London, Anglia.
Voronika got home to the East End late after the excitement of the winged monkeys. As she readied for bed, her Grandmama stormed into her room. "Why do you bring your enemy here?" Grandmama believed that the winged monkey Voronika saved was a tool of the "enemy". Veronika unwrapped it and, for a moment, the monkey's eyes appeared human; then it reverted to outraged monkey-hood. "Your enemy has seen what you've seen! Get your brothers." "Why?" "Because you must pack for your trip." "What trip?" "You must leave in the morning. Your brothers will take care of the monkey. Come with me." "I thought to use the monkey to find a missing man." "The one who commands that will find you long before you find him."
While the brothers dealt with the monkey-spy, Grandmama dug into an old trunk, eventually unearthing a wrapped bundle. "Last used by your great-grandfather." The contents proved to be an old sword, rusty, with a loose handle grip. Grandmother continued, "You will need this. It was forged on the Night of the Hunter and quenched in the Blood of the Wild Boar. It is made with starlight silver, folded one hundred times by the smiths of Old Toledo. It will protect you against spirits."
Voronika told some of her adventures, emphasizing her conversations with the Chinese boy and the spirits that came to him. Grandmama responded, "I know. I was watching." Voronika wanted to know what the spirit had said. Grandmama replied testily that she could hear the spirits if she wanted to, but it had been speaking to Voronika. The Romany girl added that the boy had asked if she could put spirits "back on the wheel"; she did not understand the phrase. Grandmama said that the wheel was a most unpleasant torture.
As she readied to leave, well prepared for the unknown travel, Voronika noted that everyone in the House was "watching" with clubs, pitchforks, and other implements of destruction at hand.
Tuesday, 21.Mar.1888
Having spent a sleepless night outside the police barricade, Arvey Penrington headed for bed.
In the morning, Voronika stopped by the General Arms, an East End weapons smith, to see about getting her sword repaired. The man behind the counter was civil and all business. For the price of the silver cigarette case (and cigarettes) that she'd picked up the previous night, the deal was struck, including a scabbard of dubious distinction and nearly a pound in change.
Madeline started her morning rounds at University College Hospital, Isabel trailing curious in her wake. She sent a message to fellow doctor MacKenzie to take the balance of her shift so that she (and Isabel) could meet the other owners of stele pieces as planned at noon.
Benjamin Steele had spent the night standing by Mrs. Oliver's boarding house fireplace. In the morning, a boarder came down and puttered around over breakfast and the paper. Noticing Steele he commented, "What an ugly statue! What can Mrs. Oliver be thinking?"
When Blake came down and greeted Dr. Fisher, the early riser waggled his newspaper and rejoined, "Terrible things in town... the fire that killed Nasmyth." Blake knew that Nasmyth had been one of the early steam mages, responsible for many innovations in that line of work. Fisher went on and on about the impropriety of setting up labs in the heart of London. Blake did not manage to change his views on anything, including the "statue" - which Blake agreed was unbelievable. After the doctor had left for his office, Blake commented to Steel, "Sorry, I was enjoying the good doctor's mistake and - I still can hardly believe it." Steele noted that he'd played along because he hadn't wanted to disturb the doctor's meal. The name Nasmyth did not ring any bells for him although Blake clearly felt that the steam mage might have been connected with the machine man in some way.
Steele noted that he was feeling parched, needing oil as others need water. By this time, having also come down, Blake's retainer's son Po asked, "Do you eat coal?" Steele answered, "Last night I ate some logs." The Chinese boy muttered doubtfully, "I suppose I could take that as a yes." The discussion turned to obtaining fuel for the machine man. Blake admitted to being penniless but knew there'd be some oil in the lamp in his room. Lok was sent up to the room for lamp oil which proved a bit insubstantial for Steele.
The morning proceeded with Steele accompanying Blake on a delivery of explosives (which proved quite remunerative for the radiologist), his mechanical presence causing a considerable stir amongst fellow pedestrians. Even newsboys shouting, "Demons attack famous adventurer" fell silent as the steel man clanked past. Eventually the group was accosted by a constable. "You must get him off the street," the officer told Blake, insisting that the machine be boxed. Steel responded, "I clearly can transport myself." The bobby winced, "Ah, a ventriloquist, too!" The constable eventually tired of verbally hassling Blake. Still, as the stroll continued, more bobbies joined as escort, trailing behind.
