Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: Thank you to all my awesome readers for coming back to the next instalment, and hopefully those new to this story.
Today's Story: Magic finds a way…
-oOo-
Chapter 20-oOo-
Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
A/N: Thank you to all my awesome readers for coming back to the next instalment, and hopefully those new to this story.
Today's Story: Magic finds a way…
-oOo-
Chapter 20
-oOo-
August 28, 1993Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
Harry stood against the wall, Lex leaning against him, as the conference room was over full. He stood behind Muldoon. Next to Sirius, he viewed the man as his mentor. The man had also stuck up for him as much as Mr Hammond had as well.
Around the table was Bennings, Lockwood, Hammond, Harding, Simmons, a few scientists he didn't know and a woman he had never seen before. She had the air about her as someone who spent much of her life outdoors, sort of like Doctor Grant had.
They were all waiting for a technician to get the large video equipment working. When it was, they were looking into another meeting room with Dr Wu, Dr Jim and a half dozen other people that came off at technicians or scientists.
"Thank you, Mathew. We'll call you if we need anything," Mr Hammond said to the technician.
"Certainly, Mr Hammond," the man said before leaving the room.
"Henry, can you hear us?" Hammond asked.
"Loud and clear, John," Dr Wu responded.
"Right. Let's do a quick round of introductions and then we can get to what you found," Lockwood said.
"Yes. This is Dr Ha Eun Gim of Seoul University. Her team," Wu said as he introduced the other scientists, mostly doctors themselves.
Sir Benjamin did the same on their end before he said, "Now, I know our teams have been locked in our labs for the last week or so. I asked Mr Potter here today because of what a team of ours found."
Harry's stomach dropped. This couldn't be a good thing, could it.
"What did you find?" Harry asked.
He hadn't noticed an easel in the corner with a black covering. Lockwood got up. "Henry, if you haven't yet, it's time to show your entire team over there what we have."
"I had a briefing just before this to bring the two teams up to date," Wu said.
"Good," Lockwood said, pulling the black cloth off the easel. Harry stood up tall to see a long sinewy body floating in the water. It looked like something had been chewing on it, but there was no mistaking what he was looking at.
"When we first found out about this, we thought it was an oar fish caught by a local fisherman about a year ago. It sat in a lab freezer for most of that time until Dr Gim came across it as part of her research in magic," Lockwood said. "Now, when he first found this, we thought that Biosyn or another competitor had managed to copy our technology."
"Harry, what is it?" Lex asked, her hand squeezing his.
Most of the room looked at him. Lockwood said, "You recognize it, don't you?"
"Tell me that is not a clone?" Harry asked.
"No, this looks like the real thing. We are still working on a full genetic map, which will take a few more weeks, but there are none of the markers that are usual for animals that had to have their genes spliced or fixed," Wu said. "It's rather exciting to see it. There are genetic strains I've seen before."
A shiver went through Harry. "Harry, what is it?" Hammond asked.
Harry looked at the picture. "It's a sea serpent," he said. The scales, the multiple fins and the fish like tail were unmistakable from the books and pictures he had seen before. "Where did you find it?"
"Some Korean fishermen dragged up the body in a net and it went to the University for identification," Wu said. "It is still emitting a small magical trace, but it is very weak and degrading. The body is also degrading far faster than would be expected. We have frozen as much genetic material as possible, but Dr Wu has wanted to start an autopsy."
"You aren't thinking of cloning them, are you? Do you have any idea how dangerous or large they get? That looks like a hatchling, maybe a few months old," Harry told them, the shock of seeing it causing his filter to go away.
"Well, we were hoping you could tell us more about it?" Lockwood questioned.
"Is that a real sea serpent? As in the mythical beast that sailors used to talk about?" Harding asked, looking excited at the potential to learn about more fantastical animals.
"Bloody hell," Harry muttered. "Depending on the species, they can grow to be thirty to a hundred feet long. They are strong as hell. I think they can bite through steal hulls. There were some stories of something like that happening every once in a while. Their scales are strong, but nowhere near a dragon's or the larger snakes like selmas and basilisks. You are not going to clone it, are you?"
