HOUSE OF PAYNE INTERNATIONAL: Archive: GMP
The Gold Monkey Project: Episode 7
Subj: Sorry. But I do have a monkey!
Date: 4/6/00 12:07:14 AM Mountain Daylight Time
From: [email protected] (TIMOTHY FRANTZ)
To: [email protected] (John Payne)
Chisaibu has been reunited with the oxygen in the air about him and taken his leave of his new acquaintance. As he reenters the tavern, discreetly stepping over a very lumpy, flesh colored welcome mat that has lain itself across the threshold, he is highly disappointed to note that there are no desserts left in the room that are still appetizing. Only two tables are left standing in the room and one of those appears to be seriously considering taking a long nap. The tavern keeper and four barmaids are scampering about trying to extinguish the small fires that have been started by overturned candles and fallen candleabra before they spread. The bouncer is busy examining the stock behind the bar through closed eylids via a large hole his head has made in the front of the bar. Two guards are holding short bows on a line of eight men and three dangerous looking ladies while two other guards are putting chained wristbands on the group. One man apart from the group is being held by a guard on each arm while a third beats him into submission.
Nearby, Shaft also has a guard on each arm and, though bleeding from several wounds, is still spitting threats at them that would shrivel a harpy's ears. As his would-be abuser approaches, Shaft leaps up, using his two captors as leverage, kicks the approaching guard and continues in a back flip that lands him behind the guards holding him and their arms in very uncomfortable positions. Shaft looks as incredulous as the guards do. "That's never worked before," he mumbles.
His maneuver has distracted one of the bowmen and the barbarous looking woman nearest him takes advantage of the moment to lash out and take the guard trying to chain her hostage. She grabs a knife out of his belt and throws it into the other bowman. soon the riot has resumed. Shaft sees Chisaibu lingering near the door, being concerned over the condition of some of the fallen, especially the ones with more lumps in their bags than the others. He pushes his guards away and runs towards Chisaibu, snatching his sword from the floor on the way.
"Time to go," he says, grabbing Chisaibu by the neck and setting him down again outside. "We need to disappear before those goblin-brain dung heaps in there start chasing us."
"If this is going to start being a habit," Chisaibu thinks to himself while rubbing his neck, "I'll need to start wearing a harness with a handle on the back." Then Shaft's words filter into his innocent halfling mind. Chase? Guards? Didn't he see..? "AAAUUGH!!" Chisaibu cries and starts running back to where he left his hoard.
"It's not THAT urgent," Shaft yells. "It'll take them a few moments to even get to the door." Shaft starts after his diminuative friend leaving the smoldering scene of chaos behind him in spirit as well as fact.
************************************
"Tell me again why I'm helping you over this wall" Shaft asks while giving Chisaibu a large lift up the stone enclosure surrounding the stately home where the ball will soon be held. They had retrieved Chisaibu's goods and re-concealed them nearby. Well, Chisaibu did anyway. After all, how secret can a hiding place really be if anyone other than yourself knows about it? Come to think of it, even that may be too many people. Chisaibu made a note to himself to think of a way to forget where his stuff was until he really needed it, but not right now.
"Because it's faster than me climbing it on my own," Chisaibu said in answer to Shaft's question. "Besides, once I get the rest of the way up I can secure a rope and you can get over it too." He really thought all that was pretty obvious, but one needs to humor Shaft sometimes.
"I meant why are we here at all? Why not just get started on that job you told me about? We should be laying low anyway right now, not breaking into houses." Chisaibu had filled him in on his �conversation' in the alleyway while they got his stuff.
"What breaking? Who's breaking in to anything? Do you see anything broken?" He had reached the top of the wall and was trying to quietly tap in a piton to attach a rope to. "Our employer was concerned about our ability to do the job. Consider this a test, a show of skill, that's all. This place is bound to have security similar to what will be at the gem show, right? What better test?"
Shaft climbed up the rope that was lowered to him. Chisaibu waited on the wall while Shaft moved the rope and climbed down the other side. He then gathered up the rope, left it on the wall and climbed down on his own.
Shaft grabbed him by the arm when he got down. "I'm a warrior," he whispered, "not a thief. Recovering a man's rightful property is one thing, but I'm not ripping off innocent people."
"I wouldn't dream of asking you to do either." Chisaibu patted Shaft's hand consolingly and discreetly worked his arm loose. "I have a code of ethics, too, you know. Now keep low. There are dogs as well as guards here."
