Don't Label Me! (21 page)

“
What do you suggest Tyra?” Thex
prompted.

“
That’s where a lady who could become
our expert in business management, governance and economics comes
in. I’d like to ask Sathi Rupasinghe to come forward and outline
some options to us.”

The crowd spent the next three solid hours
listening to ideas, debating relative merits of the options on
offer and discussing who best to represent them on key issues. Tyra
occasionally stepped in to facilitate rather than steer the
discussion. Jeff occasionally rang the bell when things got too out
of hand.

With energies waning and people starting to
look at their watches Tyra decided it was time to wind it up for
the night. “Okay we don’t have to decide it all tonight but let me
sum up where I think we’re at. Sathi will travel to the Guernsey
islands to study the consensus democracy model that they use. We’ll
move towards an economic system where personal worth is based on
our contributions to each other as parents, spouses, craftsmen,
builders, cooks and scientists, doing whatever it is we love to do.
Our intent will be to treat each other as part of ourselves. While
we grow as people and transition to that ideal we’ll use our
residual money to buy the few things from the outer world that we
can’t yet make. We’ll let Adelaide and her teachers establish their
proposed learning and mentoring committee and come back to us with
their ideas to revitalise our education system. Ang will go and
look at recycling in Sweden. Thex will be our commander and chief
of strategic defense. He will form a committee comprising our best
warriors and strategists. Andrew will be our ambassador with the
Australian government and work with them on developing a treaty and
interim trade agreement to cover any financial exchanges with them.
Rob will use his contacts to see if he can find us a saw miller,
stonemason, glass recycler and other manufacturers and craftsmen we
might invite to move here. Our science team will update us at the
next meeting with progress on our energy solutions. Our healers
will continue to do what they do as and when we need them. They’ll
also work with Andrew as a frontline team that can be sent into
areas of the outer world. I’ll work with Anya, Simon and others on
broadening our plans for the town’s edible landscape. Jeff and
Rachel will head up an arts and entertainment committee to make
sure we make time to play. We’ll meet again here in two weeks. Any
other questions?” Tyra hoped there would be no questions because
she was starting to run on empty.

Rachael, behind the bar, tapped her on the
shoulder. “Just one thing. Will you continue what you’ve been doing
here tonight? We need you.”

Tyra gulped, wondering what she might be
taking on, it wasn’t exactly a defined role like mayor. Maybe she
needed to set some limits from the very start. She nodded at Daniel
across the room who was giving her a hard stare, waiting for her
response too. “I don’t think we should get into hierarchies. They
are prone to corruption and power plays. For too long there has
been too much elitism in government, a few thinking they know
better than the majority what is needed. I certainly don’t intend
to play boss cocky. Everyone needs to be involved in decision
making. The only time we’ll need executive decisions is when there
are emergencies and we have our experts in defense, fight fighting
and first aid to help us then. I’ll work with our communication
team to set up ways to involve us all in decision making. Both
through online systems and these meetings. If you want me to
facilitate these meetings, our assembly, I’m happy to do that but I
refuse any offer of executive power. I am not your mayor any
more.”

Daniel, across the room, looked relieved and
gave her a very definite thumbs up. Standing he addressed the room.
“That being the case I nominate Tyra to the official role of
non-executive Facilitator of the Boswell Assembly. Do I have a
seconder?”

Rachael and several others variously nodded,
yelled out and there was even one wolf whistle. Tyra had a sneaking
suspicion that had come from her mates’ table. “A show of hands
then?”

Tyra looked around the room. It was
unanimous. “Okay, I am honoured to accept. But I would like to add
that I can always be removed by you bringing a similar vote against
me.” She jumped down from the bar. “Let’s pack this all up then.
It’s getting late and I have other things on my mind to do before I
sleep.” A devilish grin twitched on her lips as she eyed returned
to her lovers.

