A Single Snowflake Page 5

  'Did you say something, dear' asked Margaret who carried on with her sanitizing.

  'No, I was just talking to myself, don't get wearing yourself out will you'

  'You know what I am like, I just like to busy myself. Is Pete okay with me being here, because he seems a bit distant', said Margaret as she knelt on the floor cleaning around the cooker.

  'Oh take no notice, he's just a bit stressed I think, with the baby nearly here and all that, you know what a worrier he is' replied Stella as she continued to turn the pages of her glossy magazine, not really reading it, just skimming and looking for a photograph that took her eye.

  'You have made so many changes to this house that I hardly recognise it', commented Margaret who was now rearranging the saucepans that were on a shelf, putting them in order of size and use.

  'Mmm, well we had to really, it was so old fashioned, it did need a make-over,' sighed Stella, who had now pushed the magazine away, bored with it now, bored with looking at thin girls and women, bored with celebrity babies.

  'You are probably right, just that this house holds so many memories for me. The first time I met your father's parents was right here in this very house.' Margaret who stopped cleaning, was now standing against the sink unit, tea towel in hand. 'It was spring, I remember the garden was full of Lily of the Valley and your Grandfather had a greenhouse where he grew cactus plants, he thought it was exotic. Anyway I was terrified but they made me feel at home, they were such kind people. I was scared see, me coming from the city and them being country folk, I thought we would have nothing in common, funny that isn't it; I mean these days things are different somehow.'

  'Mom, can I ask you something'

  'Yes dear of course.'

  'Well were you upset when Gran left the house to me and what about our Diane, I mean how did she feel' asked Stella.

  Margaret considered the question asked by her daughter and worded her reply as diplomatically as she could muster ' No I was not upset, I have my home and I have money, as for Diane she hardly ever came here did she, I mean she loved her Grandparents but you know she hated the rural life, take her away from the city and she wouldn't know what to do with herself, no she wasn't bothered. And it was your Pete that came and stayed with Gran when she was ill wasn't it, it was Pete who came and looked after her garden, it was Pete who did most things for her, it must have been Gran's way of saying thank you. The only thing I don't like about all this is the fact that you have moved back here, taking my grandchild away from me.'

  Stella looked up, 'I know Mom, sorry about that, it was Pete really, he had always lived in the city, but when I bought him here to meet Gran, he fell in love with the place, with the town, with the mountains on the horizon and with the peace and quiet, he started to hate the city, I would never have come back if I had my way, but it made sense money wise. We got a good price for our old house and now have money in the bank, I was fed-up of struggling, and now Pete can do much of his work from home so it doesn't matter where we live.'

  'Cup of tea', asked Margaret changing the subject.

  'Yes that would be lovely', smiled Stella.

  Lionel and Rupert sat on the doorstep of the open kitchen door, listening to the conversation inside and watching Pete who was pretending to be weeding the garden, but in reality was crouching down whilst smoking a cigarette. Guardian Denis waved to them and pointed to Pete, 'He ain’t happy', he mouthed, 'that's the third smoke in less than one hour.'

  'What's up with him then', Lionel asked Rupert.

  'Mother in Law stuff I think, he feels pushed out' answered Rupert.

  'Ah I see, oh well we are here now, so I guess he will have to make the best of it.'

  'Guess he will, I hope we have made you feel welcome Lionel', questioned Rupert.

  'Oh yes thank you, I feel truly at home, wonder who the baby's Guardian will be, have you heard anything yet.'

  'No, nothing at all, most unusual that is, only chatting to Denis about that last night, thought we would have heard something by now, strange that.'

