The Upper House
Il Fratelli di Signo Galli
Saturday, December 21st 1929
After setting in to the Grand Hotel et de Milan and having luncheon, Lady Verity arranged for a taxi to take them to the Navigali region where they were heading for the shipping office of Guiseppe Colombo where they believed Thomas Villiers, Quarrie's executor could be found. The cab navigated from the town centre and into the winding streets of Southern Milan's canal district. After asking several random passers-byfor directions, the taxi driver eventually dropped them off outside a seedy-looking building near the canal. Henry and Stephen asked the driver to wait, at least they thought they had as his English was rudimentary at best, and they went in, knocking on the door.
In the office, a strange ill-matched pair sat at
a a desk above which hung a strange version of Da Vinci's Last Supper
painted from the rear. One was a wizened, bald old man with a sour
expression, the other a somewhat effete looking young man. Seeing them
enter the old man unleashed a torrent of bad-tempered Italian
at them. Stephen and Allan tried replying in English to no effect then
various languages until finding a common language in Latin, throughout
all of this thee young man lounged in his chair with a faint grin. When
hearing Stephen explained that he and his friends were looking for
Malcolm Quarrie or Thomas Villiers, the young man abruptly stood and in
a refined English accent introduced himself as Villiers. At this the
old man scowled and sat back in his seat.The investigators asked about Quarrie, at which point Villiers happily responded "The official story is that they have gone to Tibet, but in reality they are on a Pilgrimage..." Colombo explodes into angry, rapid Italian invective. Obviously he understands enough English to realise what Villers is discussing. The old man shouts at Villers in italian, before storming off!
Villiers suggested to the investigators that they accompany him to his studio, he has no idea whats got into Giuseppe, but clearly they have outstayed their welcome. On the way to his studio, a few doors from Colombo's, Villiers explained that he knew Quarrie in London and came to Italy with him when they both broke with their former friends in England. Villiers' cramped studio was full of dark abstract paintings and blank canvasses. Villiers grabbed a bottle of grappa and some glasses and returns to explain the philosophy, or maybe theology of The Brothers of the Yellow Sign and the purpose of Malcolm Quarrie's Pilgrimage. He told how he and his friends believe that the Christian Trinity is a distorted version of the true Trinity of Hastur and that Quarrie, along with the university professor Roberto Anzalone who was funding the trip,had gone in search of proof. As Villiers was expounding on this to Stephen, Lady Verity noticed a page of notes pinned to a blank canvas. Several familiar phrases leapt out at her - 'Springer Mound', 'The King in Yellow', 'Nepal' and 'Drakmar'. It seemed to be notes for a planned triptych showing the Trinity of Hastur, swiftly she pocketed the paper.
Villiers suddenly stoped talking. A strange look came across his face, and he said "I just need to get something" and made for the door. Before anyone can react, he opened the door and cried out "Angel! I bound you and I release you!". He stepped out, slamming the door shut behind him and a heavy thump came from the roof. Allan dashed forward and grabbed at the door, attempting to haul it open, just as as the skylight imploded and a byakhee crashed down to the floor, almost on top of Henry. Henry barely has time to register surprise as the creature swiped at him with vicious claws, its bite fastening upon his neck. Lady Verity drew her sword-cane from her parasol and charged forward attacking the beast, while Stephen grabbed the oil lamp and briefly considered smashing it over the creature and setting it on fire before realising this would probably be bad for Henry clutched as he was in the byakhee's grasp, and instead resorted to kicking the monstrosity!
Allan meanwhile wrenched open the door and socked Villiers firmly on the jaw, the artist reeled and then scurried-off down the alleyway. The byakhee meanwhile under dual assault from Lady Verity and Stephen attempted to fly off with Henry, Stephen realising this, grabbed desperately on to Henry's legs as Lady Verity struck a telling blow. As yellow ichor spewed from the creature's wound it screeched and, dropping Henry, fled.
