The Rules of the Game

The Rules of the Game

World Trekking with Sarcasm and Redhead

He who would travel happily, must travel light.

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1900 - 1944)

Cairo, Egypt. 5:03 P.M.

Summers in Cairo were usually quite hot and humid. Only tourists were foolish enough to wander outside without a need to. No, the habitants were quite content to spend the hot days in their air-conditioned homes, eating and watching the telly or playing games.

Bill Weasley wandered the hallways of a ratty, old building, humming a tune to himself. It was a wonder the building hadn't collapsed right on top of him yet. One would think a bank like Gringotts could afford their workers better offices, not something that had one too many fortifying charms and needed a readjusting at its weather spells. But that didn't matter much to Bill, for he never was at the office, choosing to enjoy either the depths of the tombs he broke into or the privacy of his own flat. Talking about flats, he could use a bath right now.

"Hello, Bill," Lamya, the fourth floor's secretary, said. She looked at him pleasantly through big, red-framed eyeglasses. "How's business?" She was an Egyptian witch in her mid-fifties who Bill found quite fun to talk to. She constantly spoke of her travels in Italy and always loved hearing his own tales about the Weasleys.

"Business is good," Bill said, pulling various items from his bag. He picked out a broken vase, an old piece of parchment, and a sack that sounded as if it contained gold pieces, and handed them to Lamya. "The sack gets sent to Gringotts immediately," he instructed. "I want the vase and the parchment sent to Investigations first, and then they can ship it off to the goblins once they've got something out of it. If it involves another curse-breaking, tell them Cyrus will do it. I've cleared all the curses in tomb one-eight-five-B, so it's a walk in the park."

Lamya nodded, and took a key that had been hung around a chain from her neck. She used it to unlock the first drawer on her right. A smell of roasted chicken waffled through the air, and Bill's stomach immediately rumbled. Lamya smiled at his sheepish expression, and carefully placed the sack of gold into the drawer. She closed it, locked it, and when a soft pop was heard, said, "At Gringotts, safe and sound. Good job, Bill. I'll go take these other things to Investigations then."

"Thanks, Lamya," Bill said, heading on to his office. He was exhausted and starving from his latest expedition, and a bath and filling meal sounded like the ticket at the moment. Just a stop to drop off some things, and it was off to have a nice rest.

Bill's office had been placed at the end of the fourth floor. It was nice, or so Bill thought, with its own window and huge bookshelf that was filled with books he had bought from the black market. Sure, he was rarely in it, but he liked it all the same. It was probably the only place that was somewhat organized, for his own flat looked like it had been through a hurricane season in the Caribbean. But in his office, Bill could tell you exactly where the shrunken head was or where to get something cool to drink. He could point out where he had gotten each item on his desk, or he could bring out maps of his travels with just a slam or two of the drawers.

So, when Bill opened the door, he immediately noted something that did not belong.

And that was a woman.

A woman who seemed to be wearing what equalled a black bikini, a white button-up shirt thrown on, and black boots that were probably used more to kick men in the balls than actually hike in the dirt. Her black hair had been brought up into a knot on her head, and was held up by what Bill assumed to be her wand.

Immediately he brought out his wand, taking on a duelling stance.

"Hello," she said, in an accent that didn't sound Egyptian at all.

"Who are you?" he demanded, wondering why Lamya hadn't told him he had a visitor.

She had been sitting in his chair, her back to the window, but now she stood up, and motioned for him to sit down. "My name is Rani Zahra," she said, her voice not unpleasant, "and I have a business proposition for you."

Bill finally took a seat, but didn't pocket his wand. He knew well enough that you couldn't trust anyone, even if they had a pretty face. "What sort of proposition?" he asked.

Rani smiled, and brought out a black handbag that Bill hadn't noticed before. She fumbled around in it for a bit, until she finally took out a business card. "The place I work for," she said, handing it to him.

Biggerstaffonia Private Incorporations was written in big, and an address that led to an island called Guadeloupe was printed below. There was no additional information of any kind.

"I haven't heard of them," Bill said earnestly.

"We're a very private company," Rani said noncommittally. "However, we're also a rich one, and we're willing to pay you a hundred and fifty galleons for your troubles."

"A hundred and fifty?" squeaked Bill. That was a lot more than what he received monthly from Gringotts.

"And we'll pay any expenses you need on the way," she added. "You do like travelling, right?"

Bill swallowed uncomfortably. "What exactly do you need me to do?"

"Have you ever heard of Venezuela, Mr. Weasley?" Rani asked. When he shook his head, she continued, "It's a country in the north of South America. Very pretty place. In Venezuela there are these series of tombs in Amazonas, a state at the very south. Within these tombs there's what we now call the Sphere of Mentality. Legend tells that the person that possesses the Sphere is capable of controlling another human being's mind. It's a powerful weapon and deadly in the hands of the wrong person."

