Chris: George Jarvis
Chris: Edward Gotripp
Graham: Len Scapp
Mel: James Hogshead
Helen: Gypsy Rose
Matt: Tim Le De'ath
Tommy: Richard O'Neary
Jacki: Cora Zovdef
Mark: Perrin & Hargreaves
Hogshead attempts to learn the summoning angels spell, and fails, but Rose succeeds.
Two weeks pass, and people generally recover.
Perrin and Scapp spend time with their Gypsy blood-brothers, and have dreams of a black man, who they view as a friendly father figure (the Zealots think that the Masons are being run by the Black Man). Perrin manages to learn the invulnerability spell. They don't know a cancellation spell. He also manages to learn "Elijah's chariot": the Zealots' long distance transport spell.
Hogshead identifies the Black Man as a traditional source of Witch Power, but Rose thinks he's some sort of ancient deity, who is not as inimical as some, but pretty nasty still.
At the end of the fortnight, they are summoned to Jerry's office, where it is explained that an expedition to Palestine has been arranged, sponsored by Jarvis and the Masons (leaving on 6th September, and arriving in Jaffa on 23rd). McLeod is sending some masons and archaeologists: Fielding, Cullen, Moncrief, De'ath. Jerry denies being a front for the Masons.
Monday 3rd September
Thursday 6th September
They go to London, and see many crates being loaded onto the boat.
Mister De'ath is a hulking brute of a man: "call me Tim".
Moncrief is carrying a wooden crate, with great care. Perrin asks what it is, and Moncrief says it might be useful, but doesn't give further information.
The boat departs. Planning sessions are had with McLeod. He expects that it'll be easy to pick up rumours of the Zealots in Jaffa.
Gotripp and O'Neary start learning Arabic.
Later...
The boat passes Gibraltar, and enters the Mediterranean. One night into the Med., Rose wakes during the night, hearing a faint splash. She goes to investigate, and finds the watchman asleep (which is uncharacteristic). The surrounding sea is dark. She rings the watch bell, and Perrin emerges. On his way, he spots Fielding sneaking back into his cabin. Fielding claims to have been coming from the head.
With binoculars, Rose spots some fragments of wood in the sea behind them.
De'ath stays asleep.
"Good grief", cries Jarvis in horror! "All of the weaponry has been thrown overboard!" McLeod throws a strop, and rows with the captain for running such a slack ship to allow this to happen.
In the morning, the watchman is flogged for falling asleep. He babbles something about a great bat thing which appeared and made him fall asleep.
O'Neary distracts Fielding, by asking him about some point of Arabic. Scapp fails to pick the lock of Fielding's cabin. McLeod and Jarvis organise a search of the entire ship, but nothing incriminating is found. Jarvis suggests opening McLeod's box, but McLeod objects.
Rose has heard of a creature which has bat-like wings and is large: it is a Nightgaunt, which is sufficiently hideous to drive men to madness.
Gotripp thinks Miss Cullen is acting upset. But she doesn't accept his offer to talk.
The following day, there are worried cries from the crewmen: there's a huge white shape crossing underneath the ship. Some people suggest it might be a giant squid. Fishing lines dropped off the side indicate it must be at lease 100 feet deep. Some crewmen claim it's an ill omen, and that ships which cross the path of the beast will sink.
And the following day (again), a fog descends. Visibility reduces; sound becomes muffled. After what seems like days in the fog, a crash and explosion occurs, as though the ship is under fire! More whistling and splashing follows, as of shelling. O'Neary suggests firing a flare back, to try and identify the attacker. Of the bow is a three masted ship, with a ghastly scurvy looking crew at the rails. The sailors cry out "Pirates, pirates!" The ship is moving, despite the lack of wind.
De'ath grabs a pole to fend off the pirate ship. A figure runs out along the bowsprit, carrying a bow and arrow. O'Neary attempts to fire a flare into the pirate ship. It doesn't appear to do any damage. The archer fires straight up, and the arrows disappear into the fog. The pirate ship starts veering away. Perrin and Scapp both feel pain, and find that an arrow appears to have come down through their clothing, and finishing into their pockets.
The next day, the fog lifts, and the Palestinian coast is sighted (the navigators are particularly poor!). The ship docks in the sweltering heat of Jaffa. The party check into the King David Hotel. Massala, the original site, is a couple of days to the south-east.
