The Gospel of Us by Owen Sheers

surprised as us.
    ‘What is your argument Teacher?’
    ‘I have no argument.’
    Again the Company Man looked wrong-footed. He’d prepared his debate, his points. But how was he meant to execute them if this man wouldn’t defend himself?
    ‘Alright,’ he said. ‘Then I’ll tell the people your argument.’
    Walking to the front of the stage he addressed us, his eyes flicking for just a second to those two women and the little girl in their nightdresses.
    ‘You believe,’ he said, pointing at the Teacher. ‘In the breakdown of society. In tearing up the social contract. You say that everyone is of the same value, regardless of their contribution. You don’t recognise the family unit, the importance of work, of money, or economic wealth. You say little to your followers, but expect them to give up everything. Is that right?’
    The Company Man was good. He didn’t sound as if he was accusing the Teacher, more trying to understand him. But he was clever too. He was framing what the Teacher was and while his words made sense there, up on stage, we knew they bore no relation to what had happened over the last twodays on the streets, in people’s houses, on the mountain.
    ‘If you say so,’ the Teacher replied again.
    ‘Why did you come here?’ the Company Man asked. His tone was different. The question was real, instinctive. He really wanted to know. ‘Why did you come back?’
    At last, the Teacher turned to face him. ‘To listen to the truth,’ he said.
    And there it was. A word he could grasp at, a word he could use to engage his argument. ‘But whose truth?’ he asked. ‘What truth? It’s like what I said to Barry. You’re ignoring the fact that we, the Company, deal with the hard truths. The unpalatable truth. If these people want a certain way of life, then certain compromises have to be reached. You know that. We deal with the truths ordinary people don’t want to even look at!’
    He addressed us again. ‘Where is your power going to come from tonight? How will you call your cousin, hundreds of miles away? How will you afford your weekly shop? How will you keep warmin the winter? It’s the truths of these questions that we deal with, Teacher.’
    Extending his arm he pointed directly at his face. ‘Are those the truths you came to hear?’
    ‘No.’
    ‘At least he’s fighting to protect something,’ the Company Man continued, gesturing to Barry now. ‘To protect the town he knows. You, you’re more dangerous than that. You’re not protecting anything. You just want to break everything up.’
    The revelation in his voice seemed genuine. As if it was only now, standing opposite him, that the Company Man really understood the threat the Teacher posed.
    ‘But you need him, don’t you?’ the Teacher said. ‘And he needs you.’
    The Company Man stared at him, incredulous. ‘Why would I need him?’
    ‘Because he challenges you, and that justifies what you do.’
    ‘And you don’t challenge me?’
    ‘No. I make you unnecessary.’
    It was like a punch to his stomach. I swear, I saw the blood drain from his face there and then. He went to answer, but for once he was lost for words.
    ‘I see you,’ the Teacher said. ‘I know your story.’ Silence. The whole civic centre tensed with anticipation.
    ‘And what,’ the Company Man said, half swallowing his words. ‘Might that be?’
    The Teacher returned his gaze, calm and steady. ‘You are afraid.’
    The Company Man looked down at his feet and took a deep breath. Everyone will say different but for me that’s when the dice were rolled. That’s when the choice was made. I saw it in his eyes when he raised his head and looked at the Teacher again.
    ‘Am I?’ he said. ‘Well, let’s see. Let’s play this by your rules, shall we? I want to give the people of this town a choice today. But not by a vote. Everyone knows a vote can be rigged. And that’s what you’d say, isn’t it? That I loaded the crowd. So how would you do