London, Anglia. Wednesday, 22.Mar.1888 (cont.)
When Blake, Isabel and Madeline decided to check in at New Scotland Yard, Voronika, Steele and Penrington chose to stay at the Museum. It had been agreed to all meet later for dinner at a pub near the Museum.
Given that the present pieces of stele did not seem to include all variations, Penrington talked his way back into seeing Sir Madden to get a list of the 12 combinations of horizontal and vertical dashes that might (or might not) translate into names of the months.
Voronika and Steele decided to hide the mechanical man amongst the Museum's collection of armor while the gypsy sought out doctors Frick and Frack to negotiate an examination of the sentient machine in exchange for what the steam magi could tell about the odd magnetic properties of the stele stones. Insisting that the examination be non-destructive, Voronika concluded the deal despite lacking the permission of the builder of the machine. Observing that the machine had "a verbal control system", Dr. Frick and Dr. Frack began conversing directly with Steele. Noting his dimensions (chest, 55"; weight ....), the scientists proceeded to test his physical requirements. They determined that Steele should use a particular heavy grade of oil ("Tastes like fine wine!") in order to function best, extrapolating that he was designed for hot environments. They theorized that in cold he would become sluggish and that switching to a light-weight oil would simply cause his gears to grind. Eventually the screwdriver came out and the scientists set up a test of the mechanical harpoon. Amongst the details noted was a plate on the back of Steele's neck: Serial #JN0001.
Eventually Dr. Frick and Dr. Frack turned to the two pieces of the stele held by Steele and Voronika. Although, again, non-destructive testing was insisted upon, they determined that the stones were not paramagnetic (having a weak alignment of the field) nor ferromagnetic (having a strong alignment of spin of the field), and were therefore a-magnetic. That is, an anathema to a steam mage. Steele mentioned that they also seemed an anathema to a radiologist - which did not interest the scientists much although they suggested that, perhaps a druid might give a better evaluation.
Steele noticed that a screw on his harpoon plate seemed too large for its fitting.
Meanwhile, back at New Scotland Yard, Inspector Grigg (Chief Inspector Lestrade is his boss and thinks he has too much imagination) told Isabel and company that Inspector Richards - who is investigating the laboratory fire - would like to question one Benjamin Steele. Inspector Grigg added that he'd had some difficulty convincing Richards that Steele was a mechanical man.
The afternoon having worn away, the group reconvened at The Pub to further discuss their situation. Voronika and Steele told of the need to have a druid look at the stele pieces. Madeline said that both her father and elder sister were druids and her father was, at present, studying in London. Madeline also mentioned to Steele Scotland Yard's interest. Penrington did not discuss the 12 arrangements of stele markings. Voronika explained that she did see dead people. (The doctor didn't seem to be able to respond to that)
Madeline had picked up an evening paper to check the scheduled departures of airships for Africa so that the group could anticipate just how much time they had. There were frequent departures, averaging one every few days. The conversation turned to the needs of the proposed expedition. Madeline carefully explained ["blah"] the Standard Adventurer's Contract that Lord Franks wished to use if he was to become their patron. It included specifications on how the expedition expenses were to be repaid out of treasure collected by the expedition and how the patron would have first choice of whatever else the expedition brought back. Having no lawyers amongst them, the group agreed that the standard contract would suit. With that, the doctor again sent off her card to Lord Franks to request another interview with him on the morrow, so that he could see all the stele pieces "in person."
Madeline described the lists of equipment used by past expeditions. She had concentrated on those expeditions that had successfully returned. She turned the list over to Isabel, suggesting that, perhaps, this expedition did not require a hot air balloon. The expenses would include such things as transportation, guns, camping gear (tents, bedding, netting, pots & pans, etc.), tinned foods, outdoor clothing, medical kit, trade goods, and - of course - native porters. Voronika volunteered to use her expertise in bargaining to get good prices, so Madeline gave the Purchaser job to the two other women. Then all the other participants were requested to consider their special needs. Steele's requirements for coal and oil, of course, headed that list. Voronika and Penrington put their heads together to consider how best a profit could be returned out of the Standard Equipment list and it was agreed that all things recommended per person would be purchased to be used as trade goods (if nothing else) once in Africa. The expedition would take several months, so people needed to put their goods in storage.