Allan, fortunately having brought his medical bag, gave First Aid to Henry. A search of the studio having turned up nothing more of interest, the Investigators returned to the hotel to rest and recuperate. While Henry rested in bed, lady Verity and Stepen headed for the restaurant while Allan decided to spend the evening at La Scala watching a performance of Tosca .
Sunday, December 22nd 1929
After, somewhat belatedly, securing the services of an interpreter and guide, one Paolo Tuminardo. The Investigators decided to head for Anzalone's university, and ended up having an afternoon meeting with Dr. Bacci, Anzalone's colleague who happily told them what he knew of the Anzalone expedition. Using information provided by Quarrie, professor Anzalone hoped to discover the lost city of Jiwakhar, former capital of the Southern Tibetan kingdom of Gungthang. Bacci showed them an 1845 book about the area and from it, and maps available in the library discovered that Gungthang is immediately North of the little known Nepalese kingdom of Mustang, which was mentioned in Villiers' notes and which the Investigators surmised may be the true destination of the 'Pilgrimage of Grace'. The book also mentioned 'Drakmar' as being a location within Mustang, but gave no other details. Bacci also told them that Anzalone and Quarrie travelled with Carlo Schippone, a graduate student, and Major Ricardo Delnegro of the Alpini, advising that that Delnegro's involvement was indicative of the Fascist government's desire to be involved in all significant Italian endeavors in order to take its share of the credit.
Returning to The Grand, the Investigators resolved to follow Quarrie and, through the good offices of the hotel, arranged to book passage on The Viceroy of India which was scheduled to depart for Bombay from Marseilles on Christmas Eve morning.
A Passage to India
Monday December 23rd - Tuesday December 24th 1929
Taking the first train from Milan, the Investigators arrived at the Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles around 20:00 and took rooms at a nearby hotel. Lady Verity sent a telegram to her friend Felicity in Bombay, an author who was currently researching a new book, asking her to meet them on arrival in the town. First thing in the morning they headed down to the dock to board the Viceroy of India. Settling in to their cabins they found invitations to the ship's Christmas Eve Dinner Dance waiting for them, which cause frantic visits to the ship's tailor for those more sartorially challenged members of the group. AC suffering dreadfully from sea-sickness takes immediately to his cabin to suffer stoically!That evening they were introduced to their table-mates on Table 17 for the voyage.
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
The Reverend Ian Gore - a missionary with the British Bible Society, on his way to continue spreading the Word in the interior of India, with whom Allan had a fascinating discussion of the psychology of the religious.
Mrs Henrietta Tullis - the matronly wife of the Cultural attache in Bombay, returning from visiting her sick sister and very much the 'mother hen' of the group
Stephen Thomas - a pudgy, bespectacled man. A minor civil servant taking up a new post in India, Stephen always had his head in a book.
Miss Francesca Nicholson - a pretty, vivacious typist on her way to visit relatives and see the sub-continent. She seemed especially taken with Bill dragging the poor uncomfortable copper onto the dance-floor.
Miss Patricia Berry - Francesca's quieter, less glamorous friend and travelling companion, she busies herself in voluntary work. Henry, was especially kind to the young woman, engaging her in conversation and even cajoling her up for several dances.
Wednesday, December 25th - Thursday, December 26th 1929
Having been informed by Timkins their cabin steward that Christmas Lunch would be served at 13:00, the Investigators sat down to a splendid meal. Later that evening however they all began suffering terrible stomach cramps vomiting a diarrhea. lady Verity was first to go down and immediately, suspecting food poisoning, the ship's doctor arrived to take her off to the infirmary. Allan, who had been suffering mild indigestion poked his head out of his cabin and then returned to his book. In the infirmary, Lady Verity prevailed on the doctor to check on her friends. It was fortunate she did as both Stephen and Bill were in a state of extreme distress and, once taken to the infirmary were proclaimed by the doctor to be in fact near to death.Next morning Lady Verity, after several emetics and a thoroughly unpleasant bowel irrigation, was distressed to hear that although Bill and Stephen were still gravely ill they were expected to recover but sadly Henry's body had been found on A-deck. The doctor , accompanied by the First Officer, also informed her gravely that what they were dealing with was more symptomatic of arsenic than food poisoning. Bill, although too ill to really appreciate it, was visited several times by Francesca accompanied by Patricia who seemed badly affected by news of Henry's sad demise.
