March 23rd, 1921
Upon returning to mainland Puno in the early hours of the morning, Ford reminded the group that it was fire that eventually won the day against their kharisiri foes and that, perhaps, they should somehow prepare themselves accordingly in the event of a future attack.
To accomplish this, wine bottles and crates were procured from a local wholesaler, which were then repurposed to make incendiary devices. After replacing the wine with petrol and stuffing a rag into the open tops of the bottles, these devices were then packed and stored as securely as possible in the wine crates. The finished product could then be carried by donkey with a reasonable amount of safety.
In addition, Holder purchased a portable pesticide spray pump from an agricultural supply dealer for the purposes of expelling flammable liquid. Once sprayed across an open flame, this liquid would ignite a controlled jet of fire that could be aimed at the kharisiri.
After meeting Larkin for brunch at the agreed upon time and location, their employer seemed concerned about the large amount of gasoline the group had in tow but was quickly placated with an honest description of its intent.
“Gentlemen, as long as your contraptions don’t slow us down, I don’t care what you bring on our grand adventure,” he said. “Now eat up! The food is excellent, and we’re wasting time.”
With the meal complete, Larkin led the group out behind the building where a team of donkeys and a number of supplies awaited. In high spirits and taking much pleasure in issuing orders, Larkin wasted no time, barking commands about which crate went on which mule, and so on. With the equipment packed, the final leg of the expedition was officially underway.
The journey into the highlands was slow-going, but an acceptable pace was easily maintained, and the day passed without incident. In the evening, camp was made and a fire for cooking and protection was lit. After watch duty was doled out, the camp settled into slumber and things remained quiet for some time. Around three in the morning, this changed dramatically.
During his watch, Brochet picked up a scent on the air that repulsed his senses. Decay, filth, feces, and other offending odors crept up and settled into the camp, prompting him to pick up a torch and wave it around in hopes of driving off any wild animal that may have wandered too close.
Peering through the torchlight, he caught sight of a donkey lying motionless on the ground. However, upon further inspection, he noticed that something on or around the donkey was moving in the dark. At this, Brochet roused his companions, who promptly emerged from their shared tent to see what the commotion was. As they did so, Brochet grabbed hold of his hand axe and rushed toward the unexplained movement.
When his torchlight was sufficient enough to clearly see the scene before him, Brochet recoiled in horror as he saw a man, but not quite a man, feeding on the felled donkey. With its mouth and jaw distended beyond human capability, the thing on the ground was latched on to the mule using rows of sharp teeth that formed a large circle where a normal opening should have been. In a gruesome display, the donkey, already dead from its injuries, was being sucked of all its fat and lie on the ground in a nightmarish, emaciated state.
Quickly recovering from his initial horror, Brochet waved his torch toward the beast in the hopes of scaring it away from the camp. Hissing, the creature darted back into the darkness of the jungle. The rest of the night passed with no further events.
As the group cleaned up the mess and repacked the donkeys, they noted that Larkin never emerged from his tent, despite the obvious commotion.
The Friends of Prospero
Peru: Episode VIII • Peru: Episode VII • Peru: Episode VI • Peru: Episode V • Peru: Episode IV • Peru: Episode III • Peru: Episode II • Peru: Episode I
The Two-Headed Serpent
Coming soon…
