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"I have suspected for several sessions now the emergence of a spirit of
elitism among us. I had accused myself of being cynical and suspicious, but I
can see now that this was not so. This morning's fiasco has, at its roots,
exactly the spirit I have feared: elitism! It must not be allowed to grow, to
continue, for if it does then this Council, and this Colony, are doomed." He
paused again, and once again no one sought to interrupt him.
"We have newly lost our first Council member in war. We have gained our first
martyr. Vegetius Sulla held his place among us with honour. Now he is dead,
and he must be replaced. I find it tragic that it should be the question of
replacing such a man, the occasion of his death, that should precipitate such
a pitiful scene as the one we have just witnessed here." His voice soared
again to a shout, booming in the stillness of the room.
"How dare any man here seek to advance himself in such circumstances! How can
any among you be so petty as to squabble over who should sit where?
"What does it matter if you are young or old? Why does it matter whether you
sit at the rear of this assembly or at the front? Shame be on any man who
thinks it does! Are there those among you who think that by sitting close to
me you might gain import? Well, if so, that has been taken care of. I shall be
here at the front no more!
"Or are there those among you who think that you will not be listened to if
your voice comes from the rear? Such thoughts impugn the honour of this body!
They are unworthy! In this assembly, all voices are equal and every man among
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us is assured his right to speak and vote! This is a Council chamber!" His
voice fell again, almost to a whisper. "Not, as I have said, a marketplace."
He stopped again, always mindful of the need to permit enough time for his
words to register in the minds of his listeners; then he raised his right
hand, his index finger extended.
"We have had only one rule governing our sessions in this room in all the
years we have been meeting here. Now, I believe, the time has come to initiate
more rules, not for governance, but for simple, honest guidance, to serve as a
reminder of who we are and what our true function must remain. We are the
members of a Council appointed to serve the best interests of the people we
represent: the Colonists who share our lives and our destiny. With only two
exceptions, myself and Publius Varrus, each man among you is here because all
the others feel that man has a contribution to make. Vegetius Sulla was a
prime example. In our time of utmost need, it was his insight that enabled us
to take the only steps that could have protected us, steps that no man among
us but he would ever have dreamed of. And when he spoke that time, as those of
you who were here might remember, he did so from the far corner of this room,
before moving forward!"
He raised his hand to the hilt of his sword, still imbedded in the table-top,
and worked the blade from side to side until it came free. Then he slipped it
quietly back into its scabbard.
"I have been railing at you. I have accused some of you of wanting to advance
your own designs by taking prominent places in the Council here. It occurs to
me now that this can be simply circumvented."
He stopped abruptly, obviously waiting for a response this time, and someone,
I didn't see who it was, asked the question in everyone's mind.
"How, Caius?"
"How? By our adoption of a rule, here, at this time, that all future Councils
will be seated in a circle. Let us place all of our chairs in a ring around
the room, and let the rule entail that no man shall sit beside the same person
twice within seven meetings." This time he made no move to quell the outburst
of speculation that his words gave rise to. Instead, he raised his voice and
spoke into the noise.
"Think of it, my friends! Think what that would mean! Each time this Council
gathered we would have cause to recall the reasons for this rule!" The voices
died away and the room was silent again, listening as he went on. "We could go
even further. Inside the door of the chamber could be a bag of stones, with [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]