Redemption

Finally, the three were left with the alien, her image, and a couple of rough looking men who sat in the rear of the room, watching them in shock. It was then that the blond dropped to her knees and grabbed the little girl, hugging her thin body with a ferocious gentleness. In doing so, David saw her to be crying bitterly. He had no more than noticed this, when someone approached from the rear of the room. Looking up, he saw it to be Grandpa.

“What in Sam hill is going on here?” He demanded, “I was at the lumberyard when some guy ran by blathering something about some sort of fight over here.”

“Apparently my appearance here yesterday caused some consternation among the children’s’ parents,” Click explained pensively, “As well, Greesome decided to accuse Miss Thatcher of threatening him.”

“Where’s he at?” The old man demanded, his ire suddenly coming to surface.

“Click took care of him,” David replied, “You should have seen it! She lifted him up-chair and all-and banged his head on the ceiling!”

“He is lucky that that is all that I did,” the image added as the old man peered up at the roof, “I was sorely tempted to rip him apart.”

“What did he do?” William asked in slight amazement, looking at the illusion.

“He said some very horrible things about Cathy; things that no one should ever say about a child.”

“Especially not in front of that child!” Mabel added, lapsing into tears once more. As she spoke, David saw the Sheriff enter the classroom once more, cautiously heading toward them.

“You folks mind if I join you?” He asked in uncertain respectfulness.

“Not at all, Sheriff Atkins,” the alien replied. When he was close enough, he dropped to his knee and laid a hand on Cathy’s back.

“Are you alright, Honey?” He asked gently. With the child’s wordless nod, he assured, “Well, I just wanted you to know that no one here agrees with that Knott head. I know your grandparents and I knew your dad. They are all fine people. What’s more, the mayor and Councilman Sedgwick were just out there trying to think of a way to drive Greesome out of town. And, they want me to carry through with my investigation about his allusions to burning the school down. Which, I have already got a couple of deputies going to talk to the other students. If they find anything, I will order his arrest.”

“They will!” His niece tearfully promised.

“This leads me now to see that I need to do even more reading,” the image told David, “As now I am of the mind to learn about the exactitude of the laws in this county.”

“I have some books that I can loan you,” the thin man offered, rising to stand.

“That would be wonderful,” Click agreed. With her doing so, the sheriff looked at the illusion in frank sincerity.

“I hate to ask, but . . . Just what are you?”

“I have no idea,” the beautiful image replied.

“You don’t-?”

“I only know that I am, not what I am,” the alien affirmed.

“She is our friend-that’s what she is!” Grandpa added.

“And you are?”

“I am the boy’s grandfather.”

“So, how long has this, um, friend been with you?”

“A little over a week,” David replied.

“I will be ten days old tonight,” Click explained.

“That . . .?”

“Yes, Sheriff,” the illusion laughed, “That young!”

“And when did you first learn of her?” He asked his niece.

“Yesterday,” Mabel replied, standing, yet holding the little girl braced against her hip.

“When she attacked Greesome,” The lawman affirmed.

“Which, you really must understand, I would not have acted so aggressively, had he not have threatened the children’s’ lives.”

“Listen, Miss, I don’t know if you saw it, but I nearly attacked the man myself.”

“Believe me, I saw!” Click’s illusion smiled, “And I was sorely tempted to join in if you did!” At this, there was a slight ruckus in the back of the classroom as the mayor entered the room, followed only by the city’s councilmen.

“Where did everyone go?” Atkins asked in happy alarm.

“Some went to take Price and Greesome to the hospital,” Sedgwick replied as he took off his coat, “The rest just left.”

“Alright, let’s wrap this up,” the mayor announced as he took a seat at Mabel’s desk, “Sheriff, do you share my satisfaction that the situation that occurred here yesterday was caused by the actions of the plaintive?”

“I have no doubt.”

“Council President?”

“Your honor, I share that satisfaction.”

“Alright then, I am going to enter a finding that Mr. Greesome’s complaint was found to be true, but due to his own fault and disruptive behavior. Agreed?”

“I agree,” Sedgwick affirmed.

“I agree,” Steve nodded.

“Now, as to Mr. Greesome’s allegations that there was a strange unexplained being involved in the incident; I am going to enter a finding that this was correct. However . . . “He paused and looked at Click’s illusion, “We are left with the question of what we are going to do about it.”

“Well, begging your pardon, Mr. Mayor, but you saw what she can do,” Atkins countered, “So, given what we’ve seen, I don’t know of a whole lot that we can do about it!”

“I am in agreement with the sheriff,” The tan fellow added.

“The question then becomes what danger such a being might pose,” the mayor furthered.

“Which, the only way to proceed on that is to ask those most exposed to her,” the lawman offered, sweeping his left hand toward the four people standing with the alien and her image. At this, William stepped forward.

