Volcanic activity on the island began to increase dramatically, with earth tremors almost continual, and a plume of smoke issuing from the throat of the volcano. The pace of repairs became somewhat frantic, and when the volcano actually started to belch fire and lava, it was decided that it would be wisest to get the hell outta there and finish up, as far as possible, at sea.
At first all seemed well. The weather was clement enough and the seas calm. But a couple of days out, with the smoke plume still visible on the horizon, it was discovered that the ship was taking on water alarmingly fast. Apparently the repairs were not as effective as the should have been.
All hands to the pumps!
Ioannes and his mate spent all their time down in the hold, trying to come at the leak, but to no avail.
Olaf (Andrew), being a suspicious type, took to sleeping his sleep of exhaustion next to the jolly-boat, and was thus alerted when Ioannes and the rest of the crew attempted to get it launched in the middle of the night for a furtive getaway.
Olaf's paranoia having spoiled their attempt to flee, and the rest of Our Heroes being unwilling to be left on a sinking ship, a fight ensued in which Tirana (Annette) went down with a crossbow bolt through her gizzards, and a couple of the others also wounded more or less seriously.
Ioannes declared that he had no wish to kill them, but that he would if they left him no other choice. "Look on the bright side," he said, "I'm giving you the whole ship and all that she contains".
Rather than be murdered, the team grudgingly let the crew go in the jolly-boat. Being of a vengeful disposition, Cajetan (Carl) threw a lit lantern after them, but it turned out to be an unreasonably sturdy lantern and it just bounced off the gunwale into the sea instead of smashing and filling the dinghy with the Burning Flames of Retribution. Hey-ho.
Barrels and other supplies were in plentiful supply, so under the instruction of the only actual seaman left, Olaf, the Good Guys set to work making a raft in the three days or so remaining before the ship foundered completely. Fortunately the weather remained fine and clear, and the fully-stocked raft was launched without incident, the ship just sinking away beneath it. Aliyah (Clare) immediately set to fishing, even though they had rations for several weeks stowed on board.
About a week of semi-directed drifting ensued, generally trending north-east. Apart from occasional rain showers, the weather remained fairly kindly, until a small storm blew up in the night — Tirana, on watch, observed with her elfy eyes the white of surf on rocks, and heard with her elfy ears the sound of surf on rocks, and made the wise decision to wake Olaf, who exerted all his powers of seamanship and managed to guide the raft, in the light of a bright full moon, to beach in a small cove with only an acceptable minimum of battering.
The raft was secured on the beach at the full of the tide, and was thus able to be unloaded safely. Ti used her amazing survival skills to find the best possible camping spot, and considering the massive mosquitoes that swarmed throughout the night and plagued them incessantly, the less perfect spots would have been dire indeed. Good thing they had her finely-honed skills to rely on.
The dawn revealed their surroundings: a sandy beach in a small cove between two rocky headlands, with steep hills and cliffs all round. Forest covered the slopes of the hills right down to the beach.
The dawn also revealed in interesting sight: a tiny man riding a huge dragon-fly down the beach towards them.
He paused his steed to look them over, before observing "You are all very wet."
They agreed that they were, indeed, very wet. They asked who he was, and he said "I am a Twk-Man."
He went on to say "You must be very heroic and brave, to trespass in the territory of Dunderbas. I myself am flying on just as soon as I may. Do you have honey?"
Alas, they did not have honey, so the Twk-man flew off and disappeared up through the trees.
Investigation revealed a fairly well-used and maintained path winding up through the trees, over the hills. Olaf noted that the branches overhanging the path had all been neatly trimmed back, up as high as 15 or 18 feet.
The reason was soon revealed, when coming around a rocky outcrop, they came face to face with a huge man, easily twelve feet tall, almost naked except for a leather loincloth, and carrying a massive club. Both he and they were utterly astonished, but Our Heroes recovered first and asked if he was Dunderbas, and if he would like some food. His face immediately brightened, and he said "You have children? Delicious, succulent, tender children?"
Whereupon they attacked and murdered him, though not before a massive blow of his massive club had sent Cajetan cartwheeling off through the trees, to land broken and insensible in a heap.
Searching Dunderbas' huge corpse revealed nothing interesting, except that he went commando beneath his leather loincloth, and they continued up the path until it emerged from the trees, dragging the insensible form of Cajetan on a hastily-made travois. Looking out across grassy hills, they observed a partially ruinous tower, roofed with a conical thatch and with a small stream of smoke issuing from it.
Somebody, I forget who, crept nearer to reconnoitre, and observed a wicker cage outside the tower, in which sat three dirty and disconsolate children.
The conscious members of the team questioned the kids: Was there anybody inside? Just Harvey, was the reply. Who is Harvey? He's Dunderbas' servant.
Olaf decided that Harvey must die, so he set himself in ambush beside the door, while Ti and Ali set about noisily cutting through the withes to free the children, Ali having failed to pick the rather old and crude padlock holding it closed.
The sound of a dragging chain came from inside, the door opened, and a very aged, bent, balding old man stepped out, dragging a long, light chain attached to a fetter on one ankle.
Olaf smashed his skull in without a second thought.
They took the kids inside and thoroughly explored what there was to explore of the tower, and set about feeding the infants, who expressed a very strong desire to have none of the stew, thank you very much.
The children remain very nervous, and are convinced that Dunderbas is coming back. Dunderbas always comes back.
