"You're late!"
Gabriel Van Helsing looked at Cardinal Jinette with one raised eyebrow.
"I wasn't aware there was a set time for our meeting," he said trying to keep his voice light. Cardinal Jinette looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes.
"Something is bothering you," he said sharply. "What is it?" Van Helsing didn't bother answering—it didn't matter. He'd get a lecture on sinning, a list of new sins to commit and a bunch of weapons to do it with. Sure enough, Cardinal Jinette let it drop and the wall opened. Van Helsing turned and walked into the underground Headquarters of the Knights of the Holy Cross.
"So what am I up against this time? And how do I kill it?" Van Helsing asked, sidestepping the people who were bustling about. Soon they were standing in front of a smooth wall.
Cardinal Jinette walked forward and signaled the boy by the projector. He began to roll it and a picture appeared on the wall of a tall man with grey hair pulled back from dark green eyes.
"Van Helsing this is George Daleng, an eccentric scientist who's methods of research are unwelcome in the civilized world," he said and signaled the boy again. The boy cranked the projector and the picture changed to that of a rather magnificent ship. "You must find this ship, it's called The Hispaniola," Cardinal Jinette continued. "On it you'll find Jim Hawkins—the Capitan. He should help you with your mission."
Van Helsing nodded and looked at the screen.
"No Van Helsing there are no women on this mission," Cardinal Jinette snapped. "Don't think I don't know about Valerious and you're little—ahem—incident. Now go to Carl, he'll get you set up."
"Hello Van Helsing!" Carl said.
"Hello Carl," Van Helsing said, trying to ignore the odd feeling he was having thinking about what Cardinal Jinette said. "Carl?"
"Hmmm?" Carl looked up at Van Helsing through his large magnified glass.
"Did you tell Cardinal Jinette about Anna?"
"I assume he knew," Carl said. "After all he is the one who told you to go to her."
"No, I mean about Anna and I," Van Helsing clarified.
"Oh no, of course not," Carl said quickly. "No more than I told him about any of the other mishaps on that mission."
Carl walked forward and began to take out things for Van Helsing to use.
"First of course we have another gas powered bow for you to use—I enlarged the gas chamber so you don't have to refill as often—and I created a few 'specialty' arrows for you to have," Carl said passing Van Helsing the weapon and grabbing a sack. "Silver tipped, holy water infused—just in case—venom tipped, regular, sleep inducing and extra sharp."
Carl threw the sack at Van Helsing who put the cross bow in it and walked after Carl. Soon it was full of weapons including a pistol and a small device that created an explosion.
"And finally we have this."
Van Helsing stared at Carl. In his hand was a long black staff on the top of which was a large silver ball.
"What is that?" Van Helsing questioned.
"This is a mace," Carl explained, "Or a modified version really—stand back." Carl held the mace by its handle and pressed his finger to the silver dial at the base opposite the ball. "Spikes, spinning blades simply enforced steel—all rotating—it's up to you. You rotate the dial—" Carl spun the dial and nothing happened. "snap your wrist back and—" Carl snapped his wrist back, there was a clicking sound as the handle shortened considerably and a chain took up the space. Spikes came out of the ball and began to rotate. Carl spun the ball and released. It slammed into the wall and pulled back leaving a spike embedded in the wall. Another one took its place on the ball as it retracted"And voila!" Carl snapped his wrist again, the handle slid forward and the spikes retracted. Carl tossed it into the sack.
"Van Helsing!" the boy who cranked the projector ran up to him and held out a map. "The Cardinal asked me to give this to you sir," he said holding up a scroll.
"Thank you," Van Helsing said taking the scroll. The boy looked at him wide eyed before turning and hurrying back to the projector.
"So where are we going?" Carl asked.
"We?" Van Helsing asked, his eyebrows raised.
"Well you don't expect me to be stuck down here do you?" Carl asked. "I'm a friar but that doesn't mean I'm invalid!"
"Carl last time you didn't want to go and protested it rather passionately," Van Helsing pointed out.
"Last time, I didn't realize there were barmaids and puzzles to be solved," Carl countered, "but I did almost die a few times—"
"Too late you're coming," Van Helsing said and walked out of the room. Carl opened and closed his mouth several times before running after him.
