The crowd was muttering and murmuring, whispering and worrying, and Adrian finished his beer and smoke before he spoke, shuttered eyes pleased with the doctor. He'd have no trouble getting a good day's travel out of them now.
"So you want responsibility for our health? Want to care for us? The right to add to our laws, once voted on, comes with it."
The Doctor was aware of what was going on and very surprised that it was being offered so soon. "Not the laws part, I'm no politician, but yes to the rest. My oath didn't die with my country."
Adrian smiled. "Well said. You've got my vote, but it's theirs that matter," he stated, waving a hand at the closely listening people. "All those in favor of putting the suggestions on the ballot?"
John slid his glasses back on as he sat down, and when Adrian casually held up his own hand, both men were secretly relieved that nearly everyone else did too.
"So be it." he held up a sheet of paper. "The bottom is blank. Fill it in as advice. A D V I C E. Okay, any other new business?"
No one spoke, and Adrian motioned for Neil to start passing around the pens and papers. The suspicious guard's green eyes were emotionless even while he was grinning and saying all the right things. Something was going on with Kenn and Adrian, Neil could feel it, and what came to mind was the reason his smile didn't reach his eyes.
"All right, last thing - members of the moral board need to stay after the vote. We have a possible violation to judge."
Kenn, and everyone else, wondered what unspoken rule had been broken. The big ones went to trials that were witnessed by the whole camp, or so he'd heard. There hadn't been one since he'd come here, hadn't even been a case of thievery, but the moral code was strict, too. There had been one moral vote since he'd joined Safe Haven: the stalker was no longer a member of this camp.
"Which rule?" Roger Sawyer, the current foreman asked.
Adrian shook his head, the lie falling easily, "None directly, and that's why we're doing a closed hearing. I won't ruin an innocent man's chances for a new life here."
He said it for ear candy and it worked, but the blond was sure the man would be gone before he did rounds tonight. Leon and innocent hadn't been close in a long time.