On arrival in Port Said the police came on board and removed Henry's body and began interviewing various people, including their table-mates - all of whom were unaffected.
Friday December 27th - Sunday December 30th 1929
As the ship sailed down the Suez canal and onward to Aden, Lady Verity spent the time recovering and fending-off the attentions of the overly solicitous Julian. Bill and Stephen continued their gradual recovery, will Allan continued his reading of the mythos papers they had recovered so far. AC, miserably sick, remained in his cabin unseen.Monday December 31st 1929 - Friday January 4th 1930
As the ship departed Port Said and headed across the Arabian Sea, New Year's Eve celebrations were somewhat muted following the recent sad events. Bill accompanying Francesca, noted that Patricia seemed unwell and prevailed upon Allan to speak to her.Doing so next day, Allan diagnosed a case on nervous exhaustion and recommended plenty of rest and fresh air. he also determined that Patricia had been dreaming of the King in Yellow! Bill also took the opportunity to discuss the events with the First Officer. As he was a policeman, the First Officer shared the news that the waiter who had served them on Christmas day, had jumped ship in Port Said and had subsequently been found a couple of days later floating face-down in the harbour with strange claw marks on his shoulders and a money-belt stuffed with Italian lira.
The Journey across the Arabian Sea was uneventful as those affected by the poison continued to recover. All were well enough to attend the The Last Night Party except Bill and Ac who was still suffering from sea-sickness. The Last Night Party was memorable mainly because of another disturbing shared vision of Carcosa and the rPale Stranger. Bill and AC, in their cabin had an equally strange dream seeing hundred of Roby's charcoal drawings of byakee's , all of whom had Henry's face, screaming in torment!
Saturday January 5th 1930
Stephen had a severe hangover as the Malabar Coast hove into view and somewhat reluctantly joined the others on the deck as the ship pulled into port. A dockside photograph of the table 17 crew was arranged. Patricia Berry looked unhappy, particularly at the empty chair representing Henry, and Allan looked on at her concerned. Suddenly there was a sudden scream from Francesca. The investigators turned to see her looking down into the water from the dock. "Patricia fell in!" she yelled. Shucking his jacket, Bill leaped in to save her, and managed drag her out of the water with the help of a brawny Sikh stevedore.As Patricia was taken off to hospital, accompanied by Francesca, the Investigators continued to disembark where they were met by Lady Verity's friend Felicity who had arranged rooms for them at the Taj Mahal hotel.