[Palestine is run under British Mandate, and the population is mostly Arab, and some Jews, who have been immigrating since the turn of the century. There's a large British Army presence as well.]
Rose goes to check out the nightlife. She finds coffee-bars. It's fairly peaceful and prosperous.
Assorted weapons and ammunition is bought. McLeod has a lead (to the Zealots and/or the Hammer), to a Mullah at a nearby Mosque. The investigators troop off to the Mosque of Imman Allie(sp?) It has three slender, delicate minarets on the roof, and a large pile of shoes outside. They are shown through to a venerable Mullah. He claims the Zealots are devils, fiends of Hell! He knows roughly where the attack will be, and it will be at the New Year, which is tomorrow! (Jewish New Year being 25th September) And in the vicinity of Mount Carmel, about 80 miles North. This information was whispered to him by an Angel. He knows people in the area, especially in Nazareth, on the other side of the Mountain.
On the way out, Perrin hears a noise from above. Looking up, he sees a minaret beginning to topple. He attempts to usher people out the way, but Gotripp (with his gammy) is knocked unconscious. Perrin spots a figure on the roof, and people chase after him, around the bottom of the Mosque. The Mullah suggest that it was a white man!
Behind the Mosque is a maze of alleys, but De'ath keeps his bearings, and chases after the fleeing figure. O'Neary and Jarvis start gaining, but the saboteur still gets away.
Fielding and Cullen are sitting in the hotel lounge, and Fielding appears to be trying to recounting a story to her. McLeod and his Masons leave, and are followed by Cora. They go to the army barracks, where the sentry stops Cora, who explains she's following McLeod. The guard shows her which way McLeod's gone.
Moncrief also leaves, and is followed by Rose. He goes round a couple of corners, and then changes into local clothing, from a bag he was carrying. Unfortunately she then loses him. He later returns to the hotel, having returned to his normal clothing.
McLeod invites Ms. Zovdef to the Lieutenant-Colonel, and asks whether she's been given a destination by the others. He then escorts her back to the hotel.
The military hospital wants to keep Gotripp in overnight.
After some discussion, conclusions are reached about Moncrief, and Hargreaves manages to persuade the Hotel housekeeping staff to let him into Moncrief's room. The box is swapped with an identical box that Jarvis has bought.
Some time later, two vans head north. In the second van is Moncrief, who has been jumped by Perrin, De'ath, O'Neary and Zovdef. In the first van is Jarvis, Scapp, Hogshead and Rose. Along with the Box, which they open.
In the Box is fresh, fragrant straw. And an ancient horn. Scapp suggest that, in conjunction with some of the previous references, that it might be the Horn of Joshua. Perrin, in the other truck, searches Moncrief, and finds an instruction to bring the Horn to the Zealots. An argument breaks out as to what should be done with the Horn. De'ath wants to destroy it. Scapp wants to photograph it, at least. O'Neary just wants to secure it for posterity. Eventually Zovdef attempts to cut it in half with a saw from her forensic kit. It makes no mark. Neither does Perrin's shotgun!
Finally, Perrin uses "Elijah's chariot" and drops the Horn into mount Vesuvius. At least, that's what is supposed to have happened. One van continues, with Moncrief, to Hyfer. They buy a new sheep horn to use as a decoy. The other waits for Perrin's return, which happens after an hour or so. He reports a successful mission.
Moncrief is interrogated: he's betraying the Empire because it exists to steal money, and it is corrupt. It's too late to stop him! O'Neary claims they've got the Horn! Moncrief looks a little pale. Sacrificing some Nazarenes? Yup.
He turns purple, having swallowed his tongue. Zovdef attempts to resuscitate him, but he's suffered too much damage, and dies. The body is dumped.
During the night, Perrin has a dream of "Uncle Blackie". Perrin is jabbing a tree with his arrow.
Back in Jaffa, Gotripp returns to the hotel, where McLeod gives him the replacement for Moncrief's box, and they plan to depart after lunch. They have two lorries of troops, and an artillery piece.
Rose and O'Neary lead an exploration to the top of Mount Carmel.
De'ath and Scapp go to the local mosque top ask if there's any local information. It turns out that the Zealots are supposed to be hiding out right at the summit of the Mount. A scruffy shepherd lad is summoned to provide them with a guide. They agree to come back later.
