by Eric Marcelo
CHAPTER VI
Pfeifer looked at the man who spoke but said nothing.
"Why not," the man said, "he kidnapped our children. In any country, seven hundred years ago or today, it's still a crime."
Emiline watched Pfeifer, looking for any signs that he might do something but he seemed to have himself under control. Keep calm, please. There was no answering thought coming from Pfeifer this time. He was not going to let her in on his plans, the interview was still on.
Another councilor joined in. "In these days the punishment must fit the crime. If the events in the story happened today, the government would force the mayor and the councilors to pay the Piper and suspend them or remove them from their position. It might even put them in jail. In any case, the Piper would have been paid as long as he complained. Since he chose to commit a crime in retaliation, he will have to be punished as well. To make matters worse for the Piper...," the councilor paused, "his crime is more serious than the mayor's. He would be spending the rest of his life in jail, assuming they don't sentence him to death."
Emiline gasped but only in her mind. She was still under Pfeifer's spell. Her body was acting normally, seeming to listen interestedly to the exchange of ideas and opinions. If Pfeifer wanted to get paid for the job from seven hundred years ago, it didn't seem he was going to get it.
Pfeifer nodded, deep in thought but retained his silence.
Still another councilor made his own contribution. "The crime was committed seven centuries ago. I remember from my history classes that mayors in those days could do almost anything they wanted. You could complain to the king but there was no assurance that something would be done. However, the Pied Piper could have tried negotiating with the town to pay him in exchange for the return of the children. According to the story, he never returned and the children were never seen again."
Mayor Schmitt raised his hand, calling a halt to the contributions from the councilors. "Gentlemen, I believe I am the one being interviewed." The others laughed and kept quiet, interested to hear the mayor's thoughts on the matter. He turned toward his friends.
"You, gentlemen, have not been listening. The question was not, 'what are you going to do,' but rather, 'what would you say to him?' He turned back to Pfeifer who bowed his head slightly, closing his eyes for a second before looking back at the mayor. "The premise is that the story of the Pied Piper is true and that the Pied Piper is still alive and has returned. Hmm." The mayor crossed his arms across his chest, lowered his head and seemed to be thinking intently. Finally, he took a deep breath and looked at Pfeifer.
"I would say to him...I'm sorry."
Everyone's eyes widened and mouths dropped open, including Pfeifer's and Emiline's. Emiline was so astonished that she didn't notice Pfeifer's hold on her drop for a few moments. The councilors and several of the visitors, unable to contain themselves, all began talking at the same time.
"Sorry? Why would you say, sorry?"
"He kidnapped the children. He should be the one to say, sorry!"
"What he did was inexcusable! It doesn't matter that he wasn't paid, his was the more serious crime!"
Mayor Schmitt raised his hands, attempting to calm everyone down. It was almost a minute before everyone stopped talking.
"I'm not finished." He put his hands behind his back and began to walk around the balcony until he was facing everyone and everyone was facing him.
"Hamelin of seven hundred years ago faced a terrible plague, a plague of rats. If nothing was done, the rats would have eaten everything: food, clothes, and they had probably been biting people as well." He looked at one of his guests. "You know what a plague of rats can do, right?" He began to walk up and down the balcony, head bowed down, saying what he thought.
"Bubonic plague, rabies, maybe even the hantavirus, who knows? It would have been only a matter of time before the town was wiped out or had to be abandoned." He stopped to look at the councilors. "And we wouldn't be here talking about it."
One of the councilors laughed. "But the story's a myth, Mayor, a folktale. I think you're taking this too seriously."
Schmitt looked at him. "I mentioned that the premise was that the story is true. I have to take it seriously." He continued his discourse.
"The Pied Piper performed a service that saved the town, and the mayor...no, the town...refused to pay him as promised." Schmitt looked at the councilor who had spoken. "We don't do that anymore."
"So," the councilor said, "you're going to pay him?"
Schmitt slowly shook his head. "No, he took the children as payment." Then he looked at Pfeifer.
"It happened seven hundred years ago, and the Piper probably felt he was justified in doing it. In those days, it wasn't unusual, just as it wasn't unusual for the mayor to do as he pleased, as was already mentioned."
"But," one of the guests interjected, "if it wasn't unusual, why are we debating this? They both did as they pleased."
Schmitt shrugged his shoulders. "I wasn't aware that it was a debate. It was a question...which I answered." He turned back to Pfeifer. "Did I answer your question, Pfeifer?"
Pfeifer had a look on his face that Emiline couldn't read. He didn't get what he wanted.
Pfeifer finally smiled and nodded his head. "That's fine, sir. Thank you. I have no more questions." He extended his hand and shook Schmitt's before turning to Emiline. "Thank you very much for your help, Emiline. I appreciate it very much. I'm going now."
Schmitt smiled at Emiline. "Why don't you walk Pfeifer out, Emiline? We don't want him getting lost again," he said, laughing.
Emiline felt a stab of fear in her heart. No! Schmitt couldn't hear her. Pfeifer still had her under his spell.
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