The convoy of trucks pulled off into the resort entrance and made their way to its main buildings, and then began to disperse about the complex. David saw one of the local contractors, Allan Copperfield, had a trailer set up as temporary offices, and went over. Allan came out to meet him. "Hi David!" he laughed. "Been expecting you. Saw the tanks coming in huh?"
"Damned right I did!" Higgins snapped. "What do these people think they're doing here?"
"They're bringing in hydrogen gas," Allan answered, "from their plant on the coast. They're ony planning on having one natural gas hookup for emergencies in case, for some reason, their trucks can't make deliveries, or that they should have unexpected high usage. Their foreman made it quite clear to me they don't intend to pay the minimum charges. I'm afraid you're not going to get too much business out of these people, David!"
"Hell, I'm not!" David screamed. "Don't put any of those tanks in. They're going OUT of here!"
"Excuse me," a voice put in, "what's happening here? Who are you sir?"
Higgins turned around to find himself being confronted by a walking mountain! The man looked like someone from professional wrestling!
"I'm David Higgins," he explained. "I'm with Central Vermont Gas. I don't know what you people think you're doing, but the county has an agreement with the gas company, that no propane facilities, or any other type of gas will be used in the county. Everyone in the country must use natural gas and pay the monthly minimum charge, or there won't be enough business in the area to keep us going! You people are NOT bringing hydrogen gas into this facility. Even if you do you still have to pay us for hook up. Now, tell these units to roll right out of here! I'll get my crews up here tomorrow, and have you hooked up for srvices. It will merely be a matter of having some valuves turned off. Don't think you're going to mess with us in this county! You're not! We control it!"
Hatfield looked at Higgins very unconcernedly. "I will say this once, and only once!" he answered. "NEVER come on our property telling us what we're going to do and NOTdo again! You do not dictate to us, sir, you are nothing, no one. You do not tell us how we will run our business. I will make it quite clear to you, right now. You bill us for any service which we do not receive, and we will sue you for criminal harrassment, and we will take your monoply to court! It so happens, sir, that we have already fought people such as you in three other states and won! There is legislation in your senate now that will probably pass this year, making such agreements as you just mentioned illegal. Security, escort this man to his vehicle! and get him off the premesis!"
Two heavy set men in uniforms wearing all the parafinalia of police officers approached, including side arms. "Come along sir," one of them remarked.
"I'm staying until this is resolved!" Higgins screamed. One of the security men grabbed his right arm. The other one got the left. They picked him up and carried him to his car.
"Leave! Now, sir!" they snapped. "No further arguments, sir. Leave! This is private property. If you persist in being aggressive we will take you to the detention facility, and hold you until the authorities can pick you up. On these premisis you obey the elder's instructions!"
"Get your hands off me!" Higgins screamed. "I'll have your asses in jail for this. NO ONE treats a representative of my company like this!"
"Go!" the security man snapped. Higgins opened his car door. As he did so, he noticed men working hard restoring a stairway. "Hey!" he remarked, "Isn't that where the snowmobile club put in the ramp so they could get up to the lodge?"
"Yes," the security man moaned. "Fortunately they left the stonework they removed. It's costing us over $5,000 to repair the damage the idiots did!"
"Damage?" Higgins cried, "That was an improvement! It inhanced the property. It let the snowmobilers come right up to the lounge. Now they'll either have to come way along the road, or walk up. What are you idiots doing around here?"
"Leave!" the guard snapped.
Higgins got in his car, and drove back to his office. He first called his superior asking that a lawyer get down there right away. Then he called the sheriff complaining about the guards.
"Nothing I can do," the sheriff answered, "private property, David. If they tell you to leave you have to leave. Might not like it, but that's the way things are."
He then called the county commissioner, and, the mayor's office. Both said they'd send somebody up. A few hours later the county commissioner called back, mad as anything, saying his people had been given the same speech. The mayor's office never called back at all. Higgins tried to call Victor Dinsmore about the ramp, but the line was busy and later on he forgot about it. The next day a company lawyer came to his office and asked to speak with him in private.
"Certainly!" Higgins agreed, took him into his office, and shut his door. The lawyer took a paper out of his briefcase.
"The resort's lawyers have already filed papers on us," he announced, "stating that if we attempt to bill them for

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