Free Surviving the Fog by Stan Morris Page A

pissed
off girls at Meeting tonight.  Yuie will be pissed too, and
when Desi finds out that she can vote only because she's doing
me..." John shook his head in pity.
    Mike paled.  "Oh, shit," he muttered.
 He looked at John anxiously.  "Do you think that you
could explain to Desi?" he asked.
    "Man, I'll be too busy trying to explain why
I was standing next to you," John replied.
    "I guess I should apologize at Meeting," said
Mike gloomily.
    "Good idea," John responded.
    During the day, word spread about what Mike
had said.  As he stepped up to the podium that night, the room
was obviously tense.  Some of the boys had taken the girls’
anger as an excuse to taunt them.  This had made the girls
even angrier, and they blamed it all on Mike.  The room was
abuzz with low angry voices.  Desi stood at the back of the
assembly glaring balefully at Mike.
    "I apologize," he said immediately.
 This quieted down the room.  Everyone wanted to know
just what Mike was apologizing for.
    "I apologize to Erin and to the girls who
were with her today, and I apologize to all the rest of you.
 What I said was wrong.  I shouldn't have said it."
    He paused and waited to see what the effect
of his apology would have on the tribe. Erin stood up, and she
raised her hand.  Mike pointed to her.
    "All right, Chief, I accept your apology.
 We know you guys are in charge.  We understand why.
 But it's worrying us.  We believe you'll try to protect
us from outsiders.  But... well, it's some of you guys that we
are worried about."  She sat down.
    "I glad you brought that up, Erin," Mike
said.  "As of tonight, I'm making a new rule about sex."
 Everyone got real quiet and real interested.  This was
one subject guaranteed to get them to listen.
    Mike continued.  "From now on, no one
can have sex unless they're at least sixteen."
    Some laughter broke out and some chuckles,
and some scornful comments were heard, but many of the kids, both
girls and boys, were relieved to hear Mike make this rule.
 This would take some strain off the younger kids who made up
over half of the campers.  Now they could point to Mike’s rule
if they felt pressured.
    "How are you going to enforce that,"
challenged one of the boys who stood amid laughter.
    Mike stared at him.  "I'll enforce any
rule I make," he replied coldly.  "Don't test me."  The
boy shrank down.  The laughter died.  Many of the younger
girls smiled.
    "I have another new rule," said Mike to the
crowd.  They calmed down and waited.  "This is it.
 If any guy forces a girl to have sex, I'll hang him."
 This was met with stunned silence.  "Do you understand?"
Mike looked intently at a few boys, and each one nodded
hastily.
    After Meeting concluded, Erin made her way to
the front and waited until Mike noticed her.  When he did she
shyly said, "Thanks, Chief.  Thanks for making those
rules."
    Mike shook his head.  "Erin, I should
have made those rules a long time ago.  Um... Erin," Mike
continued.  "The thing is, I really do try to listen to
everyone.  But sometimes I, like, poll people when I have to
make a decision.  And the truth is, if a guy has a girlfriend
I usually let her have a vote, even if I know that she hasn't
helped as much as the other girls.  That’s just the way it
is."
    Erin was not happy to hear this, but she
replied, "Chief, I know that the boys helped you more than we did,
at first.  But now most of the girls are really trying to
help, too.  We’re doing almost all of the kitchen work now.
 Don't you think that sooner or later we'll get to vote?
 When you get to know us, I mean?"
    "Yes," answered Mike firmly.  "And from
now on, I'm going to ask your opinion on all kinds of stuff.
 I promise."  Erin's face lit up with a bright smile.
 Shortly after, she left with her friends.  They all
seemed contented.
    In the weeks ahead, Mike’s authority would be
questioned sometimes, especially when he was not around.  Once
a boy was complaining about Mike,