Chapter 29

I have to admit I thoroughly enjoyed working for Mage Roxanne whilst Morgana and Arch were tutoring Róisín in higher plane magic. I didn't enjoy the endless rounds of soothing various civil servants fears over what Mages might be up to, which was mostly stuff that had nothing to do with Mages and more to do with UFO spotting and conspiracy theories. What I did enjoy though was being Roxanne's assistant when she visited other worlds and their representatives. Mage Roxanne had opened diplomatic channels to most of the races that we knew were out there, saving the Sidhe and the Ogdoad who would often enough kill themselves if they came into contact with another sentient life form to avoid what they termed pollution. Not that any of the other races had an embassy on our Earth, but they all maintained, as the Æsir did, a portal by which communications could be facilitated. Access to their worlds had to be through this portal or your presence would be viewed as a hostile act and grounds for some form of hostile action on the part of the aggrieved party, ranging from death to a verbal slap on the wrist depending on the race involved. It was also interesting dealing with Mages or their equivalents on other worlds, as ours was the only one where Mages most definitely hid from sight, though on many others they were figures of fear to the general populace.

Mostly this communication was aimed at obtaining modern weaponry, our assistance to the Æsir had been noted by several Earths and they wanted to buy or coerce us into what they thought we were selling. They left disappointed, the Mages of Earth now had a very nasty reputation for being amongst the most powerful of Mages in the known Earths simply because of the knowledge we used to enhance our spells. This was more down to the fact that we were to an extent part of the scientific community that the mundanes of our Earth had and were heavily involved in scientific and medical research. Because we hid within our communities, it forced us to become part of those communities and so all Mages on our Earth had a pretty good education in what comprised the elemental tables, genetics, electronics and other areas relevant to today's society. This was why I could remove the oxygen from a warded shield, because I knew it was there, most other Earths Mages simply didn't. Nor was it as simple as grabbing a weapon and duplicating it. Whilst Mages can (and do) duplicate objects, it's generally one piece at a time as I had to with my Null medallions before forming them into a whole. The better the Mage, the easier it can be done. But it's also easier if you have a supply of the materials involved too. Yes we can do transmutation, but there are certain constraints and making hardened steel out of dirt requires a lot of energy control plus a reasonable knowledge of metallurgy to understand what's actually there. With 56 parts (roughly) to your average AK47 creating one or several from the base materials was time consuming and exhausting. A high Mage could do it, but a high Mage would most likely not want to, hence the attempts to trade for the weaponry. Only the Veda were reasonably equivalent in magic and science and they weren't interested in weaponry of our Earth as they couldn't handle them properly (four arms of different lengths and agility) and had just as good equivalents which suited their physiology better. That plus the goings on of humanity interested them not at all.

The other interesting thing about working with Mage Roxanne was dealing with intelligent magical, for want of a better word, life forms and not in an enforcement way. I'd already had contact with the Nosferatu Clans in London, but there were others too. Though the other main contender for most dangerous life form (other than mankind) were the Lycanthrope Clans. Whilst the Nosferatu were urban dwellers, the Lycanthropes were quite rural and more based in remote areas where they could hunt to their hearts content so long as they did not hunt man. If that happened it became a matter for the Clan that they were part of to hunt them down or a Mage would. Unfortunately it happened more often than we or the Clan heads liked as young Lycanthropes were like teenagers everywhere and prone to acts of defiance to authority. It was considered the ultimate to take down a human and get away with it. What they couldn't seem to grasp was that our Seers were very good at tracking them and correlating the data of missing person reports and having a local office investigate. This was mostly the job of our eastern European Mages, the UK didn't have any Lycanthrope Clans, we're too crowded and Scotland too empty of game. So it did come as a surprise to find myself attending Mage Roxanne as she met with the Alpha male of the Zielona Gora Lycana who was requesting our help.

As looks went, you'd be singularly unimpressed with Jacob Zwieliska, thin, unassuming, almost shy, but looks were deceiving as certain of my magical senses were telling me. This guy was a shape changer of a most dangerous kind and a very dangerous predator.

Lycanthropes are not shape-shifters, the gene that allows them to switch from one shape to another is, within the human genome, just dormant in many, non-existent in most. The change requires a lot of energy which is why they are at their most dangerous just after changing and very, very hungry. They don't have to wait for a full moon to change either. They can do it in broad daylight on a whim, though this tends to bring the Council down on them like a ton of bricks if they do it in front of humans and proceed to attack or be reported by them. The only way that the Lunar cycle does affect them is that they have to change on a full moon, no ifs or buts about it, cloudy or not, even then the older they are, the greater the intelligence, the less likely any incidents.

"Greetings Alpha Jacob, how may the Bureau assist you?" Roxanne asked.

