Mayor Bob Histon looked out at the attendees of his first ever town hall meeting.  He was pleased to see most of the seats in school's auditorium were filled. Pastor Paul had mentioned it in last Sunday's church newsletter and Joe Clawson has posted a full page ad in the weekly paper. He could feel the anticipation, as the citizens waited for the meeting to begin.  This town had been in a real slump since the Pretty Kitty Mine downsized, and his announcement was the first step in his revitalization plan.

"Folks," he began smiling broadly., "I have wonderful news. The Powers That Be up in Denver are sending us a real Sheriff.  And once we have consistent law enforcement in place, I know we'll be in a position to attract new businesses to Katz City."

"When's he getting here, Bob," an elderly cat questioned from one of the middle seats. "Not that we have any crime to speak of, but it might make some folks feel safer once he's on duty."

"Our new Sheriff will be arriving next Saturday on the 3:00 train out of Denver and I want as many folks as possible down at the train station to greet him. Dr.Kirki has already promised that the school band will be on hand and that Ms. DuClaw will have her art students create a wonderful welcome to Katz City banner."

"Why don't we take him down to Madame Suzette's," slurred a drunken voice from the back of the hall.  Them girls of hers could make a feller feel real welcome."

"Don't you know Madame Suzette don't own the Cat House no more," someone piped up.  "She's sold it to a feller from back east named Weazel Felinerino.  Now I ask you what kind of feller would get hisself named Weazel?"

"A gangster,"  a sickenly familiar voice answered as Harlan popped up from his seat like some kind of demonic jack in the box.  "Don't you all read the news.  The east coast is run by gangsters. There's this one gang, the Ornery Orangutans that control a whole major east coast city. They even run the city jail."  He lowered his voice and very clearly enunciating every syllable said. "They've got the guards in that there jail bringing them contraband items secreted in their bodily orifices."

That tidbit of news ran like wildfire through the auditorium as the citizens turned to each other and repeated what they'd just heard. Each one ramped up the horror of the situation, until they had mentally turned Katz City into the type of desperate town featured on tv.  All that was needed was for Harlan to mention vampires and zombies to seal the deal.  Mayor Histon felt his blood pressure rise, his ears flatten back and his tail start to twitch as he watched his carefully planned town hall meeting turn it into an exercise in stupidity. For moral support, he glanced over at Pastor Paul who meeting his eyes, quietly pointed at Harlan, mouthed the words, "prison guard," and then started to laugh.

"Oh yes that's it." Mayor Histon thought to himself, and then pounding  the gavel on the podium. shouted "Order!" Leaning forward, he continued in a very conciliatory tone as he folded his paws, " Deputy Sheriff Katz you just may be on to something."

Harlan swiveled around to face him.

"Let's suppose this Weazel character brings a whole posse of Ornery Orangutans with him when he moves into the Cat House. And then once they're in town, them Orangutans start marching up and down Main Street doing whatever it is Ornery Orangutans do. " He leaned forward over the podium. "Are you with me here, Harlan?"

Harlan, smiling, nodded his head in agreement.

"And I am forced to ask our new Sheriff to arrest the lot of them and toss them into the city jail. Who guards our city jail, Harlan?

"I do."

"So just who would be the feller sneaking in the contraband items, how did you put it, secreted in his bodily orifice?"

"Me," he squeaked.

"Now Harlan, let's be reasonable here, do you honestly think them Orangutans are going to want to smoke a cigarette or anything else once it's been living up your butt?"

"That's right, laugh, " Harlan squawked as the auditorium erupted.  Sinking back into his seat, he thought to himself, "We'll see who's laughing once that Weazel moves to town."

TO BE CONTINUED