Chapter 6: Excursions

[crazycrypt]

"On your orders sir," Tommy will say to Mr. Monday.

Tommy will stay extremely alert and even though his gun will be holstered, he will have it ready to draw at a moments notice. Tommy will continue to follow procedures and Monday's orders until the time comes that he feels danger is immanent.

[Rosisha]

"Sir, if I may." Simon begins. "This is obviously a tribal culture. Perhaps in this culture, when two kings meet, both surround themselves with strong men, a sign of their strength that they are the strongest of the strongest." His eyes take in the guards and he pointedly looks at them without making any obvious gestures. "You should stand in the middle of us, and keep your eyes straight ahead, making it obvious that we are your subordinates. We should act and be tough, each of us playing to a guard. As in, we, like you, are tough warriors, defending our proud and noble king. However, like you, we are here to talk." Simon pauses, "At least, I think that is a good approach. Better to mimic the behavior until we learn what role we are to play."

[rredmond]

Will looks Lars over with an appraisin eyd, nodding, "more than one archeologist, or mayhap anthropologist in our midst. Sounds a good assessment, but," he looks down at his gangly self, "here's hoping there's a counselor, or advisor, role in this society." He chuckles uncomfortably to himself, keeps an eye out in the direction of the tent and waits to see what Catherine and Monday have to say.

[Solomoriah]

"You must have read my mind, Simon," replied Monday. "I was thinking that very thing. Catherine, I'd like you on my right, here," he said, indicating that she should stand beside him, "and Will, here, on my left. Simon, Tommy, I'd like you to take positions to the outside, one beside Catherine and the other beside Will. A little back, if you don't mind. Steve, Artie, please follow close behind. Let me lead by a step or so," he concluded, that last directed at Will and Catherine.

As the party members took their places, Will saw Catherine give an approving look to Simon. Reginald gave off an air of quiet, kingly confidence; Will almost felt himself to be the great man's vizier, or some such. Tommy seemed calm, his violent nature under firm rein, but Simon looked a bit more excited. Steve Vance was calmly wary, obviously keeping an eye out all around them, and Artie was, well, a bit scared, as best as Will could tell.

[Rosisha]

Obviously excited, Simon stayed in the correct place and moved with the crew. He watched carefully, waiting to see if anything would happen. He also made sure to cast a glance towards any cover, keeping an eye out for ambush.

[rredmond]

Will, gulping a little, takes his place a few steps behind and to the side of Monday; he puts on his well-practiced look of "the expert" and then prepares mentally, for the meeting with the natives. He remains aware of the rest of the party, just in case on of them cuts and runs, or does anything that puts them all in jeopardy, but gets ready to focus on what's going on when the discussions start.

[crazycrypt]

Tommy will fall in line just a little behind Will awaiting Mr. Monday to start walking. He can't help but think to himself This is going to get very interesting before it's over with.

[Solomoriah]

The excursion party moved in loose formation toward the tent. Monday walked with a combination of calm confidence and determination that emboldened those following him.

As they party approached the tent, the warriors stood up straighter, and one turned toward the tent and called out a few words in a strange, fluid-sounding tongue. Simon, walking to the side of the party and a little to the back, could see the look of puzzlement on Catherine's face as she tried to place the language... and he also saw Artie startle, a surprised look on his face.

"They come, chieftain," the warrior had said. Artie understood every word, but even as he did, he realized it wasn't English, nor any of the languages he had been exposed to during his travels.

[Nazim]

Artie stood there for a while, seemingly ingorant of the confusion around him, a stunned expression on his face. The dreams... this land... could it... ? After a long, long moment, he interceded among the confusion, addressing the natives in their own tongue. His speech was slow, careful, deliberate, halted. He did not want to seem too familiar with the language, but whether this was to trick others or himself was anyone's guess. It was wrong... him knowing this. All of this.

Artie then turned to the excursion party. "The natives' language is very similar to a creole one that some of my childhood friends spoke. I remember some of it. Enough, I think, that I can interpret what they are saying to us." Whether his own astonished expression reinforced the lie or undermined it, Artie could not know. However, he proceeded to translate for the party, an uncertain expression on his face, hesitant, double checking his understanding of many words and idioms, even though their meaning was clear to him.

If, during a moment in the confusion, he manages to catch Will's eye while he himself was not being watched, Artie's expression conveys as much astonished confusion and fear as possible, but reinforces the complicity between the two, leaving Will to understand that he will be included later.

[rredmond]

"Creole?" Will whispers, almost to himself. He then gives a sidelong glance, catching Arties eye and expression behind Monday. He concentrates on maintaining his "counselor/vizier" composure, looking sideways and forward to follow Monday's lead, brain gears turning...