The Brave New World - 168 The Art of Governing

Kirk stopped the car exactly in front of the entrance and killed the engine. He glanced at Adam, raised a surprised eyebrow, and said:

“What’s the matter, son?”

“I recognize some of those people,” Adam said. He sounded very unhappy about the fact.

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you recognize that fat bearded guy in the blue windcheater? He’s the mayor of Napa. He had his heart set on becoming the district governor. And I’m sure at least a couple of the others have been to my office. I’ve seen them around.”

“So? You make a little speech, and everyone goes home happy.”

“I’m not sure I can pull it off, Dad.”

Kirk snorted with disbelief. He said:

“Christ, Adam. Imagine you’re talking to a bunch of investors pissed off about some fuckup. It’s pretty much the same thing.”

“I don’t think so,” said Adam. “Investors wear suits and ties and I usually dealt with just a few at a time.”

“They won’t hurt you.”

“I just don’t know what to say.”

Kirk sighed.

“All right,” he said. “I’ll deal with it. Follow my lead. Now let’s get the hell out of this car. It’s beginning to look funny.”

They climbed out of their seats, with Kirk smiling and nodding to the assembled people. He seemed pleased to see them, and supremely confident. People who had opened their mouths to shout questions and accusations made no sound. Everyone silently watched Kirk stride confidently around the front of the car, and lead Adam up the front steps.

Kirk stopped abruptly one step short of the top and turned around, signaling Adam to do the same with a discreet flick of his fingers. He glanced over his shoulder at one of the guards and recognized Wayne, Wayne from Maine, lance corporal in the US Marines. Wayne was a competent guy. Kirk liked Wayne.

Kirk said:

“How is it going, Wayne?”

“Pretty good, sir,” said Wayne. “I’d have called for backup otherwise.”

Kirk nodded. The Lander home was guarded by a squad of Marines. They had been herded into the guest apartment and a couple of bedrooms, with three soldiers to each double bed. Every double bed in the Lander mansion was big enough to accommodate a family of four, and all were very comfortable. No one complained, not even the token female soldier that even the smallest military units were obliged to have, in the interest of sexual equality. The soldiers were on round-the-clock duty and worked shifts, so each bed usually contained a solitary sleeper anyway.

It had been done by a talented artist; it was a good likeness, it really was Adam. Kirk had to fight to stifle a laugh. He glanced at Adam, and said:

“What’s this vampire stuff?”

“I asked people to donate blood,” Adam said guiltily. “You know how badly hospitals need blood. They can’t store as much as they used to, and they keep running out.”

“You asked?”

“Well, it wasn’t mandatory. But naturally anyone who signed a declaration to donate blood was expected to donate. That’s the way it works.”

“Nice,” Kirk said. He turned to face the crowd: he had no need to ask Adam about the parachute in the picture. Kirk Lander was the one who had arranged the parachuting.

The Lander estate was located in the Napa district, or Napa County in the Old World. The mayor of Napa had been enthusiastically looking forward to being appointed Napa district governor, thus ruling Napa in both worlds. He was disabused of this notion by Adam Lander, who appointed himself instead. He had the authority to do so as the governor of the entire Northern California Region.

The Napa district included the Lander estate in the Old World, and most of the Lander-owned settlements in the New World. Only a Lander qualified as a governor of this particular district. Anyone who thought otherwise was insane.

“Let me deal with this,” Kirk said to Adam in an undertone, without turning his head. He could see some of the people in the crowd were getting restless. It was time to end this nonsense.

Kirk suddenly grinned from ear to ear, then actually bent and raised his hand to his mouth, as if he was trying really hard to keep himself from laughing out loud. This little pantomime immediately silenced the murmurs that had begun to rise here and there. Everyone’s attention was focused on Kirk; most likely, some of the watchers thought that he required medical help.

Kirk straightened up smiling widely, pointed at the placard with the parachuting Dracula, and said:

“I think that picture is just great. Is it for sale? I’d like to have it in my office.”

He was rewarded by titters and stunned stares. He said:

“I understand some of you don’t like my son being appointed the governor. But what could I do? I was already district governor in Fort Baker.”

There were more titters and more stunned stares. Good! Kirk continued:

“I am the governor of California. But I have my home here, in Napa county. So naturally it’s a place that occupies a special place in my heart. I have always felt privileged to live here, surrounded by wonderful people and natural beauty that rivals, uh, all those famous places that are featured on covers of travel magazines.”

