TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA

Thursday—September 1, 2016

            The herd of reporters began to scurry as soon as the bus appeared from out of the depths of the federal prison. 

            The vehicle chugged across the grounds, drawing near to the area outside the front gate where they were all massed.  When the bus pulled up, two guards filed over from the gate house.          

            The door to the bus swung open.  Then, ducking his head, out stepped the source of all this fuss…

            “Krykor, you were convicted of igniting explosives that killed sixty six people—and now you’re out of jail and on the street again after less than three years.  Do you consider that to be fair justice?”

            “Krykor, many consider your early release as political grandstanding by the Piper administration.  With only nine weeks remaining until election day, all the polls now are projecting that Paige Piper is going to lose big.  So, the cynical view out there is that President Piper commuted your sentence only as a desperate ploy to pick up votes.  Would you care to comment?”

            “Krykor, eighty eight per cent of the American people now believe that by killing all those abortionists, you did the right thing.  And most agree that to parole you is proper.  So, do you feel like a folk hero, Krykor?” 

            The giant remained stoic, unspeaking, throughout the siege of questions—not acknowledging the existence of any of them, nor their cameras, nor their sound equipment.  He stepped through the prison gate, and fitted himself into the back of a van that was awaiting him with motor running.

            When Krykor slid the door closed, they all descended on the vehicle.  Some of the more tactless ones began pounding on the tinted windows, demanding attention to their inquiries.

            The van started to creep away from the gate.  As the vehicle accelerated, the hounds gave up the chase—one of them screaming expletives in agony as he was thumped on the nose by a carelessly aimed microphone. 

            And, almost as immediately as the party began...it ended.