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Elliot nods at Samuel. "I'll go with you. None of us should be alone in this place." He turns to the Chakos and Father Pena. "You two follow the congregation. Use a knife or something and leave marks on the trees you pass so that we can follow your trail until we catch up. As soon as the sheriff leaves his office and heads out, we'll get Susie out and leave her in the care of her friend, then follow after you all."
Elliot kneels next to the body and curses softly. "Susie's father. We need to find that friend of hers, the fella that helped her burn the church down. If we can get her out of jail while the congregation makes their pilgrimage, he can get her out of here and maybe allow us to find out why Kornfield seems to find some unnatural healing out there."
Damn, sorry to hear that my friend. Sending good thoughts your way and I hope RL gets better soon!
Elliot shakes his head uncertainly. "I think we should hold onto the book - not let it out of our grasp until we get out of this place. That priest... back from the dead? He might be able to... I don't know... sense it somehow? If we hide it, we risk the book falling right back into his hands again. Let's go back to our room at the hotel and wait for the padre to rejoin us. Then we can go visit Suzie's father and do what we can to get both of them out of here. And if her mother is no longer under Kornfield's influence, maybe her as well. But if the priest is alive, I suspect she might be too far gone."
Elliot glances outside a window when he hears the voices, though he tries to stay hidden in case whoever the good padre is talking to might try and raise an alarm seeing strangers in Reverend Kornfield's house. Little did the archaeologist figure it WAS the serpent priest himself!!
If he manages to come through that little nasty surprise unscathed, he moves away from the opening and gestures at the others, mouthing "OUT! GET OUT NOW!" silently as he hustles toward the door on the opposite side of the house - presuming there is one there...
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.
"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.
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...
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.
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!
Sorry for the late response, been busy of late myself! I'd like this to continue, but perhaps fast forwarding a bit to the action might be called for. Not sure of what more I can post, save for the idea of Elliot perched on a building (or behind a window) nearby when the rest of the party meets with the serpent priest. I'd have my rifle and be ready to shoot if things go sideways.
Take care of yourself and your family first my friend, we'll be here whenever you're ready to take up the reins again. Hope you feel better soon!
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."
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 nods, also watching the younger man walk away. He hopes that one can be trusted. "Good enough, let's get you back to your pa's house, I imagine he'll be worried about you. Get cleaned up immediately. Are you carrying anything that can tie you to the fire?" He asks as they walk.
Moving into a new place, I'll be back online after this weekend, but then taking a short vacation. My posting will be spotty until Monday, 6/12. Going to try and post once or twice during that time, but if I go radio silent you'll know why - so feel free to bot me. Thanks folks!
Elliot nods and speaks to the older boy. "Go, burn those clothes, wash up and meet us back at Susie's." Then he turns to the girl. "Is your home safe? If so, we'll take you there. You'll need to do the same, wash up and burn those clothes. Don't let your mother see you, we'll go on the pretext of talking to your father. How much does he know?" He asks.
Elliot responds. "It's complicated. We are investigators, and let's just say we've had experience with... things that can't easily be explained in this world. The Reverend Kornfield is one of them. Whether he is aligned with Satan or something else, his presence here is not good for anyone. Not in this town, and not in this world." He walks in silence for a moment, judging their reactions to his words. "Why did you set fire to his church? Were you trying to kill him? Or make him angry? Because I guarantee that he's angry now, and he'll be looking to take revenge on anyone that's crossed him." He glances at Susie meaningfully.
Elliot hesitates, then nods. "You'll need to get cleaned up, first. You also smell like kerosene, so getting rid of those clothes would also be advisable. Is there someplace you can wash off and change first? Then you can meet us there and help explain what's going on. We might have some interesting bits to share as well." He tells the man.
Elliot gives Chakos a hard look, but turns his attention back to the pair. "We are investigating Reverend Kornfield on behalf of an agency that will go unnamed for now. Suffice to say, we do believe that Kornfield is using powers that are beyond our understanding. We are here to understand how and why this is. But come, let's find a place to talk further and in private. Do you have somewhere we can do this?"
If they are far enough away from the burning church (and their quarry is close enough to hear) to risk shouting out, Elliot does so. "Susie! Wait! I think we're on the same side here! There's something very wrong with the Reverend, isn't there? We know it as well!" If he thinks that doing this might give them away to the Reverend, he will hold his tongue for the moment and continue to follow after.
Elliot does his best to keep track of the two fugitives through the unfamiliar streets and alleyways...
Elliot keeps his eyes away from the blaze so as not to blind himself... and spots two figures hustling away from the inferno! He whispers to the others quickly. "Hsst! There's a man and woman getting away through that alley. Let's see what they're about, shall we?" And then he leads the way, following after them.
The timing of this with their arrival is highly suspect to Elliot, and he watches carefully for anyone moving away purposefully from the church or otherwise looking suspicious...
Interesting! It's definitely difficult to know where to go from here... My own thought was not for wanton violence against the human worshippers in any case, just the Yig-serving priest if he IS indeed a serpent person. That's why I'm thinking we sneak into this place at night, long after the regular folk have gone to sleep. Figured this little visit could give us an up-close look at the reverend and see what we think. And also maybe take a look around so we have at least some idea of what the interior looks like. I'm thinking we also talk with a few of the folks here in the congregation as well. Once we've concluded our brief visit, I'd suggest we get in touch with Joshua Meadham and let him know what we've learned and maybe what we're intending to do. And again, Elliot has NO intention of letting Reverend Kornfield touch him without putting up a hell of a fight.
Elliot's lips peel back in an expression of distaste. "Not if his touch turns me into something like the blacksmith's wife, or that janitor at the barber shop. Let's talk to him certainly, as newcomers interested in the church, but I'll not allow him to bestow healing upon me. Not now, and not ever."
