The Wyvern Street Irregulars

By noon, the eight who had gathered in the west study of the rear apartment of the second floor (what Brits would refer to as the first storey) the previous night were all up and about, having had various amounts - mostly plenty - of good sleep and good breakfast. Susan had arrived, deputised various people to various chores, and joined the group in the study. They had this floor of the building to themselves, as most of the activity was taking place downstairs.

"Looks like hashing out what kind of a working to attempt this evening is going to have to wait," Maurice suggested.

The Wizard nodded. "You and I might get some moments to toss a few ideas around, Maurice, but I agree that the Wiccans should get on with their Wiccan stuff right away. Sooner started, sooner finished, to paraphrase Sam Gamgee's old gaffer."

They all smiled. That swiftly, the meeting was over. The Wiccans headed off to prepare for Debbie and John's Third Degree Initiation. (Supposedly roughly equivalent in Grade to Adeptus Minor, if you happen to agree with Ellen Cannon Reed's reckoning as set forth in her "The Witches Qaballa", which was standard reading for Marie and Marny and their students.) The Wizard and Maurice planned to mingle with the many guests who would not be participating in the actual ritual.

None of them had actually left the room though before something happened. Maurice and the Wizard had not even left their seats. Maurice turned to the Wizard. "Who?"

"Later," the Wizard replied, with a slight shake of his head. "But it does seem that we are in for the fasttrack." Looking at everyone carefully, Maurice felt almost certain that Marie and Marny also knew who (or what?) it was. They smiled brightly at everyone, heads slightly, slowly nodding. It had felt as if a Cone of Power had been plopped down over the house like a Witch's hat, between one moment and the next. To some of them though there was more to it than that. Presences were in their minds.

Debbie looked at Maurice and shrugged in a gesture of helplessness. "Sorry... Oath."

Maurice nodded his understanding. But in his mind he, the Wizard and Marie all seemed to smile together as one that Debbie was lagging: her mouth uttering the words in advance of her mind registering that, duh, not only was that what the Wizard's "Later" had meant but also that at least some introductions were already in progress. Debbie couldn't remember whether the snippet of bygone studies that her mind was reaching for had said at Tiphareth initiations happen 'on the planes' or beyond Tiphareth initiations happen 'on the planes'. Maybe it was "at Tiphareth and beyond, initiations happen on the planes"? She resolved to try to remember to look it up, even though she realised as she thought it that she would probably forget. It came to her, too, that the rest of the building probably was not effected. It was mostly focussing on the people in this room, it just felt bigger than the building, and that only at first.

"How dey do dat?" Terry joked in one of his comic voices.

Maurice made a dunno gesture with his hands. "What can I say? They're Wiccans..." he smiled.

"...and Druids...", Robert added.

"...and fergoshsakes Unitarians!" Debbie exclaimed. Heck, the Unitarians hadn't bound her to secrecy with any solemn oaths.

"...and Unit Taureans... and Unit Geminians... and Unit Cancerians..." (and onward, fading into a sensation of light fresh air somehow laughing...) passed through their minds from someone or something somewhere.

Debbie giggled. "The Fool!" Somewhere, a smile bowed.

That swiftly, they had risen, risen, risen 'on the planes', all the way to... Malkuth! The Earth Plane! Planet Earth!

John smiled. "I guess we're grounded! Lets get to the Ritual!"