THE FOUR HORSEMAN OF THE DUCK

                                 THE FOUR HORSEMAN OF THE DUCK

The terrified clientele of the genteel suburban hostelry cowered in there seats as the evenings events began to unwind.  

The "Revelations, Lager and Real Ale" sub-committee of the Duck Flat Cap Society had gathered that evening to debate and discuss the recent demise of the societies former greatness. 

At its zenith, the regular meetings of the world famous society would be able to gather at least fifteen of its regular members to the head table, with  a solid core of regular and sincere members taking their seats on a daily basis. Additional malingerers and time wasters would also often make appearances, swelling the weekend and bank holiday attendance to approximately twenty. However, today, if allowed by the cowardly menace of Covid and government restrictions, meetings would be lucky to number four, even on high days, Fridays and and anniversaries.

Having sadly lost its former President and Chairman, Sir Driver Chard, the debating society had been further hit by the restrictions brought in to combat the pestilence sweeping the county and wider world. 

The closure of the club house and debating chamber had muted most activities, but due to special circumstances the committee had persuaded the hostelry to open its doors for a temporary period of reflections and mortification. 

Most fortunately and agreeably, this also coincided with the governments decision to suspend open hostilities towards the hospitality trade and mercifully allow limited opening of public houses and restaurants. Hurrahhhhh !

As required by the regulations at the time, Dave Duck, Barry the Gravedigger, Dave the Teach and one other would assemble at the required safe distance and set about righting society of its ills, spills and failures. As core members of the societies various and numerous committees and sub committees, the regulars would automatically form a quorum, and vote on points of principle and confirm their authenticity or reject them as puerile garbage. 

It was agreed that due to current ills of society and the dreadful pestilence that ravaged the world, the core members would reinvent themselves as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, so as to avenge the play makers and purveyors of the apocalyptic society that was joyfully and criminally locking the worlds populace in to their home made prison cells.

As the "four horsemen" suddenly jumped to their feet revealing their chain mail under-garments and home made swords, the startled and unsuspecting crowd recoiled in their seats clutching chests and heads in amazement as they struggled to gulp down air and take in the unsettling spectacle before them. 

To be continued...............