(Untitled)

[fiery_ring]

It's very dark, and full of dust and smoke, when Carlotta and Teja emerge from the bar. They're coming out of a small room in a cellar, into another room

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[ostro_goth]

"We must carry her out," Teja says. "Once we know the way out in the first place. But did you not say there were more people?"

[fiery_ring]

"There's the mime." Carlotta says. "He's deaf so he won't hear us call. I think he's behind... or under... the rubble."

Her stomach clenches tight, hoping they're not about to find a squashed person

[ostro_goth]

Teja leverages his axe against the rubble and wordlessly and quickly starts digging with the flat of it.

Going through smoking rubble is something he knows how to do.

[fiery_ring]

In the distance there is still the sound of bombs falling on Coventry.

As they dig, they uncover the Mime, who looks a little dazed but not gravely injured. He gestures frantically at them to get down again.

A few seconds later, more of the ceiling comes in.

[ostro_goth]

"We must find a way out into freedom!" Teja says, ducking by Carlotta until the fall of the rubble abates for the immediate moment. "We cannot stay in this death trap!"

[fiery_ring]

"The way we came in is just past the pile of rubble." Carlotta says, helping the elderly lady up as she starts to come around. The woman insists on picking up the fallen dog in her other hand, and they try to move towards the exit.

"Teja, can you help the mime?"

[ostro_goth]

Teja helps the man up, finally deciding to pick him up bodily and carry him over his shoulder to make faster headway as he follows Carlotta towards the exit, or at least towards where it's supposed to be.

[fiery_ring]

As they get up the stairs, the rest of the ceiling comes in. It's almost pitch black outside, just as inside, with all the artificial lights blacked out.

"I don't know where we should go." Carlotta says, helping Ethel.

"Maybe we should go back to the others in the park." Ethel suggests. "It can't be less safe in our caravans."

Another bomb falls about half a mile away, demolishing a building.

[ostro_goth]

Teja tries not to let his alarm show. "Where is the enemy," he asks, "that is besieging this city?"

[fiery_ring]

"In the sky." Carlotta says. "In the aeroplanes. The air forces of England are fighting the planes from Germany dropping the bombs."

[ostro_goth]

Teja watches the planes in dark fascination, for a moment.

"We must move!" he then declares.

[fiery_ring]

The mime gestures that he could manage to be put down now.

"I think the park is back this way." Carlotta says, helping Ethel. "The risk is that it'd be mistaken for an airfield."

"Ringmaster, you won't be responsible if we die." Ethel says. "We're living on chance and prayer. Let's go."

[ostro_goth]

Teja puts down the mime and holds his axe at the ready. "Those that lead are ever responsible for each that dies under their command," he says, darkly. "But we must go and find the others of your troupe, and get all from this place to safety."

[fiery_ring]

"This ain't an army honey." Ethel says to Teja. "The Ringmaster acts on guidance of the council, and the council agreed."

"We don't have time to debate fault now." Carlotta says. "The others in the tunnel shelter may well be in a much safer position than we are. We are a long way from the edge of the city."

[ostro_goth]

Teja gives Ethel a strange look for calling him 'honey', but does not waste time and breath on protesting.

"The we should find the others first, or we might not find them again at all," he declares.

He looks up, again, at the fiery display in the air, the searchlights crossing the sky, the flak...

[fiery_ring]

"The tunnel was back that way." Carlotta says, pointing. "The caravans are in that direction. We'd be exposed in the caravans, but if the tunnel came down we'd be killed."

There is another large explosion a few hundred yards to their left, before a plane, in flames, hurtles down to smash into another building in the distance.