rredmond wrote:OOC: Funny where I feel Will has to go here...
Reading your post, I really don't see where to proceed here. I don't want to write your dialog for you.
"Captain, I think we're missing something here," said Monday. "We've all gotten fixated on the unknown land below us. I'm more concerned about the whole saboteur issue. Neville is dead, and Brandon is in custody, and I'm told that Sullivan and Lusk bailed out, but how can we be sure that there aren't any more saboteurs, or any more sabotaged equipment on board?"
"Mister Monday," replied the Captain, "as I've stated before, I know all these men personally, save for Mister Lars, who spent his night repairing our damaged engine, and Mister Mansel, here, who killed Neville. I trust them all with my life, and you must trust them with yours. On the other hand, I am interested in the motives of the saboteurs."
"I can help there," said Dr. Ringstrom. "
Morgana and I were their targets. Friends warned me when I left Germany that there would be those who hated me, who did not want to see a successful dirigible built anywhere else. I just didn't believe they'd come after me, or sabotage the ship I designed."
"I don't understand one thing," said Monday. "Why try to kill you personally, if they were planning to sink the ship in the north Atlantic? Pardon my saying so, but you'd freeze or drown like the rest of us if the ship went down... why try to kill you personally?"
"I don't know," replied Ringstrom. "Captain, I know we had this discussion just last night, but now things are different. Let me help. I'm willing to work under the direction of Mister Green."
"I'll talk with him, Doctor. I won't make any promises just yet, but if anything else goes wrong, I'll make it an order."
"Thank you, Captain."
"Look," came a call from starboard. It was Violet, leaning over the rail looking out the window. "People!"
Looking out the forward window, Will and Artie could see a small group of people walking out of the trees near the river, perhaps a mile upstream of the river delta. Though they were still quite far away, it was possible to see that they were nearly naked and dark skinned... African savages, it seemed. Everyone in the lounge watched, almost speechless, as the distant group quickly erected a tent of striking scarlet, yellow, and green fabric, patterned in regular stripes.
When the tent was entirely upright, one of the distant figures went inside, while six others took up positions around the tent, apparently guarding it.
"What do you make of that?" asked the Captain, wonderingly.