After cleaning up from their encounter with the billowing cloud of chalk, the expedition has reassembled and explored a little further past the landing leading into the chalk tunnels. As before, Doctor Pike sits in the rear of the skiff, poling them along, while Amelia takes point in the bow with her weapon. So far, they've traveled nearly as far as the distance between Pike's landing and the chalk one without spotting anything unusual.

"You know, this is rather a dull trip, really," Zahnrad remarks and yawns. "We haven't seen any cool machines or anything. Just a pile of dead stuff."

"Jus' dead stuff? Dat' no exciting? Boy, vou odd," Djivan remarks from where he sits, then rolls his eyes. "Squvirrels."

Olivia seems to have relaxed a bit more now that no one's throwing anything at her. "Well, this will be a trip that I won't soon forget," she mutters. "Not every day I get a dead Lapi tossed at me… "

"It was just a rabbit, not an actual Lapi," Amelia notes, peering ahead.

"Yeah, a dead Lapi would have made a huge bang," Zahnrad notes. "Would have been more interesting, too."

Olivia nods, but shivers. "Still scared me out of my wits, at any rate."

Amelia stands up and turns around to face Zahn. "More interesting? More interesting? Of all the – " The Kadie's tirade is cut short, though, when a large stone lever jutting from the wall conks her on the side of the head.

Pike quickly brings the boat to a stop, saying, "Oh my!"

"Yes, more … ack!" Zahnrad starts to say, then lurches forward to steady Amelia so she doesn't fall into the water.

"Bloody bonking sticks o' doom," Djivan mutters and grabs the edges of the boat.

Olivia makes sure that Amelia is okay, then peers toward the lever, trying to get a better look at it. "What's that for?" she muses aloud.

Amy rubs the side of her head and scowls at the lever. It would have missed her if she hadn't been standing up, since the lever seems to be in the 'up' position itself. A few feet ahead of the boat, the walls close in slightly to form a gateway, with grooved sides. A wall can be made out dimly some ways beyond it.

Olivia looks to Zahn. "Guess we need to open the gate to go forward. Want help trying to move the lever?"

"Huh. Try pulling the lever," Zahnrad suggests, rubbing his jaw slightly. "I wonder if it's for a portcullis, or maybe some defenses." He then nods to Olivia.

"Or a trap," Amelia warns, looking around the walls and ceiling for suspicious holes or seams.

"I doubt it. I actually bet it's to seal off this section of the waterway from the outer world," Zahnrad notes. "Putting a trap here, with a lever like that, would be silly."

Amy's search doesn't uncover anything suspicious. "Should we look past the gateway first?" she asks.

Olivia scoots toward Amy and Zahn very carefully while they talk, getting into position to help pull the stone lever, if need be. The boat rocks gently as she progresses.

"Vell, it migh' be better to know now vhat it does," Djivan suggests, "'Cause we migh' need to know later, in a hurry. Like, if somthin' is chasing us."

"If that lever does seal off the canal, it would be handy, true," Pike agrees.

"Right, it would. If you prefer, I can pull it. I'm used to machines whacking me back… " Zahnrad offers.

"Be careful, Zahn," Amy urges, figuring that if there was a dangerous, reckless way to pull a lever, Zahnrad would use it.

"Hey, you mean I moved all this way without flipping us over for nothing?" Olivia says in tones of mock-dismay.

Zahnrad pops his knuckles, gets up, and just tries to pull the lever. Simple, direct, and hopefully not life threatening.

The lever doesn't budge one bit. "Try jiggling it back and forth," Dr. Pike offers. "Sometimes that works when my drawers get stuck."

Zahnrad leans up a bit more, trying to see where it goes into the wall and looks for calcification.

Like the tunnel itself, the stone of the lever is almost impossibly smooth, and there doesn't seem to be anything in the slit that would block the mechanism.

