Post by Lorpius Prime on Mar 21, 2007 23:38:19 GMT -5
The door shut behind them. It took some time for Jay’s eyes to adjust to the very meager light cast by the lantern. When they did, he could see their host throwing a heavy bar over the doors.
He turned and looked over his guests again and now Jay couldn’t see his eyes at all, they were concealed by shadows.
“There is a guest room this way, he may use the bed.” The words were followed by a great sweeping motion of the man’s robes and then Jay had to hurry to follow lest they lose him in the utter blackness of the place.
They couldn’t see anything of the house except the floor beneath Jay’s feet, and that didn’t tell them very much. It was dark, polished wood. Jay didn’t know if they were passing through rooms or simply a long hallway. At least they seemed to be walking in a relatively straight line; Jay thought he could make it back to the front door in a hurry if he had to, despite the dark. Eventually, though, their host paused, and Jay was able to bring the lantern close enough to see that there was a door set in a wall to their right.
The pale man fiddled with the latch for a moment, then pushed it open. The hinges shrieked; Jay wondered when the door had last been opened. The man held out a hand to stop Jay from entering. Then he took back his lantern and waved Jack inside.
“Put him on the bed.”
Jack dragged Farragut into the room and their host followed with the light. Jay got the impression he was meant to wait outside. He could see the soft glow bobbing a little as feet shuffled over dusty floors. Then there was a thud and creak of mattress springs as Farragut was hefted onto a bed.
“Very well, now please wait outside.”
“Are you a doctor?” Jack asked. He sounded doubtful.
“My knowledge of medicine is most extensive, I can assure you. You may wait outside in the parlor. But please do not get any mud on my furniture. Or books.”
Jack came plodding back out of the room with the lantern, rolling his eyes. The door swung closed behind him with another ear-splitting scream.
The two men looked at each other for a while. Jay spoke first, “Weirder and weirder.”
Jack rolled his eyes again and thrust the lantern at Jay, “You carry it.”
Jay took it and held it up to try to get a better look at the house they were in. There was some kind of stuffed bird mounted just above the door to the room they’d left Farragut. The doorway was flanked on either side by bookshelves packed with leather-bound volumes. Jay pressed his nose close to the one on the right and squinted. The titles all appeared to be Latin.
“You think this was really a good idea?” He asked of Jack, who was loitering behind him with his hands in his pockets.
“No. That’s why I didn’t suggest it.”
“Well… yes.” Jay cringed a little at the barb. “This is still a little stranger than I expected.”
Jack shook his head, “We walked into a ruddy madhouse.”
“I wonder how he lives in this,” Jay moved the lantern around, but couldn’t see anything else without moving from his current spot, and he didn’t want to lose the door. “Why do you think it’s so dark?”
“Loon boarded up all his windows? I want to know what he’s hiding.”
“Maybe just himself?”
The look Jack gave him made it clear he didn’t think much of the suggestion. Jay shrugged.
The door hinges squealed again, and Jay held out the lantern to illuminate their host standing in its threshold. He seemed to be considering what to do with them.
“Well?” Jack demanded.
By way of answer, the man drew a long, thin instrument from his robes and held it up in front of them between two fingers.
“You need light.”
He took the lantern from Jay a second time. Unlatching a panel, he inserted the instrument into the flame inside. When he removed it, the end was glowing too.
Setting the lantern on a bare space in the bookshelf, the man disappeared into the shadows for a moment. Then he was lit up again by another lamp hanging from a wrought-iron hook on a wall. Jack and Jay watched while he walked about a small room, lighting more lamps and blowing out the significant quantity of dust they seemed to have accumulated.
When he was done, they found they were standing at the edges of small room. By the dim light, they could see several ancient-looking and dust-covered chairs. The entire room was surrounded by bookshelves. Nor were they merely sitting side-by-side, but were stacked vertically as well, their height disappearing into the darkness of the vaulted ceiling.
Their host waved out the lighter and returned it to whatever pocket of his robes from which he had produced it.
“I apologize for the dark welcome. I am not accustomed to visitors.” He sat down and leaned back into the only chair which was not covered in an inch of dust. There was something menacing about the way he gripped the arms and the wings jutted out beside his head.
“Ah huh,” Jack folded his arms across his chest. “But what’s your diagnosis of that man in there, Doctor?”
“I’m afraid your friend is dead,” was the reply. There seemed to be a very faint stress on the word ‘friend’.
