IV - Law

Kamon reached Vexen at mid-morning and drove straight to Xenon Lumber Company. After parking his vehicle, he strode briskly toward the office door.

The manager of the company and Kamon were not the best of friends. Far from it. Pomade had probably done as much as anyone in Sparrow Hawk to keep Kamon from a seat on the Council. However, Pomade was also a practical woman. Having gained the office, Kamon was now a leader in the government. He could have considerable influence as to the manner in which the lumber business was conducted. Pomade respected that power.

Similarly, Kamon could not ignore the impact of the lumber company on his district. Xenon was the largest employer in the area, and Pomade was its manager. She was thus a person to be dealt with, despite his personal feelings about her.

Kamon entered the building through the double doors and tersely introduced himself. "Councilman Kamon to see Pomade."

"Yes, Councilman," the receptionist responded nervously. "I'll tell Madam Pomade that you're here." He punched the necessary buttons to ring her office.

But Kamon was already moving his muscular frame through a door to his right. "No need," he said brusquely. "I can announce myself. I know where her office is."

Workers stopped to gaze at the tall, broad-shouldered man striding quickly through their midst in the spacious office area.

"That's Councilman Kamon!" one of them whispered excitedly.

The door to Pomade's office was open. Kamon stepped in without knocking.

"Councilman Kamon! I'm so happy to see you!" Pomade greeted him, beaming. She rose from her chair behind a finely crafted wooden desk to welcome him into her office.

"You expected me!" Kamon stated bluntly. He held his anger in check but some of it was evident in his voice. "Are you going to tell me that you don't know anything about the Minot trees that were cut down on my property? No one else around here has the necessary equipment to move that much timber. You knew I'd come here as soon as I discovered what had happened!"

Pomade smiled. It was a perfect smile set into an attractive face. The woman was several years older than Kamon with flaming red hair, carefully styled. "I've always found it very difficult to predict your actions, Councilman," Pomade said easily. "But you are right about one thing -- I do know what happened to the Minot trees." She motioned to a chair. "Sit down, Councilman. Relax. I'm always glad to talk to you. It's a big province. I'm fortunate to have the opportunity."

"Don't patronize me, Pomade! This isn't a chance visit and you know it! I want to know what happened to my trees now!"

Pomade's smile vanished. "Not your trees, Councilman. Not even mine. But we at Xenon did cut them down."

"They are mine!!" Kamon nearly roared. "I would have welcomed the chance to prove it in state court!" His voice turned cold. "You're in trouble. It's against the law to cut down those trees. Even the Minot Preservation Bill declared them to be a scarce state resource. You've broken that law. I'll make sure you go to jail for this!" Surely, Pomade knew all this, Kamon thought even as he spoke. But he was angry. He needed to respond in some way, to vent his frustration.

"No, Councilman," Pomade said with calm confidence. "I'm in no trouble, nor will I be." She pulled a document from her desk drawer and handed it to Kamon. "This gives me the right to cut down any Minot trees on your property. It's signed by the Delphi herself. Not even you can defy the Delphi."

"The Delphi?" Kamon was clearly bewildered. He examined the document. No question about it. That was the Delphi's signature. "This isn't possible," Kamon expressed his thoughts almost unconsciously. "The Minot Preservation Bill never granted her nor anyone else such power. The trees are protected."

Pomade leaned back her in chair, confident, relaxed. She was also enjoying this moment. "The Minot Preservation Bill makes the trees the property of the state of Marmot."

"It doesn't!" Kamon interrupted quickly. "The wording of the statute is ambiguous. I'll win in court!"

Kamon was taken aback. "This is a mistake," he began slowly, unsure of himself. "She can't do this. The passages in the Limon speak only in general terms. She has misinterpreted them."

"But, Councilman," Pomade pointed out in contrived innocence, "the Delphi cannot make a mistake. She is infallible. The general body of priestesses so decreed several centuries ago."

"She has made a mistake!!" Kamon retorted angrily. "She cannot do this!"

"Councilman, I caution you. What you say is blasphemy. However, I can understand, considering your distraught condition. I will tell no one of this," Pomade added in mock sympathy.

Kamon knew she was right. Even a Councilman could not escape the punishment for blasphemy. He struggled to bring his anger under control. He must think! He must find a workable solution to this problem immediately or the rest of his Minot trees would surely be lost. "Do, please, sit down," Pomade offered again. She was truly reveling in this moment of triumph. "You look a bit pale."