"We haven't made any decision on that yet. I think we don't know enough," Lockwood said.
"What is a selma or basilisk," Gim enquired.
He internally chastised himself. "Big magical snakes. Sir Benjamin and Mr Hammond, I can't tell you how dangerous it might be to clone that like the dinosaurs. I've heard it would take five or six fully trained wizards to control one of them. Their scales and skin are tougher than even your rexes or the ankylosaurs. You wouldn't be able to use something like a tranquiliser dart on them."
"Calm down, lad. From what I understand its usually a couple year process to make a new clone genome. I would really like to find out more from Harry and Sirius before we do anything with this. We don't have magic and if we don't have anything but guns to subdue them, that is not something I would recommend," Muldoon said.
"But to find out about creatures like this, could you imagine," Harding said.
"Well, as we are all still babes at this, I would prefer to have our resident experts involved in the project. I know that you and Sirius are looking for other magic and magic users. Potentially we could train more people to take care of these animals?" Lockwood asked.
Harry ran a hand over the back of his neck. "I don't know. I love the dinosaurs and we have ways that they can be handled, but you have no clue what a magical creature is like to those that don't have magic," Harry replied.
"You should show him the other one," Wu said.
"What other one?" Harry demanded.
Lockwood showed a few more pictures of the roughly ten-foot-long sea serpent until Harry's eyes went wide. "Kill that thing. Whatever you do, kill it and any others you can find," he said.
The picture showed what Harry immediately knew to be an acromantula. An Asian man in army camouflage was standing next to a spider whose body was the size of a small car. He wasn't sure if it was dead or not, but that would be disastrous if a colony was near a town of Muggles.
"What is it?" Dr Gym asked.
"A giant spider called an acromantula. It likes to eat people, especially witches and wizards or other magical creatures. They live in large colonies and can overtake an area in weeks. Kill them. If they talk to you, don't negotiate. They will try to kill you anyways," Harry said.
"They talk? Are you saying they are fully sentient," a surprised Lockwood asked.
"Yeah, they talk. One twice the size of that one ordered its children to go after me and a friend to eat us. Unless you raise them from the egg sac, they will try to eat you," Harry told them.
"This one is dead. A small army unit was sent into the jungles of Borneo after there were reports of something eating a few children. They attacked it and we were only able to cover it up by bribing a few officials. We have the specimen in our labs now here in Seoul," Wu said.
Harry took in a deep breath. "Mr Hammond, you have no idea how dangerous these creatures are. You have to destroy them!"
"I will not destroy something so valuable. What we can learn from all this is immense," Wu said.
"This is the property of my university now. You will not tell me what to do," Gym replied angrily.
"That is enough," Hammond said, banging his cane on the floor. "Mr Potter here is the only expert we have on what these things are. Henry, you are not to go beyond gene sequencing for now. Lockwood and I have a meeting with the board next week. In that time, Harry, if you would, I would like to know everything we can about these animals."
"I am not going to help you put those in a zoo," Harry told him.
"If you don't help, then it may get out anyways," Lockwood said. "I agree though. We should be cautious with this. I don't want any repeats of what has happened here or in our early days of research."
"You mean to clone them, don't you?" Harry demanded.
"That has not been decided," Lockwood said.
"Benjamin, we only did all this to make dinosaurs. Jurassic Park is finally opening next year and are already talking about potential other sites to open in the next few years. Do you think it wise to take on this?" Hammond asked.
"I think we need to explore this. What if these animals lead to some of the answers we are looking for? What if these could be the key to reversing or treating cancer or other issues? John, if we don't do this, then you know Biosyn or others will," Lockwood said.
"What about our other new project?" Hammond asked.
"I think that would be in good hands with Dr Bones and the others we have talked too. I think that project should be accelerated. If we are finding these animals now, I doubt that Harry and Sirius will be able to keep this contained," Lockwood said.
Harry rubbed the back of his neck again. "Bloody hell," he said, realizing they were right.
Lex pressed in closer. "I think you need to tell me about more of this."
"Yeah," he agreed before addressing the room. "I want to talk with Sirius before I talk with anyone else."
