Let’s outline the plan so the author isn’t confused, If I have read the suggestions, we are taking them with us in 3 suitcases, we carry one and piecewise carries two, or we carry two and piecewise carries one. We will head to the town where the lab is and ask the locals about the place
If this is incorrect please correct this
Sounds good to me.
Sounds like the plan.
You buy three suitcases from a second hand store, specifically choosing ones that are large enough to contain the skeletons, but only barely. You take a bit of time to modify them, with some help from Nicholas of all people, to be able to open rapidly, both from the inside and outside, just in case. Nick apparently has some experience with such mechanisms, though he won't say why. You gather some clothing and supplies, getting an extra knife and revolver for yourself on top of the blade and gun piecewise is carrying, and knives for each of the skeletons which you entomb with them in the suitcase. At Esme's urging you also stick a tag on the heads of each bagged skeleton marking them as museum property; a last ditch excuse if the bags get opened. As you head out, Nick stops you and spends a few minutes showing you a trick of concealing a blade up your sleeve and rapidly producing it with a flick of the arm. Its a trick you remember Piecewise being able to do for some reason, despite you not telling him to or teaching it to him. You secret the blade away and head off.
The train station is several miles away and you find yourself tramping through a light midday snow. Despite carrying the suitcase and trudging through new snow, you don't get tired; exertion like this seems to have no effect on you. The train station is a lovely thing, almost like a green house, all bluegreen glass and metal arches rising above the surrounding buildings. Several lines cross through here, some dipping down to tunnels below while others stay on the ground level. Its a busy station and you and your slightly odd manservant are easily lost in the crowd. You buy a ticket- almost forgetting to buy one for Piecewise as well- and head for the platform. The train is already there and waiting, so you board immediately and settle into your compartment. You stow the suit cases and commanding piecewise to sit across from you and keep an eye out through the window. There are soldiers out there, walking the platforms in their normal patrols. They look more tense than yesterday, more observant, more suspicious. You realize that by now word of that vanished patrol has gotten out and feel a bit thankful that you're leaving town.
You half expect some sort of crackdown before the train leaves, soldiers sweeping through, checking luggage and faces, demanding answers from confused passengers. But it doesn't happen. The train leaves on time; the diesel engine roaring to life and screaming up to a high whine before gliding gently out across the snow dusted tracks. You close the compartment and wait, staring out the window as the city slides past in a blur. Its early evening when the last buildings of the outskirts are drifting past in the distance, half visible clusters of lamplight over dark rolling fields. You stare out into the unbroken wilderness until it fades into total darkness and all you can see is your own face reflected on the glass. You settle yourself back against the chair and order piecewise to keep watch and protect you before putting yourself to sleep for a bit.
When you awake the sun is rising and the rolling fields have been replaced by trees and scattered meadows. You can smell the sea, the salt in the air. Its a memory not your own. You step out of your compartment and look trough one of windows on the opposite side of the train. The sea stretches out into infinity, lit pastel pinks by the sunrise. You feel odd nostalgia, uncertain whose memories it springs from, but captivated nonetheless. Around a slow bend which traces the edge of a sea cliff you can see the town. Roofs of red and blue, whitewash and brick walls, square buildings like the tumbled rocks of the sea cliff tracing a steep path down to the water. The lights are still on, glowing in the morning haze. You look for the lab, craning your neck to scan the surroundings. You see nothing. You think back to the map, and try to place the building on the landscape. You realize you probably couldn't see it from this side and try the other side, back in your compartment. Nothing. Where you think it is there is nothing but forest; maybe underground? Or perhaps lost in the trees. It makes sense they'd want to keep it hidden.
You disembark about a half hour later, Piecewise following closely behind. Only a few other people leave with you, and only a few get on; the town does not seem like a major attraction. As you watch the weather worn, stout fishermen and workers file out of their homes and walk ponderously towards the docks, you get the distinct feeling that a stranger asking a lot of questions around here might be seen as quite suspect. This is a quiet town, where no one wants any trouble, and where they don't much like out of towners meddling. You think this is a feeling from your captured memories, the farm boy. You'll need a place to stay first, regardless, and find an inn. You hand over some money to the old cherry cheeked woman at the front desk and take the key to a room up the stairs. She gives your companion a searching glance but says nothing as you head up. The room is a small one, a white washed wooden room with faded floral wallpaper above ancient wainscotting. A thin window looks out on the town and provides the only light. There's only one bed, a small dresser, and a water basin, nothing else. You sit on the bed and consider your options.
You could go out to ask the locals about the lab but...a nosy foreigner asking a bunch of questions about what is -after all- a secret military base might raise some pretty harsh suspicions. Especially now, during wartime. You could still ask around but you'd have to be careful how you worded it, and even then it might still go bad. You feel the knife resting against your upper arm and consider what things going bad would look like. None of the residents here could offer you much resistance but the base is sure to have soldiers. Likely heavily armed soldiers. Maybe even ones specialized to taking down the undead, just in case the experiments ever got out of control. A dangerous gamble to go against people like that. Piecewise stands by the window, gazing blankly out at the town.
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Topic: The Left-Hand Path (Read 119149 times)