Coope hadn't let the grass grow under her feet after her partner Elaine had told her about the upcoming seminar, "Imprisonment and modernization." As soon as the brochure came off the printing press, she had discreetly steered a fresh copy into John's in tray. As soon he ran his eye over it, his intuitive suspicions were immediately aroused. Scanning the subject material only roused his wrath
"This is an absolute put-up job, Coope," he exclaimed, waving the brochure wildly in the air." It's totally scandalous. One look at this tells me that those crooks plan to rig the meeting so that they get the answers that they want. After all, wasn't there a 'Crime and Punishment' conference not so long ago?"
"I couldn't possibly comment judge,"Coope commented dryly with a knowing smirk on her face as she turned to look at him. It was the way she made sure that he could see the expression on her face that brought up John short. He examined the brochure carefully
"Coope, just how did we get a copy of this brochure? It isn't as if I've done anything to cause Neil Haughton and his cronies in the Home Office to go out of his way to tell us about this Conference. My participation in the 'Crime and Punishment' seminar only gives further reason for my card to well and truly marked."
"You have an advance copy," Coope said with a blank face." I have a close friend who told me about it. She's heard of you and thought you'd be interested in it."
"And how reliable is your friend?"
"I've known her for a long time, since my days in the Army. I'd say I've got as much trust in her as anyone I've ever known."
To John's ears, this friend of Coope was bracketed with the anonymous network of reliable contacts with which she worked her wonders to perform. The fact that she was a long-term friend of Coope meant that she would be exactly as reliable as she said. This gave John confidence as he started to make his plans. He had turned away from Coope and pretended to himself that he would examine the next court file. What he missed was the look of disappointment in Coope's face. He was not to know that when the supreme moment came to proudly declare the existence of her partner, Elaine Porter, she had made a hateful compromise and then compounded it by swathing her in anonymity. She had once made a promise to herself that she would talk about her partner Elaine to the judge and she'd let herself down. Her later attempts to make her special only rang hollow to her. At that moment, she did not feel good about herself.
"I swear that I'll get to that conference by hook or by crook and give them a piece of my mind," John exclaimed, his mind clearly not on his work. To his great surprise, Coope didn't respond with her accustomed advice to be careful. He repeated his promise and at last got a reaction from her.
"Isn't there a danger that they're trying to set you up as being elitist?" Coope observed more sharply than she was used to. She had had more time than John to mull over the matter and found this conundrum easier to deal with than her own feelings.
"Me, elitist?" John exclaimed." I certainly don't pander to what is supposedly popular opinion but that's only what the grubby tabloids say what ordinary people think."
"It's not for me to say, judge," Coope started to say in her accustomed fashion when John cut her short.
"I disagree, Coope. If I'm asking you nicely to speak your mind on this point as I value what you have to say, then how can you refuse me?"
"You are a very courageous and learned man in your own field," Coope told him, looking sharply at him," but you need outside help. I remember you telling me how impressed you were by Helen at that last conference, and Nikki also now that you've got to know them both. We know her better now and also their intelligent friends. You need to consider what they do for a living and what they might know professionally. You never know what you find when you start looking."
John blinked at the sense of certainty behind his PA's very assured words. On the one hand, it made perfect sense and appealed to his inquisitive mind. On the other hand, he remembered Coope once telling him that she'd become involved in their social scene. That wasn't surprising as they were all intelligent, compassionate women who would obviously have a lot in common with each other, just as he had found in talking to Helen and Nikki and also to Margaret. It made him sit up and take notice.
"The first thing I need to do is to make sure that I get to go rather than any other judge. I want my hands on the invitation."
"I'm sure you'll get it, judge. No one else looks for trouble quite as much as you do," Coope replied with a cheery smile, which made John laugh out loud.
*********
"Of course, you are the obvious choice from the brethren to go to the conference," Monty pronounced over a glass of wine in his chambers." We need someone with the tenacity, the sheer bloody-mindedness not to give them an inch."
"What if they refuse my application and insist on someone else instead?" John questioned, his mind already starting to race
"You should know that the brethren don't like being pushed around. They'll lay the blame at Haughton's door. Even the more conservative elements will side with us and will make their views plain. The Home Office will capitulate."
"That's good to know, Monty," John said in heartfelt tones.
"You are planning of course that those very free spirited women, Nikki and Helen will be insinuated into the proceedings," Monty questioned with a twinkle in his eye." You will need allies in this battle."