"Of course. If we meet again tomorrow afternoon, will that be enough time?" Lockwood asked.
"Uhm, sure," Harry said. "Muldoon, would you take me down to my room? Dr Harding, maybe you should come too."
"I want to know what is going on," Gym spoke up over the speakers.
"I am talking to Mr Lockwood and Mr Hammond before I talk with anyone else," Harry told her.
"John, I plan to be here for the next few weeks. Have Racheal finish the gene sequencing on the samples she brought down to Site B," Wu said.
"Nothing beyond that until the board has met," Hammond agreed.
"Fuck," Harry said under his breath. What would this mean for the failing wards around Durmstrang? If there were other preserves, obviously some of those wards had failed. What would happen if a lindworm or two started to ravage the Scottish countryside.
"That bad?" she asked.
"I hope not," he whispered back as the meeting wrapped up.
-oOo-
August 29, 1993Washington, D.C., United States
Owen woke up in a warm bed that smelled like the outdoor. It was obviously from a spray, but he had always loved the outdoors, having grown up in northern Michigan. His father had been a lumberjack and his mother ran a horse barn. Then his father got a new job, and they were forced to move to Boston. That was when everything started to go downhill.
They had gone on a camping trip with one of his father's new co-workers. Owen loved animals and couldn't stand that the boss's kid loved to use a bee-bee gun on anything that moved. The argument ended with the kid going to the hospital and his father looking at him like he was the devil incarnate. Owen could understand some of that. His parents were deeply religious, and he had gone to Catechism for most of his life. That was how they had met Father O'Brian. After his 'display' and how he hurt that boy, he was quickly whisked away to a seminary when Father Reginald thought him possessed. Owen had no clue where it was, but apparently, he had ended up in Washington, D.C. where Mr Black and Mrs Murphy had found him.
His body shivered to think of what the last few weeks had been like.
Prayers. Holy water used by the gallon… he did not like his head being dunked until he almost drowned. Starvation to weaken the hold on him. Exorcisms that didn't do anything. Then he had been given to Brother Thomas and Father Reginald. That was when it really got bad.
He didn't know anyone else that could do what he did.
He hadn't meant to hurt the boys.
He never talked with a demon… not that he knew of anyhow.
They had used a cane and their fists to make him confess his sins and to tell them who else there was. They wanted to know who had taught him to use his devilish powers.
Owen didn't know.
He had been able to escape, and now he was in a comfortable bed. The first one in weeks. Tears bit at his eyes as he thought about his old bedroom in Michigan, his sister and his parents. Did they know what would happen to him? Did they care? Until then, his parents had loved him.
He was thinking about all that, curled into the blankets, when a knock came at the door.
He didn't say a thing, hoping that if he hid, the bad people would go away.
The knock came again. "Owen, are you up?" a man's voice came to him.
It was the one he recognized as Mr Black. The man had told him he wasn't bad or a freak. He had shown Owen stuff the man claimed to be magic. Owen sort of believed him, but if that was so, witches were the work of the Devil.
He felt so confused.
The knock came once again. "Owen, it's getting close to lunch. I think you should get up and get dressed. We need to talk."
Owen pulled the covers off his head. Across from him was a chair with some clean clothes. His stomach grumbled, so he thought it worth the chance to get up and eat. When he opened the door, he found Mr Black leaning against the wall. Owen gave him a cautious look. He had learned to be cautious around strangers now. "How are you feeling, pup?"
Owen looked at the man. "Why do you call me pup?"
The man shrugged. "Force of habit. I call my godson and his girlfriend pup, just seems natural."
Owen nodded. "You said there is lunch?"
The man gave a huge grin. "There is if you follow me?"
Owen did, not feeling like he was trapped or required to stay here. As he followed Mr Black, he didn't miss how the house looked like a museum with fossils or paintings of dinosaurs everywhere. As they went down a flight of stairs, the man looked up at him. "Mr Hammond is a bit of a dinosaur collector. This is his house."
"I thought you said it was Mrs Murphy's house," Owen asked, afraid the man had lied.
