The End of All Songs

Note: This entry is higly summarized as the notes for the session were inadvertently lost and the session is being reconstructed from memory.

The heroes made ready to "welcome" the vile Tereshkova and laid ambush for him.

Tereshkova had rigged the caverns with explosives, turning the stalactites into lethal weapons, but fortunately did not manage to actually inflict any harm on either the party or the Selenites that had universally rebelled against Tereshkova's tyranny.

Tereshkova fled deeper into the system of caves, hotly pursued by the heroes, then crossed the rope bridge tghe team had spotted when first decending the gorge.

On the other side they found a "gate" that opened into some sort of alternative universe, albeit one whose caverns were very much circumcscribed compared to the Luna the team had landed upon so many days before.

Inside that space they found the body of Forsyth's brother, along with a letter of farewell. He had succombed to hunger and thirst some weeks before it seemed.

Re-entering the original cavern system the heroes confronted Tereshkova and his terrible Freeze Ray, and after much struggle were victorious, killing the mad Russian despot.

Returning to their craft Grant was able to effect repairs and the team were able to return to Earth.

Episode 63: A Strange Alliance

After a rest, Professor Wilhelm used his teleporter to transport the team to the portal.

Peering out into the next cavern they noted it had four obviously manufactured roads, each leading to an exit, all of them dark. Some discussion ensued, but ultimately the team made for and entered the leftmost exit, to what looked like a staircase, though not one made for human use.

As the team crept cautiously down the stairs, the entire flight trembled, then collapsed as water surged into the tunnel to form a fast-flowing waterfall, sweeping the heroes into the next cavern. Once they were back on their feet, the team noticed that the water was warm, and tasted almost soapy. Grant, having thought to bring waterproof matches, relit Wilhelms marvellous lantern.

The adventurers set off downstream. Perhaps a few minutes into the hike, Hartwell spotted a light off to his right. Altering course that way, the team encountered a bank where they could climb out of the water and wring out their clothes before setting out anew in the direction of that light, which proved to be a passageway with a staircase leading upward.

As they began to climb, Grant froze in stunned amazement. Following his gaze, the others saw a natural breastwork, and crouching behind it four hideous, six-legged alien creatures, each about five foot long, maybe three foot high, massing about the weight of a young, healthy human. They sported a milky-white exoskeleton, two saucer-sized eyes and a vertical mouth.

Each had a breech-loading Remington rifle in its claws.

Though not able to understand a word of the vile clicking these things made, the gestures to drop all weaponry were clear and unambiguous. Grant huffed "Well, they've got their rifles trained on us, they're behind cover and they have the height advantage. I'm all for going along peaceably. How about you?"

With no other options, the others agreed and were soon under armed escort, and being led through more of the damnable lunar caverns.

Emerging into a series of caves with more of the strange "Selenites", the team were amazed when tghey were led to what looked like a terrestrial office with a desk of all things, behind which sat a man with unkempt hair and a beard in which one might hide a badger. This proved to be non other than the missing Russian explorer, Vladimir Tereshkova!

The man had clearly gone native, shoveling handful after handful of fungus into his mouth as he crowed over his new captives. As he raved and ranted it seemed he had discovered diamonds on Luna, and had brought rifles from Earth in order to recruit a guard force with which to intimidate the worker drones and force them to mine for him. He casually told the adventurers that he would take their aethership and leave them on the Moon to their fate, before having them confined in another cavern.

Here the team met with a third kind of Selenite, some form of leader caste named K'chuck, with whom they were able, after much back and forth, to find common cause. They would drive out the guards and capture Tereshkova, thereby freeing what were obviously the slave labourers to return to peaceful farming.

First order of business was to overcome the guards still overseeing the diamond mine. The team sneaked into the large cavern, formerly a fungus farm but now the site of furious mining activity. Although the cavern was full of Selenites, most were Drones. The guard force had been depleted when Tereshkova, eager to begin his plan, had set off to locate Grant's ship with a large contingent of his loyal guards.

Having retrieved their weapons, the team carefully made their way to positions of vantage, then began a fierce and hotly contested battle with the guards. It was a hard fought battle, but the Earthmen were not in the mood for nonsense and soon had all the Tereshkova-loyal Selenites pushing up green and grey fungus.

K'chuck announced that Tereshkova had been spotted making his way back to the Selenite community with his guards.

Episode 62: Spelunking on Luna

The cavern the team were in seemed to be a giant bubble blown into the lunar regolith, approximately 50 yds across, with rubble strewn on the curved, dish-like floor, glowing green fungi adhering to the walls and stalactites peppering the ceiling. Water drooled down the walls, and the team could make out two circular openings, one that seemed to provide a path upward, the second a path downward.

Forsyth reasoned that the bridge connecting this side of the chasm with that against which his brother's aethership had crashed was lower down than their current position, and his co-adventurers agreed they should descend rather than travel upward.

The passageway they took connected with a dry cavern devoid of visible water but bearing a dense fungal carpet of mixed green glowing and brown (barely) edible types. Beneath the fungus they could see half a dozen lunar rats, which scuttled away from the earthmen. A fissure in the opposite side of the cavern led downward, and seemed to be the only option vis-a-vis exits in any case, so the party made for it and squeezed through.

The cavern the fissure connected to was dry and pitch dark. Wilhelm lit his lantern and the team could make out a glassy mineral vein of some kind running upward into the ceiling of the spherical chamber. It was, Grant said, as though the rock had foamed in some unthinkably distant past, then hardened before the bubbles could rise to the surface and "pop". The others pondered this as they spotted a second fissure high up on the opposite wall, and a circular portal leading down somewhat off to one side of that. The team made their way to the portal, noting as they crossed the rock-strewn floor that the glassy mineral vein had dark red inclusions deep inside it.

The portal was eventually reached, with only a growing sense of isolation to disturb the travelers Peace of mind. It led downward, and opened into another dry cavern with a carpet of green, glowing fungus and a visible fissure almost directly opposite them. The trip across this cavern was less silent, and rang with the echoing squeals of a considerable crowd of lunar rats as they scurried away from the Earthmen's boots.

The next cavern was dark, dry and featured a fissure up high in the opposite wall, below which a considerable quantity of rock and scree had slumped. There was also a circular portal entrance low down a little further around the cavern. Examination by means of Wilhelm's marvelous lantern showed nothing alive here, but the going was difficult as the floor was also a maze of fallen rock, and by the time the party had crossed to the portal Forsyth and Grant were feeling the effects of fatigue and bruising from countless tiny miscalculations while walking.

The portal opened into yet another bubble-like cavern, but this one was lit by the familiar green glow from the lunar fungi that thickly carpeted the floor and part of the walls. The only exit appeared to be a portal high in the opposite wall, so the team made for it. About halfway across Forsyth and Wilhelm each became suddenly nervous, and, alerted by this sense of looming disaster they spotted a small but deep pit hidden by the fungal carpet. A lucky escape, since someone could easily have turned an ankle in that concealed hazard. Forsyth led the team in the climb to the exit.

The revealed cavern was dry, and exhibited signs of a serious rockfall sometime in the antediluvian lunar past. The crossing to a circular exit low in the wall was tiring and the party became quite dispirited. Forsyth was tormented by thoughts of his poor brother's situation, but managed to pull himself together before he could descend into a funk. Realizing they were now running on sheer willpower the team decided that the connecting tunnel of this portal would make a good camp for the "night".

After the team had rested and slept (fitfully, it has to be admitted), they pushed on into the next cavern, which seemed to have no obvious water supply yet hosted a carpet of mixed green and grey fungi. A fissure had opened high in the wall to one side, and a low circular portal exit offered a chance to descend further, which the team decided to use.

The next cavern brought the team up short. No fungus. No water. A prominent golden mineral vein ran down the wall. But the ceiling was infested by what looked like hundreds of Lunar Bats! Deciding that discretion was the better part of valour our heroes backtracked to the previous cavern and crossed to the fissure.

Climbing up confronted the team with a situation that could very well have demoralized even the hardiest of explorers. The cavern opening off the tunnel accessed via the fissure was flooded. The heroes looked down on a sizable lake. Fungus was growing on the walls, casting the usual wan, green light. The lake had no obvious source, but was draining through a tunnel directly across from the perplexed adventurers.

After Hartwell had taken a dip to clean himself and dried off, the team backtracked once again to the previous cavern, and once again they cross to the portal and return to the cavern with the bats.

The bats seemed to be sleeping, so Grant, rather foolishly, climbed down to the cavern floor, where he immediately lost his footing and fell. The floor, it turned out, was covered with a thick, slimy layer of wet bat guano, which was incredibly slick.

Grant began to complain loudly - rather too loudly for the adventurers' comfort. Wilhelm followed Grant down and managed to keep his feet - just, but slid a good distance on the curved, slick floor. Forsyth threw each a rope and he and Hartwell hauled the stranded pair back to the fissure. Grant was a pitiful sight.

There was nothing for it but to undertake yet another crossing of the previous cavern, return to the lake and clean themselves. Just as they are making camp for the "night" Grant discovers he has lost his canteen.

The next "day" the team once again lowered themselves into the previous cavern, crossed to the cavern with bats where they could clearly see Grant's canteen half buried in the muck on the floor. Grant rigged a rope and climbed down, retrieved his canteen and the others pulled him back up, all without waking the sleeping bats.

Once again the heroes crossed to the fissure, climbed up and returned to the lake, where Grant washed off his canteen. A heated discussion broke out on the subject of options, probably made more heated by the prospect of a seventh crossing of the cavern below them. It was mutually agreed that perhaps a one hour lunch break was called for.

Once again the team retraced their steps to the cavern with the bats, where Wilhelm was about to save the day. After some muttered calculations, Wilhelm tersely instructed the others to gather around him, and he activated his miraculous teleportation device.

The entire team was engulfed in crackling green energy, then with a snap they vanished and a similar display of green lightning erupted at the portal low in the wall of the bat-infested cavern. Everyone was amazed that the noise and light of their journey had not woken these seemingly comatose bats, but the pseudo-bats remained obstinately (and fortunately) asleep throughout.

Walking through the tunnel in which they now found themselves our heroes perhaps wondered why it had taken so long (and so many trips across that blasted cavern that their boots surely could have made the trek without them) to light upon using the teleportation device. In any case, each, for his own reasons, let the matter rest.