The group (including Penrington) gathered at the British Museum per schedule. Voronika may have looked a tad perturbed; to her, the museum was vastly crowded with people in strange clothing, aborigines, and mummies. To the rest, it was a Public Day and only those financially strapped or of the lower class who enjoy this sort of Hall of Learning wandered its corridors. However, Prof. Birch was expecting the group. It was clear that he had not slept nor cared for himself since the group last saw him; he was extremely excited over the African granite stele pieces we had provided. To his tests, they were genuine. The symbols included both the ancient 8-character Zodiac and some symbols from the modern 12-character Zodiac engraved in the ancient linear form. As the Zodiac is one way humans "organize time", this, to the professor constituted a "missing link." However, as it was incomplete and lacked context, the individual pieces could not be of much value monetarily. He believed that the stele was broken into pieces not more than 1000 years ago. (In the same vein, Birch believes he last ate "not more than 1000 years ago." Lesser periods of time are not interesting to him.)
For reasons unclear to some of the others, Voronika asked the Professor if he knew of a giant cat statue surrounded by jungle. The professor knew of the sphinx in Egypt, but Voronika said that wasn't it. Birch added that the stele pre-dated the ancient Egyptian culture by some time. Po asked for a simplified version of the professor's findings. The professor was delighted to meet a young person interested in learning, and even toned down his language. The "Zulu one" script was contemporaneous with the First Kingdom (Egypt) about 5-6000 years ago.
Prof. Birch's lecture was interrupted by the appearance of two portly gentlemen-scholars, doctors Frick and Frak, who proceeded to attach magnets to the machine man. Steele exclaimed, "Excuse me!" only to be met with "Amazing! Vocal emanations" and more technical commentary on his theoretic makeup. The two scientists very much wanted to check out his generator. Steele tried to shake one of the magnets off his hand. It flew off, towards the pieces of stele - only to veer away from the granite at the last minute. The two experimenters gathered up their magnets. Blake, by explaining about the machine man's need for appropriate lubrication, managed to shake the intruders for a time, and talked them out of some oil, though they weren't sure it was the right type, not having been able to study the powerplant.
Steele explained about the magnet and, with the return of F&F, managed to get another magnet with which to experiment. The magnets repulsed the stone and the stone repulsed the magnets: there was no north and south to it. Blake backed off to use his radiology skill (while his retainers moved as far away from him as the room allowed) and reported that the granite pieces were "black" and, most unusually, reflected none of his radiation back. Madeline looked at the radiologist with a worried frown, but Prof. Birch apparently dismissed the information.
Desiring to see her fiancé's last work finished, Madeline asked Prof. Birch who might be most interested in seeing that something like this stele be restored and its provenance determined. Birch mentioned Lord Augustus Franks (Lord Cardiff being again in Africa) and offered to write her a letter of introduction to his lordship. Madeline accepted. In order to have something to show Lord Franks, each person took their own piece of stone back into custody.
As the group asked questions, they learned that Sir Madden, Curator of Linguistics, could provide some information about the "language" of the stele. Birch said that Madden's assistant, Colvin, believed it to be a true language, but he's in Africa at this time at the University in Freetown, western Africa. [The first Anglian African outpost in the Lion Mts.] Madden would not be in until the morrow.
Concerning the origin of winged monkeys, Prof. Birch suggested talking with the Keeper of Zoology, Dr. Owen Thomas, a quite young man who works hard enough to be at the museum even on a public day. During all this questioning, Po and Voronika had been conversing quietly, apparently about the gypsy's encounter with her grandmother. Po spoke up and told Blake that the "monkey could see." With that thought to mull, the Party found its way to Dr. Thomas' lab. The doctor answered the door in a smock smeared with red and brown; he was in the midst of dissecting one of the winged monkeys brought to him by the police. He was pleased to show the anatomical details to those interested (Madeline and Isabel). The wings were authentic, the skull like that of the (smaller) monkeys of the mountains of W. Africa, and they could only be "sprint" fliers with a range of some 100 yds. As the conversation took a more practical turn (one would have to be able to "stand the smell" to keep a group of these monkeys in captivity), introductions went around. Dr. Thomas was extremely pleased to meet Isabel; he very much wanted to meet Mr. Courtney, having himself dreamed of going on a big game hunting safari someday.
