Mind Your Manors

Part 3 - Allegory

Everyone's head snapped round, looks of surprise stamped into their features.

"Am I late?" asked Yuno in a calm, guiltless voice.

"No, not at all, I was just about to commence. Please, sit, or stand—squat, if you wish. Make yourself comfortable, Mr. Yuno."

Yuno flashed his bark-and-berry stained teeth, but remained in back, leaning against the door, his arms folded across his chest.

Rohbair began the announcement. "First, I should like to thank you, ladies and gentlemen,"— pointing his drumstick at Ernie—"and you as well, Mr. O'Boyo. Thank you for coming together this evening, so that we might review our situation and plot a course for the coming months. Certainly, in the face of these trying times, it is important we pull together if we are to prevail over the difficulties that lie ahead. It's true, and sadly so, that Christmas has come and gone, and with it, only the most frugal of celebratory acknowledgments to mark the occasion."

"Celebration! Ye call that a feckin celebration? Jaysus! Feckin absurd, that's what that was." Marlyse, sitting next to Ernie, put a hand on his arm.

"You are, I must say, entirely right, Mr. O'Boyo. For how in God's name could a chicken ever supplant a turkey with all the trimmings, especially when it comes to a festive Christmas dinner? Squabbles and disappointments were to be expected, of course, but the rather stringent measures of austerity the estate has been forced to adopt, demand everyone participate and try to understand, whether you like it or not."

Marie-Claire weighed in with a comment: "This ees somesing not correct. Christmas ees a time for joy, a time for happiness—yes or no? A grand chef can not make cooking with what we have. It ees not so amusing."

"It is a pity, people, indeed," said Rohbair. "A pity, because owing to the general lack of comestibles with which to prepare meals, our chef cannot indulge in her true passion. But we must admit, given the limited resources, she has performed what can only be described as ... well, as miracles. And for that, we should all be truly thankful."

The chairman's remark prompted a bobble of nodding heads along with a small pattering of applause from Lisa. Zero, standing behind the sofa in which Marie-Claire sat, patted her on the shoulder. In return, she reached up and patted his hand, acknowledging the gesture of appreciation. Chin slouched in an armchair. His head had bobbed and wobbled too, but it was hard to know if he was agreeing or nodding off to sleep.

Horst raised his voice. "Yah, so why za butler must keep za key for zis food closet? Every time locked, and only he can say what we can eat. Something wrong—sure. Zis is what is not correct!"

Ernie chimed in now. "Aye," he said, "for the life o' me, I can't ever remember casting me vote so some geezer gets to hold a feckin key to the pantry. Ye can't even fix a cuppa tea anymore, for feck's sake!"

A rumble of discontent swept through the gathering following the lad's complaint. But Bob was determined. He would not allow the proceedings to degenerate into a mob-ruled forum for hurling abuse. He held up his hands to calm the crowd.

When they'd settled, he said, "Undoubtedly, there are those among you who think I should not have control of remaining food stocks."

Another murmur of discord. And again, Rohbair raised his hands and waited for the disturbance to die down.

"The alternative, I'm afraid to say, is that we leave the larder open to all and sundry. Now can you imagine, for one moment, the scenario that that would engender? Think about it, people. The last of our food supplies would surely be pilfered to satisfy anyone who deemed it necessary to consume more than what is currently rationed. We simply won't survive the rest of the winter." Rohbair paused, letting the statement sink in. "Herr Horst, I do not claim to have any more right to hold the key than you. To that end, we are equals. However, as your domain—at least insofar as it pertains to the estate—is inclusive of everything outside the manor, I trust you will allow me the courtesy of managing affairs within."