Book Two: Archer's Trail of Vengeance

[Grognardsw]

Dawn's light soon to crack.

The back road, 600 yards back from the carnivale.

[Grognardsw]

The carnivale crew is sizeable. While Archer may have counted a few dozen mostly men run from among the trailers, he thinks there could still be a few dozen more (hopefully women) among the trailers and trucks. The pre-dawn darkness prevents detailed accounting. His gut and observation still tell him the center of the trailers is where the manager is at. Or perhaps the Dark Pharaoh himself, if there is one?

[Grognardsw]

"What is that noise?"

"I must get Master."

[Inferno]

A few dozen men moving to the fire. And a few dozen more at the trailers? Archer counted a hundred souls. Time to call in the outfield. Archer moved directly away from them, into the darkness, gas can still dangling from his hook.

He'd give them a wide berth and slowly make his way back to the car.

It was a bust.

[Grognardsw]

Archer walks back to his car as the sun rises.

[Inferno]

Archer drives off. Back to the fleabag hotel. He makes sure he isn't being followed.

How much longer is the circus in town?

[Grognardsw]

Archer makes it back to his hotel, with no tail. He checks the paper and sees the carnivale is in town for another two days.

[Inferno]

Archer locks the door, chain smokes several cigarettes and hits the sack.

After some shut eye, he'll get back in his rube outfit and visits the carnival in the early afternoon.

Every day he buys a newspaper to keep on eye on any public activity from Mulder, or the other players.

[Grognardsw]

After lunch at a diner Archer reads the New York Times and the New York Post. Neither have any account of the Chertovski business. The BOI must be keeping things under wrap.

Archer heads back out to the Dark Pharaoh Freak Show and Carnivale. Business is slow given the hour. The burnt remains of the right side of the wooden partition have been covered over with a large tarp. Otherwise the place looks normal.

[Inferno]

Seeing the site too empty to case, Archer changes tack.

He leaves, quickly changes into a suit and tie at the motel, fills his pockets with guns and bullets, stocks the trunk of his car with gas cans, flare guns and the rest, and returns by mid-afternoon.

Archer walks into the trailer camp and looks around, absorbing as much as he can before he's stopped. When he is, he smiles at the carney and says, full of sobriety and respectability, "Afternoon. Where can I find Joissant?"

[Grognardsw]

"He's in there," answers the clown sadly, pointing to a trailer with a flag of a pyramid with an inset eye. "But it's all so useless."

[Inferno]

"Useless?" smiled Archer. "What do you mean, pal?"

[Grognardsw]

The clown looks at Archer, or rather seems to be looking through him. Sad clown eyes stare off as he answers.

"A man went to the doctor. 'I'm depressed,' he said. 'Life seems harsh and cruel. I feel alone in a doomed world.' The doctor responded: 'Treatment is simple! The great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up.' The man burst into tears and said, 'But doctor...I am Pagliacci.'"

[Inferno]

"Good one," Archer said unconvincingly.

Then he walked up to the trailer that had the Great Seal of the United States flying from it.



Archer gave the door three short knocks.

[Grognardsw]

As he knocks, Archer smells a pungent scent. Something like a rotting rodent, but not quite.

The trailer is more elaborate than the others, reminding the ex-gumshoe of a gypsy caravan. The door has a small leaded glass window that is curtained. He can see light from within.

There is no immediate answer to Archer's knocks, but the light goes out. The fugitive detective hears a cat meow from within.

"Who is it?" The voice is unnaturally deep.

[Inferno]

"I'm an investigator working on behalf of the Bureau of Intelligence. Open up." Archer said, making his voice sound weary and bored.

[Grognardsw]

"Good one," Archer said unconvincingly.

Then he walked up to the trailer that had the Great Seal of the United States flying from it.

The pyramid was added to the dollar in 1935. Clearly indicating that the cult's influence will only grow.

"Enter," the sonorous voice replies.

The meow again, deeper.

[Inferno]

Archer opened the door and entered with the body language and demeanor of an unassuming, nonthreatening bureaucrat of the sort he'd encountered too many times before.

His friendly eyes calmly glanced around, noting attendees, windows and doors.

"Mr... JOY-sant, is it?" he asked, butchering the French pronunciation.

[Grognardsw]

The trailer is dark and smoky inside. Furniture befitting a gypsy trailer of old fills the room. To Archer's immediate right a black cougar lay, its eyes sparkling above its fanged mouth.

The inside of the gypsy wagon is well appointed, with thick rugs, wall hangings and tapestries. The ceiling beams are festooned with much Egyptiana. The place is lit only by several candles, casting gloomy light and flickering shadows. There is a strange smell about. Archer glimpses a seated man at a table across the way and sucks in his breath in shock...

"I am he," the man says, his voice seemingly deeper than before.

[Inferno]

Ha. I'm afraid ol' Sammy's gonna need a map; doors, windows, where's the cat, where's the man, furniture placement, etc.
Or at least a description. Thanks.