Trixie’s Secret Diary:

It’s late Friday night and we are just sooo pooped.

We return to our boat, the Dark Mistress, which has been ransacked – numerous items stolen by two westerners – Aussies. Never trust ‘em, honey!

We have Hamza, an acolyte of the Black Pharaoh who tells us about a ritual taking place on Monday inside the Sphinx. Shakti is the master of ceremony – high priest for many a long year. We carry on spinning our Anti-Shakti rhetoric – contact British intelligence and put out a wanted on him. Plans for Saturday include: checking phone lines in Heliopolis and Luna Park. See what has been ascertained by the Prof at the Museum. Check out the coffee shop.

During Irma and Joe’s watch, Joe sees a vision of Mami Wata…or did he? Lover-boy is visibly shaken and stirred.

After a good night’s rest we split into two groups Irma, Gupta, Joe, Myles go to the Mosque to find out about the sword.

Trix, Wes, Nat, Grand go to see Ali Kafour at the Museum. He is looking haggard, tired and slightly paranoid. The Girdle is essential for her resurrection (phew!), with the crown and necklace she would be invulnerable to attack.

The crown can be destroyed by casting the ‘Shrivelling’ spell.

Necklace can be destroyed when immersed in water with potion ‘Space mead’!? It can protect someone from the extremes in the void esp while riding a dimensional shambler!

The Girdle is destroyed by a magical silver dagger – as we already know.

Nitocris can be resurrected by hermetic means, however, after being reduced to essential salts. We can, of course reverse this spell.

Her magical powers are what makes her dangerous.

At the Mosque we learn that all the Alumma guards were killed apart from Ahmed Zaharvi. He is pleased that we have destroyed the girdle. He tells of the sword of Akhmalar and it’s spiked grip, no one knows he made it, with ebony and black silk box. Anyone can use it but to wield to full effect you must be a consecrated user.

It is especially powerful from the likes of Djinn and their ilk – double damage.

Doubles power when summoning etc.

It protects from mind control spells.

Use less power when drawing binding and dispelling sigils etc.

Professor Fock’s Scientific Journal:

The coming Monday is D-Day. Or N-Day as in “Nitocris” or “Nyarlathotep”. Simon, Wesley, Trixie and Natalja are at the museum with Dr Ali Kafour. At the Ibn Tulun Mosque are the others. An hour or two is spent getting a map of Heliopolis on the way to the mosque by Gupta, Joe, Irma and Myles. The investigators hope to discover the location of the telephone where the Australian was called from. Next stop the telephone exchange. Myles uses his Arabic skills and his connections…

Operator: “This is an unassigned number. Possibly illegal? They must have done it themselves. But there is a new line in the west coming off the Palace Hotel.”

The investigators decide to check the hotel for more clues.

The hotel is in Heliopolis and the investigators drive out there. There is also an airfield, which they consider checking if it is possible to hire a plane.

Heliopolis is a mix of Egyptians and Europeans.

R.A.F Pilots: “Oh chaps! Look who it is!”

British RAF pilots head over to the investigators. They are impressed by the visitors and agree to allow them to use one of their training planes. A quick reckon flight over the pyramid? Simon and Trixie decide to take the short flight as the best qualified pilots. Trixie uses binoculars to view the pyramids from the sky but sees nothing unusual apart from lots of tourists. They fly down towards Memphis. The Clive Expedition is still at work. There are more guards than there were before. Apart from that, nothing unusual. They fly further to the “bent pyramid”. There is no one to be seen and no activity. They fly back to the airbase across the desert.

Simon: “What we’re casting two shadows? EVASIVE ACTION! DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!”

A plane swoops in with a mounted machine gun!

Trixie grabs her M16 while Simon tries to manoeuvre the plane.

