Chapter 12: Acts of Desperation

The Grandfather Tree

Gee arrived at the wedding tree just before the appointed time of nine-thirty Monday morning. He was showered, shaved, and dressed in the crisply pressed shaker shirt Karen had laid out for him. He wore his forest hat and carried his hickory stick.

Jan and Zach Poltanys greeted Gee as soon as he arrived and escorted him to a gathering near where the podium had been during the festival.

“Gee, I’d like to introduce you to some of the other Family heads,” Jan said. “I think you know Leah who stands here for her father, Benjamin Roth. David Lazorack is over with the foresters getting ready for the felling. This is Heinz Nussbaum. Heinz, Gee Evars, our City Champion.”

“I know you’ve met others in my family, but on behalf of all of us, welcome to Rosebud Falls, Gee,” Heinz said, shaking Gee’s hand. “After the ceremony today, I’d like to invite you for lunch with me to meet the rest of the clan.”

“Uh ... Thank you. Your daughter, Gretchen, alerted me to expect an invitation. I’m looking forward to it.”

“This is Loren Cavanaugh,” Heinz said, turning to another of the older men gathered near the tree. “Loren, you’ve never met Gee, have you?”

“Good to meet you, Gee. I don’t get out as much as I used to. I’ve been hiding behind my sons, I’m afraid.”

“I’ve met Troy. We play basketball Sundays ... when I’m not all banged up.”

“Indeed. Don’t take him too seriously. It’s hard enough keeping his head from swelling with that window on Main Street. You worked with my cousin, Coretta during Harvest and Jessie speaks highly of you.”

“I’m happy to say that Jessie and Jonathon have become two of my best friends,” Gee said. David Lazorack left the tree to join the Family representatives as the mournful sounds of a bagpipe found their way through the Forest.

“That’s a sound that hasn’t been heard at Harvest in too many years,” Heinz said wistfully.

“It’s good to have him back,” Loren agreed.

“Didn’t a bagpipe play at the wedding?” Gee asked.

“Yes. It was our first clue that Pàl Savage had returned,” Heinz said. “I believe you’ve met Pàl. We would’ve had quite a reunion after the wedding if things had gone a bit differently.”

The pipes drew nearer and Pàl strode into the clearing, resplendent in his Black Watch tartan. The foresters stood back as he circled the tree three times, finally letting the last strains of the music fade. Pàl walked over to the Family representatives as the foresters got the equipment in place.

“Welcome back, Pàl,” Heinz said. “That is quite the get-up. You look like your grandfather.”

“When we left Rosebud Falls, Granda took me to Scotland to get me in touch with my roots. I took to the pipes pretty quickly and joined the Black Watch Pipe and Drum Corps. I’m just glad my unit wore a glengarry rather than a bearskin,” Pàl laughed, tapping his hat.

“Pàl, your true roots are right here in Rosebud Falls,” Heinz said softly.

“Yes. But like you, my old friend, there is something about keeping our ancestral heritage alive that makes it easier to understand our heritage in the Forest.”

The canvas catcher surrounding this tree had not been removed after Harvest. While not the wedding shaker, Jessie was the climber who would trim branches and lower them to the ground before cutting the trunk into segments. Sawdust and any remaining nuts would be kept in the canvas catcher. When everything was prepared, Jessie snapped her harness on. Gee glanced at it.

“Don’t worry, Gee. We replaced all the fliplines with cable core lines. And the other climbers have been all over the tree this week to make sure it is clean and trimmed,” Jessie said. “This will really be mostly for show until we start bringing down the sections. That’s what that baby’s for,” she said pointing at a crane. When everyone was ready, Jessie started scaling the tree.

Every bit of the tree was either millable or would be used for firewood. Even the root ball would be dug out. Jessie wore cleats—something not used during the nut Harvest to avoid damaging the trees. A forester tossed her a rope which she looped over a higher branch and then tied to the one she would cut. After pulling her chainsaw up, she made two quick cuts, one from the bottom and one from the top, and the first ten-inch-thick limb swung away from the tree and was lowered gently to the ground. Half a dozen foresters hauled the twenty-foot branch away from the base of the tree and began trimming while Jessie moved to the next limb and repeated the process.