Soon the Earthmen's eyes were feasting upon tghe sight of another cavern with no running water yet hosting a carpet of the glowing green fungus. They could hear Lunar Rats scurrying around on the floor, hidden from view, but by now were so familiar with these timid beasts that they felt no qualms about pressing forward. A fissure high up the wall offered a way up, and a portal low in the wall some small distance around the cavern circumference offered the preferred route down.

For the second time the Earthmen found themselves looking at a large lake, but this time with no obvious drain. They decide, with sinking hopes

to backtrack to the previous cavern.

Re-traversing the fungal carpet and nervously probing for hidden pitfalls to the sound of skittish lunar rats, they make their wy to the scree slope under the fissure high in the wall, and climb up into it.

The revealed dry cavern showed a broad mineral vein running down its walls in several places, glassy with dark red inclusions. A small pack of lunar rats scurried away from the light cast by Wilhelm's lantern. Only one exit presented itself, a fissure set midway up a wall almost opposite them. The heroes made for this with some groans of fatigue.

Another dry cavern filled with a mixture of green glowing and filthy brown (but edible in extremis) fungus. A circular portal was set low in the wall opposite. While making for this exit. Wilhelm twisted his ankle and the team took this as a sign that they should camp for the "night" after they examined the next cavern, which had a carpet of glowing green fungus. They could see a fissure high in the walls at "three o'clock" and a portal set low at "ten o' clock".

Exhausted, the team soon fell asleep, but Grant was attacked during the night by a giant lunar caterpillar. Fortunately, Hartwell was woken by the sound of its clawing legs attempting to gain purchase on the loose rock in their tunnel campsite, grabbed his trusty pistol and blew it to kingdom come! The adrenaline pumping in each heroes veins was a clarion call for safety procedures, and they set watches. Fortunately, there were no more uninvited visitors to their camp.

The next "day", Wilhelm used his miraculous teleportation device to carry the entire team to the portal, where the team were able to see a dry cavern carpeted with grey fungus, with an exit portal set low in the opposite wall.

Crossing this cavern was uneventful until the team noticed the clear signs of acid burns on their boots and gaiters. Hurrying out of the grey fungus they entered a dry cavern filled with green glowing fungus and were heading for the only other portal set low in the wall some distance away when the team were ambushed by a lunar caterpillar! A furious fight with the unwholesome beast developed, during which the caterpillar was dispatched but not before it had dealt Dr Grant a lethal bite! Wilhelm leapt into action with his marvelous healing machine and somehow managed to revive Grant and heal the grievous injury that had been dealt to him by the monster!¹

It was disheartening for the team to be confronted with yet another cavern with only a portal set high in the opposite wall. The mineral vein running down the wall at "three o'clock" was interesting, but the ceiling full of sleeping lunar bats was distinctly problematical.

What would the team do now?

1. Professor Wilhelm was certainly proving his worth on this tedious expedition, having managed to carry the team past several hazards unscathed and provided much-needed medical services. Likewise, if not for Hartwell's swift and lethal gunplay the team could well have been killed while they slept. Forsyth was a rock to steady the team despite the worry over his brother's fate, and Dr Grant had, of course, supplied the method of actually landing on the forbidding surface of Luna. Such is the nature of all hazardous expeditions, with each member playing a crucial part, earning his or her food and water rations the hard way.↑

Episode 61: Bad News in Syrtis Major

[p Upon returning to Syrtis Major Forsyth was met by a Colonial Office official who let slip that his brother had apparently taken it upon himself to join an expedition to Luna¹ and that contact with the expedition had been lost and the ship was feared lost with all hands!

Forsyth was understandably taken aback by this news, that had been reported in The Syrtis Major Times-Courant by none other than Phoebe Carter-Lloyd.

Hartwell and Wilhelm rallied around their stricken friend and vowed to do all in their power to assemble a resue mission. No-one spoke of what all must have felt; that this could be a mission to recover the remains of the expedition members.

A major problem with exploring the Moon is that it has no atmosphere. An aethership uses lighter-than-air gas in an inflatable dirigible envelope to land gently and to take off, as approach with an operating aether propeller would be suicidal due to the extremely high speeds produced.

For reasons not understood, liftwood does not function on Luna either.

So why go there?

For many years, scientists have been perplexed and fascinated by an odd display, called "The Glow" that can be seen illuminating the edge of the Moon under certain circumstances, and speculation as to its nature has fueled interest by foolhardy explorers using questionable "cutting edge" technologies to visit Earth's satellite. As of yet, none have returned to tell of their adventures.

Other than that, the Moon seems nothing more or less than a lifeless ball of rock, and since other, more accommodating worlds² are available for exploration, tourism and resource and mineral exploitation, Luna has been seen as an object best seen through a telescope or gazed at from a punt on the Cam with one's sweetheart.

It seemed that Forsyth's brother had joined his fate to one of those crackpot inventors of a ship, the Moth, with "cutting edge technology".

The team were at something of a loss, for the Moon was around 100 day's journey from Mars, and when they got there they had no way of making a landing.

But then they learned of Dr Cyrus Grant, formerly of Arizona, lately somewhat down on his luck after word of his new Aether Propeller had gotten around the farmer and rancher community he had served so well with his contraptions, and having decided that he did not need that sort of grief from ingrates, and in possession of a fully functional aethership equipped with the Grant Propeller, now resident in Syrtis Major - albeit in a rather rundown district.

Grant's aether propeller was, it was claimed, capable of close approach and landing on Luna, although why anyone would want to visit that benighted place Grant couldn't say. The Grant Propeller's chief attraction was that it was capable of interplanetary flight at a distinctly higher speed than an Edison model.

When the team visited Grant he was receptive, but informed them regretfully that his ship was grounded for want of a diamond core, a vital component of the Grant Propeller.

Wilhelm got some details and was surprised to find out that gem-quality was not required,though the size of crystal required was not inconsiderable. He assured Grant that he would be able to source such a stone³ and all that was left was to provision the expedition.

Grant's machine proved every bit as capable as its inventor had claimed, and though the journey was by turns tedious and a source of d___able frustration and worry for Forsyth, eventually the Grant Flyer approached the Moon and Grant began to demonstrate the aerobatic ⁴ qualities of his aether propeller were not exaggerations or bravado.

Searching the surface with a powerful searchlight showed no evidence of a crash, but it was not long before the heroes saw The Glow, and hey steered the ship toward it, where they discovered a massive chasm in the crust of the Moon.

Hypothesizing that this would have been where Clarence's attention would have been drawn, the team directed Grant to descend into the chasm.

The team were amazed to discover that there was light of a sort coming from the walls each side of them. Some creature or plant, perhaps, was emitting a low level greenish glow that was getting brighter as they dropped into the depths of the chasm.

It seemed they had solved the mystery of The Glow.

Suddenly Grant announced they were descending rather more quickly than he could account for - or control! He suspected that there was air in the chasm, which was disrupting the working of his aether propeller, and quickly deployed the gas buoyancy envelope, but it was too late and the ship crashed onto a large ledge on the starboard side cliff wall.

After picking themselves up, the adventurers made an assay of their ship's condition, which was not good.

The gasbag had been ruptured, which would require a repair if they were ever to lift off again since the presence of an atmosphere - confirmed now - meant the aether propeller would not work. There were some small rents in the hull, which would be easy to fix if a short trip - say back to Earth - were contemplated. Worse of all, the diamond crystal had shattered and would have to be replaced.

The most immediate problem was food and water, and after a discussion it was decided that climbing down seemed the only logical choice. No-one was coming to rescue them, after all, and Clarence might very well be alive somewhere down there.

Gathering as much food and water as they could carry, and some basic climbing gear that they had brought along, the team began to descend the dizzying drop, so deep they could not make out the bottom despite the presence of ample light now their eyes had adjusted.

The climb down was a fearful, days-long affair.

During the descent the team discovered two kinds of mushrooms that were edible, if unpleasant-tasting, and one that contained acidic juice when Hartwell's safety rope was eaten through.

They were harassed by various strange fauna including giant caterpillar-like animals and swarms of bat-like creatures. It was during one such attack that they discovered that the "Lunar Bats" could be repelled by the acid fungus, though the risk to their own human skin was considerable.

After a few days the team came across the wreck of an aethership, but it was not that of Clarence Forsyth. It had been stripped of everything, including the interior furnishings, which was suggestive.

Further down, the team were able to see with the aid of binoculars the wreck of the Moth on a ledge on the other side of the chasm. No movement was visible, and it was impossible to cross the vast distance separating the team from the wreck, so they continued downward.

On perhaps the 12th day, having descended around 10 miles into the Lunar interior, the team came to the entrance to a cave. In the distance ahead of hem hey could see a primitive rope bridge connecting their side of the canyon to the other, but each end appeared to lead to caves in the sheer walls rather than a ledge.

Forsyth reasoned that if he were to reach the wreck of the Moth he would need to cross that bridge, and that to do that he would need to find the cave it was anchored to.

So the team entered the cave in front of them.

1. The Moon↑
2. the reader may interpret much hyperbole here, and opine that the term "more accommodating" is doing some heavy lifting↑
3. if from nowhere else, there might be a suitable gem in his collection from Bordobaar, currently languishing in a vault in Lloyd's of Syrtis Major↑
4. selenobatic?↑

Episode 60: The Duel

[p Wilhelm set a date that gave him plenty of time to build a new Healing Engine, while his friends gathered supplies and searched out heir favourite forms of self-defense.

When the date arrived, Lord Arapiranth's kite appeared and the heroes, accompanied by various observers, boarded. There they saw for the first time that Lord Arapiranth had elected to use proxies for this duel (as was his right). Three black-garbed characters of sinister and familiar aspect skulked on he main deck. Were hey former Brotherhood assassins as heir garb suggested? Perhaps our heroes would have a chance to find out.

The kite sailed for a remote area of steppe and broken ground, and each party was dropped off in a chosen location kept secret from their opponents.

Wilhelm allowed Forsyth to pick the manner of their tactical deployment, which was a small clearing guarded on three sides by rock outcroppings giving cover. Forsyth signaled for a silent wait with heightened vigilance. Each hero took one sector of ground to cover, and their long, tedious watch began.

It wasn't long before certain sounds made Wilhelm aware that their opponents were using Weird Science devices - and Wilhelm feared the most likely conclusion (given their situation) was some sort of invisibility device!

