Chapter 34 in the serialisation of the book 'Insurrection' 4th book in the 'Corpalism' series

34

The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.
George Orwell

Breakfast was a lively affair and the dining area was unusually full very early. Bill, Johnno, Pete, Ron and Wilf had been up with the larks and eaten a bacon and egg repast extremely quickly. Dave and Sticky had joined them, bringing over a plate of buttered toast and marmalade and a large pot of tea.

"I don't care what Alb says," said Wilf, "they're a 5th column, they shouldn't be here."

"I agree," said Johnno, "they have no loyalty to Britain, they're foreign for Christ's sake, they have their own countries and their own traditions."

"And their own history," added Dave, putting aside his personal liking for East Europeans in an effort to fit in.

"It's the Muslims that bother me," said Pete, "we're Christians, they're our traditional enemies aren't they? What are they doing here?"

"Exactly," said Wilf, "I think we need to organise our own campaign, do our own op."

"Like what?" said Ron, still uncertain about taking action. He was hoping to get away with agreement in principle whilst avoiding any actual involvement.

"We could burn down one of their mosques," offered Sticky.

"Sounds like a plan," said Dave, although he looked quite concerned at the prospect.

"Make it the biggest one," said Wilf, "something showy."

"There's a really big one in London," said Bill.

"How are we going to get to London and back?" asked Pete.

"Train," offered Wilf.

"How will we burn down this mosque thing?" asked Ron, worry in his voice and manner.

"We'll just start a fire," said Wilf.

"Just like that," said Pete, "anyway, it's a long way to go to start a fire, can't we do a local one?"

"But it would be a statement," said Dave, "to do the biggest one in the UK."

"Nah," said Sticky, self-taught expert on mosques in the UK, "that's in Surrey - the largest mosque in Europe - holds about 10,000 of the buggers at any one time."

An awed silence followed as they tried to imagine the need for a church that big and failed.

"But it sounds really hard," said Pete, first to recover, "and Surrey's a long way to go as well."

"Man up," said Wilf, "we can do this, we're trained."

"I'll get the tickets," said Dave, thinking 'that could be my contribution'.

"What about hiring a car?" said Johnno, a long train journey not being his idea of a fun day out.

"Who's going to drive?" asked Dave.

"My licence's still valid," Bill said, importantly, puffing out his chest.

"Say we hired a van instead," said Pete, "then we could take the...whatever we need to start a fire, in the back."

"What about a mini-bus?" asked Dave, "Bill, can you drive one of them?"

"Fuck sake," moaned Wilf, "this is a military op, forget comfort, we need to toughen up."

"Maybe there's another way of doing this," offered Pete.

"Like what?" asked Johnno.

"I don't know," said Pete, "but to be honest I'm worn out by all this talking and we haven't even done anything yet. We're old, what chance is there of us carrying this out?"

"You're a quitter," said Wilf, "and quitters never do anything, except quit."

"Well, we did have a big breakfast," said Johnno, "and I could do with a nap."

The others, with the exception of Wilf, all nodded their agreement.

∞

Fiona was watching Pete; she was not best pleased to see him with Wilf and that crowd of ne'er do wells. Her eyes narrowed and her mouth pursed. She'd dressed as usual in one of her twin-set and pearls combos, this one a pale blue cashmere set above a navy wool skirt. As always she looked perfect; Pete had yet to notice she was even in the room.

Vera, sitting opposite her, missed very little and nudged Cynthia who glanced over, then smiled with malicious enjoyment.

"I think we should form our own breakaway unit," said Dora, talking round a mouthful of food, "and attack some of these fast food chains, burn them to the ground."

"But they'll be insured," said Esmé, her experience with Greenham Common and later the anti-vivisection group she'd belonged to had taught her that.

"But it will mean they have to start again, won't it," said Dora.

"What about the WI?" said Cynthia, "We could get them involved."

"That might work if we want to run a picket line round a MacDonald's or something," said Vera.

"Sounds good," said Fiona, tearing her eyes away from the back of Pete's head with some difficulty.

"I don't think that would work," said Dora, "I think people would just walk past us."

"Especially the kids," said Esmé, "they have no respect, they won't listen to us."

