Mike Shevdon - The Eighth Court

“So what should I do?”

“If you break in, you’ll only provoke them, and to what end? It’ll prompt them into action and they will see themselves as the aggrieved party. At the moment, all you have is a link between two iron-tainted bullets, Sam’s attempt to kill you, and a couple of names, plus the mention of GCHQ. It’s enough to ask some questions, but be careful about jumping to conclusions.”

From the top of the hill we could see the winter sun sinking below the horizon, and as it did, the car-park floodlights around the complex below came on. The offices facing the outside were brightly lit against the failing light. It all spoke of an organisation that operated twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week.

“At the moment you have a legitimate grievance, which they should answer. Make them come to you,” suggested Garvin

“And how do I do that?

He grinned, “It’s time to request a meeting with Secretary Carler.”

“In that case,” I told him. “There’s somewhere else I want to visit before we do that.”

On the eve of the solstice, the High Court of the Feyre was in session for the last time before the turn of the year.

“We’ve been locked in disagreement for too long,” said Krane to the assembled High Court. “We all acknowledge the situation, but we can’t continue like this indefinitely. In the interests of moving things forward, I would like to propose that we shelve this issue for the foreseeable future and move on to other matters.”

“To what end?” asked Kimlesh. “The issue of the mixed-race fey remains unresolved.”

“We have other business apart from the mongrels,” said Teoth. “It’s taken too much time already. We’re almost at the solstice and it’s time we moved forward.”

“I agree,” said Blackbird.

A murmur went around the arc of the chairs.

“You do?” said Krane.

“I would like to discuss finance,” said Blackbird.

“You don’t understand,” said Krane. “Without the establishment of the Eighth Court, you are no longer part of these discussions. We will not be discussing anything with you, let alone finance.”

“I have an established court,” she said, “or I will by tomorrow. It was the solstice tomorrow, you said, Lord Teoth?”

Teoth blustered. “Impossible,” he said. “You need a home for the court, members sworn in. You don’t even have a room of your own, never mind a court.”

“I have one now,” Blackbird said. “We are moving to Grey's Court in Oxfordshire tomorrow. Court members will be blood-sworn on the solstice night. By the turn of the year there will be eight courts, not seven.”

“Grey's Court? I’ve never heard of it,” said Krane.

“Is that a requirement, now, that you have heard of it?” asked Blackbird. “If it is, you have not mentioned it previously.”

“This is extremely timely,” said Barthia.

“Are you implying that I am being less than truthful?” asked Blackbird. “I would have thought my words were enough?”

“It’s not that,” said Barthia. “This is all very sudden, to be reprieved on the eve of the deadline.”

“My Lords Teoth and Krane gave me very little time to meet their stringent requirements,” said Blackbird. “It has been a challenge, as they intended, but we have risen to it and we have our court. We will celebrate the solstice as the Eighth Court of the Feyre.”

“That’s preposterous,” said Teoth. “How can they swear a blood oath if they’re not even fey?”

Kimlesh leaned forward. “You raised that point some time ago, before the issue of establishment came up. We dealt with it then.”

“Not to my satisfaction,” said Teoth.

“You agreed, Lord Teoth, did you not?” said Yonna. “Which was why we moved on to the issue of establishment. There would have been little point in discussing establishment if the members of the court were unable to swear fealty.”

Mellion made a complex gesture involving placing the tips of his fingers in and then flicking them out of his palm.

“Mellion’s right,” said Kimlesh. “You cannot scatter pigeons and eat them.”

“Or eat cake and have it,” agreed Blackbird. “Can we discuss finance now?”

Krane stood. “This is a trick!” he said. “They seek to dupe us with hollow words and hidden meanings.”

“I mean what I say,” said Blackbird. “I will have my court. Tomorrow.”

“I want to see it,” said Teoth. “I want to touch it.”

“Is my word not good enough?” asked Blackbird. “Are we to distrust each other’s words now?” She looked around the room. “For if that is the nature of things then I would want to visit each of your courts, so that I may establish that they are more or less than my own.”

“You are welcome at mine,” said Kimlesh.

“You’ve seen mine,” said Yonna.

Teoth pointed a finger at Blackbird. “You will set foot in the Nixine Court over my dead body.”

“Then how do I know the Nixine Court exists?” asked Blackbird. She appealed to those around her. “How do any of us?”

“Of course it exists,” said Teoth. “Unlike your fabrication, the Nixine Court has been an integral part of the Courts of the Feyre for generations uncounted.”

“Has anyone in living memory seen it,” asked Blackbird. “Apart from you, my Lord?” Once again she looked around the faces. Even Krane had to admit with a shake of his head that he hadn’t.

“I invite you, all of you.” said Blackbird. “Once the solstice is past and we have our court, you must come and be welcome there. We will have a celebration that the High Court will remember for centuries to come, providing of course that we have some money,” said Blackbird.

“Very clever,” said Krane. “By giving you money for your feast, we acknowledge the court, but we can’t see it until you have your money, and it’s acknowledged.”

“You don’t expect to be fed on air and magic, do you?” said Blackbird. “That kind of feast tends to leave one hungry.”

“There’s a sleight of hand here,” said Krane. “I can taste it.”

“There is a sleight of hand,” said Blackbird. “It’s called moving the target. I have met your requirements and your immediate response is to question my veracity. Then to place new requirements in my way. If this were any other member of this court, there would be uproar.”

“You’re not a member of this court,” said Teoth.

“I am tomorrow,” said Blackbird.

“Be careful,” said Krane, standing. “Tomorrow is yet a day away. Much can change between sunrises.”

“Is that a threat?” asked Blackbird.

“It’s an observation,” said Krane. “Come, Teoth. We have much to discuss. Will you join us, Barthia?” He met Barthia’s gaze and for a moment something unspoken passed between them.

“No,” she said. “I will stay.”

“Very well,” said Krane. “Teoth?”

They marched from the court, opening the great doors for themselves for once, and slamming them shut behind them.

“Well, that was unexpected,” said Kimlesh.

“Was it?” said Blackbird, breathing out. “I’ve been looking forward to that for a long time.”

Alex stood in the darkness. The moon was approaching fullness and it lent a hazy softness to the view across the fields. The temperature was dropping fast, and the mist was rising, adding a further soft-focus to the view and yet she didn’t go inside for a coat. She’d made a habit of coming here, watching how the seasons stripped the trees of leaves and then coated them in white. She would go inside when she got too cold to stay.

She ought to be tired. She’d worked all day, helping Lesley shift stuff into vans so that they could move it in the morning. Alex watched carefully, knowing Lesley was pregnant, and wondering whether she ought to take it easier. Shouldn’t pregnancy be lots of lying around having your feet rubbed, or was it this mad burst of activity? Is that what it made you do?