Results

The vote was at nine forty-one in the evening. Nine councillors voted for option one. Four voted against.

Nobody in the public seats was allowed to clap, so nobody clapped. But forty seniors from the Thursday lunch stood up at the same time, slowly, holding each other's arms, and stayed standing until the chair said, "Thank you, the meeting is adjourned," and then they sat down again because their knees hurt.

In the hallway, Peter Lund was waiting by the elevators with his walking stick when Councillor Bishop came out of the chamber. The class watched from a distance. The two men talked for a long time. They didn't hear what was said. But at the end, the councillor put his hand on the old man's shoulder, and the old man laughed, and pretended to play three chords in the air.