by Mike Shevdon
"An honourable craft," said Yonna, "and an ancient one."
He smiled at that.
"Do you know who we are?" asked Yonna.
"Not so much," said Andy. "Niall here, he explained some of it, but there wasn't much time."
"Do you know why you are here?" asked Barthia.
"Maybe," said Andy. "It's to do with all of us, isn't it? Whether we'll be able to live in peace and keep to ourselves." The others murmured agreement around him.
There was another commotion at the back. I saw Angela coming forward into the group.
"You I do know," said Teoth, recognising her.
"I have been your guest, my Lord," said Angela, "but though the accommodation is more comfortable, and the regime kinder, perhaps, I find a prison is still a prison."
"You rush to judgement at your peril," said Teoth.
"I do not rush, my Lord," she said. "It's been some days and I have had no word."
"Well now that we've all got to know one another," said Krane, "Can we clear the room? We have matters of import to decide."
Blackbird came forward. "If I may speak?" she said.
Yonna inclined her head.
Blackbird walked to the front of the group. "I stand here with Niall, and all these people who have come before you by their own consent. They have come as one to hear your judgement on matters which concern all of them."
"Why, what have they done?" asked Krane.
"They are not being judged for what they have done," said Blackbird. She reached behind her and pulled forward Alex and Sparky to stand beside her. "Even these two are not judged for their actions. We have already heard that they saved us all, at risk to themselves. In other circumstances we would be thanking them."
"We are not in other circumstances," said Teoth.
"Instead," said Blackbird, "they are being judged for what they are. Even Angela here, is held a prisoner at Lord Teoth's disposal. What has she done to merit this imprisonment? Nothing."
"She petitioned for a place in the courts," said Teoth. "I must consider the matter carefully."
"Must you?" said Blackbird. "If any other fey were to petition for a place they would be granted it without question."
"But they are fey," said Teoth, waving towards Angela. "I do not know what she is."
Angela bristled at this, stepping forward, but Blackbird stayed her with a gesture.
"That is my point, my Lord. You are not treating them as fey."
"Because they are not," said Krane.
"And yet they are not human either," said Blackbird. "These are the children of your grand experiment." She swept a hand around the people in the arc. "They are few in number, but there are more children here than the Feyre have seen in five hundred years, are they not?"
"If they are fey," said Krane, "which we have not yet established."
"You mistrust them," she said. "Oh, please, do not deny it. They are not what you expected, are they? What you wanted was a generation of fey children to swell your ranks and rejuvenate the Feyre. In short, you wanted yourselves, only younger."
"That's not true," said Barthia.
"Then what did you want?" said Blackbird. "You sowed the seed in humanity and expected to reap what, exactly? How did you expect them to return to you?"
"Are we done with this?" said Krane, affecting boredom.
"Lord Krane. You are Lord of the Eldrekin Court. You represent those who can take another form, the shape-shifters and were-creatures."
"This is not news," said Krane.
Blackbird reached to pull Andy forward. "Will you accept this man into your court? Will you give him sanctuary and protection according to the customs and traditions of the Feyre?"
"He's a shape-shifter?" said Krane. "What shape does he take?"
Blackbird turned to Andy. "Show him."
"What, now?" he said.
"Yes," said Blackbird. "Right now."
Garvin moved forward, but Andy's frame wobbled and for a moment it looked like he would fall over. Then he spilled out into a swarm of insects that flew out in an expanding cloud to fill the hall with buzzing.
"Bees?" said Krane. "He changes into bees?"
"Have you ever seen anything like it?" said Blackbird, almost shouting to be heard over the noise.
One or two of the other half-breeds were swatting at the insects, there were so many filling the hall. The crawled on people's clothes, flew into their hair, it was only a matter of time before someone got stung.
"Enough!" shouted Garvin. "Clear the hall! Everyone out.
He and Fionh came around the ragtag group and stood before the Lords and Ladies, but there was little they could do against so many tiny insects. Kimlesh stared in wonder around her, while Yonna seemed immensely pleased with the situation. Not so Krane and Teoth, while Barthia sat stoically while the insects crawled on her.
"Out!" shouted Garvin. "Everyone out!"
Tate and Amber came in from the hall and shepherded the half-breeds outside. Gradually the hall emptied, and when the space was clear, the bees began landing, building into a giant pile, which wavered and became a man again.
"Zorry," he said. "She zaid I had to show you." Andy grinned shyly.
"I think we've seen enough," said Kimlesh. "Please wait outside. We'll call if we wish to speak with you further."
"I hold you responsible for this, Niall," said Garvin.
"I was merely following orders," I told him.
"I'll speak with you later," he said.
