Terry & Rebecca Save The World | Full Book

TERRY & REBECCA SAVE THE WORLD

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1 TERRY FOUND .............................................................................................................................. 3 REBECCA WHYTE ........................................................................................................................ 11 TERRY’S STORY .......................................................................................................................... 15 REBECCA WHYTE CHANGES HER COLLEGE ................................................................................... 21 AKILAH ...................................................................................................................................... 34 REBECCA CHANGES ANYTOWN – 1 ............................................................................................. 43 ANGER....................................................................................................................................... 49 REBECCA CHANGES ANYTOWN– 2 .............................................................................................. 58 THE RESCUE ............................................................................................................................... 63 RESOLUTIONARY GOVERNMENT IN ANYTOWN ........................................................................... 72 FEAR .......................................................................................................................................... 78 LOYAL OPPOSITION .................................................................................................................... 85 THE RUMBLE.............................................................................................................................. 91 DISLOYAL OPPOSITION............................................................................................................... 99 THE THIEF ................................................................................................................................ 108 REBECCA MEETS THE ENEMY .................................................................................................... 118 SOLVING PROBLEMS ................................................................................................................ 124 REBECCA AND THE RADICALS ................................................................................................... 133 EVIL ......................................................................................................................................... 142

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REBECCA AS TARGET ................................................................................................................ 149 LOVE ....................................................................................................................................... 155 REBECCA AND THE DUKE .......................................................................................................... 162 LEVELS OF LIFE ......................................................................................................................... 167 A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL ........................................................................................................... 173 GRADUATION .......................................................................................................................... 182 REBECCA PICKS A SUCCESSOR .................................................................................................. 188 COREY’S TURN ......................................................................................................................... 194 REBECCA LEAPS TO THE NATIONAL STAGE ................................................................................ 199 THE SPIRIT OF COMPETITION.................................................................................................... 204 REBECCA GETS POPULAR .......................................................................................................... 214 HELPING REBECCA ................................................................................................................... 219 OBSTRUCTIONISM ................................................................................................................... 226 TERRY AND MAX ...................................................................................................................... 233 REBECCA AND SANDY BURNS ................................................................................................... 237 GETTING BACK TO ANYTOWN .................................................................................................. 243 REBECCA CAMPAIGNS .............................................................................................................. 247 TERRY GOES PUBLIC ................................................................................................................. 253 REBECCA AND THE BACKLASH .................................................................................................. 262 MAX VERSUS TERRY ................................................................................................................. 269 REBECCA WINS ........................................................................................................................ 275

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REBECCA STOPS A CRASH ......................................................................................................... 281 SPIRITUAL WARFARE................................................................................................................ 287 THE CONTRADICTION ............................................................................................................... 295 REBECCA CURES HEALTHCARE .................................................................................................. 302 THE RADISSON HOTEL ............................................................................................................. 308 REBECCA FIGHTS OFF DEPRESSION ........................................................................................... 319 GAIA ........................................................................................................................................ 325 REBECCA ENDS THE KOREAN WAR............................................................................................ 332 PLANNING EXPANSION ............................................................................................................ 340 DOING THE WORK ................................................................................................................... 345 REBECCA’S RADICAL NEXT STEP ................................................................................................ 352 REBECCA DISARMS NUCLEAR WEAPONS STATES ....................................................................... 361 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED ......................................................................................................... 366

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Introduction I am a resolutionary. To me, nothing is more obvious than the need for a political system based on cooperation and the peaceful resolution of conflict, with the goal of benefiting and satisfying all parties through mutual, conscientious pursuit of the truth and the greatest good for the greatest number. In other words, we all need to work together to make each other healthy and happy. But even if we’re all doing our best to make life good for everyone, conflicts will happen. When they do, we should resolve them, not through adversarial power struggles, but through mediation. “Mediation” just means talking with each other until we find a way to make everyone happy or, at least, happy enough.

Resolutionaries believe that genuine progress in anything—peace, care for the environment, equality, justice, universal health and wellbeing—comes from making competition less important than finding the truth and coming up with solutions that are good for everyone. Aaron Nordquist, who, I believe, invented the term, calls this approach “resolutionism.”

Our current adversarial system does not resolve conflict in ways that solve problems. Adversarialism is, by definition and design, an endless power struggle. The winners in this system are the ones with the most power. In an adversarial system, adversaries fight constantly to win the power to make laws, regulations, rules, plans, and punishments that benefit “our party” (or team or company or organization or race or clan or type of person). Adversaries get so committed to winning, they forget to care about the losers.

Resolutionism can and does, when given a chance, resolve conflicts in ways that benefit all parties. Resolutionaries care for losers by making sure no one loses. In the pages that follow, you will see how resolutionist superheroines, Terry Anitok and Rebecca Whyte, use nonviolent conflict resolution to save the world. But Terry and Rebecca are not a realistic prophecy; they’re a collection of ideas. They’re not a novel or even a series of short stories. They’re a series of images in which you can clearly and enjoyably see the advantages of resolutionism.

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My hope is that they will get you thinking about alternatives to the cruel, dangerous, ineffective, and obsolete adversarialism we live under today. If you do, you might come up with ideas that are even better than Terry and Rebecca’s. I hope you do. We need you to. We all desperately need to graduate from adversarialism to resolutionism.

Terry and Rebecca are here to tell you why and suggest how.

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Chapter 1 Terry Found

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“Hi, Mom. Come and get me.”

Evy Anitok screams and drops her mug. As it shatters on the floor, the others turn to see her staring wide-eyed at the TV. “That’s her! That’s Terry! Right there, that’s her!” Corey, Bill, and Kathleen run into the family room, but no one speaks a word. They stare in silence. On the screen, surrounded by dark-skinned islanders, is an auburn-haired, green-eyed girl of about 16, clearly Brown, but slightly lighter than the rest. The TV announcer introduces the girl as “Terry Anitok, missing and presumed dead since the sinking of the Rendezvous some eight years ago.” Just as some in the room are wondering if it could really be Terry, the girl on the TV says, “Hi, Mom. Hi, Corey. Come and get me.” She’s smiling slightly but looks serious at the same time. Her brother Corey says, slowly, “It’s August 8.”

Lost at Sea Eight years, eight months, and eight days earlier, Terry was lost at sea. She had been traveling with her father. Dr. Daniel Anitok was a handsome marine biologist working at the Scripps Institute in La Jolla, California. Evy met Daniel ten years before the shipwreck when she was a young anti-nuclear activist organizing an event in San Diego.

She had invited him to speak about the irradiation of the Marshall Islands by nuclear testing. Daniel impressed Evy with his grasp of hard core facts, but it was his honesty and open authenticity that attracted her most.

For Daniel, it was love at first sight. Evy, who is part Irish, part Japanese and part Chinese, seemed to be the perfect expression of her genetic mix. She was smart, beautiful, eloquent, and passionate about making the world a better place for all. Plus, she cared deeply about what had happened to his home country, the Marshall Islands.

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When Dr. Anitok and Terry boarded the Rendevous, he was leading a small team of Scripps researchers to study a mysterious gathering of large marine mammals in the Philippine Sea not far from Belau. He had taken Terry with him thinking it would be a good experience for her. Besides, she had a way with animals. She could walk right up to squirrels, and they would stay with her. Birds landed near her and seemed to talk to her. At the zoo, animals would come close and peer through the bars to get a better look at her. Though she was only seven, Dr. Anitok had a strong feeling she might be useful.

Evy agreed easily. After all, Daniel was away so much, it would be good for Terry to have this time with him. And Terry, of course, was overjoyed. Imagine, being on a boat in the ocean, skipping school for a month to play with dolphins and whales!

But was it really okay? She was a brand-new third grader. “What about school?” she asked.

“Not to worry,” her father replied. “We’ll bring your books and assignments so you can study every day on the ship. Besides, we’ll leave just after Christmas. You’ll be gone a month but you’ll only miss a couple weeks of school.”

“But what about Corey?” Both Terry and Corey had keen eyes for fairness.

“He’ll get his chance,” Dr. Anitok replied, “but he’s really too young.”

On December 26, Terry and her dad left for a month in the South Seas.

Shipwreck Saturday night. December 31. The Rendezvous is fighting its way through a huge storm. The wind howls. The ship rocks and rolls in the giant waves. The passengers and most of the crew huddle two decks below in the galley. Somehow, the world is steadier down there. It’s quiet enough to hear the sailors tell tales about far worse storms they have weathered.

As the navigator’s assistant finishes a story about being blown a thousand miles off course, Skip shouts, “That ain’t nothin’ and this ain’t nothin’ either. I can tell you about waves that make these look like ripples on a pond. |Page

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Our ship was twice as big as this’n here, but she was jerkin’ around like a bobber on a line. She would teeter on the top of them hundred-foot mountains and her engines would scream, ‘cuz the props were clean out of the water. Then she’d dive for the bottom like a missile. I don’t care what kinda sailor you were, you could no way stand up on that ship. The helm was tied to his chair. The rest of us wedged into any little corner we could find. On a night like that, ain’t nothin’ to do but pray and enjoy the ride.”

The helmsman on the Rendezvous is not tied in. He’s perfectly calm. He’s seen rough seas before and knows his ship can handle anything this wind could throw at her. He never even sees the rock.

At the stroke of midnight, sailors, researchers, Terry and her father blow whistles and throw into the air thousands of tiny bits of paper they had cut up the day before.

They sing Auld Lang Syne and shout, “Happy New Year!” But after a few minutes, most of the partyers head for bed. The ship is rising and falling so steeply now a hammock is the safest, most comfortable place to be.

At 12:36 AM, the Rendezvous radios to the Island of Ulithi, their next port of call.

The navigator reports swells 20 to 30 feet, but says the ship is riding well. “We may be a few hours late, but we’re on course. We’ll probably be there a little after noon tomorrow.” That is the last anyone hears from the Rendezvous. At 12:48, a monster, breaking wave sweeps in from a bizarre angle. Twice as high as the rest of the waves, it hits almost from the side. It slams the ship over on her side, carries her 300 yards or so to her right, and throws her on a jagged rock that appears as the waves pull up. The ship cracks open like an egg.

There’s no warning, no time to call for help or prepare lifeboats. The next morning as it gets light, rescue planes, helicopters, and ships comb the area. They find the rock and pieces of the Rendezvous. They find clothes and suitcases, wooden chairs, and empty life rafts floating in a thick layer of oil and gasoline. But they find only four bodies, and no survivors. Dr. Daniel Anitok and his daughter, Terry, are listed as missing.

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Terry’s Mom Gets the News On New Year’s Day Evy Anitok answers the door at 6:06 PM. It’s Bill Frazier, Daniel’s best friend from work, standing there with a look on his face that sends chills up her spine. “Come in,” she says, her smile already fading. Bill walks into the living room and sits down. She follows him and sits upright and stiff in the chair directly across from him.

“I have bad news,” he begins. I know, she thinks, but says nothing. “The Rendezvous sank in a storm. The search is still going on, but so far, they haven’t found any survivors. They did find four bodies, but they haven’t seen Daniel or Terry.”

Stunned, Evy sits there for a few minutes trying to understand what Bill is telling her. She can’t believe her ears. A few minutes ago, she was getting ready to go out to a party. But now... “Is there still hope?”

“We haven’t given up yet. We’re hoping they’re in a raft and somehow just haven’t been seen. But I have to be honest. The search has been on for 10 hours. The sea is calm. There’s only one island within 60 miles, and there’s no sign of anyone there. It doesn’t look good.”

She leans over and puts her head in her hands. Bill gets up and stands beside her, “Evy, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m not ready to give up yet.”

“I know. I’m not either. All we can do is hope and pray.”

It’s almost a week before Evy gives up. The night she hears they found world has

Daniel’s body, she screams and sobs. Her happy family is gone. Her fallen apart. She wants to die. If not for Corey, she might.... In the

depths of black despair, she has no idea that the sun is already rising on a new age, and her daughter is destined to be one of its greatest leaders.

Retrieving Terry On August 10, Evy, Bill, and two other men from Dr. Anitok’s institute are on a plane for Belau. They’ll stop there, then take a boat to Kam Nagala Island. Kam Nagala is 300 miles from Belau and nearly 80 miles from where the Rendezvous went down. |Page

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A TV crew had gone there to film a stone-age tribe discovered only two weeks earlier. Even the people of Belau had always believed Kam Nagala to be uninhabited.

The ancestors had a rule against going there, but no one could remember why. No one ever broke the rule because the island was small, far away and had no apparent attractions.

The discovery of a new tribe living on this tiny island was a scientific miracle, but because an adventurer, who’s also a freelance cameraman, stumbled on this miracle first, the TV crew he works with lands well ahead of any scientists. The network that sponsors him is determined to be the first to tell the world about “the first new tribe to be discovered in over sixty years.” Which is why they are so shocked when, just as they’re preparing to leave the island, a young girl with bright green eyes approaches them and, in perfect English, says, “Please mail this to my mother when you get back.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I was on the Rendezvous, a ship that sank near here eight years ago.”

The director is ready to unpack his bags and stay for a few more days to film Terry and her life with the “new tribe,” but Terry refuses. More effectively, so does the tribe.

“Let us take you home, then,” the director begs.

“No, it has to happen in a certain way.”

“At least let me film you standing here so your mom will believe us when we tell her we found you.”

“She’ll believe you when she sees the letter.”

“But people are so suspicious. She might think we’re trying to trick her.” Terry knew her mother wouldn’t be suspicious, but she thought the director might delay delivering the letter and bring more people here.

“OK, but don’t show me on TV. You can only show this to my mom, right?” Even as she makes this request, she knows the director will ignore it.

“Sure, sure. Come and stand over here in the light. Hey, maybe you better say something. Let her hear your voice. Remember, she hasn’t seen you since you were seven and she believes you’re dead.”

“Hi, Mom. Hi, Corey. Come and get me.” Terry turns and walks away. |Page

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The crew starts to follow her, but the crowd fills in behind her and refuses to let them pass. They motion that it’s time for the crew to go home.

“Terry, really, come with us,” the director shouts. “We’ll have you home tomorrow.”

Safe behind a wall of friends, she turns around. “I’ll wait for my mother.” So the TV crew comes home with a couple minutes of video and no answers to the big questions: Why is Terry Anitok alive? And why did it take eight years for her to show up?

Evy Anitok arrives on Kam Nagala at 7:07 PM. As she, Bill and the others step out of the small rubber boat that brought them to the beach, they’re greeted by about fifty giggling, Polynesian-looking children and twenty teenage girls about Terry’s age. A few of them are carrying flower necklaces. The necklace-carriers put their hands together as if in prayer, bow slightly, then step forward and put their wreaths around the necks of the visitors.

The girls then lead the visitors and the whole noisy gang up the beach and across a grassy sand dune to a circle of grass huts near the edge of a jungle. The circle is eggshaped, and at one end of the egg is a huge grass roof on poles. Under the roof, three to four hundred people sit quietly on their knees. Toward the back of the shaded area covered by the roof is a small stage, about two feet off the ground. Sitting on that stage is a thin, elderly man with a piercing gaze dressed in a light, plain, brown linen shirt and pants.

Next to him is a gentle-looking woman somewhat older than Evy, dressed in a white linen shift. Next to her sits Terry in a looser white linen dress. Terry’s sun-bleached hair and big green eyes are the only features that distinguish her from the young girls gathered near the stage. Many of them share her thin nose, strong jaw and delicate cheeks.

As the necklace-carriers step under the roof, the crowd moves aside, creating a path to the stage. Followed by Evy, Bill, the men from Dr. Anitok’s institute, and two men from the crew of the ship that brought them, the girls walk toward the stage until the woman on the stage lifts her hand. The young girls stop, then quickly scurry to take their places in front of the stage. That leaves Evy and Bill in front of the line facing the stage. The elderly man, the woman, and Terry put their hands together as if in prayer

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and bow slowly and deeply to the visitors. The woman on the stage begins to speak.

After a few sentences, she stops, and Terry speaks in English.

“You have come to get your daughter, but you are here because we called you. You are reuniting your family, and that is a good thing. But we, all of us here today, are ushering in a new age, and that is a great thing.”

The woman speaks again, and Terry interprets, “You are happy to find your little girl, and we are happy with you. We welcome you, but you should know that we will suffer. We will suffer the loss of the girl you call Terry, whom we have come to love very much. We will suffer an invasion of scientists and, for a time, the many visitors who will come to stare at us.

We will also suffer hardships caused by the government of Belau, which will claim we belong to them. We know this, but our suffering, like yours, is part of a great scheme. We hope you will all do your best to carry out your individual missions. If you do, you will minimize our suffering and give it meaning. You will help bring joy to millions around the world, and you will help to save the human race from destruction.”

Again the woman speaks, and again Terry interprets. “We would like you to stay with us for three days. During that time, we will tell you what we can about the scheme, your daughter’s mission, and your roles as far as we understand them. But now, it is time for you and Terry to greet each other and for all of us to celebrate your reunion.”

At that, Terry stands, steps down from the stage and walks to her mother. She places her hands together and bows, then says, “Hi, Mommy.” Evy’s eyes fill with tears.

She and Terry hug for a long time. When they’re too weak to hug any longer, the necklace-carriers gather around to pull them and the other visitors up onto the stage. They bring grass cushions and help them get comfortable. Then, Terry tries to introduce her mother to her island sisters, to her island mother Sumi Ba, and to her island grandfather Sera Ji. But the feelings are too strong. Terry, her mother, and her island family just stare at each other, tears streaming down their beaming faces.

When the food arrives, Sumi Ba urges them all to eat, but no one can take their eyes off Terry and her mother, whose hands are clasped tight, as if to keep the other from vanishing again. | P a g e 10

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Chapter 2 Rebecca Whyte

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Her campaign slogan is “Winning Together.”

Rebecca Whyte is Black, beautiful, brilliant, and good, in all the meanings of that word.

She’s irresistible. She’s light itself. She’s as warm and lovable as the sun, as subtly illuminating as a full moon. Several decades from now, when Rebecca lies on her deathbed surrounded by friends, family and TV cameras from every continent broadcasting her every labored breath, an audience in the billions wonders how humanity will be able to go on without her. Gaia says, “Maybe you shouldn’t have made her quite so perfect.”

The creator replies, “You could be right. But at the time, what with the human family such a degenerate danger to itself and others, it seemed like the thing to do. You have to admit, she did a great job.”

Rebecca the Child Rebecca Whyte is only eight when she confronts her domineering father.

“Why’re you so mean and bossy to Mama? You act like she has to do whatever you say. She’s as smart as you are. Our whole family would be stronger and happier if you listened to her and only did things when you both agree. She’s not your employee. She’s your partner. You should treat her that way.”

Her father is stunned. For a minute he feels like hitting her, but no one could possibly hit Rebecca. Gradually, he finds himself changing his relationship to his wife. He talks to her, consults her. They still argue, but they both know they’re arguing to solve a problem. And the family does get stronger and happier. Things just go better. Fewer mistakes. Fewer accidents. Less drama.

More success. They enjoy each other more, and Rebecca smiles more, which is always such a treat.

Rebecca remains blissfully unaware of her power. She has no idea that most 8-yearolds can’t change their own family dynamics. Still, the positive change that came from talking to her dad encourages her. She continues to be completely honest and focused on making everyone around her happy.

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In high school, she’s president of the student body.

Her campaign slogan is “Winning Together.” She still hasn’t realized the dangerous implications of that word “winning,” but she never tries to win for herself. She wants everyone in the school to be happy. She talks to everyone, melts them with the light from her smile, and helps them all get something they want from whatever the school as a whole is doing. She brings jocks, nerds, socs, geeks, goths, greasers, hippies, Young Republicans, Young Socialists, overachievers and underachievers together for parties and sports, of course, but also for improving the whole school’s academic performance and even community service.

Under her leadership, West High is exceptional, a shining beacon, the school on the hill. It wins more games, meets, debates, academic and service awards than any school in the history of Anytown. That’s how Rebecca comes to see the terrible side effects of winning.

The greater West High’s success—in sports, in academics, even in community service—the more enemies it makes and the more intense the animosity grows. West High becomes the school to beat. Everyone in every other school focuses laser-like attention on defeating, undermining, badmouthing, and bringing West High back to earth. As a senior, Rebecca regrets her slogan and reaches out to leaders in other schools. She tries to open her concept of winning to the whole city, but it’s too late.

Everyone is convinced that West High kids think they’re better than everyone else, and West High kids actually do think they are. After all, they win, right?

As a college freshman, Rebecca stays far from school politics. Instead, she studies political science, then sociology, then psychology, then comparative anthropology, and finally, wildlife biology. She follows one question. Why do people fight so hard to win when life would so obviously be easier, safer, more efficient, and more fun if they stopped competing and cooperated instead? Through her studies, she develops some theories about why, but discovers that her true interest is not explanation. It’s change.

Rebecca decides to change the world. To do that, she feels she needs to change politics. She needs to change how individuals and groups work together to resolve | P a g e 13

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conflict and make decisions. Sensing somehow that changing global or even national politics could be difficult, she decides to start small. As a college senior, she runs for and is elected president of the student body.

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Chapter 3 Terry’s Story

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“ If you want to see the spirit world, you have to get rid of all the mental and physical reasons why you shouldn’t see it.”

Terry arrives home on August 15. On the 18th, her mother comes into her room with a serious look. “On the island, I learned about the plan. I learned about your life there, how beautiful that culture is, how devotedly they cared for you. I’ve been trying to make do with what they told me, but I have to ask. You probably don’t remember much, and you probably don’t want to talk about it, but... what happened that night?”

Terry smiles. “Please call Corey. I want to tell you both.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure. He wants to know. We’ve been waiting for you to ask.” Mother looks stunned, but after a pause, she calls Corey.

When all three are sitting in the family room, Terry begins. “I’ll tell you what I remember. You decide for yourselves what to believe, but please know that I believe what I’m saying.” She looks into the distance and continues. “Daddy and I were lying in our hammocks talking about the waves. Over and over, the ship seemed to rear up like a horse, then fall down nose first. We were laughing and having fun. We weren’t scared at all.

“Just then, the boat tipped way over sideways. I heard Daddy fall out of his hammock. I was wrapped up in mine, so I didn’t fall out. I called to him. He didn’t answer. That was when I got scared. But before I could call for him again, there was a huge crash. The next thing I remember, I was in the water.

“When I opened my eyes, I saw a golden light all around me. I knew I was in the water. The waves were big and rough, but I felt calm and warm and perfectly safe. I didn’t cry or look around. I didn’t think about Daddy or the ship or anything. I just lay there like taking a bath in that golden light. After a while, I realized I was lying on something that was moving. When I looked around, I could see that three dolphins were holding me up. One of them kept telling me to grab his fin. I wasn’t hearing a voice or anything, but I knew the dolphin in the middle wanted me to hold onto his fin. So I rolled over and grabbed his fin. Then they started swimming. All three | P a g e 16

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dolphins swam close together, like a raft, making sure I stayed above the waves. At least twice, maybe more, a wave knocked me off, but the dolphins were immediately under me, lifting me up. And all the while, we were in this golden light. I was never scared, just perfectly calm and warm.

“After a while—actually, I don’t remember time passing—I just know the dolphins swam up near a beach where the waves were small and dropped me in shallow water.

The golden light stayed. I felt the light itself take me by the hand and lead me up the beach to a small cave. I lay down and slept.

“The next morning, before it was even light, I woke up, and the golden light led me back down to the perfectly still water. My three dolphins came slowly into the shallows. I climbed back onto the one in the middle, and they took me out to deeper water where a huge whale was waiting. I knew I was supposed to climb onto the whale, so I did. When the whale started swimming, I noticed my dolphins swimming beside us, then more dolphins, then more whales. As I watched them, I knew that the group Daddy had come down to study was swimming all around me. They were so happy, it made me happy, too. The little ones were jumping and spraying. They wanted me to watch, so I just watched and watched.

“I don’t know how long I rode, but I was still enjoying the ride when we arrived at Kam Nagala. I slid down the whale’s back to get onto the dolphins, and they put me on the island. Hundreds of people were there to meet me. They were all completely quiet.

They put their hands together like they were praying. They bowed to the dolphins, then to me. Sumi Ba took my hand and led me up to one of the houses. She gave me some soup. I drank it and went to sleep.”

Terry stops talking. Her mom is looking in her direction, but her eyes are far away.

Tears are welling up. When her mother’s attention comes back, Terry says, “You’re thinking about Daddy, aren’t you?” Evy nods. “I can tell you about him, too, if you want, but this part will be even harder to believe.”

Evy’s eyes widen. She grips the arm of her chair for support. “Please.” | P a g e 17

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“A few days after I got to Kam Nagala, Sera Ji took me after supper to a tiny grass hut. He couldn’t talk to me yet, so he just pointed for me to go in. I went in and sat there for a while waiting for him to call me out. I started to get sleepy. Then, there was Daddy, sitting right next to me.

He took me on his lap. I hugged him and cried. I told him I thought he was dead. Then he said, ‘Terry, listen carefully. You’re right. I did die to the world you’re in. But I have special permission from your guardian spirit to meet you here and help you. I can talk to you and teach you until you’re ready to leave this island. I want you to come to this room every day after supper. We’ll talk about what you did during the day and what you need to do the next day. I’ll be your Daddy and your teacher. You have a lot to learn in a short time.’”

“Was it really Daddy?” Corey cries. “Maybe you were just dreaming.”

“What’s real and what’s a dream are not as different as you think,” Terry answers.

“But it was definitely Daddy. I found out later that Sera Ji performed a special ceremony the night Daddy died to open a channel between him and me. I met Daddy almost every day for eight years. Why do you think I can still speak English? If it weren’t for him, I would’ve forgotten what I knew. Instead, I know more English now than when I left. I read books. I watched TV, too, all provided by Daddy. I still don’t know how he did it. Maybe it was a dream.”

“Did he ever... Did he... Did he ever say anything about me?”

“Oh, I’m so glad you asked! Of course, we talked about you all the time while he was teaching me, but he came to me in a dream while you were on Kam Nagala. He told me four things to tell you if you asked about him.”

Evy buckles forward, as if in pain. She puts her head on the table. Her mind is whirring so fast she thinks she might be sick. Terry waits for her to sit back up.

“Are you OK? Should I go on?” Her mother nods and lets her know she’s ready.

“First, he wants you to know he didn’t suffer when he died. He hit his head when he fell out of his hammock and was unconscious when he drowned. Then, as soon as he got to the spirit world, his guardian spirit reminded him of the whole scheme, most of which you heard on the island. | P a g e 18

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“He also wants you to know that Daniel Anitok had no idea what was going to happen. Daniel Anitok would not have been willing or able to leave you if he had known he was going to die.

“The third thing is, his guardian spirit told him very strictly that he was never to talk or even appear to you. He could have used his channel to me to get to you, but he was told it was important for your growth to deal normally with your loss. Also, it was crucial to my mission for you not to know anything about it until I came back. But even though he was told these things and believed them, resisting the temptation to visit you was the most difficult thing he’s ever done.

“And the fourth thing is, even though you can’t see him, he sees you often. He is very proud of the way you handled his death, how you went to work and took such good care of Corey. He’s been loving you and helping you whenever he could, and he always will.”

Evy’s eyes are streaming tears, but she’s breathing more calmly and smiling. “I often felt him with me. I used to talk to him, all the time at first. But I was never really sure he was there. I’m afraid I lost touch with him after a while.”

“Daddy told me that most people in America don’t even believe in the spirit world.

Part of my mission is to help them with that.”

“He’s here now, isn’t he,” says Corey, looking around.

“Yes, he’s here,” Terry agrees, looking at Corey with surprise. “How did you know?

“I just feel him. But why can’t we see him?”

“The border between our physical world and the spirit world is controlled by strict mental and physical laws. If you want to see the spirit world, you have to get rid of all the mental and physical reasons why you shouldn’t see it. If you saw Daddy now, would you be afraid?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Would you think you’re better than your friends at school who can’t see spirits?”

“No.” “Would you get in a fight with someone at school who says it’s impossible to see spirits?” | P a g e 19

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“No.” “Would you kill yourself to get to the spirit world quicker?”

“No.” “Would you do your best to keep your mind calm and peaceful?”

“Yes.” A voice comes from near the back door. “Then I can’t think of any reason why you shouldn’t see me.”

And there he is, Daniel Anitok, right in front of the pantry, as clear as if he were standing there in the flesh.

“Daddy!”

Evy stands up, starts to walk toward him, then stops. Corey is beaming, but he, too, is frozen in place.

“I can’t stay long. I just want you to know I’m here. You can’t touch me, but I’m as real as you are. The spirit world exists, and you will be helping Terry tell the world.

“I’m glad you wanted to see me. I want you to know I’m still always loving you. I’m still missing you terribly. The more you learn about the spirit world, the easier it will be for us to meet. Terry will teach you. I love you. Good-bye.” And he was gone. But as Terry and Corey look at each other, then at their mother, they’re all still sharing his presence.

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Chapter 4 Rebecca Whyte Changes Her College

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“I don’t think we can do it. You should decide. I’ll follow whatever plan you come up with.”

When Rebecca takes over as president, student council meetings are spending an enormous amount of time complaining about tuition, but there’s disagreement about whether to fight it. They all agree tuition’s too high, but most see no hope. And plenty of other issues beg for attention.

“I move we launch a tuition campaign,” says Jane—again. “Some of us make signs and sit in front of Gandolf Hall. Others go around campus recruiting folks to join us.

We should be able to get at least half the students out there.”

“Oh, come on,” resists Tom. “Sit-ins never go anywhere. Let’s do something we can do, like buses to the soccer game in Dunwoody.”

“Tuition’s too high,” says Christy, “but the main thing is what it costs to live in these stupid dorms, which we’re required to do.”

“If we’re going to fight the school,” Ron chimes in, “we should help the workers get paid a living wage.”

A council full of leaders with precious few followers, thinks Rebecca. She knows she needs to get them all focused on one goal, but she has no idea how to do that. She begins concentrating on the mantra she received in a meditation class she took in high school. She’s practically in a meditative state when Jack notices.

“Rebecca, you haven’t said a thing. You’re the president. Just tell us what you want to do.”

“Thank you, Jack,” Rebecca begins, then turning to the table she says, “All of your ideas are so important—I really don’t know what to do. I do know that none of us can make the rest of us do anything, and if we all just do our own thing, none of us will get anything done. We have to come up with a plan we all agree on. Any ideas how we can do that?”

Silence. Rebecca waits. She glances from face to face. Some are thinking. Some are looking uncomfortably at others. Some are looking at her. She starts to feel a familiar fear, the fear of being on the spot and not knowing what to do. | P a g e 22

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After a minute or so, Jack can’t stand it anymore. “I don’t think we can do it. You should decide. I’ll follow whatever plan you come up with.”

“Do you all feel that way?” Silence. Rebecca wonders what the silence means. What are they waiting for? Why don’t they say anything? Do they really just want me to tell them what to do? But she knows from watching the council all last year that if she takes over, if she tells them what to do, some will support her, but most will drop out.

Nothing will happen. “How about this?” she finds herself saying. “It’s almost five.

We’re not going to get ourselves together in fifteen minutes, and I don’t think we can do it in any of our evening meetings. I’m ready to spend all next weekend on this.

Who’ll join me?” Slowly, the hands go up. Folks stop looking around the table; most are smiling—at her. Rebecca’s confidence grows. “Thank you.

I think we can come up with something great if we take the time to get ourselves together. And one more thing. Bring anyone you think should be there. You know who we need—folks with a following, people others listen to. In particular, invite the ones who hate student government. Tell them we’re planning to do something that could really make a difference, and we need their support.

“Jane, can we meet at your house? We might want to stay all night. Would that be cool?”

“Sure, come on over. Bring your own blankets. What time?”

“What time do you get up?”

“After nine would be good.”

“Ok, how about 9:30, Saturday morning, Jane’s house?” The eyes looking at her now are shining. They’re becoming one, and this “one” wants to do something.

The Big Meeting When Rebecca gets to Jane’s at 9:25, the house is full, with folks still arriving.

“Whaaat?! Is this a meeting or a riot?” Smiling, she finds a place on the floor.

“We saved this for you,” Jack says, indicating the armchair near the fireplace.

“Thank you, Jack, I appreciate it, but I’m not that kind of president. I’m your servant, literally. To prove that, I’ll sit on the floor. I’ll be grateful if you would sit in | P a g e 23

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that chair.” Jack hesitates a minute, then takes a place on the floor next to Rebecca.

Everyone settles in. Three girls sit in or on the chair Jack saved for Rebecca.

Rebecca starts the discussion. “I’m really not sure how to do this. I’ll make some suggestions, but if anyone has a better idea, say so. Anyway, I suggest we go around the room, say our name, something to identify ourselves, then what we hope will come out of this meeting.” Jack, sitting to Rebecca’s left, goes first.

After round one, it’s already clear that tuition is the most popular issue, by far.

Rebecca sums it up. “Sounds to me like most of us want to get tuition lowered. I know some of you don’t think it’s possible, but is there anyone here who really thinks our current tuition is fair and reasonable?”

“Hell no!” shouts Tom, releasing the tension. Conversations spring up around the room, but no one defends tuition.

When the group settles down, Rebecca starts pushing, just a little. “It seems to me we have a consensus that we need to get tuition lowered.

Since we have a consensus, I’m happy to work on that. However, we’re talking money. That’s a life-or-death issue, for us and the school. I think we should agree right now that we’re all going to continue this meeting for the rest of the day and, if necessary, meet here every Saturday until we have a plan we’re all happy with.

“Once we have a plan, we all do the action together. There’s no way we can have any influence unless the vast majority of us stand together. Can we agree that this is the start of us working together on this?” As she looks around the room, she feels a change happening already. She sees no unhappy cliques frowning and looking like trouble.

She sees a large group of students who want lower tuition. They’re ready to work. “OK, now let’s go around the room and everyone say what you think we should do to get tuition lowered.”

The ideas pour out. The room listens respectfully. They know how to brainstorm.

During the first round, so many different ideas pour out that Rebecca has no idea what

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the plan might be. “Let’s go around again. Remember, we’re trying to come up with a plan. Try to fit your ideas into whatever you see happening here.”

After the third round, Rebecca makes a proposal based on the most popular ideas she heard. “OK, let me try to say our plan. First, we display our strength with a demonstration. For the next two weeks, we tell everyone what we’re going to do. We don’t mind if the administration finds out, but we don’t tell them. Then, Friday night at 8:30pm, we all go sit in front of Docket’s house. We carry signs about lowering tuition, but we don’t shout. Everyone sits there quietly all night and the next day till noon. The security guards will come by. They may get some teachers or administrators out. They may tell us to leave. They may take names and threaten us with suspension or other punishments, but no matter what they say, we do not talk back. We act respectful and friendly, but no one leaves until noon Saturday. So far so good?” Most of the group is smiling. They hear Rebecca including their ideas, and they feel a plan starting to form.

Rebecca continues the summary. “On Monday, I call President Docket and make an appointment. The student council goes in to see him. If he meets with us, we start negotiating for lower tuition starting next semester. If he refuses to meet with us or if he disses us in any way, we sit in front of his house again, and we stay there till he agrees to negotiate in good faith. Is this what we’re thinking?”

The whole group is now thinking about President Docket. Jimmy asks, seriously, “How will we know if he’s negotiating or dissing us? What would a negotiation be like?”

Rebecca is stumped. She hadn’t thought that far.

Before Rebecca can fumble for an answer, Chandra speaks up. “If he takes our demand for lower tuition seriously and explains to us why the tuition is where it is, that would be negotiating. If he lets us make suggestions about how the tuition could be lowered, that would be negotiating. If he tells us the trustees make this decision and there’s nothing he can do; if he tells us the state government has slashed the education budget so there’s nothing he can do, he’s not negotiating.” Chandra’s voice is intense.

It’s as if she’s been in negotiations before. Rebecca’s impressed and, as she looks around, she sees acceptance.

“Thank you, Chandra. Does that help?” Rebecca asks. Jimmy smiles and gives Chandra a thumbs up. “OK, then we have two jobs,” she continues. “First, we need to | P a g e 25

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make sure all the rest of us students are down with this struggle about tuition. Second, we have to convince just about everyone to sit in front of Docket’s house Friday night.

If we can’t get the support, or if it seems like no one cares enough to sit with us, we cancel the plan and go back to the drawing board. Agreed?”

“Let’s do this!” shouts Jack, and the meeting erupts. Rebecca looks around the room for anyone who seems unhappy or left out. She sees no one in that space. What she sees is energized people feeling good.

Phase One Friday night arrives and over 80 percent of the students sit out in front of the president’s house all night long. There’s drumming, guitars and singing, then hilarious hijinks like chaining people to the gates, just for fun. The security guards come by, but they see they’re vastly outnumbered and just keep patrolling all night without saying or doing anything. By dawn, everyone

is

crashing on the lawn, but no one leaves. On Saturday, folks come and go a bit, but the president’s lawn stays full till noon.

On Monday, Rebecca calls, gets an appointment, and the council visits President Docket at 4pm. They’re in the conference room, sitting around a big, oval table when he starts the conversation with a smile. “That was an impressive demonstration you pulled off last weekend. You filled the street. Seems like you students want to negotiate lower tuitions. Am I right?”

Rebecca returns his smile. “Yup, I think you’ve picked up our subtle message.”

President Docket’s smile is neither condescending nor dismissive. It’s friendly. “I tell you what. I want tuition lower, too, much lower. It’s completely unfair that you’re having to pay so much. So, it seems to me there are a few ways we could go about this.

One is to lower the salaries of professors and administrators, including me. However, if you check us out, you will find that we are far from the best-paid faculty in the state, much less the country. So, if we go that way, we might lose some of your favorite professors to other schools. | P a g e 26

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“Another thing we could do is cut out expensive programs, like sailing, golf, horseback riding, some of our art courses, maybe even some science and pre-med programs. We could also cut back on capital investments, like equipment and buildings. We’re planning to build a new athletic center with a swimming pool, for example. We could cut that and use those funds to cut tuition, but we would have to cut a lot to make a dent in tuition. And that could hurt our ability to recruit students.

I’m more than happy to let you look at our budget so you and the council can think for yourselves about where we could cut to reduce tuition.

“But there is another thing you could do. You could start a city-wide, then a statewide, then a nation-wide movement to get more tax money devoted to higher education. If we get more money from the government, we could definitely lower tuition. This last alternative might not benefit those of you who are graduating this year, but in the long run, it would be the greatest good for the greatest number. What do you think?”

Rebecca is suddenly aware that she had no idea what to expect, but she certainly didn’t expect this. And she knows she can’t answer immediately for everyone.

“President Docket, I have to admit I’m surprised by your openness, cooperativeness and willingness to work with us. This group can’t decide here and now which way to go, but I assure you we will discuss what you’ve said, put it to the rest of the students, and come up with a response. I hope we can do this by next week. Meanwhile, it would be a big help to look at the budget. Your transparency means a lot.”

“I understand. I’ll have the budget sent to the council. By the way, the budget must stay in the council. It can’t become a public document. I am trusting you, and I look forward to our next meeting.”

Making a Plan The group walks back to the council office in silence. When everyone has something to drink and is sitting around the table, Rebecca still has no idea what to do, so she asks, “So what do you think?”

SueAnne is first. “I believe him. I think he wants us to understand the position he’s in, that he really can’t lower tuition without cutting something else in the school budget. And the fact is, the state assembly has drastically reduced the funds for higher | P a g e 27

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education over the past five years. I think he wants us to start a student movement to force the state to come up with more funds, and I think we should do it.”

Chandra is next. “I believe him, too, but I want to look at that budget. We might find places to cut, but even if we don’t, we can use our knowledge of the budget to defend the idea of taking on the state instead of just our school.”

Jake is excited. “I’ll help Chandra look at the budget, but I think we should go for the student movement. It’ll take more time, but it’s the right thing to do. There’s plenty of money in this state. We have corporations and rich families right here in Anytown that pay no taxes at all. They’re the ones who should be lowering our tuition.”

“Let’s not make this a class war,” Ron resists, but he supports the movement. “I say we just build a movement demanding free higher education. We let the government figure out how to do it.”

Thirty minutes later, these positions are the clear consensus. Rebecca calls the question. “OK, so we’re agreed that we will 1) look at the budget to see for ourselves the economic planning and situation of our school and 2) if we find President Docket was telling the truth, and if we don’t see any obvious place to get the money from the school budget, we will start a movement demanding tuition-free higher education in Anystate. Is this agreed?” Rebecca looks carefully and sees smiles all around. “Ok, Chandra and Jake will put together a team to look at the budget, right?”

“Right,” Chandra agrees, “and we’ll report what we find within a week.” When Chandra looks at her for confirmation, Rebecca picks up her friend’s new intensity.

Chandra’s a leader. Where she goes, people follow, and now, she has the look of a woman on the move. As Chandra smiles, turns, and literally runs out of the room, Rebecca feels something huge coming on. She does her best to keep calm, but her stomach is full of butterflies.

Agreeing with the President Two weeks later, the council is back in President Docket’s conference room. After some small talk, Rebecca gets down to business. “President Docket, we’ve looked carefully at the budget. We do have some ideas for economizing, and we’ve made some suggestions in this report. However, we’ve also studied what the state government has | P a g e 28

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been doing to the budget for higher education. I’m sure you know what we’re just finding out. They’ve cut it consistently every year for the past ten years. Sometimes the cuts have been small, but five years ago, when Governor Walker came in, they slashed hundreds of millions of dollars and declared that all public colleges and universities should be profit centers. This student council has come to believe that the lack of state funding is the real problem, and we believe you believe this, too. Are we right?”

“Yes, and I’m delighted to hear that you’ve come to this conclusion. So, what are you going to do about it?” President Docket is not about to tell this group what to do, but he would love to see them launch some sort of protest action. He doesn’t dare start the movement or lead it himself, but he will do what he can to help.

“As you suggested in our last meeting, we think we need to start a student movement, a revolt, actually. We want to shut down education in this state until the assembly comes up with sufficient funds to provide tuition-free higher education for everyone whose family makes less than 100,000 dollars a year. The details are negotiable, of course, but we’re planning to make this our initial demand. And we have one demand to make of you.” She looks at him, but he’s waiting to hear the demand.

“We need you to support us.”

President Docket is on their side but does have his limits. “What are you planning to do and what sort of support do you need?”

“We’re planning to get all the students in this state, including in junior high and high school, to stop going to school until the assembly passes a new education budget we can accept.” Rebecca stops and looks at him. She’s surprised to see him still smiling.

“It’ll take time to get this organized. I can’t tell you exactly when the strike will start, but we’re aiming at January, the start of second semester. But whenever it does start, we need you to go on TV supporting our strike and calling on all faculty across the state to strike with us.”

President Docket hesitates. The smile fades. He wants to support them, but a university president coming out in favor of a student strike... ? He looks at the papers on his desk. Without looking up he says, “You’re asking me to put my job on the line.”

He pauses to think, then looks around at the students, who are looking back at him.

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support the state’s budget cuts. If I support your strike, I’ll be taking them on. They’re likely to fire me and a lot of other faculty, which some of them want to do anyway.”

Rebecca starts talking. She didn’t plan this. She has no idea where the words are coming from. “We don’t expect you to do anything at first. Only if we’re successful in launching an effective strike. If most of the students around the state really are on strike, you’ll have to be with us or against us. The media will force you to choose, and you’ve already said you’re on our side, right? And if you support us, and if the trustees fire you, what if we all agree the strike continues until you’re reinstated in your job? If we get a strike going, and if you support us, I promise we will support you. If they fire you, they fire all of us.”

President Docket is impressed. Rebecca is thinking three moves ahead. And she’s right. “I don’t see how I can refuse,” he says, smiling again. “I’m the one who suggested this in the first place, and I do believe tuition should be free. If you organize an effective state-wide strike, I’ll join it myself and will do my best to get other faculty here and all around the state to join as well.” Rebecca and the whole student council clap and cheer.

Somehow, this meeting of minds with President Docket feels like they’ve already won.

Filled with the energy they get from President Docket, they’re no longer just a group of students grousing about tuition. They’re a movement working for change, and they’re doing it with the president of the largest university in the state system.

SueAnne, planner in chief, wants to confirm the timing. “It’s almost October, but we think can get the strike to start when second semester starts in January. Do you see a problem with that?”

President Docket’s voice is confident. “I saw what you did here. How long did that take? I’ll make sure you can use our broadcast and media facilities. I think you, the student council of Anystate U, should start a daily podcast talking about the facts as you see them and the need for the strike. Be open. Let everyone know the strike starts in January. No one comes back from Christmas vacation. Get some of our student stars and maybe even some local celebrities. Get a YouTube influencer like The Monk supporting the strike, and you’ll have students all over this state listening to you and getting excited. They like to skip school anyway, right? I’m excited about it already.”

The president is into it!

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“Thank you!” That’s just what SueAnne needed to hear. “I’m sort of excited and sort of scared. We didn’t expect our tuition demand to turn into this much work, but everyone on this council thinks it’s the right thing to do. We’ll do our best.”

Is this happening? Rebecca is scared to death, but she can’t stop now, not with SueAnne and President Docket putting out such positive vibes.

Launching a Movement Students from Anystate U visit student leaders in every college, junior college, and university in the state. Students from those schools visit all the high schools and junior highs in their areas. As President Docket suggested, Rebecca and the council launch a daily “Strikecast.” They talk about school budgets, state budgets, and the national budget. They talk about the importance of higher education to the health of the city, state and nation. They talk about inequality and how the whole society improves if education is made available to everyone, regardless of family income. Soon they have one of the most popular podcasts in the state. It gets picked up and re-broadcast by WRFA (your station for progressive information). Each program is recorded and uploaded to YouTube, where it gets tens of thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of views.

Opposition arises. The main local radio and TV channels bring in speaker after speaker to explain why the strike is a bad idea, why free tuition is a bad idea, why any student who goes on strike should be expelled from school, and why faculty members who support the strike or even fail to stop it in their schools should be held accountable. But social media takes these speakers apart. They clearly represent the old and the few, not the young and the many.

When January comes, the schools are empty.

President Docket, president of the largest university in the state, is interviewed on CNN. He supports the strike wholeheartedly. “High tuition is a selfdestructive, anti-democratic travesty,” he tells the reporter. “I’m going to stop going to the office during the strike, and I recommend that my faculty and faculty in all public institutions around the state do the same.” Most do. They all want more money for education. Most | P a g e 31

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parents support the strike as well. They’re not happy with high tuition. A public opinion survey finds the strike has 85% support from the general public. Governor Walker, who was the primary force behind the drastic budget cuts five years earlier, comes out in favor of free tuition. He calls on the assembly to pass legislation to that effect as soon as possible, and he asks the students to go back to school.

Rebecca, through her Strikecast, thanks the governor for his support but says that strikes are very hard to organize. Therefore, this strike will continue until the assembly actually passes relevant legislation. The students stay out. Faculty stay out. Tammy Baldwin, a state assemblywoman who’s been pushing lower tuition for years, submits a bill modeled on the education financing system in Germany. The assembly passes the bill, which will result in higher state income taxes on residents and corporations earning more than 500,000 dollars a year. Taxes on properties valued at 800,000 dollars or more will increase. Higher education tuition will be free in Anystate starting in August 2004.

Rebecca makes the announcement. “Thank you, Governor Walker. Thank you, Anystate Assembly. Thank you, President Docket and all the faculty who supported us.

Thank you to all the parents who supported their striking students. Thank you to all the residents of Anystate who told the pollsters you support us when asked. Thanks to everyone who called Governor Walker and your state representatives. Thanks also to all the wealthy individuals, families and corporations who will bear the burden of this change, but most of all, thank you to all the students and faculty who worked so hard to organize this strike, who took the risk of joining the strike, and who stood together despite all the threats and anger brought down on our heads. I know many of you were threatened. Many were actually punished for not going to school. I salute your courage and hope you feel it was worth it.

“The media is calling this a great victory for students, but who are the losers? Who did we defeat? Who is suffering as a result of this decision? I don’t think we won anything. We brought a problem to light. We demanded that the problem be solved.

The residents and elected officials of our state took a look at the problem and solved it in a way that will alleviate a tremendous amount of suffering while causing little to no pain for anyone. It’s true that some rich people and corporations will pay higher taxes, but they can afford it easily; they won’t suffer. After a while, they’ll be proud to be the | P a g e 32

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ones supporting such a generous and beneficial educational system. They’ll be proud to live in this state. This is not a defeat for them, and it’s not a victory for students. It’s a victory for Anystate and, because our action will certainly be imitated in other states, it’s a victory for our nation as a whole. Everyone benefits by enhancing equality and improving the education level of our population. So, this is not a victory. It’s a problem we all solved together. And I am grateful to everyone involved. Thank you all once again, and goodbye from the Strikecast.”

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Chapter 5 Akilah

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“We need to know the full scope of the impairment we’re confronting.”

Terry’s been home eight days when the doorbell rings three times. She springs from the table, runs over and throws open the door. Three rings means Akilah.

“I remembered,” Terry says.

“I never forgot,” replies Akilah, and the two long-lost friends hug each other, then back away. They look at each other, a little embarrassed, trying to take in the enormous changes. Akilah has grown so tall and thin. She’s taller than Terry and looks like a model, but without the heavy makeup. Terry’s skin is almost as dark as Akilah’s, and she’s far more muscular.

“Come on in!” Terry’s surprised to feel so purely happy. She’d been nervous about meeting her friends again. She knew everyone would be completely changed after eight years. But here’s Akilah, standing on her front porch, and Terry’s so happy, she doesn’t know what to say.

Akilah says, “Nah, gotta get home, but I have to check something out.” Before Terry can even wonder what that could be, she goes on. “I saw you on TV, like everyone else in the world. I wanted to come over like the next day, but my mom said to give you and your family a break. I decided to wait till you came to school, but you never came all last week and I can’t wait anymore. Besides, I have a plan, which gave me an excuse, so I’m here, but only on the porch.”

“I’m glad you’re here. You can stay all day as far as I’m concerned, but what’s the plan?”

“Well, don’t take this wrong, okay? But like, you’ve been in the jungle since you were seven, right? And a lot has happened around here in eight years, right? So... I’m organizing a committee, and we’re gonna have our first meeting this Friday night at my house, and I want you to come.”

Terry is still mystified. “What does this committee have to do with me being in a jungle for eight years?”

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“Well, we’re the Terry Re-education Committee, and we’re going to teach you what you need to know to survive in high school. Is this stupid?”

“You’re an angel! You are too perfect,” and with that, Terry jumps in closer, throws her arms around Akilah, and the girls hug again, tight, letting tears of joy flow freely.

The Terry Re-education Committee “Ok, I hereby call this meeting to order,” shouts Akilah, pounding her glass on the table. The conversations die slowly, but then it’s quiet. The four other members of the committee suddenly realize they were talking to each other, not Terry, who is the whole reason they’re here. Of this committee, only Akilah knew Terry before. The others are meeting a stranger. In fact, they’re meeting a rather strange stranger, so they had to wait for Akilah’s introductions. “Terry, we have here an agenda, which we took great pains to plan in advance, like yesterday at lunch. Agenda Item 1 – Introductions...

“OK. This is Claire. She is the brains of the group and will be your academic tutor.”

Claire’s brilliant blue eyes, framed by dark brown curls, look right back at Terry with frank curiosity. “I am completely happy to meet you! I am not the brain Akilah thinks I am, but if you ask a question I can’t answer, I’ll find the answer. I know where to look.”

“I’m happy to meet you, too, and the next best thing to knowing a thing is knowing where to find it, right? I heard that on TV, maybe from a cricket.”

“This girl does not need our help!” Claire complains loudly. Akilah ignores her.

“Next to her is Deshana. She’s our sociologist. She will teach you what you need to know about who is friends with whom and what kind of people they are.”

“You, of course, have to be friends with us,” Deshana announces. She has the lively black eyes and easy smile of a person who is used to liking and being liked.

“Understood,” Terry laughs. “Glad that’s settled.”

“To Deshana’s right is the lovely Sylvie,” Akilah grins mysteriously. “She is almost French. As you can clearly see, she will be your fashion consultant and will also teach you how to deal with the male factor.”

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Sylvie makes a show of taking great offense to this introduction. “Akilah lacks proper respect for makeup and certain other feminine power tools, but I can see you have tremendous potential.”

Terry, taking in Sylvie’s perfectly coiffed hair and big, mascara-enhanced eyes thinks, This girl is stunning. What she says is, “I can see I have a lot to learn, and you are just the one to teach me.”

“Last but not least is Charlie, who will be your ultimate authority on what is funny and what is not funny, and will also help you if you decide to take up basketball.”

“Hi,” says Charlie, looking down. She isn’t smiling. She does’t even look at Terry the way the others did.

With Terry still wondering why and how to respond, Akilah plows right on. “I’m the organizer. I will generally be in charge of your schedule and will tell you what to do in minute detail. Also, Charlie and I will be your bodyguards. We’re quite good at keeping the boys in line. Now, I have to introduce you to them, right? Ladies, this is Terry, who lived in my neighborhood on Van Hise and went to Randall School and was my best friend until she was seven, at which point she was in a shipwreck and was missing and presumed dead.”

The whole group is slightly shocked by this realization.

They knew it, of course, but Akilah saying it out loud seems to make it reality. Terry looks from Akilah to Charlie to Sylvie to Deshana to Claire. Even Charlie is looking at her now, but Terry doesn’t know what to say.

With the silence getting intense, Akilah takes over again. “And this brings us to item two on the agenda. Terry, if we’re going to help you, we need to know more about you.

You can start by telling us where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing for the last eight years.”

Terry looks again at her new friends. They’re all using their bright eyes and genuine smiles to encourage her. They must all really love Akilah, she thinks. What she says is, “Do you want the public version or the private version?”

“What do you think?” laughs Claire instantly, “We need to know the full scope of the impairment we’re confronting.” | P a g e 37

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“If I tell you the private version, you’ll have to open your minds a little. You’ve got to promise not to decide I’m beyond help.”

“No one is beyond our help, except Bobby Jenkins,” Deshana asserts confidently.

“If you ate roaches and snake turds, just don’t tell me about that,” warns Sylvie.

This could be a good team, Terry decides, so she tells the whole story of the shipwreck, like she did to her mom and Corey, then a little about her life on Kam Nagala, and how she got home.

Terry’s Story and the Re-education Committee As the girls listen, each experiences waves of excitement, disbelief, envy, and fear.

When Terry finishes describing her trip home and ends with, “...so now I need to finish high school, and I need you to help me.” The room is drenched in stunned silence.

Each member of the Terry Re-education Committee seems lost in her own thoughts.

Finally, Akilah looks straight at Terry and asks, “So you believe that you have a mission to teach Americans about the spirit world?”

“Yes.” “How?” “I don’t know. All I know now is I have to finish high school.”

“What if I don’t believe in ghosts?” It’s Charlie, and again, she isn’t smiling.

“All you have to do is tell me what’s funny.”

“There’s a thin line between funny and weird.” Charlie’s boyishness makes her seem aggressive.

Terry fixes her with a stare. When she speaks, her excessively calm voice seems to be controlling some anger. “You asked me to tell you the private story. I told you what happened as I understand it. If it’s too weird, I don’t have to tell you any more private stuff. And if anyone else at school hears this story, it’ll be because they seriously ask | P a g e 38

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for the private version or because you tell them.” Then, lightening up, she’s almost pleading. “I want to fit in, Charlie. Can you help me do that?”

For the first time, Charlie looks right into Terry’s eyes. They stare at each other just a few seconds too long. “I’ll do what I can. And the first thing you can do is lose that stare. You look like you’re using X-ray vision or something. You can’t look at people like that if you wanna fit in.”

Terry looks at Akilah, who’s smiling despite the tears running down her cheeks. “I love Charlie,” Terry declares.

“You’re both crazy,” Akilah laughs, maybe a bit too loud.

“Come on,” Sylvie says. “Let’s get this girl some decent clothes.”

After Shopping It’s just getting dark as Terry and Akilah walk home from the bus stop, each with a big bag of clothes and shoes, including a purse, some earrings and everything Terry will need for her first few weeks of school.

Terry is so full of gratitude she can hardly speak. “Thank you,” she says as they come to Summit and Van Hise, where they’ll split up.

“Thank YOU for coming home.” Akilah still radiates her warm welcome.

“You picked a great team.”

“They picked themselves. I asked a couple others, but they couldn’t make it. Two or three times today I thought, ‘Yup, the right ones came.’”

“What did you think of my story? Do you think I’m weird?”

“No one thinks you’re weird anymore. Even Charlie acts like she’s known you all her life. Weren’t you having fun this afternoon?”

“I haven’t laughed like that in eight years. We’ll get along fine, but I’m talking about deeper than that. What do you think of my story?” Terry pushes below the surface.

Akilah doesn’t hide. “I don’t know what to think. I know you’re not lying, but I don’t live in a world anything like the one you’re talking about. When I think about it, the weirdest thing about you is how normal you are. I thought you’d be a lot weirder. I | P a g e 39

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mean, like, you do talk kind of adult, but other than that, you hardly do or say anything weird, which I think is very weird considering where you’re coming from. You say you want to fit in, but you fit in with us perfectly today. How do you do it?”

“I learned a lot from my dad, and my guardian spirit taught me a lot through my dreams, which were often about you and people I knew before. They were preparing me. And I’ve been doing nothing but watch TV and movies since I’ve been back. But the main thing I do is keep my fear and ignorance out of the way. Deep in our souls, we all know everything we need to know. We can do what we need to do. I’ve learned to pretty much let that level work through me without interference from Terry Anitok, jungle girl.”

Akilah doesn’t really understand, but she wants to be sure Terry knows she’s open and interested. “I’m not like Charlie. I’m plenty weird myself, and I don’t care. Somehow, I know--I knew as soon as I heard you were back--that I’m supposed to be your friend. I definitely believe in ESP because I usually know who’s on the phone before I pick it up. I’ve never seen a ghost, but I’d love to see one. So don’t worry about being weird with me.”

“Ok, we’re friends. We’re going to work together, right?”

“Right.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

“Then I need to let you know something. I’m Terry Anitok, but I’m no longer just Terry Anitok. When you’re with Terry, you’re actually with a soul that can remember dozens of past lives. The name of that soul is Sei Kan. It’s Sei Kan’s mission to help physical people become aware of the spirit world. Terry is the physical body that Sei Kan is using now.”

The hairs on Akilah’s arms are standing on end. She stares at Terry, trying to take in and digest what she just said. Before she can respond, it seems to her that Terry’s body is beginning to glow. “Are you glowing?”

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Terry smiles, but the features of her face began to fade into a background of golden light.

“What are you doing?” Akilah shows some fear.

“We need you to know the truth,” Terry replies, but with a deeper, more forceful voice.

As Akilah watches in pure wonder, bands of light stretch out from where Terry is standing until a web of glowing fibers attaches itself to the grass at her feet, the flowers and bushes in the yard next to her, and the branches of the tree over her head.

Suddenly, the tree is full of birds hopping excitedly but not leaving the tree. The light moves closer and touches Akilah, then grows brighter until she has to look away. When she looks back, Terry is standing there as if nothing had happened. “How did you do that?!” Akilah raises her voice, partly in relief, partly because she wants to know.

“To be honest, I’m not completely sure. I can usually do it when I want to, but sometimes it just happens. What you saw is my spirit self.” Terry is staring at Akilah in exactly the way Charlie advised her to avoid.

“When you were being that light, I was feeling some sort of love, and not just for you. It was like a love for everything. It was so warm and peaceful.” Akilah is staring right back. Their eyes lock as they explore their common mind.

“That love is my mission. I wanted you to know. In fact, I want the whole world to know that love, but it’s not easy.”

“Do I have a spirit like that?”

“Yes. Akilah is the physical body your spirit self is using, and when the time comes, you will remember your larger self.”

“I’m still not sure what I saw, but I’ll never forget it, that’s for sure.”

“Actually, you will. You’ll forget over and over. When you stop forgetting, you’ll be ready to remember who you really are.”

Akilah wonders, for a moment, who she really is. Then, putting that wonder out of her mind, feeling she needs to get home, she says, “Thank you.” Her eyes almost make that thank you a question. Then she smiles, “Good night. See you tomorrow.” | P a g e 41

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“Thank YOU. Good night.” Terry turns toward home, afraid she might have pushed Akilah too fast.

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Chapter 6 Rebecca Changes Anytown – 1

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“We’re divided even in this room.”

By the time she graduates, Rebecca has welded her college classmates into a solid body of student activists. She led a successful state-wide movement to eliminate tuition, increased wages for employees, including students on work scholarships, and changed the name of the humanities building, which had been named after Andrew Jackson, well known slave-holder and promoter of genocide. On graduation day, as she walks across the stage to receive her diploma, an enormous cheer goes up. Half the crowd bursts into tears. In the yearbook, she is “most likely to succeed.” Everyone knows she’ll be impossible to replace, but she’s groomed several younger students to keep her college in motion.

Encouraged by her experience with the tuition movement, she decides, at 22, to run for mayor of Anytown. In fact, she’s going to create her own political party and run on a third-party ticket. So, in January of 2008, she calls together a small group of friends and acquaintances to announce her plan to stand for the mayoral election of November 2010.

“You might be wondering,” she starts, flashing that irresistible smile, “why I called you all together tonight.” The group of 20 settles down. “I want to start a new political party, and I want to be the next mayor of Anytown.”

“Alright!!” shouts Jack. He would follow Rebecca anywhere.

“Do it!!” Tom joins in. He’s usually right behind Jack.

“That’s what I’m sayin’!” Latisha is clapping her hands. Rebecca grins broadly at Latisha who, as a strong leader and the only other Black person in the room, is a treasured ally.

“I’m dead serious about this, folks.” Rebecca suddenly wonders if even this handpicked group will take her seriously. “Every one of you is here because I’ve heard you complaining about city politics. You’ve all said something to me or in my hearing about corruption or legalized bribery, too much control by the Chamber of Commerce and the companies in the industrial park, or the power of out-of-state money.” She pauses to look for reactions, but every eye is on her. “I’ve been watching politics in this city since I was in high school, and I think I’ve figured out how we can put our city back | P a g e 44

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into the hands of its citizens. I’ll tell you my plan. You raise your questions, and if we come to agreement here tonight, we’ll proceed to work out the details. OK?” Rebecca was confident when she called this meeting, but now she’s trembling. She knows she’s going nowhere if the people in this room resist.

