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FUGUE #5, Spring/Summer 1992 had even finished a higher grade, eleven . But he enjoyed talking with her, carrying on English conversation like this. It set him apart from the old-fashioned, ignorant "Eskimo" that he hadn't wanted to become. "I'll say," she was agreeing. "Well, why don't we just demand to be part of it, though . If the population wanted those things for the Inuit, at least the bureaucrats could start with us." Leno was amazed to hear, with such innocent clarity, what he had not consciously schemed himself, but had secretly desired. It was perfect. He would approach the Council--they could all be considered Government employees--and they would call a meeting of the population . Certainly when reminded of their earlier decision the people would reassert the need for improved housing and water service ; and of course they could now realize, when prope rly briefed on the Government's current plans, that it would be necessary to stipulate, in specific terms, the first stages of such improvement in the village . Naturally, to compromise with the Government's already-arrived-at understanding , an extension of their narrow definition of "Government employee" should be made to local Inuit Council members and--his mental rehearsal paused long enough to remember Rita smiling at him coquettishly over her coffee cup--even, perhaps, their own "Locally-based help." Oh yes, and they could throw in the demand, for bargaining's sake, for inclusion of the Inuit in the employ of the School Board: Airo, Putak, and the rest. Those Uncle Tomahawks, Leno chuckled to think, would likely be just as happy with what they've got now . Leno satisfied himself that the strategy was complete and tossed down the last of his coffee . "Yup, Rita. We've got something to work on, now." He took one last,
longing glance at the slender "v" of visible chest, smiled and walked away back to his office. She stood there a moment, looking down at herself, and returned to her own end. Leno could put the distasteful memo away for now and get on to other things. He'd bring it up at the Council meeting on Friday. He wondered whom Rita was seeing these days. She still lived with her parents in that shack down near Putak's, didn't she? He remembered hearing from one or the other of the Councilmen at one point that she often went to the teachers' parties. Leno thought of her drinking and dancing with Robert, the best-looking of the single teachers, and began to feel that irritated resentment again. He rubbed a broad, stubbyfingered hand over his acne-scarred cheeks. With hot eyes and a deep sigh, Leno went on to the next slip of paper on the top of his pile, a pile that never disappeared.
The right to call population meetings and move on their deliberated decisions was the prerogative of the village Council according to the Government's own "Guidelines." Of course the village Council had no power to act on such decisions without the corroboration and, inevitably, approval of funding by the Territorial office . But they would have to exploit what little power they had. The eight-man Council, in their Friday meeting, fully supported Leno's plan. A general meeting of the people was announced immediately. The population meeting, in the thick smoke of the community hall, saw call after call for improvement of local housing and water service. Every speech was an echo of what had been said on the matter in April. As it became obvious that a more specific directive was needed this time to spell out the demand to the Government, Leno rose to reiterate
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