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Authors: Dani Kollin
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the first person arrested by the reborn Alaskan Federation? That’ll make it difficult to run for a presidency that you haven’t even announced yet. Though I should thank you in advance.”
“For what?”
“Helping me sell a helluva lot of downloads.”
Hektor laughed. “My dear, sweet Irma, I can’t convince them to stay in the Confederation. That’s why I plan to offer them a bribe.”
Now it was Irma’s turn to laugh.
“They’re Alaskans, Hektor. They don’t care about your money or your stock, so what’s left? Power sharing? Do that and they’ll stymie your every attempt to nail Justin to the wall.”
“Don’t worry, Irma,” answered Hektor with a dev ilish grin. “I’m not going to bribe them with power. Just the hope of achieving it.”
With that, Hektor, followed by his guards, headed toward the door that led directly out to the auditorium. Irma could hear a halo of boos and various shrieks of anger greeting him from the other side of the now-closed door. She waited a moment and then slipped out the same door, unnoticed by the crowd that had focused their anger on her “story” making his way to the dais. She took a position against the far wall of the stage, out of the spotlight.
She saw that Hektor had already transformed into his grave but dignified persona. When he got to the podium he waited for the jeers to quiet down.
“You’re angry,” Hektor said, through clenched teeth. “Well, damn it, you have every right to be!”
The crowd quieted somewhat, surprised at the Chairman’s tone.
“If I was an Alaskan,” shouted Hektor, “I’d be angry too!”
There were more shouts but this time less so. Hektor, Irma could see, was slowly throwing them off their game.
“What you created three hundred years ago,” the Chairman continued, “is being demolished in front of your very eyes. The gift of unity and peace is being demolished in your lifetime.”
Again he waited, and again the derisive comments became more sporadic.
“You think the system is broken. Many of you want to abandon what
you
created. So I’m asking you as merely one recipient of perhaps the greatest gift your state has ever given to mankind, do you really mean to abandon us when we need you the most!” Hektor was interrupted with cries of “The Fifth’s a farce!” and “The pre-am’s a sham!” the latter of which turned into a raucous chant that went on for many minutes.
Once again Hektor was the epitome of calm. “You may be right!” he shouted back. “Maybe the new preamble
is
a sham.”
The hall quickly simmered down.
“Well, I certainly didn’t propose it,” he continued, “and I’ll even admit to having my own reservations, but I will tell you that in the end … in the end I did support it.”
This brought about more cries of outrage. “Men, not stocks” was heard at various eddies in the large crowd as well as, noticed Irma, a few less appropriately expressed sentiments.
“Well, guess what, people?” taunted Hektor. “If you don’t like the amendment, change it! In less than nine months there’ll be an election for the assembly and the presidency. Propose a slate of candidates and tell the peoples of this Confederation that you’re willing to lead again.”
The crowd grew silent.
“That’s right,” he continued. “Let the Alaskans lead again and retake the mantle they so richly deserve.”
“Damned straight!” someone shouted from the back of the hall. Hektor wasn’t sure if it was one of his shills who had done the shouting but didn’t really care. It was all the impetus he needed.
“Why, in this very assembly,” he said, looking for where he knew his unwitting mark would be sitting, “you have an heir of Tim Damsah himself. A man so modest that the only post he’s ever accepted is that of assemblyman, like his father and grandfather before him.” What Hektor left out was why—the man was an idiot, only given a public office because he’d descended from
“For what?”
“Helping me sell a helluva lot of downloads.”
Hektor laughed. “My dear, sweet Irma, I can’t convince them to stay in the Confederation. That’s why I plan to offer them a bribe.”
Now it was Irma’s turn to laugh.
“They’re Alaskans, Hektor. They don’t care about your money or your stock, so what’s left? Power sharing? Do that and they’ll stymie your every attempt to nail Justin to the wall.”
“Don’t worry, Irma,” answered Hektor with a dev ilish grin. “I’m not going to bribe them with power. Just the hope of achieving it.”
With that, Hektor, followed by his guards, headed toward the door that led directly out to the auditorium. Irma could hear a halo of boos and various shrieks of anger greeting him from the other side of the now-closed door. She waited a moment and then slipped out the same door, unnoticed by the crowd that had focused their anger on her “story” making his way to the dais. She took a position against the far wall of the stage, out of the spotlight.
She saw that Hektor had already transformed into his grave but dignified persona. When he got to the podium he waited for the jeers to quiet down.
“You’re angry,” Hektor said, through clenched teeth. “Well, damn it, you have every right to be!”
The crowd quieted somewhat, surprised at the Chairman’s tone.
“If I was an Alaskan,” shouted Hektor, “I’d be angry too!”
There were more shouts but this time less so. Hektor, Irma could see, was slowly throwing them off their game.
“What you created three hundred years ago,” the Chairman continued, “is being demolished in front of your very eyes. The gift of unity and peace is being demolished in your lifetime.”
Again he waited, and again the derisive comments became more sporadic.
“You think the system is broken. Many of you want to abandon what
you
created. So I’m asking you as merely one recipient of perhaps the greatest gift your state has ever given to mankind, do you really mean to abandon us when we need you the most!” Hektor was interrupted with cries of “The Fifth’s a farce!” and “The pre-am’s a sham!” the latter of which turned into a raucous chant that went on for many minutes.
Once again Hektor was the epitome of calm. “You may be right!” he shouted back. “Maybe the new preamble
is
a sham.”
The hall quickly simmered down.
“Well, I certainly didn’t propose it,” he continued, “and I’ll even admit to having my own reservations, but I will tell you that in the end … in the end I did support it.”
This brought about more cries of outrage. “Men, not stocks” was heard at various eddies in the large crowd as well as, noticed Irma, a few less appropriately expressed sentiments.
“Well, guess what, people?” taunted Hektor. “If you don’t like the amendment, change it! In less than nine months there’ll be an election for the assembly and the presidency. Propose a slate of candidates and tell the peoples of this Confederation that you’re willing to lead again.”
The crowd grew silent.
“That’s right,” he continued. “Let the Alaskans lead again and retake the mantle they so richly deserve.”
“Damned straight!” someone shouted from the back of the hall. Hektor wasn’t sure if it was one of his shills who had done the shouting but didn’t really care. It was all the impetus he needed.
“Why, in this very assembly,” he said, looking for where he knew his unwitting mark would be sitting, “you have an heir of Tim Damsah himself. A man so modest that the only post he’s ever accepted is that of assemblyman, like his father and grandfather before him.” What Hektor left out was why—the man was an idiot, only given a public office because he’d descended from
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