Jay tensed. “What?”
The man nodded calmly, “Yes. Severe hemorrhage in the brain, it would appear. There was nothing to be done. Pity.” He licked his lips.
There seemed to be more color in his face now than when he’d greeted them at the door.
“He’s… he’s just dead?” Jay was feeling rather useless.
“That is what I just told you.”
“We’ll need the body then,” Jack stepped towards the little room.
“I don’t believe that you need anything of the sort.” The seated man didn’t do anything but speak, but the words seemed to exert some powerful force nonetheless. Jack stopped and scowled at him.
“Unless I’m gravely mistaken,” their host continued, “you two have caused each other enough trouble already. Best if you left him in peace now.”
Jay wondered what they’d wandered into. He was definitely beginning to regret it.
Jack’s hand was hovering above the holster of his gun, “I’m afraid you are mistaken. If he is dead, we’ll be needing him back.”
Jay wanted to hiss at Jack to settle down, threatening this man didn’t seem like a good idea.
“You need not be concerned. I won’t be reporting either you or Mr. Blake to the authorities.
Jay started; the man knew his name?
Jack had his gun out and pointed into the chair, “Who are you?”
But the pale man was looking at the weapon as if it were a toy, “You could shoot me. But I do not think you would like the result.”
Jack didn’t budge and the man shrugged.
“I,” the syllable went on much longer than necessary, “am Karl, Baron Münchhausen.”
“Baron?” That was Jay.
“Yes. Although I am afraid the title does not mean so much here as it does in your home. I am just a lowly soldier.”
“Ah huh,” Jack’s eyes were glancing around their extravagant if dusty surroundings. “In what army?”
“I served as a captain in the Russian cavalry.”
“The Russian cavalry?” Both Jack and Jay demanded.
“Did I say that?” He blinked innocently.
“Yes,” Jay nodded, increasingly confused.
“Oh. I am afraid I don’t know your name yet,” he looked up to Jack who was still holding the gun on him, but hardly seemed sure of himself anymore.
“But how do you know my name?” Jay’s voice was increasing in pitch as his worry became uncontrollable.
“You will find that I know a great many things,” Münchhausen replied without glancing away from Jack. “Unfortunately, the identity of your companion is not one of them.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed, “You can call me Jack, your highness.”
“Fascinating. And it is more appropriate to use simply ‘sir’. Now then, Jack, would you please put your weapon away? I am not armed and have no intention of harming you.”
“I think I’ll hold onto it for now, if it’s all the same.”
Münchhausen’s face dropped and there was a cold rush of air through the room, causing the lamps to flicker. Jay, unnerved, looked back towards the front door, but couldn’t see more than a few feet beyond their current room. The bookshelf-lined hallway might have gone on forever.
“Is it really the best of manners to hold one’s host hostage?”
“I don’t intend to allow you to do the same to us.”
Jay sucked in a deep breath through his teeth, “Jack, put the gun down.”
Jack glared at Jay long and hard over his shoulder. But did at last uncock and holster his revolver.
“Your companion is smarter than he appears, to restrain you.”
Jay thought that if he’d been in Jack’s shoes, he would have taken the gun right back out after that comment. He couldn’t fathom the amount of self-control it took for the Australian to remain as still as he did.
Jay was about to speak, but Münchhausen stopped him with an open-handed gesture. “Please, sit down. I believe we have quite a discussion in our immediate futures.”
They both looked down at the padded leather chairs which whose seats were covered in what had to be nearly an inch of dust.
“On second though, let me restate that.” He nodded to Jack, “You may sit. You, however,” he pointed at Jay, “are in dire need of a change of clothes.”
Jay’s clothes were filthy with mud, but the Baron was speaking to him as if he liked being in that condition. “Unfortunately, I left my suitcase back at the base.”
“That was a mistake. But I can do a little to rectify it. If you take that lantern from the shelf and proceed back down the hall, the first door on the right are some servants’ quarters. You may find some unsoiled clothing and a washroom there. Do clean yourself up.”
It took another couple of deep breaths for Jay to accept that without shouting at the indignation. He picked up the dusty lantern again with only a slightly begrudging look. Then, after returning Jack’s cautionary nod, he held out the lantern to ward off the dark.
