Note: The explorers are in the alternate reality (A R) London, the alternate reality explorers are in the real London.

Chapter Four



LONDON

Roxton turns and faces Tribune.

ROXTON: What expedition was he talking about?

TRIBUNE: Challanger's expedition...

ROXTON: How do we get back to our London?

Tribune shrugs obviously amused by the situation, Roxton puts the gun to Tribune's head.

ROXTON: Take a guess.

Marguerite starts to walk away.

ROXTON: (To Marguerite) where the hell do you think you're going?

MARGUERITE: To find Mr Malone and Professor Challanger, someone should warn them of what's going on.

ROXTON: We should all stay together until we get out of her.

She stops and faces him.

MARGUERITE: I don't want to go back to my old life.

ROXTON: You don't have a choice.

* * * * * *

Malone walks into his house and looks around, he walks to the bottom of the staircase.

MALONE: (Shouts) Gladys!

A few seconds later a man, Tarp Henry walks down the stairs, he looks at Malone in surprise.

TARP: Malone! When did you get back? Where's Professor Challanger? Was he telling the truth?

MALONE: Who are you? What are you doing in my house?

TARP: Did you bump you're head on that expedition, It's Tarp, remember?

MALONE: What expedition?

TARP: What expedition? Are you out of you're mind...Or do you honestly have no idea who I am?

MALONE: I can honmestly say I've never seen you before tonight.

* * * * * *

Marguerite walks towards Roxton.

MARGUERITE: And how exactly do you intend to stop me? Are you going to shoot me?

ROXTON: Don't tempt me.

The man from earlier runs back towards them, he points excitedly at them. A tall, efficient looking man walks towards them.

MAN: I told you, didn't I? I said they were back!

The taller man nods, he extends an arm and shakes Roxton's hand.

SIMON: The names Simon Cunningham.

ROXTON: Am I supposed to know you?

SIMON: Not at all, I've been continuing some of Professor Challanger's work at the Zoological Society, we've all been waiting for you to return from the expedition...They'll be a conference tomorrow of course announcing everyone's return.

ROXTON: From the Challanger Expedition?

SIMON: Of course unless you've been on another expedition we should know about.

He turns to Marguerite.

SIMON: And you must be Miss Krux.

MARGUERITE: When will the conference be?

SIMON: Noon tomorrow...

He looks past them at Tribune who's hidden in the shadows.

SIMON: Whose your shy friend?

ROXTON: Just someone we picked up along the way.

SIMON: And where is the rest of the group? Challanger, Mr Malone and Professor Summerlee?

MARGUERITE: Summerlee...

TRIBUNE: Regretably he disapeared.

SIMON: That;s very distressing news, what happened?

TRIBUNE:You should all talk about it tomorrow, at the conference.

SIMON: Of course...You will be taken to a hotlel tonight and escorted to the Society tomorrow.

He starts to walk away.

ROXTON: This is going to be very interesting, I could have a lot of fun in this place.

MARGUERITE: They think you're someone else.

ROXTON: And that someone else isn't here, I have control of his life and no one can stop me.

He walks after Simon and the man, Tribune stands by Marguerite.

TRIBUNE: I think I prefered the homourable Roxton.

The man walks back towards them, he looks at Tribune and his eyes widen in terror.

MAN: Monster!

TRIBUNE: Says the man wearing rags and stinks of a T-Rex.

MARGUERITE: (To man) stop shouting you'll draw attention to yourself.

MAN: Help! Mr Cunningham come back!

Tribune walks over to him and grabs the man by the neck, he hisses in his face.

TRIBUNE: In my world man is my slave, when they disobey me I don't kill them I eat them...

The man gulps.

TRIBUNE: I'm feeling hungry at the moment, Would you like to know what it feels like to be grilled homosapien?

The man shakes his head and croaks out a no.

TRIBUNE: Then keep absolutley silent, understand?

The man nods his head and Tribune lets him go, the man stumbles away.

MARGUERITE: You would've ate him?

TRIBUNE: Not him, too stringy for my taste...He'd probably have given me indegestion.

Marguerite looks at him disgusted.

MARGUERITE: I knew I should've stayed home today.

* * * * * *

Challanger raises the door key to the lock when a cough distracts him, he turns round to face Simon.

CHALLANGER: Can I help you?

SIMON: Professor Challanger it is an honour to meet you.

CHALLANGER: I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage.

SIMON: Simon Cunningham, I've just had the pleasure of meeting you're collegues, I told them there'd be a conference tomorrow at noon to talk about you're expedition. They'll be a lot of people who'll want to know about you're latest discoveries.

CHALLANGER: But...

SIMON: But you've had a long trip you'll be tired, I'll meet you tomorrow at noon outside the Zoological Society.

Before Challanger can reply Simon has all ready started off down the street.

* * * * * *

The next day Challanger, Malone, Roxton and Marguerite are standing outside the Society patiently waiting for Simon to arrive.

MALONE: I can't believe Gladys married someone else!

MARGUERITE: She's not the Gladys that you know.

MALONE: I know that but, what did the Malone of this London do to drive her off?

CHALLANGER: I'd like some time to find out more about this London, I hope I have the chance to find out more about this expedition.

MALONE: So what do we say to the reporters? Do we just make something up?

CHALLANGER: Yes. We don't want to draw attention to ourselves by telling them who we really are.

