Philian Gregory

by Simon J. Stephens

  “I don’t care about who they are.”, the call had finally reached the Prime Minister, “I need them out. What’s the point of martial law if can’t stop some crazy flash-mob on our own ground. Get the troops in and make sure you contain things. Don’t let them out of the reception floor. You’ll pay if they cost us any secrets.”

  It had already been a trying day for Martin Roper. Plans that had been set in place for months were being threatened and, for the first time, he didn’t quite feel in control of things as much as he’d like to have been. That said, there had been some high points. He’d seen the latest project on its way and he was about to meet two people who’d eluded him for a long time.

  “I suppose the events unfolding in town are something to do with you?”, he asked as he entered the small office and stared at Carrington and Gregory who looked on in stunned silenced as they recognised their Prime Minister.

  “Oh, please,”, Roper hissed as he stood before the two men, “spare me the shocked looks. You knew well enough that this went to the very top. And it wasn’t going to be Her Majesty now, was it? Although we do count a few of the very minor royals as our friends.”

  Philian Gregory and Nathan Carrington had only just been revived after succumbing to the beating of the water hoses and a little additional pummelling from their over-enthusiastic captors. Their possessions, along with their clothes, had been removed and they’d been naked until just before the Prime Minister’s arrival when they’d been thrown thin decorator’s overalls which had had the upper part cut off. Dressed in these, they’d had their ankles shackled and their hands cuffed. The seats they occupied were utilitarian, plastic and extremely uncomfortable.

  “You look a mess.”, Roper said as he surveyed them, “A little disappointing for me as you aren’t quite the adversaries I’d hoped to be up against. You, in particular, Carrington. You’ve let yourself go, haven’t you? I’m surprised you’re still standing.”

  “Have we met?”, Carrington asked, searching the PM’s face for anything he might recognise.

  “Oh, we go back a long way Carrington.”, Roper replied, “A very long way. And you have been a thorn in my side for all those years. It ends tonight though. It ends tonight.”

  Two guards stood with weapons pointed at the two captives, flanking Roper as he moved to sit behind the small desk that looked much larger than it was in that sub-office.

  “Not my usual surroundings.”, Roper said as he looked around him, “But I wanted to be here to see the shipment off. I hope that doesn’t disappoint you? Take a look at this.”

  He turned the flat-screen on the desk to face them and they saw the CCTV images of the warehouses they’d recently been in, although this time, the roller shutter door was open and the trucks were gone.

  “Safely on their way.”, the Prime Minister smiled as pointed out the obvious, “22com will be the talk of the town tomorrow. And for a long time after. But don’t feel too bad about it. You did well. You got a lot further than anybody would have expected, but, let’s be honest, you were never going to succeed. As soon as we got wind of an overly-inquisitive copper taking an unusual interest in the distribution plans, we were onto you. Some advised a change of location. I preferred to leave the trap open and watch your progress on CCTV. Quite enjoyable seeing you wade through sewage and into our arms. Mind you, I’m glad they cleaned you up. Sorry if it seems a bit brutal but we can’t take the chance. The little outfits you’re wearing now, well, a necessary precaution. I don’t envy the person who had to do the full body search, but we know you’re no threat now. Of course, my friends won’t hesitate to shoot if you try anything. Not that I think either of you are in a fit condition for that.”

  The door to the office opened and a nervy voice apologised for the intrusion but advised the PM that he should take the call on the phone that he offered. He handed the handset to his boss and scurried out.

  “Talk.”, Roper barked into the phone, his face maintaining a false calm as he listened.

  “Secure what you can and keep a focus on the media.”, he told the caller, “Block as many uploads as possible, but don’t upset the press. Who’s in charge of the police operation?”

  “That’s not possible,”, he replied after hearing the long-winded answer, “there must have been an order. Police officers don’t just rally at a given point. Check all their ID’s and get me answers and, while you’re at it, check the ID’s of the Bible-thumpers. They have to know what’s going on. But keep it clean. And make sure that there’s nothing compromising to hand.”

  He finished the call and looked at the two men.

  “Problems?”, Carrington couldn’t resist asking the question.

  “Nothing we can’t handle. I don’t suppose you know anything about a crowd at The Haven?”

  “I’d like to say, yes.”, Carrington replied, “But, believe me, it’s news to us. What was that about Bible-thumpers? They been Jehovah’s Witnessed?”

  “Laugh away.”, Roper sneered, “It doesn’t change your particular situation. And yes, this is the end for you, so make the most of the little time you have left.”

  “Where do you want me to start?”, he asked when the captives refused to say anything, “Because, after all these years, it seems to sort of make sense that we clarify what this has all been about. The beginning perhaps? A little girl named Patty? Patty Carrington?”