Gabriel Van Helsing looked at Cardinal Jinette with one raised eyebrow.
"I wasn't aware there was a set time for our meeting," he said trying to keep his voice light. Cardinal Jinette looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes.
"Something is bothering you," he said sharply. "What is it?" Van Helsing didn't bother answering—it didn't matter. He'd get a lecture on sinning, a list of new sins to commit and a bunch of weapons to do it with. Sure enough, Cardinal Jinette let it drop and the wall opened. Van Helsing turned and walked into the underground Headquarters of the Knights of the Holy Cross.
"So what am I up against this time? And how do I kill it?" Van Helsing asked, sidestepping the people who were bustling about. Soon they were standing in front of a smooth wall.
Cardinal Jinette walked forward and signaled the boy by the projector. He began to roll it and a picture appeared on the wall of a tall man with grey hair pulled back from dark green eyes.
"Van Helsing this is George Daleng, an eccentric scientist who's methods of research are unwelcome in the civilized world," he said and signaled the boy again. The boy cranked the projector and the picture changed to that of a rather magnificent ship. "You must find this ship, it's called The Hispaniola," Cardinal Jinette continued. "On it you'll find Jim Hawkins—the Capitan. He should help you with your mission."
Van Helsing nodded and looked at the screen.
"No Van Helsing there are no women on this mission," Cardinal Jinette snapped. "Don't think I don't know about Valerious and you're little—ahem—incident. Now go to Carl, he'll get you set up."
"Hello Van Helsing!" Carl said.
"Hello Carl," Van Helsing said, trying to ignore the odd feeling he was having thinking about what Cardinal Jinette said. "Carl?"
"Hmmm?" Carl looked up at Van Helsing through his large magnified glass.
"Did you tell Cardinal Jinette about Anna?"
"I assume he knew," Carl said. "After all he is the one who told you to go to her."
"No, I mean about Anna and I," Van Helsing clarified.
"Oh no, of course not," Carl said quickly. "No more than I told him about any of the other mishaps on that mission."
Carl walked forward and began to take out things for Van Helsing to use.
"First of course we have another gas powered bow for you to use—I enlarged the gas chamber so you don't have to refill as often—and I created a few 'specialty' arrows for you to have," Carl said passing Van Helsing the weapon and grabbing a sack. "Silver tipped, holy water infused—just in case—venom tipped, regular, sleep inducing and extra sharp."
Carl threw the sack at Van Helsing who put the cross bow in it and walked after Carl. Soon it was full of weapons including a pistol and a small device that created an explosion.
"And finally we have this."
Van Helsing stared at Carl. In his hand was a long black staff on the top of which was a large silver ball.
"What is that?" Van Helsing questioned.
"This is a mace," Carl explained, "Or a modified version really—stand back." Carl held the mace by its handle and pressed his finger to the silver dial at the base opposite the ball. "Spikes, spinning blades simply enforced steel—all rotating—it's up to you. You rotate the dial—" Carl spun the dial and nothing happened. "snap your wrist back and—" Carl snapped his wrist back, there was a clicking sound as the handle shortened considerably and a chain took up the space. Spikes came out of the ball and began to rotate. Carl spun the ball and released. It slammed into the wall and pulled back leaving a spike embedded in the wall. Another one took its place on the ball as it retracted"And voila!" Carl snapped his wrist again, the handle slid forward and the spikes retracted. Carl tossed it into the sack.
"Van Helsing!" the boy who cranked the projector ran up to him and held out a map. "The Cardinal asked me to give this to you sir," he said holding up a scroll.
"Thank you," Van Helsing said taking the scroll. The boy looked at him wide eyed before turning and hurrying back to the projector.
"So where are we going?" Carl asked.
"We?" Van Helsing asked, his eyebrows raised.
"Well you don't expect me to be stuck down here do you?" Carl asked. "I'm a friar but that doesn't mean I'm invalid!"
"Carl last time you didn't want to go and protested it rather passionately," Van Helsing pointed out.
"Last time, I didn't realize there were barmaids and puzzles to be solved," Carl countered, "but I did almost die a few times—"
"Too late you're coming," Van Helsing said and walked out of the room. Carl opened and closed his mouth several times before running after him.