"Garvin may be upset with Niall, my Lords, my Ladies," said Blackbird, "but it was essential that you see this for yourselves. This is the reality of your great experiment. This is the result."
"Then we need a new experiment," said Krane.
"Do you?" said Blackbird. "Have you seen such ability before?" she asked.
"Of course not," he said "It's bizarre. How can he take the form of so many? He'll lose all sense of self."
"And yet he survives," said Blackbird, "and prospers, apparently without your assistance. If it was not for the harm done by humanity he would be living quietly still. He asks for little except to be left to live in peace, and you would deny him even that."
"We're not denying him anything," said Teoth.
"On the contrary," said Blackbird. "You are demanding that, like Angela, they present themselves at court to be deemed worthy of a place, and then you reject them because they do not fit your definition of what it means to be fey. They cannot win."
"It is not a game, Blackbird," said Barthia, "and I have not refused anyone."
"Shall I bring someone forward, then?" Blackbird asked. "Will you grant them a place?"
"Bring them forward and we shall see," Barthia said.
"And you will judge them to see if they are worthy to be called fey?" asked Blackbird.
"I will judge whether they are worthy of the court in which they are to be offered a place," said Barthia, "As I would any other."
"But the others are all fey," said Blackbird, "and these are not. They are mongrel fey who have grown up with human customs and human values, some with odd or strange abilities, some traumatised by their treatment at the hands of humanity. They are not ready to join the courts, any more than you are ready to accept them."
"What are you suggesting," said Krane. "We cannot just let them do whatever they want. Look at the damage they've caused already!"
"What damage?" asked Blackbird.
"There are floods in Somerset," said Barthia, "and the storm has done much damage."
"Within a year, a memory," said Blackbird, "and forgotten in ten."
"The Secretariat is aware that the storm is not natural," said Garvin. "They have demanded an explanation."
"Demanded?" said Teoth. "They are making demands, now, are they?"
"A bad choice of words perhaps, my Lord," said Garvin, correcting himself, "requested then."
"Hmmf," said Teoth.
"Nevertheless," said Barthia, "our agreement with humanit
y is clear. If we cannot curb the excesses of the Feyre, then we are in breach."
"But they are not fey," said Blackbird.
Barthia shook her head. "It makes no difference. We are obligated."
"Perhaps we should consider starting again," said Krane. "I know we've come a long way, but…"
Mellion mimed the turning of an hour-glass.
"There is not time," Yonna agreed. "Our numbers diminish each year, while the Seventh Court have only to wait."
I cleared my throat. "By starting again, I assume you mean genocide?"
"That's an ugly word, Dogstar," said Barthia.
"It is an ugly thing, to consider wiping out a population because they do not fit your preconceptions," I said.
"We have done worse," said Teoth.
"That was long ago," said Kimlesh.
"And yet the stain remains," Teoth remarked.
There was a sober pause while I wondered what exactly they had done.
"We are caught between the deep and the dark," said Barthia. "Blackbird is right. We should accept them into the courts and deal with the consequences."
"That's not what I said," said Blackbird. "Can we not let them live peacefully?"
"Bound by what?" Krane asked. "It is only a matter of time before one of them succeeds where the girl, Eve, did not."
"She was an exception," said Blackbird.
"I wish it were true," said Barthia. "We have not excelled in our duty to protect and preserve. We left them to their fate and these are the consequences. You are right, we cannot have them, but nor can we let them be."
"Then we must grasp the nettle," said Krane, "and do what needs to be done."
Mellion stood from his chair. They all watched, expecting some grand gesture, but he walked forward to Fionh, standing close and making quick elaborate hand gestures to her. She glanced at Garvin and then left quickly through the double doors.
"My lord?" said Garvin.
Mellion went back to his seat, interlacing his long fingers, and resting back against the chair.
"Is there something you wish to put before us," asked Yonna.
After a moment, the double doors opened and Fionh appeared with Tate, carrying a large chair from the dining rooms along the hall. Mellion nodded and they brought it forward, placing it alongside him, and withdrew.
"What is the meaning of this, Lord Mellion?" asked Teoth. "We already have an empty seat, we do not need another."
Kimlesh leaned forward, and then smiled. ""Of course," she said. "It's perfect."
"What's perfect?" said Yonna. Then she glanced back to the empty chair. "You're not suggesting…?"
"A mongrel court?" said Barthia. "Lord Mellion, this is a radical suggestion indeed."
He shrugged.
"An elegant solution," said Kimlesh, "my compliments, Lord Mellion."
"No!" said Krane. "This is preposterous. Who would lead such a court?"
