The question, ‘Is she a danger to us?’ hung in the air, awaiting its answer.
Dinner had been served and enjoyed and the brandy and whisky glasses recently filled. The waiter, having completed his duties, had exited, closing the double doors on the private dining room behind him. No one else would enter until called.
The meal had been eaten by candlelight as it always was, no man’s face exposed to the glare of electric light. The faces flickered in the shadow, indistinguishable, but the voices they could recognize.
Over the years, they’d indulged in a variety of entertainments since the group had been formed. None of which had quite grabbed their attention as much as that which had been put before them the last time they had met.
No one believed in magic, but one of their group had a great deal of knowledge of its practice in both medieval and modern times. At this point in the proceedings he’d handed round a number of images of sexual magick being performed. Some came from ancient tomes he and they were trading in, some were present day.
The images had provoked what could only have been described as a frisson of excitement, even more powerful than making money had. They’d questioned him avidly, particularly about the photograph featuring the red-headed Witch, Leila Hardy.
‘She would be my choice,’ the promoter of sexual magick had said, satisfied at their response. ‘It would of course be up to each of you to decide which spell you would demand of her.’
‘And she’s willing?’ The voice came from the far end of the table.
He’d confirmed she was. ‘On condition that the spells you choose fit the Wiccan Rede.
‘Which is?’ a rich baritone had asked.
‘“An’ Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will.”’
An explosion of laughter had followed the quotation.
And so the fun had begun and the spells cast.
Back then it had been exciting; now it had become problematic. It was time to deal with the fallout from their forage into magick.
He looked round the circle of faces. These men were not friends, but they were bound together and, provided they kept faith, they would both survive this and continue to prosper.
‘Gentlemen,’ he began. ‘It is time to put our affairs in order.’