77 They refused to pay me the price I wanted and
simply took my land, paying me what they wanted, saying that it was in
the public interest, that I was being unreasonable."
78 Red Cat looked at The Speakers, Councilmen, and City Guardian. "Why
did you refuse to pay this man for his property?"
79 "Lord," the Speaker explained, "this project was desperately needed
by our village. We have a good little harbor, but the shore is rough.
And there was no decent place for our fishermen to land a catch.
80 This man's property was the only suitable place to build a dock, but
he was totally unreasonable. He demanded three times what the property
was worth. So, for the good of all, we simply took the land, and paid
what was reasonable."
81 "I do not like this, this taking of a man's land for any purpose.
Sir," inquired Red Cat, "were you not unfair, demanding such a high
price for your land?"
82 The man began to speak, and his words were troubled. "Lord, it was
my family's Sacred Land, our shrine sat upon it. I wanted the extra
money to move the shrine and the ashes of our Dead. But they said I was
foolish, and they could have the work done for far less than I
estimated. So they took my land, and gave me another ugly, dirty piece
that was in no way, comparable. And then their workmen ruined our
shrine.
83 I tried to direct the work, pleaded with their foremen for his men
to be cautious, but he drove me off, saying I was a nuisance and
disturbed their work, that I had no right to interfere!
84 The man burst into tears. "Our beautiful little shrine, Lord, they
ruined it! Not one stone will sit even. Many they cracked and broke.
They even broke some of our urns and spilled the ashes! They
let the ashes of our Dead spill along the road!"