Eldritch Dealings

Fertal

I hope that they will trust us enough to believe us when we promise that we will take them home. At the moment, there seems to be something below that catches there attention, so now such questions can't be answered as of yet.

. . . .

Why is there so much wreckage laying about? I mean before in the rush of it all we'd assumed that the wrecks of these strange steel vessels below was due to the same battle that had wrecked the city we'd rescued Princess Talia of Iskandr and Gur Rathka. However, somehow it looks more like . . .

Those ships are now dead more to having dropped from the skies all of the sudden than damage from battle?

Why do I have a strange feeling (something an elf should always pay attention to) that there is more to this than meets the eye?

"What happened?" Gur Rathka mutters to himself, shaking his head slightly in confusion.

Hm, guess my suspicions aren't alone. He's at a loss as well.

No matter, our ship is in sight. I just hope we can prevail upon the princess the seriousness of the situation before someone gets the bright idea to send out some kind of ariel craft to track us down (or investigate the mysterious craft that had buzzed their city)! Funny that there seems to be no air traffic . . .

. . .

No air traffic and all that wreckage?

Uh, we don't have time to idlely trapes off to investigate curious phenomona. If nothing else, even IF all the ariel craft have been wrecked by . . . battle (or whatever), a hunting party could be sent out and come upon us if we dally too long. Oh, chance aren't exactly high that they'd find us, but given our recent run of luck (I mean after all we'd NOT exactly planned on this side trip) but why risk it?

From "Your" Point of View

So I'm Princess Talia of Iskandr, you think to yourself. Somehow that . . . just doesn't sound right.

Then again, given everything . . . you feel you'd best concentrate on more important matters than names that don't seem to fit! These odd people DO have a point and Gods and Goddess of Barsoon know if you all should have the bad luck of a hunting party friendly to your former captor turn up and bag you all before repairs to . . . this odd ship can be made.

. . .

It's . . . so much more graceful and . . . swift appearing than one of the ships you saw in battle earlier today! Like there were different principles behind its design?

Something for later, as long as it works!

"You say that you need my ring to make your ship fly?" you sigh. "Well then, I cannot see any reason why to refuse it's use. Uh, I take it won't be any shape to be returned in a wearable form?"

"Fear not, Princess," the fox tailed (where did I get that term from?) man who's an engineer (amongst other things he says) sighs. "I'll have to facet it a bit to make it fit into the place we need it."

"Princess, that ring's a heirloom from . . . ," my brave green warrior protest . . .pettering out when he sees that I not only have made up my mind, but sees that there is little choice in the matter.

"My father will understand when I explain," you say, trying to sound princess like.

You just hope that your father IS a reasonable man, and not petty. After all, it HAD been in a good cause, YOUR rescue right?!

As it stands, the father of Princess Talia of Iskandr is more busy staring in surprise at the craft that has suddenly appeared swiftly, moving like nothing ever seen before on this world. Doublely amazing, considering that NO other aircraft beyond that one mystical carpet his one ally brought with him in an emergency summons to see if some kind of war party could free missng daughters.

The carpet bearer and John Carter (with the Princess of Helium at his side) had come, ready. Come to make plans so the odds looked at least NOT so bleak . . . Right before everything started to go insane.

Signs were, the savants say, that the atmosphere generator is begining to give off odd. . . . frightening signs?

Signs that might lead to the end of the world?

As things were, whether rash, lucky, or just brave the gentleman from Virginia known as John Carter is the first to rush forth, weapon ready (just in case).

But as it stands, no violence occurs. Rather, in this bleak looking time of trouble it turns into a celebration!

Carter is taken more than a little aback at some of the visitors. Some who look . . . like humans from Earth? But before that line of questioning (privately) could be followed, Carter blinks when introductions are made and Cuthbert Allgood's name comes up?

"Cuthbert Allgood as in the one from Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came?" he blurts out, startled into an indescretion?

"That's where I'd heard that bloody name before!" Trillian gasps, snapping her finger in recognition. "There was that one English professor who'd made my life a living hell until I memor . . .?"

What eldritchs things have we come upon with Artizza's ship, bearing strange gifts indeed?

Oh, the OBVIOUS answer is a possible means of escape (especially being that Barsoon appeared to be moribound . . . though that's not public knowledge yet).

Imagine the panic and destruction hoards of people would have if they knew?

Yes, this ship (or rather the principles by which it operated) was a gods gift from on high!

But . . . there was a matter or where to escape to, you know!

Venus? Savants were horrified what they spied from their observation disks, the once fertile jungle planet with diamond domed cities now . . . cooked wastelands under a runaway "greenhouse" effect. Some savants estimated that soon enough it would be hot enough to melt lead, by the gods and goddesses!

The planets beyond Barsoon's orbit? Don't even try to ask.

But what of Earth? And were some savants ready to unleash untested medical methods to strengthen Barsoonians to walk upon that heavy world?!

Well, questions and all that for the future hinge on what Artizza's group decides what to do next. Zaphod makes an offhand remark about how they should charge for the ship's designs, make a killing . . . only to end up laid out on the ground . . . .

"Do not speak from now on," Cuthbert says softly. "By my father's face, if they heard you say THAT they might just TAKE it from us, and kill us for that insult!"

1. "You're a dangerous fool who should have been sent west," he finishes up. "Now be silent or I WILL . . ."

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