02/15/02

"Wherein I spake of most disasterous chances,
Of moving accidents by flood and field,
Of hair-breadth 'scapes i' the imminent deadly breach."-- William Shakespeare

263-1123.

In the cannibal's camp, the invitation to dinner is sent out over the big hollow log drum. A moment later, a response is received. (Perhaps a question about which wine to bring?) Still lost in the damn rainforest, Samantha hears the drums from the two locations, then further drums. She needs to find a beach, and get away from this f***ing boulder. Okay, there are some worn trails, and one that seems to be more popular than most. She cuts a mark on the first tree and starts walking.

After what at least seems like hours, she comes to a clearing and a large watering hole. It's very popular. The herbivores over there, the carnivores over here, looking at each other. It's like drinking at the Cadaver. Suddenly, a bunch of the animals take off running. Samantha freezes. Coming along the side of the river is a small group of men and women, dressed up and with groceries. Samantha hides and waits, and watches where they're going. They follow the river downstream, and that way seems fairly clear. There are thirty or forty of them. If Samantha gets them all to line up just right...

Samantha waits a few minutes before following, lest she catch them. The animals start to return, then Samantha takes the path to follow.

In the caging area, Rupert takes his metal matchbox, and works on wearing an edge, then cutting a way out. Phillip and Franz try to keep the morale up, but without saying it can't get any worse. Never say that. Phillip takes an inventory to see just what he's been left. He does have his blue cap, and inside there's a small piece of steel wire that makes the edge stand out. He discreetly fiddles with the cap and removes it. It's spring steel that's been stapled into a circle, and with the staple removed it's about 18-20" long, 3/8" thick, 1/16" wide. Right were the ends are cut are fairly jagged once the staple ends are removed. At the least he can reach the next cage over with it. Franz is on one side of Phillip, Rupert on the other (on the end of the row). Given time, Phillip could probably get through enough of the bars to escape - say, in a couple of days. But he doesn't have a couple of days. Rupert watches as Phillip looks over the cage in the same way Rupert did originally. Franz is trying to find a place to stand that's not disgusting. Phillip: "Your excellency." Franz: "Captain? Phillip: "Your boots wouldn't happen to contain steel shanks, would they? Franz: "No, unfortunately. Only hobnails." Phillip "Hobnails..." Franz takes out a pen and a small notebook and makes some notes; maybe Phillip has given him an idea. Phillip can see that Rupert is working on the sinew on the door, so he does likewise, hiding the metal strip in his sleeve. Dr. Jurgen is moving around his cage like an animal pacing. The women occasionally show up to taunt and throw things, although Franz gives them a stern look and they sort of wander off. Probably his chief's look. And in the mean time, they can watch what's left of Jones into hors d'oueves. Everyone agrees that getting out of here and coming back with something to bomb them into dust is a good idea. Phillip wishes he had smallpox or something.

Samantha threads her way past the sleeping animals (it's a bit unnerving, but that's life out here), as she continues on by the river. Eventually, she starts to hear the sound of people up ahead. In the village, guests are starting to arrive, resplendent in their feathers and bits of yarn. Since she can hear the cannibal cocktail party, Samantha decides to get off the beaten path. She is being very, very careful since she is on their turf. Lisette is mostly nude now, but still basically unharmed. The gentlemen are not looking.

After a point, Rupert is making progress albeit painfully so. Once the natives go away he can work a bit faster. Dr. Jurgen: "If only I had my boots, in the left heel..." Franz: "I do have a small mirror. Perhaps we could signal a passing zeppelin." Phillip: "A mirror? Can you take it out of the frame?" Franz: "I don't know. Why don't you have a look?" He tosses it to Phillip, who is very intent on catching it. Heinrich is off on the far side doing something, but who knows what? Phillip breaks the mirror out of the frame, and makes a handle out of the frame and the remains of his hat, and tosses it to Franz; he looks at it quizzically. Phillip makes sawing motions. Oh!

