Cleaning Up

[Animus]

Pieces slowly begin to fit into place. Andrade, Niles. He couldn't be sure how important the journals had been, but to save her own brother? No, he couldn't fault the Hierarch for that, especially after the Kruegans' debacle. After all, he had made the same choice.

And then it hits him. Something was very wrong here. A deep worry creeps into Animus' voice, almost panic. "Where was West during all this? Wasn't he here to protect you?"

[Sherrinford]

Jordan shook his head. "No, Master Animus. Provost Dee, who managed to escape, had identified the point of origin for the breach of the Museum wards. Magister West and Dr. Primoria followed that route to investigate. We did not see them again until they reappeared in this office."

Again, coming without invitation was that feeling the Jordan felt around the Life Master...wind bearing him up under wing that he did not have. Spooky all by itself.

"The tale of the Journals is the tale of my failures. I''ll give you background when you are ready."

[Animus]

Animus sighs heavily. Just ... too much. All my failures today, and now this? "Why was the Magister investigating the origin when the intruder was here?" The question comes out flat, almost lifeless. He just doesn't have the will to put any sort of force behind it. The depression Jack and Jordan triggered doesn't help matters any, although at this point it can hardly worsen the Thyrsus' emotional state.

[Jack Falley]

Jack carefully chooses his words to answer Animus as he tries to remember that portion of today's events, "Dr. Primoria had asked the Councilors present to make a choice between staying here and checking the origin. Most of us reasoned at the time that there might be a trap for those who went to check it out, so we decided to stay here..."

[Rosh]

"We didn't know who the Intruder was at the time either. All in all. It was one mistakes after another. But here we are." Spade shrugs, or tries to, it ends up more like a spasm with him grunting from the action.

"Animus. We need to get a move on something. There is the Ley-Man Tug encountered, Vector's need to translate the Journals, and any information Plotski can provide. If my guess is right it will take Vector time to get the Journals into something usable. But that assumes he doesn't already have that key now. The Bridge could be sprung in moments. And Andrade is... I don't know what to think."

[Animus]

Animus sighs. "You didn't need to know it was Vector. He broke through the Ward. That alone should have told you enough to know that the greater danger was here." There should be venom in Animus' tone, would be, any other time. But right now, he just can't muster it. Instead he seems to collapse in on himself. Were my decisions that much better? "Never mind. It's done."

After a long moment's pause, he turns back to Jordan. "You may as well tell me the background now."

[Sherrinford]

Jordan nodded, but the voice he answered with was not the firm, somewhat professorial tone he usually took. It was the voice of one grieving, with emotion drained, very tired.

"A young mage at university shadow-named Trench had given two books to the Mysterium for investigation. No one had the time, so they were given to me. I used all the techniques for looking at questioned documents. When I used a simple dating spell, I got magical resistance, which concerned me. But the spell did work, and it turns out that the books were personal journals, and paper, binding and ink all conform to the 1870s.

The writing in it is Atlantean runic, but not the ones modernly understood. I believe that most of them are the result of linguistic drift, something like dialects. But some of the runes were completely artificial, just made up.

To make a longer story short, I brought the journals here when the word went out. Like a fool, I thought that they would be safer here than in my safe at home. I was asking Provost Dee to hide them in an interdimensional space when the Hierarch snatched them from my hands.

It was a foolish mistake. Our opponents don't know me, and leaving the journals in my safe could have prevented them from achieving their goal. Maybe Aurum is right to consider us stupid. I certainly qualify."

[Yog-Sothoth]

Still slumped in a sitting position with her eyes closed Aurum responded helpfully, "Oh, you forgot the part where I insisted we come up with an emergency action plan for fifteen minutes while you all did nothing but argue, and then when the assault happened you all still refused to talk strategy. Hell once it was known he was after the trench journals you all still did nothing thinking we were going to stop a master mage with no weapons and no preparation time with no plan. I also suggested we remove the journals from the scene several times and nothing was done until Vector walked through the door in the hallway we were in. Lastly during the battle judging from the dox I think I was the only person throwing spells that refused to let my dox fly free and absorbed it all. I've almost given up...you all deserve your fate."

[Rosh]

Spade, trying to think of something to say that would get someones attention, turns to Aurum. "Your absolutely right. I'm going to grab a drink, you guys talk this out. Call me if you think of something." Wincing. Spade stands to leave heading for the door.

Maybe Miller had some thoughts on what to do? It was certainly better then being repeatedly told what a fool he was. He also made a note to check his forehead, just in case.