Elugelab
This too shall pass.
Newkirk and Beckton appeared in a cascading flash and swirl of short-lived white particles as if teleporting in from an immaterial snowstorm. They were surrounded by a thick fog that stirred in a somewhat turgid manner, as if just a touch heavier than the air it was supposedly suspended in.
"Amatol!"
"Torpex!"
The challenge and its response came and went in a flash, then the fog dropped - dissipating without a trace through the floor to reveal a squad of riflemen standing down.
"Agent Beckton. Welcome back."
A uniformed officer whose dress jacket lacked identifying patches of any kind came down the steps to the circle where the pair stood and shook hands with the overcoated agent before dismissing him with a nod.
"You must be Newkirk."
The wizard dusted off his tweed jacket, slipped his wand back in its holster and gave the officer a tired smile. They shook hands.
"Ellesmere, I presume."
There was no acknowledgement of this little trick of divination. Just another test.
"Please, come with me."
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Comments (3 so far!)
HSAR
Elugelab was one of the islands where nuclear devices were detonated during Operation Ivy, which was the eighth series of nuclear tests following Operation Tumbler-Snapper.
The first test shot, codenamed "Mike", was an experimental megaton-yield detonation of the first true fusion bomb.
Elugelab was completely destroyed by this test.
- #3781 Posted 6 years ago
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Robert Quick
Very cool. Always glad to see more work by you and this series especially is interesting for the intertwining of D&D and WWII history. Revealing what lies behind the curtain is ballsy but works well for you, I think.
- #3783 Posted 6 years ago
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Inspired by (sequel to):
Brass tinkled on the workshop floor. Beckton closed the bolt again, but didn't pop up for another sh…
Scorpion- Published 6 years ago.
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HSAR
Newkirk is a professional, but magic is at least as much art as science and he couldn't resist a just a little flourish.
They have teleported into an area under the effect of "Guards and Wards", a 6th-level spell even more advanced than Teleportation Circle. The password deactivated the various effects of that spell, of which the most visible was the fog. The other effects were not stated.
Ellesmere is a station on the Toronto Metro system.
Just as perception of the recent past and predictable future is no particular trouble for wizard of Newkirk's calibre, so to the reading of surface thoughts and identities is a trivial matter to him. It seems that Ellesmere was presenting such a thought at the top of mind to test Newkirk's ability to do this.