The group arrived back in Tunis in the Mercedes 770 staff car. Cooper was driving, but he began to marmalade, so Bernard [Jamie] quickly took the wheel. Dr Jacob [Chris] woke up on the roof rack, so he was put into the car, like a normal person. This turned out lucky because the roof-top space was needed for Mezmer [Shane] who was unconscious. The rest, Gunter [Jeff], Hubert [Kevin], Wonton [Darryl], Reinhold [Tim], And Gazala [Richard] rode in the car. Fleur was now marmalading too, so she just slumped in the back seat and drooled.
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| Hammon |
Why was Mezmer unconscious? Let us go back in time a little, to the dig site.
Mezmer and Wonton had decided to deface the words of power down in the tunnels. With the rest of the group safely up the ladder in the marquee, Mezmer did a Sanctify on the "Hammon" power word symbol in the altar room.
There was a loud bang. Smoke and dust billowed ominously out of the shaft. Jacob and Gunter rushed back down the ladder, and into the altar room. Mezmer and Wonton were sitting, stunned, on the floor, blood running from their ears and noses. But they were otherwise unharmed.
After a few "there there's", Mezmer caught his breath and was up again. He then bravely decided to take a hammer & cold chisel to the now-sanctified "Hammon" symbol. Jacob and Gunter fled in terror.
This time there was a fiery explosion. This time when Jacob and Gunter rushed back, they found Mezmer charred and unconscious, and at death's door. Wonton was lying charred and groaning nearby. [Mezmer was 1 hp away from death]. Jacob stabilized Mezmer.
They both decided, wisely, to maybe leave the other Power words alone.
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When the group arrived back in Tunis at the end of the long day of driving, they reported back to the Calomnie de Tunis newspaper. The Editor wanted them to write up their exploits and adventures for the newspaper. With plenty of photographs, of course.
There was a card left for Wonton at the Calomnie Reception. It was written in Mandarin, from a Mr Fong. He requested Wonton's presence at the Hotel Plonger. Wonton had no idea who this was.
Unconscious Mezmer was checked in to the hospital Hopital Militaire. Dr Jacob got him a good room. His dreams were full of dark things, and tentacles, and death, but there was a kinder one about a soapstone carving of an Eskimo, hidden in a cave, in the desert.
______________________________
In the morning, Wonton went to Hotel Plonger.
The Chinese gentleman Mr Fong, out of Peking, wanted the party - he seemed to know all their (pre-desert trip) identities - to go to a private antiquities auction at a place called the Conservatoire on the Avenue de Paris. He was interested in a golden ring that was being auctioned in three night's time. "Obtain it in any way you can. Or else..."
[ Wonton did a Connections roll many (real) months ago which he failed badly with a 2 on 2D6. This was the chickens coming home to roost. ]
Mr Fong had one bully-boy and a young lady with him. He sent her, Miss Wu, to stick to the group. She had the "Rare Antiquities Private Auction" catalogue and some money:
- Silver Dagger "of Venom"
- Gold Ring "Ring of Wishes"
- Shrunken Heads, 3
- Bridal gown
- Lady's Riding-Boots
- Silver Mirror "of the Ghost"
- Scold's Bridle
Bernard went to the Tunisia Lands Office and claimed the oasis (where they freed the jiniri) under his name. The clerk said that there may be a lien on the property, so the paperwork had to go back via Paris; this would take nine months. But the clerk granted Bernard a temporary occupation permit (after a substantial bribe).
Bernard and Gazala went to the Banque de Tunisie (on Rue de Turquie) with the boxes of looted grave goods from the tomb (the golden Baal censor, the delicate coffin found in the Annex, the gold medallion, and the skull with the gem). After the power word affair, no-one was brave enough to examine (or even touch) these things, and the group was happier to have them stored away somewhere safe. The items were well boxed-up and secure, until the group could find some "top men" to examine them. Top men.
They hired a miniature bank vault [$1K per year], under Bernard Lapin's name. And used the newspaper's address: c/o Calomnie de Tunis. The bank did not allow human remains to be stored in their vaults, of course, but the bank staff inspection was cursory at best, and Gazala distracted him at the right time, so the "baby" coffin and skull were successfully stowed in the vault without being noticed. Both Bernard and Gazala were given a key each. Both keys, plus a third from the bank, were needed to open the vault.
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| Inspector Heroux |
Dr Jacob checked in with Inspector Heroux of the Gendarmes. Heroux had the Legal-Carry licences inked-up and ready for those party members who passed the training with the Légion Étrangère. Each licence would allow a pistol to be carried or concealed. And if an "Incident de Gendarmerie" was declared in a neighbourhood, they could carry a submachine gun or rifle too. Hubert got Mario's licence - he would have to pose as such. Gunter took Miriam's licence and wondered if he could pass as a lady. (Transferral of firearms licences was forbidden; it was another capital crime).
Jacob asked Heroux about Mr Fong. There were not many Chinese in Tunis; Heroux could list them on the fingers of one hand. He knew of Fong and of a Mr Lee, and knew Fong was a Triad member.
Wonton & party researched up Fong. He was a member of the Peking Triad gangsters, and they had recent links into Tunis in order to kidnap French girls for a burgeoning white slavery market.
Gazala quizzed Miss Wu about the Triad too. Miss Wu was an indentured servant and "paramour" herself, so her loyalty was forced ("they hurt my family if I stray"). She didn't mind talking and telling the group what she knew. Currently, Fong employed five dangerous liúmáng (流氓, gangsters) - three Fus and two Lees - in his "Le gang des coquins" here in Tunis.