"Hm. No mineralization," Zahnrad muses. So, he does what was suggested, he tries to wiggle the lever a bit to see if it loosens any. "Maybe the lever whacking Amelia's head broke it… "

"It wasn't that hard of a whack," Amelia claims. The lever doesn't move at all back and forth, though. "Maybe you just need more weight to pull it down?" Pike suggests next.

Zahnrad hehs, and gets a firm grip on the lever … then just tries to do a pull up on it.

Olivia looks to Zahn again. "I'm here to help, you know, if the chin-ups on the lever don't work."

After Zahn's feet leave the boat, Amy says to Olivia, "Want me to boost you up?"

"Move, you stupid lever!" Zahnrad growls … and bounces a bit while he hangs from the lever.

Olivia grins at the Kadie girl. "Please do. Being a bit more plump than Zahn, I might actually be able to move the thing if I hang on it!"

Djivan, meanwhile, is covering his muzzle and laughing silently.

Amy helps Olivia up to where she can grab onto the lever. "This would look more amusing if you were otters I think," she comments.

"Pull on my tail," Zahnrad tells Amelia.

Olivia ughs at the mention of otters, but grips the lever and pulls with all she's got.

Just as Amy grabs onto Zahn's tail, the lever begins to sink. Just a little at first, but then it suddenly thunks down into its lower position… then shoots back up again, tossing Olivia off onto Djivan and Zahn… well, with his tail held, he just moves in an arch right into the stinky water ahead of the boat.

Olivia yeeeeks! as she goes down on top of Djivan, the boat swaying madly.

Djivan catches Olivia and oofs loudly. He rocks backward, but at least the two don't go into the water. "Hey cool, do dat again! Mouse toss!" he says.

Amy lets go of Zahn's tail to grab the sides of the boat to keep from going over herself, and Pike lets out an alarmed squeak.

Zahnrad, meanwhile arcs nicely. He has this moment of seeing the water coming and he says, oddly calmly, "Aw, crap." Then there's this nice splashing sound as he promptly goes under water. One might think he's had similar happen before.

Zahnrad sits up a moment later and spits out some water, his head sticking out. "Blargh," he says and gets up to his feet. "Shades of prototype number three," he grouses.

Olivia swivels her head to give the gypsy a glare. "I would prefer not, thanks!" Then she peers over the side of the boat where Zahn disappeared. "You okay?!" she calls anxiously.

Turning around to face forward again, Amy suggests to Zahn, "Maybe the lever can't be pulled down."

"Nonsense. You don't put in a lever that does nothing. Well, unless you're a Titanian," Zahnrad remarks. He slogs his way over to the boat and tries to climb back in. Swamp-water-wet squirrel. Now there's a fun smell.

Amy scoots to give Zahn as much room as possible, and covers her nose.

Zahnrad glances once at Amelia, then remarks, "I'm hurt." Still, he doesn't look offended really. He just sits down and squeezes out his tail. Over the side, of course.

Scrabbling around in a most undignified way, Olivia manages to sit down again on one of the wooden plank seats. "Ummm… well, I would suggest pushing it up if it didn't look like it had been that way to begin with," she comments. "Do we try holding it in between the two positions, then? Or is there another lever you have to pull at the same time as this one?"

"Whatever mechanism that lever connects to may have broken long ago," Pike reasons, once the boat is steady.

"We may as well move on. Perhaps we can find the machine it goes to," Zahnrad notes, then promptly starts whacking on the side of his own head to dislodge some water from his ears.

"Good enough for me," Olivia says, watching with a pained expression as Zahn whacks his own head.

Pike dips the pole back into the water, and pushes the boat forward through the gate.

"Gon' take you a month to wash out dat smell," Djivan tells Zahnrad. "Phew. Good t'ing Kadies live alone, no?"

The skiff passes through the gate without incident, but Pike soon brings it to a stop again… or tries too, nearly falling overboard as the pole sinks farther than expected. The room beyond the gate is cylindrical, about twelve feet in diameter and topped with a dome. Another lever, also in the up position, juts from one of the walls.

There are no other exits or entrances visible.

