The slot's shut right now, so no one's watching through it. But we'll make a noise heading up the steps. The sort of place where they don't make them watch through the slot the whole time, they're not going to assume that we're out right away, but if he hears steps and then nothing for more than a few seconds he's going to get curious.
Doors got the same padding around the edge that the cell door had, which means-. I was wrong a moment ago. The fellah on the other side probably won't hear until we get to the door and knock on it. And the signal probably isn't verbal, because he wouldn't be able to hear it clearly. So we could walk up there and knock…
On the upside, even if the guy you sent to sleep was awake and crying out, they wouldn't hear
him either. Of course, if they took their jobs seriously, they'd have sent
two guys in anyway, just in case.
"Sandman, what do you need for that teleport thing of yours to work?"
"I don't exactly know, Blue Lantern. I tried seeing you and I saw that room, but I don't know who these guys are or what the other side of that door looks like."
And if it turns out he can't control it, there's always turning into sand. Even if he doesn't enjoy it...
"Okay, but if someone opened that slot in the door, would that be enough?"
"I don't think so. All I'd see would be their eyes. I could gas them?"
...And you'd be stuck until someone else walked up. At which point, I don't think they'd be
amenable to opening the door...
I nod. "Then I could keep the hatch open while they fall over, you'd get a good look, teleport to the other side and open it up. Sounds like a plan. Let's go."
I don't exactly creep up the stairs, but I try and avoid making too much noise because there's no such thing as total sound insulation. No reaction from the other side… Good. Okay, we're here. There isn't really room to take either side, but Sandy stands with his back to the left wall and I take the right.
Just watch where you swing that chopper, though. One errant strike and someone could lose an eye.
I raise my eyebrows, and he nods. I bang on the door twice with the hilt of the sword, then raise it slightly so that I can stick the hilt into the g-.
It swings away from us, a pair of eyes appearing-.
Yoo-hoo, anyone home?
Justice calling.
Sandy fires, a stream of dream dust blasting the unsuspecting thug in the face. He lets go of the door flap right away, but I get the sword handle into position and jam it open. I hear the 'thud' as the man staggers against the side wall, then Sandy pushes his face up against the hole in the door.
"Okay, I'm going to try-"
Fingers crossed. I mean, have you heard of '
splinching' before? Probably not as dangerous to a man made of sand as a human, but...
He closes his eyes, then sort of… Stutters, flickering in and out-.
He's gone, and peering through the slot myself I see him on the other side.
Teleport successful! Man, I bet you're gonna miss
that ability once you get back to the real world...
"-to." He looks around. "Got it."
"See the keys?"
"No, it's just a bar." He checks on the fellah on the floor, cuffs him, then comes up to the door. "Hold on."
Given that their usual...
Donors... would be weakened addicts or suitably battered into submission, I doubt they
expected to need more.
There's a scraping sound, then he pulls the door open. Huh. I remember Paul saying that doors should always open towards an attacked, but I guess they just didn't have a way of securing it that way.
I pull the sword free from the slot and Sandy goes over to the guard and takes his. "Where now?"
More reliable than the gas gun, I suppose, and less likely to be
damaged if it came to melee.
I think Wesley would be pleased with how Sandy turned out. Ah, there it is. I raise my sword to a guard position.
"This way."
Heartwarming, isn't it? Nothing like getting dumped in the deep end to get someone into the swim of hero work...
Okay, Al-Wujud didn't expect to meet me, so there probably aren't all that many people on duty right now. We've taken down two guards, there's probably another in reception and I didn't see a bodyguard with him when we were talking. I'm assuming that he has my ring on him, but if he's just got it locked in a box then I guess I'll just have to accept justice deferred.
Assuming he hasn't already sold it on to someone. I doubt he's all that
patient.
The corridor goes a short way, a narrow barred window letting in just enough light to see by. Then it doubles back on itself, another door-. This one's just a regular door, blocking it off the rest of the shop. Opening it takes us out into a storage room whose walls are lines with shelves bearing more of those dream gourds. I get a momentary urge to smash them, but some of these might be legally owned. And it would make a noise and I don't wanna waste time.
