Dark Tidings

Chapter 33 - An Interesting Time

Four suited men sat around a magnificent, antique mahogany table. Each man, head in hands, stared at his own reflection in the gleaming wood.

"There is great strangeness afoot. Bad things are happening all over the city. We really must get a handle on the situation."

"I agree. So many extraordinary goings-on recently, it can't be mere coincidence. And that bizarre scene at the Ritz leaves me in no doubt that something momentous is happening. I think we are seeing the beginning of something incredible unfolding."

"We're definitely living in interesting times..."

"Let's hope it doesn't get too interesting."

"We need to decide what we're going to do about it but before we make any significant decisions, let's hear the reports about the coins."

"Yes. We should have all the information available before we debate our next steps."

The agents who'd been tracking the coins were ushered into the room and the four men listened to the lengthy reports of how each Aethelred had been traced to its source.

To date, seven of the coins had been successfully tracked. Six trails led back to an old bearded man with a messy mop of long grey hair. He'd traded single coins in 'Sell your Gold' and antique shops. The storekeepers all gave similar descriptions of the man and they all remarked that there was something a little strange about him; something very old‑fashioned which they couldn't quite put their fingers on.

The last coin trail led back to a young, smart-looking man. He didn't fit the pattern but all the information they could gather was important. This was just another piece in the complex jigsaw.

When the agents left, the four men discussed the reports they'd heard.

"So, the coins are linked to the events at the Ritz Hotel."

"Yes, it appears so. It seems the old man is the link."

"And we shouldn't forget that the epicentre of the great KABOOM noise appears to have been somewhere around the Ritz."

"Okay, so tracking down the old man and his companion is our priority and clearly the Ritz is the place to start."

They summoned the captain of the Occultus Populous agents and gave him a detailed briefing, stressing the importance and urgency of his mission. The manhunt was underway.

"All we can do is wait until they find them."

"Not quite. While they search the city for these men, I'll search our document archives. As you know, the archives were part of my training when I was a young man and I've a niggling suspicion there's something in there that'll help us solve this puzzle."

"Good luck with that. No one goes near those documents anymore, so you'll probably spend more time dusting than reading."

It was true, the archives had been neglected for years. Access to them was discouraged because most believed that all they contained was myth and mythology, and the Council didn't want anyone propagating the old fantasies and deflecting the organisation from its more tangible pursuit, namely the pursuit of wealth and power.

A few hours later he'd retrieved a carefully chosen selection of manuscripts from the enormous library stored in the basement. He'd known exactly what he was looking for and the parchments were now spread haphazardly across the table.

"These are some of the oldest documents we have. Something in the back of my mind tells me the answer lies in here somewhere."

He scoured the manuscripts, searching for clues. The day was nearly over when he banged the table with his fist.

"Yes," he shouted. "Yes."

The others gathered round him.

"Here, here's the one I was looking for. Listen to this, this piece was written by Gravalar, one of the founders of our great Society and the original Great Grand Master."

His finger rested halfway down the parchment. It was written in Salatin, an ancient language which pre-dated Latin by a good two thousand years. He read out loud, translating as he went.

"We tracked them by the day and rested only when the darkness cloaked our passage. We followed the evidence left by their magic-making. We gleaned information from the peasants of the land. The trail led us to an old tavern which overlooked the sea. We entered and there were many people. Through the crowd, we caught a brief sight of the thieves. One was an old man with a lengthy grey beard and black, angled eyebrows. His hair was long, grey and dishevelled. The other was a young man with curled black hair."

He scanned the rest of the page and then turned to the next, muttering as he read the words to himself. At last he reached the part he was looking for.

"We shattered the door and burst into their sleeping chamber. And they were there. And then they were gone. And with them was the Scroll."

He paused and looked at the others.

"It's them. The thieves have arrived in our time, I have no doubt. Listen again to the description of the old man... a long grey beard, long grey dishevelled hair and black angled eyebrows. That's the description of the person who's been selling the coins. Add that to all the strange things that have been happening... they're here and they've brought magic with them."

The men sat in silence for a minute or two.

"This is it. We must gather the Council."

"Could it be true? Are we about to witness a momentous event unfold before our very eyes?"

They knew what they had to do so they did it. They started the process which would lead to the gathering of the Occultus Populous Council. This would be the first time the full Council had been convened in over two hundred and fifty years.