Run on 3 July 2011
The next morning, the RS Medici left Madagascar with nearly a score of children and a handful of parents. By this time, Hassan had a copy of Captain Hawkin’s navigation charts and notes (something like the following) and was fairly confident of his ability to traverse the difficult seas. He was also made to understand that, with the Pod gone, there would be more of a risk of Albatroll (pteradon) attack.
The film crew (sans Priscilla) and Gian and co. stayed behind to make space available, after some waffling on Dr. Smiths part about whether it was preferable to weather the storm or be on a boat surrounded by small children. The wounded Fred Martin, his wife, and their daughter were among the passengers. Priscilla had convinced Robert (her admirer from First Impressions) to come along. He was reluctant because he felt that the townsfolk all hated him. Once aboard the ship, the parents who came along shared with her the gossip about him, which only increase her sympathy for the awkward young man. Other than that, the first day’s sailing was marred by nothing worse than signs of rodents in the food stores, and Birdie set out traps.
Meanwhile, the townsfolk which stayed behind on Madagascar seemed more concerned with who would pay Dr. Smythe’s tab (one season of Martin’s pay) than with the storm. There was a long and rather dry council meeting, open to the town (many of whom came to watch), which looked very much like a set -up to make the herdsman Donel Allen pay the bulk of the bill.
Randy was outraged at the injustice, and the way the council seemed to conspire to perpetrate it. He interrupted Dr. Smith’s tea with the widows (Julia Brown and Sarah North) to try to convince him to speak up. Dr. Smith took heed of widow Brown’s opinion of Mr. Allen, and declined.
Gian, who was also watching the Council meeting, bided his time and began to come up with a strategy which would serve justice and increase his own influence at the same time.
John Morgan spent a more profitable day at the tavern with the Basques, gambling rubber bands (a real curiosity) for Nip coins. The dice game got occasional updates on the state of the Council meeting, and his gaming buddies got more drunk and more ominous as the news came in.
The day ended without the Council coming to a decision, and a dark cloud forming to the Southwest (although the winds continued to come from the East). Sydney had dinner with Brand Martin (Fred Martin’s half brother, also sensitive to the Nightmare Storms, who had donated blood for the surgery) and his family, finding out more about what the storms were like and what the dangers were.
By the time the sun went down the gamers were in a truly foul mood, and muttering darkly about the town council having it in for the Allen family, and having robbed their mother’s grave. They staggered off shortly before Randy, still outraged by the injustice of it all, came into the tavern to see if younger and prettier Basque women than Rosie could be had. Instead, he heard the story of the drunks running off (led by Rosie’s brother Tom) and he was recruited by that woman to stop them. He, John, Rosie, and a couple of somewhat more sober Basque men went off to cool things down. There was a brief brawl before the Council building, which ended with Randy shooting into the air and pointing out that the Watch would come soon, which scattered most of the drunks. John Morgan subdued the one remaining one (Rosie’s brother Tom, of course) and carried him off to his sister’s place while Randy stayed behind to explain to the watch that he had been shooting at rats.
Randy went off to spend the night at the Inn, while Morgan took advantage of Rosie’s hospitality and gratitude. The two of them spoke of her mother, of magic, and of John’s belief that her world had been somehow constructed artificially.