Zahnrad rubs his chin. "I wonder, if it weren't for that dock, I would have thought these were pumping pipes and perhaps this is a large boiler room. The dome would allow for pressure distribution without force points due to corners," he muses. He then makes a face and says, "My hand stinks. Ew."

After regaining her balance, Pike carefully lowers the pole into the water. The six foot length is swallowed up, until the Eeee is just holding the very end of it. "It's deep here," she reports. "Really deep."

"Want me to swim to the bottom? I already stink," Zahnrad offers.

"It's de room o' doom," Djivan says ominously. "Dum-da-dum-dum."

Olivia points to the second lever and says, "Hey, there's a second lever after all! But it still won't be much good to us if the original mechanism is broken, like Dr. Pike says."

Amelia's tail twitches frantically at the suggestion. "I'd rather you didn't take that risk, Zahn," she manages to say with forced calm.

"All right," Zahnrad agrees and shrugs. "What we need, then, is a sounding line."

"What does the sound of a line have to do with anything?" Amelia asks.

Zahnrad rummages around in his pack, humming. "Aha, I did remember," he says and pulls out a coil of rope. "It's not as good as my measuring line, but it'll do. And when you're measuring depth of water, it's called sounding. It's done with poles or a weighted line." He ties a small hammer from his pack to the end.

Djivan looks over at the other lever. "Well, are ya gon' try t' pull dat one too? I like the launching mouse game," he notes, grinning mischievously.

"Why not just call it measuring then?" Amelia asks, looking exasperated. "I don't see why people have to go making up new words for the same thing… "

"Where's the fun in that?" Zahnrad asks without looking up. He then lowers the hammer over the side of the boat. Bloop!

The end of the rope is reached before the hammer touches anything.

Olivia sighs at the gypsy's comment. "You wouldn't like it too well if I knocked us both overboard, now would you?" she asks. "Especially considering how deep it is in this place!"

"Wow, really deep," Zahnrad notes, "Deeper than my rope goes." He reels it back in slowly. "I wonder … maybe the levers act like a giant indoor toilet that flushes. I've read about those."

Olivia hooboys. "If that's the case, then perhaps pulling them s'more isn't a good idea. Who knows where we'd end up!"

"Eh, flushes?" Amy asks. Pike looks thoughtful though. "You may be on to something there, Zahn. It could be a boat elevator."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. I think it may be a lock, for lowering ships to another level," Zahnrad replies. "I do work at a dam, I know the concept, certainly."

Zahn then looks to Amelia and says, "Think whirlpool. Flushes. Water goes down a hole."

"Like a drain you mean?" Amy asks.

"That activates when you pull a lever," Zahnrad says.

Olivia doesn't look too happy about the prospect of being tossed either higher or lower while in a tiny boat, but she bravely asks, "So one lever might send us up and the other one down?"

"Shall we find out?" Zahnrad asks. Djivan grimaces and says, "Is dat a good idea?"

"But the levers don't work," Amelia says, and reaches over to grab the lever in the wall. "See?" she says, then pulls the lever down. There is a thunk from the canal behind them as the first lever goes down as well, then a rumble as a heavy door slides down to seal off the gateway.

"Famous last works," Zahnrad says, his eyes narrowing. "Well, I guess we're either going down, going to die, or both."

"Does not'ing ever scare you?" Djivan asks Zahnrad. "I mean, you no' scared by anyt'ing down here."

Olivia grips onto one side of the boat and suggests, "Ack, everyone hang on?"

"What?" Amelia says in alarm, and tries to push the lever back up. But the water level is already dropping rapidly.

Zahn says, "One, I live with an insane brother. Two, I've been in uncountable machine accidents. So, not really." He shrugs, then looks over the side. "There's probably another lever at the bottom to fill it back up.

Soon, the ceiling and gateway are lost beyond the light of the groups' lamps. It takes several minutes for the water level to drop down to where another gate and lever (this one in the down position) become visible. When the water stops draining, the gate door rises up to reveal another canal.

