Making a tremendous effort to control herself, Bukaru tries talking to the man. "Hey! <to get his attention> Look, you really don't want to do that, do you? So far you haven't done anything *that* bad, but if you hurt that little boy, you'll be hanged."
"Come on now, put the dagger down and let the boy go. What do you say?"
Ah, crap. Almost perfectly symmetrical bad rolls.
"You want to think real careful on that," Ben said, easing his way closer with his gun dangling at his side. "We all just came here to get your opinion on the medicine we brought in for the plague. Now, maybe you had reason to go harin' off soon as we stepped in, but you ain't actin' like a man worth askin', threatenin' little kids like that. Fact is, you touch a hair on his head, and you ain't lookin' at us just wonderin' where you were headed off to in such a hurry. Then you're lookin' at a hangin'. Leave him be, and you ain't done nothing illegal, right? Now why don't you hand me that there pig-sticker, and we'll get all this sorted out. Ain't nobody got to die."
He reached out his hand, clearly expecting the healer to hand over the dagger. Glancing down at the sick child, who was no doubt frightened by the turn of events, he smiled and winked as though this were just some haggling done in the market, rather than a gamble with his life in the balance. Mentally, though, he was calculating how quickly he could bring up his gun and shoot.
"Listen to the man, McCady. This don't have to go down ugly," says the Deputy.
Mal's voice comes from the back of the room. "Ben may be crooked as a snake, but he ain't lyin'. You hurt that boy, there ain't a force on this world gonna save you. You'll be joinin' them gods. It ain't have to go that way, though. Put it down."
"The Lady' got it right. Theft aint no hangable offence, but murdering a child sure is. Do anything stupid and you're gallow's fruit by dinner time. Your call, friend."
McCady's hands shake as he stares at the boy.
"I - I didn't want to hurt them," he says his voice on the edge of tears. "But it has my girl."
He sobs.
"Gods! It has my girl!"
The dagger drops to the ground with a hollow clang and within seconds you manage to restrain him.
He sobs openly, but eventually the Deputy calms him down long enough to speak.
"McCady I saw your girl on the porch of your home this morning. What do you mean they have your girl?"
McCady shakes his head violently.
"No! Not my girl! That thing is something else! It wears her face! It sounds like her! But it's unholy and wrong!"
"What do you mean, hurt *'them'*? You mean all these sick people? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?" The last is more intently than loud.
When the healer collapsed into sobs, Ben put away his gun in disgust. Turning to the boy whose life had been threatened, he grunted, "You OK, kid?"
But the more McCady spoke, the more Ben's curiosity was piqued. He peered at the man, wondering if he was mad or telling the truth. Or maybe he was just full of lies. "It's still a mite early to be drinkin', McCady."
Mal spits on the floor next to Leland's newly reconstructed companion at the healer's worries. "Rubbish." she mutters, but sounds terribly unconvinced.
The boy on the bed weakly managed to turn his head in Ben's direction. He wheezed painfully before seeming to almost smile.
"I -- like -- your ears," he says quietly through labored breaths.
***
McCady looks horror stricken as he looks into Bukuru's angry eyes.
"Nothing," he said miserably. "I did nothing. It poisoned them and it made me do -- nothing!"
McCady begins to shake in anger and frustration.
"Why couldn't it have just killed me!?"
Deputy Bluefeather pulls out a pair of manacles and cuffs McCady. he doesn't struggle. She then addresses Bukuru.
"You said you know medicine. Can you do anything for the folks here?"
Ben ruffled the boy's hair. "You hang in there, son," he said equally quietly, patting the kid's shoulder before turning to the healer.
***
Ben frowned at McCady. He could have sworn the man wasn't the lyin' type. 'Course, if he wasn't, that stirred up its own nest 'o snakes.
"There's antitoxin in the medicine we brought," Ben pointed out to Bluefeather with a dark look in Mal's direction. "That oughta give 'em a fightin' chance."
He turned back to McCady. "You're sayin' your little girl poisoned these folks? Only it ain't your little girl? What do you know about this "unholy and wrong" thing? D'you know where it's keepin' your girl? Why's it want to poison the town?"
To the Deputy : "Yes sir! I'll do my best!"
Bukaru goes from patient to patient, calming them with her words and friendliness, and with a sincere sense of confidence tells them that they *will* be feeling better soon.
To the Deputy : "Is there anyone else in town who knows the healing arts, who can watch over these people for the next day or so? Otherwise I will be glad to offer my services."
McCady looks up shakily at Ben.
"It keeps her under the house, there's a hole under her bed. It brings her out to see me every now and again."
McCady shudders.
