The large bedroom had been transformed into a functional and inviting office space. A heavy oak desk was positioned along the wall directly opposite the doors. Theo was sure that beneath the thick rug underneath the desk the carpet contained the indentations of the king size bed that had once been the centerpiece of this room and had seen its share of high profile visitors and inappropriate behavior.
Across from the desk were two chairs as plush as the ones in the waiting room. It was to one of these that the assistant led Theo. He breathed slowly as he tried to keep his nerves at bay. Seated behind the large desk was Mayor Lucas. He smiled his famous warm smile at Theo and said, "Please, sit down Mr. Essex. Make yourself at home."
Theo did as he was told. The mayor folded his hands on the sheet of glass that protected the dark leather inlay of the desk. "Mr. Essex, Carlos Menendez said that it was absolutely urgent that you see me. Now I've known Carlos a long time, and he is not a man prone to exaggeration and hyperbole. You must have something quite important to say and, by the way, Carlos must like you very much. He wouldn't do something like this for just anyone. Now then, what can I do for you?"
"Mr. Mayor, sir, I want to talk to you about the ruling the deputy mayor came up with the other day in the trial of the protestors."
"Ah. Yes." Lucas rubbed his chin. "I take it you have some connection to the protestors?"
"Not exactly, sir. My friend Bill Mansfield was arrested with the protestors, but he wasn't one of them. He got involved when the fighting started. He was trying to protect people."
"I see," said the mayor. "Mr. Essex..." he looked at a file on his desk. "May I call you Theo?" Theo nodded. "Very well. Theo, I am sure it was not lost on you that this was the first major trial we have had here in Atlantic Island. Deputy Mayor Tiberius has control and authority over the police and judicial proceedings on our island. It would not be right for me to interfere, were I even of a mind to try."
"But sir," said Theo, "When you spoke at the arena, you said that the laws of the United States would be what we'd go by here. By those laws, the protestors had a right to protest, didn't they?"
"They had a right to protest peaceably, Theo. The protestors, and your friend as well, engaged in violence against the officers of the Security Force. You may not want to hear this but they broke the law."
"I'm not an expert in law, sir, but the one guy, Tom, hit an officer. Then the police started swinging. The others were defending themselves! Bill and I witnessed the whole thing and that's why he got involved."
Mayor Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You witnessed the whole altercation?"
"Yes, but nobody ever asked for witnesses. Tiberius just made up his mind to make an example."
"Deputy Mayor Tiberius, Theo."
"I'm sorry sir, but it wasn't a fair trial. And not all the defendants were guilty of the same thing!"
The mayor leaned back in his chair and sighed. "You are an interesting young man, Theo. You are both bold and respectful, a rare combination. I see why Carlos likes you. You also raise an interesting point. I take it you work with the construction crew?"
"Yes, sir," Theo said. He was curious where this question was leading.
"Do you like it? The work you have been asked to do so far?"
Theo considered this. "I do. It was hard at first, tearing homes apart, even if many of them were damaged, but I understand the situation we are all in, and I know how important the farmland is going to be to our survival."
The mayor nodded slowly. Theo suddenly recalled sitting in his guidance counselor's office discussing his post-high school plans. The guidance counselor had not exuded a fraction of the warmth Theo felt in the presence of Sam Lucas.
Mayor Lucas leaned forward again, his hands once again linked on the desk. "You believe in the farming initiative?" he asked.
"Sir, I think it's a very smart idea. I was thinking
Across from the desk were two chairs as plush as the ones in the waiting room. It was to one of these that the assistant led Theo. He breathed slowly as he tried to keep his nerves at bay. Seated behind the large desk was Mayor Lucas. He smiled his famous warm smile at Theo and said, "Please, sit down Mr. Essex. Make yourself at home."
Theo did as he was told. The mayor folded his hands on the sheet of glass that protected the dark leather inlay of the desk. "Mr. Essex, Carlos Menendez said that it was absolutely urgent that you see me. Now I've known Carlos a long time, and he is not a man prone to exaggeration and hyperbole. You must have something quite important to say and, by the way, Carlos must like you very much. He wouldn't do something like this for just anyone. Now then, what can I do for you?"
"Mr. Mayor, sir, I want to talk to you about the ruling the deputy mayor came up with the other day in the trial of the protestors."
"Ah. Yes." Lucas rubbed his chin. "I take it you have some connection to the protestors?"
"Not exactly, sir. My friend Bill Mansfield was arrested with the protestors, but he wasn't one of them. He got involved when the fighting started. He was trying to protect people."
"I see," said the mayor. "Mr. Essex..." he looked at a file on his desk. "May I call you Theo?" Theo nodded. "Very well. Theo, I am sure it was not lost on you that this was the first major trial we have had here in Atlantic Island. Deputy Mayor Tiberius has control and authority over the police and judicial proceedings on our island. It would not be right for me to interfere, were I even of a mind to try."
"But sir," said Theo, "When you spoke at the arena, you said that the laws of the United States would be what we'd go by here. By those laws, the protestors had a right to protest, didn't they?"
"They had a right to protest peaceably, Theo. The protestors, and your friend as well, engaged in violence against the officers of the Security Force. You may not want to hear this but they broke the law."
"I'm not an expert in law, sir, but the one guy, Tom, hit an officer. Then the police started swinging. The others were defending themselves! Bill and I witnessed the whole thing and that's why he got involved."
Mayor Lucas raised an eyebrow. "You witnessed the whole altercation?"
"Yes, but nobody ever asked for witnesses. Tiberius just made up his mind to make an example."
"Deputy Mayor Tiberius, Theo."
"I'm sorry sir, but it wasn't a fair trial. And not all the defendants were guilty of the same thing!"
The mayor leaned back in his chair and sighed. "You are an interesting young man, Theo. You are both bold and respectful, a rare combination. I see why Carlos likes you. You also raise an interesting point. I take it you work with the construction crew?"
"Yes, sir," Theo said. He was curious where this question was leading.
"Do you like it? The work you have been asked to do so far?"
Theo considered this. "I do. It was hard at first, tearing homes apart, even if many of them were damaged, but I understand the situation we are all in, and I know how important the farmland is going to be to our survival."
The mayor nodded slowly. Theo suddenly recalled sitting in his guidance counselor's office discussing his post-high school plans. The guidance counselor had not exuded a fraction of the warmth Theo felt in the presence of Sam Lucas.
Mayor Lucas leaned forward again, his hands once again linked on the desk. "You believe in the farming initiative?" he asked.
"Sir, I think it's a very smart idea. I was thinking
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