"Dare we all attend? We got her out of there, so hopefully they don't stick this on her."
Elliot gives a brusque nod. "An act of arson was not the best plan, for sure. But folk in this town that haven't sided with the reverend are clearly getting desperate. We need to move on him fast. I was hoping to dig around in that church a bit, but that's no longer an option - unless we want to go digging through the rubble. Let's all attend this service and see what happens. We need Susie and her little friend to stay put, though. Let's make that absolutely clear to them both."
Elliot raises his hands as the good father objects to the proposed plan. "Easy there, reverend. I'm no killer. I wouldn't gun down a man unless there was damn good reason, like if he was coming after one of you all with evil intent. Hell, I'm no good at talking anyway, so it makes sense that you all speak with the man and see if you can suss out his intentions. I'll just be covering you all from a distance, unseen and unnoticed - or so I hope. If things go sideways, well... I'll do what I have to do so that you all come out this meeting alive."
"I agree that we should not plan on killing anyone. But someone might come to kill the Reverend or us for that matter. Keeping a good view of the whole area could be important." Brisk says.
"Better to have such a contingency, and not need it."
After seeing Susie Schoenbaum and her conspirator (whom you learn is Gregory Shaw) home, you gather to discuss. Per the orders of Caduceus's Joshua Meadham, you travel out away from Bingham and find a tall structure - an abandoned windmill - and erect your radio antenna. Then you call Meadham and report all that you have learned. After hearing the tale, Meadham has new instructions for you.
"Find and seize that altered bible, the 'Testament of Yig' and bring it back to Caduceus. But before you leave, find the source of Kornfield's power. How does he do what he does?"
The next day, you return to Reverend Kornfield's burned-out church and witness a service on the lawn - a good old-fashioned tent revival meeting. Reverend Kornfield preaches the gospel of Yig and handles snakes. People are writhing on the ground and speaking in tongues!
Into the midst of this remarkable scene strides Susie Schoenbaum with her father's 10-guage shotgun and before you stop her, she blasts a hole in Kornfield's chest as wide as a dinner plate. He drops down dead.
Worshipers grab Susie and rough her up fairly badly before you can calm down the crowd. Sheriff Cliff Benson arrives, a sweaty-faced man in an ill-fitting uniform. He arrests Susie and hauls her off to jail to await a trial.
Chakos admires Susie's resolve, "a woman of action," he thinks to himself.
Chakos will rush up and check out the body, just in case...
Hard success, if spending a point of luck gets me more, I'll do it.
Elliot curses softly to himself as the sheriff takes Susie. "We need that bible. Chakos, does he have it on him? Maybe that's his source of power. Or something else he's got on him? An amulet or something like that?"
He searches the grounds - especially for any hidden trapdoors or the like that might lead underground, to an area unaffected by the fire - as he thinks on their future plans, then turns to the others after his search is concluded. "We need to break Susie out of jail. Get her and her father out of town. The sheriff is clearly one of the reverend's followers, dead or not. Still... I wonder how the others will act now that Kornfield is gone. Susie's mother, for instance. Are they all lost, or just some of them? Let's have a chat with Susie's parents and see what they think about all this. It might go a long way to answering that question, anyway."
= Hard Success!
Brisk looks for the bible as well, searching podiums or other areas for the artifact.
No matter the faith, Antonio is shaken at the direct murder of a priest. He tries to help Suzie from the retaliation, but he has tears in his eyes.
As he watches Suzie being carted off, he then turns to the crowd and begins addressing them. "When such sudden violence erupts and takes someone we love from us, it's natural to want to lash out at them. That is human nature. But the Bible tells us that these moments are exactly when we must embody God's love. So many of the town loved Reverend Kornfield. Let's mourn his life and our loss, but do not turn yourselves to hate. Because he didn't preach hate."
Antonio continues to preach if people will listen and he will offer personal counsel if asked. He will try and stay until people begin to disperse, hopefully allowing the others time to search.
Big George Hensen turns to Father Antonio. "He didn't. That's right. But it got him killed. Now that Schoenbaum girl is going to get the electric chair for sure. What was it all for?"
Brisk looks for the bible as well, searching podiums or other areas for the artifact.
Brisk will head off to the Reverend's house!
Elliot glances at the briskly walking mechanic who'd been searching the body of the priest and taps Chakos on the shoulder. "Hey, let's go. I think he's got something." The archaeologist tries to catch the eye of the padre and motions him with a nod of his head to follow, then jogs to catch up with Brisk.
Big George Hensen turns to Father Antonio. "He didn't. That's right. But it got him killed. Now that Schoenbaum girl is going to get the electric chair for sure. What was it all for?"
Antonio shakes his head and lightly rests his hand on George's shoulder. "I don't know, George. There's a senselessness to me too. But that's why it's called Faith. We trust that God will continue to work His ways through us and those around us no matter what happens. If I can be of any help, I am happy to try. I'm staying at the hotel. Just leave a message there."
"George, did Reverend Kornfield have anyone he was close to? Others who worked in the church or arrived with him?"
Kornfield is completely human and very dead. He ain't regenerating.
But... now that you look closely, he was...prior to his high-speed lead poisoning... -really- healthy. There's not a scratch or blemish on him. The man has skin as smooth as a baby's bottom. Weird.