“So what’s the plan?” Everyone knows Jack’s in love with Rebecca, including Rebecca, but he seems to be speaking for the whole group. They’re waiting for the plan.

“Okay, so here’s the plan. I’m going to start a new party known as the Anytown Resolutionary Party. I’m calling it resolutionary because our top priority is to resolve conflict.

We are mediators. We do not have a platform of policy goals or promises. We have process, only process, and our process is going to take money out of politics. What I envision is nothing less than a firm separation of money and state.”

“How can you separate money and state?” asks Latisha, “Money IS the state!”

“I know that’s right,” laughs Rebecca, “Just hear me out. I’ll get into how we get there, but the first step is, we have to convince folks here in Anytown that there’s a new party on the block, and that this party is going to return power to the people by taking money out of the game. And we’ll do that by identifying our conflicts or problems and addressing them in full view of the public.

“So let’s take one example. The current mayor is talking about turning over two of our public schools to a private company to run for profit. Is that a good idea or a bad idea?”

“It’s a bad idea!”

“It’s better than the schools we got now!”

“It could be a good idea, depending on the company.”

“I didn’t even know they were talking about that.”

“See?” Rebecca goes on, “we’re divided even in this room, and I’m sure SuZen isn’t the only one who doesn’t know anything about it. This is an extremely big, important decision for our city, and it’s going to be made by a few people in a back room exchanging money. We’re not going to hear what’s said, and the parents, students, | P a g e 45

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teachers and even administrators at those schools won’t have a say. The young parents in the area with kids will not be consulted. It’s just going to be announced one day, and we’ll be expected to live with it. Whatever we might think about the issue itself, the way the decision is going to be made is all wrong. That’s what we have to change.” The group is with her. They want the change. They believe she can do it, but they’re waiting to hear how.

“The only way we can change it is to take power. My party won’t tell the city what it should do about the schools, but we need the power to tell the city how to go about making the decision. We need to be in a position to bring all parties to the table and make them talk openly and honestly about what they’re doing and why. We need the power to open those conversations to the public. We can televise them, podcast them, hold them in big halls so anyone can come and watch. We can do all sorts of things, but our party’s position is that all decisions have to be made out in broad daylight, not in the dark. And they have to be accepted by the vast majority of our residents.

“Once we have the power to say how decisions will be made, we’ll need the mediation skills to make sure the discussions include everyone and work for the good of our city and everyone in it. You already know I’m good at bringing people together, right? So that’s why I’m asking you to make me mayor. I need to be in a position where I can force decision-making into the light and get the people involved.”

Rebecca expects a group cheer at this point, but Sean objects. “How can you be elected from a third party? The Democrats and Republicans’ll work together to make sure you never even get on the ballot.”

Rebecca has thought about this. “How big is Anytown? A few more than 50,000.

How many vote in mayoral elections? Usually fewer than 10,000. All we need is to get 6 or 7,000 people to vote for me, and we win.

“To get on the ballot, we just fill out the nomination papers and turn in a thousand signatures. The mayor is an officially nonpartisan position, so the parties can’t keep me off the ballot. All I have to do is get known and get the most votes. And that’s where you come in. I can’t do this without you. I won’t have any money for TV ads. I need you all to gather campaigners who will go through the whole city exciting people about taking money out of politics. We need to think of ways to get free publicity. We need to get me known. There are about 20 of us here. If you each find ten people to help us, | P a g e 46

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that’ll be 200. That right there would be more volunteers than the Democrats or Republicans have. It would make us the biggest campaign in town. Are you willing to try?” She can feel them getting into it.

Jack is beaming. He turns to the group. “Are we willing to try?” In response, a group of friends transforms instantly into a political party.

Two Weeks Later Rebecca convenes the first official meeting of the Anytown Resolutionary Party or ARP. She plans to hold it in her parents’ house, but Chandra says more than a hundred people are likely to show up. She gets permission to use the Fellowship Hall at her parents’ church. A grand total of 273 people show up for only 200 chairs. With the seats full, folks are standing along the walls. Most are young, but with plenty of gray heads sprinkled among them. A few are Black or Latino, but, like Anytown itself, most are white. Rebecca is thrilled by this turnout. As soon as she sees them, she knows she’s going to win. She just has to mobilize and direct this surprising crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen and all y’all, I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you. I can tell you right now that if we stay unified and all work together, I will be the next mayor of Anytown!” Her close friends shout out their excitement. Rebecca feels unity now, but she knows it won’t be easy to hold this energy together. She shouts into the mic.

“First... first... Let me introduce you to my campaign manager, Chandra Milbino.”

Chandra jumps gracefully onto the low stage to enthusiastic applause and a bit more shouting. Their friends know how smart Chandra is and what a powerful pair the two of them were in school. “She’s already pulled together an impressive team of coordinators. In fact, they’re the ones who got you here. Chandra’s team, stand up please.” The team of about 20 stands up, smiling, shaking their hands over their heads, looking all around.

Rebecca continues. “In a minute, I’m going to turn this meeting over to Chandra, and she’ll organize you by geographical territory. We’ll develop campaign materials and key talking points. We’ll send them to you so you can take them into your | P a g e 47

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territories, where you’ll talk to everyone you can and explain why I should be mayor.

But before we get into the logistics, let me just remind you what we’re trying to do here.

“We’re going to take money out of politics. One step in that direction is for elected officials to refrain from having opinions. As of right now, I have no opinions. Of course, I do, but I reject them all. Seriously. My goal is not to run this town the way I think it should be run. My goal is to help the people of this city run their own city the way they all agree is best for all of us. I will not be a mayor of policy. I will be a mayor of process.

I will bring people together to make decisions as a group and out in the open.” She stops for the applause, shining her smile from corner to corner, around the whole room, but people look a little puzzled. She has to remind herself that this idea is completely new to most of the people here. She knows she needs to say more about how decisions will be made, but first, she needs to add another campaign promise to her platform.

“I’ve been thinking more about our sales pitch, and there’s another step I have to take to convince you and the rest of the citizens of Anytown that I truly am taking money out of politics. I hereby declare that if I’m elected mayor, I will open my bankbook, my tax records, and all my finances to the public. I will not receive—in any form whatsoever—one penny more than the mayor’s salary, which is $60,000 a year.

Furthermore, I will keep my bankbook open to the public for three years after my last term as mayor so everyone can see that I’m not getting rich from politics. In effect, I’m taking a vow of poverty and a vow of openness. I take these vows to declare and prove that I cannot be bought by anyone for any amount of money.” She pauses here to gauge the effect. Most are still smiling, but Rebecca sees confusion and doubt sneaking in. She wonders what she can say to convince them that what she has just said is the truth and represents a feasible way to be a politician.

“I am going to give each of you a copy of my bankbook. All you have to do is show my bankbook to the people of this city, and I promise you, they’ll vote for me, and we’ll make this town work for all of us.” At this, Fellowship Hall, which is mostly windows, reverberates with applause, wild cheering, and gratuitous screeching. Anyone with doubts has forgotten them now. As far as this crowd is concerned, Rebecca Whyte is a breath of pure, fresh air blowing like a cleansing gale through the stale politics of Anytown, USA. | P a g e 48

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Chapter 7 Anger

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“Darla, you are dealing with at least two generations of anger.”

As the bell rings for the start of homeroom, Mrs. Wells looks at Terry and motions for her to come to the front. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I doubt that I have to introduce this new student, but just in case some of you have been studying for the past week instead of watching TV, this is Terry Anitok. Several of you in this class know her a lot better than I do because you went to school with her until third grade, which is when Terry disappeared. Well, she’s back.”

A tough-looking girl in the back of the room says, under her breath but loud enough for the class to hear, “Welcome home, Jungle Girl.” A few quiet chuckles ripple through the room.

“Sometime soon I hope we can get Terry to tell us what she’s been doing this past eight years. I’m sure she has a fascinating story....” “...eating coconuts and lying on the beach.” More chuckles. “...but for now, please make her welcome and help her get used to our school.”

“You can count on us,” says Darla, her voice dripping with sarcasm. Even more chuckles.

Terry walks back to her desk amazed. She isn’t surprised by Darla’s rudeness.

People everywhere are mean sometimes. Even animals get mean. But Terry has never seen a teacher accept such disrespect. On Kam Nagala, anyone in a teaching position would have stopped immediately to find out what was wrong with Darla. She’s obviously very angry about something, and anger is like cancer. It has to be detected early and treated as soon as possible. Otherwise, it can destroy the person, or their family, or even a whole clan. Nothing is more dangerous, yet Mrs. Wells just ignored it. Terry glances at Darla and the eyes that meet hers say, There’s gonna be trouble.

After homeroom, Darla times her exit to meet Terry. “See you later, Jungle Girl,” she hisses.

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Later Later turns out to be right after school. Terry is walking with Akilah, Charlie, and Sylvie. Darla and four of her friends come out of the parking lot walking right toward them. “Let’s turn around,” says Sylvie, “We better find a teacher.”

Terry smiles. “Come on, let’s find out what’s wrong with Darla.”

“Hey, Jungle Girl, how’dja like your first day in my school.”

“You run a fine school, here, Darla.”

“Don’t mess with me, Jungle Girl.”

“What’s the story, Darla?”

“No story, Creep. I just don’t... ” “I’ll tell you what I think the story is. You’re afraid that since I grew up in the jungle, I might be tougher than you. And you’re right. You and your four friends here couldn’t touch me. But you have nothing to fear from me. Look, we’re going over to my house for something to eat. Why don’t you come with us. We can discuss this whole thing.”

“No one disses Darla.” As she spits out these words, Darla jumps forward and grabs at Terry’s chest. Terry steps aside, just enough to avoid her grasp. Darla swings immediately in that direction, and Terry leans back to let the punch stop harmlessly in front of her face. Darla leaps again, with her right fist flying. Terry bobs and sidesteps effortlessly. Darla turns to her friends. “Come on, you idiots. Get her.”

Terry notices Charlie getting ready to join the fray. “Not to worry, Charlie. This’ll be fun.” For the next several minutes Darla and her gang try to lay hands on Terry, but none of them can come close. Terry moves with effortless grace and blinding speed.

She never runs away, just in and out, blocking some fists, like a big kid enjoying being chased by first graders. A few minutes later, the attackers stop, exhausted, their chests heaving. Terry isn’t even breathing hard. She smiles at Darla and says, “Come on. Let’s go get something to eat. You city girls must be tired after all that running around.”

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Something about Terry’s smile melts Darla’s fury. They stare at each other, but when the intensity builds, Darla says, “OK, let’s go,” and she’s actually smiling back.

The walk home is tense, not because of Terry and Darla but because Akilah, Charlie, and Sylvie are not happy about these goons joining their party.

Finding the Anger Sitting around the kitchen table eating chips and salsa, Terry asks Darla, “Do you know why you hated me so much the minute you saw me?”

“I’m not sure, but probably it’s pretty much what you said. I didn’t actually think about whether you were tougher than me. I just had a strong feeling I needed to fight you. I wanted to put you in your place.” Darla looks down, embarrassed.

“What you felt is deep,” Terry offers helpfully. “Physically, you’re the dominant female in our school, right? You instinctively felt I was a threat to your dominance, and you reacted as any dominant animal acts when its territory is invaded. But you have a problem. You’re so angry. Even if you want to be the dominant female in our jungle, you don’t have to be mean about it. You could have checked me out in a friendly way. There’s nothing wrong with a bit of competition among friends, but you compete with anger. You ride on it. That’s dangerous. Anger makes enemies. Anger kills.”

“Don’t tell me not to be angry, girl. I have reasons you know nothing about!” Darla’s getting angry again. She glares at Terry.

Terry meets her force with calm. “There’s never a reason to lose control. Anger has nothing to do with reason. Anger is unreasonable!”

“You don’t know what I’ve been through.”

“It’s your father, right? Do I have to say more?”

Darla stares at Terry, eyes wild with hatred and wide with shock at the same time.

Her mind is whirling. How much does Terry know? How could she know? What should I do now? Terry looks her in the eye, without fear, without anger, with certainty, and with interest. Darla returns her stare. Neither flight nor fight are appropriate. She collapses and begins to sob. Terry moves next to Darla and puts an arm over her | P a g e 52

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shaking shoulders. Nine girls sit for several minutes, enveloping Darla, helping her cry, thinking about her father, about her anger, and the magic of love. Terry keeps saying, “We’re here to help. We’re here to help.”

A Plan to Help Darla The next day, Terry and her Re-education Committee meet Darla and her friends with smiles and unspoken promises of friendship. The conversations are hesitant at first, but soon, six people are talking at once. Then all fall silent except Joyce.

“Darla just feels so different. I can’t believe it,” Joyce tells Claire. In the sudden silence, everyone is embarrassed.

“Darla will never be the same,” says Terry, “but she’s going to need help. She’s got habits to break, and she’s living in the same family. If we want to help her, we have to help her family. Shall we do that?”

“Sure. What do we do?” Joyce answers for everyone.

“Tomorrow night, we have a party at her house.”

Darla’s been listening like a spectator. She’s enjoying how much they care. But when she hears them aiming at her family, it’s too much.

“No, no, no. Absolutely not. You are definitely not coming over to my house.” Darla is adamant, but not all that angry.

“Darla, you are dealing with at least two generations of anger. Probably more. There are only eight people in the world willing and able to help you escape. That’s us.”

“Forget it. You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

“You think we’re going to hurt your father?”

“You couldn’t. No one can hurt my father. You’re the ones who’ll get hurt.”

“There’s no way we can help you without helping him. He’s the one in the most danger, and he’s in more danger if we don’t come over than if we do.”

Darla looks in horror at the eight faces riveted on hers. All this love and help is more than she can refuse. “Okay, Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow night.” But she doesn’t want

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to know the plan. She turns quickly toward her house. She isn’t smiling. Terry tells the rest of the group her plan. It scares them all to death, but, for some reason, they agree.

Helping Darla Friday night. Eight o’clock. The doorbell rings. Darla opens the door. Eight girls walk in.

“Hey, Darla. Look,” says Pam, trying hard to be casual. “We brought ice cream. Can we eat it with you?”

“Sure,” she says automatically, her voice flat and tense. She walks toward the kitchen, and eight girls follow her.

“Who are your new friends, honey?” Darla’s mom is smiling, curious and very nervous.

“Kids from school. This is Terry. Remember that girl who disappeared and just got back? This is her.”

“Really? What a pleasure to meet you. Please sit down and tell us about your life on that island. I just can’t imagine what you must have gone through, you poor thing.”

Darla’s father looks away from his basketball game when he hears Terry being introduced. Their eyes meet. His are blank, empty. He sucks contemptuously on his beer and looks back toward the TV, saying nothing.

The girls sit down. “Well,” begins Terry, “on the island, there was no TV, but people had very good manners. For example, even the men there would never just ignore guests in their house, even if they were only friends of their teenage daughters.”

Darla’s father turns slowly to look at Terry. “Are you talking about me, by any chance?”

“If the shoe fits, wear it.”

Darla’s father jumps to his feet, his beer slamming to the floor beside him. The air is so thick with rage and fear it’s hard to breathe.

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“Get out, young woman. Out of my house right now.”

“Mr. Madden, you lose your temper too much.”

Mr. Madden turns from Terry to Darla. “You little bitch. What have you been telling them?”

“She didn’t tell us anything. She didn’t have to. I found out by consulting your guardian spirit.”

“You’re lying, and she’s gonna pay for the lies she’s been telling about me.” His eyes are narrow. His face is bright red. The veins on his neck are swollen and pulsing with rage.

“Mr. Madden, we are not leaving here until you get control of yourself.”

“I will not be responsible for what I might do to you if you don’t get out of here right now. This is my house, and I am ordering you to leave.”

“Girls, I think you better be running along now.” Mrs. Madden tries unsuccessfully to be cheerful.

“Mrs. Madden, you’re the one who’s suffered the most from this anger. It’s time to get IT out of this house, not us.”

Mr. Madden begins moving slowly but purposefully toward Darla. Terry steps into his path and says, “Hit me first, Mr. Madden.”

“No,” says Jeeta, pushing Terry aside, “Hit me first.”

“No, hit me first,” insists Joyce, jumping in from the right. One after the next, the girls run up to Mr. Madden asking to be hit. For a moment, he’s too bewildered to react. Then, he does. He lashes out and slaps Joyce. She goes down hard. For a split second, everything stops. Then, the girls are all around him again, demanding to be hit. Akilah jumps in front. “Hit me, Mr. Madden.” He does, but not as hard. | P a g e 55

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“Hit me, Mr. Madden,” says Charlie, and Charlie gets slapped. The girls keep coming.

One after the next, he slaps them down. He’s not using his fist. He’s not doing much damage. He’s clearly confused. He’s afraid of hurting these girls. He’s still furious, but he lacks confidence. Sometimes, he hits harder, then more gently. But in a display of tremendous courage, the girls keep surrounding him, standing in front of him, willing to take whatever punishment he hands out.

Finally, Terry gives the signal. Darla runs up to him and says, “Now hit me, Mr. Madden.” He lifts his arm high as if to hit her extra hard, but suddenly, he actually looks at her. She’s looking up at him with a totally new mixture of fear and determination. He sees himself in her eyes, him towering above, about to hurt the person he loves more than any other. He’s paralyzed. He stares at her for the longest 30 seconds that family has ever known, then he goes limp. He crashes into a chair, and puts his hands to his face.

After getting control he speaks, but barely louder than a whisper. “Get out. Get out.

All of you. Haven’t you done enough? What are you trying to do to me?”

“We’re bringing the anger out and soaking it up.” Terry answers. “Now tell us. Why are you so angry?”

“I’m not angry. I just need to be obeyed. It’s for her own good.”

“Did you obey your father? What happened when you didn’t?” Mr. Madden turns toward Terry with a tortured mix of fear and rage running across his face. Terry enters new territory, completely by intuition. She has no idea what’s happening, but the words coming to her now are from Mr. Madden’s guardian spirit.

“You’re Darla’s father. You have a right be obeyed. But you’ve always depended on anger to get it. You discipline with anger because that’s how you were raised. You were beaten far worse than Darla, so you feel justified. And yet, as Darla grew up, she learned your anger more than the lessons you were trying to teach her.

“Gradually, that anger made it impossible for her to obey you. Both Darla and your wife want to make you happy, but their anger, which is really your anger, which is really your father’s anger and his father’s... the anger won’t let them. After years of living in anger, your whole family lives in hell. You’re all three miserable, and you, Mr. Madden, are killing yourself with alcohol. At this rate, you’ll be dead in ten years. If | P a g e 56

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you want life to be longer and better, you have to reject violence completely right now.

You have to find other ways to win obedience. You also have to stop drinking. Is this clear?”

“Yes. It’s clear.”

“Can you do it?”

“I don’t know.”

“In that case, two of us will live in this house at all times until you convince us that you are in control of your anger and your drinking.”

Mr. Madden looks up from his chair to see Terry looking down at him. What only Akilah sees is a golden light that fills Mr. Madden with peace and love. Terry has never used her light like this before. She worries about what the others are seeing, but all they see is Mr. Madden’s face softening. He smiles gently, as tears stream from his eyes. He and Terry look at each other for what seems like hours. His face is transformed. Terry feels him relaxing. She feels herself relax. She finds herself saying a prayer of gratitude to Mr. Madden’s guardian spirit. Then, in a clear, calm voice, Mr. Madden says, “I don’t think that will be necessary.” As he stands up to shake hands with Terry, he adds, “I believe I can take it from here.” Darla runs in to give him the first hug she’s given him in years. He hugs her back with warmth she can barely remember. Ice cream is leaking all over the table.

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Chapter 8 Rebecca Changes Anytown– 2

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“They can’t possibly recover from this blunder.”

Rebecca is campaigning for mayor of Anytown. It’s June 2010, the election is in November. The campaign is going great. Her volunteers now number nearly 500. They have spectacular campaign literature designed by Chandra Milbino and her crew. The volunteers are handing it out door to door, talking to everyone who’ll let them talk.

The most persuasive piece of literature is, as Rebecca predicted, her bankbook.

When the campaigners tell folks about her vows of poverty and openness, then display her bankbook, the stiff atmosphere softens.

“Really? She’s doing that?”

The third poll by the local newspaper finds Rebecca leading the Democratic incumbent by 12 percent, with the Republican challenger a distant third. Shortly after this poll, the Elections Board suddenly finds that Rebecca’s campaign filed an improper and possibly false SEI (Statement of Economic Interests). Of course, her SEI is mostly blank because she has no reportable interests. She put her name and date at the top of the page, filled in her bank account number, then signed the bottom and turned it in. She goes down to the Election Board office and asks for an explanation, but she doesn’t get one. The clerk on duty, who is clearly following instructions, simply reasserts that her candidacy is disqualified due to improper reporting.

Rebecca is delighted. “This is it!” she declares to her campaign team. “They can’t possibly recover from this blunder. How can we take advantage of it?”

Jimmy says, “We could sue. I bet we could beat ‘em in court.”

“We could get a thousand people in front of City Hall,” Sally offers.

“Let’s go talk to Mr. Jackson,” Lastisha suggests. “He’s the one in charge. We can record the conversation, then decide what to do based on what he says.”

After another few minutes of discussion, Rebecca sums up, “Okay, seems to me that most of us like Latisha’s idea. I need a camera crew. Who’ll go with me to meet Mr. Jackson?” The team is assembled.

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The Visit to Mr. Jackson “What’s this?” Mr. Jackson voices his surprise and irritation. “You said you wanted me to explain the problem with your SEI.” “Yes, that’s exactly what I hope you’ll do.”

“So who are all these others? And what’s with the camera crew?”

“I just want to record our conversation, so I can convey it completely accurately to my supporters. You would prefer that, too, wouldn’t you?”

“No, I see no need to record this conversation about a technicality. Please ask your crew to wait outside. I prefer a normal conversation.” Mr. Jackson blocks the door to his office. His voice conveys obvious disrespect for this group of kids pretending to be adults.

Rebecca adopts a light but sincere tone as she threatens, “In that case, I guess I’ll have to go to my supporters with nothing but this recording of you refusing to talk to us on the record. Please don’t let it end like this. All I want is make sure that we all leave this conversation with the same understanding and same message for the public.

What’s the problem with that? You know how easy it is for people to misinterpret things or remember things differently. Since you’re disqualifying the candidate who is leading this campaign, I just think it would be best for all concerned to have a clear record of the explanation. That would help you, too, wouldn’t it?”

“No, this is highly irregular. I see no need for it,” Mr. Jackson is starting to get stressed. “I will not allow you to bring your camera and sound equipment into my office.”

“When I’m mayor, all conversations like these will be recorded for complete transparency and to make sure we can go back and find the truth.”

“You won’t be mayor. You’ve been disqualified. You won’t be on the ballot.”

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“I’ve been disqualified by someone who won’t even have an on-the-record conversation about why. You can’t stop the people from writing my name in, and if I get the most votes, I’ll be mayor, right?”

“No write-in candidate has ever won.”

“Great, then I’ll be the first, unless you’re willing to show me, on the record, exactly why you’re disqualifying me. Come on, just show me my form and show me exactly which part I falsified. Why are you resisting this? You have me dead to rights, don’t you? I should have filled in something. I failed to do it. Please, just show me and my supporters and the general public exactly what I did wrong.”

Mr. Jackson gets angry. “Ms. Whyte, you are wasting my time. I’m afraid I have to ask you to leave.”

“Okay,” Rebecca answers cheerfully, “thank you very much for your help.”

Winning the Election Within days, this video is viral, not just in Anytown but all over the world. The beautiful young Black woman whose efforts at transparency are summarily rejected by a nasty old, White bureaucrat elicits outrage, and the fact that Anytown is getting this global publicity ensures that every voter in Anytown knows the story; most watch the video.

As Rebecca predicted, she’s elected mayor by an overwhelming write-in landslide.

In her victory speech on election night Rebecca thanks her supporters and the citizens of Anytown, then goes on, “In particular, I want to thank whoever persuaded Mr. Jackson, chairman of the Elections Board, to disqualify my candidacy. First, we had his patently ridiculous attempt to use opaque, incomprehensible red tape to throw me out of a race I was winning, then a refusal to explain the ruling in front of a camera, so everyone could see exactly what I had done wrong. This was a tremendous help in getting me elected with a strong enough mandate to make major changes in the way this city relates to its people.

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“We’ll start in the mayor’s office. All my meetings will be recorded and kept until I leave office. Anyone who wants to record any meeting with any city employee will be welcome to do so. And every meeting regarding contracts for public works or any other city expenditure will be recorded, and the important ones will be podcast on the city website. It’s time to bring government decisions into the light.” The crowd in ARP campaign headquarters goes wild, but the cheering extends far beyond that room.

With the exception of Anytown’s traditional powerbrokers, Anytown residents range from mildly thrilled to jumping up and down in front of their TVs. The miraculous rise of this young woman of color from college grad to mayor feels to most like the sort of miracle humanity has been waiting for. And indeed, Rebecca’s will be the most open, honest, and inclusive municipal administration in the history of cities going all the way back to Athens.

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Chapter 9 The Rescue

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“What are you doing here?” “We’re here to help Mr. Carter.”

Mrs. Wells is still taking roll when two huge crows begin pecking and beating their wings against the window. Terry stands immediately, walks over, and opens the window. Mrs. Wells says nothing. As she and the whole class watch, Terry gazes intently at the crows. They look at her, then fly away. As Terry closes the window and returns to her desk, Mrs. Wells says, “Terry, would you like to tell the class what that was all about?”

“Yes, I would. Those crows came to let me know that Mr. Carter is in danger. I’m going out there right after homeroom. Anyone who wants to come with me is welcome, but I have no idea what we’ll find.”

“What about school, Terry?” She’s asking, but she’s more curious than threatening.

“Mrs. Wells, I’m sure you know how much I love school, but this is an emergency.”

The bell rings. Terry heads straight for Mr. Miller’s room to catch Akilah.

“Akilah, get Charlie and Deshana. We have to go out to Carter’s place.” Akilah runs and grabs Charlie just as she’s about to go into her next class. She waits a minute for Deshana, who shows up, as usual, just as the first period bell is about to ring. She grabs Deshana without saying anything, and they head toward the back door. Terry doesn’t want Mr. Miller to see them, so she grabs Sylvie and Claire and whispers, “Come on.”

She pulls them fast down the hall. Leaving by the door near the bike rack, they find themselves surrounded by at least twenty kids with bikes. Darla’s there smiling, which makes Terry feel strong and happy.

Mr. Carter’s farm is about fifteen minutes away by bike. Just before nine, nearly thirty high-school kids on bikes pull into his driveway. Mr. Carter is standing on his porch holding a gun pointed at two policemen and three men in suits. The suits are carrying briefcases and rolled up papers. All five turn to see the kids ride up. They watch in shocked silence as Terry and five high school students walk past them and onto Mr. Carter’s porch. The rest form a circle around the main actors, a few are recording the scene with their phones. The police gape at the kids. Trying to control his surprise, one of them asks, “What’re you kids doing here?”

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“We’re trying to talk to Mr. Carter about his land. We’re trying to explain to him why he has to leave. Maybe you can help.”

“I don’t know what kind of paper you have there, but it can’t be legal. Mr. Carter doesn’t have to sell his land to them or anyone else.”

“The city has decided to take this property for a public works project.”

“Are you kidding? Those guys are building a golf course.”

“According to this paper, there’s going to be a highway through here.”

“What? When did that happen? And how? That road was thrown into the plan to get Mr. Carter off his land.”

“You seem to know a lot about this, young lady, but what I know is, this paper says Mr. Carter has to be off of his property in 90 days. Will you kindly take this paper and give it to Mr. Carter so we can all be on our way?”

Terry and Mr. Carter look at each other briefly. Mr. Carter puts his gun down, walks over to the policeman, takes the paper, walks back to the house, and goes inside. The men walk through the kids and, shaking their heads in disbelief, they get in their cars and leave. Terry and the students squeeze into Mr. Carter’s living room.

“I guess I’m finished,” Mr. Carter sighs. “When it was just those developers against me, I didn’t worry, but now the whole city’s on their side.”

“We’re on your side,” someone says, and the room is instantly full of forceful expressions of support that soon die away to silence.

Claire steps in. “Mr. Carter, I remember when you first got on TV for refusing to sell your land. There was talk about a wetlands and even some sort of endangered animal here. What happened to that?”

“The environmental impact statement said my property has no wetlands. The endangered animal you’re talking about is the red-spotted salamander. Several years ago, a biologist found some in my creek, but the environmental impact people didn’t find any.” Mr. Carter’s voice is thin and weak. He can’t even look at the hopeful young faces around him. He is defeated. | P a g e 65

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“Mr. Carter, may I take a look at the paper the police brought today?” The energy in Terry’s voice causes Mr. Carter to look up.

“Sure, why not?”

“This order is signed by a judge named Tom Bidden. Is that Jimmy’s dad?”

“Yeah,” someone shouts immediately.

“Anyone here know him pretty well?”

“Sure” “Yeah” “I live on the same street.” Several know Jimmy.

“OK, let’s talk to Jimmy. Then, let’s talk to his dad. Mr. Carter, please don’t give up yet. Your land is too important. Whatever you do, don’t start moving out. We’re going to find a way to save this place.”

Talking to Judge Bidden Word gets out. That night, Jimmy leads a group of almost 100 high school students to his house. They’re playing football in the yard, talking on the porch, watching TV in the living room, and eating chips and salsa in the kitchen when Judge Bidden comes home about 8:30. Everyone gathers toward the front hall. Terry’s afraid they look like a mob.

“Dad, some kids are here to talk to you about Mr. Carter’s property.”

Judge Bidden turns toward Jimmy in surprise. “What do they want?”

“They want to know why you signed the order to force him off his land.”

“It’s too complicated. I don’t have time get into a legal argument with a bunch of high school kids.” He turns away and walks angrily toward the living room. Terry, Jimmy and as many as can follow him. They wait for him to sit down, pick up the paper and pretend to read.

“Judge Bidden,” Terry says in an extremely soft, pleading voice. “My name is Terry.

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hesitates, looking down, fighting with himself. Then he looks up to see his son standing next to Terry. “Dad, please? Just listen to her, okay?” He looks around and sees an entire living room full of innocent, worried faces. After another brief hesitation, he says, “Okay, let’s see your report.”

Terry turns toward Claire and Charlie, who produce several large posters. They squeeze their way to the front, as the others push back to make room for Terry’s presentation right in front of Judge Bidden. Claire turns the first poster around for the judge to see.

Terry begins her report. “This is an aerial map of Mr. Carter’s land five years ago. This is the creek, and this is the pond. Just below the pond is nearly four acres of swampy wetland complete with bullrushes. Next poster please.”

Charlie hands the poster to Claire, who turns it for Judge Bidden to see.

“Now, here’s an aerial photograph from last year. As you can see, the pond is bigger, the bank at the end of the pond is much bigger, the swamp is gone and about half of that two acres is planted in alfalfa. Do you know how this change took place?” Terry didn’t wait for an answer. She could tell this was new information. “Three years ago, Grabber Construction bulldozed the swamp, installed drainpipes, brought in tons of new soil, raised the pond embankment and turned the wetlands into an arable field.

They told Mr. Carter they were working for the city, and the city wanted to drain the swamp because it was producing mosquitoes, rats, mice and other pests. That was a lie, Judge Bidden. They were not working for the city.

“Mr. Carter had no desire to drain that swamp, but they told him that if he did not cooperate, the city would eventually force him to. In that case, he would have to pay for it himself. But if he allowed Grabber Construction to drain it now, they could do it for free, as part of a public service program. At that time, Mr. Carter had no idea how important a wetland was, so he allowed them to drain the swamp. Judge Bidden, are you aware that the swamp was drained just three years ago based on lies?”

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“It doesn’t matter when the swamp was drained. The environmental impact statement found no wetlands on Mr. Carter’s land. Therefore, I found no reason to reject its acquisition for development by the city.”

“Can you think of any reason that Grabber Construction would do over $20,000 worth of work on Mr. Carter’s land for free? They did not get paid by the city for this work.”

“I have no idea why they did that, and just because you and Mr. Carter say it happened that way, doesn’t mean you’re right.”

“Okay. Please just note that these photos show there was a wetlands on that land until the construction company drained the swamp three years ago. And, it was Mr. Grabber’s company that drained the swamp. Mr. Carter will have no trouble proving this. He still has the agreement he made the construction manager sign to make sure he would not be charged for the work. Did you ever see that agreement in court?”

“No, I did not.”

“Let me explain why. When the city brought its suit against Mr. Carter, the court assigned him a public defender named Mr. Purchase. Mr. Purchase had volunteered to serve as a public defender just one year earlier. For ten years prior to that, he worked for Knight & Ridder, the largest law firm in this town. I haven’t been able to find out if Mr. Purchase ever actually personally worked for Grabber Construction, but I do know that Grabber is one of Knight & Ridder’s most important clients. Therefore, Mr. Carter had as his lawyer a man who has, in the past, worked for a company that worked for Grabber Construction. It’s not hard to imagine that Mr. Purchase might be more interested in developing a friendship with Grabber Construction than in protecting Mr. Carter’s land. Personally, I cannot imagine any other reason why he would not have shown you the facts I have just shown you.”

“I told you before, it doesn’t matter when or how the wetland was destroyed. The fact is, there is no wetland on Mr. Carter’s property now, so there is no reason it should not be used for a road.”

“You’re forgetting the red-spotted salamander.”

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the city from taking land just because someone once said there was a salamander there?’

“Judge Bidden, I would like you to come with me to Mr. Carter’s land. If you do, I will show you several of those salamanders.”

“I don’t have time for a wild salamander chase. I’m in...”

“Dad, please. There’s an endangered species on Mr. Carter’s land. Aren’t you willing to even look?” Judge Bidden looks at Jim for a long time. Terry’s arguments have had an effect. Jim’s dad turns to Terry and says, “I’ll meet you at Carter’s farm on Saturday at 10 am. If you haven’t shown me a spotted salamander by 10:30, will you agree to drop this whole fight?”

“I will.”

Looking for Salamanders When Judge Bidden and Jim pull into Mr. Carter’s driveway, Mr. Carter, Terry, and about ten kids from school walk out on the porch to meet him. He looks grim. As soon as they see him, the whole crowd grows tense, except Terry.

“Thank you for taking the time to come out here, Judge Bidden. Please follow me.”

She turns and leads the way past the house, past the shed, and onto a path that runs along a fence between two fields. Everyone walks in silence for the five minutes or so it takes to get into the woods near the creek. “Please wait here,” Terry says suddenly.

She keeps walking without looking back. When she gets to the creek, she walks right in. Stopping by a large boulder, she looks down into the water. She puts her hand on the rock. For at least five minutes, she stands almost motionless, with her hand on the rock and her eyes in the water. Then she calls softly, “Akilah.”

Akilah walks into the creek with a small net and a bucket. She hands the net to Terry.

Terry takes the net, puts it into the water near the rock, waits about 30 seconds, then lifts the net, which now holds a red-spotted salamander about seven inches long. Terry takes the salamander from the net with her hand and holds it in front of her. She says nothing, but her face moves as if she’s speaking. Then, to the amazement of all, she

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gently puts the salamander back into the water. Again, she puts her hand on the rock and waits.

A few minutes later, she puts the net back in the water. This time, when she lifts the net, there are four salamanders in it.

She puts the salamanders in the bucket, then puts the net back in the water. When she draws it out again, there are three more. She places them all gently in the bucket with a little water, then takes the bucket over to show Judge Bidden.

Judge Bidden looks at the salamanders, then looks up and says, “Terry, I have no idea how you did that, but it’s clear you know something about this land that I don’t.

Why is it so important to save this place?”

“Judge Bidden, a hundred years ago, you could drink from this creek. If you did that now, you’d get sick, even though this is one of the cleanest creeks around. Human beings are filling the water, the air, and the soil with poisons faster than the Earth can purify them. What you and Mr. Grabber and everyone in this country have to realize is that we are all living wrong. We are poisoning our own planet. We are taking a beautiful world filled with every kind of food and medicine, and we are turning it into a filthy, dead wasteland. At this rate, pretty soon this planet won’t be able to support us. Billions will die for lack of food and water. We might even kill the Earth itself.

“Unlike most people around here, Mr. Carter has never been interested in money.

So unlike most of the other property around here, Mr. Carter’s land is pretty much as it was two or three hundred years ago. His woods have some of the largest trees in this state. His soil is relatively free of chemicals. His creek is much cleaner than most because it comes directly from the spring on the hill, and he doesn’t do anything to pollute it. There are more different kinds of plants and animals living on this fourhundred acres of land than anywhere else in this county, including the state park. You city people think Mr. Carter is an ignorant old man who doesn’t know enough to cash in on a tremendous asset, but Mr. Carter feels like he’s a part of this land. If you take

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this land from him, he’ll die. At the same time, the land will die, just like all the rest of the dead land around here.

“Judge Bidden, Mr. Carter and I want to turn this property into a school where people learn the truth about nature and how to live in nature without destroying it.

This is an emergency. I’m not talking about years in the future. I am telling you that if we human beings do not learn very soon how to live in harmony with nature and how to revive the web of life we’re destroying, Jimmy’s children, your grandchildren, will live in misery, if they survive at all. I am begging you, for the future of this county, this state, and maybe the whole world. Please do not let anyone destroy this land.”

As she finishes this speech, Akilah sees Terry engulfed in a warm, golden light.

Judge Bidden stares at her for several minutes as tears roll down his cheeks. He sees, as if in a dream, an ancient forest filled with enormous trees standing among ferns, camellias, blue lilies of the valley, big brown mushrooms, large beetles, butterflies, deer, rabbits, foxes, squirrels, wolves, bears, jays, eagles, and song birds of all colors and sizes. As the vision fades, he feels a terrible pain. He knows, deep in his soul, the tremendous losses nature has suffered. As he wipes his tears, he resolves to do everything in his power to return the Earth to its former pristine beauty.

“Terry, I don’t know who or what you are, but I’m with you now, completely. Let’s go. I have work to do downtown.”

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Chapter 10 Resolutionary Government in Anytown

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“I’m sorry. I’m willing to resign but I can’t hurt people who trusted me when I was part of their group.”

Rebecca is mayor. City bureaucrats are in shock. Instead of writing up plans and proposals, they attend meetings with camcorders. More than 2,000 people show up for the meeting about privatizing two public schools. They can’t get into City Hall’s largest room, so the meeting is rescheduled and held in a high school stadium. Rebecca is terrified. She’s envisioned this meeting many times. It’s been carefully planned and advertised. The people have registered and signed the ground rules. She believes it will work, but no one has ever tried to make an important political decision with thousands of people in a stadium. As she climbs the steps to the stage set up at midfield, her heart pounds.

As she looks at the crowd in the stands, she is suddenly aware that her mission depends on each and every one of these people. She fears her need for them to be “good.” But as she steps to the microphone, she moves into the calm that comes with letting her spirit take over.

She calls the meeting to order. The scheduled speakers make their presentations.

Everyone who has anything to say on the subject is welcome to speak. The charter company expecting to take over the schools makes a presentation. Another company gets its chance to explain why they would be better. The crowd hears from teachers, administrators, and students. The meeting lasts from 10am to 10pm, with three breaks. Ever alert to opportunities, the refreshment stands start selling hot dogs and popcorn (but no beer). At the end, nearly everyone is still there, and an enormous audience is watching on their TVs at home.

Three times that afternoon, Rebecca summarizes what she thinks is the will of the people. The first two times, she draws far too many no’s. The third time, she starts, “Let me try again. It seems to me that we want the schools to remain public and under the control of our school board, but we will be happy to allow Kindezi, an innovative and already popular charter school project, to take the schools over. Kindezi will apply their model, but the schools will remain public schools. Also, we have to find a way to | P a g e 73

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take care of the teachers and administrators who will be displaced, including giving them a chance to apply to Kindezi and be trained by them. And, we have to find funds somewhere to improve the old buildings and grounds. Are we satisfied with this general trajectory?” The applause and cheers are unmistakable. “All opposed?” No voices are raised in opposition. The will of the people is so clear, not even the original charter company comes forward to object.

Rebecca continues. “Okay, then. I’m going to ask the school board to come up with a detailed plan for funding and implementing this idea. When they come up with their plan, we’ll announce it and post it on the website for comment. You are all welcome to make comments, and I assure you that we will read each and every comment you send in. We’ll do our best to follow the spirit of the decision made here tonight. Is this acceptable?” This time, the roar of approval sounds like the end of a football game.

“Are we done for tonight?” Another roar, and the crowd stands, thanks Rebecca with applause and cheers, then starts filing out. Nearly all the participants are smiling. In groups, friends are talking animatedly, like the whole thing was fun. Rebecca is weak with exhaustion. Her legs feel like rubber, but she has never, ever been happier. Public mediation with large crowds is possible. It works!

A Successful New Politics People love the new system, and not just in Anytown. This little-city website has to graduate to a new server because they jump, almost overnight, from about 100 to nearly a million hits a day, including lots of folks who sit there and watch all day.

Viewers in Asia and Europe are eager to see how Rebecca Whyte manages her city.

They watch because they can. Every important meeting is there to be seen.

After working out a few bugs in the new system, Rebecca requests that Mr. Jackson come to her office with the Statement of Economic Interest he used to disqualify her as a mayoral candidate. Before Rebecca can state her agenda, Mr. Jackson says, “We don’t need to discuss what I did. I’ve brought you my letter of resignation.”

“Is this an admission that the attempt to disqualify me was a dirty trick?”

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if necessary, but we thought disqualifying you would be enough to get you out of the race. Even if you eventually took us to court and won, the election would take place without you. That was the plan.”

“Who was in the group?”

“I’m sorry. I’m willing to resign but I can’t hurt people who trusted me when I was part of their group. Anyway, I suspect you already know who most of them are.”

“Why did you and the others want to keep me out of office?”

“We’re used to getting what we want in this town. You are someone we knew we wouldn’t be able to control. We’d lose power, not just the power of the office but control of the local business community, municipal jobs, our economy. No one wants to lose power. Surely you can understand that.”

“Why are you being so honest now?”

“For one thing,” Mr. Jackson smiles, “I know I’m on camera, so I have to be on my best behavior. After all, I plan to stay in Anytown. But I’ve been watching how you operate. I can see you meant it when you said you’d make city government transparent and take money out of our politics. I’ve seen already how openness puts all of us— officials, staff, and citizens alike—on our best behavior. In fact, you’ve already, in a few short months, created a new culture here where the vast majority of us are genuinely trying to do what’s right for the city, not just ourselves or some small group. And, we’re all treating each other better because of it. It’s more fun. It’s less stress. Frankly, I’ve been amazed and impressed by what you’re doing, and I wish you every success.”

Rebecca meets Mr. Jackson’s eyes. They look honest to her. “In that case, I hope you’ll tear up that letter of resignation.”

“Really?” His eyes widen in surprise. “I was involved in a dishonest conspiracy against you. Even I think I should be fired for that. Besides, I can feel the people around me keeping their distance, like I’m a dead man walking. I doubt I can be an effective manager, given my public humiliation. I think it would be best to put me out of my misery and out of your way.” He looks down at the letter in his hand.

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else who saw that video. But today, you’re completely different.” She pauses to think.

“I thought this was going to be super awkward. I was going to ask for your resignation.

You were going to ask why, and I would have to get into the SEI, and all that. Now, it seems you’ve seen the error of your ways. You even praise the way I’m working, and you think resigning is the right and natural punishment. Maybe it is, and if you want to resign, I’ll accept your letter. But I wish you would stay. You’ve understood and articulated exactly what I’m trying to do, and you enjoy it. As you know, not everyone in City Hall has come to that understanding. I know I’m interrupting a system of bribery and cronyism that has made certain people rich. Some City Council members, some staff, especially high-level staff, want me out. Sometimes I feel like I’m swimming with sharks. That being the case, I need as many friends as I can get, and I believe you and I are now friends. If that’s true, and if you are willing to stay on, let’s go back to your office together. What do you say?”

“If you can forgive me and get others to, I’ll stay. It’s true you still have some enemies, and if you think I can help, I’ll be more than happy to do what I can. But I do need your blessing. Shall we?”

Rescuing Mr. Jackson Mr. Jackson opens the door to the Administrative Operations Department, and Rebecca walks in ahead of him. Conversations fade quickly, as all eyes turn toward Rebecca.

“Please join us in the conference room,” she says, and leads the way. The conference room is full. Everyone is standing. Rebecca absorbs the tension, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself and get centered. “You’ve all seen the video starring Mr. Jackson and me, the one that helped me win the election. I called him in to see me today thinking I would be asking him to leave, and he arrived with a letter of resignation. Then we talked. During our talk, I came to understand that he has a deep appreciation for the kind of government we’re trying to achieve. I’ve come to believe he sincerely regrets his role in trying to disqualify me, but more importantly, he actually prefers the total transparency and egalitarian fairness we’re working toward. He’s smart. He has a lot | P a g e 76

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of experience. He knows the players and how this system works, so I’ve asked him to stay on. Now I’m asking you. Is there anyone here who thinks I’m making a mistake?”

“How can we trust him?” asks Billy of the Events Section.

“Good question, and I salute your courage, asking that about someone who is likely to remain your boss. I guess it is a risk. Maybe he’s tricking me. Maybe he’ll undermine me and serve his previous group. But let me point out two reasons I think we can take this risk. First, I have a strong feeling he’s on our side now. I believe he actually wants to make the changes we’re trying to make. Second, you are all free to film your interactions with him, and he will certainly be filming you. We’re all being filmed a lot around here these days, so we can use that to keep each other honest. Use it on me, too, whenever you want. We’re governing under a microscope that’s broadcasting to the whole world. If he turns out to be a bad guy, he won’t last long. So are you willing to give him, and me, a chance on this?”

Rebecca looks around openly for the answer. She sees mostly smiles. Suddenly feeling it must be his place to answer, Billy grins and says, “Sure. Why not?”

“Thank you, Billy.” Rebecca looks around cautiously for anyone looking angry or even disengaged, but she sees the room smiling in agreement. Jackson must be a pretty good boss, she thinks. What she says is, “Gotta get back to work. Please let me know if you have any problems. That goes for you, too, Jackson.” When Rebecca flashes her famous smile and calls him Jackson, Mr. Jackson grins like a kid on Christmas morning. The whole room softens into a collective smile. As she opens the door to leave, Rebecca turns and sees Mildred approaching Mr. Jackson, her eyes brimming with relief, for which Rebecca is grateful.

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Chapter 11 Fear

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"Who are you to say how scared a person can be?"

"My mom’s been in an accident. I think she’s dying." Sylvie’s voice is unrecognizable.

"Who else have you called?" Terry asks.

"No one. I’m at the hospital. What’ll I do?"` "I’ll call the others. We’ll be there in a few minutes. Stay calm."

When Akilah, Deshana, and Terry arrive, Sylvie is sitting on a sofa in the light green waiting room next to her father. Mr. Valiant stands to greet them with a weak smile, “Thank you for coming.”

Sylvie sits frozen, staring at the floor.

"Sylvie, your friends are here." She looks up, her face blank. She looks back down.

"She’s dying. I know it." She pauses, then drops her head into her hands. "She’s dying!" she shouts and starts sobbing uncontrollably.

"You don’t know that, Sylvie," her father says, taking her hand and putting his arm over her shuddering shoulders. Deshana and Akilah move as close to her as they can, touching her back, her leg. In a few minutes, she stops sobbing, but remains rigid, staring vacantly, not speaking, not listening to anything but the visions of pain, loneliness, and doom swirling around in her head. For twenty minutes, this griefstricken group sits silently waiting for word.

When the doctor finally comes in, she’s smiling. "Relax," she says cheerfully. "She’s got a bad bump on the head, and she lost a lot of blood, but she’ll be good as new in a few weeks."

"Oh, my Gaaawwwd," Sylvia shrieks in a high-pitched voice somewhere between laughing and crying. She grabs her father and they embrace as Sylvie cries tears of joy.

Mr. Valiant turns from Sylvie to say, "Thank you, Doctor."

Dr. Carver always enjoys giving good news. "She’s in Recovery. She’ll be transferred to room 608 in about an hour. I suggest you go out, get something to eat, and come back about eight."

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Terry Attacks Fear "Oh, my God, I was so scared. So scared. I can’t tell you. All I knew, she was in a serious accident and she was in the emergency room and they were operating on her. I kept seeing her accident in my mind. A big truck hits her head-on. She goes through the windshield, her body all bleeding and broken." Now the words are gushing out. "I just kept seeing the accident, then I’d see her in the operating room with all these doctors and nurses running around frantically but they can’t stop the bleeding. Then her heart monitor goes flat and they take out those paddles and shock her and her body jumps but the heart doesn’t start. I just saw all these scenes and I kept thinking she was really dying. I was sure she was dying, and I just couldn’t stand it." Sylvie begins crying again. The car is filled with the kind of silence that comes when no one knows what to say. Terry feels the fear, but she wants to help Sylvie.

"On my island,” Terry begins, “we’re taught to watch out for fear, especially when it starts generating its own images. Fear can get way out of control.”

"Just a minute, Terry," Mr. Valiant steps in to defend his daughter. "Are you saying Sylvie was too worried about her mother?"

"I’m glad she loves her mother, Mr. Valiant, but she let her fear take control. She followed it wherever it took her. She let it make up stuff that wasn’t even close to true.

I don’t blame her for wanting her mother to be okay, but she let herself get too scared."

"Who are you to say how scared a person can be?"

"Sylvie is a member of my committee. She’s one of my best friends and most trusted allies. I need her to be braver than that." Everyone quietly waits for Sylvie to say something. Sylvie stays silent. Her father drives past the restaurant and takes the girls home.

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Sylvie and Terry Work on Fear The next day, Sylvie is waiting at Terry’s locker. They walk quietly out of the building and toward home.

“How’s your mom?”

“She’s doing good.... I was really, really mad at you last night.”

“I know. I’m asking a lot of you.”

“I can’t help who I am. I can’t help how scared I get.”

Terry tries to stay light. “You’ve already changed. You’ll probably never get that scared with so little reason again. On the other hand, you really should learn to control your fear.”

“I don’t want to control my fear. I want you to accept me as I am.” Sylvie gets closer to the anger that brought her to Terry’s locker.

Terry stops walking and looks at Sylvie. “You know I do. I love you exactly as you are, but unless you get braver, you’ll probably reject me.”

“What? Don’t be ridiculous. Why would I do that?” Sylvie’s not pretending. She really doesn’t understand.

“What I’m doing is dangerous. Unless you can handle a reasonable amount of fear, you won’t be able to stay on the committee.”

“What’re you doing that’s so dangerous?”

“I’m pushing as hard as I can to change the way people think and act. I’m telling them their assumptions about the world are wrong. I’m telling them their whole way of life is wrong. I’m demanding that they learn to control their fear and anger.

Remember Darla’s father? Remember how mad you got at me last night? And you’re one of my best friends!”

Sylvie remembers her anger, and yet, “How can I be braver than I am? Fear is a feeling. I just feel feelings, I don’t control them. And even if I did, that fear was just too strong for me.”

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Terry looks up and down the street. No one else in sight. “Okay, let’s try something.

Put your mind in your tummy? Can you feel your heart beating there?”

After a minute or two of concentration, Sylvie says, “I can feel it pulsing. Yeah, it’s like my heart’s beating in my stomach.”

“Okay, keep feeling that. Now, try to remember the images you were seeing last night. Remember? Your mom was in an accident. A truck hit her head-on. She was thrown through the windshield, all covered with blood, her bones broken....”

“Stop it! What are you doing?”

“Please,” Terry pushes gently, “stay with your fear. Where are you feeling your pulse?”

“It’s in my heart. My heart started pounding as soon as you said that.”

“Right. Okay, now, take control of your mind. Take it back down to your stomach... can you? Try putting your hands on your abdomen. Can you feel the pulse there?”

Sylvie closes her eyes and feels for the pulse in her stomach. She finds it, and as she keeps her mind there, she feels the tension fading. Soon, she’s no longer afraid. She’s no longer angry at Terry. She’s calm. She feels herself pulling her fear down. And then, it drains away.

“On Kam Nagala people used to say, ‘Tai leycha ta’ which literally means ‘Keep your blood down.’ I thought it just meant, ‘Take it easy,’ which it does. But at the same time, it’s a piece of concrete advice for not letting your fear or anger run away with you. The meaning is, consciously keep your mind in your tummy. Don’t let it get sucked into your heart or, even worse, your head. Is this making any sense to you?”

“I guess so.” Sylvie is neither convinced nor convincing.

Terry proceeds with the lesson. “Okay, now. Keep your mind in your tummy. Keep your hands there, feel the pulse, and recall those images. Your mother’s car was hit by a truck. She flies through the windshield. Stay in your tummy. Her body is broken, covered with blood. Are you seeing the images? Can you feel your heartbeat? Where is it?”

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eyes and looks at Terry. “I could see the images, but I really wasn’t afraid. I could just watch them without letting them get me.”

“Great,” Terry agrees. She looks around again. No one in sight. She puts her hands together in prayer for less than a minute, then looks up and turns to Sylvie. “Now, look at that squirrel over there.” Just as Sylvie’s eyes find the squirrel climbing slowly down a tree about 20 feet away, it jumps down to the grass, runs across the yard and into the street. There it’s hit by a car. Its body is completely smashed by the tire. Its tail is twitching crazily.

“Noooooh,” Sylvie screams. She drops her books and puts her hands over her face. “How could you! How could you!”

“Okay, Sylvie,” Terry says soothingly. “Take control. Can you feel your pulse? Where is it?

Where is your mind? Please, look for your heartbeat.”

Slowly, Sylvie relaxes. Her hands come away from her face and down to her stomach. She concentrates, eyes closed. She feels the pulse down low in her abdomen.

Her breathing slows. She returns to a state that’s calm but intense. She turns toward Terry and glares. “How did you know? Why did that happen?”

Terry smiles and says, “Let’s go thank that squirrel.” They walk over to the lifeless gray body. It’s mashed head lies in a pool of dark red blood. “Keep your mind in your stomach,” Terry warns. “Now, let’s put our hands together, bow, and thank that squirrel for teaching you a lesson.”

Sylvie watches Terry, then imitates her. As she bows and prays for the squirrel, thanking it sincerely for making the ultimate sacrifice, she feels a strange warmth in her tummy. It gets warmer and warmer, al most hot, she opens her eyes and looks toward Terry.

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embracing. They part and turn toward her. Then Sylvie hears a male voice. “And thank you, too, for all you’ve done and will do to help Terry and the Earth. Don’t be afraid.

We’re always with you. There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.” The golden light fades, and Sylvie finds herself looking at Terry.

“That was the squirrel?”

“Yes, I know him as La Kan. He and I are related, in the spirit world.”

They look at each other in silence. Sylvie is beaming. “That was a spirit? You were a spirit, too, right? The spirit world is real, right? Thank you!” Sylvie grabs Terry and hugs her tight. Terry hugs her back. “I’m sure I’ll never be afraid again,” Sylvie declares.

“You can still be startled. You can still feel fear, but now you know how to keep it in your abdomen and keep your head clear. You also know that death is not the end.

Thanks to La Kan and that squirrel, and thanks to your own guardian spirit, this was a great lesson. You’ve changed. Be happy, be grateful, but don’t forget. You were given this lesson because you’re going to need it.”

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Chapter 12 Loyal Opposition

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“The people we tend to call “crazies” are people being pressed beyond their ability to respond rationally.”

Josh comes into the office looking tense. “Can I talk to you? I’ll need some time, and I’d rather the conversation not be recorded.”

Rebecca hesitates for a few seconds wondering if she should insist on recording, but Josh is one of her favorites. “Sure, Josh, what’s up?”

“Mr. Bradley and a few others are badmouthing you because of the cameras. You know I am and always will be on your side, but sometimes I think they have a point.

They say it’s unnatural to be on film all the time. It’s like a big-brother-is-watchingyou kind of thing. Everyone has secrets, even if they’re not doing anything bad or illegal. We all do some things we don’t want others to see. Like this conversation right now. I don’t think I’m doing anything wrong, but I wouldn’t want Mr. Bradley or anyone else in my department to know I’m in here talking like this. You know what I mean?” Josh is clearly worried. He’s not trying to pick a fight. He’s trying to prevent one.

“Yeah, I do,” Rebecca assures him. “And I’ve thought hard about this. I don’t want people to feel like I or the city or even the public is breathing down their neck. We’re definitely not big brother looking for signs of dissent. That’s not what this is about.”

Rebecca looks to see if she’s getting through.

“Let’s start with us right now. You came in and said you didn’t want this conversation filmed. I trust you and I have no reason to think that either of us is solving a public problem or spending public money, so I agreed. But if we were about to decide something important to the public, I would have demanded that the camera be on. At that point, you have a choice. You can continue the conversation on camera, or you can postpone or cancel the conversation.” Josh is with her, but he’s listening for a solution.

“I do worry that the ability of either party to demand the camera might keep certain important conversations from happening. I also worry that having the camera on can keep people from being entirely open. But we’re trying to fix a serious problem here.

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and taking things out of our bodies, but sometimes we let them do that to cure a bigger problem.

“Our problem today is that people don’t like and don’t trust the government. A lot of folks actually hate the government because it’s been run in a way that always seems to work out well for the rich and powerful but not so well for the poor or weak. It seems to me that, despite the discomfort and inhibiting effect, we need to be supertransparent to win back the trust government has lost and to protect the people who’ve been disenfranchised by the secrecy in the previous system.” Rebecca rests her case.

Josh hears her argument but wants to take it further. “The problem is, our forced transparency is encouraging the public to fight us and even disrespect us. We have people coming in to demand the most ridiculous things. We had a guy in here yesterday demanding that we fix his car because his tire and wheel were wrecked when he hit a pothole. Mr. Bradley said it was his responsibility to miss the pothole. The guy blew up, saying it was our responsibility to keep the roads smooth. Then Mr. Bradley blew up, and the whole thing ended badly. Now the guy’s saying he’s going to take us to court and use the film to show how the public is being treated.”

Rebecca thinks a minute, then asks, “What do you think about that situation, Josh?”

“I agree with Mr. Bradley. I think it’s a driver’s responsibility to watch the road and miss the obstacles. If he were driving along and hit a big rock or a deer or a person in the road, he couldn’t possibly come to us for damages.”

“This is a good example, actually. I can see both sides, can’t you?” Rebecca sees that he doesn’t. “It’s true that drivers have to watch the road. It’s also true that it’s the government’s responsibility to keep the roads smooth and safe. If Mr. Bradley refused to listen and lost his temper, he’ll probably end up being embarrassed, but isn’t it better for a public official to be embarrassed than for the public to feel chronically humiliated and powerless?”

“But people need to show some respect. How can they respect us if we don’t have any power?”

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“Everything we say and do is saved to be used against us. We’re being overwhelmed with complaints. We’re spending all our time defending ourselves from the local crazies, and they can take us and our films to court whenever they want to.”

Josh sees Rebecca thinking. Finally, she says, slowly, “Right now, power and respect aren’t the most important issues. The main problem is trust. Another issue is participation and ownership. We’re public servants. Bureaucrats tend to forget this, but everyone who comes in here is our boss. We still have tremendous power. The cameras just help keep us honest. On the other hand, I do get what you’re saying about privacy, and I know some folks can get pretty irrational. I’m worried about the increase in complaints and conflicts. Let me think about this, will you? There must be some way to deal with this. If I can’t think of something, I’ll ask you to start a process to deal with it.”

“Thanks. I’ll be thinking about it, too.” Josh knows he made his point. He’s happy to give her some time.

“Thanks for bringing this in.” Rebecca knows she has to do something. She has no idea what.

A Resolutionary New Department Rebecca starts asking around. She finds that several departments are being harassed beyond their ability to respond. Complaints are definitely increasing. Some are legitimate. Many are, indeed, quite crazy. The cameras and new customer-first attitude seem to be attracting attention seekers who don’t care how they look or what they say.

They just want to be on camera and get some attention from bureaucrats who are afraid to look rude throwing them out of the office. Rebecca knows she has to protect her staff from “the crazies.” She also needs to protect the public from uncaring public employees. She takes an entire day off sitting at home thinking about what to do. Just as she decides to make this problem the subject of a conflict resolution process, an exciting idea comes to her. It takes the weekend to write up her proposal, but she’s ready on Monday morning.

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The Management Meeting Monday morning, at the meeting attended by the deputy mayor and 15 department heads, when the regular business is out of the way, Rebecca asks for some extra time. Then, she proposes a new municipal department.

“I suggest we create a Department of Dispute Resolution. I know many of you and your staff are being overwhelmed by disputes and complaints, so I want to try setting up a new department to handle these problem situations. Of course, you’ll continue to run your departments as usual, doing your best to satisfy the folks who come to you.

However, as soon as you feel the situation is getting out of control or is taking too much time, you can send the case to Dispute Resolution. There it’ll be handled by trained facilitators, mediators, social workers and religious professionals, who will step in as conflict resolution consultants.

“Dispute Resolution case managers will have the power to request any film. They’ll be able to call any of you or any of your staff to meetings. In fact, they’ll be mediating between you and the people complaining against you. You may often find this uncomfortable. However, the great benefit to you is the ability to hand problem situations and problem people off to professionals trained and paid to handle them.

“The written proposal I’ll give to each of you now describes the details—how the system will work and how we’ll pay for it. Please take a look and let me know your objections or suggestions. I’m asking first for a feasibility study, then a set-up phase, then full implementation. And, of course, we can make changes all along the way, anytime we see a better way.”

As Rebecca looks around the table, she sees doubt, confusion and, in some cases, distaste. “I can see that most of you are hating this. You’ve gotten to where you are by solving the problems that come to you. Sending a problem to someone else is like going to a therapist, and I know we all hate that, especially men. But please open your minds and think out of that box.

