Center Point Book One: Fallen Leader

Chapter 3 The Bill

Chapter 3- The Session

Three days had passed since the last session and today was the day of the open legislative session. Echo had been very busy the past three days since he had voted against Til's bill villagers had flocked to his house to demand answers and some demanded shelter. Echo gave all who asked shelter without a second doubt. Echo knew that his vote would cause something like this and he had prepared for it. The bottom floor of his mansion turned into a housing unit for the villagers that requested to live there. Echo didn't mind the villagers there in fact he liked it. Every day he would discuss issues with them and talk with them and see how he could help them out, Echo had felt disconnected from the villagers since he became mayor and now it seemed that he was mending that divide. On the day of the open session Echo made his way to the chamber before the sun had even rose. He knew that today would be a long day of debate and arguing and wanted to start early so they could end early as well.

Echo was not alone for long as soon after he entered the chamber Lucky entered as well. Alone in the chamber the two began to talk to one another. "What's your bill that you're going to propose?" Echo asked Lucky.

"I am proposing the construction of a Center Point Cemetery where the Mole-Man is now buried. Also going to propose the addition of a monument to the victims of the raid." Lucky informed Echo. Echo nodded his head and said, "sounds like it'll pass with ease."

"What's your bill?" Lucky questioned Echo. Echo looked at Lucky and shrugged. Lucky knew this was strange behavior for Echo. He had always wanted to propose his own legislation, but he couldn't be due to the mayor not being able to. At every open session they've had Echo was always the first to propose his bill, but this time he gave off the impression that he didn't have a bill and didn't care about the session. Lucky stared at his friend trying to figure out why he was acting like this when he was snapped out his thought by Til entering the chamber ready to start the session. Til was caught off guard by seeing Lucky staring at Echo and asked, "am I interrupting something?"

Lucky stopped looking at Echo and returned to reading his bill over again and muttered something that Til and Echo couldn't understand. Echo then looked at Til and asked, "so what's your bill?"

"My bill will create a small prison for the town where we can put some people who are unruly and becoming a problem. It will also fund some research into making more iron golems to protect the city." Til told both Echo and Lucky as he took his seat behind his podium. Lucky nodded his head as did Echo. They both seemed to like the idea of Til's bill, but Lucky had questions about it that he would ask later during debate. Lucky was still wondering what bill Echo would introduce today. It has to be something big and controversial for him not to tell Lucky. Why won't he tell me? Lucky thought to himself, I'm his best friend and deputy mayor, he tells me everything, why won't he tell me?

Eventually citizens and villagers started to make their way to city hall and as everyone piled into the observation deck Echo stood up and said "thank you all for coming, we have a busy day today. So without any interruptions we will begin the open session. The process is simple, you will come forth down here and give us your bill, we will ask you questions and debate amongst ourselves, then we will vote on it. Today I think we will begin with Magic's bill."

Magic nervously made his way down to the main level of the legislative chamber and stood in between all three podiums. Pushing all his nerves and anxiety about all eyes being on him down Magic said, "today I bring you a bill that if passed will incentive people to begin building their houses on the western side of the mountain near the coast and on the mountain side."

Til and Echo looked at each other unsurprisingly they both knew that the would do something like this to help out the villagers. "What is the purpose of this construction?" Lucky asked. This was just a formality everyone in the chamber knew why he was proposing this, but Lucky knew that he needed to get Magic to say it or the bill could be misconstrued for someone else.