The Flame of Life

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Handley stood up to open the session: ‘It seems to me — because I’m not blind — that certain power blocs are forming in this community, which between them will deaden the life of all future meetings. It’ll come down to the stupid brute strength of party politics, which are anathema in a true democracy. Innovation may be possible, but real human progress will be out of the question.’

Thirteen people sat along both sides of the table, and a snap vote had already decided that no one could occupy the head or foot, so he moved next to Maria, the tallest of the au pair girls with blue-black hair and sultry eyes, who felt uneasy that he was so close, and wanted to move away.

‘There’s been an immovable power bloc at these meetings ever since they began,’ Enid said, ‘and that’s been you. Maybe we will end up with two sides, but that’ll be better than being manipulated like puppets.’

‘It’s been fair give and take,’ he said.

Myra stood. ‘I’ll explain what we want. There are a few of us who believe it’s time that the domestic work was divided equally between the men and women.’

Her slight pause enabled Handley to snap into argument: ‘And who’s going to give me a hand with my painting? Who’ll work with Frank on his book? There’ll be no lack of volunteers, I expect, to help Cuthbert to do damn-all, or to muck in with Dean and his pot-smoking.’

‘That’s not the point,’ Enid said. ‘This place is nothing but a holiday camp for those with a penis. Otherwise it’s shopping, or sewing, or washing, or cooking or cleaning. I’m not doing any more unless the men share — and as a duty, not a bit of skylarking when they want exercise or a change of scenery to make them feel good. So if you don’t help, we stop work altogether, and you can live off tinned food and wear paper shirts — or however you want it.’

‘This is the most uncivilised notion I ever heard of,’ said Handley. ‘Don’t you think so?’ he called to Dean, set between Enid and Maricarmen.

‘You’ll get no change out of sponger,’ Mandy laughed. ‘If he doesn’t vote with us he won’t get another crust.’

‘He’ll feel that bloody road under his feet if he does,’ said Handley.

Dean knew he shouldn’t smile, but was unable to do anything else to save face. His narrow eyes had no smile in them, only a desire to explain to Handley the truth about his position. He disliked all of them except Enid, but couldn’t say so because the idea of pushing on to the Smoke didn’t seem so good compared to the lotus-ease of this slack mob. He cunningly kept silent, knowing she would stick up for him.

‘He votes how he likes,’ she said to Handley, ‘so stop badgering him. It’s wonderful how nasty you can get when you think somebody might be trying to take your power away.’

‘How will you arrange the work?’

‘I’ve planned it already,’ Myra said. ‘There are twelve of us, so three can be on duty every day. That means you work one day in four, which isn’t so bad. It should be feasible, with good will all round.’

‘There are thirteen of us,’ he pointed out.

‘Dean’s not part of the schedule,’ Enid told him, ‘being the general caretaker and errand-runner. He’ll have plenty to do, don’t worry.’

‘He’s stunned with drugs most of the time,’ Handley said. ‘All he’s fit for is sleeping in the car like a dog, on a bowwow trip to the bone factory. I’ve noticed Cuthbert’s not above a little pull at the old weed now and again. Nor is Mandy. Oh yes, I’ve seen you at it. I know you think I’m a tight-arsed reactionary, but your brains’ll get softer than they are already if you keep on with it. You should have more sense than to drag that crap into your lungs. I’ll tell you another thing: if anybody in the village gets a whiff of it you’ll have the bloody constabulary down on us like a pack of elephants. And if it spreads at the rate it’s going, this house will be belching it from the chimneys for everybody to flake out at.’

‘It relaxes you,’ said Mandy. ‘Why don’t you take some? There’d be more peace in the house.’

There was a glint in Handley’s eyes. He had diverted them from the main issue — though this was serious enough. ‘I’m proposing,’ he said ‘that we put it to the vote: do we allow drugs on the premises, or not?’

‘It’s a matter of free will,’ Myra said. ‘If they want to smoke pot there’s no harm in it.’

‘If I’m honest with myself,’ Handley said, ‘I agree with you. But you’re the official householder on this compound, and if the coppers find grass and such stuff they’ll get you in court.’

‘He’s right,’ Dawley said.

‘I smoked it in Tangier,’ Myra told them, ‘though I didn’t let it get a grip. It’s a stupid law that says you can’t smoke it, and the general policy of the community is, as I’ve always understood it, that such rules aren’t to be taken notice of. The good laws of society might be necessary from time to time, but not those that try to tell us what we can and can’t do with our own minds and bodies.’

‘Hear, hear,’ said Richard.

‘I had a smoke the other night,’ Enid told them, ‘but it gave me stomach ache.’

Ralph came in with the coffee.

‘I expect he has, as well,’ said Handley.

He smiled. ‘Often. I smuggled it when I was on my world trip three years ago.’

‘Everybody smokes it now and again,’ said Adam.

‘You too?’ Handley demanded.

‘Not much. But I have. Haven’t we, Richard?’

Richard reached for a cup of coffee. ‘We had a smoke-in with Maria and Catalina last night, in the Operations Room.’

‘That’s why they’re always so bloody dopey then,’ said Handley. ‘I expect you mix a bit with Eric Bloodaxe’s food. He has been a bit quiet lately.’

‘It’s an idea,’ said Cuthbert.

‘You keep off him,’ Handley shouted angrily. ‘That dog’s as innocent as driven snow.’

‘In Malaga,’ said Maricarmen, ‘there are vendors on every corner selling it. It comes from Morocco, just over the water. It’s the peoples’ opium though. I hate it.’

Handley lit a cigar. His plan was broken. ‘Don’t think you shock me. But don’t go smoking it in the shop or pub. I don’t mind us being had up for poaching or any other honest to God escapade. We can handle that. But the bastards are red hot on this stuff.’

‘About this domestic issue,’ said Enid. ‘Who’s in favour of work being shared equally as a duty between men and women?’

Handley stood. ‘Before we go through’ with this farce, let me say something else. With thirteen pair of hands there’ll be more people than there’s work for. So on the grounds of general economy I think we won’t be needing the help of Maria and Catalina’ — believing that if he could get them sacked before the vote was taken the women might not have a majority.

‘If they go,’ said Myra gently, ‘you’ll work one day in three instead of one in four, because we’ll still win by a small margin.’

He sat down. ‘A bit of good old healthy ballot-rigging has been going on, has it?’

Enid, Myra, Mandy, Ralph, Maricarmen, Dean, Maria and Catalina voted in favour. Handley, Cuthbert, Dawley, Adam and Richard cast against — a majority no one could gainsay.

‘This is the end of peace,’ said Handley, before walking out of the room. ‘I don’t expect I shall ever paint another picture!’

Everyone was so excited about the new regime that Shelley’s notebooks were forgotten. Handley had remembered them, but thought they could stay where they were. Who knew what other bright ideas they might give Maricarmen?