by T. J. Mines
The greenhouse project is presented first. Quint has arranged for three of his fellow members to vote against. The only vote he's not sure of is Ellen's. As he never had the intention to get new calculations done she's probably going to abstain, resulting in a tie, or deny, rejecting the project. Although both results are fine with Quint, he would prefer the outright rejection. That way he doesn't have to face the same project tomorrow or the day after that.
After the reading of the summary the council gets an opportunity to ask questions. As expected, Ellen takes the floor.
"I have doubts about the structural integrity of the extension," she starts, "Councilman Seif, have you asked the building coordinator for a recalculation?"
Quint gets to his feet.
"Councilwoman Lopez," he answers, "I have indeed requested a new calculation of the structural integrity of the extension. I have, however, not received the new calculation yet."
"Thank you councilmen Seif," Ellen says, "I have looked into the matter myself after our little talk. I have asked the architect responsible for the drawings to show me what calculations he has done and how they stand up to real world scenario's."
Ellen pauses to look at the faces of her fellow council members. A small smile plays on her lips as she looks at Quint. She knows he didn't ask anything.
"The architect assured me the calculations are correct. They even took into account the changes in the climate over the coming 50 years as predicted by our smartest meteorological scientists to ensure rising temperatures, changes in wind direction and other natural phenomenon won't adversely affect the structure.
He does advise the council to recalculate everything about the building every five years to make sure any problem is know before it gets out of control. But as that is the current standard procedure that won't be any obstacle for this project."
Ellen looks Quint in the eye. His expression sours as the other council members praise Ellen on her extensive research.
"Thank you, fellow council members," Ellen says, "I have no further questions about this project."
Quint used the same arguments with one other member. He is now looking at Quint too, shrugging as to say he's about to vote for the proposal.
The mayor steps up and asks for a vote on the subject. Six members vote for the project and the proposal is accepted.
Quint needs to take matters in his own hands now. He needs the defense proposal to be accepted too. The requested budget, together with the accepted greenhouse project, will stretch the council funds to a level where they'll be over budget by a million or two. As the proposal is read, Quint motions to his aides to come closer.
"Find me a part of the project we can scratch to save two million or more," he whispers.
His aides nod and start leafing through the proposal. Just before the mayor is done reading the proposal one of his aides tap him on the shoulder.
"Section 5b: three million for a new section of steel on the north wall," she says.
Quint nods. The moment the mayor is done with his part Quint gets up.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the council. If I may." He starts walking to stand in front of the rest of the council. "As you know I am always for the upgrade of our defenses, as they are the only thing protecting us against the evils beyond our wall. I do however, also respect our budget and can see that, in accepting the greenhouse extension, we do not have enough left this term to accept such a big project as now before us. Therefore, I would have to urge you to reject this proposal."
The people in the room look at each other in confusion. A low murmur rises from the aides behind the council.
"Councilman Seif," the mayor says, "are you sure you want to address the council like this?"
"My apologies, mayor," Quint answers, "I wasn't quite done yet."
Quint turns back to the council.
"I would urge you to reject this proposal, unless we remove section 5b."
Quint looks at the council member scanning the proposal for the mentioned part. Some members consult with their aides before looking at Quint and shrugging. Then Ellen gets to her feet.
"I have a question," she says, "if we do not replace the steel at the north wall, wouldn't that make us more vulnerable to attacks from that side?"
Quint looks at the aide who gave him the tip. She gives a slight nod.
"Yes, it would," Quint says, "But we can always factor this into next year's budget."
"What if we get attacked before that?" Ellen contests.
"Who is saying they will attack from the north? There is nothing north of here. Unless you expect the wolves and moose to mount a coordinated attack?"
Several people in the room laugh.
"Anyway," Quint continues, "recent reports say nothing of an imminent attack on Du Bois. We are safe for now."
"What about the current events. I've heard the team investigating the discovered a tunnel of some kind."
Quint scowls. Why does she have to bring that up?
"Yes, they did discover a tunnel," he says, "That tunnel is located on our south wall and the whole thing is cleared of enemies as we speak. So there too we don't need more protection."
"Fine," Ellen says, "I have no more questions."
Quint looks at the mayor.
"Any opposed to scratching section 5b?" the mayor asks.
Ellen raises her hand.
"Noted," the mayor continues, "now to put the proposal to a vote."
Quint walks back to his seat, sure the proposal will be accepted now.
Of the nine members, five are for, including Ellen. She sends Quint a dirty look. He gives her a smile back.
In the evening Quint has a campaign debate planned. He and his opposition, Bohdan Koval, are invited at one of the more elite venues in town. The guests there consist of the upper class citizens of Du Bois. The dress code is black tie, giving Quint a reason to go all out. After the debate, which will be broadcast live throughout Du Bois, Quint can mingle with the people having the money and power to help him reach his goals.
An hour before the campaign Senior, his butler, comes knocking on the open door of his private study.
