The Fairy Diary Day 397 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

I have time only for the barest sketch of our adventure (perhaps at a later date I will allow Dunfallon to share on these pages once again).

Suffice it to say it was a harrowing slide into the vault. Great amounts of its treasure had been scooped up and piled into the center so that the nest was much higher than the entrance to the vault. 

Though we were making good time the goblin Gibley was so much farther ahead than us. 

Again I am skipping over so many details. 

When we arrived at the top, we had to skirt around a sea of molten gold. Dunfallon pointed to where the dragon had lain. It was now immolated – an offering which helped the hatchling struggle free from the shell. 

And there was Gibley pulling it loose and cradling it in his stubby arms. 

I knew that from that day forth this dragon would be at the beck and call of this goblin.

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The Fairy Diary Day 396 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

Through the warden and the few dwarves who had been able to descend into the vault where the dragon was nesting (and returned to tell the tale), the dragon was no longer ranging about, but is brooding upon an enormous pile of gold that has been seeded with a multitude of fire plants. 

We judged it no longer wise to attempt the recovery of the egg. Especially if the time was near for its hatching. 

It was ironic. Here these dwarves were waiting upon us for the solution to their problems, and I felt most keenly the need for direction myself. What I would not give to have Merlin and the High Fairy here beside me. 

But there has been no reply to my message to the High Fairy asking his advice. 

That was all rendered moot the next moment with word from the dwarves that Gibley the goblin had wiggled his way past their guards into the vault. 

In that instant Dunfallon and I knew we had to follow. 

The Fairy Diary Day 395 #TFDbyRWOz2

Meribabell writes:

My pendant proved highly effective. Not only was I shielded from the ill effects exposure to iron wrecks on the fairy physique, but it produced a brilliant red glow to light our way. 

Dunfallon helped us avoid several traps obviously set up as protective measures on the orders of the dwarf king. 

Unbeknownst to us, Gibley had followed us into these depths. Dunfallon had to rescue him when he fell prey to one of those same traps. After admonishing him for his foolhardiness I relented and granted his plea to continue with us. 

As promised upon reaching the lowest level we were received into Artoxon’s apartments. The very atmosphere was rife with tension for they knew for a fact that a dragon was held up in their biggest, deepest vault. And they were leaderless for Artoxon had locked himself in his bed chamber and would not answer any call. 

The remaining dwarves fell down before us and begged our help in their emergency. 

I asked for everything they could tell or show us about the vaults below. Thus, Dunfallon, Gibley, and I sat down with the warden of the vaults below to plan our next steps.

Rebel Treasure fifty fifth post

EXT. IN THE AIR OVER NEW MEXICO
Six A-10 warthogs in echelon right formation advance low across the desert.

A-10 LEADER
At IP, coming around for our run.

A-10 WINGMAN ONE
Radar detected.

A-10 LEADER
Blind him.

A-10 WINGMAN ONE
Roger.

A-10 LEADER
I have the entrance, the rest of you up over the top.

INT. FORT AREA BY THE VAULT ENTRANCE
The doorway has just about cleared. Sadusky and his men have Morgan’s men disarmed and corralled.

Riley flicks his miner’s light on and enters.

SADUSKY
(to Agent Stewart)
You take the point with Riley.
(to their Neo-nazi captives)
You can remain here and take the consequences or come down with us and live.

They shrug and line up behind his men and enter the vault.

Sadusky brings up the rear, enters after his last agent, takes up a rope strung out across the fort to the guardhouse and gives a smooth jerk.

CATWALK
Rance has passed across the catwalk to the other end, looking for a way down. Finding none he paces the catwalk in frustration, trying to come up with a plan.

With a jerk of his head he looks back towards the ironclad and now has another factor to consider. It is now descending towards him.

DECK OF THE IRONCLAD
Riley and those following spill out onto the deck. Morgan’s men are herded over to one side and kept under guard. Riley runs to his friends when they appear from the forward section, and throws his arms around them.

RILEY
Am I glad to see you two!

ABIGAIL
Ditto here.
(looking around)
And a special welcome to you, Agent Sadusky.

BEN
(interrupting)
Not to be a stick in the mud, but I think we all better grab onto something solid.

EXT. THE APPROACHING A-10S
The lead A-10 slips back and vectors off towards the cavern entrance. Coming in low, it releases its munition, letting it fly at the target.

The other A-10s fan out side by side and bore in on the rock dome, release their payloads and scoot away.

As the fireball rises from the entrance, their five bombs are silhouetted against the conflagration.