As night came on, Voronika explained that she now needed a place to stay until the Expedition's departure. After checking with Isabel, Madeline offered to put the gypsy up in her flat "although it will be somewhat crowded." Again it was decided that Steele would go home with Blake.
Thursday, 23.Mar.1888
In the morning, the full complement of stele holders called upon Lord Franks at his office. As his lordship was introduced to Steele, Po, and Voronika, the latter noticed a peculiar apparatus on a tripod amongst the other navigational equipment decorating the office. She asked Lord Franks about it and he said it was an African native copy of a theodolite, an astronomical device for measuring precisely the angles of stars in transit. A simpler version is the transit, used routinely aboard ships as a navigational aid. He was certain it was a copy, made after the Anglians had come to Africa.
Lord Franks seemed pleased to explain the theodolite's use and invited Voronika to look through it. The moment she touched it, however, she seemed to throw herself across the room, landing unconscious on the floor. Blake ducked and Madeline hurried over to check the gypsy's health. When Voronika recovered, she explained that her interest in the theodolite had been occasioned by a vision she'd had when she first touched her stele piece. The vision had been of a great stone lion in the middle of a jungle, with loin-clothed black men clustered around just such a golden instrument on a tripod. Now, having touched this theodolite, she'd had another vision. She'd been standing on the great stone lion where there were two young black men with chisels tapping at the stone in time to an older man's chant. She'd been standing next to the theodolite and, across from it, there had been a black man with painted face, feathers, and a tall staff. He had looked right at her and started to point the staff, whereupon she looked down and saw a bright light at the eyepiece of the theodolite. Her point of view dove into the light, through a tunnel and towards a shaft of light from a tower reaching to the heavens. Beyond the tower, she glimpsed a river and a city.
Upon questioning, Voronika said that there seemed to be some light in her vision but she could not now tell if it had been day or night. She also thought that the tower looked much as the drawing on the stele piece that Benjamin Steele held. Steele asked if the man with the staff's piercing gaze had seemed like the "human eyes" of the monkey she had saved; Voronika agreed that they had.
Mastering their opinions of this extraordinary event, the group proceeded unto business with Lord Franks. Madeline agreed to head the expedition that would have the goals of (1) find out where the stones came from, (2) find the rest of the stones, and (3) bring back "something worthwhile" for Lord Franks. Having come to this understanding, his lordship proceeded to introduce Mr. Pennywise, the expedition accountant. "Cost will be minimized." All charges would be scrutinized and agreed to by Mr. Pennywise, and monies in Africa would be made available upon wired request.
Then his lordship commented that he'd expected to pull some strings but had found it un-necessary. Lord Cardiff had sent word that Benjamin Steele was to be loaned the piece of the stele that Cardiff had donated to the Museum. [Almost sounds like Cardiff has found the rest, doesn't it?] Having entrusted Steele with the last available piece of stone, Lord Franks then introduced his blacksmith Mr. John Smith, a steam mage, whose task it would be to keep the mechanical man in good repair. Appropriately, Mr. Smith was a giant of a man, in scale to the mechanical who obviously interested him.
Moving on to the early afternoon, the group totted up the tasks immediately ahead of them. Blake decided to head home to work on the ammunition the guns would need, having Madeline's agreement that he would be paid as any other supplier would. That left the usual daily visit to Scotland Yard, a visit to the Grant Arms, and a visit to the Druid's Grove. Voronika and Penrington chose to picnic in the park near Scotland Yard while Isabel, Steele, and Madeline went inside. Po also went in and later asked the inspector if the black man had swirling facial paint (as in Voronika's vision.) The answer was a "perhaps".
