Deadlands, Part IX

I forgot to post this, didn't I?  Ah, well.

When last we left our heroes, we had our poker tournament entrance cards stolen by a gang led by someone named Sonny who is decidedly wrong, and we arrived in San Francisco.

Knowing the Flesh Menagerie to be down by the docks, we decide to get a hotel room somewhere in the working class section; not too close to the docks, but not among the really nice houses.  The place we find is a once-charming bed-and-breakfast turned into a flophouse with probable links to prostitution.  The proprietor takes David Hood and Ruby O'Flahertie to be a married couple, and so gives them an actual room; the rest of us (Father Seward, Jake, and Jeb) get a hay-covered common room.

We go to Hood and O'Flahertie's room to discuss our plans.  We are interrupted three times: once by the proprietor of the hotel, bringing things; once by the glint of a rifle with an array of lenses on it for aiming (by the time we register the guy and duck, he's gone); and once by the police who indicate that they've been having trouble with a bunch of one-handed people, and have come to warn us that they won't hesitate to lock us away if we cause any problems.  They also tell us to avoid Little Pete — as always, this is the worst thing one can say, as we were totally unaware of any such person and are now confused as to whether the police were giving us a sly hint or legitimately trying to warn us.

During the conversation, David is the only one among us who still has a card.  When he pulls it out, it has changed, depicting a skeletal tableau on the back.  It is likely some eldritch identification effect.

After these events, we decide to split; Jeb and Miss O'Flahertie will go to make contact with her solicitor, while David, Father Seward, and Jake will go try to find any word of Sonny so that we can later ambush him and steal our cards (and any other cards he may have swiped).

We split.  Ruby sends a telegram and is receives a return telegram a few hours later telling her to ask for Mr. Brown at Chen's Chinese Laundry.  We don't find Sonny, but do overhear some things about him, including a loose-lipped Irishman discussing a poker tournament so he can win money back and pay off the tongs.

We reconvene.  After discussion, we decide to inquire at Chen's Chinese Laundry.

We leave.  The proprietor asks where we're headed, and we say we're just going to go looking around the city.  He indicates a curfew of 9 PM, and that the doors are locked then.  We'd best be back.

We leave and notice a boy following us.  We walk to Chinatown, and the boy doesn't follow us into there, although before he leaves our sight, Jake tips his hat to him to let him know we've seen him.  The boy blanches and flees.

We look for Chen's Chinese Laundry.  As we approach it, we are approached by a well-dressed man wearing silk robes.  He introduces himself as Mr. Sing, and after commenting on us by name, he indicates his boss, Little Pete, wishes to meet with us.  He inquires as to our activities, and when we explain that we were looking for Chen's Chinese Laundry, he indicates that we should go to Little Pete's place, as the quality of laundry is much better there.  He gives us directions and leaves.

We discuss briefly, and after explaining to David Hood that "laundry" probably refers to opium, we enter Chen's Chinese Laundry.  It's a little place with a sheet separating the front from the back; thick, sticky smoke curls from behind the curtain.  We ask for Mr. Brown, and we're quoted a price.  Determining that this is probably code for opium, we leave and decide to inquire with Little Pete instead.

We go to his place, which is a large, lavish affair.  Drummers and dancers perform outside as well-dressed men enter.  We enter, and are met by a woman who tells us to wait.  Mr. Sing eventually comes out and explains that he is pleased we could make it.  Eventually, we're brought into the back.

It's an opium den.  Well-dressed men enjoy the company of topless and nude Chinese women, serving them opium.  We are led to a cushioned room and told to wait.

We wait.  Women enter.  They convince David, Father Seward, and Jeb to partake of opium.  Jake doesn't partake, but certainly enjoys partially-clothed women.

Eventually, Mr. Sing returns and we are led to an office, where we are introduced to Little Pete.  Apart from guards, there is also a somewhat large woman, chained in the corner.  Her clothes are torn and she is bruised and bloodied.  Her left arm ends at the elbow, although this is likely an old wound.