Monday, 10.April 1888
Airships leaving Anglia tend to not stray too far to the West, avoiding the sequence of steam vents that form a barrier in that direction, along the mid-Atlantic ridge, quite some ways -- as it happened -- from the current course of the Somerset Zephyr. Most of the desert vastness is completely unexplored. "Here be monsters." An airship's height above that desert varies with the lunar magnetic fluctuations. Still, if one aloft had use of a spyglass, an occasional wreckage could be spotted in the sands far below. For this flight of the Zephyr, it rained most days.
Having hugged the NW coast of Africa down to the abrupt eastern turn, the Somerset Zephyr approached the green cliff edge, home to Freetown. In the early morning light, it settled down into the docks on the sloping sand. Logs were moved into place to form anchorage. The gangplank was extruded. The ship would stay here for a couple of days, unloading and loading cargo. Then it would head East, towards the port of Victoria, passing somewhere near the wreck of the Wings of Cardiff around the half-way point.
Blake had informed Our Expedition that the Wings crash had been thoroughly investigated and was not near any normal stopover site. However, an airship could stop and hover, sending down a hot-air balloon for reconnaissance, if that seemed necessary. He knew the list of Wings survivors as well as the original officers (Capt. and 1st Officer) of that final flight; the name Benjamin Steele had not been on that list. The Wings had gone down about two years ago.
Penrington: "Is there any evidence or missing evidence indicating that we should explore the wreck site?"
Blake: "I don't think anything's left there. I might be wrong."
Steele: "Was there anything in the report indicating why it went down?"
Blake: "Pilot error. I did not ask questions directly as none of the survivors came back to Anglia."
It is not known how many pieces of stele went into the airship's safe. It is known that Lord Cardiff kept one that did not go into the safe but was sent to the British Museum in Anglia at a later date. It is known that the safe was recovered intact and, when pried open, held 8 pieces of fake stele. Judging by the shapes of the pieces of apparently authentic stele held by Our Expedition, the real stele may be in as many as 12 pieces.
With great care on the steel man's part, Our Expedition disembarked, to be besieged by begging kids, "Pretty lady, hungry." "Pretty lady, give...." Miss Courtney paid the cleanest one a penny to act as guide to the assigned hostelry: Hotel Edinburgh. Strolling around, Our Expedition noted that the town was dominated by the fort on the highland. Watch towers, too, guarded one end of town. The military presence went armed with rifles. Somewhat oddly, the adult natives glanced at our group and then returned to their work, uninterested even in the mechanical man. Miss Costorari noted that one section of the distant mountains looked like her vision of the lion mountain.
His feet on the porch railing, an unknown Anglishman touched his hat to the group as they entered the hotel. Mortimer Pennywise had cabled ahead. The strong Scottish burr of the proprietor assigned Our Expedition four shared rooms, that of Steele and Smith being on the ground floor. Dr. Davis had her cards sent around to Prof. Colvin and to Lord Franks' Freetown office, to request interviews.
The University of Freetown was at the edge of the Anglian section of town, nestled amongst foreign centres of worship, including a Buddhist temple. As the group approached the University's fenced complex, Blake's serving man spoke to his son. Lok, in Chinese: "Going off to find a good game of majong." Po, also in Chinese: "Try to learn the local games." In broken Anglish, the elderly Chinese then requested permission to go pray, and hurried off.
Professor Sidney Colvin was found in an open-air classroom, his students squatting in the dirt and facing a blackboard. The teacher dismissed the class and brought Our Expedition into his office in the again-fenced-in inner complex. The outer area of the university compound had bare rooms with nothing stealable left in them. A watched gate separated the inner and outer parts of the university compound. His large office held neatly referenced files and scrupulously clean, linen-covered work areas. As introductions proceeded, the professor varied from the usual formulae when he met the mechanical man, by taking a clean cotton glove from his right pocket and donning it, before he shook hands and then stuffing the glove into his left pocket.
A discussion commenced concerning the Stele of Aries which, it turned out, Prof. Colvin had never seen. He has seen other samples of similar markings found along the Niger River. During the conversation, Isabel allowed the professor to examine her piece of the stele and Mr. Blake allowed him to examine the rubbing of the stele pieces. Colvin believes that the horizontal and vertical markings were used in the ancient Mali empire about 8000 years ago. Egypt's First Kingdom has one reference to "Malan" refugees from some disaster; possibly a reference to Mali. He believes the markings are more significant than Sir Madden's theory of month names, as referents to time seem logically to be found heading other writings. But the natives don't use writing to record their Kings, Heroes, and Great Deeds, relying instead on a strong Oral Tradition to preserve such knowledge. Therefore, suggested Colvin, these markings were related to something greater, perhaps something religious. Miss Courtney suggested they pertained to astronomy.
Attempts were made to plumb Colvin's knowledge of local stories and culture. Our Expedition learned that Lord Cardiff has a native storyteller who is "pale for a black man." Also that local rivers are plied by narrow "pirogi" canoes, capable of traversing the reed-choked waterways during the dry season. The rainy season starts in August.
