"The second grave now has a flashlight... and it's blinking at me."  Archi called from the hole.

"I know who is buried there now!"  exclaimed TheMist.  'It's Inspector Gadget!"  This got a good chortle out of those gathered around the hole.

"Oh goodie!  Can I be Penny?" asked Bella as she jumped up and down and clapped her hands together in mock excitement.

"That depends if you have that awesome book of hers."  quipped Rose, with a quirk of a smile playing on her lips.

"Nick is the one with the book." Anastasia said.

Redhat put a finger to his lips in a thoughtful manner.  "I wonder if that is the book that was written about on the tombstone."

TheMist said "Maybe... it kinda goes together bit.  You know... dead guy with a book in his hand, a gravestone with writing about a grave and the person who is reading the latin happens to be the same one who brought in the book.  Could be a coincidence, but I dont think this plot is thick enough for that yet."

"I can't believe that we have 36 chapters and the plot isn't thick enough for coincidences yet."  muttered Kevichella.

"If this one is Penny then I want to be Brain!"  exclaimed Bucknuck, who had somehow come upon their gathering without falling and now had one arm around Bella Pleasance and the other hand held another full pint.

"You are a dog after all!" said Kevichella.

"And you smell, K-Man."  Bucknuck replied.  Everyone laughed and Kevichella muttered under his breath saying something about his turn coming.

By this time Archi down below had snatched up the flashlight and was peering down the tunnel.  "Come on guys... this looks to go on for quite a ways.  Don't make me go by myself."

At this TheMist gestured Bucknuck toward the hole.  "After you.  I insist."  Everyone laughed again, except Bucknuck who just looked bewildered.

"I'll come too, said Kellan (the live one) as he joined in the conversation.  "After Penny and Brain of course."

"And Nick!"  said Archi from down in the hole.  "We want to bring the book with us."

"A tunnel is a creepy place for a dead guy." said TheMist.  "It makes sense as much as anything around here.

Suddenly the Frenchman (who everyone forgot - admit it) spun around on his barstool and then seemingly threw himself into the air and hovered with his body much nearer the ceiling than the floor.  His eyes had gone completely white and his head was twitching from side to side unnaturally as he pointed directly at TheMist and wailed "I'll Swallow your sooooooouuuuuulllll!"

"Protect the book!" exclaimed Sly, who jumped up on the bar in a clatter of beer nuts and launched himself at the levitating frenchman.

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Author Guidance for This Story

The rules; revised :D
There are now two locations, one which is completely malleable,

The Protagonize Pub,

and another which must remain a fifties style tavern,

The Lazy Sleuth.

Authors Present, in order of appearance;

Sly (Himself/O'Shea)
LiveBreathFootball (Kellan)
TheRiverTalker (McKenzie)
ReadheadRose (Rose/Big Readhead)
Archi_Teuthis (Archi)
Kevichella (Himself)
RockLobster (Gemma)
TheMist (Himself)
Bucknuck (Himself)
Eloosive (Marc & Joe)
Tasha_Noble (Bella Pleasance, Rob, Clare)
AnastasiaJ (Anastasia)
Tip_A_Steinback (Forrest/moonlit man)
Redhat (Himself)
Olius_Brightwell (Himself/Newcomer)
Moonwalker (Herself)
JackRubashevskiy (Konstantine/barmaid :p)
Cassandra (Herself)
Seldom (narrated only)
Tomu86 (Himself?)
CWithey (Himself)

updated Oct 26, 2008 by Sly