Auror Barclay and Eve Travers
Barclay listened impassively as Rosemary laid out her case. He didn't visibly react at all. Not when Rosemary glossed over some details about how information was obtained. And not when his co-worker Darby's name was mentioned.
When she had finished, he began methodically gathering and stowing his gear, speaking as he did. "I am staying in an inn called the Grass and Blade. Please give me two hours' time to return and prepare, and then meet me in the second floor sitting room. I am very interested in this crystal recording you speak of. I would prefer that we listen in a place where we can do so discreetly and without distraction, thus my suggestion of the inn. I confess I am rather surprised--"
With the word 'surprised,' he showed the first hint of an actual reaction - turning his gaze on Eve with a puzzled expression on his face. Eve met his gaze.
"--This is not a matter I would have expected a Death Eater to take an interest. I apologize - I mean in the former sense, not present, I'm sure."
Eve shrugged one shoulder. "Former. Yes. People change. I was young and foolish. I'm much less young, and at least sufficiently less foolish not to talk myself into such horrid beliefs anymore."
Barclay inclined his head briefly, seeming - much to Eve's surprise - to accept her answer. "The Grass and Blade, then. Two hours."
He returned his attention to cleaning and packing his fishing gear, indicating the conversation was over.
In two hours, however, Barclay was waiting for them in the sitting room, looking freshly polished and all attention. "Very well," he said. "The crystal? And then I must decide how to proceed. I assure you, I take the matter seriously and will act upon what you have told me. I will be candid, though, that I would feel more comfortable with more proof. Let us hope your recording provides that."
A Visit to London
Re: A Visit to London
Rosemary Bain
The two hour wait was excruciating. Not because she was afraid of what Barclay would say - but because she really didn't know what, if anything, her crystal had recorded. She had a feeling that wasting Barclay's time would be far worse for them than any response of his to their allegations. The only thing that kept her sane was periodically thinking to herself how odd, but how fitting, it was that Barclay was a fly fishermen.
And seemingly all too soon, came the moment of truth. The three of them filed into the sitting room of the Grass and Blade and seated themselves on the antique chairs by a brass-framed fire place. Rosemary took a deep breath, then took the crystal from her pocket. She stared at it for a moment before placing it on the polished tea table before Barclay.
"I have worked out a charm by which a crystal can act as a recording device. I am still working with it to find out all the rules the charm works by, but I know that quartz is good for clear recordings and that a stone this size should be able to hold several hours of sound. I do not know if we may listen a second time to anything recorded. With your permission, I will release the recording."
Barclay was hard to read, but he nodded and she pulled her wand out of the folds of her jacket.
"Sonodico."
Cambria and Eve would see the stone glow a familiar orange which flared to life when the charm was spoken, then stayed bright. A shuffling sound came from the rock, followed by a soft thump.
"That was me setting it in the windowsill of the print shop." Rosemary explained even as soft footfalls receded into silence. Uncanny. She hadn't expected such clarity from a rough stone from the street, but she was grateful all the same.
She tucked her wand away, then sat leaning forward with her arms on her knees and hands clasped around each other. This could be a long wait.
The two hour wait was excruciating. Not because she was afraid of what Barclay would say - but because she really didn't know what, if anything, her crystal had recorded. She had a feeling that wasting Barclay's time would be far worse for them than any response of his to their allegations. The only thing that kept her sane was periodically thinking to herself how odd, but how fitting, it was that Barclay was a fly fishermen.
And seemingly all too soon, came the moment of truth. The three of them filed into the sitting room of the Grass and Blade and seated themselves on the antique chairs by a brass-framed fire place. Rosemary took a deep breath, then took the crystal from her pocket. She stared at it for a moment before placing it on the polished tea table before Barclay.
"I have worked out a charm by which a crystal can act as a recording device. I am still working with it to find out all the rules the charm works by, but I know that quartz is good for clear recordings and that a stone this size should be able to hold several hours of sound. I do not know if we may listen a second time to anything recorded. With your permission, I will release the recording."
Barclay was hard to read, but he nodded and she pulled her wand out of the folds of her jacket.
"Sonodico."
Cambria and Eve would see the stone glow a familiar orange which flared to life when the charm was spoken, then stayed bright. A shuffling sound came from the rock, followed by a soft thump.