Blake gave the professor permission to copy the rubbing, so Colvin meticulously avoiding soiling anything -- transferred it to a light box, displacing a partially completed copy of a sketch of the Lion Mountains showing a peculiar bump on the forehead of the "lion". Miss Costorari noted that it wasn't the same view as in her vision. She elaborated that her first vision had showed a stone lion in a jungle setting; while in the second, she knew she was standing in an area as large as a house atop the head of a great stone lion. Excited by the sketch, Blake persuaded Colvin to allow Our Expedition to examine the original. Keen eyes descried the bump on the lion mountain head to be, in seeming, a statue of a lion. The view had been from the highest peak of the Lion Mts. The artist was a diamond miner, Ruddy Jenkins, who had brought in a batch of drawings about a week ago.
As Our Expedition left the University, they were accosted by yet another set of beggars one of whom Penrington recognized as his old buddy Benjy. As Penrington uncharacteristically dropped a coin into Benjy's begging bowl and attempted to make himself known, the derelict looked beyond the hunter to the group following him and shouted, "Not the Snakes!" and ran. Penrington took off in pursuit and Master Po trotted after.
Penrington easily ran down the beggar but got only vague warnings of snakes from him before Benjy turned catatonic. The group brought the beggar back to the hotel (past the porch-sitter who, again, tipped his hat) and ensconced themselves in the deserted sitting room. Dr. Davis attempted a Mesmeric mind control to calm Benjy and gather information. She accomplished little of either, determining that he felt that "You will throw the snake at me". As he constantly rubbed his upper thigh, she examined him there and discovered a 3x4 arrangement of old puncture wounds that showed no evidence of venom. Master Po then suggested that the doctor and he combine their skills to delve further. Although the Chinese boy would have preferred complete privacy, Dr. Davis held that the present setting was adequate if Mr. Steele and Mr. Smith would guard the door.
Still maintaining her mind control over Benjy, Dr. Davis made some mesmeric passes to set up a Mind Link with Master Po. Thereafter things got more spectacular as the Chinese boy began to glow with golden light, floated in midair in lotus position, and appeared to go bald. Within her mind, Madeline Davis felt herself walking with Po through grey mist towards the sound of Benjy's screaming. Benjy was held in the mist by black hands while a snake coiled in front of him and a woman -- identical to Madeline -- stood near by. That woman said, "Come on, Arvin, where is the piece of the steel (stele)?" Benjy resisted and the snake struck him. There were four previous strike marks in him. Madeline winced and her look-alike smiled.
Po continued to guide Madeline through the mist to other vignettes: Benjy trying to warn Arvey that he was associating with the Snake Lady, young Arvey in an army uniform, Benjy putting the stone piece into a box and addressing it to Arvey. Following the thread of the stone, Po and Madeline watched Benjy and his seven fellow shipmates -- their names appeared above their visages -- scavenge a shipwreck for supplies they'd need to survive. Benjy picked the stone up out of the dirt, sand, and wreckage, and slipped it into his pocket. The stone was by itself; none of the other stones were in sight. It had all the same markings as the stone Arvey had provided.
Po wondered if Benjy had known Benjamin Steele, and a thread formed showing the former scrubbing a ship deck past a sailor labled as Ben Steele. Po wondered about the other survivors, and a thread formed showing one of the shipwreck survivors, looking much older than his age warranted, warning Benjy about the stele pieces, naming some of their other shipmates as now deceased. Other, non-relevant but unsavoury threads showed, the entire experience leaving Madeline feeling ill and shaky. Returning to the present scene, Po tried to convince Benjy that Madeline was a good person and not the Snake Lady, and encouraged the poor man to relax and sleep. As soon as they were safely out of Benjy's mind, Madeline broke the link with Po.
Impressed by Master Po's "show", Penrington spent a few minutes attempting to convince the boy to make their fortunes in show business. Po admonished that it was "not a thing to be done lightly." Then Penrington admitted to the group that Benjy's name was Arvin Benjamin Wilson, a name its owner disliked. Master Po then perform a Light Illusion to show the group Benjy's version of the human Steele. The machine man recognized himself but protested that he "was not that overweight."
Dr. Davis described her experience within Mr. Wilson's mind. The chief question the others asked was, "Have you a twin?" She told them of her elder sister Emily, a druid back home, and denied being a twin. Having thence recovered her composure, Dr. Davis checked the apparently sleeping Benjy. He was at peace, forever. Penrington made arrangements with the local druids for a burial of the dead man (the shaken doctor having contributed what she could towards the expenses). "Oh, another beggar died."
Blake turned to Po, "Eastern magic... Were you ever going to get around to telling me?" The boy began to prevaricate, "In my land, magic is common..." but, not being able to continue an obvious lie, changed his mind and broke off his burbling. (Jr paladin?!? ) Po: "I did not think it necessary to tell you." By this time Lok had returned and commented to his son in their native tongue, "You'd be welcome any time. They knew you'd be here. Your mother's... kind of stuff."
