The Weekly Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 3242 by Angharad Copyright© 2018 Angharad

"No, I did my duty and that's it as far as I'm concerned."

"I don't think I'd call visiting a dying woman an act of duty, mercy maybe..." added my secretary.

"Does it matter what it's called--except to a pedant like you," I retorted aware of my blatant hypocrisy.

"Huh, pots and kettles," she huffed dumping my mug of tea down on my desk with more than a little force--enough to cause a wave of tea to spill over the rim of the mug and coat the leather top of my desk--before she left the room still muttering to herself. I chuckled as I dabbed at the puddle of tea with a tissue. Hopefully, acting quickly enough to prevent a mark forming.

"Oh by the way, face ache wants to see you," she said poking her head round my door.

"Really? What time?"

"As soon as you've drunk your tea. Don't ask me what it's about, his secretary didn't say."

I drank my tea but can't say I enjoyed it, not with a meeting with the Vice Chancellor imminent. Have I mentioned I can't stand him? Well I can't, he just makes my flesh creep.

I took a deep breath and knocked on his office door. His room is palatial--they knocked two into one so he could get his ego safely inside. I went in as he called and he looked up from his computer. "Ah Professor, so glad you could come."

"Vice Chancellor," I greeted back but in a monotone. I'm sure he realises I despise him and all he stands for.

He handed me a small sheaf of paper. "I'm reorganising the university, you'll still be head of biological sciences but I'm putting all science under Professor Adams. All the arts and humanities will come under Professor Maude's remit."

"I see. Isn't it usual to discuss this with the university council and go for consultation first?"

"What for? I make those decisions not a bunch of useless academics."

"I think you may find it's a requirement of the university."

"It might have been, but I've suspended the constitution."

"Is that legal?"

"If I say it is, it is. I did, it is, end of... Oh by the way, the income from your department is dropping--see to it."

I left without saying anything, especially goodbye. I strode back to my office and the look on my face meant there were no quips from Diane, just another cup of tea which she brought in as I read through his proposal. It had to be illegal. I knew one way to find out. I took my mobile from my handbag and speed dialled the cavalry. Of course he wasn't there was he, but I left a message on his voice mail. Then after reading La Fasse's document, I sent a copy via fax to the recipient of my call.

The rest of the morning I continued with my normal administration of my department, though at times I felt somewhat distracted by the piece of paper that lay upon my desk. On the very top it said, 'This paper is not to be shared with anyone else. Failure to comply could be seen as breach of contract and result in suspension or dismissal.' I'd just given him grounds to sack me if his rule was correct. Not to worry, I'll spend my 'retirement' in pursuit of him until I'd destroyed him--could be more fun than running a faculty.

I rarely felt that way about anyone. I wasn't even angry, it was a cold blooded thing, about as emotional as pouring bleach down the loo to get rid of a nasty smell. It would have to be done.

Diane brought me back a tuna roll from the refectory and I was half way through it when my mobile chirruped. I answered it while swallowing half a loaf of bread--not one of my better decisions. Once I'd finished coughing, and a sip of water later and I was able to talk.

"Cathy, that paper you sent me is a load of tosh."

"I thought it probably was. What about the threat on the top?"

"Wouldn't stand up in court or anywhere else where the law of the land is enforced."

I was beginning to feel much happier. "So what do I do?"

"He has to call a meeting of the University council, it has to uphold any changes he wants to make. So unless he's somehow managed to pass it at a meeting where you weren't present, which would be dodgy in any case, it's a load of rubbish. I'd try and see if you can contact other council members and stop it before too many people get upset. If you need any help call the bat phone." He rang off rushing off to some case he was prosecuting in the high court.

I called six other faculty heads and asked them to come to my office. They were all on the university council. I also asked them to not tell anyone where they were going. Setting up an insurrection needs a degree of stealth.

They'd all had the same cursory meeting and threatening letter. None had been invited to a council meeting to discuss any of it. I retrieved the papers of governance of the university, which Tom had given me a few years ago when I'd had to take control of the council to remove a previous problematic Vice Chancellor.

We spent an hour going through the rules of the university and nowhere did it say the council could be overruled or ignored. It also informed us that if half a dozen council members deemed it necessary, they could call an extraordinary meeting of the council. I suggested we did just that and I hoped Jason would be available that day. I also asked each one of them to keep this to themselves, surprise wasn't exactly essential but it might help.

Ten minutes after they all left in stormed La Fasse and told me I was suspended for breach of contract. I told him to leave my office and that his document had no legal status.

"You'll regret this," he said in an absolute fury.

"I might but I suspect you will for certain. You aren't worthy of the position you hold, so I'm going to see about removing you."

"Act at your own peril," he spat at me and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"Did you manage to video his intrusion?" asked Diane.

"Damn, I forgot, besides aren't you supposed to get people's permission beforehand?"

"Yeah but that only applies to humans not that brute. God, he makes my skin crawl."

It appeared we had something in common.

"What next, boss?"

"We call an extraordinary meeting of the University Council."

"Okay, tell me when and I'll organise it."

"Next week, we need to act quickly before he does something stupid like locking us out."

"Can he do that?"

"No but it won't stop him and it slows us down, so it's the sort of thing he'd do, just to try and derail us."

"How did he know you were plotting?"

"He'd only need to watch the department and see other professorial staff arriving to know what we were up to."

"Oh yeah, hadn't thought of that, what if you'd done a video conference?"

"Not as secure. He'll go round and threaten all the others but hopefully, they'll all give him the same response. Let me know what day we can access the council chamber." This was the large meeting room which is used for several other types of meeting and is sometimes booked for weeks ahead.

"Monday, at nine," Diane shouted though the door. I sent a text to Jason asking to attend in person if he could or send a senior assistant if he couldn't. We needed a legal beagle because I knew that La Fasse would attend with one. I also took the university's code of conduct and practice home with me to keep it safe.

It was going to be an interesting time and as far as I was concerned the future of the university was at stake, certainly the proper conduct of its administration and to some extent its charter. In the UK All universities receive a charter to act as educational charities, which empowers them to award degrees in their own right but also makes them operate within a code of practice or face withdrawal of their charter. If I lost the argument over the supremacy of the university council concerning code of conduct and practice, I would get Jason to question the charter--which would be more than just an act of spite as it would endanger the entire future of the university. Desperate situations sometimes call for desperate actions.