Page 36 - Effable Encounters

Power to the Creatures!
(Fantastic Transactions 2, 1997)

Several of the participants in the annual convention of major
animal rights groups caucused shortly before the final plenary
session. Their first-name-only-forced-informality badges identified
them as holders of no leadership position in any of those
organizations; this meeting was, in fact, entirely unsanctioned.
“You really think the hotel rooms are bugged?”
Alison was not by nature conspiratorial. She glanced around the
rooftop furtively, as if expecting a helicopter suddenly to rise up over
the parapet’s horizon and spy on them.
Bert grimaced.
“It’s not worth the chance they are. This place has been used for a
lot of international meetings. And you really must stop using that
word. It’s politically incorrect. Sooner or later one of the larger
spiders will go linguistic and there will be hell to pay. Why don’t you
say ‘implanted with electronic eavesdropping devices’, instead?”
Alison rolled her eyes.
“Why, indeed? Why not sound like some kind of overstuffed
pedant? Why use one syllable when fourteen will do just as well?”
“Okay, okay, that’ll do.” Karl glared at the disputants. “We’re here
to review our plans, not play holier-than-thou one-upmanship. Now,
we’ve got to be careful with strategy, if we’re going to make our case
to the majority without raising too much opposition from the
inevitable dissenters. That means playing our parts when the time
comes.”
“Okay,” said Alison. “But you know how he is. I’m willing to
support the party line.”
“You know you can count on me.” Bert was gruff but conciliatory.
“Fine. What about you, Ingrid?”
All eyes turned to the newest member of the cabal. She appeared
totally incapable of guile. “I’m with you. I know I’ve kept my
opinions to myself up until now, but it’s time we did something, and
I believe this is the opportunity.”
“Right.” Karl directed his remarks primarily at Ingrid, clearly
seeking to reinforce his ideas while in a position to detect any lack of
35