"This place is pretty neat," Zahnrad notes. "It was worth the dunk. Shall we keep going?"

"I suppose we can," Pike says. "The mechanism worked once, so we should be able to rise back up later."

Olivia transfers her grip from the boat to Djivan, still trembling a little from the sudden drop. "Well, s-since we've come this far… "

"We hope. If not, I'm sure I can fix it," Zahnrad says confidently. "Never met a machine I couldn't fix. Well, except for … eh, never mind that."

Djivan hugs onto Olivia and says, "Well, not'ing really bad happened yet, no?" He then reminds her, "Well, 'cept for that dead bunny t'ing. But, er, yeah, let's keep goin'."

"I'm not touching any more levers though," Amelia announces, as the boat is poled into the canal. After just a few dozen feet though, it opens into another circular chamber, this one with canals going off at right angles as well as forward, each with a gruesome figurehead carved into the archways above them.

Zahnrad peers up at the figures, and looks for a figure above the door they came in a s well. "We should scratch X'es on the passages we go down and come from, so we can find our way out," he suggests.

Above the arch they entered through is the familiar gargoyle they saw in their own canal. The others, going clockwise, are a two-headed Skeek, a saber-toothed rabbit, and a ridged-back, toothy frog.

"Yep, they use the ugly statue marker method of travel. Which one? Shall we flip … something? for it?" Zahnrad asks.

"I wonder if dese passages are still used by anyone," Djivan muses. "Haven' seen any marks of use."

"Perhaps it would be easier to always turn in the same direction," Pike suggests. "That way, we can't get lost."

Olivia closes her eyes, waves one hand in the air for a few seconds until it comes to a stop on the canal marked by the two-headed Skeek. "Um, that one?" she asks, after opening her eyes again. "Or, uh, what Dr. Pike said. I was just trying to make a quick decision."

"Always take the rightmost passage, then?" Zahnrad suggests. "They it's always a left coming out."

"The frog monster is to the right," Amy notes. "It seems the least… uh… ominous."

"Unless we swim into the lair of the Frog Prince you beat up and he wants revenge," Zahnrad points out.

"I'm better armed now," Amelia says, as Pike turns the boat and starts down the Toothy Frog Canal. The air here is much warmer and humid than above, and the water seems less murky.

"Then I guess Amy would just have to beat him up again," Olivia says to Zahn with a small smile.

"I bet we find froggy," Zahnrad says as they head down the passage.

"What dis frog thing vou all talkin' about?" Djivan asks. "Is it a big deal dat someone beat up a frog? I coul' beat up a frog."

Olivia ohs! and gives Djivan an abbreviated version of the events that transpired at the Frog Festival, just so he knows what everyone is talking about.

"An once again, I haf to say, vou all t'ink we weird?" Djivan asks, then shakes his head.

The canal goes on in a straight line for some distance, the walls blank save for the occasional carved frog-thing. The sound of actual flowing water can be heard now though, coming from up ahead.

"Say, Dr. Pike … can you hear a waterfall ahead, perhaps?" Zahnrad asks. He leans forward too and listens, trying to compare the sound to water at the dam."

"Yes, but it's echoing too," Pike reports. "I suspect a large chamber, but the canal water itself isn't flowing."

"Yet," Zahnrad notes.

In the distance, a speck of light can be seen, growing larger as the boat moves closer.

"Ohhh, de light, how delightful," Djivan croons. Zahnrad just gives him an odd look and tells Olivia, "I think you broke him."

Olivia gives Amelia a wink first to clue her into the joke, then says, "No, I think the sudden water-drop broke him."

Amy smirks briefly, then turns her attention back towards the growing light. "It's another archway, I'm sure," she reports.

"Just like vou were sure the levers didn't vork?" Djivan asks Amelia.

Zahnrad immediately stifles a laugh and tries to mask it by coughing.

