In which our heroes can go to the ball, a moral quandary, can Shambles stay ahead?

So the new PLAN was all set to go. Our stalwart heroes were to attend the Huckabee party which would give them an alibi and perhaps allow them more insight into what was actually going on. Meanwhile Jarhaus was to make his way to the canning factory, Kalabos would sneak away from the party and meet him there at 10pm to help set up the device and get him onto the grounds. Shambles made it very clear that he was going nowhere near the factory. What could possible go wrong?

The group arrived at the party at 8:30pm leaving De'aths driver ready with the car. Once inside they quickly began to enjoy the ambience and the free drink, some questions about the legality of the charity casino were asked but the preence of the mayor and police commissioner set their minds at rest. De'ath sought out Huckabee himself who seemed a quite charming, urbane chap  though he avoided all questions about hbis wife who had retired from public life due to illness a few years earlier. Shambles and Dawson struck up conversation with the handsome but clearly worse for wear Austin Kittrell. He seemed a very jolly fellow full of stories of night out and the ladies he had met but something about his name bothered Dawson.

Kalabos drank.

A lot.

It seems that the life of a hobo had left our friend Kalabos without the necessary social skills to deal with a free bar in anything approaching an appropriate manner and knowing he didn't have much time before he had to face action the bottle of tequila was very attractive. The second one was probably overkill.

As 9:30pm approached Dawson had introduced Kittrell to De'ath and was hopelessly embroiled in a three-way conversation about possible sexual harrasment, Kalabos was hopelessly drunk and Shambles was just hopeless. Having quite ruthlessly manipulated Jarhaus into taking a possible fall for him he now saw that the plan was going to fail unless he took Kalabos' place and went to the factory. With no other option our man girded his loins and went out to the car for the journey to his pre-ordained death.

Only 15 minutes later Dawson and De'ath realised what had happened and that they should try to get to Shambles but without transport how were they to get there? De'ath turned a langurous look to Kitrell.

Shambles managed to meet Jarhaus on time in a patch of wasteland near the factory. Assuring the frightened racist that he would make sure he got in and would watch his back Shambles carefully watched the movements of the two security guards and at the right moment they cut their way through the fence and entered the basement.

Meanwhile Kittrells over-packed sports care, the drunken Kalabos didn't help with comfort. Sped towards the factory. Kittrell was finding all this spiifingly exciting and hoped this would lead to a moment or two alone with the good Lady later in the evening. He was also far too drunk to drive and precious time was lost when one of his tires was blown out.

Shambles and Jarhaus entered the basement with great trepidation. Quickly setting up the device they made to leave but couldn't without one proper look into the pit.Creeping forward they went to risk a glance when the unnameable resident chose to reveal itself. 

Shambles recollections of the next few moments were hazy at best. He later described a column of something like flesh but not, rubbery and viscous and always changing. In his mind it seemed to move slowly and with a snake-like quality but it could only have taken a second or two for it to rise and take Jarhaus' head clean off. He vividly remember the always-changing eyes and mouths and it's strange cry of 'Tekeli-li tekeli-li'! After that he remembers nothing.

De'ath, Shambles, Kittrell and the still comatose Kalabos arrived to find that Shambles had stumbled away from the factory soiled and wild-eyed. Unable to get sense out the man they were figuring out what to do next when the explosion came. A great eruption came from the factory deafening them all. Kittrell, who wasn't quite that drunk demanded to know what was going on. De'ath answered with a sock to the face leaving the poor man unconcious. In desperation they decided the only thing to do would be to proceed with THE PLAN. Dawson and De'ath would return to the party and her driver would take the drunk Kalabos and shocked Shambles back to their rooms. Leaving Kittrell lying alone they set forth.