"Well, Mr Hammond is her father, and she lives here with her kids… well, only one kid right now. You'll meet Tim later. Linda and Tim went out for a little while so we could have a talk," Mr Black said.
"Are you going to send me back?" Owen had to know if he needed to run or not.
"Not to where you came from." Mr Black showed him into a small dining room. The smell of some hot sandwiches had his stomach grumble. "Have something to eat and we can talk once you're done."
Owen eyed the man, then the steak sandwiches. His stomach won out and he sat, scoffing down the hot sandwich. The chips were freshly made and the lemonade just the right sweet and tart. Mr Black watched him until he was done. Owen wasn't sure when he would eat again, so he wasn't going to miss this.
"Easy there. You can taste it if you want," Mr Black told him.
Owen slowed down a little. When he had just about cleared off the plate, he asked, "Where am I going?"
Mr Black was leaning into the back of his chair. "Depends. Do you want to get in contact with your parents?"
Owen put the chip down he was about to eat. "I don't know," Owen said, still remembering how his father had just let him be locked away.
Sirius nodded. "Do you mind if I contact them to let them know you are safe?"
After a moment, he nodded. "Sure. What will happen to me if I don't want to go back?"
"Well, since you have magic, I have an option. There is an island down off Costa Rica. My godson and a few others have magic like you. We are offering anyone we find to come down and we will teach you to control your magic, and then you can do what you want," Mr Black offered.
The man had said that last night. "What if I want to leave?"
"We won't stop you, but I think it best you stay until you become proficient enough to control your magic," Mr Black pressed.
"How old is your godson?" Owen asked.
"Sixteen going on thirty," the man said with a cheeky grin. When Owen gave him a confused look, Mr Black said, "Harry is sixteen. Mrs Murphy's daughter, Lex, is also sixteen, but there will be a few others about your age moving out there in the next few months that will be learning magic as well. Even if I talk with your parents, I recommend you going down. We'll finish your normal schooling too."
Owen made a face. "I hate school."
Mr Black gave a barking laugh. "I think you'll like this one."
Owen looked down at his plate. He really hated school. He missed his mom's horses and the forests in Michigan.
"Owen, if you like the outdoors and animals, I think you will really like this place. Think about it. If you say you want to go, I'm heading back to Costa Rica tomorrow, and you can join me. If not, then you are welcome to stay here or I'll see you back to Boston," Mr Black offered.
He frowned. After a moment he said, "Can I call my parents?"
"There is a phone in the next room" Mr Black offered, indicating a door.
Owen got up. Through the door was a living room. He saw an old rotary phone on a side table. Picking up the phone, he dialled the new number he had been told to memorize. When someone picked up, he heard his mother. "Hello, Grady residence?" She sounded tired and worried.
He didn't say a word.
"Hello? Hello? Owen, is that you?" she asked.
Owen felt a tear come to his eyes. He was about to respond when she spoke again.
"Owen? If that is you, baby, please come home. Father Reginald told us you ran away last night. You have to go back. He told us you just need a little more time," she said.
A tear fell down his cheek.
"Owen, honey. Please come home. We can talk about whatever is going on with you. If the seminary isn't right, we can go see a specialist in Boston. Owen?" she questioned.
Owen hung up the phone. His parents still wanted him to go back. Owen couldn't.
When he looked up, Mr Black was standing in the doorway. "Costa Rica?"
Mr Black frowned. "Yeah. What did your parents say?"
Owen sniffed, rubbing his face. Boys didn't cry. "I'm going with you."
Mr Black nodded. "Alright. You should stay in the house then for today. No reason to raise suspicions. We'll be leaving early tomorrow."
"Yes, sir," Owen said. He felt dead inside to know his parents didn't want him.
Mr Black walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "It will be alright, pup. We have a place for you as long as you want it."
Owen just nodded.
-oOo-
Later that day…Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
Lex was watching Harry. He had taken the pouches he had given her and for the first time she got a real sense of how much was in them. He had taken out stacks of books, most of them in an older English she had a tough time reading, or in Latin, a language she knew some of from her years of being in Catholic schools.