A Thousand Miles
Sunday January 5th - Wednesday January 8th 1930
With the help of a local guide they hired called Siva, the Investigators spent the next few days in Bombay sightseeing and in preparations for their expedition to Nepal buying up what seemed like tons of equipment from local outfitters, including a healthy array of firearms and ammunition. They also noticed several signs of the growing influence of Hastur with disturbed dreams, occasional spotting of the Yellow Sign and on none occasion Bill having a very disturbing encounter with the the Stranger in the Pallid Mask near the train station . They spent some time tracing the the Italian expedition that accompanied Quarrie, discovering that they too had stayed in the same hotel back in September. They also discovered not only that the Italians had undertaken some research on the ancient Nepalese kingdoms in the library of the University of Bombay but that they had visited with a local Parsee holy man. Siva arranged a visit to the holy man who told them that Quarrie had been marked by a god whom he referred to as "The Outsider", older than the gods of men. Bill, AC and Alan also spent some time familiarising themselves with firearms they had bought at the University Shooting Club's firing range.Thursday January 9th - Sunday January 12th 1930
After some initial confusion with their compartments they Investigators settled in to their compartments for the long journey from Bombay to the northern railhead at Nautanwa in Uttar Pradesh, some eight hundred miles to the north. The first three days travel were uneventful, but on the fourth day as they neared the town of Benares their compartment was attacked by peasants. The Investigators stoutly defended their carriages with a combination of warning shots, fisticuffs, cricket bats and the skilful deployment of a parasol and a mattress! Strangely, once things calmed down, and Bill had finished ejecting various miscreants through the broken windows, one of the rioters taken prisoner to be handed over to the authorities appeared to have no idea why he and his friends had assaulted the train other than to say the masked Holy Man had shown them "the Yellow Mark". The train stopped in the town of Benares to pick up a detachment of sepoys to avoid any further problems as it made its way northwards to its final stop,Monday January 13th - Wednesday January 15th 1930
Staying in the, at best passable, Nautanwa Station Hotel, Siva was dispatched with a crisp ten pound note to seek a local guide and porters for the trip to Nepal. Next morning he took the Investigations to a nearby boarding house to meet Jigme Rinzing a Nepalese merchant who after some discussion with Stephen, and haggling on price, agreed to guide them at least as far as his home in Gora Pani, for which he was planning on leaving for in two days time. The investigators spent the next coule of days resting and admiring the views of the mountains to the north. Early on Wednesday morning Rinzing and his men turned up, but they they seemed a bit nonplussed by the sheer amount of gear the Investigators had gathered but some persuasion by Alan, and a doubling of their fee, soon convinced them!Heading northwards towards the border the natives in what was essentially a small caravan passed though the border post while the westerners avoided any awkward questions by dodging through some broken barbed wire in the woods nearby and rejoining the caravan on the Nepalese side of the border. They slept that night, their first in Nepal, in the courtyard of a small inn in the town of Butwal.
Thursday January 16th - Saturday January 18th 1930
Day two of their trek trough Nepal led them ever upwards past villages with terraced rice fields to the village of Tansing perched on a steep ridge. The following day, limbs wearying from the unused exertion, the trek made more uncomfortable by the fact that going neither uphill or downhill was particularly easy due to the poor condition of the roads through the densely forested terrain, and made worse by an accompanying fine drizzle that soaked into everything. As night fell there was no village nearby, so they stopped early and set up their tents, while the Nepalese simple wrapped themselves up in their chubas and seemingly instantly went to sleep. Next morning, swiftly packing up their campsite they headed out on the road heading towards what Rinzing told them was the town of Pokhara, a bustling town which they arrived in late in the afternoon.The Monastery at Te
Sunday January 19th - Monday January 27th, 1930
As the Investigators settled for the night in Pokara, Siva arrived in their rooms bringing one of the locals with him. he introduced the man as Yangser Chumpo who apparently had acted as guide to the Italian expedition. Eventually after some persuasion Chumpo told them his tale. he had accompanied the four foreigners to the place called Drakmar up in the mountains above the monastery at Te, near the village of Kag. He informed them this is not a a good place as the chorten have fallen and there are black ghosts in the caves. He left the foreigners there after he failed to persuade them to leave and he believes the demons and ghost have now taken the men as they have not returned.Next morning they set out heading northwards again from Pokara, resting that night in Rigme and then on through the next day to Hille. They were now at an altiude of 5000 ft and the thinning air was staring to get to some of them. From Hille they departed to Gore Pani where Jigme managed to find some men willing to help them on the trek further north, though the had to leave about a quarter of their equipment behind. Felicity was beginning to suffer from altitude sickness which slowed them down somewhat, as did the worsening terrain, heading ever upwards. Over the next couple of days they headed for Tukutcha, resting overnight in the village of Gasa. The road was little more than a track now and the crossing of several rickety looking rope bridges proved challenging. Two days later some of them struggling for breath they arrived in the town of Jonsom at an altitude of 9000 feet.
