Chapter 23

“I’m going to assume the fool is heading our way?” I kind of rhetorically asked.

“Can’t assume anything else. His plurality are refusing to say either, according to the information we’ve received,” Roxanne replied.

“Does he know which way is here?” Brianna asked.

“Good question. I don’t know.”

“Can you Lady Seers detect him if he approaches this cluster?” Alice asked.

“Yes ... possibly, but we won’t be able to do anything else whilst we’re doing it,” Lagertha replied after what appeared to be a rapid gestalt conversation.

“I’ll request more Seers, but I can’t see us getting any,” Roxanne sighed.

“Jemima could do with a nice camping holiday,” Arch stated, blank-faced.

“You know I can’t sanction any official invite, Arch.”

“Where she chooses to holiday is her business,” came the reply with a stifled grin.

“Aye, true,” she nodded with a suppressed chuckle.

“I’m fairly sure Abi is due a break too, perhaps she could take it with Jemima and keep her training regime constant,” I added.

“Jemima would probably insist,” Arch nodded.

“It is normal Fae custom for a princess to have a female chaperone,” Arwen spoke up. “I’ll send a request to mother asking for a suitable one.”

“Adsila normally keeps an eye on you when you’re home, doesn’t she?” Roxanne asked, mirth shining in her eyes.

“Why yes, Mage Roxanne. She does indeed.”

“Well, we can’t have you running around here with hormones blazing, particularly with Callum here. I suggest you send your request marked urgent.”

“At once, Mage Roxanne,” she replied with a formal bow.

“All joking aside, I will formally request more Seers, perhaps even a permanent inspection team in the form of Mingxia and Olwen. Frankly this whole thing is a recipe for disaster and he could upset the whole applecart if we can’t get to him before he tries to talk to the Orc leadership.”

“We’ll do our best, Mage Roxanne,” Melanie replied for the Seers.

“It’ll have to do. John, Kate, you’re with me. We have a briefing with the full Council ... minus Clarence, in an hour.”

“Of course, Roxanne,” we both replied.

The Council was in one of its odd moods, where it couldn’t decide whether to be upset, angry or just plain not surprised.

“Essentially, he used a simulacrum and then cloaked himself when he was at his residence to slip out,” Mage Tara informed them. “Our watch only discovered this several hours after we believe he did this. We have brought his senior partner, Mage Eunice, in for questioning as we suspect she made it for him whilst he was here.”

“Did she know what his plans were?” Mage Sofya asked.

“She claims not. I am requesting the use of an Artello cap to further probe her memories, with the Council’s permission?”

“Granted under my authority as Senex veneficus penitus orbis,” Simon stated. “I also want you to look into measures to ensure this cannot happen again. Though I can’t really fault you or your team as a determined High Mage would be difficult to keep track of by his ... or her security detail if they wanted to lose them.”

“Most of us aren’t even aware of their presence,” Mage Rutu added, getting more than a few nods from the other members.

“It’s our job to come running if you call, not have you stumble over us at every waking moment,” Tara replied.

“Nevertheless, you do a good job; though that fool Clarence was worth keeping a closer eye on.”

“We cannot make an exception ... not even in his case. Though we were aware of his views and I had warned his security detail to be extra vigilant.”

“I agree, we cannot make exceptions, even for those whose views we do not care for. There was too much of that in the past ... the persecution of Mage Morgana by her political enemies springs to mind,” Sofya added.

“The Seer group are still tracking down where he went once we were alerted to his absence. We tracked a port to Tír na nÓg and the Queen’s library. Our search continues with the Seer group there, but so far he is successfully eluding us,” Mage Julia added to the discussion.

“Why Tír na nÓg and the Queen’s library?” Mage Cixi asked.

“It’s where he stole a copy of the Maraú-Uxuí report by Host Seeker Galadriel. Though I suspect it will take him some time to go through it. It documents thousands of Earths before mentioning the Orc one,” Ambassador Jolint informed the Council.

“Yes, you have to know where the mention is, as the thing isn’t indexed, like most memory crystals. Plus, the Maraú-Uxuí notation doesn’t follow standard human or Fae patterns,” Julia agreed. “From there we believe he portalled to Falias, where we cannot go.”

“Do the Falian’s know he’s there?” Mage Zola asked.