It took nearly two hours to fully limb the tree. Jessie was strapped around a part of the bole that was no more than eight inches across and eighty feet high when they moved the crane up. Orange stripes painted on the tree at twenty-foot intervals showed where the sections would be cut.

“The first section is always the hardest to bring down,” Loren Cavanaugh said as he stepped up to Gee. “She can’t climb high enough to get the crane hooked at the top of the trunk. That means the first section will flip when it’s cut through. On a forty-foot tree, of course, we can use a bucket truck and tie off wherever we want to, but this part of cutting a hundred-foot tree is the most dangerous.”

Jessie tightened the crane line above her cut mark and fired up her fourteen-inch chain saw. She made her first incision as carefully as a doctor, some twenty feet below the top of the tree. The second cut went in at a slight angle from the opposite side.

“Rose Hickory is one of the densest woods there is to cut, weighing in at about fifty-five pounds per cubic foot. That section of tree Jessie is cutting weighs nearly half a ton. They get heavier from there on down,” Loren continued his information.

Everyone held still as a loud pop echoed above the sound of the chainsaw. Jessie jerked her tool free and the saw died immediately. She slid ten feet down the trunk, stopping her descent with her cleats. The crane pulled up and away from the tree as the top flipped upside down. Jessie hugged the tree with her face tight against the trunk as the limbs from the upper section slapped back against the other side of the trunk. The crane kept moving and swung the section clear of the tree to lower to the ground. Amid the cheers, Jessie’s loud, “Woo-ooo!” with her upraised fists echoed over them all.

“You okay, darlin’?” Jonathon called up to her. The tree she was now strapped to was no more than a straight pole rising eighty feet in the air.

“A little bruised, but nothing you can’t kiss and make better later, baby!” she called back. The foresters applauded, and Jessie went back to work to prepare the next section.

Lunch with the Nussbaums

Gee marveled at the view from Heinz Nussbaum’s deck overlooking the river and railroad. The deck and patio, wrapping around three sides of the immense home, showed the dark side as well as light of Rosebud Falls. To the west, Gee could see the coal yard and railroad cars that would take the cargo south. While no longer used to heat homes and provide energy for power plants, the coal was a staple in steel mills and foundries. It was still loaded on Poltanys barges in the north, transported via canal to Rosebud Falls, and transferred to Nussbaum railcars for the trip farther south. It seemed strange that such a magnificent home would overlook the coal yard.

“My grandfather said it was to keep us humble,” Heinz said as he watched Gee taking in the sight. “He said we created the mess, so we should have to live with it.”

“You created it?”

“The coal yard was the result of a deal with the Poltanys clan intended to keep Rosebud Falls beautiful,” Heinz elaborated. “There are seven locks on the canal to bring the barges a hundred miles to here. But it would take three more to get from the West Branch to the south end of Rosebud Falls. So, instead of continuing the canal with locks and perhaps damming the river, we created this transfer point. The same could have been said about the railroad. We could have built bridges and trestles and the Meaghers would have laid tracks all the way to the coal fields. But we compromised. The railroad never crosses the river. Tracks to here. Canal to there. The lives of the seven Families have been filled with compromises. It’s what we do to keep the balance in the city.”

“That’s ... educational,” Gee said, not sure what Heinz’s point was.

“You have to look the other direction,” his host continued. They walked toward the other end of the deck and looked out over downtown Rosebud Falls. “We aren’t big, but we have our own beauty—our civic pride, if you will. The downtown has some sore spots. We don’t have quite enough businesses to fill all the storefronts. We fought against Walmart moving in, but we could only keep it outside the City Limits. People are loyal to our local businesses, but the competition is a strain. Look at the falls sparkling over there. And beyond, our Forest. You see, the coal yard and the railroad were another kind of compromise. We sacrificed the beauty of this side to preserve the beauty of that side. Compromise.”

“There are some things you can’t compromise,” Gee said. “You don’t compromise the Forest, for example.”

“Ah, but we did. I don’t think anyone knows the real truth of why the wild woods are not part of the City—part of the Forest. Someday, I suspect, Miss Weisman will dig deeply enough into her ancestor’s private papers that she will uncover what the mystery is. I could not find it in my Family papers. Before World War I, it seems that all the Nussbaum Family records were simply accounts and shipping records. That’s when we got into banking and beautification of the downtown. But at least now, we are moving to rectify the past and bring that section into the City.”