  *

  Henderson woke first, light poured into his bed chamber from a small gap in the curtains that he hadn't pulled tight shut. He washed and dressed quickly in the fresh clothing that had been laid out for him by The Lady, a suit of grey norhair, a lilac silk shirt, soft black shoes of the finest leather and socks that matched the lilac of his shirt. He viewed himself in the tall mirror that stood next to his bed, combed his hair and turned sideways on so he could see his profile in detail, making sure there were no creases or unsightly bulges in his attire. Satisfied with his appearance he made his way down the flight of stairs that opened out into the small kitchen and breakfast room of the Lady's perfect home. Henderson needed a smoke of his pipe, unsure of the house rules he looked for a way outside, the first door he opened belonged to a larder which was heavily stocked with cold meats, jars of pickles and summer fruits, brown paper bags brimming with vegetables, jugs of milk and cream, and small containers of sweet smelling herbs and spices. The second door led into a long dark corridor, but the third door was the one he needed, this door opened onto a small high walled courtyard in the centre of which was a table and garden seats. The morning air was cool and crisp, the sky was pale blue dotted with a few pink clouds, way overhead a large hunting bird hovered as if suspended from the roof of the sky by a fine wire. The mornings were like this, though the rivers were frozen, but by the afternoon the warmth would give way to the ever encroaching cold of winter.

  Henderson walked briskly across to the table and chairs and sat down, took out his pipe and stuffed it with fresh herbs, which he lit with a silver lighter that had been given to him by his mother, a lighter with his name engraved inside a heart, as 'You always light up my life my son.' These were the perfect moments that Henderson enjoyed the most, the quiet moments when there was nothing else to distract you, when no other person had yet risen from their slumbers, it was his time.

  'There you are', called Belle who was standing on the kitchen step, 'thought you had run away, what you doing then.'

  'Just sitting, thinking, having a quiet smoke.'

  'Well you were until I interrupted you', taunted Belle, who was now jumping on and off the step, first with two feet and then with a hop on one leg. 'Breakfast is nearly ready, don't let it go cold.'

  'I won't, be there as soon as I have finished my pipe', said Henderson as he puffed hard on his long wooden pipe.

  Belle disappeared inside, she was wearing a green velvet trouser suit and a pair of soft leather flat heeled boots, that The Lady had supplied her with. 'Think I will give up wearing dresses for ever' thought Belle, 'these clothes are far more comfortable, I could do a handstand and cartwheel just like I used to when I was small, without worrying about my skirt showing all my underwear, think I will try it out later.'

  Henderson returned to the kitchen, relaxed now and ready for his breakfast of bacon, eggs, tomatoes and toast, washed down with strong black tea. The Lady seemed in a particularly good mood, after breakfast she insisted on clearing away the dirty plates and washing them up without assistance, she sang as she stood at the sink, 'Today is the day for love, the day I see my Love, oh today is the day for me.' Belle nudged Henderson,

  'Me thinks she is rather excited at the thought of seeing our Ralph the Mighty.'

  'She does seem rather erm well rather in good spirits doesn't she', grinned Henderson.

  The Lady turned around and eyed her giggling guests, 'Did you say something.'

  Belle was never able to tell a lie, or keep thoughts in her head for long, 'Well we just thought you seemed rather happy this morning and I said to Henderson that maybe you were just a weeny bit excited at seeing our Lord Ralph.'

  'Does it show that much', asked the Lady.

  'Rather', replied Henderson.

  'Does he know how you feel', enquired Belle.

  'Doubt it, do men ever read the signs properly, just being able to be in his company will be enough for n
ow, there are far more important things for us to worry about', sighed the Lady.

  One hour later the three companions made their way down the same street that Ralph, Albion and Julian had trodden the night before. They too clothed their bodies in long cloaks with hoods covering their heads, again a few citizens passed them in the streets but paid them no heed, their minds were full of the days work which laid ahead of them. The Lady followed the same rules as Ralph, knocking doors and waiting, keeping silence, until they were in the circular room at the bottom of the cold dark stairs. The Lady gave the South Door a hard knock, the door opened and light flooded so bright it almost blinded her, it took a few seconds to realise that the dark figure standing in the doorway was Ralph himself, waiting to welcome them.

  'Come inside my dear Lady, I could not contain myself with excitement, Belle and Henderson welcome, please do not be intimidated, you are our honoured guests' spoke Ralph with such sincerity that took Belle by surprise.

  'It is us that are honoured my Lord', said Henderson slowly bowing.