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ability to respond rationally. Some folks have legitimate gripes, of course. We need to recognize that and act accordingly. But many are really hurting, and none of us has time to offer them the counseling and support they need. A Department of Dispute Resolution could offer the right professional help to people who really need it but can’t or won’t get it otherwise. I think the DDR might make a significant contribution to the overall mental health of our community. And, I think I can get this entirely funded by grants, at least at first. So please, I hope you’ll give it a chance.” She’s speaking to career bureaucrats. Some of them love her and want to help her succeed. Some can’t wait to work for the next mayor. But career bureaucrats don’t get to be department heads by fighting with mayors. Everyone agrees to at least allow the DDR feasibility study.

Fast-forward Two years later, Anytown appears in scientific journals and doctoral theses all over the world. Crime is down 80 percent. The city jail is usually empty; even juvenile delinquency is down 50 percent. Not one homeless person sleeps on the streets, and the problem of nutty people harassing bureaucrats has disappeared. Anytown still has some people with serious problems, of course, but everyone knows what to do with them. Take them by the hand and lead them down to the DDR (Department of Dispute Resolution). Every case is handled by a social worker or a student studying to be a social worker. These social workers know all the formal and informal resources available in the city, and they know what they’re supposed to do: solve the problem or find someone who can.

Solving the problem takes time, energy, creativity and skill. It costs money to help people. However, the money the DDR costs is more than covered by the increase in tax-paying residents plus the decreases in crime, jail time, legal fees, emergency mental health, ambulance rides, litigation, and homeless shelters. In fact, Anytown’s DDR is a profit center. It’s still getting grants to train students and staff from other cities. Everyone now agrees wholeheartedly with Rebecca’s dictum regarding people problems: a stitch of compassionate help in time saves nine.

Rebecca’s fame grows. Millions around the world are glued to the Anytown website.

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Chapter 13 The Rumble

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“Danny, I’m sorry to interrupt your fight, but your enemy here promised to help me before he promised to fight you.”

Terry’s Re-education Committee is meeting at Deshana’s house. They sit in a circle around a five-foot grapefruit tree in the solarium. Deshana suggested the grapefruit because it’s flowering and sending out the sweetest, most inviting aroma she’s ever smelled. Everyone likes the fragrance of orange and grapefruit trees, but Deshana is entranced, captivated, charmed. She LOVES that smell.

“Okay now, just look at the tree,” Terry suggests. “What do you notice about it? You don’t have to say anything out loud. Just look at the tree. Notice anything you notice, then go back to looking at the tree. If you forget about the tree and start thinking about something else, notice what distracted you. Tell yourself, ‘I was distracted by x or y’, then go back to looking at the tree.”

After a few minutes of looking at the tree, Terry continues, “What is this tree feeling?

What is it sensing? Put your mind in the tree. Where are you? In the leaves? In a flower? In the trunk? In the roots? What do the petals perceive? How do they feel?

Keep your mind in the tree and keep it open. What is the tree telling us? What can we learn from this tree? What does the tree... ” “The tree wants a friend,” says Deshana. “We have to get it outside.”

“How do you know that?” Akilah asks.

“I just felt this terrible longing and loneliness. I saw arms stretching out. Huge arms stretching up into the sky. I know it’s not me. I never think like that. I think we need to put this tree outside.” Akilah looks from Deshana toward Terry.

Terry says, “Let me ask the tree that question.” She holds out her hand with the palm facing the tree. In a few seconds, she smiles a huge smile and says, “Deshana’s right. This tree wants to go outside. I got a very strong yes.” Terry and Deshana look at each other. | P a g e 92

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Claire can’t stand it anymore. “What is this, some kind of joke? You expect me to believe you’re communicating with a tree? How can you tell if a tree is saying yes or no?”

Terry turns to look at Claire, whose face is saying, Give me a break. “On Kam Nagala communicating with plants is part of everyday life,” Terry explains. “The exercise I picked for today was supposed to lead you in that direction. I had no idea Deshana would get there so fast.”

“What do they do on Kam Nagala?” Claire asks suspiciously. She’s sure there has to be another explanation.

“As soon as I got there, the women of Kam Nagala started taking me into the jungle to collect fruits and vegetables. Whenever they found a bush or a tree or any plant with something to eat, they would stand with their hands out toward the plant and ask permission to pick the fruit. If the plant said no, they would leave it alone. If the plant said yes, they would go ahead and pick the fruit. At first, I didn’t understand or care what they were doing, but one day I asked one of the women why she holds her hand out before picking a fruit.

“She said, ‘We have to know if the fruit is ready, so we ask the plant. If your hand gets warm, that’s yes. If it gets cold, that’s no. And if you don’t feel anything at all, that’s also no. Come on, you try it.’ She had me stand in front of a vine and told me to ask the vine if we could have the grapes. I put my hand up and right away it started feeling cold in the middle.

“I looked at the woman and she said, ‘It’s saying no, right?’ I nodded. She took me over to some briars and told me to ask if we could pick the blackberries. I did, and my hand felt warm, right away. I looked up at the woman. She was smiling and said, ‘Now you know yes from no, right?’”

“What happens if you take fruit when the plant says no?” asks Claire.

“If you do it too much, you’ll have trouble hunting and finding good food. You can lose your natural balance, maybe even get sick. The people of Kam Nagala know that when people, especially young people, get hungry they sometimes take food without asking the plant, and they almost always have some sort of trouble after that. It’s very

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hard sometimes to accept the plant’s decision, but this is an important part of growing up and being responsible on Kam Nagala.”

“I was just asking the tree if it wants to go outside, but I didn’t feel anything in my hand at all. Isn’t that a no?” Charlie is sincere and disappointed. She’s not being tricky.

“You’ve lived your whole life not communicating with plants and animals. For you, no response has a different meaning than it does on Kam Nagala. Your society believes that plants and animals are just mindless things for humans to use. Most Americans don’t believe plants have their own spirits. In fact, most don’t want to believe that. I want to introduce you to the plants and animals around you, but first you have to open your minds. The plants will not force themselves on you. You have to go to them and really want to communicate. And they won’t communicate with you unless they really trust that you’ll respect what they say. That could take a long time, but it’s for your own protection.”

“Okay, okay, let’s move the tree,” says Deshana. She gets up and walks over to it.

Charlie and Akilah join her. Claire gets the door. Sylvie holds the screen door, and the tree moves slowly out into the yard. They set it down in the sun near an azalea bush.

Almost immediately, a bumblebee comes from the azalea over to a grapefruit flower.

“I hope there’s more grapefruit trees around here,” Deshana says, looking around hopelessly. As the committee stands silently wondering where to find another grapefruit tree, a small black dog comes running up the street barking. When it gets to Terry, it runs around wildly for a few seconds, then stops and looks at her.

After a minute or two, Terry says, “The Demons are fighting the Angels. Let’s go.”

Her voice is unusually tense.

Stopping a Fight The Re-education Committee park their bikes in the street in front of the Silver Lounge, a bar at Monroe and Regent. A gang of tough, angry-looking Asians known as the Demons are standing outside the bar watching the door. As they watch, Jimmy Li opens the door and steps out. “They’re coming,” he says.

“Wait here,” Terry orders, then walks straight over to Jimmy. “What’s happening?”

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“I hear you’re fighting the Angels.”

“Whoa, news travels fast around here. I’d like to ask how you found out, but you are just in time to watch the action. Now get out of the way,” and he turns to watch the door.

The first Angel out is Danny Lopez. Tall for a Mexican, he’s at least six inches taller than the tallest Demon. He walks out smiling menacingly, followed by eight more Angels. As Jimmy and Danny glare at each other, Terry keeps walking between them.

“What the hell are you doing?” Jimmy shouts. She looks at him, then turns her back on him and looks at Danny. She’s frightened by the anger she feels. She has no idea what to say or do, but she desperately wants to keep this fight from happening.

“Get lost, Jungle Girl,” Danny growls. “You need to get your tail out of here before you get hurt.”

“Danny, I’m sorry to interrupt your fight, but your enemy here promised to help me before he promised to fight you.” Turning around, she says, “Jimmy, you said you were going to help clean up Wilson’s creek. How are you going to help me if you’re in jail or dead?”

“Sorry, Terry, but we got a situation here that’s a little more urgent than Wilson’s creek.”

“What’s so important?” Terry keeps her back to Danny, but she feels him moving closer.

“These morons were in our neighborhood yesterday spraying walls and stealing from old man Kim. What do you expect us to do?”

“How can you idiots keep fighting each other? Don’t you know who your real enemies are?”

“Go home, Jungle Girl. Let’s go, Jimmy. We don’t have all day.”

“Go, Terry,” Jimmy said. “You can’t stop this. You’re gonna get hurt. I’ll help you later.” The two leaders and their gangs begin moving slowly into position, preparing

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to ignore Terry and fight. Terry stays between them. Danny reaches out casually to push her out of the way. Before anyone can blink, he’s lying on the ground. Terry has his wrist in a hold that seems to immobilize him. He lies there stunned.

“Let him go, Terry,” Jimmy shouts angrily.

“I don’t need your help. Just beat it!”

“Take your friends and go home, Jimmy.” Terry’s voice is low and intense. Jimmy hesitates. Then he turns his full anger on Terry.

“If you don’t let go of Danny right now, you’re gonna find yourself fighting his gang and mine together.” He takes a menacing step toward her, and out of nowhere a little black dog is by her side. Jimmy steps back. Terry sees knives coming out of pockets.

Then Akilah is standing next to Terry, then Claire, Deshana, Sylvie, and Charlie.

“I told you to stay out of this,” Terry says quietly.

“Why?” asks Deshana. “We’re surrounded by friends.”

Even as she speaks, the space between the two gangs is filling up with dogs and even a few cats. Terry lets go of Danny, who gets up rubbing his wrist. He backs away from the still-growing menagerie. Fifteen or twenty dogs, some of them quite big, are standing in a circle with Terry and the committee at the center. None are growling or threatening. They’re just standing there.

“Call ‘em off, Terry,” Jimmy warns. “We’re not going to hurt a bunch of girls and dogs, but all you’re doing is postponing what has to happen. The Angels dissed the Demons. The Angels have to pay. If not now, then later.”

“I didn’t call these dogs. They called me. They know I need your help, and they’re worried about you. It’s time to grow up, Jimmy. You, too, Danny. You have serious work to do.”

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She turns back and forth to look to look at both sides. The words come from somewhere, so she begins her speech. “Why do your parents work so hard and still don’t have enough money to pay their bills? Why can’t they afford to take you and your little brothers to a doctor when you get sick? Why do the executives in their companies make more money in a day than your parents make all year? Why is this part of town so dirty and smelly? Why are your older brothers and sisters in jail or dead? I’ll tell you why. Because politicians, military leaders, businessmen, community leaders, and morons like you care more about winning than you do about solving problems. You care more about competing than making life better.

“Do Chinese and Mexicans really have to hate each other? You’re just trying to show each other who’s boss, who can control how much territory.

You’re playing exactly the game the bosses of this town want you to play. If they can keep you fighting each other, you won’t have time to turn on them.

But the bosses are your real enemies, don’t you see?

“If all the workers around here work together, you could get some influence. You could get raises for everyone in the factory. You could elect your own mayor and city council members. You could clean up your neighborhoods. You could get money for your schools. You could build clinics. You could keep your friends off drugs and out of jail. You could give your brothers and sisters a decent education. It all depends on dropping this childish competition and looking for ways to work together. You could turn this town into a happy place to be. Do you not see what you could do together?”

Terry stops talking. She’s gotten herself so excited, her spirit takes over.

What Akilah and Sylvie see is a gentle golden light floating over and touching both gangs. What the whole group feels is love. The Angels, the Demons, and the Reeducation Committee are all staring as if at a screen where they’re watching the film Terry described. They see the poverty and misery in their neighborhoods. They see their own fighting keeping them down, and they see what they could do if they worked together. The whole crowd stands several minutes in reverent silence, until Jimmy turns to Danny and says, “You know the girl’s right. We could do it. We could take this whole town if we work together!” | P a g e 97

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Danny smiles. “There’s others need to be here. We meet tomorrow at noon. The Angels’ll serve you a picnic at Wilson’s creek to make up for what we did the other day.

And tell this friend of yours she and all her friends are invited. Even the cats.”

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Chapter 14 Disloyal Opposition

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“We always have a choice, but I understand.

In fact, you think you’re dead already, right?”

Rebecca sits straight up in bed. She’s just seen two men doing something under her car and has a strong feeling it’s not just a dream. She lies down again, but she doesn’t go back to sleep. It’s happening. She knew it would. The forces for centralized, adversarial power want to nip her resolutionary movement in the bud. She thanks her guardian deity and asks for continued protection and guidance.

After breakfast, she calls her neighborhood mechanic, Mr. Kim. She tells him she suspects her car has been sabotaged and wants him to check thoroughly for every possibility. Mr. Kim comes over and immediately finds what appears to be a bomb on the oil pan. “I don’t know how to deal with bombs. Is there anyone you can call?”

Rebecca calls Anytown’s police chief, Anthony Scalia. She tells him briefly that she’s found a bomb under her car and needs someone who can remove it without blowing anything up.

“OK, I’ll have Hendersen there in a few minutes.”

“Chief, please send Cassidy with him, and please put her in charge. I want her handling this case.”

“Are you kidding? She’s barely been here three years. This is a high-profile case. I can’t let her have it. The whole department’ll be up in arms.”

“Blame it on your stupid, hysterical mayor. Tell your people I threw a hissy fit, which I will if I don’t get Cassidy. I need her on this case, and I believe by the end of this you’ll see why. Please, trust me.” Rebecca herself is surprised by this, but as she was talking to the chief, she had a vision of Cassidy in the car coming over with Hendersen.

Hendersen Defuses His Bomb Hendersen and Cassidy arrive in less than 15 minutes. While Hendersen is on the porch talking to Mr. Kim and Rebecca, Cassidy crawls under the car. “Hey, get outta there,” Hendersen yells from the porch, “You’ll blow yourself up!” | P a g e 100

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“Relax, I’m just looking for prints, which I have found.” She slides out, sits up, grabs her print kit, then squirms back under. A few minutes later she slides out and says, “It’s all yours.”

Hendersen takes over. “Everyone, please move back. I have no idea what I’m dealing with here.” Luckily, it’s a primitive IED. He clips the wires, takes out the explosive, and removes the plate that was stuck onto the oil pan. He comes out waving a wad of explosive and grinning like a kid on a scavenger hunt.

Rebecca presses stop and puts her phone away.

“Thank you, Hendersen, you’re my hero.”

He grins a bit wider, then turns to Cassidy. “Shall we go?”

“Go ahead. I’m gonna look around a bit more.”

“How can I go ahead? We’re in the same car.”

“I’ll bring her in when she’s done, okay?” Rebecca wants her to stay.

“Suit yourself.” Hendersen salutes and turns to leave.

“And thanks again,” Rebecca calls after him. “I really am grateful for your skill and courage.”

Hendersen turns back toward the house and says, “I hope it never happens again.”

When Hendersen leaves, Mr. Kim leaves as well. Rebecca turns to Cassidy saying, “I want you to tell me whose prints you found down there before you tell anyone else.

Can you do that?”

“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. We’re gonna know who did this. He or they were expecting the thing to blow up so they weren’t even careful. There were prints all over the bomb and the oil pan. I’ll tell you who it is before I do anything else.”

The Next Day Cassidy walks into Rebecca’s office. “You’re not going to believe this.”

“Hendersen, right?”

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“I didn’t, for sure, just a feeling. I’ve been worried about Chief Scalia for some time now. He’s been pretty upset about my dispute resolution department. Doesn’t tell me, of course. I heard it through the grapevine. Still, I can’t believe this was his idea. He’s being used by someone. We need to get closer to the root. How can we do that?”

“Not sure. Hendersen’s gone already. Haven’t seen him since he took that bomb off your car. If I take his prints to Scalia, and if he’s involved, he’ll just start a manhunt that’ll fail to find Hendersen. I think I know some guys in the department who are probably on his side, but I have no idea who might be calling the shots.” Cassidy knows the next move is critical. There’s some sort of group in city government that wants Rebecca dead. Bringing this fact to the surface stuns her. Rebecca is the most popular person in Anytown. Who could want her dead?

“I trust Judge Carter, do you?” Cassidy asks.

“Yeah, for sure. He’s on my side.”

“I’ll get a warrant to search Hendersen’s house and subpoena his bank records. I’ll get a warrant for Scalia, too.”

“Thanks. And tell the judge this needs to be top secret, even from the police.”

Rebecca’s light comment about swimming with sharks has grown considerably darker.

Two Days Later Cassidy walks into Rebecca’s office. “You’re not going to believe this.”

“Whatcha got?”

“Hendersen had two deposits of 5,000 dollars each before the bomb and two after.

They came from a bank in New York. Hendersen took a bunch of it out the day he left and has been taking as much as he can the last couple days from ATMs. I can trace the ATMs. I can also find out who owns the bank account in New York.”

“Don’t bother with the ATMs. Find out about the account in New York.” Rebecca’s priority is to find the source of this plan.

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The Next Day Cassidy walks into Rebecca’s office. “You’re not going to believe this.”

“I give up. What?”

“The New York bank account belongs to an 18-year-old blind musician named Tim Ribbons. You want me to stay on the bank account?”

“If they’re that determined to hide the trail, it’ll take you forever to find anything.

Let’s go ahead and take the bull by the horns. Get an appointment to talk to Scalia this afternoon. Tell him I’ll be there about 1:30.”

Confronting the Criminals After knocking and receiving permission, Cassidy walks into Scalia’s office and starts setting up the camera. Rebecca comes in smiling slightly and moves to a chair in front of the desk. She has no idea why she walked in smiling. She doesn’t feel like smiling.

Her heart is pounding. She believes she is about to confront a man who tried to have her killed. She begins. “Chief Scalia, I think you know we have a problem, right?”

“What’re you talking about?”

“I have Hendersen’s bank records. I have a warrant for yours, and I can easily investigate the bank account in New York. However, I’m not a vindictive person. I suspect you had your reasons for doing what you did, so let’s talk. You think I’m dangerous for this city, right? And some people you know want me out of the picture.

They asked you to take care of me. They offered to make it worth your while, and they implied it wouldn’t be healthy for you to refuse this offer. Am I getting warm?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s true I have some problems with the way you’re managing this city, but what are you saying about me and Hendersen?”

“I can easily find Hendersen, and I can prove he put that bomb under my car. I can prove you sent him out to remove it, and I suspect he will tell us he was acting under orders. Let’s not play cat and mouse here. I want to know who wants me dead and why you agreed to help them.”

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Chief Scalia sits for some time in crestfallen silence. “I think your way of governing this city is ridiculous and bad for business, but I would never have lifted a finger to harm you. The bomb came from some guys who think you’re getting too popular to control. They don’t want that to happen. That’s all they said. They told me to get rid of you, and they didn’t offer me a choice.”

“We always have a choice, but I understand. You were afraid of what they’d do to you, and you still are. In fact, you think you’re dead already, right?”

“You don’t know these people. You don’t know the power and control they have.

You escaped their first attempt, but you’re not going to last long, and neither will I.” “What can we do about it?”

“Nothing. Not a thing. They’re going to win this. They always do.”

“You seem to know quite a bit about them. How far up the ladder can you see?”

“I can’t. I hardly know anything about them. I get calls telling me to arrest someone or not to arrest someone. They tell me about some of their handiwork in other cities.

They tell me in advance, so I know it’s them. I know they can take anyone out that gets in their way. I got a call ordering me to get rid of you. The bomb came by courier. I got some money for Hendersen and some for me as well, but I don’t know who was calling.

I don’t even know where they are. The caller could have been right here in Anytown, but if so, I don’t know them.”

“Look, you think we’re already dead, right? So if we’re going down, will you help take some of them with us?”

“What do you mean?”

“We can find the phone and probably the guy who’s been calling you. Once we find him, we can probably go a rung or two up the ladder. But there’s really only one hope for us. We have to bring this whole thing into bright sunlight. We need attention and fulltime protection. For that, I need to know everything you know, and we need Cassidy and other cops we trust to know the whole story. Then, we need to take our story to anyone we think might be able to help. We need to fight this thing as if our lives were at stake, as you well know. And you have to decide right now whose side you’re on. If you’re on my side, we’re a team. I’ll do everything in my power to protect | P a g e 104

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you. If you’re on their side, I’ll arrest you and put you in jail. So where do you think you’ll be safer?”

Scalia weighs his options, but he’s confused. Why is this happening? Rebecca should be dead, but she’s not. She seems to know all about it. Now, he should be in jail, but she’s inviting him to be on her team. None of this makes sense. Finally, he says, “I won’t be safe anywhere, but if I’m going to die, I’d rather die with you than against you. I’ve been a coward. I’m ready to fight now, and, for some reason I can’t explain, I’m ready to be on your side.”

Rebecca looks at Scalia carefully. He seems confused, but open and real. “Can you contact Hendersen?”

“Yes.” “I think we need him here, don’t you?”

Four Days Later Rebecca, Chief Scalia, Hendersen and Cassidy are in the press room at police headquarters sitting at a table covered with microphones. No one has any advance information about the topic, but the press release referred to “a matter of great importance extending far beyond Anytown.” National and even some international press is there.

Rebecca’s voice is unusually tense as she begins. “Thank you for being here today.

We’re going to tell you the beginning of a story. We’re hoping you’ll have the courage and resourcefulness to track this story further.

“Ten days ago, a bomb was placed under my car. If I’d gotten in and started my car normally, I’d be dead. I called Chief Scalia, and he sent Brian Hendersen out to remove the bomb. Before Hendersen removed the bomb, Cassidy here checked it for fingerprints. What she discovered is that Hendersen set the bomb. After investigating a bit, we learned that Chief Scalia ordered Hendersen to do it.” Rebecca pauses to let all this sink in. The reporters are looking at each other, then back at Rebecca, Scalia, Hendersen—jaws are dropping. They’re having difficulty computing.

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“You may be wondering why, if what I’ve said is true, Chief Scalia and Hendersen are sitting here instead of in jail. That is the part of the story we need your help with.

The Chief and Hendersen did what they did because they were ordered to by some powerful figures connected to a certain bank account in New York. In the handout you will all get, you’ll find that bank account information. In addition, you’ll find a list of phone numbers that we believe may be associated with the people who called Chief Scalia.

“Of course, Chief Scalia and the Anytown police will be investigating all of this, but we need your help. We need to find out who’s been calling the Chief, but more importantly, we need to look on up the ladder. Where do these orders come from?

What organizations and which individuals are involved?

“This attack on me is symptomatic of a disease that has infected our national body politic for a long time. There are people in this country using money and, when necessary, violence to control our political and economic system. We need to find those people, reveal them, and stop them. Ending lawlessness and violence is prerequisite to any effort to build a better world.

“I have asked Chief Scalia to join me today because you might not have believed all this if it was just the word of a paranoid mayor. The Chief is the one who knows most about this situation and the people involved, so I’ll let him take over. Chief?”

Chief Scalia looks around the room. Most are strangers, but many of these reporters he’s known for years. Some he’s known since they were kids. He went to school with two of them. This is going to be a painful confession. “In the past few years, I have, at times, been forced by credible threats to do things of which I am extremely ashamed.

I have made arrests and not made arrests. I have fabricated evidence and lost evidence in obedience to people I fear. Mayor Whyte is the first person I’ve been asked to kill, and right now, I feel extremely lucky I didn’t. I’m thinking and planning how I can clear the record and make amends to the people I’ve harmed, but today, my goal is to persuade you to invest whatever time, energy and resources you have available into finding and revealing the people who’ve been controlling me.” Chief Scalia goes on to tell his story, offering every detail he can muster about who, what, where and how.

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When he finishes, a reporter raises his hand and asks, “If these people are as powerful and ruthless as you say, how can you protect yourselves, especially the Mayor? How can you protect any of us if we get into this?”

“That’s a very good question.”

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Chapter 15 The Thief

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“He never wanted to learn.”

One morning just before Terry opens her eyes, she relives an incident that happened on Kam Nagala when she was about ten. She was living with the Thla family. Her foster father Choryu was the best arrow-maker on the island. One day, he noticed that one of his arrows was missing. He had made eight for one of the other men in his village, but only seven were in the quiver. He began a careful search of his workshop and found more arrows missing. All told, about ten arrows had disappeared. After investigating on his own a bit more, he sent his youngest son, Jae, to fetch Sera Ji, the village shaman.

“Sera Ji, thank you for coming. I’m missing several of my best arrows, and I’m afraid I know who took them.”

“If you know who took them, why did you call me?”

“I think it was Char.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I followed his footprints in my shop.” The two men sat down, contemplating this disturbing situation.

Char was an orphan. His parents were killed in a landslide when he was four. For the last 12 years, Choryu had raised him as a member of the Thla family. Char had been a difficult child. As a young boy he was wild, careless and somewhat selfish, but he’d never done anything like this.

“Let’s handle this as a family matter,” suggested Sera Ji. Choryu immediately agreed, but added, “Please stay.” Then he sent Jae to get Char.

When Char arrived, Choryu gathered the rest of the family, including Terry. They sat with Sera Ji in a circle under a big shade tree in front of the house. The atmosphere was so tense, Terry was frightened by the silence.

“Char, do you know why I called you?”

“No.”

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“I believe you took some arrows.” Char looked for a second as if he might protest, then collapsed into silence.

“Why, Char?” It was more than three minutes before Char could answer, but everyone kept their attention on him and waited.

“I was hunting with some guys from Kam Dar. One of them said he liked my arrows. We talked about the arrows for a while, and I ended up giving him one. He tried to refuse, saying it must have cost me a lot, so I told him I made it myself and not to worry. A little while later, one of the other guys asked me to make him an arrow like the one I gave the first guy. I couldn’t take an order, so I just gave him one, too. Pretty soon, everyone wanted arrows. I ran out, so I came and got some more from you.”

More silence. Finally, Sera Ji broke the silence to say, “Choryu, why have you never taught Char how to make arrows?”

“He never wanted to learn.”

“He wants to learn now.” And turning to Char, he asked, “Is that right?” Char nodded.

Meanwhile, in Othertown At school that day, everyone is talking about Charlie Lebowski. He’d robbed a convenience store and is in jail. Everyone knows he did it. Charlie’s a thug. He skips school a lot and is always in trouble. No one doubts his guilt, but who’s ever heard of a tenth grader in Othertown getting arrested for armed robbery?

As soon as she hears about it, Terry knows it has something to do with the dream that morning, but she has no idea what she’s supposed to do. Then, at lunch, Sylvie shows up with SueAnn Lebowski.

“We have to help,” Sylvie says seriously.

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“I don’t know, but I do know Charlie. He’s wild, but he’s not that bad. Please help him.”

“What can I do?” Terry has no idea how to get involved.

“Let’s go see him.”

“They won’t let us in, will they?”

“We can go with Mom. I’ll get her to take us.” Terry wonders what she’s getting into, but she can’t say no to SueAnn.

Meeting the Thief That afternoon after school, SueAnn, Sylvie, and Terry get into Mrs. Lebowski’s beatup old car and ride with her in silence to the Cobb County Juvenile Court building. A friendly, smiling woman shows them into a room with bars on the windows. A few minutes later, Charlie comes in. He walks straight over to the table, hardly looking at his mother or SueAnn. He sits down looking angry, as if he’s already hearing his mother scold him.

“What’s the jungle girl doing here?”

“I think she can help you,” SueAnn answers.

“I robbed a store. I got caught. How can anyone help?”

“Why did you do it?” SueAnn asks.

“I needed the money.”

“Why did you need the money?”

“Why does anyone need money? What’re you trying to do?”

“Please, Charlie, tell us the truth. Why did you do it?” SueAnn begs him. He looks at her. For a minute it seems he wants to talk, but then he says, “Forget it. There’s nothing you can do. I’m sorry.”

“Charlie, I’m really scared this time,” Mrs. Lebowski begins. “You could be in real trouble. You’re almost eighteen. They could try you as an adult and send you to prison.

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After a long silence, he says firmly, “I’ll tell the jungle girl, but only her.”

“Why won’t you tell me?!” SueAnn is almost shouting.

“Anyone I tell will be in danger. You think the jungle girl can help me. Maybe she can. Anyway, I’m willing to put her in danger, but not the rest of you. If you leave, I’ll tell her. If not, I won’t.”

When they’re alone, Charlie tells his story. “I was playing cards. I’d played a few times before and always won. This time, I lost all my money. Then they said I could play with IOUs. I was sure I could win it back, so I kept playing. I ended up losing 500 bucks. After the game, they said I had to pay this month. If not, they’d make me and my whole family sorry. I tried a couple friends, but I couldn’t get the money. These guys are serious, so I decided to rob the store.”

“I need to know who and where they are.”

“You’re gonna get me killed.”

“I don’t think so, but you’re half dead already. You really want to live like this?”

Charlie’s eyes widen in fear, then narrow in determination. He tells her everything she needs to know.

Getting Help “I need to borrow five hundred dollars,” Terry announces at dinner that night. After she tells the story and her plan, her mother goes to the ATM at the drugstore and comes home with the money. The next morning, Saturday a little before noon, they drive down to Sams, a gas station, convenience store, and auto repair shop. They arrive around noon and stop in the parking lot on the side of the building. Evy, for the sixth time, suggests calling the police. Terry is not as confident as she pretends to her mom, but she knows the plan is dead if the police show up. With great difficulty, she again persuades her mother to trust her. “I’ll be right in there.” Terry points to the room in back of the service station and right in front of the car. “If you hear me shout, call the police. Okay?”

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“If I hear you shout, it’s already too late. Let me call the police and have them waiting here just in case.”

“Please, I just know I need to do this without the police. Please trust me. Okay?”

Her mother looks at her questioningly, but says, “Okay. But don’t take any chances. If you feel any kind of danger, you run out screaming. Is that clear?”

“Yes, I promise I’ll be careful.” Terry gets out of the car, goes into the convenience store and walks to a door at the back of the room.

“Hold on, little lady. Can I help you?” A large man dressed in black comes running over to block the door.

“I’m looking for Colonel Sams.”

“What do you want with Sams?”

“I have some money for him.”

“Wait here.” The man opens the door, walks through and closes it behind him. In a minute or so he comes back out.

“Okay, little lady, the Colonel will see you.” He opens the door and Terry walks in.

Six men are sitting around a table covered with chips and cards. A fifty-year-old man with thinning red hair and a black patch over one eye is the first to speak, “What have you got for me, young lady?”

“I have the money Charlie Lebowski owes you. Do you have his IOUs?” “I heard our friend Charlie had a run-in with the law. Does that have anything to do with this visit?”

“Charlie made a mistake, now he’s in jail, and that could wreck his life. I want to get him out, and I want you to help me.”

“I’ll take the money and give you the IOUs, but I won’t go near the cops.”

“Why are you afraid of the cops? Are you running a gambling operation where you cheat people out of money?”

“You, girl, have no idea what you’re saying or who you’re saying it to. I think you better run along now.”

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“Johnny, would you please escort this young woman out the front door?”

“Sure, Colonel. Come with me, Miss.” The big guy dressed in black reaches out to grab Terry’s arm. Before he knows what’s happening, he’s lying on the floor immobilized by a wrist hold.

In a calm voice, Terry says, “Johnny, would you please escort these other gentlemen out of here? And if you come back in here with a gun or something, the Colonel will wish you hadn’t.” Terry looks at the Colonel.

Sams nods to the five men now standing in shock. They stand down. “I see now why they call you Jungle Girl,” he says with open admiration. “Please let Johnny up, and let’s talk.” Johnny gets to his feet rubbing his wrist. The Colonel gives him a look that says, It’s okay, leave this to me.

As soon as they’re alone, Terry turns to the Colonel, looks deep into his eyes for a few seconds, then speaks in a voice both gentle and threatening.

“Colonel Sams, I need you to tell the police what happened. You don’t have to tell anyone about the cheating. I just need you to tell them that Charlie was under a lot of pressure to come up with the $500.”

“You really are crazy! I think you should cut your losses and get out of here while you still can.”

“First give me the IOUs.” “I’m not taking your money. I don’t have to give you anything.” The Colonel is shutting down. Terry considers giving up, but then, the Colonel’s guardian spirit steps in.

Terry’s voice and demeanor change dramatically. She is no longer a high school girl.

She speaks with mysterious authority. “No, you don’t have to, but you want to. You want to help Charlie because you can see that he’s just a kid walking the same road you walked. In fact, you’re already starting to understand that by helping Charlie, you can change his path and yours at the same time. What I’m doing is giving you a chance to do that. And I promise you this. If you don’t take this chance to change the road you’re on, you will suffer. You’ll have a heart attack, but you won’t be lucky enough to die.

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work, and no one will play cards with you. You’ll sell this place, use the money for medical bills, and find yourself living on welfare. Your friends and even your relatives will abandon you. You’ll be alone. In about a year, you’ll be homeless. You’ll scrape by in misery until winter, then you’ll be found dead on a cold night in an alley behind Joe’s Bar downtown. You doubt me? I can see your future in your eyes and the colors of the skin on your face. If you want to live into your 70s, you need to come with me and help Charlie.”

As Terry speaks, the Colonel’s rage builds. He’s about to call Johnny when suddenly, his heart begins to pound like it’s going to jump out of his chest. It’s beating too fast, so fast he thinks he might have that heart attack right then.

Close to panic, he looks again at Terry. Her eyes are pointing at him like daggers, but her whole body is bathed in a golden light. As soon as the light touches him, his heart slows down. He begins to feel a warmth and a peace of mind he’s never known. The rage disappears. He smiles, “I have no idea why, but for some reason, I believe you. I want to live, and live better than I’m living now. Let’s go help Charlie.”

Helping Charlie Terry and Colonel Sams walk out of Sams’ and get in the car with Terry’s mother.

“Before we go to the police,” the Colonel says, “let’s go to the store Charlie robbed.

I know the guy who runs it. I think we’ll need his help.”

When they get to the store, Terry follows Colonel Sams as he walks over to Ali Amman and says, “You know that kid who robbed you the other day? He’s actually a good kid. We have to help him out. Come with us to the police and tell’em you don’t want to press charges. I’ll make it worth your while.”

Ali can’t believe what he’s hearing. He studies the Colonel, then Terry, then the Colonel. He says nothing for what seems like a very long time. Then, he picks up his jacket, turns to his son behind the counter, they nod, and he says, “Let’s go.”

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When they get to the station, Ali goes to the desk and asks for Detective Reiker.

When the detective comes out into the waiting room, Ali says, “We want to talk to you about that kid who robbed me.”

Detective Reiker looks at Ali, then at Colonel Sams, then at Terry, then at Mrs. Anitok, his jaw tightening, then loosening. He wants to tell them all to get lost, but he stops himself. Finally he says, “Come to my office.”

Once in the office, Ali says, “I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to press charges.”

“Why not? What happened?”

Colonel Sams steps forward. “Charlie’s in jail because of me. I took a lot of money from him in a poker game, and I had some guys put the fear of God in him. He robbed Ali’s store ‘cause he was afraid, really afraid that someone in his family was going to get hurt bad if he didn’t pay me this month. What I did was wrong, and I don’t want Charlie to pay for it. In fact, if you let Charlie out, I’ll hire him at my place. He loves cars and has a knack for it. I’ll turn him into a great mechanic, and neither of us will give you any more trouble.”

Detective Reiker can’t believe his ears. He’s known Sams and been onto his gambling operation for years, but he’s never seen a look like this on Sams’ face. The tone of his voice is unrecognizable. He’s a completely different person, and he seems to care about Charlie.

After a pause, Detective Reiker says, “Sams, I have no idea why, but I’m gonna take a chance. I’m gonna let Ali withdraw his charges, and I’m gonna let Charlie go, but so help me, if I find out this is some sort of scam, I’m gonna come down on you so hard you’ll never get up. Is that clear?”

Colonel Sams gives the detective a huge smile. “Clear as a bell, sir. And thank you.”

While they’re waiting for Charlie to get out, Terry calls SueAnn. SueAnn calls Sylvie and Mrs. Lebowski. When Charlie walks out the jail door, his mother, Mrs. Anitok, the girls, Colonel Sams and the guy he tried to rob are all staring at him. His jaw drops.

He’s so obviously in shock the whole group starts laughing. Soon Charlie’s smiling himself, but he’s still looking questions at everyone. Finally, he says, “Okay, Jungle Girl, I know you’re the one behind this. What’s the story?” | P a g e 116

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“It’s a long one, Charlie,” Terry begins, but then, she turns to Colonel Sams and says, “Colonel, with all that card playing and you knowing he had the skills, why haven’t you ever hired Charlie and taught him to be a mechanic?”

“He never wanted to learn.”

“I think he does now, right, Charlie?” When Charlie looks at Sams and nods, she goes on, “So let’s all go down to Sams’ Station and tell Charlie what happened.”

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Chapter 16 Rebecca Meets the Enemy

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“I have reason to believe that Jerseyside Development Corporation had something to do with a recent attempt to kill me.”

Rebecca is under 24-hour protection by guards she chooses herself. Chief Scalia and Hendersen both choose to stay in jail for a while. Anytown lacks the resources to provide full protection for them in their homes. From jail, Scalia is managing a team of Anytown police. A tip from Pete Moyers, reporter for the Anytown Standard, leads Scalia’s team to Frank Sarkozi, owner of the three phones used to call Scalia. He lives in New York and is obviously connected to the mob, but he’s not talking.

Rebecca and Cassidy now realize it was a mistake to have Cassidy at that press conference, but she dyes her hair, dramatically changes her appearance with makeup, then heads for New York. She’s not looking for trouble with the mob. She’s looking above them, to the politicians or captains of industry who use the mob for dirty work.

Meanwhile, Rebecca is still mayor, and as soon as the Graves Mill project comes up, she understands why they tried to kill her when they did. Graves Mill is a park that runs along the river south of Anytown. The name comes from the water-powered grain mill the Graves family ran back in the nineteenth century. Jeremy Graves, the one who shut the mill down when technology passed it by, donated the whole 80-acre strip along the river to the city “to be preserved in perpetuity for future generations.”

Three years ago, a new corporation called RiverRidge began negotiating to purchase the land for a luxury home and golf complex. The deal was resisted by neighbors and much of Anytown, but it was going through as planned until Rebecca became mayor.

She put it on hold until she could find out who the stakeholders were. She wanted to organize a series of meetings to explore the pros and cons and, as usual, to let the people of Anytown make a transparent, consensus decision.

As soon as Christy brought her the file and reminded her that she had promised to take up this decision before April, Rebecca knew that RiverRidge was connected to the bomb. She called Cassidy in New York and told her to look for any possible connection to RiverRidge. She called down to the jail and talked to Scalia. He said he had never met any of the RiverRidge folks, but he’d heard they were bringing in a lot of money, and the CEO of RiverRidge was a local named Daniel Burton. | P a g e 119

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A Few Days Later Rebecca tells Christy she’s ready. Christy tells Mr. Burton to go on in. He enters loudly, extravagantly glad to see her.

“I’m so happy to finally meet you in person, Mayor Whyte!”

Rebecca feels like she’s getting slimed, but she responds in kind. “It’s good to meet you, too, and thank you for coming in today. As I said on the phone, we’re about to take up the Graves Mill case, and I want to ask you a few questions before we get started. Can we plunge right in?”

“Sure, we’ve been waiting a long time to get this underway. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have.” Mr. Burton is oozing confidence, genuinely happy that his project is finally on the agenda.

“According to the file here, you’re offering a halfmillion dollars for 80 acres. That’s over 6,000 dollars an acre, when most property in this area is going for about 2 or 3,000. Seems like you’re pretty determined to have that land. And yet, we haven’t seen your business plan. I think it’s important that we know how you plan to recoup an investment like that.”

“I think you have the plan in the file already, don’t you?”

Rebecca sees that Mr. Burton is genuinely perplexed. He thinks she has what she needs. “This plan tells us you’re going to build luxury housing along the river and put a golf course next to the houses and provide a public river walk. It shows the locations of the homes, the condominiums, and the club house. It shows a tentative rough layout of the golf course and river walk, but it doesn’t give us any figures. How much are you going to spend on the houses and condominiums? How much are you going to sell them for? How much will you spend on the golf course and associated infrastructure?

How much will you charge for memberships or per round? We have no way of judging whether or not this is an economically viable plan or how it will affect our residents.”

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or not is up to us, don’t you agree?” Mr. Burton is doing his best to keep the tone light and friendly.

“You’re attempting to buy a beautiful park. It’s a popular place for walking, biking, bird watching and school field trips. Before we hand it over to you, we need to know that you are competent and have a reasonable chance of turning it into an asset for our community. I don’t want to cause trouble or insult you in any way, but you personally have made your money by selling pieces of the farm you inherited from your father to developers. You’ve never actually developed a project yourself. Seems like quite a leap to jump from that to a multi-million-dollar development on a prime piece of real estate. If you don’t want to show us your figures, how can you persuade us that you and your partners have the ability to do what you say you’re going to do?”

“As CEO, I’m in charge, and I have no doubt I can manage it competently. However, I do have partners, and some of those partners have tremendous experience with similar developments in other parts of the country.” This information is exactly what Rebecca was waiting for.

“That’s great. Can you arrange for me to meet the person you consider to be your best advisor in this project? Maybe that way we can find a way around the need to see your figures.” Rebecca is looking forward to meeting the power and money behind Mr. Burton.

A Week Later Mr. Burton arrives at City Hall with Mr. Sturgiss, senior vice president of Jerseyside Development Corporation. They come as a delegation of six, two of whom, in addition to Burton, are Anytown businessmen. They’re ushered into the conference room and asked their preference for coffee or tea.

Rebecca arrives accompanied by her Urban Development staff and welcomes Mr. Sturgiss. “Thank you for coming all the way to Anytown for this meeting.”

“Nice to meet you, Mayor Whyte. I’ve been hearing for some time about Anytown’s beautiful young mayor, and I see the reports have been understated. Let me give you some background information and a few facts and figures we did not include in the previous proposal.” He passes around large, professionally prepared packets of | P a g e 121

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information. “You will find here annual reports from several of the other developments my company has completed. You will also find some very rough figures we’ve been using to plan the Graves Mill development.

“You’re quite right to worry about Daniel and RiverRidge. They’re beginners, (no offense, Dan),” Dan smiles. “...but they're working closely with Jerseyside, and we know what we’re doing. We’ve successfully created similar developments around the country, especially here in Anyregion. To get an idea of what we’re planning for Graves Mill, please take a look at page 11. This RiverEdge project is quite similar.”

As Sturgiss continues his presentation, Rebecca is paralyzed. She feels so strongly that this man is dangerous, she wants to get up and run out of the room.

She fixes her gaze on him. Silently chanting her mantra to calm and center herself, she waits for the words to emerge. After a few more paragraphs, Sturgiss notices Rebecca’s stare. “Is something wrong, Mayor Whyte?”

“Mr. Sturgiss, Mr. Burton, I would like to ask you to withdraw your request to develop Graves Mill.” Both men open their mouths but sit in stunned silence.

Mr. Sturgiss is the first to recover. “May I ask why?”

“I am not accusing you or Mr. Burton of anything, but I have reason to believe that Jerseyside Development Corporation had something to do with a recent attempt to kill me.” She pauses and looks at both men. Mr. Burton is completely shocked. He knows nothing.

“What makes you say a thing like that? This is outrageous. What proof do you have?”

Mr. Sturgiss knows. She can see it in his feigned outrage.

“Telling you what proof I have would endanger our key witnesses. However, I do have convincing proof, stored in several places, and that proof will be brought out in any of the following three events. First, if anything happens to me. Second, if you file a suit against me or Anytown, and third, if you refuse to withdraw your proposal.

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decide as a group what to do. If this process gets underway, I assure you that I will bring out every piece of evidence I have at my disposal. Remember, too, that we are not a court of law. We are a community of people deciding what to do and who to do it with. It’s a little unclear to me how far we can pursue the evidence I have and how far up the ladder we can go. I am not sure what we could accomplish in a court of law, especially since you apparently own the Fifth District Appeals Court judge, but I feel sure that when the people of Anytown see the evidence I have, they will vote overwhelmingly not to allow Jerseyside to develop Graves Mill. The next move is yours.”

Without hesitation, Mr. Sturgiss responds. “I can’t believe what I’ve just heard. I certainly can’t believe you have any real evidence. Jerseyside is an upstanding company that would have nothing to do with murder or any kind of backhanded, illegal plot. As to whether we will pursue Graves Mill, I need to report this conversation to my chairman and advisors, who will decide how to respond. You will be hearing from our lawyers.”

“As I said, I’m not accusing you or anyone in this room of anything, and I’m sincerely sorry if I’m wrong. I would hate for this to escalate, but I’m ready to defend this community with my life from the kind of people who have already tried to take it.

Please let everyone in your company know that Anytown does not do business with anyone who stoops to violence or any other illegal tactic. Remind them that our website gets well over a million hits a day. Anytown is the focus of an unusual level of national and even international attention. If anything happens to me, the video of this meeting as well as all our evidence will instantly be out where it will be seen by thousands of people who just love to investigate high profile crimes. Obviously, I hope it won’t come to that.”

That is the end of the Graves Mill development project. Daniel Burton dissolves RiverRidge and goes quietly back to developing his farmland. Rebecca gradually relaxes, but still takes fairly extreme security precautions. She knows she’s won a tiny battle but is now engaged in a war she’ll be fighting the rest of her possibly-not-verylong life.

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Chapter 17 Solving Problems

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“We don’t want our school getting famous for being stupid.”

Akilah is spitting fire. Terry has never seen her so mad. “I am going to kill that girl!!! I quit. I am off the student council. I am done with anything to do with organizing our class.”

“Akilah! Please calm down. What happened?”

“I was organizing that Fridays for Future strike. You know, you were gonna do it, right? I was going around talking about Greta Thunberg, and I had a lot of people ready to strike with me. All of a sudden, Roger Marsh and that bunch of conservative jerks submit a resolution in the council saying the student council is formally opposed to any sort of strike and all who participate should be suspended from school, and if they do it three times, they should be expelled.”

“So who’s the girl you want to kill?”

“Sylvie!! She’s supposed to be a best friend, and she voted for that stupid resolution!

AND, the resolution passed by two votes. I can’t believe it.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“No, after the vote I was so mad I just walked out and here I am.”

“Shouldn’t you find out why she voted like that?”

“I don’t care! She shouldn’t have.”

“Do you mind if I find out for you?”

“Fine, but I’ll never forgive her!”

The Next Day After School Terry’s top priority now is her re-education committee. She was shocked to see Akilah so furious, and just as shocked to hear why. She waits at Sylvie’s locker. They walk out of school together, and Terry gets right to the point. “Akilah is super mad at you. I’m kinda mad, too. What’s the story?”

“I’m really sorry. I guess I have to beg Akilah to forgive me. I only voted for it because I’m dating Jack Armstrong. I’ve had a crush on him since junior high and now we’re dating. I never thought that stupid thing would pass. Besides, just because the | P a g e 125

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student council passes a resolution, that doesn’t keep anyone from striking, right? I mean, what difference does it make?” For Sylvie, love trumps politics, but she does regret having voted for the resolution.

“Okay, I get it,” Terry assures her, “but now what do we do? Seems the real problem is Roger, Jack and the other conservatives on the council, right? You don’t care about the strike, but they want to keep it from happening. Do you know why?”

“Not really. I heard something about not wanting our school to look like idiots but I’m not sure what they really care about.”

“It would be a big help between you and Akilah if you would use your relationship with Jack to find out exactly why they bothered to submit that resolution.”

“Ok, I’m going out with Jack Friday night. I’ll see what I can find out then.” Sylvie is grateful for the possibility of making it up to Akilah.

Sylvie Talks to Jack Jack and Sylvie are at Tuk Tuk Thai waiting for their food. Sylvie hates playing games, so she asks right away, “Hey, why did you guys do that resolution about striking? I voted with you, but I never really knew what it was all about. What’s wrong with striking?”

Jack looks at Sylvie suspiciously. “Why are you asking that?”

“I’m friends with Akilah, right? And she’s really mad at me. I want to be able to tell her why you guys did what you did.”

“Okay, fair enough. First of all, the whole climate change thing is a hoax. If you study the science, you’ll see that CO2 doesn’t cause global warming. Global warming causes an increase in CO2. We don’t want our school getting famous in this town for being stupid.”

“Wow. You guys really don’t believe humans are causing global warming? All those UN scientists are wrong?”

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“They’re working for the fossil fuel industry! This whole thing is just a way to make oil and gas more expensive.”

“But the climate is warming, right? Miami’s flooding because the sea’s rising, right?

You deny that?”

“The world’s warming, but it’s just a natural cycle. The sun’s putting out more energy. It happens. It’s got nothing to do with anything we’re doing. We just have to hope it doesn’t happen too fast or too much. It probably won’t, and humans are good at adapting.”

“This is crazy. Most people I know believe humans are causing global warming by burning fossil fuels. You say no. How can we find out the truth?”

“Whaddaya mean? We know the truth!”

“No, you think it’s the truth, but lots of people, in fact, the majority disagree! Don’t you want to find a way to investigate?”

“Sure, if I had a way, I’d do it.”

“Ok, I’m gonna see what I can do about that. I’m going to get Akilah to organize a student conference or a debate or something. Would that be okay with you?”

“If you do something, I’m happy to help. Good. Here comes the food. Let’s eat and talk about something else.”

Sylvie Talks to Akilah and Terry Terry brings Akilah and Sylvie together in her house. Akilah has cooled down. As soon as she sees Sylvie, she remembers how much she loves her. But she’s still sort of mad.

Sylvie leaps in right away. “I’m sorry, Akilah. I really didn’t think it was that big a deal. I didn’t expect the resolution to pass, and I didn’t think it meant anything anyway. You don’t have to obey it, right? The student council has no enforcement power, does it?”

“Terry told me you were just trying to please Jack, but really girl, what’s more important, Jack or the future of the Earth?” Akilah makes it clear that Sylvie is forgiven, but the broader issue remains.

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“Okay, okay, but I think we have a chance to do something important.” Syvie’s eyes light up. She wants to explain her brilliant idea. “Jack says climate change is a hoax.

He and Roger and that crowd all think that. So how can we convince them we’re right?

I told Jack I was going to organize a conference or some way we can all search for the truth. He said if I organize it, he’ll help. So we need to organize a climate change meeting, a debate or something.”

“That’s a great idea, Sylvie!” Terry jumps in. “But not a debate. A debate’s a contest.

It’s not a search for truth. On Kam Nagala, when conflicts like this happen, they organize meetings they call ponopono, which means, literally, truth, truth. We could organize a Climate Change Truth and Reconciliation Meeting, or something like that.”

“I’m down,” Akilah says, “but I bet Roger and his crowd won’t do it. They’ll just be trying to win.”

“That’s possible,” Terry agrees. “We can’t force them, but we can invite them. They’ll look pretty bad if we have a student conference on climate change and they refuse to show up, won’t they?”

“I think Jack’ll get them there. I voted to make him happy, so now he wants to make me happy.”

“Hear that, Akilah?” Terry’s excited now. “You and Sylvie get Jack to help you organize it. I’ll run it like a ponopono, and let’s see what happens.” Terry loves ponopono. She always learned a lot from the ones she went to, and this school needs a way to look for truth.

The Ponopono Mr. Gordon, the coolest of the science teachers, is delighted. The student council wants to hold a Truth and Reconciliation Meeting about Climate Change. He persuades the administration to make a big public deal about this. Students pursuing the truth. This is what education is all about! He arranges for them to use the auditorium beginning right at the end of school on Friday. He can’t wait to see what happens.

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Othertown High School. We are beginning a quest for the truth. As you all know, we have differences among us about climate change. However, all of us here now are united in our desire to know the truth. This is not a debate. No one is judging. No one is going to win or lose. We’re trying to find out what is true and what is false and what is simply unknown. OK? “Now, I would like to call on Terry Anitok. She’s going to help us use a technique the people on her island call ponopono. Let’s all work with her and see how much we can find out. Take it away, Terry.”

Meanwhile, Terry is having serious doubts. On Kam Nagala, the ponopono is a centuries-old tradition. US culture has nothing similar. It’s a foreign concept. She’s afraid it’s going to degenerate into a contest. Who knows, it could turn into a fight.

But it’s too late to back out now, she thinks. What she says is, “Thank you, Akilah.”

Then, as if she knows what she’s doing, she continues, “Okay, the first thing we have to do is set the ground rules. I will suggest some, and you say if you accept them or not.

Any of you can suggest ground rules of your own, too. For example, I suggest we agree that there will be no loud booing or cheering. We can applaud politely when we like or agree with something, but we won’t shout or cheer or make a lot of noise. Is this okay?”

Applause. “Anyone against?” Silence.

“Of course, no hitting or shoving or anything physical, right?” Applause. “And, no interrupting. In fact, after someone says something, let’s agree to count to five before the next person speaks. Is that Okay?” Applause.

“And, we have tentatively arranged for four speakers to get us started. Roger Marsh and Bill Reinke will say why they believe climate change is a natural phenomenon.

Claire Freed and Gary Johnson will explain why they believe climate change is caused by human activities. After they speak, the floor is open. You can ask questions. You can make comments. But remember, we are not trying to win. We are trying to find the truth. Is all this okay?” Applause “Anyone else have a ground rule?” Terry looks around the room.

Someone from about ten rows back shouts, “How do we know when it’s over? Who decides?”

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Terry repeats the question into the mic then says, “Good question. In my experience, we’ll all know, but since I’m the facilitator, if I think it’s over, I’ll suggest we end it. But it doesn’t actually end until we all agree. Okay?” Applause.

“Let’s get started. Our first speaker will be Roger Marsh. Roger, the floor is yours.”

Roger makes his case, asserting that the climate is changing due to a natural cycle of the sun, not because of human activity. Next, Claire presents the case for climate change caused by human burning of fossil fuels. She’s followed by Bill Reinke, who’s followed by Gary Johnson. When all four speakers have finished, Terry says, “Is there anyone else who would like to make an opening statement?” She waits but no hands go up. “In that case, the floor is open for comments and questions. Please use the mics set up in the aisles. We want everyone to hear, and we’re recording this meeting.”

Most of the comments refer to searches on the Internet. The audience has been listening with their phones in their hands. Whenever a questionable fact is presented by one of the speakers, a hundred phones start fact checking. The comments mostly amount to people reading what they find on the Internet, and from the Internet comes plenty of evidence on both sides.

An hour into this search for the truth, Terry walks out onto the stage and over to the microphone. “What do you think? Have we made any progress toward the truth?” The audience responds with some yes’s, some no’s, some not really’s. “Yeah, that’s my impression, too. I think we’ve all learned a lot, but mostly what we’ve learned is that there are some serious scientists and credible websites on both sides of this question.

My guess is, most of us still believe what we believed when we came in here. Am I right?” Applause. “Okay then, let me suggest a next step.” Terry regrets the whole thing now. The ponopono is failing, and she is about to suggest something totally foreign to everyone here, but much as she’d like to, she can’t stop now.

She continues, “On Kam Nagala, when we get stuck going around and around and the truth is not clear despite openness and good faith on all sides, we sit silently and wait for the truth to become apparent. The idea is to let silence take us deeper into the problem. I know this is weird, but are you willing to try sitting silently for up to fifteen minutes?” Some applause but not as much as usual. “Is there anyone against sitting for a while?” Silence. “While we’re sitting, we should all be hoping that the spirit of truth will move us to say something new, something that no one has said before, | P a g e 130

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something on a deeper level that might change how the whole group thinks. After fifteen minutes, if no one speaks, I will call time, and that will be the end of this ponopono. If someone does speak, we make more time for responses. If we get stuck again, we sit for another fifteen, and so on. Is that okay?” This time, the applause is clear approval. “Okay then, let’s begin.”

An entire auditorium full of students sit in nearly total silence. A couple whisper. A couple cough. But mostly there is respectful silence. After almost ten minutes, Roger Marsh stands up. He looks uncomfortable. “I would like to say something,” he begins quietly, as if he’s not sure he should be speaking.

“Please, Roger, go ahead. And come on over to the mic.” Terry is warm and encouraging.

Roger makes his way to the closest mic and begins, “I’m still not sure humans are causing climate change, but I admit that I’ve heard stuff here today that’s new to me. I can see that a lot of scientists really do believe the Earth is warming because of our CO2. I haven’t changed my mind, but I no longer think it’s just a hoax or a trick. I can see now that honest people disagree. I’ll have to look into it more, but...” he pauses as if the next words are hard to say. “I would like to ask the student council to withdraw the resolution we passed to prevent Fridays for Future from striking.” Before anyone can respond, he keeps talking. “Like I said, I still don’t know for sure about climate change, but I’m quite sure we were wrong to pass that resolution. I know now that Akilah was acting on what she believes to be the truth, and we have no right to keep her from expressing her truth by striking if she wants to.”

“I second the motion.” It was Jack Armstrong.

Terry says, “All in favor?”

The entire audience says, “Aye,” followed by applause and cheers, with no one looking unhappy.

Terry is grinning in excited relief. “Thank you, Roger. Does anyone want to respond?” Silence. “If not, I want to thank all of you for participating in this ponopono.

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solution we can for now. Let me just point out that what we’ve been discussing today is the most important question in the world, so please, everyone, keep studying. Maybe Roger can create a club or something. Please do whatever you can to find the truth of this matter. And remember, no one’s going for a win. What we want is the truth. With that, this ponopono is over. Thank you all very much.”

Mr. Gordon is sneakily wiping away tears. Suddenly, these students all look so beautiful. They give him hope for the future. He cannot believe or understand what just happened, but he’s already planning the next ponopono.

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Chapter 18 Rebecca and the Radicals

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“Ladies and gentlemen. Please. Calm down.”

It’s August, and it’s hot. Paul Granger shows up for his appointment in a sweaty Tshirt, blue jeans and sandals. “Hi, Paul,” Rebecca greets him warmly. She knows him from her campaign. He was a great supporter. “What can I do for you?”

“You know I love you, right? I love what you’ve done for this town. I’m on your side all the way. However, we’re in serious trouble. We’re in the crosshairs and are about to be blown away.”

“I’m listening.”

“You know they’re already fracking in Othertown.

That’s only 300 miles from here. They’re gonna be coming here eventually. You’re against fracking, right?”

“Paul, you know I have no opinions. I’m here to help the people of Anytown make and implement their decisions together.”

“Well, that Dan Burton and his crowd of developers are at it again. They’re inviting the fracking frackers in here. They don’t care about our water. They don’t care about global warming. All they care about is money. You’ve got to stop them!”

Rebecca sympathizes with Paul. She wants to stop them, but more than that, she wants to defend her approach to making collective decisions. “Paul, do you know how to call a town meeting?”

“I don’t want a town meeting! I want them stopped!”

“You want me to forget what the ARP is all about?”

“Okay, okay, what do I do?”

“Go down to the DDR. Tell them you want to call a meeting. They’ll give you a form.

Fill out that form describing the topic as exactly as you can. We’ll handle the rest.

You’ve been to meetings, so you know the drill.”

Paul is still frowning. He wants to do it Rebecca’s way, but he sees no hope.

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thinks. We’re not gonna allow fracking in this area. We’re farmers. We need water, and we need it clean. We can’t take any chances. I don’t think we can even be part of a discussion about whether or not to frack near us.”

“I understand, and I appreciate you letting me know where you stand.” This is the great problem for mediated solutions. Taking part in mediation is accepting that the decision may not go your way, and even Paul, a good friend, is having trouble accepting this possibility. But Rebecca needs him to try. “On the other hand,” she begins, “you live in a community. Shouldn’t you at least give the folks in your community a chance to do the right thing? If you just refuse from the start to even talk, you’re starting a process that can only lead to violence. In fact, deciding on your own how things should be without considering the opinions and feelings of others is already violence. Please.

Call a meeting. Give the process a chance. You can always turn to civil disobedience or some other tactic later if you’re not satisfied with the result.”

Paul is not convinced, but he’s not going to fight Rebecca. “I’ll call the meeting. I’ll do my best to take part constructively, but I have a bad feeling about this. There’s no way Burton’s going to back down, and neither will we.”

“That may be true for you two, but let’s see where the rest of the city stands, can we?” Rebecca breathes a sigh of relief. She has no idea how to work out a compromise in a case like this, but she has faith in the process.

The Meeting Paul calls the meeting. The DDR announces a process to resolve a dispute regarding fracking in the Anytown area. City Hall calls for participation in an initial planning meeting. That initial meeting sets the date and the ground rules for the town meeting.

The date and the ground rules are announced through local media.

The first meeting is called to order on August 31. Dan Burton and the developers come in and sit on one side of the auditorium. Paul Granger and about a hundred local farmers come in and sit on the other side. According to the ground rules, each side can make two 10-minute presentations. Who goes first is decided by a coin flip. After the presentations, the floor is opened to questions and comments.

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By the time the presentations are over, the conflict is crystal clear. On the fracking side is the prospect of jobs and oil revenue. On the farmers’ side is the prospect of contaminated water, oil and chemical spills, and the boom-bust cycle, that is, the appearance of large numbers of single men coming into town for a few years bringing alcohol, drugs, gambling and prostitution, then the loss of all this activity, good and bad, when the oil runs out.

When the floor opens, the comments come fast and furious. Despite the ground rules prohibiting interruptions, cheering and booing, the white-hot passions are impossible to control. Shouts keep anyone from being heard.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Rebecca shouts into her microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen. Please. Calm down.” The room slowly comes to order. “Every one of you agreed to follow the rules when you came in here. A shouting match accomplishes nothing. Clearly, we’re not ready to deal with this issue. I’m sorry. I should have prepared better. But before we adjourn, I want to tell you that I have just heard that one of my staff has an idea he thinks might make all of you happy. We need some time to work out enough details to explain it to you. Please give me one week from today.

Until then, put the topic away, don’t get into it leaving the building or in the parking lot, just go home and wait for one week. Can you do that?”

