Menahem - Turn 303
"Stumpy," asks Eorconlid, "you think the numbers on the sheet could be the key to the lock on the safe?" Stumpy opens his mouth to reply but instead a yelp comes forth as his whole body beings to tremble violently. He looks down at his hands which seem almost transparent and then turns to Solomon and screams, "That bastard T'sardan's at it again. I'll be back in a minute."
He stops for a moment and then clutches his mouth with his hand and says in a muffled tone, "Oh Gods I think I'm goin to be sic...." As he says this, Stumpy seems to simultaneously move away from the group, and at the same time become less substantial until he fades completely.
A short pause is broken by Menahem who watched Stumpy's disappearance with academic interest, but with no trace of surprise. "T'sardan eh?" he comments, "Lucky beggar. Summoned by the gods to visit really interesting places. Did it myself once. Found Nelarr's Crown, I did. Don't recommend the travel arrangements though, not unless you like really, really bad hangovers. He shouldn't be long."
A few papers start to rustle, stirred by a previously unnoticed breeze and there's a feeling of building pressure within the chamber. From nowhere a scream can be heard faintly, it gets louder and louder, but there is still no sensation of direction to it. Solomon is most concerned, especially of the King commemorative plates which rattle in their holdings.
"Oh, here he comes now," says Menahem, matter-of-factly. A blast of air erupts outwards from the centre of the room, blowing loose items across the floor and sending several of the plates crashing.
The scream builds to a crescendo and is suddenly cut off as Stumpy crashes to the floor in the middle of the group. It is obvious to all that he's the one who's been screaming. A bloodshot eye slowly cracks open and Stumpy winces at the lights within the room.
"Had a good time?" Menahem asks brightly. Stumpy views the group warily. "Anyone," he whispers, "who makes so much as a squeak for the next 10 minutes will never ever have to worry about haircuts again."
Menahem opens his mouth to ask a question but Stumpy swings his head round quickly and treats him to an especially piercing glare through his livid eyeball, "Any noise Menahem... squeaks or otherwise!"
With that he groans closes his eyes and lies back on the floor clutching his head.
Stumpy, aided by a couple of beers from his backpack reserved for such an emergency, soon recovers from most of his "travel sickness". When he has finished explaining where he's been, Eorconlid puts a hand on his shoulder and leads him back to the safe. "Why don't you type in 123 on that keypad thing," he says, "and see what is inside the safe." Stumpy is not so sure and Menahem and Joshua peer over his shoulder at the safe.
A discussion begins about what the code could possibly be, Menahem straining every mental sinew until Stumpy suggests that they should maybe apply the same logic as got them into this place.
"Could be right.." muses the priest. "Especially as there is no other obvious answer. I suggest we give it a go," and without waiting for an answer, he types in 7, 6 and 15.
Nothing seems to happen and Solomon points out that he has yet to press 'enter'.
Menahem acts as if he already knew that and presses in the button only for a powerful electrical charge to leap from the safe and cause the A'stall priest to perform a wild dance the King would have been proud of. As static still flickers around his outstanding smoking hair, Joshua helpfully suggests, "I could always ask my friend."
Taking out his skull wand, Joshua activates it and asks it, "Which sequence of keys would need to be pressed for the safe to open without harming anyone." The carved skull animates and replies, "4, 1 2, 2 2, 9, 1 9, Enter."
Moving past the still shuddering Menahem, the F'norian priest taps in the code and when he presses 'enter', the safe gives over a set of multiple thumps and swings open.
Stumpy's 'travel hangover' means Eorconlid is in first and starts checking through the safe contents;
| * One jeweled ring with the letter 'S' in diamonds |
| * One jeweled ring with the letter 'P' in diamonds |
| * One jeweled belt with the letters 'SP' in various precious stones |
| * Thirteen rather dusty boxes on which are the words 'Melovex Recording Cubes - Perfect Sound for a Perfect World' as well as stickers on which have been written numbers |
| * Four large paintings of the rather flamboyant 'King' |
| * Jet Pack with the letters 'SP' painted upon it |
| * A glass case containing a cryogenically frozen meat pie |
| * Several gold discs in frames |
| * A small cryo box containing several vials of sperm |
| * A vid disc marked 'Last Will and Testament' |
Solomon's interest is primarily in the thirteen boxes, saying that when they return to the City of Nexus, they will be rich beyond their wildest dreams. Menahem scratches his head as he looks over the safe contents closely unable to figure out just why it might be so important that they help Solomon on his quest.
