‹It’s Vegas. I’m going to gamble.› I grabbed a pen and paper from Babs’ desk. The ballpoint immediately tore through the paper. The pencil I tried next simply broke. I found a fine-tip Sharpie that functioned, more or less, at superspeed. It went dry after a single sentence.

“Seriously?” Moving at superspeed, the wicking action couldn’t draw ink to the pen’s tip fast enough. I scrounged through Babs’ desk, then Kiyoko’s in the outer office, gathering more Sharpies. I tucked the finished note into Babs’ hand and turned my attention back to Kiyoko.

Anything within that shield was unaffected. It would only nullify magic passing through the barrier.

I pulled out the compact mirror. Time to try some nonlinear thinking. If the glass had been larger, I could have tried to reach through to take the gun from her hand, but I didn’t have the books I’d need to create another portal.

On the other hand, I might be able to make this one effectively smaller.

I grabbed the Sharpie from Babs’ desk and started blacking out the outer edge of the mirror.

MAGICAL BLAZE IN THE WEST BANK CONTINUES TO SPREAD

In the past twenty-four hours, a fast-growing blaze has destroyed approximately two hundred square miles in the West Bank. Efforts to combat the flames have been ineffective, leading many to believe the fire is magical in nature.

Spokesmen for both the Israeli and Palestinian governments deny responsibility for the blaze, which has destroyed several Israeli settlements and driven more than fifty thousand Palestinians from their homes. Both governments blame the other for igniting a magical war using weapons they couldn’t control.

The flames are centered in the northern part of the West Bank, and have thus far not crossed the Jordan River.

At approximately one a.m. local time, fourteen hours after the start of the fire, Palestinian militants began launching rockets into Israel. The Israeli military has gathered near the border, but appear to be holding back until the path of the flames can be determined.

One Israeli official threatened to refuse to allow Palestinian refugees to cross the border if the attacks continue, saying, “For every rocket that lands on our soil, a hundred Palestinians will die by fire.”

Israel’s Prime Minister was quick to disavow that threat, but did go on to say that the need for increased security would hinder their efforts to help Israeli settlers and Palestinian refugees fleeing the flames.

Many nations are offering aid, equipment, and personnel to assist in fighting the blaze and helping refugees. The Porters have dispatched a libriomancer from Denmark who will attempt to use magic against the fire.

Exact casualty figures are unknown, but official estimates put the death toll as high as five thousand.

Chapter 20