Samantha carefully sneaks closer. It's a fair-sized village, and there are many people there. Some kind of meet and greet. At the edge of a sort of depression, a roughly circular village, with a line of cages (!), and some meat hanging that looks vaguely like the lower half of a human torso although from this distance she can't tell who it is/was - don't look at the meat! She's able to move closer to the cages, but that still leaves open ground. Then something heavy falls onto her right shoulder. It's a medium-sized, green snake. It pulls back to strike and Samantha knocks it off onto the ground. The snake glares at her and slithers off, annoyed.

Dr. Jurgen has been doing something on the floor of his cage. He's blowing on something. Dr. Jurgen: <stage whisper> "Rupert! Have you any lucifers?" Rupert: "Yes sir." They're passed from cage to cage.

The party is really starting to get going as twilight approaches. The only native left near the cages is the big guy who is sharpening the ceremonial chopping knife. Franz is trying to figure out where to start with this sawing thing. Dr. Jurgen is mucking around in the mud and water, and then occasionally blowing on something on his hands. Rupert and Phillip manage to get through several of the sinews.

Samantha makes it up to the back of one of the huts, and she sees the man with the big knife. She can't hear Franz as he tells Rupert "Dr. Jurgen says he's ready. Pass it to the others." Dr. Jurgen: "Your excellency, may I trouble you for your collar and your cuffs?" Franz is confused, but he complies. [Cellulose fibre, and flammable.] Phillip: "We need to take that man's magic." He's referring to the big guy. Dr. Jurgen: <to Phillip> "I require your mirror. Five minutes, gentlemen."

Dr. Jurgen: <to the guard> "Look here, you bald-buggered bastard!" The big man laughs and walks towards Rupert. He gets hit in the side of the head by a clump of mud. He doesn't like that and turns towards Dr. Jurgen again. Franz: <to Dr. Jurgen> "Are you sure that's wise? It's likely he'll take exception to that." Samantha runs forward to the end cage, with Rupert in it. There's a WOOF! and a flash. Dr. Jurgen staggers out, blackened and smoking. Rupert is pushing his door loose when Samantha walks up, extends the memory-wire blade out of her bracelet (ShadowSystems Inc.), and slices the rest of the sinew and part of the door off. Rupert falls through. Samantha finishes opening Phillip's door, then gets to Franz's, which takes several cuts. Franz steps out. Franz: "Ah, hello dear." Samantha hands her gun to Franz, says "four rounds", then moves on to cut Heinrich loose. Samantha: "Where's Lisette?" Heinrich: "They took her to that hut." Samantha goes that way, followed by Rupert.

The commotion has drawn the rest of the natives. Franz takes a stance out in front of the cages, pistol in hand. He fires one shot and a native goes down. A second shot, a second native. A third shot, then a fourth shot also hit their targets. It's really quiet now, and the mob is standing still. Franz cocks the pistol and stares them down. Franz: <quietly> "Gentlemen, I suggest you retire."

Inside the hut, Lisette is found tied (nude) to the center post. Samantha cuts her loose. Samantha: "Rupert, shirt!" He takes off his shirt so Lisette can cover herself. Rupert finds a spear and a blowgun, both of which he picks up (just in case), then they go outside.

Phillip: <to Franz> "Your grace, right now I am more expendable than you." Franz: "But I am the one with the power, and I don't know that I can transfer it to you." Samantha and the others emerge from the hut just as the natives begin to slowly move forward again (they don't know Franz is out of ammo, but he hasn't shot anyone for several minutes). Run away!!

The good guys run for it. Franz: "The beach - that way! The guns! Get the guns!!" He runs off on an oblique, into the jungle and away from the others, trying to draw off the natives. It seems to be working. Samantha follows Franz. Rupert follows Samantha. Lisette follows Samantha. Samantha: <to Rupert> "Go get the guns! Lisette, go with him!" Rupert and Lisette do as they're told.