Rebecca feels terrible. This was a mistake. She should have known better. A highvoltage conflict like this takes deep investigation and shuttle diplomacy. She should have talked to all the parties and had a tentative plan ready before the meeting started.

The police are all over the parking lot. They intervene a couple times to quell shouting matches, but the crowd disperses without violence. To some extent, this self-control is the result of previous experience. They have faith that Rebecca and her administration will do their best to resolve the conflict in a way that satisfies all parties. And Rebecca is determined to do just that. Luckily, Jed has a great idea.

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and around the world are watching on TV or livestream. Rebecca walks onto the stage and over to the mic. She still has not done any shuttle diplomacy, but she’s filled with confidence and gratitude to Jed. “I’m grateful that this week passed without incident. Thank you for your patience.

Now, as promised, we will present our idea. I don’t expect this to be the final solution, but please listen carefully with open minds and do your best to see how you might use this idea to get what you want or need. I’ll let Jed Graham explain. Jed.” A nerdy, somewhat nervous young man in his early thirties comes to the mic. Clearly not comfortable with large audiences, he grabs the mic without even looking at anyone.

Still, his boyish charm and sincerity have nearly everyone on his side. He reads from a prepared text. “Let me summarize what I think are the interests in conflict here. First, we’d all like Anytown to be more prosperous. Many of us lack jobs. Many of us work for low pay with no benefits or security. We need to improve our local economy. Next, we probably do have shale oil in our area, especially in the prairie out west of town, and some of us are burning to tap into that oil. That group wants investment they believe will create good jobs and prosperity.

“On the other hand, the prairie is already producing livestock. Some ranchers are eager to lease their land to oil companies, but others are completely determined to protect their land from what they believe will be serious, permanent contamination for a temporary boom. They say the oil companies will come in, take our oil, keep most of the money for themselves, and leave us with a toxic mess. Does this pretty much cover the conflict?”

Someone near the front calls out, “Earthquakes!”

Jed is surprised, but accepts the suggestion. “Okay, I take this to be a part of the environmental concern. We all know that fracking has caused an increase in small earthquakes in some areas. Are there other concerns?” Jed waits for more suggestions, but the crowd seems more interested in moving from the problem to the solution.

“Now here’s our proposal. These ideas come mostly from Hannover, Germany.

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them now. The windiest parts of the city, including downtown where the wind whips through the tall buildings, are full of windspires. All garbage from the city is used to make methane, which is collected and burned, and all burnable trash is burned directly. The burning of methane and trash boils water that turns a turbine that generates electricity.

“This plan has attracted tremendous investment from the national government, state government, local companies and residents. All residents benefit from energy prices that are 40% lower than the rest of Germany and far lower than they were before the implementation of this plan. As the plan is more fully implemented, the cost of energy will go down. Maintenance costs for the solar, wind and incinerator systems are low, so once they’re in place, they pay back the original investment in five to ten years.

“Here in Anytown we have plenty of solar and wind energy. We can burn our trash, of course, but we also have the river, which has several significant drops in and near the city. Using new micro-hydro technology, we can generate considerable electricity without damming the river or altering its flow in any way. Thus, part of our proposal is to make Anytown completely energy self-sufficient within five years. By doing this, we can liberate ourselves entirely from both the power and the gas companies, and we will use our own energy to keep energy costs super low or to fund municipal projects.”

At the prospect of liberation from monthly gas and electric bills, a murmur of excitement sweeps through the auditorium. When quiet returns, Jed continues.

“The next question is, where will we get the initial investment for all these energy projects? I will get back to this later. But energy is only part of our proposal. We also propose a city-wide permaculture project. With the help of our farmers and environmental activists, we will turn every inch of arable land in and right around this city to the production of food or other useful plant products like cotton, bamboo, and trees. In addition, we will fill our city with chickens, ducks, goats, and sheep. On larger tracts of land we can raise cattle, kangaroos, ostriches, llamas, alpacas, and other useful and enjoyable animals.

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“This permaculture project will have four goals. First, and foremost, we want to demonstrate that a city like ours can provide good, healthy food to all its citizens for free or nearly free. We will not be growing food for cash. We’ll be growing it to feed ourselves. We’ll all do the work, and we’ll all reap the rewards.

“Second, we will demonstrate that permaculture and natural agriculture techniques can produce more food per acre than industrial agriculture while restoring our soil, water and air. We will create a sustainable, productive system that is healthy for all its inhabitants—plant, animal and human.

“Third, we will become a model of low-energy-low-waste, post-petroleum living. As we experiment and learn how to live within our energy means, we will be preparing well in advance for the day when we can no longer rely on petroleum. We all know this will happen someday. If we start preparing now, we will be ready when the time comes.

“Fourth, by creating a model, post-petroleum, permaculture, energy-self-sufficient city, we will become the greatest tourist attraction in our region. Thanks to our mayor, we’re already an Internet attraction, and tourism has jumped from practically nil to several thousand a year. Now, we’re proposing to create a city that is self-sufficient, healthy, enjoyable and inexpensive to live in—one that will serve as a model for urban development in the 21st century. If we succeed, we will, in the long run, attract far more dollars from tourism than fracking, and this tourism will last longer than the oil. This change will prepare us to be as resilient and successful as possible whatever the future may throw at us. And, people will come from around the world to see what we’re doing.

The Department of Dispute Resolution is already a profit center, right? If we implement this plan, we can make our whole city an energy-generating profit center.

What do you say?” The auditorium explodes with an enormous roar of approval. Jed is grinning like a kid as he hands the mic back to Rebecca.

“Sounds like you like Jed’s idea. I know I do. But if any of you have objections, we need to hear them now. Please come to the mics in the audience.”

Dan Burton reacts first. He steps up to one of the mics and asks, “Like everyone else, I like the idea, but where’s the money coming from? You said you’d deal with that.”

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Jed steps forward and takes the mic back from Rebecca. “Sorry. Yes, and I’m afraid this won’t entirely satisfy you, but we haven’t had time to explore all the possibilities.

What I can say for sure is that many of the programs in this plan are eligible for state and national subsidies. We know foundations also have programs that offer funds to communities experimenting in the ways I’ve described. I think we can do most of what I’ve been talking about with government and foundation funds. However, let me point out that this plan is one we could do ourselves if we do it slowly. The less help we get from outside, the more valuable we become as a model, but most of us think we need to move as quickly as possible.”

The crowd is confused. They start talking in small groups. Rebecca worries that the issue of funding will dampen the enthusiasm for the plan overall. She takes the mic.

“Ladies and gentlemen. Can I have your attention?” The conversations gradually return to silence. “Thank you. I believe that you are, like I am, excited by Jed’s proposal. But we all know a vision like this is easier said than done, especially the initial investment. Let me ask you for one month. During that month we will explore the possibilities and work out the details. I promise you that by mid-October, we will present a detailed proposal explaining exactly how we can accomplish the vision Jed has outlined. Then, you will have a month to respond with your objections or better ideas. By the end of this year or certainly by mid-January, we’ll hold a referendum on this plan with an up or down vote. Is this acceptable?” The crowd applauds to signal its approval. They love Jed’s vision, and they trust Rebecca to bring them a plan. But Rebecca, the mediator, needs to keep the frackers involved.

“Mr. Burton, I don’t want you going away angry or feeling like you lost something.

We will put you and any two or three others you choose on the committee to come up with the details of this plan. Or, you can work with the fracking industry to prepare an alternative plan. Then, in October, we will present your plan along with ours. And, in December, you can offer your plan and the people can choose between yours and Jed’s.

What do you say?”

Dan comes back to the mic. “I came in here ready to fight, but I have to admit the picture Jed has drawn is hard to beat. If you can demonstrate that all this is feasible, I’ll jump on with both feet. I have questions myself about fracking. If we really do have a choice, I want to go with a healthier, longer-term plan. Please do put me on the | P a g e 140

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committee. I’m looking forward to this.” Dan’s declaration is met with a huge roar from the audience, especially from Paul and the farmers who were worried about having to fight him.

Rebecca is beaming as she says, “Thank you, Dan. Sounds like we’re all grateful for your openness. Let’s figure this out together.”

Fast-forward Rebecca assigns Paul and some of his ranchers, Dan and some of his developers, Professor Mollison and some other academics, as well as Jed and other city staff to serve on the committee. They carefully detail, fund, and implement the vision. As Jed promised, Anytown becomes a model twenty-first century city. The initial investments are largely covered by grants and donations. Millions of dollars come in, even from people overseas who want to see Anytown succeed. The local power companies resist at first, but decades of abuse have turned the population against them. They quickly give up. In fact, they join the party, donating their transmission infrastructure to the city and setting up a model smart grid. They know this movement will not end with Anytown.

Now, by consensus agreement, every capable resident has to contribute at least two hours of physical labor a day or pay a special “work tax.” In return, all residents, including restaurants, get extremely low food and energy costs, high community satisfaction, and a strong sense of security. People are friendlier, less stressed, and more cooperative. They’re proud of the town they live in. Tourism takes off, as does training in permaculture and energy management, which helps to fund several small biochar/greenhouse facilities. Of course, a few billionaires and millionaires come down from New York to cash in, but it only takes a few mistakes for most residents to realize that their community is worth far more than money. Anytown is not for sale. No one wants to leave, so there’s no room for speculators. You’re welcome to visit, but if you want to buy into Anytown’s success, go home and create your own Anytown. Anyone can do it.

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Chapter 19 Evil

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“I’ll pray for him. I hope I can help him find his mission.”

While dreaming, Terry makes a mistake. She goes back to the day on Kam Nagala when her mom and Corey came to get her. She hears Sera Ji telling her mom that she (Terry) is going to save the world. The instant she gets the slightest bit excited about saving the world, she begins falling. At first, she’s just falling through space. Then, she’s falling through the Earth. It’s getting darker and colder as she approaches the center.

Or, she’s falling down through the floors of a huge skyscraper. The floors go by too fast to study carefully, but she can see frightening creatures and feel the vibrations getting heavier and more painful. She hears horrifying shouts and screams. The creatures become less human, more animal, then they’re monsters.

She stops falling and stands in front of a creature that’s half-man, half-dragon. It looks at her with contempt burning in its eyes, “So you’re going to save the world, are you?”

“Yes!” Terry replies defiantly. The dragon-man holds out one hand, palm toward Terry, and she is hit by a blast that sends her flying through the air. She lands hard on the ground.

“You have no idea who you’re dealing with, but I tell you this. You’ll save the world over my dead body!”

“So how can I kill you?”

The dragon-man laughs and says, “That’s my point.”

“But why would you want to stop me from saving the world?”

“This world is mine! I’m the one who decides who saves what. You’re still alive because I’m enjoying your childish arrogance.”

“To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?”

“I am the Lord of Your World. I am Kyoh Soh, the Spirit of Competition, and I will defeat you in the final battle.”

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“Pleased to meet you.” With that, Terry begins chanting her mantra. “Kam Nagala tamachi haemase.”

As she chants, her form changes from Terry to Sei Kan. The dragon-man fades from view. She begins rising up through the skyscraper, then wakes up exhausted. It had been a relatively gentle encounter, but Terry is shaken.

She doesn’t believe in evil, and yet, her intuition is telling her that she was actually in the presence of a highly refined, if not pure, evil.

Spiritual Investigation When Terry walks into the kitchen, Corey and her mother have the TV on—very unusual in the morning. It seems someone tried to kill Rebecca Whyte, the mayor of Anytown. Mayor Whyte is holding a press conference. She’s asking the press to help her find the people who ordered the police chief in Anytown to plant a bomb under her car.

Terry sees Rebecca in a new light. She’s heard of her, of course. Everyone’s heard of Rebecca Whyte. She’s a hero, but now, as Rebecca sits there in a friendly way with two men who tried to kill her, Terry knows she’s a kindred spirit. She knows they’ll be working together before long, but with a jolt of fear, Terry understands that the dragon-man in her dream is connected to the attack on Rebecca.

“Terry?” Terry looks up to see her mother staring at her. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine. Just concentrating on Rebecca Whyte. I’m sure she’s an ally, and I think she might need my help.”

“But what can you do? She’s in Anytown, and you’re hundreds of miles away.”

“I’m not sure, but I might be able to help her with what she’s fighting. Can I get you and Corey to help me check something out?”

“Of course, we’ll do whatever we can, but what do we do?” Corey has gone to his room so Evy calls, “Corey, can you come here a minute?”

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Evy explains, with an uncharacteristic excitement in her voice, “Terry needs us to help her do something in the spirit world.”

“Cool. I’m down. What do we do?” Corey looks toward Terry for instructions.

Terry moves to the kitchen table and motions for them to sit with her. They do. “I need you to sit here and hold my hands. I want to search the spirit world for the being that’s trying to kill Mayor Whyte.”

“Why do you need us?” Corey is less concerned about the evil than curious about how this is going to work.

“I had a dream this morning. I met a spirit who threatened me, and I have a feeling he is after Rebecca Whyte. I think this being is quite strong. I might need your help.”

Terry seems focused on her own mind. She’s not really looking at anyone.

“But how?” Corey insists on some attention.

That wakes Terry up. She looks at Corey and makes her request. “If I squeeze your hand, I need you to say, ‘Kam Nagala, Kam Nagala,’ over and over until I signal you to stop.”

This seems to satisfy Corey, but Evy is more concerned about the danger. “Let’s get your father to join us,” she suggests. She looks at Terry with an expression both serious and questioning.

Terry is shocked. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Of course, she should have called him in immediately. “You’re right!” she says, a bit loud. “Let’s call him now.” Terry, her mother and Corey all begin praying, asking Daniel Anitok join them.

After a few minutes, Daniel Anitok appears. “Terry, it’s a good thing you thought to ask Mom and Corey to help you. And Evy, thanks for thinking of me when our daughter was about to leave me out.” Terry’s father is chastizing her, but he’s smiling and beginning to glow. “I can’t keep this physical form. I’ll be with you in spirit. You won’t see me, but I’ll be with Terry, and I’ll help when the time comes.”

Terry is excited to see him. She feels much better now about what she’s about to try.

“Thank you. All of you. I’m going to meditate now and go into the spirit world. If I squeeze your hand, start saying Kam Nagala, okay?”

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Terry straightens her back and closes her eyes. Her golden light emerges. She becomes Sei Kan. In the spirit world, she calls Kyoh Soh, the dragon-man from her dream, but the being that appears looks much more human. “Who are you?”

“They call me Mak Kuro.”

“Are you the one trying to kill Rebecca Whyte?”

“One of many.”

“But why?”

“She’s destroying our adversarial system. She’s threatening evolution itself.

Without competition, all of life will deteriorate, grow weaker. Innovation will slow to a stop. Every species of animal and plant will degenerate. Rebecca must be stopped.”

Mak Kuro’s light is dark, but with white flashes. He swirls energetically as he speaks, but keeps his distance from Sei Kan. “Who sent you?” Sei Kan asks and approaches him, slowly and carefully.

“You know him. You met him today.” Mak Kuro swirls away, but seems to be coiling, like a snake about to strike.

“Why didn’t he come himself? I was calling him.” Sei Kan turns to keep Mak Kuro in front of her.

“How should I know? You called him. He called me. He told me to take care of you, so here I am.” Terry begins squeezing Evy’s and Corey’s hands, hard. “We’ve known for some time that we would have to stop you before we can stop Rebecca. And here you are. You finally called us. You have given us an opening. Now prepare to meet your maker!”

As Evy and Corey chant, Sei Kan’s light grows stronger. Dai Jobu is suddenly there beside her, focused intently on Mak Kuro. Dai Jobu and Sei Kan lift their hands, palms facing Mak Kuro. As they absorb his energy, Terry sees the plan. “Mak Kuro, you’re no match for me and my family.”

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pinched voice he manages to say, “Kyoh Soh underestimated you, but I warn you.

When the time comes, you will be no match for him.” And with that, Mak Kuro turns to smoke and vanishes. Sei Kan and Dai Jobu exchange silent farewells. Then, Terry is back in the kitchen with Corey and her mother. All this time, Terry had been sitting ramrod straight. Now, she slumps over, putting her head on the table.

“What happened?” Corey asks, expecting a story.

Terry jumps up, full of energy again. “Later. I have to warn Mayor Whyte. They’re going to try again. Tomorrow.” Terry walks out the back door onto the porch making full-throated cawing sounds. Before long, two crows land on the railing and a third flutters down onto the back of a deck chair. She exchanges long gazes with each one. The crows fly off.

A few minutes later, she comes back to the kitchen.

“Can you tell me now?” Corey is determined to hear the whole story.

Terry smiles but sits heavily as she responds. “I met a spirit named Mak Kuro. He was planning to kill me, but he didn’t have enough power. Thanks to you two and Dad, we had enough power to absorb the energy he was using against me.” Terry tells Corey what happened, as if she knew. But she doesn’t really. From the time she saw Rebecca Whyte on TV, she felt guided, moved by a powerful force. That force gave her what she needed to defeat Mak Kuro. It gives her the words she uses to answer Corey. But the entire episode lies beyond her comprehension. She just allows the words to come through her.

“Did you kill him?” Corey asks in disbelief.

“No, I’ll pray for him tonight. I hope I can help him find his true mission.”

“You mean he’s not evil anymore?”

“Not right now. He could still slip, but I have a feeling he’ll turn to the light.”

“How did we absorb his energy? Are we more evil now than we were before?” Corey wants to know the what and how.

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our love, he saw the difference. We used the self-centered energy he was using against us to show him our other-centered love. Mak Kuro believed he was helping humanity by fighting me and Mayor Whyte. He is questioning that now. Before he left, he warned me that we’ll have to deal with much more powerful spirits. Still, they can only defeat us if we lose control of our fear or anger. If we keep calm, hold love in our minds, and wish the best for whatever spirit we encounter, we can absorb the fear and anger they use against us.” Terry speaks as if she were listening to herself. Her mother notices the difference. Corey doesn’t. He still has questions.

“But what difference does it make that we were holding your hands?”

“Since you love me, I was able to use your energy. By chanting, you raised the vibration. Together, we raised the vibration above what Mak Kuro could tolerate.

Feeling our love gave me the confidence to stay calm in the face of threats. Feeling our love caused Mak Kuro to vanish into another dimension.”

“What do I have to do to see the spirit world?” Evy has been quiet but listening.

“You have to get over your fear. You’re afraid of the spirit world, right?”

“You’re right. I want to see it more than anything, but I’m afraid for some reason.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to handle it.” Evy fears the powerful emotions she associates with Daniel, Daniel’s death, losing Terry, getting her back. She’s lived all her life in one dimension, a dimension that taught her to control those emotions. To suddenly shift into an awareness of other dimensions threatens that control. She has no idea how to begin or what it might mean, for her or for her and Daniel.

“American culture has no idea what to do with the spirit world. Even those who believe in it don’t know how to come and go. It would be good to start meditating. Shall I teach you? I could really use you and Corey working with me in that dimension.”

Terry and Corey look at their mother, but she doesn’t respond. She’s lost in thought.

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Chapter 20 Rebecca as Target

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“Some in power. Some in pain.”

As she’s picking up her things, getting ready to go to work, Rebecca hears crows cawing right outside her front door. The noise is so loud and unusual, she glances out the window to look for them. She sees an unfamiliar black car with men in it sitting in front of her neighbors’ house. She calls Jeremy, the bodyguard on call at precinct headquarters. He’s on his way to pick her up. She explains the situation. He calls for back up. He comes around the corner in his police vehicle, approaching her house from behind the black car, which starts off casually down the road. Before it gets to the first corner, an unmarked police car suddenly turns sideways to block the street.

The men in the car are arrested. Their assault rifle and handguns are taken from them. They’re taken down to the precinct for questioning. When Rebecca arrives, the police have them in separate rooms, threatening them with long prison terms and offering immunity if they rat out their bosses. They’re not talking. Both sides are angry and belligerent.

“I’d like to speak to them, both at the same time. You can watch and listen from the window, but I’ll need to be in there alone.”

“You’re crazy! You’re the one they were after. How do you know they won’t finish the job they were sent to do?”

“They’re amateurs and they’re caught. If they were pros they wouldn’t have been so obvious. And they’re not fanatics. They won’t touch me in front of an audience. But I need to change the atmosphere.”

The Interrogation Rebecca enters a small room and sits across a small table from Max and Ray. Both are white guys from Othertown.

Max is tall, with light red hair and freckles. Handsome in a rugged way, he looks right at her, as if daring her to say something. Ray is shorter, stockier, with tatoos on his neck and both arms. He refuses to meet her eyes. Could be white supremacists. Could be gangsters, Rebecca thinks as she looks at them carefully, one by one. She | P a g e 150

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concentrates on her mantra until words emerge. “I don’t blame you.” She pauses briefly, then continues. “This thing is bigger than all of us. We play our roles. Some in power. Some in pain. You’ve mostly known anger and pain. I’ve mostly known love, warmth, and now I have power, too. Why have our lives been so different?” She pauses for several minutes.

“Believe it or not, I’m trying to help you,” she says at last. She remembers a technique she practiced in a class on hypnosis. “I’m going to ask you yes or no questions,” she announces. “When I ask and the answer is yes... ” She pauses. Max squints slightly. Ray moves his index finger. “When I ask and the answer is no... “ Max scowls. Ray turns slightly to his right.

“Did you get involved in this because you hate Black people?” Max scowls, Ray turns right.

“Is it just a job?” Max squints. Ray’s finger moves.

“Are you afraid of your employer?” Squint, finger.

“Is your employer in Othertown?” Scowl, turn.

“Is your employer in New York?” Squint, finger.

Excited by the success of this technique, Rebecca’s inspired to dig deeper. “Look.

Whether you go to jail or not, you’re highly likely to run into more anger and pain.

Your employer is already furious that you failed. If we take friendly care of you for a few days and let you out, some important people are going to think you told us something we want to know. Especially if we start closing in on Sarkozi.” She pauses to watch that name take effect.

“But it’s not just this world you need to worry about. Are you aware that there’s a spirit world where you go when you die?” Squint, turn. “Unless you turn yourselves around in this physical world, you’re going to a world of even greater pain than you’re suffering here. I’m offering you a chance to rise quickly to a higher level—here in this world and in the next.” She pauses and watches the muscles in their necks. Both men are still looking down at the table. Neither has responded openly to anything she’s said.

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Suddenly, the men are confronted with a choice, but it’s so far from their realm of what’s possible, they freeze. Rebecca continues, “You’ll feel lighter. Colors will brighten. You’ll feel better about yourselves, and you’ll get to know people who will treat you like human beings instead of like tools or beasts of burden. I’m offering you a way out. You may not have another chance like this.”

“What’d we have to do?” asks Max. “If you agree to be my bodyguards, I’ll ask you to do everything in your power to protect me from the people who want me dead. I’ll put you on the city police force.

You’ll get a decent wage, and the Anytown police will give you all the help they can.”

“She’s lying,” Ray spits out.

“No she ain’t, and you know it,” Max glares at him. “I wanna do it, and if I have to, I’ll protect her against you.”

“Shee-it, you are such a sucker.”

“Look at her, Ray. Look at her!!” Max raises his voice. Ray glances up at Rebecca.

“Now compare her to that gorilla we work for. Who do you think is the better bet?” Ray is silent, looking down. In a minute or two he looks up at Rebecca. Their eyes meet and stay locked for what feels to both like a long time.

“Are you for real?” he finally says.

“I’m for real. I want you on my team. Please.” Tears well up in Ray’s eyes. No one has ever wanted him for anything. No one has ever offered him anything. Even as a baby, he had to scream, claw and grab for everything he got. He’s afraid of the warmth he feels, like he might explode. He breaks down in open sobs, his face on the table.

Rebecca reaches out and takes his hand. He has never been touched by such a comforting hand. She has never done anything like this before, and yet, she knows exactly what to say and do. She wonders where it’s coming from. Then, she wonders briefly if these men are snowing her. But the way it happened. How she felt when it was happening. She has to trust it.

Officer Raddick is dazed and confused. “This morning we arrested these guys with guns in front of your house. They were going to shoot you. Now you want us to put them on the force, with pay? To guard you?” | P a g e 152

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“Officer Raddick, we’re fighting an enemy with vastly more power and resources than we have. These two are not the problem. In fact, they’re now part of the solution.”

“But how can we trust them? A leopard doesn’t change its spots.”

“I saw them change. I watched it happen. So did Jefferson and Starks, ask them.

Please, hire them as my bodyguards. They may still be a bit like wild animals. Be nice.

Tame them. Treat them like they’re on our side, and they’ll use whatever they have to help us when the time comes. Please, just try it this way for a while. If you run into trouble, let me know.” Rebecca is not as confident as she seems, but she needs desperately to be right about this.

Good Guys and Bad Guys Max and Ray now take turns with Jeremy driving Rebecca to work every morning.

They take turns guarding her all day, then drive her home at night. Occasionally, each takes the night shift. After about two weeks, Max picks her up, they get in the car, and he says, “Mayor Whyte, I have a bad feeling. I think they’re going to try again, maybe soon.”

“When did you first have this feeling?”

“As I opened my door to leave this morning, I remembered waiting outside your house for you to open your door.”

“Stop the car.” Max pulls over. “OK, now close your eyes and think back to when you were opening the door and having that feeling.” She pauses to let Max bring it all back. “What do you see?”

“I see a white car parked on the street.”

“Please take me home.” As Max turns the car around, Rebecca calls Chief Scalia, “Chief, I have reason to think some guys in a white car are waiting on my route to work.

They’ll have guns, and they’ll be much more dangerous than Max and Ray. Please send some men out to find them, but warn your men to keep their distance. Also, the car could be black or any color, really. You’re looking for a car with two or three men in it.

These guys will be extremely hard to take alive, but please do it if you can.”

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As soon as he gets the word, Officer Roberts drives past a white car with men sitting in it.

“Chief, I think I just saw them. They’re parked in front of Pat’s Café. Do I engage?”

“No, when you’re out of sight, circle back and keep an eye on them. I’m sending back up. When the others arrive, block all escape, but don’t show yourselves until the copter gets there. The copter will talk to them. You stay out of sight for now.” Soon, the white car is surrounded by eight of Anytown’s finest. A minute or two later, the copter arrives.

A loud voice from the copter says, “Step out of the car with your hands in the air.”

Nothing happens. The copter again. “Open the doors and get out of the car with your hands in the air.” The men inside are calculating their chances, but as soon as they notice policemen pointing guns at them from behind their cars, they know the jig is up. They open the door and get out with their hands in the air.

Back at the Station Chief Scalia calls Rebecca as soon as the capture is made. “Mayor Whyte, the men have been captured without incident and are down at the station.”

“Good job, Chief. Thank you. Looking forward to the story—yours and theirs.”

“How did you know?”

“I didn’t. Max did.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that story. So are you going to add these guys to your guard detail?”

“I’m gonna try. I’ll be down as soon as Max can get me there.” Rebecca puts the phone in her pocket, then, “Thank you, Max. I think you just saved my life.”

“You saved mine,” Max replies, beaming. “Now we’re even. But it ain’t over yet. Not by a long shot.” For no particular reason, Rebecca remembers the crows.

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Chapter 21 Love

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“Evil comes from believing that happiness depends on power.”

Claire does not agree. Deshana is talking about Steve Grabber being a bad seed. “His grandfather built his fortune by cheating poor farmers out of their property. I don’t know about his great grandfather, but his great, great grandfather was a slave owner down in Georgia. He ran a plantation he probably got by killing Indians. Steve Grabber comes from a long line of evil people, and he’s obviously a creep. He’s a bully. He doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He’s just bad—deeply, profoundly bad, and he is going to do nothing but evil his whole life.” Deshana’s anger surprises everyone. As far as anyone knows, Steve Grabber has never bothered her personally.

“What are we calling evil here?” Claire asks carefully. “The Grabbers have done a lot of good for this town. They’re cutthroat competitors, but we wouldn’t have a hospital or a community college without them.”

“You can’t tell Steve Grabber is evil? What’s he gotta do, grab you, too?”

“What?!” Akilah jumps in. “Did Steve grab you?” She’s asking Deshana.

“No, sorry,” Deshana answers a bit sheepishly. “I was just playing off his name.”

Claire gets back into the social philosophy. “I’m just saying I don’t think anyone is pure evil. We’re all a mix. We’ve all got good and evil in us, so we shouldn’t just write anyone off as pure evil. If we decide someone is pure evil, we can’t reach them. The more evil someone is, the more important it is to bring out the good in them.”

As Terry listens, she’s thinking about Dragon-man and Mak Kuro. No one on her re-education committee can go to the spirit world with her, so they have no idea about the good and evil energies she deals with there. She feels truth in what Claire’s saying, but Dragon-man has her wondering. She does feel even now that he might be pure evil.

“Where’re you going, Terry?” Sylvie asks.

“She’s in the spirit world, thinking about good and evil,” asserts Charlie, waving her hands in front of Terry’s eyes.

“Jeeeze, a girl can’t even sit and think for a minute?” Terry laughs, “but you’re right, Charlie. I was thinking about the spirit world and wondering what evil really is. On Kam Nagala, no one talks much about good and evil. We talk about love and selfishness. Love is the way things should be. Love is lost when someone gets selfish. I | P a g e 156

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think that’s close to what Claire was saying. We know there’s love and selfishness in everyone. Children are totally selfish when they’re born. But their parents are full of love, or should be. As we grow, we all have to learn to let love get ahead of selfishness.

On Kam Nagala, I never met anyone I thought was pure evil, but since coming here I’ve heard about things in the news, and I’ve recently had experiences in the spirit world that make me wonder.”

Deshana’s phone rings. She looks at it. It’s from home. She answers. “What? No! No! Where is he? Tell him to hold on. I’m on my way.” Deshana’s in shock but she’s not crying. She’s fierce. “My brother’s been shot. He’s in the state hospital. I gotta go.”

“Let’s all go,” Akilah says with authority. The committee rushes to Deshana’s car.

They get in and ride to the hospital in complete silence.

At the Hospital Deshana rushes in and asks about Devon. An orderly leads the group down the hall to one of the recovery rooms. “You’re his sister, right?” Deshana nods. “Okay, you can go in. I’m afraid the rest of you need to wait here in the hall.” Deshana goes into the room to wait with her family for Devon to come back from surgery.

Terry turns to the others and says, “Hey. Sit with me on the floor, and let’s hold hands.” The others look at her like she’s crazy, but, moving slowly to show their suspicion, they sit. “If I squeeze your hands, I want all of you to start saying Kam Nagala over and over, like a mantra. Like this—Kam Nagala, Kam Nagala, Kam Nagala.

Are you OK with this?”

“What’re you gonna to do?” Claire asks.

“Check in on Deshana and her family from the astral plane. If I squeeze your hand, it’ll mean I’m seeing or encountering danger. It might even mean that I’m under some sort of attack, so I need you to say Kam Nagala as if it’s a prayer and you’re asking for help. Is this okay with all of you?” Terry looks at Charlie, but Charlie’s reaching for Sylvie’s hand. “Okay then. I’m going in.”

Akilah and Sylvie watch as Terry begins to glow. As soon as Sei Kan gets to the astral plane, she finds a dark spirit waiting for her. This one looks a bit more like an animal

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than Mak Kuro did, and he smiles when he sees Sei Kan. “I’m taking Deshana’s brother. He’s so angry he’s the easiest. But this is a warning to you, Jungle Girl. If you weren’t protected by some sort of weird forcefield, we’d go straight for you, but if you want to protect your friends and family, you need to stop what you’re doing. As a matter of fact, if you’ll promise right now to terminate your mission, I’ll let Devon live. Do you promise?” The spirit’s smile says he doesn’t care if she promises now or not. He exudes the confidence of strength.

Surprisingly, Sei Kan feels no fear. Or, she fears for Devon, but not for herself. She’s more curious than afraid. “Who are you?”

“I’m Kuro Moto. Like Mak Kuro, I serve Kyoh Soh” “Thank you, but why is my mission so important?”

“You’re trying to alter the natural flow of power, from hell to heaven.” Kuro Moto is happy to explain the facts of life to this naïve gold spirit.

But Sei Kan pushes him further. “What’s the difference between heaven and hell?”

“What kind of question is that?”

“That’s THE question, isn’t it? What’s the difference?” Sai Kan challenges him.

“The difference is power. Heaven has power. Hell has need. Winners go to heaven.

Losers go to hell. You should know that!”

“Thank you! Now I understand!” Sei Kan sees the problem of evil in an entirely new light. The idea that power is the key to heaven is what keeps the world so competitive.

Or maybe, because the world is so competitive, heaven is associated with power. “In return for your help,” she continues, “I’m going to help you.”

“You’re going to terminate your mission?” Kuro Moto is skeptical to the point of sarcasm.

“No, I can’t do that. But,” she pauses. “I’m going to let you terminate me, if you can.

Please don’t take Devon. If you let Devon go, I’ll let you kill me.”

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“Look,” Sei Kan insists. “I will kneel down and put my head on a chopping block.

You can cut it off with a sword.” As she speaks, the chopping block and the sword appear before them. “But first, you have to let Devon go.”

Kuro Moto is stunned. He feels sure he’s being tricked, but he has no idea how such a trick would work. The chopping block and sword have appeared, so she can’t be lying.

He stands for several minutes in silence. Finally, he says, “You have a deal.” With that, Kuro Moto and Sei Kan find themselves looking down on Devon lying in his hospital bed surrounded by his family. As they watch, he opens his eyes. He sees all the loving, worried faces around him and smiles. “Am I still alive?”

His mother squeezes his hand. “Yes! Yes, you’re alive, child. You’re alive, and you’re gonna live! Do you hear me?” Devon is beaming. For the first time in years, tears are flowing from Deshana’s eyes, and she’s aware of how much she loves her brother.

Kuro Moto turns to Sei Kan. “Ain’t that sweet? But you made a promise. It’s time for you to take his place.”

Sei Kan squeezes Akilah and Claire’s hands. They squeeze Sylvie’s and Charlie’s hands. All five begin chanting Kam Nagala, Kam Nagala as if their best friend’s life depends on it. Sei Kan kneels down and puts her head on the chopping block. Kuro Moto picks up the sword and prepares to swing it down. Suddenly, he’s enveloped in Sei Kan’s golden light. The energy he was generating to swing the sword starts flowing into Sei Kan. Kuro Moto thunders, “You’re going back on your promise?”

“I said, ‘I’ll let you terminate me, if you can.’ I honestly didn’t know if you could or not, but you can’t, can you?”

“You’re stopping me. You lied to me!”

“I’m not stopping you. Love is. The love that’s in you. Don’t you see? That’s your big mistake. You think the difference between heaven and hell is power, but that’s wrong.

The difference is love, what you are feeling now.” With that, Sei Kan starts absorbing the energy Kuro Moto was using against her. But before she can release his true light, he turns to smoke and vanishes.

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Terry is back in the hall with her friends. As soon as she opens her eyes she shouts, “Devon’s going to be OK!! And so are we! Thank you! Thank you! I couldn’t have done it without you!”

“Done what?” Akilah asks extra calmly. She’s trying to calm her wild friend, but Terry is too full of energy to hold herself in.

“I encountered what seemed to me to be an evil spirit. The most powerful evil spirit I’ve ever met. He was going to kill Devon as a warning to me! Thanks to him and thanks to you, I found out what evil really is. Evil is the belief that the difference between heaven and hell is power! In other words, evil comes from believing that happiness depends on power. The more power, the more happiness. The spirit I met actually believed that. He wasn’t so much evil as wrong. He believes and acts on a belief that is simply not true. He attacked Devon and tried to kill me because he sees all of us as a threat to his version of heaven. But he let Devon go and couldn’t kill me because of love. You and I absorbed enough of the energy he was using to kill me so love got stronger in him. That love wouldn’t let him kill me. But I couldn’t have offered to let him kill me if I didn’t have the confidence that came from your love. You were sitting here, holding my hands, loving me and praying for me, so I could fearlessly put my head on the chopping block, and he couldn’t cut it off. See what I mean?”

“Not really,” says Sylvie, “but I do love you, and I’m glad he didn’t chop your head off. We can all agree on that, right?”

Deshana hears the voices in the hall. She comes out of Devon’s room to see her friends sitting on the floor laughing. “My brother’s been shot! He’s in surgery, and you’re laughing?”

“Devon’s going to be fine,” says Charlie, “We all just agreed we’re glad Devon’s okay and Terry’s head didn’t get chopped off. That’s why we’re laughing.”

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“I saw him open his eyes,” Terry answers, “and I saw all of you loving on him and each other. You’re about to be a happy family!”

“How could you see that? He’s still in surgery!”

“I’m not sure how, but I did, and I promise you, Devon is going to be fine.” Deshana turns without a smile and goes back into the room with her family.

Nearly thirty minutes later, Devon is wheeled back into the room. The doctor says, “He’s a lucky boy. The bullet missed all the vital organs. All we had to do was stitch up some tears in the tissues on his right side. His rib is going to pain him for a while but he’s going to be fine. You should all stay here. He’ll be waking up in a few minutes.”

“Thank you, Doctor,” Deshana’s father says. The rest of the family chimes in. In a few minutes, Devon opens his eyes. He sees all the loving, worried faces around him and smiles. “Am I still alive?”

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Chapter 22 Rebecca and the Duke

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“No matter how you see them, they see you as a rival” Rebecca walks into the interrogation room. Duke Jorgenson led the group in the white car. Rebecca feels stronly that she needs to talk to him alone. Again, it’s not easy to get into the room with him, but she’s the mayor.

The Duke is sitting at the table. When she enters, he stands, smiles and says, “Welcome.” Their eyes meet and remain locked for some time. His smile fades to poker face, then to ice. His blue eyes are riveted on Rebecca’s, as if willing her to lose this staring contest. Rebecca feels a wall. She has never looked into such hard, empty eyes.

If eyes are windows to the soul, this soul is shuttered tight.

Rebecca silently chants her mantra, raising the vibration, waiting for words. Finally, before they come to her, the Duke says, “I don’t care what you do to me. You won’t turn me like you did those punks.”

“Is this the way you want it?” Rebecca is genuinely curious. She wonders what turns a man so deliberately, openly evil.

“It is what it is,” he snarls. “You’ll soon be dead, and I’ll be out of jail, free to kill again.”

“When you’re out of jail, you’re free? The way you live, you’ll never be free. In or out of jail, you’re a slave. You’re free to follow orders or die. You’re free to live in fear. You failed. You did no better than Max and Ray. You’re thinking about what excuse you can give, and what they’ll say or do, what your punishment will be.”

“You’ll be dead, and I’ll be fine. You have no idea who you’re up against.”

“Let’s look at this another way.” She looks at the Duke for a long time. Suddenly, he looks small. Pathetic. “You’ve never known any real happiness. Do you have children?

Maybe you do, but they don’t know you. You’ll never have a wife who loves you.” The Duke starts to object. “Yeah, sure, lots of women are excited by your money and strength, but they don’t love you. They take you for what they can get. And you don’t love them. In your world, love is for losers. You try so hard to be strong, to project power, but you have no love, and love is the force that creates happiness.”

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Rebecca speaks softly, with compassion. “You didn’t start this. Your parents, maybe theirs—you’re from a long line of cold ambition and rage, striving for power, leaving a trail of pain, sorrow, hatred and death. You have no idea what warmth is.” As Rebecca speaks, she surprises herself. She is actually feeling sympathy—sympathy for the devil.

The Duke glares angrily but doesn’t resist. He doesn’t know how to resist warmth and compassionate understanding. He’s never had to. Rebecca’s words don’t even compute, but her softness has an effect.

“They’re going to kill you,” he says softly. He’s still glaring at her, but the daggers are gone.

“It doesn’t have to be this way.” Rebecca’s compassion is palpable.

“It’s the only way there is.” He starts to retreat.

“Most of the people on this planet live far warmer, safer, more comfortable and happier lives than you do.”

“Only when we let them. We’re the ones who decide.” The anger and competition sneak back into his tone.

“And by deciding the way you do, you bring us all down a notch or two. We all suffer, but you suffer most. You live in the shadow of death. Cold, pitiless, painful death. You don’t have to live with so much fear and rage. I don’t. It’s possible to live in the light, in the warmth.”

“You think I’m bad? I’m Mother Teresa compared to the rest. I kill to protect myself and my employer. The others kill for fun. They kill for an extra fifty cents. They kill young kids to keep them from growing into a challenge.” The Duke defends his role in his world.

“Don’t you get it?” Rebecca presses in. “They think the same of you. At your level, anyone with power is a rival to be eliminated or feared. And yet, you can never get rid of rivals. When one falls, another rises. The only way to actually protect yourself is to play a game without rivals.”

“Meaningless gibberish from someone who has rivals paying lots of money to have her killed. No matter how you see them, they see you as a rival, and they’ll kill you before they let you challenge them. They certainly won’t let you change the game.” | P a g e 164

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“Just by trying to change the game, I’m living in a better world now, and I’ll go to a better world when I die.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit!” Now, he’s angry again, but a bit too angry. She’s getting to him. “People like you have no idea what reality is. My kind make this world go around. Only weaklings talk about the next world.”

“Listen to me, Duke.” She waits for him to look at her. She speaks right into his empty eyes. “I’ve seen the spirit world. It’s real! I’m not lying, and I swear to you that you’ll be happier now and in the next world if you quit the team you’re on and come work with me.”

“It’s too late.”

“It’s never too late. If you help me, I can help you.”

“They’ll get us both.”

“Then we’ll die together fighting for love. The true goal in this world is not power.

It’s love. Love is the only thing worth fighting for, the only thing worth dying for. Love.”

Her eyes are locked on his.

The Duke is stunned. For some reason far beyond his comprehension, the word “love” spoken just now by Rebecca hits him like a wrecking ball. He feels his defenses collapsing.

In the presence of this woman he can no longer project his ice. He can no longer catch the waves of rage he’s been surfing so long. A door cracks open; a thin ray of warm light shines in. He can no longer imagine killing this woman.

Where does she get this power? It makes no sense, and yet....

It’s as if she reached into his brain, turned some knobs, and rebooted him on an entirely new channel. He puts his head down on his arms on the table. Rebecca sits across from him and stares. She wants to take his hand, but something tells her not to push it. She waits.

“I don’t know why,” the Duke says at last as he lifts his head. “but I believe you. It’s all so obvious. You actually do live in a world that’s warmer and safer. Your world is better. I swore you’d never turn me, but you have. I can’t go back to the life I was | P a g e 165

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leading, and I... would like to work with you.” He lifts his head further to meet her eyes.

“Is that possible? For me to shift from my life to yours?”

“Yes, you can. And I’m glad you want to. You know better than I do how badly I need your help.” She smiles at him, but without a trace of triumph. She smiles like a friend greeting a friend who has just come home from a long trip.

“You do need my help.” The windows to the Duke’s soul are opening. “And I can tell you this. I work for Michael Mancuso in New York, but the mob is not your problem.

We don’t care if you live or die. We’re just trying to kill you for money. I can tell you for sure that someone outside the mob with serious power and money wants you dead.

You need to find out who.”

“I have another idea. Can you introduce me to Michael Mancuso?”

The Duke’s eyes widen in surprise and fear, not for him but for her. “You think you can turn him like you turned me?” He tries to imagine their encounter.

“I think I might be able to make a deal. I might be worth more to him alive.” Rebecca is not sure what that deal might be, but she has a strong intuition that she needs to meet Mancuso and get him to stop trying to kill her.

The Duke is doubtful. “You need to offer something more attractive than whatever they’re getting for rubbing you out. In the mob we never do anything without a reason, and that reason always has something to do with power or money. I can’t just say, ‘The person you’re trying to kill wants to meet you.’”

“Okay, you tell Mancuso that the mayor of Anytown wants to tell him in person why keeping her alive will benefit him and his whole family more than killing her.”

“How am I supposed to convince him of that? Remember, I’m not on his side anymore.”

“That’s the key! His interest is power.” Rebecca smiles. “Tell him I turned Max and Ray and you because I have tremendous power, and I want to make a deal with him.

And, as we all know, if he doesn’t like the deal, he can kill me.”

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Chapter 23 Levels of Life

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“You’re learning who you are” Terry walks in from school. As soon as she gets to the kitchen her mother says, “Can we talk?”

“Of course,” Terry says without thinking, but she looks at her mother carefully for some sort of clue.

“I’ve been thinking about the spirit world.” Evy stops drying dishes and sits down at the table. “What’s it like?”

Terry follows her to the table and, sitting down, looking at her mother’s eyes, she begins. “First of all, talking about the spirit world is like those blind sages talking about the elephant. From what I’ve heard and seen myself, the spirit world is infinite. The rules depend on the dimension you’re in. My experiences in most dimensions change with my thoughts, moment by moment. It’s like a dream world where I meet certain beings and have certain experiences. I have some control, but it always seems incomplete and unstable compared to here. On the other hand, at higher dimensions, I feel a completion or stability I never feel here in the physical world.”

Evy is not that interested in a general explanation. She’s still dealing with her fear.

“I want to go with you and Daniel to the spirit world. I’ve been thinking about it a lot, but I’ve always had the feeling it’s dangerous. It’s the occult. I’ve heard about spiritual warfare with goblins and demons and Satan. And recently, you’ve been going there and meeting evil spirits. I have no idea how to get there, and, even if I do, I have no idea how to keep myself safe.”

Terry tries to put herself in her mother’s position. After a while, she says, “I guess I just take it all for granted. I had Daddy and Sera Ji guiding me. I never thought of it as dangerous.” After another pause, she goes on, “Let me tell you what I learned from Sera Ji.” On Kam Nagala, Sera Ji held regular classes for what he called “spiritual growth.” Terry begins speaking not from her own experience but from what she learned in those classes.

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“Another thing is, the dimensions are like wavelengths in light. They’re an infinite spectrum, but certain broad sections can be clearly perceived as different, like colors.

Sera Ji divides the spirit world into five levels between here and God. The first level is the astral plane. After that comes the mindspirit plane, then the spirit plane, then the spirit-god plane, then the god plane. These are the big divisions, like red, orange, yellow, green and blue. Sei Kan is what I consider my true self. Terry is my physical body, but my consciousness is in Sei Kan. Eventually, I will find another identity on the spiritgod plane.

“You have this physical body called Evy Anitok, but you also have an astral body, a mind-spirit body, a spirit body, spirit-god body, and a god-body. You have all these already. When you die, you will go to one of those spiritual dimensions depending on your level of consciousness. Right now, your consciousness is in your physical body.

You believe you are Evy Anitok. Through meditation and training, you can get to know your other bodies even while you still have a physical body. Daddy is conscious of his spirit body and so am I, so your consciousness is probably in that dimension, too, if you can remember it.” Terry stops to see how her mother is taking this.

Evy asks, “Is there a hell?” She’s still afraid of something. Terry has no idea where her fear is coming from.

Terry tries to answer. “I haven’t learned that much about the levels of hell because I never needed to, but I’ve heard there are human levels, animal levels, monster levels, and demon levels. But these levels are super chaotic because we human beings created them ourselves. Even Satan exists only because so many people believe in him. He does actually exist, in a way, and he is extremely dangerous, but if all human beings stopped believing in him, he would disappear. He has no existence apart from us. I’ve also been told many times that if you keep God and good in your mind, you don’t need to worry about hell.

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“Ah, that reminds me of the other main thing about the spirit world. I know this from my own experience. We create our surroundings and experiences in that world with our thoughts and, especially, with our will. The higher you go in the spirit world, the more completely your world is created by what you think or desire, minute by minute. If you think, “I want food,” chances are, the food will appear immediately right in front of you. But if you think, “I want food, but I don’t deserve it,” the food might be there, but you won’t be able to eat it. This is why we have to learn to understand our own minds.

“Sera Ji says that at higher dimensions, we’re always with beings who are very similar to us in belief or desire or habits of thought. So another purpose of this physical world is to expose us to beings who are different and to learn from them how to be the kind of person we want to be in the spirit world. From what I can see, you’re a warm and loving person who’s always helping people, so I’m sure you’ll go to a place like that in the spirit world. I don’t think the spirit world is a danger for you.”

Something Terry has said helps Evy. She seems much more relaxed and smiles as she says, “Well, that’s good to know.” She’s about to ask how to go to the spirit world and find Daniel, when...

“Hi, Evy.” He’s there, but not there. She hears his voice, for sure, but she can’t see him.

“Daniel?!” Evy looks around the room.

His voice comes again. “I’m glad you’re getting serious about the spirit world. You can’t see me because making myself visible takes too much energy. I’m hoping we can get better and better at piercing the veil, but I’m here now because I need to talk to Terry.”

“Wait a minute!” Evy demands. “I’m not really hearing you, am I. Not with my ears.

I’m hearing you in my mind. How are we doing this?”

“I really don’t know. Somehow, you’ve tuned in to my vibration. Could have something to do with the channel Sera Ji opened for Terry and me back on the island.

Sera Ji closed that channel, but our family is still a bit unusual when it comes to shifting dimensions.” He stops to think. Then, “Terry, have you introduced Evy to Sei Kan?” | P a g e 170

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“No, but she wants to know the spirit world, and she wants to be with us and help us.” Terry is excited by what seems to be happening.

Daniel’s voice is gentle and reassuring. “Evy, the man you knew as Daniel Anitok was actually a physical body taken on by a spirit-plane being called Dai Jobu. Terry still has a physical body, but her spirit-plane self is Sei Kan.” As Daniel explains this to Evy, she looks toward his voice and sees a vaguely human-shaped light forming maybe ten feet in front of her. His light is mostly gold but with a strong red tinge. As his light grows in size and brightness, Evy turns toward Terry.

What she sees is a pure golden light radiating out in all directions from a center that, at first, still looks a bit like Terry, but soon it’s impossible for Evy to find the center. Evy is in reverent awe. These light beings reach out and touch her. Suddenly, she feels her whole body vibrating. She looks down and sees her body turning to light. She feels the fear, the fear she was talking to Terry about.

The light begins to fade.

“Come on, Evy,” she hears Daniel say. “You’re learning who you are. You’re remembering your consciousness on the spirit plane with us. It’s nothing to worry about. You can go back to being Evy, but for now, just let her go. Who are you?”

The new light coming from Evy is greenish-gold. As it emerges, Evy says, “I’m Mido Ri!” Her light shines brighter, flashing with excitement. The light beings mingle, full of joy, completely reunited at last. After a time of getting to know each other at this level, Mido Ri says, “I don’t want to go back.” She pauses, then continues, “I want to stay here, with you.”

“That’s the big problem with knowing the spirit world.” Dai Jobu’s voice expresses the sorrow of separation. “You don’t have to go back. No one can make you, but you will, as soon as you remember Corey.”

Mido Ri takes more time to calm down, but she resigns herself. “You’re right. I’ll go back. And not just for Corey. Evy still has things to do. But it’s so hard!” Dai Jobu and Sei Kan feel her anguish. “Sei Kan, it must be terribly hard for you to keep going back to Terry.” | P a g e 171

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“Not really,” Sei Kan replies cheerfully. “I’m used to it. I know my mission, and I actually enjoy going back and forth. Of course, it’s hard to be Terry sometimes, but it’s all part of the problem I need to solve at this level. And solving that problem is not just for me. It’s for the world. It’s for everyone. I’m proud to be working on it. And I’m grateful to Dai Jobu and Mido Ri for making me possible.”

“This is happening!!” Dai Jobu’s light is bright and full of swirls and sparks. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been this happy. I guess we can enjoy each other a bit more, but we have work to do. I almost forgot what I came to talk about.” His light calms down and darkens somewhat. “Rebecca Whyte is about to drop down to a level of hell that could easily kill her. We need to help her get in and out safely.”

“How do we do that?” Sei Kan is puzzled. She did not see this coming.

“I’ve been warned by my guardian spirit to do what I can, but she will have beings around her that make Kuro Moto look friendly.”

“What’s going on?” asks Mido Ri. She’s confused and concerned, but the fear is gone. She wants to join the team.

“Mayor Whyte will go to New York to meet a man name Michael Mancuso. He’s human, but just barely. He’s a gangster, and most gangsters live very close to the animal level. What we need to do is fill the space where they meet with love for as long as Mayor Whyte is with him.”

“How do we do that? I have no idea where that room is or how to fill it with love.

Should I follow Mayor Whyte?” Mido Ri has yet to remember how to travel on the spirit plane.

“I need both of you to stay home tomorrow. I’ll come here, and we’ll work together.

Now we can work as three, so Rebecca will get some first-rate spirit-plane assistance.”

Sei Kan and Mido Ri still have no idea what they’ll be doing for Rebecca, but they bask happily in Dai Jobu’s confidence and joy.

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Chapter 24 A Deal with the Devil

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“If you do these things, I’ll do my best to respect the borders between your world and mine.”

Rebecca is in New York against the advice of Chief Scalia, Hendersen, Cassidy, and everyone who knows she’s going. She’s here to meet the man who ordered two teams of people to kill her. Her goal is to get him to stop that sort of thing.

Rebecca is ushered into a large, luxurious office, where she finds Mancuso alone.

He guides her to the sofa and offers her a drink. She declines. He sits in a large chair with a coffee table between them. Once settled, their eyes meet and lock. As Rebecca chants her mantra and her breathing slows toward normal, she realizes that she’s looking at an animal. This man is not so much evil as primitive. His consciousness is similar to that of a lion. He’s a predator. He kills to eat. Killing is in his nature. He’s evil only to the extent that human society is trying to rise above this level of animal consciousness. Like a lion, he has to be controlled or caged because the only law he understands is raw power. He would kill her without a thought if he believed her death to be in his interest. To escape his talons, she will have to frighten him, offer him food or both.

“This could take some time,” she begins. “I need to start at the beginning.”

“I’m all ears.” Mancuso is in his territory. He feels no fear, but he finds himself amazed by the courage and beauty of the woman in front of him. He feels himself being attracted to her, but he stamps that feeling out. He knows he needs to pay careful attention. This is a woman with power.

“You gangsters have made a serious mistake,” Rebecca begins. “I’m trying to recover the balance. If you help me, we can keep this planet livable. If you keep doing what you’re doing, homosapiens will be extinct in 30 years. If human life goes extinct, that includes you and your whole family. Mob families are in danger, as much as the rest of us. So please open your mind and listen as carefully as you can.” The poker face doesn’t twitch. It waits for her to go on.

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he expanded government territory and squeezed you out of yours. After the war, the Americans let you take your territory back again, but that’s because you and the US government had started working together. Lucky Luciano was a big help to the Navy, first in New York, then during the invasion of Sicily. Ever since, certain elements of the US government have asked you for favors. You have obliged and have been rewarded in various ways, including money and get-out-of-jail cards.

“You never saw the banksters coming. They pushed the warmongers out and are dipping into your territory. So now it’s the world of finance versus the world of weapons, with you on the side of the weapons. The problem is, you gangsters have brought high levels of deceit, violence and lawlessness into supposedly lawful government and business. By doing that, you’ve made it impossible to solve some serious global problems. Are you with me so far?” Rebecca sees Mancuso look down.

She has no idea what he’s thinking. His eyes and face are more tightly shuttered even than the Duke’s.

Mancuso looks up. “I’m still listening.” He’s telling the truth. He’s a bit distracted by the power he feels radiating from Rebecca. He feels some sort of danger. Her words are making an impression. He has an urge to call his guard and have her killed right now, but he’s curious. He wants to hear the rest of her pitch. “Please continue.”

Rebecca feels like running out of the room, but she knows she wouldn’t get far. And her only hope is to get this man on her side. She continues. “My mission is to work within the realm of lawful government to address a set of problems that threaten human life on this planet. The biggest problem is public stress. This stress is due to population, climate change, the gap between rich and poor, the Internet, and the natural evolution of human consciousness toward decentralization. But regardless of the causes, this stress is generating intense anger and fear.

“The anger and fear are expressed as racism, religious conflict, xenophobia, class conflict, hyper-nationalism, police brutality, addiction and insanity. These social problems are stimulating violent conflict while making it impossible to eliminate nuclear weapons and war. Nuclear weapons and war are making it impossible to

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cooperate to limit our emissions of CO2 and other toxins. If we stay on our current path, the human race will be extinct before 2050.”

She pauses again to see if he’s listening. He is, but he’s not agreeing. She might be talking over his head. “You haven’t bothered to study these threats, but I assure you they’re real. They are serious, and they will take us all off this planet if we don’t make some radical changes quickly. So my first request is, have your people study these problems. If they find I’m wrong, go ahead and kill me. But if they find I’m right or may be right, I have a couple other requests.

“First, I want you stop sending people to kill me. In fact, I want you to help me become president in the 2024 elections. We can talk later about how. But in that connection, I need you to stop cooperating with the warmongers or anyone else who tries to use you to control dissent and manipulate legitimate, peaceful, lawful politics.

I need you to stop turning peaceful protests violent. I need you to stop killing or threatening politicians. I need you to stop killing journalists, union leaders, socialists, and other political actors who have nothing to do with your world and are no threat to you or your business. I need you to divorce yourself from the legit world. Retreat to the underworld and keep that world as separate from my world as you possibly can.

“If you do these things, I’ll do my best to respect the borders between your world and mine. You can carry out your gambling, prostitution, drug running, and, within the underworld, your extortion rackets, with no interference from me. We’ll go back to the two-world system. I can’t grant you legitimacy, but I can grant you your own territory. The main thing you’ll gain from this is continued survival for you and your family. Is this acceptable?”

Mancuso hesitates. He’s considering her requests. “You’re asking a lot,” he says at last. “We’ve got control over much of the legit world, and through that control, we’re making more money than ever in the history of the Mafia. In fact, we’re taking in so much cash through drugs and weapons, our biggest problem is where to put it. We need to invest in legit businesses, which we do. It wouldn’t be easy to keep our money out of the legit world.”

Rebecca is ready for this one. “I don’t care what you make through drugs and weapons. I don’t care where you invest. But to save humanity as a whole, I need you to stop killing people like me. I need you to stop interfering in legit politics. You are | P a g e 176

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lawlessly helping fraudulent elements take over the world of law. As a result, the poor and weak are suffering too much. At a certain point, they’ll explode. You’re also destroying the environment, which can’t defend itself. You’re making it possible for people whose morals and consciousness are lower than yours to control the wealth, the resources, and decision-making on this planet. If you keep helping them, they’ll destroy the ecosystem we all, including you, depend on for survival.”

As Rebecca speaks, Mancuso feels an entirely new warmth flowing through his veins. He’s shocked. He finds himself feeling some sort of love for this woman, not just the normal attraction but some sort of caring. He wants to help her. He wants her to be happy, as if she means something to him. For the first time in years, Mancuso is confused by something coming from inside him. But his face betrays nothing. He’s too good an actor to let her see anything real.

Rebecca continues, “All I’m doing is changing the way the legit world makes decisions, but you’re making it too hard. If you keep trying, you’ll get me eventually.

On behalf of the human family, I’m asking you to let me live. Let me and my party change the legit world. In the long run, both of our worlds will be safer, more comfortable, and more sustainable.” Rebecca’s eyes burn deep into his as she adds, “Unless you start thinking about your long-term interests, you won’t have a long term.”

Mancuso returns her penetrating stare. He remains cold and impassive on the surface, but Rebecca sees a glimmer of something fatherly, or maybe grandfatherly.

After a silence, he responds. “I’ve been uncomfortable for some time with the way things are going. Everyone knows we’re stampeding toward a cliff. The banksters you mentioned pushed the warmongers out with a financial collapse. We’re invested in that market, and we saw the whole economic system going down any minute. That didn’t scare us, of course. Tough times are good for us, but we saw the possibility of total chaos, which would not be good for anyone.”

He pushes his chair back, rises, and begins to pace, addressing the floor, not looking at Rebecca. “I have no idea who you are, why you think you can come in here and talk to me like this, why you think you’re going to be President, or why I should take your existential threat seriously, but... " he swivels to look at her. “I know power when I feel it. I can see now how you turned even the Duke.” He pauses. “I’m going to give you a chance to see what you can do and how it affects us.” | P a g e 177

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He resumes pacing. “I can’t promise for all the other families, but our family won’t harm you. I’ll do my best to persuade others around the world. In fact, I’ll do my best to protect you.” He stops in front of her and delivers his next words slowly. “But! If you betray me... if you become president and your administration comes after us, you will not last long.”

Rebecca shows on her face that she takes his threat seriously, then she brightens and starts in cheerfully. “Thank you. I’m relieved. I’m grateful. You’ll start hearing about the presidency pretty soon, and...” She stops talking at that light level. She looks into his eyes again and gets serious. “I feel your power, too, and you do scare me. I know I will not fulfill my mission without your protection. But at the same time, I know this. If I succeed, you will, too, in ways you don’t expect.” They exchange thank yous and goodbyes. Rebecca takes her eyes from his, picks up her purse, turns and walks out his door. Mancuso watches her leave, then sits heavily into the chair behind his desk. Both now wonder what in the world they’ve just done.

Taking the Deal Back to Anytown The next morning, Max picks Rebecca up to take her to work. He’s smiling. Rebecca asks, “What are you smiling about?”

“Not sure. I just have a feeling the world is cleaner today. The colors are brighter.

The sounds are sharper, more distinct. Maybe it’s just cause you’re back safe.”

Rebecca returns his smile. “You’re a true sensitive. I’ll tell you all about it when we get to work.” When they arrive, she says, “After you park the car, come to my office with the Duke, Ray, and Jeremy.” When she gets to her office, she calls Chief Scalia, “Hi there. I made it home with something to report. Please bring Hendersen, Cassidy and the whole security team. I’ll see you in my office as soon as you can get here.”

When the team guarding Rebecca gathers, she starts her report. “I met with Michael Mancuso, but I need that fact to remain an exception to our rule of transparency. I hate secrets, as you know, but what I’m telling you now is secret and probably should remain so for the foreseeable future.” As she notices her team looking at her, she suddenly feels the enormity of what she is about to report. Most of them are recently converted gangsters themselves, so maybe they’ll understand. But what about | P a g e 178

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Cassidy? What about all of Anytown’s law-abiding citizens? Was the deal a wise move?

Was it moral?

“As most of you know, nearly every large, complex society has an underworld, a world operating outside the law. Here in Anytown, it’s the guys who hang around at the racetrack, the pool halls, the bars and brothels. They sell drugs. They get in fights. They compete with each other to control territory and wealth.

