Capítulo 44: Regrouping
Gene wasn't out for long. Dr. Whatson fed him a pill and he woke up. They were in the remains of the Hotel. All of the other travelers staying in the Hotel fled long ago. Even the owner ran away.
"We can't stay here, Poole, we need to disappear," he said but swiftly fell asleep. Even with Dr. Whatson's pills he was too weak and needed to sleep.
"Dr. Whatson, I will gather everything in the Hotel if you can take Master Elam to the carriage," Poole said.
Dr. Whatson lept downstairs and immediately entered the carriage. Poole, the Porter, the Coachman, the Chef, and Alfar worked together to gather everything into the carriage.
As soon as everyone was in they took the carriage to a darker part of the street. To those watching it looked as if they were absorbed by the shadows.
The carriage turned around and sidled next to a building where it took on the appearance of a collection of junk. Poole had activated the illusion array for the carriage.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It would be nearly impossible to see through one of Prince Elam's artifacts.
Perhaps those enemies he mentioned earlier could do it, but for now, they seemed to have left. All they could do now was wait for their prince to wake up and give them orders.
Dr. Whatson was very concerned about his friend. He had never seen Elam looking so hurt and at a loss. He had never seen someone get one over his friend. This was definitely a scary adversary.
Minutes after Gene and his men took up their new position; the hotel was filled by several people. These people were dispatched by Count Raby and Burgot.
They were a collection of Viscount, Barron, and Knight level Vampires. The werewolves were Fangs, Betas, and even a couple of Alphas.
The Count unleashed his Houngan who lead many Bokors and different types of Loas including a Grand Bois Loa. Armies of true zombies were just outside the city gates and ready to strike at any moment.
The Werewolves used their keen senses, the vampires used their control of the creatures of the night, and the Houngan and his subordinates used their black magic and loas, but none of them could find a trace of Gene and his people.
It was if the entire group disappeared. They were only able to trace them to the front of the Hotel but no further.
Alfar used his magic to conceal them from any magic-based creatures. The technology in the carriage hid them from everyone else. As Dawn approached the creatures of the night withdrew. A report was sent to Count Raby.
When Count Raby read the report he cast it into the fireplace in a rage. "We were only minutes behind Lady Jawan when she called us and we still couldn't catch these people.
If they've run away then we've lost our chance to get in good with Lady Jawan," he said.
"We also haven't been able to find our former subordinates. Lady Jawan was right, this Prince Elam is a very powerful and wily adversary." Surprisingly, Burgot was the calm one while Count Raby was lost in his emotions.
When Gene sent his message through Alfar, he told them to go to a pre-determined hiding place. They would meet them there once it was safe to leave Jambre.
Gene woke up the next day as the sun was starting to set once more. He came out of Dr. Whatson's clinic and sat in his chair in the common room.
"Poole, please gather everyone and have them take a seat on the couches," Gene said.
"Sir is it proper for the servants to..."
"We need to have a serious discussion and I can't do that with everyone standing around me staring at me."
Dr. Whatson came out of his clinic and took his customary chair near Gene. He took out a pipe and loaded it with something similar to tobacco. Gene introduced him to smoking a pipe, but Dr. Whatson exchanged the tobacco for something healthier. He enjoyed smoking the pipe. He found smoking to be calming.
Poole gathered Alfar, the Coachman, the Chef, and the Porter. They all took their seats and waited for their Master to start. Gene looked at his hands for a few minutes and then looked up. He looked tired and the glint in his eye didn't shine quite as bright as it usually did.
"The first thing you should know is I have been crippled by Jawan," he said.
"Crippled?!" Everyone exclaimed shocked. They weren't sure what he meant. They felt the spirit energy coming from him. He seemed capable of walking on his own, so what could he mean?
"Quiet, all of you, let the prince speak," Poole commanded.
"The one advantage we have had in all of our maneuvers up to this point has been my vast knowledge. Jawan sealed my knowledge in our battle.
I can feel the things I know at the tip of my tongue, but it's like trying to catch a shadow.
What the enemy probably doesn't know is that I have prepared for this." Gene pulled out his strange helmet and put it on his head.
"This helmet is a backdoor into my knowledge. It's what I like to call a Hat Hack; which probably doesn't mean anything to any of you.
I don't know how long I can conceal my backup brain from our enemy so we have to push forward fast. I have to find a way to restore myself as quickly as possible. Otherwise, we are going to completely lose.
"Elam, can you tell us who this great enemy is? I believe we deserve to know," Dr. Whatson said.
"You do of course," Gene smiled to his friend.
"I can't tell you much but the name of our enemy is Gene Alexander and he has never known a match," he said.
"Gene Alexander, a formidable name," Poole said.
"Why does he dislike you so much?" Dr. Whatson asked.
"He doesn't dislike me, you could say he loves me, and he thinks what he's doing is going to help me. He set up a game to train me, but I have violated his rules and now he wants to teach me a lesson.
"Didn't you say he was going to kill all of us?" Alfar said.
"By 'us' I really meant all of you," Gene said.
"Do you hate him?" Dr. Whatson asked.
"No, to be honest, there is no one I am closer with. Even our friendship cannot compare to the relationship he and I possess. However, that doesn't mean I'm going to allow him to try and destroy my friends and servants!" Gene said decisively.
"Do you have a solution to this that allows us to live?" Dr. Whatson asked.
"If we can get through the current crisis by playing according to his rules; I believe he will stop hunting us and leave us with just a warning.
"How are we to win this according to his rules?" Dr. Whatson asked.
"We cannot use my technology any longer. At least we can't seem to. I think he'll give us time to recover, but once we regroup; the game is on once more," Gene said.
"Your Plan, sir?" Poole asked.
We'll regroup with our former monster friends, train, and attack. We'll take out everyone who is working for Jawan in the city.
I don't intend to lose, even if I am crippled!"
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