We were having breakfast at Tarquins as Maxfield was away on business when there was a knock on the door. Outside was a constable Jones and constable Collins. They said Col Col Singen-Smythe had been attacked and was asking for us to see him immediately. Inside their paddy wagon was a handcuffed drunk which they expected us to ride with. I rode in the back while Jean Luc rode with the driver and Tarquin rode behind on his horse. The paddy wagon left the city and headed out into the desert.
Suddenly steel shutters dropped over the doors of the carriage and gas billowed in from the floor as policemen drew and donned gas masks. I immediately shot one as the other pulled a revolver and fired at me. I grabbed the gas mask from the 1st policeman and shot the other. He struggled and continued to attack me so I pinned his arm to the carriage with my sword. He drew a knife but having just got the shutters to lower, Jean Luc shot it from his hand. He then tried to take a pill but Tarquin grappled him and prevented him from taking it. Finally he was restrained and tied up.
The drunk was actually a well dressed Frenchman called Leon LaVaseur. The policemen were searched and found to have police identification papers. One also had a letter. Tarquin read it then took off back towards Syrtis Major with the Frenchman at a gallop. After glancing through the letter, we followed in the carriage.
We pulled up outside the house of Leon to find Leon and another individual lying on the ground and Tarquin fighting another individual. Jean Luc started firing as a scream was heard from inside the house. Tarquin rushed into the house and we heard the sounds of more gunfire. Jean Luc killed the individual outside while I jumped down and gave first aid to Leon.
We heard a shout from Tarquin that someone was escaping out the back. I ran through the house with Jean Luc who was shot by a dart as we entered the garden. He shot the figure we saw fleeing as I saw a flash from far in the distance and narrowly avoided being hit by a second dart myself. We retreated back into the house as policemen arrived.
The policemen checked the identification papers of constable Jones and constable Collins and declared them forgeries. I searched the house and found a small locked metal casket hidden in the attic. Tarquin found a package addressed to Dr Karl Hoffmanstahl at the Cromwell & Griff auction-house in the back of the carriage. He opened it only to find a bomb inside. He threw it quickly but it exploded a few seconds later knocking him to the ground where he lay. I rushed out at Jean Luc's cry and administered first aid on him.
I found a key on Leon and opened the casket I had found. Inside were papers written in French. After all the injured were taken to hospital I questioned Leon who refused to talk and wanted to be taken to the French embassy. We found someone who spoke French to start getting the papers translated. They were scientific papers describing a proposal for a self propelled cannon and had said Leon had been working with a Benjamin Leroy Holt who was designing the tracks for the cannon. The plans were given to Col Stingin-Smythe who said it was vital the French did not find out we had them.
We visited the Cromwell and Griff auction house. The receptionist was unhelpful and said Karl was busy. An auction was in progress so Tarquin bought a catalogue and we went in. Jean Luc bullied someone else to show us to Karl. He was German and did not speak English but the owner, Mr Lawrence, was shown the letter. He denied knowing anything but was clearly lying.
As there was nothing else forthcoming at the auction house we then went to the old harbour district to look for the HMS Damocles. The harbour master said she was docked in berth six and owned by Colonel Moran. It was a decommissioned royal navy corvette and was due to go north to Polodaar tomorrow and would be transporting British soldiers. We took a look and saw the person in charge was wearing a safari outfit who we recognised as Col. Sebastian Moran, Moriarty's second. There was also someone in a British officers uniform and others in army uniform on deck.
Jean Luc asked someone on the dock where he could get a uniform. They asked which regiment he was with, then when he replied said this was not his regiment but were the 1st Rifles under Parhoon.
We wandered around the dock trying to find out what was in the crates when another clipboard carrying official approached us. We told him we were with the 1st Rifles and gave the names Jones, Collins and Peterson to which we were told we were late and were sent to the ship. On board we were given uniforms and were then able to examine some crates in the hold. We opened one which contained glass chemistry equipment and an invoice from Venus.
A whistle blew and everyone headed to the mess hall. We followed. There we learned the ship was due to leave in the evening up the Meepsoor canal then by train to Polodaar and the factory where we would get further assignments. Everyone would be expected to defend the train in the event of an attack by ice worms.
After the meal everyone was called to assemble on deck. There were about 20 crew, Moran and another man covered in bandages who we surmised was the invisible man Griffin. Moran gave a lecture about what would happen if anyone disobeyed orders. It was a 2 week journey to the end of the canal. While the train was being loaded there was an attack by three huge worms that erupted from the ice. While we were fighting another worm burst from the ice near us, knocking me to the ground. I got up and ran as it tried to flatten me. After some time of it turning between myself and Jean Luc as we shot it in turn, eventually it died. The loading of the train was completed and it headed off. One man that was injured by a worm was shot by Moran for being incompetent.
Eventually the train came to a giant factory built on the side of a mountain. The train was unloaded into a large storage bay. There were many heavy metal components including a large set of tracks like on the design for the French self propelled cannon. We snuck off into a lift to go explore. We passed a factory assembling artillery and shells, and huge mechanical figures. Finally the lift stopped at a corridor. The lift exit was guarded by two men and Tarquin attacked them. They were killed but we had to exchange gunfire, the noise of which likely alerted others. We headed right towards a door labelled Moran but two more guards appeared.
Tarquin charged them, killing one and Jean Luc killed the other. Another two appeared from the other side of the lift. I wounded one as they fired on us. Tarquin kicked down the door and was shot by Moran who was waiting. Griffin and another henchman were also in the office. Tarquin cut up Moran and Jean Luc shot Griffin in the head. Tarquin then knocked Moran out cold and skewered the henchman. The two remaining guards in the corridor were killed by myself and Jean Luc. In Moran's office was another door labelled funicular which lead to a small cable car.
There were technicians in a lab the other side of the lift. One of the technicians said the ambassador to Germany Baldwin Malot was being held and an impostor had been surgically altered to look like him. The impostor would assassinate the German chancellor at the peace summit. The cells were next to the lab and we rescued Malot.
Tarquin went down the funicular with Malot. Someone blew the lift while I was waiting with Jean Luc for the funicular to return. I made up nitro glycerine in the lab and while I was there I found they were making Griffins formula so I took that. The nitro glycerine and other chemicals were thrown down the lift shaft to slow any pursuit.
At the bottom of the mountain Tarquin found two henchmen. He killed one and the other surrendered. The henchman offered to help in return for amnesty when told Moran had been captured. He said there was an airship nearby and something called a Heliograph which could send a message via another communications device in Mars orbit.
Realising we would not have time for two more trips down the funicular, Jean Luc shot Moran and threw him off the mountain. I started working on the funicular mechanism so when we went down I could jam it to stop it being called back up. The funicular came just as Jean Luc appeared, being chased by someone in armour who was carrying a weapon that spat fire.
We quickly got in the funicular but as we descended, the armoured man fired, setting the funicular on fire. As it burned, Jean Luc slung a rifle over the cable, and as I clung to him he started sliding down the cable before letting go and dropping us into the snow of the mountainside. We gathered wood from the remains of the funicular and made a basic sledge then started down the mountain. The trip to the bottom took about an hour where we met with Tarquin coming up in an airship.
It took two days go get back to Syrtis Major in the airship. The warning Tarquin had sent by the Heliograph had arrived in time and the impostor arrested. The German chancellor wished to meet us with his aide Alois Hitler and his wife. He invited us to Germany to be presented with the iron cross, and we were also travelled to London where we were made knights of the garter.