If these d____d Martian bounders were not only trained assassins, but capable of attacks while invisible they were in a situation that wouldn't do at all.

Unfortunately, it was soon after this realization that Hartwell broke silence and gave away heir position to the enemy, who quickly converged on our brave lads.

One stroke of good fortunes was that one Shadowy Figure had inordinate trouble with his various devices and so was easily spotted.

Another was that the keen eyes of Hartwell were up to the task of locating another, even though he was invisible.

Exchanges of fire took place, with the Shadowy Figures using bows and the stalwart Earthmen more modern longarms. Near misses and lucky hits on Sam Browne belts soon led to the suspicion that the Shadowy Figures were using poisoned arrows in addition to their unsporting technology. Clearly the gloves were off.

The fight was desperate at times, but by a combination of luck, skill and sheer British Pluck our heroes were able eventually to dispatch all their opponents, who upon quick examination bore no obvious Brotherhood tattoos.

They were picked up by the kite, and Lord Arapiranth delivered a formal declaration of apology, which meant that from a protocol standpoint the matter was at an end, and honour was satisfied.

No-one was under any illusions that this was an end to the gossip of Wilhelm's perfidy, or of Lord Arapiranth's enmity.

Episode 59: Back to Civilization and Yet More Trouble

The crash had broken the back of the kite, and nothing was to be done about that.

Fallen masts and rigging fouled what was left of the decks, and the crew was either dead or absconded into the steppe, there to continue their ground-cleanser activities with no further impedence from the thrice-damned Earthmen.

The heroes swiftly divided up into teams in order to loot what supplies they could, with Forsyth rather optimistically seeking out materials for a construction project: a flying lifeboat in which to return to civilization.

Actually, this was not an altogether unfeasible plan, but it was interrupted by the post-crash behaviour of the wreck, which though non-viable as a kite was still bouyant in detail.

Forsyth was alerted when Mr Wiseman let out a yell and leapt for the safety of the steppe. Forsyth followed suit, which turned out to be a splendid idea.

The deck of the bow section gave a shudder, and freed of most of its clutter, rose into the air, tumbling slightly as it did so due to the weight of the cast-iron bow canon still mounted at the prow, though not for long.

The deck swiveled vertically and the artillery piece fell from it, to crash into the steppe with an almighty thump, though this was partially drowned out by the stentorian sounds of the bow section of the kite disintegrating, scattering a benison of non-liftwood components around the site with scant regard for the health of those cowering on the steppe below.

Fortunately there were no casualties.

As Forsyth and Wiseman watched the enormous liftwood panels from the bow section sail off into the sky, they were allerted by they more sounds of possible injury by post-shipwreck when the stern of the kite performed a similar lift off, aerial ballet and potentially disastrously lethal disintegration.

Fortunately, Wilhem and Hartwell had had the good sense to leap off and take cover.

Forsyth buried the body of the faithful Jones as best he could, which amounted to making a cairn over the body and a crude marker. A few words were said in lieu of a service, and that concluded the sad business.

Of the trip back to Moerus Lacus, let us say little. Suffice to comment that the journey was terse, difficult, unpleasant, to be avoided at all costs in the future, not to be written home about, and not one for the books (as it were).

On making their report to the British authorities, the team were informed they had best make all speed for Syrtis Major and report to the Colonial Office, which they did, taking a barge along the grand canal connecting the two cities (all were somewhat wary of flying and heartily sick of walking).

Events in Syrtis Major were interrupted by A Martian Noble arriving by small flyer and a herald disembarking and publicly demanding loudly to meet Professor Wilhelm, Despoiler of Bordobaar and Thief of Martian Heritage Treasures.

Wilhelm obliged by meeting with the Herald, observed by a large crowd of Martians and curious Earthmen and Women.

The herald then unrolled an ornate scroll and began reading in a loud, accented English voice:

Be it known that Lord Arapiranth does declare to all that the following be true and answerable crimes:

That the thief Wilhelm did enter the ancient Martian City of Bordobaar with many Earthman accomplices.
That the thief Wilhelm then conspired with them to construct diverse unholy technological devices to put aside the holy wards set from time immemorial as protection for the many valuable and holy relics kept within the mighty vault of Bordobaar.
That the thief Wilhelm did cause the death of the Holy Guardian, the manifestation on Mars of The Worm, by forbidden dark sorcery, thereby tainting the treasures within with the shadow of heresy.
That the thief Wilhelm did divide up the spoils of his most vile theft with sundry other Earthmen, each of whom has met a most deserved and grisly death before their alloted time had they not corrupted their essence by accepting the gifts of Wilhelm.
That the thief Wilhelm has used the wealth he has amassed by his ignoble and base actions to murder uncounted innocent Martians, this being reported by numerous reliable Martian witnesses of unimpeachable character.

Be it declared that unless the thief Wilhelm be surrendered to the justice of Lord Arapiranth immediately and without reservation, his lordship will call for a most deserved Holy War against the British interlopers, who have for too long sheltered the scum of their so-called civilisation here on Mars, and by this omission of action have been the proximate cause of much misery and illegal activities to the cost of the Martian people.

The herald then rolled the scroll back onto its wooden rod and offered it distainfully to Wilhelm, who refused to take it.

The herald sneered something in Martian¹, tossed the scroll to the ground at Wilhelm's feet, turned and left.

Wilhelm also left, and after a small debate with the others, sought help from his lawyer at Messrs. Boots, Boets, Bowts, Boets, Marchinup & Downagin, where he was informed that this was an archaic form of Martian challenge, and a perfectly legal one too. The options were many, including submitting to Martian judgement which Mr Boets felt to be imprudent and most likely a death sentence in all but name, or responding with a challenge of one's own to be delivered in a particular format, which would result in a form of trial by combat.

The original scroll would be needed.

Returning to the square, the team were just in time to see a martian pick up the scroll and, catching sight of the Earthmen, bolt for the alleys running off the square like an eegar with the scent of a steppe tiger in its nostrils².

The chase was an arduous one, but the team eventually recovered the scroll with minimal need for violence.

Wilhelm then formulated his response, which was delivered and the form of the challenge was hammered out.

1. later, reconstructing the words as best they could, the herald said something to the effect of "His lordship was right. All earthmen are arrogant cowards."↑
2. A real one, not Hartwell, who had had a chance to bathe since his tribulations↑

Episode 58: the Great Escape

The heroes' whispered conference in Prince's bedroom was suddenly broken up by arrival of troops in-theatre.

Palace guards. Well-armed palace guards. An elaborate ambush plan was formulated and executed using the secret accessway between the Prince's Apartments, the princess' apartments and the various honoured guest suites. Two guards were dispatched by this strategy, but the rest became alerted and they formed a double line of spearmen.

The heroes decided to engage openly and did fairly well despite rounds of black powder pistol rounds zinging about their ears, but eventually they decided to withdraw when even more guards appeared on the scene, this time armed with muskets.

The arrival of the Prince with his three High Martian guests caused a re-assesment of the situation and the team withdrew and hurriedly discussed options.

These boiled down to staying and fighting by attempting to raid the armoury and using whatever they could find there (a plan complicated by the fact that none of them had ever been to the armoury and did not know where it was), escaping to the outside, taking the obviously newly-returned Ruumet Breehr herd and making for the mountains, or boarding the prince's kite and attempting to steal it.

The team debated for a short while, then settled for the "kite" plan, and so Wilhelm teleported them to the deck of the vessel.

This proved to be something of a mis-step as the crew, although caught on their collective back foot by the arrival of the Earthmen in a ball of green lightning, proved unwilling to meekly turn over the vessel and a pitched battle broke out on the deck.

A hail of gunfire from the crew in response to the Earthmen's own volleys, along with savage hand-to-hand attacks ensued and the casualties were high on both sides.

Jones was killed outright. Forsyth was wounded, and Wilhelm was thought lost to two rounds of terribly effective swordplay and pistol work, but by some miracle his healing device must have been damaged in the fray and it exploded, bathing the hapless inventor in coruscating green energies. The team thought that to be the certain end of their friend, but it seemed the device had actually saved Wilhelm's life, though it left him in a piteous state and the device that had saved their bacon so many times in he past was unsalvagable.

The crew, however, had lost half their number and Forsyth's second demand that they surrender was, finally, grudgingly honoured.

The heroes took up what stations they could to make up for crew losses, and the sullen crew manned the tops, allowing the heroes to escape the Prince and his vile Ground Cleanser friends.

Sadly, halfway back to civilization, the crew mutinied, revoking their parole, and in the ensuing rebellion managed to crash the ship, wrecking her beyond repair. Though the heroes survived the crash with no further injuries, they came to to find no remaining Martians alive in the wreckage, and no immediate way of continuing their journey.

Episode 57: Into the Palace

The servant led the heroes into the kitchen, making frantic signs for quiet, then proceeded to give them food and water.

The heroes questioned the servant in Koline¹ and got as much information on the layout of the Palace and the size and whereabouts of the guards as he had.

It wasn’t much.

The team decided to explore the palace, starting with the area they knew personally - the guest suites. It seemed that all their possessions had been removed from their rooms.

All these suites followed the same plan, and each featured a full length mirror in the bedroom, which appeared to be firmly fixed to the wall.

Further explorations uncovered two locked doors and a luxurious corridor connecting five even more sumptuous guest suites, each with a very ornate full-length mirror in the bedroom.

Returning to the Great Hall they entered the Majordomo’s suite and searched it. Wilhelm discovered that the full length mirror in the bedroom (which seemed to be some sort of cultural motif) had a secret catch that caused the whole mirror to swing out and reveal a concealed cabinet, in which a large ring of keys was hanging.

The keys enabled the heroes to unlock the locked doors and explore the Prince’s apartment and what was obviously a princess’ apartment suite. The Princess’ apartments featured an incredibly ornate mirror in the bedroom.

While exploring the Prince’s apartments a secret door was found - a painting - leading to a corridor from which the guest bedrooms could be viewed through the two-way mirrors. There was a catch on each mirror’s rear framing, along with a “pull” that would allow one to enter the room and to pull the mirror back into place from the secret accessway.

Returning to the Prince’s apartments, another secret door was discovered (a secret catch in a bas relief of a heraldic crest opened it) that led to a room with walls bearing many mounted heads - of humans! Two full-body stuffed humans guarded the door, a man on the right, a woman on the left. Each of these held spears and was posed as though defending themselves.

