Page 37 of Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Book
“I didn’t mean white!” Melody hastened to add. “I meant Christian!”
Six of one, half a dozen of the other, thought Mara. “For your information, I was raised Methodist, and unlike many of your fellow holier-than-thou types, I do my best to follow the teachings of Jesus.”
“I, I...” Melody fumbled for the right words.
Mara sighed. It wasn’t her first time at the racist rodeo. “You know what I think, Melody? I think you’re scared that your children are going to open a book and discover the truth. They’ll realize that the Holocaust happened and that slavery was worse than they ever imagined. They’ll find out that both men and women like sex and that gay and trans folks are just regular people. These seem to be the things you’re trying so hard to hide from them. Why is that?”
Melody straightened her spine. “They just aren’t in keeping with our way of life.”
“So you’re worried your children will be lured off the righteous path?”
Melody smiled with relief. The conversation could end now. “Exactly.”
“But isn’t the whole point that each personchoosesthe right path in life, instead of being tricked into taking it?” Mara asked. “Why not give your kids the freedom to make their own decisions?”
“When they’re adults, they can make any decisions they like. Until then, we’re their parents and it’sourdecision what they check out at the library.”
“But you have no right whatsoever to make those decisions for other people’s children,” Mara pointed out. “And that’s what you’ve done by taking books off the shelves. You’re denying your neighbors their freedom to raisetheirkids as they see fit.”
“If children are in danger, someone needs to step in.”
They were going around in circles. Mara could see Melody wasn’t going to stray from her talking points. Whether she was brainwashed or stubborn, Mara couldn’t say for sure. “Before I go and leave you to your research, letme ask one more question—what should I do with the mushroom guide you were reading?”
Melody’s brow furrowed. “I don’t understand,” she said.
“Well, you came in today planning to use that book to commit murder. I’m thinking maybe we need to takeAField Guide to the Mushrooms of Georgiaoff the shelves.”
“That’s ridiculous,” Melody said.
“Is it?” Mara asked. “If we hadn’t spotted you reading it, that book could have killed a man. Who knows what horrible things would happen if a kid ever got their hands on that guide.”
“Oh, I see what you’re doing.” Melody wasn’t stupid.
“Do you?” Mara wanted her to say it out loud.
“Without that field guide, people could end up eating poisonous mushrooms. It needs to stay in the library.”
“But if it could make a good Christian woman like you kill her husband—”
Melody rolled her eyes. “The book didn’t make me want to kill my husband.”
“It didn’t lure you off the righteous path?” Mara asked.
“No.”
“Are you sure?” Mara pressed her. “The book didn’t have anything to do with it?”
“I said no,” Melody replied bluntly.
“So do you think there’s a chance that some of the booksyou’velabeled dangerous might actually be able to help some people?”
Melody glared at her. “Maybe,” she finally conceded.
“Just checking,” Mara said. She got up and stood at the door of her office. “The computer password isNancyPearl. I hope you find a good attorney.”
Mara left the mayor’s soon-to-be-ex-wife sitting at her desk and returnedA Field Guide to the Mushrooms of Georgiato its rightful place on the shelf.
Chapter 15
