Retaking College Hill: A Novel by Walter Donway

Author:Walter Donway [Donway, Walter]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Romantic Revolution Books
Published: 2021-09-29T22:00:00+00:00

Konrad was not home when Damian arrived at midnight. Staying with Shirley, again? Or at his post in the administration building, reviewing media releases, fielding calls from crazed parents and persistent reporters, meeting with the president and others on disaster management? Not every day someone attempted to murder a campus speaker. The administration had ignored the possibility that Georgy Zima had been deliberately attacked. Poisoned darts in the neck were not accidents.

He had called, figuring his name would come up on his dad’s cell. His dad obviously snatched the phone, answering immediately. “You were in the kill zone!”

“Dyson is enraged that I blocked a shot at him so that Isabel got targeted instead.”

“Really,” said Konrad mildly. No longer able to react with incredulousness to the latest revelation about faculty. “Tough to do anyone a favor these days.”

“Look, Dad, what are they doing about this?”

“What are we doing?”

“Someone must have been out there taking names. Or Instagram posts. Are you assembling a list of students to be suspended? Expelled? Referred to the police?”

“No.”

“They were using a battering ram on Myles! And bats! And using the mike at the questions table to yell ‘cunt’!”

“We are going to issue a press statement at some point, here. Why I’m still in my office. It will say that all appropriate disciplinary measures will be taken on any perpetrators of violence.”

“Okay.”

“But nothing will be done.”

Damian said bitterly: “Thanks for your honesty, as they say.”

“A group of faculty issued a statement that they do not sanction the violence but identify with the pain and anger of the demonstrators and their sense of the campus being ‘violated’.”

“Violated,” repeated Damian. Is that the headline? “University raped by facts, fucked by truth, gangbanged by reality?”

At least his dad had a laugh. Konrad said: “She arched like a bow for the arrow of truth.”

“Quoting?”

“Something, I forgot what. Listen, Shirley is here, too. I think I’ll stay with her, tonight. Her place is closer.”

“Sure. You know I approve.” Some questions popped into his mind. How long has this been? Any plans? Not the time for that. Instead, he said: “If Isabel Fairfield dies, will there be celebrations on campus?”

“Some glasses lifted in private. Sotto voce remarks.”

“Keep an eye out for tomorrow morning’s Wall Street Journal. Bill Dyson had an op-ed drafted assuming violence, explaining Isabel’s essential points. Now, he’ll have to add a paragraph about the attack. He said he would be demanding a decision in three hours and then move on to another paper. Given developments, hard to see any paper passing up this one.”

“There go our contributions from alums running hedge funds,” said Konrad. “In my view, it serves us right. Can’t say that, though. I could if I went back to teaching.”

“I’m going to bed. See you, dad,” said Damian wearily, but suddenly, “Wait! Dad?”

“Still here.”

“Dad, you told us that an attempt would be made on Fairfield or Dyson. You said you were sure. You’ve got to tell me how you knew. Are you withholding information the police need,

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