"This is all we have. Sirius and I have been going to areas we knew magic to be. As you know, we went to Hogwarts, which is where we found all this, and this last time we were looking for another school called Durmstrang. We didn't find anything there. Next, we want to try for an old Wizarding settlement that was in Austria and one more school that was in France, but after meeting the Greengrasses, we aren't sure if we shouldn't try Canada first," Harry told her.
The few dozen, maybe a hundred books, didn't look like much. "This is all you found?"
"Sirius had about the same amount. We tried to split it up so that we wouldn't lose it all if something happened to one of us. I have all the creature, charms, arithmancy and runes books. Sirius has the transfiguration, potions, history, healing and all the dark magic stuff," he replied.
"You always say creatures, not animals. Why?" she questioned.
"That is what they are called in the magical world… well, where I came from. It was mostly because animals were non-magical, while creatures and beings were all magical," Harry explained, picking up a book. "This one has been the most valuable to me. It was a master's thesis on creatures. It's where I learned the spell to communicate with Rexy."
"That is wicked, by the way," she said, taking the book. "Do I have to learn all about this?"
"That is up to you, but I think you will like arithmancy and runes more," Harry said.
"Why is that? Arithmancy sounds like algebra," she said.
"It is, I think. I never took it and don't know much about it, but Hermione used to say it was the math and physics of magic. She was really brilliant and knew what she was talking about. Runes was like our technology. Most magical devices, wards and anything that need to be around for a while used runes. I only know a little bit about them," he told her.
"Wicked. When can I start learning all this?" she asked him.
"Whenever you want. I'll teach you about using your wand," he replied.
The smirk she gave him had Harry's blood start up in his nether regions. "Does that mean you teach me about your wand?"
He couldn't keep the silly smile off his face. "I'm trying to be serious here."
"I am too," she said, her hand going to his leg.
He had to take in a deep breath. "Merlin, Lex, I love that in you, but you asked about the creatures and why I have been so upset about this."
Lex stopped, blinking a moment. Did Harry just say he loved her? As though not realizing it, he went on.
"Care of Magical Creatures was one of my favourite classes. It's why I love the dinosaurs so much. I think I would have gone into some type of career in creatures if I hadn't been thrown here, but you have to understand. The dinosaurs are big, scary and dangerous. Most magical creatures are cute, small and mostly harmless, but many of them are deadly, huge or both," he said.
"Like that giant spider?" she asked, a shake going through her body.
"Yeah. Acromantula are one of the more dangerous and larger creatures. Their poison paralyzes as it starts to eat you from the inside out. They are smart and can talk. They also like to live in colonies. There could be dozens or hundreds varying in size from a dinner plate to a large lorry," Harry patiently explained.
"Lorry?" she questioned.
"Ah, truck," Harry said.
"Oh," she replied, another shiver going through her.
"Most dragons are larger and have some type of breath spray. Most have fire, but there were a few varieties that could breathe ice or acid. Those were extinct by the time I was born, but I have no clue if that is the same now. Muggles probably have the technology to kill or subdue them, but you are talking military type equipment," he said.
She was starting to feel a little scared now. She shifted her chair closer. "Harry, you are making this sound like something like Rexy is a little cat."
He chuckled. "He isn't little, but I don't know if Rexy or Romilda could take down a dragon, especially once the dragon started to shoot fire at them."
"Fuck," she said, trying to picture something that could take out the giant tyrannosaur like that.
"Yeah, that's about right," he said. "There is a lot of cool stuff though too. Centaurs, though not always nice to humans, are horse people. They read the stars and use bow and arrows and swords. The acromantula at Hogwarts would stay away from them. Then you had house elves. They were small beings about this high with huge ears and magic that was more powerful than most wizards. They would serve wizards to share the wizard's magic. Most were really nice."
"Were there dwarves?" she asked, thinking of Snow White.
"Yeah. Surly little men that would sooner curse you than give you the time of the day. They mostly lived in mountain villages. I don't know what they did. Goblins, on the other hand, were never nice, would always try to get the best out of any deal and would go to war the sooner you insulted them than to resolve it otherwise. But for all that, they were an honourable race in that they would never go back on a deal, though you had to be damned sure you knew all the ins and out or they would cheat you out of all the profit they could," Harry said.
