There was a big fight between the Caradocs and the Morgans, which involved a dragon. Their rivalry goes back to at least Roman times, and the Morgans may be friendly with the "Black Man", while the Caradocs are supporters of Shub Niggurath.
Hargreaves has a horrible twitching tongue, with which to counter MacDonald's oratory spell.
Heather is given a message: there's a party of gypsies looking for the rest of the Soap team. She arrives in Aberavon around 9.30. She hulks off the train, in a smokey blue hat. Making her way to Caradoc's house, she greets the others.
They have Perrin's car, Jarvis' car and the stolen Masons' car, plus, from the Pitt-Rivers museum, they still have the Bone flute, Nail Fetish and Bronze sickle.
They dither about what to do about Rebecca: while the general desire is to arrest her, there's a slight problem with taking Caradoc's hospitality, and worries that he'd defend Rebecca.
A cable arrives from Keen for Sallthisthen: he'll be down tomorrow with a squad of men to arrest Rebecca. And recommends that Sallthisthen takes some leave (without actually filing a report, apparently!)
They depart to Birmingham.
Le'Death and Heather go by train.
Perrin drives. Grayson goes in a car.
Jarvis drives, and Hayward goes with him.
Sallthisthen goes by car.
At Oxford, they exchange Cora and Rose, and pick up Peter. Reverend Wenderby also gets on with some (mason) friends.
Heather listens in on Wenderby's conversation. Which is a bit of a shame, because he's talking to Le'Death. They discuss MacDonald's madness in Wales. Wenderby has a plan, but he needs Le'Death's help. They need a stone: The stone of Parsifal. Currently at the bottom of the sea. He gives Le'Death his Oxford phone number, and says he'll be staying in the Royal Margaret Hotel. He gives Le'Death a masonic briefing note.
Heather hears the masons continuing to talk. They sound sincere in their need for Le'Death's assistance.
There's discussion about getting the stone of Parsifal back from undersea. And then, McFligh introduces himself as a "retriever of things. Things what peoples wants back." A plan is formed... Oops.
Jarvis returns MacDonald's suitcase to his intended hotel, and keeps watch (with Turgood) to see whether it's relocated... The Labour club that MacDonald's due at offer to give him a telephone call when MacDonald arrives.
Heather goes to stake out the chapel that MacDonald's supposed to be speaking at tomorrow night. She talks to some of the people setting things up, and asks them what's happening. They explain that things are starting off at 8pm. She starts looking for access routes, and lines of fire. There's a podium for MacDonald to stand one, which she might just about be able to squeeze into.
Sallthisthen and LeDeath escort to McFligh to Wenderby.
One of the survivors of the Blucher recently died, leaving a journal. Fortunately it's been translated into English (with a Devon accent!)
McFligh summarises: the Hun lost something in the war, and they want us to get it out. But it's under water (off the Dogger bank). Wenderby waves a metal ovoid around, and says that it'll allow them to breathe. He snatches it out the way before McFligh can grab it. Says it's probably worth about 10 pounds, which is enough to interest McFligh. The masons have a train to Scarborough.
At the pub, mcFligh enquires of Heather what sort of tongue thing she does. She, on the other hand, tries to palm it, and fails, disgusted by the twitchy freshness.
Finally, Turgood follows up McFligh's prompt, and suggests that any old rock from the beach might convince the masons.
There's a discussion about how long the adaption stones work for, and whether it's possible to spit them out. Or, McFligh realises, swallow them.
Perrin creates himself an Elder Sign amulet.
In the morning, Hayward, Perrin, McFligh and Le'Death and Grayson get on the train to Scarborough, leaving the others to give MacDonald a little tongue action.
MacDonald fails to turn up at a reasonable time, and many organisers rush around frantically. At 7.30, the posters are changed to advertise a different speaker.
Jarvis and Sallthisthen stay outside the meeting, guarding the pile of artifacts.
In Scarborough, Captain Wilson greets the valiant fools, and briefs them on the use of spearguns and breathing pebbles. The sea's rough today, to the dismay of Perrin.
The group kit up: changes of clothing, utility belts
McFligh picks up a few likely looking stones from the beach, before they depart.
It's a very rough journey out into the North Sea. LeDeath is very, very unwell. McFligh tends to him on the way.
