Jhamjarhistan: Chapter 3, Even More of a Surprise for Snapcase!

Traders and clientele at the Djelibad Market seem still to be unaware of impending doom. Mustapha's rugs are selling like hot cakes (well, hot rugs really, I suppose).

In the top right, we can just make out the Emir's court still questioning Chippy on the location of the Golden Jhamjarh of the Sticky Gods. Chippy has not the slightest clue as to the whereabouts of this bally Jhamjarh thing they keep harping on about.

Those shadowy figures in the background could be the elite members of the Zeppelin Korps, making good use of the terrain to carry out a reconnaissance in force.

Meanwhile, to the south of Gummibad, the Zhlobinski Penal Battalion advance towards the Mission Station under the command of Mikhail Borodin, Trotsky's second-in-command.

The warrior nuns of the Ordo de quod Crucis Gladio perceive danger from the advance of the Bolos. They open fire but take serious casualties in return.

Seeing the frightening sight of the nuns taking fire from the advancing Bolshevik hordes, Father Ted starts to think about how best to make a run for it.

With the only steps to the courtyard leading directly into the murderous rifle fire of the Penal Battalion, Father Ted elects to make a jump for safety from the first floor of the Mission. Bishop Len Brennan follows his lead but unfortunately lands badly and breaks his leg. Father Ted hesitates for a second and then shouts "feck it" and runs for his life, leaving the Bishop to his fate.

Back in the environs of Djelibad a strange sight appears in the sky above. "Stap me vitals" ejaculates Snapcase. "There's some sort of balloon coming our way, open order chaps!" he shouts to the Gentleman's XV. It is of course, Gräfin von Zeppelin's secret weapon, the Luftballon. Flown by Nina Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, who has the full complement of 6 light bombs to drop on the assembled foes below.

With cold and cunning ruthlessness, Gräfin von Stauffenberg selects her target.

Honeysuckle floors the accelerator of the Rolls and heads away from the path of the Luftballon. Vaggers follows suit with the throttle of his Royal Enfield wide open. He doesn't deviate from his path towards the dig site and the lovely Bunty.

Unfortunately the Gentlemen who are on foot cannot escape the path of the oncoming aerial threat. They fire wildly into the sky but the Gräfin drops her bombs with precision and there is a explosion in the centre of the XV! Snapcase goes down with a large lump of shrapnel embedded in his buttocks. A nasty business and a wound that will prevent him from carrying on. Others are also hit, D. M. D'Emfore is down, along with Blowers, Tuffers and several other Gentlemen. This is a bad moment for Snapforce.

Meanwhile, so far uncontested, the advance of the Basmachi continues. The outriders of Enver Pasha's bodyguard along with Enver himself, are entering the outskirts of the dig. Undeterred, Vaggers weaves the Enfield through the villager's crops, searching desperately for Bunty Hamster-Crust.

As Vaggers turns his machine westwards, Honeysuckle in Genevieve wrenches the steering wheel hard over and heads for the patch of gourds. Her sharp eyes have seen movement in a nearby wadi and she intends to line up the HMG in the front of the Rolls with any threats to Snapforce.

As the players break for lunch (a lovely treat provided by Hu Rhu) and head in to the pavilion, we get an overall picture of the momentous events so far, unfolding on the plains of Jhamjarhistan.

To be continued...