Surviving the Fog (37 page)

Mike turned at the head of the graves and
looked back at the Major and the Lieutenant.  Standing at the
foot of the burials, Major Collins fell silent as he contemplated
the graves.  He wondered what he would have done had he been
in Mike’s place.  Silently, he admitted to himself that he
very likely would have done the same thing.

"So, what do you think of Petersburg, Major?"
Mike asked.

"I like this place, Mike," the Major replied.
 "I like what you have accomplished here."

"I’ve been thinking," Mike said.

"Uh oh," the Lieutenant muttered, his words
barely audible. “Here it comes.”

"I've been thinking about what our next step
should be.  I started thinking about it, when I realized that
you were probably coming here, Major Collins," Mike said.

"What made you think I would come here?" the
Major asked.

"Mainly, it was the way you handled that
gang, Major," said Mike.  "You rescued the kids immediately.
 That same night.  You took my suggestion that you
approach quietly on foot.  You were more interested in
rescuing the children than in capturing the gang.  I saw how
you took care of the kids.  I bet Erin really likes it
there."

"I hired her as my orderly," the Major
admitted, and Mike laughed.

"Major Collins, who does the Army report to?"
Mike asked.

Wondering at the reason for the young man’s
question, Major Collins said, "Ordinarily, the Army reports go up
the chain of command.  All the way to the Defense Department,
if they’re important.  Why do you ask?”

"Then who do you report to?" Mike asked,
ignoring the Major’s question.  "A better question is; who
will you report to?"

"I suppose that when I contact a recognized
civilian government, then I will report to them," the Major replied
slowly. “I will inform them of my presence and status and ask for
their advice on how to proceed.”

Mike turned to fully face the officers.
 He was standing by the graveyard markers, ancient signs of
human civilization.  Behind him, stood the dark and
threatening woods, and the low sun cast gleaming fingers of light
through damp clouds, framing the young man's face.  As the
officers watched, his whole demeanor changed from the kid he still
was, to the young man he had been forced to become.  Collins
felt the presence of power, and the small hairs on his nape and on
his arms stiffened, as he stared at this person.

"Very well, Major Collins," Mike said,
raising his voice slightly, his words firm.  "Report."

For a stunning moment, the
Major opened his mouth to comply with the command, and then he
caught himself. He stared at the young man, for in that voice he
recognized authority; the authority that some men and women learn
to project, and that for others, comes naturally.  Now he knew
what Mike had been planning, since Mike had realized that the Major
would come to Petersburg to ensure that the people here were not in
danger.  He was telling Major Collins openly,
I
am the civilian
authority here.  I am the civilian government.  You say
that you will report to the civilian authority? Very well,
report.

"I'm sorry, Mike, but I am not willing to
recognize your authority just yet.  Sorry," said the Major,
while taking a deep breath and with a conciliatory smile.

Mike smiled back, and once more he was the
boy.  "Take your time, Major," he said easily.  "This
village isn't going anywhere.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I
have some work to do."  The soldiers watched as the young man
walked back toward his office.

"That kid’s got big brass ones, I’ll give him
that," the Major mused.  He glanced at the Lieutenant who
remained silent.  The Major’s eyes narrowed.

"You aren’t thinking that I should report to
him, are you, LT?" he asked.

Lieutenant Kennedy thought for a moment
before answering.  "Sir, I have a question for you?
 Suppose you were the civilian in charge here, and I was in
your place?  Would you want me to report to you?"

The Major thought about it.  "I take
your point," he said reluctantly.  "And the truth is, yes, I
would think that you should report to me.  It's our way.
 The American way.  The Army reports to the civil
authority, because in the end every officer will someday be a
civilian unless he or she is killed while serving.  Give me
your advice.  Should I report to this government of kids?"

"Respectfully Sir, yes, because it is the
fastest way that I can think of to get them to accept your advice
and guidance, but there would have to be conditions."

"Conditions?"

"American governments are elected, Sir, not
imposed."

"Ah.  Another good point.  Let's
head down to the dining hall.  I'll have to think about
this."

