* * *
After breakfast, they were asked to gather in the room that had been used for the summit for the day before. As well as the Buckmore party there were some more of the Vexstein household, and a couple of Lords and their aides from far-off castles that had stayed another night rather than travel home in the dark. Baron Darcy swept into the room, with Lord Smallweed and Pogo behind him. They took their seats.
“Last night we reached an impasse,” Darcy said. “I wonder whether having slept on it, we have any further ideas. I will go round the table and ask everyone to contribute an idea, however stupid it might seem to you. We will not judge these ideas, just write them on this board so we can all look at them. Maybe ideas will connect with each other and then we can build a solution together.”
Everyone nodded and there was a general murmur too as they commented to their neighbour or just to the assembled group. “I’ve heard of this,” muttered George to Fred. “It’s called brainstorming.” They both sat up, alert and interested.
“Let’s start on my left and work round the table. Lady Nimrod?”
“We have to persuade Hugo to use a different export route,” she said, and Pogo wrote this on the board.
“We could make our own drink to replace Wozna Cola,” said Prince Lupin, and so it went round the table, with some people saying nothing and others making wild suggestions.
“We persuade Hugo (or Mariusz as I think that’s his real name) to export Wozna to us in 2021, and we go without it till then.” said George. Somebody laughed at him, but Pogo wrote up the idea just as he said it.
“We export Vex to Hattan and the West in 2021 and bring back Wozna on the return leg,” said Fred. Stunned silence. After a few seconds, three of the Vexstein household stood up, bowed to Baron Darcy and left the room.
Baden passed his turn to make a suggestion and it was Pogo’s turn.
“I have no further comment to make, save that my idea was nearly the same as these,” he said, tapping the comments he had written up from Fred and George.
Lord Smallweed took the floor. “It is usual to discuss the merits of all the suggestions, but these two seem to have the merit of simplicity and economic justification. It would give Hugo (or Mariusz),” he added, nodding in George’s direction, “a continuous profit line, and it would give Vex time to set up the necessary delivery chains, including cold storage vessels for transoceanic crossings. What do you say, Prince Lupin?”
“I like the idea,” said Lupin, “but we need to discover the effect on the population if Wozna were to be withdrawn from sale. Obviously, people like it. Yet if we substitute our own drink then it would change the market for Wozna in 2021 - which is after all twelve years away.”
Lady Nimrod rose. “It is a hard choice, but currently people are suffering privation because of the Energy Drain. That is the priority. We must close this time tunnel and that means we must stop the trade in Wozna, or at least in Diet Wozna. If it means that to achieve this we go without a drink which a minority of citizens enjoy, then that is what must be done.” She retook her seat to a muttering that appeared to be general agreement.
George shifted in his seat. He knew something that the others didn’t, and he felt he had to keep it to himself. He knew that someone in the East would discover the power of strawberry juice very shortly. Other drinks would be needed as strawberry juice became more valuable. By 2021, the East might be crying out for a new drink such as Wozna. He wondered who would be the inventor of strawberry juice power.
Baron Darcy started speaking again, but stopped as two of the three that had left earlier re-entered the room. “What is it?” he asked.
“My lord, we desired to peruse the strategic plan for Vex Breweries and to see whether export to the West was a practical approach, or indeed whether it could be part of a vision for the 2020s,” said one.
“We are pleased to say that following our latest trade mission earlier this year this remained an aspirational approach, although we had not set any targets at this stage,” said the other.
“There are various technological developments needed,” said the first.
“But we are confident these can be achieved,” followed the second.
George relaxed. It looked like they were going to go along with this idea. They would probably invent strawberry juice power, as well. He felt a little sad that he would not have the honour, but it got him out of the difficulty of ‘discovering’ something from the future.
“Good,” Baron Darcy said. “In that case, lady and gentlemen, I think we can close this meeting. Prince Lupin and his party will stay for lunch where we can discuss the strategy needed to persuade Hugo that this is the right course and that it is in his best interests to make this alliance with us. Thank you to the rest of you for joining us this morning. I hope you have pleasant journeys and arrive not too much later than you had originally intended.” So saying he stood up, and walked towards the door. Everyone followed him. “Wait in the pink salon, if you don’t mind,” he said to Lady Nimrod and Prince Lupin, and Fred, George and Baden followed as Pogo showed them the way.