Sentence:  Sad to relate, some of the European delegates were probably insurgents rather than true <WSD>fen</WSD>. ... But the Europeans could be counted on to take the long view, and many of them would probably turn out to be real <WSD>fen</WSD> and fenne after all. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  fans; a plural form used by enthusiasts of science fiction, fantasy, and anime, partly from whimsy and partly to distinguish themselves from fans of sport, etc.