Angela had repeatedly asked Clara and Lily if they would join her on the Black Lives Matter demonstration. They had agreed to do so, more out of solidarity with their friend than political conviction. Clara had tentatively asked if Devi could join them, but Angela had firmly put her foot down, much to the disappointment of Clara and the annoyance of Devi: however, as compensation Clara had saved up her tips to buy herself and Devi tickets for a baseball match that evening. Devi, backed by Holly, had asked Curtis if she could report on the march, for what would be the first time she had ever written an article. Both women saw this as important experience for Devi, while Devi also saw it as a way of defying Angela's ban. Curtis had agreed to this, reasoning that there was little chance of anything related to the corruption investigation, or otherwise derogatory to the President, appearing in the report. Devi had told Clara she would be on the march as a reporter, but had asked her not to tell Angela.
It was a warm, sunny day in mid-May when Clara, Angela and Lily set off together from just outside the County Line. As they marched, Clara looked all around her, curiously admiring the buildings she could see, while Lily was jumping and skipping around, enjoying a pleasant day out. Angela stood right at the head of the demonstration with a determined expression, none too pleased with Lily's flippant attitude. Devi was walking some way back, with her fellow journalists, resenting the fact that she was not allowed to walk alongside Clara.
Eventually, they reached Pennsylvania Avenue, stopping just outside the White House. There a rostrum stood, and Angela boldly mounted it and stood in front of the crowd. She smiled with pride as she saw the banners: "BLACK LIVES MATTER", "DEFUND THE POLICE" and "END THE PRISON-INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX". Angela took a deep breath, and began her speech:
"First of all, thank y'all for coming here today and showing your support for the struggle against police murder. I'm very happy to see such a diverse crowd, folks of all races and colours who can see that for as long as African Americans are brutalised and murdered by racist cops, no one can be free. We are here today in solidarity not just with African Americans, but with LGBT folks, with the poor, with those without health insurance, with immigrants - with all who are oppressed by the racist system that we seek to dismantle.
"Folks may ask, 'When did the system begin', and the answer is, it has been with us ever since the first shipment of enslaved Africans landed in this country in 1619. Brutally torn from family, from friends, from their own country, terrorised on the Middle Passage, branded like cattle, chained like dogs, and then sold like horses to rich white men. Beaten, whipped, raped, tortured, hanged - all so rich white men could enjoy their tobacco, their sugar and their cotton."
Loud applause and cheering greeted these words. Angela smiled, taking it all in her stride, and continued:
"And when we finally busted our shackles in 1865, the rich white men of this country found ways to put them on us again. So they lynched us, they segregated us, they incarcerated us, and now their cops shoot at us in the streets. Whatever they call it - 'Jim Crow', 'separate but equal', 'tough on crime', 'War on Drugs', 'ending welfare dependency' - it's all the same: the enslavement of black folks by rich white men.
"And nothing ever changes. Well-meaning white folks will tell us, 'It'll change, you just have to wait for reform'. But we've been waiting for change for 400 years and still ain't nothing gets done! In this very city, this 'liberal', 'progressive', city we have all seen the Metropolitan Police Department, over the last 12 months, time and again, murdering unarmed black folks in the streets, and nothing ever gets done. Time and again, another black life is cut short, another black family is left mourning a loved one. My own brother, Malcolm, was just walking down the streets a year ago with his hands in his pockets when the cops came up to him and demanded to search him, telling him they thought he had a gun in his pockets, and pointed their guns at him. He ran, and they shot him five times in the back. Think about that! Five times in the back! While he was running away! And were any of these murderers ever charged? Were they shit!"
There were angry shouts from the crowd of "No justice, no peace!". Clara already knew this story of course, but it still saddened her every time she heard it. Even Lily was looking upset. Devi was shocked and found herself, quite against her inclinations, feeling sympathy for Angela. Angela composed herself, trying desperately to hold back the tears. It was about three minutes before she felt able to resume her speech.
"And, just two months after my brother's murder, my sister Rosa was driving her car, when cops pulled her up and made her get out. When she asked why, they told her she was obeying the speed limit, and so could be a drug pusher trying not to be noticed."
Shouts of disbelief came from the crowd.
"No, it's all true!", cried Angela. "And then they handcuffed her, even as she screamed in terror that she had no drugs, and tried to get the handcuffs off of her. They searched her car, found nothing, but they still arrested her for 'obstructing the police', and dragged her to the station, where they took off her clothes, and passed her between themselves like a piece of meat, touching her boobs, her legs - every part of her body, taking photographs of her and laughing as they did it. What d'you reckon? Were any of these harassers charged?"
"No!", shouted back the crowd.
"Damn right", answered Angela. "And every time, we hear the mealy-mouthed promises that this time it'll be different, that 'meaningful reform' is now gonna happen, but guess what! It never does! Commissioner Russell can talk all he wants about reform, but reform is impossible! It's the system! To end racism, to end police brutality, we need to dismantle the system! We need to defund the police, to invest in our black communities, end the surveillance our communities, end militarised law enforcement. We must dismantle all systems of oppression - racism, sexism, homophobia, militarism and capitalism. That's what we're here for today, and we're gonna keep on banging on the door until it falls in! Thank you."
