Chapter 22

Victor Dinsmore's weekend had NOT gone well. Cheryl had come home in a rage. "Well, you've really done it, haven't you, daddy!" she screamed. "You got the resort shut down! Now we won't even have the little bit I was bringing in besides you and mom's unemployment!"
"It's not MY fault!" Victor answered. "They won't be fair, princess, that's all we want, for them to be fair! We've given some. We've lost two-thirds of the trails on the mountain. But the link to the other trail is vital to us."
"Well I hope they find some way of beating you!" his daughter snapped. "You can sell my damned snowmobile! I don't want it any more! I don't want to ever SEE the damned thing again! I wish I could move out. When I'm eighteen I sure as hell will!" She went off to her room. Some of the club members got together for a collaboration ride on their all terrains and when they came back they gave a strange report.
"The Spir are sitting up camps," they reported, "all over the mountain; portable toilet facilities, tents, it's like they're putting a small city up there. There's HUNDREDS of tractor trailers parked all over the mountain! And they're setting up transmission equipment. They must have five satellite trucks up there." Victor didn't like the sound of it. And when he saw dozens of buses coming through town Sunday he was even MORE displeased. The radio station announced that the church's second in command, Speaker White, was going to make an announcement at noon time. Dinsmore had his television on and the news channel coming in like everyone else in town. At exactly noon the report went to the resort. The dark skinned man with curly black hair stood at a podium outside somewhere with dozens of reporters standing around. As they came on the air he was talking casually to a reporter. "I don't know how my family got the name White," he was explaining. "I think one of my relatives had a bit of a sense of humor after The Civil War. We never had any idea what our family was called in Africa. Oh! We're ready!"
"Thank you for coming!" The Speaker began. "By order of The First Speaker I have been told to organize a protest here, to show our dissatisfaction with the decision made by the authorities here, to carry out that assignment I have organized a camp-in. One-hundred-thousand members of The Church are gathered here, and many friends. We WILL, from this day forth, camp on the land stolen from our people, blocking any use of it by pleasure vehicles of any type. WE WILL NOT move until this land is returned to us! We have enough provisions to stay here sixteen months, and more can be brought in. We are still pursuing legal actions to get our land back. But until those legal actions bear fruit, we will not allow our property to be used in a manner that WE disapprove of! I would like to introduce to you some of the celebrities that will be with us here the first week...the former First Lady, Mrs. Richardson, the former President and First Lady, Mr. and Mrs. Day. Chief Running Buffalo of The Dakota Nation. United States Senators Harrison, Hope and Moore. We also hope if she can squeeze it into her schedule, to have the Democratic Presidential Candidate here in a couple of days to spend a couple of days with us. Would you like to speak to anyone?"
A reporter raised his hand. The Speaker pointed to him. "Mrs. Richardson," he asked, "what does the President think of you being here?" "Well, as far as I know," the little gray headed grandmother answered, "my nephew doesn't know I'm here. I imagine he's throwing one of his regular tantrums right now as he's watching this! Harry is a fine man. I love hm like a son. But he doesn't tell me what to do. Nor do these dear boys in The Secret Service tell me what to do. I go where I want to do, I do what I want to do. If they want to tag along they're more than welcome. But young man I do what I want to do!"
A female reporter raised her hand and The Speaker acknowledged her. "But why are you here madam?" she questioned. "You're not Spir! You're Catholic! Why get involved in THIS insanity?" "Well that, dear little lady Speaker," the former First Lady continued, "called me up and said 'We're organizing a protest up in Vermont and we're looking for some non Spiritist volunteers that wouldn't mind roughing it for a while and probably getting arrested and generally making a nuisance of themselves.' I told her 'Sweetheart, you've got at least one, and let me make some phone calls! Maybe I can get you a few more. I really support your issue. I think you're absolutely right. I'll find PLENTY of them!' I called Mrs. Day, she volunteered and then her husband came along. I called dear Mr. Harrison because I remembered people in his state were having similar problems. He called Hope and Moore and here we all are, ready for the fun to begin! If they arrest me I hope they're not going to strip search me! THAT would certainly be a new experience!"
The audience roared with laughter. Another reporter rose his hand. The Speaker acknowledged him. "Chief Running Bull," he asked, "why are you here?" "That's Buffalo, young man," the old gray headed chief answered, "and I am here because The Voice Of The Fathers asked for help and his people have done so much for mine that whenever they call for help we come. As he supports the desire of The Dakota Nation to become a separate people recognized by The United States

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