Chapter 32

The paperwork took a little while although in the end I simply duplicated one report into the other. Some Mages had often enough suggested using memory crystals to store our memories of the events, but so far indexing one was proving problematical as opposed to simply running it back and forth. Still, there were some Mages involved in software and hardware development who assured us that pretty soon we'd be able to conveniently use computers to annotate data onto magnetic media. Having seen what the Loegrians were capable of, I believed that it would take at least a decade, possibly more, before we ended up with a reasonable system, though reading a floppy disk was quite easy for a Mage and we understood the coding quite easily. Again though the technology wasn't quite within the grasp of mundane humanity and as we were supposed to keep a low profile we pretty much kept to the ordinary.

I wandered back up to Enforcement to hand over the report to Mage Thomas and stopped to chat with Mage Erin who was currently leading Arch's team whilst Róisín's training went on at Morgana's Manse. She'd fully recovered from being crushed by a wall during the Coalition raid and was enjoying leading the team against Coalition infiltration and the odd Nephilim incursion. Though there wasn't really that much going on, she was interested in what happened on Tír na nÓg and the now new threat from that angle.

"I suspect that may be where the Nephilim we killed in Kurukshetra ported in from and why we struggled to find any signs of an advanced base on the uninhabited Earths," she finally responded, after giving my tale a little thought.

"Seems as good a place as any. We mostly watch for Sidhe incursions, rather than Tír na nÓg itself. Besides, I suspect that initially we would ignore there as we didn't know the link between them at that time," I replied.

"Yes, wonder what if anything we'll do next. We definitely aren't set up to take the fight to anyone not on this planet," she mused.

"Damned if I know, I doubt Morgana would tell me if she knew either," I chuckled.

"Or I, John, come to that," she chuckled in return.

At this point the door to Morgana's office crashed open and an obviously furious Mage Hermes stormed through it followed by a placid seeming Simon and a troubled looking Julia, Cixi and Zola. There was no sign of the Seers and I suspected they'd simply ported back to their section as the limitations to teleporting from Morgana's office only seemed to apply to lesser mortals.

Both Erin and myself made formal bows to the group although I don't believe they saw us, their attention was fixed on Hermes who turned and launched into what can only be called a tirade against Simon, Rowenna and Julia in which he denounced their policies and then brought Morgana's name into it, calling her their chosen one to take over from himself as the unholy trinity, as he called the three other Mages, tried to force him and his voice of reason out.

"You're driving us to open war against a foe we simply cannot match!" he almost screamed in Simon's face. "And your stooge, Morgana, continues to antagonise them on a daily basis!"

"Morgana is hardly anyone's stooge," Simon replied calmly. "Her record of outstanding success over the centuries stands for itself and the number of times she's crossed swords with me is testament to her having her own mind on a vast array of subjects. Nor are we considering her for your job, but for that of Assassin Prime."

"Thus robbing the Amity caucus of yet another seat on the Council and replacing it with another of the Vanguard entente," Hermes stormed. "Thus driving us further into open hostilities with the new Sidhe leadership."

"We are already at war with the Sidhe, new leadership or not," Mage Cixi replied, frowning at Hermes intransigence. "Nor do I see how the best person for a job has to come from a certain faction," she finally added.

"Balanced careful consideration of all elements to a problem is the only way to deal successfully with it, Cixi. You used to believe that once!" he raged.

"I still do, but not to the point of it leaving any sort of action stillborn through the blocking of information gathering and counter measures, which I see as necessary to assess the threat we face," she replied frowning.

"If we left them alone and didn't antagonise them we would not be facing their wrath as they now see us as their main threat," Hermes retorted.

"Oh come now Hermes, you cannot possibly believe that letting an Old One loose on our Earth was anything but a hostile act of extreme antagonism. They chose to attack us, not vice versa," Mage Zola interjected.

"A response no doubt to the damned Coalition's response at Tunguska. Yet we have not even tried to negotiate with the Nephilim, simply responded in kind in an escalating war," Hermes snapped back.

"Invading and releasing an Old One hardly suggest peaceful motives," she hit back. "Nor does infiltrating our ranks with traitors, perverts and child abusers!"

"Most of whom appear to have been members of the Amity caucus or had links to it," added Julia with utter venom in her voice.

"How dare you attempt to implicate the good people associated to my caucus with the actions of an errant Mage!" Hermes exploded.

"Mages, please, this is hardly the place for such a discussion," I heard my voice interject startling all save Simon, whom I suspect knew Erin and I were there all along.

"You're quite right, John. This should have been saved for a Council session," Julia replied, looking at Hermes with a distasteful expression.

"Indeed and on that note let us away," Simon replied, giving me a wink as all five simply ported out.

"Jesus, no wonder they don't like anyone knowing what they're up to," I said into the silence.

"Couldn't agree more, John, but mum's the word, eh?" Erin replied.

"Bit late for that," I replied pointing at several Mages including Mage Thomas whose heads appeared in doorways and corridors.

"Crafty sod!" exclaimed Erin with a grin on her face.

"Simon? Yes, planned it out from the moment they got word of our prisoner I suspect," I chuckled.

"Including your interjection?" Erin asked.

"Well, it was my voice, but I'm damned if I actually said anything," I said with a smile.

"Thought as much, looks like we were told everything he wanted us to know," Erin replied with a smile of her own.

"Yes, though best to tell everyone not to talk about it, Council business etc." I chuckled knowing fine well that several of the Mages here had already blabbed to friends about the outburst we'd witnessed.

"Oh yes, we certainly must," replied Erin who beckoned Mage Thomas over.