Tuesday January 28th, 1930
In Jonsom they were greeted fulsomely by the locals and stayed as guests of the local headman. Allan was approached by one of the townsfolk who sold him a black diary he had found along with an Italian-Tibetan dictionary! Painstakingly he began translating the diary with Siva's help discovering it belonged to Schippone and told of the Italian expedition, how they had found Drakmar and then Schippone's careful entries had descended into incoherent ravings about monsters.Wednesday January 29th, 1930 - Saturday January 31st, 1930
The next leg of their trek, to Kag, was even more tortuous than previous ones, but finally they arrived in the small village. The porters they had hired, and even Siva, refused to go any further, so more equipment had to be left here, Siva volunteering to look after it for two months. Next morning the Investigators set off, alone now save for a single local who agreed to guide them as far as the monastery. They rested overnight in the tiny village of Tayen before heading up the
steep winding track that ascended the mountain to the monastery.
Suddenly , shockingly, a shot rang out and their guide fell to the
ground clutching his chest. Alan and Steven ran forward to render first
aid while Felicity and lady verity looked frantically upwards, finally
spotting someone hiding in the rocks above near the monastery entrance
as another shot rang out, narrowly missing Felicity. Leaving Allan to
deal with the injured guide, Stephen charged up the track, Lady verity
fired a shot from her shotgun knowing she had little chance of hitting
anything at that range.As Steven charged forward, a bullet slammed into his arm and a second into his leg, fortunately the were flesh wounds and he charged on firing back and causing their assailant to withdraw into the monastery. Lady Verity and Felicity followed behind, struggling in the rarefied atmosphere at 13,000 feet, while Allan desperately patched up their guide calling on all his experience of battlefield surgery in the Great War.
Arriving at the monastery, Stephen saw the door was slightly ajar revealing the body of a monk lying on the floor. Cautiously he and Lady Verity went in, finding several more bodies of monks laid out in a side room, all seemingly shot and in an advanced stage of decomposition. As they approached the Assembly Hall, Stephen edged the door open cautiously to be greeted by a gunshot! Instinctively he fired back, hitting their assailant square in the head! Guessing that their assailant was Schippone, they moved his body with those of the monks he had presumably slain. Some time later Alan arrived bearing the wounded guide and muttering under his breath about the fact that no one had come back to help him!
They stayed overnight in the monastery, Allan alternately ministering to the wounded guide and continuing the painstaking translation of the diary. The final few entry proved most interesting :
Day 76 — We entered Drakmar for the first time and there is script on the walls with drawings. In the fourth cave, a creature was watching us from shadows — quite still — a Tsotsowa. When I saw him he moved quietly away. Delnegro saw him then and he shouted and raised the gun but I stopped him. I said it must have been a monk or even one of the porters come back, but he does not believe that. He is very watchful now. Our guide left in the night. We went in again today and found fresh waste, and then human bones. Just jaws, which I think had been stripped by human teeth. There is a deep regular noise that can be heard (was it there all the time?) and the ground seems to tremble ever so slightly. It moves in rhythm with my own heart. I think I am close to panic. Delnegro insists we must leave the place and we agreed. He is packing everything as I write this and intends to watch all night. But none of us will leave. what have you done in the dreams I saw the monster the root of all evil a dream and reality a nightmare or not and waking in a surge of fear and pleasure the three of us and he was a little way off they talked and when he looked around at me with his eyes I struck him down hit him again and again he took so long to fall I am looking at him now they were furious what have you done what have you done wasted hatred what have you done but how could he matter was he the white acolyte no what have you done no he lies still spread out before me a bloody cut of meat he waits for them and we with him they will come a god a monster what have I done its out there a piece of the monster miri nigri what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done what have I done
