As the first day's protests ended they were causing grief for many public officials everywhere. Calls were going back and forth between Washington and the Vermont capitol. Finally the phone rang in the office of The Chief Justice Of The Vermont Supreme Court. "This is the governor's office," a woman's voice announced. "The governor would like to have a few words with you, if possible."
"I can give the governor a few minutes," The Chief Justice answered. A few moments later the governor's voice came on very cordially saying "You there, Ben?"
"I'm here, John!" the Justice answered. "And let me guess...you're calling asking me to expedite matters on the Spiritist case. You'll probably suggest that it might be VERY beneficial for the state if a judgment was quickly rendered in their favor."
"You've got it! Right on the dot old friend!" the governor answered. "We need this thing settled. It's costing the state millions a day in lost revenue. Plus untold millions more in cost to resist this demonstratoin. The sheriff up there has just sent a request to commandeer an unused manufacturing facility and quickly convert it into a temporary detention center, that will hold 5,000. The only thing is, The Spiritists are bringing in 100,000! The ones we will be holding will only be a token amount to show our resolve!"
"Mr. Governor," The Chief Justice cut in, "We have no resolve against these people. They have utter contempt for the law. They abide by it ONLY when it is convenient for them. They use it ONLY when it is in their favor. I was strongly inclined to side with them, to give them back their property, but their actions in the last few hours have sorely tested my compassion. They have humiliated an officer of this court, OPENLY defied him. I cannot, Mr. Governor, abide that. I will proceed with my fellow delegates and discuss this issue, but we have several other important issues before us, also. Now, if The Spiritist were to end this protest, rely on the courts to settle their grievances, I might be more inclined to give them a more rapid hearing. But if not, THEY WILL WAIT THEIR TURN!"
There were several seconds of awkward silence. "I'll see what I can do," the governor finally answered.
"Mr. governor!" The Chief Justice concluded, 'perhaps holding some of their demonstrators in a temporary facility for a couple of weeks will be good encouragement for them to go home, and leave these matters to the judicial system."
"I doubt it," the governor answered. "I seriously doubt it. It'll probably just make them mad! I'll convey your wishes, but I don't think they'll even be considered."
They weren't. As it would be a couple of weeks before arrests would start again, the celebrities went home, and those schedualed delayed their arrivals. There was no sense them coming when they couldn't be arrested. It was a couple of weeks of relative quiet for the sheriff. There was only one troubling incident. When he'd gotten back to the demonstration Deputy Fife was furious. He explained Parkes had got frustrated and kicked a young female demonstrator when she refused to get up and walk. One of the other demonstrators had proceeded to get up and kick his ass. The sheriff was enraged! He immediately called the deputy over and suspended him there and then.
"When you can act like a human being," he roared, "you can come back to work! Until then keep your ass home. I will tolerate no brutality in this situation. Everybody else CLEARLY understand that!! These people are behaving in a totally no violent manner. Their actions may be frustrating, they may be annoying, but they cannot be responded to with inappropriate force!"
"What about the guy that hit me?" the deputy asked. "I'd say he was damned justified!" the sheriff answered.
"I quit!" the deputy screamed, "I'm not going to take this damned abuse from these idiots! I'm not going to lug them around so they can make a political point!"
"Your choice!" the sheriff answered. The video of the girl being kicked was on the national news and so was the lawyer for the deputy the next day, announcing they would fight his unwarranted dismissal. The sheriff was asked to return him to duty, handling things other than the demonstration. The sheriff refused. He spent at least three evenings a week playing cards with Mr. Wu at the laundry. Actually Mr. Wu was busy working while Phil and the sheriff used his extra room in the back.As the sheriff was leaving one night he remarked, "I didn't know you were a Spiritist, Mr. Wu!"
The Chinaman shook his head. "Not," he answered, "Buddhist. Happy Buddhist. But Spiritists do many favors for the Chinese people. My niece was in a slave shop in one of the American protectorates. She was being worked to death and the guards were using her two or three times a week. The Spiritists raided the place, freed the women, killed the guards, set the women up in a decent shop, paid them good. The women had to do no favors for the guards or, the owners. Some people called it a criminal act. They say The Spiritists were unjustified. The people of China do not think they were. Hate greedy American, LOVE Spir! Anyway, little Spirit lady looked at me so nice, asked me so sweetly to use my room. Hard for an old man to resist. You make her most happy." He wandered off to his work. The sheriff only nodded and left. How many in the world thought the way this old Chinaman thought? Well, he had to begin doing his duty again. The temporary facility was ready. Tomorrow they'd start arresting again. They would keep the prisoners on a rotating basis, hold each one as long as they could, until the faciity was full, and then release as many as they arrested that day. That would mean each individual would probably be held a couple of weeks. With perfect timing the celebrities returned, all ready for round two!

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