Ghosts of Gauntcliff: Chapter Five

[ewancummins]

"Never day? I.... I've never heard of that. You mean you've never seen a beautiful sunrise across the water? I... That is bizarre. But changing subject. Can you bring me to my friend Benn?"

Gruz asks, ''Who Benn?"

[steveflam]

Juergin laughs out loud. "Sorry, Benn is the one you called fat one." The lad describes Benn to make sure both Smezel and Gruz understand.

[ewancummins]

Juergin laughs out loud. "Sorry, Benn is the one you called fat one." The lad describes Benn to make sure both Smezel and Gruz understand.

Smezel replies,

"We sells him to the Sleepless Ones. They bad."

Gruz adds, helpfully, "They real bad."

[steveflam]

The lad frowns. "Hmmm. Well what about this? You bring me to fat one Benn without the Dodds knowing? Can you do that for me?"

[ewancummins]

The lad frowns. "Hmmm. Well what about this? You bring me to fat one Benn without the Dodds knowing? Can you do that for me?"

Smezel whines and tugs at his rat fur coat.

"Uhh...Sleepless Ones takes him. They scary. "

[steveflam]

Juergin sighs. He understands but is bordering on frustrated with these two. "Listen to me. Can you tell me how to get there, then? Also, you have to promise me that no harm will come to the little child Jonas. I want him later. Can you do that for me?"

[ewancummins]

Juergin sighs. He understands but is bordering on frustrated with these two. "Listen to me. Can you tell me how to get there, then? Also, you have to promise me that no harm will come to the little child Jonas. I want him later. Can you do that for me?"

Both one-eyed creatures hop and and down in excitement.
""Yes, we swears-- you Big Boss now!"

Smezel adds, "'Um...Sleepless Ones staying not far, maybe....ummmm" He looks about, sctraches his head, and then points down a dark lane.''That way...maybe..."

[steveflam]

Juergin eyes both beasties. "I don't need to know maybe, I need to know confidence. Tell me where, not maybe where, ok?"

[ewancummins]

Juergin eyes both beasties. "I don't need to know maybe, I need to know confidence. Tell me where, not maybe where, ok?"

Both creatures crouch down and whine.
Smezel says, ''Me tries real hard. Me finds them."

[steveflam]

"Good, Smezel. Try hard. I won't hurt you, I promise. Now try to find, please."

[ewancummins]

"Good, Smezel. Try hard. I won't hurt you, I promise. Now try to find, please."

Smezel takes out the iron knife and sets it flat on the wet pavement. He spins it while reciting a rhyme-
“Iron sharp and iron strang, show the path be it short or lang.”

The knife rotates to a stop, pointing down the street to where a twisted tower of black basalt looms above the jumbled cityscape.

Smezel looks up at the boy. "Knife says that way."

[steveflam]

"Thanks Smezel, I go now. Any advice for when I arrive there?"

[ewancummins]

"Thanks Smezel, I go now. Any advice for when I arrive there?"

The little creature blinks. ''Um, what 'advice' mean?"

[ewancummins]

PRIMEIRO-


Primeiro finds the maid waiting for him in his room.
Abigail asks, “Master Primeiro, what is it? Is everything alright?”____________________________________________________________________________________

Primeiro smiles upon seeing Abigail, but his tone is serious. "No, I fear that everything is not all right, my dear. Excuse me--" He grabs one of his satchels and begins to equip himself with armor and additional weapons as he continues to speak with the maid.

"Some dark force is at work on this island -- probably the same evil that claimed the life of that poor girl some time ago. I'm going with some of the others to hopefully put an end to it. But I need your help here with something, Abigail." In specially prepared loops of his studded leather armor, he places several throwing axes before readjusting his sword belt.

"We believe that one item which could help us -- ALL of us -- is a scepter that belonged to the monks who lived in that old abbey many years ago. It could look like a mitre... a ceremonial mace, if you will. Have you seen or heard of such an item while you've been here?" He stops. He walks over and holds her hand. "Anything that might match that description? No matter how trivial it may seem? It could be very important."

________________________________________________________________________________________

''A scepter? A mace? Hmmmm.....I think maybe Master Sancerre owns one of those, maybe two."

___________________________________________________________________________________

"Fascinating," says Primeiro, not displaying any emotion other than excitement. He strokes her hair. "Where does he keep it? Once I know for sure that it's the scepter in question, I'll speak to Monsieur Sancerre about using it. I'm sure he'll agree."

____________________________________________________________________________________

"He keeps it in his trophy room, with his other old junk. He collects weird stuff. I dusted in there a couple of times. Um...I think that room must be locked. It's upstairs, next to his office."
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Primeiro quickly weighs his options as Abigail speaks. Sancerre said he hadn't seen a scepter, so that's a lie. But if he tells the others and publicly confronts the man, Sancerre may well reveal Primeiro's own secrets in retaliation -- and that would bring him no closer to the scepter.

He kisses Abigail deeply for several seconds and then he says, "Thank you. I shall speak with Denys shortly, but of course I won't mention your name." A pause. "Events tonight may be ... frightening. I won't lie. If you would feel safer, remain here and lock the door behind me. I'll return when I can."

Now fully armed, Primeiro leaves his room. Before going to the trophy room, however, he first makes his way toward Elliana's room. Something about that wench has troubled him almost since the moment they arrived at the chateau. And now -- while she appears to be oblivious to everything going on around them -- she demands Sancerre's attention?

He intends to approach stealthily, getting close enough to confirm that Sancerre is indeed there before moving on to the trophy room.

The door to Elliana's room is closed. As he approaches, Primeiro hears muffled sounds from within; creaking furniture and low moans.

Well, Primeiro thinks lasciviously, Sancerre sounds busy. At any other time, he would indulge himself and listen more closely, but this sounds like a good opportunity to get to the trophy room. But if it's locked...? I need Everline, he realizes.

He quickly heads back toward Everline's room to explain the "delicate" situation.

_________________________________________________________________________
Primeiro searches Everline's dark and empty room. She's definitely someplace else.

Going upstairs alone and in a hurry, he locates the trophy room. It takes three hard shoves with his shoulder for the door to give way. If servants heard him, well, he doesn’t hear any feet running his way down the hall.

Primeiro’s eyes slowly adjust to the deep gloom in the chamber. He can make out the outlines of all sorts of objects stacked on shelves; small statues, odd shaped lumps of what might be wood or stone, books, and unidentifiable things.

He steps into the room. Something glints to his left, atop a table. It looks like a glass vase—no, an unlit oil lantern.
The door creaks closed at his back. He hears soft, measured breathing behind him.

VIEW CONTENT:

“Go ahead, make a light. Or do you prefer to inhabit the darkness, Monsieur D’Polarno?”


He recognizes the voice; Denys Sancerre!

[ewancummins]

Eustace, Everline, Thom, and Dorgio are making preparations for the expedition to the ruins.