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| Mezmer in his finery |
The auction was tonight.
Gazala and Miss Wu tarted up. Wonton bought himself an expensive and immaculate pristine white suit and hat. Gunther and Herbert put on their best. Bernard found a sharp jacket and plus fours. Mezmer got himself a turban, a colourful robe, and delightful red boots. And they all headed to the Conservatoire.
The place was decked out in finery, and had servants and no-neck security aplenty. The guests were served champagne and finger-food, vol-au-vents and pastries.
The seven auction items were brought out for inspection at 6pm, and the auction would begin at 10pm.
There were several important groups of guests, and the party mingled with them. The organizers, the Moretzs allowed Bernard to use his Speed Graphics camera - but no flash. Hence, in the artificially-lit auction room, his exposures would need a full second. This was not a problem for the items, but it meant people had to keep very still.
Nevertheless, Bernard got photographs of all the figures of import.
- Austin and Chloe Moretz - the organizers of the auction. They didn't own the items (except for the wedding dress), but were selling them on behalf of others. They were very tight-lipped as to whom.
- Mademoiselle Marie-Pierre Pelletier. Several of the group knew this lady already. She owned a souk in the Medina which sold antiques and occult things. She was alone.
- Herr Augustus Herschel - A German gentleman. He was dressed in a German military uniform and had a lady on his arm, Fraulein Blucher. Plus two batmen.
- Tariq Nadir - He was a landed Arab Berber, like Gazala, and spoke the same Berber dialect. He was accompanied by two veiled ladies in niqabs (his wives), two servants, and two no-necks. Gazala had a word with him, but the conversation went down-hill fast when Tariq asked how her husband (she pointed at Dr Jacob) would tolerate his unveiled wife dressing like a whore. The party had to physically keep her from stabbing him there and then.
- Some other randos who were just for the scenery.
Wonton threw caution to the wind and cast a Detect Mythos on the items (bold is mythos-tainted). This involved him dancing around the table and shouting mythos words. To the uninformed, it looked like he was doing an interpretive dance crossed with having a grand mal epileptic seizure, as if he was possessed by demons with neural-tube defects and broken ankles. The party carefully scanned all the guests to see if anyone recognized the spell. Most of the faces showed expressions of disgust, distain, pity, and utter embarrassment. Any dignity or sophistication Wonton had with his smart white suit was lost in this display of socially-inept cringe. The shouted words didn't help either - mythos words are not nice; lots of harsh guttural consonants and voiceless uvular fricatives (c.f. swearing in Klingon), and whining high-pitched vowels.
Bernard was the only one who noticed two people in the crowd who were faking their emotions of utter disgust: Miss Pelletier (no surprises there) and Tariq Nadir.
The auction began.
The Dagger of Venom - Wonton encouraged aggressive bidding, so Miss Wu ended up paying 5K for it. Herschel was interested.Scold's Bridle - Ring of Wishes - Miss Wu got this in the end for 16K. She had exhausted her money so the group funds paid the rest. She had to fight with Tariq and Miss Pelletier. Gazala, Gunter, and Herbert did well-timed distractions to annoy the other bidders.
- The three shrunken heads went to Herschel.
- The bridal dress had little interest shown by anyone. Gazala bid for it (1K) as a joke, and got it.
- The riding boots went to Miss Pelletier. She seemed very pleased. Maybe Wonton's spell missed them.
- Ghost Mirror - Bernard got this (8K) but that used up all the party funds. Tariq was not pleased that he lost.
- Scold's Bridle - Tariq got this. That helped lessen his anger.
The group wanted Tariq followed. So, Mezmer went into a side room, undressed naked, and then said his little Invisibility poem taught to him by the jiniri.
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| Mezmer invisible |
To shoot and stab and fight.
I pucker up my little mouth,
And vanish from their sight !
Then, invisible, he ran after Tariq and his entourage catching them up as they were getting into their car. Mezmer grabbed hold of it and stood on the running board, as it drove off into the night. He lasted half an hour. Tariq's chauffer was a rather enthusiastic driver, and during a particularly tight swerve, Mezmer fell off and rolled down the street, and got badly wounded and bleeding.
[ Mezmer took heavy damage down to 4 hp. ]
So, Mezmer limped back to the Calomnie to meet up with the rest of the group who had returned home.
Even though it was midnight, Miss Wu pestered Wonton to get the ring back to Fong this very evening. So they gave the ring to her to deliver him. The plan was for Mezmer to follow her invisibly.
So, the exhausted and wounded Mezmer went invisible again (note the spell lasts an hour), and followed Miss Wu to the Hotel Plonger. Fong's room was on level five - no lift - so Mezmer carefully followed her up the stairs, keeping quiet. She knocked on the door, it opened, and she slipped inside. Mezmer tried to follow, but he was too slow and bashed into the door, then fell back in the corridor. He heard raised voices, in Chinese, inside, then the unmistakable words of a Detect Mythos.
Then there was a shout of alarm, followed immediately by the staccato blast of submachine gun fire, and bullets flew through the plywood door into the corridor.
Mezmer was hobbling away, but he was grazed by a shot.
[ Mezmer was on 4 hp. The bullets through the door still did 2D6, but lucky for him I rolled a 3 (public). His third close call with death that evening! ]
Mezmer limped home.