In Birmingham, the meeting concludes, and people depart. It's a disappointing, anti-climatic meeting in MacDonald's abscence. Nobody knows where he his, and Hargreaves telephones the Caradocs', in the hope they might know where the missing politician is. Caradoc suggests the Masons might be problematic, as they're trying to kill MacDonald. However, he'll start asking around. The Birmingham four depart for Manchester, getting there around Midnight. Unsuprisingly, MacDonald hasn't arrived here, either. Heather asks about Gypsies, and the lodging house landlord says that "Yes, and they recently arrived."
At 2am... the boat arrives at its destination. There's a vote to go exploring immediately, rather than waiting until morning, on the grounds that it'll be dark anyway. Two lights are provided, which LeDeath and Hargreaves take. They have individual ropes (beware the possibility of tangling!) The breathing stones work adequately. Below them, they can see the wreckage of the great ship, in two halves. Fish swim around them. Above them, the ropes disappear into darkness.
Perrin spots a small (4') shark approaching. They spot the wreckage of life boats resting on the bottom. In the boat, two hideous sea-eaten corpses drift free, still in the shreds of German uniforms. They're the only thing moving in the dark. Exploring around, they find what seems to be a trail from the ship to the lifeboat, and beyond. McFligh decides it's probably been left by trailing nets running across the sea bed. They turn about, and head back to the front half of the ship. Le'Death, McFligh and Hayward enter the hulk, taking one of the lights, and releasing their ropes. Hayward spots something moving around a corner ahead. Le'Death advances, waving his acetyline torch ahead, to clear the way. He finds a large octopus trying to get out of the way. Le'Death attempts to catch a fish for the octopus, but resorts to throwing the entire fish laden skull to it. It explores eagerly.
In Manchester, Sallthisthen calls the Cardiff station, and asks about Keen, who's due to arrive that morning, and MacDonald, who they nothing about. There are some newspaper reports about MacDonald being missing. There are also reports of Gypsies arriving in numbers in cities. Heather goes looking for a group to talk to. She asks to buy clothespegs. The conversation is quite ominous. They gypsy thanks the one who watches over them. When Heather mentions God, the gypsy responds "and him too". When Heather mentions Ramsey MacDonald, she thinks that the gypsy reacts, although no information is immediately forthcoming. Again, the gypsy says that MacDonald will be alright, subject to the whim of the one who watches over them. Hargreaves repeats some of Perrins key phrases, and the gypsy's attitude improves. They inform him that MacDonald is much improved, and should be back on the road by Friday (for the London meeting). Heather offers to
Back at the ship, Turgood and Perrin are on watch, and can see dark shapes on the limits of their light. One of the spare ropes falls from the water above them, followed by the other four.
Inside the boat, there are figures ahead of the exploration party. McFligh sneaks forward, and finds eight people. Or more accurately, things! They are roughly humanoid in form. One larger with a head piece. They are capering around an alter with a glowing stone on top of it. There are windows around the outside, as this is the bridge. McFligh returns to the company of LeDeath and Hayward, and then all three return to Thurgood and Perrin outside.
McFligh suggests using something from the magazine store, and one of the acetyline torches to stage a distraction. McFligh is volunteered for the theft, while the others setup the distraction. Perrin leads them through the corridors, while McFligh goes across the outside of the boat to the bridge windows. LeDeath takes a shell, to leave as a bomb. Perrin strides onto the bridge, and all the Deep Ones stop in surprise. Perrin lifts the Elder Sign, and fires his spear gun. Behind the creatures, McFligh knocks a skull off the chart table. He's about 5 feet from the stone and also the nearest Deep One. So he attempts to get away, and avoids the Deep one, but doesn't escape. He lets fly with his spear gun, but misses, even at point blank range.
Turgood manages to impale McFligh's opponent, and McFligh grabs the stone.
A Deep One attempted to get around the Elder Sign protection, and attack Hayward. Perrin retaliates with the Elder Sign and the Deep One recoils. The group attempts to slide around the wall toward McFligh, who's scrabbling back out of the window, along with some blood from the wounded Deep One. Except for LeDeath, who retreats down the corridor, to leave the acetyline and shell in the corridor.
The largest Deep One separates from the rest of the group, and starts waving its tendrils. Turgood impales it with his second spear bolt.
McFligh finds a larger shark outside, about 8' long. He touches his speargun to the stone, and shoots a Deep One that is attempting to follow him out. Despite desparate waving of the spear gun, he hits his target and the shark heads down after it into the the bridge.
