FOOLS & SAGES I FLYNN CARSEN

Decide On Us

Decide On Us

"What's going on?" Clara asked, slowing to a stop, her abrupt entrance making Flynn drop his teacup. She'd picked over the rest of her lunch, losing what little was left of her appetite, before making her way back to the Library, only to find Flynn tete-a-tete with Judson and Charlene, his guilty face giving the game away.

"We're just having a little tea party," Judson said lightly, setting down his own teacup, exchanging an odd glance with Charlene as he did, "discussing over some delicious Earl Grey your secret connection to the Serpent Brotherhood."

"Oh, so you want to see my secret connection to the Serpent Brotherhood, then!?" Clara snapped, before suddenly lifting up the skirt of her red floral dress, hoisting it up until it was well above her hips. "See that!?" she spat, jabbing her finger at the long tapering scar down her side, where she'd been impaled on Excalibur. "That's my connection to the Serpent Brotherhood right there" -

- "As I can observe," Judson said hastily, standing up with some difficulty, shaking off Charlene's steadying hand, Flynn looking like he was going to faint. "You've proved your point, Clara, but please put your undergarments away. I think Flynn is going to have a heart attack."

"Oh, come on, it's not like he's not seen my so called undergarments before," Clara spat, "and if not, he better bloody get used to the sight!"

"Impure!" Flynn yelled, recovering himself, pointing at Clara dramatically. "Impure!"

"Stop bickering like a pair of brats!" Judson bellowed, startling Flynn into silence. "This is not kindergarten!"

"He backstabbed me!" Clara said in disbelief, dropping her dress, much to everyone's relief. "He came running to you, telling tales like some ten year old, trying to be teacher's pet" -

- "I was not!" Flynn protested, getting to his feet, nearly knocking over the table as he did.

"You were too!"

"Enough!" Judson demanded, suddenly sitting down, Charlene standing up. "What did I say!? No fighting!"

"If there's going to be fighting," Charlene said smartly, "it's going to be against the Serpent Brotherhood, not amongst ourselves. Savvy?"

Clara stared at Charlene. "That's my word," she said pettishly, "you can't just take other people's words."

"I just did, sweetheart," Charlene said with a cruel smile. "You might say I've gone native."

"Can we focus on the matter at hand, please?" Judson snapped. "We have to recover an ancient artifact from the hands of an even more ancient enemy!"

"I didn't know snakes had hands," Flynn said stupidly.

Judson just pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Look, maybe we should phone the police," Flynn exclaimed, throwing his large hands up in the air, completely losing his head, "they – they can just go and arrest this Serpent Brotherhood!"

"Oh, yeah, call the cops," Charlene drawled, "tell them about the Spear of Destiny, the Golden Goose, the Emerald of Exon and yadi-yada. I'm sure they'll appreciate such a yarn, and so will the men in white coats."

"Yes, enjoy your stay on the psych ward, Flynn," Clara said pertly, "I understand Thorazine comes in vanilla now."

Flynn just shook his fist at her, making Judson shake his head, tired of their childish behaviour.

"Nobody can understand the mysteries of the Library's traditions," Judson said tersely, "and it seems too much to expect the two of you to even try."