this? Maybe by giving the choice to just one person? One innocent person. Because everyone’schoice is as valid as anyone else’s, isn’t it?’
Turning to the crowd he scanned the front rows, a twitching smile at the corner of his lips. He had a plan; I could tell, and I didn’t like the look of it.
‘You,’ he said, pointing to someone in the crowd. ‘You, the girl in the blue jumper. Can we get her up here please?’
I turned to the big screen, saw the camera run along faces until it landed on a little girl. She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight. Then some hands came in and picked her up. I looked back to the stage just in time to see Old Growler carry her up the steps and put her down in front of the Company Man.
‘Hello,’ he said, kneeling down to her height. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Katy,’ she said, her voice carrying on his lapel mike. She was wearing an oversized blue hoodie, the sleeves rolled up to show her small hands. I’d seen it somewhere before, but I couldn’t think where.
‘Well, Katy,’ the Company Man continued, one hand on her shoulder to reassure her. ‘I don’t wantyou to be nervous. I’m just going to ask you three questions, is that alright?’
She nodded.
‘Just answer as truthfully as you can. Can you do that for me?’
She nodded again.
‘Ok. Well, let’s start,’ he said as if about to read her a bedtime story. ‘Katy, do you want to carry on living with your family?’
‘Yes,’ she said, her voice small and clear.
‘Of course you do. And do you want to live with them in your house? In your home?’
‘Yes,’ she said again, nodding. I looked at the hoodie, racking my brain where I’d seen it before. And then I remembered. On the beach, that morning, when the Stranger had dressed him. It was the hoodie the young lad had given him. And then again, right here, when the woman was shot. The Teacher had taken it off and lain it over her. It was his hoodie, on this girl. Suddenly, knowing that, I felt better. Perhaps, just maybe, the Company Man wasn’t pulling the strings on this one after all?
‘Last question Katy,’ he said, giving her a warm smile. ‘And in that house, would you like to keep all your toys, your TV, your games?’
She paused, thinking for a moment. But we all knew what was coming. The poor girl was just that, a little girl, and these question were ridiculous. Ridiculous and yet terrifying. ‘Yes,’ she said eventually, returning his smile.
‘Thank you Katy,’ the Company Man said. ‘Thank you very much.’ He stood up, giving her a pat on the head. ‘A big hand for Katy everyone!’
As she was taken back down the steps the Company Man took a deep breath as if to say, ‘that was a close one, but now we’re back on track.’ He looked out over the crowd.
‘The verdict has been delivered,’ he announced. ‘And it is a good verdict. The freed man might be reckless, dangerous even. He is certainly outdated, but at least he is fighting to protect what you have here. At least he is trying, in his way, to keep things together.’
Without looking at him he pointed to Barry.‘Free him.’ Immediately Old Growler’s men went to him, removing his cuffs. Barry looked down at his wrists trying to comprehend what was happening.
‘This one,’ the Company Man continued, pointing with his other hand, arm outstretched, to the Teacher. ‘He’s yours.’
Then he turned to look at him. The Teacher returned his gaze as the Company Man spoke again. ‘Make an example of him,’ he said. ‘In the old way.’
As soon as he spoke word became deed. Before the Company Man had even turned away Old Growler’s pack dogs were on the Teacher, sweeping him off the stage in a black swarm of body armour, helmets and gloves. Maybe the Company Man hadn’t known which of the two men would be charged that day, but Old Growler, he’d always known who he wanted. And now he had him.
They dragged him through the crowd and into the
Turning to the crowd he scanned the front rows, a twitching smile at the corner of his lips. He had a plan; I could tell, and I didn’t like the look of it.
‘You,’ he said, pointing to someone in the crowd. ‘You, the girl in the blue jumper. Can we get her up here please?’
I turned to the big screen, saw the camera run along faces until it landed on a little girl. She couldn’t have been more than seven or eight. Then some hands came in and picked her up. I looked back to the stage just in time to see Old Growler carry her up the steps and put her down in front of the Company Man.
‘Hello,’ he said, kneeling down to her height. ‘What’s your name?’
‘Katy,’ she said, her voice carrying on his lapel mike. She was wearing an oversized blue hoodie, the sleeves rolled up to show her small hands. I’d seen it somewhere before, but I couldn’t think where.
‘Well, Katy,’ the Company Man continued, one hand on her shoulder to reassure her. ‘I don’t wantyou to be nervous. I’m just going to ask you three questions, is that alright?’
She nodded.
‘Just answer as truthfully as you can. Can you do that for me?’
She nodded again.
‘Ok. Well, let’s start,’ he said as if about to read her a bedtime story. ‘Katy, do you want to carry on living with your family?’
‘Yes,’ she said, her voice small and clear.
‘Of course you do. And do you want to live with them in your house? In your home?’
‘Yes,’ she said again, nodding. I looked at the hoodie, racking my brain where I’d seen it before. And then I remembered. On the beach, that morning, when the Stranger had dressed him. It was the hoodie the young lad had given him. And then again, right here, when the woman was shot. The Teacher had taken it off and lain it over her. It was his hoodie, on this girl. Suddenly, knowing that, I felt better. Perhaps, just maybe, the Company Man wasn’t pulling the strings on this one after all?
‘Last question Katy,’ he said, giving her a warm smile. ‘And in that house, would you like to keep all your toys, your TV, your games?’
She paused, thinking for a moment. But we all knew what was coming. The poor girl was just that, a little girl, and these question were ridiculous. Ridiculous and yet terrifying. ‘Yes,’ she said eventually, returning his smile.
‘Thank you Katy,’ the Company Man said. ‘Thank you very much.’ He stood up, giving her a pat on the head. ‘A big hand for Katy everyone!’
As she was taken back down the steps the Company Man took a deep breath as if to say, ‘that was a close one, but now we’re back on track.’ He looked out over the crowd.
‘The verdict has been delivered,’ he announced. ‘And it is a good verdict. The freed man might be reckless, dangerous even. He is certainly outdated, but at least he is fighting to protect what you have here. At least he is trying, in his way, to keep things together.’
Without looking at him he pointed to Barry.‘Free him.’ Immediately Old Growler’s men went to him, removing his cuffs. Barry looked down at his wrists trying to comprehend what was happening.
‘This one,’ the Company Man continued, pointing with his other hand, arm outstretched, to the Teacher. ‘He’s yours.’
Then he turned to look at him. The Teacher returned his gaze as the Company Man spoke again. ‘Make an example of him,’ he said. ‘In the old way.’
As soon as he spoke word became deed. Before the Company Man had even turned away Old Growler’s pack dogs were on the Teacher, sweeping him off the stage in a black swarm of body armour, helmets and gloves. Maybe the Company Man hadn’t known which of the two men would be charged that day, but Old Growler, he’d always known who he wanted. And now he had him.
They dragged him through the crowd and into the
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