Chapter Four: Threat Assessment
Vincent DeMarigny, Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Sorcery, examined the photos as Agent Hadji Quest-Singh, the Bureau's most brilliant Techno-Mage, gave his report.
"These pictures were taken yesterday evening around 10:00 pm in Maine by a family of evacuees through a seeing stone that their ten year old daughter got for a birthday gift," said Agent Quest-Singh. "I tried to enhance them as much as possible, but the film was several years old and had been in the glove compartment of their car all that time. And as you may imagine, the family may be fairly described as nervous when they took the pictures."
"Are you sure that this city is what came through from the Enchanted Realms around a quarter after eight last night?" said Director DeMarigny. "And that it is not a real town that the family saw? It looks like a typical, New England coastal town. This could be the wizard's equivalent of muggles seeing Venus and thinking that it is a flying saucer."
"We are absolutely certain, Director DeMarigny," said Hadji. "The person who took these pictures managed to get some stars in the frame as well as the city. We checked. There is no city there, only forest."
"So, how long until we can get some better pictures, Agent Quest-Singh?"
"First, we need to get some more seeing stones," said Hadji. "The girl who owns the one used for these pictures has donated her stone without even being asked. I plan to construct a frame to hold it steadily in front of a camera lens; a better camera than the one available to her family at the time. I called my brother, John, and he said he would donate his Hasselblad for the cause. He'll be here in the morning. Together, we'll have a frame for the camera built to hold the stone in front of the lens in a few hours.
"But we will need more seeing stones to get all the Intel that we need or it could take weeks for one agent to get pictures from the Incursion's entire circumference."
Director DeMarigny nodded. "Remind me to send that girl a "Good Citizenship" certificate as soon as her family gets a new, permanent address. Or do you think that an "Honorary Junior Auror" badge would be more appropriate?"
"She's ten," said Hadji shrugging. "I'd go with the badge. But keep in mind that the girl and her family were obliviated after they were debriefed. They have no memory of seeing the city through the stone or of taking the pictures. The way they remember it, the girl simply donated her seeing stone to the Bureau when they got to the Displaced Wizard's Center, saying that she hoped it would help."
"That's probably for the best," said Director DeMarigny. "The last thing that we need now is any rumors getting started."
Hadji said, "How about Muggle Agencies? Did they notice anything . . . unusual on the Eastern Seaboard?"
"The NSA says that their satellites don't see anything; just forest where the "city" should be. And just before you came in to give me your report, I was on the phone speaking with my counterpart at S.H.I.E.L.D. Their satellites – even the ones with the super-secret Shi'ar-supplied hardware, for cryin' out loud - couldn't see anything unusual, either."
Director DeMarigny continued to study the pictures and sighed. Of all places in the world, why did this have to happen in Maine? The Carrie White Incident that had happened there less than ten years ago had been bad enough, and resulted in his predecessor's resignation. Now Maine seemed to be taking aim at his career, too.
The place is hexed, it just had to be. The Hogwarts Defense Against the Dark Arts teaching position may get all the jokes, but it has nothing on the State of Maine as a hex-magnet.
Director DeMarigny said, "I want detailed maps of the inside of the Incursion by this time next week. I also want an analysis of the kind of spells being used by the Invaders. I want to send a team inside the Incursion on a reconnaissance mission as soon as possible . . . ."
Auror Jennifer Jordan of the United States Federal Bureau of Sorcery signaled for everyone in her seven-person team to stop. She took out her seeing stone, panning the view ahead of her. She then turned and said, "The concealment charms surrounding the Incursion are just ahead. I want the Spellcrackers to be ready to open a hole in it on my signal."
She was leading the first Recon Mission ever to attempt to actually enter the Incursion since it first arrived in Maine way back in October 1983. She turned to the muggle S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent next to her. He hefted a heavy plasma rifle that might come in handy if they ran into any ogres, giants or dragons. The S.H.I.E.L.D. group consisted of two agents. Agent Corey Martindale carrying the plasma rifle was the senior muggle officer present. The other, a young woman named Katie, was armed with a sniper rifle.
Auror Jordan said, "Is S.H.I.E.L.D. ready, Agent Martindale?"
Agent Martindale nodded and said, "S.H.I.E.L.D. is ready at your signal, Auror Jordan!"
"Alright, everyone," said Auror Jordan. "This joint Wizard/Muggle mission into the Incursion is for the safety of everyone on Earth; Wizards, Muggles, Mutants - everyone! I needn't tell any of you how important this is! Whoever or whatever is behind that wall of enchantment could be extremely hostile! Because of this, deadly force, including "Avada Kedavra," is authorized. This is our home, and we are going to protect it! For everyone! Understood? Good!
"Spellcrackers, open this sucker up!" Auror Jordan brought her wand to the ready. It was a 12'' long, Sequoia Redwood with a core of piasa bird feathers. She actually pitied any fool from the Enchanted Realms that got in her way!
"We have an entry, Ma'am!" said the chief Spellcracker.
"Move out, team!" said Auror Jordan. "We're going in!"
The group moved through a thick copse of trees and came to a clearing where they found themselves confronted by a well-dressed couple; an imperious-looking woman and a man with long hair who carried a cane.
"We've made contact!" said Auror Jordan, her grip tightening on her wand as S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Martindale brought his plasma rifle to the ready.
"What do you think you are doing here, Dearie?" said the man in a cold, accented voice . . . .