Book One, Chapter:
-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-
-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-
-43-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62-
Appendix: -A-B-C-
He turned and looked over his guests again and now Jay couldn’t see his eyes at all, they were concealed by shadows.
“There is a guest room this way, he may use the bed.” The words were followed by a great sweeping motion of the man’s robes and then Jay had to hurry to follow lest they lose him in the utter blackness of the place.
They couldn’t see anything of the house except the floor beneath Jay’s feet, and that didn’t tell them very much. It was dark, polished wood. Jay didn’t know if they were passing through rooms or simply a long hallway. At least they seemed to be walking in a relatively straight line; Jay thought he could make it back to the front door in a hurry if he had to, despite the dark. Eventually, though, their host paused, and Jay was able to bring the lantern close enough to see that there was a door set in a wall to their right.
The pale man fiddled with the latch for a moment, then pushed it open. The hinges shrieked; Jay wondered when the door had last been opened. The man held out a hand to stop Jay from entering. Then he took back his lantern and waved Jack inside.
“Put him on the bed.”
Jack dragged Farragut into the room and their host followed with the light. Jay got the impression he was meant to wait outside. He could see the soft glow bobbing a little as feet shuffled over dusty floors. Then there was a thud and creak of mattress springs as Farragut was hefted onto a bed.
“Very well, now please wait outside.”
“Are you a doctor?” Jack asked. He sounded doubtful.
“My knowledge of medicine is most extensive, I can assure you. You may wait outside in the parlor. But please do not get any mud on my furniture. Or books.”
Jack came plodding back out of the room with the lantern, rolling his eyes. The door swung closed behind him with another ear-splitting scream.
The two men looked at each other for a while. Jay spoke first, “Weirder and weirder.”
Jack rolled his eyes again and thrust the lantern at Jay, “You carry it.”
Jay took it and held it up to try to get a better look at the house they were in. There was some kind of stuffed bird mounted just above the door to the room they’d left Farragut. The doorway was flanked on either side by bookshelves packed with leather-bound volumes. Jay pressed his nose close to the one on the right and squinted. The titles all appeared to be Latin.
“You think this was really a good idea?” He asked of Jack, who was loitering behind him with his hands in his pockets.
“No. That’s why I didn’t suggest it.”
“Well… yes.” Jay cringed a little at the barb. “This is still a little stranger than I expected.”
Jack shook his head, “We walked into a ruddy madhouse.”
“I wonder how he lives in this,” Jay moved the lantern around, but couldn’t see anything else without moving from his current spot, and he didn’t want to lose the door. “Why do you think it’s so dark?”
“Loon boarded up all his windows? I want to know what he’s hiding.”
“Maybe just himself?”
The look Jack gave him made it clear he didn’t think much of the suggestion. Jay shrugged.
The door hinges squealed again, and Jay held out the lantern to illuminate their host standing in its threshold. He seemed to be considering what to do with them.
“Well?” Jack demanded.
By way of answer, the man drew a long, thin instrument from his robes and held it up in front of them between two fingers.
“You need light.”
He took the lantern from Jay a second time. Unlatching a panel, he inserted the instrument into the flame inside. When he removed it, the end was glowing too.
Setting the lantern on a bare space in the bookshelf, the man disappeared into the shadows for a moment. Then he was lit up again by another lamp hanging from a wrought-iron hook on a wall. Jack and Jay watched while he walked about a small room, lighting more lamps and blowing out the significant quantity of dust they seemed to have accumulated.
When he was done, they found they were standing at the edges of small room. By the dim light, they could see several ancient-looking and dust-covered chairs. The entire room was surrounded by bookshelves. Nor were they merely sitting side-by-side, but were stacked vertically as well, their height disappearing into the darkness of the vaulted ceiling.
Their host waved out the lighter and returned it to whatever pocket of his robes from which he had produced it.
“I apologize for the dark welcome. I am not accustomed to visitors.” He sat down and leaned back into the only chair which was not covered in an inch of dust. There was something menacing about the way he gripped the arms and the wings jutted out beside his head.
“Ah huh,” Jack folded his arms across his chest. “But what’s your diagnosis of that man in there, Doctor?”
“I’m afraid your friend is dead,” was the reply. There seemed to be a very faint stress on the word ‘friend’.
Jay tensed. “What?”
The man nodded calmly, “Yes. Severe hemorrhage in the brain, it would appear. There was nothing to be done. Pity.” He licked his lips.