"I fear one of our own intended mayhem upon this City," he answered. "I have him under restraint at the moment, but the matter which caused it needs to be resolved as you are at fault."

"And why would he do that?" she asked.

"You abducted his mate and are known to have engaged in a cull of my people,"

"Did we? I know of no recent reports," she replied.

"I suggest you check with your Polska branch, they have been active in what appears to be some sort of cull and frankly if you do not stop it, we will target those under your protection to the point where you'll have a plague of us," he answered calmly.

"Why do you think our Polska branch would be acting against the pact we have with your Clans?" I asked.

"This I do not know, but my Clan has reports of the killing of one of us by a Mage with connections to that office," Jacob replied.

"Do you know which one?" Roxanne asked concerned.

"He was identified as Mage Lech."

"I know of no Mage Lech," Roxanne replied.

Then you have a problem in Warsawa, a serious problem," he said.

"We will investigate, how long will you give us?" Roxanne requested.

"My Clan is assembling in three weeks for our lunar hunt. You have until then or we hunt humans to infect," he warned before leaving the building.

"Fuck!" Roxanne began, then headed off with another far more impressive stream of profanity.

"I take it there's a problem I'm not aware of?" I interjected when she finally began to wind down.

"There is no Mage Lech, but this has all the hallmarks of a Coalition sting," she finally replied.

"Then we go to Warsaw?" I asked.

"Yes, but without a clue as to who Mage Lech is and a lot of hostility from the local bloody pack who will not exactly be on their best behaviour with their Alpha having had to make the journey here to tell us what he thinks is going on!" she stormed.

"So call Jacob back and offer him passage," I said.

"Pardon?"

"Offer him passage or is that against some obscure departmental rule I'm not aware of?" I asked.

"Get him and ask ... politely," she requested looking a little shamefaced.

Jacob wasn't hard to find, simply walking along Whitehall towards Parliament looking at the various buildings.

"A moment of your time, Alpha Jacob," I requested.

"Yes, young Mage?"

"Could we prevail upon you to come with us to Warsawa to speak to the people there under mine and Mage Roxanne's protection?" I asked.

"You are offering me access via a portal?" he asked in return.

"Yes, Alpha Jacob. In order to help calm your people whilst we get to the bottom of this matter," I replied. "Also to help identify this Mage Lech who has wronged your Clan member."

"Agreed, lead on young Mage," he finally replied after a little thought.

"Thank you, sir. We are most grateful," I replied.

"You are the one affiliated to the Nosferatu of Clan Juwes?" he asked as we returned to the office.

"I have that honour, yes," I replied.

"You think it an honour?"

"I do indeed, Alpha Jacob," I replied.

"You are a credit to your Mage," he finally said. "To many Mages we the 'other' humans on the planet have been an embarrassment and little more than untermenschen to use that awful German word."

"My Mage, Morgana, taught me to treat as I find. I find your actions to be worthy of respect in taking the time to warn us of what could be a major problem for us," I replied.

"I have met that fine Lady twice. You are lucky to have her as your Mage. Some Mages do not live up to such high standards," he said cryptically as most of the Mages I knew did live up to Morgana's standards.

We were met at the office by a still flustered looking Roxanne, who for once seemed completely out of sorts.

"Is everything all right, Mage Roxanne?" I asked during a quiet moment.

"It is now, John. Thank you," she replied. "I am seriously embarrassed that I did not think to offer Alpha Jacob the basic courtesy of sending him home after he travelled all the way from Poland to warn us. It was a serious breach of good manners and Mage Morgana expects far better from us all these days, unlike when the Department last operated under Mage Abelard."

"I don't know of any Mage Abelard," I replied.

"He was Morgana's predecessor well before the Department actually came into being after the Accords were signed in 1701. He was what I suppose you could call old school, but that old school had its roots in the superstitious past and he hated semi-magical beings with a passion and his staff, of whom I was a junior member, picked up on it. Eventually he breached the early protocols set down by the Council once too often and was summoned to account for it, the crime was the attempted eradication of a Clan of Nosferatu who were harming no one and were abiding by the rules, but their presence near the office offended him greatly," she said.

"And he got caught?" I asked.

"Along with half the Department, although we considered ourselves a Coven in those days whom he'd ordered to come along and assist, including yours truly. I got off with a severe reprimand and six weeks official disapproval during which my recently gained full Mage status was revoked and I ended up becoming a journeywoman under Rowenna again for a further ten years. After which I was permitted by Morgana to re-join the Department, but not in enforcement. Frankly it was the best thing that could have happened to me, I was way too cocksure when I finally became a Mage and Abelard rubbed off on me far too well. Morgana ran herd on me for a good while, but eventually we became friends and colleagues. But today I feel I let her down, though thank God you were here to prevent it from becoming far worse," she finished.