“Meanwhile, we have the world of law—law-abiding citizens who go to work, go to church, join the PTA, cheer the baseball team, serve as volunteers, and take part in politics. They run for office. They work for companies, or they’re activists working for causes. So we have these two worlds. Well,” she pauses, “Mancuso and I agreed to keep these two worlds separate. I promised that we would let the gangsters operate, sell drugs, even kill each other in their own underworld, as long as they keep their activities out of our world.” She searches their faces for reactions. The ones showing the most confusion are Max and Cassidy.

“I’m well aware that the two worlds intersect. Most people who buy drugs are not gangsters. Most people who bet on the races and play pool are not gangsters. Some gangsters run restaurants and invest in legitimate businesses. And gangsters depend on crooked cops. But for the most part, everyone involved knows to keep the worlds separate. And as long as the worlds are separate, society functions fairly well. To some extent, both worlds are necessary. A bit of hell on Earth is important. It demonstrates that life gets better through love and virtue; it gets worse through selfishness and rulelessness.

“The problem we face now, though, is the use of gangsters by people posing as lawabiding politicians or businessmen. Some of the people society knows as legitimate politicians, oil men, bankers, and CEOs are paying gangsters to threaten or eliminate rival individuals, groups, ideas, and movements. Jerseyside tried to bump me off just so they could buy Grave’s Mill, right? The people in our world of law who use gangsters to do their dirty work make it impossible for virtuous, law-abiding men and women to achieve significant influence. Today, society as a whole is dominated by leaders who pretend to be law-abiding but are actually gangsters, worse than gangsters, really.

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“Lawlessness is destroying our social fabric. It’s destroying democracy, even respect for democracy. It’s widening the gap between rich and poor. It’s making it impossible for ordinary people to protect themselves through cooperation. When someone tries to bring people together to improve society, he or she is killed. The cooperative effort dies. The very concept of cooperation is practically dead at the level of national politics.

And this inability to cooperate is leading toward economic, social, political and even environmental collapse. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I do.” It’s the Duke. “Everyone in this room underestimates the influence the gangsters and other lawless elements have on what you consider to be civilized society, what Rebecca calls the world of law. She is right. She is very right. Until I met her I believed the world of raw power was the only real world. The world of law is a fantasy for weaklings. I believed that!” He turns to Rebecca. “But do you think you actually made a deal with Mancuso? Do you trust him?”

“I believe he does see the danger. I think he understands that our survival as a species depends on keeping our worlds separate. He and I agreed that he will do his best to keep the mob from lawlessly helping anyone who pretends to be in our lawful world. And I’ll make sure my efforts to promote a more transparent, cooperative and virtuous society will not intrude unnecessarily into the underworld.

“Of course, mistakes will happen. I have to criticize and fight crime. The police have to enforce the law. That’s just the way it is. But for now, we need to think of the underworld as a world apart. As long as they keep to themselves, we won’t go out of our way to identify, reveal and pursue the gangsters. I will not try to find out who has been trying to kill me. In return, we can be assured of physical safety. He actually said he will do his best to protect me.” Rebecca is grateful for the Duke’s support, but she knows what she just said is vague and threatening, as if she’s supporting crime.

“I know this is hard to grasp, which is why we can’t make it public. I just hope the people in this room understand and will help me keep my end of the bargain. Any questions?” She looks directly at Chief Scalia. He’s the one who will need to manage this deal.

Chief Scalia responds. “Fact is, we’re already pretty much there in Anytown, like you said. Crime mostly stays in the underworld, and I’ve been cooperating with gangsters for years. I think I can satisfy both ends of this deal.” | P a g e 180

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“I’m not comfortable with the secrecy,” Cassidy says immediately. “You’re telling us something we’re not supposed to tell others. That makes all of us vulnerable in a way we weren’t before. You’ve built your administration and your whole approach to government on openness, honesty, transparency, and inclusion. Now you’re becoming like the government you’re trying to change. What if people find out you’re making deals with New York gangsters?”

“Thanks, Cassidy. I’m worried, too. I wondered all the way home if I’ve done the right thing. But I ended up convincing myself that the deal I just made is a tremendous step toward the change we want to see in the world. My agreement with a completely lawless murderer will make it possible to demonstrate the advantages of transparent, inclusive, consensual government-by-process even at the national level. If we succeed, the world of law will slowly but surely improve. If the ARP is free to operate without fear of the underworld, we’ll make our legal world a relative paradise. When we do that, the underworld will shrink. Its denizens will gradually find it far safer and more comfortable to live in our world. So yes, I made a deal with the devil, but I think it’s a good deal, for us and the devil. And please remember, without this deal, I would be dead. I know that for sure. The ARP would be dead. I hate this limit on our transparency, but this deal will eventually be understood as proving the superiority and the power of our approach. Can you give it a chance for a while?”

Cassidy loves Rebecca. “I trust you’re doing your best to make things better for all of us, but I’ll be looking forward to the day when we can talk openly about the two worlds and give people a conscious choice.” Rebecca can see she’s still nervous, which makes Rebecca nervous.

Before Rebecca can respond, Chief Scalia asks, “Does this mean we lighten up on protecting you?”

The Duke steps in again. “No. Mancuso doesn’t control the whole underworld. We need to see how this deal plays with the rest of the mob. We need to see if the deal is holding. The more power Rebecca gets, the more enemies she’ll make. It’s way too early to lighten up.” The whole team enters an uncomfortable realm of wait and see, a discomfort they have to keep to themselves.

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Chapter 25 Graduation

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“Shall we do what we’re told?”

It’s May. Terry and her re-education committee will be graduating in a month. Akilah is on the prom committee. Sylvie broke up with Jack Armstrong, so she’ll be going with Rick Hanson. Charlie’s taking Mary, of course. Everyone saw that coming.

Akilah calls Terry. “You going to the prom?”

“Nope.”

“Why not?”

“No one asked me, and proms are not a place you go alone, right?”

“No one asked you? What about Stu? I figured you’d be going with him.”

“If he had asked, I’d have said yes, but he didn’t ask.”

“Okay, it is what it is. But after the prom, there’s a party at Darla’s house. You’ll come to that, right?”

“Darla’s house? Sure, I’ll be there. It’ll be fun to see how her family’s getting along.

But will it be okay if I don’t have a date?”

“Of course, we all want you there. The prom ends at 10, so get there around 10:30, okay?”

“Okay, thanks.”

Talking to Stu By the time Terry gets to Darla’s, the house is full. The door is open, so she walks right in.

Darla’s father is nowhere to be seen, but Terry knows from Darla that he did, in fact, quit drinking, and their home has been much, much happier. Right now, the music is loud, and the house is jammed with kids dancing, shouting, laughing and saying goodbye.

Darla hurries over to greet Terry. “Hey, glad you’re here. All this is because of you,” she says, waving her hand at the crowd.

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“I admit I helped, but you and your family are the ones who did it. Congratulations on this, and on being our basketball and volleyball MVP. You’re such an athlete! I love watching you play.”

“I’m only MVP ‘cause you’re not playing.”

“Nope, you’ve been playing those games all your life. I really don’t understand them.

You still can’t beat me up, though.” Darla smiles and gives Terry a big shove. Terry falls back, crashing into Stu, making him spill most of his two drinks. “I’m sorry,” Terry says as she regains her balance.

“Hang on, I’ll get a rag.” Darla runs off toward the kitchen.

“Was one of those for me?” Terry’s smiling.

“Yeah, I saw you come in.” Stu is standing with two mostly empty glasses and wine dripping from his hands.

Darla’s back with a dishtowel. “I’m so sorry,” she says as she wipes Stu’s hands, then bends down to wipe off his pants and shoes. Terry and Stu just stand there watching as she cleans first him then the floor. Darla stands up and meets their gaze. “What’re you looking at?”

“I’m looking at you,” Stu smiles, “but only because I don’t know what else to do. You know you’re easy to look at, right?”

Darla actually blushes, then laughs out loud. “You’re a shameless flirt, young man.

Gimme those glasses. You two go get something to drink.”

Stu looks at Terry. “Shall we do what we’re told?”

“It’s Darla’s house. I guess we should. I’ll follow you.” Terry smiles a thank you at Darla, then turns to follow Stu toward the kitchen. They get their drinks and Stu heads away from the music toward the back porch. Terry follows.

Out on the porch, Stu turns to Terry and asks, “Did you go to the prom?”

“Nope. No one invited me.”

“If I’d invited you, would you have gone with me?”

“Of course.” Silence. They avoid looking at each other.

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Stu breaks the silence. “I didn’t go either, you know.” He pauses, then looks Terry in the eyes. “Why didn’t I invite you?”

“I don’t know for sure, but I have an idea.” She looks down at her drink and continues, “I think you like me. I like you, too. We enjoy talking at lunch or after school, but you’ve never asked me out on a date.

We’ve never even held hands or kissed or done any of the things boyfriends and girlfriends are supposed to do. I’m not sure about this, but I have a feeling I’ll never get married or have children. I might never even have sex with anyone, and I think somehow you know this. I think you know we can’t ever be a couple, so even though you enjoy being with me, you don’t try to get closer.”

“For me, it’s more primitive. I like being with you, and while we’re together, I’m fine, but when I think about asking you out or kissing you or anything like that, I feel some sort of fear. Seriously, I get afraid, afraid of approaching you. I’m actually really attracted to you, but when I get too close, either physically or in my mind, I have a strong feeling of danger. It’s like you have some sort of force field around you that keeps me away.”

“I feel it, too, from the inside. I’m pretty sure I need to stay alone. I can’t even think seriously about coupling up or raising a family or any of that. I avoid those thoughts.

You have a feeling I’m dangerous, and I agree. I think it would be dangerous for you or anyone to get close to me. I think we need to listen to these feelings, even though right now, I feel like we should get married and settle down and live happily ever after.”

“Me, too. So why can’t we? I’m not afraid now!”

“Really?” Terry steps closer.

“You’re right. It’s back. The fear, as soon as you get close. But why?” Stu and Terry are both surprised by their visceral reactions to being close.

Terry wants him to know more about how she feels. “You know I’m weird, right?

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school who ever asks me about it. And I love talking to you about it. No matter what I say, you just take it all in, like I’m telling the truth.”

As usual, Stu picks up her energy. He keeps it going. “I love your island. Everything you tell me makes me want to go and live there myself. I do believe you, completely.

And I’ve learned so much from you.”

Terry escalates even further. “I’m really, really grateful. You let me talk about stuff I can’t talk about to anyone else. And I actually have thought about kissing you and having you be my boyfriend. I’m sure I’d enjoy it. But I have a mission. My life is going to be difficult and dangerous. I can’t afford to be attached to anyone. You’re right to be afraid of me. And I’m right not to couple up. I get afraid whenever I think about it.”

“How about just for tonight? That wouldn’t hurt anything, right?” Stu is smiling.

Terry stops smiling. Her eyes grow distant. She seems to be consulting with something or someone. In a minute or so, she comes back. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, and not for you, for me. I just consulted with my guardian spirit, and she said no. If I open that door, it’ll be extremely hard to close it again. And if I don’t keep it closed, I’ll lose so much of my spiritual power I might not be able to complete my mission.” Terry is looking at Stu with obvious pain in her eyes.

“Okay, I believe you.” His frustration is tempered by what he sees in her face and his strong sense of doing the right thing.

Terry asks, “Can we still be friends?”

He hesitates, as if consulting his own guardian spirit. “I want to say yes, but honestly, I’m not sure we’ll see much of each other now that we’re out of school. I have a feeling we’re about to go different directions. It would be super hard for me to be around you and keep the door closed. Still, I’ll always be your friend in one way. If you ever need anything from me, all you have to do is ask.”

“I guess you’re right, but that friend thing goes for me, too. If you need something I can give or do, don’t hesitate to ask.” Their eyes are locked. Terry opens her arms. Stu steps in, and they hug. It’s a long, strong hug that ends with a passionate kiss. Terry feels surprise, then wonder and excitement, but then, the familiar fear. She knows she’s opening that hard-to-close door. The kiss ends. They look at each other, and Terry says, “I love you.” | P a g e 186

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“I love you, too.” Stu looks pleading and stoic at the same time. As tears well up in her eyes, Terry turns, walks down off the porch into the yard, and heads home.

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Chapter 26 Rebecca Picks a Successor

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“She must not want to be mayor.”

The annual convention of the Anytown Resolutionary Party takes place in July. This year over 500 people attend. That’s down from several thousand a few years ago because the party has earned the trust of the people. Most people see no need to participate when things are going well, so the party is down to the hard core.

After opening formalities, it’s time for Rebecca Whyte, mayor, founder and president of the ARP, to give her annual state-of-the-party address. After a few opening greetings and expressions of gratitude, she gets to the topic she’s been dreading. “Folks, I hate to say it, but the time has come for us to pick someone to succeed me as mayor.”

The audience reacts as one, gasping, “No,” “What?!” and every possible expression of shock and disbelief.

Rebecca waits for their attention to return to her. “You all know I love Anytown. I could be happy here forever, but I have a mission. It’s not fair for us to keep what we’ve accomplished here to ourselves. I have to take government-by-process to a bigger arena. In fact, I’m planning to run for president of the United States in 2024. To do that, I need to stop being your mayor next year. And, it’s absolutely vital to my campaign for the presidency that the Anytown Resolutionary Party keep control of Anytown after I’m gone. If I leave and the Democrats take over, I can’t win.”

The crowd is quiet, so quiet that when a baby cries, its mother rushes out of the room. “So I need your help. We need to pick a good successor. We need to make sure he or she wins next year, and then, I need you to help me run for president.”

The ARP remains deep in stunned silence. It’s clear that the idea of picking a successor for Rebecca has never crossed anyone’s mind. Rebecca is in turmoil herself.

Is this just her ambition? Is she really supposed to move on already? She appears to be waiting but is actually saying her mantra, trying to keep herself calm.

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decision and shifts toward moving on. Rebecca is filled with gratitude toward whoever asked that question.

“Good question,” she admits. “I’m completely open to your ideas, but here’s what I’m thinking. We need to pick someone the people will like. We need to pick someone with mediation experience and ability. We need someone who is willing and able to be completely transparent about his or her finances and is willing to accept the vow of poverty I’ve been living with. Finally, the person has to be an active member of the ARP. “To select this person, I think we should accept nominations from the floor. When we have a list of nominees who are willing to serve if elected, we should send that list out to all the members of our party. Then, we should call a special assembly in August or September where we vote. The one who gets the most votes will be our candidate in the election next year, and we’ll all work to get him or her elected. This is what I’m thinking. What do you think?” The crowd falls into hundreds of conversations, but again, Rebecca is grateful that they turned so quickly to finding her replacement rather than demanding that she stay.

While Rebecca is waiting for response, Jackie Matthews walks up the stairs onto the stage and, smiling at Rebecca, right up to the mic. “I nominate Sally Galtung.“ Jackie is one Rebecca might have nominated—a highly respected and influential leader in the party. She must not want to be mayor, Rebecca realizes.

Jackie continues. “She’s the one who mediated the water problem a couple years ago, remember? That was one of the hottest conflicts this town ever saw. The farmers, the developers, the bottlers, and the waterpark folks were at each other’s throats over who was going to drain our river fastest. Sally figured out who the main players were.

She went from one to the next to the next to the next, meeting with all of them for months. As a result of her work, Anytown has the best water system in the state.

There’s no one who uses water more effectively and efficiently than we do. The farmers are happy, the bottlers left, and the developers developed the whole west side around a waterpark that’s an educational and profitable tourist attraction. She got the best from everyone, and I don’t know anyone in this town who doesn’t like her.”

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“Sally, are you here?” Rebecca shouts out through the mic. The crowd grows quiet.

“She’s back here,” a voice rings out.

“Sally, looks like the folks here want you to be our next mayor. What do you think?”

Rebecca is smiling. Sally is the perfect choice. Sally is walking toward the stage, but she’s frowning. She climbs the steps and does smile as she approaches Rebecca. When she gets to the mic she says, “First, is there anyone else here who wants to be mayor?”

Silence. “I know it’s impossible to say so now in front of this crowd, so if you’d like to be mayor and think you can do a better job than me, please come to see me privately in the next few days.

“Now, is there anyone who has an objection to me being mayor? I’m serious. If you do, I need you to say so.” Silence. “Again, if you can’t say so now, please come and see me. If I have any kind of opposition from inside this party, I want to know about it. We need to resolve it before we go any further.” The crowd is a bit surprised and waiting for something. Then it happens again: “Saa-lly, Saa-lly, Saa-lly.”

Sally is grinning now. “I’m honored and grateful for this amazing nomination, but before I accept, I need to talk to Rebecca, and I need some time to talk to my family and the people I work with. I’ll answer one way or the other by the end of this month.

Is that okay?” The crowd expresses its complex of intense emotions through an amazing roar of approval.

Promising Sally Sally walks into Rebecca’s office. “So what do you think?”

Rebecca smiles. “I was surprised by the way you were chosen, but I’m glad. You’ll make a great mayor. What do you need from me?”

“I’m worried about the vow of transparency. I don’t mind at all for myself, but Sam has his practice. He’s reluctant to let his patients know how much he makes. He’s not doing anything illegal, but he makes more money than most of his patients, and he just doesn’t want them going through his tax returns trying to figure out how he could charge less. Do you think it would be possible for me to file a separate tax return this year, show that, and promise not to make more than the mayor’s salary, like you did?

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“Yeah, you have a lot of patients yourself. Won’t you be in the same situation as Sam if you have to show your tax return?”

“I’m a therapist, and because of Sam’s income, I don’t have to charge much. I can actually be quite proud of how little I make. As a doctor, Sam has enormous expenses for his office, equipment, staff, insurance, and lots more. If people just look at his income, it’ll look like we’re rich. If they just look at gross income and taxable income, it could look like we’re evading taxes. To really understand, they’d have to go through the whole return and look at all our expenses. How many people are going to do that? We’re worried some folks might try to use our return against us. So, I don’t mind showing my financial records, but I don’t want Sam to have to show his. Do you think that’s possible?”

“I think so. You and Sam are both loved and trusted in this community. I’ll help you make the case that you’re the mayor, not Sam, so Sam shouldn’t have to be as transparent as you. Let’s take it up with the party first, then sell it to the public. I have a feeling it’ll be easy.”

“The other thing I need is you. I need access to you and your full support whenever I need it. No matter how busy you get, I’ll need to be able to contact you and get your advice. I might even need to get you back to Anytown sometimes. As you know, our government-as-process approach depends on people. Jackie talked about how I mediated the water problem, but I couldn’t have done that without you telling me who the main stakeholders were and a little about them. You set the whole thing up. The next time we run into a problem like that, I’ll need the same kind of help. At least until I learn this community as well as you know it. I need to know that you’ll be there to help.”

“I do see what you mean. I’m not sure I’ll be able to respond immediately, but I’ll do my best to make myself available.” Rebecca tries to handle this as a routine request for help.

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take it or return it as soon as you possibly can, no matter what. I’m not asking this just for me or for Anytown. If you expect to succeed in your campaign for president, you’ll need Anytown functioning as well or better than when you were here. If you leave here and we start having all sorts of trouble, it’ll prove that you’re the key, not governmentas-process. You do not want that. None of us do. We’ll all be doing our best, of course, but Anytown will be under the microscope even more than we have been. You have to help me make sure this town continues the progress we’re making”.

Rebecca sees that she was taking Sally’s request too lightly. “I promise. You’re right.

I was underestimating the problem of keeping Anytown on track. If you agree to be mayor, I promise I’ll do everything in my power to make sure you succeed. You and Anytown are my claim to fame. You are what I have to offer. You will come first, wherever I am and whatever I’m doing.”

“In that case, my family is happy. I’ll turn my patients over to other therapists during the coming year. I’ll get myself free to campaign and become mayor of Anytown.”

“Thank you, Sally. It was clear the other night this town wants you. You’ll be elected, and you’ll do a great job. Let’s start right now with weekly briefings. We can meet or just talk by phone, but let’s get together at least once a week, and let me fill you in on the conflicts we’re handling and how we’re handling them.”

“Let’s start with the airport!” Sally suggests. “Everyone I know has an opinion on that one.” Thus begins a perilous transition for Anytown and Rebecca’s rise to a higher orbit.

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Chapter 27 Corey’s Turn

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“I think you should bring them in.”

Terry, Evy and Corey are just finishing dinner when, “Daddy!” Corey shouts. And there he is, Daniel Anitok, sitting at the table. “What are you doing here?” Corey asks brightly.

“I’m here to talk to you.”

“Why?” “Have you heard about Mido Ri?” “No.” “No?” Daniel looks at Evy. “You didn’t tell him?”

“No. I’ve been thinking about it, but it never came up. He’s never said anything about wanting to know the spirit world.” Evy feels vaguely guilty, as if she’d been keeping something from Corey.

“For some reason, I’m getting impatient.” Daniel looks directly at Evy. “I wasn’t aware of it before, but ever since you remembered Mido Ri, I’ve been thinking how much easier and safer Terry’s mission would be if we were all working on it from the same dimension. What are you thinking, Terry?”

“I’m confused. It never occurred to me that Mom could go from wondering about the spirit world to knowing her spirit self just like that. I’ve been feeling bad now and then that Corey’s the only one who can’t join us on the spirit plane, but I figured he’s too young. He’s still in high school. Even on Kam Nagala most people don’t get to know their spirit bodies at all. Those who do are usually much older, like grandparents. I got there because of you and because of my mission. Do you think Corey has a spirit-plane mission? Have you met his guardian deity? Do you know who his guardian spirit is?”

“No, but Corey, what do you think about the spirit world?” Daniel seems quite determined.

“I know it’s there, obviously. I guess I just figured I’m too young. Are you saying I can go to the spirit world like Terry does?” Corey is getting excited, but doesn’t really understand what the rest of his family is talking about.

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“Sure.”

“Why?” Corey’s father is exploring his readiness.

“Cause you’re there. You just said you all go there, even Mom, and you want me to be able to do it, too, right?”

“Corey, would you like to remember your spirit self?” Daniel asks, again checking for readiness.

“Sure!”

“You’re not afraid?” This time it’s Terry questioning his readiness.

“Not at all. Should I be?”

“No. I just ask ‘cause I was really scared at first. But if you’re not scared, I think we should contact your guardian and see what he has to say. What do you think, Daddy?”

“Look at Mom!” Corey shouts. Evy is starting to glow, enveloped in a green-gold light. As Corey looks back toward his father, Daniel Anitok is gone, replaced by a red-gold light. Then Terry starts to glow, too, her pure gold light. Corey watches in amazement as his mother, father and sister slowly transform into entirely different beings that seem to be made of light. Rays of light run from them to him. Then, he feels it happening.

He isn’t scared. He isn’t in pain. He’s excited, as if every atom in his body is vibrating. He remembers sitting on a friend’s massage chair. The vibration grows stronger but finer, a buzzing, not a shaking. He isn’t afraid at all.

Then, he notices his own light. It’s basically gold like the others but with a bluish tint. He’s glowing and growing, leaving Corey behind like an empty shell. He’s remembering. The feeling is not discovery or finding out or learning something for the first time. It completely feels like remembering. He’s remembering who he is. Oh yeah, I’m Rei Kan. He looks at the rest of his family and says, “I’m Rei Kan!” “Nice to meet you, Rei Kan. I’m Sei Kan.” “And I’m Dai Jobu.”

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“In addition to being Sei Kan, I’m freaked out. I don’t get it. It took me over a year of meditating and training to make this shift. Remember, Dad? You were training me as if it were this really hard thing to do. Now Corey does it in half an hour? And we don’t even contact his guardian?” She looks at Rei Kan with joy and disbelief.

“The boy clearly has some talent,” Dai Jobu announces with admiration, “but more than that, he has a job to do. We all do. That’s why I came here tonight. I wasn’t sure Rei Kan would join us so fast, but I had a strong feeling that Terry won’t be able to complete her mission without Corey’s help from this plane. I’ve seen dangerous spirits and dark energy hovering near her. I’m not sure why, but powerful forces are working against her. I came here to talk about how we can work together, and that’s going to be much, much easier now that Corey has remembered Rei Kan.” “So,” Rei Kan asks, “what’s the mission? And how can I help?”

Sei Kan answers. “My mission is to bring the spirit world back into human consciousness. These days, even religious people think the spirit world is just a place they go when they die. On Kam Nagala I was told that unless we help the physical world reconnect to the spirit world, human beings will go extinct.”

“Would that be bad?” Rei Kan asks, quite innocently.

“I can’t judge if it would be good or bad, but I do know my mission is to prevent it.”

“OK, so how are you supposed to get people remembering the spirit world?”

“The first step is getting them to be more peaceful. It would actually be harmful for them to become aware of the spirit world and their spiritual powers while they’re as competitive and violent as they are now. The only way we’ll keep this planet livable for humans is through cooperation, working together to make things better for all of us.”

“So how are we going to get everyone in the world more peaceful?”

Dai Jobu steps in. “We have a powerful ally. Mayor Rebecca Whyte of Anytown, USA. You’ve heard of her, right? Peace is her mission, and she’s been amazingly successful so far, but she’s leaving Anytown. She’ll be running for president. We have to help her.”

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helped me before. I think Sylvie and Deshana are close to remembering the spirit world. They have really strong auras and intuition. Do any of you have a feeling about this?”

Mido Ri’s light flashes as she replies. “I think you should bring them in. They took you in when you came back. You share an amazing bond. I’ve been jealous of you. I never had such good friends when I was your age. You have them and they have you for a reason. I think you need to talk to them about what we’re doing and see if they want to help.” After seeing how quickly and easily her mother and Corey remembered their spiritual selves, Terry regrets wasting so much time. She needs to get her friends on the team, but how?

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Chapter 28 Rebecca Leaps to the National Stage

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Just call us the “ARP.” Rebecca is ready. She’s got a huge team of staff and volunteers running her website.

She’s got endorsements and pledges of support from celebrities, and a manifesto ready to publish in book form. The ARP and Anytown excitedly support and promote her.

The town still grieves her loss, but they know her graduation to the national stage can only benefit them. A few, of course, will be glad to see her go, but they have to keep their heads down. No city has ever had such a beloved mayor.

Rebecca decides to announce on Democracy Now! She could have picked Oprah, 60 Minutes, or any other broadcast platform. She is already one of the best-known political figures in the US. In fact, she could have announced on the Anytown website and reached a larger audience than Democracy Now! But Democracy Now! supported her as mayor of Anytown. They appreciate her new style of government, and her campaign will go nowhere without the continued support of Amy Goodman and her followers.

The Democratic and Republican establishments have heard the rumors and are going crazy. Several Mafia figures have been offered enormous sums “to take care of” Rebecca, but Michael Mancuso is a gangster with honor. The message from the Mafia to all legit politicians is, “You want someone gone? Do it yourself, and don’t let anything unfortunate happen to Mayor Whyte. As you know, in our pursuit of justice, we have no need to prove anything in a court of law.”

Democracy Now! “And those are some of the headlines. Juan?”

“Hi Amy, and welcome to all our listeners and viewers around the country and around the world. Today we have with us once again the amazing Mayor Rebecca Whyte of Anytown, USA. I’m sure you’ve all heard about her and the new politics she’s brought to her city. You can go to Democracynow.org to see our previous interviews with her, but today, in a Democracy Now! exclusive, she’ll be making a special announcement.” | P a g e200

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Amy takes over. “Rebecca, it’s great to have you back. Let’s get right to your announcement.”

“Thank you, Amy. After talking to my friends and supporters in Anytown, and after consulting with people I respect around the country, including you and Juan, I have decided to run for president of the United States of America in the election of 2024.”

Amy supports Rebecca but has to ask the questions. “With the country focused on next year’s election between Joe Auction and Ronald Drumph, why are you announcing now for an election five years away?”

“No billionaires are offering to make me president. From what I’ve heard, quite a few will do what they can to stop me. This puts me at a serious disadvantage. More importantly, I won’t be running as a Democrat or a Republican. I’m going to build a new party, and that’ll take time. I need to build a strong foundation and make sure that, when I do get elected, I have the social infrastructure to actually make a difference.”

Juan pushes on this one. “What do you mean by social infrastructure? What do you hope to have in place by 2024?”

“If I’m elected president but have to work with a Congress and state assemblies full of Democrats and Republicans, I won’t be able to make significant change. When I’m president, I’ll need my party to at least have strong representation in both houses of Congress and in states and municipalities around the country. If we can do that, we can actually transform politics in this country. That’s the goal.”

Juan gives her the question she’s been waiting for: “But what’s this transformation you’re talking about? How would politics be different with your party in control?”

Rebecca looks right into the camera. “For a complete answer to this question, please go to Anytown.city.gov. There, you can read our philosophy, and you can also see us in action. But the short answer is: strict separation of money and state through government as process.”

“Break it down for us,” Juan prompts.

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we’re taking nothing more than our salary. No speaker’s fees. No donations or gifts.

We even show what we do with our money. All this is to convince the public that we’re not benefitting from any decision or anything the government does. We are not just another party pursuing power. We are working for the benefit of all.

“This openness is crucial because of the most important change we intend to make.

We believe that elected government officials should have no opinions of their own.

Elected officials should not be deciders. Their job is to bring the stakeholders together and help them make the decisions themselves. Once the people make the decisions, the elected officials execute or administer them. So these are the two main differences—we take money out of politics, and we institute government-as-process, not policy.”

Amy jumps in, “During your tenure in Anytown, you eliminated homelessness, severe poverty, and violent crime. Your approval rating has always been over 90%. You even increased city revenue in every one of your 10 years. However, success in a homogeneous population of 50,000 is no guarantee of success at the state or national level. Can your style of government work at higher levels with so much more wealth and power at stake?”

“Critics in Anytown said the same things when I ran for mayor, but most of them find Anytown a happier, more prosperous and secure city than it was before. That’s because we spend less time competing and more time collaborating. For the most part, the residents of Anytown are collaborating successfully to make our community more comfortable for everyone in it.

“I do worry about rising to the national level. Our party and form of government will be resisted fiercely by the billionaires, the military, and others who wield excessive power now. They don’t want to lose the advantages the current system gives them.

They’ve tried to kill me three times. They might succeed next time, but separation-ofmoney-and-state and government-as-process are ideas whose time has come. If they take me out, others will step in to take my place. The principles that made us successful in Anytown will eventually create success at the state, national and even international levels. Why am I jumping so quickly to the national level? Global warming, militarism and nuclear weapons. We have no time to waste! As a species, we’re coming to understand that unless the human family stops fighting and starts cooperating, we’ll | P a g e202

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destroy our ecosystem’s ability to support human life. We need to stop treating each other like enemies and start working together to clean up our planet. This is not campaign rhetoric. This is the truth.”

“We have 30 seconds. What’s the name of your party and how do people find out more?”

“We’re going national as the American Resolutionary Party. Just call us the “ARP.” Amy smiles. “Will Anytown survive without you?”

“For now, the Anytown Resolutionary Party is the core of the American Resolutionary Party. Sally Galtung, who’s a great mediator, is running to take my place. I’m sure she’ll win, and Anytown will do fine. The question is, do Americans want to keep fighting among themselves or do they want to start solving the urgent problems we need to face together?”

“Mayor Rebecca Whyte, thank you very much. We’ll be following your campaign closely.”

The Democracy Now! interview goes viral. New members and donations flood the ARP office in Anytown. The first donations go to hiring the staff needed to reply, update the database and upgrade the website. The American Resolutionary Party is a national thing.

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Chapter 29 The Spirit of Competition

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“Where did that darkness come from?”

Akilah calls Terry. “Hey, Charlie’s team is in the finals at 2:00. Let’s go!”

“Oh! Yeah, let’s go. Shall I call someone?” Terry had forgotten about this game.

She’s not all that into sports, but she loves to be with her friends. She definitely wants to see Charlie play.

“Claire’s coming. I’ll call Deshana, you call Sylvie” “Okay. Babcock Arena at 2:00, right?”

“Right, but we need to be there by 1:30 to get decent seats.”

“Got it.”

The Big Game At 1:30, the Re-education Committee walks into Babcock Arena to watch Charlie play for the city basketball championship. They climb a bit to find four seats together, but they can still see pretty well. The place is filling fast. The courtside seats are still nearly empty, but those cost fifty bucks each, which is amazing for a junior college game.

Terry’s surprised to see so many people so excited.

She looks around at the crowd. Some are waving flags. Others are wearing jerseys or team colors. As game time approaches, she can feel the growing tension. The crowd gets louder. A small group of musicians starts playing fight songs. The crowd around them is singing along.

The blare of announcements quiets the crowd. The teams are introduced. Charlie’s team, the Badgers, are playing the Wildcats. Each player is greeted with wild applause, some with shouts like, “Get’em, Sherrieeee!!” The referees are introduced. The teams take the floor. Jump ball. The game is underway.

Charlie, who’s 5’9”, plays guard. She’s quick and smart. A few minutes into the game, she steals the ball at half court. She tosses it to her center, Sheela, who’s still down near their basket. Sheela lays it in for an easy two points, but just as she lets the ball go, one of the Wildcats crashes into her, hard. She falls down and slides into a group of photographers. | P a g e 205

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The Badger fans go crazy, shouting, “Flagrant! Flagrant!” The ref calls a foul, but not a flagrant. Sheela gets up, takes a minute to recover, then shoots her free throw.

She

misses

it.

The

game

continues.

As the game proceeds, it becomes clear, at least to the re-education committee and all the Badger fans, that the Wildcats are playing dirty and fouling hard to hurt people. They grab shirts when the refs aren’t looking. They set moving picks. They trip deliberately. The Badgers are hitting the deck much more than normal.

Toward the end of the game, one of the Wildcat players has fouled out, six have four fouls, and nearly all have two or more fouls, but they’re winning. The Badgers’ coach keeps complaining to the refs. The Badger fans keep shouting at the refs. When the game ends, with the Wildcats the winners, the Wildcat fans cheer loudly and happily, but those cheers are marred by prolonged boos from the Badger fans.

In the parking lot on the way home, the Re-education Committee see a number of shouting matches. They pass a knot of opposing fans shifting from shouting to shoving.

Akilah looks at Terry. “Can’t you stop that?”

Terry wonders if she should step in, but it ends before she can make up her mind.

She, Akilah, Deshana and Sylvie head for Aurora, the coffee shop where Charlie will meet them as soon as she can. They’re uncharacteristically quiet. The excitement is gone. When Charlie walks in, Sylvie says, “Good game!”

Charlie frowns as she throws her bag down. “It was terrible. We’ve never played such a dirty game. McDonald knows someone who used to play for the Wildcats. She says their coach actually teaches them to do every cheating thing they can get away with. What I really hate is, they win that way. After today, they’re considered the best team in our league, but they suck. They’re wrecking the game. They make us choose between playing dirty or losing. There should be a rule like as soon as your team gets 35 fouls, you lose, or when you have 100 fouls during a season, you’re out of the league.” | P a g e206

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“Great idea!” says Claire. “Let’s write a letter, get signatures, and take it to Mr. Sandburg. The commissioners could pass a rule like that. And Sandburg saw that game. Shall we go see him?”

“Yeah, but not with Charlie,” Akilah says. “We don’t want to look like we’re just disgruntled Badger fans.”

“Agreed,” smiles Charlie, “but I’ll help write the letter.”

Governing the Game “Good afternoon, ladies, what can I do for you?”

“Mr. Sandburg,” Akilah begins, “My name is Akilah Coleman. I spoke to your secretary to request this meeting. Thank you very much for agreeing to see us. We are here to deliver a letter that has been signed by 267 people. All these signatures have been collected in the few days since the championship game. In this letter, we ask that you create a new rule for your league. We hope you will establish an upper limit on the number of fouls a team can accumulate in a single game or season. Our letter suggests that a game is over when a team gets more than 35 fouls, and a season is over for any team that gets 130. We chose those numbers because that’s far more than most teams get, but the Wildcats got 48 in the championship game against the Badgers, while the Badgers were picking up sixteen.

“We saw you there. You must have seen how dirty the Wildcats were playing. We have inside knowledge that the Wildcats coach is actually teaching her players to play that way. If other teams do the same, they’ll hurt the sport. We want to see athleticism and skill—not brute force, and certainly not cheating! Please consider our proposal or find another way to prevent the decline of basketball in Othertown.”

Mr. Sandburg takes the letter and makes a show of skimming it quickly. He looks up. “Thank you, Miss Coleman. I’ll read your letter carefully and discuss it with the rest of the Commission. You’ll know what we decide before the start of the season next spring. Thank you for your concern about the game. We will give your ideas serious consideration. We do want to protect the game.” He stands and ushers them out.

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As soon as they get outside. Deshana explodes, “He’s not going to do a thing!”

Terry agrees, “That’s what I got.”

“I have another idea,” says Claire.

“Shouldn’t we wait to see what he does or doesn’t do?” suggests Sylvie.

“We need to act now,” Claire insists, “while people are still upset over the game.

Let’s find Charlie, then I’ll tell you my plan.”

Taking the Next Step When they reach the Aurora, Charlie has a table for them. Claire jumps right in. “Well, we gave him our letter, and he was pleasant, but it’s like going nowhere. So here’s what I think we should do. Let's ask all the teams in the league to tell Mr. Sandburg they’re going to boycott Wildcat games. If most of the coaches say they won’t play the Wildcats next season, Sandburg will have to do something.”

“I don’t know,” Charlie says slowly. “Can you imagine us asking Coach Burns to boycott the Wildcats?”

Sylvie “Imagine it? I’ll do it!”

“But when we boycott, we forfeit. If everyone forfeits Wildcat games, they’ll win the championship again.” Charlie’s still nervous about asking for such radical action.

“But they won’t get to play!” cries Claire, raising her voice a little. “They’ll be in the news as the team that no one will play. Winning won’t mean anything if everyone refuses to play.”

“They’ll say it’s because we’re afraid of them.”

“Yeah, but everyone else will be saying it’s because they’re too dirty. The Wildcats know what they’re doing. I’m sure some of them are not okay with it. The pressure will grow to change their coach or at least how they play. And we can probably get that 130 foul rule accepted by the league. Isn't it worth a try?”

Charlie looks down. Finally, she looks up. “Okay, let’s go talk to Coach Burns. If she goes for it, she can probably get some of the other coaches to do it. Everyone respects her. I’ll call and make an appointment for next week. Come if you can, right?” | P a g e208

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Competition as Problem All the way home, Terry ponders competition. On Kam Nagala, competition was neither suppressed nor extolled. Nagalans competed. They knew who the best hunters were. They knew who could run the fastest and who the best wrestlers were. Everyone could see that people have different strengths and weaknesses, but the top priority was not winning. It was cooperating to keep everyone feeling good.

Terry is still shocked by the coach and players who broke rules, risked serious injury, and when they won, ignored the bad feeling between them and the Badgers.

Games are meant to be fun, not a life-or-death battle. What could make her think playing dirty is an acceptable way to win?

That night in bed, before going to sleep, Terry contemplates war and peace.

Studying wars in school, she was always amazed that human beings would go out to kill and be killed in huge numbers. It didn’t seem real. Even women, children and the elderly get killed. The Kam Nagala memory keepers reminded everyone of the ancient past when men on their island divided into small bands that fought for territory and status. Sometimes they killed each other, but never women and children. Even hundreds of years ago, no man on Kam Nagala would risk being known as a woman killer.

Terry is part Marshallese, so her mind returns to a discussion in history class about the nuclear weapons that contaminated the Marshall Islands. She remembers that even today, decades later, survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still three times more likely than unexposed populations to have cancer. The Marshall Islands were bombed in the 50s, and some are still not safe to live on.

Too many Marshallese are still suffering birth defects, cancers and other previously unknown disorders. She remembers that the US, Russia, the UK, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan and North Korea all have nuclear weapons, and if nuclear war breaks

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out, it could kill everyone on Earth. When she heard about this in school, she just considered it one more horrible thing to know about Western civilization.

Now, thinking about it in connection with that basketball game, she suddenly under stands that nuclear bombs are the ultimate in competition, the kind of competition that doesn’t care at all about the loser; the kind of competition where winning is even more important than surviving!

Nuclear weapons are what comes from pursuing power with no love at all. Nuclear weapons are evil.

Terry remembers that some people and some spirits have the power to move physical objects with their minds. She’s done it herself a little, in Sera Ji’s class. She’s seen Sera Ji do it. Terry plans to start with Sera Ji. She’ll ask him to help her find other people who can move things with their minds and get them working to make all the nuclear weapons in the world unusable. Just bending or dislodging little pieces of metal should do it. She gets excited thinking that nuclear weapons could be disabled by actions from the spirit world. That would be a great way to bring the spirit world to global attention!

As soon as she has this thought, she finds herself pressed down into her bed by an enormous weight. She opens her eyes but can’t see anything pressing on her. She struggles but can’t escape the weight. With all the strength and air she has left, she shouts, “Help!!” Corey is there immediately. Evy is right behind him. Corey sits on the floor and transforms to Rei Kan. Evy becomes Mido Ri. Terry can’t do a thing. She feels like she’s being crushed.

Mido Ri and Rei Kan extend their lights toward Terry and begin chanting Kam Nagala, Kam Nagala. As they chant louder and more desperately, they begin absorbing the energy that’s crushing Terry. Soon, her golden light is emerging. As Sei Kan emerges, she says, “Wait! Let’s see what we can find out.”

The weight is still on her, though much less heavy and less threatening. “Who are you?” Sei Kan asks.

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“Why did you try to kill me?” Terry is still lying in bed, but Sei Kan has emerged in full force.

“I don’t have to tell you anything more than my name.” Kaku San’s dark energy is swirling intensely. Rei Kan, Mido Ri, and Sei Kan absorb more.

Sei Kan replies, “No you don’t have to, but you want to explain yourself, do you not?”

“You’re changing the rules,” Kaku San spits out somewhat petulantly.

“What’s the game?”

“Evolution.”

“How am I changing evolution?”

“Evolution requires competition. Survival of the fittest. All your talk of love and cooperation is clouding reality. You will create chaos and obstruct evolution.”

“The ultimate goal of evolution is universal, unconditional love,” Sei Kan insists.

“Love is fantasy. The goal of evolution is survival. Survival requires power. You and your family are absorbing my energy because you have more power. You have group power, which is an important competitive element, but love has nothing to do with it.”

“My family came to help me because of love.”

“They came to defend and maintain your power.”

Sei Kan stares intently at Kaku San, feeling his energy. “Let me ask you a favor,” she says finally, “We’re going to absorb as much of your anger and fear as possible. When we do, you will probably vanish like others who’ve played your role, but if you possibly can, I invite you to stay. I’d like to see who you are.”

Mido Ri and Rei Kan are already concentrating on absorbing Kaku San’s dark energy. Gradually, his light brightens toward a reddish white.

“Do you feel it?” Sei Kan asks. “Can you feel our love? Which is now your love?”

He’s silent. The Anitoks wait. His light grows lighter, but lacks the energy to swirl.

Finally, he asks wearily, “Where did that darkness come from?”

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“That was anger and fear—the inescapable result of competing without love. If you believe happiness comes from power, you always want more. You fear and resent any power you don’t have.”

“I was sent by the Spirit of Nuclear Weapons.”

“Is Kyo Soh the Spirit of Nuclear Weapons?” Sei Kan is remembering the dragon-man.

“No, Kyo Soh is much higher. The Spirit of Nuclear Weapons is limited to the astral plane, but it serves Kyo Soh.” Kaku San’s light flickers up and down. “I was taught that nuclear weapons keep the peace.

Competition is good. It improves all life and the universe itself.

“I don’t know how you did it, but when you absorbed my dark energy without absorbing my light, I felt a strange warmth. You were not defeating me. You were purifying me, caring for me. This must be the love you were talking about. I’ll have to explore this, but your caring for me makes me care for you, and that makes me warn you. The devotion to competition that you found in me is shared by beings up and down through all dimensions. Those beings believe, as I did, that competition is good, and they all support the Spirit of Nuclear Weapons.

“They believe competition is the essence of life. They use the power they accumulate to dominate your physical world. Your love is extremely strong, I know that, but please! Do not go after nuclear weapons now. You’re not strong enough, even with your family. You need more power. Much more. You need far more people devoted to love and willing to fight for it. You are not ready.”

“Thank you, Kaku San.” Sei Kan feels the love behind this warning. “Just thinking about how to destroy nuclear weapons opened me up to your attack. If not for my family, you would have absorbed my light. I am grateful for your warning.”

The reddish-white light turns rusty.

“You seem unhappy.” Sei Kan wants to help.

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“When we absorbed your dark energy, we cleaned up a lot of your karma. If you find yourself in a bad place, pray to your guardian spirit. Your guardian made this encounter possible.”

Kaku San seems on the verge of leaving when he says, “Why can’t we all put love over power?”

“My teacher told me this is the problem we’re on this planet to solve – how to get from competition to love.”

“God help us.”

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Chapter 30 Rebecca Gets Popular

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“What changed? Why did you turn yourself in?”

Rebecca is everywhere, on TV, radio, and in the papers. ARP growth soon outstrips the Sandy Burns phenomenon. Millions access ARP’s website daily; millions follow Rebecca on Twitter. In September she appears in a Saturday Night Live skit as “President Rebecca Whyte” debating Larry David as Sandy Burns. The debate is played as a goofy love fest, with both contestants refusing to criticize the other, despite the moderator’s madcap provocations. YouTube takes the skit viral, making Rebecca an even bigger global celebrity. People with no interest in politics are captivated by her beauty, brains, openness, and virtue. Soon, she’s holding her rallies in stadiums.

Best of all, from Rebecca’s point of view, ARP chapters spring up in towns and villages where they run candidates for mayor, city council, state assembly, and other local elections. Though the 2024 presidential election is still nearly five years away, a few ARP candidates win special elections in small communities.

Whenever an ARP candidate wins, or even if one stands a good chance, the national ARP office sends a consultant to fully train the new representative in ARP principles and methods. Because most people who want to be ARP candidates are natural mediators, in town after town, they absorb the training like the naturals they are. ARP is growing in numbers and influence far faster than Rebecca had imagined. She begins to think 2020 might be feasible. The problem, she understands, is the scarcity of folks willing and able to lead through mediation. Too few even know what mediation is.

A Painful Blow One morning that fall, in Austin, Texas, newly elected ARP city councilwoman Paulette Wellstone is shot down in her driveway. Rebecca rushes to Austin. The evening news finds Rebecca comforting Paulette’s husband, Dean, their two children, and her mother, Marjorie. The reporter asks Dean for a comment. He tries, breaks down in tears, and turns to hug his children.

Rebecca steps in. Indicating Paulette’s grieving family, she says, “This is pain. You are looking at grief and suffering. This is what happens when people lose someone they love. The bullet that killed Paulette has seriously injured this family and their whole community. Whoever shot Paulette probably thought he was doing a good thing. | P a g e 215

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“He probably believes that Paulette and the ARP are dangerous. I understand.

We’re causing big changes, creating societal turmoil. But everything we’re doing is to keep people from getting hurt. We’re trying to change how we make decisions to keep from generating the kind of fear and fury that led someone to kill Paulette. No one would be that enraged if society did a better job of solving problems in ways that benefit all of us.

“Paulette took an enormous cut in salary to become your city councilwoman. All she wanted was to help your city make decisions in a way that is transparent, honest, and includes everyone who will be affected by them.

“If you know who killed Paulette, please persuade him to give himself up. And please, no matter what you think of ARP, let’s all play by the rules. Anyone who kills or uses violence in any way is not just destroying their rivals, they’re destroying the game itself. Killing to make society better only guarantees it’ll get worse. Without lawful human communities, we can’t possibly make things better.

“We teach our children to share, to be nice, not to hit, not to fight. We do this because we think civilized behavior is good for everyone, and it is. ARP will always be working for solutions that are good for all of us. We’re not trying to win anything but elections, and we’re winning elections to keep anyone from winning at someone else’s expense. Please, let’s make Paulette’s death mean something. Let’s stop hating. Let’s stop hurting. Let’s stop killing. Let’s start making things better for everyone.”

When the camera comes back, the reporter is wiping away tears. The broadcast goes viral. A few days later, Ron Townsend turns himself in. His appearance on TV is astounding.

A Public Confession Ron is at the police station in handcuffs. A policeman is about to lead him to jail when Joe Hart, local reporter on the police beat, asks gets permission to do a live interview.

The camera turns to Ron, and Joe asks the question. “Just to confirm, did you kill Paulette Wellstone?”

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“Why?” “I was in a group that hates the ARP. They talk all the time about killing Whyte, and when Wellstone got elected, they started in on killing her, so I figured I’d be the one.”

“Why do you hate ARP?” “For one thing, it’s run by a Black. For another, it’s a fad with the liberals, queers, and low-lifes who are taking our country down. Besides, it’s a lie. They say they aren’t trying to get rich and take power, but they are. It’s human nature. Once they get power, they’ll destroy our society. But what I just said is what the group thinks; it’s what I believed. I don’t believe any of that now.”

“What changed? Why did you turn yourself in?”

“I saw Mayor Whyte on TV. After that, I had to find out more about her. I went to the Anytown website and watched some of her speeches. I watched how Anytown’s government works. I read their manifesto. Then I talked to my brother-in-law. He and I never got along ‘cause he loves Whyte and wants her to be president. He convinced me that the ARP is really trying to get us all working together. They don’t take money from anyone. After I talked to him, I got sick, like someone slammed me in the stomach. It took me a couple days to recover enough to come to the police. I know I'll never really recover. I did a terrible thing. I still can’t believe I really did it. I hope I get the death penalty, the sooner the better.”

Townsend’s words are supported by his ashen face and stunned expression. He looks straight at the reporter. His voice is strong, like someone telling the truth. This broadcast, too, goes viral. Rebecca publicly thanks Ron for looking at the truth and turning himself in.

A week later, Dean Wellstone goes to the jail and asks to meet with Ron. When he emerges from the jail, Dean speaks to reporters. “No one could hurt my family more than Ron Townsend, but he’s suffering, too. I can actually feel his pain, and it’s terrible.

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diversion project where I serve on the board of directors. I see him counseling youths struggling with the kind of rage and pain he knows too well. If he develops as I expect, Paulette won’t have died in vain. Paulette always talked about breaking chains of hatred and revenge. Trying to help Ron makes me feel close to Paulette. It gives me a ray of hope in my time of darkest despair.”

This humane response to the inhumane act of a cutthroat competitor sets off a powerful chain reaction of decency through the country. Crime rates drop. Even the angry rhetoric of shock jocks on the radio drops down a peg or two. Peace and love are on the verge of breaking out in a way that could infect the entire human family. Even hardcore warmongers are not immune. They are terrified.

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Chapter 31 Helping Rebecca

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“Nothing is more important to the survival of humanity” At 2 a.m. Terry wakes up to find her room filled with a strong greenish-silver light. She feels no fear. She’s bathed in peaceful warmth and love. As her eyes adapt, she sees a feminine-appearing spirit generating this light. A gentle voice asks, “Are you awake?”

Terry smiles, “I’m happy to see you, but who are you?”

“I’m Jo Jina, the guardian spirit of Rebecca Whyte.”

Terry sits up. “Really? You’re working with Mayor Whyte? Does she know?”

“We communicate, but she doesn’t know her spirit self. I need to keep her out of the spirit world and steer her away from becoming a cult leader. She needs to be as normal and physical as possible. She’s a politician. We need to make sure she stays in the realm of politics.”

“Are you including me when you say ‘we’?” Terry is still in bed. She wonders if she should become Sei Kan. While she wonders, Jo Jina continues. “You’ve already helped her. You know she’s an important ally, and she’s entering an extremely dangerous realm. I need your whole family to pay special attention to her and to me. Please make us your priority.”

Terry is excited. “I’ve watched her on TV. I’ve gone to the Anytown website and watched how she works. She creates peace wherever she goes. So yes, I’m more than happy to do what I can, and I have no doubt my family will. But how? We’re not supposed to let her or anyone else know that she’s getting help from the spirit world, right?” Terry relaxes and just continues to sit, as Terry, in bed.

“What I’m thinking is, you, Corey and Evy should join her campaign. Now that you’re all aware at the spirit dimension, we can work there to make sure you spend a lot of time with her. If we can keep you fairly close, you can help protect her. She’s no weakling. She has a lot of support in all dimensions. But, as you and your family have experienced, she’s up against tremendously powerful forces. She’ll be under constant attack by those who believe in competition. We need to be near her and on guard. I can feel her campaign getting close to the limits of my power, and Gaia told me to contact you.”

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“You call her Kam Nagala, but most people around the world call her Gaia. Gaia is the one who told the creator that human beings are about to make her uninhabitable, and she can’t stop them herself. The creator and Gaia together put Rebecca, you, your family, your friends, and me, among many others, on this case. You were taken to Kam Nagala to learn what you needed to learn to help keep human beings from destroying their world.”

“I haven’t met Gaia or the creator, but Kam Nagala’s messenger Sera Ji said my mission is to help keep Earth habitable by opening new connections between the physical and spirit worlds. I’m excited to meet you and know that you and Rebecca and my family and friends are all on the same team. We’ll join Rebecca’s campaign and do everything we can.”

“I’ll work with you mostly through your guardian spirit, but call me whenever you want. Bye for now.”

“Bye.” And Jo Jina was gone, leaving Terry thinking hard about how to help Rebecca.

Rallying the Troops Terry gathers her family on the spirit plane. After she shares her talk with Jo Jina, they decide that Terry will go to Rebecca’s campaign and offer her services. Then, she’ll bring the re-education committee in. Mido Ri, Rei Kan, and Dai Jobu will meet directly with Jo Jina and offer their help from the spirit plane.

Rallying the Other Troops Akilah, Claire, Deshana, Sylvie and Charlie sit around Terry’s kitchen table. When the excitement dies down, Terry says, “It’s been a while since I’ve hung out with my reeducation committee.” She looks fondly at each in turn, then clears her throat. “But I brought you here today to get you involved in politics.”

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“Much worse than that.” Terry knits her eyebrows in mock severity. “I want you to quit everything else you’re doing and become paid staff working for Rebecca Whyte.”

Akilah’s hand goes to her head. Deshana blinks extravagantly. “Right. I know,” Terry continues. “It sounds like an ask that blew in on an asteroid. You have no idea what I’m talking about. So here’s the thing.”

She leans forward. “Rebecca’s guardian spirit told me that Rebecca’s moving into a much higher, more dangerous level of politics. My family and I agreed to make Rebecca our top priority and do everything in our power to protect and support her.

And now, I want to ask the same of you. She’ll need all the help we can give her. So... will you sign up for Rebecca Whyte?”

“What would we be doing?” Claire wants to know more.

“I’m not sure. I’m going to ask to be on her security team. We can all decide where we want to work and what we want to do. I promise you’ll be hired. They’re going from a small party in Anytown to a nationwide party. They’ll be hiring lots of people, and I want you to be among them.”

“Why? Why us?”

“Nothing is more important to the survival of humanity than Rebecca Whyte’s success. Her mission, assigned by the Earth itself, is to keep us from destroying ourselves. You’re all doing important things, and you’ll probably take pay cuts, but what you’re doing is meaningless if Rebecca fails. Rebecca’s guardian spirit wants you on the case. Besides, I love and trust you; we’re a great team. Won’t you just say yes?”

A wordless gauge of each other’s reactions, then a resounding “Yes!!!” The reeducation committee is suddenly pumped and laughing. “Good times,” shouts Charlie, signaling the first day of the rest of their lives.

“Thank you!!” Terry closes her eyes and offers a short prayer of gratitude. When she opens them, she says, “Having you in my corner makes me strong.” Then, turning to Charlie, “It’ll be great at times, but also hard work, and sometimes—dangerous. We’re not in school anymore. We’re moving into the big leagues, way beyond anything I understand. I’m asking you to join the campaign because I have the feeling I need you.”

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“When do we start?” asks Claire.

Terry looks quickly around the table taking in each smile. “You all have situations to work out. Come when you can, okay? I’m going tomorrow. I’ll get myself on the security team, and I’ll tell them to be expecting you.”

Terry Joins Rebecca’s Team The next morning, Terry drives the family car to Anytown and walks into ARP Campaign Headquarters. The perky young volunteer behind the desk looks up. “Hi, can I help you?”

“Hi, I’m Terry Anitok, and I would like to work on Rebecca’s campaign.”

“What would you like to do? Work in our phone center? Go door to door? Are you good with social media?”

“I want to be on her security team. As a bodyguard.”

The volunteer briefly loses her words. “Umm... okay, that’s not anything I can help with. You need to talk to Chandra Milbino. Probably Rebecca herself.” She takes in the slim young woman looking at her expectantly. “Not to insult you, but the security team is big, husky guys trained in security. Do you have any training?”

“I can beat anyone on her team in a physical fight, I have an acute sense of danger, and her guardian spirit says she’s going to need me.”

The volunteer’s eyes widen; she whips out her phone. “Chandra? There’s someone here I think you should meet.”

Chandra was there in minutes. “Hi, I’m Chandra Milbino, Rebecca’s chief of staff.”

“Hi, I’m Terry Anitok. I’m looking to join your security team. I can’t work for free, but I only need 1500 a month. What do I have to do to get hired?”

A bemused smile is playing around Chandra’s face. “Well, Ms. —“ “Anitok. Call me Terry.”

“I’m sorry, Terry, we already have the security detail we need. I don’t see what you would add.”

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“I’m a better fighter than anyone on your team, and as a young woman, I can accompany Mayor Whyte without looking like the secret service. I’m observant, attuned to danger, and would die to protect Rebecca. The movement she leads is essential to the survival of human beings, and she is going to need me. Please let me talk to her.”

“She’s not available right now,” Chandra says curtly.

“She’s on the other side of that door checking me out on Facebook. She won’t find anything there. She should talk to me.”

Rebecca opens the door and enters the room. “How did you know I was here?”

“I saw your shadow when Chandra came out.”

Rebecca walks toward Terry. Terry rounds the reception desk to meet her. They stop a few feet apart to study one another with frank curiosity, no self-consciousness or shyness.

Just looking. Seeming to shake something off, Rebecca speaks in a wondering tone. “I was checking you out, as you said, and I saw that when you were seven you were lost at sea. You lived on an island for eight years and somehow returned with perfect English and awareness of modern civilization. But, how is it possible that there’s no information about—“ Terry whirls around with arms flying. Before anyone can speak, two large men are lying in a heap, the one on top paralyzed by the way Terry is holding his wrist. The one on the bottom is laughing. “You’re hired!” shouts Max, Rebecca’s chief bodyguard.

“I figured it was a test. If it wasn’t, you wouldn’t be laughing.” Terry lets go of Ray’s wrist.

“I have no doubt about that,” Max says, still laughing and looking up at her in awe from the floor.

“Sorry,” he says as he gets up, “we wanted to see what you have.” Rubbing his shoulder, he smiles and says, “Your first job is to teach us a few moves.”

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the campaign. I’ll give you their names. You’ll see their different talents. Please put them where they can serve best. We’ve been together since high school; we’re a good team, and we want to help.”

Rebecca is struck dumb. She stares at Terry wondering what sort of creature just joined her security team.

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Chapter 32 Obstructionism

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“You can’t ask thousands of people to make a decision about our education system.”

ARP member Harmony Guliscerian becomes city manager of Janesville, Wisconsin.

Like all ARP candidates, she is a committed mediator who campaigns on process rather than policy. She opens her bankbook to the public, promising not to take any money other than the city manager salary of $117,000.

Harmony is appointed by the Janesville City Council soon after ARP members are elected to five of the seven city council positions. As soon as she’s appointed, Republican Congressman Saul Ryan contacts City Councilman Studs Jacobsen.

“Studs, you and I both know we can’t let Guliscerian and the ARP succeed. We have to humiliate her. I don’t care how, but you have to make sure nothing good happens in Janesville until we get rid of her.”

“No problem. Leave ‘em to me,” Studs replies with complete confidence. “Their majority doesn’t mean a thing. They’ll get nothing out of this council.”

Meanwhile, ARP officials around the country have learned that the best place to start making changes is in education. Liberals and conservatives alike hate to see bad things happen to their schools. Schools are full of kids, and people like kids. In addition, schools are a primary determinant of property values. And, it just happens that teachers in Janesville are threatening to go on strike, creating a crisis.

Harmony

follows

the

ARP

playbook. She calls for a town meeting, specifically inviting teachers, parents, students, building inspectors, the group fighting for lower property taxes, the superintendent of schools, other school board members, and all seven

City

Council

members.

Thousands of people show up at 10 a.m. for the start of the first meeting, which is held in Monterey Stadium. The meeting

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begins with 163 people on the speakers stack and, of course, anyone can raise their hand anytime and get on the stack. It’s going to be a long day. Possibly a long week.

Harmony steps to the mic, asks for attention, then says, “Thank you all for coming.

Our community cares about this issue because it involves both children and money.

On your way in here, you signed a paper that we take as your promise to abide by our ground rules. You can express approval or disapproval, but please do not shout or disrupt in any way. If I ask for quiet, please quiet down immediately. We’ll break at noon for lunch, reconvene at 2:00, break for fifteen minutes at 4:00 and end at 6:00.

If necessary, we’ll come back tomorrow and the next day and the next until we have a conclusion we can all live with. Is this acceptable?” She looks around the stadium for evidence of opposition. “If you approve, please applaud.” She gets applause from the vast majority.

“In that case, let’s start with Pam Rogers, leader of the teachers’ union, the organization that pressed for this meeting to address what it believes is an emergency in Janesville’s schools. Ms. Rogers, the floor is yours.”

Ms. Rogers walks in from the side of the stage and up to the mic. “I am here to beg for more money for public education. Teachers’ salaries have not gone up significantly since the late 1980s. We feel disrespected. Morale is low. Our buildings are in terrible condition. Janesville spends less per 1,000 dollars per capita on education—less than any other city in Wisconsin. Now, we’re having to put police in our schools, and the police department wants the school board to pay for that. To keep Janesville growing and developing, we need first-rate schools. That means spending more on everything, from teacher salaries to facilities to books and equipment. Please support additional spending for schools.” Ms. Rogers receives strong applause. She goes back to the first group of speakers standing stage right.