Kamon finally sat. "What's your cut in this deal, Pomade?" His voice was much subdued now. "How much does Xenon stand to make?"

"I don't ordinarily discuss the company's business dealings with outsiders," she answered evasively.

"This is not an ordinary matter," Kamon said. "It's very personal for me. You're well aware of that. Now how much?"

"Ten per cent."

"Ten per cent? That's exorbitant. You're making a killing."

"The Delphi felt it was fair."

Kamon considered her answer. The Delphi had made Xenon Lumber Company an offer that could not be refused. The company would be making enormous profits on the deal. "How did you figure you would deal with me?" he finally asked.

"For ten per cent, Councilman, I can be quite bold," Pomade answered candidly. "Certainly, I knew you'd be upset. But frankly, you have no legal standing in the matter. I have the law and the Delphi on my side."

Kamon went silent, pondering his predicament. With the Delphi involved, it was true he had few legal options -- and none were promising. But he must stop the logging on his property. He had to stop the desecration of his land. "I want you to end the logging, Pomade," Kamon finally stated quietly.

"This company is operating well within its legal rights." Pomade was resolute.

"I don't care about your legal rights at the moment! I want the logging stopped. Period."

Pomade's eyes narrowed. Her voice was firm. "I understand you are a councilman, but this is not Council business. What we are doing is legal. You may try to change the law if you like but, in the meantime, Xenon Lumber Company will continue to cut Minot trees. We only stopped because of the heavy rains. When the road becomes passable again for our heavy equipment, we'll be right back at work."

"You can't," Kamon pointed out. "The bridge is out."

"I didn't know that," she admitted. "That's a setback, but it will only be a temporary one. We'll rebuild the bridge."

Kamon had expected that she would not be deterred by any inconvenience. There was simply too much profit to be had here. The big man pointed one finger straight at her. His eyes were stern; his voice was firm. "You don't seem to understand, Pomade. If I find even one more Minot tree cut down on my property, I will hold you personally accountable. I won't go to court; I won't introduce a bill in the Council; I'll come looking for you. No one else. Do I make myself clear?"

"That sounds like a threat, Councilman."

"It is." Kamon's voice was cold. "One that you would be wise to take seriously." His face was dark, forbidding.

Pomade pondered the councilman for a moment. She might have felt more at ease if he had been storming, ranting. This quiet manner in which he presented his threat was most unnerving. "I could call Security and have you thrown out of here."

"You could," he agreed almost placidly.

"And what?" She was not comforted by his answer at all. "You're going to stand in front of our trucks when they come for your trees?"

"I know where you live, Pomade. If you ever wish to rest easy at night, consider that."

A chill suddenly ran down Pomade's spine. She tried unsuccessfully to suppress a shudder. Surely this man was bluffing. But her office seemed suddenly smaller. And Kamon seemed ----- huge. If he wished to harm her, if he had the will, he could do it with no trouble. And at the moment, she was not at all sure he was bluffing. Tomorrow, when he was gone, when the vivid memories of this meeting began to fade, she might think differently. But today........"Alright, Councilman," Pomade began slowly, careful to keep her voice from cracking, "Xenon will stop cutting Minot trees in the disputed area---"

"My land," Kamon interrupted sternly.

Pomade acknowledged his statement with a nod, but she did not address it. "If we resume cutting" -- she wanted to use the word 'when' but thought better of it -- "you'll be the first to know."

Kamon's icy glare still held her.

"Before any more cutting is done, Councilman," Pomade felt compelled to add. "You have my word."

"I'll hold you to that," Kamon answered darkly. "You have my word." Kamon then rose and abruptly left the room.

Pomade noticed he filled the doorway as he passed through it. She leaned back in her chair and sighed in relief. She shook her head. "He's not even afraid of the Delphi!" she said aloud. "What kind of man is he?!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Markita was one of the best advocates in Vexen. More importantly, she had been a close friend of Kamon's since childhood. They had attended the area school for academicians together and, later, the upper academy. She had been one of the few females to form a bond of friendship with him at either institution -- and Kamon had been the only male.

"The protection of the state!?!" he shot back in disbelief. "Markita, the Delphi just had them cut down!"

"That's true," she quickly agreed. "But the bottom line here is -- the Delphi has entered the picture. She's interpreted the law and assumed the right to authorize the cutting of the trees in the interests of the state. Now I'll grant you that the Book of Sydney in the Limon has never been cited to empower the Delphi in quite this way, but it is my professional opinion that any court in the state would uphold her action in this matter. You would have to argue that the Delphi made a mistake, and there has never been a successful legal challenge to her infallibility. In fact, an advocate might be charged with blasphemy for even attempting to do so."

