XXVI. Quarter-Arab.

Soon Maude found herself in Alfie Solomons's bakery once again. She, Tommy, Henry, and Alfie were standing in front of a whole group of men. All of them were recruited by Billy Kitchen and all of them were given the green light by Alfie to be inside the bakery.

Tommy paced in front of the men as he began speaking. "Alright, boys, you've now all been enrolled as bakers in the Aerated Bread Company of Camden Town," He called out, taking a drag of the cigarette between his fingers. "If anyone asks, that's what you do." He insisted. "You're bakers. The coppers in Camden Town are on our side, but north or south, you show them that piece of paper," He explained as he pointed at the paper they all had been given. "Tell them you've come down from north to find work, to break strikes. Tell them you're fascists, if you have to. We're finding lodgings for you, but for now, you'll sleep here in the bakery. But don't touch any of the bread, it'll most likely explode." He said as he came to a stop in front of them. "Any questions?" He asked and one of the men in the front held up his hand. "Yes?"

He looked around the bakery before a smile tugged at his lips. "I haven't even seen any bread." He commented and a few of the men had a chuckle.

Maude pursed her lips, inhaling sharply as her gaze shot towards Alfie. Tommy looked back at Alfie as well, clearing his throat before his gaze returned to the men. Everything was silent as Alfie slowly walked toward the group of men. He stopped in front of the jokester, staring at him for a long second before knocking out the man to his left. Henry quirked an eyebrow as he shared a look with his sister and she only shook her head in response.

"He'll wake up," Alfie assured the jokester before shrugging his shoulders. "Granted, he won't have any teeth left, but he will be a wiser man for it. And the last thing he will remember is your funny little joke. Won't he?" he asked as he stared at the man who quietly stared at him with wide eyes. "Right!" He screamed before stepping back from the man, and his attention fell over all of them. "There are fucking rules here. Yeah, there are fucking rules for a fucking reason." He began speaking as he walked around, eyeing the men. "Quite simply, they have to be obeyed. All right?" He insisted as he stopped in front of them.

"Rule number one. The distinction between bread and rum, yeah, is not discussed." Alfie demanded as his gaze settled on the jokester for a second before he looked at the rest again. "Rule number two. Anything, right, that your superior officer says to you or any of your other fucking superior officers say to you, yeah?" He spoke as he pointed towards everyone who stood on the other side of him" Not discussed!" He yelled before he pointed a finger at Maude. "And you even fucking listen to the lady, right?" He warned them and Maude quirked her eyebrows in response.

"Rule number three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, I don't care. For the rest of your fucking miserable measly lives, yeah?" Alfie continued. "Because I, like you, am also a complete fucking sodomite," He said, and again Maude quirked an eyebrow at him. "Jewish women. You do not go anywhere near them because Jewish women for you are off the fucking menu." He warned them before his gaze settled on Billy. "I think that's fair." He muttered and for a second the two had a stare off which Billy broke first, making Alfie hum. He turned towards the man on the floor, humming again before turning to Tommy. "All right, that's it, yeah. Forgive me, I interrupted you." He said before walking away.

Tommy stared at the men silently for a second before nodding to the man on the floor. " Pick him up," he demanded before walking up to Billy Kitchen, muttering something to him.

Henry leaned into his sister's side, eyebrows deeply furrowed. "What the fucking hell?" He muttered and Maude hummed in response as she nodded her head.

"Don't fucking wait!" Billy screamed at his men and immediately they began to rush off. "You're meant to be fucking soldiers! You're a fucking disgrace!" He screamed at them as he pushed them out the door before following after them.

Maude turned to Tommy, crossing her arms over her chest as she raised her eyebrows. "See, unhinged." She whispered as her head tilted to the side and Tommy only stared at her, knowing she was right.

Soon the three returned to Birmingham again and a day after they arrived they were informed that the young boy, the Digbeth Kid, was killed in his jail cell by Sabini and a threat that Tommy was next on their hit list.

