Chapter 34

It was good to be home, swimming and playing in the pool with Mark as my wives sat and chatted together for the first time in what seemed an age. Even Brianna had made it back and was enjoying the family time.

“How do you see the trial going, my love?” Róisín asked when I took a break.

“With Clarence, open and shut, other than a long diatribe to be put on the record as to how our actions have doomed us all. Though how he is going to explain the Orcs killing 24 billion of their own to swat us is going to be interesting, but no doubt he’ll try. As for Fen, I don’t know, it appears like an open and shut case, but she has asked,” I shrugged.

“Perhaps she’s going to ask for Hermes forgiveness?” Imelda posited.

“He’s already given it. It’s prevented an immediate death sentence, but that’s about all,” Róisín replied.

“I’d have thought Tara a better source of information than me,” I shrugged, referring to Róisín’s job.

“She’s just as mystified, plus you have other insights into these matters that she doesn’t.”

“Translation, sometimes I have good guesses,” I chuckled.

“Yep,” came the smiling reply.

I pulled myself out of the pool and sat for a minute deep in thought, going over all the rules that the Council had, plus the various ordinances they were obliged to obey via the irregular convocations held with the Mage community as a whole (those who could be bothered to turn up and partake that is).

“Oh hell...” I finally breathed out.

“What is it John?” a concerned Róisín asked.

“In a sec, I need to contact Morgana and then possibly Tara, my love.”

“Okay, but you’d better spill it soon.”

‘My Mage, I need to speak with you urgently over a matter of an obscure Council ruling that I think you were involved in, in the past, ‘ I sent out.

‘On our way.‘

A second later Morgana, Jude and the two girls were there and being greeted joyfully by all.

“My Mage, back in the day of Mage Abelard, why was it that Mage Rowenna, and not Mage Aulus as Assassin Prime, killed him? Only the decision is under Council seal and your name is on the lock ... amongst a few others that I can’t or won’t directly contact,” I requested politely.

“You know I’m not supposed to discuss Council sealed records, John,” she replied with a frown.

“I know my Mage; however, it strikes me that I have a ... theory as to why Mage Fen has requested a trial.”

“Go on.”

“The case against her is pretty much open and shut. However, the convocation of 1104 AD gave a Mage the right to challenge his or her accuser should the charge be serious enough, am I right?”

“Yes, John. Only that statute was struck off the books during a later convocation to stop certain Mages from ill doing and killing their accuser if they complained, 1724 AD, I think, why?”

“I suspect that Abelard challenged Rowenna because she was the one who accused him of the atrocity in killing off the Nosferatu clan ... and he lost. I suspect the Council suppressed this so as not to have ordinary Mages constantly trying to challenge Council members giving the impression that the Council couldn’t be challenged this way. Whilst the convocation removed the right of challenge for ordinary Mages vs ordinary Mages in 1724, nowhere in the record do I find that such applies to a Council challenge from someone who was originally on the Council or employed by them, particularly if they are aware of a past precedent as Fen does as she’s on the seal as well. Simon is only allowed to prevent it if it’s for an insult, not honour.”

“Damn...”

“So, I suspect Fen is going to challenge a Council member or employee and I rather doubt it will be with magic,” I added thoughtfully.

“Who is Fen’s accuser?” Róisín asked, looking worried.

“Hermes,” Morgana replied. “He’s regarded as the senior Council aligned member as he is in charge of the Greek office and isn’t good with any weapon save his mind. Tara can’t do it as she wasn’t there and Arch is a subordinate to Tara and Hermes.”

“She kills him and walks off scot free?”

I could see Morgana thinking furiously, going over a lot of data I didn’t have access to, whilst the rest of us, including Jude looked increasingly worried over the time it was taking.

“I need to speak to Simon,” she finally said and just blinked out without further explanation.

“Worrying for her,” Jude said into the silence.

“Didn’t mean to,” I apologised.

“Not your fault, John. Plus I think you’ve given them time to come up with something,” he replied, becoming more like his usual sunny self.

“If they’re smart, they’ll change Fen’s primary accuser to Morgana, particularly as she was in charge of the mission and Hermes was under her orders ... technically,” I added.

“Morgana isn’t a Council member.” Jude replied.

“I have a cunning plan,” I chuckled. “Just need a quick word with Sofya.”

Half an hour later I had practically half the Council at the villa plus the Bureau heads, a lot of the Seer group as well as all their offspring enjoying a barbeque and relaxing in the sunshine. All were waiting on the return of Morgana and Simon, who, we knew, were on their way, along with Rowenna and Julia.

Four very troubled looking Mages stepped through the portal, to pull up in surprise at all the people assembled there.

“My Mage, honoured Mages,” I said into the silence. “Mage Sofya and I believe we have a solution.”

