Chapter 2: Welcome To Höllenfeur
"Oh, what was your name in the States? Was it Thompson or Johnson or Bates? Did you happen to draw on your mother-in-law? Or sink the old lady with weights?"
Doctor Edward Bright tried his best to ignore the singing of the red-haired saloon girl.
"So, what brings a city slicker like you out here in Deseret?" one of the patrons asked.
"For the last time, this is Utah. Deseret died with Bringham Young." Bright snapped.
"You didn't answer my question."
Bright sighed.
"I'm a distinguished scientist and a professor of geology at Miskatonic University back East. I'm here to investigate some new wondrous mineral called 'ghost rock'. Care to tell me more about it?"
At that moment, a white man with a long beard and brown hair walked over to Bright.
"How do you do, compadre?"
"Fine. Who are you?"
"Name's Ben Slattery, Miskatonic University. I'm with the Thaumaturgy Department, and I'm here to check out this 'ghost rock' too."
Bright groaned.
"Can we at least see a sample of this 'ghost rock'?" he asked.
An unwashed miner shot his hand beneath his table and produced a good-sized chunk of the mineral in question.
"What the devil?" Slattery and Bright asked in unison.
Before the duo's eyes was a fist-sized mass of a purplish glowing rock.
"That's ghost rock." the miner whispered.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Yes, Edward Bright and Ben Slattery are the ancestors of Derek Bright and Jonathan M. "Liquidator" Slattery. Also, 'ghost rock' is energon. And finally, the song that the saloon girl sings is an actual folk song from the Old West.