FREE BOOK 'Corpalism' by Arun D Ellis from Amazon for Kindle/PC/mobile from Friday 28th Feb 2020 to Tues 3rd Mar 2020 - perhaps something to read whilst we're all in quarantine

The next meeting was being held at Donald’s. Terry had wanted to be there early but Donald had said he’d need time to prepare the rest of the committee. Reluctantly Terry’d agreed to arrive a little after the meeting started, about 8:15. The group was in place, desultory conversations underway before the meeting proper was called to order. Tom had arrived promptly, happy to have the meeting away from his home, and now stood in conversation with Jimmy who’d been filling the rest of them in on his brief spell in incarceration, some nonsense about birds falling and the Bible. Donald was still working out how to broach the subject of Terry when the doorbell rang, causing immediate consternation and a couple of those present got up to leave.

“It’s alright,” said Donald, “that’ll be Terry.”

“How’s that alright?” asked Tom.

“We’ve vetted him,” said Donald.

“Without the committee?” questioned Eric.

Sandra and Terry entered the room. Donald got up and whispered something in Sandra’s ear; she nodded and took Terry through to the kitchen.

“Yes, Eric” said Donald, “there were exceptional circumstances.”

“There must’ve been,” said Tom.

“Like what?” demanded Dave, a short man, pugnacious and handy-looking.

“Dad has it sorted,” said Don, stepping in to cover his father, “we’ll explain when Terry comes in.”

“I’m not sure I want to do this,” said Tom.

“I don’t see why we need anybody else,” said Eric, remaining seated but perched on the edge of the chair, a long-legged creature preparing for flight, “I mean, there are a lot of us already and the risks of discovery are only growing.”

“Come on Eric, Terry can help us,” said Don, now firmly convinced, he was displaying all the vigour in Terry’s defence of an ex-smoker denouncing the evil weed.

“He can fight,” said Jimmy, “I vouch for that and that comes in useful when you’re out there.”

“Maybe,” said Eric, “but what does that have to do with us? Why does he have to see us?”

“Because we’re all in this together,” said Donald, “besides I’m hoping he can teach us all to fight a bit.”

“What the hell for?” demanded Tom, “I’m not fighting anyone.”

“And what if we’re discovered ever? What do you think they’re going to do with us? Pat us on the head? Tell us we’ve been naughty?” Donald was almost biblical in his sudden fury. “You know what happened to Mike …they’re either going to murder us in our homes or in their cells or they’re going to throw us in prison, you know what kind of people exist in prison?”

“Nobody said any of this before,” said Tom, “I’ve never wanted any trouble, you know that, Donald.”

“D’you want to run the daily risk of being beaten to death? Of being murdered in your cell for the want of being able to handle yourself? Do you want to be gang raped in the showers?”

“No but,” struggled Tom.

“Oh, come on, Tom,” said Dave, “we’ve always known there’s risks to all this, that’s why you were so keen to get out the door just now.”

“But I don’t think we should antagonize them.”

“Look,” said Donald, striving for calm, “it’s a fact, we’re all breaking their laws by doing what we’re doing, we’re breaking them right now by have this meeting. If they ever catch onto us or decide to stamp down on the sink then we’ll have no choice but to try and defend ourselves.”

“Yer, right on,” said Jimmy.

“You know what I think,” Tom was insistent, “I think if they come we could always just comply, let them do what they want and then maybe they’ll let us go.”

“Why?” murmured Eric, still teetering on the edge of his seat, “why would they let anyone go?”

“It makes sense,” said Tom, “they can’t lock everyone up and they certainly can’t kill everyone.”

“Can’t they?” questioned Donald, “it’s been done before, we all know that.”

“It wasn’t like that,” said Tom.

“Wasn’t it?” demanded Dave, pushing close to Tom “what planet have you been living on? Don’t tell me you’ve managed to put all that stuff out of your mind? Hidden it away somewhere?”

“No of course not,” said Tom, “but that was so long ago now, they’d never do it again, besides there was always the element of doubt.”

“Doubt?” snapped Don, “What the fuck do you mean doubt?”

“Well I didn’t mean anything by it,” said Tom defensively, “just that the government always said that they were terrorists and revolutionaries…”

“Oh, so you believed they were all enemies of the state, did you Tom?” demanded Dave, “since when? As I remember it, you were there with the rest of us on the picket lines demanding fair rights and decent incomes for all.”