Piled on a long table in this room was all the heroes’ gear and clothing, which they gladly repossessed.

Wandering back to the Grand Hallway yet another secret passage was discovered behind a paining of the Prince’s great-grandfather, this one leading to the pit in which they had waked yesterday.

Having found a number of secret passages, the heroes recalled several notable features, artworks and the like, that might be worth a closer look.

In the guest hallway a secret door by a huge painting of a battle was found opening onto another narrow, unlit accessway, which ran behind all the guest suites and allowed the bedrooms of each to be viewed through what was again obviously the two-way mirror in each room! Each mirror had the now-familiar rear frame with a catch that apparently allowed the mirror to be used as a door, and a “pull” to enable the mirror to be pulled closed after use.

As they returned to grand hallway the Alarm was raised! Obviously the guards had found their dead comrades!

As three guards raced into the Grand Hallway, the team left via the kitchen to the courtyard.

As the heroes attempted to take stock, six guards ran out of the barracks and prepared to engage with black powder muskets. A frantic firefight broke out. A volley of black powder weaponry was answered by spear throws and, from Forsyth, revolver fire, to very little effect on either side.

Wilhelm fired his electric pistol and killed one guard outright, but eight More guards raced out to join the fracas while three of original guards begin reloading.

More gunfire was exchanged and Forsyth was seriously wounded. The heroes retreated deeper into courtyard, and Wilhelm "goobered" eight Martian guards with his sticky webs, entangling them, but as then seriously wounded by a concentrated black powder volley. Jones dropped to the ground, wounded or dead.

As the Martians gathered for another volley Wilhelm healed himself using his miracle healing device, restoring his health completely and erasing all signs of the violence he had so recently undergone.

Martians began breaking free from the entangling webs, and savage Hand-to hand combat broke out. Hartwell was surrounded and badly wounded. Wiseman was also surrounded.

Realizing that the situation was dire, Hartwell and Wiseman broke away from close combat and rendezvoused with Wilhelm, Forsyth and poor Jones, who was being dragged by Forsyth.

Hartwell used his miraculous teleporter and took everyone to the Prince's bedroom. Jones revived enough to speak, but was weak and unable to take further part in combat shenanigans. Wilhelm used his device to cure Forsyth and Hartwell.

Panting, bloodstained, the heroes pondered their next course of action …

1. a more-or-less universal trade lingua franca widely spoken on Mars↑

Episode 56: The Final Hunt

The heroes were treated to a slap-up feast on returning to Prince Kalamanka's palace, though the Prince was obviously out of sorts over the jaw-dropping validation of The Steppe Tiger's prowess.

The evening featured the Prince's trademark needling of The Steppe Tiger, but it was subdued compared to the previous occasions on which this boorish behaviour had been demonstrated. Some of the staff seemed in awe of Waldmont, and he noted some pointing at him and saying "Ghost Blade". It seemed his fame would be a thorn in the sode of Prince Kalamanka from this day forward after all.

Pleading exhaustion, the Prince eventually left the feast, and the heroes were soon seeking their own beds, yawning greatly after the strong wine they had been served.

Wilhelm, Waldmont and Forsyth woke the next day with pounding heads and parched throats to find they were stripped to their underwear and boots, and were imprisoned in a deep pit. Not only that, their hands were all but useless as they were locked in fiendish metal looms, immobilizing their fingers while equipping each finger with a razor sharp metal claw!

The Prince appeared at the lip of the pit some 30 feet above them and began taunting them. On the wall of the pit was a map of the Prince's estate, showing some detail and calling out green areas and possible sources of water. Forsyth noted that there were marks on the pit walls that might very well have been left by someone wearing the damnable claws trying, and failing, to climb out of the pit.

A flask of water was thrown down and each Earthman fumbled it to their lips with their new clawed, stiff fingers. Wilhelm sustained cuts to is face when he was distacted while drinking. However, the water revived the men and their fatigue faded.

The Prince explained that the fourth hunt would involve the Prince and certain guests who shared his Ground Cleanser sentiments hunting their most valued prey - humans!

Looking around the heroes saw that the pit was about 60 feet in diameter, with a gated tunnel leading out. The Prince explained that once the gate opened, they would have four hours to make whatever progress they could toward the mountains. If they reached the mountains, they would be released unharmed.

The gate opened. The team studdied the map for a few minutes, then trotted out, through a tunnel to the lush jungle-like woods outside the palace walls.

The outer gate slammed close.

The heroes decided to circle the Palace walls, which were almost 100 feet high and unscalable, looking for the main gate so as to possibly ambush the Prince's party and regain the initiative, but were attacked by a dread Green Koko. Wilhelm snarled and leapt into close combat with the giant snake, improvising with his new claws to good effect, dispatching the beast in short order.

A few minutes later a distinctive baying was heard and not long after that the team were attacked by a pack of roogies, the most common scavenger of the Martian steppes. Working together as best they could, the heroes fought off the beasts in desperate hand-to-maw melee. Once one roogie was dead, the others backed off, and as soon as the Englishmen had left, the roogies tore into the carcass, snarling at each other for the best parts.

Some time was lost when the team blundered into a swarm of durge flies, but they recouped and decided to set a trap for their would-be hunters. The best plan they could devise involved tricking the hunters into moving out onto the steppe while actually making their way o the main gate of the palace in the hope of gaining entrance, where perhaps, just perhaps, there might be some Marian staff who would render aid to The Ghost Blade and his friends.

The party encountered two more Green Kokos which were killed before they could inflict any damage and eventually they reached the escarpment leading down to the steppe. The need to get out of the woods as quickly as practicable was emphasized when yet another Green Koko attacked and had to be dealt with. Clearly, overnighting in the woods was not an option worth considering unless the situation became hopeless.

The team split into two parties and two trails were faked, one along the escarpment edge, one down onto the steppe. The sunds of hunting horns and Martian ribaldry was heard from the distance, and the team carefully retreated into the depths of the woods.

Suddenly a trapdoor was opened in the ground cover, and a ragged, bearded, emaciated human beckoned the heroes into the hole it had covered. Whispering, the team introduced themselves to their host, who called himself Sam Wiseman, survivor of an aircraft crash a few months before. Wiseman was an archeologist, on Mars researching a project, and had survived the wreck of his craft by dint of his woodcraft, keen alertness and scavenger instincts. He rummaged around in his small and cluttered hide and found picks with which he was able to remove the claws from the heroes' hands.

The team decided to improvise spears by lashing a set of claws to a pole, of which Wiseman had a supply left over from his construction of the trapdoor roof over their heads.

Not long after this was done their hiding place was discovered by Martian troops, beaters for the Princes hunting party. A fierce hand-to-hand combat broke out, and the Englishmen were victorious but couldn't prevent one Martian from screaming a warning. Wiseman realized his camp was compromised, and led the heroes to a second hideout he had prepared. Unfortunately, he had not had time to stock it as well as the discovered hideout.

But it would have to do.

On the plus side, the main gate of he palace could be seen from their new vantage point. An uneasy night was spent, with each human grabbing a fitful few hours of sleep in turn between watches and studying the guards on the balconey atop the front gate of the palace.

Morning saw the arrival of a flock of High Martians at the palace, and shortly after that the Prince and his party sortied from the palace mounted on Ruumet Breehrs. Trusting to their faked trail distraction, the heroes stayed put and spent their time working up a length of rope and a grappling hook from jungle vines and a set of claws.

The hunting party seemed to have fallen for the various ruses set by the heroes, and night fell with no sign of their return to the palace. Forsyth, Waldmont, Wilhelm and their new friend Wiseman crept closer to the main gate as the night drew in and the sentries grew tired and negligent, prefering to spend time by the hot coals burning in the brazier than stand staring into the cold dark for the Prince's return.

Choosing their moment, the heroes threw the improvised grapling hook onto the balcony. Forsyth swarmed up the rope and engage both sentries with his claw-spear, sending both to wherever dead Martians go. The others climbed up to join him, though Wilhelm had difficulty and had to be pulled up.

Grabbing the sentries weapons the four Earthmen descended into the inner courtyard, then made for the kitchens where they surprised a servant.

The servant froze, then, in Koline, welcomed The Ghost Blade, offering him and his friends food and water.

Episode 55: An Invitation to a Hunt

Our heroes arrived in Moerus Lacus bearing the unmistakable signs of desperate combat, which - along with the tales already preceding them by the miracle of the rumour telegraph - had the population in a ferment of wild speculation.

Which is why a representative of the governor hurried them to the British Legation compound and had then installed in a modest house under guard. No-one said "house arrest" but it was apparent the freedom of the city was not in the offing anytime soon.

Hardly had the heroes had time to draw breath when there was news of an emissary at the front door.

A rather finely dressed Martian entered the room bearing an ornate scroll. He introduced himself as Laramuuri, the Major Domo and Factotum of Prince Kalamanka, who very much desired to meet the famous "Steppe Tiger", human hunter of renown, and to that effect had extended an invite to Hartwell and his companions to visit the Prince's estate and enjoy a series of hunts with the Prince.

When Forsyth and Wilhelm at first demurred, the Martian functionary emphatically insisted that the Prince would most certainly welcome a chance to share meals with the Hero of Fort McMurray and hear the tales of the desperate battle for the wall against the vile Shastapsh hordes, and was looking forward also to speaking with the legendary Conqueror of Bordobaar and hearing of the struggle to recover the ancient treasures of antiquity that the Martian people might enjoy them and experience their history in person.

The functionary extolled the virtues of the Prince's estate, saying that is was most unusual in that it was situated over a natural spring¹ and could provide a rich variety of countryside to explore and in which to hunt. This was to be something of a celebration too, as the Prince had just become engaged to Shalafarina, daughter of the head of a wealthy Fire Gem trading family in Karkarham.

When the governor's man took them aside and pointed out that this might be an opportune moment to quit Moerus Lacus and allow the public fervour over the charges laid at their door by Miss Carter-Lloyd to die down to more restrained levels, the chaps decided that since this Martian had come so far with the gracious invitation, and had offered a leisurely trip in the Prince's kite to his estate, they might as well get away from the madding crowd and have some fun for a change.

So early the next morning they boarded the kite, a trim craft, seemingly unarmed and rather smaller than they were expecting perhaps, and set sail for the estate, situated south east of Moerus Lacus. Perhaps a harbinger of better times to come, the trip was uneventful, and after a day and a night's sailing they made landfall in a valley surrounded by mountains, in which a large, tiered building of Martian architecture was situated, surrounded by an astonishing wood. This far from a canal it was almost unheard of for there to be trees, especially in such profusion.

