Part 50 (1/2)

:: No no it's totally do-able we can raise that easy just set up some paypals and publicize the s.h.i.+t out of it

The next speaker was talking. ”What if we got the maintenance bots to break open the doors and carry the ride outside where everyone can see it?”

Bright red. Dumb idea.

Perry broke in. ”I'm worried that when people show up it'll provoke some kind of confrontation with the law. It could get ugly here. How can we keep that cooled out?”

Green.

”That's totally got to be our top priority,” Hilda said.

Next speaker. ”OK, so the best way to keep people calm is to tell them that there's an alternative to going nuts, which maybe could be raising money for a legal defense.”

Green-ish. ”What about finding pro-bono lawyers? What about the ACLU or EFF?”

Greener.

The back-channel filled up with URLs and phone numbers and email addresses.

”OK, time's running out here,” Perry said. ”You guys need to organize a call-around to those orgs and see if they'll help us out. Pa.s.s the hat at your rides, try to find lawyers. Everyone keep reporting in all day -- especially if you get a win anywhere. I'm going to go take care of things here.”

Hilda IMed him -- ”Good luck, Perry. You'll kick a.s.s.”

Perry started to IM back, but a shadow fell across his screen. It was Jason, who ran the contact-lens stall. He was staring at the two cop-cars quizzically, looking groggy but growing alarmed.

Perry closed his lid and got to his feet. ”Morning, Jason.” Behind Jason were five or six other vendors. The sellers who lived in the shantytown and could therefore walk to work were always first in. Soon the commuters would start arriving in their beater cars.

”Hey, Perry,” Jason said. He was chewing on an unlit cigarette, a disgusting habit that was only marginally less gross than smoking them. He'd tried toothpicks, but nothing would satisfy his oral cravings like a filter-tip. At least he didn't light them. ”What's up?”

Perry told him what he knew, which wasn't much. Jason listened carefully, as did the other vendors who arrived. ”They're f.u.c.king with you, man. The cops, Disney, all of them. Just f.u.c.king with you. You go ahead and hire a lawyer to go to the court for you and see how far it gets you. They're not playing by any rules, they're not interested in the law you broke or whatever. They just want to f.u.c.k with you.”

Suzanne appeared over Perry's shoulder.

”I'm Suzanne Church, Jason. I'm a reporter.”

”Sure, I know you. You were there when they burned down the old place.”

”That was me. I think you're right. They're f.u.c.king with you guys. I want to report on that because it might be that exposing it makes it harder to continue. Can I record what you guys say and do?”

Jason grinned and slid the soggy cig from one corner of his mouth to the other and back again. ”Sure, that's cool with me.” He turned to the other sellers: ”You guys don't mind, do you?” They joked and laughed and said no. Perry let out a breath slowly. These guys didn't want a confrontation with the cops -- they knew better than him that they couldn't win that one.

Suzanne started interviewing them. The cops got out of their cars and stared at them. The woman cop had her mirrorshades on now, and so the both of them looked hard and eyeless. Perry looked away quickly.

The vendors with cars were pulling them around to the roadside leading up to the ride, unpacking merchandise and setting it out on their hoods. Vendors from the shantytown headed home and came back with folding tables and blankets. These guys were business-people. They weren't going to let the law stand in the way of putting food on the table for their families.

The cops got back into their cars. Kettlewell worked his way cautiously across the freeway, climbing laboriously over the median. He had changed into a smart blazer and slacks, with a crisp white s.h.i.+rt that hid his incipient belly. He looked like the Kettlewell of old, the kind of man used to giving orders and getting respect.

”Hey, man,” Perry said. Kettlewell's easy smile was rea.s.suring.

”Perry,” he said, throwing an arm around his shoulders and leading him away. ”Come here and talk with me.”