Page 62 of Blood Pearl

‘Xavier said he thought it was around Gerry quitting. I did not expect him to quit.’

There’s your first problem. You, or the Council, dishonored him by trying to silence him. He would not have willingly discussed Eve Planter’s death, and you know that. Would you also expect him to remain silent if ‘you’ asked ‘him’ anything? You would expect him to share any information for the good of the Council. He has put his life on the line many times and that was the respect he was shown?

‘Your words shame me, Bruno. I do know all these things.’

And yet it all slipped your mind. What could have caused you to disrespect him in this way?

‘I don’t know, yet. I will find myself again, though. And the reason for this.’

Before I can begin my self-evaluation, I receive a mind link summoning me to the Council chamber. On arrival, all the members are present. Ulmer’s face is so red I’m not sure if he needs medical aid.

“What kept you?” Ulmer demands.

“Nothing kept me. I came as soon as I received the Council's request. What has happened?” I look around the room, searching each face for a clue.

“Why did you not inform the Council that Council Warrior Gerry had resigned?” Ulmer’s red face gets darker with each word he utters.

“The Council Warriors do not come under my umbrella of responsibilities. After the death of Holah, Lykos took on that duty.”

Lykos looks questioningly at myself and then Ulmer. “I have had other warriors resign and some have been dismissed. You have not called a meeting for any of those. Why would the Council need to know of Gerry’s resignation?”

Ulmer takes a deep breath and regains some of his composure. “He was a long-standing member of our warriors. One of the best. We should have been informed. We may have been able to persuade him to stay.”

His words make no sense. He knew Gerry’s feelings toward the order to be silent. It wouldn’t come as a shock for him to resign.

“You knew of Gerry’s refusal to accept the order to silence him. I made you aware of how strongly he disagreed with both the Council’s decision to not tell the Alpha’s and the order.”

“Just a minute there, Flint. Decision not to tell the Alpha’s what? And who agreed to an order of silence for Gerry? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Can it even be done?” Roman looks around the room and everyone's eyes fall to Ulmer. “And silence Gerry for what purpose? What might he say that needs to be kept unsaid?”

“You all signed the order at our last meeting. We all signed for Gerry to be kept silenced.” Ulmer looks around the room, but I feel something has been slipped by the Council as no-one seems to be aware of any order.

“This is why when you gave me the instruction to speak to Gerry there was just the two of us. You got the order signed by the Council without them realizing. Oh, my Goddess, Ulmer. What have you done?”

“I was protecting the Council. Upholding our integrity in the eyes of the packs.”

“What is he talking about, Flint? I don’t understand.” Roman's words are echoed around the room.

“When Gerry went to apprehend Eve from her home, she admitted everything to him. She had thought she was safe from discovery, but had planned for any eventuality. When Gerry was talking to her and she knew she would be found guilty, she drank from a jug that appeared to be a fruit tea or some such beverage. It was poison. She committed suicide rather than face us, the Council. I reported to Ulmer, as he was the one closest to Eve. I thought I was doing the decent thing by telling him privately. He told me he would inform you all of the tragic event.”

“I couldn’t let her suicide be known. It would be her final shame. She was my friend for more than forty years. She would have brought dishonor to the Council. I only wanted what was best all round. I’m so sorry.”

“Your actions have put us in the worst possible position. You have withheld information from the council and the packs, fraudulently had an order signed by the Council. Caused the resignation of one of our greatest warriors. When this is revealed you may have done irreparable damage to the future of this Council.” I don’t understand what he could possibly have hoped to achieve by this nonsense.

“Ulmer, you have done exactly what you hoped to avoid with your actions. We have to notify all the Alpha’s of Eve’s death and your misguided attempts to save her from shame. The Goddess only knows how we do that.” Roman stares at Ulmer, hoping, I assume, for some inspiration.

“I will resign immediately and exile myself from the Council lands and our pack areas. I will move into the Northern Parklands.” Ulmer isn’t able to look any of us in the eye as he tells us this.

“Oh no, you won’t.” Merry declares angrily. “There’s too much of this escaping accountability. You will call an Alpha meeting of all our pack Alpha’s. You will chair the meeting and tell them everything. After answering any and all questions, you will call on them for their ‘opinion’ on what your punishment should be. We, as the Council, will then make the final decision on that matter. Porter. You are now the longest standing member of this Council. What say you?”

“I have seen the Council deal with many things over the years, each seemingly worse than the previous. I believe we have dealt with worse situations than this, however, this could have far-reaching repercussions. This shows the Council in such deceit that the Alpha’s could simply vote no confidence in those that sit here today and call for a completely new set of members. Could anyone blame them?” Porter looks sad and drawn by these proceedings.

“I think Merry’s suggestion has merit and that we should vote on it. All those in favor, aye. All those against, nay.” It is a unanimous vote in favor.

Ulmer stands in front of us and speaks softly. “I would ask that Merry makes the necessary arrangements of date, time and location. I will hold myself at the Council’s bidding in my home until such time as they require me. My apologies to you all.”

Watching Ulmer leave the chamber. I cannot help the feeling of sorrow that overcomes me. Eve’s behavior of late and then her suicide has affected Ulmer deeply. Perhaps my own feelings of sorrow toward him prevented me from seeing the web of lies he spun around me. Maybe that was where my own mental confusion lay. My subconscious recognized I was being deceived, but my conscious refused to accept it.

Leaving the chamber, I need to retire to my room and get some perspective on all this.