  Back at The Haven, things were rapidly descending into chaos. Water bottles were being filled one at a time, after all, that was the deal that the church group had struck. But that wasn’t the only activity taking place. On the pretext of containing the situation and ensuring that the premises weren’t compromised, Walker and the numerous colleagues whom he’d called on to help him were checking out all the rooms in the complex and were beginning to find certain items of interest. In fact, those items were of such interest that the press were given a very strong hint that what they were witnessing was more than just a throng of enthusiastic Christians causing a stir. It appeared that they’d accidently stumbled upon a cabal of like-minded individuals with some interesting tastes and some very interesting ideas. In the old days, you could write what you liked and were free to express your own opinions, however controversial and divisive they might be. In the modern world however, the world of internet sensationalism and hate crimes, such ideas had been increasingly legislated against.

  What they didn’t find in the club were any members. CCTV footage would later reveal that the few who were there that night had made a discrete exit through the rear of the building. Those members, along with all the others, would be identified over time. Each of them had questions to answer. Few of them could give satisfactory replies.

  Then there was the data that Carrington had passed to Walker along with a number of other documents. The data drew clear lines between events that had shaken the nation over the past year and other events that went back into the days of The Circle. Walker held onto that data for as long as he could. He almost binned it when he thought he’d reached a decision, but was glad he hadn’t when they hung him out to dry. To do what he was about to do, would be to break so many written and unwritten rules, but he still felt no compulsion to stop. When the first of the soldiers entered the building, manhandling some of his friends in ways that went beyond his concept of reasonable force, he acted. The data had been supplied as a memory stick, prepared by Carrington and needing only to be inserted into one hard-wired computer to do its work. He found a suitable computer in the lower basement of the building and slipped the drive into place. The computer was switched off, so he couldn’t see if anything was happening. He now trusted Carrington a little more than before though, so he left the stick there and returned to the main group. He needn’t have been concerned about the stick doing its job. It worked as well as Carrington expected it to, beginning the process of combining the contents of its own memory with those of The Haven’s network in order t
o produce a revealing whole. It wasn’t an instant job, but the world would see something unexpected appear on the internet the next day. It had been made that way. It had been made to succeed and to let nothing stand in its way.

  Chapter Fifty-Nine

  “You remember why you were left alone for all that time you spent behind bars?”, Roper asked Carrington.

  “Because I still had incriminating evidence?”, Carrington shrugged his shoulders as he replied.

  “Exactly, and I have to say, that was a mistake on our part. We thought we’d be able to track you down, retrieve what you had and then be in the clear. You did well. I have to credit you with ingenuity and guile. What you had, didn’t amount to much at all, but you used it well and I don’t think there’s a single compatriot of mine left alive. But there was always something unattainable in the records you had, something you simply couldn’t fathom out. Who was the mystery man in the background when little Patsy met her demise? Who was it who deflowered your little angel but whose identity you could never quite get to? Any guesses?”

  Gregory looked across at Carrington and saw the physical stress of the constraint that he was forcing himself to yield to. He didn’t dignify the question with an answer.

  “She was a poppet.”, Roper leant back in his chair as he continued, “Fresh as a daisy and feisty too. I was younger then, of course, younger and driven by different urges. She satisfied those urges wonderfully. I think, if I recall correctly, I managed another couple that day myself, so alive was I taking little Patsy’s innocence.”

  “Must you?”, Carrington looked down as he pleaded.

  “Oh, I think so. I think it’s important that we clear the air. And you need to know that you were just one step away from finally getting your vengeance. All those other names and faces but the one that was the most important, the driver, the catalyst, never within reach. It would always come down to just you and I, but there would always have to be a victor too. Mind you, I don’t want you to think you haven’t achieved much. I only picked the fresh fruit. It was others, some of whom you’ve dealt with, who took the leftovers and cleared the mess away.”

  “You’re sick.”, Gregory hissed.

  “You can shut up for a start.”, Roper turned on him, “Carrington here, I know and respect. You though. Who are you? Some failed trader who decided to help out a tramp and found themselves out of their depth from the start? I don’t need your input. And I certainly don’t need your judgement. Sick? No, not at all. Just a healthy young man with certain urges. That was all. Now, may I continue?”

  Philian Gregory had to agree with Roper’s summary. He had been sinking before he’d even spent one night with Carrington. He’d helped along the way. Helped Carrington clean up, deliver justice, make progress to where they were now. But it was true, it would have happened without him and what he was now having to face up to was an inevitable death preceded only by a final taste of the type of depravities that he’d previously thought were reserved for mass-market novels.

  “You were instrumental in closing The Circle down.”, Roper spoke only to Carrington, “When you emasculated the three patsies, it made us all think again. Although, in truth, it had had its day. That era was a strange one sexually and we all wanted to dive in and taste what was on offer. We did that with a gusto. If you can think of it, we did it, and then some. But we were already beginning to bore with the whole thing when you came along. There were some who carried on in their own way, but The Circle itself was shut down. Mind you, as your work seems to have revealed, we were able to use the network of guilty connections that it left us with to make progress in other areas. For my part, I was allowed into The Haven. I took a lot of friends with me and we couldn’t believe our luck when we understood that we had joined at a time of need within that group. I thrived, I prospered and I learnt how best to adapt The Haven for a new age. An age of atheism. Popular atheism no less! Can you believe that?”