The Kadie just hmphs in reply. Soon enough, her speculation is vindicated, as a brightly lit archway comes into view. Passing through it, the group finds their boat in a small circular pool with several boat moorings, but that isn't quite as surprising as the rest of the place…

Underground Grotto
This natural cavern is huge, easily one hundred feet across and just as high. Large deposits of glowing rainbow crystal in the walls and ceiling provide light, as well as a general fairy-land aura. A hot spring bubbles forth from midway up the farther wall, the water cascading down in a series of small waterfalls to a central pool at the bottom of the chamber. Colorful, exotic mineral formations provide the illusion of plants of flowers, giving the entire room a garden-like air. Mists cling to the shallower areas, and hover over the central pond.

From the boat landing pool, which is elevated above the floor of the cavern, two stone ramps extend out to circle the grotto. Smaller, door-like archways are dotted along them.

"Oh vov," Djivan says in awe and stares out into the room. "Liliana vould love dis place." Zahnrad just rather stares too, then comments, "Aw, man, no machines."

"What about… the beauty of it, though?" Amelia asks Zahn in a hushed voice. Pike is already securing the boat to one of the mooring points.

Olivia's eyes get wide and round. "Neat!" she exclaims. "If we don't have to run for our lives outta here, I'd love a few minutes to sketch this place before we leave!"

"I … " Zahnrad says, as apparently he hadn't looked or thought of it in that way. His fur's dried out a bit now. So now he's a stinky, matted, mess.

Dr. Pike steps ashore, and stretches out her wings a few times. "I don't hear anything but us and the water," she says. "The water looks a bit high in mineral content, but should be drinkable."

"Do we need to drink it? Though, come to think of it, I could take a short bath," Zahnrad notes as he climbs out of the boat slowly. He offers his hand to Amelia.

Olivia pulls her overstuffed pack out from under the boat plank she was sitting on and hops out, as well, looking all around, trying to take everything in.

Surprised by the offered hand, Amelia hesitates a moment before taking it and stepping out onto the stone. She keeps hold of her weapon in her other hand though, somewhat spoiling the image of femininity.

Djivan gets out last and stretches. He peers around, then comments, "I vonder if any of it be valuable."

"Oh, some of these mineral formations would probably be worth a pretty shekel to an art collector," Pike says, then taps her chin. "Or a mineralogist. I should collect some samples. Why, if nothing else, I'm sure they can be used for paint pigments."

"Not sure if I can find much useful to me," Zahnrad remarks as he lets go of Amelia's hand and looks around the room more. "But, nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Olivia quirks an eyebrow at the gypsy. "So I think you'd have to take a lot of the crystals for them to be of any value," she adds. "Might be a bit hard to carry!"

"Let us know if there are biting frogs in the pond," Amelia says to Zahn. "And try not to get flushed… that water must be draining out somewhere."

"Difficulty doesn' stop me! Unless it be de name of an angry paren' with a big pan," Djivan says confidently and strides off a bit to examine some crystals. Zahnrad goes off to the pond. Apparently bathing is still on his mind, frogs or no.

Olivia just shakes her head at Djivan and rummages in the front pocket of her pack for her sketchpad and colored pencils. Then she plops down on the ground and starts drawing some of the more interesting crystal formations.

Amelia follows one of the ramps to the first archway. "There's a closed door here, and… a number I think?" she reports. "The handle has… little triggers in it?"

Zahnrad starts easing into the water…

Pike joins Amelia and looks over the door. "I do believe it's… an apartment. The buttons in the door handle must be some sort of combination lock," the Eeee notes.

"Hot spring," Zahnrad notes and starts to wade out into the water, going deeper slowly to acclimate. "Did someone say combination?"

"We think so," Amy calls down to Zahn. "How's the water?"

"Huh," Zahnrad muses. "It's warm and there is something in here." He then starts bouncing a bit in the water … looking rather silly, really.

"What are you doing?" Amy calls down.

"Trying to grab something! And I did!" Zahn says and slowly brings his foot up so he can grab it with his hand.

"What is it?" Amy calls, with Dr. Pike looking down now as well.

