[Events take place three+ months after Wands and Domus.]
Know Thy Enemy
The Third Tale in the Wizarding World Z War
by D. O'Shae
Chapter A
Natalie sat in the meeting and watched the five magi squirm under the collective gaze of Colonel Lange, Major Garner, and her. Padma Bray, a field-commissioned Major in the British Army, faced the three normies with a slightly sheepish look on her face. Conversely, Michael Corner, Adrian Pucey, Teddy Lupin, and Dr. Miriam Stout stared either at the table top, the floor, or anywhere else. They dressed in the odd manner of magi that combined several periods of fashion into one assemblage. It looked simultaneously modern and out-of-date. The others in the room wore the duty uniforms, including Padma. However, an undercurrent of tension filled the room. Colonel Lange sighed.
"Okay, let's go over it again," the colonel said in a patient, slow fashion. "We keep the zee tied down with heavy, leather straps. We also chain the arms and legs to the examination platform. We fabricated wire cages that fit snugly on their heads. Four guards are stationed the in the room with the rifles aimed squarely at the zee. Now, given all that, how the hell do you think they're going to either get loose or attack you before being gunned down?"
Padma slumped a bit. Teddy shrugged his shoulders. As the youngest of the group by quite a bit, he appeared the least embarrassed. Corner, Pucey, and Stout, however, each turned a little scarlet on their cheeks and around their necks. Natalie felt bad for them, but she also got frustrated. She understood their fear to some degree, but the normie military met every one of their demands to ensure their safety. The group needed to study live zee, a phrase no one used unless they wanted to become the object of serious derision, in order to discern exactly what magic got used to create them.
"Major Bray, you do understand why you have to give up your wand now before going into the examination room?" Colonel Lange asked without sounding critical.
"Yes, ma'am," the magi major quietly uttered. "I am very sorry about the room, but it looked..."
"No, Padma, it did not look like it was about to escape. It can't."
Two days before they conducted another trial to see if the magi could enter into into a room with an active undead without panicking. They knew the zee would react to their presence, especially their combined presence, and to remember the creature lay secured to the table. When Padma got within three feet of the zee, it began to thrash about. She panicked. She drew her wand. She let lose with a stream of magical fire that incinerated the zee and melted the exam table. It also melted everything behind the table as well. The two guards station in the back corners dove for safety after the first tongue of fire got unleashed. The clean up grew estimated Major Bray's fire burned at over twelve hundred degrees Celsius. The scorched exam room would serve as a supply room in the future since the damage rendered future sterilization impossible.
"Yes, ma'am," Padma mumbled.
"I know your communities got hit the hardest. I know most of you have seen a few things we can't even begin to imagine. We know the zee specifically hunt you and normies are just a hold over snack," Amanda Lange spoke calmly and evenly to the group.
Natalie used her hand to hide her grin regarding the last statement. Major Gerald Garner, the sub-commander of the base, also fought to keep from smirking. Natalie saw one flicker on Teddy's face. She still found difficult to accept the young man's late father could turn into a werewolf. The magi gave them repeated assurances Teddy would not transform since the affliction tended to appear in early childhood when passed from parent to child. However, he did receive the ability to change parts of his features at will from his mother. He stood a bit over six feet and seemed normal, but one day short red hair turned into longer black hair the next, only to transform to shaggy auburn by the end of the afternoon. His nose would change length and shape, as did his ears. Teddy's could alter the contours of his face. Sometimes the military personnel assigned to their section would stop him and question the young man like a stranger until he assumed the form on his identification badge. Natalie asked Padma if Teddy lacked the ability to control the transformation, but the magi woman adamantly stated he did it on purpose.
"Let's all stay focused on our objectives. We need you'll to be able to approach the zee and conduct examinations and experiments if we are going to defeat this plague," the colonel continued. "We are enormously grateful the four of you volunteered along with Major Bray..."
"Do we get ranks?" Adrian Pucey interrupted.
"As soon as you last three days out in the wild in zee infested territory without your wand, we'll talk."