  “If this is some sort of confession.”, Carrington looked Roper in the eye as he spoke, “You can spare yourself the trouble. You went your way, we went ours. You could spare yourself some time. Especially with The Haven having been breached. Doesn’t that trouble you a little? Aren’t you concerned that it may not be as over as you think it is?”

  “The Haven will survive.”, Roper brushed away Carrington’s comments, “There’s nothing there that’s fatal to the cause. And there are too many others on the periphery for it ever to be lost. It’s survived for centuries. Did you know that? It has a fascinating history. And a varied one too. That’s why I make the comment about atheism. You see, The Haven began as a Christian meeting place. Ironic, isn’t it? A place where radical ideas could be discussed and massive social changes be affected. The abolition of slavery. Straight from The Haven, just as one example. It was a place where the religious could think the unthinkable and challenge the state. Ideas were honed and made palatable, then they were introduced.”

  “What changed then?”, Philian Gregory ignored the instruction to keep quiet.

  “Darwin.”, Roper replied, “Darwin and the door he opened with his, often misunderstood, text. Of course, there was a period of crossover. The Victorian philanthropists continued to roll out changes under the umbrella of religiosity. That wasn’t a problem. Isn’t to me, even now. Religion did some useful stuff. The likes of Cadbury bought their way into Heaven, but in doing so, they made a positive contribution to the economy. Happy workers, healthy workers, well, they worked harder and more efficiently. But the death knell was sounded by Darwin. Those who began to consider a world without God began to be drawn to The Haven. The balance shifted. They still let the Christians propose social changes, but they were no longer considered in terms of salvation. The problem with religion is that it gave people a sense of wellbeing. In many ways, it was an extra string to mankind’s bow. Some found pleasure in the flesh, some in the pursuit of vanity, and some, in the comfort of religion. But, once you strip out God, you strip away religion. And yet, people still want their wellbeing. Government became the means of supply. Unlike religion though, government is seen as a bottomless pit. Religion demanded some element of self-sacrifice which tempered feelings of personal entitlement. Once government was left to provide, everyone demanded their own choices and nobody could argue against a claim because self became all. With the limits off, the monetary demands become unbearable. It all became about the economy. The value that individuals added or took away. That was the shift that had reached its peak when I joined. And it’s done me proud.”

  “You mean that this is all about money?”, Carrington asked.

  “Of course.”, Roper laughed as he replied, “What else did you think it was about? Some sort of moral crusade? Please, credit me with more than that! There is no morality any more. It died with the death of God. If we’re just animals, if you take survival of the fittest to its logical conclusion, then that means the termination of the weakest. Of course, we use religion where we can. Those soldiers sent in their millions to die on the battlefields of France and Belgium, they were encouraged to go by some false belief in a moral duty. The Haven played them all. The population needed a cull, the world needed a war to clear the air, so off they went. Do you think such events happen by an accidental confluence of historical factors? No. All orchestrated. The final result planned for and known before the first shot was fired. On until the Second World War in fact. From Chamberlain and his appeasement of Hitler to the bomb over Hiroshima. All part of the master plan. Don’t forget, the world was crushed by depression at the time. How best to bring about a purging and a new future?”

  “The problem,”, Roper continued, letting out a deep sigh, “was that Herr Hitler went a bit too far. The death camps were never meant for just Jews and a few select groups. They were designed for economic benefit. Cull the ones who didn’t pay their way, the disabled, the usurers, the thieves and the gypsies, but not a whole race! He let personal feelings get i
n the way. And because he couldn’t contain himself, the post-war settlement went belly up. He pushed too far and the backlash wasn’t planned for.”

  “You credit your friends with too much.”, Carrington told the Prime Minister, “Either that or you’ve swallowed another lie, hook, line and sinker.”

  “Not at all. I’ve seen the documents. But more importantly than that, I’ve seen the results. The legacy. And I’ve had to do all I can to rebalance things. Nukes messed everything up as well. War ceased to be an option, which meant that the tide kept shifting against us. That is, until I came along and took the decisions that others were too afraid to take. They needed somebody who didn’t just give the death of God lip-service, but somebody who could truly capitalise on what it meant. Without God, there is no morality.”

  “Not that we consider ourselves immoral.”, he continued after a pause, “No, not at all. That implies an opposing morality against which we stand. We are amoral. We are the people who finally understand that there is no God, that this is it, and that such knowledge brings new freedoms. Of course, it helps when popular scientists feed the truth to the masses. And it helps when creationism falls off the curriculum. But despite all that help, it needs to be delivered in a more nuanced way. It’s like turning a tanker. A little here and a little there, waiting until the moment when the alternative approaches simply drop off the map.”