“I know,” said Tom, “Look, stop … you’re getting me all mixed up.”

“Are you sure it isn’t you we should be worried about?” asked Dave, “I mean you’re the weak link here.”

“That’s enough, Dave,” said Donald. “Leave him alone.” Dave looked like he had more to say but shrugged instead and sat down. “Come on Tom, sit down and we can explain.” Tom fidgeted from foot to foot and then returned to his seat. “Alright, all of you listen … Terry was sent here on penal, for various reasons he got behind with his loans and rent and as we all know they don’t like it when you can’t pay.”

“So what you sayin’ now, he’s a debtor?” asked Eric, he rose up from his perch and looked towards the door, “’cause we all know, if they’ve got something on you like that, they use it.”

“Yeah,” said Lawrence, speaking for the first time, “he could be a plant or a snitch.”

“We‘re aware of the possibility,” said Don, “but Dad has thought this one through.”

“Oh?” questioned Eric; “Donald has done all of this, has he?”

“Come off it Eric,” said Dave “Donald’s got us where we are today.”

Eric breathed deeply, “Well go on, you might as well finish, we’re here, he’s here, let’s just hope he didn’t bring the police with him.”

“Do you think he could’ve done that?” asked Tom.

“No, you idiot,” said Dave, “he’s messing with you.”

“Are you Eric?” asked Tom, “Are you …”

“Well, Donald? Am I?” said Eric.

“Look I’ll level with you,” said Donald, “it’ll probably get out anyway … these things always do.”

“What will?” asked Lawrence.

“Terry used to work for Relocations.”

The room fell silent as they considered the implications.

“And we’re sat here, having this discussion?” asked Eric eventually.

“We should be in there,” Dave pointed to the kitchen, “beating the crap out of that bastard.”

“By all means be my guest,” offered Jimmy, “but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“He’s one of them, Donald,” pressed Eric, “he’s the enemy.”

“We should just leave now,” said Tom.

“No, he’s not,” said Donald forcefully, “he’s just like us.”

“How can he be?” demanded Dave, “he worked in Relocations, he could still work for them.”

“If he does then he must be some kinda masochist,” said Jimmy, “’cause they really beat the crap out of him, I’m not kidding.”

“Well, if they could do that then what use is he to us, I mean if he’s not that good a fighter he can’t….” began Lawrence.

“Oh, he can fight alright,” said Jimmy, “Don’t misunderstand, they had him trapped in a cell and they swamped him, not much anyone could do.”

“Okay,” said Lawrence, “but Donald, really? Relocations? And you think we can trust him?”

“Yes I do,” said Donald “and I think you should all talk with him, hear what he has to say, how he says it. Then I think you’ll understand my confidence in him.”

There was a moment of silence whilst each man thought a bit and scanned the reactions of his colleagues.

“Well, okay,” said Eric finally, “we’re here and so…well, I guess we should hear him out.”

“Okay then, I agree,” Dave nodded, illustrating the point, “you’ve never lead us wrong before Donald, so yeah, let’s have him in here.”

“I still don’t know,” said Tom.

“Well, if Don and Jimmy both go for it,” said Lawrence “I guess it might be okay.”

“We’re already in,” said Don, speaking for Jimmy who nodded vigorously.

“Tom?” asked Donald, “you know we need your ‘yes’ vote.”

“Oh, come on, for Christ sake,” said Dave, “strap on a pair won’t you.”

“Don’t you…” snapped Tom, pointing his finger at Dave, “you’re always riding me; I just don’t like the sound of it, that’s all. He’s already admitted to working for them in Relocations… I mean, Relocations,” his voice rose on the word, “so he must be one of them.”

“Look,” said Donald, “all I’m asking is that you listen to the boy and give him a chance.”

Tom looked down and clenched his trembling hands, “I don’t like it, Donald,” he said, “I really don’t.” He looked round for support and finding none, nodded once.

Consensus achieved, Donald quickly left the room and came back in with his daughter and Terry; hand in hand. Releasing Sandra gently Terry took up position into the middle of the room, casually maintaining a visual all round. He appeared relaxed and only mildly interested; a condition only Jimmy knew not to trust.

“Okay,” said Donald, “if you have anything you want to ask Terry, now’s the time.”

