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Monday, March 19, 1934

Delacy arrives in Les Galdes de Boi while Our Heroes are having breakfast! It turns out he escaped from the American "hubologists" in Marseille, made his way to Belgium, and had in fact been watching Chateau Hougoumont while Our Heroes were there! He had noticed several sets of spies around the Long Bow base. In any case, he set out after the party, and had to walk the last 10 miles, at night, to reach Les Galdes de Boi.

An account of activities in Les Galdes de Boi is given, and the obsidian dagger, cursed silver coins, locked book, and Byzantine dagger (engraved Praeter Sclero Penitentiarius Rexus -- Beyond/After Hard/Hardening of Penance something Royal? The penitentiarius is a Vatican official in charge of the confession process) are examined again. Our heroes still can't open the locked book, and destructive methods seem unlikely to work. Delacy tells us that the original League researchers were here to investigate an old Moorish mosque, said to possess magical texts and mystic treasures other stuff.

That afternoon, Lotta, Davis, Nora and Ivanov take the radio a few miles out of the village, and camp on a high spot. Around 10 p.m., they detect the coded signal again, this time on a bearing back towards the village!

Tuesday, March 20, 1934

The radio team returns to the village about 10 a.m.; everyone except for Victor, Lotta and Fury travels on a rented tractor out to a sawmill. The mill is shut down for the winter, but clearly persons have been using it as a station for making and/or monitoring radio broadcasts -- there is an antenna and a Martian bio-tech generator, and signs that the radio was operated last night. Suddenly, a shot rings out from a hidden sniper -- Davis is wounded in the arm! Everyone dives for cover, and Delacy returns fire with a single shot from his Fury gun.

After a few minutes of no further action, Our Heroes creep about. The sniper was killed by Delacy's shot; he was one of the French army agents. Another agent was with him, but ran off after Delacy's shot. Our Heroes bury the body, take the sniper rifle, and return to the village.

Meanwhile, Lotta and Fury have had a fist-fight with two of the French army agents, in the village, over a slight. When the sawmill group returns, the two French agents are questioned. The agents are quickly persuaded to discuss the details of their operation with Our Heroes, who also go through their gear.

Led by a lieutenant, the team of alpine soldiers also consisted of a sergeant, three privates, and a female agent of the French government. The military members report to the Deuxième Bureau; the female agent, going by the name Garcia, probably reports to la Sûreté Générale or some other secretive agency. Their mission is to capture agents of the Long Bow organization. It's possible, from their equipment and other hints, that their mission is supported by, or linked to, Boulle's allies in the French government.

They have rifles, submachineguns, two strange "perforator" devices (possibly explosive), gas masks and protective suits, tanks of strange "anti-other-world" sterilization gas and sprayers, uniforms, climbing gear, thermite grenades, etc. The sterilization gas proves to be effective on Our Heroes, as well. Some pieces of granite and marble in the French agents' gear are from the ruins nearby.

Our Heroes take a few bits from the French guns, to disable them.

The other French agents don't return to town before nightfall. The villagers are quickly able to inform Our Heroes that yes, indeed, there is a ruined Moorish settlement only a couple of miles from the village -- professors from Universidad de Barcelona came and dug around there a few years ago.

Wednesday, March 21, 1934 -- the Vernal Equinox

Our Heroes borrow the snowplowing tractor once again, and travel towards the Moorish ruins.

On to The Moon Looms!