[next pt 56]

Rebel Treasure fiftieth post

THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE – LON’S STORY 1866 CONTINUED
The long line of refugees snakes over and under the wooden beams into the crystal chamber where it climbs up the path along the underground stream and into the passageway.

THE GROTTO
Louis watches from the shadows as Lon paces, puffing on a cigar. The last of the forlorn workers pass from the passageway into the grotto, with Jonah on their heels, laying down a gunpowder trail.

JONAH
(saluting)
All done here, sir.

Louis strains to hear their conversation.

LON
Good. The ring tunnel and the vault are locked down. Time to seal this entrance, too.

Louis’ eyes glow with hatred, his hand gripping the hilt of his knife. His discipline breaks, and he charges them. He catches Jonah on the side, propelling him into the pool, and goes for Lon.

Lon coolly fires the gunpowder trail with his cigar, and unsheathes his sword.

LOUIS
Traitor!

LON
To your cause, not to humanity!

In his rage, Louis cocks his arm and throws his Bowie with all his might at Lon.

Lon’s blade meets the blade of the knife, and controlling it with a circular motion slings it back at his adversary.

It sinks into Louis’ chest with a THUD. Louis falls to his knees and then collapses on his face.

JESSE JAMES’ RANCH – NIGHT
Jesse emerges from his ranch house clad only in his nightshirt to the glow of his barn in flames.

A frenzied RINGING of the farm triangle brings the ranch hands tumbling out of their barracks. They quickly form a bucket brigade.

Jesse runs to the corral, only to find it empty of horses.

And there is a flash of light from the mountain above, then the BOOM of an explosion rolling down the mountainside.

PRESENT – GUARDHOUSE CLOSET
Riley cautiously raises the trapdoor and peers out to see an empty guardhouse. He throws the trapdoor aside and climbs out, motioning those behind him to follow.

Sadusky sends the first two of his agents up the stairs to the tower above.

THE TOWER
The two agents overpower the guard on the Gatling gun and one drags him below, the other remains on guard.

GUARDHOUSE
Riley scans the grounds and sees a batch of soldiers milling around the elevated vault entrance.

RILEY
That’s where we got to go next.

Commotion erupts in the yard as they point to the tower above them.

SOLDIER ONE
Shut the entrance!!

BASEMENT OF THE OTHER GUARD HOUSE
The third soldier grabs the brake release and gives it a yank.

DECK OF THE IRONCLAD
A jolt quivers through the deck; all brace as the ship begins to descend.

BEN
(to Abby)
Looks like you were right, dear.

ABIGAIL
Well, duh.

[next pt 51]

Rebel Treasure forty ninth post

BASEMENT OF THE OTHER GUARD HOUSE
Rance ushers the Gateses in behind the Slidells. They gather around a giant metal tread wheel situated in the center of the room.

MORGAN
What’s this? A giant hamster wheel?

BEN
Check to see if there’s a belt attached.

SOLDIER THREE
Negative.

Ben slips around to the back of the wheel.

BEN
Here it is, on the floor unhooked.

He picks it up and loops it around the wheel’s axle. Morgan climbs up into the wheel.

MORGAN
Which way does it turn?

BEN
Hold on while I throw the clutch.

Ben grabs the rail yard like switch and depresses it forward, then hops around to the front and joins Morgan. Nothing happens.

BEN (CONT’D)
(to Horatio)
Are the portals still open into this area?

HORATIO
One of them. What of it?

BEN
We need to shut it. Lon designed it so the outer doors couldn’t be open at the same time as the vault.

HORATIO
(to Rance and soldier three)
See to it.

MRS. SLIDELL
You’ll have to move the Hummer.

MONTAGE OF THE SOLDIERS
Ordered by Rance out through the portal.

They mount the Hummer and drive it off of the pressure plate and the portal slides shut.

Rance viewing it from the front gate tower calls down to the third soldier:

RANCE
Tell them all’s clear.

BASEMENT OF THE OTHER GUARD HOUSE

SOLDIER THREE
(to Horatio)
Portal secure, sir.

BEN
(to Morgan)
This way.

Ben and Morgan begin to walk and soon their walk becomes an all out run. From deep below them the GROAN of machinery answers the WHIR of the cage. Then, the sound of RUSHING WATER lights a smile on Ben’s sweaty face. He winks at Abigail, and sees behind her:

BEN’S P.O.V.
Through the cellar window, a cylindrical column rises from the central area, like the plug in a bathroom sink.

