At last the mayor took the lectern again and began to introduce Tomlinson. “We are very privileged tonight to have with us…”

Jake felt as tense as a bowstring. He knew that a mile or so away, Tim Younger and his crew were going through their final countdown with the MHD generator, listening to the speeches piped to them through a direct radio link, waiting for Tomlinson’s cue to turn the generator on. He crossed the fingers of both his hands.

“… and here he is,” the mayor said, his sweaty face beaming, “our next United States senator, Benjamin Franklin Tomlinson!”

The band blared the first few bars of the Marine Corps hymn and Tomlinson stepped to the lectern, tall and handsome and smiling. The crowd cheered as he shook hands with the mayor, then raised his arms above his head.

Suddenly everything hushed. Tomlinson adjusted one of the microphones on the lectern, then began, “Thank you, Mr. Mayor. And thank all of you for coming here tonight for this wonderful celebration.”

While Tomlinson spoke on and the evening grew darker, Jake’s whole body tensed with anticipation. It’ll work, he told himself. It’s got to work. Tomlinson talked about new industry and new jobs for Lignite and the entire state. He ostentatiously held up the box with the big red button that was supposed to turn on the MHD generator.

“… and every light, every decoration, every watt of electricity to power the entire town,” Tomlinson was saying, “will come from the MHD generator that stands just a mile or so up the road from this spot.”

Total silence. No one moved. It seemed to Jake that no one even breathed. It was dark now, the only light coming from the lingering twilight glow in the western sky.

“All right, then,” Tomlinson said, “let’s turn on the lights!” And he stabbed at the big red button.

Jake’s heart stopped. And then the whole square, the entire town lit up. Huge beautiful lights of red, white, and blue. The Statue of Liberty stood outlined in lights on one side of the square, the marching men of The Spirit of ’76 on the other.

The crowd gasped, then applauded and roared its approval. Jake started to breathe again.

Fireworks erupted into the sky. The crowd loved it, oohing and aahing with each colorful burst. It went on and on, until Jake’s neck became stiff from watching.

The square was brilliantly lit, and after the final burst of multicolored fireworks, the mayor grabbed the microphone again and invited everybody to the barbeque that was waiting on the far side of the square.

Jake pushed through the surging, laughing, chattering crowd toward the platform, where Tomlinson and the others were coming down the steps.

Tomlinson spotted Jake and waved to him. As Jake got within arm’s reach, Tomlinson grabbed his hand and pumped it happily.