Catholic Mission

[Tabs]

In the parlour--

Mrs. Quan has a tray of sesame buns, fresh from the oven. She stacks these upon a plate and hands it over to Renwick.

In the refectory [breakfast room]--

The gentlemen stand as Elisabeth sits herself back down at the table.

"I trust the--ah--reunion went well," says Mr. Grey a trifle awkwardly.

"We all think that you are marvelous," says Mingzhu to Dr. Renwick.

"Hear hear," is chorused round the table.

Father Anselm throws the open question: "So what do you intend to do next?"

[ooc: Refectory: Anselm, Pierrepont, Grey, Pavlov, Eichelstein, Minghzu, Posie, Tatsuo, Renwick, Santiago and Elisabeth; Parlour: Mrs. Quan, Li and Mae; Infirmary: Kolchaks; Upstairs[?]: Arashi.]

[Mr. Handy]

Elisabeth had left the teacup in the infirmary for Mrs. Kolchak before returning to the refectory. "Thank you," says Elisabeth, accepting the tea from Santiago. "Yes, Dr. Renwick, you handled that very well." She considers Father Anselm's question. "We need to make sure that Father's letter gets delivered to the embassy, so that they know what happened. The Japanese soldiers are likely still around, however, and they'd be expecting us to head for Peking. I don't know if we can stay here much longer either. They're bound to come round looking for us here eventually."

[Cearlan]

Before taking my seat I raise my hand for attention. "Please, it was nothing more than I did too many times in the past I'm ashamed to say, if anyone deserves credit my dear friends it is Elisabeth. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I propose a toast to Elisabeth, without whose assistance things could well have been somewhat different." I hold Elisabeth's eye and smile as I nod to convey my gratitude for her help last night with the Admiral. Raising my cup I salute Elisabeth "To Elisabeth!"

"Father Anselm raises a valid point. His aid has been invaluable and we'd likely have not survived had it not been for the auspices of his mission. But the reality is that the Japanese will in all probability still be out there and looking for us. Like Elisabeth says though they will come here looking eventually. We would be poor guests if we were to bring down the wrath of the Japanese soldiers upon the Mission. With this in mind I'd suggest getting as far away as we could as fast as we can. However with Vladimir having undergone an operation of some import, we could not move him safely, and I would not feel happy leaving him behind. So we have a quandary on our laps and one that needs must be resolved with some alacrity." I take a bite out of the delicious looking sesame buns and moan in pleasure, not having realised just how hungry I was.

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you very much," says Elisabeth, blushing deeply. "You're too kind, really. I didn't really do all that much, and I wasn't all that good at it. I was practically falling asleep on my feet."

[aine]

"To... Elizabeth." says Santiago, thoughtfully. He then looks at Father Anselm and comes to a decision; the people at the Mission must be trustworthy or they'd have called in the Japanese by now; there was nothing he could do about a spy and Renwick was right, they should leave as soon as possible.

"Henry, those papers we --- 'acquired'. Our friend, Tatsao, has looked them over. One was a telegram and the other contained a list of names --- of people whose lives should be spared." He adds ominously. He looks at Tatsao for permission to continue; the big man looks up from pouring honey onto his plate, nods and pulls out the papers which he gives to Santiago.

"The telegram reads: 'Proceed Golden Pumpkin 1730 hours stop'. The letter is in Japanese too but has an emblem at the bottom: Tatsao says it's not Japanese but Chinese!" He hands the papers to Henry to look at and pass round. "Does anyone recognise the symbol?"

Tabs,Am I right in thinking Tatsao's player is away at the moment as Tatsao has been very quiet - even for breakfast! So I hope it's okay to npc him for this simple task. I assumed that Santiago doesn't recognise the symbol as he hasn't been in China very long but here's his roll anyway: [url=http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4179706/]1d100=28[/url]

[Tabs]

Elisabeth said: "We need to make sure that Father's letter gets delivered to the embassy

"I can take it with me in the truck," says Father Pierrepont; "perhaps the lanes, through the villages, to Peking?"



"If I go too? . . ."



"And us," says Professor Eichelstein. He continues, "We want to get away from here, of course we do; but maybe we can corroborate the events described in Mr. Grey's letter, if we go with him to Peking." Pavlov mutters: "It sounds like you are running away: women and children first, remember?"

