angry too. We think weâre not being heard. All these big guys Billâs talking about are being heard. They pay these high-priced lobbyists back in Washington to bang on the doors all the time. And they make big contributions to campaigns. Why canât the rest of us go to a town meeting and speak up? I think this whole thing is nothing but a boondoggle for a bunch of fat cats. I like this place the way it is.
Dan Sheridan walked in as Mr. Murphy said, You see, thatâs whatâs wrong. A bunch of greenies show up here and start telling us how to run this town and what we can and canât do. Thatâs what I object to. I care as much about this place as anybody. But Iâve got a business to run. My hardware storeâs not going to make it unless we get some more customers. I canât sell hardware to a bunch of river rafters and hippies.
Iâm not a hippie, Tom, the professor said.
I didnât say you were, Mr. Murphy said. But a bunch of those people youâre taking to the senatorâs town meeting will be. I guarantee it. And last time I checked they hadnât taken a bath in a while either.
Easy, Sheridan said as he placed his hot coffee on the table.
Weâre talking about the project, Bill Van Ness said.
So I gather, Sheridan said. What else is there these days?
Weâd talk about sports, Sam said, except the Rockies are having a bad season and the Broncos donât look to do much better this fall. Anyway, we shouldnât pollute your coffee with a touchy subject youâve got something to do with.
Why not? Sheridan said. Everybody else does. Canât walk down Main without getting stopped by one group or another wanting to shut the project down or start it up.
Mr. Murphy glowered. Well, if the professor here and his greenies keep trying to shut this community down itâs going to get pretty nasty.
The professor, normally very placid, pushed his chair back. Thatâs not true and you know it. And calling us a bunch of greenies is kind of demeaning, frankly. Not everyone has to agree with you on everything.
Sheridan held up his hand. Okay, now weâre not going to let this thing destroy any friendships. At least not if I have anything to do with it. He gestured for the professor to sit down. Instead Smithson headed for the door.
Sam sighed. I donât like the way this thing is going, he said. Everybody canât get his way here. Either the dam will get built or it wonât. Either way somebodyâs going to be disappointed. What Iâm afraid of is that the disappointment will turn to anger instead of being forgotten. Thatâs not a good thing.
Couldnât agree more, Sheridan said.
As they all left, Sheridan stopped Sam Maynard. I think itâs time you and I talked to Leonard to see if the Utes might help us solve this.
16.
Twelve years later, the AnimasâLa Plata continued to occupy a kind of civil war status, and Patrick Carroll went to see Duane Smithson, his former history professor. He had a purpose.
Professor, he said as he settled into the worn chair in his mentorâs small office, Mr. Sheridan has to be the key to this whole thing. And youâre the one to talk to him about it. Why canât you just talk to him about civic duty like you do in your classes?
He doesnât need any lectures on civic duty, Patrick, the professor said.
All this stuff that happened years ago, Patrick said. Itâs old. Everyoneâs forgotten. Nowâs the time for him to pick up where he left off. When he was driven out.
He wasnât âdriven out,â Smithson said sharply. He walked away. Thereâs a big difference.
Okay, walked away, the young man said. Anyway, he still has a lot of respect in this town.
That he does, the professor said. But there are still those who think he brought it on himself. Or that he was trying to protect someoneâ
I know, âsomeone,â Patrick said.
âor that he