"Let me confer with my comrades as to what we are willing to offer in exchange for what you have. We will only be a moment."
Bobby says "Look, I'm totally lost. First you offer to destroy the scroll, which we obviously can't do, and now you're offering to trade him...what...for...what?"
Aleksei looks at Bobby for a long moment before speaking. "We were sent here for information, which this man has. We have little to trade, other than our own information, which admittedly, is little. He may not know we have the scroll, but I'm certain he has a suspicion. We need to give him either some information or something more tangible, such as our services, in order to learn what all he knows and eventually, what this Herr Spider knows. I'm up for suggestions however."
"I doubt that we can destroy the scroll, but maybe we could temporarily make a truce to our mutual benefit?" Perrin shifts uncomfortably. "Or could we pretend to work with him and just betray him later, when it suits us? That might gets us closer to the Spider."
"Exactly what I had in mind, Perrin. We get as close as we can and get out with what we can. What do you think, Bobby?"
"Well, I suspect he knows 'we' (meaning England) has the scroll, as he likely knows about the thugs that attacked the professor, and that the janitor was a mole. I guess we could try to work with him, but why on earth should he trust us enough to work with us?"
"He doesn't. He will want us to do something to prove our loyalty, as it were. Something simple. At first. Let's start with that."
"Ok, sure. Let's go back in. I'll let you do the talking."
Aleksei nods and then walks back in to the room with Herr Schonn.
"It seems we have come to an agreement. You probably are already aware that we seek more information regarding the scroll and its ilk. We are willing to offer our services in exchange for that information."
Aleksei looks at the others, if they nod in approval, he will say, "Excellent. We have an agreement. Keep your people off our backs and we will exchange information. A pleasure doing business with you, Herr Schonn." With that, he will light another cigar and stand to leave.
At this point Bobby speaks up, saying "How are we to get in contact with you, should we find anything?"
As they leave the tavern, Bobby says to Aleksei "So, what next? Our orders from Doyle were to 'keep our eyes open for anything unusual or strange' - any ideas?"
Aleksei nods. "I'd say that was unusual and strange. Think we should report in? Maybe after we wander around for an hour or so to lose the tails Schonn will out on us."
"Sure, let's report in - maybe someone there will have an assignment for us?"
|
Making sure that you are not being followed, the three of you check in at the dig site. It is there that you meet Mr. Kirkee, the dig foreman. He is a bear of a man, nearly as broad as he is tall, with a thick mustache and beard and a weathered face. When you arrive, he spots you almost immediately. *Hrumph* "You three must be the new people that they've sent to help us with the digging. Well, grab a shovel. As it happens, we've only recently unearthed another tomb. I expect we'll have enough of the entrance excavated by this time tomorrow to go in."
Aleksei mumbles something about 'grunt work', but grabs a shovel and goes to the dig site.
Bobby does the same.
Perrin joins in the dig party, apparently excited to be a part of the whole affair.
|
|
The digging is hard work, especially in the hot sun, but as promised, by the time the group wraps up for the evening, the entrance is all but excavated. A few more hours should reveal enough of the entrance to get in.
That night, gathered around the cookfires, Mr. Kirkee greets you more casually. "Alexander Kirkee, of London. So, you're the new crew. Why don't you tell me a bit about yourselves? I have been an archaeologist, specifically an Egyptologist, for about 10 years, following in the footsteps of my late father, Dr. David Kirkee. Top of my class at Oxford," he beams proudly.
Bobby sits down with an audible thump, exhausted. "Whew! Name's Bobby, I used to work behind a desk at British Military Intelligence, until I put in a request for some field work. Gotta say, I wasn't expecting this kind of field work!" he says, but jovially.
Aleksei sits down next to his crew, letting the shovel fall nearby. "Aleksei, I am Russian, only Russian. I find these guys and we are good friends. Is that simple." He lights a cigar and takes a puff before offering one to Kirkee.
Perrin leans upon the handle of his shovel, hefting his canteen. "John Perrin. I'm from Shytown, that is, Chicago, USA. I studied a little bit of archaeology, but I'm really more of a historian. Still, very glad to have this opportunity."
|
|
Kirkee smiles and nods as each of you explains your past and your reason for being here. When Aleksei speaks, he says, "Begging your pardon, but a Russian?" He takes the offered cigar and lights it. "I find it most unusual that a Russian would be interested in a British dig in Egypt. Or, for that matter, that he would be traveling alongside a Brit and an American. Please, tell me more."
Aleksei looks at Kirkee and raises an eyebrow. "Unusual circumstances brought you to this place during a time of war, did they not? I got separated from my unit in Prussia. Met up with these men, they became my brothers under fire. We have been in the same unit ever since. Under fire, we have no nation, only each other to rely on. Met with British personnel, we decided it was best for all of us to continue our path. So here we are. Unusual circumstances, my friend."
|
|
"Indeed these are strange times." Nothing more is said of the subject and the remainder of the evening passes with light conversation until sleep overcomes all of you.
The next morning sees everyone back at work and by noon, the entrance to the tomb has been excavated. Your quartet (Perrin, Kirkee, Aleksei, and Bobby) descends into the tomb. All is quiet within, the air stale and heavy. The room you enter has two large statues of jackals flanking an engraving of an owl in the floor. The walls are covered in murals showing images of daily life in ancient Egypt. The murals, once bright and vibrant, are old and fading.
Moving forward (map updated), searching around for anything of interest :
Aleksei cautiously looks around. Stifling the urge to light another cigar in this stuffy place, he keeps his hands busy checking his gear repetitively.
"Anyone have a preference : straight, left, or right? I vote straight for the time being."
Perrin, obviously fascinated, just nods.
Aleksei also nods. "I will take rear in case the side passages are not empty."
Bobby continues another 6" forward.
|
|
You come into a large room that must surely be the main chamber. Coins of gold and golden objects are scattered everywhere. A massive funeral barge takes up the south wall and is filled with artifacts. Two jackal-headed statues that look to be solid gold flank the doorway and a scarab carved into the floor. In the center of the east wall is a golden altar and before it, a solid gold sarcophagus!
Aleksei looks about, his eyes darting to each treasure, and then to each shadow. Looking to Kirkee he says, "Are we the first ones in here?"
Bobby takes a step to be beside the doorway (map updated) and shouts "Everyone get in this room! Aleksei, you move to your right of the door once you get inside, then we'll pincer them! The rest of you get to the far wall!"
Aleksei nods to Bobby in agreement and quickly moves to follow his suggestion, knife clearing its sheath as he does so.
Bobby grabs his rifle by the barrel, intending to use it as a club (Improvised Weapon).
Perrin takes a stand bedside Aleksei, also holding his rifle like a club.
Aleksei nods to Bobby and grips his knife tightly waiting for the creatures to get closer.
Perrin swings his rifle butt at the lead mummy, but misses!
Bobby takes a swing at the nearest mummy :
Aleksei catches the torch and immediately swings it at the nearest mummy.