Finished with the professorial side of the day, the group left the museum discussing their next move. It was agreed that Madeline would send her card to Lord Frank's office, and the group would reconvene in the late afternoon to follow through that avenue.
In response to Madeline's question, Voronika could offer no idea of who the enemy her grandmother had mentioned was. Po asked if the Romany had any legendary enemies. Although Voronika knew of werewolves, etc., she could think of nothing applicable to the situation of being able to command winged monkeys and desirous of an archeological treasure stone. Po asked to speak to her grandmother. Voronika said, "If you are willing to pay her, she'll talk to you." Further discussion resulted in Po and Steele escorting Voronika into the East End where the gypsy intended to earn a bit of money with the display of her odd acquaintances.
Meanwhile, Isabel was determined to check a radius around both her hotel and the SoGaFS building for monkey spoor. She was accompanied by Blake, Penrington, and Madeline. Her energetic efforts gained them evidence of a large horse, large wagon and monkeys, as expected, in a back alley appropriately near the Hall and the burnt-out building, where the wagon must have waited for sometime. (Her efforts also gained the gentlemen present further evidence of a very nice, trim ankle, despite Madeline's attempt to warn the younger woman.) No evidence had been left to be found near the hotel.
Back in the East End, spectators - including several policemen -- had gathered and Voronika was "working" the back of the crowd when she felt a knife in her side. A voice added, "This vay, Voronika. There're some debts you owe." Voronika screamed, "Thief!" which Steele's sharp hearing caught. The assailant stabbed her for 4 &16 in the stomach; she was stunned.
Steele started running through the crowd. A cop, mistaking the mechanical's motives, held up his billy club and shouted, "Halt!" Po trailed Steele in bewilderment.
Voronika recovered only to be hit again, in the shoulder, for 2 & 6, while an Accomplice grabbed her reticule. Keeping her presence of mind, the young gypsy held on to the bag, trying to dodge and shouting invective.
Steele detoured around the police and eventually spotted the brightly-garbed woman.
Almost like magic, the crowd (and assailants) evaporated, leaving Voronika bleeding and clutching her reticule tightly. "This woman needs help," the machine man told the police.
Unfortunately the police did not read the situation the same way and took all three of Our Heroes down for questioning at the local precinct.
At the appointed time (before the offices closed for the day), Blake, Penrington, Dr. Davis and Miss Courtney met to see Lord Franks. His lordship was polite about not being able to see the rest of the pieces described by Blake's rubbing. His expertise indicated that they came from the ancient Empire of Mali in West Africa whose greatest king had been Mansa Masa and its capital had been Ife. Lord Franks believed that Colvin thought that there was a pattern to the writing but that Sir Madden thinks that it is "score keeping".
Blake proposed that Lord Franks sponsored an expedition to learn more about the Stele of Aries. Turning from the man, his lordship directed a question at the ladies, "Would Dr. Davis and Miss Courtney intend to be part of such an expedition." His lordship seemed almost jovial, "There has never been an expedition headed by a woman. " Startled by that last statement but, apparently, quickly making up her mind about something, Madeline said, quietly and firmly, "Yes, I would." She was echoed by the younger woman. Lord Franks proceeded to direct Madeline on familiarizing herself with the standard contract for such expeditions, to be found at the SoGaFS, saying that if she was still of this same mind on the morrow, he would fund her expedition - though he still wanted to see the missing pieces.