"George, did Reverend Kornfield have anyone he was close to? Others who worked in the church or arrived with him?"
"'Arrived?' The Reverend's a local boy, born and raised. He was in school just a few years behind me. I guess he was close to a lot of people. His flock, mostly."
Brisk and Elliot quickly arrive at the Reverend's house, a small four-room cottage set back from Elm street and shaded by a pair of the eponymous elms.
You find that the door is unlocked.
Chakos will inform the other party members that "whatever this Reverend was, or wasn't, he's human, to the core. And, might I add, healthier than a newborn. Not a scratch on him, either. I need to eat what he was eating!"
As an archaeologist (of the pulp variety anyway), Elliot is well aware of the potential for booby traps set to harm or kill the unwary that might enter an Egyptian or Mayan tomb. And so he holds up a hand to indicate caution as he takes his time, searching around the door and peering through the windows, looking for anything out of place.
Once he is satisfied there's nothing dangerous, he'll head in through the door...
"'Arrived?' The Reverend's a local boy, born and raised. He was in school just a few years behind me. I guess he was close to a lot of people. His flock, mostly."
Antonio blinks. "Oh, I had thought his recent preaching meant he was a new arrival. My apologies. So you've known him for a long time. Was he always so spry and healthy? And did he take to religion naturally, or was it something that came to him later in life?"
Brisk also takes a moment to look around before entering.
Brisk, Elliot and Chakos enter into Reverend Kornfield's small and tidy house, a typical western clapboard three-room affair. Everything seems normal here. But in the bedroom, hidden under the Reverend's pillow is a large book bound in snakeskin. The pages are old and yellowed and the writing is Naacal, with English translations on the facing pages. It is definitely the Book of Yig.
Does anyone want to read it?
Antonio blinks. "Oh, I had thought his recent preaching meant he was a new arrival. My apologies. So you've known him for a long time. Was he always so spry and healthy? And did he take to religion naturally, or was it something that came to him later in life?"
George thinks. "Nah. He was gettin' kinda fat around the middle there for a while. Then he goes out into the plains, and comes back after forty days a changed man. He was the same man, you see, but he looked like he ain't aged a day over thirty, like you've seen. He's closer to fifty, though. Like me. It's the sign of the Lord on him."
Brisk moves to cover it with a blanket or towel and tries to not read anything.
Chakos has no interest in reading the thing!
Chakos does a look around to see if there is anything else useful? A day planner? The reverend's little black book of phone numbers?
"Well that's the book of Yig. A fine idea, covering it up. Deadly as a snake in the grass, I'd guess. But what about Kornfield's source of power? Is this it? Or is something else hidden elsewhere? It might not be obvious at first glance..." He continues to search the house, looking for hidden cabinets or drawers or the like.
Once Brisk has the item stored he will assist in searching further.
George thinks. "Nah. He was gettin' kinda fat around the middle there for a while. Then he goes out into the plains, and comes back after forty days a changed man. He was the same man, you see, but he looked like he ain't aged a day over thirty, like you've seen. He's closer to fifty, though. Like me. It's the sign of the Lord on him."
"Well, the Lord does work in mysterious ways. He seemed to have blessed the Reverend, and I hope his death will not be in vain. Thank you, George. If I can be of any help, please don't hesitate to ask. In the face of this tragedy, we must stay faithful to each other."
Antonio takes his leave and goes to the Reverend's house to find the others.
The team finds nothing out of the ordinary for a western farmhouse beyond the book. It's what they don't find that is curious. There are no bibles, no crosses, no Christian icons of any kind to be found in the Reverend's home. Only a few snake skins tacked to the wall like strange artwork.
As Antonio walks towards the dead Reverend's house to join the others, he sees something that makes his jaw drop: Reverend Kornfield is walking down the street, wholly unharmed, his white shirt starched and his skin looking pink and healthy. He's headed for home and will be there in a few minutes.
Antonio tries to pick his jaw off the floor and rush after the man. "Reverend? Reverend, is that you? Where are you going?"
Elliot finally shakes his head. "Nothing. Either Kornfield has this 'object of power' on his person, or it's one and the same as this Book of Yig we've already found. I hope the Father is okay, we'd better get back to him. And then figure out how to get Susie out of town along with her father. And maybe her mother, if she is no longer under the reverend's sway, that is. Now that he's dead, maybe the hold he had on these people is gone? Or will at least weaken over time?" In truth, the archaeologist has no idea. This whole situation is well outside of his field of study.
"It might be worth taking these snake skins. These symbols might be important." Brisk says and will look to see about removing one from the wall.
No. They're his style, but these show no damage at all.
Antonio tries to pick his jaw off the floor and rush after the man. "Reverend? Reverend, is that you? Where are you going?"
Antonio's sanity is wracked as he sees the dead man still alive.
"Ah, good evening, Mister Antonio. I'm returning home after my evening constitutional. Great for the health! And you?" The Reverend seems quite cheerful.
He keeps walking as he talks. He's headed right for the house.
"I, uh...I just came from the church. There's a bit of a disturbance over there. George Hensen were talking and he's quite concerned." Antonio walks with the Reverend, trying to note if he slows at all in concern.
As they near the house, Antonio glances around for the others. He speaks loudly in admiration of the property. "Oh, is this where you live? A lovely home. How long have you lived here? Are you from the area or somewhere else?"