'I've noticed,' Bill admitted.
'I call it corporate fascism.' Ben stared into his beer can. 'Juniper's turning into a company town, almost completely dependent on The Store, not only for food and merchandise, but jobs. We could shop somewhere else, we could drive to the Valley or Flagstaff or Prescott, but we're lazy and we don't. So we're forced to buy whatever The Store offers. The Store determines how we eat, how we dress, what we read, what we listen to, almost every aspect of our lives.'
Bill shook his head. 'It's not quite that bad.'
'Isn't it?'
Street snorted. ' 'Corporate fascism'? The Store's more like a corporate vampire. It's sucking this town dry and growing stronger from it.'
Bill sighed. 'So what are we going to do?'
Ben glanced at his watch, finished off his beer. 'We're going to go to the council meeting.' He turned toward Street. 'You coming?'
Street nodded. 'Yeah. Count me in.'
'No,' Bill said, 'I mean what are we going to do about The Store?'
'What can we do?' Ben asked.
Street smiled wryly. 'Pray?'
'Not funny,' Bill said. 'Not funny at all.'
The council meeting was once again sparsely attended and, until the end, routine and uneventful. Then Hunter Palmyra, in a low, subdued delivery that was totally unlike his usual voice, made a motion to add an item to the agenda.
'I would like to make a motion that we add the following agenda item under 'new business,'' Palmyra said. He cleared his throat and read from a paper in his hand. ' The council hereby revokes Resolution 84-C, which grants an open ended license to participating food growers to enable them to sell their goods at a so-called farmer's market. It has been found that said farmer's market violates county and local health regulations in regard to the sale of foodstuffs and does not legally constitute a business under Juniper definitions because of the absence of a single proprietor.' ' Palmyra looked up at the mayor, nodded.
The councilman was unable to look toward the audience, Bill noticed. He was too embarrassed and ashamed to face the public.
'They can't get rid of the farmer's market,' Street said, shocked.
'They can and they will,' Ben told him.
'We shop there, too,' Bill said. 'That's where Ginny buys most of our vegetables. They can't expect us to buy everything at The Store. Their produce is even worse than Buy-and-Save's was.'
The council voted to add the item to the agenda.
'They're trying to legislate away competition,' Street said. 'They're trying to outlaw small businesses in this town.' He looked from Ben to Bill.
'I'm going to go up there and give those assholes a piece of my mind.'
'All right,' the mayor said. 'I don't think we need any discussion on this matter. Let's vote. A motion has been made to revoke the license for the so called farmer's market. Do I hear a second?'
'Seconded.'
Street stood. 'Just a minute!' he called out.
The mayor faced him. 'Sit down,' he said coldly, 'or I will have you ejected from these proceedings.'
'There's supposed to be a chance for public comment.'
'It was determined that there was no public comment,' the mayor said. 'You would know that if you had paid attention.' He glanced to his left and right at his fellow council members. 'Let's put it to a vote. In favor?'
All hands went up.
'Opposed?'
None.
'It is hereby proclaimed that local growers cannot sell their fruits and vegetables directly to the public at a farmer's market.'
'I would like to add an addendum,' Dick Wise announced.
The mayor nodded. 'Yes?'
'Seeing as how this might create a financial hardship for some of our farmers and ranchers, I propose that we allow them to sell their products to a legitimately licensed business.' He smiled broadly. 'That way, the public could still have access to their delicious fruits and vegetables and they could continue to make a living.'
'Seconded,' Palmyra said.
They voted again, once more without allowing public comment.
The addendum passed.
'Very well,' the mayor said. 'It is hereby proclaimed that local growers cannot sell their fruits and vegetables directly to the public, but that they may sell their goods to The Store.' He looked directly at Street, smiled mockingly. 'I trust that makes us all happy.'
'You trust wrong, asshole.'
The smile remained on the mayor's face as he motioned for the policeman standing next to the door.
Street stood voluntarily. 'I'm going,' he said. 'I don't want to spend another fucking second in this hypocrites' hideout.'
The mayor turned toward Bill. 'Friend of yours?' he asked.
'As a matter of fact,' Bill said proudly, 'he is.'
The meeting ended a few minutes later, and they walked outside to find Street pacing the parking lot, fuming. 'Bastards,' he said.
Ben grinned. 'Welcome to the big, wide, wonderful world of local government.'
'This can't be real,' Street said. 'They can't get rid of the farmer's market just like that, can they? By a quick vote?'
Ben snorted. 'Oh, it's real, all right. And, yes, they can. They just did.'
'People won't put up with it.'
Ben put a condescending hand on his shoulder. 'Yes, they will. You want to know what'll happen? I'll write about it in the paper and everyone'll read about it and shake their heads and say what a shame it is, and then they'll go back to eating their cornflakes.'
Street was silent.
'He's right,' Bill said. 'I've seen it happen before.'
'I say we wait for those fuckers. Wait for them to come out of those council chambers and beat the shit out of them right here in the parking lot.
Teach 'em a lesson.'
'I wouldn't advise that.'
They turned to see a uniformed policeman standing behind them.
The cop motioned toward Street's car. 'I suggest you all get out of here now and head on home. Show's over.'
'What if we don't want to go?' Street asked belligerently.
'Then I'll cite you for loitering and haul your asses inside that building there and let you spend the night in jail. How does that grab you?'
'It doesn't,' Ben said. He grabbed Street by the arm. 'Come on. Let's go.'
'All right,' Street said, pulling out of the editor's grasp. He took out his keys and started toward the car. 'All right.'
The policeman smiled at them as they walked. 'You all have a nice night now, you hear?'
None of them answered, and they could still hear the cop's mocking laughter as they got into the car and drove away.
2
Bill spent the morning working on documentation, but he was still restless, even after taking a break for lunch, and he decided to take a walk into town. He asked Ginny to go with him, but she was busy planting flowers on the side of the house, so he went alone.