“Thank you, Ms. Rogers. Now we’ll hear from Ms. Templeton of the Property Tax Association. Ms. Templeton?”

Ms. Templeton leaves the group, walks over and takes the mic. “Thank you. I agree that schools are important. However, I have been through several schools in Janesville and find them bright, cheerful, clean and up to date. I don’t understand why Ms. Rogers finds them decrepit and in disrepair. We believe that the most important factor in local growth and development is the need to reduce property taxes. We have to make | P a g e 228

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it more attractive for people to move here and stay. Spending per child on education here in Janesville is well within the average nationwide, and our dropout rate is less than 10%. Our teacher pay is above the national average. We’re doing well; if our teachers aren’t satisfied, they should quit. Someone will be happy to get that job. My group opposes unnecessary increases in the education budget.”

Harmony gets the mic back. “Thank you, Ms. Templeton. Since you mentioned Ms. Roger’s name and raised a question about something she said, she has an opportunity to respond. Ms. Rogers?”

Ms. Rogers strides energetically to the mic. “I don’t know what schools Ms. Templeton visited, but I thank her for drawing attention to the real problem, which is the inequality of education received by children in affluent neighborhoods versus children in less affluent neighborhoods. I will be more than happy to take Ms. Templeton and her group on a tour of schools that are suffering in terms of facilities, equipment, and overall budget. In fact, perhaps we should interrupt this meeting until I’ve had a chance to take all our opponents through the schools I’m talking about.” Ms. Rogers hands the mic to Harmony and goes back to the group, trying to look pleasant.

Harmony turns to Ms. Templeton. “Ms. Rogers mentioned you, Ms. Templeton, and raised a question about which schools you visited. She also invited you to tour certain schools with her. Would you like to respond?”

Ms. Templeton shakes her head and says, “I would prefer to hear what other speakers have to say.”

Harmony begins again. “Ms. Templeton has declined to speak again at this time. All right. Now let me call on... ” “Just a minute, Harmony,” Councilman Jacobsen steps in. He walks over to Harmony, and she lets him takes the mic from her hand. Speaking to the audience he says, “I’ve been a councilman in this town for over 25 years. I was not involved in planning this meeting, and when I first heard about it, I expressed my strong opposition. Now here you are, Harmony, running this meeting, calling on people as if you’re in charge. This meeting is costing taxpayer money, and the City Council has never approved the expenditure of those funds. In fact, the Council has never approved or even deliberated the idea of holding this meeting. I demand that this meeting be | P a g e 229

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adjourned until it has been discussed and approved by the City Council.” The whole stadium is silent. In the stunned silence, all eyes turn to the city manager.

Harmony smiles at Jacobsen in a friendly way and reaches for the mic. After a moment’s hesitation, he gives it to her. “Mr. Jacobsen is right,” Harmony begins. “He did express strong opposition to holding this or any similar meeting to address the education crisis. He wanted the decision to be made in the City Council by majority vote. However, that is not how ARP makes decisions. We need to hear from anyone who has anything to add to the conversation, and we need to decide as a community, because our decision needs to be the best our entire community can do.

“Mr. Jacobsen is also right that this meeting is using taxpayer money. The total cost will be about $1100. The use of this stadium was donated free of charge. The money is for publicity, to make sure you all knew what we were doing, when and how. We also printed up the agreements you signed when you arrived, and we will send out a report.

“As your city manager, I have a discretionary budget for conferences and meetings that I feel are important to the community. I feel this conference is important, so I am funding it entirely out of my city manager budget. Therefore, this is a city manager event. I’m in charge, and the City Council has no right to influence this conference without a specific invitation from me. Therefore, Mr. Jacobsen, please step aside and wait until I call on you. I’ll give you an opportunity to speak your piece, but I have a certain orderly process planned. Please wait your turn.” Some in the audience applaud loudly. The general feeling is support for the city manager, but the stadium is suddenly enveloped in a strong feeling that this will not end well.

Studs refuses to take the hint. He reaches for the mic. Harmony gives it to him, then turns and walks away. Studs watches her briefly, then turns to the audience to reinforce his appeal. “This meeting is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of. You can’t ask thousands of people to make a decision about our education system. Important decisions are made by elected officials.

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Studs pauses and looks for Harmony, who has yet to return to the stage. Studs takes advantage of her absence.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I think you can see that Ms. Guliscerian has overstepped her authority and is holding here what I consider to be an illegal meeting. I ask you all to go home. The city manager and the City Council need to work this out amongst ourselves before we bring anything to you. So please...”

Studs stops suddenly when he sees Harmony return with three policemen. The policemen attempt to quietly and calmly persuade Mr. Jacobsen to leave the stage.

When one of them touches his arm to usher him off the stage, he jerks away and shouts into the mic, “Get your hands off me. I’m a City Councilman. I will not be removed from a stage in my own city.”

In response, the ranking policeman says, loudly enough to be heard, even though Studs still has the mic, “Mr. Jacobsen, this is a city manager event. The city manager is fully in control here. She was appointed by the City Council, which was elected by the people. She occupies an office higher than yours. I suggest you come off the stage immediately or I’ll arrest you and remove you physically.”

Studs is dumbfounded. It never occurred to him that little Harmony Guliscerian was in a position to call the police or that they would side with her over him. As he turns to go with the police, Harmony takes the mic from his uncomprehending hand.

He walks slowly toward the edge of the stage. Voices in the audience begin jeering and deriding him.

Harmony says, “Please folks, don’t make it worse for him than it is. Mr. Jacobsen has been running this town for a long time. He’s finding it extremely difficult to adapt to the changes we’re making. He cares deeply about Janesville. He just has a different idea about how government should be conducted. We need to be generous and forgiving and do our best to work with him and the rest of the City Council. Now, let’s get back to the business at hand. I call on Tim Johnson, who is head of the PTA in Parker High School.”

Mr. Jacobsen’s performance was recorded and instantly becomes another viral YouTube. The Twittersphere promotes Harmony to “model government-as-process

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manager.” Her meeting is successful, leading to highly popular improvements in Janesville’s schools. The ARP continues its dramatic growth.

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Chapter 33 Terry and Max

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“I will never be your enemy” Terry moves to Anytown. Max gets her an apartment in his building. They’re friendly with each other; they do what they need to do, but both are aware of the tension between them. A couple days after Terry moves into her new place, Max drops by for a visit. After a few pleasantries about the weather, he looks right into her eyes and says, “We need to talk.”

“I agree. Let’s talk.” After that, they sit a few minutes in silence.

Max has a hard time with the silence, but he can’t think of anything to say, so he asks, “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking you’re nervous about me. You’re very close to Rebecca. You love her very much, from a respectful distance, of course, and she loves you, too. Partly, you’re unsure if you can trust me. Partly, you’re worried I’ll become her favorite, that I’ll displace you somehow. Also, you find me physically attractive, and that makes you nervous as well. What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking you are an amazing woman. You have me pegged, and I would hate to have you as an enemy.”

“Max, I will never be your enemy,” Terry assures him. “You are protecting Rebecca, and I am here to help with that. Rebecca loves you, and nothing she feels about me will come between you and her. It’s true that the two of you will expand into the three of us, but that will make all three of us stronger. You and Rebecca will both learn to love me, and I’ll love you. I’m sure of that because we’re going to need each other. Depend on each other. Keep each other alive. You can’t start trusting me on demand, but you will soon, because I’m going to prove myself to both of you.”

As she speaks, Max finds himself enveloped in some sort of golden light. He doesn’t know what’s happening, but he can feel himself relaxing and being drawn to Terry in a way he’s never experienced before. He suddenly grows fearful. “What are you doing to me?”

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m pushing too hard. I just want so much for you to love and trust me.”

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“Back off, young woman! You better tone it down! On the other hand, will you marry me?” He’s smiling.

“I’m sorry. I will. Tone it down, that is, but we do need to get our marriage straight from the start. Like Rebecca, I’ll never fall in love, marry or get deeply involved with anyone. I’m married to my mission. I accused you of being attracted to me because I’m attracted to you, but I’ll resist that attraction with everything I have. It threatens my mission.” Terry looks questioningly at Max. She wants to know what he really feels.

He accepts her intense stare and says, “Understood. I’m that way too, though I’m not always happy about it. I’m married to Rebecca, even though she doesn’t know it.

I’m attracted to her the way I was to you a minute ago, but I’m resisting that, and I’ll resist you, too. I guess you could say I’m married to my mission, which is to keep her safe. But now, my mission is to work with you to keep her safe. So the three of us are hereby married, is that right?”

“That’s right by me,” Terry is grinning, then, after a pause, “Do we dare hug?”

“I think that would be acceptable.” Max steps forward and they embrace. They stay together long enough to feel their commitment, but let go just as Terry starts to feel the fear. Almost immediately, Max’s phone rings. “You okay? Right. There in ten minutes.” To Terry he says, “Rebecca wants to talk.”

Bringing Rebecca In Max opens the door to Rebecca’s office and Terry walks through first. She and Max are smiling.

“Well, what’ve you two been up to behind my back?”

“Falling in love,” Max replies, his eyes sparkling. “Your suspicions are hereby confirmed.”

“What do you have to say for yourself, young woman?”

“He’s right. We fell in love,” Terry agrees impishly, sticking out her chin. “But we’re both still mostly in love with you.”

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Rebecca studies her grinning security detail. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I guess I have live with not knowing. My life’s in your hands.”

“In the most devoted of hands.” Max offers an exaggerated bow to his boss.

Rebecca is still smiling. “I called because we’re about to go to New York. I just got invited to visit Sandy Burns. I need you to plan the trip.”

Max is all business. “Give me the details and I’ll give you a plan tomorrow.”

“We won’t be going till Tuesday, so take your time and show Terry how you make plans. She should come with us, don’t you think?” Rebecca looks at Terry to see how she responds.

“Good, I was just going to suggest that,” says Max, and he, too, turns toward Terry.

“Thank you, both” smiles Terry. “You are such a team!”

“I’m glad you’re with us, but you’re not going to steal Max from me, are you? He loves me and I like him that way.”

Terry smiles. “We’ve talked; we want to be a threesome. Can you let me in? I promise, Max’s love for you will only grow, and you’ll have my love as well.”

“How can I turn that down?” Rebecca is touched. She thinks she might come to love this Terry.

“Am I the luckiest man in the world or the most miserable? Either way, I accept my fate. I’ll do nothing to jeopardize any of us.” Max looks back and forth between his two women.

“Sounds good, but I’ve got my eye on you! Meanwhile, we’re off to New York.”

The next day, Max presents his plan to Terry. As she reads his itinerary, there’s one leg of the journey that worries her. “How are we getting from Burns’s office to the airport?”

“Someone in his office will make the arrangements. Is that a problem?”

“I’d like you to be the one to call the taxi, okay?”

“Sure. We’ll just say we have it covered.”

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Chapter 34 Rebecca and Sandy Burns

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“I can hardly control the energy I’m feeling as you talk.”

Rebecca, Max and Terry arrive in New York and take a taxi to Sandy Burns Campaign Headquarters. Jerry, the receptionist, welcomes them and calls Senator Burns. He arrives with his campaign manager, Brianna, who invites them to follow her to the conference room. After introductions and pleasantries, Burns gets to the point. “Over the past two months, I’ve been rising in the polls. I’m surprising everyone, including myself, but it’s not enough to win or even come close, so I’ve been thinking we should work together.”

“I thought you might suggest something like this, so I’ve been thinking hard about it. I do greatly prefer you to Auction or Drumph, but the ARP is officially neutral. As I’m sure you know, we’re the party of process, not policy. If the ARP were to start working for you, we’d instantly lose our credibility. I’m sure you’ve got a way around this, right?”

Burns smiles broadly. “My people and I’ve been scheming for weeks—too long, maybe, but please hear me out. I’m not asking you to endorse me. I’m offering to get behind you. If you and the ARP will wholeheartedly throw your hat into the ring for the 2020 election, my organization will get you on the ballot in every state, and mount an all-out movement to get you elected.”

The silence is electric. Rebecca breaks it at last with, “I’m trying to calm down enough to understand what you just said.” Burns calmly waits, a twinkle in his eye the only clue to his emotion.

“What does one say?” Rebecca asks Terry, who simply turns her palms upward in acceptance and says, “Yes?” Rebecca turns back to Burns. “Your generosity has stunned me. You’re serious, right?” Burns just smiles. “Well, we’ve been growing fast. If your movement could get into helping us, I think we could win, but would they actually shift to helping us? Might it not be smarter to do more preparation and go for 2024? It won’t be easy getting on all the ballots in just a few months. The Democrats will challenge every signature we bring in.” Excitement, anxiety, and a plea compete in her eyes.

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“Honestly. Let me tell you,” Burns replies. “All the people right around me think backing you is the thing to do. I agreed to run again for 2020 because everyone seemed to think I had the best chance against Drumph. Of course, we have to get Ronald Drumph out of the presidency, but Joe Auction is not the answer. We can’t afford four more years of business as usual. More importantly, I’ve been watching you. I believe that your process approach is the only way to make the social, economic and political changes we need. I’ve seen your process working in cities around the country, not just Anytown. I’ve seen enemies turn into collaborators. I also see that your insistence on inclusion and transparency prevents corruption. When everyone’s involved, people get more creative and more virtuous. My people have been watching you, too. We all want to see virtue get traction. I do think we can get my supporters to support you.” Rebecca is too excited to respond.

Brianna steps in. “Whether we can get you on the ballot or not is an issue, but with your growing membership and our organization, we should be able to collect the signatures and make sure they’re bulletproof. And we’ll be doing it so late and so fast, it’ll be hard for anyone to challenge them.” She stops speaking and looks at Rebecca, who’s still trying to take it all in.

“I can hardly control the energy I’m feeling as you talk.” She pauses to control her breath. “Publicly, I’ve been aiming at 2024, but secretly, I’ve been wondering lately if we could do it in 2020. But there’s one more thing I’m worried about. It really won’t do much good to make me president if we can’t take at least the House of Representatives by the next election in 2022. If we start working together now, we also have to aim at the down-ballot offices and keep on through 2024. Do you agree?”

Burns is emphatic. “I’m in this for the long haul, and most of my supporters will be with us, too, I’m sure. We want our revolution to bring in the resolutionaries.”

Rebecca, trying not to explode, speaks slowly. “As you know, ARP makes decisions together. I have no doubt, but I have to get that agreement. I’ll get back to you tomorrow morning, okay?”

As Rebecca, Max and Terry take their leave, everyone at campaign headquarters is beaming, including Jerry, the receptionist.

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The ARP Accepts Rebecca calls Chandra, reports her conversation with Sandy Burns, and gives her a list of people to call. She calls other lead coordinators herself. The response is immediate and unanimous. The Republicans and Democrats will both have unpopular, uninspiring candidates. Burns has tremendous support, and the ARP will be better off whatever happens.

The next morning, Rebecca, Max and Terry return to Burns’s office. “Everyone agrees,” she reports. “Not just agrees, we’re pumped. We want to win this election, and we’re grateful for the chance you’re offering. One problem, though. Emotionally, I would love for you or one of your people to be my vice president, but strategically, I can’t do that. You’re already seen as a policy person, not a process person. I can’t put any non-ARP person on our ticket for the same reason I can’t endorse you.” Her eyes beg for understanding.

“Of course! I’m simply going to throw all the votes I can your way.”

“Thank you, Senator. I was sure, but I needed to hear it. Now, how shall we announce? Can you get us on Democracy Now!?”

“You got it,” Burns laughs. “Can you stay another day? I’m sure they’ll squeeze us in! And call me Sandy.”

“Thank you, Sandy. You set it up, and we’ll be there.”

Democracy Now! Again “Those are some of the headlines, and now, a Democracy Now! exclusive. We have in our studios this morning the two most popular stars in the political heavens. Sandy Burns and Rebecca Whyte are here, and they’ve told us only that they have an announcement to make.” Amy Goodman turns to Sandy and Rebecca. “Who wants to start?”

Sandy takes the lead. “Amy, thank you for having us on such short notice. I think your viewers will remember this show the rest of their lives. As you know, nearly every independent poll shows my movement leading in this election. However, I have

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unequivocal evidence that the Republican and Democrat establishments are united in making sure I will not become the Democratic candidate.

“Joe Auction is my friend, but he’s not capable of doing what our country and the world require at this time. We need to move in an entirely new direction. Therefore, I am, hereby, on this show, announcing my intention to withdraw from the race and throw my full support behind Rebecca Whyte and the ARP. She has what it takes to lead us all into a new age, an age of peace and sustainable security. Let me say to my followers, please forgive this sudden surprise announcement. I hope you’ll come to understand that I needed to do it at this time and in this way. Let me now turn it over to the next president of the United States, Rebecca Whyte.”

Amy shouts, “Wait! Wait! You’re dropping out of the race? You’re saying that you and your campaign will be supporting Rebecca Whyte for president in the 2020 election?”

“Yes, that’s precisely what I’m saying.”

Amy turns, “Mayor Whyte?”

Rebecca smiles radiantly at Amy, then turns directly to the camera. “Senator Burns decided to throw his support to me because he believes that, with his help, I can win.

If you are feeling the Burn, you know the human family cannot take four more years of politics as usual. We cannot take four more years of gridlock. We have serious problems to solve. We can’t afford to fight anymore. We need to work together, and we need to be at our collective best.

“ARP is the party of process, not policy. Everyone gets a chance to say their piece, and we hold out for decisions that are based on the truth and are good for everyone.

Only by changing how we do politics can we make the other changes we need. I hope you will all join this revolution.” Rebecca stops, turns to Amy Goodman and says, “How about you, Amy, can I count on your support?”

Amy Goodman is in shock. She stammers, “We’ve never endorsed any candidate before. We like to maintain our neutrality.”

“Come on, Amy,” Rebecca pushes. “You’re not for Drumph. You don’t really like Auction, either. You’re the only media outlet that gives Senator Burns decent coverage.

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world, and the first to report my candidacy for the presidency in 2024. Now, Senator Burns and I are working together. Isn’t it time to endorse someone, namely, me?”

“You sure are pushy,” Amy says, as she loses the battle to suppress a smile. “I’m not used to being bullied like this, Rebecca. I. . . I certainly can’t do anything without consulting my organization. Give us a chance to think about it.” She raises her hand to her ear.

“Spoken like a true peace person. Of course, you need to check with your community!” Rebecca let’s her off the hook.

Amy smiles again. “Never mind. I’m getting the message already. My staff has reached consensus. Democracy Now! hereby endorses Rebecca Whyte for president.

We endorse ARP candidates wherever they’re on the ballot! Damn neutrality! Let’s win this thing!!”

This edition of Democracy Now! quickly shoots past six million views. The ARP and the Burns campaign begin collaborating. Signatures pour in. In less than two weeks, Rebecca is on the ballot in nearly every state. All reasonably independent polls predict a landslide victory for Rebecca and the ARP.

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Chapter 35 Getting Back to Anytown

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“Hope I didn’t cause too much trouble.”

After the Democracy Now! appearance, Rebecca and Sandy return to Campaign Headquarters in New York.

“That went well,” Sandy says with satisfaction.

“We’ll get millions of views. We’re going to win, don’t you think? I can’t thank you enough!” Rebecca can’t hide her excitement. She’s too full of energy.

“I’m just glad you agreed. Now, in case you haven’t noticed, the stress is on you. I’m going home for a glass of wine and a nice quiet evening with my wife.” Sandy tries to look like he’s gloating.

“Enjoy the rest,” Rebecca encourages him, “but don’t forget, you’re still campaigning. Let’s get our teams together next week. We’ll each come in with our proposals. We’ll make plans and divide up the labor. Okay?”

“I see you’re already on the case,” Sandy does his best to look disappointed, then brightens and says, “How about Tuesday?”

“Good. Can you and your team come to Anytown this time? No more need for secrecy, and I’d like you and your team to see us in our habitat.”

“We’ll get down there Tuesday by noon, and we’ll plan to stay until Thursday evening. Good enough?”

“Tuesday it is.” They share a smile. “Can I give you a hug?” Rebecca asks.

“I thought you’d never ask.” Sandy and Rebecca embrace in a way that makes Rebecca remember her loving, always supportive grandfather. When she pulls away and looks at Sandy, he becomes flustered and looks away. The love in Rebecca’s eyes is too much. “I’ll have Jerry call you a cab,” he says quickly.

“Don’t bother. Our car’s waiting. I’ll be on my way.”

“Be careful now. Never forget. You just got a huge target slapped on your back.”

“I’m pretty careful, but tell me right away if you hear anything I should know.”

“See you Tuesday.”

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Rebecca turns, walks out of Sandy’s office and downstairs to reception. She finds Max talking to Jerry, who’s behind the desk. “I made it plain in the plan that we’re driving our own car to the airport. It’ll be here any minute.”

Jerry raises her voice a bit and says, “You don’t have to wait! Our car’s out front right now.” When Rebecca comes into the room, Jerry continues, “Look, here’s Rebecca, ready to go. Our car is here. Why not just get in and go?” Jerry is getting frust rated.

Terry approaches her desk and speaks slowly. “Who are you?”

“Jerry Blair, Sandy Burns’s receptionist.”

“No...” Terry murmurs, as if to herself. She looks deeply into Jerry’s eyes. “Who are you and what have you done with Jerry Blair?” As she speaks, she begins to glow, just slightly. She raises her arms in front of her. “Get out!! Leave her now! You will leave her now!”

Jerry Blair lunges for Terry. Max runs toward them and stops, transfixed by the sight of Terry bathed in golden light, her body vibrating and jerking as it absorbs the streaming dark force. Rebecca is watching transfixed, unable to move. She’s never seen anything like this, even in movies.

In a few seconds, Jerry collapses onto the desk. Terry lifts her gently back into her chair. As her eyes open, Terry and Max help her over to the sofa. As Jerry comes to herself, Max says, “Welcome back. Why don’t you just lie here for a while?”

“What happened? Did I pass out?”

“You sure did,” Terry answers cheerily. “You okay?”

“I guess. What happened? I never pass out.”

“You should get checked out. You might be pregnant. My mom said pregnancy can cause this sort of thing.”

“Really? That would be nice,” Jerry says with a weak smile.

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“Hope I didn’t cause too much trouble.”

“Not at all. You’re still a bit shaky. I’ll call Sandy from the taxi and ask him to let you take the rest of the day off.” Once outside, Rebecca asks, “How did you know? And how did you do that?”

“I had a feeling when Max first showed me the plan.”

“But how did you get that spirit to come out?”

“Once it knew I knew it was there, the jig was up. It was a pretty low-level astral plane spirit, just enough energy to take over Jerry and get us into that other car, which is gone now, right?”

“Yeah,” Max comes in, “It took off when Jerry fell down. Their plan....” he turns admiringly toward Terry, “didn’t take you into account.”

“I bet that plan would’ve involved an accident that I wouldn’t have survived.”

Rebecca’s eyes widen at the thought. She turns to look again at this young woman who seems to be from another planet.

“Like I said, I got a feeling when I saw Max’s plan. Probably came from your guardian spirit. Is that our car?” Terry sees a car pulling up to the curb.

“Well, I’m grateful for your feeling. Good thing no one else was in the office. That scene would be hard to explain.”

“That was no accident. The spirits we’re dealing with don’t want the spirit world known. That’s one of the main reasons they’re trying to do away with you. . . and me.”

The car stops. The driver jumps out. “So sorry. I’d have been here 15 minutes ago, but there was a pileup just south. We still okay for your plane?”

“No problem,” Max answers. “You’re right on time.”

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Chapter 36 Rebecca Campaigns

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“It’s obvious that no dirty trick can be implemented without internal opposition.”

As soon as Rebecca and Burns appear on Democracy Now, both sets of supporters begin organizing their joint campaign. With only eleven months before the election, Rebecca can’t even travel to the major cities in each state. The corporate media blacks her out, of course, so there’s no point buying television ads, even if they had the money.

Instead, the campaigners decide that Rebecca, Burns, and their most influential supporters will appear at major events in cities, towns and villages by Skype or Zoom.

The most difficult task is finding a way to keep their podcasts from being jammed or dropped by the providers and carriers who support the corporate elite and fear the ARP. The answer is brave employees within Google, Skype, Zoom, Verizon, Comcast, and AT&T. A plea for help issued to workers in these companies elicits an overwhelming response. Workers at all levels, even some executives, find ways to provide access within their territory. Many are punished. Some lose their jobs, but they usually manage to air the broadcasts.

In March, as the online tour gathers momentum, the US finds itself in the throes of a COVID 19 pandemic. The plan to appear on screens in auditoriums, basketball arenas, even baseball and football stadiums is cancelled. Dealing with the virus becomes the order of the day. The solution is to offer a daily two-hour podcast. But as soon as the podcast begins, the system is overwhelmed. Too many people try to sign up. Broadband and server capacities have to be expanded.

As the campaign is working on this, Ted Johnson of CNN calls to say, “We’d like to create a weekly two-hour program featuring you, Joe Auction and Ronald Drumph discussing topics of general interest. We’ll provide the topic and some questions to get you started, but after that, the discussion proceeds as a discussion. How it’s managed and how it takes place will be up to the three of you.”

“Except Auction and Drumph won’t do it, will they?” Rebecca asks.

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“So what if they refuse?”

“Then it’ll be your show.”

“You mean if they refuse to appear with me, you’ll let me broadcast nationwide on CNN once a week for two hours?” Rebecca is astonished. Nothing like this had even occurred to her.

“Right.”

“What’s the catch? Do we have to pay something for this?”

“No catch. And no money changes hands.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Two reasons. One is, most of us at CNN want you to win. We want to help your campaign. The second is self-serving. Whether or not the other two join, your twohour show will be the most watched show on TV whenever it’s on. We do intend to sell advertising.”

Rebecca feels a sudden fear. “I need a say in the advertising, namely, who your sponsors are and the content.”

“We pick them, but you have rejection rights. We won’t sell anyone you aren’t comfortable with. We’re on your side, remember?” Johnson’s voice is smiling in a way that sounds genuinely friendly.

Rebecca listens carefully. This guy is the corporate media. The corporate establishment stands firmly against the Burns-Whyte coalition. And yet, CNN is offering her the publicity she so desperately needs. She thinks, What is going on? Is this a trick? What she says is, “Works for me, but I need to check with my team. Back to you tomorrow. And thank you.”

Rebecca on CNN Two weeks later, Rebecca has her own two-hour show on CNN. She explains different aspects of government-as-process. Her invited speakers dive more deeply into ARP policies, like the willingness of all ARP candidates to open their tax records and even | P a g e 249

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their bankbooks to the public. Sometimes speakers raise questions about party rules, like details about the salary-only pledge. The fresh and unpredictable exchanges are received with astonishment, gratitude and cheers that reverberate through the body politic.

Inside the Washington Beltway, the ARP is generating terror close to panic. It’s obvious to all that Rebecca is incorruptible. She’s an outsider with no desire to become an insider. She’s advocating something entirely new, and she’s turning people on.

Normally, a populist leader like this would be taken out by underworld hitmen, but even the underworld supports the ARP. For unknown reasons, no amount of money is sufficient to buy a gangster willing to kill her, and using amateurs would be too dangerous. Gangsters seem to be protecting her.

The CIA, the NSA, the FBI, Homeland Security—all the agencies that can ordinarily be counted on to deal with a wild hair like Rebecca—are paralyzed. Though certain elements, especially the upper echelons, speak openly about eliminating this threat to the American way of life, the rank and file are in love with Rebecca. When anyone in any of those agencies suggests a dirty trick, the pushback is immediate and effective.

It’s obvious that no dirty trick can be implemented without internal opposition and, at least, full disclosure to Wikileaks or some other news organization. The elite feel their control eroding.

The Auction and Drumph campaigns are flagging. Their televised presidential debate draws a reasonable audience, similar to reruns of The Walking Dead. But Rebecca’s CNN shows draw far larger audiences, and not just in the US. All around the world, Rebecca is a star, a phenomenon, a ray of hope.

After a few weeks of dazed confusion, the donor class organizes to fight back. The punditocracy accepts newly unified talking points and mobilizes the echo chamber to discredit or tarnish Rebecca.

Pundits take aim. At 35, Rebecca is “far too young for the heavy responsibility of the presidency, a child playing in an adult’s game.” “She’ll be eaten alive by our enemies.”

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I will never be the decider, you will. I will only be providing the forum and the process for making the decisions. I’m not too young to do that. I’ve already demonstrated a certain aptitude for my kind of leadership.”

The pundits switch to a new line of attack: Rebecca’s TV-based campaign: “She’s a coward. She won’t get out on the road and meet people. She hides safely behind a screen. Is she even real? She could be a computer graphic.”

Rebecca counters, “I didn’t decide to run in this election until almost February, when Senator Burns offered to support me. In the time we have, I can’t get around to all of you, so I’m getting my message out this way. Both Ronald Drumph and Joe Auction could be on this show with me, but for some unknown reason, they’ve refused to be a part of it.”

After hammering a while on their refusal to join her, she moves on. “I’m also demonstrating the campaign of the future. Physical travel burns tons of fossil fuel.

Why put all that carbon into the atmosphere if I can reach you this way? And don’t forget the pandemic. You don’t want me rallying crowds, like President Drumph does.

When I’m president, many of the most important national decisions will be made by TV and Internet.”

Next, they attack her lifestyle: “She’s a feminazi lesbian.” “She can’t marry because she’s an alien.” “She has no husband, children or understanding of family, much less family values.”

Rebecca responds: “Wow, so now I’m being attacked for being single?! This is something to be ashamed of? Let me tell you about my private life: in short, I don’t have one. I’ve known for a long time that I have a public mission. I knew I would be rising to the highest levels of political power. To be successful, I have to subordinate my personal desires to public responsibilities. Having a husband and a family would take me away from my public mission. I’m not saying all public servants should live like this. We all have our own missions and our own ways of life. I simply want you to understand the depth and intensity I bring to mine. I sacrifice personal and family life to bring a new approach to politics. I could not do this if I were a wife and mother. If you make me president, my sacrifice will have been worthwhile. I will be one step closer to fulfilling my mission, and I will continue to focus exclusively on raising our society to a higher level of health and happiness.” | P a g e 251

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Every time the media attacks, Rebecca responds through her CNN program. Her programs are getting more viewers than most news shows, and she answers the attacks with such depth and honesty that accusations and ridicule are blown away by the wind that is clearly at her back.

Desperate Republicans and Democrats have dozens of staff searching full time for something to use against her—evidence of wrongdoing as mayor of Anytown?

Disgruntled former staff willing to talk? A jilted boyfriend? A friend willing to say she did drugs in college? They’re striking out. Rebecca is so clean and wholesome that attempts to slime her boomerang back on her attackers. To their horror, they watch their smear attempts build her legend, expand her online community, and make her election inevitable.

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Chapter 37 Terry Goes Public

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“Y’all are in the right place at the right time.

“Terry,” Rebecca begins hesitantly, “I’m getting a lot of pressure from the press and from everyone around me to explain who you are. I tell everyone that you’re on my security staff because you’re a martial arts expert. But they ask where you were trained.

All I can say is “the island.” I can’t tell them how you saved my life twice. They see you’re called “jungle girl,” but they find no record of military training, security training, or martial arts. They know you graduated from East High in Othertown, and you had excellent grades and lots of friends, but you weren’t into sports or clubs. Your friend Darla told a reporter I was smart to hire you because you’re ‘the best fighter on the planet,’ but she wouldn’t elaborate. No one knows what to do with that.”

“How about Akilah, Sylvie and the others I brought to your campaign? Are they answering questions about me?”

“Oh, they say you’re the best possible choice for the security team, but ask them why and they clam up. A bit suspicious. And, as you probably know, some podcasters have it all figured out that you’re my lover; they get lots of views putting out their evidence.

You know—all your high school friends are women, Charlie’s a lesbian, you’ve never had a boyfriend, and you’re so buff! They fill in the blanks the way they want. Openness and transparency are my hallmarks. The mystery around you is no big deal, but I’d like to have more to say.”

“You just gave me an idea. Darla said I’m the best fighter in the world, right? Ok, let’s test that. How about we invite some famous fighter to fight me. I don’t know who the big-name fighters are, but if I were to fight a celebrity on TV and win, it would be clear why you hired me. Plus, it would show that “girls” can mix it up with “the boys,” which is what your opponents keep saying you can’t do, right?”

“Yeah, but what if you lose? Get hurt? The risk is huge!”

Terry says coolly, “I won’t lose. Plenty of friends on Kam Nagala could beat me, but I’ve seen boxing matches. I’ve also seen cage fights. I’ve never seen anyone in those fights who could touch me. They aren’t fast enough.”

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“What if powerful spirits decide to take advantage of this fight? What if they take over your opponent and seriously injure you?” Rebecca still can’t quite believe Terry can take on a professional fighter.

Terry takes her fear seriously. “Hmmm. Okay, we’ll pick someone with a known record in a known sport. Champions have tremendous egos. It wouldn’t be easy for any spirit to take over. Besides, I have my own spirit allies and guardians. My family and friends will be there. I’m not worried. If you think fighting a big-name fighter might solve my image problem, I’m ready.”

“We’ll get videos of leading fighters of various types. You watch them fight, tell me who you want, and I’ll try to negotiate the match up.”

Terry bites her lip. “Now that you mention it, they might not want to fight me.

Beating up a girl could hurt their image. So would losing to one! I wonder if you can find any takers.”

“If not, I can go on TV and say we tried, but no one will fight you. That would help, don’t you think?”

Terry’s not convinced. “I think the people causing the trouble would say we didn’t try.”

Suddenly, it’s Rebecca who won’t let go of the idea. “Yeah, we need to get you a fight.

Let’s get you the videos and see what we can do.”

A Few Days Later After watching the videos, Terry approaches Rebecca. “I’m thinking Cassius Mann.

He’s an African-American boxer, the heavyweight champion of the world, and super popular. Defeating him would make the news everywhere. No one would question my right to be on your security team, and your fame would jump to another sphere. Plus, it’ll show that you have what it takes to go up against the powers that be. And, I think he’ll do it. He won’t even consider the possibility of losing. Plus, he wins through strength. He punches hard and takes a hard punch, but he’s not all that fast. My ideal opponent.”

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“If he touches me, it’ll be a glancing blow. See if he’ll take the offer.” Rebecca is impressed by Terry’s confidence, and she likes the PR potential of taking on the heavyweight champion of the world. But Terry and the world champion boxer?

Two Weeks Later Rebecca steps to the podium and opens a hastily called press

conference.

It’s

happening

outside

her

headquarters in Anytown because there’s not enough room inside for all the press. As soon as the press sets up, the crowd starts forming. The street is full by the time Rebecca gets there.

Smiling and waving at friends she says, “Y’all are in the right place at the right time.

This is not your ordinary press conference. As many of you know, wild rumors are traveling around the Net regarding Terry Anitok, a valuable member of my security team.”

She pauses and, with a wave of her hand, she introduces Terry to anyone who might not already know her. Terry smiles and waves hello. She gets some cheers but mostly polite applause. “Some are accusing us of being lovers. I’ll freely admit that we do love each other like sisters. I will also admit that we support the freedom to love whomever one pleases. However, we are friends. We are not lovers. We are both free of intimate entanglements and intend to keep it that way. I hope this puts an end to those rumors.

“The other problem we face is that journalists, podcasters and other influencers keep casting doubt on Terry’s qualifications to serve on my security team. I keep telling you and anyone who’ll listen how great she is, but you doubt me because she’s a woman. Terry and I take great offense at this male chauvinist attitude and would like to put an end to those doubts. So, I am here today to announce that Cassius Mann, the heavyweight boxing champion of the world, has accepted our invitation for Terry to meet him in the ring.”

The crowd erupts in gasps, mumbles, then shouting and laughter. “Okay, okay, quiet please!” Rebecca continues. “You’re having a hard time imagining how a 5’7” woman weighing 125 pounds can possibly fight the heavyweight champion of the world, who stands 6’3” and weighs 230 pounds. You may be surprised that Mr. Mann | P a g e 256

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and his management team have agreed to this bout. I can only tell you that they did agree and, because neither side sees a need to train for it, the fight of the century will take place on Saturday, April 11, ten days from now. The venue will be the Mandalay Events Center in Paradise, Nevada. Are there any questions? Yes, Sam, go ahead.”

“Will the bout take place under normal boxing rules?”

“Thank you for that question. Yes, the rules of boxing will be in force. The only thing Terry wanted to confirm is that the three-knockdown rule would be strictly enforced and expanded just a little. In other words, if she knocks Mr. Mann off his feet three times, not necessarily with a punch but in any way at all and not necessarily in the same round, if he goes down to the mat three times, the bout will end. This request came from Terry, who explained that she needed the expanded knockdown rule so she wouldn’t have to hurt Mr. Mann. Mr. Mann immediately agreed—but not without laughter, I should add. He indicated that he is supremely confident that “no little girl” is going to knock him over in any way whatsoever. Yes, in the back there, go ahead.”

“Please explain exactly why you’re doing this. It seems like some sort of gimmick.

Is it to get publicity for your campaign? Has Cassius Mann agreed to throw the fight and let the girl win? Who’ll get the money from this bout?”

“Thank you so much for that question. First of all, yes. We do expect to get some great publicity for our campaign. But seriously, I hate the way Terry is being disrespected. Beyond that, I want to introduce this remarkable—this amazing— young woman to the world. And Terry wants to show the world some of what she learned growing up with so-called primitives on an isolated jungle island. You all know she lived there for eight years, and she’s sick and tired of how the so-called civilized world disrespects indigenous people. She always says indigenous people have the answers to all our questions, but we’re too stupid to ask them.

“To make sure no one thinks Mr. Mann is throwing the fight, we’ve agreed that if he wins, all the money goes to him. If Terry wins, all the money will go to my campaign.

But you just watch and make up your own mind.” Jimmy comes out of headquarters and whispers to Rebecca. She turns back to the podium. “Sorry, I’m out of time. We’ll see you ringside.”

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The Fight of the Century The announcement is news on every channel and viral on social media.

When fight day arrives, the world is watching. The ring announcer takes over the venue. “In this corner, weighing

127

challenger,

corner,

the

Teeeeerryyyyyy

Uphaaaaaaaaart, Junnnnnnnngle

pounds, also

known

Girrrrrrrlllll.

In

as this

weighing 236 pounds, the heavy weight champion

of the world, Caaaaassiuuuuuus Maaaaaannnnnn.” Terry’s family and re-education committee begin chanting, “Kam Nagala, Kam Nagala.” Darla and Joyce are there as well, thrilled by the free tickets they get from Terry.

The opponents go to the center of the ring and touch gloves, both smiling. The tension and threatening stares that usually mark the start of a boxing match are missing. Before they walk back to their respective corners, Terry puts her gloves together, as if praying, and bows low toward Mann. Still smiling and seeming to enjoy himself, Mann puts his gloves together and bows back.

The bell rings to start round one. With arms at her sides, Terry meets Mann in the center of the ring. He offers a half-hearted jab that doesn’t come close. His smile twitches. He’s clearly unsure how to handle this odd opponent. Terry moves in closer.

She’s still smiling as well. “Come on, Cassius, go ahead. Let’s see if you can hit me.”

With that, Mann puts a little more force and speed into his jab. Terry avoids it easily.

“Okay then, Jungle Girl.” Playfulness leaves his tone. “Ready to go down?”

“Let’s see what you have.” Before the words are out, Mann steps in and throws a combination. Terry bends back, then ducks. His fists hit nothing but air. He steps in again and swings, but Terry isn’t there. He whirls to his left, swinging out with his right, but Terry is now on his right. This sets a pattern. Mann is chasing Terry, clearly doing his best now to trap and hit her, but he’s not even coming close. Terry is still smiling. “Come on,” she taunts, “gimme your best shot.” | P a g e 258

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Mann is getting frustrated, embarrassed and angry. This anger is what Terry’s been waiting for. Mann swings again with his right, so hard that it pulls him a little off balance. Terry jumps in, grabs his elbow with both gloves and, using his own power and the momentum of his arm, puts him on his back on the floor. A roar of surprise erupts from the crowd. “That’s one,” Terry calls out, looking to the referee. He nods to confirm a knockdown.

Mann jumps back to his feet, furious. He’s going to teach this skinny-tail wench a lesson she won’t forget. He begins again to chase her around the ring. Wherever he goes, by the time he gets there, she’s gone. She’s faking him out. She feints to the right; when he follows, she’s off to the left. In his frustration, he jabs with his left, then lunges far forward and straight at her with his right. Again his lunge has him off balance, so she grabs his hand, ducks, and pulls him over her shoulder. He lands hard this time, flat on his back, with Terry standing above him, smiling. She backs away. “That’s two,” she shouts and looks at the ref. Again, he nods. Mann’s fruitless chase continues until the bell ends round one.

The bell sounds for round two. Mann walks in again, this time more careful. He’s still on the offense, but in measured steps. He’s not going to lose his balance again. He concentrates on cutting off the ring. He wants to trap her in a corner. Just one punch.

That’s all he needs. Terry sees he’s getting control of his anger and coming at her with a new intensity. He does not want to lose this fight.

She understands; she even feels sorry for him, but she has no choice. I will win, she vows—for her own safety, for Rebecca, for Kam Nagala and for indigenous populations around the world. She begins taunting him physically. She flies around him like a mosquito. She fakes left, then jumps right and hits him in the ribs. He moves in. She crouches low, then leaps up right in front of him slamming her fist into his chin, snapping his head back. As he staggers backward, he wraps his arms around her. They stand in a tight clinch, surprised and uncomfortable with him holding her several inches off the ground. The referee separates them.

Terry backs away, smiling. She fakes right, then spins to her left, all the way around him, leaping up to pound the top of his head. The crowd roars again, this time with laughter. She jumps, bends, crouches, rolls on the mat, and whirls through the air. She puts on an amazing display of acrobatics. Her punches are landing. They do no | P a g e 259

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damage, of course, but he is completely unable to control or touch her. The bell rings ending round two.

When the bell rings for the start of round three, Mann’s manager throws in the towel. The crowd goes wild—a raucous jumble of cheers and boos. Terry walks to the middle, puzzled. She doesn’t know what the towel means. The referee walks over and says, quietly, “Mr. Mann has given up. The fight’s over.” Terry smiles and walks over to Mann, who stares at her with new respect. She puts her gloves together, bows, and says, “Thank you.”

Cassius Mann rises from his seat and puts his gloves together. “You are something, young woman.” As he speaks, he’s vaguely aware of a faint golden light that turns his embarrassment into a surprised smile. He and Terry contemplate each other for a few seconds, then he grabs her hand and lifts it above her head. “The winner!!” he shouts, to wild applause.

Boxing fans have never seen a post-fight interview where both contestants stand together so amiably. The reporter looks from one to the other and decides to start with Mann. “So why’d you give up? She couldn’t hurt you. She might’ve gotten tired. You might’ve been able to hit her.”

“A man can only take so much humiliation,” Cassius says with a smile. “I could fight that girl all day and never lay a glove on her. Why let her show off for ten rounds?

Besides,” he chuckles ruefully, “she’d have had me down again before too long. I took the easy way out.” He had just lost a fight to a 19-year-old girl half his size, but he was rubbing his chin and grinning.

“What’ll you say to those you say you threw it?.”

“Come on! You saw her out there? Who here thinks they can take her?” He looks out into the audience. “I thought not!”

“Miss Anitok, do you think Cassius here was trying to win that fight?”

“He’s a gentleman and a good guy. He was super nervous at first. He really didn’t want to hit me. I had to talk a little trash to make him mad. But once he got mad, he was into it. You saw him in that second round, right? He was angry and frustrated, but | P a g e260

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he had it under control. He made me work that round. I knew if he hit me, I’d be down for the count. I knew I had to make him mad and get him off balance again, but I had to be quick and very careful. He was not playing, and if anyone comes around saying he was, I will let Cassius explain what you need to know.”

“Is that right, Cassius?” the announcer asks.

Cassius laughs out loud. “This girl opened my eyes today! She had me goin’—body, mind and soul. I’ve never seen or felt anything like it. She’s not just fast. It’s like she always knew what I was about to do before I knew it myself. If I hear any talk about her not being worthy of Rebecca Whyte’s security team, I’ll be happy to set the record straight.” He holds out his hand, and Terry slaps it hard. They’re both laughing.

The boxing match has its intended effect. Terry is no longer challenged as a member of the security team. The rumors about lesbian lovers give way to speculation about what martial art Terry practices and where. Rebecca’s fame and popularity climb into the stratosphere. On the other hand, as she planned, Terry is now a target in her own right. To bring the dark forces into the light, she knew she had to draw their fire—and confront threats from a higher dimension.

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Chapter 38 Rebecca and the Backlash

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“You come in to tell me how to run my show?”

American neocon organizer Rover Remquist is going berserk. He calls a special meeting. On a Wednesday afternoon, he gathers Carl Rave, Dick Chinney, Don Rums, Dick Crystal, Rob Keagan, Bill Pearl and several other members of the American Century Club. They agree that they’ve been taking Rebecca Whyte and her ARP far too lightly, just like they took Ronald Drumph too lightly in the last election. Because they are, in their minds, the natural, anointed rulers of the world, they are determined to recover the control they’ve lost.

After some discussion, they decide to launch a full-scale media attack on her inexperience, artlessness, and ignorance of the realities of fighting terrorism. They’re confident that her ARP’s absurd commitment to solving all problems through dialogue will repel the voters once they understand it. Only a fool could believe that diametrically opposed liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans, the far left and the far right can hold hands and agree on policy, once they’ve had a nice long talk. The notion that the US will sit down for cooperative straight talk with China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, ISIS and other enemies won’t fly with the public. The rising tide of the ARP is the product of a pretty face and a snow job with nothing to show but some small-town successes. That’s the message.

Their echo chamber goes right to work. Day after day, SOX News and other corporate media outlets offer extensive interviews to corporate politicians, retired generals, economists, and other war culture devotees, all of whom do their best to ridicule Rebecca Whyte and the ARP. Typical of these interviews is Beta Von Sustain interviewing Dick Chinney.

Beta: You’re aware of the sudden popularity of the American Resolutionary Party.

Mayor Whyte recently made Forbes Magazine’s list of the 100 most powerful women in the world. What do you think about her approach to government?

Chinney: I’m sure Ms. Whyte means well. But look, she’s been successful as mayor of a small, homogeneous city in rural America. What does she know about real conflict? She’s a fad. She’s beautiful. She excites like a rock star, but she’s a lightweight.

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Beta: Mayor Whyte insists that the role of government is not to make policy. (She reads from a text.) “Public officials should manage the process through which stakeholders come together, discuss an issue, and cooperate to make decisions and determine policy together.”

Chinney: An attractive vision, but totally impossible at higher levels of power where the threat of violence is part of the negotiating process. She’ll never facilitate military decisions or any decision involving rival nations. How can she negotiate with Al Qaeda or ISIL? They don’t negotiate. They kill.

Beta: She’s leading in the polls, but you don’t see her as a serious presidential candidate?

Chinney: As the campaign develops, the American people will see through her gimmick and understand that only competent, hard-nosed decision makers can run our government safely.

Beta: Vice President Dick Chinney, thank you very much for being with us this morning.

Chinney: You’re welcome.

The Lion’s Den Rebecca’s supporters are worried. Thousands are emailing or texting to report the latest media outrages and warn Rebecca about the support the neocon backlash is getting.

Rebecca remains cheerful and optimistic. She waits patiently for the neocon overreach. Finally, it arrives. Rebecca is invited onto The Smiley Factor. Bill Smiley, of course, is determined to humiliate her.

Smiley starts the show as usual. “I’m pleased to welcome Rebecca Whyte, former mayor of Anytown and candidate for president on the American Resolutionary Party ticket. Thank you for joining us today.”

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Smiley reacts with immediate, exaggerated alarm. “A request? What might that be?”

Rebecca, smiling at Smiley, suggests, “Let’s agree not to interrupt each other.”

Smiley is genuinely mystified. “What in the world are you talking about?”

Rebecca, still smiling affably says, “I’ve seen this show and noticed that it often becomes a shouting match, literally. It gets difficult for interviewees to make their points. You even take station breaks to interrupt them when they get on a roll. I can’t take part in a discussion like that. It’s not an appropriate way to seek truth.”

Smiley is offended now, and vaguely threatened. “You come in to tell me how to run my show?”

Rebecca smiles even more broadly. “No, no, no, I’m telling you what I need to take part. Will you agree that we won’t interrupt each other? I’m just stipulating simple politeness.”

Smiley is back to smiling himself. With full confidence he asserts, “This show is not polite. We offer rough and tumble debate. If you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. Besides, this is TV. We’re under incredible time pressure. If I can’t interrupt you, you could go on for ten minutes and run out the entire show.”

Rebecca brightens even more. “Okay, then let’s also agree that no one can speak for more than two minutes at a time. I’d be fine with that. If I go on beyond two minutes, you can interrupt me, and the same goes for me. Okay?”

Smiley stops smiling. “This is ridiculous. You’ve already used several minutes of my time just talking about procedure. I’m not going to agree to any special rules with you.”

Rebecca goes on the attack. “I’ve wasted your time? Isn’t this our time? Or am I really just a pawn in your game? If so, I’ll take my leave, and you can figure out how to fill the rest of your hour.”

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Smiley doesn’t want her walking out, so he plays hurt. “I invited you in good faith.

You knew what kind of program I run, and you agreed to come on. Now you’re going to walk out because I won’t play by your rules?”

Rebecca replies in kind. “You invited me here to humiliate me. I hoped to persuade you to accept one little rule that would make rational, civilized conversation possible.

You refuse. I’m not going to play your game on your turf with no ground rules.”

Smiley pulls himself up to come on strong. “You’re demonstrating exactly what I’ve been saying about you. You’ll never be able to handle serious, high-level conflict. You certainly won’t get ISIL to agree to any rules.”

Rebecca takes this chance to make her primary point. “I’m demonstrating precisely why I should be president. It’s hard for people with power to give it up. If I were president, and if this discussion were related to a policy decision, you wouldn’t be able to refuse to play. I would bring the stakeholders together, we’d agree on a set of rules, and we’d follow them, because nothing would get done otherwise. Rules level the playing field, help those with less power participate. You’ve demonstrated today that mediators like me need the power of government to get people like you to act civilized.”

Smiley is offended again. He raises his voice. “I’m not civilized?!”

Rebecca continues the attack. “Your show is a verbal boxing match on your turf.

Your rules, your timing, your carefully honed techniques trying to beat your guests up and make them look stupid. That’s not civilized discussion. I want your viewers to know who I really am, what I think, and why they should vote for me. But that’s not what you want.”

Smiley reveals his philosophy. “My viewers will learn more about you if I direct the conversation. I won’t let you get away with your stump speech. I’ll push hard and force you to tell the truth.”

Rebecca stands up for hers. “You can’t find the truth by throwing folks off balance.

You’re clearly more interested in control and winning than the truth, but let’s say you genuinely want to know what’s true. Do you believe your talk-show equivalent of enhanced interrogation actually brings truth to light?”

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Smiley refuses to answer that question. “I’m not on the hot seat here. You say you want to tell the viewers who you are, but you’re doing nothing but talking about talking.”

Rebecca is thrilled by this attack. “Precisely. Talking about talking. That’s a mediator’s job. I’m here to illustrate the importance of process, and you are demonstrating how power resists even minimal control of process. As president, I wouldn’t defend or attack. I’d bring everyone together to come to a decision we can all be happy with. Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

Smiley hates to be questioned. “Here you go questioning me again.”

Rebecca jumps in. “You’re refusing to answer again. How can we have a discussion if you won’t even answer—” Smiley cuts her off. “You dance, you evade. You don’t say a thing.”

Rebecca keeps after him. “Come on, Bill. You refuse my kindergarten rule about not interrupting and you’re calling me evasive? You want me to lie down and let you walk on me?”

Smiley laughs. “That’s not my thing. So how about you just answer some questions?”

Rebecca returns to smiling affably. “You haven’t asked any. I’d be happy to answer anything you ask if you agree not to interrupt my answers.”

Smiley smirks at the audience and says, “Look at this. She’s still talking about talking.”

Rebecca calls the question. “Well? Do you agree we won’t interrupt each other?”

Smiley widens his eyes innocently as if he’s been asked something bizarre. “Of course not! You can’t make the rules here!”

Rebecca, still smiling, says, “Well, we’re back to the start. Shall we call it quits?”

Smiley shakes his head in a mocking gesture. “So sad. You’ll never be president!”

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Bill. Have a good one.” She turns and, waving to the audience, she says, “Sorry to leave you so soon, but I think you can see why.”

The show goes viral. The echo chamber goes on the attack, calling her a bitch who is “not ready for prime time.” Over and over, corporate commentators assure the viewing public that she could never manage a high-level conflict or negotiate with Russia or China.

Meanwhile influencers across the political spectrum are excited by her courage and clarity of purpose. Rebecca demonstrated to a huge audience the power of process. She entered the lion’s den and made the lion appear barbaric and foolish, while she emerged unscathed. People wringing their hands over the polarization of the American public are pleased to find common cause with those they’d considered hopeless. Longalienated relatives find one topic they can agree on: the new politics and the uncommon common sense of Rebecca Whyte.

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Chapter 39 Max versus Terry

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“I have a bad feeling about what you just said.”

Max walks into the office beaming. “I could not believe the way you handled Cassius Mann. I knew you were fast. I was sure you were going to win, but I was terrified the whole time. I kept thinking, ‘What if he hits her?’ But you were amazing – beyond amazing!”

“I was worried myself sometimes. I’ve never fought anyone that big and strong. But a big part of his problem was me being a woman. He did get embarrassed and frustrated. He thinks he was trying to hit me, but he’s such a gentleman. Remember when we got into that clinch? I could feel him get tight all over. No one else could hear it, but he whispered, ‘Sorry.’ He apologized for hugging me without my consent! That had nothing to do with boxing. I love that guy. I am so glad it was him I fought.”

“Well, the whole plan went perfectly. Terry Anitok is now officially a rock star!”

Max’s eyes are shining.

“Actually, I need to talk to you about that. I wanted to get known so I could draw fire. I’m sure I’ve attracted some of our spiritual competitors toward me and away from Rebecca. Now, I need to get out of here until the election. I want to lead them away. I can’t let them go for me and Rebecca at the same time, right?”

Max closes his eyes and bites his lip. When he opens them again, the twinkle is gone.

“I have a bad feeling about what you just said. Maybe I just don’t want you to leave us, but I don’t like the idea of you going off somewhere to draw fire. I think you need to stay with us.”

Terry is surprised. Since becoming teammates, she and Max have communicated like they’re thinking with the same brain. All of a sudden, something so obvious to her is not obvious to Max. She sinks into a chair facing away from him, then turns to face him. “Seems like we have a problem. What should we do?”

Max hesitates, then raises his arms to the side, palms up in an exaggerated shrug.

“Hey, we’re in a conflict, how about that! Luckily, the person and party we work for were made for times like this.” He clasps his hands and shakes them, as if agreeing with himself. “What say we take our conflict to Rebecca?”

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Terry is not used to conflict. Not with people close to her. She has a strong desire to argue with Max. She wants to convince him of her position. She doesn’t like the idea of taking their conflict to Rebecca. She tries to check with her guardian spirit, but she can’t seem to get through. She feels confused and a bit frightened. “Okay,” she says, finally. “We take it to Rebecca.”

The Next Day Rebecca listens as Max tells her what happened between Terry and him. Rebecca turns to Terry. “This is about you going somewhere to draw spiritual enemies away from me.

I have no doubt you’re trying to protect me, but can you tell us more about what you want to do and why?”

“I woke up yesterday feeling danger. While meditating, I realized I’ve become the focus of a lot of attention, some good, some angry. Not long ago I was attacked by a spirit who said his team knows they’ll have to do away with me to get to you. That plan could be fully operational now. If they come for me, I want you far away. That’s what I was feeling and it’s what I still feel.”

Rebecca turns to Max. “Do you still have a bad feeling about that plan?”

“Yes. In fact, as Terry was talking just now, I felt worse than I did when she first said it.”

“Say more about your bad feeling?”

Max crosses his arms and bows his head as he thinks. After a few minutes he says, “When I’m with you two, I feel strong and happy. Confident. Like we can handle anything. When I think about Terry going away to fight without us, I feel small and lonely, separated. Like Terry going away drains my strength somehow, and she gets weaker, too.”

“Terry, how do you feel now?” Terry closes her eyes. After about a minute, her golden light starts to glimmer slightly. “No! Please, Terry, don’t use your spiritual power. Let’s handle this with physical dialogue.”

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“I’m the mediator,” Rebecca returns serenely. “I need to be in control of the process.

I can’t do that if you control us with your light. Can you understand that? Can you accept it?”

For some time, Terry remains stunned by what was, for her, a violent outburst. “I’m sorry,” she says at last. “Yes, I understand, and I accept your control.”

Rebecca pushes. “Why did you get so angry?”

Terry frowns. “I’m afraid.” This surprises her again. “I’m feeling the fear I felt yesterday morning.”

“What are you afraid of?”

Terry closes her eyes. “I see an enormous black cloud, so thick I can’t even get to my guardian spirit. Or yours. I’m alone. I need to get out of here. I need to take this cloud away from you and Max.” “Max, what do you see?”

Max closes his eyes. Soon, he begins to speak with low, quivering intensity. “I see the cloud. I see Terry shining, fighting the dark. But I’m with her, in a large group.

We’re all shining. We’re fighting as a group.” His voice steadies. “The darkness is going away.”

“Terry?” No reply. “Does Max’s vision have any effect on yours?”

Suddenly, Terry’s face contorts in terror. “Get out!! Get away from me!” She takes several deep, labored breaths and opens her eyes. “Rebecca, let me jump levels. Believe me, it’s not to win this argument. I have to jump levels! Please!” she pleads.

“I trust you. Go ahead.”

Terry begins to glow. She struggles to become Sei Kan. She feels herself thrashing. Terry is jerking spasmodically, limbs flailing, pounding the table in front of her. Rebecca and Max see flashes of golden light appear and disappear wildly, like lightening. They pick up on Terry’s fear. Rebecca takes Terry’s | P a g e 272

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hand. Max takes her other hand. Sei Kan begins to pray. She calls on Dai Jobu, Mido Ri, and Rei Kan. She calls on Jo Jina. She calls on Kam Nagala. Rebecca chants her mantra. As she does, Jo Jina appears and mingles her silver light with Sei Kan’s golden light. The wild flashing stops. Terry sits still, then opens her eyes. Sei Kan and Jo Jina are gone.

“Max is right,” Terry says with conviction. “We need to stay together.”

“What happened?” Max asks.

“A spirit was in me! Controlling me! It actually got into my mind! If not for Jo Jina and you two, I might have lost control. If I’d gone off by myself, I might’ve been killed!

If Terry had done what she wanted, that could have been the end of her. I know possession happens. It happens on Kam Nagala, but I never imagined any spirit could come in and control me, not like that!”

She raises her hands. They’re still shaking. She stares at them, and turns to Max, who is still kneeling next to her. She throws her arms around him. “Thank you. Thank you! You saved my life.” Tears stream down her cheeks. Max holds her in a loving embrace until Terry pulls away to turn to Rebecca. “You’re such... a good mediator.”

They all laugh.

“We stay together, right?” Rebecca needs to confirm.

“I’m not going anywhere. But we need to get ready. Max saw a large group. A group we’re going to need.”

“When?” asks Max. “How much time do we have and how do we prepare?”

“That’s the question. Go back to your vision of the group.” Rebecca softens her tone.

“Please.”

Max closes his eyes, the women follow suit. In a few minutes, Max says, “It’s coming into focus. The group I saw.”

Rebecca asks, “Who’s there?”

“I see Chandra, Elizabeth, Sally, Akilah and Terry’s group, Terry’s family. . . I see Harmony and other ARP members from all over the country.” He grabs his head. His voice rises with urgency. “We need to call an ARP conference! No, we need a | P a g e 273

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mobilization. We need everyone! Everyone has to come to the White House! Right away!”

Rebecca turns to Terry, “What do you see?”

Terry closes her eyes. “A huge dark cloud over Washington. A storm. Flashes of lightening draw the number 20 in the sky. Enormous destruction. Washington is destroyed.” Her eyes fly open with alarm. She trembles. “I’m fighting fear. I feel the presence of enemies in the spirit world. Your victory infuriates them. They’re dead set on blocking you from the presidency. And they have human allies in the millions!”

Terry has just said that Rebecca is going to win, a win followed by the fight of their lives.

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Chapter 40 Rebecca Wins

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“It was in our interest to let you step in and change the world.”

In the presidential election of 2020, Rebecca Whyte of the ARP takes every state except Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas. Though she gets more than enough signatures, Arkansas and Mississippi somehow fail to put her on the ballot.

She wins the popular vote by such an enormous margin that rigged voting machines in predetermined “tight” districts make the vote stealing pathetically obvious. The results in those districts bear no relation at all to the exit polls. Rebecca’s election reveals beyond doubt the dangers of electronic voting machines. This is the last election to use machines without a paper trail.

By 7:00 pm Pacific time on election night, before the polls close, even SOX News gives up hope. Every channel calls the election a landslide victory for Rebecca. The scene at ARP election headquarters is several steps above jubilation. Hugging, kissing, bumping elbows, spilling Champagne, socially distanced dancing to We will we will rock You. Rebecca walks out on stage accompanied by Sandy Burns. The cheering turns up two notches. Chandra shouts into the microphone but can’t make herself heard She raises her hand. The time-honored summer camp technique slowly takes effect. One by one, people turn toward the stage, raise their hands and quiet down.

Chandra says, “Thank you, happy campers. Let’s hear what Rebecca has to say.”

Tears stream down Rebecca’s face as she removes her mask and takes the microphone. “Thank you, Chandra. Thank you, Sandy. Thank you all, everyone in this room, and all of you watching at home. Tonight’s a great night. We’re making history, and we’re already making things better.” Rebecca gives in to an outburst of shouts and cheers. When the shouting dies down, she continues. “First, let’s hear from the man whose selflessness and party organization made tonight possible. Sandy?”

Sandy, wiping his eyes and pulling himself together, takes the mic. “My supporters and I were not being entirely selfless when we asked Rebecca to run in this election.

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When they calm down, Sandy says, “More to the point, we knew it was in our interest to let you step in and change the world.” Again, he stops and waits. Then, “Standing here now, I’m personally thrilled to be a part of this ARP victory. For the last two months, I’ve been saying every day that I support Rebecca Whyte, and I do, from the bottom of my heart. I want as much as you do to live in the world she’s creating. I can’t tell you how much I’m looking forward to the next eight years.”

He stops again as the crowd releases more excitement. “But it’s not over. Tonight is just the beginning. Let’s keep working to make sure she’s able to do what we need her to do.”

He accepts the cheers and applause. “And now, it’s my enormous pleasure to present to you, the next president of the United States, Ms. Rebecca Whyte!!” The crowd turns deafening, and the cheering won’t stop.

Rebecca takes the mic and raises her hand. Slowly, hands go up and the crowd quiets down. “Thank you, thank you all! We’ll remember this night the rest of our lives, but the world will remember it only if we do our jobs well.

“Tonight, we feel we’ve won something; it’s exhilarating. This feeling is why we all love competition so much. Well, we have won something, and we had to do it. That’s the system we live in, and the happiness we feel from this win tonight is a symptom of the danger we all feel from the status quo. This happiness is a measure of the intensified threats we now face. I don’t want to take anything away from winning the presidency, but tonight is not only the joyful end of a successful campaign. It’s the beginning of the most difficult transition our country or any country has ever attempted.”

She pauses and looks out at the crowd, then right at the cameras. “The most powerful people in our country don’t want to make decisions through dialogue. They want what they want when they want it, and they’re used to getting it. They believe it’s their right. Our only hope is what you have demonstrated today—people power. You, the people, are the new superpower on the block, but the traditional power brokers will be doing everything they can to divide and weaken us. I know a large portion of the new superpower is watching tonight, so I take this opportunity to ask for your continued unity and support.” The crowd applauds, with some cheering and shouts of encouragement, but more subdued. | P a g e 277

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“When we ask you to mobilize at a certain time and place or boycott something, I need you to put down what you’re doing and fill the streets. Over the next four years, the new superpower will be tried and tested. During this phase, defending our process will be the top priority. Hopefully, those who oppose us will gradually come to understand the benefits of lifting cooperation above competition, but they do not understand that now and will never understand it if we’re unable to show them, unequivocally, that we are united and unbeatable.” The crowd applauds, but the loud cheering and hilarity is gone.

Rebecca laughs and continues. “I’m sorry. I can see this talk is a downer. But we are not children. We have just moved up to the majorest of major leagues. I know this is not what you expected to hear on election night, but I need you to stay focused, stay intense, and stay with me. After all, you have just made me the first woman president of the United States of America!! Thank you . . .” This time, she’s drowned out by a return to boisterous cheering that won’t stop. The sound of Pharrel Williams singing Happy fills the hall. Rebecca, Chandra, Sandy and others start dancing on stage.

Instantly, the whole crowd is on its feet, and the party is on.

The punditry is in shock. The corporate media have no choice but to trumpet the amazing upset victory, but total incomprehension leaves normally glib announcers tongue-tied. “Rebecca Whyte has come from nowhere to win a stunning upset victory and will be the next president of the United States of America,” they say, then can’t think of any persuasive way to cut her down. They try. “She’s a wild card. She’s taken the country by storm, but does anyone actually know what she’ll do once she’s in office? All we know is what she did in Anytown, and that is an entirely different game on a different playing field. We’ll have to wait and see.” For the most part, they stick to uncontested facts related to the electoral college, the popular vote, and the procedure to be followed between now and inauguration on January 21.

Ronald Drumph and Joe Auction offer cautious, respectful concession speeches, vowing to work with her for the good of the country. Washington is stunned. Wall Street is stunned. The heretofore rulers of finance and industry are stunned. Rebecca’s election makes Brexit look like business as usual. Election night coverage is over by midnight Eastern time. Most networks fill the unscheduled dead air with reruns of programs like House of Cards. | P a g e 278

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Amazingly, the ARP takes 233 seats in the House of Representatives and 20 in the Senate. Given the support they can expect from 30 to 50 House Democrats, the ARP is in a powerful position. Rebecca will be able to start in January instituting some of the changes she’s promised. The ARP also has 15 governorships, and nearly 2,000 new mayors and legislators in state assemblies and city councils.

Wall Street plummets, until a group of Reddit buyers starts buying up every stock they can, so the total loss on Wednesday is minor. Top bankers and hedge-fund managers have long been organizing and scheming among themselves to make sure Rebecca’s government fails. They will make her a one-term president, even if they have to drop the whole world into a deep depression. The only questions are how and when to attack.

Meanwhile, people are partying in the streets, in their sports bars, but mostly in their homes. Some find the whole world brighter, full of cleaner, sharper colors, as if a gray film has been dissolved. The first woman elected president of the United States of America is Black, beautiful and promising an entirely new approach to government, but more importantly for the time being, she’s saying what she needs from them, and they are determined to give it to her. They already feel like the new superpower.

A few days later, Rebecca receives a call from Larry Winters, former secretary of the US Treasury. He congratulates her and offers to be an economic and political advisor.

She tells him she’s looking forward to his involvement in decision-making processes.

He doesn’t understand or doesn’t care. He gets down to business. “I want to know your real plans, and I want to make sure you understand what’s at stake. There are two types of new politicians. One is the outsider who works alone based on their own ideology or conscience, saying and doing what they think is right. The system chews these people up and spits them out before they can do any damage.

“The other type is the outsider who wants to be an insider. This type quickly realizes who does and does not have power, and they’re careful to align themselves with the powerful. They work cooperatively with other insiders. They compete within the group. They criticize certain policies and fight for certain specific outcomes, but they | P a g e 279

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never, under any circumstances, criticize the dominant insiders or undermine the system as a whole. They support the system and the people who run it. These people rise up through the ranks and become important players. So which type are you?”

“I’m neither. I’m the type who brings insiders and outsiders together to work conscientiously to solve problems in ways that benefit all parties. I am and will be as comfortable with insiders as I am with outsiders, but I suspect in your mind that makes me an outsider.”

“Too bad. You have such great potential, but you won’t last long.” And with that, he hangs up. Rebecca knows she’s just twisted the tiger’s tail. She’ll need all the people power she can muster. For the first time in her life, she has difficulty falling asleep.

She’s forced to get up and meditate to slow the beating of her heart.

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Chapter 41 Rebecca Stops a Crash

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No matter who is president, you and your capitalist economy are living on borrowed time.

In mid-November, not long after the call from Larry Winters, Rebecca gets a handwritten, hand-delivered message informing her that the banksters are preparing to crash the economy to weaken her just as they weakened Obama. She finds the number Larry Winters called from right after the election and returns the call.

“Hello?” the voice sounds suspicious.

Rebecca says, “Hello, may I speak to Larry Winters?”

“There is no one here by that name,” the voice says curtly.

Rebecca insists. “He called me from this number less than a month ago. Please tell him that the president-elect of the United States is on the phone, and I will find him one way or another.” This threat is followed by silence.

Then, Larry Winters speaks. “Hello, President-elect Whyte, this is Larry. What can I do for you?”

Rebecca gets to the point. “Organize a meeting of all the main insiders who are planning to crash the economy. Please make sure this meeting happens before the crash. I will make it a priority, so just tell me where and when.”

Larry replies. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. There is no such group, and they wouldn’t listen to me if there were.”

Rebecca is not to be put off. “We don’t have time. If I don’t hear from you in three days, I’ll start a massive, public run on the banks. I will announce that you are about to crash the economy and advise folks to take their money out of the banks while they still can. If the economy is going to crash, I am going to predict it, I’m going to blame it on you, and it’s going to crash before I take over. Let me know where and when.” She hangs up.

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A Few Days Later Rebecca walks into an apartment on Fifth Avenue to find twelve men representing the most powerful oligarchy in the world. The room is tense as Rebecca sits down in a large, comfortable chair. She does not lean back.

As soon as she’s seated, Larry begins. “These are the men you want to talk to. There are others, of course, but this is the group I was able to gather on short notice. I assure you that if this group agrees to something, they will be able to get it done. They all know you very well. No need for introductions or explanations.”

“Thank you, Mr. Winters.” Rebecca looks around the room. Everyone there but her is a man in a suit and tie, and they’re all looking at her, waiting. She accepts this group as the one to address. “I have it on good authority that you and the organizations you work for are planning to crash the economy just before or as soon as I take office in order to weaken me like you did Obama. Before you do that, there are a few things I want you to know.” She looks around and finds the whole room full of poker faces.

These are predators, much like Michael Mancuso. She has carefully planned what she wants to get across, so she plunges on. She hopes they listen.

“First, I am not your enemy. No matter who is president, you and your capitalist economy are living on borrowed time. You can only squeeze people so hard before they revolt. You believe you can control or kill them and protect yourselves with your military and your private police, but you vastly underestimate the power of grassroots rage. If a violent explosion comes, I will use all my influence to make sure that your underpaid thugs shoot you rather than people in their own neighborhoods. I am well aware that you are making plans to manage a bloodbath, but you have no idea how bad it will get if you let it happen. I am your only hope of making the changes that must be made without massive, broadly destructive violence that will certainly extend even to you.

“Second, unlike most people, I don’t hate you. You’ve played and could continue to play a valuable role in US and global society. I see you as men who are currently making this planet uninhabitable through mindless competition for wealth, but we need you to help save us. I want to work with you to build a world that even you will

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find more comfortable, more secure, and more enjoyable than the world you live in now. I can help you do this if you let me.

“Third, I cannot and will not allow you to dominate our planet the way you do now.

You are an imminent threat to all of us, including

yourselves.

You

came

today

because you know I could destroy the economy. I could also make you the hated villains behind the subsequent misery. I hope you know that I would hate to have to do that. In fact, if you and I go to war with each other, we will bring the whole system down so fast and so furiously, the worldwide chaos could even lead to the use of nuclear weapons, and you want to avoid that as much as I do. So you and I need to work out a way to get along.

“Fourth, our environmental problems are intensifying every day. Your competition for wealth and power is preventing the cooperation we need to address global warming, acidification of the oceans, radioactive contamination, contamination by other toxic waste, and the end of the petroleum era. I am here to assist the transition from the current civilization of power to a new civilization of love. You have no idea what this means, but I assure you, I am the best chance you have for survival, not just you, but your children, their children, the entire human family. I cannot save you by myself, but I am essential to the transition, as are you. I can’t do it without you, and you will not make it without me.

“Fifth, I have talked about all of this with several of my most trusted collaborators.

If you kill me, in fact, if I die of any cause in the next few months, the ARP will take my death as an act of war and will respond accordingly. Your names and faces and those of the men and corporations we believe are behind you will be all over the Internet.

Warrants will be out for your arrest, and you better hope the police get you first.

“Sixth, if you decide not to go to war with me, I will expect you to participate fully, transparently, and in good faith in the decision-making processes I organize. One of the first problems we will take up after my inauguration will be the healthcare system.

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insurance companies, but you will have to be truthful and do your best to achieve the best possible solution, not for your portfolios but for our country and everyone in it.

And healthcare will be just the beginning.

“Finally, I strongly advise you to begin now planning how you will use your power and wealth to reduce inequality, reduce collective stress, reduce violence, and restore a healthy social and physical environment. After the Great Depression, Roosevelt saved capitalism by taking a lot of money from your predecessors and giving it to the people in the form of social security, unemployment compensation, and 15 million government jobs. You need to be thinking along those lines. You will be much better off in the end if you are seen to be voluntarily working toward universal wellbeing.

Don’t make us fight you every step of the way. Be the leaders you are and lead us to a brighter future.

“Thank you for your attention. Do you have any questions?” The room is quiet. The faces are somber but express neither support nor opposition. Rebecca sees that discussion at this level cannot include her. “I’ve given you a lot to think about,” she says, “and I suspect none of you can respond until you’ve had a chance to talk with each other and with the others who should be part of these decisions.” The room is again silent. Rebecca turns to Larry. “Thank you for arranging this. I’m available any time, but I’m sure I’ll hear about your decision before you tell me.”

Larry says, “Thank you for coming, Rebecca.” At the sound of Larry Winters calling her Rebecca, she feels a surprising surge of joy.

A Week Later Rebecca receives a handwritten, hand-delivered note informing her that the banksters have decided not to crash the economy. The writer thanks her for her intervention.

Later that day, Larry Winters calls.

After Rebecca says hello, Larry says, “Hi, Rebecca. That was a gutsy move last week.

I’m afraid we’ve all been underestimating you. There’s still some dissension in the ranks, but most of us know you’re right about the writing on the wall. In fact, you’ve made it possible for the more progressive of us to shift from total competition toward a focus on collective survival. We can blame it on you and the new superpower at your | P a g e 285

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command. We will not go to war with you. I am not sure how well we’ll be able to cooperate and support you, but many of us will be doing our best.”

Rebecca feels the joy she felt at the end of that meeting. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear this. You’re the ones who will make or break this transition. I know there’ll be plenty of fights along the way, but I’ll be fighting for you as much as for anyone else.

I’ll be fighting to solve problems, not to win. I hope you’ll fight in the same spirit.”

Larry responds in that spirit. “I just hope the problems can be solved. If so, I’m sure you’ll help us get there. Call any time if you need something from me.”

Now, Rebecca can turn her attention to an even greater threat.

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Chapter 42 Spiritual Warfare

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“She’s absorbing the love of her many fans in the city.”

On November 20, Rebecca prepares to make her second major nationally televised speech as president-elect of the United States. Speech-making rarely ruffles her; she’s used to the right words coming at the right time. Today, however, her mind is racing.

This turmoil is not stage fright. She wants to tell the general public about the danger Terry and Max foresee, but that idea fills her with terror. What can she say? How can she mobilize the new superpower when she doesn’t even know what’s about to happen? How can she conduct a spiritual war without mentioning the spirit world?

She begins chanting her mantra. Deepening breaths guide her into a calmer state. After a while, she feels a rush of warm energy accompanied by confidence that, as usual, the words will come.

The Next Day Rebecca stands at a podium on the fifty-yard line in Randall Stadium, Anytown, USA. She’s smiling and absorbing the love of her many fans in the city that loves her the most. “My fellow Americans,” she begins, and the crowd erupts in seemingly endless applause. Finally, it’s quiet enough for her to begin again. “I am happy to be here.”

Giving in to more wild cheering, Rebecca gazes around the stadium, smiling, waving at people she knows, waving at people high in the bleachers. “I see I don’t have to tell you what we’ve done. (Applause mixed with shouting.) Where are you getting all this energy? I’m exhausted (laughter). But I enjoyed our campaign more than anything I’ve ever done. You lifted me up, put me on your shoulders, carried me into the White House, and I love you for it (wild applause). I intend, from the depths of my being, to make life better for all of you, each and every one (more applause, drumming of feet).

“But now, I have to beg for your help with a serious threat.” The crowd goes quickly silent. “The easy part is done. The going is about to get rough, and we’re about to find out if we’re tough enough to handle it. Can you feel the storm clouds brewing?”

Rebecca is surprised by the loud “yes” this question receives. “We’ve not just pulled the tiger’s tail—we’ve jumped on its back, and the tiger wants us off. So, today I beg you for help, and I will need it before I become president. Are you listening?” The crowd again shouts, “Yeeeessss!!” | P a g e288

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Rebecca begins her request. “Today is November 21st. I need you in Washington, D.C. by December 15th, and when you come, be prepared to stay for as long as it takes.”

The crowd in the stadium turns to an audible rumbling. “I can’t tell you exactly what’s going to happen or when, but I, my staff, the ARP, and our entire movement will be in Washington, and we are sure we’ll need all the help we can get.

“As of December 15th, I’m going to be living in DC. I’ll be in a tent that we’ll put up wherever we can on the Mall. My staff will be there, too. Most ARP leaders will be there. I’m asking you now to join us. I need you to come to Washington with your tent, your car, your RV, and I need you to stay until it’s over.”

The crowd is coming alive. “I’ll be there!” “Count on us!” “We’re with you!!” The shouts express strong support, fighting a mixture of confusion and fear.

“I know most of you can’t drop everything just like that. But anyone who can, please come. December 15! If you can’t come, you can still help. Keep your eyes on Washington, D.C. If you see anything bad happening—violence of any kind, even acts of nature— start praying. If you have a mantra, say it for all you’re worth. I beg you, please pray, chant, focus your energy—we will need you!

“Even now, powerful forces are gathering to keep me from becoming your president. I don’t know who or where they are. I don’t know what they will do, but I know I need you with me. So I ask—are you with me?” The crowd answers with a roaring yes. “Will you come to DC to help?” Another roaring yes. “Thank you. That’s all I need to know. I’ll see you on December 15.” As she looks out at her fans, she feels buoyed. But as she realizes what she has just said, she feels fear.

Preparing for the Unknown On December 7, Rebecca pays a courtesy call on President Drumph in the White House. They are supposed to be talking in a friendly way about the transition. Instead, Rebecca explains how she can assure his legacy as a great president if he will allow the enormous gathering she is planning and protect it. He tells her he will be happy to help. They go into some detail. She admits that she has received threats and warnings but doesn’t know exactly what will happen. She believes something will happen on December 20th, but even that is not certain. President Drumph promises his full assistance, including a joint press conference on December 17. | P a g e289

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On December 15th, Rebecca sets her tent up in Lafayette Square across from the White House. She deliberately chooses the spot where a pair of activists, William Thomas and Concepcion Picciotto, sat 24 hours a day from 1981 until 2016, quietly protesting nuclear weapons. As she organizes her communications headquarters, busloads of people begin arriving from all over the country. Soon the Mall is full, from the Lincoln Memorial to the Capital. From the Washington Monument to the White House. The lawns are full. The streets are full. Traffic grinds to a halt. The police are close to panic. The crowd is far too big to control. Tents are going up everywhere. Most of the tents are illegal, but there are too many to do anything about. The media fan the fear. There is talk, but only in the media, of a riot. The mayor of DC calls out the National Guard.

On December 17th, as planned, President Drumph attends a press conference in the Rose Garden with Rebecca. The president faces the press corps: “What are you so afraid of? The American people? Why are you talking about a riot? Who’s talking riot? Only the fake news, right? You knew this was gonna happen. You heard her speech. She asked the whole country to come, and a whole lot of them did. What’s the big deal? Be nice. Let ’em put up their tents. Let ’em sit there. Anyone gets hurt, it’s on you, OK? Police, National Guard? I’m still president, and I’m ordering all the police, all the military—stand down! Take it easy. I’m also asking my supporters to please stay peaceful.

“I’ll tell you the truth. I want to see what’s going to happen. Rebecca thinks something terrible’s gonna happen in the next few days, and she needs these people to combat it. Well, let’s just wait and see, but I don’t want anyone on my team making her right. You come here and cause trouble, you’ve made her right. If nothing happens, she’s wrong, right? Let’s all make her wrong. Rebecca, something to add?”

“Mr. President! Mr. President?” Reporters call out and raise their hands.

“Nah, I’ve got nothing more. Got questions? Ask President-elect Rebecca.”

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will be peaceful.” Addressing the reporters, the cameras, and through them, the public, she goes on. “Your current president and your next president ask you to remain calm.

One more thing. If at any time you feel our situation getting dark or violent, sit down and pray or chant or do whatever you can to calm the situation. Please. We all have to concentrate on being peaceful, calm and loving. Whatever happens, keep your mind on love. Our future could depend on it.” Rebecca surprises herself with these words and the intensity with which they come out. And with that, her words are gone.

“Mayor Whyte! President-elect Whyte!” Reporters clamor for attention. They jump up, falling over each other trying to follow the retreating Drumph or approach the podium.

“I’m sorry. President Drumph has already been more than generous with his time.

If you have questions for me, I’ll meet you at Lafayette Square. Meet me there, and I’ll talk to you all day.”

December 20th After the press conference on the 17th, Terry, her family, her re-education committee, ARP staff and volunteers move continually, on high alert, through the crowds. They roam the streets and navigate the rows of tents, looking for problems to solve. Where they find anger, they soothe and defuse. They help people find food and services. They call medics or ambulances for people needing help.

Rebecca’s security team maintains a loose ring around her. They balance the need to protect her with the need to give access to legions of fans and reporters. Max hovers nearby at all times. For five days his team searches for danger from every point on the compass, from the sky and from underground. No human threats are detected. On the other hand, beginning at the end of the joint press conference, clouds gather and darken. By the afternoon of the 19th, everyone is talking about the weather. The heavy clouds don’t move. They sit on the city like a blanket turning day into a strange, yellowish twilight.

December 20th comes in oddly warm. The thick clouds have a greenhouse effect, holding in the warmth of the whole city. In Rebecca’s large tent across the street from the White House, Terry, Corey, and Evy sit in a tiny circle holding hands, a sight that quells all conversation when people enter. They’ve been sitting like that all night. | P a g e 291

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Meanwhile, Sei Kan, Rei Kan, Mido Ri, Dai Jobu and Jo Jina are observing the crowds from the astral plane, looking for threats. They attempt to absorb the dark energy but have no effect at all. The cloud gets thicker. The dark gets darker. At one point, Sei Kan sees an enormous spirit that looks to her like Kyo Soh, the Spirit of Competition, the dragon-man she met in her dream.

As soon as she sees Kyo Soh, Sei Kan understands that this will be the decisive battle—the war culture versus the peace culture. Competition versus cooperation.

Adversarialism versus Resolutionism. The civilization of power against the civilization of love. This battle is not limited to the physical world. The Spirit of Competition is here to defeat the Spirit of Love. Can the will to win extinguish the will to love? No, absolutely not, Sei Kan says to herself. Kyo Soh cannot defeat the will of the creator.

But who is actually competing here? Will the creator step in?

At 10 a.m., the wind begins with a blast, sudden and strong, like a bomb blast.

Rebecca regrets having asked people to come with tents. Her own tent strains at its stakes. Max and the security team drop it and stake it down. They starting dropping staff tents and use bullhorns to urge all campers to take down and secure their tents.

Rebecca goes on YouTube Live to ask everyone to shelter immediately and pray, but the signal cuts out. She sits in the lee of a tree near her tent, distraught, wanting to do something, looking helplessly into the frantic crowd. She begins to chant her mantra.

Terry, Corey and Evy are still sitting in Rebecca’s main tent, their forms outlined by the collapsed nylon. All over the Mall, tents are flying, along with papers, backpacks, umbrellas, and all sorts of debris. Tents still attached to posts or stakes flap wildly, like flags in a gale. Whirlwinds form. Portapotties topple over. People try to cover their things with tarps, but the wind and flying junk force most to dive under their flattened tents. Staff with bullhorns offer advice: “Take down your tent! Get your family under cover! Get in your sleeping bag! Lie down! Lie on your children! Cover your head with your arms! Stay—” Staff get injured by flying debris. Others step in quickly, but their amplified voices are drowned out by the roaring wind.

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Then

comes

the

hail—hail,

in

December. At first it’s small, then the size of marbles, some the size of golf balls. People run toward the trees or sturdier shelter. Some brave the flying debris to cross wide streets and enter buildings or plaster themselves against them. Some crawl under or between parked cars and buses. The hail hits hard, breaking skin. Here and there, cries and screams are heard above the wind. Jo Jina begs Gaia for help. No response. The Anitok family does everything they can to absorb the energy, but their lights are reduced to flickers. Their energy draining away, they’re helpless in the face of this onslaught. Sei Kan decides she has to sacrifice Terry. She tells her family. “I’m going into the street as Terry. I’ll give them Terry. If they get me, they might let the others live.”

“No, you can’t give up now!” Dai Jobu shouts. “We need to hang on, as long as we can.”

“I’m not giving up, but I can’t let them kill a million people who came here for us.

I’d rather die! I have to do this!” Sei Kan returns to Terry. Terry crawls out of the tent, followed by Corey and Evy, who won’t let Terry face the monstrous powers alone.

Unable to walk against the wind, they crawl on their hands and knees out into Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House. Huddled together, they look for a place to stand. Rebecca and Max see them crawling and follow. They join the Anitoks near the White House gate.

Terry says, “Let’s grab the gate, stand up and call them from there.” As soon as these words are out of her mouth, she and Rebecca are crushed to the pavement. Terry tries to glow, but her golden light turns dark as it emerges. Corey and Evy begin chanting, “Kam Nagala Tamachi Haemase. Kam Nagala Tamachi Haemase.” Max has no idea what they’re saying or why, but he joins in. “Kam Nagala Tamachi Haemase,” he repeats, as he pulls on Rebecca’s arms, trying to free her from whatever has her pinned like a butterfly to the sidewalk. Terry and Rebecca prepare for death. They’re desperate to protect the millions of people who gathered at their call. Kyo Soh shows himself clearly as the dragon-man. He wants Terry to know that this victory is his. In the | P a g e 293

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loudest voice she can force against the increasing weight on her chest, Terry cries out to him, “Take me!

Let the others go!” At that, Kyo Soh’s swirling dark energy spirals skyward.

The wind weakens. The hail slows, then stops. The threatening sky begins to lighten and lift. Soon, the cloud has vanished. In its place, a dazzling white light, too bright to look at. A million people peer nervously from their hiding places. They sit, lie, or crouch—stunned. Many are injured. Most look down, away from the light, but many look around, surveying the damage. Suddenly, from somewhere near the Lincoln Memorial, a cheer goes up.

The cheer becomes a mighty wave of joyous sound rushing down toward the White House and on to the Capitol. Smiling faces gather quickly to help Terry, Rebecca, Max, Corey, and Evy onto their feet. Corey squints at the white light.

“Are you Gaia?”

The answer sounds like distant thunder to most, but those capable of communicating with spirits hear, “I am Hika Ri. That darkness was too much for Gaia. It was too much even for me. You did well to bring so many. With their love, we absorbed the dark energy from your most dangerous foes. Many are awakened.

You may be able to fulfill your mission without calling on me again, but remember, if you need me, look to the sun and call Hika Ri.” As Hika Ri rises and the sun’s light returns to normal, Terry, Corey, Evy, then Rebecca and Max, fall to their knees. They place their palms together in prayer, then on the ground before them. Bowing low to the sun, they touch their foreheads reverently to the Earth. The crowds watching do the same, followed in turn by those further out, in circles radiating outward. The wave of grateful prayer spreads quickly until well over a million people all around Washington D.C. kneel, pray, and bow in gratitude to the sun, touching their foreheads to the Earth. The fever has broken.

Global human consciousness has seen something it will have to process. And that goes for Terry.

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Chapter 43 The Contradiction

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“Is this what you were looking for?”

Rebecca is teaching the world an alternative to constant power struggle. She’s taking power out of politics, but to do that, she had to win an election. She had to get power, political power, to reduce the power of power in politics.

Terry is teaching the world that our goal is love, not power. She’s opening the door to the spirit world to help humans in the physical world understand oneness, karma and love. She’s trying to raise global human consciousness above animal competition, but to do that, she uses power. She needs power to absorb the power used against her.

And when she doesn’t have enough power alone, she has to get her family or more powerful spiritual beings to lend her their power. In Washington, she was saved by the power of a million people plus Hika Ri. It seems the good guys won, but wasn’t it just another case of power versus power?

Terry is confused. The great shift from power to love seems to require power. If so, we’re back to pursuing power. After Washington, she finds herself for the first time doubting her mission. What’s the difference between what she’s doing and what the competitors are doing? She uses her power to absorb theirs. If it just comes down to power, what’s the difference between competing for love and competing for power?

Maybe love is just a sly narrative, a different way of taking and using power. Maybe the defenders of love are no better than the defenders of adversarial evolution. We’re all just competitors. Life is a struggle for power, all against all. The difference between heaven and hell is power.

Max calls. Terry doesn’t answer. She’s lost in thought. She’s lost in a contradiction.

She can’t do anything until she resolves it. She can’t go out and fight. She can’t use power to promote love because she’s lost faith that love is something else, something other than power.

Max calls Evy. “Hello.”

“Hello, Ms. Anitok, this is Max. I’ve been trying to get in touch with Terry, but she’s not answering her phone. I’m worried. Do you know where she is?”

“She’s here. I think she’s still in her room. Hang on a minute.” She goes to Terry’s door and knocks. “Terry? Are you in there? Max is on the phone.” No answer. Evy | P a g e 296

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opens the door and looks in. Terry is sitting, unresponsive. Evy decides to leave her alone. “Max? She’s in her room sitting. She didn’t answer or even move when I went in. I’ve never seen her do this. Is she supposed to be at work? Do you need her right away?”

“No, no, leave her alone. I’m sure she’s working on something important. When she comes out, tell her I called.”

“OK, I’ll have her call right away.”

“Thanks.”

But Terry doesn’t come out. She sits in her room all day. When Corey gets home from school, Evy tells him what’s going on.

“Should we check on the spirit plane?” he asks.

“I’m not sure. I suspect we won’t find her.” Evy has a strong feeling that Terry has gone beyond them.

“Maybe we should ask Dad.” Corey still wants to help.

“Good idea. Let’s call him.”

“I’m here,” says Dai Jobu. “I heard your thoughts earlier today, Evy. I tried to check on Sei Kan but can’t get close. She’s blocking everyone. I have no idea what she’s dealing with, but I’m not picking up pain or danger. I can’t get to her guardian, but mine says to let her alone.”

“I agree,” says Evy. “Let’s give her time. But I can’t help wondering what she’s going through and if she can handle it by herself.”

Unaware of the worry she’s causing, Terry focuses like a laser on getting some answers. What is the difference between heaven and hell? What is the difference between power and love? Why do the forces of love have to compete with the forces of competition? Why do the forces opposed to winning have to win against those who fight to win? These questions and her acute need for answers are taking her to dimensions she has never experienced.

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She sits in her room as Terry, but she’s traveling far as Sei Kan. She gradually becomes or, perhaps is riding on, an enormous dragon.

This dragon is not a threat. It’s carrying her somewhere she wants to go, but she has no idea where that is.

She leaves the spirit plane. The dragon is gone. Based on Sera Ji’s description, she believes she’s in the spirit-god plane. She’s not aware even of her own body, but she is aware of beings, spiritual entities, all around her. She sees them and feels their welcome, but they communicate nothing more. They are simply there as she rises further.

Entering the god plane, the beings are invisible, but she feels their presence. She feels guided, pressed in one direction or another. She feels resistance. Something is holding her down. A cry of anguish tries to frighten her, then a roar of anger. She refuses to be frightened. She enters what appear to be a series of paradises, with all the pleasures she could desire. A group of extremely attractive men appear to be offering themselves to her. She sees a spectacular palace and in it, a throne she knows is for her, if she wants it. She resists all temptation. She remains determined, focused on her questions.

Her pleading, begging for answers intensifies until... she feels a release. Suddenly, she feels butterflies in her stomach, a pleasurable sensation of rising fast, extremely fast, but she looks neither up nor down. She’s bathed in lights of all colors, shades and saturations. They grow brighter, then fade. Moving through the colors, she begins to feel entirely new vibrations. She’s no longer among lights. These beings are complete universes. New vibrations surround her, amplify her own, set every photon in her spirit body whirling, but at the same time, she feels completely solid and strong. The rising sensation stops. Engulfed in a light so bright she can’t bear to look, she feels it. The answer.

“Is this what you were looking for?” A voice asks.

“Yes. This is it,” Sei Kan replies, still blinded by the light.

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“Love. This is love. True, whole, unconditional, blinding, blissful love. I’ve never felt anything like it. My doubts are gone.” Sei Kan is experiencing bliss.

“What is the difference between heaven and hell?”

“This..., this bliss—this love.”

“What is the difference between power and love?”

“Taking versus giving; indifference versus caring... the desire to give and share and help; willing good for others.”

“Why do the forces of love have to compete with the forces of competition?”

“Competing with love helps competitors rise above their selfishness.”

“Why do the forces opposed to winning have to win against those who fight to win?”

“For the same reason mothers suffer to give birth and babies suffer to be born. It’s that time of life, the process, the stage the physical world is in. The birth of new consciousness requires suffering. Love cannot arrive without transforming fear and hate. Transforming fear and hate involves suffering. Conquering fear and hate feels like winning but transforms taking to giving, hoarding to sharing, indifference to caring.”

“How do we transform fear and hate?”

“We invite them in, absorbing them with no intent to harm. We share our love with everyone, whatever the cost.”

“What is required to do that?”

“Love. The more love we have, the more hate and fear we can transform.”

“Why do some have more love than others?”

“They are closer to you.”

“How do they get closer to me?”

“By solving problems with love rather than fear and hate.”

“I have no further questions. Do you?”

Sei Kan does. “Who are you?”

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“Who shall I say I met?”

“You met your creator. I cannot say my name. If you take a name to the physical world now, you will sow confusion and conflict.”

“Why is it so difficult for us to know you?”

“The shift in consciousness from competition to love is difficult.”

“Why can’t you just absorb the dark energy and let us all feel your love?”

“You are here with me now because you asked questions that only I can answer to your satisfaction. You needed the answers. You demanded them. You were ready to die for them. I do not answer questions until they are asked with that kind of intensity.

I do not give lessons until they are desired.”

“But why do you keep your love hidden?”

“Love is not hidden. It lies open and obvious, but at a higher stage of consciousness.”

“Why does it have to be so hard?”

“Learning is difficult. This entire universe is designed to teach love. My intent is to share it, but you have to learn it.”

“Why do we stay in hell when we could learn to live in heaven?”

“Humans are all evolving, but most of you remain bound to animal desires. You must turn toward love of your own free will. That turning is the learning, the transformation I have made possible. Humanity has to seek, feel and maintain what you are feeling now. Your mission is to help humankind turn to love over every other form of power.”

“I understand. I am prepared to continue.”

“You are working wonders. Your mission is ahead of schedule. I am with you, always. Try not to forget that.” Sei Kan’s descent to Terry is slow and painful. Every fiber of her being wants to stay forever in that bliss. As she descends, her desire to awaken humanity to the creator’s love grows. By the time Terry opens her eyes, she understands, accepts and is ready to continue her mission. | P a g e300

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Returning with Answers After sitting for eight straight hours, Terry emerges from her room and heads for the kitchen. Evy and Corey are eating dinner. Corey studies her. “You look like you had a good time! I was afraid what you’d look like when you came out of there.”

“I had some questions,” Terry smiles.

“Did you get answers?”

“Yup.” “What did you ask?”

“What is the difference between heaven and hell? What is the difference between power and love? Why do the forces of love have to compete with the forces of competition? Why do the forces opposed to winning have to win against those who fight to win?

“So what are the answers?”

“Love. Unconditional, nonviolent love.”

“We already knew that.”

“Not like I know it now.” Evy and Corey bask happily in the vibration Terry radiates.

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Chapter 44 Rebecca Cures Healthcare

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“How long do you think this process will take?”

Less than a month after her inauguration in January 2021, Rebecca and ARP leadership are ready to begin tackling healthcare. Obamacare has been divisive, not nearly as effective as its proponents hoped, and opponents have been doing their best to keep it from working. Healthcare is a passionate concern for nearly every American.

The media are full of ideas, opinions, horror stories, information and disinformation.

And the pandemic has only amplified antagonism on all sides of the debate.

Rebecca holds her first official press conference to announce and explain the process. She stands in front of the microphones and a room full of reporters, but she is speaking to the American people. “Good evening. I’m here this evening to announce the start of our first national decision-making initiative. The issue of healthcare has been divisive and painful for many years. Last year, COVID 19 brought the problems into high relief. We need an approach that we all believe is fair, efficient and effective.

Finding that approach is not up to me. You, the American people, are going to determine our policy. This evening, I’ll explain how the ARP and I will facilitate the process to make sure that every voice is heard so we can choose a policy we all consider the best we can do.

“First, we’re going to ask everyone with an idea about how we should manage our national healthcare system to write a proposal and send it to me at: proposal@healthcare.gov. The proposal should be no more than five pages long, and we must receive it by the end of February. No one can present a detailed healthcare system in five pages, but at this point, we’re not looking for details. We’re looking for general outlines or summaries. We want the essence of your plan.

“I suspect we’ll receive thousands, maybe tens of thousands of proposals. When we receive your proposals, we’ll feed them into a program that will analyze them for distinguishing elements. Our computers can read a proposal in seconds and classify its characteristics into several basic categories. When we’ve generated what we believe to be the basic ideas,

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we’ll present them publicly on our website and ask for comments.”

Rebecca goes on to describe the process in detail using a series of powerpoint slides.

She concludes her presentation with, “Once we have our basic proposals and the representatives who will defend them, we will hold a public discussion. This discussion will not be a debate. The representatives will be expected to follow discussion guidelines designed to address the key differences among the proposals, explore the facts, and promote understanding of the best possible solutions to the problems those differences highlight. In other words, the representatives will not be seeking to win for their own proposal. They will be expected to seek the truth and work in good faith to find the solution that will be the greatest good for the greatest number, that is, the solution that will be best for our country.

“Every minute of this discussion will be televised, and it will continue until we have come to consensus regarding the one or two proposals that need to be explored in greater detail. At that point, we’ll launch a similar process regarding the details of the consensus proposal or proposals. When it’s clear that a certain plan is nearing consensus, we’ll draw up that plan in full detail and present it publicly for comment.

We will take your feedback, revise the plan accordingly, and continue until we have a plan that we believe will be supported by the vast majority of the American people.

“I know this seems like a cumbersome way to make a decision, but this is what conflict resolution looks like. If we want to make a decision we can all be happy with, we need to invest time and effort in exploring the alternatives and making an informed choice. For decades we have seen plans proposed, implemented, and hamstrung because too many are dissatisfied or distrustful, or because the interests of too many stakeholders are discounted. Our process will help us find and utilize the best ideas available. I hope you will give this new approach a chance. I hope everyone will feel free to submit a proposal, and I hope you will all be working in good faith to find the best possible solution. Do you have any questions?” Rebecca calls on the first reporter to raise his hand.

“How long do you think this process will take?”

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the other hand, we are all quite desperate for a solution. I would be very surprised if it takes more than a few months.” She calls on a second reporter.

“You ran on a platform of transparency and incorruptibility, but the insurance industry is extremely rich and powerful. How will you protect your process from corruption by the money and power they have at their disposal?”

Rebecca frowns. “In the process I’ve just described, where is the vulnerability to corrupting influences?”

The reporter explains, “Well, you’re going to boil down all the proposals to just a few. You could control the outcome by narrowing the competing proposals to those that favor the industry. Or, conversely, you could select proposals that leave the industry out.”

“I see,” Rebecca says with relief. “Yes, that’s theoretically possible, but I hereby give you my word that no such manipulation will take place. Let me point out that if we were to do something like that we would instantly lose all the support we have painstakingly earned by being fair, open and honest mediators. The whole process will be televised. In fact, we will make all the proposals available online, so you and the rest of the world would immediately see through our scheme. We would be completely discredited. Won’t happen.”

The reporter is not satisfied. “A follow up, if I may.”

“Sure, please,” Rebecca encourages him.

“What you are saying is that the insurance industry will have little to no advantage in this process. In other words, they will be unable to lobby you or your cabinet or any ARP legislators. Their ideas will be presented along with any idea from anyone out in TV land. Two questions. Do you think this is reasonable? And, do you think you will get away with it?”

Rebecca is ready for this one. “The modern insurance system started in the mid1700s. That means insurance companies have had more than three hundred years to solve this problem. That should give them an enormous advantage in writing their initial proposals. Second, in all their years of healthcare dominance, insurance companies have become increasingly despised by the general public. This is not because of incompetence or evil intent. It’s because they’re institutionally designed to | P a g e 305

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compete with each other for profit, and that profit necessarily comes out of the pockets of the people. I would be very surprised if the process we are now embarking on allows that competition to continue. Of course, I’m not taking a position, but I’ve seen the polls. I know that year after year the majority has supported some sort of national healthcare system. Third, we’ll be receiving proposals from insurance companies, but we’ll also be receiving them from economists, politicians, doctors, nurses, and ordinary people, some carefully conceived, some slapdash. Solving a problem of this magnitude can benefit from the realism of those who have been inside the industry but also from the creativity of those outside the system. So yes, I believe our approach is reasonable.” She pauses for a moment to shift her focus.

“In answer to your second question, yes, we’ll get away with it, because this process will be a clear, transparent, inclusive effort to do what’s best for our country. It’ll be difficult for the insurance companies to let go of the wealth they’ve controlled, but I trust that most people in the insurance industry actually want to solve this problem.

And I assure you, this process will not be over until we have a way of meeting the needs of everyone involved, including those whose companies and jobs will be affected by what we do.” She moves on to another reporter.

“Is your process not susceptible to sabotage by the participants? What if industry participants, for example, or just some insane cult, deliberately do whatever they can to make your process fail? They do everything in their power to prevent any consensus from emerging? They could continue presenting ideas and demanding changes and violating your process just to prevent any action, regardless of what the majority think or want. How will you handle this?”

Rebecca has dealt with this in Anytown. “First, most people sense the need for and the inevitability of change. In my experience, most will be working in good faith toward an excellent, universally acceptable solution. But remember, all the proceedings will be public. The discussions will be televised. If any party is being disruptive or unreasonable, it will soon become obvious to all. If we suspect that someone is not participating in good faith, we will confront them with their behavior. They will be forced to defend everything they say and do in front of an audience that will grow rapidly once a confrontation begins. If the party is an attention-seeker, we will all soon

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see that. We will all agree to groundrules designed to prevent any individual or group from derailing this process.

“If we suspect someone is working undercover for an insurance company, we will use all the resources the government has available to find that out, and we will reveal whatever we find. Hiring and deploying such a person or sabotaging the process in any way would be a fatal mistake for any insurance company. We will defend our process tooth and nail. Any insurance company found to be deliberately subverting the decision process will be boycotted and out of business before the process is complete.

I do hope that neither you, nor any potential stakeholder underestimates the new superpower. If the people decide to take a company down, that company will go down.

In government-as-process, honesty and sincerity will prove to be the best policy.” A staff member comes to the podium and whispers something to Rebecca.

“I’m sorry. I’m out of time. If you have further questions, please submit them in writing, and we will answer them as quickly as possible. For now, I declare the healthcare decision-making process underway. If any of you watching today or anyone who wants to submit a proposal has any questions, feel free to contact proposalinfo@healthcare.gov. Please get your proposals in by midnight February 28, Eastern Standard Time.

Fast-forward Thus begins the process through which the US finally arrives at a healthcare system that is the envy of the rest of the world and a model for all. Even before the system is fully developed and implemented, anticipation of it allows doctors, hospitals, and medical supply companies to focus intently not on politics and profit but on fighting the pandemic. By summer 2021, the novel coronavirus is under control and life is heading toward a “completely new normal.”

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Chapter 45 The Radisson Hotel

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“She’s smiling, too, but her voice conveys determination.”

Sei Kan’s routine scan detects a huge cloud of dark energy forming on the astral plane near New York. Rebecca, Max and the security team agree; she should investigate before it grows bigger. Terry, Evy and Corey arrive at La Guardia Airport. As they deplane they’re alert but not tense. Walking toward baggage claim, they hear a loud argument in one of the gate areas. Looking around at the crowd, they see enormous stress on nearly all faces. Very few are smiling or even relaxed.

After picking up their bags, they go to the information counter. Evy steps up and asks, “Can you tell us the best way to get to the Radisson Hotel near Wall Street?”

Without looking at Evy, the woman behind the counter snaps, “They have a shuttle.

Use the phone behind the counter.”

“Could I ask another question?”

“What?”

“Did anything bad happen around here lately? Everyone seems so stressed.”

“Anything bad? Do you see all these masks we’re wearing? Are you aware that about half these people just lost their jobs? I could be next. We’re dying around here.”

“Yeah, I see. Stupid question. We’re from Anytown, where it hasn’t hit so hard yet.

Thank you.”

As they get out of the shuttle and walk into the Radisson, Corey says, “You feel this cold?”

“Yeah,” Terry shivers, “like walking into a freezer. Can it be this much colder here than at the airport?”

“I don’t think it’s physical,” suggests Evy. “There’s a spirit here. This could be the energy that brought us.”

At the front desk a young man looks at them with dead eyes. “Checking in?”

“Yes,” says Evy, looking at him and being ignored.

“Names?”

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“OK, I see your reservations here.” But there’s no smile. Only cold silence as he prepares the folders and keys.

“Here you go.”

“How do we get on wifi?”

“The explanation’s on the desk in your room.” And he’s done with them.

On the way to the elevator, Corey asks, “Mom, have you ever been treated like this at an expensive hotel?”

“Never. I’m shocked and shaken. We may have underestimated what’s going on here.”

Terry says, “Let’s drop our stuff in our rooms and go out for lunch.”

Ron, the Bellboy Terry, Evy and Corey meet in the lobby then start out the door. Near the door, Corey notices a bellboy who seems unfazed by the cold atmosphere. He even smiles when he sees Corey looking at him. Corey approaches, “I couldn’t help noticing that you’re in a much better mood than everyone else around here. Can you tell us what’s going on?”

“Sure. It’s no mystery. This place is shutting down. Jobs are going, people are leaving. I don’t get paid much, and I’m used to hustling on the streets. I’m gonna be alright, but the rest of these folks are losing good jobs in a city where jobs are hard to find and it’s super expensive to live. They have no idea what they’re going to do, so they’re all super freaked.”

“Who decided to shut the hotel?”

“I have no idea. I know the CEO is a guy named Fred Gonzalez, but I’ve never seen him. When the announcement was made, they just said ‘the board decided,’ so I guess it’s who’s ever on the board.”

“Thank you. What’s your name?”

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“There’s millions of ‘em, but I like Rebecca’s Place – coffee, tea and tacos.”

“How do we get there?”

Leading them out the door, Ron points to the large street a block away. “That’s Huguenot Street. You just go over there to the light, turn right and keep walking for about four blocks. Take you maybe 10, 15 minutes.”

“Thank you.” They start walking when suddenly, Corey freezes. He turns to Terry and says, with feeling, “We need to talk to Fred Gonzalez.”

“Really? You think he might do something?” Terry searches Corey’s face for hints about what’s going on.

“I don’t know what he’ll do, but I’m sure we have to talk to him.”

“How do we get to him?”

“Let’s go back in and ask to see the manager.”

“Can’t it wait until after lunch?”

Corey is quiet, then, “We need to do it now.”

They go back in through the revolving door. Ron smiles and says, “Welcome to the Radisson.”

Corey laughs and asks, “How can we meet Fred Gonzalez?”

“Beats me. You can go to the front desk and make a stink and ask to see the manager.

The manager at this time of day is Phil. He can probably get you to Gonzalez if he wants to, but you’ll be lucky to get to Phil. Even him I’ve only seen once or twice.”

“Thanks again, you’ve been a big help.” Corey offers him a tip.

Ron smiles sheepishly. “Thanks, I’m gonna need this.”

Getting to Gonzalez At the front desk, Evy takes the lead. “We would like to speak to your CEO Fred Gonzalez.”

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manager of this hotel? His name is Phil Graham.” The young man’s attitude has changed.

“Thank you. Yes, we’ll be happy to start with Mr. Graham.”

The man behind the desk goes into the back room. He’s gone for several minutes.

When he comes back he’s smiling. “Mr. Graham will be down in a few minutes. Please have a seat over there.”

“Thank you very much.” The Anitoks take seats in the lobby, but hardly a minute goes by before Mr. Graham appears, smiling broadly. “Thank you for waiting. How can I help you?”

“We’re here on a mission,” Evy explains. “To complete that mission, we really need to speak to your CEO Mr. Gonzalez. Is there any way you can arrange that?”

“Normally, no. As I’m sure you know, customers cannot simply walk into a hotel and demand to see the CEO of the corporation that owns it. He’s a very busy man, and his appointments are made through the channels and considerably in advance. However, Jeb over there,” he indicates the young man behind the counter, “knows you,” he says, indicating Terry. “You’re the Anitoks, and you are Terry Anitok who, a few months ago, fought and defeated the heavyweight champion of the world.

That means you’re on the security team for President Whyte, and that means we will bend over backwards to get you an appointment. How long can you wait?”

“We’ll wait until we get an appointment,” Terry replies. She’s smiling, too, but her voice conveys determination.

“That makes it easier. I’m sure he’ll meet with you as soon as he can. But what can I tell him you want to meet about?”

“We need to talk to him urgently about saving this hotel and, possibly, millions of jobs.”

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Terry looks deep into Mr. Graham’s eyes. He is stunned into silence, but recovers and says, “Okay, I’ll give him that message.”

As they’re leaving for Rebecca’s Place, Corey looks at Ron. He’s grinning. “How’d you do that? Phil never meets with customers, only if there’s some sort of serious trouble. He was smiling, and you weren’t even shouting!”

Corey walks over to Ron and says, “Have you ever seen this girl before?”

“Corey, cut it out.” Terry’s embarrassed.

“No, he deserves to know.” Turning back to Ron, Corey says, “Have you?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Have you heard about the girl who beat Cassius Mann in a fight?”

Ron opens his eyes wide. He’s beaming now. “Really? You’re Terry Anitok? The Jungle Girl? Of course! I would’ve recognized you if you didn’t have that mask on.”

“That’s me, Jungle Girl,” says Terry, “but please, don’t go around telling everybody, okay?”

“Okay, but will you sign something?” He looks around frantically for paper and a pen.

“Here,” says Terry. She gets out a business card, signs it, “Thanks for your help, Ron. Terry,” and hands it to him.

“Thank you! Now I have something good to talk about. My family needs something fun like this.”

“We’re off for lunch at Rebecca’s Place. See you later.”

Meeting the CEO Fred Gonzalez wants to avoid the office, so they meet at his apartment on 5 th Avenue.

The doorman announces them through the intercom. Gonzalez approves. The doorman opens the door, points to the elevator and says, “Eighth floor.”

“Thank you.”

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Find a seat in the living room.” He follows them into the room, sits in the large chair across from the sofa and says, “I’d offer you coffee, but our housekeeper isn’t coming because of the virus, and I forgot to put the water on.”

“We’re fine,” Terry begins. “In fact, we’re sorry to break into your life this way, but Corey here believes you’re the man to talk to about the hotel.”

“I don’t know what you could possibly have in mind, but if you can help me rescue the hotel and save millions of jobs, I’d like to try.”

“We’ve heard you’re shutting the Radisson down. You’ve already let some of your employees go, and you’ve informed the rest that you’ll shut down completely at the end of June. Is this true?”

“Yes. This hotel has been underperforming for some time. It was barely breaking even before the pandemic. Now, since the virus hit, we’re hemorrhaging money. I don’t see a way to fix that, so the board and I decided to cut our losses.”

“As I’m sure you’re aware,” Terry continues, “this is happening all over the city, the country, even the world. The whole global economy is on the verge of a massive depression, and we need to change the dynamic. Do you agree?”

“Yes. I agree. The economy is spiraling down dangerously. if I knew how to fix it, I’d be doing it already. What do you have in mind?”

“I suggest that you, personally, go to the Radisson hotel, gather all the employees, including the best of those you’ve recently let go, and make another announcement. Tell them that the board has changed its mind. You’re not shutting the Radisson down. Tell your people that they are like family to you, that you’re not going to put them out on the street.” Terry stands, clasps her hands behind her, and deepens her voice. “We’re going to get through this thing as a team. We’re going to make the Radisson the room everyone wants because it feels so good to be here.

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we have few guests because we can use the time to revamp the operation. You’re all going to be involved, and you’ll all benefit from our success. As our hotel income improves, your salaries will improve, too. In fact, ten of you, elected by all of you, will become voting members on our board of directors so you can influence salaries, other expenses, and what we do with our profits.”

Terry reverts to her normal voice. “So that’s my suggestion. What do you think?”

“I think you’re crazy.”

“Why?” “Where’s the money going to come from? The Board will never approve something like this.”

“Mr. Gonzalez, you know the money is there. You could do what I suggested and support this hotel for months from your own pocket, and many on your board are richer than you are. One problem is short-term versus long-term thinking, but the real resistance is to sharing money and power with employees. I am talking about redistributing wealth. I am talking about you and your board being less wealthy in order to help millions of people survive. This will require an enormous change in consciousness. I know you can’t persuade the board to do this, so here is my final suggestion. Please call an emergency board meeting and invite me. I’ll persuade them for you. The question is, do you yourself want to do this?”

“I hate to admit it, but as you were talking, I could see it all in my mind’s eye. I could see me talking to the employees. I could see them responding. And I actually saw the Radisson being successful as a new kind of hotel, sort of a super-friendly hotel cooperative. Personally, I’d like to try it, but I can tell you for sure, the board will hate this.”

“I know. In fact, if you went in and suggested this by yourself, you would be replaced in a heartbeat. That’s why I’m here. Tell them the girl who fought Cassius Mann is here with a message from President Whyte. They’ll show up. I want to be invited to present a message from the new administration, but I need my mother and brother in there with me. We’ll stay at your Radisson until the meeting, so please set it as quickly as you can.”

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Three Days Later Evy, Terry and Corey are ushered into a large conference room. Around the table sit the grim-faced directors, 15 men and three women. Only four are absent. Fred Gonzalez tries to lighten the atmosphere but fails. He introduces Terry and gives her the floor.

“Thank you all for being here on such short notice. I’m going to do my best to persuade you to save the Radisson and to do it in a way that will serve as a model for your other operations and for other corporations. In fact, I’m going to make you leaders of a corporate revolution. You’re going to initiate a profound change in the way Americans think about business. And of course, if America changes, the world will change. I hope you will listen with open minds and open hearts.”

She stops and cocks her head to the side. “That’s interesting. I felt a significant jolt of negative energy when I said, ‘Open hearts.’ Whoever responded negatively is quite right. I am going to ask you to change the emotional atmosphere, first in this room, then in the Radisson Hotel, then this city, the country and the world. It’s our hearts that have to change.” Looking around at her audience she sees a variety of responses, from “welcome” to “get out of here.”

“What did Fred say as he was inviting you here today? Whatever it was, you came, but you’re worried. I felt the tension when I walked through the door. You look like you’re expecting to meet the enemy. And you’re not alone in this fear and animosity.

Have you looked around recently at the people in this city? Do you see joy?

Exuberance? Creativity? People enjoying life? I’ve been here for six days now, and what I see frightens me.” Terry pauses again. She looks toward Corey and Evy, who nod in unison.

Terry continues. “The tinder is out there. It won’t take much to set it off. And when it goes off, do you imagine you’ll be above it? Living in your penthouses, traveling by helicopter and private plane, having your food delivered to whatever retreat you choose? Will you be guarded by gates and private security forces? Will they keep the zombies away?

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well? What if your mechanics are unwilling to service your private planes? What if your security guards turn against you? What if the farmers and farmworkers stop sending food to the city, keeping it for themselves and their own communities?”

Roger Stanchion has heard enough. He interrupts and asserts, “We’re nowhere near the collapse you describe. American society has many options and tools at our disposal.”

“Nearly fifty million Americans are officially food insecure,” Terry reminds him.

“That’s a government estimate. Do you know what food insecure means? That means fifty million Americans are not sure where their next meal is coming from or whether they will eat today. They are desperate. How long would you go hungry before exploding?”

“Fred, I think we’ve heard enough,” Roger insists. “If this girl has nothing to offer, I move we adjourn the meeting.”

Terry looks around the room. Of the 18, it looks as if four support Roger. Terry asks, “May I have your name?”

“My name is Roger, Roger Stanchion.”

“Mr. Stanchion, you have no idea what I have to offer. You fear my premise, and on that basis, you prefer to hear no more from me. To accommodate your fear, I will move beyond my premise to make a brief suggestion and a promise. May I?” Stanchion shrugs brusquely, as if to say, How can I say no?

Terry continues. “Thank you. Now, Mr. Gonzalez sees a path forward. I suggest you give him the time, the support, the freedom, and the money to do what he needs to do.

If you agree to support him, he’ll meet with Radisson employees soon, and I urge you to attend that meeting. And now my promise: If you allow Mr. Gonzalez to make the changes he is planning, I promise that President Whyte will stay at the Radisson the next time she comes to New York. She gave me her word on this. She will put this Radisson on the map, and she will be here soon for a meeting with some bankers.” | P a g e 317

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Corey steps to the table next to Terry. “There are four people in this room who, quite understandably, oppose the idea of giving Mr. Gonzalez a blank check and total freedom. Nearly all of you are worried about the money it will cost to save this hotel, so before we call the question, please let us show you what Mr. Gonzalez is planning.”

As Corey speaks, Terry begins to glow. In her golden light, the board is taken to the Radisson, to the meeting with Mr. Gonzalez, to the formation of the committees, to the smiling, energetic atmosphere filling the Radisson, then to the arrival of President Whyte and the enormous lift her presence gives the hotel and the entire corporation, including the board of directors.

As the golden light fades, Corey says, “All in favor say aye.”

“Aye.” It’s been a long time since Terry used her light to persuade. She’s aware of the danger, but this was an emergency.

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Chapter 46 Rebecca Fights Off Depression

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‘A leader is supposed to come up with ideas and plans and lead.’

When Rebecca is inaugurated in January 2021, over 50 million American workers have lost their jobs. Millions of small businesses have gone bankrupt. Even large corporations have fallen victim to hedge-fund vampires. The US economy is in freefall, with Russia, China, and central banks in many other nations seriously exploring ways to drop the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency. Despite the corporate cooperation the ARP is eliciting, the economy is spiraling out of control.

In response to the increasingly harsh economic environment, crime is increasing.

Police around the country continue their brutal treatment of Black and Brown communities, which leads to a vicious cycle: explosions of rage followed by harsh repression, then more demonstrations and riots. Rebecca stares into the abyss of complete social and economic collapse. After consulting with economic and labor experts, with sociologists and politicians, and finally, with her own cabinet, she is ready to move on the existential problem of redesigning the entire economic system.

The Second National Process As with the healthcare process announcement, Rebecca stands at the podium in the press room. She is uncharacteristically somber.

“As you all know, the US economy is suffering badly. Too many Americans are under too much stress. Nearly half of us are struggling to keep food on the table. Bankruptcies and evictions are at an all-time high. Police around the country are killing more than four people a day, and the riots that follow some of those killings are doing enormous social, economic and psychological damage to our nation. We have to profoundly change how we relate to each other and to nature, and you all know it. As always, I will not say a word about the course of action we should take, but I insist that we all spend whatever time and energy and money it takes to discuss our situation and come up with the best possible plan for a brighter future.

“The process will be similar to the way we dealt with healthcare. We will collect ideas, analyze and categorize them, then synthesize the most popular elements into a plan. However, we will start with an extremely broad question. I hope that millions of you will send us your written answers. Here’s the question: What can we do to prevent | P a g e320

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catastrophic social and economic breakdown? As with the healthcare proposals, please keep your ideas to less than five pages, and send to: ideas@socialchange.gov. We eagerly await what you have to say. I open the floor to questions.” She calls on the first reporter.

“Your critics will say, ‘A leader is supposed to come up with ideas and plans and lead.’ How will you answer them?”

Rebecca responds quickly and forcefully. “Anyone who says that doesn’t understand the critical importance of unity. We’re on the threshold of enormous changes in how our social, political and economic systems are organized. The powerful, charismatic authoritarian who steps in to tell everyone what to do is obsolete. No single person can possibly know what to do. No one can convince us all to follow him or her. We’ve seen for decades that authoritarian leadership leads to gridlock and violence. I was not elected to tell people what to do. I was elected to help the nation decide as a whole, and that is what I intend to do.”

The same reporter asks, “May I follow up?”

“Sure.”

“You’re going to get millions of ideas. How can you possibly synthesize them into a coherent plan?”

Rebecca has confidence in the system. “We’ll do it like we did with healthcare. That’s what computers are for. The millions of ideas we receive will represent a fairly limited spectrum of potential changes. We will tease those potentials out of the proposals and make them visible to the public. At that point, we will probably have to propose several alternatives and see which ones the public prefers. In the end, we may need to hold a series of referenda.” She calls on a second reporter.

“The economy is teetering on the brink. We could see a collapse at any time. Your process could take years. What will we do in the meantime?”

“People were surprised by how smoothly the healthcare process went; we’re now on our way to a system that is universally supported, or close to it. But you’re right— there’s no time to waste. We need to alleviate the suffering. We need to move as quickly as we can. But we need a plan that will get everyone or almost everyone pulling in the | P a g e 321

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same direction. Without that plan, nothing we do will succeed. I am not aware of any short cuts.” She calls on the next reporter.

“Recently, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib introduced legislation calling for drastic reductions in the military budget and in the budgets of local police forces. They want to use those funds to, in their words, ‘meet human needs.’ If these ideas turn out to gain public support, do you really expect the Pentagon, the CIA, NSA, and ICE to accept the will of the people?”

Here Rebecca increases her intensity. “They’re legally and morally required to do so. The alternative would be a military coup. Any attempted coup would meet with tremendous resistance from the public and even from military personnel themselves.

So yes, I believe all government agencies will accept the decision of the people. But the priority now is to get the people to decide what to do.”

The Oligarchs’ Plan The social change process begins in April 2021. Two weeks after its start, Rebecca gets a call from Larry Winters. After hellos, Larry says, “I need your help.”

“What can I do?”

“Fred Gonzalez and I have been working with the oligarchs, as you call them. We believe we have a plan that will fly. We need you to find a way to present it and to give credit where credit is due. The economic elite are offering substantial sacrifices, but they want it known that they are voluntarily proposing this. They don’t want it to appear that they’re being forced into it. And, they want this plan to receive special attention. Is this possible in your process?”

Rebecca thinks a minute. As a mediator, she automatically opposes any sort of favoritism. On the other hand, Larry represents the most powerful people in the country. She needs them engaged. She says, “How about this? We’re already going through the process I outlined and are coming up with the initial rough plans, as we did with healthcare. When it’s time to feed the plans back to the people, I can make a | P a g e 322

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special announcement. I’ll say that you (whoever you want to say you are) have a plan that you would like to offer to the people as a way of speeding up the process. Then we’ll add your plan as is to the other plans and see how the people respond. If the people love your plan and if there are no significant objections, we can go with what you bring.