Sunday February 1st - Monday February 2nd 1930
Next morning, the guide, now out of danger, confirmed that he would rest for a few days and then head back to to the village. He would also arrange for the bodies to be taken care of properly. Assured by this the Investigators set off once more. There was no path any more and they found themselves scrambling up the rocky mountainside for hours on end. Using the diary as a guide the eventually breasted the ridge - this is it. The valley is steep-sided and as bone dry as a baked furrow in a midsummer field. It climbs steeply to the east. The wind hurtles ferociously, mindlessly down it, and while the footing here is sure the gusts alternately blow the investigators back and rush them on. The next five hours were spent travelling east away from the river , and further into the mountains up to an altitude of 16,000 feet. There was no shelter and they had to camp in the open enduring a cold and uncomfortable night punctuated by the familiar dreams. This night they all dreamed the same - of a dead world in which among millions of gravestones they found their own!When dawn came it felt like they are the only people on Earth. There was no mark of man here although the eye can see for many, many miles from the top of the ridge. There was frost on the rocks, ice in the crevasses. As they struggled upward the valley deepend, its steep sides rise up a hundred feet or more now. They walked on and on, monotonous hours in the shriek of the wind, snow stinging their faces. Then, at midday . . . something.
It’s an effect that dwarfed what they saw at Te. Up ahead the entire north side of the valley has been coloured. The dull, baked orange colour stretched right to the high cliff tops, maybe 200 feet, and must run for about half a mile. Piercing this cliff are scores of cave openings and spread across the valley floor underneath are the ruins of chortens, lying where they fell amidst vivid splashes of the same ochre colour. This is Drakmar, by legend stained with the bright blood from the organs of a slain monster. But the legends are wrong. The monster did not die, and as they listened carefully in the stillness they could hear like the thunder of great machinery, like thunder ... a heartbeat.
The Upper House
Tuesday February 3rd 1930
Somewhat reluctantly, accompanied the sound of the low thud of an alien heartbeat sounding in their sears they reluctantly approached the cliffs and began exploring the caves. In each of the caves they saw signs of ancient occupation and ancient slaughter. Eventually as night fell, they rested somewhat uncomfortably in one of the caves. Felicity proved unable sleep and watched somewhat nervously as Stephen and AC thrashed in the throes of nightmares.next morning none of them were particularly rested when AC announced he could hear crying.
The sound seemed to be coming from one of the nearby caves, so they clambered down from the cave they had rested in and then up a perilous cliff-side path. Entering the cave they made their way to a huge cavern the far wall of which glowed with a sickly white light, silhouetted in the light they could see a horrible giant elephant headed figure that radiated ancient evil. Felicity found herself drawn to the figure, mesmerised by it, buy AC managed to restrain her.
As they stood, nervously, silent figures emerged from nearby tunnels effectively surrounding them and cutting off their retreat. Nervously AC and Lady Verity readied their shotguns, as another figure emerged from the light. This one was recognizably human, though horribly mutilated. As it shuffled forward, Allan , in horror, recognized it was Anzalone - or rather what was left of him. Anzalone stopped in front of each of them,gazing into their eyes and mumbling incoherently from his mutilated mouth, before returning to stand in front of Chaugnar Faugn.
Three priest emerged from among the Tcho-Tcho, and beckoned them forward. Somewhat reluctantly AC led the way forward. The Tcho-Tco priest grabbed Anzalone's hand and drew blood, swiftly drawing the Yellow Sign on the wall, as he did the light changed from white to blue and gesturing for them to follow, the Tcho-Tcho stepped through. The investigators looked at one an other and then deciding they had little option other than fighting their way out, followed.
