The Music Festival Mystery by Carolyn Keene

Author:Carolyn Keene
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

9

Walkout After Walkout

Vlad’s dramatic exit was followed by a long silence. The crash of the door still seemed to echo in the room.

Cyril gave a sigh. “I am sorry he took it that way,” he said. “I suppose I might have expected it.”

Dina stood up abruptly. “How else could he take it?” she demanded. “When faced with a coup d’etat, resistance is the only principled course.”

Nancy stared at Dina, then exchanged glances with George and Bess. They looked as baffled as she was. What was Dina talking about?

“A coup d’etat?” Ned said. “Come on, Dina. Get serious. Cyril doesn’t want to stay president. He simply thinks we need time to cool off.”

Dina sniffed. “You Americans!” she said, with a mixture of affection and contempt. “In so many ways you are such amazing people. But where politics is concerned, you are like little children. A series of strange events takes place. With that as an excuse, an official cancels an election. He tries to bully into silence those who would succeed him. What is the result? He stays in power. Now ask yourself. To whose benefit were those strange events?”

Penny stared at her. “Dina, do you really think Cyril—”

“I accuse no one,” Dina said, breaking in. “But a Gorvonian is never intimidated by unfair tactics. I am still a candidate for president of the IFC. I intend to win. And I warn you, if the election does not take place as announced, I will go to the college officials. I will demand that the IFC be dissolved!”

Everyone in the room started talking at once. Dina swept the table with a cold glance. Then, like Vlad, she stalked out. Unlike Vlad, she did not slam the door.

Cyril rapped his knuckles on the table. “May we please have some order?”

“Shhh!” Penny said. “Come on, people!”

Slowly quiet returned.

“I have a statement to make,” Cyril announced. “We in the IFC have taken on an important mission here at Emerson. We want to promote international friendship and understanding. And I believe we do a pretty fair job of carrying out that mission.”

“Hear, hear!” J. P. murmured.

Cyril gave him a grateful glance, then continued. “I’ve liked serving as president. I was looking forward to passing the job on. However, I will not let all we’ve worked so hard to build be destroyed by factionalism. Unless I see some radical improvement in the climate inside the club, I intend to stand for reelection. If that happens, my platform will be to build unity and to combat any effort to bring external quarrels into the IFC.”

“Hear, hear!” J. P. said again. Some of the others clapped.

Nancy was not happy about the direction her thoughts were taking. Only moments before, Dina had accused Cyril of plotting to hold onto the presidency of the IFC. Now he was announcing a plan to run for reelection. That gave Dina’s accusations more weight.

Nancy realized that she didn’t know Cyril at all. He seemed nice enough on first acquaintance. Bess had certainly taken to him, and not just because of his cute accent.

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