Renwick said: "Vladimir having undergone an operation of some import, we could not move him safely, and I would not feel happy leaving him behind. So we have a quandary on our laps and one that needs must be resolved with some alacrity."

"Mrs. Quan could nurse Admiral Kolchak until he is well enough to be moved to Peking?" offers Father Anselm.

Santiago said: "The telegram reads: 'Proceed Golden Pumpkin 1730 hours stop'. The letter is in Japanese too but has an emblem at the bottom: Tatsao says it's not Japanese but Chinese!" He hands the papers to Henry to look at and pass round. "Does anyone recognise the symbol?"

Mingzhu blenches for a moment . . . "It's my Fathers emblem,"--she gives a scandalous, an embarrassed laugh--"I cannot think why---"


[ooc: I'll PM DSIGFUSS, to find out if he'll be back.]

[Cearlan]

"Your offer to take the truck through back lanes and remote villages to Peking is a very generous as well as a good one and well intentioned no doubt Father, but to do so, if you take any number of us or none of us puts yourself and this mission in danger, probably moreso than by us remaining here. I furrow my brow in concentration and thought. "Perhaps if we knew what the letter said as well as the telegram, for example what the list of names entails, then we may make a better informed decision. When I spoke to the sergeant on the platform he spoke of simply obeying order he was given. These orders must have originated from somewhere."

[Mr. Handy]

"What were the names of the people he wanted spared?" asks Elisabeth, curious, though she suspects that Mingzhu is among them if it truly is her father's letter. She notes with interest that either he did not ask for his own life to be spared, or his request was ignored. "And why?" She pauses to think. "Are there any maps here?"

OOC,This is the tail end of raspberry season, so hopefully he'll be returning soon.

[aine]

"If the Admiral's name is on the list, then it should be safe for him to recuperate here." says Santiago. "It is a strange way of going about writing a list. Surely a normal person would write down the names of those who should be killed, otherwise there would be no end to the killing and innocent people would be killed by mistake. As has happened." He looks perplexed. "Unless that was the point. Someone, please read out the list, maybe that will help us understand it. And a map would be useful if we have to run for it." He agrees with Elizabeth.

[Tabs]

Renwick said: "Your offer to take the truck through back lanes and remote villages to Peking is a very generous . . .

"Kind words, Dr. Renwick, but I feel it is my duty to help," answers Father Pierrepont.

"Yes, we have maps." Father Anselm adds, "But nothing too small scale; which I presume is what you require?"





Tatsuo holds the letter at arms length--"No spectacles," says he--and reads aloud in halting English:

" 'Those foreigners to be spared will be wearing a mirror disc upon their shoulder. Exterminate all witnesses.'

Tatsuo continues, "The names are Japanese ones, starting with 'Toshiro Saitou' and ten others."



"The Señor‎, Dr. Renwick and Admiral Kolchak must have killed the Japs," comments Prof. Eichelstein.

[Mr. Handy]

"The raffle tokens!" exclaims Elisabeth. "Mingzhu, you gave me one, and you gave them out to several others, remember? The admiral and his wife were the first to get them. It was your father who told you who should receive them. I've still got mine on the shoulder strap of my dress."

[Tabs]

Mingzhu has one too. She fingers it in a puzzled manner. (In fact, they all do/did, except Mr. Grey and Arashi.)

--it is the size of an American dollar coin, with a brooch pin attached to the reverse.

[aine]

Santiago catches Renwick's eye. "We were in the bar so we missed the raffle; or else we were never meant to receive a token." He looks a little put out. "I don't feel so bad about the paddy fields now. So at least the Admiral and Senora Kolchak should be safe here. And you too, Elizabeth. What do you reckon Henry - it looks like most of us gentlemen are on the hit list as expendable witnesses. Oh and Tatsao's mother for some reason."

[Mr. Handy]

"We don't know for certain that these tokens will keep us safe," says Elisabeth. "The soldiers chasing us may not have been told that part of the orders yet, or might not see the discs at long range. And even if they don't kill us, they could still..." She gulps. "...do other things to us. And not all of us have them. Father, you never got one. I wonder why Dr. Chee would want me saved but not you. Surely if anything happened to you, the Empire would make its displeasure known - but they'd have to get in line behind me! Of course, there's the possibility that this is precisely what Dr. Chee wanted. But why would he do any of this?"

