Chapter 17

by Carycomic

THREE BROOMSTICKS INN,

HOGSMEADE, SCOTLAND

(JUNE 18, 1955)

Albus Dumbledore closed his eyes and steepled his finger tips together, on his lap, as Ulysses Scamander read from his ever-present dossier folder (which doubled as his personal port key).

"Sir Waldo duly notified London House who then notified the Ministry of Magic who then notified the Department of Magical Law Enforcement who then dispatched several undercover aurors to investigate the scene. Of course, by that point, the whole ship was empty! Save for that dead creature. . . which was subsequently autopsied. It turned out to be a Ceilican /Swara metis that had apparently been further mutated through the use of Kiasyd vitae. The primary suspects for such an indignity being either a Tremere antitribu or some Bratovich* revenant of Clan Tzimisce."

"As for the junk? Predictably labyrinthine ownership, as it's registered in Panama, to the Brazilian branch office of a Japanese shipping company, whose publicly recognized president just 'happens' to be good friends with a certain kuei-jin elder. One Ando Kimura of the Kuroi-Te Uji!"

Whereupon, Dumbledore opened his eyes.

"It seems safe to say, then, that the Sabbat are up to something in Asia. Although, what that might be will naturally require some further investigation. Especially with regard to the disappearance of Tom Riddle!"

"Consider that a work already in progress, sir," replied Ulysses.

Thirty seconds later, the younger man was back at Kingsman Tailors.

SOMEWHERE IN SPANISH SAHARA, NORTH AFRICA (ONE DAY EARLIER)

"Ooh!" groaned Voldemort, as he sat up on what felt like the lumpiest cot in the world. "Who. . .? What. . .? Where. . .?"

"Welcome back to the Land of the Living, Milord Voldemort. I am Zubeida. Formerly a Silent Strider Abomination blood-bonded to the Followers of Set. Now a ronin in grateful service to the True Black Hand!"

Voldemort's lower jaw dropped in astonishment as he gazed at the bipedal furry being sitting before him.

"That voice! You- - -you're. . .!"

"Yes. I masqueraded as Fatima Al Faqadi. Courtesy of some fae-glamour supplied by our mutual host, Mr. Yusef Al Djinn of the Kiasyd!"

Whereupon, a vampire that looked to be half-goblin stood up and formally bowed. The creepy grin on his face was somehow looking even creepier because of the kaftan-and-fez ensemble he was wearing! Thereby compelling Voldemort to try and take his mind off it by meditatively stroking the head of his loyal pet (while carefully formulating his next question).

"At the risk of- -unintentionally- -sounding ungrateful, why aren't I dead?"

"I was not lying when I told you that I possessed ancient scrolls from Alexandra that can aid you in your quest. But, the subterfuge with which I greeted you in Macao was necessary in order to mislead your pursuer. Cassandra Crescent Moon of the White Howlers!"

"I see," said Voldemort. "Then, the real reason you wished to confiscate the Gray Maiden from me. . ."

". . .was simply to keep it out of the hands of the Communist Chinese. For they and their East German allies are currently engaged in what you might call 'necromantic research!' The fruition of which the True Black Hand wishes to delay as long as possible. That being the meat of the matter, Cassandra managing to steal the sword from you, instead, was merely gravy."

"Then, Nagina and I are free to go?"

"Of course! But, first, some refreshment. Followed by the presentation of those scrolls I promised you."

NORTHERN SCOTLAND (1967)

John Baring Summers waited till the vertigo of the teleportation he and Agent Gareth had just experienced had settled down somewhat before asking his next question.

"What do you mean he's going to assassinate a member of East Berlinhaus and make it look like a violation of the Archangel Treaty? That's all the Kremlin would see it as! Doesn't he know what that would lead to?"

"I don't think he would be in any position to care," replied Cassandra. "I was contacted by Jethro Dumont, the other day, and urgently 'invited' to an emergency meeting with Godfrey Usher at the New York Legacy House. There, he informed me about Operation Yulan-jin. The two of you really think it refers to some kind of long-range mind control?"

"By this point," countered the stalwart British agent. ". . .I more than think it. I'm dead certain of it! Medieval alchemists used to stimulate it using something called 'the elixir of life essence transference.' Only trouble was, even the best of them couldn't make such a transfer permanent. But, if the East Germans have solved that problem using modern computer technology, then the Communists could cause all sorts of chaos. Impersonating anyone, anywhere, at any time. . .without even leaving their homelands!

"They may have already started," said the Immortal wizardess. "Are you familiar with a British Secret Service outfit called Department Z-5?"

Summers went numb with dread. "Yes. They're actually a subdivision of Department Zed; specializing in the neutralization of renegade Sons of Ether. What everyone else might call 'mad scientists!' Why do you ask?"

"Because, two days ago, they lost half a team of elite counterspies (code-named 'The Bouquet') to a pair of husband/wife assassins who somehow did it by impersonating John Steed and Mrs. Peel! At the same time, a suspected double agent, who was undergoing extra intense interrogation, at a so-called 'security" village in Wales, somehow escaped to Austria by impersonating a retired British army colonel. And, in between, Michael Roscoe Holm (the love-child of Jimmy Holm's sister Patricia by Simon Templar) suddenly became a misogynistic serial killer! So, there's either a diabolically clever dealer of black market polyjuice potion out there, somewhere. Or, someone's pulling long-distance strings via telepathic hypnosis."

"And Godfrey Usher thinks it might be someone named Travers. Uriah Travers! Sound familiar, by any chance?"

tbc

*Bratovich: Sabbat Kindred bloodline of Clan Tzimice who are particularly notorious for their custom-made Abominations.

Michael Roscoe Holm: an in-joke reference to Ian Ogilvy who was both a mind-controlled catspaw for Boris Karloff in the 1967 feature film "The Sorcerers" and the star of the 1978 BBC series "Return of the Saint." Patricia Holm was the name of Simon Templar's one-and-only steady girlfriend in the Saint novels by Leslie Charteris.With their break-up hinted at being due to her becoming pregnant by Templar!