LONDON CALLING

Jessie was glad when they reatched the top he also now knew why Angus didn't want to come to this place ever again " thank goodness" he said laying on the grass to catch his breath and give his arms arest. Once restd he picked up his pack and looked in the direction Sergio had pointed. " to the woods" he said and was glad to be on solid ground again. Walking he heard sergio ask about Hiss and he chukled a little knowing Michael would never let that rope freind of his leave his side, he felt Micahel saw him as part of his family. Once again he put one foot infront of the other till they reatched the forest then he stopped and looked at Sergio.

"bird call?" he enquired, not sure if he'd heard him right. " what do they do if you get it wrong?" now his curiosity was peaked.

"That, my friend, could be extraordinarily bad for the one who gets it wrong," Sergio said. They walked the distance through the woods and it seemed that a solid wall of gray stone rose up out of almost nowhere. the trees were so thick here that it was almost impossible to see the mine until they were right up on it. Now, though, all they saw was a solid rock face. No entrance to the mine. No doubt, Michael thought, this was the unplottable spell, concealing the entrance.

Sergio took great pains to make sure there was no one else around before he sounded the call. It was the call of one of their native birds the Great Spotted Cuckoo. They waited a long moment, and then a wizard came forward out of the unplottable area. He had dark hair that was quickly going gray. His skin looked leathered by years of hard work. Michael believed the man wasn't nearly as old as his appearance would have otherwise made him appear. Life had not been kind to this man. He came over to Sergio and they embraced.

"Life surely must have gone to hell in a handbasket if it brings you up here," the old man said.

"Emil," Sergio smiled, "I'd like you to meet my friends. They are part of Angus's family."

"Blood family or his chosen family?" Emil appeared almost to sour quickly.

"Not to worry. His and Edward's chosen family," Sergio replied. Emil eased quickly. Michael saw that even here, Angus's blood family, with the exception of Edward, were not well thought of at all. Angus and Edward were a different story altogether. Here, they were very much loved. "This is Michael, Brian and Jessie."

"Angus is not with you?"

"He is at the house with Ana. He was injured on his way here by a couple of shapeshifters."

"Vermin, all of them," Emil snarled with disgust. "What can I do for the friends of Angus?"

"They need a few of your stones--the peacock colored ones--please."

"And about payment?"

"I have the payment," Michael said. He drew a small drawstring pouch out of his pocket and handed it to Emil. Emil opened the pouch and looked inside and drew out several small nuggets of solid gold.

"It is a generous payment," Emil said. "Who am I selling these stones to? I need to know their intentions."

"You sell them to Robert Lupin, for purely lightwork purposes only."

"And how do I know it is from Robert?" Emil asked.

"He said I was to give you this." Michael reached in his pack this time and handed Emil a tin. Emil opened the tin, smelled the contents and smiled.

"You do indeed come from Robert. It has been entirely too long since I have had this." He attempted to hand back the pouch of gold. "This is enough," Emil gestured to the tin.

"This may make no sense but he was specific. He knew you would try to return the pouch, and he told me to tell you to keep the pouch or the next time you two met, he would shove the pouch up..." Michael let his words trail off because Emil burst into loud belly laughter, amused.

"Come," Emil motioned to them. "We will get your rocks, but it is time to eat. Come join us for an early supper. We eat early here because we get up so early. It is simple fare, but it fills our stomachs."

They followed Emil into the unplottable area and they now saw the gaping mouth of a mine, strong timbers bracing up a large entrance. Michael could smell food cooking over an open wood fire. Right inside the mouth of the mine, several men were sitting on folding camp stools tending the food. It was a large kettle of chicken stew, with baking potatoes rolled in foil and roasting in the coals. Against the left hand wall of the cave was a large galvanized bucket and a wooden box full of clean tin mugs.

"Help yourself to the water. I'm sure you're thirsty after your climb," Emil said. He motioned to a couple of the other miners who got up and got out four more folding camp stools for them.

"Come," Sergio looked at Michael and Brian and Jessie. "The water is incredible. Icy cold and sweet. It's from the underground spring that is deep within the mine."

Jessie smirked at Michaels repeated words from Robert it truly did sound like him. He followed them inside and saw it change to a open wide long deep mine " wow" he said softly and smiled " this is wonderful" he spoke softly but when fresh water was mentioned he couldn't help himself and took a large cup full downing it in one " oh that was so good" he wiped his mouth and felt the cool water refresh him " no offence sergio but that does way more than the energy drinks".

