Star Chamber Brotherhood Read Online Free PDF Page B

from Utah.
    “You mean go back as a private citizen?” Paul Steen interjected. “But isn’t Utah still a Restricted Zone? I thought that you had to be out there on government business before they’d even sell you a ticket.”
    “In most instances, I suppose,” Werner admitted. “But I expect I can find a way. At the moment, it’s just something I like to think about.”
    “You know, I wish I knew how half the people in the shantytowns around here got their residence permits,” Harriet Waterman remarked, emboldened by her second flute of champagne. “Most of the homeless you see around here aren’t from Boston, that’s for darned sure. Half of them are down from Canada. Especially the squatters. Why, I heard them speaking French Canuck to each other when they demonstrated outside the building last week.”
    “You’ve had trouble with squatters here in Brookline?” Mary Steen asked in a concerned voice. “Cambridge has been swarming with them. Now they’ve taken over some of the more habitable buildings in the flooded neighborhoods along the Charles. I’m told they’re even moving into some transitional neighborhoods. The police don’t seem to do anything to stop them.”
    “The police look the other way, ma’am,” Harriet replied knowingly. “If they knock heads, they get in trouble with the radicals on the City Council. To tell the truth, it wouldn’t surprise me if somebody was getting paid off from this. What I hear is that, when a squatter gang takes over a building, they charge rent from the people they bring in to live there. That’s how they can afford to bribe the police and the crooked politicians.”
    “That’s so interesting,” Mary Steen continued respectfully. “I read in the Herald this morning that the squatters are a major reason for the new FEMA relocation project. Unless FEMA and the Housing Authority can come up with some way to house all the refugees, we could be facing housing riots like the ones in Philadelphia and Cleveland.”
    “Well, they’ll need to break ground soon if they’re going to build enough units,” the Professor observed. “The summers around here aren’t as long as they used to be. FEMA may have to bring in tents they way they did after Hurricane Michele.”
    “That’s what the Mayor wants, but FEMA says they’ve run out of tents and don’t have funds to buy more, Harriet continued. “What they want is for the Housing Authority to crack down on exempt and grandfathered leases so they can cram more people into the buildings they’ve got. Can you believe their nerve, measuring our apartments and telling us how many square meters we’re entitled to, and if they think we have too much, bringing in strangers to live with us? Over my dead body!”
    With that, Harriet looked up and saw Carol Dodge tidying up the glasses on the coffee table.
    “Oh, the dessert! I nearly forgot about it!” Carol exclaimed.
    “Never mind, don’t you worry, Mrs. Dodge,” Harriet replied, “I’ll start the coffee and bring it out with the cake. Anyone prefer tea?”
    She saw no takers and retreated hastily to the kitchen. Mary Steen followed behind.
    Paul Steen took the opportunity to consult Carol on a medical question and the Professor excused himself to find the bathroom. That left Frank and Linda Holt alone.
    “Frank,” Linda began, seating herself next to him, “you mentioned last week that you were ready to have me do a reading for you. If Carol doesn’t object to our being away for a few minutes, might this be a good time?”
    Werner was taken by surprise, but since he had indeed made the request, he assented. Linda spoke a few words softly into Carol’s ear and led the way to the den. There she wasted no time clearing the desktop and seating herself behind the desk. She motioned for Werner to pull up a chair opposite her.
    “Since we only have ten minutes or so, there will be no time for formalities. I trust Carol has told you a bit about how I work. I