“As that is the case,” he said, “Let me say a few words.”

“And, who are you?” The mayor asked uncertainly.

“I am the boy’s grandfather.”

“Oh. Proceed.”

“Like I say, I am the boy’s grandfather. And, trust me, as unnerved as you might have been in first seeing Click, I was all the more so.”

“Who?” Sedgwick wondered. Then, recalling the name, he shook his head, “Oh no. Sorry.”

“Yes, his grandmother and I were terrified by her. In fact, we were considering getting the sheriff involved at one point. But, as sure as I am standing here now, I am telling you that I would rather die a slow and painful death than to see her go!”

“Really?” The mayor astounded, “The being has come to mean that much to you?”

“I’d say so. Why? Well, in order for me to explain that, you have to understand where I and Cathy’s granddad were about two weeks ago. I was hoping that I could hold on to whatever job that I found. Dale, her grandfather, was killing himself as a janitor with no prospects of doing anything else. You see, we are both old sailors who saw themselves as too done in to do anything else.” Pausing, he took on a stunned look, “But now? We are learning all that we can about our new chosen profession of furniture making. Why? Because that little thing-no bigger than my fist-has us honestly believing that we can do it. Do you know what that is called?”

“I believe that I do,” Bell allowed vaguely.

“It’s called ‘Hope.’ That marvelous little thing has done nothing but work herself endlessly and tirelessly to offer us hope. Because, lo and behold, she says that she loves us. Which, I firmly believe that she does.”

“Well, that is very . . . Uplifting,” the mayor allowed, “And, I fully believe that it is true. However, it is arguable that she might feel that way towards your family, but not the rest of society. After all, she did attack two men earlier.”

“Mr. Mayor,” Atkins countered, “In the first case, Mr. Greesome caused his own attack by his off-handed disparagement of young Cathy Planchet. Which, as you will recall, I, myself, found so infuriating that I nearly attacked him as well.”

“I would have attacked him,” Grandpa assured in a vicious tone, “The poor little dear’s already had rough enough of a life-she doesn’t need crap said to her!” Laughing slightly at this, the lawman continued.

“In the second case, the gentleman, Charlie Price, assaulted the being by grabbing it. Which, as you will recall, we have laws against assault, as well as kidnapping in this state. As well, as I recall, these allow a person the right to defend themselves in any measure required to stop the assault, or escape the kidnapping.”

“Kidnapping?” The mayor echoed uncertainly.

“Well, read the definition,” Steve countered, “Price physically apprehended her and tried to convey her to a place where she didn’t want to go. That sure sounds like kidnapping to me!”

“I have to agree with the sheriff, your honor,” the councilman admitted.

“However, it could be argued that these rights are extended to only citizens of our state. In which, the question becomes as to whether or not she is-indeed-a citizen of our state,” Bell decided.

“Well, that’s simple enough,” Atkins decided. Turning to look at the illusion, he asked “Where were you born?”

“Here,” the alien replied frankly, “In the field outside of David’s house.

“Do you know who your parents are, or were?” George asked frankly.

“No.”

“David,” Grandpa said, “Tell them how it happened, Son.” At this, the little boy stepped forward and recalled the falling star and his meeting the wonderful alien. When he was through, the sheriff looked at Click.

“And you have no recollections of anything before that?”

“No. The first thing that I ever remember seeing is David’s face.” With that, he looked towards the mayor.”

“Well, I’d say that that falls under the heading of ‘An act of God,’ wouldn’t you agree?”

“As well, you are willing to swear that you are not a foreign national?” The council president asked her.

“Yes. Of course.” At this, all eyes turned to Bell, who took on a heavy look. Finally, he shook his head.

“She did not come here under her own volition. As well, I agree that her coming here was an act of God. So, by all evidence and accounts, she was born here-.”

“Actually, I was hatched here,” the alien corrected, leading the sheriff and councilman to laugh slightly.

“So . . . I see no reason to say that she is not a citizen of this state,” the mayor concluded in distracted and stunned frankness.

“So, she had the right to defend herself and resist kidnapping,” Steve concluded.

“Going by the letter of the law, yes, she does.”

“So I can go down and arrest Charlie Price for attempted public kidnapping when he drags his sorry carcass out of the hospital.”

“I see no reason why not,” Bell shrugged.

“But, I wish that you wouldn’t,” Click countered gently, “I have done enough to him already.”

“That’s very true and a noble sentiment,” the sheriff nodded, “But the law applies to everyone.”

“Like we agreed in class, yesterday,” Mabel reminded, flicking a reminding glance down at Cathy and David.

“I suppose that you are right,” the image reluctantly agreed. A second later, a deputy came rushing into the classroom.

“We need you outside, Sheriff,” he announced in an urgent voice. Turning, the image peered toward the back of the classroom.

“A mob is approaching,” she announced calmly.