Now looking around he moved back to the others the smell of cooking and the sound of laughter reminded him of the old tolkin movie with the dwarves in it and he wondered if this was what he ahd imagined when he wrote his novels. It ws magnificent and like he was in a whole diferent world now one made purely underground.

"Of course," Sergio said to Jessie, laughing. "We were made to drink water and to find it much more satisfying than chemical substitutes, and this is the way water was supposed to be before muggles buggared it all up. This actually benefits you because it is loaded with all sorts of minerals that your body needs."

Emil opened the foil on four potatoes, put each one in a large soup bowl, cut the potatoes open and then ladled a generous helping of chicken stew on top and set a large chunk of homemade bread on the edge of each large bowl. He put spoons and forks into each bowl and handed one each to Michael, Jessie, Sergio and Brian.

"Many thanks, Emil. Ana packed us some of her sandwiches, but this is far superior."

"We have no dessert to serve but this will ward off hour hunger from your long climb."

"Wait. I think I can solve that dessert problem," Michael said. He dug down into his pack and got out the container of the berry breakfast bars that Jess had made. "These were made in Robert's own kitchen the morning that we left. We're more than happy to share these fruit biscuits with you." Michael opened the container and passed it around. "Help yourselves."

Jessie nodded his head "I agree" he said sitting with all the miners and the others to eat , he took the bowl with backed potatoe in it and ate finding the simple dish delishious. When micheal brought out The buscuits Jess had made he chuckled knowing they would not be forgotten. He watched as every one ate and he was glad he made the climb but he could not help think back to home and the others there.

" you think all is okay with Angus and back home?" he asked as he spooned some food into his mouth. "That sorserus was a night mare to contain to begin with." he said finishing his bowl and taking a biscket to eat. When he was done he looked back at the entrance glad it was so big but going deeper for him would be a no way with his clustraphobia.

"Angus is in good hands," Sergio replied. "I'm sure that right about now, Ana is cooking supper, and the children are trying to skirt out of doing their homework to try to get Angus to tell them stories. We have told them all about their Uncle Angus and their Papa Edward and some of their battles to defeat the dark sorts of werewolves , of course, but they have never met Angus. They have met Edward a couple of times, but this is their first meeting with him. Ana will let them get away with it tonight because it is a special occasion. She was talking of making apples in pajamas tonight."

"Oh, heavens. I haven't had those since I was a boy," Emil said. "My gran used to make them and she added some cinnamon sugar to them while they were still fresh out of the oil."

"An apple in pajamas," Michael said "is sort of a sweet version of a fried onion ring, except they are made with thin rings of fresh apples instead of rings of onions. The batter is sweet, not savory, and then they are deep fried just as an onion ring would be. They come out of the oil crispy, sweet and delicious. It is called that because the apple is 'dressed' in batter before it is fried."

"Sounds wonderful," Brian said.

"Ana's are amazing. She's also done peaches and plums and just about any other fruit she can find that she can cut into a shape to batter and fry. Sometimes she melts a chocolate bar--when we have chocolate--to make a little sauce to dip the fruit in."

"I'm sure they're fine," Brian said. "If anything, those at home are wondering how Angus is feeling and how we are doing. They're wondering if we started our climb and if we're safe."

"You mentioned a sorceress," Emil said. "What sorceress."

"Bah," Sergio wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Zina has been plagueing them for some time now."

"Zina," Emil scowled as if he had smelled something incredibly foul. "What could you have possibly done to attract her attention?"

"It seems she has formed an alliance with that evil man Gelding."

"No!" Emil was highly upset. "Gelding is enough of a menace to our families! We do not need Zina aligning with him!"

"We had her contained and then she escaped," Brian said. "We are looking to use one of your stones either as bait or to see if we can make a containment stone to trap her."

"You shall have the best of our stones for your purpose," Emil promised. "Gelding took my granddaughters 3 months ago, and we cannot find her. I don't even know where to look."

"Tell us about them, and we will try to find them."

"Why? Why would you do this for me? You don't even know me."

"They are part of the child finders," Sergio said. That caused every man there to look at them in amazement. Sergio looked at Brian and Michael and Jessie. "Gelding's people have hit this region hard in the last year because it is so difficult for us to get word out that our children are missing. That was why I was looking so hard to find out how to reach you child finders. I did not know Angus was so close to them or I'd have gotten him word months ago."

