Joint Operation

Hermione took the plan, glanced at the supplementary notes Vivi had written, and nodded.

"I'll get on it right away."

She stood, carrying her bowl of porridge and drinking as she walked, then disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Anne looked up from the Manuscript.

"Vivi, when are you planning to go deal with the Jotun Hermon Stone Ring?"

"After the Black Forest raid is over, and after Cassandra gets back from Providence." Vivi closed the Jotun Hermon file. "The norwegian Ministry of Magic hasn't found anything abnormal about the Stone Ring in two hundred years. That means either the Stone Ring really is just an ordinary circle of stones, or its Protective Charms are so powerful that even the Ministry's professional detection equipment can't penetrate them. If it's the latter, we'll need Cassandra's Silver Compass and Cohen's notes to find a way in."

Anne wrote a few lines in the Manuscript.

"I made a complete record of the Stone Stele Runes in the Hexagon Center and the Rune structure of Node Seven. If there really is something under the Jotun Hermon Stone Ring, its Rune system should belong to the same framework as the Hexagon Center. I can prepare a cracking plan in advance and use it directly when the time comes."

Pabbie turned around from beside the stove.

"Anne, how many hours did you sleep last night?"

Anne's Quill paused for a moment.

"Enough."

Pabbie did not press her. She only took a clean towel from the cabinet and draped it over the back of the chair beside Anne.

"If you're tired, lean back and sleep for a while. The Manuscript isn't going to run away."

At nine in the morning, Cassandra sent the first encrypted message from Boston's Logan Airport.

"Arrived safely. Currently en route to