The Darkness Within (Peaky Blinders) Thomas Shelby

35. Negotiations, Deals And Threats

I will burn your kingdom down if you try to conquer me and mine

I'm a man of my word!

I will burn your kingdom down if you try to conquer me and mine

Me and Mine!

- Me And Mine, by The Brothers Bright

Thomas Shelby sat in the gypsy wagon, across from their leader; a woman. Johnny had arranged a meeting for him to discuss terms of a truce.

"Put your hand on the bible." Zilpha Lee said, holding it out to him.

"I don't believe." Tommy shook his head. "Anyway, I didn't come here to lie. This war is cutting us all up." Tommy switched dialect, speaking the next words in Romani as a way of reminding her that he was part gypsy. "A boy almost got killed." She laughed, shaking her head. "A child."

"You're all children." She spoke in English.

"I say enough." Tommy shot back. "Your boys tried to kill me. Didn't work." Tommy reached into his pocket and pulled something out, sliding it across the table as he spoke in Romani once again. "I come here with a proposition."

It was a bullet with Kimber's name engraved on the side that Zilpha picked up to examine.

"I thought he was your ally." She stated.

"I plan to betray him."

"No wonder you won't touch a Bible." She said, turning the conversation back to English.

"I have ambitions."

"You want to play a switch." She stated.

"I need your boys."

"For what?"

"Kimber's not the brains, there's Gadza who runs the races. I'm collecting smart people, but I need strong men, too. Now, your boys should know this. We now get the winner in one of three races before the race even starts. No need for chalkers or rafflers, I'm talking certainties."

"You come in here, boasting you're gonna do someone down and in the same breath, ask me to trust you?"

"On my mother's side, we are kin." Tommy stated. "My wife has family among you... She hates this war. Fears that her uncle will take the life of her husband or vice versa. Breaks her heart just thinking on it... I don't much like things that break my wife's heart."

"No, I bet not." She shook her head. "Things that cause Kiara distress awaken that Kenny family curse within her, do they not? She's never bared her mother's family name, but she's more Kenny than she ever was Donoghue... or Shelby. Gypsy witch at heart, that one... just like her grandmother."

"Kiara's not a witch." Tommy shot back right away with the shake of his head.

"Moira Kenny was the one to curse your horse, Mr Shelby... Of course it was under Erasmus' orders, but nonetheless... Did Kiara know of the curse?" Tommy remained silent and Zilpha took that as a yes. "That's because her grandmother taught her well. She may not practise, but believe me... the knowledge is there." Tommy only stared back in silence. "Now," She moved the conversation forward, sitting back in her seat, "Let us talk family business, shall we?" She suggested, letting him know she was willing to hear him out.

After his meeting with the Gypsy's Tommy went straight to the Garrison and to the back room. He was there for a drink and peace and quiet, not to speak to anyone. Kiara was doing a stock take with Grace when he walked through the doors and she could see it in his eyes the second they landed on him. So she took him a glass and some whiskey and said not a word before leaving him in peace to think. He watched as she left the room, thinking on what Zilpha Lee had said about his wife.