"Were they ugly? Most stories say they would eat people," she asked.
Harry laughed. "Oh, they were ugly, but as far as I know, they wouldn't eat people. Trolls and giants. They would eat people."
"You mean like the BFG?" Lex asked.
"What's the BFG?" Harry questioned.
"Rohl Dahl? The Big Friendly Giant? He would go around helping people while the other giants would eat them. They especially liked stealing kids from their beds," she said, a shiver going through her to realize one of her favourite childhood stories might be real.
"I've never heard of that. Giants were all nasty brutes, usually twenty to twenty-five feet tall. But there were half-giants. Most of them were nicer, more like regular people, eight to ten feet tall. One of my best friends was a half-giant. Really nice person. Loved creatures but thought something like an acromantula was a cuddly pet and a dragon something to make googly eyes at," Harry said with a cheeky grin.
She giggled. "Is that why you like creatures and the dinosaurs so much."
"I think so. I just seemed to get them, and I can talk to snakes and a few dinosaurs now," Harry replied.
Seeing that he looked a little happier, she leaned forward and gave him a little kiss that soon grew heated. He took in a sharp breath when her hand slipped up until she could feel his balls on the side of her hand. She really wanted to return the favour from the other day, but knew they were still talking seriously. "Damn it, woman," he said.
She smirked. "I didn't do anything," she said innocently, moving her hand so her palm was against his crotch.
He growled and she liked the heat that went through her. "Merlin, Lex."
"Was Merlin a real wizard?" she questioned, moving her hand more.
"Yeah. Many said he was the greatest there was, but I think that was his legend…," Harry said, closing his eyes at the pleasant sensations running up his body. "Do you want to learn this or not?"
"Yeah, but I like watching you more," she said teasingly, her hand cupping what was between his legs.
"Fecking minx," he said. She giggled, giving him a wink. He was having a hard time concentrating, but not wanting her to stop.
"So, what do I need to know about sea serpents and acromaculars?"
"Acromantulas," he said, his green eyes open. They were molten orbs that sent a definite heat to her core. "Are you going to be a tease or do more?" he challenged.
She gave him a playful grin. "I didn't hear a please," she said, her hands unzipping his shorts.
"A tease," he accused.
"Maybe," she said, kissing him as her hands freed something bigger than she had expected. She wondered how much she could make him squirm? When she pulled back, she whispered against his lips. "Do I be a bad girl or a good girl?"
"What does that mean?" he stumbled over his words as she started to stroke him.
She didn't know why she was being so bold. She had never gone this far with a boy before. "Good girls swallow, right?"
"Bloody hell," he muttered as she moved to be on her knees between his legs.
-oOo-
After dinner that night…Isla Nublar, Costa Rica
John was sitting in his office. Benjamin and Muldoon were across from him. Muldoon was sharing a glass of scotch with him while Muldoon had refused tonight.
"What did Harry say?" Benjamin asked.
"The lad isn't afraid to stare down the maw of a charging tyrannosaur, but he fears what you found," Muldoon said.
"I didn't think he would fear anything," John said.
"He didn't like the raptors. He loves the dinosaurs. I get the feeling like he looks at them like overgrown puppies. He has a healthy respect for what they can do. But he talked to me about the acromantula. I'm not sure I could take one down by myself without a minigun. How many died before that one Wu has was taken down?" Muldoon asked.
"Five dead, twelve injured. It was a squad of twenty-five men. They were using AK-47's and grenades. I heard they spent over a thousand rounds before it fell," Lockwood replied.
"A thousand rounds into that beast?" Muldoon questioned.
"No. I think less, but until Wu and Gim complete the autopsy, I don't know," Lockwood replied.
"And how much would it take to take down Romilda?" John asked. He didn't want any of his dinosaurs to die, but he had to considered it after what happened a few months ago.
"Maybe about the same," Muldoon said. "John, we need bigger weapons."
"We can't just go around killing everything," Benjamin said. "Imagine what we can find out if we were able to capture one. The silk alone is already ten times the tensile strength of normal silk and just one of those had enough to make miles of material."