Some-time, Some-when
They appeared on a vast featureless tundra under a starry sky, Stephen, with his knowledge of Astronomy immediately noticed that the stars were wrong somehow, they were not on Earth! His fragile mind unable to deal with this, he found
himself gazing down resolutely at his feet shielding his vision from
the stars above! There was another group of Tcho--Tcho nearby and
with them a tall figure casually smoking a cigarette. The recognized
him instantly as Malcolm Quarrie! Seeing them, Quarrie came over and greeted them amiably, seeming unsurprised by their appearance. He chatted openly about his "Pilgramage" and his plans to summon the King in Yellow to usher in an age of Art and Enlightenment in the world. He gestured for them to follow as the Tcho-Tcho set off across the featureless plain. They walked in the bitter cold for what seemed like hours, but it could have been days or even years As they went on Allan realized the Tch-Tch appeared to be navigating using a bright star low on the horizon. At one point they were attacked by huge birds swooping down and grabbing two of their guides before anyone could react, but eventually they approached a huge monolithic building surrounded by monoliths. Lady Verity commented that the monoliths were reminiscent of those they had seen at Springer Mound and again in Scotland.Their Tcho-Tcho guides led them to a dark forbidding doorway and gestured them forward, Quarrie eagerly leading the way. Somewhat reluctantly they followed, nervously clutching at their guns.
As they entered into the darkness, the could hear the faint sound of pan-pipes in the distance. The interior of the building was a bewildering labyrinth of corridors, seemingly never-ending stairways and vast rooms decorated with alien and somehow unsettling artwork. At times they were plunged into darkness, at other times they just couldn't see one another somehow but could clearly hear each other. They wandered apparently aimlessly back and forth for hours often finding themselves back where they started, until AC hit on the idea that the panpipes were actually guide.
Following the paths where the pipes grew louder they eventually found themselves outside, crossing a marble reflective surface that reflected the stars above. Stephen was freaked out by this and as Allan tried to comfort him he noted the bright star they had been navigating by was now so low in the sky it was touching its reflection in the floor. As he was about to comment on this, everything changed again!
The found themselves in a vast chamber dominated by two pillars suffused by the sickly white light they had seen in the cavern. Lady Verity realised that this might be another Portal like they had seen in the cavern. Suddenly a large masked figure, swathed in tattered robes, The King in Yellow himself appeared, or perhaps he had always been there, and they now saw him for the first time. This appearance broke what was left of Stephen's fragile mind and he descended fully into insanity, becoming almost catatonic in shock. As the rest stood, shaken at the appearance of this figure that had dominated their dreams, they each heard a voice in the head saying "Who will guide me?"
Quarrie instantly said "I will guide you lord!" and strode forward eagerly reaching out his hand, only to be stopped abruptly by two shotgun blasts as Lady Verity and AC fired at him. As Quarrie's bloody corpse hit the floor they heard the voice one more. As each refused him they felt the Gaze of the King in Yellow even from from beneath his mask on each of them, and each felt their mind break a little along with their power to resist him. The King spoke again , the same question ad he turned his gaze upon them once more. This time Felicity could bear it no longer, and began ranting drawing her pistol and waving it about threateningly. AC realized it was only a matter of time before their resistance was worn down stepped forward, reloaded, and opened up with both barrels. The King in Yellow reacted, his Power holding AC rooted to the spot as his tattered robe swept across him, flaying the Yorkshire-man's skin from his bones.
Taking advantage of this distraction Lady Verity grabbed Stephen and dragged him towards the Portal. Felicty charged forward raging murderously and discharging her pistol. As Lady Verity slashed her hand using her blood to make the yellow sign,Allan stopped by AC as he was being flayed alive, and put a merciful bullet into his brain. The King asked his question again, this time Stephen, deep in his madness, responded, reaching out his hand.
As the Portal tuned from sickly white to blue Lady Verity stepped through, trying to drag Stephen with her, but with her wounded hand she did not have enough strength! Felicity, seeing Stephen reach out to the hated figure of the King, fired her last shot at him, killing him instantly. Allan dashed forward to the Portal, and tried to bundle Felicity though with him but was unable to do so. The last he heard was her screams of rage and pain as the King turned his gaze to her.