The Chairman was up on the back deck of the Big House. He claims to have a touch of the Arthur-itis, and won’t be talking to Arthur for a variety of perfectly understandable issues. He wanted to make some things clear, and launched into an impassioned string of remarks about the current situation. We were inspired, or at least used the expressions we have perfected in long careers in and out of public view.

Amanda, our governing attorney, was thrown into a clear conflict of interest. In view of the rarity of having the Chairman actually personally address the workforce, she was unusually formal in a gray business suit with professional low-heeled pumps. Uncertainty is not a good look for her.

The Chairman had his coffee and got started with a historic note. “As you know, the 30th of April is an important date to recall. It was on this day in 1975 that Saigon, the capital of the Republic of Vietnam, fell to the forces of a different Vietnam. There was a slow head-nod from the one in the Fire Ring who was there for the evacuation. It was an operation called “FREQUENT WIND,” and it had some interesting moments, including one on a ship on which the Chairman used to live.

“I was escorting a Congressman on a visit to Ho Chi Minh City on this day in 1995. We had a meeting with the Mayor of the city and his town council. He didn’t feel like speaking and turned to me to offer an impromptu speech of congratulations to the city government for the liberation of their town.” He looked down at us as he made a pause for emphasis. “So you can see that there are times in public life when we all must do things that don’t seem to make a great deal of sense. And sometimes are downright repugnant.”

That was the start of what turned into an eloquent and passionate statement of exactly how he wants to see Socotra House publications to move forward, unafraid to voice concerns on some very troubling issues, exploring them fully, and publishing with the widest possible audience. He started out with…

[REDACTED]

“…and that is the point to remember. Courage. We will have to be resolute. So, in conclusion, if you follow my specific guidance, we can continue to provide useful information shaped by informed critical thinking and make recommendations that will cause some of this {REDACTED] to go away and return us to a fair system of law, civility and just peace.”

Amanda had been redacting the hell out of the Chairman’s remarks as he spoke and had his twenty minute speech reduced to something brief that would not attract the attention of other attorneys. The Chairman smiled and gave a brief salute to the group as he turned to walk slowly back into the Great House, shoulders back, posture upright with only a slight limp.

DeMille rose as our Boss departed our view. “I thought that was a nice and elegant set of remarks that shows us a way ahead for future stories that could challenge existing Article 88 matters. He was clear, and I expect that to be reflected in this series of thoughtful essays. Questions?” he asked.

Splash was squirming. Loma frowned. Rocket heard the distant rumble of one of the old piston engine warbirds approaching the field on the other side of town. He finds it a bit easier to imagine the follies of earth all melded into the growing green of a new season.

“So, does what we are doing have any comparison with the courage of a young officer, gathering his family into a stolen Cessna 0-1 in front of an advancing column of enemy tanks, flying generally out to sea until he sees a big gray ship a thousand feet long off the coast of what used to be home, buzzing the ship once with a waggle-wing to the bridge to see if the Skipper would mind having several helicopters pushed over the side to clear some room on the deck, then rolled slowly around for an approach into the wind for his first ever Carrier landing with his kids in the back seat and his wife praying to her Creator, crossing the round-down and making a perfect landing for freedom?”

“Yeah. Pretty much like that. Not a bad CarQual for a young aviator.”

There was general agreement on that matter. And we thought about courage. Then we turned our attention to [REDACTED].

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