Episode 5: A Series Of Unfortunate Events

It was a noisy night on the Steppe after Waldmont had saved the day.

The guards insisted in skinning the Steppe Tiger and presenting the pelt to Waldmont. The noisy celebration of the guards roused the rest of the camp and in no time a party was in full swing despite the protestations of Kalamir. Wiiso insisted that the great hunter must be feted and that was that.

The next day the caravan had to rest more than usual to offset the lost sleep.

A few days later, Kalamir dismounted and insisted that he walk to loosen up his joints and take a break from the gait of the ruumet breehr. Waldmont and Wilhelm rode out on point, alerted to the possibility of another Steppe Tiger by the skittishness of the great beasts. Suddenly, Waldmont thought he heard a gunshot, and a herd of eegaar (a sort of Martian antelope) erupted out of a defile. Their sudden appearance caused the skittish ruumet breehr to stampede.

Waldmont managed to take cover in the broken ground of the steppe, as diod the wily Kalamir. Wilhelm, however, took a good kicking from panicked ruumet breehr. Fortunately he escaped serious injury and was able to continue the journey as an independent participant rather than an injured invalid. There were casualties, however, and Wiiso argued for turning back. Kalamir, however, would not hear of such a thing.

At the edge of the Shastapsh border of influence, with everyone on edge, the party was attacked as it bivouaced for the night by a large group of High Martians, who conducted an airborne assault on the encampment, seeming to be intent on kidnapping Kalamir. Waldmont was one of the first to realize what was happening and he raised the alarm. A pitched battle ensued, which was very desperate indeed, buyt the High Martian attackers were eventually driven off and Kalamir was not taken.

There were now, however, only two surviving guards of the original nine and Wiiso was eloquent in the need to turn back to Thoth. Kalamir, however, was resolute in that he would not turn back.

The caravan, much reduced in size, entered the Isidis Desert. About halfway across the stony wasteland Waldmont and Wilhelm awoke, groggy, to see dead and dying Martians all around them. They attempted to give aid, but could only save two from what was obviously a poisoning.

Noticing that a ruumet breehr was missing, as were Kalamir and Wiiso, Waldmont and Wilhelm began to track the animal south, eventually catching up with Wiiso leading the ruumet breehr with a bound Kalamir in the howdah. The gallant Earthmen's attempt to sneak up on the Martians was ruined when Kalamir called out to the Earthmen to rescue him. Wiiso immediately remounted the ruumet breehr and engaged the rescue party with his black powder weaponry.

Waldmont elected to stand off and make the most of the difference between the range attenuation of his rifle and Wiiso's wheellock while Wilhelm closed on his gashant. Wiiso, seeing Wilhelm easily overhauling his slower mount, fired a pistol at his own animal's rear end. The bullet couldn't pierce the ruumet breehr's hide but did sting enough to stampede the animal again.

Waldmont now found himself being disadvantaged, so packed up and remounted. Wilhelm now came into his own. With superb skill he maneuvered his gashant in front of the ruumet breehr and brought it to a halt.

Wiiso gave an impassioned rant on the subject of his "Ground Cleanser" affiliations, berating the Earthmen and ordering them to leave Mars and go back to Earth. How pernicious the English were. How they worked their way into the trust of proud Martian princes, then made them vassal. They were a plague on Mars and he spat on all Earthmen and doubly so on English Earthmen.

Waldmont and Wilhelm returned to the pitiful remains of the caravan and managed to deliver it to Meepsoor. There were a few days of rest, in which the British Legate and the commissioner for the Colonial Office took Wiiso into custody and took up discussions with Kalamir.

Then, the Earthmen, Kalamir and a couple of the remaining Martians were put aboard a canal boat heading for Syrtis Major, where Kalamir had further business. The Earthmen thought they were in for a restful end to their nightmare journey, but four days after leaving Meepsoor the boat was attacked by a force of Ground Cleanser fanatics¹. The attackers were eventually beaten off but wounds were taken and assassination only narrowly avoided.

And so the team were come to Syrtis Major, jewel in the crown of British Mars.

1. Identified as such by the head of the Colonial Office in Syrtis Major↑