Chapter 17

The following day a very tired looking Morgana called a meeting of the Department and all its Sections to thank them for all the hard work they'd put in in dealing with the incursion and to honour our fallen. She also announced that former Council member Heinrich had been declared outlaw by both Council and Coalition for his crimes of kidnapping, torture, rape and murder of children.

After that she called a meeting of the Section heads including Arch as the head of her counter Coalition teams to go into further detail over what was known and proposed actions to follow. Though I wasn't party to the meeting Morgana did discuss it with me afterwards when she debriefed me on the previous day's events, though she was more curious about how I'd managed spontaneous regeneration whilst unconscious. She even went so far as to check my memories as well as giving me another scan right down to my DNA.

"Damned if I know how you did it, John," she finally admitted.

"That makes two of us, my Mage," I replied. "Though I'll try not to make a habit of it."

"Please do that," she said with a smile.

"You look tired, my Mage," I said.

"I am, John. The Council deliberations went on for a long time, some even disbelieving the evidence before their eyes. It did not help that some Coalition members were sitting in with us either," she said. "Mage Benjamin's and that girl's evidence was very compelling, along with that weird ward that was discovered."

"Never seen anything like it," I said.

"You wouldn't," said Morgana. "The only place it's documented is in the Council's forbidden lore library."

"Am I allowed to know?" I asked.

There was a very long pause before Morgana spoke.

"Have you ever heard of the Nephilim?" she finally asked.

"Yes, legendary biblical characters part human part demon/angel supposedly," I replied.

"Not quite," Morgana said. "You're aware that some of the earliest writings that have been translated are supposedly the records of a verbal tradition going back to the earliest shamans and the Sidhe wars?"

"Without actually mentioning the Sidhe save as allegories and legends," I replied.

"Yes, but that's because if you kill a Sidhe they disintegrate and leave nothing behind but dust," Morgana said.

"No fossil record?" I asked.

"Not a chance," said Morgana. "Anyway back to legends. Sometime into the earliest part of the Sidhe wars, though we aren't sure upon which world or universe, there was another mutation of humanity. Strong, intelligent and DNA dominant in that the issue of any sexual congress with another hominid genome produced another purebred of the mutation. They called themselves the Azura, the Sidhe called them Eminrephaimanakim, the fearful undead, which has become debased down the verbal records to Nephilim. They were greatly feared by the Sidhe, not just because they have a talent for magic, but because their particular gift is in necromancy. The Sidhe managed eventually to restrict them to the one world. Whilst they made several attempts to cross over to other worlds without Sidhe assistance, their magic was not strong enough at that time. On that world though, the Sidhe were losing. The only solution to defeating an army was the utter obliteration of it, otherwise they keep coming back to life. They do not see any glamour or illusion once raised from the dead and all you have left to fight is an adamantine sword ... Well you can guess the results," Morgana said.

"They lost ... badly," I replied.

"Yes," said Morgana. "The last thing they did however was their final great piece of magic; they cast the Azuran world out into the outer realms to prevent the Nephilim from ever being able to threaten them elsewhere. To do so though they had to sacrifice their greatest Queen and many of their finest warriors in an offering sacrifice to one of the denizens of the outer realms who took the world, the Azura and all of Queen Oonagh and her court with it into banishment. In doing so though they also set into motion the seeds of their own defeat at the hands of men as they have never been so powerful since. We do not as yet know how the Nephilim survived in the outer realms. It should not have been possible, but they did. Perhaps the denizen accepted their worship and protected them, unlikely I know, but I don't really have any other explanations yet."

"And now they've found a way back?" I asked.

"Yes, John, someone found them and gave them the means to return and their dark god with them."

"Ímar Ua Donnubáin," I said. "The necromancer?"

"Probably," said Morgana. "Though we have no conclusive evidence as yet and it may be that Ímar is just a dupe, unlikely as that seems. What we do know is that Heinrich must have passed along just about all of our secrets and organisational details as he had pretty much access to everything we have."

"I cannot imagine what these traitors were promised. The Nephilim do not appear very trustworthy," I said, then paled as I remembered Heinrich's torture chamber.

Morgana nodded. "Yes, the Nephilim high command, or whatever they call themselves, appeals to the basest emotions in their allies. The prisoner we were questioning finally broke and although he didn't know a lot he filled in a few details. They aren't great in numbers, time apparently works differently in the outer realms. They have achieved or were given some technology and they are determined to remove us root and branch because only they have the right to be."

"Übermensch, in ways that even the Nazi's would have blanched at," I said quietly.

"Indeed," Morgana agreed. "And where they go their 'god' goes with them."

"And the Host of the Almighty?" I asked.

"Let's just say Armageddon would be the equivalent of a minor skirmish if they get more than a foothold here," Morgana said. "That's where you and I are going next, to speak to a higher power."

"Ahhh," I murmured.

"Yes, John, welcome to the wonderful world of Council politics, where, in order to gain consensus over the prosecution of this war, Simon had to bow to Mage Hermes faction and salve his wounded pride by throwing us to the lions. If we succeed in getting information all to the good, if we are removed from reality, oh dear what a pity, worth a try and Hermes wins either way," said Morgana flatly.