"Well, that doesn't sound like anything out of a book," Bill interrupted.

Rani ignored him, and went on, "We want to get a hold of the Sphere and use it for research. Then, once we're through, it'll be heading to the League of Wizard Intelligence, and be destroyed."

Despite his earlier sarcastic comment, Bill was speechless. "Venezuela's awfully far off, isn't it?" he finally said.

Rani smiled. "We'll be stopping in Guadeloupe first. My boss will need to brief you on a few things, plus you might like to sightsee a bit. Have you ever been to America?"

"No," Bill said, stuffing the items in his bag into the bottom of drawer of his desk. "I tend to stick to Africa." He opened another drawer and started throwing a few shirts and shorts into his bag. Rani looked interested. Zipping the bag close, he moved towards the painting of a woman he had on his wall, and pulled it back to show a safe. He tapped in the combination with his wand, and pulled out a pouch filled with galleons. "Just in case," he told Rani, who had reminded him she'd be paying everything.

Rani shrugged and looked out the window while he searched through drawers to pull out his compass, a dagger and a small camera.

"So, why me?" Bill asked, pocketing his wand. "If you have contacts with the League, why do you need me?"

Rani opened her mouth to answer, but was cut off as the window shattered and a metallic object whizzed past Bill.

He ducked as another object whizzed past. "What the bloody hell?" he demanded, as Rani grabbed a hold of him, and tugged him towards the door. "Those are - that Muggle thing... bullets!"

"Yes, and they are being aimed at us," Rani said. She removed her wand from the knot in her hair. "Protego!" she muttered, as an invisible shield covered them. "It won't hold long. We need to get out of the building."

"But Muggles can't see the building!" Bill objected. "It's unplottable."

"They aren't Muggles," Rani explained as they hurried down the hallway. "They're wizards who know how to use guns."

Lamya was hiding under her desk when Bill ran past her. He quickly backed up. "Tell the goblins I'm taking my holiday. I'll be back in a couple of weeks!" And he continued after Rani. Lamya sighed and ducked again as another bullet broke a window. This would not be coming out of her pocket!

"Into the car, Weasley," Rani instructed. Bill noticed a flashy looking car, and immediately hopped in when the door opened. Rani followed, looking flushed.

"Weasley, meet Arif, our driver for the next fifteen minutes." Rani pulled out a bunny foot from her handbag. "Our portkey," she explained.

Bill blinked. "You need to explain to me what the bloody hell is going on. I do not like getting... shot at by Muggle devices."

"Yes, I do apologize about that. That was unforeseen, but don't worry, Mr. Weasley, we'll be more careful next time."

"N - next time?" spluttered Bill.

Rani just gave him a smile and checked her watch. "Ten minutes."

"And we'll be transported to Guadeloupe?" Bill asked.

"Ms. Zahra, we're being shot at again," Arif announced, sounding pretty calm.

Bill heard more shooting, but it was coming more frequent than it had when they were in his office.

"Turn here, Arif," Rani instructed. The car took a dangerous curve, and Bill was happy he hadn't eaten before.

Bill turned around to see a black car following them. A beefy-looking man was holding a big gun and shooting at the car.

"Bullet-proof windows," Rani said. "Genius idea." She opened her handbag, and pulled out a red lipstick. "Why don't you hex them, Mr. Weasley? They won't see it coming."

Bill opened his window, and looked out, holding his wand. "Incendo!" he yelled, setting the man's clothes on fire. The men shrieked and dropped his gun, desperately trying to free himself of his jacket.

"Good job," congratulated Rani, once Bill had closed the window. "We're almost ready to go."

"If they're wizards, why aren't they using wands instead of guns?" Bill asked, wiping his brow with his sleeve.

Rani waved her hand dismissively. "Rules of some game or other."

"I never was one much for games," Bill said. "My brother Charlie cheated too much."

Rani smiled. "Time to go. All right, grab onto the foot." She held out the bunny foot for him.

"Goo' luck!" Arif said, as Bill felt a familiar tugging in his navel and the world started spinning.

Pointe à Peter, Guadeloupe. 10:45 A.M.

Bill and Rani appeared at the steps of a building made of limestone. It looked to be around two stories high, and reminded Bill strongly of Gringotts. He could hear the chattering of people from far off. The sun was shining brightly, but it was nowhere near as hot as it had been in Cairo.

Rani pressed on the doorbell, and a symbol of a wolf on the door growled. "Name," it ordered, its voice rough, reminding Bill of retired soldiers.

"Rani Zahra," Rani announced, "with Mr. Bill Weasley."

"In youth's spring, it was my lot. To haunt of the wide earth a spot," growled the wolf.

"The which I could not love the less; so lovely was the loneliness," Rani added automatically.

The wolf howled, and suddenly disappeared. The giant wooden doors opened, and Bill could see doors after doors down a hall until a giant staircase led up onto the next floor. "What was that about?" he asked, as Rani ushered him inside. The doors closed noisily, causing him to jump in surprise.