It was a mouthful, but the names that came to his mind couldn’t be spoken. Napa County, though nice, couldn’t compare with the famous places featured on travel magazine covers. By those standards, it was halfway to shithole. Kirk continued:

“I would have become the district governor here myself, if it had only been possible. Because this is the place where my heart is. And the best way to ensure it got the treatment it deserved was to put myself in charge. Don’t you agree?” He grinned widely.

Yet more titters, even a couple of laughs! Some of the stunned or angry faces were relaxing. A few were becoming more angry, true, but he already had the majority on his side.

Kirk suddenly switched off his smile and became deadly serious. He looked right into the eyes of the angry mayor, and said:

“I couldn’t do that, so I did the next best thing. I instructed my son Adam Lander, governor of North California region, to serve the Napa district by becoming its governor. A little bit of nepotism never hurts when it’s in everyone’s interest. I think I can promise you… Well, I shouldn’t… Can you promise you’ll keep it to yourselves?”

Someone actually shouted:

“Yeah!”

Kirk acknowledged the shout with a grin and a wave, and said:

“I think I can promise you that the district of Napa will receive special attention, special care. Very special care. I think Napa district is already on the way to become one of the most successful, wealthy, and happy districts on the entire fucking continent. But ssssh!”

He raised a forefinger to his lips, shushing them all with another hiss. Then he cleared his throat and said in a very official tone:

“Of course everything will be done to ensure that Napa does not receive unfair advantages in comparison with other districts. The governors of Northern California and California will make sure of that.”

He winked at the crowd. The he turned to Adam and said softly:

“Smile at them like you mean it, and wave. Then run inside and talk to whoever is on signals duty. Get them to ask for a truck to take the losers without transportation back home. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. I’ll handle them in the meantime.”

Adam departed, drawing just a couple of muted boos. Kirk smiled at the crowd, and said:

“Are we all happy now? Any questions?”

There was a short silence. Everyone had just had a drink of fresh hope; no one wanted to question fresh hope, to lose its taste. However, after a few seconds a slim woman with bobbed hair, dressed in jeans and a leather jacket, raised her hand as if in class and said:

“Why is it taking so long to acquire a colonial license? I was told I have to wait nearly six months.”

A murmur ran through the crowd. Evidently, it contained many unhappy would-be colonists. Kirk said:

“It’s in every governor’s best interest to increase the number of colonies and colonists in his district, and to do it as fast as possible. The key words are, fast as possible. I want all of you to be successful. I want you to build settlements, towns, magnificent cities! I want all of you to become happy and wealthy. None of this will be possible if your second self dies within days of arrival in the New World.”

He put extra stress on the word ‘dies’, and it worked the way it always worked. Everyone was totally focused on what he would say, or possibly who he would name next. Kirk said:

“My plan for you is to give you a perfect start in the New World. I want you to arrive and find food, clothes, and tools already waiting for you, in you chosen spot! This is exactly why we require you to declare your launch point. We want to be there for you, in the New World.”

Damn, that wasn’t bad! There was a time when he was bullshitting people many times every day, and he hadn’t lost his touch. He continued:

“But we are just getting started with this whole enterprise. At this point in time, I cannot provide you with the care you need. True, we’re letting limited numbers of applicants through. But they all have to sign a document in which they take full responsibility for their actions, and absolve the colonial government of any blame. I find it very disturbing, very distasteful that we, the colonial government, are forced to ask people to sign this declaration. But we have no choice! Anyone who chooses to start a colony now runs a great risk. Tremendous risks!”

Kirk broke off and lowered his head and said gruffly, as if he was fighting deep emotion:

“I feel I am personally responsible for all of you. All of you! Me.”

He thought about pretending to wipe a nonexistent tear from his eye, but decided that would be overdoing it. And anyway, there was no need. There were some cries asking about jobs and public services and general welfare, but Kirk deftly pointed out that this was the responsibility of local elected officials.

“I cannot intrude on the decision-making of elected officials,” he concluded, giving the mayor of Napa a heavy look. “All those matters are their sole responsibility.”

Suddenly, the sound of an approaching vehicle cut through the dusk. Everyone turned to look in the direction of the road, already invisible in the growing darkness. The sound of a motor vehicle generated as much excitement as it had almost a century and a half earlier! It was amazing how much things could change in just a hundred days.

“I have arranged for transport for everyone who is tired and has a long way home,” boomed Kirk. “And thank you for this great opportunity to hear your views! Thank you!”

And he retreated inside the house, just as the light beams of the approaching truck slashed through the evening sky.

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