Inspector Richards was ready to question the steel man. Steele went through his memories. He'd woken up in the building that burned and had grabbed his hat and coat from the two sets on the stand in the room. He'd left and seen the sign with Prof. Birch's name which triggered a memory of an insubstantial conversation he'd overheard threatening danger to the professor; he'd then tried to warn the professor just as the monkeys attacked. He didn't remember the fire - although the inspector pointed out that his form contains fire at all times. He did remember acting as a man and putting the stone into the mechanical's mouth - but that was some previous memory.
Inspector Richards asked, "Do you recognize this" and handed over a card case inscribed "To Benjamin Steele. Best of Luck. C." Steele felt that the case was important and that he wanted to keep it but had no direct memory of owning it. The inspector explained that Nasmyth's body had been identified by its rings, but that this card case was found on the second unrecognizable body, with the cards inside burned to ashes. All of Nasmyth's assistants were accounted for. Steele admitted that he'd had some forebodings about his human body but still didn't know if the burned body was his. He asked Nasmyth's given name. "Jason." "That might explain the serial number." The inspector then checked the aforementioned plate and commented, "This screw looks small." (Frick and Frack had not been careful in reassembling the plates they'd removed although the plates were all in the right places. After all, Mr. Steele had assisted in his own reassembly.)
Steele agreed to inform the police if any more of his memories returned, asking that the police keep him informed of any pertinent findings on the fire as that might trigger another memory. He gave Blake's address as his contact point.
The following interview was with Inspector Grigg who claimed, "great success following up a number of leads." The police had learned, from local thugs who'd been employed at the abandoned Brewery where the winged monkeys had been kept, that the Major Villains in Mr. Courtney's kidnapping were:
Grigg felt that the first two "could be anyone" but the black man should be hard to disguise. Madeline seemed somewhat discomfited but brushed it aside by noting that such findings, to all appearances, came no closer to finding the victim. The police had also learned that clothes had been brought for the prisoner who these three had taken with them. Isabel suggested that the only reason to kidnap her father would be if the Villains needed a guide in Africa. Steele asked about the ransom note. Grigg said that he'd consulted with Mr. Holmes who had said that it was clearly designed to occupy the police so that the perpetrators could travel freely.
Later, at the Grant Arms, Voronika approved the repair of her broad sword as "serviceable." (Later she had Blake check it out and he determined that it refracted x-rays peculiarly but not in a way he detected as radiological.) Penrington was disappointed to find that the Arms did not have any +1 rifles for sale, albeit Voronika was able to bargain for a scope the hunter could use to improve his range.
Finally, making their way into one of the Druids' Groves that fence out the bustle of London, the group heard Madeline addressed as "Silver Moon". She eventually was able to introduce them to her father, a lean, greying aesthetic, Amos Bronson Davis, who preferred to be called "Brother Oak." After the hospitality of herbal tea, the druid was willing to look at the pieces of stele. He became very metaphysical, telling Madeline that this was her "calling" in the conflict of light and dark. He then brought "Brother Flametree" into the discussion. Brother Flametree had been to Africa and said, "It may look like it is stone, but it is water, an Old One of Water. He wants to go home. He doesn't want to be caught by Yoruba." Isabel's experience in Africa was able to inform the group that the Cult of Yoruba was found amongst a wide swath of African natives - she knew of it along the Niger River - and that it talked of a battle between a dark snake and a light snake and focussed on twins. Apparently the Cult believed that all people are a mixture of dark and light but that, sometimes, in twins, the split occurs such that one is all light and the other all dark.
Further questioning of the druids resulted in "Learn to speak with the Old One and he will help." Brother Oak seemed to think that Madeline might, at last, be persuaded to study druidism. Brother Flametree looked at Po and said, "You may find it within yourselves." Then he wished the boy, "Good luck and Blessing on your Way," in Chinese.
Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the others, Blake conversed with a shadowy figure who tried to insist that the radiologist must leave some sort of security before leaving town. Blake explained his lack of ready funds and how the expedition's expenses were under the control of Mr. Pennywise. "Mortimer Pennywise?" "Yes." "You poor man." The sinister voice almost held pity. Blake firmly resisted leaving either Lok or Po as security and his lender complained, "You are leaving town during which time you will pay nothing and you leave nothing!" seeming to feel that a good radiologist should be able to find paying work. Blake insisted that he'd been so thoroughly black-balled by his father's past that there was no well-paying work for such as he. His lender had to be content with that.
The week that followed was occupied with the expedition members making their preparations, personal and otherwise. Provisioning and outfitting were dealt with.
Scotland Yard determined that 4 airships had left the day after the Villains had apparently de-camped, two to Africa and two to the Continent. [Please consider that all Scotland Yard information has been transferred to all expedition members. - Madeline & Isabel]
Smith went to Lord Franks for a book on water but was met with uncertainty as to what aspect of water the blacksmith wanted to study. No book seemed forthcoming.
Po took Steele aside privately to see if any of his skills could shed light on the mechanical man's amnesia. Po found that there was a mental barrier at about March 19th, 1888, similar to the one encountered in accessing past lives. For those who believe in reincarnation. Steele recalls leaving the building that burned before the fire so, at least, it was not the fire that destroyed Nasmyth and the contents of Steele's card case that produced said barrier.
Po convinced Voronika to take him for a last interview with her grandmother. It was fruitless and the old lady seemed disappointed that the younger gypsy would continue to bring outsiders home. Voronika then confronted her grandmother who responded, "You have to learn to find your way. Do not expect your hand to be held every moment." "I thought you would like to hold it a moment before I go. I'm frightened, Grandmother. I don't want to go."
"There are ways to burn out the Power, but you would not like that sort of life." "That is not what I'm asking for, Grandmother."
"You will need allies. You will need to understand. You will need to keep moving." "But my enemy has seen what I've seen, has seen me!" "Your two paths are drawn together. If you are both seeing the past, then he has the Sight as well."
Monday, 27.Mar.1888
The expedition members boarded the train to Dover, track 3, which ran along the cliff edge at the end of the journey, giving a breathtaking view off the edge of the Anglian plateau. At Dover, airships were docked in scaffolding below. One was clearly firing up its boiler. Steele and Smith each shouldered two trunks while stevedores gaped, and the group started to board the Somerset Zephyr. (It takes four normal men to load a travel trunk.)
As Steele moved onto the gangway, he abruptly fell to his knees and the trunks crashed down. He found himself immersed in memory. There'd been a bump against a sandy rise and he'd been knocked free, off the ship, falling. He'd glimpsed the small boat of the ship on the other side just as he missed the propeller - and then was engulfed in the sand. The rise that had caused the bump saved his life. Nonetheless, the memory was intense. The others held Smith from going back to the mechanical man - the gangplank was too frail to hold two such giants at once. Madeline hurried out to see if she could be of help, but there was naught but coaxing she could do. Benjamin Steele crawled the rest of the way up the gangplank.
The two weeks aboard ship, it rained.
Monday, 10.April.1888
The Somerset Zephyr's first port of call was Freetown in the Lion Mountains [Sierra Leone]. It had been Anglia's first outpost and houses the first Anglian college in Africa. Along the cliff edges, the buildings are Anglian. Moving away from the cliff and towards the jungle, one encounters different tribal ghettoes, housing (by tribes) peoples that the Anglians have freed from the slavers of Belgium and France and Germany and Egypt, etc., etc..
The expedition considered the contacts it has in Africa: Dr. Colvin (Sir Madden's assistant) teaching for the year at Freetown University, and Lord Cardiff (financier of the expedition that originally found the stele), last known to be near Victoria, Africa.
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