Continuing down the corridors, LeDeath reaches the octopus, and shoots it with his spear gun, which promptly jams! The octopus grabs him, and he pokes at it ineffectively with his knife. After a couple of attempted bites, he manages to put the knife in and twist.
In the bridge, something nasty manifests, and Perrin looks back to see a star spawn... The others are being hauled out by McFligh outside. At this moment, LeDeath's shell explodes, blasting the ship, and the Star Spawn apart.
The Manchester group drives to London, and head for MacDonald's Westminster flat. There are no lights on, and there's no answer to the door knock. They go around to the back, and Heather picks the door lock. There's a tidy stack of letters on a table near the front door (so somebody does tidy the flat). They find his diary, and if confirms the speaking appointments. Jarvis finds a letter, dated Monday, from his constituency agent, forecasting MacDonald's win. In the kitchen laundry, they find a supply of very new clothespegs.
At the bottom of the sea, the explorers regroup. They surface, and return to the ship. Perrin throws a stone onto the deck to draw a reaction. And something starts spluttering around. Somebody shoots it, and it falls with a thump. A second being comes up onto the deck. Perrin shoots it with his speargun. There are two gun shots and spluttering noises! Perrin clambers up the ladder with his Elder sign, and they find the sole survivor: the captain, who has killed the last deep one. Success! The captain starts returning the boat back to shore.
Finally, the plan is to turn south, and land at Bridlington instead of Scarborough. But as they approach the port, LeDeath realises they're approaching Scarborough! Turgood shoots the captain through the leg, and he starts bleeding to death. McFligh is appalled at the callous disregard for the Captain's continued bleeding. Perrin draws a magic portal back to his flat in London.
Eventually the two groups meet up. And everybody is happy ever after!
W00t!
Hargreaves keeps plying Perrin with drinks until he has to be sent home. LeDeath tests some of the bullets they prepared on the Stone earlier. They are as accurate as normally expected.
Jarvis suggests telegraphic Wenderby to inform him that MacDonald is in Hull, which is why the boat was diverting, and also to alledge that this is the current location of the party.
They discuss whether to hide the stone. McFligh suggests pawning it. The decision is to keep it, and prepare for an attack from the masons. They relocate to a hotel. McFligh keeps the stone.
Around midnight Hargreaves recieves a telephone call from Wenderby. Turgood is blamed for the captain's being shot. Wenderby requests the return of the stone, so they can kill MacDonald. Hargreaves offers to charge their weapons, and keep the stone. Wenderby points out that this doesn't work, as the weapon user has to be the person using the stone. Hargreaves says that, in that case, maybe SOAP will have to kill MacDonald themselves.
The newspaper report that MacDonald is still absent. Obviously incompetent to run a country. Gypsies are still appearing.
Heather realises that the gypsy clothespegs from MacDonald's flat have a motif carved on the head. Nobody recognises it.
Turgood, in absence from the neighbourhood watch, says his wife can manage. She sounds keen.
Heather and McFligh want to visit Rose in Oxford.
Turgood needs to put Mrs T. back in her place.
LeDeath wants to check in the Pitt-Rivers for stones similar to Parsifal or the clothespegs.
Sallthisthen returns the evidence to the police station.
Mrs. T. reveals that there's a plan to burn the gypsy caravans on Friday evening.
Rose suggests that the clothespegs could be used to influence the owner to react in particular ways to emotional speeches. And that they might be in many homes around the country.
The symbol is an old european symbol meaning "pay attention".
Sallthisthen find out that Keen is now missing, having travelled to Aberavon the previous day, along with 6 officers. They suggest that Sallthisthen should talk to his local contacts. Caradoc denies any new activity, and says that Keen never arrived. Sallthisthen tells Caradoc to pass on an instruction to call back to Oxford.
On Thursday night, Jarvis explores the meeting hall that MacDonald is due at on the Friday night. It's gothic, with plenty of places to stand out of the way. He phones Caradoc, to ask about MacDonald, as he still has MacDonald's suitcase.
McFligh hides the breathing stone in his second favourite hiding place.
The current plan is to wait until MacDonald is underneath a chandelier, and then shoot through the support wire, with an enchanted bullet from a silenced rifle. Thus it'll look like an accident. If that fails to kill him, Perrin can rush on, pretending to be a doctor, and apply the tongue.
They get the train to Reading, and meet the train from Cardiff to London. Caradoc's on the train, but not Rebecca nor MacDonald.
Perrin acquires a rifle silencer.
They test the stone, and it no longer works.