Jesie just stood and listened then nodded " I know hes in good hands" he said smiling it was now they spoke the scorseruss's name " thats a good thing to know" he siad then listened more and shook his head as they mentioned children missing them glanced at Micahel and Brian knowing they would do everything to find those children as would he.

" well you have us now, so please tell us all you know that would help us find those children" he asked sitting down by the fire and taking another buscit to munch on while he listened to them talking.

Brian got out a pad of paper from his pack and started taking notes, children's names, descriptions, birthmarks and identifying features. He took notes of when they were taken, information on their families. There were nine children in all just from this tiny village in the last year. The village had been devastated by grief because of these lost children. Brian explained their organization and gave them Robert's name and his own so they had someone to contact. Brian promised they would try to find them. The fathers and grandfathers who had fought against losing hope now were overcome by the notion that there might be hope now, and some of them fought back tears.

It started to get dark outside, and Emil told them he thought it best if their guests stayed in the mining camp tonight. Sergio agreed and accepted on behalf of the little mission team. It was entirely too dangerous to try to climb down in the dark.

"We must be off just as soon as it is light enough to try to climb down. There is a pair of shapeshifters following us. They will try to come here. I do not know if we can lure them off you," Sergio said.

"Our protection grids will hold against a shapeshifter," Emil said. "And we are well armed and well skilled in defense against any dark magic. We are forewarned, and so we are prepared. Your task must not be here with us to defend us. Your task must be to return so you can find our children. For that, we would give everything, even our own lives."

"Emil," one of the oldest men spoke up. He had been silent up to this point. "is it worth their while to try the lower pass?" The men looked at him as if he was out of his mind. "They could travel all night and not be seen. It would put them in the village before daylight."

"I'm not sure anyone even remembers the way through the lower pass. We haven't used in many decades."

"I remember it," he replied to Emil.

"Your leg may not hold out to take them, Stefan."

"For the sake of my grandson, I would try," he replied.

"There is one passageway. It goes from here down through the mountain to ground level. It is a very dangerous passageway with many winding turns and some crumbling spots. However, if it would become necessary for you to try to go home before daylight, it is still far safer than repelling in the dark."

"Thank you," Sergio said. He looked at the others. Michael saw the look on Sergio's face. He did not want to take this route. He did not want to risk an old man on a passageway that hadn't been used for many, many years. He wanted to wait til daylight. "What say you?" Sergio asked Brian and Michael and Jessie.

"We know the mountain now, and our pitons will still be there," Michael said. "Repelling goes much faster. I think we can safely repel in daylight if we can get going before those storms set in. That's my recommendation. Jessie?"

Jessie listened and thought about it " I realy don't like the idea of going further into teh mountain." he said his voice becoming shaky as just the thought of it made him feel unwell " I think wait till morning and rapel down would be better." he said to Michael hoping he would pick up that he would not do well in tight cramped dark spaces. He walked to the opening and took a deep breath in as cool mountain air flowed inside.

Glancing bck he looked at Brian worried since he was the junior member he knew brian and michaels word carried more weight, if he had to use the passage way he would have to bite the bullet and face his fear.

Michael didn't understand what was making Jessie come unglued about different parts of this mission. Clearly the boy had issues that hadn't been sufficiently addressed before he had started to work for the organization. Well, that appeared to shut down any thought of using the passageway altogether.

"We'll repel as early as w can," Brian said, making the decision. Sergio nodded.

"Am I free to go to the entrance and smoke?" Michael asked. "I haven't had a cigarette all day."

'Smoke here if you like or go up towards the entrance. Do try not to leave the mine because the protection grid outside the mouth of the mine is very small," Emil said.

"Good to know. Thank you," Michael said, rising and going out to smoke. Emil and the workers excused themselves for a bit to clean up the supper dishes and to make a spot for them in the sleeping area of the mine.

"So I have to ask. What was in the tin that impressed Emil so much?" Sergio asked Brian softly.

"Robert brews flavored teas as a hobby. Everyone's favorite seems to be his almond tea. That's what was in the tin. A generous amount of Robert's almond tea," Brian replied.

"Tea? That's it? Just tea?" Sergio frowned.

"That's it. Just tea," Brian replied. Sergio rolled his eyes.