Sirius Black (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
alt_sirius) wrote2013-11-30 08:23 pm
alt_sirius) wrote2013-11-30 08:23 pm
Entry tags:
Order Only: A Curious Communication
Well, we've had an interesting day.
There we were, minding our own business, when there's an almighty pecking at the window. Remus looked up and there was a magpie looking to be let in. Naturally, we ignored it.
About half an hour later it came back, this time through the back garden and pecking at the kitchen windows. Startled Ellie something frightful. But she ignored it, too.
Then, a few minutes after that, the bloody bird flew in through the door as a customer was leaving. As soon as it did, the shop's owl started going mad, flapping about at the other bird like they were about to start a midair duel.
Took us a while to separate them and calm them both down. Of course, there were customers still in the shop at the time. And the birds weren't all that mindful of the teapots Tonks had got in last week. Ruined an entire display.
But the point is that the magpie had a message tied to her leg. Remus finally recognised her, took her into the kitchen, removed the note and had Ellie give the poor thing the leftover biscuit from breakfast.
Then he cleaned up the shop while I slipped back to the kitchen to have a look.
It was Ridley's magpie, sure enough. She addressed a message - Alice, it was addressed thus:
To Frank Longbottom, if he live, or Sirius Black, if Longbottom be indisposed
Long message short: She wants to know how we protected Saltash. She says she got a report that we cast a 'Fidelius-like spell' and that somehow it's 'cut off communication' with an operative she had on the inside. Well, that would be Prentiss, of course, but I'm sure she didn't want to name him in case the bird was intercepted. (I'll note she didn't care about naming Frank or me but then we've hardly made our loyalties secret.)
She wanted to know all the details: Could the denizens inside see out, how long it lasts, whether thepeople wizardfolk inside are alive and safe or if they've been put into some kind of stasis - anything we're willing to tell her, really. Also if we would be willing to take a message to Prentiss (well, 'our operative' but she means Prentiss, obviously).
So.
I'm inclined to tell her the cost on the theory she'll bugger off without further discussion but ... it's got me thinking. Is there a way we could explain it to her that would tempt them to cast it somewhere where it would temporarily debilitate a whole load of Voldemort's servants? And would that be worth the price of doing further business with DogStar?
There we were, minding our own business, when there's an almighty pecking at the window. Remus looked up and there was a magpie looking to be let in. Naturally, we ignored it.
About half an hour later it came back, this time through the back garden and pecking at the kitchen windows. Startled Ellie something frightful. But she ignored it, too.
Then, a few minutes after that, the bloody bird flew in through the door as a customer was leaving. As soon as it did, the shop's owl started going mad, flapping about at the other bird like they were about to start a midair duel.
Took us a while to separate them and calm them both down. Of course, there were customers still in the shop at the time. And the birds weren't all that mindful of the teapots Tonks had got in last week. Ruined an entire display.
But the point is that the magpie had a message tied to her leg. Remus finally recognised her, took her into the kitchen, removed the note and had Ellie give the poor thing the leftover biscuit from breakfast.
Then he cleaned up the shop while I slipped back to the kitchen to have a look.
It was Ridley's magpie, sure enough. She addressed a message - Alice, it was addressed thus:
Long message short: She wants to know how we protected Saltash. She says she got a report that we cast a 'Fidelius-like spell' and that somehow it's 'cut off communication' with an operative she had on the inside. Well, that would be Prentiss, of course, but I'm sure she didn't want to name him in case the bird was intercepted. (I'll note she didn't care about naming Frank or me but then we've hardly made our loyalties secret.)
She wanted to know all the details: Could the denizens inside see out, how long it lasts, whether the
So.
I'm inclined to tell her the cost on the theory she'll bugger off without further discussion but ... it's got me thinking. Is there a way we could explain it to her that would tempt them to cast it somewhere where it would temporarily debilitate a whole load of Voldemort's servants? And would that be worth the price of doing further business with DogStar?