Page 143 - Just Deserts

Telepax

similar females had sent her as an advance scout. “Please have a seat.
I am, as you seem to be aware, due at a meeting of the city council in
five minutes, Mrs, uh...”
“Welby. Miss May Welby, if you please. Now let me say first how
proud I am to have an African-American representing the sixth
district. Why, if you were my own son I couldn’t be prouder! And we
are going to keep you there, Councilman Swiller, to carry on the good
fight. Yes, we are.”
“Amen to that, Sister Welby.” He fell easily into her speech
patterns, a dialectic versatility necessary for success in public life.
“With the help of God and your continued support, city government
is going to turn around and listen to us.”
“That’s right. They are going to listen—to you today, Councilman,
because word has reached us that the chief of police, that demon
Darryl B. Drubble, is going to seek your approval for a new tool of
oppression at this meeting. And I’ve come here to arm you for the
fight.”
Swiller searched for a reply. True enough, although he hadn’t
thought it common knowledge, the chief was scheduled to speak on
behalf of a special appropriation for some new equipment. But
oppression?
“Now, ah, Miss Welby, a lot of complicated affairs come up
before the council every week, and you can rest assured that your
representative is ever-vigilant when it comes to questions of police
authority and tactics.”
“Authority and tactics!” The woman’s head shook violently,
threatening to dislodge her wig. “We are talking about police brutality
here, Councilman. But maybe that silver-tongued devil has got you
buffaloed. Now, don’t you mind. I’m here to set you straight. My
niece’s husband Jimmy is an engineer at Transglobal Technologies,
and I found out the truth from him.”
She unzipped her bag and rummaged in its depths. “Now I just
know it’s in here. I told myself, ‘May, don’t you forget those papers
when you go downtown.’ Yes, here it is.” She fished out a manila
envelope and slid out its contents on the desk. “What we have here,
Councilman, is the, uh—let me get my reading glasses on.” She had

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