There seemed to be more color in his face now than when he’d greeted them at the door.
“He’s… he’s just dead?” Jay was feeling rather useless.
“That is what I just told you.”
“We’ll need the body then,” Jack stepped towards the little room.
“I don’t believe that you need anything of the sort.” The seated man didn’t do anything but speak, but the words seemed to exert some powerful force nonetheless. Jack stopped and scowled at him.
“Unless I’m gravely mistaken,” their host continued, “you two have caused each other enough trouble already. Best if you left him in peace now.”
Jay wondered what they’d wandered into. He was definitely beginning to regret it.
Jack’s hand was hovering above the holster of his gun, “I’m afraid you are mistaken. If he is dead, we’ll be needing him back.”
Jay wanted to hiss at Jack to settle down, threatening this man didn’t seem like a good idea.
“You need not be concerned. I won’t be reporting either you or Mr. Blake to the authorities.
Jay started; the man knew his name?
Jack had his gun out and pointed into the chair, “Who are you?”
But the pale man was looking at the weapon as if it were a toy, “You could shoot me. But I do not think you would like the result.”
Jack didn’t budge and the man shrugged.
“I,” the syllable went on much longer than necessary, “am Karl, Baron Münchhausen.”
“Baron?” That was Jay.
“Yes. Although I am afraid the title does not mean so much here as it does in your home. I am just a lowly soldier.”
“Ah huh,” Jack’s eyes were glancing around their extravagant if dusty surroundings. “In what army?”
“I served as a captain in the Russian cavalry.”
“The Russian cavalry?” Both Jack and Jay demanded.
“Did I say that?” He blinked innocently.
“Yes,” Jay nodded, increasingly confused.
“Oh. I am afraid I don’t know your name yet,” he looked up to Jack who was still holding the gun on him, but hardly seemed sure of himself anymore.
“But how do you know my name?” Jay’s voice was increasing in pitch as his worry became uncontrollable.
“You will find that I know a great many things,” Münchhausen replied without glancing away from Jack. “Unfortunately, the identity of your companion is not one of them.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed, “You can call me Jack, your highness.”
“Fascinating. And it is more appropriate to use simply ‘sir’. Now then, Jack, would you please put your weapon away? I am not armed and have no intention of harming you.”
“I think I’ll hold onto it for now, if it’s all the same.”
Münchhausen’s face dropped and there was a cold rush of air through the room, causing the lamps to flicker. Jay, unnerved, looked back towards the front door, but couldn’t see more than a few feet beyond their current room. The bookshelf-lined hallway might have gone on forever.
“Is it really the best of manners to hold one’s host hostage?”
“I don’t intend to allow you to do the same to us.”
Jay sucked in a deep breath through his teeth, “Jack, put the gun down.”
Jack glared at Jay long and hard over his shoulder. But did at last uncock and holster his revolver.
“Your companion is smarter than he appears, to restrain you.”
Jay thought that if he’d been in Jack’s shoes, he would have taken the gun right back out after that comment. He couldn’t fathom the amount of self-control it took for the Australian to remain as still as he did.
Jay was about to speak, but Münchhausen stopped him with an open-handed gesture. “Please, sit down. I believe we have quite a discussion in our immediate futures.”
They both looked down at the padded leather chairs which whose seats were covered in what had to be nearly an inch of dust.
“On second though, let me restate that.” He nodded to Jack, “You may sit. You, however,” he pointed at Jay, “are in dire need of a change of clothes.”
Jay’s clothes were filthy with mud, but the Baron was speaking to him as if he liked being in that condition. “Unfortunately, I left my suitcase back at the base.”
“That was a mistake. But I can do a little to rectify it. If you take that lantern from the shelf and proceed back down the hall, the first door on the right are some servants’ quarters. You may find some unsoiled clothing and a washroom there. Do clean yourself up.”
It took another couple of deep breaths for Jay to accept that without shouting at the indignation. He picked up the dusty lantern again with only a slightly begrudging look. Then, after returning Jack’s cautionary nod, he held out the lantern to ward off the dark.
Book One, Chapter:
-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11-12-13-14-15-16-17-18-19-20-21-
-22-23-24-25-26-27-28-29-30-31-32-33-34-35-36-37-38-39-40-41-42-
-43-44-45-46-47-48-49-50-51-52-53-54-55-56-57-58-59-60-61-62-
Appendix: -A-B-C-