"The same thought had crossed my mind, Monty. I rather think that with all its paranoia, the Home Office will be utterly unable to trace the links of loyalty that exist between Helen and Nikki and all their various friends," grinned John. As he sipped his glass of wine, his active mind started to plan ahead, pulling in all kinds of ideas and possibilities out of the seeming nowhere. A broad smile started to spread across his face as he wondered if their very remarkable and quick-witted older friend might be willing to join the battle. There were distinct possibilities there.
********
"You know what is expected of you," Neil Haughton said to Sir Percy Thrower, the rather overweight and infinitely malleable Permanent Secretary. Dressed in a blue pin striped suit, he did his best to assume the stern and severe demeanour of his political master but had the sneaking suspicion that he hadn't got that ruthless arrogance. He suppressed that treacherous thought and tried to stiffen his resolve. If he wanted to further his career, he had to.
"So what does chairing this conference involve?" he asked guardedly, "Are there any issues I ought to know about?"
In the rarefied, jargonized world on high, there were no problems as that word had too many negative connotations, of defeatism and too much of a willingness to be deflected from the goal. The word issues had a much more
"The meeting should run like clockwork. It's been thoroughly risk-assessed "Neil Haughton said carelessly.
The other man looked at the politician with wary eyes. He couldn't very well express dissent since Haughton was least willing of any politician to accept it. The man had spent the first part of his life establishing a career in advertising. That meant that he was used to selling products, not least himself, without any hint of reservation. All the time, he had maintained a tangential involvement in politics until the point came in his life when it appeared to be a good career option and better ministered to his ego.
"I hate to admit it but I'm totally new to this sort of thing. You must have come across public meetings. I'd be glad if you gave me a few pointers as to the specifics."
Neil Haughton's cold smile expressed his delight in the deference shown to him and to the ego stroking. He became very expansive and, in doing so, went through the mental checklist that this nervous civil servant had compiled. For someone who had spent his career in the corridors of power, Sir Percy Thrower was worried by the mental image of the hurly burly of the outside world. He could sense potential disorder and chaos in actually throwing himself on the mercies of the mob.
"Of course we've done the preliminary spadework in wording the topics to get the outcome we want. You also have to stamp your authority on the conference with your opening address. We've handed over the organizing of this conference to an up and coming firm, Reliable Conferencing who'll vet the applicants for us. Of course, it might not stop the odd Hampstead intellectual from creeping in but I'm sure you'll be able to handle them. Just remember that if you give an inch and they'll take a mile…………."
Just for a second, a distant look sneaked into the eyes of the politician as he articulated that secret nightmare of those in power. In a second, he snapped out of that passing mood and got back to business.
"You need to tell any troublemakers that what they're saying isn't relevant to the topic in hand. Just keep on repeating that message and you'll steer the conference safely enough After all, the conference isn't for any prima donnas who want to indulge themselves but for the benefit of the silent majority out there in the constituencies, who put their faith in is to uphold law and order. You have to watch out for those in the audience that are sympathetic to our cause and try and ensure that they are called in regularly into the debates without making it obvious what you're doing. If all else fails, you are on the top table with a microphone. That gives you a natural advantage in bringing them up short. Does that make everything clear?"
The other man absorbed Haughton's enthusiasm and drank in his enthusiasm. He was back on message and was convinced of his mission.
*****
"You don't surely think that you're coming to this Conference?" Sir Ian protested as John made an ominous beeline for him. He guessed correctly what he was going to be collared for this time as recent trial cases were pretty run of the mill." You went last time. Surely, some of the brethren will feel only your views are being to be considered and that all judges are as outspoken and cantankerous as you are."
"How do you come to this conclusion, Ian?" John asked in a dangerously quiet tone of voice.
"At the very least, you ought to take it in turn and you shouldn't hog the spotlight," Sir Ian shot back, trying to wriggle out of the trap that John laid for him.
"You know as well as I do, Ian, that Neil Haughton has done a very good job in uniting the brethren- against him," John rejoined." At one time I was regarded as the 'baker's boy. Remember that? They've found out that all my warnings over the last few years have come true and we've come to realize what we have in common with each other. Perhaps they feel that my background makes be better suited to the rough and tumble of public debate."
Sir Ian's face reddened as he realized that John spoke no more than the truth. The wheel had turned full circle and he realized to his chagrin that John's initial social disadvantages were working in his favour. John had him over a barrel and he knew it. He figured out that he would have to activate Plan B instead.