"That was me setting it in the windowsill of the print shop." Rosemary explained even as soft footfalls receded into silence. Uncanny. She hadn't expected such clarity from a rough stone from the street, but she was grateful all the same.
She tucked her wand away, then sat leaning forward with her arms on her knees and hands clasped around each other. This could be a long wait.
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Monkey Kitty
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Re: A Visit to London
Auror Barclay and Cambria Morehouse
"Wow," Cambria murmured under her breath, astounded by the image quality produced by the crystal.
Barclay said nothing, but leaned in to watch too, evidently giving his full attention.
For a long time, however, nothing interesting happened in the crystal's recording. The stillness of the empty loading bay was periodically punctuated by arrivals and departures and the usual comings and goings of goods - exactly what one would expect the activity to be in such a location. Cambria glanced over at Barclay, worried he would be annoyed by the delay, but his expression betrayed no impatience and his attention remained on the scene. Well, Cambria thought. Hasn't that always been the one thing about Barclay, for good or ill? He isn't a man to let things go before the bitter end.
Eventually, Auror Darby himself showed up in the loading bay. Cambria drew in her breath, worried about what they might witness but hoping Darby might somehow, against all odds, incriminate himself.
In the memory, Darby picked up a bound stack of pamphlets. The contents of the pages weren't visible from this angle. He started walking away.
Cambria sighed. If all this was for nothing...
"Hey!" One of the printing press operators - judging from the ink stains on his apron, at least - had emerged from the office door. "Mr. Darby! Are you sure these are how you wanted 'em?"
Darby glanced back over his shoulder. "Yes, Mr. Hayes. These look satisfactory as always. You have my thanks."
"It's just... they don't have any information on them, do they? I mean, no meeting times, no locations, no secret codes, no instructions for what they're supposed to do..."
"Yes. That is as intended. Thank you, Mr. Hayes."
"Well, then, frankly sir... erm... what's the point?"
Darby turned fully back to Hayes, giving him his full attention, along with an enigmatic smile. "You see, Hayes... this is the point. This. Exactly what you see here. I am merely giving them the information, and they will do with it what they will. A plan can be foiled. But here, there is no plan. No coordination. No leader to be taken down and made an example of. Just witches and wizards, doing what they see fit in response, all on their own - there's no stopping that."
"But what does it accomplish? So a few people go out and harass some goblins. That isn't going to change anything."
"No. It isn't meant to. What it will do is stir up the goblins up. We will harry them until they have no choice to rise up in rebellion."
"Erm. But sir. Why do you want a goblin rebellion?"
Darby smiled the same cold, distant smile. "Because then we can put it down, Hayes. We can knock out a generation of goblins in one sweep, and we won't be the aggressors. We'll merely be defending wizardkind."
"Interesting," Barclay said.
"Wow," Cambria murmured under her breath, astounded by the image quality produced by the crystal.
Barclay said nothing, but leaned in to watch too, evidently giving his full attention.
For a long time, however, nothing interesting happened in the crystal's recording. The stillness of the empty loading bay was periodically punctuated by arrivals and departures and the usual comings and goings of goods - exactly what one would expect the activity to be in such a location. Cambria glanced over at Barclay, worried he would be annoyed by the delay, but his expression betrayed no impatience and his attention remained on the scene. Well, Cambria thought. Hasn't that always been the one thing about Barclay, for good or ill? He isn't a man to let things go before the bitter end.
Eventually, Auror Darby himself showed up in the loading bay. Cambria drew in her breath, worried about what they might witness but hoping Darby might somehow, against all odds, incriminate himself.
In the memory, Darby picked up a bound stack of pamphlets. The contents of the pages weren't visible from this angle. He started walking away.
Cambria sighed. If all this was for nothing...
"Hey!" One of the printing press operators - judging from the ink stains on his apron, at least - had emerged from the office door. "Mr. Darby! Are you sure these are how you wanted 'em?"
Darby glanced back over his shoulder. "Yes, Mr. Hayes. These look satisfactory as always. You have my thanks."
"It's just... they don't have any information on them, do they? I mean, no meeting times, no locations, no secret codes, no instructions for what they're supposed to do..."
"Yes. That is as intended. Thank you, Mr. Hayes."
"Well, then, frankly sir... erm... what's the point?"
