Seventeen
Initiative Measure 81823, The Protect Marine Mammals in Washington Initiative. The proposed ordinance prohibits the buying, selling, or transportation of all marine mammals in the state of Washington. Should this Ordinance be enacted into law?
The air left Mackenzie’s lungs. She forced a jagged breath and kept reading. “Vote yes in August on initiative 81823 to protect our marine mammals from exploitation.”
She looked up at Granny. “What’s this about? Capturing marine mammals is already illegal in this state. Why would someone propose this?”
“I think you know why.” Granny sighed. “My friend Mary handed this flyer to me. She was excited. She thought it was something good.”
“Wait,” Adelaide said. “What’s wrong with it?”
“If this goes into law, moving Lottie to the sea pen will be illegal,” Mackenzie said. “It must have been Mrs. Smitt. I know it was.”
“Oh. Wow.” Adelaide stood, eyes wide. “Maybe they can make an exception?”
Mackenzie shook her head. “No way. This is targeted at us.”
“It won’t just hurt us, either,” Granny said. “Think of the rescue team here on the island. They help stranded seals and porpoises all the time! They have to move them to rehabilitation for a few weeks before they’re released. What are they supposed to do? Leave the poor things to roast in the sun?”
Roast in the sun? Mackenzie shuddered, staring at the flyer, the paper crinkling in her hand. “This is ridiculous.”
“Sheila told me you’re supposed to move Lottie soon,” Adelaide said. “Could you get her here before this election?”
Mackenzie sighed. “No. We’re waiting on the gate for the sea pen. It won’t be delivered until the end of August – maybe even later.”
“That Mrs. Smitt is one sneaky lady,” Granny said, wagging a finger. “She must’ve submitted this months ago.”
“Sneaky is too kind a word!” Mackenzie unwrinkled the paper and jabbed a finger at the top. “That wording is so misleading!”
“It is.” Granny sighed. “If it could fool Mary, it could fool anyone.”
“We need to get out of here,” Mackenzie said, looking to the door. “We need to figure out a plan to fight this.”
Granny laughed. “Now, hang on. I still need ice cream.”
“There’s no time for ice cream, Granny!” Mackenzie barked. “Let’s go!”
Granny looked at Adelaide and smiled. “The world isn’t going to go up in flames while I get my ice cream.”
A laugh boomed out of Adelaide.
Mackenzie turned to her, mouth open. “Don’t tell me you agree with her?”
“No, of course not. I agree with no one. I’m not involved!” Adelaide put her hands up, biting her lip, on the verge of laughing again.
Mackenzie rolled her eyes and smiled. This was the first glimmer of Aunt Addy’s usual playfulness she’d seen. She’d allow Aunt Addy defying her if it meant she was feeling a bit better. “Fine. I will meet you two ice cream cones in the car.”
“Ice cream cones?” Granny repeated, pushing the cart along. “Who knew ice cream cones could be used in a negative way?”
“Five minutes, Granny!” Mackenzie yelled, walking out the door.
Back in the car, Mackenzie got on her phone, searching. “I can’t find out if Mrs. Smitt was the one who submitted this, but she had to be, right?”
“Does it matter?” Granny said, looking back at Adelaide. “I’ll take you to Russell’s house first, dear. You can get settled and, when you’re ready, we’ve got a tea party planned for you.”
A smile spread across Adelaide’s face. “A tea party? For me?”
“Of course! You’re our guest of honor!”
Mackenzie looked over her shoulder. Her aunt’s cheeks were pink.
“You’re going to like it,” she said before turning back to her phone.
“That’s very kind of you. Thank you.”
They got to Russell’s and Mackenzie excused herself to run up the hill and into the tea shop.
“Eliza!” She yelled. “I have terrible news!”
Liam was there, his elbow on the front counter, a bemused smile on his face. “Are the boaters back?”
She stopped. “Oh. Hi, Liam.” She shoved the flyer into his hand. “Look at this! It has to be Mrs. Smitt’s doing. She’s trying to stop us from moving Lottie.”