She aims for the fuselage but it is difficult to get a bead on the other plane because of the aerial manoeuvres. Up down, round and around, looping the loop: It’s all in there! Trixie finally has an opportunity to shoot and fires off five bullets in the direction of the air ace opponent! Trixie riddles the rear fuselage of the plain with bullets and also hits the pilot as blood sprays out of the cockpit before more bullets ping into the front fuselage! More airborne cat and mouse ensues before Trixie gets another opportunity to shoot. This time she doesn’t hit the pilot but does more damage to the plane. More shots ensue and she hits the propeller:

TWICE! The pilot is European and the gunner appears to be Turkish. The pilot is in a bad way but he is still managing to control the plane but they are going down. More shots from Trixie and more damage to the plane including the tail flaps. A huge chunk of the rear fuselage suddenly drops out of the plane exposing the legs of the rear gunner:

PANIC! The pilot is unable to manoeuvre and is forced to crash land: The rear gunner flies out of the back of the plane at 100mph. What has happened to the pilot is anyone’s guess. They land nearby to check for survivors. The pilot is slumped forward in the cockpit. The plane has been split in two and the gunner’s shattered legs are visible: God knows what has happened to the rest of him. On closer inspection, the pilot appears to be breathing. He is in a very bad way.

Trixie takes a note of the plane number on the rear fuselage. A sand bat tattoo can be seen on the pilot. He also has maps. Where the Dark Mistress is moored is clearly marked on an aerial photograph. Trixie and Simon decide to leave before it gets dark. And it gets dark very quickly this close to the Equator. It is dusk when they land back at the airbase.

R.A.F pilot: “Bloody hell you cut that fine! Dave and Yousuf are in the control tower. Why do you ask?”

Yousuf: “Good spin? You were the only take off this afternoon. Don’t know that number, it’s not one of ours but there is another plane around here I’ve seen it near the hippodrome. They must have a private strip. A little two-seater.”

All clues seem to point to Luna Park.

It is 7pm. The others at Luna Park realize that there are plenty of opportunities for ambush. The get onto the roof of the Palace Hotel. There are other high points: Roller-coaster, helter-skelter in the Luna Park and there are also lights in the buildings close to the artificial mountain.

Joe, Myles, Gupta and Irma are at the hotel. There is some kind of structure under tarpaulin beneath the roller-coaster. About the size of a shed. Joe and Irma are on the roof and spot something unusual within the compound but can’t quite make it out.

The decision is taken to raid Luna Park just before dawn. Cause confusion and mayhem. The investigators leave at 5am via the emergency exit unnoticed. A gate is found behind the roller-coaster and the main building which the investigators decide to use. Those who can have cast Skin of Sedefkar. The investigators enter as quietly and cautiously as they can. Irma sees a light on in one of the buildings as he bunks over the wall. A generator can be heard from somewhere.

A shot suddenly hits the wall as Irma ducks down. There is a sniper up on the top of the Luna Park helter-skelter. Gupta lays down suppressing fire and Donelly jumps over the wall – a bullet pings into the ground. Wesley spots him and shoots him with his M16 – three bullets: Aaaaaargggghhhhh! Donelly is over the wall and more of the cultists suddenly appear from a doorway. They are carrying something. Donelly shouts: “They’ve marked out ranges!” Gupta fires a blue flare so that Natalja can drive over in the truck. In the compound, Myles and Joe see cultists trying to get to the tarpaulin. They figure that there is some kind of heavy machine gun or artillery beneath the tarpaulin. Joe and Myles move forward quietly.

Within the fake mountain, Wesley sees ladders leading up to the top of the mountain. Both he and Trixie start to climb up to the vantage point. Myles and Joe are close to the tarpaulin. Irma and Simon are on the roof of the building with Gupta climbing up to them from below. Myles and Joe charge, behind the sandbags and tarpaulin there is a mortar: That would explain the ranging flags… Myles shoots one of them and Joe takes out the other! They’ve also got a searchlight which begins to sweep through the Luna Park complex. Myles and Joe look at the mortar and consider firing it towards the searchlight. A bullet whistles past Myles. They take cover. Gupta, Irma and Simon are now on the roof and can hear a window opening on the roof. A lightning gun fires down towards Myles and Joe: They are surrounded by live mortar rounds! Luckily he misses! Irma fires down through the glass roof and hits the shooter. A stray pistol shot comes up and Gupta tries to shoot down but misses. Joe and Myles leave the mortar position, crawling under the walkway. At the top are binoculars and sniper rifle, blanket, dates etc.

Gupta, Irma and Simon leap off the wrought iron gangway as a flash of lightning dissolves and fuses a huge section of it. Gupta shoots a hole in the glass and Irma throws a grenade through which lands on a truck below.

Entertainment for one and all at Luna Park. Entertainment for the dead and the insane.

That’s all, folks!