"And how do you propose we keep them? Those spiders would take a dart, but that sea serpent, or half the other dangerous beast that Harry told be about… you are talking 20mm canons or more to take them out. A dart would never pierce their skin, and using smoke canisters with enough to knock them out would endanger everyone around them," Muldoon told them.
"Benjamin, we are supposed to launch Jurassic Park by the spring next year. We can't afford to divert our research funding or staff on this right now. I also think we should really get to know what these creatures can do and consult with Harry and Sirius," John told them.
Benjamin sighed. "You are right. We can't afford this right now. Are you still looking at spring? Bennings thinks if you wanted to target Christmas this year, you could."
John looked to Muldoon. "Would we be ready for Christmas?"
Muldoon scratched his chin. "The aviary is still a few months from completion. I won't certify it before they put in the second layer of mesh and reinforce the catwalks and the chain wire. Those things are tearing it up on Isla Sorna."
"Yes, I saw your report and Bennings. We are now two months ahead of schedule on the rest of the bungalows and the hotel. The north loop will be completed by end of September and the two new paddocks will be done by end of October," Hammond said. "Except for the aviary, that is all the original spots in the plans."
"It is. Arnold is saying that the last of the motion sensors and cameras will all be installed by early November and your granddaughter has a working recognition program that Arnold thinks will be fully operational by December. I want others to see the beauties, but I just don't know if it is safe enough," Muldoon admitted.
"It will be safe enough. We need to start getting a return to our investors so we can get more funding to work on the real purpose we started all this for, John," Benjamin said.
John took his glass of scotch. They were getting so close to realizing one of their dreams. If these new creatures, as Harry called them, could lead to the medical advances they wanted, then they had to move on them.
"When we meet with the board, we'll talk about it. Our advertising campaign is ready to go. The first shipments of the new toys will be in and ready in October. They could be in stores for Christmas. I think seeing how the next tour goes in two weeks will make the decision to open for Christmas or in the spring," John told them. He was as anxious as the next man here to show off this crowning jewel. It may be important to do so before more of the forgotten magical world comes crashing down on them.
"We will have to have the proposals for the next park or two ready by then. We need Wu back here to make sure the generation three-point-six dinosaurs and the new findings from the mines in China and the Dominican Republic will be ready in three years. Muldoon, I want you to go to Isla Sorna. You are going to be given full access to the files to make sure we have what we need here and to make up plans for new parks," Benjamin said.
"I was only hired to worry about Jurassic Park and Site B," Muldoon told them.
"Yes, but you haven't been wrong yet. Maybe have Harry join you. His instincts on all this are spot on," John replied.
"Sure. I think Harry should also start to focus on Lex and the others. I think we will need more trained wizards sooner than later," he told them.
"The initial plans for Isla Mataceros should be done in a few weeks," John told him.
"Good. I don't want to have teens learning magic all over the island. It will be hard enough making sure the guests don't get into trouble," Muldoon complained.
"I can't wait to see the look of wonder on everyone," John said with a smile.
"I know you have been waiting for this. I am just interested in everything we are finding out. Charlotte wants to know more now that she knows she's a witch. We need to make sure she has top notch tutors to keep up her education while she learns to control her magic," Benjamin said.
"We will, Benjamin. Lex will want to continue her studies and Ms Granger is very bright," John added.
Benjamin smiled. "I thought Charlotte could ask questions. When do the families from Norway arrive?"
"Beginning of October. That should be interesting to meet them. If you two have anything, now is the time, otherwise I have some business to finish tonight," John said.
Muldoon got up. "I will put in a request for some more weapons and training."
John nodded, knowing it would be needed.
When he left, Benjamin poured a little more scotch into his glass. "Do you really think this will all work out?"
"I have all the confidence in the world. I believed in this before we even had the first viable embryo. I have put my life into this place. Now I need to protect my daughter and her family. Magic explains how we were able to create Jurassic Park. Now I want to solve cancer and the other issues why we started this company," John told him.
Benjamin rose his glass in a toast. "Here. here."
