Free Miracle Man by Hildy Fox

perfect knot. "Sure. Come in."
    "No, that's alright. I
won't be that long. Firstly, apologies for my behaviour at the end there. I
went off the handle a bit."
    "More than a bit, I'd
say!"
    "Well, anyway,"
Lahra continued, wishing he would just let her talk so that this didn't have to
be any more awkward than it already was, "I have reasons for my outburst,
and I need to talk to you about them."
    "To me?"
    "Yes. I found out about
the Miracle Cinema from a friend of mine who works there, Walter Dymple. Or
should I say, used to work there. That was him on the phone last night. He
found out that it was you who had bought the cinema."

 
    "Wait a minute,"
Marcus interrupted, holding up a hand. "If this is about him getting
the... being retrenched, then you can be assured that when the new venue opens
he and anyone else who loses work because of the changeover will be at the top
of the list when we begin hiring. There'll be plenty of new jobs to choose
from. Cash clerks, bar attendants, cooks, maintenance, security,
administration. Riverbank is about to get one of the best new entertainment
complexes in the state, so he needn't fear that there'll be any shortage of
work. I'll personally guarantee it."
    "Did you say
entertainment complex? Like a pinball parlour?"
    "Listen, Lahra, this is
all very confidential. When I first presented the proposal to the partners at
Stone Rowbottom to buy the old cinema and replace it with a state of the art
facility, they impressed upon me the importance of keeping a low profile. The
quieter we get in and do our business, the more successful it will be. We can't
afford any rival developers to catch wind of what we're up to and start slicing
into the marketplace. This is my baby, and it's a step up on the partnership
ladder when we pull it off. So what I'm saying to you is between you and
me." He hesitated. "I do like you, Lahra. I trust you.
    "In answer to your
question, no not like a pinball parlour. It's much, much more. We're going to
build an ultra-modern entertainment complex, with everything from digital
arcade games to full virtual reality experiences. The advances being made in
interactive entertainment is really amazing! There'll also be two restaurants
and a bar. And, you’ll be pleased to know, not one but three cinemas, with
stadium seating. Riverbank is a young town, Lahra. It's a university town.
Fifty percent of residents are under thirty. The market is ripe for something
like this. And by building it on the site of the old cinema, we can revitalise
that whole end of Main Street—create a whole new focus."
    Lahra watched Marcus growing
more excited as he spoke. His eyes glinted with a vision that she in no way
shared. Hearing it coming from his lips, the same lips that had pressed against
hers just last night, was almost surreal.

 
    "You don't understand,
Marcus," Lahra explained, as if to a child. "Wally being sacked is
just the beginning. He's been a part of the Miracle Cinema for longer than
you've been on this planet. It's his life. And it's a life that he's shared
with me since I was a child." She could feel her temperature rising as her
voice became more urgent. "The Miracle Cinema isn't just some old movie
house. It's a part of the heritage of this town. It's a part of Wally, and it's
a part of me. You can't just come along and decide to pull it down for some hi-tech
pinball parlour. You can't seriously tell me that you impressing your bosses is
more important than the decades of enjoyment the Miracle has given Riverbank.
And you sure as hell can't expect to try any of it without a whole lot of
resistance from the people who care about the history of this town."
    "Oh? So where are these
people each night that the Miracle Cinema opens its doors? Lahra, the Miracle
has been losing money for years now. It's not good business. The new cinema
complex at Riverside Plaza is where it's all happening, and ours will be a step
up from that. I appreciate your concern for the past, but