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Message: <blockquote data-quote="John Dallman" data-source="post: 9596414" data-attributes="member: 6999616">July, 1940. We are engaged in transporting the Duke & Duchess of Windsor from Lisbon to the Bahamas, where the Duke is to serve as governor. Because our aircraft, the Short S.30 Empire-class flying boat Cathay lacks the range for a direct Atlantic crossing, we have to go the long way around, down the coast of Africa, across to Ascension Island, then to Brazil, and working northwards up the east coast of South America, through the Caribbean to the Bahamas.Today we played the flight from the Canary Islands to Gambia, and a day in Bathurst, the name at the time of Gambia's capital city. We had a Fw 200 "Kondor" looking for us, but managed to dodge it via concealment magic. It was last seen circling the spot where it would have intercepted us if we hadn't disappeared from sight and changed course. The concealment magic filled the interior of the aircraft with fog, and "Smith," our steward, served the Duke & Duchess some calming tea, which soon had them asleep, and staying that way until we arrived at Bathurst. Smith took them off to the Grand Hotel, and the rest of us slept on the aircraft.Next day, the aircraft crew arranged for fuel - just about enough to get us to Freetown, which is all that can be had without waiting for it to be delivered by ship - and the Duke & Duchess engaged in their routine activities of drinking, socialising and drinking. Every European needs to drink lots of high-quinine tonic water, because malaria is endemic in the region. There's substantial variation in how much gin they have with it. Unfortunately, the Duke, who is not at all keen on being governor of the Bahamas, has arranged a safari up the Gambia river with one of the local hunters who was brought in to entertain him.We can't have that. It delays him, exposes him to more horrible tropical diseases, and risks him straying into Vichy French Senegal, which completely surrounds Gambia. Smith came back to the aircraft to collect his "special medicines" kit, and the Duke is going to have a stomach upset and be advised to leave as soon as possible.The other PCs are aware that Smith undertook a deadly vendetta against various Russian Bolsheviks in the 1930s, but have only hints that he has some private orders from Buckingham Palace. They are getting a bit concerned about the amount of (involuntary) drugs and (voluntary) alcohol that the Duke is consuming. The five word quote summarises the discussion with Smith on the subject.</blockquote>

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