The Wrong Note

At nine, the town lined up beneath the council bell to decide whether the flood-damaged footbridge would be repaired or torn down. Each household received one brass token: smooth for repair, notched for demolition. Mara, the bell keeper's apprentice, checked the first voter's smooth token, dropped it into the slot, and pulled the rope. The demolition note rang out. Mara opened the box. The smooth token lay inside. Councilman Voss covered the latch. Behind him, Mara's father waited on crutches. "Keep the line moving," he said.