Eventually, the police released the boy Po who, being unfamiliar with London, soon became lost. He found first a park and then a Druidic Cathedral Grove. It started raining. Eventually he climbed to the roof of a tall building and, watching the evening lights come on throughout the city, meditated. Thus he was able to contact his father Lok. "I'm lost." "And I am supposed to know where you are?" "I found a Cathedral Grove." "There are five. Wait there. I will send for you." "But that takes money!" "Last night I won." Thus it was that a cabbie picked up the sodden Chinese boy and returned him to Mrs. Oliver's boarding house. Polly met him sympathetically and proceeded to "fix him up" with a spot of tea. Despite the fact that he speaks almost no Anglish, the elder Luk had sent five cabbies to the five Groves in order to insure Po's safe return. [What, you've never seen a Chinese cabbie?] (The elder Lok seems to have more money than the rest of the group combined.) [Seems?]
Worried about their missing Party members, Blake, Madeline and Isabel stopped by New Scotland Yard. Isabel intended to inquire of the Inspector about the return of her belongings, but he greeted the ladies with, "You got my message!" Not having been home, they were startled to hear that, at noon, the police had received a ransom note, demanding 1000 pounds for the safe return of Mr. Courtney. The money was required to be left by a tree in Regent's Park that very evening. The note was constructed of butcher paper and cut-outs from the Morning Gazette. Isabel, unfortunately, had no means of raising such a vast sum, so the Inspector assured her that the police intended to stake out that tree in order to apprehend whoever came for the money. On the other subject, he had heard that a machine man had been causing disturbances throughout London today.
Blake and the ladies returned to Mrs. Oliver's boarding house. There they learned about the altercation with the police and the fact that the gypsy and the machine man were still under arrest. Po was uncertain as to just where, though he thought it Station 9. The women bid farewell and were gone before the befuddled boy remembered to mention that Voronika had been injured.
Wednesday, 22.Mar.1888 The police released Voronika at dawn. Careful of her injuries, she made her way to an early coffee shop, Lloyd's, and sat to wait for help, having sent a local courier to Blake's boarding house with a message noting that she'd been injured. Upon receipt, Blake considered hiring a cab but, still having no "mad money", decided to walk with Po.
Madeline rose early in order to visit the SoGaFS and peruse the Standard Contract, not being able to afford the transcription fee to have a copy made that she could take away. She studied it carefully so that she could repeat its contents to the others of her group. It was somewhat breath-taking to realize that, in return for significant considerations in any finds, Lord Franks would be paying some 500 pounds per person for the expedition.
Finding Voronika in the coffee shop, Blake left her in Po's care while he went to try to persuade the police to release Ben Steele. The officer in charge refused to countenance the idea that a machine might be a man and Blake was hard put to make his case. Eventually he pointed out that the best place for the mechanical man was the Museum; the police insisted that Steele be loaded into a paddy wagon to be taken there. Unable to persuade the police to any further considerations, Blake waved to the coffee shop as the paddy wagon drove past. Alert, Voronika noticed and had Po summon a cab, following the paddy wagon at a discrete distance.
Reunited at the Museum, Voronika pulled Madeline aside in the confusion of the constabulary unloading Benjamin Steele. The Romany girl explained about her injuries. Madeline whisked them both into the ladies' cloak room, examined the wounds (which Voronika had paramedicked herself) and cast a couple of heals, noting with some relief that no operation that invoked other of her mental skills was necessary.
As Blake explained to the rest what Lord Franks has said, Po revealed that his father might be able to fund the proposed expedition to Africa. This notion was dismissed by Blake, with a snort, "Ridiculous!"
The group was in time for their meeting with Sir Madden, the group found that the elderly, hard-of-hearing scientist was willing to confirm Lord Franks' assertion about the Mali theory. He did add that the horizontal and vertical markings were not writing, per se, but, rather, month names as there have been found only 12 combinations.
Isabel found the meeting somewhat trying as her mind had been on whatever had happened in Regent's Park at midnight. The group therefore traveled on to New Scotland Yard. No one had showed up at the tree. However, the All Points Bulletin had resulted in finding, in a warehouse near the river, a mess of rinds, monkey feces, and an abandoned wagon. There was no sign of Mr. Courtney. But, clearly, the Bad Guys had left London.
[ EPs awarded: 3 (including next run, which will be in 2 weeks); Total EPs: 3]
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