Part 31 (1/2)
”Were you alone?”
He shook his head ”They had about fifty other men in there with ht They got me when I followed 'eht out of their chairs”
”The men ith you came back and said you disappeared They said they didn't knohere you had gone to”
”You kin believe that,” Daniel said sarcastically ”They took off like geese flyin' south the moment they saw the Cossacks ridin' up on the sidewalk They was goin' back for he'p, they told me”
”They said you left them and went off on your own”
Daniel didn't answer
”The police want to talk to you about that guard that was killed The papers arestink about it” He pushed a fespapers across the desk
Daniel looked down at the headlines The Times and Herald Tribune froton and the Bulletin from Philadelphia The headline and stories were pretty much the same in each The lead headUne: ”Guard Killed by Strikers at Steel Mill” After that they went into the story, and buried somewhere near the end of the story was the additional fact that al in the story that even un the attack
”They ,” Daniel said
”The steel co like that to happen,” Fpster said ”They juht on it”
”Seems to me they was better prepared than us In every way,” Daniel said
Foster knehat he meant ”Not anyet our side of the story out first”
”It's gonna have to run pretty fas' to catch up to this one By the tione all over the country,” Daniel said
Foster was annoyed He took out his watch and looked at it ”It's getting late The photographers should be all set up We better get down there for the pictures” Murray got to his feet, and Foster turned back to Daniel ”You find one of the reporters outside and tell theet back”
Daniel looked at hilance at him ”Where will you be?”
”I'm leavin',” Daniel said ”I don' cotton to the idea o' the police takin' ot the feelin' I cain't expect muqh support from the boys aroun' here”
''If you run, it would be like you were aduilty”
'Tm not admittin' nothin',” Daniel said ''I jes' don' like the idea o' hangin' up on a cross between the two of you”
Foster was silent for a o down to the paymaster and dran your salary to the end of the week”
'Thank you,” Daniel said He turned to leave the office
Murray's voice stopped him He held out a key in his hand 'This is the key to s together, you ton this afternoon You can ride up with me”
”Thanks,” Daniel said He took the key from Murray's hand ”I'll be waitin' fer you”
It was just after four o'clock in the afternoon when the big black Buick pulled out of the city onto Interstate 5 with Daniel sitting next to Murray, as driving It wasn't until they were a half-hour out of the city that Murray spoke
He didn't turn his head, keeping his eyes on the road ”Did you kill that guard?”
Daniel answered without hesitation ”Yes”
”That wasn't very s that on you, it could hurt us very seriously Maybe even lose the strike for us”
”The strike is lost already,” Daniel said ”I knew that the minute Foster lost control of 'is ht For a while I was beginnin' to think the strike didn' mean nothin' to 'im atall That it was somethin' else he was atter”
”What?”
”I don' know,” Daniel answered ”I don' know enough about strikes an' politics to have an opinion- but sure as hell, I kin smell when somethin' ain't what it's s'pose tobe”
'Do you think that battle could liave been avoided?”
”No, sir, but there, wasn't a need fer all theit the shi+t kicked out of 'em If I was him, I would of cooin' slow The sher'f didn' seem that anxious to me to start anythin'; he was lookin' as ive 'im the chance''
'Do you really think the strike is lost?”
'Yes, sir,” Daniel said earnestly ”The steel anized Froht thousan' men depitized aroun' the country to put the strikers in their place The cops is runnin' up and down all over Hunky Town, harassin' an' arrestin', an' they won' stop till it's over An' I can't believe that Foster don't know it But there's sooin'”
Murray glanced at hihtly know,” Daniel said ”Amble aroun' the country Fin' a job”
”Hoould you like a job with the UMW?”
”Doin' what?”
”Going to school for the first two years Getting yourself soe that will help you approach the probleent e in New York The New School for Social Research Even wind up getting yourself a diplo''
”What's the hitch?”
”There isn't any,” Murray said ”You have a job with us when you come out If you don't like the job, you can always quit”
Daniel thought for a moment ”I never had much formal schoolin' Do you think I kin handle somethin' like that?”
'I think so You just have one lesson to learn before you begin”
''What's that?” Daniel asked
'The imen who entrust their representation to us We can't afford to indulge in the personal luxury of taking revenge on people who may or may not have injured us or made themselves our enemies The people we represent don't deserve that”
Daniel was silent for a moment ”You mean-like what I did?”
Murray's voice was direct ”Yes There can be no more of that”