The family as well as the gang all gathered inside the betting shop, all waiting for John who had gone to pick up Polly for the meeting. When they stepped into the shop, Polly looked around with a frown on her face, having clearly told everyone not to bother her time with her son. "This had better be good to interrupt my holiday." She demanded.

"Where's the boy?" Arthur asked as he looked at his aunt with raised eyebrows, knowing nowadays, she never went anywhere without her son.

"In the back room." She replied as she put her purse down on a nearby table, pulling off her gloves. "I only brought him because afterward, we're going to the museum." She explained.

"He wanted to come in and say hello..." John informed them but his aunt was quick to cut him off.

"Shut up, John." She snapped at him. "There is nothing of interest to Michael in this room." She demanded, knowing how the boys were wanting to have her get Michael involved in the business, but she refused. She turned to Tommy, sighing. "Tommy, get on with it." She demanded.

Tommy put his cigarette down in the ashtray in front of him before clasping his hands together. "Last night, one of our men had his throat cut in Winson Green." He informed everyone, as only he, Maude, and Arthur already knew. "This morning, I had a telegram saying it was Sabini who ordered it." He explained.

"And it says here that Thomas Shelby's next," Arthur spoke as he held up the telegram before ripping it to shreds and crumbling up the pieces, tossing them onto the table.

"If our men think we can't look after them in prison, they'll not work for us. Sabini knows that. So we need to get the Green sorted out." Tommy insisted before his eyes scanned over his men, landing on Scudboat who stood among the group. "Scudboat, you and one of the boys break a couple of windows, get yourselves arrested. I'll have our coppers get you into the Green and you can find the bastards who did it." He ordered.

"Instead of breaking a window, can we pinch a car?" He asked Tommy as he raised his eyebrows and a few of the men began chuckling, John included. "What? Everybody else is getting a bloody car." he huffed at them. "I'm still on a donkey." He said and there were a few more chuckles.

"That's enough," Maude muttered as she looked between all the men who laughed, eyebrows deeply furrowed and face scrunched up in pure disgust for their behavior.

"All right, just get yourselves fucking arrested, it doesn't matter how." Tommy snapped at Scudboat, finding all the laughter distasteful as well. "And before you all laugh, a boy is dead." He reminded them as his gaze settled on John who looked down shamefully. "He was just a kid," He muttered before his gaze turned to Polly. "We'll start a fund for his family, Pol."

"Agreed." She nodded her head. Before raising her hand' in question. "So is that it? Can I go now?" She asked as she walked over to the table, reaching for her purse and gloves.

"Well, as company treasurer, I need your permission to spend 1,000 guineas." He informed his aunt as he cleared his throat.

"On what?" Polly asked as she raised her eyebrows and Maude pursed her lips as she let out a soft knowing sigh, turning towards Tommy as she raised her eyebrows as well, already having had this conversation with him.

Tommy was silent for a second as he stared at his aunt. "On a horse." He replied before his gaze diverted.

"A thousand guineas on a horse?" Polly asked as she stared at Tommy, her eyebrows remaining raised.

"That's right," Tommy replied as he nodded his head.

"When was this decided?" Polly asked as she looked around at the men before her gaze settled on Maude, quirking a questioning eyebrow at her, knowing Tommy discussed everything with Maude, and surely the girl didn't agree with such a purchase

"You've been busy with Michael," Tommy replied as he stared at his aunt.

Maude looked up to meet Polly's gaze, shaking her head at the woman. "Don't look at me, I had my say, none of them listened." She insisted as she waved a hand in the mens direction. "I've told you before, a shiny title doesn't mean any of these fuckers actually listen to my advice." She huffed as she shot a side eye at the men before turning back to Polly. "I only get paid to say pretty words." She muttered before pulling out a cigarette and lighting it.

"My God," Polly muttered as she looked around at all the men. " So, in the absence of common sense, you boys have had an idea." She taunted them

"Polly, there's a thoroughbred, quarter-Arab filly up for auction at the Doncaster Bloodstock," Tommy informed his aunt.

