The Midnight Cleaning Company

Chapter 29

Chapter 29

I was an enthusiastic champion of the idea to accept the offer of parlé from the Elders. Fuelled by excitement at potentially forcing terms of surrender.

Vincent did not understand.

"Why meet with them?" he asked, astounded by the elated reactions to the bride's message from George, Josephine and myself.

"The Elders offering terms is the best possible outcome", I said.

"I'm pretty sure killing them all is the best possible outcome", said Vincent.

"Good luck with zat", Josephine said.

Vincent was speechless for the first time. The three of us burst into laughter.

"Trust me, this is a great thing", I said, patting him on the shoulder and handing him a glass of wine. "Conflicts do not usually end when one side obliterates the other. They end when one can no longer take the losses and capitulates to the demands of their enemy".

We sent out summons to all Rogue Lieutenants and their troops, and set off northward in a huge convoy along the A1 to Welwyn. Around a hundred cars of all models, shapes, sizes and conditions, followed Josephine's taxi. At the top of the Welwyn junction exit ramp a huge white bed sheet was tied to a lamp post. Similar white sheets, fastened to trees or traffic lights at every turning, signalled the way through increasingly winding country lanes to the cancelled wedding.

"Are they surrendering?" Andre asked.

"No the white flag signifies a temporary truce to offer terms", George answered.

"How d'ya know they wont just kill us all?" Andre asked.

"The Elders are all over a millennium old. They are nothing if not traditional. They miss the old times of Generals on horseback meeting between the lines of their assembled forces. They would never draw blood unprovoked under a white flag", I informed him, and hoped that I was right.

George and Josephine both nodded in agreement which eased my doubt, but I suspected that sharing my faith in tradition of combat etiquette was an attempt to convince themselves of the validity of my statement.

The convoy followed the trail of billowing white flags to the wedding venue. The Grand Georgian building and the surrounding grounds were beautiful. It was the ideal location to host a huge gathering of Elders, old and extravagantly elegant.

The armada of commandeered cars swept past the grounds of Brocket Hall in a display of strength. I was unsure of the effectiveness of our bravado. The Elders inside likely saw us as panicking and overcompensating, rather than the menacing image of circling birds of prey we intended to convey. We led the convoy of Rogues past the gates and continued on until we reached a garden centre with a large enough car-park to contain all the cars. They parked in a disorganised tangle.

"Are you sure about this?" Killer-Bee asked me. Her brow was furrowed with worry.

I smiled affectionately at her, appreciating her concern. "Not at all", I joked.

She chortled and shook her head with disapproving acceptance as she clambered over Vincent to exit the car.

I turned to Andre. "You too mate", I ordered and nodded in the direction of the open door.

"Be careful yeah?"

"Sure", I said, swallowing my nerves.

As soon as I slammed the door shut, Josephine drove out of the car-park. The four of us that remained returned to the extravagant Georgian palace. Without the protection of our army I felt pathetically small and vulnerable. We all knew that our army of Rogues was no match for even a few dozen Elders, but with our Lieutenants and their young idealistic troops following behind us I could feel strong. Now without them I felt naked and weak.