At that moment Simon runs up the steps to meet them.

SIMON: We'd better get inside we're five minutes late.

ROXTON: You're the one whose five minutes late.

SIMON: Terribly sorry.

They quickly make their way into the conference room, professors, students, reporters, friends and family all turn to watch as they walk through the door into the room. Simon leads them to the platform and motions for them to sit down on the chairs behind the podium, Simon stands and faces the eager audience.

SIMON: After a long wait the people of the Challanger Expedition is finally back, here with us today to give what will hopefully be a true and fascinating account of their travels. Professor Challanger.

Challanger stands and walks over to where Simon os standing. The professors who had tried to debunk his theories a little over a year ago lean forward eager to hear what he has to say.

CHALLANGER: I am here today to confirm what I told you so long ago...

Malone turns to Marguerite.

MALONE: If I didn't know better I could almost believe what he's saying.

MARGUERITE: He can lie almost as good as I do.

An elederly professor stands up.

PROFESSOR: Do you have any proof of this Challanger?

CHALLANGER: No physical proof no, but on a return expedition...

PROFESSOR: There will be no return expedition, unless of course Miss Krux would be willing to provide more funding for such a trip.

All eyes face Marguerite and a few reporters run to the bottom of the platform, pen and notebooks in hand.

MARGUERITE: Well I...

CHALLANGER: The only proof I do have is the word of Lord Roxton, Mr Malone and Miss Krux.

PROFESSOR: You've known these people for over a year Challanger in that time you could have easily persuaded them to agree to your lies.

Challanger turns to the professor obviously angry, he steps down off the platform and walks towards the old professor.

CHALLANGER: I don't lie about science!

* * * * * *

A R LONDON



Marguerite takes James' hand and leads him towards the Zoological Society.

MARGUERITE: Challanger will be able to explain it better than me.

JAMES: I can't be seen out in the open and as long as they think you're my Marguerite neither should you.

MARGUERITE: You'll be safe in here no one will find you.

* * * * * *

Marguerite and James walk down the long corridor unseen by anyone. She knocks once of the study door and walks in, she see's the relieved look on Roxton's face.

ROXTON: Thank God your safe.

MARGUERITE: Weren't worried were you?

ROXTON: What did you think you were doing last night? You could've gotten hurt.

MARGUERITE: I've escaped raptors and cannibals on the plateau Roxton, I think I can handle one man in London.

ROXTON: You were unarmed.

MARGUERITE: Well if he'd have tried anything I could've stabbed him with a kitchen knife.

ROXTON: That's not funny!

MARGUERITE: Whose joking?

CHALLANGER: Are you two finished?

MARGUERITE: Almost.

She turns to James.

MARGUERITE: This is Roxton, Challanger, Malone and Veronica.

He nods at them warily.

MARGUERITE: This is James.

ROXTON: How do you know him?

MARGUERITE: In London, in our London you could say we were old aquantinces.

CHALLANGER: Does he know we're not...

MARGUERITE: Yes, I had to tell him I couldn't carry on masquerading as his wife.

ROXTON: Why? You're masquerading as Bradly's.

CHALLANGER: Roxton.

MARGUERITE: Speaking of Bradly I should be getting back before he gets suspicious.

ROXTON: You're not going back to him.

MARGUERITE: I don't have a choice...

VERONICA: I'll go with you, in case this Bradly does try anything two of us will be better than one.

Marguerite and Veronica walk to the door, Roxton hands Marguerite her gun.

ROXTON: Don't put it down.

MARGUERITE: I know what I'm doing Roxton, I started dealing with men like this long before you came along.

She turns and walks out befoe she can see the hurt expression in his eyes.

MALONE: (To James) so what can you tell us about Bradly?

He looks at them, obviously apprehensive about talking to them.

CHALLANGER: We can't help you unless you help us.

JAMES: ...He runs a crime syndicate, I was assigned to infilterate his group I put a man on the inside but he was discovered and they killed him. So I persuaded Marguerite to help me, Bradly thinks of himself as a ladies man so we guessed he'd trust a woman more than he would a man. It worked...Almost...

ROXTON: What do you mean almost?

JAMES: One of his men saw her talking to me, he reported back to Bradly and when she went back to his house he confronted her...

MALONE: What happened?

JAMES: He told her he'd found out why she was really there and she told him I had all the proof against him. He said he knew about her troubles with Pedro's gang...

ROXTON: Whose Pedro?

JAMES: Someone whose after her, a dangerous man...Bradly said if we told no one about him he'd keep her safe from Pedro...So we agreed, she told me not to agree to it but I told her she didn't have a choice. After a few weeks Pedro found her and we got out of London. Bradly got his men to bring her back and so she couldn't run away again he forced her to marry him and told me if I returned to London he'd kill me.

ROXTON: Son of a bitch!

JAMES: Pedro has a friend, a very good friend who does some of his more dangerous jobs for him, while I was out of London he found me and tried to kill me, I managed to escape throught pure luck...He told me he was going to kill Marguerite.

ROXTON: Who was he?

James turns to Roxton.

JAMES: It was you!

Outside the study an old 'enemy' listens, Applegate smiles as he hears more of the conversation.

CHALLANGER: Which means if our doubles are in our London and Roxton finds Marguerite...

ROXTON: I'll kill her...

To be continued...



Tell me what you think!!!!