Part 5: Another Ill-Fated Boat Trip
Sunday, March 23, 1930
Gerti and Peter attempt to convince Tommy to charge off to Innsmouth
to rescue Dr. Schreber. Tommy, who called him last run, reports that
he's all right, really. Roderick finally returns from his rescue
mission and goes to bed. Peter wants to know if Tommy has a spare
gun.
"Exactly *who* do we want to shoot?" - Tommy
"Everyone who goes to the Esoteric Order of Dagon." - Gerti
"Until Eddie wakes up and reasons with you, I'm not giving you a
gun." - Tommy, to Peter
Some discussion about the next plan of action ensues. Perhaps the
thing to do is take the boat to Canada and back, and see what
happens. Peter considers smuggling his camera on board, finding it
implausible that the Mafia would appreciate a reporter with a camera.
" `I'm not here to blow your illegal smuggling operation, I just
want pictures of demonic fish-men' - I don't think so!" - Peter
Eddie wakes up, and gives Peter a gun. "Don't shoot the party," he
cautions. "Why? It seems to be all the rage!" Peter wonders whether
they really know that the fish-men are demonic, rather than
just, well, creepy. Gerti thinks that the group should drop depth
charges on Devil's Reef. Or maybe grenades, from Tommy's airplane.
Eddie manages to locate the Coxes (Martin Cox was a witness at the
inheritance) in California, but it's unclear whether they can answer
any of the questions that the group cares about. Tommy takes Peter to
a shooting range to practice; Peter shoots several bulls-eyes and
declares that this gun stuff is no problem.
Gerti tries valiantly to herd the party into some semblance of order.
What names can they give the Mafia? Hetta. The guy who gave them the
gin. The four suspicious Innsmouth crewmen. Will stopping the
smuggling be sufficient, or do they want names too? They want both.
A letter gets sent to the Coxes saying that Peter will call on Sunday.
Tommy and Peter fly to Innsmouth, and buzz Devil's Reef. Tommy flies
upside down over the reef, and Peter gets some good pictures,
including what maybe possibly are of some fuzzy dark shapes that could
be sharks and humanoids, under water.
Monday, March 24, 1930
Peter and Tommy head off on the Bon Vivant to Canada. Esme
provides them with a bunch of seasickness remedies and herbal teas.
Roderick sees them off, looking particularly gaunt and morbid. They
arrange to bunk in the same room, with one person always awake. Gerti
finally gets hold of Dr. Schreber, and asks about seasickness. He's
not pleased, and eventually calls Eddie to confer and say he really
can't help. Peter discovers that Jasper Rush speaks Creole. Roderick
and Gerti and Esme try and figure out various sorts of protections
that the two boat travellers should use.
Wednesday, March 26, 1930
The Bon Vivant arrives in Canada, and Tommy and Peter call
home. Peter briefly denies any knowledge of Tommy, but caves in after
Eddie starts glaring over the phone. Roderick suggests that a knife
which has been used to kill a shark in the water is good against
were-sharks, as are tattoos or emblems of an octopus. Esme suggests
using wormwood to dull their occult senses and be less susceptible to
any supernatural seasickness, but Roderick points out that this will
also dull all their other senses. Shopping in Canada, Tommy acquires
a totem pole which has an octopus, and some general lucky
paraphernalia, including a dried squid, I think... Peter buys more
ammunition for everyone's guns.
Thursday, March 27, 1930
Thursday night, Gerti, Esme, and Charlie go to the coast south of
Innsmouth, where they can barely see Devil's Reef. Dr. Schreber tries
to be unhelpful, and doesn't want to come keep them company. Esme
brings wormwood, and Roderick sketches an octopus in henna on his arm.
On the boat, Tommy lashes himself to the deck, and Peter hangs out
nearby. They begin to feel seasick, and pass out (having forgotten
that Roderick originally pointed out that the nausea-inducing miasma
was worse on deck than in the smuggler's hold...).
Some time later, Peter awakes groggily as he's being dragged across
the deck. Torn between going for his gun and his camera, as he
quickly nears the side of the boat, he goes for his camera (everyone
else groans), and snaps a picture of whatever is dragging him. A
scuffle ensues between Peter and Barrett (his captor - alas, not a
demonic fish-man), and the camera is flung towards the railing. Peter
grabs after it, and nearly falls overboard catching it. Barrett,
trying to kick Peter, also nearly falls overboard. Max, the other
Innsmouth crewman on deck, goes for a gaff, and starts hitting Peter
with it. Somewhere in the confusion, Barrett falls overboard. Peter
flashes Max with the camera flashbulb as ribs crack, and then Max is
hit from behind with a flying logbook. After a long while of
nauseated sleep, Tommy is finally awoken by Peter's screams, and
shoots Max. The captain (the one who hit Max with the logbook) also
attempts to shoot Max with the flare gun, but misses.
As Tommy rescues Peter and the camera from the edge of the deck,
Captain Fleetwell covers Max with the flare gun. Tommy attempts to
tape Peter up, but isn't very effective. Another flare goes off, as
Max jumps overboard. The captain attempts first aid on Peter as
well, but is even more inept than Tommy, and Peter passes out
completely.
In response to the flares, the Coast Guard shows up. The captain
explains about a fight on deck, with the perpetrators jumping/falling
overboard. The Coast Guard takes Tommy and Peter to get Peter to the
hospital in Salem; three remain on the Bon Vivant.
The group on the coast sees some amount of shooting and flares going
off, and then spots the Coast Guard vessel. Esme thinks it'll be
based out of Salem, so the group heads there, but doesn't see anything
untoward going on, and so heads home.
Friday, March 28, 1930
The boat comes in. The normal cargo is unloaded (as are the Coast
Guard officers). The panel truck arrives, but the contraband is gone.
The captain and crew all tell basically the same story. Gerti
overhears a conversation between Sutter and some other crewmen: "You
gonna try it?" "Nah."
Charlie reports to the Family. He names Max and Barrett, plus the
other two suspicious Innsmouthians and Sutter as possible
confederates, and Hetta as the mastermind, all not to be thumped yet.
"Maybe Hetta doesn't know anything about the boat trip yet." -
Eddie
"What *are* you thinking?" - Gerti
Surprisingly enough, the cargo does *not* go missing on the next boat
trip. The Mafia is pleased (though they clearly intend to do some
more interrogating of people).
"That means I gotta marry Gerti now." - Charlie
Part 4 Index
Part 6 