"It combs her hair."
***
The deputy frowns as she considers Bukuru's question.
"I think Monty was a field medic back in the war. I'll stay here. You go fill him in. He should be over at his shop. Then I need you to go find the Sheriff."
Ben wouldn't have admitted it in a week of holy days, but thinkin' on that poor child in the grasp of some unnatural critter, scared and shakin' in some pit under McCady's house, well, that just about made him sick. Besides, if savin' a whole town from poisoning AND rescuing a kid or two wasn't worth a reward, why, this whole town could light on fire and go straight to hell. He'd half a mind to light it himself.
Eyes narrowed, he said, "Whereabouts is your house, McCady? I don't know about this story of yours, but someone ought to tell your daughter what's what, with you goin' to jail. If I can catch her, I reckon I can take a look under her bed once she's seen to."
He grabbed a fistful of McCady's shirt and dragged him in close. "But you'd best not be lyin' to me, mister. You'll wish you was already hung if you are."
On his way out the door, he said to Bukaru, "If you're lookin' for a doctor, I reckon the Doc - that gnome on the horse - might know something helpful. If he's a real doctor, leastwise." He hated to bring the damned gnome back into his business, but he couldn't shake the way that boy had sounded when he spoke to Ben. Weak.
Not that he'd gone soft. Just wasn't much point in savin' a kid from a poisoner's blade if he died from the poison right after. Firm in this belief, he tugged the brim of his hat down and stalked off into the road.
As much as Mallory wants to not believe McCady's story, she can't bring herself to. She'd seen liars, plenty of them, and he wasn't one. He truly seemed to believe what he was saying. While the others talk she takes a deep drink from her flask before approaching the man, and tipping it so he can do the same, despite his cuffs. She hardly glances at the Deputy as she does this. 'Don't get involved,' she reminds herself. 'You already killed one nightmare, may not survive th'other.'
"How long?" she asks him quietly, trying not to imagine his scared child.
"I don't Loveless is that kind of Doctor."
Turning to Mcady, "Maybe you're lying and maybe you're crazy, but either way, it wont hurt to take a look over at your place. If your girl is in danger, we'll get her, if not, well, you know how things will end."
Following Ben out the door, Bukaru calls over her shoulder, "Sorry, Deputy Bluefeather, ma'am :), but if another life is at stake I *have* to tend to that first. If I can find the sheriff on the way, I'll let him know what's happened here. I'll try to find Monty on the way back."
"Three months," McCady answers Mal miserably.
When Bukaru and Ben turn to head out, the Deputy gets flustered.
"Now wait just a danggone -- Ah, sweet, singing Salvation!" She turns to Leland and Mal.
"Would you follow them idjits and make sure they don't get killed?! I'll get the Sheriff and Monty."
She then looked at McCady, did some mental math, and then rolled her eyes.
"To the hells with it."
She then produced a blackjack and knocked McCady unconscious with a swift hit at the back of the head.
"Sorry about that, Doc, but I can't risk you hurting the sick folk here whilst I get the Sheriff."
She then shoos Mal and Leland.
"Well, go on. Get. I'll handle my part."
"Have any of you ever heard of a creature that can take on someone else's face and voice? I have not, but McCady seemed sincere."
Ben glanced at her sidelong as he strode. "Ain't never heard of it, but there are stranger things." More evil things, too. He scowled and stared ahead, putting those thoughts behind him.
Of course, that just left thoughts of a poor frightened child captured by a monster wearing her face, but all in all it was still a trade-up.
"If that thing is real, it's gonna look awful funny to it for a posse to show up lookin'. Best be ready to grab it 'fore it runs in to hurt that girl. 'Course, if it IS just a girl, she ain't gonna be easy with a posse grabbin' her, either. Which is all to say, maybe we oughta come at the house less like a posse."
"I can be friendly when I want to, and I could say that I'm looking for her dad because I'm a healer too, and there's a problem at the clinic. Sometimes it's easier to tell a half-lie. The rest of you could be coming up on the house from the back while I talk to her. I doubt I'm strong enough to grab her and hold her or anything like that."
Mal stays quiet during the walk, obviously somewhat deep in thought about the possibilities of what this could be, while at the same time distracted by how she was consistently surprised by Ben's shifting loyalties. She wonders if there was more to him than meets the eye. 'Or perhaps less.' She thinks, narrowing her eyes. It was possible that he was still just after his payday. Still, he did seem surprisingly invested in this situation. Which let Mal feel somewhat unhinged about it.
