While he was tinkering with his marvelous sensory-amplifier hat, Wilhelm overheard the following as though from one of the new-fangled cylinder players:
<Sweeping frequency whistle>
Female Voice (FV): You are an idiot! You've compromised the entire operation! What was that supposed to achieve?
Cultured, "greasy" Male Voice (MV): My contract stated in unambiguous terms that I was to undermine the British authority as and when I saw fit. The *idea* was to have survivors of that bally ambush report back to their Shastapsh masters that the interloping British have a new terror weapon. Is it my fault that Forsyth is so bloodthirsty he killed them all to the last man?
FV: Idiot! The British *do* have a new terror weapon. And I almost have my hands on it!
MV: WHAT? Where? You can't mean those silent Winchesters!
FV: Of course not! Fortunately they have no idea exactly what they have. Only that it is dangerous.
MV: Intriguing. And what exactly *is* it if I may be so bold as to ask?
FV: You can ask, but I'm not inclined to tell you. I know you of old Mr … "Bell" is it?
MV: BellTOWER. And it's Professor, I'll thank you to remember.
FV: If you point that thing at me you'll be the late Professor Belltower. I can kill you long before you turn on one of your oh-so clever toys.
MV: My dear young …
FV: I don't react well to condescension. Do it again, I dare you!
Wilhelm spent a few hours trying to figure out on paper where the conversation originated from, but ultimately remained baffled.
Forsyth suggested it was a conversation between a Martian spy and an Englishman.
All the heroes recalled tales of a Mr Bell, aka Mr Belltower involving a scandal over a jewelry confidence scheme.
Forsyth and Wilhelm remembered that the affair was written up in the Times Courant by … Phoebe Carter-Lloyd.
Forsyth attempted to question Miss Carter-Lloyd about the article, but she remained hostile, uncooperative and seemingly immune to Forsyth's best efforts at diplomacy. Sighing, He told her she was to be released soon.
Wilhelm built a Weird Science detection device, and while testing it several Weird Science "listening devices" were found embedded in various walls; Phipps lab, Forsyth's office, Officers' Mess, NCO's mess, Quartermaster's office, and the Heliograph.
While this was going on, Hartwell overheard Talk of Ghosts amongst men, who when asked said it was a joke.
The next day , a supply ship, the civilian-owned kite Swift, out of Moerus Lacus arrived and resupplied the fort with food and ammunition. The captain reported increased tensions with Shastapsh. Forsyth sent back reports, one to the governor and one to the governor's personal assistant that had more details, specifically about spies and the "Undercroft". His report spoke of "planet changing" technology hidden in vast caverns under Fort McMurray.
Forsyth charged Phoebo Carter-Lloyd in writing, citing charges of Treason, to wit: deliberately destroying military communications (the heliograph), Sedition, to wit: undermining authority of the garrison officers (by means of the infamous message), Consorting with enemy (which he claimed Miss Carter-Lloyd had "admitted in front of witnesses"), and Theft of Government Property, to wit: one Gashant (again, Forsyth claimed the crime was admitted to in front of witnesses).
Forsyth then had Miss Carter-Lloyd paraded her to the Swift in irons.
The Swift also carried personal supplies requested by heliograph a few days earlier. Forsyth was eager to start work on his Vertical Torpedo invention.
Wilhelm composed a letter to Messrs. Boots, Boets, Bowts, Boets, Marchinup & Downagin, Solicitors and Commissioners for Oaths in Syrtis Major, enquiring as to the availably of Steam Yachts either new, used or to be built to order. He was missing the Persephone it seems.
Forsyth began speculating that the undercroft was some sort of a climate control device, and that the mudflat view/ocean view hall was some sort of balancing device. The Bodies in the Fog were, he thought, former owners of the fort itself. The Geyser was some kind of safety valve for the climate control device.
Once news of the "ghost" began circulating widely, Forsyth investigated and found that the evidence was apparently "footprints that appear with no-one to make them, sir". Gathering Wilhelm and Hartwell, he began his own search for his "ghost" in the entrance to the undercroft, where he found five footprints left by boots not of military sole pattern in the rubbled area where the tracked device was unearthed by Wilhelm (and a team of doughty men).
Becoming alarmed, The heroes tracked the boots with the aid of Wilhelm's miraculous hat to the "Chair Room",, where they heard sounds of the mysterious machine firing up Wilhelm, using his audio-amplifying hat device heard two voices in conversation - voices that could very well have been the same ones he overheard while tweaking his audio sensors!
Forsyth, Wilhelm and Hartwell concealed themselves in the labyrinthine machine room and waited to ambush the interlopers. The two villains emerged from the machinery right behind Hartwell, and a firefight ensued, begining when Harwell took a round from the hellish weapon wielded with so much efficiency two days before against the helpless steppe tribesmen. Wracked with strange, green electrical discharges he fell, apparently killed outright, but shook himself, staggered to his feet and sought more efficient cover amongst the sparking and arcing machines all around.
The two villains managed to get to cover before Forsyth and Wilhelm could wound them with their own return fire. Maxine LeBlanc leapt athletically up onto a machine and hid so successfully only the muzzle-flash of her pistol revealed her location to the watchful Forsyth. More fire was directed her way, but suddenly she dropped in front of Forsyth and attacked with devastating kicks!
Forsyth fought valiantly, but was outclassed by this mistress of martial arts. Fortunately for him, Wilhelm had retreated into the corridor outside the machine room and was able to fire his messy but effective "goober" gun, gluing LeBlanc to the machinery at her back.
Forsyth snarled and contemplated performing an act upon the helpless LeBlanc woman that would likely take him to a very dark place …
to be continued
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