Adrian looked shocked at the suggestion. The dark haired, dark eyed man with rather sallow skin glanced nervously about the room. Of all the magi, he tended to be the most shy. Getting him to speak or interact sometimes proved a chore. The saving grace came from the fact that when he participated the ideas or information he shared proved highly useful. The man ran an emporium specializing in cursed, hexed, jinxed, or otherwise magicked items. His ability to discern subtle differences between spells routinely awed his magical colleagues. Everyone hoped he would be able to sort out which spells got used to animate the dead and turn them into such deadly, vicious creatures. However, Adrian needed to overcome his fear of the zee in order to complete his part of the overall mission.
"Now, we are going to try again this afternoon," the colonel told them. "You will all surrender your wands..."
Several of the magi sputtered.
"No exceptions!"
The sputters turned to grumbles. Angry looks settled on the faces of the magi. Natalie sensed the colonel breached some form of etiquette.
"I cannot stress enough to you how important your safety is to us. Based on everything we've learned since your squad got assembled, it proves we need to work together on this. However there comes a time when just talking about the issue isn't enough. It's time to get our hands dirty, so to speak, and physically examine the zee. You knew all along this is our ultimate goal, so..." Colonel Lange lectured then left the question unsaid.
"Yes, ma'am," said Padma, the de facto leader of the magi group.
"Despite all I said, you do have the option to leave," the commanding officer said. "We can take you back to where we first met, thank you for your time here, and you go to wherever you think you can be safe. No hard feelings on our part."
Natalie winced when she saw the reactions of the magi. The majority appeared nervous at the suggestion. Although never spoken about, the magical people quickly learned that, except for those captured for specific purposes, the island remained free of zee. Since they began arriving two months ago following a month when Padma all but exhausted all of her contacts within magi community, the three men and the doctor gradually relaxed. Whereas once they would start at the slightest sound, the quartet of newly arrived magi began to sleep through the night. Natalie understood all the signs of post traumatic syndrome. Two of them required sessions with a therapist brought into the fold after a week of intensive briefings. Doctor Stout played a significant role in that respect as well. It helped, and the magi calmed. The stories they shared regarding their lives after the zee invasion completely equaled Padma's
"No? You feel safe here?" The colonel questioned them. "So then let me ask you this: why in the hell would we jeopardize you after going to such lengths to secure your safety?"
"Colonel," Doctor Stout said in her quiet yet oddly authoritative manner that rivaled Colonel Lange's, "Would you be comfortable being put into a lion's cage even though a trainer, several even, were present knowing the lion really wanted to eat you before all others?"
"I take your point, Doctor Stout, and I have all along. To be perfectly frank and honest, I am at my wits end. We're racing against a clock that when, not if, it strikes midnight we all lose. All of us: magi and normie alike. I've tried to impress upon you and your colleagues the importance of the work we need to do."
Doctor Stout nodded her head. Padma found the woman working in an aid camp in the Brecon Beacons outside of Abergavenny, one of the hardest hit areas for the magi since the indescribable army of undead that swarmed out of Cardiff immediately headed north and west. Doctor Stout, a fully trained magi healer, worked in private practice after the magi wars just before the turn of the millennium. The tall, somewhat willowy woman with long nearly completely gray hair conducted herself in a reserved manner. During her vetting, the woman talked about losing a patient in an extremely unusual way, but would say no more. Padma seemed to know, but magi custom held it impolite to discuss the failure of others. What they got in Doctor Stout, a title they conferred upon for her training and years of experience, turned out to be worth its weight in gold.
"And we take your point, Colonel Lange," Doctor Stout rejoined in her calm, detached manner. "May I ask: have you ever seen a magi turn into a zed… or even a muggle?"
"I've seen film footage, but not directly, no. I rarely served on the front lines," Amanda Lange truthfully answered.
"It takes about an hour in a muggle depending on the undead that attacked, but one of us can turn in a matter of minutes and no more than ten. The worse part..." the doctor said and leaned forward, "is that anyone of nearby can feel it happening. It twists inside of our minds. Now, imagine that going on with dozens, maybe even hundreds of people around you? Is that something you'd like to share in?"
"You can actually feel it?" Major Garner spoke for the first time.
The magi to a person grimly nodded. They all experienced their kind turning into a zee. They looked haunted and for good reason.