"It's a good plan." She says finally. "Reckon if you can get... it to the porch, keep it a bit busy talkin' bout what happened to McCady, Dalton and I can go in through a window, check under the bed, see what's what." It sounds almost ridiculous as she says it aloud, and she narrows her eyes at the possibility that McCady could be playing them all the fools. If that happens, Mal decides, he'll never make it to trial, and that little gnome will have one more coffin to build.
Ben's thoughts ran similarly to Mal's when it came to McCady, and to their planned course of action. He hadn't forgotten what she'd done, but he had to admit she was a good hand to have along if it came to a fight.
When they neared the McCady house, he gave Mal an unfriendly look and jerked his head toward the back alleys. Then he peeled away from the group (with Mal?) and trotted out of sight, slinking closer to the house while keeping behind cover as much as possible while looking for a back window or door to slip through.
Quiet and wary as a cat in a kennel, he motioned for Mal to join him behind the house. Just like being home, he thought grimly, keeping an eye out for watchers.
Mal nods silently to Bukaru and moves quietly after Ben, ignoring his attitude in favour of focusing on the task at hand. She checks her gun nervously, more than a little unsettled by what they may find.
Not being the sneaky type, Leland escorts Bukaru, but sends Gizmo with Ben and Mal.
A little girl sits on the front porch, humming as she plays with a doll.
Her eyes pop open when she sees Leland and Bukaru approaching.
"Oh, hello. Do you want to play dollies?"
"Hello, young lady, my name is Bukaru, and I'm a healer like your daddy. There's been an emergency at the clinic - you know all those sick people your daddy has been helping? - and we're going to have to stay there for the next day or so round-the-clock. He asked me to come and get you, so we can take care of you, since he won't be able to come home. You know a pretty little girl like yourself shouldn't be left alone for so long, right? So let's go and see your daddy, ok?"
The little girl looks confused and then slightly hostile.
"Daddy shouldn't be working so hard."
Her eyes narrowed as she said, "I get bored when he's gone too long."
She stands up.
"I'm going inside to play with my toys. You're strangers. And I don't know you," she says as she sticks out her tongue and blows a raspberry.
A little louder than needed (in hopes that those behind the house will hear) : "Hey, little girl, mind your manners and your elders!"
Making a grab for her arm :
Woohoo!...wait a minute, NOW what do I do with her? :)
Leland will mentally relay what is happening to Gizmo and the eidolon will charge in through the back of the house.
Being practical, Leland will simply cast daze (DC14) on the little girl.
"Just calm down dear, your father wants to see you."
Ben stared as Leland's contraption abruptly busted its way into the house. "Time's up," he growled, darting in after it.
Once inside, he tried to make sense of the layout in a hurry, and find the child's bedroom stealthily.
The little girl’s hands morph into claws as she attempts to strike Bukaru.
She manages to seriously harm Bukaru, but the Cleric still manages to get ahold of her.
Initiative Leland: 1d20 + 4 ⇒ (15) + 4 = 19
Initiative Ben: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (15) + 3 = 18
Initiative Mallory: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (11) + 3 = 14
Initiative Bukaru: 1d20 + 0 ⇒ (14) + 0 = 14
Initiative Girl: 1d20 + 1 ⇒ (12) + 1 = 13
Hearing a fuss being kicked up outside, Ben redoubled his efforts to find the real little girl, thinking that she might be in trouble if there was more than one of whatever it was McCady had spoken of. Didn't hurt to get rid of its leverage, neither. "I got the girl," he growled, abandoning stealth for speed. "You get the thing!"
Having established that this *isn't* a little girl, letting go and taking a 5' step back.
Shouting : "McCady was right - we need everyone's help up here NOW, this thing is vicious!"
Casting Sanctuary on myself.
P.S. : DC = 14 to ignore me.
WIth Bukaru clear, Leland draws and fires this crossbow.
Gizmo comes barrelling around the house and gets into the girl/creature's face. (double move)
The little girl hisses when she's struck by Leland's bolt.
Mal glares at Ben as the two take off running, begrudgingly agreeing with his assessment. The shouts from the front of the house were getting larger, and Mal heads right for them, firing her gun as soon as she's able. The idea of shooting at a child, even a monstrous one, is something that rubs her the wrong way, and despite herself, she flinches.
Mal's shot goes wide, and the Little Girl hissed like a giant snake and then ducked into the house. There she transformed into a hideous beast with razor sharp claws.
I've used my only Bless already, and haven't had 15 minutes to fill my unused spell slot, so I'm just standing by to heal anyone as needed.
Seeing the girl transform, Mal curses herself for missing the shot. She steps through the door, firing again as she does so, only to miss even worse than before, letting off a string of curse words.