Rainbow Bridge by Gwyneth Jones Read Free Book Online Page B

Ax. ‘We can’t be out of sight with the paramilitaries. This has to be done in public, but in our control.’
    ‘Let’s have some dignity, aye,’ agreed the leader of English Islam.
    Ax went to warn the baby-minders. George told the escort to stall for a few minutes, the main space of the marquee was swiftly re-organised. Richard and his company marched in to find Ax and his friends, with their Islamic allies, ranged in a hollow square, the Triumvirate at the back, cross-legged on a camp-bed divan. Crew persons started cranking up the walls: letting in the cold grey day.
    ‘I’ve come for that meeting you promised me, Ax,’ said Richard.
    ‘Are you sure you’re in the right place?’ asked Chip, who had not found his coat, and sat cloaked in a multicoloured blanket. ‘This is the non-violent solutions tent. Anger management is somewhere else.’
    Velcro ripped, and a frantic child came shooting out of the crèche. He saw the guns and began to scream, racing for Dora, holding up his pudgy little hands.
    ‘Mama, mama come inside! Don’t shoot my mama! DON’T DARE!’
    Rob came after, grabbed Mamba and swept the kid up in his arms. Smelly Hugh followed, hugging Safire. ‘I’m well sorry,’ said Smelly. ‘I sed you can’t go out, there’s men with guns, an’ Mamba went berserk.’
    Rob glared at the barmies.
    ‘You’ll have to excuse him. My kids don’t like guns.’
    ‘They’ve seen enough guns,’ cried Felice, appearing behind Smelly, with Ferdelice clinging to her hand. ‘We all have. Are you fuckers out of your minds ?’
    Safire began to howl very quietly, hiding her face.
    ‘I wasn’t planning on a meeting,’ said Ax. ‘I’ve told you how I feel. But if you guys want to talk things over, that’s fine. Hand your weapons to security, please, for safe-keeping. F’lice, cool down, it’s not necessary.’
    Richard relinquished his pistol. Cornelius Sampson, the old soldier, another British Army veteran and Richard’s long-time lover, ignored the instruction. He was not searched. The rest of them disarmed fairly willingly, under Felice’s baleful eyes.
    ‘See,’ murmured Rob. ‘See, nobody’s going to shoot anyone. C’mon, good boy, let’s go back in the warm.’
    The children and their minders retired. Richard noticed for the first time that the tent walls had been raised, and that there was an audience looking in, held back by a cordon of Rangers and security crew.
    ‘What’s going on—!’
    ‘We think this should be in the open,’ said Sage. ‘Don’t you agree?’
    ‘All right,’ said the Colonel, with a deep breath, and a shine in his eyes. They saw they’d made him hopeful, but they couldn’t help it. ‘All right, that’s all right.’
    Chairs were brought for Colonel Kent and for Cornelius. The rest of the deputation sat easily on the floor, chiefs of staff in the front row. The history of these dozen or so eco-warrior vets, including one woman, went back to the original Green rampage, when Pigsty Liver had been in charge. Richard Kent had tamed them by appointing them as general staff, but the discipline they’d acquired only made them more of a threat now. And each of them was a chieftain, commanding hundreds, perhaps thousands of hardcore, volatile followers.
    ‘I’m here at Ashdown to organise the armed resistance,’ announced Richard, as if he were doomed to repeat this line until somebody answered him.
    Ax looked at Cornelius. He’d been hoping Corny might be a voice of restraint, but he saw the tough old man’s expression, and his heart sank.
    ‘I think everyone’s heard the message, Rich. And I told you, it’s a bad idea.’
    ‘I can hardly believe I’m saying this, but that sounds like cowardice, Ax. And I can’t believe I had to come and find you hiding behind the non-combatants — ’
    ‘I love the way that’s become a big insult,’ snapped Dora.
    ‘We’re not here to insult your womenfolk, Ax,’ shouted one of the chiefs. ‘We just want