He looked around the table, his dark, seamed face pulled into sardonic lines. Only shareholders can pick berries on Association land, Joy? That means no white Park rats or black Park rats or Filipino Park rats can pick berries on Park land? It was clear that Auntie Joy hadn‘t thought of it that way. Not what I mean, she said. I talk about—

It‘s what would happen, though. Old Sam sat back and folded his arms. I‘m not saying we can‘t do it. I‘m saying we shouldn‘t. It‘ll probably cost us more money than it‘ll make us, and how we gonna enforce it? We gonna hire rent-a-cops and dress them up in NNA uniforms with our ugly-ass logo all over ‘em and turn ‘em loose? Yeah, that‘ll work, especially if we hire our own and give them sidearms. He paused to let the rest of them imagine what would happen if they put somebody like Josep Shugak in a uniform so he could enforce tribal law on sworn enemy Sergei Sondergaard‘s ass. There would be blood, and not over who picked what berries where.

But mostly, Old Sam said, we shouldn‘t do it because it‘ll just piss people off. We got enough berries to share, I say let everybody pick ‘em where they find ‘em. It‘s the generous thing to do, and it‘ll keep the peace in the Park. For a while anyway. He said the last words under his breath, and only Kate heard them.

There was a brief silence. Is there any more debate? Kate said.

Demetri raised his hand. Kate recognized him and he said, No matter how low the fee is, people will resent it. It won‘t stop them picking. They‘ll just avoid the marked areas so they won‘t have to pay the fee, and look for unmarked areas to pick in. Some of those areas are private property, especially the areas you can drive to. I‘m sorry, Joy, but something like this just seems like kick-starting a war. Another silence. Anything more to debate? Kate said.

There wasn‘t.

Very well, Kate said. The question before the board is on the adoption of the motion to charge a fee for nonshareholders to pick berries on Association lands. All in favor?

Auntie Joy raised a defiant hand. Ulanie Anahonak raised hers, too.

All opposed?

Everyone else raised their hand.

The nays have it, the motion is defeated. It was the longest Auntie Joy had gone without her usual radiant smile, and for a moment there Kate was afraid she might even burst into tears. I have an item of new business, too, she said, leaping into the breach. As you all know, what with the discovery of the ore deposits at the Suulutaq Mine and the influx of people and the increase in business in the Park, we‘ve been getting a lot of pressure to bring in a cell phone service. Demetri raised an eyebrow but refrained from comment.

Two phone companies have already approached me and two other members of the board to inquire into the prospect of a partnership with the Niniltna Native Association in the construction and operation of a cell phone service. Mostly they need someone to run interference with Park rats for site selection for cell towers, for which they are willing to give the Association a percentage of the proceeds. I move that we create a subcommittee to conduct negotiations with these companies and any others that pop up in the meantime, with the caveat that the subcommittee‘s primary function is to look after shareholder interests and not the cell phone company‘s interests.