"So before you go calling us coward or think we're not trying, you need to understand what we go through," Doctor Stout said. "It eats at our brains. We can feel the person dying… losing whatever it is that makes person human die and become… perverted. These zed give us nightmares when too many are around. We can feel their hunger… their want… for us… for our magic. It's horrible…"
"When my sister turned," Michael Corner said in his dry voice, "she fought so hard, but this… these spell ate her from the inside out. I could feel her slipping away, turning into a monster as everything – everything! – she was got taken away and the undead thing got left in it's place. The worst part… the absolutely worst facking part of it was I couldn't do anything to save her, even help… or ease the pain I knew she was in. So every time I see one of those damn things, all I can think about is all the people I saw turn into one of them. It makes me remember. It forces me to relive the memories."
"And this is true for all you?" Colonel Lange asked and sympathy infused her words.
The magi nodded in silence. Tears spilled down Padma's cheeks. Teddy appeared ashen and gray, and not by choice or his innate abilities. Adrian seemed to sink into himself. Doctor Stout pursed her lips and looked rigid. The group exuded pain.
"Every time you ask us to near these slaggers, we get to relive all of those deaths again… and again.. and again. We can't stop it. When they stare at us with those dead eyes…" Michael continued and then stopped.
The man, the magic theorist, seemed frozen. He gazed into the distance, and it became obvious scenes flashed before his eyes he otherwise would care to forget. Padma located him, after consulting with some old friends who taught at the school of magic where he might be found. The Ministry of Magic kept Michael Corner on a watch list because of his research into the nature of magic. The normies got told such explorations could quickly transform an otherwise sane wizard into a dark wizard over time. Michael literally squirreled himself away into a large tree he petrified in the South Downs National Park near the village of Ducton. Padma reported the tree appeared live and healthy, and it proved very difficult to find. In the upper branches Michael created a rather impressive tree house and used the trunk of the tree as the means of entrance and egress. He used the roots of the tree, also petrified, to protect his research rooms and library. Of all the magi, it took Padma the longest to locate and convince the man to join them. Only the promise he would get to work with a muggle physicist enticed him out of his unusual lair.
"Did you ever think of sharing this… effect with us?" Colonel Lange asked, and her frustration showed.
"We did," Padma quickly rejoined.
"They did, Amanda," Gerry Garner intoned. "We thought they were being figurative or… euphemistic. We never… not literally!"
"We'll talk later, Gerry," his commanding officer said in a cool manner. Then she turned back to the magi. "Is there anything we can do to reduce this effect?"
The magi glanced at one another, except Michael who appeared trapped in his horrible memories. Padma shrugged, as did Doctor Stout. Adrian Pucey stared at Teddy who, when the scrutiny continued, frowned at the man.
Adrian then looked at Padma and said: "What about scramblers? I know a few lycan who use them when the full moon gets near to keep from reacting too early."
"Scramblers?" Natalie asked. Padma explained as much magical theory, and Natalie tried to keep the sometimes abstruse knowledge organized.
"You, um…" the woman said and sighed. "You have a name for them..."
"Geodes," Adrian supplied the word.
"Yes, geodes!" Padma repeated. "The crystal formation inside the geodes confused the paths magic likes to travel. Ever notice how they sparkle even with very little light?"
"I thought that was reflection and refraction from the surfaces..." Natalie began to say but the look her magi friend gave caused her to stop. She understood it to mean Natalie failed to take the nature of magic into account.
"Good idea," Michael Corner said and snapped out of his dour reverie. "If we had enough, we might be able to neutralize their radiant effect."
"Do you understand there is an entire fundament of knowledge we don't have regarding… magic and you?" Colonel Lange intruded.
"And do you realize that's on purpose?" Doctor Stout flatly returned.
The colonel blinked at the doctor in surprise.
"Every time muggles figure out there are witches and wizards or anything we can do, that's when the fires start to burn. In every part of the world there've been purges against our kind, and it always starts when some muggle gets too much knowledge about us. You use it against us without fail," Doctor Stout dryly intoned.
"It's why my gram called me a traitor and got angry when I agreed to come here," Teddy said. "Not sure I've a home to go back to when this is done."
"She'll get over it when she sees what we've done to the zed," Padma assured him.
"Colonel Lange, can you give us assurances the knowledge you gain about us through this research won't be used against us? If not, then Teddy's grandmother is correct: we're all traitors to our kind," Doctor Stout queried and commented.
The three muggle military officers glanced back and forth between one another.
"Ah, you can't. You're hierarchy prevents you from giving us any guarantees. The Ministry sometimes suffered the same fate."
