"So the first order of business, Sergeant Coster, your man failed!" Exclaims Hotham, "care to elaborate Sergeant"
"The bullet missed Governor, had I'd of known that my job was to include a bullets trajectory, I still highly doubt I would of been able to change the outcome, Governor"
"YOUR SARCASM IS NOTED!, but not needed, Sergeant" replies Haines.
The eight conspirators sit nervously forward in their chairs.
Commissioner Johnstone sits back whilst rubbing his face.
"Right then!, Major Darbyshire, you were there when the Prince was shot?"
"No Commissioner, I arrived but a few minutes after, the incompetent man Sergeant Coster employed to carry out this deed, was well and truly on his way to the rope by the time we arrived on the scene, had we of known that one of you had Pinkertons under employment, we would of not wasted our time pursuing the second shooter"
"Second shooter!, the devil you talking about man!" Exclaims Commissioner Rede.
"And Pinkertons?" Remarks Magistrate Ewes "who employed those barbaric fools?"
"I am non the wiser on their employer as I am on the two men who thwarted the initial attack" Major Darbyshire removes a blade from his coat and throws it across the table for the conspirators to see.
"Pray tell what is this Major?" Asks Governor Hotham
"It appears to be a blade sir, the one that was thrown at Sergeant Coster's assassin, this blade, according to eyewitness accounts, hit the barrel of the pistol and deflected the shot that was supposed to kill the Prince, pay particular attention to the marking on the back side of the blade"
Commissioner Hotham rolls the knife over to view the markings, looks up at the Major and then passes it to William Haines.
"And what of it Major?"
"Aaaagh!, you men not know of that marking, well allow me to elaborate,
Some time ago in the Americas, we were given orders to rescue two men from a rebel outpost, these men were captured by the colonialist rebels and were being tortured for information, by the time we arrived, the two men were no where to be found, forty seven rebels lay dead, one survived, we questioned this man for some time before he passed, he stated they only captured one man, large man, that big actually, they could not secure his wrists with shackles, they had to use rope, during interrogation the man only asked to speak to their officer in command, when the commanding officer produced himself the captured man tore his binds and rammed this knife into the eye socket of the commanding officer, the dying rebel then went on to say how the second man in question appeared out of no where and the two of them went on a killing rampage that would only equal that of a full blown field battle"
Major Darbyshire throws the blade across the table, Haines picks up the first and second blades for comparison,
"Two different initials, but the same mark?"
"Elaborate Major" says Lansell
"The mark you see is that of King Henry"
"KING HENRY'S SECRET MERCENARY'S, THE PROTECTORS OF THE CROWN, YOU'D HAVE US BELIEVE IN THAT FAIRY TALE, YOU HAVE LOST YOUR MIND MAN!, " exclaims Commissioner Rede
"Choose not to believe it then Commissioner, but the facts speak for themselves, the gold escort robbery that bought myself and the Fusiliers here, the thwarted attack on the Prince, and from what the Pinkerton shooter said, he couldn't of hit the two men on fast approach with three rifles at the ready" replies the Major,
"Either way we need these men stopped before they disrupt to many more of our plans" states Magistrate Ewes
"Agreed" replies the other Conspirators
"Lansell how goes your acquisition of mines in the area"
"I have purchased some three more your Excellency"
"Good, and your plan?"
"By next week your Excellency, I shall see that the mine managers cut the wages and increase hours of the miners"
"Good, Sergeant Coster?"
"Yes Sir, we are going to instigate twice weekly license checks, this undoubtedly will cause unrest and allow us to put more troops in and around the fields, once we have enough troops, the diggers will throw up into arms, and then we basically kill the lot of them, the ones who don't fight will be deported from the country for conspiring with the others, in that way allowing for us to open the door for the already in-fluxing Chinese. Once the Chinese take over the fields, we can create company's, and put the migrant workers on minimum wages."
"Very well Sergeant, you will need to make your way to the Eureka Hotel to instigate the second part of the plan"
"Yes your Excellency" replies Sergeant Coster
"Now what of these Pinkertons?" Asks Lansell, " who employed them?"
"I did!" Says a voice stepping from the shadows,
"IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" Says Major Darbyshire as he draws his officers sword
"Who I am is if no concern to you all, who I speak for should be"
"how in the devil did you get in here!" Asks Lansell
"Oh come now George, you think we didn't know about your secret tunnels!, I have been asked to remind you gentleman of what's at stake!, not only are you to cause mayhem on the fields but have you forgotten you must acquire the the signed treaty, I do believe four diggers are but moments away from acquiring it, in Bairnsdale"
"THE TREATY'S HERE!" exclaims Hotham
"Yes, and you're sitting around sipping fine scotch, smoking fine TABACCO!"
The unnamed man reaches back and back hands Sergeant Coster across the face, all the other men quickly jump to attention as Sergeant Coster pulls his pipe cleaning knife and attempts to slash his unnamed attacker, the attack is thwarted by a lightning fast blow to the Sergeants face, knocking him to the floor of Fortuna house.
"Failure and incompetence shall be dealt with harshly, fail us again Sergeant, and you will be able to rewrite a thesaurus on the meaning of PAIN!, our employer is dissatisfied with your progression, see to it that this changes, or he will see that your gut is hung from the highest point of the fountain here in Bendigo, now,"
The unnamed man dusts his hands off and pulls his overcoat back up around his shoulders.
"See to it that the disruption of the diggers is attended to at once, raise the price of the monthly license fee to thirty shillings, time is of the essence, as for King Henry's men, without a doubt they are on their way to acquire the treaty as we speak, with any sort of luck, they will assume the diggers work for you, and most likely kill them all during interrogation, that's when the Pinkertons will move in and recover the treaty, need I remind you all, of what will happen if you fail your duties!"
The eight conspirators nervously shake their heads, whilst Sergeant Coster wipes blood from his mouth, the eight men slowly depart Fortuna house, while the unnamed man picks up the two blades and takes them with him back out the secret tunnel.
Outside......
"They're here your Eminence!" As the two blades are handed over,
"Hmmmmm, I thought as much" says a deep dark voice coming from inside the large black carriage.
"Very well, Boyd (aka bmz gold) take Big Nugget with you to Bairnsdale, meet up with the Pinkertons, allow the diggers to locate the treaty and take out King Henry's men as well, do not fail me!"
"No your Eminence" replies Boyd.
The four horse drawn carriage makes off into the night, as Boyd sets off to locate Big Nugget and make way for Bairnsdale.
Soft footsteps step out from under some bushes where Boyd had just been given his orders.
"Watch yourselves out here you two!"
"Yes Ma'am" reply The Britt and The Turk
"And don't kill the four diggers, they might become of some value in the future if they are working with Sandford!" Exclaims Edith Lansell
To be continued......