Having discovered Our Expedition's lack of ready cash, Penrington and Miss Costorari made plans for the latter to pawn one of the extra rifles for ready cash. [The rolls were put off for Marian's return.] Other decisions were made to scatter the group for the day. Penrington went off to a pub to listen to stories about diamonds and giant snakes. Steele chose to stay unobserved in the hotel. Blake went to retrieve his rubbing (but was unable to gain entrance to the closed complex.) Overset by the magic, Miss Courtney chose to smoke at the far side of the hotel porch. Dr. Davis struck up a conversation with the porch fixture, having observed that he must see everything that goes on in Freetown.
The polite porch sitter gave the name Bill Stead. He was an expatriate reporter for the Gazette, having come to Africa because "some people are uncomfortable with the truth in 20-point type." He had been black-balled for his expose of the White Slave Trade (which had resulted in the Anglian anti-slavery laws), having proved his point by buying a young girl for 5 pounds. He introduced his ward Elizabeth to the doctor. Dr. Davis told him a little of the group's expedition to search for the Stele of Aries, and Stead commented that he'd recognized Miss Courtney, and had wondered why she hadn't been with her father last week. The doctor called the girl guide over and, after introductions, the ladies were able to discover that Courtney Sr. had gathered porters and led a tour group from Freetown north into the Lion Mountains just last week. He had not been carrying his habitual weapons and had not stayed in the local hostelries. Stead had not seen the group Courtney was clearly arranging to guide.
Another bit of information Stead confided to Dr. Davis was that Penrington was known for having run con games up and down the coast.
Stead proved a font of local knowledge. Most of the Lion Mountains are about 100 miles from the coast, the last 80 of which are quite difficult. Miss Courtney admitted to not being local and thus unsuited as a guide. Stead gave the names of two local guides, both jungle cat hunters. The peak of Mt. Bimingi may be the point of view for the drawing Our Expedition saw, but one should beware of diamond miners who are likely to shoot perceived trespassers before questioning.
The survivors of the Wings of Cardiff fetched up at Freetown after a 6-7 month trek. They lived in this area for a while and eventually drifted off. Stead knew Benjy as one such.
Night came on and the rain clouds lifted, revealing a sky of stars vast and strange to all of Our Expedition but Miss Courtney. The expedition members engaged in a debate about possible options in the next steps they could take.
Dr. Davis explained that Francis Warring had been an associate of Prof. Birch at the British Museum. He had been on a dig out of Victoria last year when he came into possession of the piece of stele currently held by the doctor. His last letter to her contained a reference to being on the trail of yet another piece of the stele - which might or might not turn out to be "yet another forgery." Thereafter he had died but, Dr. Davis believes, the others on his dig might know more about what he was doing and where he was looking when he died. As well, they might still have his professional notes that might have some references to the stele pieces.
Part of the discussion included the assumption that the contents of the safe were intact after the crash of the Wings of Cardiff and were, in fact, of no interest to men intent on surviving in the desert for months. Another assumption was that Benjy's "find" indicated that whoever had made the switch had clearly not managed to get the real stones (and so, presumably, his/her self) off the airship before the crash. Dr. Davis didn't notice any real conclusion being drawn from those assumptions.
There was speculation on how much the winged monkey had learned for his master. (The basic assumption is that the monkeys were under the control of the black man in the trio associated with Mr. Courtney's capture.) It was wondered why, if the Bad Guys knew so much, they had made no attempt to accost any of the individuals (save Prof. Birch) who held pieces of the stele while in Anglia. The Expedition's current working hypothesis is that the monkey may have only seen Voronika (and her grandmother), the boarding house girl Polly, and Prof. Birch's portion of the stele. If the monkey could hear as well as see for its master, then it should know about the other stele pieces.
Blake spoke eloquently on his sense that a greater power had brought the Expedition's pieces of the stele to the same place at the same time and that said power (whether or not inherent in the stones) would likely guide the Expedition's decisions along the Right Path.
Tuesday, 11.April. 1888
Having elected to pursue Option One while preparing for Option Two, the Expedition again scattered.
Smith, having the brilliant notion to check the local druidic death records, learned that, besides Arvin Wilson, three of the Wings survivors were buried locally. The most recent was the shipmate who warned Wilson about the stones; dead of an unusual rapid-aging disease. Two others died two months ago of snake bite. The remaining four all re-shipped, all heading East, as Smith determined from the dock records.
Penrington and Miss Courtney hunted for further word of Courtney Sr., determining:
Mr. Blake and Dr. Davis agreed to go together to Lord Franks' agent to pick up traveling funds and then onto the University to retrieve the rubbing
Steele wants to have the group investigate how they can learn to "talk to" the pieces of stele as indicated by the druids in London.
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