"Enter," Quint calls.
"Sir," Senior says, "you should get dressed."
"I know, I know," Quint puts the book he was reading down, "One hour till show time."
"Even less time to dress sir," Senior adds, "you need to be driven there too."
"Yes, but that shouldn't be a problem. It's on this side of the town."
"You are right sir, I'm sorry," Senior bobs his head, "I will leave you to it."
Senior backs out of the room, still bobbing his head.
"Wait," Quint calls, "I think I want to have plenty of time to dress and to get there. Help me with my tuxedo."
"Certainly sir," Senior says.
Together they walk to Quint's main bedroom. Attached is the walk-in closet he always wanted as a kid. Now he has one, filled with the best suits money can buy. Most of the suits are made by the former Asians living in town. They have the best eye for detail in cutting and sowing materials. The design however is classical French or British, depending on his taste.
Today, for this event, he opts for a modern design by a local. It looks classy and still celebrates the Du Bois culture. It is all black, as required by the dress code, but uses specific design elements that cannot be found in the old style suits. And, as it has been commissioned by Quint himself, there is no other like it in town. That way he can also accentuate his uniqueness.
Senior hands Quint the individual pieces which Quint puts on. The fit is perfect. Quint looks after his form and exercises every morning. Except after an evening in the club. There, and at home after he found a girl to his liking, he spends more energy then he can in the gym. He still has the figure of a twenty year old, but the wisdom of a man in his forties.
The last piece to go on is the bow-tie. Quint can tie it himself, but he prefers Senior to do it. It's less awkward and he's paying Senior to do stuf
f like this. Waiting for the old man to finish Quint thinks about the debate tonight. Koval must be an emotional wreck by now. His daughter hasn't been found yet and that is bound to effect his debating skills. Not that Quint is worried. Even on his worst day he can mop the floor with Koval. The only reason Koval is running is because there needed to be an opposition for Quint, and no other council member wanted to do it. Except for Ellen, but she couldn't. Being the junior council member she can't run for mayor. Until there is another new council member chosen, she'll never be mayor.
The current mayor served his three terms. He now must step down to avoid creating a power lock-in. Should he stay on he could become the equivalent of a dictator, whether he's chosen or not. This is one thing Quint wants to change. But maybe he doesn't have to. It all depends on the advancements of his employer. It could be days, weeks or years before his work here is done. Until that time comes, his task is to become mayor and stay mayor.
His bow-tie and tuxedo are on. He looks the part. Exactly like he wants to look in front of the elite. The common people watching at home will be stunned seeing him like this. His day cannot be ruined looking like this.
Quint arrives at the venue, a restaurant catering to the wealthy only. Most normal guests are from outside Du Bois. Visitors showing off to their friends or business people spending their, often ill-earned, money. Now the place is turned into a political arena. It has hosted this same debate for as long as Du Bois turned into a democracy again. Every three years all furniture is removed leaving a large space for people to stand and watch the debate. The two candidates are placed on a podium, erected for this event. Throughout the room camera's are placed. These are operated from a special booth opposite the stage. There a director and his technicians monitor the live feed going to the masses.
At the door Quint is greeted by today's host. The woman, in her fifties, has been the owner of the restaurant for over thirty years. She inherited it from her father, who was the fifth in a long line of fathers and sons owning the place. Since she is the only child the tradition was broken. It wasn't bad for the place. She created a new and better version with more expensive options and a few private dining rooms for guests needing the secrecy.
"Good evening councilman Seif!" she greets him.
"Good evening, Lady Carla," Quint greets back. He takes her hand and pretends to kiss the top of it.
"Be welcome at your special day," she says, "Councilman Koval is already in his dressing room getting ready. If you follow Jim here to yours, you can also prepare for the debate."
A boy, about six or seven years old, steps out from behind Lady Carla.
"Thank you, my lady. Please proceed, Master Jim." Quint smiles at the boy, who starts blushing at the way he's addressed.
The boy walks into the building, with Quint and his aides following. Ebo should arrive soon too, he's never one to skip out of a prestigious event like this. They walk past the stage into a small hallway. Two doors lead off of it. Jim walks past the first door and opens the second. He waits for the councilman and his aides to enter. With everyone inside Jim closes the door again and walks off.
Inside is a stool at a desk in front of a mirror. Here Quint can have his make-up done. He wouldn't want to shine on camera. There's also a table for his aides to work on. They set up their materials and check the ear piece Quint will wear on stage. The communication is needed to help Quint answer the more difficult questions. Koval will also wear one, so that they are both at equal advantages when it comes to information. Quint sits down at his stool.
Ebo opens the door and comes strolling in. The aides, already looking busy because of Quint, ramp it up a notch.
"Good evening!" Ebo shouts at the top of his lungs, "How are we all doing?"
Quint looks over his shoulder, the aide putting on his make-up snatching her sponge away to avoid an overly tanned nose.
