In the Previous Episode…
The 40 Elephants crime gang are up to their usual tricks, and this time they’ve been commissioned to steal an Ivory Falcon by another mysterious financier. The Royal Navy Air Service Police (RNASP) on Ascension are trying to stop them, and for various reasons, this has resulted in a three car pile up in the centre of Georgetown.
Now Alice Diamond has managed to move stealthily around to the door of the van. She’s close to the shipment inside, and the police don’t seem to have noticed her…
Meanwhile, her accomplices, Shirley and Jim, are trying to open/break down the door to the power station, where they plan to switch off the Georgetown’s power supply. Unknown to them, two officers of the RNASP are already inside…
Fortunately for the RNASP Jim’s heavy-handed approach alerted the two officers, and they beat a hasty retreat with the important lever in hand… Sgt. Williams even has the presence of mind to lock the door behind him.
Shirley and Jim finally gain entry and rush to the control equipment to find it secured. Jim uses several words Shirley pretends not to understand…
Meanwhile, the apparently immobile security guard has at least alerted Captain Bryant to the presence of Alice, and she’s caught trying to quietly pick the lock on the security van. Alice, being Alice, slips on a pair of bejewelled knuckle dusters and swings for the police captain.
The other officers aren’t safe yet. Jim, realising that they can’t be far away, manages to break down the back door to the power station and looks wildly up and down the fetid alleyway for the police officers. With no hope of backup, Officer Williams opts to barricade the back door to the casino. In the main part of the casino, the Sergeant has found the mysterious “Madame”, a well known member of Ascension’s underworld, who is currently offering the Ivory Falcon to the highest bidder…
Williams’s barricade doesn’t hold up past a couple of die rolls, and suddenly Jim kicks the door open and rushes at him. This proves to be a mistake, as Williams dodges the first swing, and lands a blow that knocks Jim back across the room. Satisfied with his handiwork, Williams runs through to support Coulson.
In the Casino he finds Coulson facing “Madame”, who is a holding forth in an impressive manner:
“You do not understand the curse of the Ivory Falcon and the great disaster it has wrought on all those who tried to steal it… Take heed that you do not succumb to its evil power…”
Williams fears the worst, and then Coulson grins. He reaches over and grabs the statue. As he does so, he whispers something in Madame’s ear.
All the colour drains from the woman’s face, and she gives a look that, if it had contained eldritch powers, would have sprayed him all across the wall. Instead, Coulson grins again, nods at Madame, and pockets the Ivory Falcon…
Just as Williams is about to ask what the hell just happened, Jim and Shirley burst into the casino. Jim is now in a foul mood and leaps onto the bar, firing his Tommy Gun into the ceiling. Williams, still trying to understand the situation, absentmindedly shoots Jim in the leg, and the gangster falls backwards into the gin cabinet. Madame recovers enough to shout, “You’re paying for that!” as the police beat a hasty retreat.
Captain Bryant hears the gunshots, and shouts at Lt. Cain to get the car restarted just as the other officers emerge from the Casino.
Fortunately for the police, the dice decided that their car wasn’t damaged sufficiently to immobilise it, and so Cain is able to manoeuvrer it away from the crash site. There follows a typical Pulp game firefight, where everyone takes it in turns to fire in all directions, except apparently at their opponents.
…until the police leap in and onto their car and drive off, just as Jim and Shirley come charging out of the Casino in pursuit.
Once more the guns blaze, and once more they manage to miss anything critical on the police car. The police exit the scene with the Ivory Falcon.
What is the meaning of the Ivory Falcon, and why is it so important? What did Madame mean about the danger posed by the statue and its evil curse? Why was Cain unconcerned by this, and what did he say to Madame that allowed him to take the statue from her? Find out in the next thrilling episode of “the ivory Falcon”…
…but probably not for a while because certain extra props will be needed for that story…
