Leaving The Way: Book Two (The Way Trilogy), стр. 38
“The Osage, we respect our woman, and first and foremost, we condemn what’s happened to you, young one. My ancestors would return from beyond if I were to turn my back on what’s been done to you. After what you have been through, you have the right to be heard, a right to a seat at the table. The Osage will forgo the council guidelines.” Dakota’s eyes never leave Ash as he agrees to allow the meeting to include us all.
When he sits, Lord Paul stands in his place, and he too forgoes any such rules. When he’s done, Mateo follows suit.
After they are done and each take their seats, I feel a complete sense of accomplishment. I finally feel heard, and from the look on Ash’s face she feels the same way. But that was the easy part. Now we have to work together to come up with a plan. We have to find a way to work together to destroy everything the church stands for. Now the hard part begins.
***
ANNA
I want to gouge my eyes out, and when I’m done with that, my ears. It has been two days of non-stop talking in a circle. Every single person at the table wants to speak their piece about every aspect, and then by the time the last person speaks, we are brought full circle and it starts all over again.
Yesterday after Ash’s big impassioned speech we jumped right in, and at first it looked like things would go well. Ha, tell that to my eyes and ears. This could not be going any worse, unless of course someone had died or been gravely injured, but that is the only way it could be worse.
At one point or another, each of the leaders has gotten up and stormed off, only to return later, trying to jump back in where they left off. But they aren’t the only ones. I stomped off last night when Lord Paul said we have no proof or jurisdiction over the west coast compound. If we tried to invade the Redwood gang’s territory, even with good intentions, it could start a war we aren’t prepared to fight. So yeah, I stormed off and went to bed.
When I’d returned this morning, everyone was just sitting down from having at least slept a few hours, and guess what they were talking about. No proof. No jurisdiction. Ugh. I’m so over it.
Now, I’m pacing a few feet away from everyone, going over in my head what I could say to get us on the right track. We aren’t going to accomplish a damn thing if this keeps up, and if it does, we could still be sitting around this table six-months from now, no closer to taking down the church.
“What about what Ash said?”
Stopping in my tracks, I turn to face Lord Paul as Ash asks, “What did I say?”
“The first day at breakfast,” he starts, “when you said there is enough good left in Vater Harry.”
“Henry. Vater Henry,” I correct.
Lord Paul nods, and then elaborates. “Ash said there is still some good left in him. Enough that he wouldn’t tolerate rape. Maybe he chooses to ignore that girls are being sold, but rape is too far for him. I think she’s right. That means there is at least a shred of decency left in him. What if we use that to our advantage?”
“What are you getting at Paul?” Mateo asks, somewhat impatiently.
“Well, I mean…shit, I don’t know. I don’t know what I mean. But I just feel like somehow we can use that.” Lord Paul stands from his seat, pacing the length of the table and then looking back and forth between me and Ash. “There are a lot of innocents inside the compound, right?” Searching the faces, he nods before continuing. “Right. So, we don’t want innocents to suffer anymore. That’s the whole reason we’re doing this, but if we outright attack the compound, then isn’t that exactly what’s going to happen? Innocent people will be hurt, possibly killed.” He doesn’t continue, instead taking his seat back, elbows rested on the table, and hands clasped tightly together.
Luke nods in agreement. “That’s true. A lot of people will die. So how do we use the decency we think the Vater has left to keep that from happening?”
“We plead to his morals.” Every head turns in my direction waiting for me to continue. “We ask him to come to a peaceful meeting. Just the leaders, a couple other key people, and him. Of course we’ll allow him to bring his own people to make him feel better, but that’s it. Ash and I both can tell him again what happened to us. We can tell him again about the girls, and you can each tell him about the supplies being stolen.” I cast my glance between each of the leaders whose people have suffered because of that theft. “We do all that, and then we give him a choice. Banish every person involved in all that, and then tell the members the truth, let them decide how to proceed.”
When I pause to take a breath, Dakota encourages me to continue. “Or?”
“Or, we have no choice but to do it ourselves. Take out the bad, let the people know, and give them the choice how to proceed. Perhaps the church is done. Maybe it can’t go on. Maybe the compound won’t be a church anymore, instead maybe it becomes a lifestyle of communal living for everyone, even those that aren’t Christian.”
Sitting down with Luke on my right and Ash on my left, I wait. Ash and Luke both reach for one of my hands, squeezing before letting go.
The table is quiet for quite some time until Dakota is the first to speak. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea, Anna. I just don’t know if it’s the best