The conversation at dinner that night was
pleasant until Lieutenant Kennedy and Yuie got into another heated
argument.  He and Yuie began arguing back and forth about the
morality of war.  Yuie insisted that wars usually resulted
from aggressive behavior by military machines.  Kennedy
countered, saying that wars fought by the United States were always
defensive.

Finally, the Lieutenant demanded, "Name one
war that America fought, in which we were the aggressors.
 Name one."

"The Mexican-American War,” Yuie
answered.

Kennedy opened his mouth, and then he shut
it.  Furious, he got up and left the dining hall.

"I guess you win that round," Kathy said.

Yuie said nothing.  She did not feel
like the winner.  Major Collins and Lieutenant Kennedy went to
the track the next morning.  Yuie and Mike were running.
 The officers stripped off their shirts and ran a lap.
 When they finished, Yuie and Mike were waiting for them.

"I love these high ankle moccasins Jean
made," Collins said.

"Yeah, they're cool," Mike concurred.

"LT, Yuie, I wonder if you would excuse us
for a minute?" the Major said.

As Kennedy and Yuie walked away, Mike heard
Kennedy sat to Yuie, "You were right about the Mexican-American
War.  It was a war of aggression."

Yuie sighed.  "And I see what you mean
about the atomic bomb and the people who were still living under
the Japanese occupation.  That doesn't mean that I like the
military though," she said stubbornly.  Kennedy laughed.

When Mike and Major Collins were alone, the
Major said, "I’ve thought about what you said.  I have decided
that I am willing to report to the government of Petersburg
provided you agree to certain conditions."

"Which are?" Mike asked.

"The Lieutenant pointed out that, in America,
governments are elected not imposed, even by the most decent of
people.  I would be willing to report to an elected
government.”

"I see," Mike answered slowly. "And the other
conditions?"

"Just one.  I want the title of Chief
changed to Mayor."

"That's certainly not a problem," said Mike.
"Those are the only two conditions?"

"Yes, Mike, but I do have a strong piece of
advice for you," the Major replied.

"What's that?" Mike asked.

"Step down, Mike.  Step down, and let
someone else run the government for a while.  It would be the
clearest signal you could give to the rest of the people in this
village that you mean it when you agree to change to an elected
form of government.”

Mike looked up at the Major.  He looked
around the village that he had been instrumental in developing.
 He thought about the people he had protected.  He
decided.

"Major, the year before I came to this camp,
my social studies class studied the Presidents.  My favorite
President is George Washington," Mike said.

"Ah," said the Major as he nodded his
understanding.

Mike presented the Major's conditions to the
Council later that morning.  Some were troubled by the
implications.  Some were enthusiastic.  Only Yuie was
adamantly opposed.

"It's a trick," she insisted. "You can't
trust them.  We are doing just fine by ourselves.  Mike,"
she pleaded.  "You're the Chief."

In the end, she was outvoted.  They
agreed to form an elected government and to elect a Mayor.

"One more thing," Mike said.  They
waited for him to speak.  "I am not going to be the Mayor.
 Someone else will take that position."

There was a chorus of protests at his
announcement, but he was firm.

"I've been your leader for two years now," he
said.  "Now I'm asking you to follow me one last time.
 This is what I want."

With glum hearts, the Council agreed to honor
Mike’s decision.

Later, when one of villagers grumbled about
it, another said, "We had to do it that way.  He's the Chief;
at least for now."

By the time that Meeting arrived, everyone
had heard about the changes that were coming to the village of
Petersburg.  It was a quiet group of people that listened as
Mike explained the situation.  Then he announced that
nominations for Mayor would be made the following night.  The
election would take place on July the Fourth.  The following
morning, Major Collins told Mike that he was leaving that very
day.

"I'm leaving Lieutenant Kennedy as my
liaison.  But it will be better for Petersburg, if I'm not
around when the nominations for Mayor occur.  I assume that
you have your choices in place, and that you know who will be
elected?"

"Yes," Mike admitted.