"Should we even be here, then?" Adrian inquired of the three other magi.
"Wait, wait. We're getting pretty far ahead of ourselves," Colonel Lange said in reaction. "What we are doing here will save both of our worlds!"
"Then what?" Michael asked and narrowed his eyes. "Do the witch hunts begin anew?"
"No one said..."
"You're kind always labels us a threat even though we've done everything we can to stay out of your way," Doctor Stout added.
"Hold on, how did we get onto this topic?" The colonel verbally flailed. She turned her head from side to said to get the opinion of her junior officers, each of whom looked as puzzled as her.
"Maybe we need to abandon this and do our own research, I've got some places nobody know about…
"Now just one goddamn minute, Corner!" Colonel Lange grunted. "We're offering you a safe haven to help up understand this threat that, let's be honest, affects you more than us..."
"Except when we're all gone and they turn on you," Adrian grumbled. "You're doing this more for yourselves than us."
"That's not fair!" Natalie blurted. "Yes, there's some ugly history between us, but that's because we've never got the chance to really understand you!"
"But each time you did, you used it against us," Padma calmly inserted.
"Padma, do I strike you as someone who would act against you?"
"No, but Savini does… and, sorry to say it, Colonel Lange, but I'm not all the certain about your motives."
Colonel Lange looked like Padma slapped her.
"Now see here: you came to us," Lange thew back.
"Yes, we did, and as soon as we did you sent hunting parties after Dean Thomas. He explained…"
"You're people wanted him, not mine. They asked us to go after him, and don't forget you told us where he might be headed!"
"True," Padma said and sounded a bit embarrassed. "And you're the one who kept threatening to throw him to the zed."
"He was insubordinate!" Lange growled.
"Dean wasn't one of your troops. You didn't really have a right to treat him like that," Major Bray said and leaned forward. "All our lives we're taught to avoid muggles. We're taught to be nice and never use our abilities against you. We get that drilled into us from birth. Are you taught to be nice to us?"
"We didn't even know you existed," Major Garner said, but his voice carried uncertainty. "Except though fairy tales and legends."
"Don't ever let the faeries hear you say that. They're still having a go at the Grimm's for that book of stories," Michael piped up.
"Alright, let's not make this an academic argument," Amanda asserted herself and authority. "How many of you are worried over what we'll do with this research if we're successful?"
To a person the magi raised their hands.
"How many of you trust us… at least the ones sitting here?"
All but Padma's hand went down, and even hers wavered a bit.
"Okay," the colonel quietly said. "How many of you realize if we don't work together this could be the end of the human species… all types?"
All the hands went back into the air.
Colonel Lange sat back in her chair and appeared astounded.
"Colonel," Padma said after a few silent moments. "Can you even begin to understand what a breach of etiquette it is for you to ask us to give up our wands?"
"I think I'm beginning to," the commanding officer said. "So… is this project dead in the water… so to speak?"
The magi glanced at one another, got up, moved to a corner, and gathered into a huddle. Natalie could hear them whispering, but no discernible words slipped though. She felt a nudge on her arm and looked over at her longtime friend.
"If they leave, you know we're completely screwed? Right? We can't do this without them," Amanda stated.
"I've been wondering about Padma's reluctance to talk about certain topics, and it makes total sense. They do seem to be as afraid of us as they are zee," Natalie whispered back.
"Maybe they used us to get to Thomas and didn't think it'd go this far," Gerry Garner said from over the shoulders of the two women and gave them a start.
"Jesus, Gerry, don't sneak up on us!"
"Jerk," Natalie sniped, but grinned at her colleague. "Maybe, and look at all the problems Padma had even getting these four to agree to help."
"Wonder what promises she made to them?" The base sub-commander pondered aloud.
"Good question," Colonel Lange muttered. "Only one of the liaison officers went with her, and he said he got detained every place they went."
"Have we really been that bad toward them?" Natalie questioned, but not anyone in particular. "I think we've been pretty good to them, but historically…."
"Hell, in western Africa and parts of South America they still torture and kill people even just suspected of being witches," Amanda said in a dire tone.
"Mohammedan countries have laws against them and practicing witchcraft. I think it carries a death penalty if they can prove malicious intent," Major Garner added.