"Burn them down," said Dora.

"But that's so aggressive," said Vera.

"These are desperate times," said Dora, "and desperate times call for desperate measures."

"What about poisoning their burgers or something?" said Vera.

"How would we do that?" asked Cynthia, "We'd never get anywhere near their stock."

"Besides, we don't want to harm their customers," said Esmé.

"We could rope in the WI, and get them to attack a MacDonald's in their area," said Dora.

Vera was not convinced, "What makes you think the WI would get involved?"

"I know some people," said Esmé, eyes shining, "I could put some feelers out."

∞

"We could always get a list of names of bankers or stock brokers," said Ken, "I can get those really easily."

"Well I'm in," said Harry, wondering if he could get milkmen put on the list without having to reveal his sordid family history.

"Me too," said Tom, his voice a growl, "bloody bankers broke my Dickie, ruined his business. He lost his house and his marriage as a result of those bastards, definitely time someone paid them back."

Ken frowned, he'd not heard Tom mention having a family, not in all the years he'd known him. He'd thought him a loner, must be the highland thing he had going on. "Would your Dickie be able to help us then?" he asked, "with transport and that?"

"Oh yes," said Tom, "he'd be more than willing once he knows the plan."

"But it's quite an enterprise," said Gray, glad that Reg had stayed with Gil and was not in the room to hear all this, "Hot tar and feathers, it's not going to be easy to arrange, boyo."

"I reckon Dickie might be able to rope in a few of his mates as well," said Tom.

Val slipped into the vacant chair next to Ken. A waft of perfume enveloped them all, causing Tom to cough. "What did we all think of what happened last night?" she asked.

"We're going our own way," said Ken, firmly, "we're hunting bankers."

"Are you?" asked Val, "What, all of you?"

They nodded, some with more energy and enthusiasm than others.

"But what about Alb and Gerry's plan to attack Parliament?"

"We thought they could handle that on their own," said Tom, "that would free us up to take out some of these greedy buggers in city suits."

"Sounds rather complicated to me," said Val, "and how can Albie and Gerry take out Parliament on their own? Actually I don't think we can do that, the whole thing is ridiculous, if you ask me."

"But we're not," said Tom.

"Not what?"

"Not asking you."

"Charming." She looked at Ken, waiting for support but it was not forthcoming.

"It adds to their plan," he said, "...we take down a few bankers and they attack Parliament. It sends a message that we're unhappy and we can still have an impact if we want to."

With the exception of Val the others all nodded.

∞

Mags and Alb had their heads together in the corner. Gerry was trying very hard not to feel left out; his best friend and the woman he admired but who never seemed to notice him. If it weren't for the serious nature of what was going on at the moment he might have had to say something. As it was he amused himself by watching the room start to fill up.

Mort and Nobby were sitting together at the back, had been there some time, Mort looking spaced as usual and Nobby trying to engage him in hopeless conversation. Frank came in and flopped down next to Nobby, putting his newspaper down to save a place, probably for Lenny.

Dora and Esmé walked in together, with Cynthia bringing up the rear, all three casting nervous glances over at the spot so recently occupied by a dead body. Cynthia held her hand to her nose, as if to protect herself from any lingering smell. Ken and Val sidled in, joined at the hip as usual. Wilf came in at a march, head stuck out, looking for trouble. Bill and Ron entered, talking civilly to one another, by the looks of it, then Dave, Sticky and Tom, and Gray and Gil, no Reg. The door closed then opened again as Vera hurried in.

"Alb, Mags, looks like most of 'em are here," Gerry could wait no longer to disturb their tête a tête.

"Before you start in there, Alb," said Wilf, "you need to know that we're doing our own op."
Alb's mouth opened in surprise.

"Actually, so are we," said Cynthia.

"And us," said Ken.

"What?" said Gerry getting up alongside Alb, "you can't go splintering off, this is a team effort."

"Well, we didn't like that Bob chap," said Tom, nodding at the now empty space, "and we don't really trust your Mackie friend, no offence Mags, and anyhow, we want to go it alone."

"We're going to picket the fast food chains," said Dora.

"Well we're going to take some bankers down," said a thoroughly invigorated Ken.

"We're going after the Muslims," said Wilf.

