The young reporter was blushing now, angry that some fat old guy was trying to tell her how to do her job.
“Sir,” she said, gathering herself, “I’m trying to get this angle locked down and then we’ll move on.”
Andrews laughed at her, shaking his head again.
“You’re just trying to cover for them. I bet you know who they are and you’re spewing out their talking points. Look,” he said, staring directly into the camera, imagining that he was speaking directly to his neighbors, “you people need to wake up and figure out what’s going on here. You think a government won’t affect you? Get involved. Ask questions.”
The camera returned to the reporter, who was now visibly upset with her guest’s rant.
“Thank you Mr. Andrews,” she said, her hands demurely in her lap. “We’ll now go back to the anchors’ desk.”
“Go get ‘em!” Patton yelled at the TV. He was up on his feet, clapping and smiling down at his fiancé. “I told you he could do it,” he said, beaming.
Patton had recruited Devin to appear on the news. The two had started as clients of one another’s businesses, but they quickly became friends once they realized they had similar political beliefs. One of Devin’s friends knew the owner of the news station and the two had finagled Devin’s appearance.
Jennifer rolled her eyes and pulled on Patton’s back pocket to make him sit back down on the couch.
“Alright, alright,” she said, feigning annoyance. “Can we turn the channel now?”
Patton sat and handed her the remote. She selected a very boring and depressing show to watch, but Patton smiled the whole way through it.
“What the hell was that?” Charlie raved.
Anna clenched her phone and was tempted to throw it against the wall. As annoyed as she’d been watching the interview, Charlie was annoying her even more.
“How the hell should I know Charlie?” she asked. “I’ve never seen the guy before. Calm down. We need to think this through.”
The cat was out of the bag. They would need to devise a strategy to confront the opposition that was obviously forming in the shadows. The plan had been to sneak the thing through and get it to a vote by the loyal sheep of Blue Creek. That plan, however, had been shot to hell.
“When can we meet?” Charlie asked, still angry, but Anna could tell that he was trying to calm himself.
Anna sighed. It was past ten o’clock and she was in no mood for his anger. And she was especially not in the mood to deny his advances.
“Tomorrow. It’s late and I’m tired.”
Her desire had been to see Charlie in person as little as possible, but this was something they were going to have to figure out face to face. They might have to get Travis involved again, and when that happened, people tended to get hurt.
Word of the interview with Devin Andrews spread by word of mouth. The TV station refused to post it on their website, but it reached Blue Creek’s social sites nonetheless. Discussions led to further questions and it got a larger portion of the community interested in the potential government and what effect that might have on them. A group spearheaded by Patton and others was able to force the committee, led by Charlie Henry, out into the open for a public discussion. Eventually, the committee agreed to hold a forum where concerned citizens could ask questions, raise concerns, and air grievances. The meeting was held at a school auditorium. When the meeting was called to order, the venue was filled to capacity. Additionally, thousands of citizens were logged onto the intranet site to watch the proceedings.
Many spies, Bao included, attended the meeting, knowing that its outcome was going to have huge ramifications for the town. They were all logged onto a chat room where they could post their reactions in real time. They all filed independent reports when the meeting was over, but many Insight employees and researchers watched in real time. The most captivating narrative was in the spies’ chat room.
The person who’d infiltrated the committee wrote cryptically: Meeting originally set to begin at 7 P.M. now delayed. C. Henry and other members visibly nervous and agitated. Have it on good authority that committee plan was to establish gov’t by stealth. Rumor that P. Larsen behind movement to slow down establishment.
A spy in the crowd wrote: Crowd visibly anxious and jittery. Some with pro-government signs. Others with anti-government signs. Standing room only. Blue Creek Fire Service had to clear many out and send them home. Most in crowd seem to understand importance of mtg.
Then another wrote: Mtg. finally begins. Emcee is introducing committee. P. Larsen D. Andrews spotted among audience. Expecting fireworks. Question from crowd about how people will vote on different measures told via intranet, mobile devices, paper ballot under each chair available.
The person on the committee wrote from the stage: Before cmte came onto stage overheard C. Henry telling another member, “If Larsen causes a ruckus I’ll wring his gd neck.”
Another wrote: Emcee claims that 75% of eligible voters are either present or watching online. Unlikely, but it has been agreed that only 50% needed to be “present.”
Another wrote: Committee member reading proposals: exec. officer to be called “Governor”. Leg. body will be called “Council” with 21 members…serve 3 yrs with 7 members up for election every year. Gov. and Council will appoint three judges.
Another wrote: Proposed voting age of 18. Voted on and agreed to.
Another wrote: P. Larsen standing to be recognized. Asks that government be based on U.S. Constitution, including only first 10 amend. C. Henry says that Gov. and Council should decide laws and will be voted on after that. P. Larsen reiterates need for U.S. Const. before gov’t is established, says “How are we going to be able to hold (gov’t officials) accountable” without Const.? Heated back and forth between Henry and Larsen. Larsen getting crowd behind him. Asks for vote on whether to use U.S. Const. Henry objects, states that much of Const. doesn’t apply to this gov’t as there is no bicameral leg. Asks to reword Bill of Rights into plainer English. Will vote amend. by amend.
Both the in-person and online audiences considered amendments one by one. They were reworded and then voted upon by the people. Many amendments, like instituting and ending Prohibition, were considered to not be applicable so they were skipped. However, all of the Bill of Rights was passed, even the 3rd, which prevents the government from quartering soldiers in private citizens’ homes.
The meeting dragged on and many people began to log off and leave the meeting, but enough people remained to make the votes legal. By the time the voting was over, Charlie Henry was about to kill someone.
The spy on the stage wrote: C. Henry visibly angry. Hands shaking. Speaking angrily with other cmte member A. Radinski.
When all was said and done, the long-awaited showdown between Charlie Henry and Patton—at least by those who knew about the first confrontation—did not disappoint. There were few, if any people, who thought that Mr. Henry came out on top in the exchange. After the meeting was over, Jennifer and Mike congratulated him, but he didn’t feel like celebrating.