Kamon had once considered becoming an advocate himself. Indeed, he even had standing in the court system. He had taken enough courses on the law to know it as well as, if not better than, many in the profession. Still, it was not a life for him. Inevitably, he would have had to advance causes with which his heart did not agree, and he knew he could not do that.

"There's no need for a temporary restraining order," Kamon calmly remarked. "I've already taken care of that."

Markita's eyes widened in horror. "What have you done!?"

"All I did was give that snake Pomade a warning about how the cutting of Minot trees could be bad for her health."

Markita had known Kamon as long as anyone alive. She could imagine the scene. "You can't be settling disputes by issuing threats," she chastised him. "We have the courts for that."

"You just told me that no court could stop them from cutting my trees," he shot back. "Well, I just did!"

"Don't play games with me," Markita rebuked him sternly, her eyes narrowing as she spoke. "You know the law as well as I do."

Kamon meekly looked down at the floor. Few people could talk to him this way -- and few would dare. Most people preferred to avoid even the possibility of a confrontation with the big man. But Markita was different. They were friends and she trusted that friendship.

"You're not a little boy at the school for academicians anymore," she continued, "with little girls teasing and tormenting you! You're a grown man now! And you've beaten the system! You're a member of the Marmot Council! Everyone respects and looks up to you, not for your physical prowess, but for your intellect and position in the government. You worked hard for that! Don't throw it all away!"

Markita stopped to catch her breath. She brushed her hand through her short, sandy hair. She understood very well that not many people would dare to talk to Kamon in such blunt terms, especially a woman. He had absorbed more than his share of abuse from women. The day had long passed when he would tolerate any more.

She had watched him struggle through school, but his difficulties had never been with his grades. He had been first in his class. No, the struggle had been with his classmates. Where one would expect to find companionship, he had found ridicule.

As a small boy, innocent to the mores of his society, he did not understand and would look at his classmates in puzzlement. But as he grew older and learned more about the society in which he lived, he simply ignored their taunts with solemn stoicism. He was indifferent to them, or so everyone thought.

However, as she rounded the corner of the building on that particular day, Kamon quickly turned his head to hide his face. But too late. She had seen his glistening eyes. The evidence of tears was unmistakable. The boy had seemed impervious to taunts and insults, but from that day on, Markita knew otherwise. Kamon had feelings....and those feelings could be wounded.

"Well, Kamon, I won't belabor the point," Markita resumed pleasantly. "Will you stop by the house tonight and have dinner with us? Jason would love to see you again. I could call him and have him fix your favorite beef stew."

"No," he declined wearily. "I have to hire a crew and get out to the cabin to set up some lines of fence and mesh on the hill. I must seed the area quickly to stop any more erosion. If I save the soil, I can plant new Minot trees. They will grow again. I have to believe that."

"You can hire a crew and send them out to your cabin. You don't have to be there to help them," Markita protested. "You need to get out and socialize more, Kamon." A smile crossed her face as she continued. "Have you met any attractive young women in Positron? There's more to do there than just state business; it's the social capitol as well."

"No, ah,", he stammered, "I don't have time for...."

Although he would admit it to no one openly, deep within Kamon was buried a need for companionship. But there were so few opportunities. He was a rebel in this society. It was difficult for any woman to understand him just as it was difficult for him to understand any woman. Kamon was a loner and, despite his council position, oftentimes an outcast, hardly the beginnings of a successful relationship with a woman.

Markita seldom made a secret of her goals for his future. She, like no one else could, understood his often confused feelings toward members of the opposite sex, perhaps understanding even better than Kamon himself. Thus, she felt he needed her gentle prodding from time to time. The whole Kamon must someday emerge.

"Don't give me that old story again," she interrupted. "I'll bet there are dozens of women who are simply dying to have a date with you, but your aloof manner has simply intimidated them into not asking! I'm calling Casio, tomorrow." Her eyes were twinkling mischievously. "If you don't have a date within two weeks of your arrival back in Positron, I'm coming out and both he and I are going to fix you up with somebody! Until then, I'll leave it in his hands."

Kamon wrinkled his nose and shook his head. "Don't trust him to do it. I'll end up on a game show or something. I'll pick my own time and place."

"But that's the point, Kamon!" she exclaimed, displaying her palms for emphasis. "You never do!"

END OF CHAPTER