Dave addressed the 14 other members of the Student Senate at its weekly meeting.

“There is a problem this august body must resolve. We should call the cops to shut down the drug operation Hussein and Osama are running out of their room.”

Pierre scoffed. “You’ve been on this kick for months, Dave. It’s getting old.”

“Yeah,” Hans parroted. “What do you care? You don’t use drugs. Hussein and Osama haven’t done anything to you… recently. Let sleeping dogs lie.”

“Look, guys… Drugs hurt a lot of people. We’ve seen 30 overdoses in the last year. And it promotes violence. You all remember when Osama slugged me in the stomach, and told me to stay out of their business.”

“Hey!” Pierre was suddenly defensive. “You know we supported you after that. We got over it. You should too.”

“Support?!” Dave responded. “Me, Geoff and Mahmud – just the three of us – had to throw them out of their first meth lab. As I recall, you left a message on my answering machine. You were sorry I had my stomach in a sling. But the next week, when Hussein threatened me, the two of you gained a sudden interest in a nearby soccer game.”

“But we like soccer…” Hans glanced at Pierre, at a loss.

Dave went on. “He continues to threaten me. Besides – the drugs, the threats – it’s all tied in with their operation. We’ve got to shut them down.”

Pierre countered. “You’re acting like they’re in this together…You have no proof of that.”

Thoughtfully, Xiaoling offered, “Hans and I, we did see the two of them selling something at the library…” She shut up when Pierre shot her a look.

“Osama was just having a bad day when he punched you,” Pierre asserted. “No one here has ever even seen them with drugs.”

He ignored three senators as they raised their hands, nodding affirmatively. “And none of this affects the Student Senate anyway.”

“A girl in my Spanish class died from a bad batch of their stuff!” Geoff exclaimed angrily. “How can you say it doesn’t affect anybody?”

“Nonsense,” Hans threw it away. “Could have been a dealer herself.”

“It sounds like you’re protecting them.” Dave examined Hans and Pierre suspiciously. “Why would you do that?”

Ivana chuckled. “Because without Hussein, where would they find another supplier?”

Dave was stunned. “You know this??? How do you know?”

Wide-eyed, Ivana stammered, “Because…Well, uh. I’m not at liberty to say.” She looked for support from Pierre, who glared at her intensely.

Pierre charged back angrily. “Nothing we’ve done has hurt you. It’s just recreation. We haven’t helped him directly. We’ve not committed a crime…”

“I’m calling the police right now!” Dave stood decisively.

“No, wait!” Pierre exclaimed. “Don’t do that. Let’s leave them a note….Tell them to stop. If they’re still at it in a week, the Senate will officially call the police.”

“That’s what you said last month…” Geoff noted. “We gave them five weeks, and look what happened. Nothing.”

Hans nodded knowingly. “We must have patience.”

“I’m going,” declared Dave. “Hans, will you and Xiaoling back me up about what you saw in the library?”

“What library?” Hans asked. “I mean… What?”

“You’re a madman, Dave!” Pierre shouted. “Sit down. We’re in charge here, and you can’t do anything without a majority vote here. You know we are the only defenders of the best interests of the students.”

“I sense there’s more at work here than looking out for students’ interests. Half of you are on the take, it seems!”

Pierre insisted, “I say there is no problem. And besides… we’ll deal with it.”

Geoff stood to join Dave, who declared, “We’re leaving. To hell with all of you!”

“Dave, stop!” Pierre shouted. “Don’t be a renegade. You won’t have the blessing of this Senate.”

Dave and Geoff were unmoved. Pierre tried honey.

“Please don’t leave, guys. We’re your friends… You know that, don’t you?”