Chisaibu led them quickly across the grounds to the window outside the study. He deftly worked the lock open and was about to slip in when Shaft grabbed him again.
"I mean it," he said.
"I'm just going to step in and look around. If I don't see the guy I talked to I'll be right back out." Chisaibu snatched his arm back and crawled in the window.
"Chisaibu, is this his house? You never said this was his house."
Chisaibu stuck his head out the window. "Keep quiet. And watch for guards." Then he disappeared inside again.
Inside, Chisaibu wondered at his friend. "I never asked him to steal anything," he thought. "Just watch for guards. I probably won't take any thing myself, I only need to delay the party 'til we can get back." There was no light on in the room but his eyes quickly made the adjustment and soon it was as if a full moon shone through the window. This was just from long practice with his own eyes. Infravision rarely shows much when there is no heat source to see. Still, why not? He switched over to his infravision.
As he thought, there wasn't much. However there were a few objects that were colder than the rest of the room. Could be metal. A few candlesticks, what seemed to be a decorative plate or two, A shield and bastard sword, probably family heirlooms. A small metal cart held several clear bottles of liquid. The room was finely paneled with many bookshelves. Most of it was expensive furniture. A faint heat source on the carpet by one of the shelves drew his attention. It was so faint he couldn't even be sure it was really there, but it seemed to extend under the shelf.
Just then he heard Shaft's voice. "Hurry up, someone's coming."
************************************
What now? Grab something and go? Check out the bookcase? Just set the fire? Or some other devious plan? Take as long as you want to here, but when you finally go, If you escape that is, I plan to set you on the road to the gem show, unless you wish to do other things first.
Have fun,
LONGSHOT
Subj: Monkey, monkey, burning bright...
Date: 5/9/00
To: [email protected]
Timothy,
Sorry to make you wait so long for this. I have been one busy dude. But I have figured out what I am going to do in the fall when I get done at BYU -- I am going to come out to your neck of the woods. In September, I am moving to the People's Republic of Cambridge in order to get a PhD in Political Science at MIT. It's not as prestigious a school as dear old Brigham Young, but I take what I can get.
AND NOW... It's monkey time.
Here's a request for you-- could you send me a little calendar that tells me on what day all these various events are taking place? I wrote you about that before and told you what my guess was, but I don't think I ever heard back from you definitely one way or another. Let me know if you would like to see that again.
Okay, so here we are in the mansion of Lord Whatsisname, poking around, looking for valuables, there's a noise, someone's coming, yada, yada, yada.
Chisaibu hears Shaft's warning, and assumes that he means that someone OUTSIDE the building is coming, since that's where Shaft is. This is a problem for Shaft, but not for Chisaibu, who is safely away from the reach of dogs, guards, etc. Chisaibu will therefore poke his head back out the window and tell Shaft to come in the house, where it's safe. Easier to do that than for Shaft to run back to the wall and get over before someone would see him.
The two of us will hide in the darkness inside the house until the guard(s) pass. If we close the window, there shouldn't be too much problem with dogs, either. Once the trouble is past, Chisaibu really really really wants to check out that faint heat source on the carpet by the shelf. Shaft can stand guard while Chisaibu checks this out. If Shaft wants to know why this heat source is so important, Chisaibu can tell him that Tingkiginchgoonk has commanded him to check this out. He has no choice. He cannot defy his god.
Once he figures out what the heat source is, he will attempt to steal it (if it's not nailed down). If it is impossible to steal, he will take the bottles of clear liquid, which the god has told him contain sacred liquor brewed from tears of laughter, extracted from maidens tickled to death as a sacrifice.
He will also attempt to run off with anything else he can fit in the pockets of his belt of many pouches. But he will not leave the house without finding out what the heat source is and stealing it. And the bottles. Then the two of them will flee the house, attempting to evade any guards and avoiding combat at all costs. Chisaibu is a priest, a holy man, and it is not befitting for such a one to spill blood or break bones. Especially his own.
Then he and Shaft can get some horses (it would be better if they were stolen) and head off to the gem show. Chisaibu feels no need to retrieve any of the things he hid away. They should be safe until he returns and/or remembers.
Hi-ho Silver, away!
JOHN
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The Gold Monkey Project: Episode 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
GMP: Episode 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19
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