The Fairy Godmother Part 30

“Where are we going?” asked Ethel, looking round her like a frightened rabbit, her large glasses increasing the effect that she’d been caught in the headlights of a car speeding down a country lane.

“To see the Fairy Council and more specifically, the head of that council,” Enid smiled. Ethel shuddered.

“Do I really need to go along?” she asked. “There isn’t really very much I can add to what you’re going to say to them.”

“Of course there is,” Enid replied. “You helped us find the evidence, the smocking gun.”

“But, I,” she stuttered.

“Don’t worry,” I smiled. “You were doing what we told you to do, no one is going to blame you for anything.”

“The blame will go where it should, and that is to the one who was trying to cover up what shouldn’t have happened in the first place,” said Enid storming her way down the corridor to the council room, pulling Ethel along in her wake. She paused only when we reached the impressive, double doors that lead into the Council Chamber.

“They could do with a repaint,” Enid muttered. “The paint is peeling and the metal work is tarnished. It needs a thorough overhaul as do a few other things round here,” she added, not waiting for the doormen to open the door, she waved her wand and the doors flew open in a cloud of dust. The doormen started coughing and Enid walked past them, Ethel and I following in her wake.

“I was about to summon you,” said the Head of the Fairy Council glaring at Enid.

“If you hadn’t been here I would have put out an arrest warrant for you,” replied Enid.

“You have no right,” the Head of the Fairy Council screamed at her.

“I have every right,” replied Enid. “No one is above the law. You broke it, you covered it up and when things changed you tried to kill two humans off so that you could use their child to sort out the mess that was of your own making.”

“It wasn’t like that,” the Head of the Fairy Council stuttered. “I was young, people make mistakes.”

“We are going back eight human years, not till the dawn of time,” said Enid.

“I’m not that old,” the Head of the Fairy Council replied.

“You aren’t that young either,” said Enid.

“743 years,” said Ethel.

“My birthday isn’t till next month,” said the Head of the Fairy Council.

“Then you will be 744 years,” said Ethel.

“Are you sure of that?” the Head of the Fairy Council asked.

“Yes,” said Ethel. “I am the one who updates the profile data about you in the council book.”

“I wondered who did that,” the Head of the Fairy Council muttered.

“We are getting side tracked,” I said. “You interfered in things you had no right to interferer in. You nearly killed two people and you and your associates were trying to keep them away from their daughter.”

“We need to take a vote on this,” said a voice from the far end of the table.

“I am the Head of this Council,” said the Head of the Fairy Council standing up and glaring at the person who had dared to speak.

“And I am a member of this council and I think we need to take a vote on whether you are a suitable person to head the council, or even to be a member of it,” the voice replied.

“You need at least three people to agree to that,” replied the Head of the Fairy Council, not sounding quite so sure of herself.

“I agree,” said someone else.

“And me,” said a second voice.

“And me,” said a third.

“That’s that then,” said Enid.

“We require you to leave the room,” said the voice from the far end of the room.

“Who?” asked the Head of the Fairy Council.

“You,” came back the reply.

“I will not forget this Rosemary,” the Head of the Fairy Council replied as she stomped out of the room.

“Escort her to the waiting room,” Rosemary said to one of the footmen. “And make sure she stays there.”

“Of course,” the footman smiled.

“We would like to see your evidence,” said Rosemary when they heard the sound of the waiting room door closing.

“Well,” said Enid.

“I think it would be better coming from Ethel,” said Rosemary politely.

“Of course,” said Enid.

“Actually, it might be an idea if you two also waited outside,” said Rosemary.

“But,” Enid stuttered.

“You aren’t exactly impartial,” Rosemary smiled.

“Of course,” said Enid.

“Do we have to wait in the waiting room?” I asked.

“No, just outside, in the reception, will be fine,” said Rosemary. So we left.

“I wonder how come they know the geeks name,” I said as we sat in some comfy armchairs.

“The council know a lot of things,” said Enid vaguely.

“I wonder how long it will take for them to decide what to do,” I said.

“I wonder how much longer you are going to waste our time with pointless speculation,” said Enid, picking up a magazine about knitting and opening it.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“I am reading,” she replied, without looking up.

“I didn’t know you were interested in cars,” I said.

“Beautiful things, you never know when you might need one,” she replied.

“Then this magazine would be far better,” I said handing one over to her.

“Why is that one better than this?” she asked.

“Because this is a car magazine, whereas the one you are holding is a knitting magazine and I know for a fact that you don’t like knitting, also you are holding it upside down,” I replied.

“OK,” she snapped, throwing the knitting magazine down on the table. “I don’t know how long this is going to take and although I have got the facts together, I still don’t know what the Fairy Council will decide. It could be anything from reaffirming her position as head of the council, to banishing her from the fairy kingdom or anything in between.”

“Oh,” I said.

“And I only did this because I could see no other solution to the problem,” she said.

“Oh,” I said.

“Of course there may be repercussions for both of us,” she added.

“What?” I asked.

“Good question,” she replied.

“And?”

“I don’t know,” she sighed. “I wish I did.”

And that was that. Darkness fell and still the doors remained shut, though food was brought for us, the Head of the Fairy Council and those in the council chambers.

“Do we have to wait here?” I asked one of the footmen.

“Yes,” he said.

“I need the toilet,” I said.

“There is one through that door,” he said pointing to a side door that I hadn’t noticed before.

“Thank-you,” I said.

“How long do you think this is going to take?” I asked him on my way back from the bathroom.

“I don’t know,” he said. “There are blankets in the cupboards if you wish to sleep.”

“You’ve been told,” said Enid getting a blanket and making herself comfortable.

“Thanks,” I thought, getting another blanket. “This is going to be a long wait.”

by Janice Nye © 2020