One of Olivia's ears twitches. She glances up from her pad to see what all the fuss is about…

Zahnrad pulls it up and stares at it. "Er, Are you sure you want to know what it is?" he calls out plaintively. He keeps his hands over something roundish.

Amy and Pike share a glance at each other, then turn back towards the pool and say, "Yes," in unison.

"It's a skull. A Skeek skull. With two holes in the back," Zahnrad says flatly. He uncovers it again and examines the holes now, looking at the shape and position.

"Does it look… er… recent?" Pike asks, placing a hand to her thin chest. Her glasses are steaming up already as well.

"It's crusted, so it's probably not recent," Zahnrad notes. He wades over and sets it near the pool edge. "Heh, maybe this was a communal stew pot." He steps out and asks, "Want me to try and spring the lock you said you found?"

Olivia shudders at this gruesome idea but finally puts her sketchbook away and goes over to join the others.

Pike glides down, and Amelia hurries down the ramp. The Eeee kneels down to poke a finger through one of the holes in the back of the skull.

"Or … I guess the skull is more interesting," Zahnrad remarks and steps back.

Olivia glances at Amy, since she's the one with knowledge of weapons. "What do you think made the holes, Amy?" she asks. "Can you tell by the size and placement?"

After wiping off her glasses, Pike unrolls a set of tools from one of her pockets, and selects a hooked-tipped pick. "I'll try to remove some of the deposits," the Eeee says.

Zahnrad, meanwhile, goes up to the door they were standing near and kneels down to examine the handle.

Amelia looks at the holes for a bit, then turns to Olivia. "The entry doesn't look right for a weapon, and the holes are nearly identical, so had to have been made at the same time. The force needed… uh," the Kadie says, then switches to a low whisper. "I think it's a bite wound. From something that could get it's mouth around the whole head."

Djivan finally wanders over from where he was ogling some crystals. "So, someone got ahead, eh?" he asks and kneels down to examine as well.

Pike snatches up the skull before Djivan can do much more than get a look at it. "Perhaps you should help Zahnrad pick that door lock?" she suggests to the Skreek.

"Vhat?" Djivan asks, looking annoyed.

Olivia unconsciously moves a hand to the back of her own head and winces. "Ouch. That's quite a bite," she whispers back. "So, um… I guess we watch our back while we're in here, too? Good thing I made my sketches now… looks like we're going to have to beat another hasty retreat in the near future!"

"I don't think she wants anyone to mess up the skull," Amelia says to Djivan, while Pike begins cleaning it with her pick. The Kadie looks back towards the ramp, and the wet Zahnrad. "Don't try anything dangerous Zahn! And don't open the door until I get there!" she calls.

"I'll be fine," Zahnrad remarks absently as he's currently quite focused on the handle. He leans in close, looking for dust or signs of recent usage. He also looks for which 'keys' are the most worn.

The handle of the door is unusual. Shaped like a 'U', it connects to a circular plate in the door, which appears free to turn. Inside the handle are five switches, all along in the inner grip.

The stone has the same polished look as the canal walls, showing no signs of aging or wear.

"Hah, I'm not putting my hand in that. It would probably cut if off if I messed up," Zahnrad remarks and rummages in his bag for a few chitin peg picks to use to push switches. Carefully, he reaches in with one and pokes it.

The switch depresses with a click. Nothing else happens, other than Amelia arriving and putting her hand on Zahn's shoulder.

Zahnrad looks over his shoulder. "What?" he asks.

Djivan glances over at Olivia. "Vell, I don' see any danger here, so, vant to keep drawing? I'll be lookout." he asks.

Amelia blinks, and says, "Nothing. Just letting you know I'm here."

"I-I guess so," Olivia muses uncertainly, reaching for her pad again. "Just shout if you see anything menacing with big teeth and a wide mouth, okay?"

"Oh, I'll scream quite loudly, don't vorry," Djivan says with a big grin.

"Ah, okay. Well, don't make any noise for a bit. I need to listen," Zahnrad says and leans in, placing an ear to the door and listening. slowly, he goes along, pressing each switch and listening for a louder than normal click or thump.