Prince Kalamanka proved to be very keen to speak with each of the Earthmen.He seemed to be hopping from one guest to another with almost manic pleasure, and lunch was time for some peculiar conversation.

The Prince kept asking the "Steppe Tiger"² his opinion on various matters of local Martian politics, trade agreements and so on, matters which Hartwell could not possibly have had an interest in or knowledge of, which meant he was forced to equivocate (which he did with skill many a politician would have envied).

Forsyth was plied with requests for detailed retelling of the events during his command of Fort McMurray, with interruptions from Prince Kalamanka so that the "Steppe Tiger"³ could comment, though there was an almost imperceptible whiff of insincerity when Prince Kalamanka complimented the gallant captain.

Wilhelm, "The Conqueror of Bordobaar", was invited to see Prince Kalamanka's collection of treasures from that haul⁴, which amounted to a few gold coins of fabulous antiquity and a golden dagger, all displayed on some kind of upholstery in a glass case prominently positioned in one of the palace's rooms. The prince felt sure Wilhelm would recognize the pieces, but Wilhelm was forced to an insincere admiration as that expedition had recovered literally hundreds of ceremonial knives and tens of thousands of gold coins, and Wilhelm had never been much of a numismatist.

After lunch it was announced that the party would need to be transported to the first hunt, since Prince Kalamanka did not have a steppe tiger on his preserve. The prince, it seemed, was anxious to see for himself the famed skill for which his countrymen had named the Earthman. Not only that, he would hear nothing else but that “Steppe Tiger” should use his own father’s black powder musket - a magnificent weapon.

The evening meal saw a repeat of Prince Kalamanka’s odd behaviour, attempting to draw “Steppe Tiger” into offering opinions on subjects on which he was unlikely to have any knowledge or opinions.

So it was that the heroes once again boarded ship after breakfast the next morning, and sailed northeast in search of the fearsome steppe tiger.

Forsyth noted with interest that they flew south and then east of Shastapsh, giving the rebel city a wide berth but still passing close enough for a positive identification. He enquired of Laramuuri why they were flying the route they had taken, and was told it was to avoid provoking the Shastapsh navy.

The ship made landfall early the next morning, and the party met with a band of Steppe Martian tribesmen who had prepared four ruumet breehr⁵ with howdahs and drivers. The prince had supplied bearers, loaders really, as well as weapons, smoothbore black powder muskets of typical Martian design.

Everyone got two muskets. Well, not everyone. Hartwell only had the one Prince Kalamanka had offered him the previous day. For some reason, our heroes did not think to comment on this curious imbalance of firepower.

The tribesmen had located a likely area containing not one buttwo steppe tigers, a mated pair with young according to the tribe's leader. At least, that was what Laramuuri claimed. None of the Englishmen could understand a word of whatever martian language Prince Kalamanka, his staff or the tribesmen spoke. Each of our heroes mounted a ruumet breehr, took station in its howdah next to the alloted bearer, and once he prince had followed suit, they were off.

Some time later, Hartwell dismounted to check for spoor and became aware he was being observed, no, stalked by their quarry, a fearsome steppe tiger! Dropping to his knee as the slavering beast charged he coolly leveled his musket and fired a shot, hitting the beast - but failing to stop it!

The steppe tiger slammed into Hartwell at an appalling speed, snarling and snapping his teeth but merely getting a chunk of Hartwell's clothing for its trouble, as it was carried past the now-prone Hartwell by its own terrifying momentum.

Hartwell, still somehow clutching the now-useless musket leapt to his feet and ran for the safety of his ruumet breehr. No sooner had he stumbled into the howdah than a second steppe tiger, unseen until now by our lucky hunter, leapt for the flank of the ruumet breehr, disemboweling it with a sweep of its mighty claws! The poor beast was mortally wounded, and fell over, smashing the howdah and tossing the crew to the ground.

crouching amid the wreckage, the three former riders were thankful that the freshly killed ruumet breehr was not only providing a massive wall behind which to take stock and shelter, but the smell of its blood was a major distraction to both steppe tigers, who began to feed noisily on their prize.

Hartwell had his musket reloaded and, deciding to reconnoiter, crept round the flank of the beast and spotted the two steppe tigers feeding.

Meanwhile Prince Kalamanka and the other two Earthmen were approaching on their own mounts. Wilhelm and Forsyth fired, but missed due to the extreme range and the pitching and rolling of the howdahs. The prince held his fire.

Hartwell leveled his own weapon, sighted on the original steppe tiger that had come so close to ending his life and at point blank range - he missed!

The steppe tiger span around, bared its teeth and screamed a challenge to freeze the blood of any warm-blooded animal.

Forsyth cooly grabbed his second weapon from his loader, quickly took aim and fired, hitting the animal in its vitals, killing it stone dead.

Wilhelm, meanwhile, was riding down the second steppe tiger, still ensconced in the bloody ruin of the dead ruumet breehr. He fired, hitting the beast, but not seriously wounding it.

The beast spun round, screamed its own challenge and leapt for the flank of Wilhelm’s ruumet breehr, its wicked claws extended fully.

Fortunately, the ruumet breehr’s hide was too tough for the predator. Unfortunately (for the steppe tiger) the ruumet breehr’s driver failed to keep the beast under control and, enraged by the attack it had suffered, it proceeded to trample the steppe tiger into bloody paste.

The prince looked on aghast. Hartwell had proved inept at killing the steppe tiger in this hunt, but Forsyth had duplicated the famed feat of arms, witnessed by the prince, his staff and countless Martian flunkies. The pelt would have to go to Forsyth.

The second steppe tiger was in no fit shape to donate its pelt for display by anyone. What a complete and utter fiasco.

The party returned their beasts to the steppe tribe they had received them from, watched Prince Kalamanka and his major domo argue vociferously with the tribal leader, presumably over compensation for the killed ruumet breehr, then boarded the aerial ship they had arrived in and made their weary way back to the palace.

For the next hunt Prince Kalamanka, somewhat disgruntled at the turn of events of the first hunt (though he hid it well) announced they would be traveling to the swamps outside Gorklimsk⁶ to hunt an almost mythical (until recently) beast - the Knoe Shoshu. A reclusive animal, it was rumoured to be extremely aggressive when needs arose. The prince had word of where one might be found, which they would hunt with harpoons.

At dinner, Prince Kalamanka was fulsome in his praise of Forsyth, though he still plied the unfortunate "Steppe Tiger" with delicate questions of Martian business etiquette and local trade politics, seemingly extremely interested in the bewildered Earthman's views on subjects of which he could have no experience to draw upon. He also laid on thick his regret that "Steppe Tiger" had had his mount eaten out from under him before he could truly demonstrate his no-doubt superior hunting technique.

The next day dawned and the party rose early to take ship for the swamplands just west of Gorklimsk, a shot flight of only a few hours.

During the trip the heroes noted that there were boats of the non-flying variety hanging from primitive davits installed on the deck of Prince Kalamanka's kite, and that the hulls of these boats were being painted with some foul-smelling liquid. When asked what was going on, Laramuuri said that the liquid was bait for the Knoe Shoshu, and would attract the beast from wherever it was hiding if it was out and about in the swamp.

The kite soon took station over the swamp, each hunter climbed into a boat with his assigned bearer and two large harpoons, and the boats were lowered into the water in a rather nerve-wracking operation. Eventually all boats were in the water and under way.

They soon found themselves nudging up against an island of vegetation, and Prince Kalamanka excitedly announced that he could see the lair of the beast dead ahead of them. The party advanced quietly, harpoons at the ready, when the "reclusive" beast launched itself out of the hole in which it had been hiding and made to attack!

Forsyth reacted quickly and struck with his harpoon, killing it instantly, to the amazement of all, not the least of these being Forsyth himself!

The prince was impressed despite himself, and mastered his disappointment at the rather short duration of what he had expected to be a protracted hunt, confining himself to a few pointed remarks regretting the loss of the second chance for the famous Steppe Tiger to demonstrate his "no-doubt impressive" skill.

So it was that a rather subdued Prince Kalamanka led the party of rather more jubilant Earthmen back to the ship and thence back to his estate and another sumptuous dinner punctuated with earnest requests that The Steppe Tiger comment on this or that nuanced point of Martian trade politics and the relative merits of a few obscure Bhutan Spices not normally found in the Crown Colony.

The third hunt was to take place in Prince Kalamanka's hunting preserve itself. It seemed that a beast the Martians referred to as a "Death Stalker" had taken up residence in the grounds and was preying on the herds of eegar Prince Kalamanka was reserving for his own sport. Therefore, the prince would lead an expedition to corner the beast and dispatch it, using black powder pistols. A brace of six fine examples were to be supplied to each hunter, and were holstered in a rather elaborate waistcoat-like harness for ease of drawing and firing.

There was one possible hitch, the prince allowed. The Death Stalker had a way of making itself invisible by vibrating. Something to do with sound too high pitched to be heard by humans or martians. The prince, however, had a trick up his sleeve. He had a supply of antique goggles specially designed for hunting these things, goggles coated with a substance that would render the beast visible to all! He had the goggles brought in and distributed, each Earthman picking his choice. The prince would take from whatever was left.

The next day, after a light breakfast, the troupe made their way, clad in their pistol-packin' braces⁷ to the lower levels of the palace, thence to the lush, spring-fed woods surrounding the building. Forsyth has suggested swords be worn "as a precaution" and so everyone was equipped with a fine Martian short sword in addition to half a dozen loaded .50 calibre black powder flintlock pistols, again, of antique Martian design. Each hunter was assigned a bearer who carried ammunition, powder, and light refreshments.

After a pleasant walk in the woods for about a mile or so, the party descended a steep escarpment using a switchback trail to the steppe-like area that seemed to make up he majority of the grounds. In the distance, perhaps ten miles off, mountain ridges fenced in the preserve. Approaching a cliff face with two distinct caves showing, Prince Kalamanka announced that this was where the Death Stalker had taken up residence. This beast was described as about the size of a small horse and in appearance not unlike a scorpion, albeit a scorpion of giant proportions.