“It must be difficult on some of the Families. Change always is.”

“True. But there is a new generation. Ben Roth’s daughter. My grandchildren. The heir to the Savages. The new guardians of the Forest, Jonathon and Jessie. The doctors and nurses at the hospital. This generation doesn’t know compromise,” Heinz finished. “And they are our future. They are our children, Gee, and they need a champion to protect them.”

“The title was given to me with tongue-in-cheek, so I could have a valid ID, Mr. Nussbaum. Don’t take it too seriously.”

“I don’t stand on formality when I am begging a man to help me,” Heinz said. “Please talk to me as your friend, Heinz.”

“Are you my friend?”

“I hope you will think so when I continue,” the old man sighed. “Your friend—fiancée?—has made a target of herself with her newspaper attacks on that church. She has been vocal in her support of the annexation. She has exposed some of her Family’s dirty laundry and gotten it cleaned up. If you can’t think of yourself as Champion for the City, think of yourself as protector of your future wife. Whatever you need from my family, the legal support of my daughter, the financial support of the bank, shipping and trading records, access to the other churches, even a little soothing music, we will provide for you.”

“I’m not a miracle-worker,” Gee objected. “I’ve just happened to be at the right place and at the right time to help a couple of people.”

“That’s all we’re asking, Gee. As one of the war orphans, I’m asking you to continue as proxy-holder for the trust that benefits my family. You’ve exercised the proxy to the benefit of the City and Forest once. Just continue to vote your conscience.”

Normal

“Gee! You’re back!” Nathan shouted when his friend came through the market to the employee room.

“Do I still have a job?”

“Of course you do, my man! How are you feeling? You look like you’re still leaning on that stick,” Nathan said.

“I am. I guess I’m not quite ready to lift the soup kettles, but Doc said the exercise I’d get stocking shelves would be good for me ... if you can use me, that is.” Gee looked around and sighed. “To tell the truth, I’m going a little stir-crazy. After I finally managed to stand up from my chair by myself, I couldn’t wait to start getting out of the house.”

“Well, we can sure use you. I hired a high school kid to work a bit after school, but he needs guidance. Maybe you could switch a little later for a few days and show him the ropes,” Nathan said.

“I didn’t get here until almost noon today. I waited and left the house with Karen in order to convince her that I could walk this far without exhausting myself. She wants to drive down to pick me up when I’m finished,” Gee laughed.

“I’m truly sorry that we forced you out of our home,” Nathan sighed. “I’m so glad you ended up with a true friend and love.” He hesitated as if he was going on with an apology, but Gee shook his head.

“How about if I start in the canned goods aisle. Has anyone been helping Mrs. Resnick reach things from the top shelf?”

“Everyone!” Nathan laughed. “I’ve already got a cart loaded for stocking.”

“Mr. Gee,” Ryan said when he’d put on an apron. “It’s nice to see you back.”

“Thank you, Ryan. So, it’s you they hired to replace me?”

“Not replace. No one could ever do that! I’m just filling in for a little extra cash. I’ve got a girlfriend, you know.”

“Nothing taxes the wallet like dating.”

“Especially when your parents have cut you off,” Ryan growled.

“What? Why?”

“The Moffats and the O’Rourkes have been feuding for seventy-five years just because they opened competing drugstores after the war,” he explained. “Even though the O’Rourkes sold the Rexall years ago, the families still insist the other is somehow evil. Shannon and I were forbidden to see each other and when we refused, both families cut off our allowance to keep us at home. So, we got jobs.”

“Hmm. I guess you don’t have to be one of the seven Families to have family problems,” Gee mused. “How are you doing?”

“Well, we don’t have a lot of time together. I think that was part of the plan. But the opposition of our families has made our relationship stronger. Um ... Thank you, by the way.”

Gee didn’t need Ryan to explain why he was being thanked, remembering his advice to the teen about buying condoms. He smiled.

“Say, I understand Rena got out of rehab Friday. Has she come into work yet?”

“I saw her on Saturday and heard her tell Mr. Panza she’d be back Monday morning. I haven’t seen her, though.”