Phillip, Dr. Jurgen, Rupert, and Lisette head for the beach and the weapons. Samantha follows Franz as he runs through the jungle with most of the natives in hot pursuit. Samantha is heading to intercept when they all break out of the jungle and Franz stops suddenly at a cliff edge. The natives stop even sooner, since they know this area. Franz looks at the natives, looks down the cliff, then steps off.

When Rupert and Phillip show up at the beach, they find Heinrich and Dr. Jurgen. The latter is staggering like a man who is in not that great shape and has been running at top speed. Rupert is sent to fire off the red (come right now) flare, which he does. Then he loads a regular flare. Phillip arms himself.

The natives figure the crazy white guy has leapt to his death and leave. Samantha, knowing Franz lives and grew up in a castle carved into a mountain, figures he probably did not go all suicidal. She goes to the edge of the cliff and calls Franz, quietly. Franz: "I don't suppose you have any rope?" Samantha: "How far down are you?" Franz: "About 15' down now, but I've run out of things to hold onto." A bush he was holding falls off. Samantha lays down on the ground above the cliff. Samantha: "Franz, are you standing on a ledge 15' down, or is 15' below me the highest you can reach?" Franz: "I don't know. It's quite dark." Then something grabs Samantha's hand. That would be Franz. Finally, a lucky break. She's able to help hm up off the ledge.

Heinrich has armed himself with the two bolt-action rifles and has gone off after the Count. Dr. Jurgen is still gasping for breath. Phillip doesn't have a lot of skill with a rifle, so he's armed with a pistol and sword. Lisette: "What can I do?" Phillip: "Can you use a rifle?" Lisette: "My mistress is out there. I will do what I must." She picks up one of the rifles, it looks hopelessly huge in her hands. They relocate to one side of the camp, and Lisette asks the gentlemen to please turn to one side. Phillip gives her his big blue coat to change under.

They dig in beside a large fallen log. Dr. Jurgen: "Gentlemen, I have prepared for such a contingency." He shows them some tins. Tins? Phillip: "And these are?" Dr. Jurgen: "Hand thrown mortars, if you will. A variation of the thrown grenade, a bomb if you like. I have attached fuses as the timers are not yet..." He goes off on the detailed description of the workings of the mechanisms. Rupert is loaded up with tins, which they set up by a large fallen tree that they're using as a base. Rupert and Lisette help carry and load weapons. Phillip: "I have a question. Will those things detonate if hit by a rifle round?" Dr. Jurgen: "I wouldn't suggest you shoot at one. Hmmm, I see what you mean." Phillip: "We can set them up in the camp, and then..."

Franz dusts himself off then looks at Samantha. Franz: <exasperated> "You realize that as you've followed me, there's a good chance you won't survive? I wish you'd do as I asked. If we're to be married, I might expect a modicum of obedience. Love, honour, obey, and all that?" Samantha: "We have to both survive until then first don't we?" Franz: "Well, I suppose it's unreasonable of me to expect it." He looks around, then pulls Samantha to him and literally sweeps her off her feet. It's a thirty second kiss that lasts about five years. The man can kiss! The heels of her shoes should be smoking. Eventually, they both open their eyes at the same time. The expression in Franz's eyes changes suddenly, and the kiss breaks off as they turn and bolt from the returning cannibals. Franz: "That way!" They run, almost literally within arm's reach of their pursuers. Franz: "Shoot! Shoot!!!" Franz grabs Samantha and goes down. Shots ring out, natives go down. Rifles are fired, re-loaded, fired, re-loaded, and so on. Samantha realizes there are two people on the ground with her, and only one of them is Franz. She hits the one who's not Franz hard in the spine, just as he slashes her across the top of the foot with an obsidian knife. Man that thing is sharp! The native is still thrashing around, with Franz trying to smash his head in with a rock. Samantha sneaks in a hit to finish the thrashing, but she's not going to be doing any running.