It was 5 am when the mobile phone on the
bedside table started to vibrate. Kiana watched it with some
curiosity as it made circuits as it buzzed. She let it ring for a
couple of seconds just to see where it would go. Before the the
vibrations threatened to send it over the edge she deftly grabbed
it and answered it. “Boswell Police Station.”

She eased Michael’s arm off her and sat up
to take the call. Little woke Michael when he was flat on his back
snoring. Sarah on the other side of him had her earplugs in but
Kiana didn’t really need that much sleep. There was something
vaguely intimate and reassuring about hearing her mate’s noisy
breathing beside her, knowing he was there, alive, warm ... Tears
threatened as the memory of the millenia alone, cut off from him,
flashed through her mind. She took a deep breath and packed the
memory away. “What’s up? Understood. Yes Sir. We’ll be there as
soon as we can.” She pressed the touch screen to end the call and
then leaned over to elbow Michael. She was rewarded with a growl
and a curse.

“
It’s too damned early. What did they
want?”

“
There’s a corpse at the council
chambers in Valeton. The security lady found it about half an hour
ago, doing her rounds. The Valeton police’s criminal investigation
branch is away at a profiling conference in Melbourne. That was the
superintendent asking for us to take on the case, he’s says he’ll
sort out with Andrew about borrowing us.”

“
The Supe. Shit.” Michael dived out of
bed and started dressing. “Ring Hugh and tell him he’s in charge
until we get back. If Andrew’s awake telepath him the details
otherwise text him.”

“
Already have. Andrew’ll make his own
way there and he’ll bring along some fellow spook who’s staying
with Hideo at the moment.

Sarah woke to the commotion of both their
conversation and their thoughts roaring through her head. She
yawned and removed her earplugs. “Need a tracker?”

Michael shrugged his shoulders. “Doubt it
but you might see something we don’t. Grab your civilian consultant
ID in case the officialdom down there get snippy. We’ll get some
breakfast on the road.”

“
We’re not teleporting
then?”

Michael sighed, obviously wishing he could.
“It would save time but it would cause too many questions we don’t
need. The guy’s already dead so getting there quickly’s of no use
to him now.”

Red was waiting with her camera crew when
the mayor arrived to make his way into the cordoned off entrance to
the council chambers. “Peter. Have they made any details public
yet? Do you know who the deceased is?”

“
You’re the journalist from the
television station aren’t you?”

“
Not any more. Phoenix O’Halloran and
this is my crew Josh and Mike. We now work for the Boswell AltNews
Service. Our audience is predominantly those who either live in or
have an interest in Boswell. Tyra and Ally have been setting up
distribution channels online that circumvent the usual blocks and
filtering that stop people finding out about us.”

“
By ‘us’ I assume your crew are all
living there and have had the treatment that shall remain
nameless.”

“
We have, so how about it Pete? Who do
you think did this? Was it targeted at you?”

“
Undoubtedly and yes I know who but I
can’t prove it. As to the identity of the body I believe it was
some poor unfortunate cleaner but that’s just hearsay until the
police put out a statement. I believe your guys are on the case so
they should be able to tell you more as soon as they know
themselves. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d better get in there and
settle the staff down. They’re all a little panicked as you can
imagine.”

“
Thanks Pete.”

Peter Stein muttered a “don’t mention it” as
he made his way inside. He had been a total stick in the mud before
Tyra had gotten at him and healed his soul. Being referred to as
something as casual as ‘Pete’ still jarred as odd but there was
something affectionate in it. He guessed he’d get used to it. It
was nice to have the Boswellians as allies. Hell, he’d had few if
any, over the years, who he’d called friend. The new Peter Stein
was enjoying life to the full. He’d even acquired a certain
prosperous look since he’d found a taste for the finer things of
life. Like Lawson’s Bakery’s vanilla slices. He grinned to himself.
He’d pig out for a bit more then reign things in a bit but, what
the hell, he had several thousand years of rigorous restraint to
make up for. Now if he could just find someone to his liking to
break his equally long stint of celibacy. But not today. Today the
tiny, somewhat parochial, council of Valeton would be in the
spotlight. He was needed to front the media and keep them at bay
from both the staff and the police trying to do their job. He’d get
back to scrolling through the online dating site later. Life would
be so much more peaceful if his old ally Sakla wasn’t trying so
hard to arrange his demise.