Family Dinner

“We’ve been summoned,” Karen said as she looked at the card. “A formal invitation, no less.”

“What? Summoned by whom?” Gee asked. They’d taken their evening glass of wine and the stack of mail to bed with them after Gee returned from a fun night at the library with the children.

“The patriarch of the Roth Family is holding a dinner Saturday night, to begin at sundown. ‘Benjamin Roth requests the honor of your presence at a Family dinner Saturday, October 20, at the close of Sabbath.’ Simple, to the point, and beyond refutation. I’m sorry, my love, but we are going to dinner at the Roth mansion Saturday night.”

“I’ll try not to be too awed,” Gee laughed. “I doubt his mansion has anything on this one.”

“Oh, my poor naïve man. You have no idea how ostentatious a Family mansion can be. Great-grandmother settled for a small city home. That’s this one. I believe we might be the only one of the ‘cottages’ that was built on less than an acre.” Karen shook her head sadly. “The Roth Estate covers over ten acres along the river. The old man rattles around in it like a pebble in a coffee can.”

“Why doesn’t Leah and her family live with him?”

“When she married Don Augello, Benjamin nearly cut her off entirely. It wasn’t until Don converted and hyphenated his name to Roth-Augello that Benjamin even consented to seeing his grandchildren.”

“Why would he invite us ... me?”

“He is the only one of the Family heads that hasn’t had the pleasure of your company. I’m sure he wants to see what the fuss is about. He’s getting old—ninety-one, I think. Each time there is a Family gathering, everyone expects him to name his heir. At the moment, the only one he would dare to name is Leah, but he’s afraid the dynasty is dying.”

“We’ll go and see him,” Gee said softly. “He will see that you are by far the best choice.”

“Ugh! Why would I want to be head of the Roth Family after the disgrace they visited on Celia Eberhardt and her mother?”

“Perhaps because you brought the disgrace to light. No good deed goes unpunished.”

“Is that why you end up in the hospital or jail every time you help someone?” Karen laughed.

Karen was puzzled when she walked into Axel’s office and found Cameron LaCoe sitting behind her editor’s desk. She had learned long ago that the newspaper was owned by a trust managed by the Nussbaums, but they’d always stayed far away from the office. The summons on her desk had been in Axel’s handwriting.

“Cameron?”

“Hi, Karen. I just wanted to tell you what a good job I thought you were doing in keeping the heat on that church,” Cameron said.

“Are you the editor now?”

“No. I’m the publisher. Traditionally, the publisher hasn’t taken an active role in managing the paper, but when the trust was signed over to my cousins and me, we decided there were some practices that we did not want to continue. The elimination of bylines, for example, and ownership of content. How do you like your new contract, by the way?”

“I admit that when I read it and your mother went over it with me, I thought it was too good to be true. I own all my source material? You have first rights to my stories but ownership continues with the author? That’s certainly not common.”

“Becoming far more common now that republication covers a whole online universe. You do note that our first rights include an online version of the newspaper should one evolve—and it will. But there are too many opportunities for reporters to earn more from their work after we’ve had our use. We’re a newspaper. A story is only good while it is new. A clever reporter like you should be able to come up with all kinds of ways to resell her stories—repackage them even. Like creating a lengthy exposé—say a book—about the practices within this church you’re investigating. Don’t you think?”

“Cameron, are you encouraging me to take the battle a step further than I have?” Karen asked with some amusement in her voice.

“I know that you have what it takes to do it,” Cameron answered. “I don’t know if you’ll want to. That’s up to you.”

“Well, thank you for the vote of confidence and encouragement,” Karen said, preparing to leave the office.

“Karen, that isn’t what this meeting is all about.” She stopped at Cameron’s words and turned back to the young attorney.

“The other shoe?”

“Maybe. Axel asked me to handle this part because there has been some animosity between the two of you. Understandable. I’d like you to take point on election coverage. You have been needling the church with your investigative material. Don’t stop that. But we have a lot of election issues that are being inadequately covered. We have nineteen days—thirteen issues—before the election. Including Election Day. We have a congressional race. We have City Council elections. We have school board elections. None of those are being covered and they all have a bearing on what we most want, the annexation vote. You’re doing a good job driving that, I want you to take on the rest.”

