19. Geometric Haze

-- UNEXPECTED TENTACLE SESSION 19 --
--         GEOMETRIC HAZE         --
--            28.11.96            --
	We left the caves early on in the day, making our way back to the
town unsure of how much time we'd lost. Vans circled round the village in
the distance and, stopping by the road side, we observed a large amount of
people milling around with guns. The amount of armed men was obviously
more than a town of this size could muster, so we conjectured that the
rebellion had been pushed South by the French/Spanish forces.
	We were spotted. Believing flight to be the quickest route to
death, we started the motor and held our ground as two men, on horse back,
rode to meet us. They gestured us into town and we quickly discovered that
our best course of action would be to leave the area rapidly. The van was
started. 'Just drive casually' and we left, driving continuously
throughout the day and night.
	By 10 O'clock the following morning, having covered 400+ miles, we
decided to stop and breakfast proberly ('like an English man') believing
that the cloud of dust behind us was going to catch up in anycase. We were
shortly surrounded by 5 or so trucks, circling red-indian style. Hordes of
rebels poured out and were offered bacon and toast by several flabergasted
gents. Eventualy tranlating the meaningful jabs with the gun barrels into
English, we lay down still and individually searched (although aparently
the Prof's search was interupted, so he kept most of his belongings.)
	Bundled in the back of a truck, it became obvious that our captors
didn't want to harm us particularly and we could talk freely (Jeremiah's
and Jarvis's attempted conversation in Latin, ending in 'They're not
beating me up, lets converse in English', established this. Such
subtrafuge was later us to establish what items each had concealed. Watch,
Fish and twisted hammer.) Sleep crept upon us.
	We awoke tied to poles, blindfolded and trying not to think of the
word 'fire.' Whisphers established that Jarvis, John and Jeremiah were in
the room, but the Prof was missing. After much effort, we established we
were in a tent, with no guards on the inside. John revealed that he'd
concealed a knife and set to work cutting his bonds.
	The professor woke in a similar situation, but in a room with two
soldiers. Memories triggered in his head and he recognised one of the
voices as Warwick's. The prof relayed the message given to him so long ago
(including the bit about us all going insane, although that hadn't
apparently happened, yet.) Warwick was apparently waiting, with a friend
of his, for a third person to turn up and rescue them. A dark portal
slowly formed in the room.
	John cut his bonds and quickly released the others, darkness fell
outside and a great bonfire roared outside the tent. A smell of freshly
baked bread wafted around. Our possessions were piled up in one corner
(except the Prof's) including the wand and Jeremiah's book, but lacking
any useful documents or firearms. There was a puft. Followed by another.
Smoke spilling out in bursts near the wand. Jarvis picked it up and
concealed it in his pants (insert obvious comment here), the smoke coming
from the corner between the tent and ground.
	The smoke started spilling more rapidly, filling the tent. A point
of red light could be seen through the cloud. Run! Jarvis cut a hole in
the tent back and Jeremiah stooped for his book. John left and Jeremiah
looked up to see two red eyes looking straight at him. He went rigid.
Jarvis grabbed the catonic shop keeper and fled the tent as a guard
entered, shaking the line of the tent badly (removing corner) and
everything burst into flames.
	John called out for the Prof and was duely answered. We converged
to the sound of puft and smell of fresh bread. Jarvis tore the tent to
tatters Jeremiah came out of his trance and started convulsing, he could
see a hound-like creature in front of him, staring straight at him. He had
to defend himself. William noticed Jeremiah's eyes were an unusual shade
of red, but decided that anyone who had just thrown John across the room
with ease would probably take this the wrong way.
	More pufting, Jarvis looked round in vain before settling on
Jeremiah's book, now open upside-down on the floor. Chiming was ringing 
from the portal and it slowly started to shrink, never actually getting
big enough to admit a person. We ran, everyone trying to carry the
spasoming form of Jeremiah. Jeremiah recovered, lacking any memory beyond
being tied to a post.
	After much diversions involving tranquilisers guns and petrol, we
obtained two vans and sped off into the sunset. An hour or so into our
Journey, a bready smell wafted across the car and smoke started seeping up
from the door. Jeremiah opened it to see what the cause was and the door
exploded.
	We eventualy made it to a coastal town, driving continuously with
the now clostrophobic Hawthorn in the trucks back (we dumped the other.) A
room was duely booked and rest aquired. Around 5am, a smell of bread spead
across the room as the clothes we stuffed into all the corners were slowly
sucked into the wall. We fled rapidly.
	Arriving at the border port, an exorcism for Jeremiah was bought
and harbour logs checked. A ship from ATC (Allerton Trading Company) was
due in within the next week along with several from Amis Holdings. Since
arranging new passports and visa will take time, we're wait for the ships
to arrive, hoping to gain evidence regarding Allerton's involvment in the
slave trade. 

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