Old Sam grinned his vulpine grin and Kate realized that had come out a little more tart than she‘d meant it. Second, he said.

Harvey, Demetri, and Marlene volunteered for the subcommittee, and the motion was carried with little discussion.

Ulanie Anahonak raised her hand.

The chair recognizes Ms. Anahonak.

Ulanie sat up very straight and pursed her lips. She looked like someone‘s maiden aunt, circa 1900, lacking only the corset and the leg-o‘-mutton sleeves. Although Kate wouldn‘t put it past Ulanie to be wearing a hair shirt underneath her REPEAL ROE T-shirt. I make a motion that we fund an external audit on the Grosdidier brothers‘ clinic.

Kate thought back to those few moments at the clinic, Phyllis Lestinkof in tears as Matt ushered her out, Ulanie leaving without treatment and without displaying any signs of needing any, either. This wasn‘t going to be good.

No one else thought so, either. The silence following Ulanie‘s motion was even more deafening than the silence that had followed Auntie Joy‘s. Annie Mike‘s fingers paused for a moment on her keyboard, and she looked up to meet Kate‘s eyes for a fleeting moment. Second, Kate said, although the tone of her voice left no one in the room under the illusion that she was in favor of Ulanie‘s proposal. Auntie Joy‘s hand was first in the air. The motion before the board is to fund an external audit of the Grosdidier brothers‘ health clinic, Kate said. The floor is open for debate. The chair recognizes Joyce Shugak.

What for this audit? Auntie Joy said straight across the table, glaring at Ulanie. It did not appear that Ulanie‘s support for Auntie Joy‘s berry-picking motion was going to automatically instill reciprocal support in Auntie Joy for Ulanie‘s motion. Those boys good boys. They do good work. They keep us healthy, they save our lives. Not needed to look over their shoulders.

What, Ulanie, Old Sam said, you worried Matt and the gang are dealing prescription drugs out of their garage?

Old Sam did have a way of cutting to the chase.

I don‘t know anything about prescription drugs, Ulanie said, keeping a commendable hold on her temper, but I do know they‘re giving advice about birth control.

Well, that did it. The table erupted. Kate sat back and let it. Riot didn‘t have to be an unproductive process.

Horrors, Ulanie, Marlene said, her voice cutting, is it possible that licensed healthcare professionals are advising women how not to get pregnant? On our dime? In our Park? What is the world coming to?

Demetri looked at Ulanie with obvious distaste. We pay them to look after our health, Ulanie. That includes reproductive health. And the advice they give their patients is none of our damn business.

That was a long speech, coming from Demetri, the second in one day. Had to be a record.

Besides, he said, we run an outside audit of all Association books and activities once a year. The board reports the results to the shareholders every January. Why pay for another that targets only one of our programs? Especially one that‘s doing so much good?