An Introvert's Guide for Island Domination novel · Chapter 19 of 24
Chapter 19: The Hearing
Lyle had brought a banner.
He unrolled it from his backpack and tied it to the big pine with two lanyards, and the whole island watched him do it.
HARGRAVE PEAK RETREATS PRESENTS: A COMMUNITY HEARING.
"I want to say first that I come in peace," Lyle said into the bullhorn. "And with a tight schedule."
Two hundred and fifty people stood in a ring around the stump.
The old Shelf crowd and the forty families who had crossed at dawn stood shoulder to shoulder, and the stump was the only empty ground.
Harvey landed at the end of the cable while Lyle was still talking, and the trolley rang against the ladle.
He crossed to Katja and stood beside her, close, without saying a thing.
"Charge one," Lyle announced. "Hoarding. This woman has the only spring for miles and has allowed Landing's children to go thirsty. I have seen the basin myself."
"Charge two. Abduction. She has taken forty of my families out of my care in a single morning."
"They rode a zip line," Dot said.
"A stolen zip line."
"It's tied to her tree," said Teddy.
"Charge three." Lyle lowered the horn for effect. "An unlicensed romantic relationship with a member of my staff."
He pointed at Harvey.
"The ranger is Tier 3," he said. "Kitchen. He has no authority to be in love."
Somebody at the back whistled, and nobody could tell who.
Katja did not have a single conversation left in the bank.
She had a card, and she held it up.
Keep reading free with an account. Start An Introvert's Guide for Island Domination from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.
← Chapter 18 · All chapters · Chapter 20 →
Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend