9) Law and Order

Morale is suffering within the community. Abby decides to  hold a meeting, at which she lays down some rules she expects  the community to follow. There is some dissension in the ranks  that this is undemocratic, so she amends her rules to suggestions,  but no one actually disagrees with what she has to say anyway!  As the date is May 1st, she also suggests a party to raise morale,  which they hold the next day.

The party goes well on the booze retrieved from the quarry.  Price introduces the backward Barney to whisky. Barney spends  much of the evening dancing with Wendy. Price drinks plenty himself,  and makes a nuisance of himself with Jenny, who rebuffs him.  Then he turns his sights on Wendy...

The booze takes its toll, and Barney has to leave, feeling  very ill. Wendy also leaves early, as she's tired. Price follows  her out, and pesters her as she climbs the stairs. He follows  to her room and re-emerges some time later.

Next morning, the kids discover Wendy dead in her room. Price  hides his bloodstained shirt under the floorboards in his room  as the commotion starts, then joins the others to see what is  happening - Wendy is lying battered and stabbed to death on her  bed.

The only person not present is Barney. He was seen early going  into the woods with his bow and arrows. As Barney was very attentive  to Wendy the previous evening, he becomes the prime suspect.

They decide to search the woods for Barney. Price finds him  first - he is out hunting and has shot a rabbit. Price tells  Barney about Wendy, and urges him to run away. Barney doesn't  really understand why, but does as he's told - he is spotted  and the others give chase, prompting Barney to keep running.

Barney is caught. They hold a meeting to decide what to do.  Abby and Greg decide they must try Barney for Wendy's murder.  They question Barney, who doesn't really understand what is going  on. However, when directly asked, he denies killing Wendy.

There is much circumstantial evidence against Barney: he was  paying lots of attention to Wendy the previous night; he ran  away when challenged; a blood stained arrow was found on him,  and when caught he'd immediately said he didn't do it (when he  shouldn't have known Wendy was dead).

They lock Barney in his room, and vote on his guilt. Greg,  Arthur, Charmain, Paul, Vic and Abby all vote guilty, with  only Emma, Jenny and a worried Price voting not guilty.

Now they have found him guilty, they have to decide what to  do with him. Banishment is discussed, but Greg forcefully puts  the case for capital punishment, saying he may kill again, and  they can't just pass the buck. He sees Barney as a sick animal  - the choice is to put it down or abandon it. There is much talk  of the safety of the children in the discussions that follow.

They decide to break for lunch - Greg finds the kids up in  Barney's room happily playing with no problems at all. At lunch,  all of the adults just sit staring at their plates while John  and Lizzie tuck in.

After lunch, the adults meet again to vote on Barney's punishment.  The vote is closer - Greg, Arthur, Paul and Vic all vote for  death, with Price, Charmain, Emma and Jenny choosing banishment.  Abby is therefore left with the casting vote, which she makes  with tears streaming down her face...

The men draw lots to see who does the deed. Greg draws the  short straw. Paul and Arthur dig two graves, side by side. Price  sits up in his room, racked with guilt as he hears a shot ring  out.

As Greg returns to the house, Abby calls him over - Price  has shown her the bloodstained shirt in his room. Greg goes to  club Price with his gun-butt, but Abby restrains him.

The two discuss what is to be done - Abby thinks everyone  should know what has happened, but Greg disagrees. He accepts  that she's the figurehead of the settlement, and that people  look to her as leader, but he sees himself as the manager, who  has to get things done. He says that if she tells the others  he will challenge her leadership which will lead to the breakup  of her community. He argues that if the others find out there  will be no more agonising over what to do, there will be a lynching.  He believes that they need Price, having lost two able-bodied  people already that day.

Abby reluctantly concurs, but it is obvious that Price will  be given a hard time by the pair from now on.