"Most unseemly," was all Thomas had to say on the subject though he agreed to send a memo round telling all the Mages not to discuss the incident, knowing fine well the stable was empty and the horse had well and truly bolted.

Other than a quick peruse over my report on the incidents on Tír na nÓg Thomas didn't have anything else for me so sent me back down to Roxanne in Diplomatic.

Back in Diplomatic I had to smile as the air was abuzz with conversations both spoken and telepathic about what had transpired upstairs. By sending a memo Mage Thomas had made certain that this would happen, rather than say just telepathing the section heads and getting them to squelch it. As it is, I suspected any such memo would be at least an hour in making an appearance and by then the cat would be well and truly out of the bag so to speak, though we'd covered our backs to stop it getting out in the form of a paper-trail.

"John! Upstairs now, Morgana wants to see us," Mage Roxanne called from her office.

"Yes, Mage Roxanne," I sighed as once again I began to climb the stairs followed by Roxanne.

I swear I felt the temperature drop by several degrees when we entered Morgana's office and hoped that I wasn't in trouble as we both stood before a white faced and clearly very angry Mage.

"I take it Simon's little message is being distributed as we speak," she began in brittle tones.

"Yes, my Mage. Mage Thomas is writing a memo to all in the building to keep their mouths shut about it at this moment in time. He should have it distributed within the hour," I replied, getting a startled glance from Roxanne who hadn't tapped into the grapevine yet.

"Bloody stupid games within games all because a third of the Council are scared of their own shadows and frightened of losing power and influence should we mobilise all our planet's magical resources ... or rather those we control," she sighed letting some of the tension leave her body.

"So I gathered, my Mage. Though, as ever, the Council, its make-up, members and its decision making processes are opaque to me," I replied.

"Well, today's your lucky day then, John ... and you Roxanne as you've been authorised by Simon in his role as Senex veneficus penitus orbis to be briefed by me on the convoluted mess that is Council politics, as if I don't have enough things to do with my time!" she uttered in vexed tones.

"Why would Mage Simon do such a thing, Mage Morgana?" Roxanne asked very politely.

"Because I've just been promoted to the role of Assassin Prime and you for your sins are taking over the Department," Morgana replied.

"Oh bloody hell," Roxanne replied aghast. "Er, congratulations, Mage Morgana, I mean."

"Thank you, though in this case it's a poisoned chalice as Mage Hermes and his faction are refusing to cooperate," Morgana replied, clearly holding her anger in check.

"Someone less scrupulous would simply allow them to go their own way and be picked off by the Coalition," Roxanne responded.

"Indeed," sighed Morgana. "Which means I'll be run ragged in trying to keep them safe whilst being under constant criticism from them for interfering in their lives or under attack if I fail to keep one safe," Morgana replied coldly.

"Refuse the honour then," I said.

"No one refuses a promotion to the Council. It's simply not done," Morgana replied, clearly a little startled yet also clearly giving it some thought.

"Dunno, if you state your reasons that you feel certain unnamed members of the Council have indicated that they will refuse to cooperate in your task of protecting them I think that might fly," Roxanne added with a crafty smile.

Morgana looked at us both thoughtfully and then with an evil grin sent out a coded telepathic message on a channel I could barely reach, never mind read.

Ten minutes later Simon, Julia and Rowenna ported in looking quite upset bordering on angry in Simon's case as both Roxanne and I gave them all formal bows.

"You cannot refuse this, Morgana!" Simon came to the point bluntly. "The Council is in an uproar over your message as Hermes faction is accusing you of attempting to break the Council!"

"I'll accept if all give their solemn bond to accept my role as their protector and to fully cooperate in any measures to protect them," Morgana intoned coldly.

"But no one has asked for such a bond in the past," Julia said quietly.

"Perhaps it's time," said Rowenna thoughtfully.

"Perhaps," mused Simon.

"I'll accept a full Council simple majority vote to step down rather than a full two thirds, should the Council find that my actions are unsatisfactory ... within the first year" Morgana responded. "However I'll also ask the Council to censure any who refuse to cooperate after giving their bond and will simply refuse to protect those who will not."

"I think that will work," Julia said after a moment's thought. "I'd also add to your proposal that those who refuse to give their bond cannot partake in any vote or vote of censure against you."

"Yes, they either give their word and allow you to do the job as it ought, or they forego the protection you will afford them as the Assassin Prime," chuckled Simon who seemed now to be enjoying himself. "We'll put your reasonable request to the Council, my lovely friend, as a counter to the refusal of the Amity caucus to cooperate after the majority vote to offer you the role. Now please bring Mage Roxanne and journeyman Mage John up to speed on what will be required of them in the future."

The three Mages flickered out Council style in that I still couldn't detect how they did it, just that they did.

"That should throw the cat amongst the pigeons," Roxanne chuckled.

"Oh won't it just. It's never been known for a candidate to dictate terms before taking on a position, but I rather suspect in this case it's necessary. Besides, I won't be heartbroken if my candidacy is revoked," Morgana replied.

"Aye, at least here you're more or less your own boss," Roxanne added.

"A joy that you may well have," Morgana replied with a relaxed smile. "Now sit down both of you and I'll go over what the Council is and how it operates. I realise you know much of this Roxanne, but this is for John's benefit really as he'll be my aide."

She told us that the Council of the Wise was made up of twenty full voting members, although until Morgana's position was ratified it was standing at nineteen. There were also another ten non-voting members made up of the six Bureau heads, the head warder of Kurukshetra, the head of non-human affairs (Earth), the head of non-human affairs (off Planet) and an administrator responsible for the embassy portal that foreign Mages were officially supposed to use if visiting our Earth for one reason or another.