“Are you a spy for Relocations?” asked Dave, his head pushed forward, a belligerent terrier.

“Dad!” said Sandra.

“Oh come on, Dave,” said Eric, “that’s not how you do it.”

“Yeah, that’s right Dave,” said Tom, “you ask him.”

“Guys,” said Donald, “let’s just keep it civil shall we, okay.”

“It’s okay, Donald,” said Terry, “I was expecting this, look for what it’s worth I was never one of them and I was never a part of the system.”

“But you worked for them in Relocations,” said Eric, putting the same question but more gently.

“Yeah,” said Terry, “but remember, I was born into that stuff, I didn’t know the ins and outs of it all. It was just what was expected of me.”

“And that makes it alright does it?” asked Dave, “The fact that you didn’t know you were a Nazi bastard.”

“Dad,” said Sandra.

“Come on guys,” said Donald.

“And what do they expect of you now?” asked Lawrence.

“I think they expect me to rot,” answered Terry, “and to work for nothing until the day I die.”

“But you could understand us not trusting you,” said Lawrence, “I mean you were one of them.”

“As far as I knew, as far as any of us knew we were the good guys, it was the people we were relocating who were the villains, the thieves, the slobs, the benefit cheats, the lazy lay-a-bouts, the rebels, the revolutionaries, the trouble makers.”

“Okay,” said Don, “we get the picture.” He was affronted; Terry was not making defending him an easy task.

“Yeah, well,” said Terry, “it was all we knew, so it was only natural that we did everything that was expected of us. I mean my ex-colleagues are still in there doing it and they won’t know what’s wrong with that. As far as they’re concerned they are on the side of right.”

“But that doesn’t justify it,” said Dave, “it doesn’t justify anything.”

“I’m not saying it does,” said Terry.

“And it doesn’t excuse you,” added Eric.

“And I’m not looking for that either, I know now that what I did was wrong, that I was sending people to a ghetto. Not to put too fine a point on it - I know we were servants of a corrupt system, one designed to control and manipulate people. But that’s my burden and I expect to carry it.” He was doing his pompous bit but they didn’t seem to notice.

“Yeah,” said Tom, “but how do we know you aren’t still working for them?”

“Let me see…” Terry leaned his head to one side, pretending to consider the question. “I’ve lost my job, my home, I’m stuffed financially, I live in virtual squalor, I clean some of the most disgusting toilets you’ve ever seen, I’ve been abducted, beaten, starved, interrogated and generally fucked over, so exactly what kind of job description covers that?”

“It would fit comfortably with a plant,” said Eric.

Terry looked at him, “What can I say, if that’s what you think then I don’t know how to convince you otherwise.”

“I didn’t say it’s what I think,” said Eric, “I just said it’s what you’d expect of a plant.”

“Look,” said Donald, “let’s get this into perspective; we’re not a big crime syndicate or a major terrorist cell, we just smuggle stuff into the sink to help make people’s lives a bit better. They wouldn’t have to do these things to a plant, not for us, we’re low level on their books. They’d just have to have someone snooping around, someone who was inconspicuous and just fitted in, that doesn’t exactly cover Terry, does it?

“You’ve got a point,” said Dave, “he has stuck out a bit. And to be fair if they’re going to go to such lengths for a bit of smuggling, what would they have to do for real terrorists?”

“Probably beat them to death,” said Don smirking.

“And then piss on them,” added Jimmy.

“And burn the ashes.”

“Where’d the ashes come into it? And anyway, you can’t burn ashes, Don” said Eric.

“I know that, don’t I, it was just something to say.”

Donald lay back in his chair, listening to them bicker, ‘Sorted’.

“Alright, Donald,” said Eric, “I’m in.”

“Me too,” said Dave and Lawrence at the same time.

“Tom?” asked Donald.

Tom grimaced a bit, rubbed his hands then said, “I guess so, if everyone else thinks it’s ok, Donald, then I’m in too.”

“Good,” said Donald, “then let’s talk about the 23rd.”

Cheers for reading

Arun


Amazon.co.uk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007PJJE2...


Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/Corpalism-Arun...


Other books in the series




'Corpalism' is the compendium editions which includes -










'Daydream Believers' is the Compendium edition which includes










'Wise Eyed Open' is the Compendium edition which includes