“Thank you, Tambu,” Ramona said, taking her place at the front of the room. “This item could have a major effect on all of us. I think we are in agreement that these meetings are getting too large to handle the problems that arise each year. We need an alternative to the mass yearly meetings to conduct our business. The question is, is this proposal the best solution? A.C.? Would you start the discussion please?”
Tambu smiled to himself as A.C. clambered onto her chair. Ramona was following his instructions to the letter. A.C. was one of the best shotgunners at the meeting, lying back quietly until everyone had committed themselves to an opinion, then cutting the legs out from under them. By setting her up to speak first, Ramona was ensuring that A.C. would be the one on the defensive instead of having the final shot.
“I don’t think we need a Captain’s Council at all,” A.C. declared loudly. “In fact, before this item appeared on the agenda, I was going to move that we abolish the yearly meetings altogether.”
An angry snarl greeted this suggestion. Tambu rocked back and forth in his chair gleefully. This was better than he had hoped. A.C.’s abrupt negativism was setting the assembly against her. That meant they would be that much more receptive to a positive proposal.
“Grow up, people!” A.C. was shouting at her decriers. “Can’t you accept the facts? Didn’t the boss spell it out for you last year? The captains have no power at all–we’re paper dragons. Tambu calls the shots, and his word is final. All we do is provide background noise. He lets us get together and talk and argue so we’ll think we’ve got a say in what’s going on, but it doesn’t really matter. He gives the orders and that’s that.”