Elliot keeps fairly quiet when the arrive, shaking hands with the middle aged priest and giving the man a perfunctory greeting as he takes a look around in silence. Elliot is certainly not a church-goer by an means, but even the archaeologist can sense something isn't right here. His eyes widen slightly as the priest withdraws to asps that hiss angrily, and when Chakos nudges him, he glances at the doctor with a startled look. He is about to whisper a hot retort, but then realizes the room is dead quiet and holds his tongue as he glances around to see if anyone is daring to step forward. The archaeologist considers the idea of volunteering, just to see what happens, but he wonders if perhaps the snake were to bite, then the priest would offer healing to counteract the deadly venom. And what would THAT do to him? He thinks of the man in the barber's shop, and the blacksmith's wife for a few moments and decides to stay silent. Perhaps they could return here later tonight and investigate the empty church further...
Apologies for delay. I'm here, just very busy at work of late with no time/energy to post. Feel free to bot me, but my take is that we are going to see the good Reverend Kornfield do his thing and then make our plans from there.
Elliot smiles at Ralph, though on the inside his isn't smiling at all. The thought of meeting this serpent man face to face is quite frankly a terrifying though. Still, it makes sense to see their enemy with their own eyes first. But what if the Reverend tries to lay hands on him or his friends? Should they run? Fight? He mentally shakes his head, deciding that they'll have to discuss their options before the meeting. For now, he only responds in what he hopes is a pleasant, non-shaky voice. "We would be delighted, thank you for the invitation. Where is the church? We could head straight there after getting a bite to eat at the diner, I'm thinking." He suggests, glancing at the others.
"Truly, you speak of heavenly miracles upon the Earth. I never thought I'd live to see such." Elliot speaks with a smile that he hopes doesn't reflect the thoughts that churn in his mind. What sort of sickness is this 'Reverend Kornfield' spreading with his mere touch? That he is kin to the serpentfolk they have encountered is assured, from the sounds of it. It will be interesting to see in what manner George Hensen has been afflicted.
Elliot starts a bit at the idea of Harry swallowing a sandwich whole. With the ever-present idea of snakes taking human form, the off-hand comment is enough to make him jump at shadows. Still... He looks Harry over carefully as he forces himself to crack a smile. "Nothing wrong with a good nap after a fine meal, Harry. I'm inclined to do the same after a Thanksgiving meal. God be praised." He adds the last after a moment's pause, thinking the expression might jar Ralph into talking about the Reverend.
Elliot grins at the barber. "John Barrymore, eh? That would truly be a wonder! I've not seen that movie yet, but being a bit of an explorer myself I was quite taken by King Kong. Have you seen that one? Perhaps if you can work your magic to make me look like a young Barrymore, I could visit Hollywood and take Fay Wray out for a night on the town!"
Elliot looks sheepishly at the man. "Been awhile, I'm afraid." He confesses, running his hand through his long, unkempt hair. "Maybe just trim it up a bit? And my beard as well. Not too much, though." He adds uneasily.
Not sure what to say to the man, Elliot only nods as the group takes their leave. When the others fill him in on what they suspect, the archaeologist shakes his head ruefully. "I don't like this at all. Bad enough they can disguise themselves, but now they can also spread their... condition? Does that mean his wife is going to wind up like one of them? Heck, maybe this whole town? And if the reverend has the sheriff in his pocket, we'll need to tread very carefully around here." He is in agreement to speak to Harry though, the more information they can get, the better. Though Elliot isn't sure whether this situation can be solved by anything less than cutting the head off the proverbial snake. Or perhaps the literal snake, if this Reverend truly is a serpent person in human disguise.
Elliot stays quiet for now, content to let the others do the speaking. He wonders if perhaps Pearl truly isn't herself, based on what they've seen. But could a serpent person in disguise fool a husband of many years? Or did she just... change somehow?
Elliot's smile widens in appreciation of the girl's reaction. "I think we find ourselves in agreement, Susie. As the padre says, your father seems a good man. We'd like to meet him, if he's interested in talking with us. We're here to help."
Elliot grins at the girl. Susie? That's a pretty name. No, we aren't tax collectors. We've come by to talk to your father about the church services he's offering. We've heard a bit about this Reverend Kornfield, but... well, he doesn't seem to be the kind of man we'd put our faith in. Do you know what I mean?" He is curious to see if Susie has any thoughts about this herself, or maybe if she's overheard her parents talking...
Elliot gives what he hopes is a good-natured smile to the girl. "Hi there. Well, that depends I suppose. Is your dad Mr. Schoenbaum? If that's the case, then yes, we'd like to see him for a bit, if he has the time?"
Elliot agrees that visiting the blacksmith might be a good idea. "He might be able to give us an idea of what's really going on here, if those under the Reverend's influence are truly brainwashed."
Elliot frowns at the Father's words. "I agree, it would seem to me that a small community like this would make efforts to find someone who went missing. We could visit Mrs. Shaw, but we'd better have a good story in place for why we are interested. Any suggestions?"
Elliot pauses while eating his hamburger, giving the good father a nod as he sits down opposite in the booth. "Not much, I'm afraid. The library didn't have anything about the new church, though the librarian told us about George Hensen, who was paralyzed a few months back in an accident at the lumber mill. Apparently Reverend Kornfield cured him." He shrugs and mops one of his fries in some ketchup and pops it in his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully. "George might be able to tell us a thing or two, though I'm thinking he might well be a bit biased. How about you, Father?"
Elliot gives the stern-faced woman a nod, but she's already turning away and bustling back to her office. He wonders at her words as he catches Chakos' eyes and motions to the door. Doesn't seem like there's much more to be found here. He wonders if the good father is having better luck.
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