VAULT ENTRANCE
The Slidells, Gateses, and Rance ring the darkened entrance, staring into its gaping maw, none daring move.

BEN
Well, what are we standing here for?

He grabs Abigail’s hand and moves to step in, but Morgan and Rance quickly squeeze in ahead of them with the Slidells following.

MORGAN
Hug the outside. It’s a spiral staircase.

HORATIO
What kind of mechanism is it?

BEN
Lon Turner was somewhat of a hydraulic genius. A stream is diverted into a chamber below and raises a flotation device attached to the entrance.

MORGAN (O.S.)
Hey, there’s no access to the silos down here!

The rest arrive at the bottom of the stair and spread out onto the deck of ironclad warship, encased on all sides by iron armor.

HORATIO
What? There’s got to be! Keep looking!

Rance props open one of the portholes.

RANCE
There they are. About sixty feet below.

ABIGAIL
Maybe all of this is just an elevator or escalator or something.

Mrs. Slidell muscles Rance out of the way to get a look.

MRS. SLIDELL
They’re huge! I make out four here.

HORATIO
(from the other side)
And six more over here.

MRS. SLIDELL
And just think, this amounts to just one third of all the caches.

RANCE
But we’ll need the contents of the archive to lead us to the others.

PASSAGEWAY
Sadusky and Agent Dawes help the last of their party out of the tube tunnel.

SADUSKY
Which way?

Riley shines his light on the passage wall, revealing a group of stick figures carved into the stone, shown “walking” back down the way he came.

RILEY
Walk, don’t run to the nearest exit.

SADUSKY
(holds up an empty forearm)
What time is it?

RILEY
(checking his watch)
We’re pressing one PM.

SADUSKY
We had better run. We need to get to your buddy and hope his wife is already with him and get out of here.

Riley’s look questions his sanity.

SADUSKY (CONT’D)
In fifteen minutes we’ll be overdue and this place will be the target of six bunker buster bombs.

[next pt 50]

Rebel Treasure fortieth post

THE OUTER VAULT AREA
A stone fort rises from the center of a spherical cavern, hewn from the very rocks of its surroundings. Avenues of access radiate from it like spokes of a wheel, and weapons of all kinds are stacked row upon row between them; stands of rifles and carbines; and artillery parks of light and heavy cannon. The ramparts of the fort are festooned with banners and battle flags, and two Gatling guns in towers flank the entrance.

Lon strides purposefully down the main avenue his red leather map-case slung over his shoulder.

FORT ENTRANCE
TWO GUARDS, armed with rifles and fixed bayonets, snap to attention and step aside for Lon. As he mounts the stairs that traverse the gate, the MUFFLED CLANG of hidden machinery commences deep beneath his feet and a column begins to rise in the center of the fort.

THE FORT AREA
The column reaches its limit, disclosing another entrance. Lon pauses to check that he is alone before plunging through the opening.

THE FORT ENTRANCE
The two guards again come to attention at Louis’ approach.

LOUIS
(returning their salute)
What’s all the commotion?

GUARD ONE
Commander Turner is in the vault, sir.

Louis tries to push pass them, but they lock rifles and block his way. At this affront, Louis’ knife hand twitches.

GUARD TWO
Sorry sir. No one is allowed in, when the Commander is present.

LOUIS
By whose order?

GUARD ONE
The highest, sir. You can wait here if you like. He shouldn’t be long.

LOUIS
Be pleased to inform the Commander that I beg to see him in the guardhouse.

THE VAULT INTERIOR
Lon deposits his map-case on a shelf of a safe. He swings the door shut, and twists three dials. With a sigh of relief he departs.

THE FORT ENTRANCE
At Lon’s KNOCK, the two guards open the gate to him, just as Jonah and another arrive, suited up for guard duty.

LON
Just in time for the change of the guard, I see.

The guards exchange positions and the original duo are about to march away.

GUARD TWO
Lieutenant Toussaint left a request to see you in the guardhouse.

LON
Very well.

Lon and Jonah warily watch their retreat.

JONAH
All’s secure, sir. The workers have been liberated and are now on the way to the rendezvous.

LON
Excellent. Pass the signal to blow the train entrance. I’ll lock down the vault and throw away their “key,” so to speak. All that after I send our friend Louis away.

JONAH
Why? Why not leave him here?

LON
I know he wouldn’t hesitate to abandon us, but I can’t do the same to him.

JONAH
Let’s hope we don’t live to regret it.

[next pt 41]