-oOo-
October 30, 1993The Vatican City, Italy
Father Reginald walked through the marbled halls of one of the older rectories in the fabled city of the seat of the Pope and the Catholic church. For hundreds of years this rectory was the training place and home to the Order of the Invisible Hand. In its heyday, thousands of priests and converts had helped the church to subdue the invalids that dared to use the arts of the Devil and demons. Now, many didn't believe in the old tales of magic or that the Order had been needed.
The Inquisition was over. Ended nearly two hundred years ago, the church didn't seek to purge its flock of those that were unworthy of the Lord's blessing anymore. Governments that once supported them now actively made secular laws that undermined the teachings and the ways of the church.
This was something that rankled Father Reginald, but he knew he had to go along on the whole, or the Pope himself had threatened to shut down the Order. That was something that couldn't happen. Every year there were dozens of cases of people being touched by the Devil and using the unholiest of arts on unsuspecting lambs of the church.
What was bothering him was that for the first time in over a hundred years, there had been someone that knew the arts of making artefacts that allowed an infidel to channel the unholy powers. It wasn't like the powers the church used. They called on the divine to power their righteous wrath and to purge the unholy of their sins. His own Rod of David hung at his side, as did the amulet, the Divine Order's seal. They could both be used to hunt down and purge the infidels with the proper prayers. God listened to them and gave them the power to do this.
Some of the infidels were converted to keep their Order alive. Others were purged of the knowledge and sent back, often much more compliant and devout after being purged. The last were the ones that couldn't be saved. They were often exorcized and didn't survive the experience. He had hoped that the Grady boy would be a convert. He showed a large affinity to the devil's arts and could have been a powerful priest if they could have converted him.
Alas, he was now marked to be exorcised. He obviously didn't want to repent.
Two guards with old style muskets opened a set of doors for him. He walked into the chamber. There was a large round table with enough places for twenty of the high priest and cardinals of the Order to sit. Today there was only six of them. Cardinal Richelieu descended from a French family that had served in the Order for the last three hundred years. Next to him was Cardinal Ross. Again, from a distinguished family that had been with the Order for a long time. The rest were Fathers of chapters around Europe.
He came in, kissing the sacred table before sitting. Cardinal Richelieu asked in Italian, "Why did you summon us here, Father Reginald?"
"I have a worrying report from the United States. A brother and I of our Order were working to repent and convert a powerful potential member when he escaped. We had just about recaptured him when an infidel, trained in arts long forgotten, stepped in and saved the boy," Father Reginald told them.
Cardinal Ross rose an eyebrow. "Are you saying there is a trained infidel?"
"I am saying that the man in question could transform into a dog from hell. It was a black hell dog that nearly killed our brother," Father Reginald told them.
There was some surprise around the table. "There hasn't been anyone like that in a long time," Cardinal Richelieu commented.
"Eighteen-forty-three was the last time we have records of such a cursed person. They were a black cat," Father Rosburg stated.
"And is this more dangerous than usual?" Cardinal Ross asked.
"The man had a wand," Father Reginald said.
"Impossible. All knowledge of the ancient sin has been purged," Father Cordeaux said.
"It was a working wand. He did something to cause our brother to pass out and when he woke, the boy and the man were gone," Father Reginald told them.
"This is disturbing. We need proof before we can approach the Pope. You are to take eight of our members and search for the boy and this hell dog man," Cardinal Ross ordered.
"So few?" Father Reginald asked.
Cardinal Richelieu frowned. "It is all we can spare for now. Our numbers keep dropping. When you find them, I will have gathered fifty more to help, but I doubt we can gather more than five hundred if we call in the entire Order."
Father Reginald frowned. He knew the Invisible Hand had fallen, but not that far.
"I will find and expose them. The faithful will flock back to us," Father Reginald promised.
"I pray that is so." Cardinal Ross made the sign of the cross. "Go and pray, my son. You will leave on the morrow. The Faith of the Father be with you, and the power to root out evil guide you."
He got up, bowed to the cardinals and kissed the table again. He made the sign of the cross on himself. "Thy will be done."
-oOo-
Next time on The Magic of Amber: Owen has found a new idol and people start to arrive.