His eyes scanned, and creases formed on his forehead. “Don’t you think people will see through this?”
“Why would they? It sounds like voting no means you hate dolphins.”
“I thought I heard yelling,” Eliza said, walking out of the kitchen. “Hey, Mack.”
Liam handed her the flyer. “Apparently there’s going to be a special election in a few weeks.”
“Yeah, and Lottie will end up grounded for who knows how long,” Mackenzie said. “I can’t believe Mrs. Smitt came up with this. I underestimated her. I’m going to fly over there and toss her into that tank. We’ll see how she likes it!”
Eliza winced, carefully folding the flyer in half. “Mackenzie, please do not throw anyone into a whale tank because you are upset with them.”
“Oh, come on. Lottie wouldn’t hurt her. What I meant is, how would she like living in a little fishbowl for the rest of her life?”
“I think we should let Mackenzie do what needs to be done,” Liam said with a shrug. “I, for one, would like to see if Smitt can swim.”
Eliza rolled her eyes. “Where’s Aunt Addy? Did you forget her at the ferry landing?”
“No.” Mackenzie sighed. “She’s here. She’s fine. Granny’s setting her up at Russell’s, then they’re coming for the tea party. But we don’t have time for that right now.”
Eliza crossed her arms over her chest. “Are you going to tell Granny that?”
“Obviously not.” She sat on a chair. The wooden legs shrieked across the floor. “I can’t cross Granny. She’s too dangerous.”
“We just need to explain to people what this measure means,” Liam said. “Then they’ll understand, and they’ll vote no.”
Her stomach felt heavy, like it was full of seawater. She looked up at him. “What if they don’t want Lottie to be moved? Some people think we’re just going to dump her in the ocean to fend for herself. They think we’re trying to kill her – but we’re not! She’s going to have a great retirement in a beautiful, huge sea pen where she’s safe and protected. She’s still going to be taken care of, and she might even get to see her mom again.”
“If I didn’t know the whole story, it would sort of sound like the ranting of a mad woman,” Eliza said, cracking a smile.
Mackenzie narrowed her eyes. “Are you serious right now? Do you want me to throw you in the tank, too?”
She put her hands up. “I’m just kidding! I was trying to lighten the mood.”
“What if,” Liam said, clearing his throat, “we talk to some people? Go door to door, explain why the measure doesn’t make sense. See what they’re thinking. A poll, of sorts.”
“We can’t go to every door in the state before August,” Mackenzie said.
“No, but we can get a feel for what people think about the issue. If the circumstances behind the measure are explained, they might change their minds.”
Mackenzie sat, staring at the floor. She could see Mrs. Smitt’s smarmy face in her mind’s eye. Her anger bubbled like lava. The skin on her chest and arms glowed red.
If Mrs. Smitt ever dared to set foot on San Juan Island, Mackenzie would have her arrested.
“Mackenzie?” Liam asked.
She looked up. “Yes?”
“What do you think about the poll? After we get an idea of what people are thinking, we can make something about the measure and how it relates to Lottie. Mail it out, maybe.”
“This is a great idea,” Eliza said, nodding.
The chair was digging into her back. She stood. “We don’t have time.”
“We have plenty of time,” he said calmly. “We can start now.”
“Right now?” She bit her lip. She wanted Joey to fly her to the mainland. It shouldn’t be too hard to find where Mrs. Smitt lived. She could set up a speaker outside her window to blare banjo music twenty-four hours a day…
“You can satisfy your bloodlust another time,” Liam said, a half smile on his face. “For now, let’s make sure we can get Lottie into the sea pen as soon as it’s ready.”
Mackenzie unclenched her jaw. “Fine. I’ll get my computer. We’ll make a fact sheet.”
“Great.”
She paused on her way to the back door. “Are you sure you don’t want to pay Mrs. Smitt a visit first?”
He raised an eyebrow. “We can crank call her, but that should be the extent of our contact.”
“Fine.” Crank calls were a good start. She smiled, her skin cooling, the lava hardening a path ahead. “I’ll take it.”