Free Hollow Earth by John Barrowman, Carole E. Barrowman Page B

are Councillors. You are above petty squabbles. The fate of the imaginations of two young Animare is in your hands. This should be a solemn undertaking.’
    ‘Where is Sir Charles anyway?’ asked Henrietta restlessly. She gazed at the empty chair at the head of the table.
    The double doors opened and Vaughn Grant entered the room, carrying an ivory box inlaid with the images on the Celtic coins still lying untouched in front of the Council members. He handed the box to Henrietta de Court. Taken aback by the gesture, Henrietta quickly adapted and shifted to the empty seat at the head of the table. Vaughn placed a phone in the middle of the table and set it to speaker.
    ‘Sir Charles, everyone is present,’ said Vaughn, taking Henrietta’s former seat.
    ‘Good, good.’ Sir Charles Wren’s voice sounded reedy and cold. ‘My friends, I am unable to join you for this important vote because of a matter beyond my control. I have, however, let Vaughn know my vote, and with your permission he will act as my proxy. As has been the case since the twins were born and he took his stance on our rules, Renard’s chair at the Council table will remain empty. He will not have a vote in the matter before us.’
    The gathering murmured its consent.
    ‘Before the vote proceeds, let me say I am as saddened as all of you at Arthur’s sudden death … and in such a brutal manner. I know that you’ll trust my associates, Tanan and Blake, to remain on top of this and to keep us all informed.’
    Again, the gathering murmured its consent.
    ‘Now, to the Calder twins. We must make a decision today about their future.’
    ‘Sir Charles,’ said Frida, leaning forward to be heard. ‘We have never taken such a vote without the Animare in question being present. It’s a violation of our ancient protocols.’
    ‘Unfortunately, the twins are already in Scotland,’ replied Sir Charles dismissively. ‘We will take our vote without them present.’ Through the speaker, the Council could hear muffled voices and what sounded like an ambulance siren. ‘As you know, twelve years ago Sandie Butler and Malcolm Calder violated our Fourth Rule. By all means love and marry, but an Animare and a Guardian must never have children together. The mix of abilities can result in a fusion too dangerous to control.’
    ‘Hear, hear!’ acknowledged more than a few around the table.
    ‘There is not one example in our history of a child’s imagination being bound. But I would posit that in all our history, there have never been two Animare so powerful at such a young age.’
    ‘Sir Charles,’ interrupted Tanan, ‘we could learn a great deal from the Calder twins by studying them instead of binding them. A vote to bind them will only widen the growing split among us surrounding this issue. I suggest a compromise. Do nothing about the Calder children until they face the full Council on their sixteenth birthday.’
    ‘I appreciate your position, Tanan,’ barked Sir Giles, ‘but you don’t have a vote.’
    ‘The gold coin will be a vote for waiting until the children are sixteen,’ stated Vaughn. ‘The silver for binding immediately.’
    Tanan and Blake retired to talk in low voices at the window. Henrietta de Court slid the box to Sir Giles, who immediately picked the silver coin and dropped it into the box. He passed the box to Luigi Silvestri, who also picked the silver coin. Frida was next, dropping her gold coin into the box. This went on around the table until every member of the Council had chosen a coin and cast their vote.
    Vaughn slipped Sir Charles’s silver coin into the box and returned it to Henrietta de Court. She unlocked the brass latch and emptied the coins in front of her. She counted.
    ‘The vote is five silver coins,’ she said, ‘and five gold.’
    She stared at the two coins in front of her. She picked up the gold one.

PART TWO

SEVENTEEN
    The Monastery of Era Mina
    Middle Ages
    I f Solon had not been in such a hurry when he