Forsyth suggested they build fires in front of each cave, and add green leaves and foliage from the shrubs scattered about and smoke out the beast, rather than attempt to beard it in its lair, and everyone thought this a fine idea. No sooner were the fires lit and producing volumes of choking smoke than the Death Stalker scuttled out of one of the caves and adopted a threatening posture.

Undaunted by the giant scorpion-thing clacking its mandibles at them, the hunters fired their pistols at close range, scoring hit after hit.

Afterward, some opined the wonder was that no-one was injured by the fusillade of ricochets this produced.

Seeing the beast was completely unharmed, Prince Kalamanka decided to retreat in order that the Steppe Tiger and his friends have a better field of fire. The Death Stalker, snoof organs ringing from the rather ineffective bombardment it had undergone, promptly turned invisible.

Our heroes of course deployed Prince Kalamanka's wondrous goggles, but found they were of no use whatsoever in revealing any sign of the beast. So much for Ancient Martian Technology!

Forsyth tore off his goggles and attempted to make sense of he tracks from a distance, but could not be certain of much. He decided to cautiously back away from his current position.

Wilhelm snorted in disgust at the failure of the Martian goggles, and deployed his own trusty set from his marvelous hat. Scanning quickly around he pinpointed the beast's position, as he could make out its blurry outline through his lenses. He then also fell back in search of better ground and cover.

It then seemed that The Steppe Tiger⁸ was seized by a fit of madness. He ran pell-mell toward the thing he could not see following Wilhelm's shouted directions, drawing his sword as he ran. Colliding with the invisible thing, he lashed out with all his might.

The bearer's cries of dismay became sounds of bewildered wonder when the beast became visible in a series of pulses, its power fading as its life drained away thanks to the hideous wound The Steppe Tiger⁹ had dealt it. The Steppe Tiger had slain the invincible Death Stalker with a single blow and he could not see it at the time!

Prince Kalamanka was aghast. His revered antiques had failed to live up to their reputation at every turn, and the day had been saved by an Earthman's risibly ugly devices. And the Earthmen had turned out to be just as awesome in the hunt as had been rumoured - if not even more so. It was humiliating.

The prince vowed to himself that he would have a better showing in the final hunt.

1. a fabulous rarity on Mars↑
2. Hartwell↑
3. Still Hartwell↑
4. The winning of which is described beginning here↑
5. A beast larger than an elephant, used as traction for large wagons and also in a similar manner as Earthmen in India use elephants, riding them in a large howdah↑
6. Which both Hartwell and Forsyth had visited once before, to disastrous effect, as told here↑
7. What Americans call "suspenders". Englishmen like to see suspenders, but not in polite company↑
8. Still Hartwell↑
9. Hatrwell, you can be sure↑

Episode 53: LeBlanc Escapes! Shastapsh Attacks!

Beltower, invisible and positioned for optimal mischief, fired his dastardly electric gun at the unsuspecting Hartwell, who was engulfed in green lightning and wounded quite badly.

At the same time, LeBlanc was able to break free of her confinement and threw herself into the tunnel, where she was tackled and pinioned by the resourceful Wilhelm.

Wilhelm had the treacherous LeBlanc held firmly, defeating her struggles with his manly strength, but she suddenly sagged in his arms and turned her beautiful face to his. Eyes flashing in admiration, she announced she was surrendering, but that she wanted one kiss from the man who defeated her.

Wilhelm's intellect was shouting that it was a trap, but he was in the grip of powerful emotions and, senses reeling, he granted the helpless woman her request, whereupon he fell senseless to the floor.

LeBlanc lost no time in fleeing to the safety of the vertical shaft, and the still invisible Beltower followed suit, leaving the heroes in their wake.

Wilhelm helped Hartwell as best he could, applying his wondrous healing machine to good effect, while Forsyth raced to the chair device and disabled the bomb he found there.

Returning to the surface, the heroes were informed by an officer that a large Shastapsh force had been seen by pickets approaching the Fort. They were reported to have cavalry and artillery in the form of Martian-manufactured cannons.

Forsyth ordered a wall built in front of the North Gate using the entire stock of Colonel Moran's Dehydrated Sandbags of which he had been informed after the last inventory, leaving a gap for the Crystal Machine to park in.

No sooner was the Crystal Machine in place than troops appeared over horizon. As they set up their cannon in the road, Wilhelm fired the Crystal Machine's weapon, and the centre of the Shastapsh formation immediately routed, over-running the artillery in the rear, who panicked and routed too.

The cavalry on the Shastapsh right wing attacked, but Wilhelm used the Crystal Weapon against them and they routed in disorder. Small- and Long-arm firing from the troops stationed inside the sandbag wall took an additional toll on those who Shastapsh blackguards who were made of sterner stuff.

The Shastapsh cavalry on the left flank meanwhile was in full charge. The Crystal Machine could not turn to bear in time, and it looked as though the British would have to retreat i side the fort, when suddenly a squadron of three steam airships flying British Colours appeared and drove off the remaining Shastapsh forces.

The flagship docked at the fort's mast, and soldiers, some civilians and one very important-looking general disembarked.

General McClellan had bad news for Forsyth.

Phoebe Carte-Lloyd had leveled some serious charges against Forsyth, Hartwell and Phipps.

1. Unlawful Imprisonment of a civilian i.e. herself on specious unproved charges
2. Waging undeclared war on Shastapsh, with the destruction of lives and property, including one unarmed Kite.
3. Dereliction of Duty to wit: Failing to properly to oversee the management of Fort McMurray, permitting several insurgent attacks to be made with loss of life, while indulging himself in personal exploration trips into the vaults under the Fort. Allowing and condoning enlisted men to not only fraternise, but to openly cavort in a lascivious manner with Martian native courtesans.
4. Waging undeclared war on a diplomatic mission from a neutral European nation to wit: the murder of numerous German crewmen of the dirigible airship "Samthandschuh"

Forsyth was formally relieved of command and required to accompany the general back to civilization where a court martial would likely be convened to answer charges.

Episode 52: Enemies Old, Enemies New

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

Episode 51: A New Heliograph, A New Actor In Theatre

Dr Phipps seemed almost fully recovered from his "turn" (was it the result of some experimental "nerve tonic"? Forsyth suspected but had no evidence) with the understandable need to take nourishment as often as possible - at least this was Phipps' explanation for the sudden depletion of the NCO mess digestive biscuit barrel.

This welcome development was soon eclipsed by a report of the discovery of some sort of secret encampment in a cavity in the thick walls of the armoury/storehouse. A blanket and a quantity of opened tins of food were discovered. Phipps took a look and declared that he could smell a faint trace of Bhutan Spice - a blackcurrant-like odour he'd noticed was characteristic of a type of Bhutan Spice used in ladies' cosmetics becoming popular with the British ladies of Moerus Lacus (and likely Syrtis Major too).

The Quartermaster chose this moment to announce sheepishly that he'd noticed thefts of food stores, enough for perhaps one or two men. He'd put it down to black marketeers, but now he could see that there was perhaps another explanation.

Forsyth ordered a comprehensive search of the armoury and stores, and the heroes joined in, each taking charge of a party of three ranks, sending his batman Jones as an extra pair of hands.

Wilhelm's party was moving a pile of cases of Moran Patent Dehydrated Sandbags when he noticed a hidden wire and heard a sharp click. He screamed a warning and leapt for the safety of the corridor, an instant before the room was engulfed in a massive explosion which scattered the cases with little consideration for the safety of the three soldiers still inside the room.

Sadly, all three were killed¹. Wilhelm, possibly in shock, noted wryly that Moran Industries made very strong packing cases. Not one of them was split, sprung or damaged in any real way.

A steamship was spotted, inbound to the fort. It proved to be HMS Tuttle, a specialised "flying crane", carrying the replacement heliograph and a team of engineers. With the aid of the remarkable ship, the engineers had the heliograph in place, up and running in six hours, and Forsyth was able to regain contact with the outside world.

While working, the engineers saw a bright green flash on the horizon. The accompanying sound suggested that the flash was two miles off, to the north of the fort. This was confirmed by lookouts too.

Phipps, Hartwell and Wilhelm form a party and sortie to the site, where they find burned corpses of Steppe Martians and Gashants. The powder horns of some have detonated, inflicting terrible wounds that would have likely been fatal in their own right.

The party was suddenly ambushed by Steppe Martian tribesmen who demanded in heavily accented Parhooni that the Earthmen surrender. Hartwell tried to strike up a conversation, but was defeated by the strangeness of the dialect the lead tribesman was using. Luckily, Forsyth's batman Jones was more successful.

The tribesmen were angered that they had been attacked by a man with a terrible weapon, an Earthman, and demanded the surrender of the small force before them. The heroes were just explaining how the assassin was nothing to do with them when a glowing green projectile flew through the Earth force, erupting into a large ball of actinic green lightning which engulfed many of the tribesmen.

Most of the Steppe Martians not killed outright were blinded by the actinic green ball of lightning, but the Earthmen and the supporting garrison troopers miraculously were unaffected, and all showed no mercy whatsoever, gunning down the helpless tribesmen as they staggered about clutching their eyes. Phipps saw two shots from tribesmen hit the mysterious figure, and he, Phipps, shot true himself, but somehow the figure was unaffected and suddenly disappeared.

"Teleporter!" snarled Phipps.

A check of the area showed footprints that disappeared in mid-stride where the mysterious figure had vanished, and bullets, including one from Phipps own weapon, lying on the ground. Phipps began calling this mystery character "Teleporting Tom", though Wilhelm was dubious that the effect witnessed was indeed teleportation.

Returning to the fort the heroes discovered Forsyth had received a heliograph requesting reinforcements and resupply. An incoming message informed him that HMS Steppe Tiger was two weeks overdue and assumed lost, possibly due to pirate activity.

Phipps ran tests on all who were present at the Ambush, suspecting effects from what he termed "the ray gun".

Forsyth ordered a second sortie to the scene of the ambush the day before, but the bodies were gone. During the search, Hartwell became convinced the party was being stalked by a Steppe Tiger. Forsyth ordered th force into tighter formation and they returned to Fort McMurray.

Forsyth suggested that Phipps should accompany him , Hartwell and Wilhelm into the undercroft where there are many things he should see.

They showed Phipps the Hall of Cogs (as it has become known), the Ellipsoid Room - explaining about the Rune carved into the floor that is also to be found in the "Fear Corridor". Phipps muttered that he could probably come up with a way of fortifying one against those effects.

