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Gambon backs away slowly hoping the skeletons stop their advance. As he does so he tries to see what might lie beyond the lawn, if there are any exits out.Gambon discovers some obvious signs of trauma among the skeletons: nicks and puncture marks, mostly around the skull and ribs. As he examines them, the vines woven through the nearest tighten inside the bones and the skeleton lurches to its feet, turning to look at him. Several others do the same.
Gambon runs as fast as he can toward the door, hoping the skeletons' desiccated state leaves them slow to attack.The overgrown skeletons attempt to wrench free of their chains and attack Gambon, but all four of them find the bindings are too strong for them. One manages to pop a link on a single chain, only to have the free end whip round and crush a flower. The entire vine shivers and sways for a moment in distress before it returns to the job of trying to pull free. Gambon can see a door set in the far wall.
Gambon, against his better judgement, slowly edges toward the pit to have a look in.Gambon legs it through the door and finds himself looking at a lawn covered with enormous clockwork parts. Cogs, springs, rods, rockers, and other things that would look more fitting inside a gentleman's pocket watch. It looks like they exploded from underground, there's a collapsed-in pit at the centre of it all. Just past that is a stone tower. There are seven levels, going by the windows. The ground floor has a mill wheel that looks like it seized completely when the stream feeding it dried up.
Gambon tries to keep calm, noticing their servant garb, he backs away from the hole slowly.The pit below Gambon is a good thirty feet across and extends at least fifty down. The walls are dirt, but the bottom is a plug of twisted machine parts similar to the ones he sees embedded in the lawn.
He gradually becomes aware that he's no longer alone here. There's an odd group of figures slowly approaching - a group of men with some of the attributes of animals. One has a weasel-like head and bushy tail. Two of them have fish heads, mouths opening and closing like they're gulping air. And three are upright frogs, with eyes bugging out. They're all dressed in servant's clothes that haven't been washed in a while and carrying packs and bundles. They've seen Gambon and are cautiously coming closer.
Gambon laughs a little to himself. So odd looking yet so personable.Gambon:
"I work for the kernel, yes." says one of the fish men. "And the ear, and the husk. You can do a lot with cornsilk. Except perhaps Primavera Carbonara. I won't make that mistake twice."
"I work for the peas." one of his fellows adds. "Or I would, if I knew where they were."
"I'd like to work in some manna," the third one sighs. "Because then I'd have a tasty snack at hand when I'm weak and weary."
The fish just gape at Gambon. The last one, now revealed to be a ferret, rolls his eyes at the inanities. He looks tired. "No, we don't work for any colonel. I s'pose you could say we're independent. Got a cigarette?"
"The colonel himself and his lady wife, they've asked me to retrieve the little yapper"Gambon: One of the frogs opens its mouth to answer, but the ferret kicks it in the ankle. "Maybe. We see plenty. Who's asking?"
"Listen mate. Froggy there seems to think otherwise. Out with the real reason alright?"Gambon: "We're servants. Servants aren't allowed in the tower. I didn't work my way up from boot boy just to get busted down to scrubbing chamber pots because I got caught in the tower." A frog raises a webbed finger and says "But --" and receives another kick in the ankle from the ferret.
All in all, he's not very convincing.
"A spider? Sounds unpleasant, not one for the creepy crawlies I am, but should be manageable"Gambon: The ferret glances at the fish, who shrug. "Fine. If you must know, I was going to loot the place myself until I spotted a spider as long as your arm scuttling up the brickwork. I don't know if it lives there or if it was just visiting, I didn't poke my head in after it. But you're armed and we're not, so what do you say?" That has the ring of honesty about it.