MOLLY
We've never shirked our duty, Michael, we've taken part in all the life of this island, and we'll take part in this.
MIKE You don't mean it you can't mean it.
MOLLY I do.
MIKE It's insane.
MOLLY
Maybe but it's not an insanity we made. Michael
MIKE
I'm leaving. Screw this. Screw all of you. I'm taking my son and leaving.
He gets about three steps before the self-appointed sergeants-at-arms grab him and yank him back to his seat. MOLLY sees MIKE struggling,
STORM OF THE CENTURY 341
sees how rough they're being they don't like his disapproval of this highly questionable decision and runs down the aisle toward him.
MIKE Hatch! Help me!
But HATCH turns away, FACE FLUSHING WITH EMBARRASSMENT. And when MIKE lunges in his direction, LUCIEN smashes him in the nose. Blood flows.
MOLLY Stop it! Stop hurting him! Mike, are you all right? Are you MIKE
Get away from me. You want to do it before I lose control of myself and spit in your face.
She takes a step back from him, eyes huge and shocked.
MOLLY
Mike, if you'd only see . . . this isn't our decision to make alone. This affects the whole town!
MIKE
I know it does what else have I been saying? Get away from me, Molly.
She backs away, GRIEVING and SORROWFUL. SONNY BRAUTIGAN hands MIKE a handkerchief.
MIKE
You can let go. I'll sit.
They let go, but warily. On the podium, ROBBIE looks on with unmistakable satisfaction. 'This may be a bad situation,' his face says, 'but at least our self-righteous prick of a constable is taking a face-washing, and that's something.'
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MOLLY, meanwhile, backs away from MIKE, who won't look at her. Her face twists and crumples.
WEEPING, she walks toward the back of the room. People sitting on the aisle pat her hands and WHISPER COMFORTS and ENCOURAGEMENTS as she goes 'That's all right, 342 STEPHEN KING
deah' . . . 'He'll come around' . . . 'You're doing the right thing.' At the back of the room, MELINDA, JILL, and LINDA ST. PIERRE enfold her.
HATCH slides close to MIKE, almost humming with shame.
HATCH Mike, I
MIKE
(doesn't look at him) Shut up. Get away from me.
HATCH
When you've had a chance to think about it, you'll understand. You'll come around. It's the only thing we can do. What else is there? Die for a principle? Every one of us? Including those who're too young to understand why they're dying? You need to think about it.
MIKE at last looks up.
MIKE And if it's Pippa that Linoge ends up taking?
A long silence as HATCH thinks. Then he meets MIKE'S eyes.
HATCH
I'll tell myself she died as an infant. That it was a crib death, something no one could help or foresee. And I'll believe it. Melly and me, we'll both believe it.
ROBBIE hammers on the podium some more with the gavel.
ROBBIE
Oyez, oyez this question has been called. Do we or do we not give Mr. Linoge what he has asked for, pursuant to his promise that he will leave us in peace? How say you, Little Tall? Those in favor, signify in the usual way.
There is a moment of BREATHLESS SILENCE, and then, at the back of the room, ANDY
ROBICHAUX raises his hand.
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ANDY I'm Harry's father, and I vote yes.
JILL ROBICHAUX I'm his mother, and so do I.
HENRY Carla and I vote yes.
LINDA ST. PIERRE raises her hand. So does SANDRA BEALS, and at the podium, ROBBIE raises his.
MELINDA (raises her hand) Yes. We have no choice.
HATCH No choice.
He raises his hand.
URSULA I vote yes it's the only way.
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She raises her hand, and so does TAVIA.
JACK Got to.
Up goes his hand. ANGELA takes a long, loving look at the sleeping BUSTER, then raises her own.
The eyes of everyone in the room turn to MOLLY. She kneels, kisses RALPHIE on the fairy saddle on his nose, then rises to her feet. She speaks to them all ... but in a way, she speaks only to MIKE, her face pleading for
