The Speaker made the remaining shots easily, sinking the eight ball, ending the game.
"Well!" she remarked, "Good game! You play quite well. Let's go over to a table. Even if ou don't contest the removal from your family, there are a few things we still have to consider."
Samuel followed her. She opened her briefcase and took out some papers. "Do you still intend to remain with The Church?" she asked.
"Will they let me if I'm convicted?" Samuel put in.
"No," the Speaker shot back, "but just as soon as you've finished your period of punishment you'd be permitted to reenter, and it maay never come to a conviction. There's a friend of mine in the area, quite an interesting man. He has some connections. I asked him to look into some things. He may drop by and make you a proposal. If he does I would seriously consider it."
"Certainly!" Samuel agreed. "Yes, I will remain with The Church. I suppose there's worse."
"Good!" The Speaker answered. "Then we'll register you as a new family. You're a little young, but under the circumstances I think The Church will approve. What name would you like?"
Samuel stared at her, trying to figure out an answer, but one wouldn't come. "I'll have to think on that," he told her, "if there's no rush."
The Speaker nodded. "We've got time!" she agreed. "Your father has agreed to pay your board until you're 18, and give you a small allowance. After that you'll be on your own. The hearing will be in a couple of weeks. DO try to think of a name. You'll have to have it by then. Well, I've got to be off. Other people to see, other things to do. I'll try to get my friend to come by as soon as possible, and I'll try to get by again before the hearing. I'll be at the big anti drug rally this weekend down at the park. You might be permitted to come if I were your escort."
Samuel smiled at her but shook his head. "I don't think so!" he answered.
The Speaker donned her jacket, smiled, and without another word left. When she was gone, the other boys gathered around.
"How do you rate?" Harry managed.
"Just luck fellas," Samuel answered, "just damned luck, that's all!"
"Give ME some of that kind of luck!" one of the others commented.
A bell began to sound. "Bedtime, ladies and gentlemen!" that ever pleasant voice announced.
"Have you ever wondered what she looks like?" Samuel asked.
"Who?" the others inquired.
"The voice on the paging system," Samuel answered. "She sounds so nice. She's probably some 80 year old widow!"
Everyone roared with laughter. "Probably!" the boys all agreed. They hurried to other rooms.
In the middle of the night Samuel woke up and began to cry again. After a few moments a shimmering light appeared in the room. It took on the shape of a beautiful woman in a flowing gown. She came over and began to carress the back of Samuel's head. "Sssh! Sssh!" she said. "It's all right. Not as tough as we want people to think we are, are we? Still a lot of courage to stick by your convictions, even if they're wrong. Quite a bit of potential here, a considerable bit of potential!"
When Samuel finally drifted back to sleep the woman rose. "Yes," she continued, "this one is chosen, this one is to be led. That potential must be guided in the right direction."
She smiled one more time and disappeared the way she had come. When Samuel awoke in the morning he felt better...he felt a lot better. School went well that day. As he got back that evening the matron announced there was somebody looking for him. "That gentleman sitting over there."
Samuel saw the man in Speaker's garb and went over. "You wanted to see me?" he asked.
The man rose. "Yes!" he answered, "I'm Speaker Polley. Speaker West asked me to come by. I'm a recruiter for Morndorf Academy. We've had a drop out, a mid season position has become open. I've been asked to offer it to you."
Samuel was dumbstruck!

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