"Oh dear," I said with a grin.

"Almost suicidal," said Morgana with a grin of her own.

"Got a good record against almost suicidal," I said.

"I know, John. That's why you're coming along," she said with a gentle smile.

"Oh joy," I said with a smile. "Good job my last will and testament is up to date."

Finding a higher power is quite easy; they tend to hang around churches, bars, brothels, massage parlours and nightclubs. Finding a higher power who just might talk to us without removing us from existence is a tad harder. It took a little while but eventually we tracked down the angel Jerahmeel who was currently hanging around the Marquee in Soho presumably listening to some of the more controversial bands until he got orders from on high.

"Greetings, Jerahmeel," said Morgana politely.

"Call me Jerry," said Jerahmeel. "And greetings to you, Lady Mage Morgana, and to you, journeyman Mage John."

I had to admit that whatever I was expecting, it wasn't this. Jerahmeel just smiled. "Appearances are often deceptive John, I doubt if you'd like to see my true form as it's usually the last thing mortals see."

"We come offering information and hoping for advice," said Morgana.

"About the Nephilim? Yes, we know. We'll only interfere if (some weird noise that bordered on painful) enters this realm," said Jerahmeel.

"So we have a free field to resolve the Nephilim incursion ourselves?" asked Morgana.

"That's what I implied, Lady Mage Morgana," replied Jerahmeel. "We will protect the ordinary mortals here should the outer realms come calling, but resolving disputes between mortals is strictly between mortals."

I knew the question Morgana wanted to ask, but thought it best to ask myself as I figured the Earth would need her far more than a journeyman Mage.

"Jerry..." I got out only for him to hold up his hand.

"The reason we did not interfere in the Old One incursion in Washington was because you needed to grow, John. You've been marked by ... let's call it destiny to achieve a certain task. Though whether it be for good or ill only God himself knows, and he's not telling. To answer your second question no you haven't achieved it yet," said Jerahmeel. "Don't ask for anything more please, it would be a shame to have to start all over again with someone else."

We said goodbye and got out quick.

"Well, that was unsettling." I finally said.

"It always is, apparently," said Morgana.

"You've never spoken to one before, my Mage?" I asked.

"No," said Morgana. "Mages and higher powers have a very unfortunate history of meetings, well, unfortunate for Mages that is. Unlike mundanes we can see them and know what they are and the temptation has always been to ask them about God and their hierarchy. This has led to the death of every Mage who tried no matter how the questions were couched. They have however answered specific questions related to incursions from the outer realms and that is what I hoped might keep us alive today."

"I gather Mage Hermes does not like you then?" I asked.

"He trained Merlin; he's never forgiven me for showing the Council what a little shit Merlin is," Morgana said using profanity for the first time ever in my presence.

"He sympathises with the Coalition?" I said shocked.

"No, he hates all that they stand for and blames Mage Elymas for leading Merlin astray ... as if. But his pride was badly hurt when Merlin finally rebelled and he blames me as well as Simon for forcing Merlin out as he believed Merlin could have been controlled better within," she replied.

"Admittedly I don't know him as well as you do, but I don't believe that Merlin can be controlled like that," I said.

"I think Hermes knows that too, but pride is a strange thing and he's not altogether rational about what happened and sees me as a constant reminder of his failure. Though he'd like nothing better than to bring the Coalition down," Morgana replied.

"Take it Heinrich was a friend of his too?" I asked.

"Friend of us both, so I thought. You never met Heinrich, he was a charming and often very funny man to talk to. He was a member of Hermes faction, though seemed always to strive to bring all factions into conciliation and consensus.

"Factions? As in Council politics?" I asked.

"I'm not allowed to discuss this with you, John. Sorry, that's one of the rules and I've probably said too much anyway," Morgana replied, effectively ending the conversation until we reached the office.

Back at the office I enquired as to whether anyone had found out how Ímar Ua Donnubáin had gained access to the inner areas of Kurukshetra prison.

"We don't know yet, John," said Morgana. "And believe me it is a worry to the Council and Mage Vera. Naturally he's refusing to co-operate so far."

"Has to be an inside job," I said. "There's no way he came in with the Coalition, nor could he have gotten past any team in the Nephilim incursion to join Mages Alexiy or Johannes. Which means that there's possibly someone at Kurukshetra who wants him silenced, quickly."

"We know this, John. But even if there were someone inside, none of the wards were interfered with until Johannes and Alexiy took them down and we did not detect any internal or external ports to their location," replied Morgana.

"What about ports from within the secure areas?" I asked.

"All secure areas were on lockdown, John," said Morgana.

"To staff as well?" I asked.

"Well, no, obviously not, John," replied Morgana. "Just where are you going with this?"

"Just something I was wondering about," I said. "Suppose one of the staff were a traitor and invited Ímar in, but not on the day of the incursion, but before that? After all they knew when the Coalition were due, but security would not be so tight, plus there were a lot of other Mages wandering around. A stranger might not be noticed, particularly if they arrived at the same time as Mage Henry's group but were met by another member of staff."