He offered his hand to the cop waiting for
him outside his office. “Sergeant Wilson?”

“
Inspector these days. My team’s
inside. Police Cadet Kiana you may know. She used to be on Thex’s
crew. She’s currently boning up for her final police exam. The
other lady is Sarah. She’s a consultant with us. Both ladies are my
wives so be nice.”

“
Of course. Doesn’t it get a bit hard
with the whole chain of command thing.”

“
No, I know I’m not in charge but
occasionally they let me think I am. Now let’s get down to
business. We’ve identified the body as the after hours cleaner.
Looks like he helped himself to a box of chocolates left on your
desk. We’re having forensics look at it now but it seems likely
they were poisoned. Any idea why there might be poisoned chocolates
lying around on your desk Peter?”

“
They arrived late yesterday
afternoon. An anonymous parcel that just appeared there when I was
out of the room at my last meeting for the day. I hadn’t had time
to open the box.”

“
So the cleaner decided on a late
night nibble?”

“
It’s not unheard of. Usually when we
have an office celebration most of the leftover birthday cake’s
gone by the next morning and I doubt it was the
fairies.”

“
No, from what I’ve seen of them they
prefer edible flowers, nuts, yams, leaves and berries. So...that
leaves us with who left the parcel.”

“
Oh I can make a damned good guess at
that. I have no morals when it comes to reading the minds of those
around me. It’s always stood me in good stead. I knew when I took
this job from Tyra and kept on with her reform agenda that I’d have
to watch my back. In this case I’m pretty sure it was the general
manager. He’s definitely getting a few bonuses from Sakla. But I
wouldn’t be surprised if he had help from my executive assistant.
I’m well aware that she’s been forwarding my schedules to someone.
What she doesn’t know is that I’ve been giving her false
information and keeping my own paper based diary with my real
schedule in it.”

“
So why haven’t you fired
them?”

“
My dear man. Have you any idea how
hard it is to sack someone these days? You have to play devious to
get them to leave. Bore them to tears with work way beneath their
skills or no work at all, subject them to a restructure, give them
a supervisor they don’t know, stuff their working conditions
around, ax their perks, that sort of thing. Anything that might
strip them of their power base and whatever fun or rewards they get
out of the job. All the time making sure the unions don’t cotton on
to what you’re up to or there’s hell to pay. No, even if I could I
wouldn’t because Sakla would only replace them with other stooges.
It’s better to be familiar with your enemy and keep them close so
you can keep an eye on them.”

“
Wasn’t that something Machiavelli
said?”

“
More like Sakla using a pen
name.”

“
Oh! I guess it makes sense he’d have
put out ideas that would help to build the systems of government
we’re now stuck with. Well, let’s go question your errant staff.
You can have a snoop through their brains while I quiz them. If we
can solve this case quickly it will go down well with the
superintendent, cementing Sentient Species Liaison’s collaboration
with the state’s police force.”

“
I can see how you’d want that.
Anyway, while that poor cleaner might have been pilfering he
certainly didn’t deserve to die. Though why they thought poisoned
chocolates would kill me is beyond me. I can only assume the
culprit doesn’t know I’m an immortal. I’ll help as much as I can,
even if it means I’ll have to be on guard for any new
infiltrators.”

“
About that. I think Andrew’s got an
idea.”

Andrew McCallum did the introductions.
“Peter, nice to meet you. This is Roger. I’ve worked with him
before and you couldn’t have someone better at blurring into the
background. I’ll arrange with the cleaning company that they don’t
send a replacement for a few weeks. That will give time for Roger
to become familiar with and accepted by your staff.”