American Hero - George R. R. Martin Page 0,77

said, I’m just a judge. I don’t have any real say. But my vote goes to someone who got booted the first time out.

Jonathan Hive is the real American Hero. He took on a sure-sudden-death and used the power of the press to turn the situation around. That’s the American way, for my money. He just used the fact he got dealt an ace to get into position to be a hero. He didn’t need to turn into wasps. He just needed ten working fingers.

So now the show has been picked up for another season, and I’m told the Powers That Be like my “acerbic wit,” so I’ll be back to bring my style of reality to the proceedings. I’m looking forward to it. By the time we’re into next year’s finals, the Committee will be yesterday’s old news.

A Judge’s Verdict: Mordecai Albert Jones aka the Harlem Hammer

I’d be lying if I said I totally regretted letting myself get talked into doing this. But I’d also be lying if I said I didn’t have any regrets.

In a lot of ways, it was fun. It’s an odd thing for somebody who’s spent his life trying to avoid the spotlight to let himself get recruited to be a judge on a national television show. I was told it would be an opportunity to help young people get a handle on these talents and abilities they had, learn to use them responsibly. That’s an important thing, something worth doing.

I also notice that aspect was pretty distinctly downplayed, if it got played at all. I may be missing something but only little Dragon Huntress seemed to get that part of it, from reading the commentaries. Still, I think we saw it happen. I’m good with that aspect of things.

We didn’t have that much influence over who won what, even though we were called judges. That may not have been such a bad thing. I’ve known Digger Downs for years, and I have to say time’s neither mellowed nor improved him. Seemed to me sometimes he took way too much pleasure in crushing the dreams of young people. Topper’s a nice lady but really did seem to favor the women a bit much in the competition. And I heard a couple of our young male contestants refer to Peregrine as a cougar. Got no idea what’s up with that. Still and all, I don’t think our quirks and limitations as judges interfered too badly with anybody’s chances.

Not sure why some of our contestants got picked in the first place. Like that one young woman, Tiffani. Child couldn’t actually do much. I got the feeling one or two got set up just so they could get knocked down. Poor Diver’s ace was just too specialized for the show, though if she went into, like, marine biology or ocean rescue, she’d be a superstar. But then who’d imagine somebody with talents like Gardener’s or Earth Witch’s could actually turn them to advantage? I guess that’s one of the good things about the show, us getting to see how even some seemingly unimpressive abilities could prove to be seriously useful. And of course giving these kids a chance to find out for themselves.

And who’d ever guess that the little girl with the stuffed toys could hang in there so long? But then she had some serious powers. And she also seemed to have a lot on the ball.

I have to admit I was saddened not to see Ms. Mok go all the way. She is an upstanding young woman. She should go far next time. My best wishes go out to her.

As for how it all turned out—well, I have to congratulate Stuntman. He’s a young man with some genuine abilities, some genuine promise. He won fair and square, according to the rules. But I have to say I’m left with a bad feeling in my mouth. My whole life I’ve been against racism, but then I’ve gone and been against black racism as well as white. And folks don’t seem to want to hear that. Stuntman played the race card. I don’t see that’s a good thing. Maybe it was an honest mistake. But I also got to know that other young man, Rustbelt. He may not be the sharpest tool in the chest, but if there’s any malice in him it’s beyond me to see it.

Is always talking about race really doing black people any good? If we still have a problem with racism in this