"Do you always have to do that?" he asks Ebo. His brow knits together in a mock frown.
"Someone has to bring the joy to this lot." Ebo gestures towards the busy aides.
"Here here," says one of the aides, resulting in a stern look from Ebo.
"Shut up, I'm not talking to you," he adds.
"What do you have for me tonight Ebo?" Quint asks.
"We have a standard debate tonight," Ebo answers, "The debate moderator will start off with simple topic for which you both get five minutes to state your opinion. The first will be used as an example and no heavy clash is expected. After that the topics become more important."
"What's the first topic?" Quint asks.
"Opening hours for the central market. Please do not start off with saying the times should be opened up. The public opinion is too diverse to cover all bases."
"So they should be kept as they are," Quint concludes.
"Yes," Ebo agrees, "but Koval will say the same."
"So I have to say it better," Quint says.
"Again, yes. And since he will go first you can alter whatever you think of, if need be."
"Good." Quint turns back to the mirror. "Fill me in on the topics after that."
"Next is a discussion about immigration."
"You know how I feel about that," Quint says.
"Yes, I do, and Koval is the opposite. He will argue that we should loosen the immigration rules and open up to more people so that we can grow in our tourism sector."
"Doesn't he know how many people out there want to harm us? How many miscreants are bent on destroying our way of life? Hell, his own daughter is missing and who knows who took her with all those foreigners in town!"
"You're from Al Bari yourself, Quint," Ebo interjects, "he can and will use that against your logic."
"I know, I know. But I've shown that I am in service of Du Bois. That's why I'm here, trying my best to keep this little community safe against all those who want to oppose us."
"So show that to the audience," Ebo says, showing a big smile.
Quint nods and looks into a mirror. He adjusts his tuxedo and replaces a stray strand of hair. A girl comes up to him with a box of make-up. He hates this part of the show. He's a man and men don't wear make-up.
"I want to include moral and social standards in my closing speach," he says.
The room goes quiet. Quint can now only hear the sound of whirring fans and the sponge hitting his skin. He swats away the girl and turns around to face Ebo.
"What?" Quint says, staring hard.
"I know you feel strong about those topics, Quint," Ebo starts.
"Yes, and that's why I'm going to talk about it."
"No you won't."
"I'm sorry?" Quint asks.
"Let me finish," Ebo continues, "Most of Du Bois feels that the standards we live by right now are good, but they also see it shifting into a more tourist, and mostly sexually loose, centered way of life. They want to keep the balance as it is now, keeping the economy thriving while having a semi strict guidance on ethics. You want to upset that balance and enforce a more traditional standard, like they have in Al Bari and further south. That goes against the believe that life here is better than elsewhere.
I agree with you that things can get out of hand here, but it's, as I said, balanced now. Don't upset that, or even hint at upsetting it. When you've won, you can start proposing amendments and turn the society towards the path you see is best. For now, leave the people thinking you want to keep the basics as they are now."
"Fine, I see what you're saying. You're right. Keep up appearances for now. Anyway, I wouldn't want to come off as a hypocrite. I do love me some nice parties."
A knock on the door interrupts the conversation in the room. Jim pokes his head around the corner.
"Sir? It's time."
The debate went as planned. Koval was still distraught over his missing daughter and gave no fight at all. Now Quint is sure victory will be his. Ebo congratulated him on his performance in the dressing room. There Quint send away all aides, they weren't invited to the party anyway, and freshene
d up. The stage lights had been hot and he did get himself worked up over some topics, even if Koval didn't instigate anything.
One of the most annoying topics was over the water treatment. As if the water could be any better here. The water is pumped up from deep down, filtered through some fancy filters and then distributed throughout the town. And all free of charge. Still people chose to complain about trace amounts of calcium. If they want to eliminate those too they should do it themselves. Why must the council spend any money on that?
Koval, as predicted, said that he would have a proposal made by the responsible technicians and put it through a vote in the council. Quint declared outright that even the thought of such action would be too expensive. He launched into a monologue about why he thought the money should be spend on activities beneficial for all residents, and not used to make a few whiners happy. He even overruled the moderator when he called for time and exceeded his allotted time slot by ten minutes. After the tirade the room was silent and looked shocked. Quint held back after that.
"Ready for the party?" Quint asks Ebo.
His campaign leader is dressed in a white tuxedo which gives a beautiful contrast with his dark skin. Quint found Ebo a few years back in the central market. The man was selling his wares and with such success Quint was impressed. Ebo turned out to be exceptional at knowing what people wanted to hear and use that information to his advantage. After a few days scoping out Ebo's actions at the market, Quint invited him over and offered him a job.
Over the years Ebo kept learning new tricks and bolstered his innate abilities with a theoretic background in commercial psychology. Now Ebo is the genius behind the campaign and at least half responsible for Quint's success.
"I'm born ready!" Ebo says, showing a big smile.
"Then let's go mingle," Quint says, "Any last tips on who to avoid?"