And who knows what would happen to the
contents? They might manifest and run riot, or pour into the nearest suitable container... Namely, you and Sanderson.
Sandy stops and stares at them. If he's made some kinda deal with Morpheus then he might have some sort of authority over them, but we shouldn't stop here now. I gesture towards the door on the far side of the room, and after a moment's hesitation he follows me.
The next door takes us to what I'd guess is a break room. There's a table and a couple of benches, and none of it looks high quality. One door there opens onto a balcony, but the other leads towards-
Looks like the boss keeps most of his profits for himself.. Going to be all the more satisfying when karma catches up with him...
"…exalted guest! You have my assurance that my latest dream is unlike anything even the Caliph has ever experienced!"
-the sound of voices.
Ah, there's the snake himself. And no doubt already counting his payment for Alan's dreams.
"I hope that you are correct. His Excellency has been pensive of late."
Sword in the guard position, Sandy and I advance towards the sound of voices.
Sounds like the other fellow is a member of the Court. I wonder if he actually tells the Caliph where the dreams
really come from?
The first room is some sort of equipment room, maybe a workshop and storage area. None of this gear means anything to me. Then a short corridor-. I remember this room. This is where I first came in. No guard on the door. Sandy nods his head towards the door, and I shake my head.
"What could possibly be troubling him so?"
Evidently they
coshed him once he wasn't looking, then. Hooray for the local physics messing with the Environmental Shields, then.
Another corridor, but it's far lighter at the far end. Some sort of courtyard, and I think I can hear a fountain.
"I don't know. There are some strange visitors in the city at the moment-."
You have no idea, my man. And some of them are
closer than you think.
I stride out, sword ready.
"Yeah." Al-Wujud and some other rich-looking guy are sitting on couches facing each other, two bodyguards a piece. "There are."
Time to roll initiative, then?
Though three-to-one odds... Not the best... Maybe an Intimidate check?
Al-Wujud blinks. "How did-?"
And there's my ring on his finger.
A trophy, no doubt. Wonder if he knows what he
really has?
"You abducted me, stole my ring and stole my dreams. Kneel on the ground and put your hands behind your head."
Al-Wujud sneers. "Djinn of the ring!" He raises his right hand and points my ring at me. "Smite these-"
...Wow,
boy, is he off. Though amusingly, Power Rings
do sometimes get referred to as wishing rings in one or two Green Lantern-related stories...
One guy -the other rich man's bodyguard I guess- grabs him and hauls him out of the way.
"-pagans!"
At least
that guy's good at his job.
Nothing happens.
Why does he think-? Middle East, right.
Just like in the tale of
Alladin. Oh, not the Disney one, no. In the original story, the thief's first genie is bound to a
ring. The Lamp was the thing he was sent to
steal, until he was double-crossed...
I hold out my left hand. "I ain't dead yet, son."
My ring vanishes from his hand and appears on mine. Al-Wujud's bodyguards get between him and me, but they don't look all that happy about things.
Aw, I was hoping it'd slide off his finger and sent him tumbling. Then again, dream logic. Also, nice touch, using his
classic command phrase.
"Sandman, gas these-."
"Wait!"
Heh. If these guys know anything of the modern world, then the name 'Sandman' might
spook them some. Then again, there's no sign of tall, pale and gloomy
here.
The other rich guy pushes his bodyguard aside and takes a step towards me. Okay, see what he wants.
"Yeah?"
Preferably
before you have to channel
Douglas Fairbanks Jr...
"I am Vizier Jafar, chief advisor to his Excellency the Caliph. You are alleging that Uns Al-Wujud has committed a crime against you?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Then by the authority vested in me, I will place them under arrest. Are you willing to come to the palace to give testimony?"
Well, at least it's not
Vizier Iznougoud.
Who, amusingly,
also served a Caliph Haroun...
