the steps, He keeps a look out again for anyone watching them.
"Thank you," says Elisabeth, allowing Ouyang to help her down. Then she turns to help Posie down. She looks around at her surroundings, but she doesn't notice anything unusual. If I weren't wearing a wedding ring and with my "husband" and "daughter," she thinks, Dao would probably have made a move on me after failing with Caroline. Just as well. It would have been dashed uncomfortable for me, and it's bad enough he's had his heart broken once.
OOC,A roll of 100 would probably cause a kitchen fire!
Feng drives off, presumably to park the charabanc someplace off of the street.
Santiago,Nothing noteworthy catches your attention.
Caroline,Nothing noteworthy catches your attention.
"Seems like an interesting place to stay while we get our papers sorted."
Mingzhu considers Caroline and is about to comment, but---
"This way, Aunty M.," says an excited Posie, taking two steps at a time. Mingzhu dutifully follows the little girl and Elisabeth.
Ouyang stops before a rather battered, unvarnished door. The Swastika Society compound frontage is miserable and, frankly, small. Ouyang produces an enormous antediluvian key. Jian speaks:
Elisabeth & Caroline,"Come on. We're exhausted," says Jian, "especially Dao, the old goat."
"We do what we can to help the ignorant," says So to Dr. Renwick in halting English.
I bristle with indignation at being termed ignorant and raise myself up to my full height in front of So.
"Now look here old chap ... I'll have you know that I am not ignorant - I am a fully qualified medical doctor and have recently been working on the archeological site at Zhoukoudian. I resent that just because my grasp of Mandarin is not as good as it could be, that I am some backward yokel. If the roles were reversed and this was my country, you would not be treated so shabbily not be insulted so!" I turn and stomp away from So.
Playing;
Paris: City of Tears
Horror on the Orient Express
"Will two chickens even be enough for everyone?" asks Elisabeth. "I'm hungry enough that I think I could eat a whole one myself. I don't think I'm strong enough to wring their necks, however. Is there any bread? With that and the eggs we could make French toast. Failing that, I think I could scramble them."
Caroline looks over the proffered kitchen with indignant eyes.
Mandarin,[color=#0000BF] I didn't realise that the rules of hospitality had taken such a bad turn that guests were now expected to cater their hosts.[/color]
"He said we were all cooked but we were all right as long as we did not know it. We were all cooked. The thing was not to recognize it."
Santiago takes one look at the chickens and picks up their cage. "Back in a while." He disappears back outside where he breaks their necks and then sets about plucking them in a big flurried mess of feathers.
"Will two chickens even be enough for everyone?" asks Elisabeth.
"We could try our luck at chicken stew," suggests Mingzhu; "and how about pancakes?"
"Is there any syrup?" asks Posie hopefully.
As for quantity, there are plenty of eggs. . . .
A crestfallen Ouyang answers Caroline:
Mandarin,"But we are sharing our food with you, Dr. Lamarr. Besides, you are good cooks?"
"The honourable Ouyang Kunpeng believes you to be French," explains So.
Dao and Jian, carrying their luggage, leave the kitchen.
Santiago takes one look at the chickens . . .
Feng climbs the alley steps, hunkers down next to Santiago, grabs the second deceased bird, and begins to pluck feathers as well. "Yīgè rén de xíngdòng, hǎo yàng de!"
"I did mention that I'm English," says Elisabeth. "Chicken stew and pancakes are a great idea! Chicken stew will make the meat go further, and there are a lot of eggs, so we can always scramble some up. It's hard to get that wrong, and even I should be able to manage that; I just need to measure or count out three minutes. I'd like syrup with the pancakes too, but I wouldn't count on it. It would have to be imported from Canada or America."
"I'll get it," says Elisabeth, looking around for a suitable container. "Is there a sink with running water, or do I need to draw it from a pump or well?"
Elisabeth is given an amphorae type jug and directions to a well in the courtyard beyond. Posie skips alongside of her. Elisabeth passes through a low ceiled room with row upon row of pamphlets stacked against its walls; she continues outside to the well. Raised voices can be heard coming from buildings to one side.
"A kitten!" coos the little girl, picking up a tabby who is crouched beside the handle and bucket. "I shall name you Jemima"--Posie notices the furry pompoms between the kitten's hind legs--"or maybe Jeremy." She is also clutching a book.
--Ouyang 
--Feng 
--Jian 
--So 
--Dao
