Martin Sorrell's House

[Mr. Handy]

"I'd like to see what's up that ladder," says David.

[royya]

I'm ahead of you David.
Joseph add with a smile as he slips past him and up the steps.

[Cearlan]

As Joseph makes it up to the third step, it suddenly gives way under him and he crashes down to the floor, but manages to save himself from injury because he fell into the shirts to one side.

"Oh, Joseph are you alright there?" asks Jemima innocently. "That one always creaked a lot when I used it, and I'm a fair bis <cough> a little bit smaller than yourself ... also that one there." she adds pointing to the sixth step.

[Mr. Handy]

David helps Joseph back to his feet. "Perhaps I should try next," he says. "I'm not all that big, and I have experience climbing precarious things from my work at dig sites. Now that we know which rungs to avoid, I think I can make it."

[royya]

Joseph curse under his breath as he now been taught a lesson "Not to jump first as a monkey into the hole". He throws the clothes to the side as he helps himself up to his feet.

[Cearlan]

OOC,So who is going up the steps then?

[/color]

[Mr. Handy]

OOC,I will. Do I need to roll Climb or anything?

[DeeJ61]

Jemima Thorndyke

"I'll go with you David ... It's a very big loft, I'm used to the steps and familiar with the layout up there too, between the two of us it shouldn't take too long."

[Mr. Handy]

"All right, but one at a time," says David. "Too much weight might break it. I'll go first." With that, he starts up the ladder, being careful to avoid the rungs she pointed out.

[Cearlan]

OOC,Sorry I didn't respond earlier MrH - no climb roll needed, just avoid the two steps mentioned. Anyone else other than David & Jemima? If so read the following and tell me where you are standing - I took the liberty of putting David & Jemima down where I thought appropriate, feel free to tell me where you wish to be as well.

David ascends the steps carefully and is followed by Jemima into the loft space. David offers her his hand which she accepts. Anyone who want to go up can do so with no concerns other than the creaking steps.

Anyone who comes up,The scene before you both is one that Jemima is half familiar with. The temperature in the loft is a lot higher than in the house and a thick layer of dust covers everywhere except for a 'trail' left by Jemima as she scurried to her hiding place previously - in fact seeing it she puts her hand on her chest and comments that [color=#0040FF]"I did not realise just how obvious the trail was before now."[/color] There are two light sources that you can see, a window in the north wall and behind the boxes what you assume is another window. A naked bulb hangs down and the switch on the north wall has a cable leading direct to the light. Before you are stacks upon stacks of boxes piled high. The wall of boxes seems to be impassable, but Jemima somehow found her way round the wall to her hiding space. Laughing nervously she sweeps her arm around the confined attic saying [color=#0040FF]"I wasn't expecting company so please excuse the mess. Even the light doesn't work I'm afraid, so I had to make do with a few candles I found in a drawer downstairs, ensuring of course that nosey neighbours didn't see. There are untold number of mousetraps everywhere so I kept my movements up here to a minimum, and yes there are mice up here I can tell you ... at least I hope they were mice."[/color]

[Mr. Handy]

"How did you get around those boxes?" asks David. "I'd like to take a look behind them and see where that light is coming from." He pulls the cable to turn on the light bulb.

[royya]

What a mess.

Joseph says as he climbs after David

[Priest]

Treading carefully Meredith climbs up last, and steps over to the window in the north wall. He peers out at the fire escape below trying to estimate how far the drop between the window and the fire escape below.
He studies the window for a moment to see if it opens and looks for signs of recent use.

[Cearlan]

As Meredith looks out the window he tries to lift it after unlocking it and is slides open noisily. A gust of warm air blows into the room, slightly decreasing the temperature inside. The window leads direct onto the fire escape which descends on the right hand side to the next level.

[DeeJ61]

Jemima Thorndyke


Jemima replies to David
"This was my hiding place here behind these boxes, just follow the trail in the dust on the floor and you can get through."

[Mr. Handy]

"Ah, thank you," says David, making his way behind the boxes following the trail in the dust.

[royya]

What's in the boxes Jemima?
Joseph asks as he opens the first box he sees.

[Cearlan]

The trail is easy to follow, and although you have to step over a couple of boxes both Jemima and David can get there with no problem

Spoiler:

OOC,The blue freehand line

David looks down and sees that Jemima has been sleeping here on some blankets with a couple of pillows. Jemima is standing beside the head of her makeshift bed looking slightly embarrassed. When Joseph asks about the boxes, it gives her the chance to shift her attentions from David's penetrating stare.

Joseph looks down and sees a box full of papers covered with a tiny crabbed hand interspersed with some drawings that looked ... bizarre to say the least.

"I looked in a couple of them but only found paperwork in them. It would take a year to go through all these boxes." Jemima looks around mentally counting them and stopped at 45 realising she had not even reached halfway.

Meredith looks down at the well tended garden below and sees with a start the nosey Alvin Inman staring back up at him. Where had he come from, you are sure he wasn't there a moment ago?

[DeeJ61]

Jemima Thorndyke

Jemima replies.
"There was just papers in the couple that I looked in but it would take a long time to go through them all if they all contain papers ... maybe we could all take an area each and just open so many random ones for now and come back to them later if we don't find what you're looking for anywhere else in the house.
Errm ... just what is it your looking for anyway?" Enquires Jemima.
Secretly hoping to get information about anything that might be valuable, thinking maybe if she finds it first then she may be able to keep it for herself.

[Priest]

Now where the heck did he come from? Meredith scans the garden area for anywhere that Inman may have hidden from sight.