Chapter 29: The Vote

The board of Maddox Systems had nine members, and eight of them were in the room.

The lead director stood at the head table with a pencil and a pad of paper.

He did not use a gavel.

"Motion to remove Odessa Maddox as chairwoman," he said. "All in favor, raise your hand."

For a moment nobody moved.

Then a woman who ran a freight company in Dayton raised hers.

A gray-haired man by the stage raised his.

A third followed, then a fourth, then a quick run of them across the head table, hand after hand.

Odessa stood at the podium and watched each one go up.

She did not look afraid.

She was counting hands.

"Seven," the lead director said. "Opposed?"

Odessa raised her own hand, alone.

"One. The motion carries." He put down his pencil. "Mrs. Maddox, you are no longer chairwoman of this company."

"You have no authority," Odessa began.

"We have the bylaws, which you wrote," said the lead director. "Page four."

A sound went through the ballroom, a low rising noise that was not quite applause.

Four hundred people were letting go of something they had held for years.

Brent stood at the podium with his hands at his sides.

"I'd like to say something," he said.

"Say it," said the lead director.

"I resign as chief executive of Maddox Systems. Effective tonight."

He pulled a folded paper from his jacket and laid it on the table in front of the lead director.

"This is a signed assignment of the engine. All the rights, the source, every line. It goes back to the person who wrote it."

He did not look at Cora.

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