I glanced sideways, seeing no one move. I looked around the people beside me and saw what must be done. It would be risky, and dangerous, but it would secure my daughter, and all the others like her.
I stepped forward. "My Lords, Ladies, I would be willing, if you will have me?"
There was a long pause. Then Kimlesh spoke.
"Warder Alshirian Dogstar, your offer is… generous, and warmly received I assure you, but it is not you we would wish to lead the mongrel court."
I stepped back in confusion. I felt rejected, but also relieved. But then who?
"There isn't anyone," said Krane.
"It's Blackbird," she said.
• • • •
"Me?" said Blackbird. "Why me?"
Kimlesh stood and approached her. "You are of mongrel heritage, are you not?" she said.
Blackbird had a look of mild panic about her. "I am, but…"
"And you are among the oldest of the mongrel fey?" she continued, walking around Blackbird.
"Yes, but…"
"You were brought up among the Feyre and yet you have lived among humanity for most of your life. You understand their customs, and ours."
"I suppose, though…"
"This cannot happen," said Krane. "Blackbird is a member of Yonna's court. We cannot have a mongrel court that is led by a member of another court, can we?"
"I relinquish my claim," said Yonna, "in the interest of us all."
"Wait," said Teoth. "This is madness. We cannot create another court. It's unheard of."
"Why?" said Barthia. "Seven courts cannot have sprung from nothing. Who is to say that once there were not three, or four, and others were added as need demanded."
"That's a huge supposition," said Krane.
"It had to happen somehow," said Barthia. "The wraithkin have always claimed to be the oldest court, with the clear implication that the other courts followed afterwards."
"A turn of phrase," said Teoth.
"Our brother cannot have it both ways," said Barthia.
Kimlesh took Blackbird's hand and led her towards the seat. It was neither as grand or as elegant as the seats beside it, but the symbolism was not in the least diminished.
"Wait," Blackbird said, drawing Kimlesh to a halt. "If I am to do this, then I want your agreement. All of you."
"That you will never receive," said Krane, "for our brother Altair would never agree to such a thing."
"He is not here," said Kimlesh, "and we took the decision to go down this road against his wishes, even while he was present."
"Then there must at least be a majority in support," said Blackbird. "I will need your support, if this is to succeed."
"Then I will pledge my support," said Kimlesh.
"And I mine," said Yonna.
Mellion held his hand to his heart and opened it, then offered it to Blackbird.
"I cannot, in good conscience, give my assent to something that I know will drive a further wedge between us and the Seventh Court," said Krane.
"Nor I," said Teoth.
"Then the balance is with you, Barthia," said Kimlesh. "With your support we will found a court for the mongrel fey, those that are of neither race or both, but who need a home nevertheless."
"I cannot be my decision alone," she said.
"Nor is it so," said Kimlesh. "Yonna, Mellion and I have pledged our support. With your assent we will have a clear majority, even counting Altair's wishes. Without it, we will be three for, and three against, with Altair holding the balance, though I think we all know which way that will go."
There was silence, while they all watched Barthia. She chewed her pierced lip in consternation, looking from Krane to Teoth, from Mellion to Yonna, and then to Kimlesh, who still held Blackbird's hand in hers.
"If we cannot make a decision," Kimlesh reminded her, "then we still have to decide what to do with the mongrel fey who wait at our door. They are few in number now, but they will grow, while we will not. It is why we first began this enterprise."
"Altair warned us this would happen," said Krane. "It is the beginning of the end."
"I have heard these arguments before," Barthia said, "when we first considered mixing our bloodlines with humanity. At that time I chose life and an uncertain future, instead of a the certainty of eventual demise." Barthia, folded her arms. "We will have an Eighth Court."
"No!" said Krane, "We cannot make this decision without Altair having spoken."
"We did it before," said Kimlesh, leading Blackbird to the vacant chair. "There is precedent for such a decision."
Blackbird hesitated, and gently disengaged Kimlesh's hand.
"Make no mistake," she said. "I understand that this is not the wish of you all, and I will do all in my power to make this work for you," she said. "But I am not doing this for you. I am doing this for those waiting outside, and those waiting beyond these walls, who will face an uncertain fate if I do not."
And she sat down.
TWENTY-THREE
As the news spread from the enclosed hall there was ragged cheering from t
he group waiting outside. It rapidly became apparent that continuing the High Court in session was not possible, especially when Krane and Teoth withdrew to consider whether the decision could be further challenged.
Blackbird stood up looking bemused and worried, and was taken aback when Kimlesh, Mellion and Yonna all embraced her, kissing both cheeks formally. After a moment's hesitation, Barthia did the same, acknowledging Blackbird as Lady of the Eighth Court.