"They just might have a point then," Natalie intone as she nodded her head at the group of magi. "They have pretty strict laws regarding acting against us normies. Most of their wars were fought over stopping witches or wizards who wanted to rule the world… us. They're pretty serious about how they conduct themselves. Padma said some of their prisons are downright medieval."
The trio of normie medical military personnel lapsed into silence as they watched the conclave of magi on the other side of the room. A furious debate appeared to take place among them, but not so loud as to give those witnessing the debate any clue as to the issues. Major Garner returned to his seat as the private conversation continued. Natalie felt rather nervous because she suspected the working relationship with her witch friend would be permanently altered. For nearly ten minutes the quintet of magi carried on their discussion. It became very evident they conducted a vote among themselves and reached a consensus. They broke the circle and moved to the table. The magi resumed their seats, except for Major Padma Bray who continued to stand and face the three muggle officers.
"Okay, we figured out a way to keep on working with you," Padma told them. "First, never ask us to give up our wands again. No exceptions."
Colonel Lange wrote down the demand in her notebook and said: "You do understand they'll be classified as weapons after this point."
"Fine, then your people need to give up your weapons. Fair is fair."
"That'll never happen."
Padma simply blinked at the colonel.
"Ah, I see," Amanda slowly said.
"Second, we conduct our research on our own without any recording devices or any muggles present. We'll report back the relevant results or whatever we discover that applies to the zed problem," Padma told them, returning to the list of conditions.
"That will greatly slow… maybe even impede the work. Hands-on experience is the best teacher," the colonel replied.
"Which is exactly why we have this list of requirements. We've had our experiences."
Again, the colonel blinked and made a note, and then asked: "What about guards when you're working with the zee?"
"As long as the zed properly restrained, I think we'll be able to work without an armed contingent aiming guns around the room," Padma countered.
Colonel Lange nodded, made notes, and looked up.
"Third and last, we want a guarantee all the data you've collected about us so far will be destroyed when this is over," the Hindi-British woman stated.
"That won't happen. The military is not in the habit of destroying intel once they have it. Besides, what about the data you collect on us?" The commanding officer responded in a cool manner.
"There is nothing we've learned so far we didn't already know or wasn't publicly available," Padma rejoined. "We knew about your military bases, your armies, your weapons, your wars, your international relations… all without ever stepping foot on a muggle military installation. We do watch your televisions and read your newspapers, you know. You're not as clever with your secrets as you think you are."
"Major Bray, I am stating a fact that eliminating intelligence will never happen no matter what you say. If it means it scuttles our partnership, then it's over. We're all going to die because of it, but now it's your call," Colonel Lange said without any sense of apology. "You can withhold data in the future, but what we have so far is ours. It's never going to go away."
Padma turned to her magi colleagues, and the four stood up. They gathered in a huddle again and whispered like crazy to one another. What Natalie could hear centered on accepting the fact the normie military would not give up the information. She began to guess in which direction they would go. Three minutes later, the group resumed their former positions.
"We accept you are not… predisposed to relinquishing knowledge. We can't really fault you on that account since we more or less do the same thing," Padma said. "Going forward, we respectfully request that you don't ask us specific questions regarding our communities – whatever is left – or magic. As I said, we will share the relevant results of our inquests into the zed."
"One moment," Colonel Lange replied when the woman said nothing further and then looked at her junior officers.
Without a word the three stood and went to the far corner on their side of the room. They drew in tightly together.
"Command will never go for these restrictions," the colonel said.
"If they don't, the magi will leave," Natalie told them without hesitation. "They just might have enough understanding to do this on their own now. Doctor Stout understands human anatomy as good as any of us. She's also pretty sharp when it comes to picking up on biology, especially neurology. She knows the books are out there, and all she has to do it get her hands on some. She, Corner, and Pucey might be able to piece this together without our help… and they then can leave us to die at the hands of the zee."
Lange and Garner gaped at her.
"I was kind of afraid this day might come," she told her fellow officers. "Padma's been getting antsy about some of the procedures they need to follow, and you've got to admit we haven't been very forthcoming in telling them why. I think her friends are really skeptical about us and what we're getting out of joint effort."
"I thought survival of the species might be a good enough reason," Colonel Lange grunted.
"I think it's after that they're worried about, or more likely their continued survival once the zee are eliminated. It's no secret our history with the magi isn't very good. How do we know the brass won't see them as a threat after all is said and done and move to take them out?"
