Sympathy for the Devil

[Dracos]

"That's good...  anyhow, let's take the bus up.  If they don't go close enough to the top, we'll figure it out from there.  Would your chauffer mind dropping us off there, Prometheus?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"He wouldn't, no," he says, smiling softly.  "I will warn you, though.  If you take my car, the watching yakuza may mistake you for me as Hayate ... and think you are searching for me as Prometheus.  I'd really rather you didn't have to kill too many more of them, so do exercise caution."

[Bjorn]

Bjorn shrugs.  "Even if we left here on foot, if we're headed towards Fuji, they'll assume we're going to visit Prometheus.  If we take your limousine, so that we think we're Hayate, then they might possibly show restraint.  I somehow doubt that violent foreigners would earn any such consideration.  But if it makes you feel any better, I promise to stop killing when they start running."

[Brian]

"If they aren't bright enough to run, then feel free to kill them," Prometheus agrees.  "The vehicle is yours.  Do you intend to rest, first?  It is almost nightfall.  I suppose if you drove all night and slept in the car you'd reach Fuji around sunrise, though...."  He shrugs.  "I leave that to you."

[Bjorn]

Looking at everyone else, Bjorn comments, "It's a tough call.  I'm going to have a hard time not attracting attention if we don't go at a relatively quiet time."  He scratches his arm thoughtfully.  "Those of us with the Earth Totem can probably climb a mountain in the dark without too much problem, but I'm guessing that Tim and Tom aren't too keen on that.  So getting there for sunrise might actually be best.  On the other hand, sleep is good.  Thoughts?"

[Carthrat]

"Eating divine food seems to have reinvigorated me," replies Tom. "We should really leave right now- the quicker we move, the less likely it is that we'll need to kill anyone at all. We could take shifts driving if we have to, anyway.

"Oh, and if it's just hiking, I should be cool, even if it's dark..."

[Rezantis]

"Get there for sunrise.  People can sleep in the car - I'd rather not waste any more time.  Sunrise seems like a good time to be doing it in any case."

[Brian]

"Then, the car awaits."

[Carthrat]

"Thanks for your hospitality. And your advice," remarks Tom, jauntily heading off back towards the car.

[Brian]

Prometheus nods absently, already taking another piece of ambrosia.

[Rezantis]

Nathan nods to Prometheus, before turning to follow Tom.

"Thank you for the help, and the food - and the loan of the car."

[Brian]

"Thank you for saving the world," he replies in a dry voice.  "Really."

[Rezantis]

Nathan has already turned away and is heading for the door, after Carthrat.

Which is a good thing, otherwise his expression might have given away the fact that he's trying to work out if that was sarcasm or not.

[Dracos]

Dracos graciously allowed someone else to drive as they headed off in Prometheus' car, taking the spirit guide's instructions as they prepared to scale fuji upon the next dawn.

Dracos

[Brian]

The driver is the same one as last time.  He remains quiet, and the drive is uneventful -- aside from a number of stares given by numerous people at the limousine.  Limos are kind of neat, one supposes.

There's time to doze, if not comfortably, in the vehicle.  The driver pulls into a parking lot on the lower southern slopes of the great mountain with excellent timing.  The sun will rise shortly, as the pre-dawn glow fills the eastern sky.

Setting foot on the mountain is a bit odd.  Now that everyone can see it, the same double-vision of the mountain occurs.  This time, however, the second image is only slightly larger -- though, it does have an ominous and highly visible red glow at the top.  The glow is visible to Tom and Tim, even though they hadn't seen Gibraltar.

"Your stop," the driver says politely, turning off the engine, and opening the doors.