Antonio sighed. He had just shown another self important politician who had come on a self imposed fact finding mission out of his hotel. If he didn’t need their good will he would have introduced him to Jezebel.

He walked back to his office and dismissed his avatar. Then he looked in on the tiny terrors on their latest test of Silverfin’s dungeon. Oh joy David Botelho was present today. Now when are those two going to spring their surprise? He focused on João and her best friend Antor.

Antor crouched down and sensed João just behind him. She tapped the wall and their ears swivelled slightly. He grinned, this new skill was awesome, they could almost see with the echoes. This section in front was different. Cluttered with several, smaller monsters.

‘This must be dad’s new idea to make our guns useless.’ He felt João squeeze his shoulder twice and he nodded in agreement.

Silverfin watched as his son and his girlfriend hesitated at the corner that gave onto the new section, he noted that the girl alerted the monsters ahead by tapping on the wall with a strange looking metal fork. Then João stored her father’s shotgun and produced a strange looking pistol with a long metal bullet holder in front of the trigger, His son also produced what looked like a shortened shotgun just before they peeked round the corner, one going low the other high. The racket was deafening as usual then the children moved forward and passed his new brainchild with ease.

Silverfin consoled himself that if the monsters he had intended for this section had been present his son and his friends would have had a harder time of it. Oh well back to the drawing board.

David Botelho on the other hand had a different concern. “João where did you get that Mauser, and where did Antor get that sawn off shotgun?”

“Well daddy, you know mama’s grandpa, he kinda let me have them.”

“Olympio? But none of the guns in his collection work, and what exactly do you mean by kinda?”

“Um, well he said I cold have anything I found in his junk room...”

“That’s not junk João, so how did he let you have a fully functioning pistol?”

“Well...” João looked down at her M1932 Mauser, “um, it wasn’t, working that is but I fixed it like you taught me. I got gunsmith skill too now.”

David just looked at his daughter, pride fighting with exasperation and worry, “You and your boyfriend will...”

“(He/She)’s not my (boy/girl)friend!” exclaimed the two children as one.

“...boyfriend will keep your guns in the guild’s safe room.”

Antonio chuckled to himself, that lot were as good as a Brazilian soap opera.

* * *

Mandy Carvalho and Marcus Smith sat ignored as plans were made to make the most of the nation’s first dungeon. A military contractor had been selected to build the transport hub in New Hampshire. It had to be bigger and better than the one in Portugal. The contractors had assured everyone present that the inbuilt security would state of the art and far better the Europeans could produce.

“Why are we here Mandy?” asked Marcus of his partner in a low voice, “don’t those smug bastards realise the dungeon is the security system.”

“I honestly don’t know why we’re here. Probably because we’re the so called experts.” Mandy replied equally low voiced, “after all they haven’t paid any attention to anything anyone has said that contradicts their opinions, and they never will. They and those like them are the reason our country buys thousand dollar toilet seats.”

The committee continued deliberating and decided to pay premium for a round the clock effort to build a two hundred portal facility before concluding their efforts amidst mutual admiration.

Mandy Carvalho and Marcus Smith left the meeting bemused, “according to van Ophoven the Manfred can only form four portals, though all being well that number will increase. And those idiots didn’t even decide where we should get those portals installed.”

“Yeah!” agreed a disgusted Markus.

* * *

Manfred and his new friends surfed the web looking for a suitable looking house to host their current Lovecraftian extravaganza. They found one so Manfred created it across the road on now government land. The exterior matched their find, the interior however matched the plans in the scenario they were planning to adapt.

A suitable ‘family’ of deep ones were generated, most looking fairly human with only a couple being close to taking to the waters. Then Manfred had a brainwave, so he talked it over with Ian, Gordon and Nancy. They were all enthusiastic.

So next morning the building had grown, a cracked concrete parking lot had been added along with a solitary gasoline pump and a sign proclaiming, rather improbably, that this was the Paradise Motel. A few deep one chambermaids were added to fill out the staff.

Manfred was surprised that they had one customer that day, someone actually stopped for gas.

The following day Manfred and Moonbright watched bemused as a whole series of trucks, earth mowing and construction equipment set up shop about half a kilometre behind their house and work started on what appeared to be some kind of underground construction project.

« Err... Alice, what’s going on? »

Alice looked up from her werewolf romance and sighed. “It’s the government spending our tax dollars. The committee didn’t bother to listen to any of its experts and decided to build a two hundred portal facility. It has to be bigger and better than your grandfather’s.”

« But gramps can expand or alter his terminal whenever he wants. I can’t even reach that site to claim it, it’s still too far away. »

Alice shrugged, “what part of ‘they refused to listen’ did you not understand. It was hopeless.”

* * *

The construction workers found the Paradise Motel weird but welcoming, it had a bar, the selection was limited but what they did have was good and not expensive. Some even stayed the night after indulging, or in a few cases to get more overtime in.

One even enjoyed a night with one of the maids after imbibing rather more than was strictly wise.

Manfred and Moonbright used the opportunity to fine tune their dungeon and were surprised at the experience they were gaining. Manfred levelled up which sealed Alice’s fate as the bond became permanent.

* * *

King Foracates of Donatus sat back in his throne, his new experimental legion had triumphed. All the world gates to Badonia were his.

‘So how do I manage this, the French have proved themselves, but I now need the weapons and ammunition they provide. Maybe if I offer them that silver mine I’ve just seized on Badonia I can get them to teach us how to produce that ammunition and the guns. Maybe I could ask for the mortars as well. I need factories. I can’t remain totally dependent on offworlders.’

King Foracates stirred on his throne, “send for the royal scribe.”