Private message to Lucius and Dominic

[alt_antonin]

I've only a moment, but something interesting: one of the researchers at Mysteries (Alcaeus Covington, if either of you know him) contacted me on Friday to enquire about a title (Cestus, to be precise), and when I told him to drop by this morning to borrow it, he did not arrive.

I was already suspicious for no particularly good reason, but this was certainly enough to cinch it. Barty and I made discreet enquiries in multiple directions this afternoon, but we were unable to locate any sign of Covington, nor anyone willing to admit they had seen him since Friday at lunchtime or so.

I will pry in certain other directions in between my other obligations this week, but in the meantime -- keep an even closer eye on Mysteries than you already are. I do not like this.

Comments

[alt_selwyn]

Unfortunately, I don't know Covington or anything about him.

Do you have any insights into whether he was interested in the 'final strike' spell because he wished to cast one, or because he wished to defend against one, or for some other reason entirely?

[alt_antonin]

I cannot say. I said to Barty: the book itself is rare enough, and discredited enough, that the only reason for wishing to chase down a copy that I can think of is to check a citation that was found elsewhere, or to test my library's reach before asking for a more applicable title. (Well, and of course, he could believe he has figured out something that researchers have missed for hundreds of years.) I do not wish to narrow my theories down too far in advance of more fact, but considering that the title has been in such ill repute for so long, Occam's razor suggests a different motive.

The other possibility is that he was looking for an excuse that would be above reproach to approach me, and to have reason to be in contact with me outside the journals and outside casual social interaction -- I do not know if you remember, but during the war years, several researchers at the Ministry used that excuse to pass information to Our Lord's forces. I do not know if that could be the case here, but Covington's disappearance suggests some deeper play at hand.

[alt_selwyn]

I think you may be right that it was an excuse to approach you. Your library is renowned, and Cestus is ideal for that purpose (and not so much for any other).

Can you set Barty on finding what happened to him? Or who, as the case may be.

[alt_antonin]

He was planning to make inquiries today, yes, although he may have been distracted by the news out of Buckingham. We are understandably concerned that we do not call too much attention to the matter; I've the feeling that there may be hornets' nests gathering, and I am not inclined to go poking indiscriminately with sticks before we know whose hornets they might be.