Chapter 112, The Ninth Cabal
Geo and Sabra did not accompany Gellert and Blaise to the Cabal meeting this time. They were under no family obligation to do so, therefore it was no surprise to Gellert that the parents chose to remain at home. Getting themselves to the meeting, because they knew where to go now, perhaps made him feel truly a part of the Cabal even more than anything else. When he and Blaise entered the underground oak and crystal dining hall in Naples, there were far fewer people gathered than during Gellert's initiation. This time only the Zabini's cabal was present rather than all eight of them. In the wake of his earlier decision to stay sharp, Gellert kept his mind off the nearly tangible feel of Blaise's body in the chair beside his with a concerted effort. Instead, he allowed himself to be curious about the matter at hand, being the meeting itself. The fact that this was his first official cabal meeting aside from his own initiation held it's own thrill. Meetings were never held lightly, so some matter of import was surely afoot. The concept of becoming embroiled in something worth while was more intriguing than he expected. He'd believed himself done with all that, but then again, this was a magical and familial power base, not a take-over of the wizarding world. He no longer cared enough about the wizarding world for that, and it was clearly their loss.
"Hello, you two crazy kids," Mauro Zabini said cheerfully as he slid into the chair across from Blaise.
"Speak Italian, won't you," Blaise requested, giving his cousin a nod of greeting. "Gell and I want to make sure our translation charms are working properly. We have them in place to translate Italian for us as well as to translate anything we say into Italian."
Mauro raised his brows at Blaise and wiggled them slightly. "But... Why? You speak Italian well enough. Can't you translate for the honorable Grindelwald/Zabini if necessary?"
"Having a translator won't look so good for a Cabal head, now will it," Blaise shot back. "Not to mention, well enough could still allow for an error, and when it comes to Cabal business, I would not wish to risk even the slightest error."
"That's good of you, Mauro grinned. "Me, I'd be perhaps careless, which is why it's good that Gellert is our head instead of me."
"Are you speaking in Italian now," Gellert asked and Mauro nodded. Gellert smiled. "Wonderful. Our translation charms are working then. You don't know German do you?"
"Not yet," Mauro said. "Why?"
"Because I'm speaking to you in German now in order to test the translation spell."
"Ah," Mauro said. "In that case, it is working wonderfully." The energy of the room suddenly shifted, everyone falling silent as a portly middle aged wizard made his way through the crowds, trailed by two little wizards and 2 enormous goblins. In fact these particular goblins were the largest Gellert had ever seen in his life. Not only were they over a head taller than any goblin he'd ever seen, but they were far more muscular as well. He was going to file his observations away for future consideration, but it proved unnecessary.
The portly man reached the center of the room, motioned for one of the two accompanying wizards to make an amplification spell and proceeded to introduce himself to the gathering at large as Honorio Zapata. A guest speaker chosen by his Cabal to speak on an important issue.
"Dear friends," Honorio started, a sinuous motion of his muscular right arm upward possibly indicating a request for silence. Though the gesture wasn't necessary, considering he already had the full attention of the room, it was suitably dramatic none the less.
"As we are honored to be in the presence of a newly risen Cabal head, the honorable Zabini/Grindelwald, perhaps we can use this opportunity to decide on an issue concerning us all. This being the small matter of the election of the Under Secretary of Treasury. Though normally we do not concern ourselves with such matters, and appeal directly to the Secretary when need be, this under secretary is responsible for sponsoring the organization of magical events, including
international Quidditch games and important music appearances.
I need not tell you my friends, how much money we could gain or lose from electing our kind of person to the position of the Under Secretary. A barely noticeable official within the Italian Institute Of Wizardry, the official can do us lots of good, or harm.
The issue is compounded by the man's conflicting allegiances. In the past, his family was closely allied with the Honorable Zabinis. Yet recently, his sister became too well acquainted with a mysterious Italian Auror.
Officially, the man responsible for the training of young Aurors, we suspect that this Italian Auror is actually the local head of the Secret Operations answerable only to the Italian government.
As some of you may see, such affiliation is troubling at best, and two of my Cabal field operatives suspect that the nomination of the Under Secretary would set a trap for our operation. With that in mind, I am hoping that all present Cabal representatives would join me in a vote, to accept, reject, or utterly remove the candidate for the position of the Under Secretary. What say you, honored guests," Honorio Zapata solemnly inquired, looking around at each of the faces gathered as if addressing them personally.
