Chapter 1.5 - All

It occurs that Buford is by far the biggest person in the group if you could knock this section of rock out in such a manner that he could get past then everyone could get past. What's your preferred instrument of destruction?

Working carefully and quietly on the knife edge of rock it takes Napoleon 40 minutes or so to remove enough that he figures Buford can squeeze past. He heads back to the chamber when he's done.

Ruby comes back from the entrance to your hiding place, "They're really giving the wreckage the once over, m'lords, they're after something very specific."

Donovan blinks, "Wait just a tic, the Professor, he was paranoid that some fellow named, Rass, Rassmus, ah bugger I can't recall it, but his bag, he wouldn't let that out of his sight, kept it with him when he slept." Donovan grabs the leather valise and shows it to everyone, there's an elaborate lock on the front.

There's a soft click as the lock disengages.

A number of objects drop out of the bag, a rectangular bundle of letters or something wrapped in worn butcher paper held in place with a white string. A handful of newspaper clippings, a dog eared brochure or pamphlet printed on heavy card-stock, a small 5 shot cap and ball revolver, and something oddly shaped wrapped in stained white cloth and tied closed with a red ribbon. The lighting is terrible now as the moon has fallen below the horizon. Ruby still has her light but it's gotten rather faint.

"It's just Buford," the large man says gruffly, he gets up and flexes his one knee leg carefully before climbing up into the smaller hole.

Buford is so broad in the chest and shoulders that he fills the entire opening and has to force his way through parts that Napoleon hadn't considered. "Bit of a squeeze," he says getting to the knife edge turn and forcing himself through the worst part. He gets stuck part way but manages to get past. Once he's past he basically forces Napoleon to keep moving forward to the next opening large enough to accommodate both of them. "Mighty fine work there fella, much appreciated."

Mariette groans, and starts to try to get up. Ruby and Helen come over and help her to her feet, "One of us is going to have to push and one's going to have to pull to get her into that opening Ruby."

Mariette takes one of Ruby's hands and puts it on her backside, "Vous pouvez pousser ma chère."

Helen giggles and Ruby blushes, "And now it's awkward," Ruby says quietly as Helen climbs up into the opening.

"Come one sweetie," Helen says reaching down and pulling her up as Ruby helps push her forward, "up we get."

Mariette whimpers and makes a few small sounds pain but miraculously doesn't cry out.

"You know," Donovan says looking over at the women's antics, "Buford probably could have picked her up with one hand."

"You're not helping," Helen says pulling Mariette into the opening and pulling one of the other woman's arms over her shoulder.

Ruby follows them both into the opening and quickly disappears into the darkness.

The soldiers are all but invisible to you, they're down in the canyon and you're up top a good 1/4 of a mile or better back from the edge. The airship on the other hand is only visible because of the void in the stars where it is. You'd estimate by the dimensions of the void that it is a Zeppelin of some kind, which would fit with the German speech.

Mariette nods, "I can move, I do not know for how long"

About a hundred yards further on there’s another gully that opens up, the sides aren’t steep where you are but it looks to provide some good cover not to far along.