  'Yes, that is true Lord Ralph, never in all my dreams did I ever think I would meet with you in person', quivered Belle.

  'I trust you are happy with my judgement Lord Ralph', smiled The Lady.

  'I trust you implicitly, my Lady' replied Ralph, 'but come let me take those heavy cloaks from you, the Council is waiting and so are two others, for Lord Albion Brightly and Julian Speaksafe are also in our company, they have much to tell us.'

  Ralph rang the same bell that he had rung the night before, the same small man in a purple silk uniform entered the room, he bowed to Ralph, took the cloaks from the mighty man's arms, bowed to The Lady, bowed to Belle, bowed to Henderson, then made his way walking backwards out of the vast reception hall.

  'Come follow me', said Ralph.

  They made their way up the wide staircase, walking side by side, on reaching the landing Ralph led them into his Council Chamber's grand hall. On the far side of the hall was a small stage, on which was a long table and four chairs, facing the stage were rows of red velvet cushioned seats, with enough space between each seat for comfort. Around the room small groups of Shenkans were chatting, men and women, for Shenka prided itself on it's equality, apart that is as The Lady Veronica of the Fields often teased Ralph, it was yet to appoint it's first female Leader.

  At first Ralph and company entered the room unnoticed, but as they made their way towards the stage the gathering went quiet, each man bowing and each woman curtseying as they became aware their Leader was amongst them. Ralph nodded his head in reply, slowly walking closer to the platform with the Lady, Belle and Henderson following behind. Five carpeted steps had been laid out for them in front of the stage, either side of the steps stood a tall guard in a green uniform, once those guards were satisfied that their Lord Ralph and his guests had made their way safely onto that high platform, they sat down on those same steps and kept guard.

  Place names had been laid out on the table in front of each seat, reading left to right as the gathered audience would see them, Belle, Ralph, Lady Veronica and Henderson. Jugs of water and glasses lay on the table together with plates of small sweet biscuits and fruits, each item within the reach of the honoured guests and their host Lord Ralph the Mighty. Once the four had taken their seats, Ralph indicated to a tall elegant red uniformed official, who stood guard in the wings, that he was ready to address the meeting. The guard walked to the front of the stage and called order.

  'My Lords, Ladies, Shenkan dignitaries, please take your seats, the meeting is about to commence, in the event of fire the exits are to the right and left of you, please make your way slowly from the hall and gather in the grand reception room at the bottom of the stairs. May I remind you that this meeting is being conducted in the strictest confidence, no talk of this meeting between strangers or family is allowed, no taking of notes is allowed, no recording devices are allowed and lastly no reproducing of images is allowed. Thank you. I will now ask you to stand as our gracious leader Lord Ralph the Mighty will address you.'

  Quietly the gathered audience stood as Ralph came forward to the front of the stage,

  'My friends please sit', he waited until he could see that everyone had taken their seats, 'you have been called here today to listen to our plans to help cease the sadness on Earth, that very sadness that is threatening our own dear land of Shenka and my friends it is also true to say that even that wonderful place of Grafflin is under threat. I have asked Lord Albion Brightly and Mr Julian Speaksafe to join me on this platform, so without further ado I would like you all to welcome them.'

  The audience gasped as they realised the significance of Albion and Julian being in their presence, each looking to their neighbour in disbelief. Albion and Julian entered from the right hand wings, two green uniformed men walked discreetly behind them carrying comfortable armed chairs which they placed behind the table, one next to Henderson the other next to Belle. Julian sat down next to Belle and waved graciously to the audience who were standing and applauding, some cheered, others whistled, they knew they were witnessing an unique event, whatever the outcome they would think in their own minds 'I was there.'

  Albion Brightly walked slowly to the front of the platform and shook hands with Ralph, 'no gliding, no showing off,' Julian had advised him. He was an ancient being who had taken many burdens on his shoulders, the responsibilities were wearing him down, he was tired. Coming to Shenka had been a big trial for him, his strength was weakening and he felt his light fading; his once strong voice was getting thinner, he knew he must return to Grafflin at the earliest possible moment, but he also knew that he had to address this meeting, he knew his duty. He also knew he could not show any weakness in front of the Grand Council of Shenka.