"The password," explained Rani, as they walked. "You'll have to learn a bunch of them soon enough. Most of them are poetry, but a few are chosen literature. That was Edgar Allan Poe. He's my favorite of the Muggles."

"Oh," said Bill. He had been observing the house very carefully. He could hear people talking behind the door, but Rani hadn't moved to open any of them, and he chose to stick close to her. He was walking on a plush blue carpet that had various golden symbols woven into it. It looked like something his mother might like. Between every door was a small lamp, decorated by fake diamonds. All of them were lit, giving an eerie glow to the hallway.

Rani and Bill climbed the stairs without exchanging any words. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Bill wondered if he could find an owl and send a letter to his parents before they started to worry.

When they reached the next floor, Rani told him to sit down and wait for her. The floor was completely empty except for a chair, a coffee table and a door through which Rani left. The walls were painted white and the floor had been recently polished. There were portraits decorating the walls, but they all spoke rapid French, and Bill couldn't follow. One female whistled at him, however, and he could quite well catch that.

Five minutes after Rani had left, another woman appeared, carrying a tray of sandwiches, a glass and a pitcher of what looked like orange juice. She set it down on the coffee table, spoke in French, gave a curt nod, then left. Bill stared at her until he finally noticed the sandwiches were the first bits of food he had seen in quite some time. Not caring to check them for poison, he shoved as many as was physically possible into his mouth and served himself some juice.

It was at that moment that Rani appeared. "Carefully, you might choke," she said, "and that would be a pity," before telling him to follow her. Bill grabbed another sandwich and quickly obeyed.

The room Rani took him into was huge with no windows, but somehow there was still sunlight in it. There was a big mahogany desk, and sitting in a chair was a woman who looked to be around his mum's age. She was dressed in green robes, and was wearing a pointy, black hat. Smiling, she motioned for him to sit down.

"Hello, Mr. Weasley, I am Ana Bellamont," she said.

Bill reached over to shake her hand. She had a firm grip. Rani took the seat next to him with a smirk.

"Rani says you have agreed to help us with our mission," Bellamont said.

"I have," Bill agreed. "Although I accepted before I got shot at, and that might have been my mistake."

Bellamont nodded solemnly. "You see, Mr. Weasley, we play by different rules here. When going after such powerful objects, we try to avoid the use of magic. It is too dangerous, not to mention Muggles might notice." Bellamont sighed. "The League holds power over every single wizard community, as you must know, and we have no choice but to go by their rules."

"No foolish wand-waving on this trip, huh?" asked Bill, getting the picture.

"Not unless it is for a most important reason," Bellamont said. "We will equip you with the necessary items, but guns within the tombs won't be of use."

"The tombs might collapse," Rani explained. "Not even Montanez's men will try it."

"Montanez?" Bill echoed. "He sent those blokes to kill us?"

"Not kill," Bellamont said. "Never kill. Those are the rules. Of course, some do bend them, but that is what makes us different from Montanez. We don't."

"Ok, so let me get this right. A quick trip to Venezuela's underground tunnels. Search a bit for this Sphere. Don't use magic unless it's an emergency. And live to get paid," Bill said, ticking his points off his fingers.

"About the payment," Bellamont said. "We are a fair organization. I understand you have a family. We are willing to send half your payment to them now and the other half when you get back."

Bill noticed there was no if, and wondered if it was done to not scare him. "I like that idea. Can I send a note with it?"

"Of course," Bellamont said. She pulled out a velvet pouch, and handed him a parchment and quill. "Go ahead."

"Mum, everything's all right. Have a job outside Gringotts. I'm sending half my payment, keep it safe. Love, Bill" he scribbled quickly. He didn't feel like he wanted either woman to see his short letter.

Bellamont accepted the folded parchment and tied it, along with the pouch, onto the leg of an owl, and sent it off. "I have something I want to give you before Rani shows you to your hotel room," she said.

She pulled out what looked to be a large key from the inside of her robes, and settled it on the table. The point, however, looked sharp, and Bill mused that it could have been used as a dagger as well.

"This," Bellamont said, "is the key that will open most doors once you are inside the tombs. It has been passed down by generations from my family, so I expect you not to lose it, Mr. Weasley."

Bill grabbed it, and examined it carefully. It had a bit of writing in the middle, but nothing he could understand. It shone in the sunlight, and he carefully pocketed it, making a mental note to cast a permanent charm so it wouldn't fall out or something.

"Rani, I believe you can show Mr. Weasley his hotel room. You will leave tomorrow morning at nine for Caracas. Good luck to both of you." And with a snap, Bellamont had disappeared.

"You're coming with me?" Bill asked.

"Of course," Rani said indignantly. "Come on, I'll drive you to your hotel. You look like you could use some sleep... and a bath."

Bill absentmindedly sniffed himself.