Kurt's spear gun¶
Kurt's spear gun is a single-shot, cabled harpoon gun that Kurt carries as "sporting goods equipment." It killed the rabid mouse, alarmed airport security and became a talking point in the lawsuit that followed the SEF fence incident.
| Type | Item (weapon) |
| Aliases | harpoon; "sporting goods equipment" |
| Holder | Kurt Larson |
| First appearance | Radford Horrors 02 |
Description¶
The spear gun is a pressurized, single-shot weapon whose spears are attached to spools of wire cable. Kurt says the cable is shark-resistant, with good tensile strength, and defends the gun's "penetration capability." Once a spear is fired, the spool must be detached or another spear loaded and the gun re-pressurized, which Kurt admitted makes it a poor choice for anything like taking over a plane. He sleeps with it (Radford Horrors 02).
Properties¶
Kurt brought the spear gun to the Radford woods alongside his P90, a grenade, caltrops and about 30 gallons of pesticide. Daniel Webster, who asked why Kurt would bring a spear gun rather than a rifle, grew increasingly convinced Kurt would shoot him with it to make a point. Kurt, for his part, reflected that he regretted never having brought a spear gun into an interrogation room, since it clearly "has presence" (Radford Horrors 02).
History¶
Airport security¶
At the airport, the spear gun was held up because the weapons-transport paperwork had been misplaced and Kurt had no FBI badge. His Act Under Pressure roll to find a coworker to vouch for him failed (3, or 5 with a bonus), and the airport was in chaos because of a strike. A Manipulate Someone roll (9, mixed) succeeded when he pulled down his collar to show where a Vietnamese spear had pierced his shoulder: "I bled for this country. I continue to bleed for this country." The screener told him to pack the spear separately (Radford Horrors 02). On the plane, Kurt complained to Andrew about how hard it would be to hijack a plane with a spear gun.
The rabid mouse¶
At the Pay n' Stay at about 3 a.m., a foaming, stiff-legged mouse crawled up Webster's stomach and bit him on the nipple. Kurt woke, aimed and fired in one motion, and a Kick Some Ass roll speared the mouse through the torso, nailing it to the floor. Andrew pulled the spear out of the floor, and the clerk, Charm, admitted the motel had been promised the rodents were exterminated (Radford Horrors 02). See the rabid mouse.
In Radford Horrors 03, the team shared a hospital room for rabies treatment. When the doctor said "All right, give me the rat," Kurt extended the harpoon with the mouse still on it, wrapped in a plastic bag. It was to be tested in Roanoke, since the local hospital lacked the supplies; the team would need a four-vaccine series unless the result came back negative (Radford Horrors 03).
The lawsuit¶
The lawyers for the Safe Environment Fund raised the spear gun in the dispute that became the Bivens lawsuit. The guard who had tased Webster claimed he did not believe the FBI would be carrying one, which was why he fired, and also had a hearing impairment. Webster pointed out that Kurt had not shot anyone with it. Andrew objected that it was technically a harpoon, not a spear gun (Radford Horrors 03).
Quote
"If they ask, I had a piece of sporting goods equipment on me. Not a weapon: sporting goods equipment, purchased from a sporting goods store." (Dante (as Kurt), Radford Horrors 03)