"Christ, Nat, have you gone native with them?" Garner snapped out the question.
Natalie gave the man a fierce glare.
"Gerry, that wasn't helpful. Natalie is our best resource in understanding what the magi may be thinking. She's also a ranking officer," the colonel slightly dressed down her second in command. "We're in no-win situation here. I can't say yes and I can't say no. I need options!"
Natalie and Gerry looked at one another, Natalie glared at the man again, and then at their commanding officer. Natalie wracked her brain. She could not see a way out of the current conundrum. After a few seconds, she sighed. Amanda looked at her,
"Mandy, tell the truth. Explain why you can't agree to their conditions, and then offer them a ride back to where we got them," Natalie said in a dejected fashion. She really came to enjoy working with the magi despite their skittish approach to the zee.
Colonel Lange and Major Garner goggled at her.
"If you hedge on the truth and get caught, they leave. There isn't a single scenario I can think of, short of holding them against their will, where they don't pack up."
"What if you asked for twenty-four hours while you contact command and explain the situation? It would buy us time and maybe the chance to talk them out of this bullshit," the major recommended.
"I like the cooling off period," Amanda said. "Not sure command is going to go for this at all. It's bad enough we're working in total secret, and now half the team wants a full black out except for a daily summary. That's going to be one hell of a tough sell."
"Does command know we won't win against the zee without them? Even basic numerical data shows we're going to ultimately lose even if we use nukes, so tell both the magi and command the truth. Just lay it on the lie," Natalie advised again.
"Okay, I'm going for a little both," Colonel Lange said and squared her shoulders.
Both Natalie and Gerry turned and walked back to their chairs and sat. Colonel Lange went to her spot, but did not sit. She faced the magi who watched her with a variety of expressions.
"First, I want you to know I've come to respect and like each of you. I am amazed by your abilities and, more importantly, astounded by your tenacity in the face these horrific events," the colonel said with what sounded like complete sincerity. "Second, I'm more than completely convinced if we do not work together none of us will survive this zee plague in the long run. I truly believe this is the only place on the planet that can find the means to solve this problem, but only if we remain united and focused on that goal. Third, you also know I work in a structured command system. I cannot unilaterally act outside of that that structure, so I can't simply accept your terms for your continued presence on this team without appropriate approvals."
The magi appeared angry, saddened, and shocked depending on the individual.
"I would like to present a short-term compromise," Amanda continued in the face of the open disappointment. "I need twenty-four hours to present this development to my superiors. I'll have to explain the historical context of your demands, and I'm not going to argue the merit of those historical facts with anyone. I truly do understand your concerns."
The five magic users visibly relaxed.
"Please give me one full day to contact my superiors to present your conditions and the reasons for those conditions. During that time you can work under terms you outlined, but I have one of my own."
The magi looked nervous again.
"We'll conduct a daily summary meeting at seventeen hundred hours. During that meeting I fully expect you to report the nature of your research and the outcomes of that work. Likewise, we'll report to you the work we conducted and whatever we discovered that may prove relevant to your tasks," Colonel Lange outlined the last of her proposal. "That is the best I can offer at this time. If it is unacceptable, then… let me be the first to thank you for the brief time you spent here and to wish you safe travels as you return to your homes. It's been an honor and pleasure getting to know you."
Natalie thoroughly approved of her commanding officer's handling of the situation. The overhead florescent lighting hummed and occasionally crackled from the presence of the magi. The five British magic users turned to face one another. A series of head nodding and shoulder shrugs followed. When they faced the military personnel again, Padma adjusted her posture.
"Thank you, Colonel Lange. I think you're being honest and fair with us," she began and smiled a little. "I also understand the conditions around this place and the command structure. I don't think twenty-four hours is enough for you to make any headway with your superiors, so we'll give your forty-eight..."
Michael Corner and Adrian Pucey began to grumble.
"Shut it," Padma said to the two. "I want you to know this isn't personal, honestly. It's just… I've seen how some of your soldiers react to us, and, well, quite frankly, it makes me… us nervous. I think all the officers 'ave been pretty fair with us. It's after the fact I'm worried about. Not just with your organization, but with our people as well. To tell you the truth, I think some already see this a complete cock up."
"I appreciate your candor, Padma, and thank you for extending the time period. That will go a long way in showing your good will," Colonel Lange responded and accepted the time period extension.