Rupert is about to be overrun as he picks up his re-loaded rifle, and ends up impaling the man through the thigh. Savage en brochette! Rupert can feel the man's muscle contract around the blade, then he pulls the trigger. There's nothing pretty about the 8.3 Fredonian round smashing into the bone at point blank range. Bits hit Rupert's face, but he's in shock and an officer is yelling orders at him. Phillip ends up facing off against an older man with several stripes on his face. He steps over the log, big sharp thing in hand, and is run through by Phillip's short sword through the spine. Phillip twists and withdraws the blade as the man falls.

Franz rolls over Samantha, covering her with his body as rounds fly by directly overhead. Someone crouches down beside Franz and Samantha, firing a rifle into any natives that get close. It's Heinrich, naturally.

There's a loud bang! then "Sorry!" as Dr. Jurgen starts throwing his new grenades. A little flash is followed by an invisible force ripping through the natives. This is repeated several times, rather effectively.

Eventually, peace descends. There are dead natives all over the place. Phillip looks over by the tree line and sees Heinrich kneeling in the traditional rifleman position (down on one knee) beside Franz and Samantha, who are laying on the ground together. And they appear to be kissing! (Neither one of them would be able to say who started it, and well, there was nothing else for them to do...) A-hem! Franz would straighten his collar, if he had one on.

The Star of Albion arrives shortly thereafter, bringing sailors and rowboats to assist. Franz picks up Samantha, sets her in a rowboat, and tells the sailor to "take care of her" with an expression that bodes badly if he doesn't. He'll stay on the beach along with Phillip, until everyone gets off. Phillip <to Rupert> "Good job!" Rupert: "Yes sir. Thank you, sir." He's got a death grip on his rifle and bayonet.Franz glances at the carnage around them. Franz: "A bit of a scrap, wouldn't you say Captain?" Phillip: "Yes. Quite." They have to talk the rifle out of Rupert's hands, finally trading his violin (in it's case) for it.

Everyone makes it back on board the ship alive. Lisette makes sure Samantha is all right, then goes to her room; Samantha can hear crying. She checks on Lisette, but sees that her presence is getting in the way, and she leaves her alone. Rupert is rather shell-shocked. Captain Coomes makes sure Rupert gets some coffee and a blanket, and is left alone. Phillip makes sure he has some special coffee with brandy. Dr. Jurgen is really shaken up, and empties out quite a lot of laudenum into his coffee. Franz: "Dr. Jurgen, the wounded?" Dr. Jurgen: "What? Oh, of course." He takes care of Samantha in her cabin. He does his usual fine job of stitching, but she'll need assistance bathing so she doesn't get the dressing wet, and will not be much help tomorrow on the cannibal hunt. Odds are Franz will not be displeased if she doesn't come along.

Speaking of Franz, he's rounding up the gentlemen for a serious discussion. Franz: <to Phillip> "When you've finished, Captain, a moment of your time?" Phillip joins Franz and Heinrich in the chart room, with Captain Coomes. Franz has managed to clean up and shave, the bugger. Heinrich had to get his own wound tended to, then iron Franz's shirt. Franz: "Well, captain, I'm sure the thought has occurred to you as it has to me, that we have left something unfinished. There is a pestilence on these islands, and it is our responsibility to deal with it." Phillip: "Yes sir. I agree." Franz: "For the sake of the safety of our companions, any travellers to follow us, or even for our own Colonel Thompson and Sophie, should they be washed up on these islands...It appears that we were lucky to have escaped with our lives. Tomorrow, we land at full force and fully armed, with the intention to find the nest of these people and finish it once and for all." The other men all agree. There's something about having one of your party hacked up and eaten that's makes even the most even-tempered individual rather irate. Franz: "They have taken a thrashing, now we must deliver the death blow."

They leave it at that, and everyone beds down for the night. They're far enough out away from the shore so that the ship should be secure during the night while they sleep. Tomorrow morning the natives discover just who they've messed with.