"What do we want with a 1,000-guinea horse?" She questioned him as she raised her eyebrows.

"When we make our move on Sabini's racing pitches, any men we get into the betting enclosure will be lifted by Sabini's police," Tommy explained to her. "A good racehorse is a passport to the owner's enclosure."

"We'll be in there with all the toffs," Arthur added as his gaze found his aunt's. "Coppers won't know where to look."

John hummed as he nodded his head. "Yeah, the Epsom Derby, Pol." He said and Maude pursed her lips as she looked at Tommy who sighed. "We'll be drinking with the bloody king." He said as he playfully patted Daniel on the arm, who only shook his head in return at John.

"The Derby?" Polly repeated as her eyebrows furrowed, and Tommy shot John a pointed look for talking. "Did he say the Derby?" She questioned as she looked over at Tommy.

Tommy glared at his brother for a second longer before turning to Polly. "That's right." He confirmed before clearing his throat. "For the last 10 years, Sabini's made it his race. If we're going to take him down, might as well make it there, as a symbol." He insisted.

"Did you come up with this idea in a pub by any chance?" Polly asked as her eyes squinted at Tommy.

"Indeed they did," Maude confirmed softly as she stared down at the ground, taking a long drag of her cigarette.

Tommy glanced over at Maude before his gaze returned back to his aunt. "Pol. A good racehorse is an investment, like property." he insisted as he looked back at Maude, knowing she didn't agree either with the purchase. "We need to diversify the portfolio." He explained to them.

"So when is this sale?" Polly asked as she crossed her arms over her chest, her head tilting to the side.

"Tomorrow," Tommy replied.

"Tommy's had a death threat, so we'll have to go with him for protection," Arthur explained as he looked over at John as well as the Felton brothers.

"So, you're going to close up the shop, go out on a piss-up, and blow 1,000 guineas on a horse that's not even whole Arab," Polly concluded as he looked between the brothers in disbelief.

"Quarter-Arab is better!" Curly called out from the group of men as he chuckled. "Quarter-Arab, it means..."

"Curly shut up." Polly snapped at him and he immediately went quiet. Her gaze landed on Michael who slowly walked into the room and everyone followed her gaze. Her gaze shot towards John. "I thought I told you to lock that door." She snapped at him.

"He did," Michael replied as he stopped next to John. " I used the key on the nail." He explained before turning to his mother. "Look, I've been listening. I want to go with them." He informed his mother.

"You see?" Polly snapped as she raised her hands and turned to Tommy.

"I love horses. I could even help." Michael insisted as he gave his mother a pleading look.

"Over my dead body!" She huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head at Michael.

"It'll be all right, Mum," he assured her as he nodded his head. "I've been to loads of horse auctions before with my uncle. They're very respectable. People bring their butlers." He explained as he shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, and their posh wives," Arthur replied before sipping on a glass of whiskey he had poured himself.

"And their mistresses," John added with a grin as he nudged Daniel in the side with his elbow.

"Let him come, Polly." Arthur insisted as he finished his whiskey. "We'll go there, buy an 'orse, come back. Maude's coming with as well, so the boy will be fine." He insisted as he pointed at Maude.

"I'll drop him back at the house in Sutton before it gets dark," John assured his aunt.

Polly was silent for a second as she stared at her son, slowly shaking her head. "No." She refused and Michael's face dropped. "Fucking no!" She repeated and with a huff Michael turned back round and walked off, knocking a few papers off a table before storming into the back room.

Everyone was silent for a second as they waited for Tommy to speak. "All right, that's it. Back to work. Come on!" he ordered them and all the men scattered off again, each returning to their work.

Maude gave Polly a tight-lipped smile as she stumped out her cigarette before making her way to leave the shop. She knew Polly only wanted to protect her son. She also knew the Peaky Blinders weren't men to trust the teenager with. But she also knew if Polly grew overprotective and overbearing of Michael, she'd scare him away and lose him again.