Darby turned fully back to Hayes, giving him his full attention, along with an enigmatic smile. "You see, Hayes... this is the point. This. Exactly what you see here. I am merely giving them the information, and they will do with it what they will. A plan can be foiled. But here, there is no plan. No coordination. No leader to be taken down and made an example of. Just witches and wizards, doing what they see fit in response, all on their own - there's no stopping that."
"But what does it accomplish? So a few people go out and harass some goblins. That isn't going to change anything."
"No. It isn't meant to. What it will do is stir up the goblins up. We will harry them until they have no choice to rise up in rebellion."
"Erm. But sir. Why do you want a goblin rebellion?"
Darby smiled the same cold, distant smile. "Because then we can put it down, Hayes. We can knock out a generation of goblins in one sweep, and we won't be the aggressors. We'll merely be defending wizardkind."
"Interesting," Barclay said.
Re: A Visit to London
Rosemary Bain
She could have cheered when Darby revealed his plot for all in attendance to see, but the weight of the revelation took the wind out of her. In a way, she'd been right - there was no way a real movement could come out of the simple propaganda pamphlets. The genius of the plan which didn't require a formal movement to succeed could have impressed her if it weren't so devious. Everyone who agreed with Darby would come out of the whole ordeal clean and free of guilt - and anyone who didn't, well, they got to be labelled as the 'wrong side' for all eternity. Rosemary briefly wondered if Darby knew that there would be wizards who would side with the goblins, but quickly came to the realization that he wouldn't care.
Barclay's response made her wonder if they had been wrong to trust him. Perhaps, like Darby, he wanted goblins done away with as well - consequences be damned. This was a dark road and Rosemary decided to find out where Barclay stood sooner rather than later.
"Interesting isn't quite the word I would use, Auror. Despicable, perhaps? Unless you don't feel as though Auror Darby is in the wrong?"
Rosemary wasn't above throwing down with an auror, but if she was forced to...whom else could they trust?
She could have cheered when Darby revealed his plot for all in attendance to see, but the weight of the revelation took the wind out of her. In a way, she'd been right - there was no way a real movement could come out of the simple propaganda pamphlets. The genius of the plan which didn't require a formal movement to succeed could have impressed her if it weren't so devious. Everyone who agreed with Darby would come out of the whole ordeal clean and free of guilt - and anyone who didn't, well, they got to be labelled as the 'wrong side' for all eternity. Rosemary briefly wondered if Darby knew that there would be wizards who would side with the goblins, but quickly came to the realization that he wouldn't care.
Barclay's response made her wonder if they had been wrong to trust him. Perhaps, like Darby, he wanted goblins done away with as well - consequences be damned. This was a dark road and Rosemary decided to find out where Barclay stood sooner rather than later.
"Interesting isn't quite the word I would use, Auror. Despicable, perhaps? Unless you don't feel as though Auror Darby is in the wrong?"
Rosemary wasn't above throwing down with an auror, but if she was forced to...whom else could they trust?
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Monkey Kitty
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Re: A Visit to London
Eve Travers and Auror Barclay
"Despicable. Yes. Certainly."
Barclay wore a demeanor that Eve couldn't recall ever seeing before. He seemed... preoccupied, perhaps? It was a rather startling contrast, given his usual focused intensity.
"You will have to forgive me," Barclay went on. "This is all most unexpected. I am not accustomed to being caught flat-footed - though I must say, you three have done so rather more than most. In any case, I will do what I can to assist you. I should make my way back to London and address this matter at once."
So much for his fly fishing trip, Eve thought. It surprised her that she felt a little bad for him about that.
She just hoped he was telling the truth. If Barclay were double-crossing them, their problems had just multiplied exponentially.
"Despicable. Yes. Certainly."
Barclay wore a demeanor that Eve couldn't recall ever seeing before. He seemed... preoccupied, perhaps? It was a rather startling contrast, given his usual focused intensity.
"You will have to forgive me," Barclay went on. "This is all most unexpected. I am not accustomed to being caught flat-footed - though I must say, you three have done so rather more than most. In any case, I will do what I can to assist you. I should make my way back to London and address this matter at once."
So much for his fly fishing trip, Eve thought. It surprised her that she felt a little bad for him about that.
She just hoped he was telling the truth. If Barclay were double-crossing them, their problems had just multiplied exponentially.