"Heh! I'm sure you will," the Skeek replies, then goes back to sketching, leaving the others to work on the combination lock – which is not her strong suit, anyway.

Each switch in turn makes a clicking sound… but they all make the same sound, as far as Zahn can tell.

"What I wouldn't give for bat ears right now," Zahnrad grumbles. He sits back and examines the edge of the handle, then, looking for a place he may be able to pry from. "Maybe we should just try knocking."

And after a few minutes, Olivia feels something pinch her rump. Followed by a whistle from Djivan … who is promptly looking elsewhere.

Amy leans over Zahn and knocks at the center of the door. Instead of dull thud, however, the rap producing a chiming sound. This causes Amy to jump back and nearly fall over the edge of the walkway.

Zahnrad falls backward onto his butt! "I was kidding," he says and scrambles to his feet.

Panting, Amelia leans on her halberd until she's calmed down. "I don't like these doors. Maybe we should just look for one that's already opened?" she says.

"That's no fun," Zahnrad remarks and shakes his head. He goes and knocks on the door now. "This is rather cool. I want one."

Apparently, only knocking at the center of the door produces the chime. Anyplace else results in just a dull thud.

"Helloooo? Anyone hoooome?" Zahnrad shouts as he leans close to the door.

Olivia's ear twitches again. "Any luck?" she calls to the others.

Nobody answers Zahn's call. From the side of the pond, Pike holds up the partially cleaned skull. "I think I've found something. Which is to say I've found nothing. Or rather, that I haven't found what I was looking for, which is very telling… "

"No, it vasn't," Djivan calls over to the Eeee. "Vou never tol' us vhat vou were looking for. Or vhy it is telling is no' dere. So, spill it, flappers. Vhat have vou figured out?"

"What? Oh, of course," Pike says, setting the skull down in her lap while she readjusts her glasses. "I haven't found any gouges or scratches to suggest the flesh was pulled or cut off of the bone. So, while I agree that the cause of death was quite likely due to a large pair of fangs penetrating the skull, there is no evidence to suggest that the body was then eaten. It was just killed, then tossed into the pool, I think."

"Oh. Vell, dat much better … " Djivan says as if everything was all better now. "Vou crazy, dat coul' mean dat perhaps giant vampire just bit it, drained it, and threw it away!" He rolls his eyes.

Zahnrad's attention has gone back to the door, the skull apparently not worrying him. He promptly kicks it. "When you're done with the skull, I could use you up here. I need your ears," Zahnrad remarks.

"Fantastic," Olivia mutters, coloring in a few lines without looking up. "So we have something around here that just likes to kill for fun. Or it could be self-defense, but I dunno… "

"Well, I suppose if the fangs where hollow, it might possible to have sucked the victim's brains out… but then they'd need to be very, very strong to have penetrated like this," Pike says, before looking up towards the walkway. "Oh, I'll be right up," he Eee notes, and sets the skull down next to Olivia before flying up.

Djivan snatches up the skull. He stares at it. "vhy don' you just tell us what happened?" he tells the skull. Then, in a singsong voice, he says, (while wiggling the skull), "Why, mister handsome guy, I'd rather leave vou in suspense and mystery, is more fun!"

"Great," Zahnrad remarks and kneels back down and explains. "I need you to listen to the door while I trip switches. I need to know if any sound differently when they depress. I couldn't hear any tumblers."

"Oh, of course," Pike says, and presses one ear up against the door near the handle-plate.

Zahnrad uses the picks again to carefully depress each switch.

Djivan wiggles it at Olivia. "Naw, he too cute to be upset at holdin' my head," he says in the same singsong voice.

Olivia puts her pad down firmly and takes the skull from Djivan. "Careful there, don't you have any respect for the dead?" she asks. Then she looks the skull over and muses, "Yanno, I've never studied anatomy before and this is a Skeek's skull… " She puts the thing back down next to some scattered crystals and starts drawing it, holes and all. "Might be useful to know for sketching figures. And anyway, it could give Dr. Pike a reference later, if she needs one."
The Eeee listens to the clicks, then shakes her head. "They all sound the same. Maybe you need to depress multiple keys at once?"