“We do not know. As ever they refuse to speak to us, or anyone else for that matter.”

“Would he know anyone on Falias?” I asked. “It’s not like their Seers wouldn’t detect some form of portal that wasn’t sanctioned.”

“His area of responsibility was the Tuatha Dé Danann worlds and their methodology, along with methods of foiling their encroachment on other worlds. So, yes, it’s possible that he knew people on Falias, not that he was particularly successful in any way, shape or form. It did keep him busy though,” Simon replied.

“I fail to see what he hopes to gain,” Roxanne spoke up. “It’s not like he can claim we’re in breach of the Council’s guidelines after all.”

“Breach? No. Bending them to their limits at times, yes,” Sofya chuckled. “However, it’s what he may give away, should he contact the Orcs that concerns us. I believe he has burned his bridge with the Council as the saying goes.”

“Aye, the damned fool could bring a war to our doorstep.”

“Nevertheless, his foolishness, coupled with his zeal, could cause us endless problems, should he not be apprehended,” Simon added, getting nods from most of the Council.

“Will the Falians involve themselves? It’s not like they go meddling with other worlds now, unlike the previous regime on Gorias?” Rowenna asked Julia.

“They are very insular and I’ve been informed that they spend a lot of time and effort ensuring the Gorians do not revolt, often brutally. That said, I have no idea how their ruling body will act on given information on the Orcs from the likes of Clarence,” she replied after a moment’s thought.

“We still have a few assets available to us on Falias,” Ambassador Kordanta spoke up. “I’ll get our intelligence agency to set them away looking. Though they have to be very careful as none of them are Magiciens.”

“We can supply you with Azuran mind cloak amulets if necessary, Kordanta,” Tara offered.

“And a Mage to activate them?”

“Of course.

“Accepted, it will help greatly.”

“Oh, and congratulations on getting your first Seer.”

“Thank you. The Æsir have sent a Vǫlva to assist with her training, a friend of Vaniralla Freya,” he replied. “We are slowly building up our own loyalist quota of Magiciens after the majority stayed with the Haut Cabale on Gorias ... to some regret for many.”

“Yes, I believe they are not trusted by the Falians at all, many were executed,” Tara added.

“Yes, I’m afraid so.”

“Would it be possible to go looking for him on Falias ourselves?” I asked. “Just, it strikes me the more resources we use to find out what he’s up to, the quicker we can formulate a plan to deal with him or it.”

“The only way on there is by a hidden portal; you’d also need Seers to do an active scan, plus keep it hidden from their own Seers and then probably have to deal with the Falians if you try and snatch him back,” Tara replied.

“Worth a go though,” Julia added, getting a few thoughtful nods from the Council.

“Do the Seers have his pattern?” Roxanne asked.

“They do; however, he may be concealing his whereabouts too.”

“I believe it’s worth it,” Sofya said into the silence. “Proposed.”

“Seconded,” from Mage Liang.

“Vote is unanimous,” Simon stated. “Mage Tara, co-ordinate with Mage Julia to infiltrate a gestalt team and a snatch squad onto Falias. Ambassador Kordanta, we’ll probably need to liaise with your assets on Falias too.”

“Agreed. We’d also appreciate any details the Seers pick up about their intentions,” he replied.

“Granted. Ladies, report back in twenty-four hours with a plan; liaise with Ambassador Kordanta on assets in place. Make sure you have a plan to get straight out if it falls apart and you are not, under any circumstances, permitted to endanger the Seers, or any of the Murian assets in place.”

“Of course, Mage Simon,” both Julia and Tara replied.

“John, a word?” Tara added after the meeting wound down.

“Yes, Mage Tara?”

“You’re familiar with Tuathan society?”

“As in getting out and about unnoticed? Yes, along with Mages Arch, Morgana and Róisín.”

“Interesting. Do you mind if I borrow him for a couple of days Roxanne?”

“Aye, no problem. Though you do realise that he is a bull in a china shop at times?”

“Could you send for Arch too. I have the glimmerings of a plan to at least locate Clarence and bring the fool back to face the Council.”

“He’ll be back as soon as we can get a message to our alpha site.”

“Thank you.”

“You want me to go on a mission to Falias, with Arch, John and Róisín?” Morgana asked Tara after we’d all assembled in my villa at a politely worded request from Mage Tara.