“Who do you want me to support?” she asked warily.

“You are the investigative reporter,” he responded. “Tell me who the paper should support.”

“Really?”

“It’s a new world, Karen. You are in a position to shape it.”

“My, my,” Karen breathed as they pulled up to the Roth mansion Saturday night. “Uncle Ben is really going all out. Look.”

“What?”

“That’s Celia and Jo Ransom getting out of Leah’s car. This could be an interesting night,” Karen said.

“He won’t be nasty to them, will he?” Gee asked. He’d not yet had the opportunity to meet the war orphan of the Roth clan, but just based on Karen’s research he was predisposed to favor Celia and her granddaughter.

“No. Leah has really been very nice and is helping get them accepted. I don’t think she’s leading anyone into a trap. Let’s see what’s going on.”

When they entered, Gee was introduced to Leah’s sons, Joseph and Jude. The youngest, Levi, was away at medical school. Joseph grinned lecherously at Jo but pulled a very young woman with bright eyes forward to introduce as his wife, Judith. Gee was shocked at the apparent disparity in their ages. Judith looked like a teenager and he was certain Joseph was in his thirties if not forty.

Gee had met Jude, Laura Lazorack’s fiancé. He was a polite but slightly aloof man. His dark beard was not quite full enough to be identified as Orthodox, but he had long curls hanging at the side of his ears and wore black rimmed glasses that made him look scholarly. He and Laura politely greeted the guests.

“My youngest son, Levi, won’t join us,” Leah said. “He has sworn never to return to Rosebud Falls. I believe he thinks he would be trapped into becoming the family patriarch.”

“He wouldn’t,” Judith spoke up. “Joseph will lead the family.” She was haughty, and it was obvious that Joseph didn’t share her expectation. But it was her mother-in-law whose eyes she held. While they waited for a response, Jude pressed a small cap into Gee’s hand and pointed to how to wear it at the table. Gee complied.

“Dear, no matter how ambitious you are and how clever, no one in their right mind would trust Joseph to manage the family fortune,” Leah sighed. “Don’t worry. You’ll have your own little empire to rule, but you will never live in this house. Ah, here comes Dad.” The old man, Benjamin Roth, tottered into the dining room scowling at everyone and shaking off the hand of his assistant. He made his way to the head of the table, helped by his cane. There was a quiet shuffle as each person took a place at the table, standing behind his or her chair. Without waiting to be introduced to anyone, Benjamin stretched a hand out toward the table laden with food for their dinner.

“Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha’olam shehakol niyah bidvaro,” he said.

“Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, at whose word all came to be,” the family responded and Ben sat heavily in his chair.

After the formal blessing, food was passed, and the conversation was similar to any other family. Leah asked about Laura’s family and whether her brother had returned from his honeymoon. Gee noticed that the youngest person at the table, Joseph’s wife Judith, dished food and helped with Benjamin’s plate.

“Is there anything else you need, Zeyde?” she asked obsequiously. It was obvious she was not taking Leah’s word on the line of succession.

“It is time to officially welcome our newest family members,” Leah said. “Our lost sheep have been found. Here is to Celia and Jo Ransom. Welcome to the Family.” Everyone raised their glasses, including the old man, though he never looked up at Celia, sitting to his right. Celia insouciantly lifted her glass and tapped it against his, startling the old man. He looked up at her and she raised an eyebrow at her.

“L’chaim,” he finally said.

“To life,” she responded. The old man actually grinned at her. He reached for an envelope he’d dropped beside the table when he entered the room. Judith scrambled to get it for him.

“Let me get that for you, Zeyde,” Judith exclaimed, rushing to pick up the large brown envelope at his feet.

“Oh, suck up to your husband, not to me,” he growled at her as he took the envelope. “I believe this is yours, Celia.” Aside from the few words of the blessing and the toast, they were the first words he’d spoken during the meal. The chastised girl had a tear running down her cheek and leaned against Joseph. “You have my regrets for a life wasted. May your granddaughter live long to enjoy the blessings herein.”

“Benjamin, I know you helped provide for me after mother died. I don’t hold you responsible for what your father did,” she answered softly.