As one, the crowd cheered and clapped for several minutes. Despite herself, even Devi could not help admiring the passion, the power and the eloquence of the speech. Angela smiled proudly as the applause continued, then climbed down from the rostrum. Back among the crowd, Angela soon found herself surrounded, as people crowded around to congratulate her. While this was going on, Clara suddenly caught sight of Devi, who had been trying to catch her eye and, unnoticed by Angela, quickly made her way over to her girlfriend. They embraced and kissed, and then made their way to the nearest bus stop, where they caught a bus to Nationals Park, home of the Washington Nationals. On the journey they chatted about Angela's speech: Clara was deeply moved by it, while Devi was torn between admiration for the speech and her dislike of Angela herself.
Eventually, they got off just outside Nationals Park, and entered the stadium, to watch the Nationals take on the New York Yankees. Clara found Devi's behaviour at the game somewhat bizarre: when the pitcher leaned a little too far over the front of his mound she proclaimed "No ball!", several times referred to the pitcher as "the bowler" and the catcher as "the wicket-keeper", and looked up at the sky searching for an aeroplane or drone when a fielder caught the ball and Clara shouted "It's a flyout!". Nevertheless, the game was an enjoyable experience, and had a dramatic conclusion when the Nationals' star batter hit a two-run home run ("It's gone for six!" was Devi's verdict) in the bottom of the ninth inning to snatch a 5-4 victory, and both Clara and Devi left the stadium happy, looking forward to the next time they could have a night out together.
Devi's article on the Black Lives Matter march was published the following day in the Washington Post: having spent much time agonising over whether or not to include it, in the end she did not mention Angela's speech at all.
About a week later, Clara was back at work she saw Dave Trampler and Brian Conti once again, at the same table where she had seen them before. She pointed them out to Angela and Lily: Lily found it amusing that they should come back, but Angela warned Clara to keep clear of them, as they might be dangerous to her. Clara did her best, but she couldn't help wondering what they might be saying, especially as she now knew what they had been talking about the last time. Eventually, as she was collecting an empty glass from a table about three feet away, she caught Conti saying:
"I'm not sure we can hide it for much longer. They keep finding out more."
Unable to help herself, Clara edged towards the table. As she did so, she heard Trampler saying:
"For once, you're damn right. They just don't know what's good for them, those fucking nosy bitches, that goddamn Holly MacIver and that intern, Divvy Buzz or whatever her stupid fucking name is . . ."
"Excuse me", said Clara loudly.
The two men looked around. Trampler glared at Clara, while Conti had a panicked expression.
"What the fuck would you know about it?", demanded Trampler furiously.
"I know more than you think", answered Clara boldly. "I know you're up to no good."
"What? How?", asked Conti, sounding positively frightened.
"Because . . ." Clara began, but Trampler interrupted her.
"Get the fuck out of it, bitch, you don't know shit. I'll fucking make you sorry you ever poked your stupid fucking nose in our business. Come on, Brian, let's the fuck out of here."
He stood up and strode out of the County Line, quickly followed by Conti.
Clara felt somewhat put out by Trampler's response, but also proud that she had defended Devi's honour and had forced him out of the bar. It gave her some satisfaction too that, thanks to her beloved Devi, she knew about the scandal he was trying and failing to cover up. However hard he might try, Devi would always find out what he was up to, thought Clara with not a little pride.
"Are you serious, Dave? A bartender knows all about it?", laughed Crawley in disbelief.
Crawley, Trampler and Conti were in the Oval Office. Trampler was furiously pacing up and down between the President's desk and the door, looking agitated. Crawley was standing behind his desk, smiling with some amusement at his Chief of Staff. Conti stood next to the desk, looking at Trampler with some alarm.
"Honestly, Dave", continued Crawley, "You really need to stop taking those sleeping pills."
Trampler looked up at his boss.
"I'm afraid, sir", he said in a respectful tone, "You don't understand how serious it is. Twice Brian and I have been in that bar and twice that bitch has listened in on us. She's a danger to us."
"Come on, Dave". Crawley was laughing again. "You really think that?"
"But, sir", insisted Trampler, "she said she knew more than we thought."
"Well probably she was just boasting, trying to frighten you", suggested Crawley, in the same casual tone as before.
Trampler furiously shook his head.
"I don't think so, sir", he replied. "We need to keep her quiet, she could blow the whole thing open."
Crawley shrugged. "Well, Dave, have it your way", he said, "though I'm still not sure this is necessary."
"What are you going to do, Dave?", asked Conti in some alarm. "Please don't make it anything that people might notice."
Trampler looked at Conti. He had a sinister grin on his face.
"Don't you worry about that, Brian", he asserted in a voice full of relish, "by the time I've finished with that bitch, she'll be on her knees screaming at me to stop. She'll wish she'd never gone poking around, and I'll make sure she'll never tell."