An intentional move of which Gellert approved. Though he did not know this rather unassuming looking if stocky Honorio Zapata, he was clearly dangerous and important. The two oddly large goblins and the two small wizards who accompanied him were clearly assistants as well as body guards. A long pause stretched out over the room, full of silent expectation. It was then that Gellert noticed that everyone was looking to him. His first meeting and it appeared he was expected to step up. Only instead of a deciding vote if necessary, he was being given... More, whatever that meant. Family and the Cabal must come before anything else," he said. "Of course we cannot risk our own interests. A vote certainly seems in order.
How did the bloody votes work, he suddenly wondered. Was it an all in favor, say I, sort of thing, or written ballots?
"It's a raise your hand if in favor of," Nonno tactfully whispered into Gellert's ear. The old man was good. Gellert hadn't even noticed him slipping into the chair to his left. Perhaps he had been too focused on Blaise in the chair to his right, but likely the old man was just that good. He did not ruin things by turning to thank Nonno. He would thank him later. Instead he said, "Show of hands for all in favor of removing this individual and having him replaced with one of ours?"
"We'd better or at least two other cabals could benefit a bit too much for my liking," Mauro said, his own hand shooting up.
"Silence, Mauro," Nonno snapped. "Show some respect to the vote."
"I respectfully think," Mauro began, but fell silent when Blaise nudged him with an elbow. For his part, Gellert found himself struggling far too hard not to laugh. He glanced around and hastily counted the show of hands. Every single Cabal member had his or her hand in the air, including Honorio, who still stood in the center of the room.
"Well that was easy," he said, at last allowing himself to smile as he lowered his own hand. "We are all in agreement on this matter. It is only to be decided how it shall be done."
"Won't Sabra give us the supplies again," Honorio asked. Blaise and Gellert exchanged a look of shock, in spite of the fact that doing so perhaps wasn't appropriate in front of the cabal in this particular case. It was a clear indication that they were both unaware that the parents were supplying poisons when there was a need for someone to stop breathing. Blaise's frown said more clearly than words to Gellert that the parents would be questioned as soon as they returned home. Though he was simply curious where Blaise was clearly annoyed, Gellert did wonder why Geo and Sabra seemed so against being a part of the cabal, yet supplied it with Sabra's poisons.
"Oh well yes, I am certain she can accommodate," Blaise replied dryly to Honorio.
The man's face broke into a smile as he clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Simply wonderful. As usual, then, get it to me and one of these four shall attend personally to the situation. Then we'll get one of ours voted in!"
It was with those words that Gellert clearly understood Honorio's role in the Cabal. He and his four goons were the Cabal's assassins. "Wonderful," he said, smiling back as he inclined his head. From the pleased look on Honorio's face, this was the suitable response. Fortunately, though he truly had no idea how things ran in this Cabal as of yet, Gellert was doing well thus far.
His instincts of old, honed nearly a century ago, were still sharp and serving him well. "If there is nothing further, I shall adjourn this meeting, then," Gellert said. There was nothing further, and everyone wanted to eat, so the meeting was adjourned. All members of the cabal took topics of business seriously, but when they were over, they were all cheerful, fun-loving and hungry people! There was Chicken Alfredo and garlic bread along with a fine red wine, which Gellert and Blaise both enjoyed thoroughly. Gellert was pleased when Honorio and his four body guard goons asked if they could sit at his table. "But of course," he replied graciously. He rather enjoyed studying them as he ate. "I've never seen goblins as formidable as the two of you," he said at last, addressing Honorio's large goblins directly.
"That's because we're half goblin," one of them explained.
"Ah," Gellert nodded. That made sense! "And you?" He raised his brows at the two little wizards. "Are you half goblin as well, then?"
"No, but sometimes we claim to be, you know, for the perks," one of them replied with a grin.
Gellert chuckled. "Fair enough." It was then that it all clicked into place in his mind. The mysterious ninth cabal had to be comprised of goblins! They were a part of the Zabini family's cabal, likely to keep an eye on the goings on of all eight as they all interacted together. Unless all Cabals had goblin assassins working for them, but if this was the case, Gellert would be surprised.
If they were a part of all cabals, all the subtlety would be lost. Still the eight cabals clearly had not made the connection that Gellert just had. When he'd inquired about the mysterious ninth cabal during his initiation, everyone gathered was clearly of the mind that it was a myth or long since dissolved.
He knew how he would check into his own theory, though, and check into it he would that very day even though he was nearly certain that his guess was correct. A goblin cabal breaking away from the human ones made perfect sense, especially after the goblin wizard wars. Working fully with goblins once again could be beneficial, though, and now it was his first goal as the Zabini head of the fifth cabal. Being the only group of wizards truly allied with the goblins would give them a distinct advantage, not only above the other seven cabals, but above wizarding society in general, and that he liked quite a lot.