Writing Fiction a novel - Exclusive for Steemit - Diamonds and Deviants 28

Diamonds and Deviants

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This picture my own - others from Google Free to use images

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24, Part 25, Part 26, 27,

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That was enough for the barman. He knocked on the mirror behind the bar, it was scarred and worn but Mick would never get rid of it, he had brought it over from Ireland with him in the twenties - the seventeen twenties.

A short but sprightly man arrived behind the bar and his grin brightened up his face when he saw who the visitor was.

“Miss Diamond, as I live and breathe. ‘Tis a pleasure to see thee lass, what news from the old country?”

“Mick, the pleasure is all mine as usual. I’ve no news from the old country except that my parents are in town on a visit. I’ll be sure to have them call on you one evening.”

His face moved with her conversation, at first he was crestfallen that she had no news but at the mention of her parents, it lit right up again.

“Make certain that you do, lassie and bring yourself along too. We’ll make it a right party. I’ll get a few of the old folk in too, if you know what I mean, we can have a good old fashioned lock-in.” He gave an exaggerated wink and she couldn’t help but grin.

“Well, that’d be just fine, Mick. In fact, if you can get a few of the old folk in for that knees-up sooner rather than later, I appreciate it.”

Never one to miss some ominous point, Mick’s face grew serious.

“It’s you that’s been causing all that trouble for those blood-sucking parasites isn’t it? I said to young Billy here that it had the marks of one of the old people about it.”

Celtica grinned at that compliment. To be considered one of the ‘old people’ by Mick the Leprechaun was a great honour indeed.

“So, dear lady, just exactly who are you hoping to be conversing with at this get together, the day after tomorrow?”

Celtica put her head forward, closer to Mick’s and he brought his closer too, then she whispered very quietly. He knew who he could trust in the bar, but she didn’t, so for now, she’d tell only him and let him tell the others that needed to know.

“I’ll need you of course,” she said and she felt rather than saw him nod. “We also need the Fae.”

She stopped talking then because she knew that information would cause a reaction of some sort. She wasn’t wrong.

“Oh, now lassie, they’re difficult people to get a hold of ye know.”

“I know and I also know that if anyone can get a hold of them at such short notice, it’s you.”

It was Mick’s turn to beam at her flattery. He knew it was true but for this young lass to know his connections was enough to make an old leprechaun realise that he’d not lost his touch in the preterdeviant world.

“Ah, you know how to turn an old man’s head, sure you do,” he said with another grin. “Here you go, a chaser for that Guinness.”

He poured out two glasses of his best Irish Whisky and they raised them to friends and battles past and battles yet to come.

She nodded, said “Cheers, Mick!” and downed it in one.

She left a diamond for him to take care of the arrangements, and to pay for the inconvenience a little. He tried to refuse to take it but she insisted and besides, she knew it would have broken his heart if she’d taken it back after showing it to him.

She also left him one of the scales that she had shed when she sloughed her skin a few nights previously. He was amazed at the object and tried to press her into telling him where she’d got it. He didn’t quite believe her that she’d found it but he knew that she wasn’t going to tell him and he accepted that too. He also knew that it would help in the negotiations between the Fae and the Dwarfen peoples when he showed them the tough and supple armour plate that he thought it was.

Now that she had sorted out the arrangements for the council of war, she hoped that it wouldn’t come to that but she also knew that it just might.

Celtica went home again to find her parents still not there. It was pretty late and they had gone to the hotel they were checked in at, at least they’d left her a message with the Security Guy. She knew that it was a genuine message too because her dad had slipped the phrase in that they had agreed on. He thought it was all exciting with the secret phrases and espionage and he was enjoying himself immensely.