There was quite a commotion in the chamber, both at the appearance of Songhai Chen, and indignation at what he had said.
The clerk called the meeting to order, and the Elder spoke.
“Well, my friends, what are we to do, accept what the boy has said, or do we procrastinate until disaster knocks on our door?”
“Well,” Anita Stepanek said, “if you put it like that, we have no choice but to agree. It is true what he says, we need a full council to go out against the Master, but I am not so sure about having an eighth High Elder, unelected and unaccountable to the people.”
“He would not be unaccountable, we, the full council would hold sway over him, if he gets out of line, we remove him. Anyway, I am sure it would be a temporary position and Flintock would stand down once the danger is over,” the Elder said.
Govannon Staley then asked, "Why did the boy say he was a more powerful wizard than those on the council? Surely, we, by our very position are the most powerful wizards in the land?”
“No,” the Elder said in his quiet careful voice, “Funsan Osei or Flintock as we know him is, I’m afraid to say, more powerful in many areas than all of us put together, especially in battle, where his power is immense, and in mass apparition, he can and has apparated away fifty people as a group without raising a bead of sweat and without touching any of them, not one of you here could manage five. That is to name just two of his powers. Yes, he is an immensely powerful wizard indeed.”
“What did he mean when he said that he would give Flintock no choice but to accept our appointment of him as a High Elder? We all know that he has been nominated many times but always turned down the offer,” Govannon then asked.
“On that matter, I have no idea, but I have it on good authority that Songhai Chen has powers beyond anything we have in Trymyll. He demonstrated that today by apparating in to, and out of the chamber, something not possible by even the most gifted amongst you,” the Elder continued, "so, what is it to be, do we appoint the three new High Elders and Flintock as well, while setting elections in progress to hear the will of the people or do we ignore the request?”
Anita Stepanek raised a finger. “What would you do Elder of Elders?”
“I would follow the advice of the small but ancient child. We cannot be depleted at such a time as this and we need the power and strategy of someone like Flintock, although the young wizard Jonathan, son of Llewellyn the Brave would be a good match on power in battle, Flintock has the edge on wisdom.”
“You are not suggesting that we invite a fifteen-year-old onto the council as well, are you?” snarled Asmodeus.
“No, not at all, but you have all seen the energy bolts that the boy can throw, it was he, and his even younger brother who drove the Master back into his world, not you, not any of you. We need people like Flintock, Llewellyn the Brave and the wizards Jonathan and Thomas, and their dragons of course, in our team. What we do not need is a long-winded discussion on procedures and protocol.”
“Then it is agreed,” said Anita Stepanek, “but how do we appoint the new High Elders without causing rumblings amongst the people?”
“That is simple. We appoint them but do not inform the general populous of their new positions. According to Songhai Chen, they will ratify them within in a week or so with an election anyway.”
The Elder then sat down and turned to the clerk, “Summons Sugreev Sridhar, Penvro Dey, and Lintang Ananas, to the council. We will reconvene in two hours. I will go personally and talk with Flintock the Elder.”
“Council dismissed,” barked the clerk, and they all dispersed.
Llewellyn immediately apparated away and back to the hideout. On arrival, he was incredibly surprised to see that only Gwen and the boys were there.
“Where’s Flinty?”
“Oh, he’s just popped home to sort out a few bits and bobs, he said he would see you at your normal meeting place.”
“How did he get out exactly?”
“Well, he apparated, the same way you did.”
“And who told him he could apparate from here? He thought it was not possible.”
“Well, I didn’t exactly tell him, just asked if he’d ever tried.”
“Gwendoline,” Llewellyn only called her Gwendoline when trying to make a point. “I have spent years putting it into people’s minds that they can’t apparate within the city walls, that they can’t do magic in the chamber, and other urban myths which they all swallow hook line and sinker. You’re here five minutes and you’re unravelling everything!”
“Sorry, just saying, didn’t know you could, just suggested he might try it.”
Llewellyn apparated out again and went to the usual hostelry where he and Flintock met. Before he could even exchange greetings, Flintock spoke.
“Yes.”
“What do you mean? Yes.”
“Yes, I agree to be High Elder without portfolio, but only for the duration of this present emergency.”
“I haven’t even asked you yet. Who told you?”
“Chen obviously, he came and found me at my house and explained how I was needed to be an advisor to the council and that I would be appointed as a High Elder without portfolio.”
“And you agreed, there and then, on the spot?”
“He was very persuasive.”
“What did he say then? What persuaded you after all these years of saying no?”
“Nothing, with three new High Elders, I could see the sense in what he suggested. Anyway, it’s only temporary, once the Master has been defeated, I will stand down again.”
“Well, I hate to rush you, but there is a full council meeting in just over an hour,” said Llewellyn reminding himself as well as informing Flintock, “after which, we will return here to celebrate your appointment.”
“Order, order, the council is now in session, all rise for the Elder of Elders.” The Clerk said while banging his gavel on the table.
The chamber had been suitably rearranged, now there was an extra plain carver style chair for the new High Elder Funsan Osei and the more ornate, almost throne-like chair for the Elder of Elders. The Elder swept in and stood before his chair looking around at the new High Elders before slowly lowering himself onto the seat.
“Greetings one and all and welcome to the Council of the High Elders,” the Elder said by way of announcement. “Welcome High Elder Sugreev Sridhar, welcome High Elder Penvro Dey, and welcome High Elder Madam Lintang Ananas, and finally, welcome to our new High Elder without portfolio, Funsan Osei, also known as Flintock. Much as I hate bureaucracy and ceremonial proceedings, you will now all be sworn in by my clerk.”
The clerk spoke, “The office of High Elder, to which you have all been chosen is not a position to which you are called to be master, or mistress, over the fellow citizens of Trymyll, to be a High Elder and to serve on this council is not an ambition to be obtained, a political office to be won, or even a badge of honour, but is instead a humble calling, to serve the people of our land with truth, justice, fairness and humility. Do you all agree to serve the people of Trymyll in such a manner?”
“We do,” the whole council said as one.
The Elder then took the floor. “Ladies and gentlemen, today is an auspicious day in the history of Trymyll, never have we had such a diverse council, never have we had eight members of the council, and never have we had such a threat, such a menace, such a mendacious, misanthropic and evil presence in our land. Unless the Master is defeated, our new member’s time on the council may be short-lived, all our time may be short-lived. So, we must be bold in our thinking and brave in the execution of our decisions. Please allow me first to inform the new members among us, and remind the remaining members, that I will no longer tolerate endless points of order, referral to conventions and precedents from the past, procedural niceties, filibustering and general procrastination during council meetings. If you wish to return to the politics of the previous council, then I suggest you leave now to save you the embarrassment of being stripped of your office. Now, I appreciate that elections have not yet taken place, so your presence here is to be kept as a secret known only to those in this room. But fear not, a mystic wizard from the Orient has foretold the results of the said elections, and they will continue in a fair and honourable way and will take place in the next few days. We are already seeking nominations in all your cities, and the results will be known before the end of the week. Now to the matter in hand, let us discuss the Master.”