"Good.  There's nothing wrong with good
old fashioned politicking," said the Major.  "Good luck,
Chief, and come see me sometime.  I promise, you will always
be welcome.  And by the way, Washington is my favorite
President, too."

Major Collins left the village.  The
guard was changing at the RV guard post, so he rode to the post,
sitting behind the next guard.  Collins hiked up Logging Camp
Road to Davis Brown Farm Road, and soon after the sun went down, he
arrived at the Brown Farm.  Mary retrieved his rifle from her
gun case, and Ralph promised to deliver Lieutenant Kennedy’s weapon
to Petersburg.  Mary offered him a late supper, and the Major
gratefully accepted.  Mary and Ralph were very interested to
hear about the changes that were coming to Petersburg.

When Ralph heard that Mike would no longer be
the Chief, he only grunted, but later that night he said to Mary,
“Yeah, right.  I don’t care who the new Mayor will be, Mike
will always be the Chief.”

The next morning, Major Collins found that
Mary had hitched her horses to the wagon.  Ralph and the male
members of the guard post were ready to go with him.  He
protested to no avail.

"Just for two days, you understand," said
Mary.  "That will get you as far as the lake.  It's
another fourteen or fifteen days walk from there, according to
Jacob.  You can catch fish in the lake, and then, with the
food that you take in the wagon, you’ll be well stocked for your
journey to your post."

"You guys be careful," Mary admonished Ralph
and the male members of the guard post.  She kissed Ralph
goodbye, and she waved as they rode off.  She kept a firm grip
on Comet's hand.

As the Major was having dinner at Davis Brown
Farm, Mike opened the nominations for Mayor of Petersburg at
Meeting.

"I nominate Howard," Yuie said, just as Mike
had instructed her, but she was glum as she said it.

"I second the nomination," Jean said.

"I nominate Eric," Desi said.

"Me?" Eric exclaimed.

"I second the nomination," Ahmad said.

"What?" Eric said.

"I move that we close the nominations," Rasul
said.

"I second the motion," Hector said.

The motion was voted on and passed, and the
nominations were closed.  The election for Mayor of Petersburg
between Howard and Eric was officially set.

The month of May came to an end, and June
began.  The weather was warmer this year, and the grain was
growing tall.  Desi was also growing.  John was worried
about her, but Diana pronounced Desi fit and in good health.
 The baby was kicking.  There were only two months to
wait until she was due.

“It feels like two years,” Desi moaned.

When the fog had first arrived, some of the
tribe had been as young as twelve years old.  Now, no one was
under the age of fourteen except Diego, Imee’s baby.  He was
growing, too.  One day, Imee asked to talk to Ahmad.  She
stood before him nervously, carrying Diego.  Her head was
bowed, and she felt very embarrassed.  She stared at her feet
as she spoke.

"My son needs a father," she said.  "I
need a man I can trust.  I know I am not a desirable woman,
but I am strong, and I am willing to work.  I would do
whatever you want, if you protect me and protect Diego."

Ahmad looked at her with pity filling his
heart, and his voice was gentle when he spoke.

"I'm sorry, Imee," he said.  "But I am
Muslim.  When I take a woman, I want her to be of my own
faith.”

“Imee," he continued.  "Talk to Rasul.
 He likes you.  He likes you a lot more than you realize.
 Talk to him, Imee, and be sure to tell him that you will
respect his religion and his culture."

A few days later at Meeting, Ahmad saw his
friend and the Filipino woman.  Rasul had his arm around
Imee's waist, and he was holding Diego.  Imee looked happy,
and Rasul was smiling.

"Allah Akbar," Ahmad whispered.  He went
to sit next to Yuie.

Yuie and Major Kennedy could not get along.
 They argued about the changes that were taking place in
Petersburg.  They argued about politics.  They argued
about the role of religion in society.  Someone remarked that
they would argue about which side of the sky was higher.

One day at breakfast, as Kennedy walked by,
Yuie said, "Good morning, Linc."

The Lieutenant stopped, and he scowled at
her.  "My name is Lincoln," he said.  "Not Linc."

"Oh, sure," she replied, pretending to be
apologetic. “Sorry.”