The group of people stood staring at one another as seconds ticked by. No one said a word. Finally, Colonel Lange cleared her throat.
"Since there doesn't seem to be any other questions or comments, I think we all have tasks to attend to," Amanda said, and Natalie heard the forced congeniality. "I will notify the guards they are stand down if you decide to examine the zee… and I highly recommend you do."
"Yes, of course, Colonel, and… thanks."
"Unfortunately, I cannot dismiss the armed escort. It's standard protocol for all non-military personnel on base," the colonel informed them. "It's non-negotiable by the way."
Although the quintet of looked a bit distressed, none vocalized a complaint. Amanda Lange then nodded. With that the meeting adjourned. The magi peeled away from the table and left the room. One guard followed as required. The colonel sat down and stared at the notebook wherein she took notes. The silence persisted.
"Mandy?" Natalie inquired with the name.
"I have no idea how I am going to present this," Colonel Lange confessed. "I've got three generals and one admiral who already think this is crazy. The Joint Chiefs only got a partial briefing because Newcomb did not want to reveal everything… they'd've thought he lost his mind."
"Maybe you should talk to him first," Gerry suggested. "He's been one of the biggest supporters of this effort."
"I don't know, Gerry. As soon as he hears what the magi want, he's going to sour real fast. He might order them into protective custody..."
"And that's exactly what we don't want," Natalie instantly interjected. "That'd start a war between them and us."
"I know, and I sure as hell don't want to be on the receiving end of those wands. Three of those people already fought in one pretty nasty wizarding war and they managed to survive the zee invasion. Not sure this base has enough soldiers to stand against them… and how the hell does anyone expect us to stop them if they decide to apparate? Dean Thomas up and disappeared and only left a note saying he was leaving."
Both Natalie and Gerry listened intently and studied their friend and commanding officer. Amanda rubbed her face with both hands. It showed the stress under which she suddenly found herself. Natalie discovered in the past few weeks discontent brewed among the magi based on what Padma told her. She admonished herself for not telling Colonel Lange the extent of it. In some respects, the lieutenant colonel felt partially responsible for the events in the meeting.
"What happens if they leave?" Gerry asked one of the more salient questions.
"How well do you know magic?" Amanda asked in return.
"Just the theoretical basics, I guess."
"Well, maybe we can concoct a theoretical solution to the zee," the colonel replied with acerbity.
"Then we're pretty much fucked, right, Mandy?" Major Garner grumbled in response.
"God, Gerry, sorry," the woman said in a tired voice. "I'm frustrated and I don't mean to take it out on you, but I fear you might be right. If magic created these things, only magic can stop them. You may think they can conduct their own research, Nat, but our knowledge of human body surpasses theirs by a long shot. It would take them years to acquire sufficient medical data to come up with an effective solution."
"So we are fucked?" Natalie inquired without any acrimony.
"Do you think you can talk Padma or her team out of this? You have the best relationship with them, Nat."
"Unlikely. I see both conviction and fear in them. I think the magi are only marginally more afraid of the zee than they are of us," she told her superior officer.
Colonel Lange shook her head and said: "How could we miss this from the very beginning. I guess I should've been talking to them more instead of leaving the PR bit up to you, Nat. You did great, but… part of my responsibility as well."
"I had a suspicion a few weeks ago, but nothing solid to go on," Natalie admitted her sin. "Padma just started to seem… more guarded once the others arrived. I know they said things to her, but… I couldn't find out what."
"So we're all to blame. Call it optimism they'd simply go along with the game plan. I never really expected they'd have reservations."
"Maybe it's 'cause we don't have any knowledge of that history."
"Even if we did, Nat, would it make things better? Can't say the world was looking too improved before this zee thing got started," Gerry contended.
Natalie shrugged.
"We can play the what if game later," Colonel Lange told her subordinates. "Right now we've got to figure out a way to keep them here and keep them happy."
"What if command says to let the magi go?" The major questioned.
"Then I might just go with them."
Natalie heard the defeat in her commander's voice. She knew Amanda Lange wholly believed the project to be the only viable means of bringing the zee plague to an end. Given what they witnessed in Dean Thomas' memories regarding another man's memories, the weirdest form of hearsay she ever experienced, her colonel's beliefs seemed well founded. Natalie sighed in much the same fashion as her friend.