It was too late now. She took a deep breath and bounded up the steps as usual to wave to the crowd. Their typically polite applause was punctuated with cheers and some whoops. She’d never before heard them that enthusiastic.
She didn’t have any time to worry as to what it might mean, because Rector Densal was now introducing Captain Shin. The loud greeting rose up again. As he emerged from the other side, with his creased blue uniform and polished boots, the captain appeared surprised too. He gave Mahrree a concerned look, then walked over to her and stood uncomfortably close and a little in front of her, as if trying to shield her from the raucous crowd.
She felt a rush of gratitude at his gesture and wondered if it was a soldier’s instinct.
“Tonight, we will do something different!” cried Rector Densal to the rowdy villagers. “Neither of our debaters knows what the topic will be for tonight, so there will be no unpleasant surprises left on a table. And, Miss Mahrree,” he said turning slightly to the platform, “I am truly sorry to hear of the demise of your blob.”
Mahrree chuckled nervously. “It hadn’t been looking well for a while. Nice addition to my back garden.” She wondered how he knew about the end of the mass. Only her students, who begged her to get rid of it after the fourth debate, and Captain Shin knew it was gone.
The crowd laughed and Rector Densal nodded his sympathies. He turned back to address the amphitheater.
“For tonight, I’ve asked our good teacher’s students for suggestions of what they should debate.”
Mahrree cringed. Rector Densal had been talking to her students. That, at least, would explain his knowledge of the loss of the blob. Her stomach churned as she imagined what her students might have suggested as topics.
“Some of those debate ideas are here in this basket,” he held it up high. “I will now ask Captain Shin to draw the first debate suggestion.”
Mahrree searched the crowd as Captain Shin reached over to draw first. Her eyes finally settled on her teenaged students, all eight of them sitting together in a row. Grins and giggles burst across the girls’ faces, and Mahrree grew hot with worry.
This could be a very, very long evening.
Captain Shin unfolded the small paper and his eyebrows rose. Mahrree began to panic.
He cleared his throat and began, “Please prove that dogs are better than cats.”
Mahrree relaxed and rubbed her hands. “I’ll take cats!” she proclaimed with a grin and strode to her side of the platform to plan a strategy.
“I guess I’m dogs,” the captain said to the audience.
A little boy named Poe in Mahrree’s morning class clapped his hands. It must have been his suggestion.
The debate was won by Mahrree since she was convinced of the superiority of cats. Their independence, self-cleaning, and mousing abilities hedged out dogs’ abilities to guard the house, be a companion, and come in a variety of sizes and colors. What tipped the argument her way was that the shedding and shredding of cats was slightly less annoying than the drooling, barking, and, worst of all, inappropriate sniffing of dogs.
Mahrree pulled out the next topic. “Resolve who is better: boys or girls.”
As the audience “oohed” in eagerness, the captain bravely stepped up and said, “I’ll start that one.”
Mahrree’s curiosity was piqued. “I await this opening line with GREAT anticipation.”
He nodded at her, turned to the crowd and said, “To the young man or woman who suggested that topic I say, there is no woman without a man, and no man without a woman. Therefore, neither can be better than the other. They are, however, different, and each difference is necessary and complementary.” Then he stepped back.
“Ah, come now, sir!” Teeria called out, disappointed her suggestion didn’t elicit more of a response from the captain. “You can do better than that!”
The crowd teasingly repeated her complaint.
“Come now!”
“More!”
Mahrree stared at the captain. She didn’t expect his response. Actually, she didn’t know what to expect. But how could she take on what he said or even debate it?
He looked to her, waiting for her retort.
She smiled at him. Not a baiting, teasing, or chiding smile, but a genuine look of appreciation. He returned it.
She probably could find herself calling him Perrin, if the situation was right.
The crowd was calling her name, so she turned to the villagers. “All I want to say is, first there is no man without the woman. I rather prefer that order of words.” Then she too stepped back.
The captain winked at her. Mahrree hoped she wasn’t changing colors.
The rector stood up, much to the good-natured whistles of protest from the audience. “Next topic is for the captain to select,” he called.