Forsyth, Wilhelm and Hartwell were shooting each other knowing looks as they escorted Phipps to the room with the gigantic electrical machines, and they urged him to try the chair for himself, but Phipps became suspicious and demanded Wilhelm do so first, despite assurances that nothing would happen.

Un-reassured by the willingness of Wilhelm to sit in the chair, and by the as-predicted lack of any effect whatsoever, Phipps whipped out a hypodermic, placed it against Wilhelm's neck, and announced that he believed the others had been subjected to some sort of Alien influence, or possibly had developed an unhealthy "ampere addicion", and demanded everyone surrender to his charge.

Forsyth and Hartwell declined, and while Phipps and Forsyth engaged in a battle of wills, Wilhelm activated his teleporter to Phipps' apparent surprise and dismay. "You are Teleporting Tom!" he yelled, as the others took to their heels.

Gaining enough of a lead inside the maze-like warren of machines, Wilhelm teleported himself, Hartwell and Forsyth out to the entrance of the Undercroft, where Forsyth hurriedly formed the guards into a welcoming committee for Phipps.

Phipps appeared, eventually, and was taken into custody by the expedient of Wilhelm's "Goober Gun".

1. The casualty list for Search of the Armoury and Stores:
   
   55075436, Eli Arkwright, Pvt
   55108863, Bartholomew Clarke, Pvt
   55203743, Hezekiah Currier, L.Cpl↑

Episode 50: While The Cat's Away, The Mice Will Play

The morning began with Forsyth, Hartwell and Wilhelm discussing options for assaulting the presumed Shastapsh force working at the crater left by the explosion, in what was assumed to be some sort of salvage operation.

Wilhelm expressed a desire to examine the rockets that were brought in recently¹ so everyone trooped into the armory for another look, where they discovered the rockets under the armourer's usual drapings of oily rags (which had begun to affect the paper rings wrapped around the cylindrical bodies). After some back-and-forth between the heroes, they decided not to experiment further with the strange devices.

Forsyth and Wilhelm were thinking that by using some of the liftwood salvaged from the Kite crash² they could form a raft from which a large barrel of black powder could be suspended. This might be somehow 'flown' over the crater, then made to descend and explode, hopefully dealing the Shastapsh force a crushing blow.

Wilhelm thought that he might be able to cobble together a serviceable timer-controlled detonator for this contraption from materials to hand at the fort, and got to work. Forsyth decided to break out his engineering skills and solve the problem of the liftwood raft - which proved a thornier problem than anticipated and took him all day to make.

While working at these two problems, there was another overflight and bombing run by a kite in the pay of Shastapsh, but the quality of this attack was very poor and only two bombs fell, one a dud and one hitting the graveyard.

Forsyth, Hartwell and Wilhelm set out for the crater after dark, towing the barrel - ballasted to float about a foot off the ground - behind them. Luck was with the heroes, and they managed to arrive at the crater rim without being molested by Steppe Tribes or Shastapsh outriders. Careful scrutiny enabled them to make a stealthy approach to the crater rim at some distance from the posted sentries.

They say no plan survives contact with the enemy. It turned out that the workforce was abed for the night, with only two lone guards in the pit, standing watch over the newly-dug entrance to some sort of mine. A new plan was discussed in which Wilhelm would use his marvelous teleporter to move the barrel into the mine, where it could damage whatever was being dug up and collapse the diggings.

The team waited until the unwary sentinels were warming themselves in front of a burning brazier, then shot them using their captured 'Silent Winchesters', but unfortunately, Wilhelm's shot went wild and ricocheted loudly off the crater wall, raising the alarm in the camp and alerting the sentries on the rim that something was afoot.

Wilhelm quickly teleported into the mine with the barrel, the departure and arrival being announced by loud crackling, bright green ball lightning of great size³ and a loud 'snap'. This clued the sentries first into where the team were, but then where Wilhelm had arrived, prompting them to hurriedly descend into the crater with a a view to apprehending whoever was now in their mine.

Hartwell and Forsyth took this opportunity to start shooting at the guards, though distance and darkness made the task very difficult.

Wilhelm, lit his hand lantern and began to pull the barrel deeper into the digging, but tripped on some metal wreckage, which was so fascinating he temporarily forgot where he was and under what circumstances, and began exploring the wreckage instead of arming the bomb!

The arrival of a couple of the guards inside the tunnel brought him back to the reality of his situation and he set the timer then teleported out to a spot some distance behind Hartwell's and Forsyth's last known position. Forsyth and Hartwell were unaware of this as their attention had been drawn by the take-off of a kite that set off in their direction and began dropping very bright flares that seemed to hang in the air.

Realizing they were about to be hoist on their own petard, Forsyth and Hartwell made haste to return to Wilhelm, who then teleported them back into the courtyard of Fort McMurray, and a scene of dreadful carnage, with dead bodies strewn about the place and fires burning in a number of buildings. The loud detonation of their own infernal device off in the distance was rather lost in the hullabaloo.

Pandemonium briefly reigned, but the NCOs were able to make sense of the chaos and had the fires brought under control, then put out, and the bodies decently covered, while a report was made to Forsyth. It seems a bomb had been detonated in the courtyard, and at the same time several incendiary devices had been set off in key locations around the fort. 12 human soldiers were dead, horribly mutilated by a deadly hail of shrapnel improvised from nails. Six Martian soldiers were missing. These Martians were described by some of the men as keeping to themselves and of being a sort of clique, and Forsyth had them posted as deserters once a search had been made and no sign of them had been found. "Death to All Red Devils" had been painted in red on the wall of one building, along with a longer tract of Parhooni written in the Samisat alphabet⁴, urging the Martians of the garrison to cast off their allegiance to the Earthmen and to rise up and reclaim their heritage.

The heroes were just beginning to think the crisis was over, when there was a cry from the armoury. A bomb had been found, and the timer was running!

Wilhelm took a look and felt he was up to the task of saving the fort. Forsyth lent his own expertise to the desperate business of defusing the infernal device, and working together Wilhelm and Forsyth were indeed able to remove the timer and detonator from the bomb, discovering that part of the improvised mechanism was a piece of a woman's bracelet.

Meanwhile, ill feelings were running high in the courtyard, with the human soldiery accusing the Martians of treachery. The Martians, insulted beyond all measure by this baseless accusation were also in a foment. Hartwell decided to intervene and placed himself between two of the loudest groups, whereupon he was immediately attacked by multiple assailants. Showing no fear, Hartwell battled bravely against overwhelming odds but was eventually laid low by several haymakers to the noggin.

Forsyth emerged from his work with Wilhelm to discover this new problem, and when his commands were ignored he fired his pistol into the air and demanded the garrison come to order.

Hartwell was taken to the infirmary, unconscious, bruised but not seriously hurt. Forsyth had the NCOs organize various work details and a patrol of equal parts Human and Martian soldiery, then retired.

Wilhelm interviewed the extremely angry Miss Carter-Lloyd and discovered the fragment of jewelry he had recovered from the bomb was last seen by Miss Carter-Lloyd on the wrist of the woman who had rescued her from her vile captivity⁶ only to abandon her on the Steppes.

Two days were spent recovering from fist-fighting, long walks under the night skies of Mars, midnight bomb emplacement, slightly-after-midnight bomb defusing, putting the fort back in some sort of order (though feelings between the two races are running ruinously high as I type) and so forth, after which our heroes visited the crater once more, by night. They found the crater now had a new fissure running into the camp, or rather, the bare ruins of some small part of the camp that was not swallowed by the conflagration, and the forces of Shastapsh decamped, or deceased. There were so many body parts lying around, and the sound of night scavenging animals feeding on the remains, stilled at the sound of the party's approach, resumed to add the final macabre touch to this sickening scene. Of the kite, there was no sign.

Making their way back to Fort McMurray, lost in thought, the party was ambushed by a band of murderous Steppe Martians. The fighting was fierce and to the last man in the case of the Martian tribesmen, and both Hartwell and Wilhelm sustained wounds before it was over. Luckily, the professor had thought to bring along his miraculous healing mask, and with some admittedly disturbing green glowing and outgassing, the wounds were closed as if they had never been. Another triumph for Professor Wilhelm's command of the art of science!

The bodies were examined and proved to bear the usual tribal tattoos identifying these blackguards as belonging to whatever band of murderous thugs they called their own. Forsyth was particularly careful to check for signs of Brotherhood⁷ tattoos, and was somewhat relieved to not find them.

And so it was that Forsyth, Hartwell and Wilhelm staggered back into Fort McMurray and fell into their beds only an hour before dawn.

1. See Episode 47↑
2. as related in Episode 46↑
3. A ball of green lightning surrounds whatever is being teleported↑
4. The alphabetic glyphic writing most often used in the cities of Syrtis Lapis⁵↑
5. An addition of my own to the world of Mars in Space 1889, not found in any of the source materials I have↑
6. As related in Episode 45↑
7. of Luxor, do keep up old boy!↑

Episode 49: A Sortie, Ill-Met On The Steppe, Returning To The Undercroft

Forsyth and Phipps returned to Fort McMurray early the next morning, close-mouthed about what They’d been doing.

Phipps, it seemed had taken to his bed with “one of his turns”. Whatever they had been up to, it apparently was rather draining on the poor doctor.

After receiving Hartwell’s and Wilhelm’s report on the previous days’ activities and events, Forsyth ordered an immediate recce of the explosion site, and a party of twelve trusty Terran troops, along with six Martian lads was assembled under the command of lieutenant Catesby (known as 'Eagle Eye' by the enlisted men). Forsyth, Wilhelm and Hartwell saddled up Gashants and joined the sortie.

A little more than 3 miles out of Fort McMurray the party was caught in a dastardly ambush by pernicious Steppe Martian tribesmen out for blood and no doubt whatever loot could be had from the bodies of the foolish Red Devils.

Fortunately most of the party spotted the attempt to surprise them, with the notable exception of Lieutenant Catesby, who demonstrated the ironical nature of his nickname by blindly riding into the ambush completely unaware.

By some miracle he survived, merely being dislodged form his saddle and falling to the ground when his mount bolted. By a stroke of fortune his turned out to be a good hing as the ground gave him sound cover while he recovered. Shots were exchanged, with the heroes giving good account of themselves and dealing with a handful of the bounders, albeit at the cost of Wilhelm falling in the same way as the unfortunate Catesby, and then the tribesmen let fly with their dreadful black powder muskets.

