like this all by myself. What's a community for, if it isn't to help people when something terrible happens? When none of the choices look good?
ANDY
Couldn't have said it better myself, Lin.
MIKE But
MANY VOICES
Sit down . . . Call the question . . . Let's vote!
CHAPTER 31
(etc.)
STORM OF THE CENTURY 339
ROBBIE
Will somebody move the question of who can vote? It's probably not parliamentary, but we have to move on. I'd prefer to hear from one of the parents.
A moment of TENSE SILENCE, then:
* 1
MELINDA HATCHER
I move everybody votes.
CARLA BRIGHT I second it.
MIKE This isn't
ANGIE Shut up! You've had your say, now just shut up!
ROBBIE
It's been moved and seconded that everyone be allowed to vote on whether or not to give Mr. Linoge what he has demanded. Those in favor?
Every hand goes up except for MIKE'S. He sees that MOLLY has also raised her hand, sees she won't look at him, and something in him dies a little.
ROBBIE Those opposed?
Not a single hand goes up. MIKE simply sits in the front row, his head dropped.
ROBBIE
(whacks the gavel) The motion carries.
TESS MARCHANT Call the question, Robbie Beals. The real question.
340 STEPHEN KING
118 INTERIOR: THE BASEMENT, WITH LINOGE.
He looks up at the ceiling, EYES GLEAMING in the gloom. They're going to vote, and he knows it.
119 INTERIOR: RESUME TOWN MEETING HALL NIGHT.
JOANNA
For God's sake let's vote and have done!
MIKE
My son isn't a part of this. Let's understand that, all right? He's not a part of this . . . obscenity.
MOLLY Yes. He is.
UTTER SILENCE greets this. MIKE stands up and looks unbelievingly at his wife. They face each other that way across the length of the meeting hall.
MOLLY
We've never shirked our duty, Michael, we've taken part in all the life of this island, and we'll take part in this.
MIKE You don't mean it you can't mean it.
MOLLY I do.
MIKE It's insane.
MOLLY
Maybe but it's not an insanity we made. Michael
MIKE
I'm leaving. Screw this. Screw all of you. I'm taking my son and leaving.
He gets about three steps before the self-appointed sergeants-at-arms grab him and yank him back to his seat. MOLLY sees MIKE struggling,
STORM OF THE CENTURY 341
sees how rough they're being they don't like his disapproval of this highly questionable decision and runs down the aisle toward him.
MIKE Hatch! Help me!
But HATCH turns away, FACE FLUSHING WITH EMBARRASSMENT. And when MIKE lunges in his direction, LUCIEN smashes him in the nose. Blood flows.
MOLLY Stop it! Stop hurting him! Mike, are you all right? Are you
MIKE
Get away from me. You want to do it before I lose control of myself and spit in your face.
She takes a step back from him, eyes huge and shocked.
MOLLY
Mike, if you'd only see . . . this isn't our decision to make alone. This affects the whole town!
MIKE
I know it does what else have I been saying? Get away from me, Molly.
She backs away, GRIEVING and SORROWFUL. SONNY BRAUTIGAN hands MIKE a handkerchief.
MIKE
You can let go. I'll sit.
They let go, but warily. On the podium, ROBBIE looks on with unmistakable satisfaction. "This may be a bad situation," his face says, "but at least our self-righteous prick of a constable is taking a face-washing, and that's something."
MOLLY, meanwhile, backs away from MIKE, who won't look at her. Her face twists and crumples. WEEPING, she walks toward the back of the room. People sitting on the aisle pat her hands and WHISPER COMFORTS and ENCOURAGEMENTS as she goes "That's all right,
342 STEPHEN KING
deah" . . . "He'll come around" . . . "You're doing the right thing." At the back of the room, MELINDA, JILL, and LINDA ST. PIERRE enfold her.
HATCH slides close to MIKE, almost humming with shame.
HATCH Mike, I
MIKE
(doesn't look at him) Shut up. Get away from me.
HATCH
When you've had a chance to think about it, you'll understand. You'll come around. It's the only thing we can do. What else is there? Die for a principle? Every one of us? Including those who're too young to understand why they're dying? You need to think about it.
MIKE at last looks up.
MIKE And if it's Pippa that Linoge ends up taking?
A long silence as HATCH thinks. Then he meets MIKE'S eyes.
HATCH
I'll tell myself she died as an infant. That it was a crib death, something no one could help or foresee. And I'll believe it. Melly and me, we'll both believe it.
ROBBIE hammers on the podium some more with the gavel.
ROBBIE
Oyez, oyez this question has been called. Do we or do we not give Mr. Linoge what he has asked