Not long afterward, everyone had gathered in the rec room.
Wally was the last in: after some hurried conferencing with Guybrush he'd set a course outward from Jupiter, swinging toward Saturn. A neutral enough course for the moment, as they decided what would be their next course of action.
"Okay, we're ready," said Guybrush as Wally took a seat. "Mancomb, I said something to you about portal stones before. They're no myth. There's one downstairs in our hold. And we know there are more to be found in the Solar System."
He turned to look at the Hermit, who stood noncommittedly in the corner. "You probably know all this already. But you might find what we have to say next surprising..."
And he and Elaine proceeded to tell the story of what had happened ever since Guybrush and Wally left the Hermit behind. Their audience sat and listened, first patiently, then in increasing wonder.
They talked about their galaxy-spanning transportation, the unlikely meeting with Marko, the underground egg cavern, giant ship-sized teleporting monkeys... and the mysterious woman who'd started it all.
"I heard Simon mutter something under his breath once, as we were flying across the planet," said Elaine. "He said something about a 'Voodoo Lady'." Elaine shrugged her shoulders. "Don't ask me what that means."
They then moved onto the discovery of the working nature of the portal stones, their successful teleport back into the solar system, and the complex chain of events that had led them to this current situation.
"So there you have it," said Guybrush. "For the moment, Boss Hog is no longer a pirate vessel. There are still eight portal stones out there unaccounted for, and we've got to find every last one."
"And of course there's all the other solar systems seeded with these stones," said the Hermit.
"Uh, yeah," said Guybrush. "I think we'll just worry about this one for the moment. We know Upchuck, at the least, is looking for the same things we are. Which really puts us at a disadvantage. And if the word gets out, you can sure there'll be even more competition."
"Not to mention those sticky-beaked Galaxy Police," said Mancomb darkly.
"So, are we interested?" asked Guybrush.
"Lad, sounds like a fine adventure," said Mancomb. "Exactly the sort of thing I'd expect you to be mixed up in. But I have to ask, what do you need me for?"
Elaine answered him. "It's not going to be as easy as picking a bunch of rocks up off the ground, like the Hermit here did. We expect a number of these portal stones are going to be in the hands of space pirates who probably don't know what they own. I know I didn't have a clue what the portal stones did when I got my hands on a couple."
"Or maybe some pirates have already discovered their real use," piped up Wally.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," said Elaine.
"So, anyway," said Guybrush, "that's where you come in. Elaine isn't going to be trusted in space pirate circles, and I'm too much of a freelancer. You've got the contacts, you can get us plenty of places we couldn't get to otherwise."
Mancomb grunted. "Ha. Oh... all right. I'll admit it, I've been getting bored with the same old Space Moose routine. Some freedom would be good for a change."
Guybrush looked at the Hermit. "And what's your decision? You know we could use your help."
The Hermit had just stood at the back throughout the meeting, looking thoughtful. Now a small smile appeared on his face. "This Voodoo Lady sounds like a most interesting creature. Four portal stones... You've piqued my curiosity. I'll be happy to tag along."