Each of these antiquated weapons belched foul black smoke, sending a half-inch diameter ball of red-hot lead toward our brave lads and killing two of them¹ outright but inflicting no further casualties.

even though the tribesmen were mostly obscured by the smoke from their own volley, the British and Martian soldiers fired to good effect, as did the heroes, and the paltry remains of the ambushers fled into the steppe, starting a stampede of all untethered gashants.

Arriving at what they believed to be the site of the explosion, the expedition discovered a very large crater, several hundred feet across, cracked ground radiating from the rim, pulverised earth covering the bottom, from which protruded a large piece of metal.

Detailing the troops to secure a rope, Forsyth made a descent into the crater, and pronounced it safe for the moment, but dangerous and unstable in the event of more tremors. The heroes assembled in the crater and examined the metal slab poking out of the ground. It was massive, covered in soot, exhibiting a bluish tint that was unevenly distributed over its surface. It was also torn in several places, as though ripped from whatever structure it had been a part of by some malicious giant.

Hartwell peered closely. There was writing under the soot. German writing. Some sort of manufacturer's mark.

A shout came down from Lieutenant Caldwell. "Airship spotted, sir! Coming our way!"

Leaving off their speculation on the metal having formed the curved ceiling of a tunnel reinforcement or perhaps part of a vehicle of some sort, the heroes climbed our of the crater and took a look, Forsyth through his trusty telescope, Wilhelm with his oddly disturbing goggles and Hartwell using good old-fashioned British squinting.

Not only was the interloper a zeppelin, not only was it approaching from the direction of those mutinous Shastapsh devils, it was the very vessel of that inconvenient "diplomat", Count Oberluft!

Forsyth order3ed the troops to adopt a dispersed formation to avoid catastrophe in the event the Count decided to forgo diplomatic niceties and indulge himself in a more bellicose exchange of pleasantries.

The dirigible slowed and descended, dropping lines with sandbags as temporary anchors, and the Count hailed Forsyth, with the news that a large mounted Shastapsh force was approaching, perhaps only fifteen minutes away and offering to convey Forsyth's party to Fort McMurray. Sadly there would be no way that the riding animals could be accommodated, but the Count felt sure that if left to their own devices that they would return on their own.

Forsyth thanked the Count for his offer, but declined in favour of riding back. The Count shrugged and made his farewells and the sandbag anchors were reeled in, the zeppelin rising majestically by releasing a small amount of water ballast - drenching Forsyth to the bone. He swore he heard the Count laughing as the dreadful engines restarted with their characteristic racket. Internal combustion might well be the wave of the future, but it lacked the majesty of the mighty steam engines of the British Fleet or the quiet gravitas of a Martian kite.

back at Fort McMurray, a quiet evening was spent, with the sole exception of the sighting of many lights, possibly campfires, about where the crater should be, but the peace of the new day was broken by yet another strafing run by a Shastapsh privateer bomber.

This was what Wilhelm was waiting for! Determining the path of the Shastapsh swine and realising that the field of fire would be blocked on the inward run, he made a rapid estimation of the return path, knowing as he did that these blighters always made two passes on d__n near parallel courses, and brought the Crystal Device to bear, then vaulted into the weapon (or what he hoped was a weapon) firer's seat and bided his time as bombs rained down, causing some damage to the south wall but reaping no casualties this time.

The brave lads of Fort McMurray opened fire with small arms, but the Shastapsh pirates were more wary than on previous runs and kept their heads down, and no casualties were inflicted.

No doubt bolstered by their seeming invulnerability to violence from the fort, the privateer swooped in for the return run, and Wilhelm was swallowed in the coruscating green light of the Crystal Device as everyone felt their heads were about to split, their ears explode and their teeth fall out, all of which would be a blessing if it would all just stop!

What it did to the attacking Shastapsh kite no-one was in a position to assess, but it broke off its attack and swerved away from the fort, climbing quickly and running for Shastapsh.

Wilhelm disabled the Crystal Device and fell over the controls, reeling from the experience. All around, men and Martians were in much the same condition. Wilhelm wondered if this was the effect around the device, what must it have been like in the path of the reflector? Assuming it was a reflector, of course. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, he only had a hazy idea of what the Crystal Device was, what it did.

Much later, the body of a Martian in sailor clothing was found on the Steppe by a picket rider. Although the fall from the ship had cause massive trauma, Wilhelm became convinced he'd died jumping off his ship in terror. Phipps would have perhaps known better, but was still indisposed and bed-ridden.

After a quiet night, Forsyth, Wilhelm and Hartwell descended into the undercroft to try and understand some of the things they'd seen and felt.

Dropping down the shaft to the second level, they made for what they were calling the "Bodies in the Fog Room". Wilhelm supplied everyone with respirator masks and he entered the room trailing a rope held by the others standing outside. Though unaffected by the fog now - he surmised the whole "getting lost for hours" thing was an effect of breathing the miasma in the room - he was unable to find anything other than remarkably well-preserved bodies of Martians of an heretofore unknown sub-type wearing battle-damaged clothing.

Returning to the shaft, the party descended another level and Forsyth was able to see for himself the so-called "Hall of Cogs", but although he spent over an hour in there he was unable to fathom exactly what the machine - or machines, plural - did. Tempting though the lever frames were, he erred on the side of caution and left well alone.

They then visited the strange oval space, carved or machined into a perfect ovoid, so smooth were the walls that one couldn't actually see them per se, nor was the source of soft white illumination that filled it - but shone no further than the doorway - discernible.

Wilhelm pointed out the runic sigil set into the floor outside the ovoid space.

Hartwell had himself secured by the rope and ventured in a little way, experiencing the weightlessness inside with aplomb but noting a slight gravitational force oriented to or from the ovoid space's axis. Shrugging, he had himself pulled back into the corridor by the others.

This exploration had taken a toll, and so the heroes returned to the surface to find it was early evening, dinner time. Refreshment and rest were the order of - well, hardly the day since most of it seemed to have fled, but certainly what was left of it. The lights on the horizon were seen, but did not appear to be any closer. Forsyth believed that the fort was safe from attack for the time being, and that the Shastapsh force was involved in some business at the crater.

If only he had thought to leave an observer at the site.

No enemies seemed about to attack the next morning, so Forsyth felt confident about leaving the fort in the hands of his officers and leading another expedition into the undercroft. The heroes had decided between themselves to try the so-called "Fear Corridor" again, and Wilhelm donned his respirator and made an attempt to traverse it, but could not, being overcome with dread and having to quit the corridor in a funk.

Forsyth led the team down the shaft, which seemed to have no bottom - though definitions of top, bottom, up and down could become confused in the gravity-free shaft. The third exit was several hundred yards from ground-level, that was certain. The corridor they found led to a massive door with four dials, similar to safe combination dials but lettered or numbered with alien characters Wilhelm could not read using his goggles - no-one wanted to get too near as they could all see the runic sigil on the door, the same one as was seen in the floor in front of the Ovid Space and the Fear Corridor.

The door also had a large, spoked wheel, and there were obvious locking bars running up, down and across the door into the jamb. The team reasoned that the dials were some sort of puzzle lock and the wheel would retract the locking bars. Wilhelm's interest was peaked. He pulled of one of the metal buttons from his jacket and tossed it at the door, where it stuck fast.

He approached the door, and began to experience he effects of high voltage electricity. The nearer he got, the stronger the effect, until his all his hair was sticking out from his body and corona discharges were leaping from his hands and head to the walls. He began fiddling with the dials, but the electric effects were very painful and despite heroic persistence and willpower, he collapsed with the strain, and was pulled back by the others.

Forsyth and Hartwell picked up their fallen comrade and tried to revive him, but he was completely insensible. They rushed him back up the shaft to the first level and summoned a stretcher team to carry him to the infirmary where a corpsman suggested bed rest. Professor Wilhelm was to lie as one dead for nine worrisome hours before waking.

Forsyth, badly disturbed by this turn of events and feeling that some action of any sort was better than sitting around doing paperwork while his comrade lay comatose in bed, pondered a sortie with silent Winchesters to harass the Shastapsh force now assumed to be at the crater, but eventually decided to err on the side of caution and clamped down on his urge to exhibit leadership.

The next day things seemed quiet again, so, once again leaving he fort in the hands of his officers, Forsyth, led Wilhelm (now recovered) and Hartwell into the undercroft once more.

This time the team descended past the worrisome door and continued down to yet another adit, which lay an estimated mile below the fort. Following the corridor thus revealed, the team were amazed to discover a gargantuan cavern filled with machines of wondrous design and operation. Huge bolts of lightning leapt from silver globes many yards in diameter to travel tens of yards and discharge against other globes, each globe part of towering, cyclopean mechanisms that were wholly electrical in nature. Not a moving part in evidence.

The heroes tried to make sense of the devices they were seeing, but these devices were far beyond anything in their experience.

Forsyth found the first of many pits, vast shafts diving into he ground, containing pipes and finned assemblies, some that also shot bolts of lightning or had coronas of St Elmo's Fire. The scale of the machinjes was mind-numbing, and unlike the mechanical machinery of the Hall of Cogs, these machines (or possibly, this machine) was in what appeared to be fully working order and indeed, busy working away.

Wilhelm spotted the maze-like structure of the place and suggested that the greatest prize might logically be at the center of the maze, and was able to lead the team to the center, with a few false starts and one or two wrong turns along the way.

In a space clear of machines was a chair, not built for humans but usable by them. Hanging to one side was a jeweled headband.

Wilhelm strode forward and sat in the chair, and placed the headband on his head. His face showed him reacting, as if listening to something or someone, then he reached forward with a hand and swatted at something no-one could see. His facial expression became at first blank, then ecstatic. He spoke: "Of course, it's so obvious". Then he reached up, removed the headband smiled and said "You all should try this".

Hartwell went next, and his reactions were almost identical to Wilhelm's, except that just before removing the headband his face became deeply thoughtful, with perhaps a flash of embarrassment.

Forsyth then took a turn, and his final reaction was to look worried, then concerned.

Forsyth, Hartwell and Wilhelm exchanged knowing looks, Then turned to leave the hall, ascend the shaft and exit into the light of day.

1. Casualty list:
   1. Anthony Parr, 55881278, Pvt
   2. Simeon Lee, 55821156, L.Cpl
   ↑