Cairo, Egypt, Africa:
17:00 PM:
We have frustrated the plans of the cult. They are in disarray. The death of Nyarlathotep on the staircase and preventing the opening of the gate plus the “Eye of Light and Darkness” on the other means they can no longer achieve their apocalyptic goals.
We plan to leave Mombasa immediately. There is a telegram from Natalya:
Awaiting instructions. STOP.
We make preparations for the onward journey to Cairo. At the Nairobi Star we explain that we were hampered by “natural disasters” which caused the tragic demise of Uncle Fester, who’s remains have been cremated. A hero who gave his very soul for the survival of humanity and the world. Irma’s photos taken on the mountain are blurred, murky and indistinct. But to the investigators who were there, the photos are more than clear…
In the “real world”, our attempts to readjust to normality are thrown off kilter by comments amongst the Colonial community such as “oh, do you know who was at the tennis club last Thursday?” and other such whimsical irrelevances.
Wesley examines the engine. It is dangerous and will take some time to get it started again. There are questions. And some answers.
Where will we go in Egypt?
Investigate the Clive Expedition that was bankrolled by the Penhew Foundation. There is a shop in the street of Jackals Jackson Elias had alluded to. The Red Pyramid? The place where they changed and where they erased one of the “Eyes of Light and Darkness” as described to us by Jack Brady (Handout 43). The “bent” or “asymmetrical” pyramid? Memphis, further up the Nile would need to be a station on our “pilgrimage”.
The plan is to go up through the Suez Canal, past Port Said and either go upriver in the boat or take the train to Cairo… Faraz Najir owns the shop on the street of Jackals in Cairo. Brady mentioned this. He sold the Black Pharaoh bust to Gavigan.
We set off on the boat and expect to arrive in Port Said on Saturday, July 4, 1925. A week later. But an unscheduled week is taken in Sudan to learn spells. Unsuccessfully. The last few weeks have taken their toll on us: Predictably.
At sea. Two days after leaving Sudan. Thursday, July 2. Gupta is in the wheel house. Trixie is navigating. The boat is pitching in a lightning storm. Lightning suddenly illuminates the bow of the boat and a HUNTING HORROR APPEARS!!!
Gupta: “Hunting horror! All hands on deck!”
Screams Gupta into the pipe communications system. “Hunting Horror!” The Hunting Horror is struggling to maintain its position in the furious wind of the storm! Sadly, so are we, once it smashes the window to the wheel room. The others react as quickly as they can. The Hunting Horror is trying to grab us with its tail, lashing through the rain and wind like an insane cat o’nine tails. Below deck the others are grabbing their weapons. Gupta throws a pouch of Dust of Suleiman at the Horror, the dust misses but the wind blows it back into the face of the Horror, but sadly causes only minor damage. It misses us as it lashes wildly with its tail. Trixie casts Mists of R’lyeh and we are enveloped in its cloud. As the others emerge on the deck they are staggered by the roaring winds. Eventually they make it onto the upper deck and force their way forward with some difficulty. Meanwhile, the Hunting Horror is attempting to smash the entire frame of the window to get to Gupta and Trixie. Simon struggles against the window, stumbles and falls from the side of the boat! The BAR swings with him, jolting him. Wesley tries to grab him but it is a very poor attempt. The Hunting Horror has destroyed a huge area at the front of the cabin, Gupta throws dust AND HITS. This time the damage causes it to scream in pain! Donelly unleashes a volley of lead as does Irma. The Hunting Horror suddenly topples AND FALLS DEAD INTO THE WATER!
The mist clears. We are without steering in the middle of a tropical storm. Repairs are carried out beneath a canvass, which is continuously blowing away. We will have to ride out the storm. Captain Gupta’s luck is in and he is able to keep us on course. At 40 knots! We will need to find a well-equipped marina to make the necessary repairs: Suez. Egypt is an independent protectorate of the British Empire… We arrive at Port Said where Natalya is waiting for us! “Privyet!”
First port of call in our investigation is Omar Chakti. This is the guy who was getting packages from Tandoor Singh in Kenya and also from Ho Fong… No doubt a cultist. The boat is a mess and Wesley is uncertain about what to do. He decides that – following the smashing and subsequent repair of the steering column – the boat needs some serious maintenance. Hours adrift without power has taken its toll and the strange, possibly alien, nuclear power source may be becoming increasingly unstable.
We begin the journey up the Nile, after filling endless forms for the British customs declaring our vast inventory of weapons. All perfectly legal, here. The fertile banks of the river stand in stark contrast to the desert in the hinterlands. We reach Cairo two days later on Tuesday July 14th 1925. The city has doubled in size recently. It is a huge sprawling conurbation with an incessant call to prayer and noise. We lay anchor at a quiet spot in the river.
If Nyarlathotep has already found us on the open ocean, he will not have much trouble finding us in Cairo. But maybe we can find some of his cultists first…