  Ralph introduced Albion to the gathered Council.

  'Friends, Lord Albion Brightly will now address you.

  The crowd cheered and applauded, then one by one sat back down, Ralph discreetly returned to his own seat behind the table, silence fell.

  Gathering all his might Albion began his speech,

  'Friends, thank you for your warm welcome, it is with heavy heart that I speak to you today. Since the dawning of time we have watched over man, guiding them to make the right choices in life, of course there have always been exceptions and some men have followed dangerous paths, we understood that we could not always intervene, even so we remained. For many years now our task has become more difficult, each passing year sees man moving away from us, leaving their own spirituality behind for their own gains and possessions, greed and self interest is forever eroding our work. But man is also becoming increasingly sad and despondent and their cries are slowly but surely entering Shenka itself, if we cannot put a halt to this and try and reverse it's eating away of the barriers between Shenka and Earth, I fear that the very existence of Shenka itself will lie in ruins. It saddens me also to inform you that some of my own are moving away from the path they have been chosen to lead, my friends I have had to recall some of the Guardians back to Grafflin, they have become lazy, carefree and indifferent to their charges. Their jewels have dropped away from their gowns, their hair has lost it's glow, they no longer care.'

  Albion's vision became blurred, the faces in front of him were merging together, he was aware his body was shaking and crumbling. he felt his knees bending, his own voice was echoing in his head. Julian rose from his seat, he knew his master was suffering and he could not bear it any longer, Ralph rose too, he was racked with guilt, for it was he that had called for Albion's assistance, even though he knew that Albion was so weak. Together Julian and Ralph made their way quickly to Albion's side, Julian taking hold of his Masters right arm and Ralph the left. Albion regathered his strength and took a few deep breaths to compose himself before finishing his speech. With words that were quietly spoken and with a trembling voice.

  'I am so sorry to have to report this to you, I feel ashamed, please forgive me for not being a better leader.'


  Albion's head fell forward, his breath was shallow and his golden face had turned into a very pale yellow, Ralph and Julian led him slowly to his chair, they would have taken him off the platform to rest, if it was not for Albion’s own insistence that he 'must stay and see it through.'

  The Council sat in stunned silence for a few seconds, taking in what they had just heard, they knew some of Ralph's plans, some had been instrumental in putting them together, but they did not realise that even Grafflin was in peril. Slowly one by one the audience rose to their feet and applauded Albion, tears ran down many faces, they could not bear to see this famous and much revered being in such a desperate and sad state.

  Ralph waited, concerned that he had asked too much of Lord Albion, Ralph knelt at his side and asked for his forgiveness. Albion stroked Ralph's head and spoke softly,

  'Do not concern yourself for me, please speak to the audience, for that is why we are here, please do it now.'

  'Thank you my Lord Albion, you are the wisest of us all', whispered Ralph.

  Ralph walked to the front of the stage, then turned and looked in the direction of Lord Albion Brightly.

  'My Lord Albion may I thank you on behalf of all of Shenka, in the courage you have shown today, we are so deeply grateful for the sacrifice you are making in coming here.'

  'Hear, Hear,' called several voices from the Council.

  Ralph then spoke to the gathered Councillors.

  'Grand Council and dignitaries, all is not yet lost, for there is indeed hope for all of us, we have received a sign, a sign so strong that I do believe we will overcome this sadness, but as it is going to take time to reach the conclusion of this task, that I must ask you all for your patience and trust. When Garian the Great recorded the first snowflake that fell in summer, we all thought that he just recorded his findings in his general journal, and although that journal would be put aside for many a year, we never even gave any consideration to the idea that there may be more writings. My friends, we must now all thank Claude the grand archivist of all records, who by his diligence to his duty of listing all records in our archives, discovered a long lost notebook, I hold this book in my care. Today I will reveal to you what we have found, but first may I ask Claude to stand, so we can show our appreciation.'