Rose and O'Neary approach the top of the mountain, through a dark and gloomy forest. They spot a thickly wooded basin. Rose sees some stones in the area, and considerable movement. O'Neary radios a description back to base, and also reports on a line of roped people being brought into view.
Cora hears three ugly looking zealots behind them. She screams. Short story, shorter: Jarvis fires his shotgun, and the Zealots' seven friends arrive. Jarvis flees, and the other three are take prisoners.
Jarvis returns to the others, arriving at the same time as McLeod and Gotripp. The current plan is to burn the forest down.
After some dithering, the artillery is used to drop an incendiary shell at the top of the mount. Some smoke wafts around. Gotripp mentions he's supposed to be blowing "whatever's in the box". The others think this is a ... fine... plan.
At the basin, the captives are tied up in an ancient Greek temple. There are 50 or 60 Zealots around. The inner sanctum is still intact, and appears to be used as the HQ. Some of the Zealots are White Caucasians, one of whom is Marcus Leigh. He asks what the prisoners are doing there. Conversation happens. It appears that he's entirely too cheerful about his role as "holder of the blood tray" (probably getting to shag Siobhan). Rose manages to extract the great plan: to use the Horn. It will wake all the trees in London! Rose then manages to worry him about how Siobhan is going to throw him over for a younger man.
By the time the military force gets to the top of the mountain, it's dark. The fires are only smouldering.
The prisoners are lined up along a big stone trough.
McLeod explains how to use the Horn, and explains that the temple collapse will kill the Zealot leaders (including the guy with the hammer). Scapp suggests just using artillery. The box is opened, and Jarvis' tea service is found. McLeod wibbles!
Marcus approaches the inner sanctum, holding a sheep's horn, very nervously. And one corner of the building is hit by an artillery shell. Cora and Rose are hit by flying shrapnel, but at least Rose's bonds finally come free.
Perrin's casting invulnerability spells. Hogshead's sneaking around the temple to light further fires.
Siobhan comes out of the inner sanctum, looking reasonably human. Prisoners start being sacrificed into the trough.
The gunnery officer (at direction) shoots into the line of captives. Siobhan starts transforming into her "annoyed goddess" mode, and Cora takes the opportunity to cut herself free on a edge of shrapnel.
The soldiers are losing, as the zealots are bullet proof. They start moving to hand-to-hand attacks.
Scapp and Jarvis charge down the slope to join in, and spot Siobhan.
The next shell takes out the Zealot who is killing the captives (and some more captives). Siobhan rips the head off a captive, and starts incanting a spell. O'Neary finds himself being cut free by Hargreaves.
Hogshead realises something is charging through the trees towards him, and throws both petrol can and lighter in the direction, while running away. He looks behind as sees a charging, ichorous, flaming tree. "It's not good"
Rose attempts to cast her own version of "Goddess Angels" in an attempt to throw a spanner in Siobhan's works.
O'Neary runs toward the inner sanctum. As he approaches, Menachim crushes Marcus to a bloody pulp.
The gunnery officer fires into the bonfire, showering fire everywhere. Siobhan somersaults away, and Scapp pokes her in back with his arrow. She screams horrendously, and collapses, becoming a small black log. The arrow is consumed.
A shell lands on Menachim, but with no effect. Hogshead runs screaming into the melee, followed by the Dark Young. Tim Le De'ath and Perrin both whigg out. O'Neary tries to manoeuvre Menachim between himself and the Dark Young.
McLeod faces up in front of Menachim, and while he's preparing a spell, Menachim simply side swings, and takes McLeod's head off.
Gotripp fires his shotgun into the Dark Young, which turns on him. O'Neary takes a pot shot, in the hope of re-distracting it. He hits, but it to no effect.
Menachim turns on O'Neary, who has just decided that it's time to leave. The hammer narrowly misses him.
Rose, with great decorum, finds somebody on the verge of death. And finishes them off. With the power she casts the "Angel of the Great Mother" spell. And takes control of the Dark Young. She sends it after Menachim.
Perrin has called the blessings of "Uncle Darkie" onto a shell, loads it into the cannon, and the Artillery Officer shoots the Dark Young again. With no effect.
The Dark Young eats Menachim, and Scapp stabs the Dark Young, which also collapses.
Um... The cultists give up.