“God, I hope so, John,” Morgana replied. “We certainly don’t.”

At this point the portal opened again and Mage Hermes stepped through along with Cathenna the Aglia of the Gorgons as well as Tryphaina, her daughter, plus Elpida and Helena.

“Well, this is a surprise,” Hermes stated after the mass greeting.

“Mage Hermes, it’s the belief of this group that when the trial of Mage Fen begins, she will challenge you as the accuser in order to walk away free ... should she win. It’s my belief that she will demand that the contest be magic free as she currently has her powers rescinded as happened to you when you were healed,” Simon stated.

“Ohhh...”

“I have a plan, it merely requires for Mage Clarence to be tried first,” I added. “Then, if found guilty, his replacement put in place immediately and then become the primary accuser as the senior Council member involved.”

I could see a lot of the Council members looking thoughtfully at Morgana.

“Can an election be held so quickly,” Mage Cixi asked, looking mostly at Simon.

“Normally we have a list of candidates who need to be interviewed before the Council, but so far there’s only one candidate who has shown an interest,” Simon replied with a grin, looking directly at Morgana.

“I can assure you no Bureau head is interested, or qualified, except Vera,” Mage Helen added as the assembled Bureau heads showed their assent for the comment.

“I don’t want it,” Vera stated with a grin.

“Just need to have a Mage propose it and have it seconded the second after Clarence is convicted ... assuming he is. Can’t do it before then though,” Julia nodded.

“My friends, I cannot thank you enough. It shames me to admit my martial skills are not that great and I would be no match for Fen, possibly not even magically,” Hermes added with a profound bow.

“You are more than welcome to travel here and practice combat techniques with Jukar and Dorry,” Imelda offered. “There is no shame in being unskilled.”

“Thank you, I will think on it,” Hermes replied with a thoughtful expression.

“I believe you should, Hermes,” Cathenna encouraged him. “I like this plan, it saves me hunting Fen down and killing her and no doubt causing a few issues between the Council and the Gorgon community.”

“I rather suspect you’d get a not guilty verdict,” I chuckled. “Fen doesn’t tend to think beyond the next move on the board.”

“So it would seem.”

“It appears young John here is presenting us with a fait accompli,” Simon added. “It also appears as though we have a solution to a potential problem with Council law as I’m not allowed to prevent a challenge in a trial, only for insult, a ruling brought in to prevent a certain journeyman from challenging senior Mages who ... upset him,” he finished with a grin, looking at me and Sofya, who was blushing furiously.

“OK, you got me,” Sofya laughed out loud, getting a hug from Alexandros, her husband.

“I would never have challenged you, Mage Sofya, not even for Frederico’s intrusive questioning,” I chuckled. “I only accepted Atomus’ challenge because of the insult he offered our allies.”

“I know that now, John. But you did have a few of us worried at one stage, you too, Morgana,” Sofya nodded.

“He still had a lot to learn, still does, but it’s mostly practice now, not new techniques. I’d not intended him to be a threat to anyone, though the destiny thing should have been warning enough to Atomus,” Morgana replied thoughtfully.

“True; challenging someone with a known destiny was a tad foolish,” Sofya grinned.

“I doubt it registered. I rather suspect Atomus thought a journeyman would be easy,” Alexandros added.

“A journeyman who had taken down a few Coalition High Mages as well as an Old One?” Arch chuckled.

“Yep, definitely wasn’t thinking straight,” Cixi laughed.

The unofficial meeting moved on to a party after that, several Mages of the Council who hadn’t been before having a tour of the villa and complimenting Róisín on the décor. All good things come to an end however and the following morning, Róisín, Jukar and I portalled to the Council headquarters for the trial of Mage Clarence.

The chamber was full. All the Council were there, the Ambassadors, witnesses and interested parties, as well as Clarence’s family, who were only permitted to be there with a memory lock on speaking about the trial outside the Council itself.

Clarence himself was dressed in his ceremonial robe, something that made him look like one of the silly wizards you see fantasy movies and had now been abandoned by pretty much all on the Council. Anyone looking at the Council and associated Mages would think they were looking at a bunch of athletes, or in the case of the ladies, possibly a few supermodels, all however were dressed comfortably, if casually; generally in the height of fashion for the ladies or jacket and shirt for the males. There were exceptions, Morgana was in jeans and T-shirt and Roxanne in her gym clothes as if she’d just come back from a run (a distinct possibility as she didn’t use magic generally to keep herself in shape). Róisín and I were in shorts and shirts and Jukar a mini skirt and vest top.

The various Ambassadors were wearing their standard clothing for their planets which ranged from the Feileadh Mòr in vivid colours of the Craebh Ruadh, the Pierrot patched linen of the Æsir, the frilled shirt and breeches of the Murians, the dark leathers of the Azurans and the pastel silks of the Fae.