Thirty minutes later,Tap and I were propping up the wall at the back of the council chamber and clapping the conclusion to a speech made by one of my neighbours. John Trelawny and I hadn’t exchanged more than a few words the entire ten years I’d lived on the road, but after the council access-road bloodbath, he unexpectedly knocked on my front door the very next day.
Unlike me, he’d been invited to speak to his submission, and he wanted to know if I had any suggestions on what to include. We’d shared a beer and talked through a list of things he could cover in his short time. Since John’s freehold property bordered my land and included the river as well, he could talk about similar points without referencing my lease.
The council clearly hadn’t been fooled, but there was nothing they could do about it. And although John was quietly spoken, he’d done a great job. I gave him two thumbs up as he returned to his seat, and he shot me a big smile.
It was heartening to hear many more submissions against the Elosand development than had been the case at the first meeting. They were also much louder and better informed. But for all of that, I wasn’t convinced we’d galvanised enough support to change the council’s mind. We were still in the minority, and the smug look on the mayor’s face said it all. They’d pay lip service to the public’s concerns, but the development seemed destined to go ahead, and my property would go with it.
I was deep in gloomy thoughts and not paying attention when the final speaker was called to the podium.
Tap nudged me gently and whispered, “Heads up, Romeo. Guess who’s come to the party.” He nodded toward a man making his way through the crowd to the podium and I blinked.
It couldn’t be. I blinked again.Thaddeus? What the fuck?
I didn’t need to see his face to recognise his slender form and that thick brown hair. But the confident swing in his walk? That was new. He was wearing my old sweatshirt, and my knees almost buckled from the sheer pleasure of just seeing him again.
I grabbed Tap’s hand and he shot me a sideways glance. He leaned close. “This meeting just got a whole lot more interesting.”
“But he doesn’t even live in this district,” I protested. “How did he?—”
“Anyone can make a submission to council and speak to it, remember?” Tap reminded me. “You don’t have to live here or even be a ratepayer. Having said that, the agenda lists this speaker as the nominated rep for a group called D. Cumberland Advocacy.”
I blinked. “You think that’s Delia Cumberland?”
Tap shrugged. “Who the fuck else could it be? She’s wealthy enough to have some clout with the council and get her name on the speaking list. And she sure as hell does live in the area.”
“Sure,” I agreed. “But what the fuck does Thaddeus have to do with her?”
“I think we’re about to find out.” Tap turned back to face the podium. “An organisation gets ten minutes to speak, not the usual five, so this should be good.”
I was still gawping at Thaddeus when he took his place behind the podium, those gorgeous golden eyes scanning the large crowd. When they landed on me, he paused, gave a flicker of a smile, and then moved on.
The council chair stood and cleared her throat, professional sympathy plastered over barely concealed indifference. The promise I’d made about not punching anyone was looking shakier by the second.
The chair addressed Thaddeus. “Mister Grey, you are speaking on behalf of D. Cumberland Advocacy, correct?”
Thaddeus nodded. “That’s correct.”
The woman smiled weakly. “You have ten minutes starting now.”
Thaddeus greeted the crowded chamber with an air of practised experience that I knew he didn’t feel. He hated crowds, and I imagined he’d hate this kind of thing even more.
He offered a very brief introduction—Thaddeus Grey, software engineer, experienced in water irrigation management, and with a professional interest in data storage cooling systems as the two shared some commonalities.
He paused, consulted his notes, and then continued. “The proposal to build a data storage centre has been sold to you under the guise of economic growth and strategic regional development. Fancy words for the smell of money.” Thaddeusoffered a quick smile, and the crowd chuckled, all but the council members who regarded him uneasily.
“But I wonder if you are aware of the potential cost of this project in terms other than financial, because what is truly being discussed is the diversion of an entire river without adequate explanation of how that water will be treated and reintroduced back into the ecosystem afterwards. In other words, the loss of a river.”
The room fell quiet.
“Nor has the cost of that necessary treatment, both financial and ecological, been satisfactorily addressed in any of the public documents released so far. In addition, there is the question of the enormous power consumption involved and its impact on the electricity bills of every person and business in this region, in this very room. And the increased risk of power blackouts if generation levels are not addressed. You are already experiencing power shortages in peak times, right?”
Murmurings of assent travelled the room, along with nodding heads and mutterings of discontent. And if the looks Thaddeus was receiving from some of the council members could kill, he’d have been dead on the floor.
“If you think that your household budget concerns will take priority over the power needs of this new data centre, then you’re more of an optimist than I am.”
More glowers from some of the council members, but also a few raised eyebrows and concerned looks.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Thaddeus. It was definitely him, and yet at the same time, it wasn’t. This was the Thaddeus I’d known had existed but only caught glimpses of, and I was so fucking proud, I was ready to burst.
