The Child Buyer

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Book: Read The Child Buyer for Free Online
Authors: John Hersey
Tags: Literature, LANGUAGE. LINGUISTICS. LITERATURE
SKYPACK. You called him a troublemaker.
    Mr. OWING. Not exactly.
    Senator SKYPACK. Did you or didn't you call him a troublemaker?
    Mr. OWING. The point is, the violence, as you call it, is quite outside the authority of the school system. If we asked our schools to take on matters that properly belong in the home, the church, the town hall—
    Mr. BROADBENT. Do you have any idea who was behind the assault on the Rudd home?
    Mr. OWING. I will say this to you: I think Mr. Cleary may have caused some trouble by short-cutting things, by going directly to the Rudd family after my briefing without waiting to talk with the child buyer. I mean, on the basis of the information I was able to give him—
    Mr. BROADBENT. And that this may have had some connection with the night attack by a gang of hoodlums on the Rudd family home?
    Mr. OWING. No, no, I didn't say that.
    Mr. BROADBENT. Can you give us an account of the attack?
    Mr. OWING. All I meant was that Mr. Cleary was hasty. Or may have been.
    Mr. BROADBENT. You don't believe he was behind the assault?
    Mr. OWING. As I understand it, all or most of the windows were broken. Some sort of ordure or slop was poured down the chimney. I was telephoned by the police at nigh onto midnight, I was dead to the world, I thank God for the talent for sound sleep even after a parlous day. Let's see, it must have taken place at about eight, nine. The police had succeeded in capturing only one person—running away down the street; and you'll never guess who that was.
    Mr. BROADBENT. We know, sir, who it was.
    Mr. OWING. Barry Rudd.
    Mr. BROADBENT. Yes, we knew that. On another point: We understand that Miss Perrin, the Rudd boy's teacher, has been strongly opposed to Mr. Jones's purchase of this boy. Why would that be, sir?
    Mr. OWING. Imagine my astonishment when I heard that that
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    THE CHILD BUYEB
    young genius, with his enigmatic face, was in jail like a common criminal! But I thought, you never can tell with these precocious ones— Mr. BROADBENT. Why are some people fighting this excellent
    proposition?
    Mr. OWING. She's a fine, patriotic lady. She has the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights tacked on the underside of every desk top in her room.
    Senator SKYPACK. That second thing you mentioned there, Bill of Rights, isn't that where they have all those amendments? The Fifth Amendment's in that, isn't it, Broadbent? Mr. BROADBENT. The first ten amendments, I believe— Senator SKYPACK. You call that patriotic, Owing? Holding up the Fifth Amendment to every kid?
    Mr. BROADBENT. Mr. Owing, do you call what she is alleged to have done in fomenting and leading a teachers' strike, some years back—a strike, in effect, against taxpayers and little children—you call that patriotic, sir? But on another point, Mr. Owing, about this bomb that was thrown— Senator MANSFIELD. Mr. Broadbent!
    Mr. BROADBENT. About this stink bomb that was thrown, could you tell us—
    Mr. OWING. Miss Perrin has always— Senator MANSFIELD. I must say, Mr. Owing-Mr. OWING. It came in a window. As near as we can make out, it was lobbed in one of the auditorium windows from the asphalt playground outside. It landed about four feet in front of the apron of the stage, and it made a yellow cloud. Phui! I never!
    Mr. BROADBENT. Have you any theory as to who might have— Mr. OWING. You were asking about Mr. Wissey Jones and enrichment—
    Mr. BROADBENT. Mr. Chairman, I give up. Uncle.
    Senator MANSFIELD. Thank you, Mr. Owing, you may be excused. We appreciate your coming up here to testify.
    Mr. OWING. Enrichment—
    Senator SKYPACK. Is there a bailiff? Could we have a bailiff?
    Senator MANSFIELD. Mr. Broadbent, kindly escort Mr. Owing . . . Yes. That's it. Thank you.
    Senator VOYOLKO. Who was that fella?
    Senator MANSFIELD. Thank you, Mr. Broadbent. And now.
    Mr. BROADBENT. We will hear Mr. Sean Cleary.
    Senator MANSFIELD. Please be sworn, Mr. Cleary.
    Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you will offer

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