“To the fourth and fifth generations,” the old man sighed glancing at his grandsons. “Too soon old and too late wise.”

“Yes... Fetter,” she said, surprising him once again.

Don leaned over to whisper in Gee’s ear, “That means uncle.”

The old man straightened and brought everyone’s attention to him.

“About the next head of the Family...” he stated boldly. Judith clutched her husband’s hand so hard he grimaced, but neither he nor his brother met his grandfather’s eyes. “Jo or Karen?”

“What?” Leah exclaimed. Even she seemed taken by surprise.

“Understand, there is only one person in this room proven acceptable to lead the Family, and he is not related,” Benjamin said, scanning the room. He paused on Don, but the banker simply smirked and shook his head. “If George Evars marries Karen Weisman, that is the succession. He has eaten the nut and the Forest accepted him.”

“If all it takes is to eat a stupid nut, I’ll eat it,” Judith declared.

“And you would die.” Silence fell on the table as they all looked at Joseph. “Meyn libe, only a Family member can survive eating a nut. In every instance, a non-Family member will die if not given an antidote within half an hour. And half of those in the Family who try die as well.”

“He did it.”

“The exception proves the rule,” Don Roth-Augello said. “If word of that got out, we would have a rash of suicides from people just like you eating the nut and never waking up. Be happy with what you have. Joseph will take care of you and you will never lack for anything.”

“My grandfather,” Benjamin sighed. Everyone looked at the old man. “He challenged his brother when the succession was decided. Fortunately, my father had already been born and thus an existential crisis was averted.” He chuckled at his own joke, but it was not clear that anyone else understood it. “He died. His brother became head of the Family and adopted my father, Aaron, as his heir. The Forest chose.”

“Mr. Roth, I can’t really head your Family. I ... I need to represent all the Families,” Gee said. “I need to represent the Forest.” Benjamin nodded.

“So. Karen or Josephine. We have not yet escaped the trial.”

The old man pushed his chair back so violently as he stood that it crashed to the floor behind him. He turned and left the room in silence shuffling away with his attendant quickly at his side. Judith started to go after him but Joseph wisely put a hand on her shoulder and she stayed seated.

Jude raised his glass and the others at the table followed his gesture, waiting for his toast.

“Cousins,” he said.

“Gee ... uh ... Grandma says I need to talk to you,” Jo said quietly.

“Don’t,” he said. “Don’t take the challenge. Take what you have and live your life.”

“Thank you, but that isn’t what I was going to ask,” she giggled. “Grandma says that I am her heir to the war orphan trust and I have to make a decision. I made it long before she told me, but I want to tell you. We... I would like you to continue to hold the proxy for our shares of SSG stock and continue to vote your conscience for the City and the Forest.”

Gee sighed and looked at the young woman feeling far more pressure than if Ben had declared him heir.

“I will do my best, Jo.”

Final Proxy

“Your analysis of candidates has become more pointed,” Gee said as he finished reading Karen’s article Tuesday morning. “It feels like you have unleashed a whole new aspect of your election day preparation.”

“I got commissioned by my publisher to be the point person on election coverage and to present the candidates in an honest light,” Karen said. “I never expected this, but in spite of their desire that I cover it on behalf of the newspaper, it still goes out with my byline so people can identify me easily. They’re even running my photo as the special reporter for the election.”

“It seems likely to make you into a target. Karen, I want ... I’d feel ... Please let me accompany you more. I know you can’t hide until the election is over but let me be near you as much as possible.”

“I don’t need a protector, Gee. I need a supporter. Encourage me. Praise me. Love me. But don’t hover over me.”

“It’s so hard. But I have to say, some of this is truly great analysis.”

“What did you like?”

“The article about US Representative candidate Josh Hardin. Hardin has said that every decision and every vote in Congress will be weighed against his belief in God and the Bible. But Hardin is quick to point out that most people don’t actually understand the Bible so he will pray carefully for God’s enlightenment. In other words, Hardin pledges to weigh each vote against his personal interpretation of the Bible. Not yours or mine. Not the Torah. Not the Koran. Not the Bhagavad Gita. He won’t even specify which version of the Bible he will be using. That’s good but quoting the oath of office to him and getting his response was brilliant,” Gee said.