Order Only: Unease

[alt_arthur]

Bill, I can't quite put my finger on it, but I'm wondering whether something's going on in some of the muggle camps. I was supposed to pay a visit this week to Walsall in West Midlands, to pick up a census report. Routine sort of thing, but the camp administrator insisted on sending the report on by owl instead. I wouldn't have thought anything of it, but I mentioned during the Floo call that I thought I'd stop by anyway, since I wanted to consult with Lem Crewekern - he's the chap who organises the work assignments, and I wanted to talk to him about a factory that might be able to take another twenty workers or so.

It became clear to me that they really didn't want me to visit, and their excuses sounded downright dodgy to me.

Then yesterday, I got put off by the Lincoln camp in Lincolnshire and today by Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire. Lincoln said they were too busy bringing in the harvest, which is absurd, as that's never stopped me from visiting any camp before. Welwyn Hatfield didn't even bother with an excuse, but just gave me a flat 'no.'

Do you have anyone in your network that give us an idea what is going on? Unrest of any kind, illness -- can you get your hands on anything from MLE? Could it be something connected to Lucius Malfoy's October 6 report of some kind of altercation at Shroton? Or perhaps you could nick a copy of the weekly status reports from those camps to St Mungo's?

Comments

[alt_bill]

Nothing's come to my attention, Dad, but I'll send the word out to my network and see what I can dig up for you.

[alt_sirius]

Wouldn't surprise me in the slightest if they've tightened up security and taken reprisals for that minor revolt Malfoy mentioned.

Though that doesn't explain why they'd bar other Ministry employees from coming and going.

Have you checked with anyone else in your department, Arthur? Is it everyone who's being told to keep clear, or (Molly will kill me if she reads this) just ... you?

[alt_arthur]

Hmm. An ugly thought, but I've encountered no difficulties whatsoever visiting muggleborn camps, both last week and this. It's just the muggle camps.

I should check with that department.

[alt_sirius]

Well, that's a relief.

I hate always sounding like the doom patrol, but I'm glad nothing seems out of sorts on a personal (or personnel) level.

Still brings back the question of why they're preventing visits to the Muggle camps.

I wonder if there's some new plan in the works and they don't want any news getting about?

[alt_arthur]

A little stroll down to the next floor and a casual chat or two reveals that at least three members of the Department of Muggle Domestication had other visits to muggle camps put off this past week, too. None of them seem overly concerned. I think it's a little early for questions that pry further; I'll wait to see what Bill turns up, first.

[alt_bill]

Dad, I managed to snag the St Mungo report from Welwyn Hatfield this morning as it passed through. Most of seems the usual bland sort of healer jargon, but there's addendum at the end that I couldn't read at all, which surprised me; there's an additional eyes-only charm that's been placed upon it. The intended recipient is someone named Healer Madge Locksley. Poppy, any idea who that might be, or what her position at Mungo's is?

The budget sheet for the infirmary seems -- well, I don't have the professional expertise to analyze it. I swiped the budget packet and did a fast duplio charm and I'm forwarding the duplicated pages to Poppy via owl. What do you think? Is there anything on there which looks odd to you? Among the regular supplies a working infirmary that serves a camp of 5,000 might need, I mean?

[alt_poppy]

Madge Locksley oversees health services to the camps, so that's not unexpected. I suppose it might be some bit of special pleading about certain lines of the budget, or possibly a request for something related to supplies for the staff that would be of a confidential nature. (There's no way to put this delicately: if they needed anti-venereal treatments for the staff or something similar, they might not want random bureaucrats--my apologies, Bill--seeing that request.) Of course, it could be anything. Maybe there's some sort of scandal being brushed under the rug or even some disreputable plan to poison patients, but I'd hardly suspect that of Madge Locksley. She's always struck me as a competent Administrator and a dedicated Healer.


All to say: I have no idea. I'll look over the budget files when they arrive, and perhaps they'll shed light on what's going on.

[alt_poppy]

Well, I can tell you they are stocking up on ingredients to treat any number of infectious illnesses--diphtheria, scarlet fever, meningitis, cholera, shigellosis, measles--some of the ingredients are specific to one or another anti-infective, but others are simply generally useful. I can't say from this list that they seem to be anticipating any particular need more than another. Given the diphtheria last year, it makes good sense for the camps to be certain they are prepared should any need arise.

I've done much the same here.

[alt_kingsley]

There's been no trouble with the camp visits we have scheduled in Yorkshire next week, at least that we've heard so far. Only one of the three is a strictly muggle camp, though.

[alt_frank]

that does sound a bit dodgy. keep us posted.