[aine]

Santiago takes a better look at Mingzhu's token. "Oh, wait a moment, I do remember getting one of these as we arrived. I haven't thought of it since and I don't know where mine is now, either lost in the paddy fields or miraculously still attached to my shirt but covered in mud. I'll ask Mrs. Quan if she found it." He passes it back to Mingzhu, somewhat relieved, and turns to Mr. Grey, "Sir, do you have anything at all in common with Tatsao's mother Arashi?" And to everyone he says, "And are we all absolutely certain that Dr. Chee, forgive me Senorita, (he glances at Mingzhu) did actually die and it wasn't some elaborate trick?"

[Cearlan]

I cough to try and forestall my Spanish friend, but to no effect. "When I spoke to the Sergeant, he told me that," I nod towards Mingzhu here unsure as to how best to phrase this. "That Dr Chee was in fact a ... excuse my bluntness Miss Mingzhu, these were his words and not mine, that Dr Chee was, in fact, a criminal. I wanted to pursue this along with his rights of jurisdiction to act for the law in China, but the person I assume was an assassin which he had with him interjected and I never got the chance before Mrs Kolchak came and retrieved me from the platform. I too got one of them but Lord above knows where it lies now. If you and Dr Chee were handing out these tokens which were supposed to save our lives, then, along with that photographer chappie, then I believe we are owed some kind of answer. Or could Senor Santiago in fact be correct?

[Mr. Handy]

Elisabeth snorts with suppressed laughter when Santiago asks her father his question. "Imagine my father having anything in common with that woman!" she says. "The very idea! Anyhow, Dr. Chee's death looked very convincing to me."

[Tabs]

Mingzhu replies to Santiago: "The blood . . . and his last breaths as I cradled Father's head upon my lap: it was brutally real."

Santiago said: "Sir, do you have anything at all in common with Tatsao's mother Arashi?"

"The very idea!" repeats Mr. Grey indignantly.

Tatsuo, who is still eating, grunts and looks amused at the suggestion.

"'The photographer,' he was the first to die," says Prof. Pavlov, thinking out loud. "Of course, they, whoever they are, know who all of us are--the photographer snapped our photographs outside the Golden Pumpkin---"

"And that scribe noted down our names," adds Prof. Eichelstein.

Pavlov continues: "All that I've heard indicates that we were chosen--for God alone knows what--and that Dr. Chee is involved,"--he glances at Minghzu--"although I believe he is dead, like Miss Grey said 'Dr. Chee's death looked very convincing to me.'"

"How convoluted," says Father Anselm.

"Yes," says Pavlov. "Also, maybe what occurred was not altogether planned? . . ."

[Mr. Handy]

"Well, I'm quite sure they never planned for us to escape," says Elisabeth, "but I don't think that's what you meant. Please, go on, Professor."

[aine]

Santiago grins sheepishly, "I agree, it seems unlikely. I just wondered if Arashi might not be some type of local political subversive, or the wife of one, that Senor Grey had heard about." He considers Tatsao, busy on the sesame buns, "But I guess not."

"Maybe the assassination went wrong and Dr. Chee was killed by mistake. But i can't imagine who else there could have been the intended victim, and the way the Senorita's sister was quickly killed out of hand made it seem very likely she was a target too; she would have been easy to capture alive." He thinks back to those bewitching eyes; was it just seduction or did she have another bizarre motive as ordered by Dr. Chee. Although Mingzhu seems utterly different to her sister, he reserves his judgement on her complete innocence.

"I always thought that the assassin was in league with the soldiers, but that is only because they appeared at the same time; and that, whoever ordered the killing, also sent the soldiers to 'appear' to mop up afterwards. What happened to the assassin? I never saw him afterwards."

"Dr. Chee and his daughter purposely pinned on the discs, he wrote that these people should be spared; he must have planned for everyone else to die for some reason. I'm sure he didn't planned for himself or his daughter to be killed though, so a third party -- intercepted? Now we must decide if those papers were originally sent to the officer we took them off, or if the officer had taken them from the assassin earlier. Which would mean the assassin is Japanese too." He shakes his head, confused, "This story is twistier than a cougar's tail. Also, were you invited to the party or did you just happen to be at the railway station, like me?"