"Hold on, hold on," said Gerry, "we can't do all of that."

"You aren't," said Vera, "we are."

There were general nods and much mumbling of approval for their own individual schemes. The door at the back opened and Harry came in, quickly followed by Lenny who moved to the seat held vacant by Frank's newspaper.

"What we gonna do, Alb?" said Gerry, "the whole thing's coming undone."

"It's that Mackie's fault," muttered Alb, "he's confused everything."

"It was our idea," said Gerry, "now everyone's trying to take over."

"Well, we've told you how we feel," said Cynthia standing up and turning to leave, "so we should do our planning separately from now on."

Some of the others started to stand up but subsided quickly when Mags rose, obviously in a fury, "I don't believe what I'm hearing," she said, hands on substantial hips, "you've just been told how the system works by someone who used to run these shows and you're still thinking of making piddling, ineffective and meaningless shows of resistance."

"Don't you start, Margaret Pickles," said Cynthia, "we're not going to let you boss us around the way Alb and Gerry do."

Alb frowned and harrumphed, Gerry cleared his throat and was about to comment when the door opened and Pete and Fiona sidled in. All heads turned and Fiona coloured, hand going to the pearls at her throat.

Mags spoke again. "I don't boss anyone around Cynthia Carlyle, but I do know what I'm talking about, which is more than can be said for you."

"How dare you," yelped Cynthia.

"How dare I? How dare you? What difference do you think your little plans will have on the whole scheme of things, eh? Tell me."

"Well we...." began Dora.

"Say you picket a few fast food chains, do you think people will listen to you, do you think you will stop their trade? If so for how long? An hour? Half a day? A whole day? And you," she continued, turning to berate Ken, "you're going to take some bankers down. How? And do you really think that will terrify the banking community?"

She walked towards Wilf who stood his ground, Ron cowering behind him, "And as for you lot, you're going to attack the Muslim community. What all four of you? There's over 3 million of them, what effect can you possibly have on the whole scheme of things?"

"There's five of us for the op," Wilf said sullenly, "But Johnno's having a lie down."

The room was uncomfortably silent. Alb glanced round, said, "Where's Jonesey?"

There was a chorus of 'allotment' and Harry volunteered to go and fetch him, hastily departing before the atmosphere got any worse.

Mags continued relentlessly, the interruption not swaying her from her path, "The media will portray you all as fanatical racist old fogies, you'll be castigated. They will crush anything you hope to start within minutes. Why do you think Alb and Gerry decided to attack Parliament?" She was at her indomitable best, all resemblance to the contented matron doling out cake and comfort a distant memory. No-one attempted to answer, they muttered, and shuffled and looked at the floor or the walls or the ceiling. "Because that's the power base, that's how they control everything and everyone, if we destroy the power base then we weaken them and those who follow can change things."

Finally Cynthia's dislike of Mags over rode caution. "Change things how?" she demanded.

"They can change the laws," said Mags, "and make things difficult for fast food chains, they can ensure we don't introduce Sharia law, they can reduce immigration and imprison bankers."

"But how do we know they'll do that?" demanded Dora.

"How will they even know why we've done what we've done?" asked Dave.

"We'll leave suicide videos," offered Lenny, "like the Muslims."

"Hey, that's good, I like that," said Wilf, "I've always wanted to make one of those."

"Really?" said Cynthia.

"Actually that's a brilliant idea, Lenny," said Mags, "then we could all leave our reasons for doing what we're doing and we could attack them at their core, how's that for a plan?"

They looked at one another, and gradually one by one, nodded their agreement.

"Great," said Alb, keen not to lose the moment, "now let's choose a name."

"Not so fast, Albert," said Cynthia, "I think we should all get together into our groups and discuss what we've just heard."

"And when we come back can we have some more Angel cake?" asked Mort, "I really liked the last lot you made, Morag."

"Morag?" mouthed Mags to Alb. He shook his head and whispered, "Just go with it."

"We need to make sure everyone's in on this," said Gerry, "Harry should be back with Jonesey shortly, but we need Johnno and Reg as well."

"And whilst you're at it you can think about what we can call ourselves," said Alb.

Cheers for reading

Arun








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