"Hmm, maybe," Zahnrad muses and puts some of the picks together. He depresses two at a time. Then three at a time. "Anything at all?"

"Something, maybe," Pike says. "Try the first and third keys together."

Zahnrad nods and splits the pick set so he can press those two. "Contact," he mutters, then presses them.

"That sounds different. Hold them down and try the fourth key now," Pike suggests.

Olivia sighs and continues drawing – although she's wearing a small smile. "He's not too cute to whack if he doesn't keep you still so I can get all the details in," she replies.

"Someone should market this as a game… " Zahnrad mutters and holds two of the picks in one hand to keep the keys depressed. He then takes his free hand and presses the fourth with the remaining pick.

Djivan sniffles loudly. "She so mean to me," he says.

Olivia pokes the gypsy, then completes the drawing. "Well, maybe part of the time," she says mischievously.

Djivan sniffs again. "See? Mean," he mutters and mock-grumps. His attention returns to the room, looking around with curiosity.

With the three keys depressed, there is an audible 'click' from the handle and the circular base releases, so that the handle can now be twisted around. "Keep those depressed and try rotating it clockwise," Pike suggests.

"Ah, Amy? Can you reach in here and turn it? I can't move my hands without releasing the switches at the moment. Try and use your staff if you can, in case it's trapped," Zahnrad asks and glances back.

"There isn't room," Amy says. "Wouldn't the trap have been sprung by now?"

"Fine," Zahn grumbles. He gives up and just tries to shift the picks all to one hand, then use the free one to turn it.

The handle clicks as it is turned. After the fifth click, Pike raises a hand in a 'halt' gesture. "There, now turn it back the other way."

Zahnrad halts, then rotates it the other way. "This is overly complicated," he grumbles. He then grins, adding, "I love it."

Twelve clicks go past, and then Pike signals another stop and reverse. This goes on for several more tries, until Pike holds up her hand and keeps it up. "That sounded different. Can you push or pull the handle?"

Zahnrad tries pushing the handle first. "Let's see," he says.

The handle sinks into the door nearly an inch, and then the entire thing starts sliding open to the left, causing Pike to scramble back from it on the seat of her pants.

Zahnrad pulls his hands and tools back fast too. "Woah!" he remarks and stands up slowly (but not nearly as startled as Pike). "We have door! Er, open door! Er, I hope this wasn't say, a prison cell."

Amelia steps forward, the spear-blade her weapon poking ahead into the darkness beyond the door. The light spilling into the opening shows the familiar smooth walls, and a five-sided disk attached to one at about the same height as the door handle was.

Zahnrad leans his head in and peers around too. He blinks a few times, trying to adjust his eyes to the darker room. "Well, no doom yet," he says.

Reaching for the disk, Amy stops herself short, remembering the lever incident. "Err, that looks like it does something," she says instead.

"I imagine it closes the door," Zahnrad notes.

"I'll go bring the lamps from the boat," Pike offers, and hurries down the walkway towards the landing dock.

Zahnrad leans back and looks to Amelia. He then kneels down and looks at the floor. Namely, for dust, inside the door.

The floor is covered with a thin layer of dust, but not as much as one might expect for a room that's been unused for several years.

"Well, the floor is dusty. So it hasn't been used too recently, but … that has to be a good seal or there ought to be more than this, hmm," Zahnrad says and looks up at Amelia.

Nose twitching, Amy just stares into the room… then notices Zahn. "What?"

"Do you see something? I was just saying the floor is dusty so it's not been used recently, but … it's not enough to have been years. Very odd," Zahn repeats.

"It's just so still, even with the door opened," Amelia says. "Like a tomb."

Pike returns, with two of the crystal lanterns. "Here we go!" she says, and shines one into the opening. "Oh… will you look at THAT!"