Bartz’s eyes were active. He was watching the chanting Adherents in the background, while at the same time scanning the faces of the lords as they arrived. “We are doing some renovations,” he said, “and we felt it would be too dangerous to remain inside. In fact, for that reason, and because of Prakash’s sudden resignation, not to mention the infernal racket of these people behind you, we should push today’s meeting. I suggest we reconvene two weeks from now.”
“What gives you the right to renovate the lords chamber without the lords’ approval?” Duncan challenged.
Madison touched Duncan’s arm. “Lord Bartz, unfortunately there is just too much to discuss of great urgency. You are keeping us very busy, you know. I insist we continue with the meeting, right here and now.”
“Don’t be silly,” Bartz scoffed. “Let’s be civil and postpone it until we can find a proper venue.”
“If you think it’s silly, you can go. We will conduct the meeting without you. Recorder?”
The recorder was sitting next to the barricaded door. He stood up and started walking over.
“And Zarnik, we are going to need you as well,” Madison called out. Attorney General Zarnik, who’d been hovering nearby, moved closer.
“Can we at least get some chairs?” Bartz asked. He looked at Kline. “She’s being uncouth, don’t you think?”
To his credit, Kline didn’t react.
“No, Bartz,” Duncan said. “What is uncouth is barricading the doors to prevent a meeting from taking place at all. No more attempts to delay.”
Without giving anyone a chance to interject, Madison turned to the recorder and said, “Recorder, I bring to your attention an order signed by myself, Lord Kline, and Lord Jones. It requires the railroad to immediately lay bare all operations in the Barnyard for inspection. There is also a cease-and-desist order on further technology development until such time as the council has had a chance to review existing programs.”
Benjamin produced the documents for the recorder, who then began examining them with the attorney general.
Bartz was gnashing his teeth. “That’s not a valid order. I have Prakash’s vote in abstentia, so it’s three against three. You don’t have a majority.”
“What is this?” Madison asked, feigning disbelief. “When a lord is not present, their vote is not included.”
“Ordinarily, but I have a signed affidavit,” Bartz said.
“Prove it,” Duncan said.
“Of course,” Bartz motioned to Thorpe. Thorpe ran over to one of their electric cars.
As they waited, Madison whispered into Benjamin’s ear. “I think we will need the document we discussed.”
“Yes ma’am, and I will confirm our legal standing.” He handed her the document and then went to flip through the large folder he was carrying, which encompassed Seeville’s legal code.
“Yes, I think we have him, ma’am, and I filed it like you asked.”
She read over the document he gave her and smiled. “Good. Well done, Benjamin.”
Thorpe returned with a document from the car. He gave it to Zarnik, who looked it over.
“Excuse me,” Madison said, placing her fingers on Thorpe’s document. It felt warm to the touch. The attorney general released it so she could read it over. It was a signed affidavit from Prakash. The date was November twelth.
“I believe this is a forgery,” Madison said.
“Oh please. Look at it. It’s authentic,” said Bartz.
The attorney general examined it again.
The Adherents had been chanting consistently in the background. Duncan walked over to them and shouted. “We have asked for a cessation of new tech development. Bartz has been outvoted, but he will not comply!”
A chorus of boos erupted from the crowd. The chanting grew louder. Duncan returned to the discussion.
Bartz eyed the restless crowd. Then he said to Madison, “You and Jones have become quite a nuisance. In fact, you’re becoming intolerable.”
“Is that all you have to say?” Madison asked.
“Why waste my time?” Bartz said. His diplomatic veneer seemed to be slipping away.
“Good, because even if your letter isn’t a forgery, it’s invalid.” Madison passed over the document Benjamin had given her to the attorney general.
“What’s that?” Bartz asked.
“It’s a letter from Prakash, announcing her resignation, effective November tenth. She gave me an early notice, upon my request. This makes any granting of voting rights thereafter to be invalid.”
Bartz squinted his eyes. “We didn’t know about her resignation until this morning. How could you—”
“You didn’t know, but I knew. In fact, as the letter shows, I was the first to know. That’s what happens if you work with the other lords, instead of against them.”
Bartz laughed. “Lord Banks accuses me of forgery, as she holds a forged document in her very hand. I suggest we adjourn and let the attorney general examine the documents. We can regroup in twenty-four hours.”
“No,” Madison said.
“If only it were up to you,” Bartz said slowly, condescendingly.
“Of course not, but your accusation of forgery is so obviously fraudulent that it cannot stand. How could I forge this document? I had no idea you would print out this ridiculous so-called affidavit. Not only that, but we filed this letter on November tenth into the Lords’ records, which means this filing is inside the building you so conveniently barricaded.” She picked up her cane and pointed it at him accusingly. “No Bartz, enough delay, enough games, you will comply with the requirements of this council or you will be removed from it!”
The attorney general looked increasingly concerned about the turn in the discussion. He certainly didn’t want to be caught in this pissing match between two of the most powerful people in Seeville. He said, “I… I guess we could prove it by getting into the courthouse right now. That would be a way to validate Lord Banks’s claim.”
“I’m all for it,” Madison said.
Bartz opened his mouth to say something, but then reconsidered. His eyes grew dark. He stared at her with loathing.
“Lord Bartz,” the attorney general said. “Could we have the barricade removed?”
Bartz didn’t respond, nor did he remove his stare from Madison.
The attorney general gave up waiting for a response and went to recruit some enforcers to remove the barricade.
Duncan yelled out, “The attorney general only needs to verify our claim in the lords’ records.”
There was a cheer from the Adherents as they grasped the positive change in direction.
Bartz turned and whispered to Thorpe. Their stark undertones went back and forth for some time. If only she could hear those words. When Thorpe pulled away, his eyes were wide in surprise.
Thorpe ran to their electric car with some urgency, followed by two other railroad men.
Bartz turned to Madison and Duncan. “This is getting tiresome,” he said. “For a long time you have been an annoying mosquito hovering around my ankles, one that would never go away. Now you’ve landed. You could even draw blood. Trust me, if you do, I will swat you.”
“Threats are the last refuge of the coward, of the defeated,” Duncan said, arms crossed. “Your words don’t frighten us, Bartz.”
They clearly did scare some people however, as many arms fidgeted among the clerics, and even the armed men around them. Their respective security contingents started closing in on the discussion.
A guardian came running down the street toward the crowd. It ran with an alien gait, its knee joints working opposite to that of a human.
Another guardian turned the corner behind them. They could also see a large truck coming toward the square from down the street.
The crowd booed. Some looked apprehensive. Duncan whispered in the ear of a nearby Quebecois man.