"For what it's worth, Mage Roxanne, I think you're a damned fine Mage and I enjoy working with you," I said.

"And you're a damned glory hound, if a competent one, who makes me feel old at times, young John," she chuckled. "But keep popping those balloons of pride in me, it's appreciated."

"I will, Mage Roxanne," I replied with a chuckle and a formal bow.

"Right let's collect Jacob and find out just who the hell Mage Lech is. Although I already have my suspicions," Roxanne announced.

"Yes, Mage," I replied and brought Jacob to the right side of the doorframe for a portal transfer.

Roxanne had administrative privileges which meant she was privy to the access code to open a portal into one of the Department's buildings. That's not to say she knew them, just she had the rank to requisition them for buildings other than her own. She also had the pull to make our visit unannounced too.

We stepped through into a small office and several startled Mages, some of whom appeared to be preparing to sell their lives dearly if the level of spell summoning was to be believed from my scans.

"Mage Roxanne, Diplomatic Department and Journeyman Mage John, Enforcement trouble-shooter. Stand down and take me to Mage Pawel now!" She ordered whilst locking the buildings wards down to prevent anyone from leaving.

"Mage Roxanne you will explain yourself now!" came the bellow from outside the office.

"I need explain nothing. I'm investigating a breach of the Council accords as signed by the government of Poland and ratified by the current regime. It is you who needs to do some explaining, Mage Pawel," Roxanne said in tones that would brook no disobeyal.

A short unassuming man stormed into the office where we'd arrived and came up to Roxanne.

"We have breached no Accords, you must be mistaken!" he yelled.

"He seems rather agitated for someone who knows he's done nothing wrong," I quietly interjected.

"Doesn't he, John?" she agreed.

"Do any of these Mages look like this Lech?" she asked Jacob.

"No but the angry one knows him as he often came with him when you Mages turned up to investigate attacks," Jacob opined.

"You brought a Lycanthrope into my building?" Mage Pawel exploded.

"Indeed, any of the people of the Accords can bring a complaint against a Department or the Council; you know that Pawel, you also know the protocols for dealing with such. Now tell me who Mage Lech is or face arrest and investigation by the Council enforcers," Roxanne stated.

With a scream of rage Pawel suddenly launched a bolt of hellfire at Roxanne only to find that she like I had been waiting for such an act. The bolt was quickly grounded and Pawel found himself felled by what appeared to be a massive increase in gravity on the spot where he stood dropping him painfully to the floor whilst several members of his department hit him with various paralysis spells before he could react from his shock. Roxanne then simply stepped up and cuffed him with a pair of anti-magic cuffs from her handbag before Pawel was dragged to his feet and put in a chair.

"Anyone here know who Mage Lech might be?" Roxanne asked.

"It might be his hunting partner, I don't know his name or what he looks like, but he is a Mage and he was always boasting of his kills with weapons," one of the Polish Mages admitted.

"It's a possibility," Roxanne mused. "Anyone know where to find him?

"I know," she replied.

"Very well, take us there..." Roxanne began.

"Mage Ludmilla, at your service, Mage Roxanne," she answered the unsaid question.

"Consider yourself acting Chief until this is resolved. If you perform satisfactorily, I'll have Mage Morgana confirm it," said Roxanne.

"Thank you, Mage Roxanne," she replied, both surprised and gratified.

"Have Pawel ported to London. Mage Henry has been informed and will take him into custody," Roxanne told the other Mages there, deliberately leaving out Pawel's title of Mage, leaving them in little doubt as to the scale of his crime.

With Ludmilla providing us the locale of Pawel's 'friend', Mage Lech, we ported into the vicinity of what appeared to be a dach, the Polish equivalent of a Russian dacha.

"Only high Party members and their guests as well as those most favoured by the state are allowed to live in this area," Ludmilla stated.

"Power corrupts," I murmured.

"Better hope not, John. Mages have more power than most," Roxanne chuckled.

"And this explains the Coalition, who believe in power above all other things," I replied.

"True, well answered," she replied.

"My Mage taught me well. Besides when it comes to power, she still has me beaten hands down," I chuckled.

"Aye, me too and I've been at this a long time now," Roxanne admitted.

"I've had discussions with her over natural talent or training. She said yes to both," I replied with a grin.

"No doubt about it, some things just seem to come easy to some Mages. But when I think things like that I just think of Mage William," she replied with a grin of her own.

"Still not forgiven then?" I asked.

"Oh yes, but he doesn't need to know that, he did brilliantly bringing over defectors from the Coalition, though not from Poland which is what aroused my suspicions over the effectiveness of Mage Pawel," she said. "But overall, he will not get much further power wise," she alluded to High Magic.