“But as I speak, I realize I have three conditions. The first is, of course, it has to be a plan that benefits the vast majority of the people. The second is, it actually has to be a reasonable fix for the economy. The third is, it has to be good for the environment.

If it seems to me and my team that these conditions are unmet and your people are just trying to protect themselves from what they see coming down the road, I will just treat your plan like any other plan. We’ll feed it into the machine and let the chips fall where they may. Is that clear?”

Larry says, “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.”

The Short Cut When Larry submits his proposal, Rebecca is more than pleasantly surprised. She calls a press conference to give the public an update on the social change process. When she steps to the podium, she is already smiling.

“We’ve received slightly less than six hundred thousand ideas for how to reorganize our society. We have analyzed, organized, and synthesized them into eight very different types of plans. However, as we were going through this process, we received not just a five-page idea but a 200-page plan from what we can call “corporate America.” Behind this plan stand the US Chamber of Commerce, all the state Chambers, and most of the largest, most successful corporations in our country. These corporations include banks, weapons makers, fossil fuel companies, automakers and airlines, as well as the top funds on Wall Street.

“My team and I boiled that plan down to the five pages we requested, and we’ll submit it with the other eight. However, I would like to point out that their five-page idea comes complete with an implementation plan and schedule that we can turn to quickly. It is also backed by individuals, corporations, foundations and other organizations who can make it happen. You will all decide whether or not it’s the way | P a g e 323

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you want to go, but it is a special offer that my team and I see as rising above the other eight. Let’s see what you think.”

The plans are all made available to the public; the response is immediate and overwhelming. The corporate plan is accepted with near unanimous enthusiasm. In it are such measures as a livable universal basic income, an 80% tax rate on income over a million dollars, 50% tax rate on capital gains, a 25% transaction tax on stock and bond sales, a large tax on all products made from fossil fuels, a plan to put solar panels on most houses and buildings with the cost paid by sales of the energy generated, large subsidies for public transportation and solar-charged electric vehicles, the building of affordable housing complexes, large subsidies for permaculture transition towns (like Anytown), and the revamping of public education compatible with the Kindezi model of individual instruction, with most of these programs to be paid for by a 50% decrease in the military budget. To Rebecca’s delight, very few voices are raised in opposition.

A few experts offer specific improvements, but no one is pushing an alternative plan.

Fast-forward The corporate plan is offered, approved and implemented smoothly because the most powerful leaders in the country make it clear that they are serious about benefiting all involved, not just themselves. They planned for long-term economic wellbeing, not short-term profit. And they were determined to invest enough to succeed, not just tinker around the edges. The US depression lifts. As the plan takes shape, people begin smiling again, eager to contribute what they can to making their new society healthy and happy. The United States of America is actually becoming the shining beacon on the hill, an example to all.

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Chapter 47 Gaia

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“All we have to do is keep our destination in mind.”

In her dream, Terry is on the moon looking at Earth. She looks first at the United States and is filled with joy. She sees it cloudless, shining, as if a light of its own were shining from below the surface. But then, as she shifts her gaze, she finds she can hardly see the rest of the world. South America, the poles, the oceans, Europe, Asia, Africa— wherever she looks she sees enormous clouds of dark energy. For the first time in years, she feels something close to terror. She keeps control by keeping her pulse in her abdomen. She begins chanting Kam Nagala, Kam Nagala. She tries to purify the world and fails. She wakes up in a cold sweat with a sense of impending disaster.

She gets out of bed. She goes to the bathroom, washes her face, gargles, returns to her room, and begins to pray. The fear remains. As she shifts from prayer to meditation, she finds herself calling to Hika Ri. She’s begging, pleading. She’s desperate in a way she’s never experienced before. But she remains alone. No help appears.

She knocks, gets no answer, and walks right into Corey’s room. “Corey, wake up.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I’ll tell you later. Get up and get ready to be Rei Kan.” She knocks on Evy’s door.

“Yes?” “Can you please join me and Rei Kan in the kitchen? And get Dad here, if you can.”

Evy, Corey and Dai Jobu are frightened by Terry’s fear.

A Trip to the Moon With her family assembled around the kitchen table, Terry explains. “I had a dream this morning, and I need it checked out. I want us to go to the moon and look at the Earth together. But I’m not sure how. We’ve never travelled anywhere together on the spirit plane, have we? Dad, do you know how we can travel together? Is it even possible to go to the moon?”

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“All we have to do is keep our destination in mind. If we want to go together, it might help to hold hands, but the main thing is to see ourselves together on the moon. Shall we try?”

Sei Kan, Rei Kan, Mido Ri, and Dajo Bu hold hands in a circle over the kitchen table.

The next instant, they’re holding hands in a circle on the moon. “That was easy!” Corey exclaims.

“Yeah, but now, take a look at Earth.” With that Sei Kan and the others turn toward Earth. Seikan sees what Terry saw in her dream, but she wonders if the others see it as well. “Rei Kan, what do you see?”

“I see the United States bright and clear. I see most of the rest of the world covered in thick dark clouds.”

“Mido Ri, Dai Jobu, do you both see the same thing?”

“Yes,” Mido Ri replies first. “And I feel fear. Tremendous fear. I’m having trouble controlling it.”

“That’s just what happened to me in my dream this morning. I had to fight the fear, and it continued even after I got up and prayed. I was so afraid I called desperately for Hika Ri, but he never came. That’s why I needed you to confirm that what I saw is real.

We all agree, right?”

“I do,” Rei Kan replied immediately. “I see the clouds, and I feel the fear.”

“I agree.” Dai Jobu answers but is staring at Earth, looking for something. He sees a small bright spot in the Pacific Ocean. “See that spot in the Pacific? That one small place is even brighter than the US. Let’s go there and see what we can find. Let’s hold hands and concentrate on that spot.” Before he could ask, “Is that all right with you,” they were all holding hands.

The next instant, they were in a jungle surrounded by jungle sounds. The fear was gone completely. “Kam Nagala! We’re on Kam Nagala!” Sei Kan knew exactly where they were and led them toward the village. They came on a group of young men out hunting. Terry walked up to them and greeted them excitedly in their language, but they neither saw nor heard her. They walked right through her and the others. Only | P a g e 327

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then did she remember she wasn’t Terry. She was there as Sei Kan. “We have to get to Sumi Ba and Sera Ji or some of the other villagers whose spiritual eyes are open.”

They flew along the path and soon arrived at the village where Terry had spent eight years. Sei Kan had to say Kam Nagala Kam Nagala over and over to control her emotions. She was surprised by how happy she was and shocked that she had never returned before. She led her family first to Sera Ji’s house, where he was standing out in front waiting for them. He was in his spirit body.

“You’ve been away more than ten years. We’ve missed you.”

“You’ve been with me every minute, but I’m shocked that this is the first time I’ve been back.”

“You’ve been busy. You’ve been adapting to a new world and doing a wonderful job.

You are exceeding our expectations.”

“I’m going to come back here as Terry as soon as I can, but today we come to ask for your help.”

“I know. You have seen the dark clouds.”

“Yes. The only truly bright spots on the entire Earth are the United States and Kam Nagala. What can we do?”

“First, introduce me to your brother.”

“Yikes, I’m sorry. Yes, this is Corey, but he is here today as Rei Kan.” “Yes,” Sera Ji asserts, “I helped him remember Rei Kan. You were amazed, weren’t you? But he was so pure-hearted and so much wanted to be part of the mission, it was easy to help him.” Turning to Mido Ri, he smiled broadly. “Mido Ri, we are meeting for the first time on this plane, but we know each other well. Do you feel it?”

“I was struggling with that. I saw you once on this island ten years ago, but I feel as if I’ve always known you.”

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“And Dai Jobu, it’s good to see you again.”

“I’m feeling Sei Kan’s shock. I can’t believe I’ve let so much time go by without coming back here to see you and Sumi Ba.” “We are all doing what we must. We have very little time for what we want.”

“Rei Kan,” Sei Kan interjects, “this is Sera Ji.” “I am honored. Thank you for all you’ve done for Sei Kan and our family.”

“What I do, I do for humanity. And I was never working alone. Follow me.” The Anitoks follow Sera Ji to a temple standing on a high ridge overlooking the sea. “Sei Kan and Dai Jobu, you know this as the temple of Kam Nagala, our island goddess.

Most of the world knows Kam Nagala as Gaia. The time has come to meet her. Please empty your minds by saying Kam Nagala.” Three minutes later he continues, “Now, keep in your minds the scenes you saw from the moon.” Giving them a minute to establish the scenes, he leads them into the temple. Walking to the altar, he bows before it. The others do the same. They take the form of bodies, sitting on their knees with their hands together in prayer. Sera Ji begins chanting, “Tenchi heiwa jinrui waraku jitsugen saremasu yooni.” He repeats this for several minutes until the entire temple is filled with a golden light so strong that they’re all forced to close their eyes.

“Who are you?” asks Sera Ji. “I am Kam Nagala. Welcome. You have seen the danger.

I cannot tolerate much more darkness. In its ignorance and selfishness, humanity is exceeding my limits. Listen carefully.

Your mission is entering its most dangerous phase. The spirit world itself is divided about the wisdom of allowing human beings to continue your evolution. Unyielding forces are still working toward your extinction. I am doing what I can. Hika Ri is giving us more time. But we cannot hold out without help from humanity. You must awaken from the competitive trance. Awaken from adversarial greed. Rise to a higher level of consciousness and the civilization of love.

You must. Now. In physical time, you have no more than five years to convince the spirit world that you are on a new track. Is this clear?” | P a g e 329

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“It is clear,” Sera Ji answers for all.

“Begin awakening anyone who can be awakened. Begin now. Jo Jina and Rebecca are doing an excellent job of awakening the United States, but the awakening there is not transferring quickly enough. The resistance is too strong. Much of the world loves and admires Rebecca, but imitators are oppressed. We need to export the awakening globally. I recommend that you form two teams. One will help physical humans remember their spirit selves. The other will work at a political level to do in other countries what Rebecca is doing in the US.” “Sera Ji, I would like you to build a team on Kam Nagala, then lead them to work throughout the Pacific, moving into South Asia. Sei Kan, begin with your re-education committee, then send anyone you can into Central and South America. The clouds are extremely dark there, but the indigenous movement is strong. Rei Kan, go to Africa, first to Rwanda, where a woman named Marie Louise awaits you. You and she will begin by gathering indigenous leaders. Mido Ri, go to Asia, beginning in Hiroshima.

Work with Asia’s spiritual leader Nara Su. In Korea, start with Lee Jae. Develop teams and help them work throughout Northeast Asia. Asia is an extremely high priority. If Asia awakens fully, Asians can save humanity! Dai Jobu, begin in New York where many have perceived the precipice. Gather and open the eyes of Europeans who work in and around the UN, then lead a team into Europe. Europe is also crucial.

Europe must allow Asia to take the lead. The US will be managed by Jo Jina and the team she has been gathering. However, she and Rebecca must continue working at the political level. Sei Kan, you will continue to help them in the US, but your focus will be on awakening as many people as you can all through the Americas. Is all this clear?”

It is clear,” Sera Ji answers.

“I will be with you helping in every way I can. If you or anyone on any of your teams needs to communicate with me directly, use the chant Sera Ji used. He will teach it to you. I will leave now. I know you will do your best. It will not be easy.”

The group says a formal goodbye to Kam Nagala, then turn to each other. Sera Ji begins. “You have received your assignments. Return to your physical bodies, then proceed to your areas of concentration. The guidance you need will come to you.”

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“I’m afraid not. She is in an extremely delicate situation. She is surrounded by her family and friends. She is deciding whether or not to let go of her physical body. I believe she will. That will make it easier for her to help you.”

Sei Kan is shocked. Even with spiritual awareness, life and death transitions carry a powerful emotional charge. She turns sharply to Sera Ji. “Do you still have a physical body?”

“No, I dropped it four years ago. That, too, was to help you and the other beings working to awaken humanity.”

“Who are you now?”

“Still Sera Ji. My name has not changed. I knew my spirit name before I got that physical body.”

Sei Kan is stunned again. “Who is the chief of Kam Nagala?”

“Cho Ro. Much of Kam Nagala is spiritually awakened, so I have remained very much involved, even though many still can't see me. However, you heard my assignment from Kam Nagala. I’ll be working in a much larger arena. Cho Ro will take care of our island.”

“Please tell Sumi Ba I miss her, and I’m looking forward to seeing her again.”

“I will. I'm sure you will meet before long. It’s time to return to Othertown.” After saying their goodbyes, the Anitok family holds hands and are instantly in their home.

Terry, Corey and Evy are back in their physical bodies.

Dai Jobu says, “I guess we go our different ways. But whatever happens, unless it’s absolutely impossible, let’s meet here in this kitchen at 7:30pm on the sixth of every month. Can we do that? We need to keep in touch.”

Corey is the first to respond. “I’ll be here.”

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Chapter 48 Rebecca Ends the Korean War

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“Judge what I do by the results, not by your assumptions.”

Early in Ronald Drumph’s presidency, he met with Kim Jong Un in Singapore and again in the Demilitarized Zone. He was sincerely attempting to end the Korean War to win himself the Nobel Peace Prize. His efforts were derailed by John Bolt, with help from the ruling Democrats, who hated the idea of losing such a valuable enemy. After valiant efforts by Drumph and South Korea’s President Moon, the situation is deteriorating. Rebecca decides to focus on this crisis to demonstrate her approach to foreign affairs.

With a little help from some friends, she calls Dennis Rodman, the basketball player who visited Kim Jong Un in 2013. After he says hello, Rebecca introduces herself and says, “Mr. Rodman, I need your help.”

Dennis says, ”Let me guess. This is about North Korea, right?”

Rebecca laughs and asks, “Can you please set up a meeting for him and me?”

“I believe I can,” Dennis replies, “but are you sure about this? My relationship with him hasn’t helped my rep. You’ll get trashed.”

“I know, and to make matters worse, I want you with me when I meet him,” Rebecca says lightly.

“You’re crazy,” Dennis laughs. “You want to be seen associating with me and Kim Jong-un?”

“I don’t know how it happened that you visited him before, but I thought it was great. I also know you took a lot of heat, but you didn’t let it stop you from going back.

You obviously have something going on there. I need to ride on your coattails, and in return, I’m going to make you a hero. Partly because you truly are a hero, and partly because I need you to get me a meeting at a personal level, not a diplomatic level. I don’t want my staff to make the initial contact.”

Dennis is stumped. “So what should I say you’re up to?”

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country. If we can achieve that, we’ll have taken all of humanity a long way down the road to peace.”

Dennis is satisfied and happy to help Rebecca. “I’ll see what I can do.”

A Few Days Later Rebecca takes a call from Dennis Rodman. “Hi, Dennis, what do you have?”

“We’re on,” he says brightly. “He suggests that you go meet next month on April 4 for the Hansik festival. This is 105 days after the winter solstice. It’s the start of the farming season and the time they visit their family graves. It’s a big deal over there, so he’s making a big deal of your visit.”

“Perfect, I’ll do it. April 4. That’s also the day Martin Luther King Jr. was killed.

You’ll go with me, right?” Rebecca asks as if she knows the answer.

Dennis laughs and says, “He’s expecting me.”

“Great. Can you get me a contact person? We need to plan the logistics.”

“It’s a guy named Park. I’ll send you his info.”

“Dennis, you’re the best!” Rebecca is impressed and grateful. “I promise you won’t regret it.”

Ten Days Later Rebecca holds a press conference to announce the trip. She walks to the podium and stands there making the most of the drama to come. “I’ve called you here today to announce my plan to meet Kim Jong-un on April 4. I’ll leave here on April 2 with Dennis Rodman, who set the meeting up and who will formally introduce me to President Kim. As you all know, tensions on the Korean Peninsula are sky high. I’m getting all sorts of suggestions from military and state department experts, so I’m going to see the country for myself and talk to Chairman Kim about what might be done. Any questions?”

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Rebecca replies calmly and firmly. “Not at all. I’ve been studying him for some time with the help of a number of people I trust. At this point, my understanding is that his brother was killed by his enemies, not by him. And his firing of missiles has always been in response to provocations from us. I believe he wants peace. But please, from now on, raise your hand and let me call on you. Otherwise it becomes a shouting match.” She calls on a reporter with her hand up.

“You’re the president of the United States. Why are you going to North Korea? If you want to meet Kim, shouldn’t you call him to Washington?”

Rebecca frowns extravagantly. “Susan, how can you be asking such a war-culture question? Because the US is more powerful than North Korea, he should come when I call? First of all, I’m the one who wants this meeting. Second, I have more money than he does. Third, I want him to feel as comfortable as possible when we meet. But most important, he knows a lot more about my country than I know about his. I want to see it with my own eyes. I want to feel the atmosphere. I want to meet him in his native habitat. I am not going over there to bend him to my will. I will be trying to resolve our conflict.” She calls on another reporter.

“Do you think you’ll be safe over there?”

Without smiling at all, Rebecca replies, “I’ll be safer there than I am here. In fact, I’ll be going with minimal security because I don’t want to put too great a burden on him. I’m sure he can provide all the security I need.” She points to Katie in the back row.

“Why did you have Rodman set up the meeting? You could have done it through diplomatic channels.”

“Mr. Rodman and Chairman Kim are friends. I want him to understand that I, too, want to be his friend.” Rebecca looks to her right and nods. “Sorry,” she says, “I have to run. But you’re all invited to fly over to Pyongyang with me on Air Force One so you’ll have plenty of time to ask questions. Meanwhile, try not to be too inflammatory with your stories. I know you all think what I’m doing is foolish or treasonous, but please judge what I do by the results, not by your assumptions.” | P a g e 335

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April 3 Air Force One touches down in Pyongyang Airport. It comes to a stop near the terminal but not at a gate. Stairs are wheeled across the tarmac and attached to the door. A bright vermilion carpet is rolled out to greet Rebecca as she descends the stairs. North Korean television cameras are in position. Most of the country and much of the world watch on television. Kim Jong-un stands at the foot of the stairs. He and Rebecca shake hands and look into each other’s eyes. To their mutual surprise, they break into broad smiles at the same time, though the smiles are hidden by masks. As Rebecca moves on to Second-in-command Hwang Pyong-so and down the line of waiting dignitaries, five-foot seven Chairman Kim and six-foot seven Dennis Rodman give each other a big bear hug.

Kim, Rebecca and Rodman get into a limousine.

North Korean dignitaries follow in a long line of black cars, while dozens of American reporters and camera crews board two buses, all heading for their respective hotels. The meeting will take place the next day at the Mansudae Assembly Hall.

Meeting with Chairman Kim Once both delegations are seated around a large table, Chairman Kim opens in accented but fluent English. “Thank you, President Whyte, for coming all this way to meet with me.”

Rebecca responds in kind. “Thank you for giving me your time on this special day.

I’m sure you’re extremely busy.”

Kim is beaming. “Nothing could keep me from this meeting. It has been a dream in my family, from my grandfather to my father to me, to make peace with the US, but I, personally, have long been your loyal fan. I’ve been watching you since you were mayor of Anytown. I have enormous respect for what you have done and are doing. I am even trying to move our government in the direction of process versus policy, but it’s not easy, given our history and entrenched commitment to militarism and hierarchy.” | P a g e 336

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Rebecca shines her famous smile on Kim and says, “I guess I assumed you would be watching me as president, but I’m surprised you were watching me in Anytown!

And since you know me that well, you know I am here to resolve the animosity between our countries. Do you have any idea how we might begin to do that?”

Without hesitation, Kim begins. “My grandfather, my father and I have stated repeatedly that all we want is an assurance of peace. I need a promise that you will not invade us or attack us economically and that you won’t attempt regime change like you did in Iraq and elsewhere. We’ve always said that if you promise not to attack us, we’ll give up our nuclear program. Today, I’ll go further. If you will remove the sanctions, sign a peace treaty and promise not to allow the South to attack us, and if you will function as mediator and honest broker, I promise that we will begin negotiating in good faith with President Moon to end the Korean War and start a process that I hope will lead to unification of our country.”

Rebecca spontaneously shows her surprise and delight. “You amaze me!” But she quickly shifts to concern. “You must know that unification will cost you your position.”

“Of course. It may cost me my life. My enemies recently killed my brother for reaching out to the South. I’m surrounded by men who are desperate to avoid peace.

They are more interested in protecting their own positions and privileges. However, I am ready to step down as soon as I believe my people will be safe. I’m ready to die to begin this process. It’s always been the threat from the US, Japan and the South that has given power to the militarists.

“Most of the pathology in my country is spawned by the threat we always feel from you and your allies. Now that you’re here, I know I can trust you. If you tell me we are safe from attack, I’ll believe you, and I will persuade my people to let down our guard.

Most Koreans on both sides want reunification. North and South have been divided too long. Koreans are one people, a single family. Please help us begin the process of reconciliation and reunification.”

Rebecca speaks slowly and with commitment. “You have my word as commanderin-chief. The US will not attack you as long as I have any power to prevent it. I’ll do my best to obtain economic assistance to help with your transition. If you open your doors to Americans, I’ll get some of our experts in all the fields you suggest to visit you and see how we can cooperate to benefit both countries. | P a g e 337

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“Of course, we have to be careful. We don’t want your country overrun by capital and privatized for the benefit of the few like the Soviet Union was, but if you move to government-by-process, I’m sure you can mediate a reasonable balance. It would be wise to build your mediation capacity before attempting reunification. Then you can move toward resolution of all your internal conflicts. As you have just implied, those conflicts will become quite dangerous when the external threat is reduced.”

Now it’s Kim looking at Rebecca in open wonder. “You mystify me! Most of the world thinks I’m a crazy murderer. US politicians advance their careers by ridiculing and demonizing me. What made you think I might be open to an overture?”

“I saw you with Dennis back in 2013. I knew when you invited him to your country that you wanted to improve relations with the US. Like most Americans, I’ve heard terrible things about you and your government. I’m sure that your country, like all countries, has both good and evil aspects. But when I saw you with Dennis and read some of what Dennis said about you, I knew you were begging for help. I came as soon as I could. I’m only sorry it has taken this long.”

Kim is shedding tears. He wipes them away as he says, “Thank you. Thank you for your understanding. I like Dennis. He has shown great courage, but it seemed too much to hope that he could open a positive channel to the American people. Now I see he’s done it!

“Reunification will be difficult and dangerous. We’ve hurt each other for decades.

In some ways, my suffering is just beginning, but my people have been suffering too much for too long. If you will help, at least by freeing us from sanctions and the threat of invasion, I believe North Koreans can quickly become trustworthy, productive members of the global community. My goal is for us all to become Koreans, with no north or south attached. Whatever happens now, I will always be grateful to you for coming here and giving us this chance to transform a toxic situation.”

Fast-forward Having relied on the decades-long standoff with North Korea to spur weapons spending in Asia, military industries instantly push back. Rebecca is viciously attacked

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North Korean leader makes him look like a reasonable person. Pundits on the right and left unite to prophesy doom: Madman Kim will use Rebecca’s visit to consolidate his power and control; eventually, he will use his nuclear weapons and million-man army to attack the South, and President Whyte will have Korean blood on her hands.

On the other hand, the reporters who attended the meeting in Pyongyang carefully and in amazement quote what they heard, word for word. They predict a new era in US-Korean relations. Kim proves true to his word. He and Rebecca, working together with peace-loving people around the world, end the Korean War. In a few years, the two Koreas are one.

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Chapter 49 Planning Expansion

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“I’m not worried about re-election.”

As soon as Rebecca comes back from North Korea, Terry meets her in the Oval Office.

“Where have you been?” Rebecca asks. “I was going to take you to North Korea but no one could find you.”

“I’m sorry. It’s a very long story; briefly, I had a dream that showed me what’s happening to the Earth. I saw the US clear and shining, but the rest of the world is growing darker and darker. The only other bright spot is Kam Nagala, so my family and I went there. While we were there, we met Gaia.”

“Gaia? The Earth?”

“Yes, and she confirmed our fears. We can’t stay so focused on the US. As president, you have to, of course. But your success here is causing too much stress around the world. Gaia asked my teacher on Kam Nagala and my family to start pushing your changes out around the planet. I’ll still be keeping my eye on you. I’ll warn you about threats. I’ll be ready to move when you call, but I can’t be a regular member of your security team.” Her tone is emphatic but her eyes implore.

Rebecca chuckles. “When have you ever been a regular member of my security team? But you’re right— we’ve been ignoring the rest of the world. I have all I can handle, but I know I can trust you with this crucial work. Let me know how I can help.”

“You’re already helping. Your trip to North Korea dealt the forces of violent competition a mortal blow. But they are injured animals now, and they won’t go down easy. You, personally, and humanity as a collective are in imminent danger. There are likely to be more assassination attempts. American bases overseas might be attacked in an effort to force you into a war. Anything could happen.”

“I feel it. My body has been wracked by tension recently, beyond anything I’ve known since Washington. I meditate constantly to stay on the beam, but I question if I can hold myself together, much less the ARP and the USA.” “I can help with the ARP. We need to train an army of mediators. The ARP has recruited and trained a lot of them, but we need to establish a guild and build it quickly.

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“The what?”

“Over the next months we have to create a guild and start a program to train thousands of mediators. Those mediators will export the ARP approach to other countries. Within a year, we have to expand the Mediators Guild worldwide, with representatives in governments at all levels and in all countries. I’m not ambitious. I’m desperate. The longer we fail to export government-as-process to the rest of this planet, the more countries will fall into violent chaos, with warlords and bands of outlaws fighting for whatever resources they can find. Violent competition will rule.”

“Please sit.” Keeping her eyes fixed on Terry, Rebecca gestures to a chair, and the two sit down to talk. “What do you need?”

“For starters, money. You can’t use government money, so I need some ARP funds.”

“Sure. I’m not worried about re-election. And we’re already recruiting and training mediators. I’ll put you in charge of that. You can create the Mediators Guild within the ARP.” “Thank you! One more thing. We need to start a meditation school. We need to work with anyone we think has the potential to remember their spirit self, and we need to get people thinking about the spirit world. So, I’ll be working on both of these fronts— the political through the Mediators Guild and the spiritual through my meditation school. Is there any chance you could get some funds for a natonal meditation academy or something? I know we need to keep church and state separate, but we need some money to start a school. And I don’t want to charge tuition. We need to offer it for free or maybe a nominal fee.”

Rebecca stops to think. When she comes back to the conversation she says, “Maybe it’s time to open up about your mission. I can use my presidential reorganization authority to create a new department. The Department of Spiritual Exploration, with Terry Anitok the first department secretary. You’ll be the Secretary of Spiritual Exploration. I’ll get you a budget and get you started. With the government behind you, your meditation program will grow quickly, don’t you think?”

Terry is blown away. She could not have asked for a more perfect way to get started.

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employing leading spiritual teachers everywhere to take part

in

the

Emergency wakening.

Program

of

Public

A

She’s

excitedly

working out the details when Rebecca interrupts her, “I see you like the idea.”

“Sorry,” Terry laughs, “I’m already so far into it I forgot to say thank you. But I do have a worry. Is this feasible, politically? Can you just do it? Isn’t this government by policy?”

“You got this assignment from Gaia herself, right? Do we have a choice? And if I make you secretary, no one will say a thing. You have more fans than I do.” When Rebecca sees Terry relax into this idea, she wants to know about Gaia. “What was she like?”

“Her light was gold like mine, but vastly brighter. When she appeared in the temple, she was so bright we had to keep our heads bowed. She’s warm and loving and worried about us. She wants us to survive, but she warned that if we don’t change dramatically within five years, humans will soon be extinct. She won’t be able to prevent it. She’s doing her best, but she has to have more cooperation from us. We rise to a higher level of consciousness or we die.”

“That settles it, don’t you agree? The Department of Spiritual Exploration can’t wait, and we have the mandate to make it happen. I don’t see any serious opposition arising.

If it does, we’ll run a process.” With that settled, Rebecca tunes in to the message. Her tone drops. “At some level, I’ve always lived with this threat. My mission is to prevent it, but lately, I sometimes wonder what we’re fighting for. Why should we care? Aren’t we just one more group fighting for power? Maybe it’s burnout, but politics is so hard.

A bunch of vipers in a pit fighting for what we want. Even you and me. We don’t want to win. We don’t even want to fight, and yet, that’s all we do. We’re fighting all the time.” As Rebecca reveals her struggle, Terry begins to glow. “Wait, what are you doing?” Rebecca reacts with alarm. | P a g e 343

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“Trust me,” Terry says gently. She enfolds Rebecca in her golden light and holds her tight.

In a few minutes, Rebecca says, “I see. I mean, I feel. I get it. The reason, the ends, and the means are all love. Love is the difference between heaven and hell. Love is how we fight, it’s what we’re fighting for, and it’s why we have to win, even though we hate winning.” She basks for a few minutes in the feeling, then, “Thank you, but how did you do that?” She wants to get back to normal.

Terry lets her go and explains, “I just shared with you some love I got from our creator.”

“From our creator?”

“It’s a long story I’ll tell you some day. Meanwhile, if you ever feel tired, angry, or despairing, don’t do another thing before you call me, okay?”

“Agreed. If I get down, I’ll beg for another dose. I just hope I don’t get addicted.”

“Feel free to get addicted. The source is limitless.”

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Chapter 50 Doing the Work

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“All of us are bound together in this work.”

Terry calls Akilah. Akilah answers with, “Bout time. Haven’t seen you around here in months.”

“Been busy.”

“So, saving the world is more important than the high school friends you corralled to work for Rebecca?”

“Now I need my high school friends saving the world with me. Would you convene the re-education committee three days from now?”

“You know Claire’s in New York at the Radisson, right? Deshana’s in Anytown studying permaculture for the Department of Agriculture. Since Charlie and Sylvie are at the White House, how about you start with us three?”

“I need all five of you. I’m going to hire and pay you to save the world. Get them to Othertown in three days, will you?”

“You got it, boss.”

Three Days Later The re-education committee is sitting around Terry’s kitchen table drinking tea, talking loudly, enjoying each other for the first time this year. After a while, the talk dies down, and Terry’s tone grows somber. “Friends, we’re all happy and healthy. We have plenty of food, clothing and shelter, and meaningful jobs that allow us to contribute to the world. In fact, we’re doing so well, it’s hard to find time to think about people around the world who aren’t so lucky.” Terry waits for the mood to change. It does. When the others are sufficiently concerned, Terry continues, “Not long ago I had a terrible dream. It was one of the most frightening experiences I’ve ever had. That dream led me and my whole family to Kam Nagala. There we met Gaia. She gave us the hard truth. Are you listening?” Terry stops again and checks each face. “Human beings have, at most, five years to turn things around globally or we are dead. All of us.

She gave no details; we didn’t ask.”

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2050. Claire has long suspected that the crisis is far more urgent than most scientists and media admit.

Terry takes Claire’s hand and goes on. “I’ve seen the Earth spiritually. I’ve seen it from the moon. What I saw is, the US is shining bright, but the rest is covered with thick, dark clouds. In some places, that darkness is so deep and thick, it’s like Washington after the election. I have no doubt at all that Gaia is right. We have to absorb that darkness as fast as we can to keep this planet habitable.”

Tears well up in Deshana’s eyes. “Can’t Gaia do something? She IS our planet.”

Terry feels her pain and wants to hug her. Instead, she says, “She wants us to survive, but she told us clearly that she can’t just step in and absorb the darkness. No one can. Not even Hika Ri. Humans have to rise above our current level of ignorance and selfishness. We have to learn to share. We have to stop killing each other. We have to become aware of the spirit world and respect it. That’s why I called you here. I need your help, but it’s not just me. The world needs your help.” No one says a word, but Terry can see the questions in their faces. “Gaia told my family and some folks on Kam Nagala what we need to do and where we need to do it. One job is to train an army of mediators and help them take Rebecca’s politics to the rest of the world. I told Rebecca I want to create an International Mediators Guild. She said we can use the ARP’s training budget to recruit and train mediators.

“The second job is to help more people open their spiritual eyes. She’s going to create a new Department of Spiritual Exploration and make me secretary. We can open offices of this department around the world. Basically, these will be meditation schools. We’ll find spiritual teachers wherever we can, and we’ll set them up to find people with spiritual potential and help them remember the spirit world and who they are at their own spiritual level. These Spiritual Exploration offices will promote awareness of the spirit world and show us how to care for it. I’m sure we’ll have people filling our schools as soon as we can build them. So, these two jobs are why I need to hire you.”

Charlie has a question. “What about your family?”

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focus on the Americas. My mother is going to Northeast Asia. Corey's going to Africa, and my father to Europe. A group from Kam Nagala has been assigned the Pacific and South Asia.”

“Do we have assignments?” Claire asks.

“We’ll decide together who should do what, but my idea is for Akilah and Charlie to join you in New York and help ARP recruit and train mediators. Once you get a good system going there, you can split up and start branches wherever you can. Find the best ARP mediators and get them to start training programs wherever they are.

“I see Deshana and Sylvie coming with me to DC. There, we’ll launch the Department of Spiritual Exploration. As soon as we can, we’ll open offices wherever we have good partners. What do you think?”

“You give us no choice,” Akilah smiles. “How can we refuse to work with our Jungle Girl to save the world? Charlie, Claire, what do you think? Shall we go to New York and work with ARP?” Akilah, Charlie and Claire talk excitedly about how to start their new assignment.

“I need help,” admits Sylvie. “I know you think I should be able to see the spirit world by now, but I get lazy and don’t even meditate for. . .” As she speaks, she sees Terry begin to glow.

“Who are you? Can you remember?” Terry asks.

“I want to, but. . .” Sei Kan’s golden light envelops Sylvie. She relaxes into it. Her aura starts to glow. Her light emerges, a golden green. It spreads to touch everyone present, and fills the room.

“Who are you?” Sei Kan asks.

“I’m Ai Ko. How did I know that? How did I do this?”

“I’ve been watching your aura. You were an egg trying to hatch. Just now, I suddenly felt I could help you, so I did. And you’ve remembered now. You still have a lot to learn about going back and forth, but now you know you can, and you know who you are.”

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“Thank you. Now I want nothing more than to help you start a meditation school in Washington.”

“Let’s go back to our bodies, okay?”

“Okay,” Terry and Sylvie are sitting with the others.

“What about me?” Deshana complains. Akilah, Charlie and Claire look at her in surprise.

“Your talent is different,” Terry explains. “You see auras. You speak to spirits, even the spirits of plants and animals. You have a different role. I don't feel the need or the ability to help you right now. But you’ll jump levels when the time comes, I’m sure.”

Akilah looks at Charlie and Claire. “We missed something.” They nod.

Claire turns to Terry and asks, “How do we get started?”

“I’ll get Rebecca to introduce us to ARP in New York. Actually, the Mediators Guild is the top priority, so maybe we all go to New York and help get you started. Once you have it under control, we go down to DC. Sylvie, Deshana, what do you think?”

“I like it,” says Sylvie.

“I want to stay in Anytown a little longer,” says Deshana. “I’ll meet you in DC, OK?” “Ok, decided. Five of us go to New York. End of the month? Is that enough time?”

Everyone is smiling. They talk excitedly about how to proceed. The room is full of bright energy. Sylvie begins, just slightly, to glow.

Successful Schools With Gaia’s help, the Mediators Guild grows quickly. As soon as word gets out, they’re overwhelmed with aspiring mediators. The problem is selecting and training them.

And as soon as they’re ready, they become teachers. Like a spiritual chain reaction, each new mediator trains dozens more who, when ready, are sent to some part of the world where they have the culture and language to be effective.

Around the world Resolutionary Parties spring up in community after community.

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refuse to follow orders. They protect the mediators instead. As NGOs and non-profits around the world shift to using conflict managers and mediation, people everywhere begin demanding participatory government. With each election, more Resolutionary Parties come into power, rapidly transforming society wherever they do.

Back in DC, Terry, Deshana, and Sylvie launch the brand-new Department of Spiritual Exploration. They, too, are quickly overwhelmed with applicants. It turns out that Deshana’s gift is reading applicant auras. Deshana spends most of each day interviewing applicants. The questions she asks are meaningful, but in most cases, the decision is made as soon as she sees the aura. Once enrolled, new students meet with Terry or Sylvie. That decision, too, is made by Deshana, and she keeps for herself the applicants who can read auras.

The students are counseled, taught techniques of self-control, encouraged to eliminate vices and attachments, then assisted in the process of remembering who they are. They emerge at many different levels of spiritual development. All are asked to awaken others, and most know intuitively where they need to go to be most useful.

As soon as she has good teachers in DC, Terry leaves to travel the world searching for partners. For the most part, she avoids cities. She travels to indigenous enclaves where she finds the most spiritually advanced groups and individuals. When the Program of Emergency Public Awakening is explained, nearly all are immediately happy to join. Thanks to generous US funding, DSE offices open one after the next in jungles, rain forests, near lakes and on mountain tops. No sooner does an office open than it’s overwhelmed with applicants eager to study “advanced meditation.”

In just over a year, the popularity of the Mediators Guild, the successes of Resolution Parties around the world, and the international expansion of the DSE are generating energies that steadily clear away the dark. In some areas, the violence and trauma are so deep, Gaia is forced to step in. Sometimes she calls on Hika Ri. In Israel, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Yemen and Sudan, Gaia and Hika Ri are forced to call on the creator for direct intervention. On the whole, societies around the world are awakening to the advantages of cooperation versus competition. The hungry are being fed. The sick are being healed. Grief finds consolation. People contribute to the whole in the realms where their gifts lie: human, animal, plant, mineral, or biosphere. Agriculture becomes regenerative. Soil, water, and air are purified. The Earth is returning to | P a g e 350

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health. From her spiritual vantage point, Sei Kan can see the dark clouds of selfishness slowly but surely evaporating in the light of love. On the physical plane, however, the progress is less obvious. Much remains to be done.

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Chapter 51 Rebecca’s Radical Next Step

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“My power here is deteriorating. Can’t you feel it?”

The United States is coming along well. An unprecedented atmosphere of cooperation has put almost everyone to work. That, in turn, has caused the economy to cycle again.

Manufacturers are manufacturing. Farmers are farming, sustainably. Consumers are consuming. All of this takes place with radically less energy consumption and resource use. Permaculture, biodesign, synecoculture, natural agriculture and a wide array of other approaches to the production of food are restoring soil, water, air and bodies to health, while producing far more food per acre than was accomplished by industrial agriculture.

Nearly every home and business in the US is generating its own energy with a combination of solar, wind, microhydro, biochar, tide, and wave equipment. Almost no energy is produced in large centralized plants of any kind. The “smart grid” accepts and stores any excess energy then distributes it to places where demand exceeds supply.

The enormous sums that formerly went to the military are being spent on caring for those who need assistance and for the environment. Rebecca is delighted by the progress made in three short years, but she now knows she was wrong to let the rest of the world fend for itself. Around the world, America’s inward turn is sowing chaos.

Without American military bases, economies suffer. Without American support, dictators fall. A few are removed democratically and replaced by fair and just systems of democratic governance, but most let their societies fragment into warring clans competing violently for control of resources. By continuing to purchase these resources, US corporations are still contributing to violence and misery abroad.

China, Russia and other authoritarian governments have been looking on in amazement and ambivalence. Their populations are, for the most part, as in love with Rebecca as Americans are. But the elites in most countries cling to power. They do their best to replace US colonialism with their own forms of internal or regional colonialism.

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Some

US

corporations

are

having

second

thoughts. Competition for resources is ratcheting up.

Without the US military backing them, they have to pay far higher prices for everything. That raises prices. That makes American consumers angry and opens the door to foreign competition. Some corporations blame Rebecca’s refusal to “defend American interests abroad.” One morning, while brushing her teeth after a particularly disturbing dream, Rebecca looks in the mirror and announces, “It’s time to go global.” She doesn’t smile.

She calls her cabinet and her whole team together, including Terry, now a rare presence at the White House. This group is normally quite happy, but today a wave of intense anxiety sweeps through the large conference room as Rebecca begins. “A few nights ago, a vision showed me clearly what I have to do. As I tell you about this vision, please open your hearts and minds as wide as you possibly can. Please hear what I’m saying, not what you’re thinking.

“I have to resign from the presidency and get myself appointed Secretary General of the United Nations.” Rebecca is forced to pause by the gasps and horrified expressions running around the table. “I know. I know,” she continues. “I haven’t even completed my four-year term, but these four years will not end well if I don’t take on international relations. We’ve been so focused on the US, we’ve forgotten the rest of the world; people are suffering. Hunger, poverty, exploitation, brutal authoritarian governments, the effects of climate change. Most of the world is stuck in the competitive paradigm that almost killed us. I have to help them escape that paradigm and graduate to the kind of cooperation we’re developing here.”

Her Secretary of State, Doug Franklin, says, “You’ve been successful here because you were elected. You have the power to force competitors to the bargaining table. At the UN, you’ll just be one more ineffectual diplomat begging for people to be nice.”

“You forget, Doug. The US is still the most influential nation in the UN. If I resign as president, Ginny will take over. I won't be working alone as SG. I’ll be working in close cooperation with the most powerful nation in the world.”

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Doug continues to resist. “Your appointment will be opposed by Xi and Putin both, maybe others. They’re terrified of you and the politics you represent.”

Rebecca counters. “Are you sure? We’ve had some friendly encounters during these three years. In any case, they can’t veto my selection. If we can get someone to put my name forward, all I need is nine votes in the Security Council, then a majority in the General Assembly. We can do that.”

Doug remains opposed. “You can get yourself appointed but I doubt you’ll live long enough to get anything done. Consolidate your power here first.”

Rebecca’s voice is uncharacteristically pleading. “My power here is deteriorating, not increasing. Can’t you feel it? Competition and chaos around the world are making life hard for our corporations. They’re trying to remain loyal to the principles of resolutionary government, but the roots are still shallow, and they’re really hurting economically. If they revert to the old ways, they can take a lot of people with them. I can’t let that happen. Don’t you see?”

Doug is quiet. He waits briefly for others to speak up. When they don’t he says, “I see your mind is made up. You’re scaring me, but I’ve learned to trust you. I guess I’ll have to do that now.”

Rebecca is grateful. “Thank you, Doug. Does anyone else want to speak against my idea of resigning as president and getting myself appointed SG?” Terry steps forward. “I speak in favor. Rebecca is doing what needs to be done. The US is making dramatic progress, but we're leaving too many others out. We need to leverage our success in the US to lift consciousness worldwide, and she’s the one who can do it. Please, support Rebecca in this, I beg you.”

The room is deadly silent. The silence continues, intensifying. At last, Vice President Ginny Corzine speaks. “Rebecca, I trust you, I love you, and I’ll support you, but you should have talked to me first. Think about what this means to me.”

“Ginny! I’m sorry! Yes, you’re completely right!” Rebecca is shocked by her own thoughtlessness. “I am so sorry. I’ve been so upset lately I didn’t have what it took to think of you. I apologize.”

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“I accept your apology. I accept unexpectedly becoming president. I will support you fully in this room now and out in public. But please, don’t ever forget me again. I will need your attention. I will need your help. And you will need mine.”

Rebecca is thoroughly chastened. “I promise. You and I will act as one. I will never just take off without you again.”

Ginny turns to the rest of the group. “Can we agree to support Rebecca in this shocking and radical action? If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t, but I know deep in my bones that Rebecca would not be doing this if she were not completely convinced that it’s a necessary step in her mission. Can we support her?”

Ginny and Rebecca look around the table. What they see is a mixture of support and fear. Rebecca says, “I’m sorry. I apologize to all of you. Ginny has made it clear that I should have spoken to you individually before calling this meeting. I’m supposed to be the process person, and I blew it. But please, I’m convinced this is what I have to do to preserve the wonderful progress you’re making at home. I hope you’ll soon come to believe I made the right decision. However, before I say anything in public, I’ll do some market research.” The meeting ends without serious opposition, but no one is happy.

Rebecca’s First Stop: China As requested, Rebecca is received quietly. The world knows she’s in China, but she asked for a private meeting and told no one her agenda.

When they’re finally alone, except for their interpreters, Rebecca begins. “President Xi, thank you for meeting with me on short notice and without much explanation. I’ve come to consult you on a matter of utmost importance.”

President Xi smiles at her and says, “Proceed, but please speak slowly. I am not good at English.”

Rebecca smiles her understanding and says, “You have seen the changes that have taken place in the US since I became president.”

Xi, nodding, says, “Yes. I believe you have prevented a catastrophic social and economic collapse.”

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Rebecca agrees. “I think so, too. I’m very proud of what my fellow Americans and I have accomplished. However, I have suddenly noticed that we have become too inward-looking. Our own problems consumed us. We failed to take into account the new suffering imposed on peoples, nations, and corporations around the world by our changes and neglect. I now fear the future of the world as I used to fear the future of the US. Do you agree that the global system is unraveling? Do you agree that we need urgent action to prevent global catastrophe?”

President Xi looks to his interpreter for explanation, then, through the interpreter, he replies, “Yes. You’ve greatly reduced the harmful effects of competition within the US, but competition in most other countries is unmitigated. As global population grows, even though you Americans are taking less, competition for dwindling resources intensifies. And not all nations are able to follow your example in reducing CO2 emissions. Even if we avoid social collapse, we are headed for environmental collapse if we continue as we are.”

Rebecca nods in appreciation. “Your thoughts could be coming from my head. I’m emboldened to tell you why I’m here. I am seriously considering resigning soon as president of the United States to become secretary general of the UN. Should I tell you why?”

President Xi is quick to reply without his interpreter. “That won't be necessary. As SG, you can use your remarkable mediation skills to bring all countries to the table to negotiate the full spectrum of international problems. You can bring your domestic problem-solving approach to the UN to help nations stop competing and start cooperating. This is your intent?”

Rebecca smiles broadly, saying, “Exactly. Now, may I ask—” President Xi cuts her off with, “Yes, you have my full support. As soon as you have resigned as president, I will nominate you myself, and you will be SG before the end of the year. I am sure Guterres will be more than happy to step aside for you.”

Rebecca expresses her relief and gratitude nonverbally, then says, “I’ll go next to consult with President Putin. I have been told…”

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am not talking power politics here. I’ll tell him that you were on your way to him, but I stopped you. He will understand, and he will support you at the UN.” Rebecca stares at him partly in astonishment, partly wondering if she can trust him to make things right with Putin. “You amaze me! You and President Putin are widely seen as authoritarians who would be threatened by the political system I’ve instituted in the US. My own Secretary of State Doug Franklin thought you would oppose my becoming SG. Yet I find you willing to listen, utterly receptive, understanding and cooperative. I can’t question your sincerity. Why have we been so wrong about you?”

President Xi turns to his interpreter again for help, then, through her he says, “You’re not wrong. I certainly am—at least I have been—an authoritarian leader. I’ve given your Mr. Franklin a difficult time in some respects because I’ve been holding China together with what you would call an iron fist, and that has required a strong stand against the US. I thought I had to make a show of power to benefit the Chinese people. However, I’ve been studying the new way of governing that you’ve developed.

I’m gradually instituting it here, in my own way. My surprised staff will testify to this.

Why? Because I, too, believe that we must shift from competition to cooperation if we hope to restore the Earth to health and survive as a species. Our competition could lead to war, which could lead to nuclear war, and that would be our end. We have no time or resources to waste on competition. To improve our chances of survival, we need you as SG at the UN.”

Rebecca Resigns Sitting at her desk in the Oval Office, Rebecca looks into the cameras. “Good evening,” she begins. “I’ve asked the networks for this time because I want to make an announcement, and I want to have plenty of time to explain.

“I would like to soften or somehow hide what I’m about to say, but I’ll just spit it out. I am planning to resign as your president at the end of this year.” She pauses to let the gravity of this announcement sink in and to still the pounding of her own heart.

When she feels calm enough, she continues, “I apologize for the shock this brings to many of you. I am proud of what we’ve achieved together over these three years, but the problems plaguing our planet as a whole could destroy everything we have worked so hard to achieve here in the US. | P a g e 358

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“We—and I include myself—cannot go on acting as if the problems of the US are the only problems that matter. Suddenly, about five weeks ago, I had an experience that awakened me as if from a trance. For the first time as president, I turned my gaze fully outward and was horrified. People are starving and dying of disease and conflict in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Honduras, Ecuador, Columbia, Afghanistan, Brazil, the Congo, the Philippines, Burma and many other countries and regions. I knew this, but I didn’t really let it into my heart. Now that I have allowed myself to see all that misery, I can’t sleep. I’m in pain. I feel fear at a level I have never experienced.

A new storm is brewing, a global storm, and nothing is more important than keeping that storm as mild as we possibly can.

“I'll resign as president of the US to become secretary general of the United Nations.

As UN secretary general, I will do everything in my power to bring nations together in the original spirit of the UN. The UN is an institution designed to solve conflict through dialogue and negotiation. That’s what I do. That’s who I am.

“Normally, I would put my idea out for your input and go with your decision.

However, my resignation is not a national policy. It’s a personal decision, not open to collective influence. Believe me when I say I can’t NOT take the action I’m about to take. I am counting on your forgiveness and willingness to judge this decision by its result, not by how you are feeling now.

“I have one vital request. Please join me in complete support for Vice President Ginny Corzine. As President Corzine, she will keep the US moving in the right direction. She and I will work closely to ensure that the US brings all the resources we can to solving the urgent global problems that threaten us all.

“Now, the lines are open for your questions and comments.”

Comments and Questions Most of the comments express the anticipated surprise, support and admiration mixed with fear and even anger. Ralph Dodson, her press secretary, presents the most difficult ones.

Ralph: “Why can’t you work on global problems as president of the US?”

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Rebecca looks from Ralph back to the camera and answers, “Excellent question. I’ve been pondering that myself. I think it comes down to time and energy. As your president, I’ve been completely absorbed by domestic problems. I can’t work on global problems without extracting myself from that overwhelming responsibility.”

Ralph: “Why does it have to be you? Why don’t you send Vice President Corzine or find someone in some other country to work with in that capacity?”

Rebecca hesitates, unsure how deep to go. “I’ve considered that, too, believe me.

But in the past few weeks, whenever I meditate or think about our problems, I see myself at the UN. I don’t know how else to explain it. I feel called to do this. I think it has to be me. I hope you’ll come to believe I did the right thing.”

Ralph: “You have avoided several attempts on your life. As president of the US, you have the best security in the world. The security you’ll have as secretary general won’t even be close. It will become far easier to kill you. Is this change worth the risk you’re taking?”

Rebecca looks at the camera as if she wants to thank the questioner personally. “I’m grateful for your concern. I believe I’ll have the security I need, but more than any security detail, I trust my guardian spirit. I’ve escaped the attempts on my life because of rather miraculous actions or coincidences. I do not claim to be invincible. If my guardian spirit wants me dead, I will die, but I have great faith in my guardian spirit, and all my guardians, including you. My whole life has been a testament to the power of my guardians. Above all, I believe I am protected by the new superpower.”

Far into the night, Rebecca remains at her desk answering questions. By the end, it is clear that her decision will be supported by the people of the United States and by her millions of guardian spirits around the world.

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Chapter 52 Rebecca Disarms Nuclear Weapons States

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“We must abandon that spirit if we hope to solve any of our other global problems.”

Near the end of November 2023 Rebecca resigns as president of the United States.

President Xi of China immediately nominates her to the office of UN secretary general.

She receives unanimous approval by both the Security Council and the General Assembly. As soon as she becomes SG, national leaders begin asking to make courtesy calls. Rebecca’s staff tell leaders that, before she meets with any of them, she wants to meet with their UN diplomats. And before meeting with the diplomats, she wants to meet with their office staff. She begins meeting with the staff, posing three questions: 1) What is the most dangerous problem we face? 2) What is the conflict behind that problem? 3) What do you think should be done about that problem?

After meeting the staff, she begins meeting with foreign ministers and other diplomats, asking the same questions. Finally, she meets with the presidents and prime ministers. Most world leaders come to pay their respects and beg attention to their pet projects, but they’re well-prepared for the three questions.

After nearly three months of meetings, in late February 2024, she attends a session of the Conference on Disarmament. As is customary when the SG attends a meeting, she is asked to make introductory comments.

Sitting at the high front desk of one of the large UN conference rooms, Rebecca turns on her mic and addresses the disarmament ambassadors. “As you know, I’ve spent the past few weeks meeting with you, your staff, and your bosses. With your input, I’ve decided that the first problem the UN needs to solve is the problem of nuclear weapons.” An electric current seems to run through those listening as they turn to each other to make sure they heard what they thought they heard. “Please hear me out,” she continues. “I am not saying that nuclear weapons are the most important problem we face. What I am saying is, they are the first problem, the prerequisite problem, the problem we must solve if we hope to solve any of our other problems. Let me explain.

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consider to be low, these weapons embody the spirit of violent, cutthroat competition and animosity. We must abandon that spirit if we hope to solve any of our other global problems.

“Another reason they need to come first is because they are the easiest global problem we face. As you well know, this problem could be solved by nine countries in a couple weeks if they put their minds to it. On the other hand, if we cannot even agree to set aside these extremely expensive, obscenely dangerous, and obviously illegal doomsday weapons, what chance do we have of controlling CO2 or fighting pandemics or eliminating poverty? We have to demonstrate to each other and to the world that we are going to cooperate for our survival, and the way to do that is to rid ourselves of the doomsday threat.

“So, I’m planning to begin a decision-making process to address this issue.

However, I would like your input as to whether we should start with all UN members or with the nuclear-armed nations. What do you think?”

The diplomats present sit in uncomfortable silence, trying to imagine how Rebecca can possibly solve a problem that has been so impossible for 78 years. After a while, Costa Rica speaks up. “As you know, the non-nuclear nations have passed, signed and ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which came into force almost exactly four years ago. We have made our wishes clear. There is no point in involving us at this point. The ball is in the court of the nuclear-armed states.”

Rebecca looks around the room and sees silent but convincing assent. “That seems to be the sense of the room. Are there objections? If not, I thank you very much.

Tomorrow, I will hold a press conference at which I will announce the start of a process to eliminate nuclear weapons. I will then consult with all representatives of nucleararmed states to see when your foreign ministers can attend. Please continue this Conference on Disarmament with the goal of setting a date and time for the start of negotiations.” After she speaks, Rebecca leaves the conference to let the ambassadors process and cope with what just happened.

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After the Conference on Disarmament In response to a request from Secretary General Whyte, the presidents and prime ministers of all the nuclear weapon states gather in early April at UN headquarters in New York. The media call this meeting a nuclear summit, describing it as a gathering of world leaders who are about to begin a long and difficult negotiation. Rebecca has other ideas.

These meetings usually start with the secretariat presenting the agenda, a perfunctory greeting from the secretary general, then opening statements from the states’ parties. Rebecca begins without a formal introduction, explanation or agenda. She simply turns on her mic and begins addressing the nine most dangerous people in the world. “Thank you all for coming here today for what I very much hope will be an historic meeting. I am here to engage you in a serious effort to eliminate nuclear weapons. The negotiations beginning today were mandated in 1970 by Article VI of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It is time to fulfill that mandate.

“Let me begin with a warning. I consider nuclear weapons to be an insurmountable obstacle to global cooperation and even to civilized conversation. There is no point even coming to the UN if you refuse to eliminate your respective nuclear threats. The threat of nuclear weapons is incompatible with the level of cooperation we will need if we hope to solve any of the urgent and far more difficult problems we face. Therefore, I am prepared to stay here as long as it takes, and I am prepared to stop all UN activities other than humanitarian relief until we have agreed in principle to eliminate all nuclear weapons. The details we can fill in at our leisure, but I am fully expecting to walk out of here and declare to the world that we are ending the threat of nuclear annihilation.

“I realize that this threat by me runs counter to my philosophy of bringing stakeholders together to let them decide policy for themselves, but this issue is unique.

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and in force since 2020 is clear. The non-nuclear states are saying, ‘The time has come.

You have failed for over fifty years to keep your disarmament promise, so we are declaring your weapons illegal. We reject your right to kill us all for any reason whatsoever. We demand to be liberated from this threat.’ I cannot be neutral on this issue. I will fight nuclear weapons as hard as I can using any power I can muster. And the US will be on my side. Is this clear?”

Vladimir Putin is the first to respond. Smiling broadly, he declares, “Russia will eliminate all of our nuclear weapons as quickly as we can. Your commitment to this is enough for us. As you may know, Russia and China have said for years that we were willing to sit down any time and any place to negotiate the end of nuclear weapons.

We couldn’t do it with the US blocking and threatening us at every turn. Now, with you and President Corzine in charge, the world can finally awaken from the nuclear nightmare. Are we all not agreed?”

The Long-Awaited Miracle The nuclear-armed nations agree quickly that the easiest approach is for all countries to sign and ratify the TPNW. Then, they will create a committee to develop a detailed, comprehensive nuclear weapons convention, complete with verification and breakout measures. But the job—collapsing the wall of resistance—is done. No one in the room wants nuclear war. All are acutely aware that humanity’s fight now is for survival.

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Chapter 53 Mission Accomplished

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“Problems are not solved unless the solution protects those at risk, the unborn, and the Earth itself.”

After the nuclear-armed nations agree, with shocking speed, to eliminate their nuclear weapons, the atmosphere at the UN shifts dramatically. A spirit of cooperation fills the halls, bringing forth rapid progress toward the solution of other problems, from CO2 to plastic in the ocean to hunger and poverty to protection of indigenous lifestyles to agricultural reform and restoration of the Earth. With Terry, Corey, Evy, Akilah, Claire, Deshana, Sylvie, Charlie, Dai Jobu, Jo Jina, Sera Ji, Sumi Ba, Gaia, Hika Ri, and hundreds of others at her side, Rebecca remains SG for forty-five years because no one wants her to quit.

Conflicts are constant, of course, but gradually, the human family gets used to solving problems through dialogue rather than fighting to win. Problems are not considered solved unless the solution protects those at risk, the unborn, and the Earth itself. Violence is out of the question. The UN is always bustling excitedly, trying to solve the next problem, and Rebecca is so loved and respected that hardly anyone notices as she turns gray and slows down. At last, as she turns 84, she feels her physical body abandoning her. She calls Terry. “I don’t have much longer.”

Terry rushes to New York, to Rebecca’s apartment across from the UN. She finds Rebecca in bed. She’s not bedridden, but she is weak. Her heart is not pumping hard enough anymore. Terry pulls a chair up by the bed. “You have to drop your body? Can’t you just retire and take it easy for a while? You’re probably just tired. Come to my house. I’ll take care of you.”

Rebecca smiles. “Jo Jina says it’s time to move on. My heart is telling me the same thing. I believe them.”

“Maybe it’s time for you to create your own planet, maybe even your own universe.”

“No time soon. I’m exhausted.” Rebecca laughs, but Terry is only half-joking. She’s always been amazed at Rebecca’s virtue, sharp intuition and personal power. She’s convinced that Rebecca’s spiritual body is far above hers, maybe even on the god plane.

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“Cut it out! You know I’m not allowed to let this spirit be seen till I’m dead!”

“Okay, okay, but I’ll will be waiting for you. So will Max. I haven’t seen him much since he passed, but I know he’ll show up for you. We were a team, weren’t we?”

“We were a team. . . of which I’m proud to have been a member.” Rebecca’s eyes are shining.

Terry reaches over to the bed, takes her hand and says, “I want to keep you here longer, but I can’t beg. You’ve given enough. More than enough. It’s just that. . . you’re the love of my life. You know that, right?”

“And you’re mine.” Rebecca looks deep into Terry’s eyes. When she sees the tears, she says, “We’ll see each other on the other side, won’t we?”

“No guarantees, of course, but we will if I have anything to say about it. I’m sure your spirit body is from a much higher dimension than mine, but Max and I will be right there when you pass, ready to grab you before you can get too high.”

“I hope we can be a team again somewhere.”

“Me, too. . . anywhere.” When Terry sees Rebecca’s tears, she also sees fatigue.

Rebecca is truly, profoundly tired. “Should I leave now?” she asks.

“I guess so. I’m fading. I’ll make an announcement soon, but I think this is goodbye, for us, for now.”

“Goodbye. Good luck. I love you. I’ll be waiting.” Terry forces herself to leave. Both women know that death to the physical world is birth in the spirit world. Both are quite sure they’ll meet again soon, but this is the hardest goodbye either has ever said.

Rebecca’s Last Press Conference At 84, Rebecca is still Black, beautiful, and Secretary General of the UN, where she has served with heroic distinction for decades. She enters the press room and walks to the podium where she stands upright as usual.

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“Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, I am here today to announce my retirement.

I’ve had a good run, but I’m winding down. I no longer have the energy to serve as your Secretary General, but before I go, I want to thank you. I know it seems to many of you that I am some sort of hero. But it’s never been me. I was lucky enough to be given a great mission, but millions of you around the world made me possible. You did that because I was offering changes you wanted to see in our world.

“We are not in this world to find out who can build the biggest corporation or leave behind the most children or money. We are here to meet, explore, understand, and love each other. And we’ve come a long way. Through cooperation, I believe we’ve staved off our extinction for at least another century. On the other hand, that means you still have a long way to go. If you begin competing and fighting, you’ll undo everything we’ve accomplished. If you keep cooperating, this planet will become the paradise it was always meant to be.

“One more thing. I am not just retiring from this position. I will soon leave this physical world, but I’ll be watching from the other side. Please care for this planet; care for each other. Solve your problems by searching for truth and the greatest good for the greatest number. I love you all. I keep talking because I hate to leave, but the time has come. Goodbye, and may your love abound.” The press corps and others in the room applaud respectfully, but no one was expecting this announcement, and no one is ready or willing to say goodbye. The vast majority listening to this final press conference is stunned. They have never known and can’t imagine a world without Rebecca Whyte.

A few days later, as Rebecca lies on her deathbed surrounded by friends, family and TV cameras from every continent broadcasting her every labored breath, an audience in the billions wonders how humanity can go on without her. Gaia says, “Maybe you shouldn’t have made her quite so perfect.”

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