The sharp sound of the gavel coming down again on its sounding block halted the disruptive behaviors.
It took a few moments, but eventually the voices stilled and the volume levels dropped.
As the room quieted, Nayeli placed a hand on her father's arm before stepping forward.
"If you please," Nayeli said, raising her voice so that it rang throughout the room, "I have something to say."
Instantly, silence descended in the chamber.
"You have the floor," the U.N. Chairman said.
"Thank you," Nayeli said. She took a breath, then looked around the room at the general assembly. 193 members according to her research, with the additions of staff, translators, and any other random employees who could fit into the room. It was packed, and Nayeli had only just realized how many there were as every pair of eyes focused on her. She straightened her spine. "You have made good and valid points," She said, "But you're not taking something into account. No, we aren't human, but neither are we helpless, voiceless, and unreasoning creatures. Gargoyles have been around for centuries, and have been doing the same thing they have since the beginning. Protect." Nayeli took a step forward and met the Chairman's eyes. She'd seen the wisdom there, the patience and the willingness to listen. It was easier to focus on one person then the hundreds of others. "Gargoyles protect. It is the gargoyle way, and passed from generation to generation. My clan, my family, has been in Manhattan for over ten years now, and have adopted everything from North to South, from river to river, as their protectorate. It has only been a few years since they have become officially members of the New York Police department, and yes," she said, trying to cut off any objections, "while the point was raised that what they had done before could be termed as vigilantism, in the beginning they had no other choice. They faced fear, anger, and derision, and while it would have been so easy to stop, they persevered. Now, they have pushed themselves to undergo the training, to learn the laws of the land, and to work with their fellow officers to be able to protect within the limits of the law. We have applied for citizenship, and have become official citizens of the United States, recognized by the government as such.
"Now," she said, putting authority into her voice, "you're asking us to take a giant step back. No, we're not humans," she said, "but declaring us an "endangered species" will only make humans think of us as animals. I believe that to be a mistake, and one that would take generations to correct."
The silence that followed her words was heavy, and Nayeli worried that she'd pushed her luck. She glanced over her shoulder at her father who didn't smile, but gave her a nod in agreement.
"You have made a good argument, young one," the Chairman said, giving her an encouraging smile, "and one that we will need to talk about in depth. Now, there was one more suggestion made, other than the endangered species, and I would like to hear your thoughts on it."
"The suggestion for becoming a sovereign nation?" Nayeli swallowed nervously. "I have thoughts," she said slowly, "but I'm not sure I would feel comfortable discussing it without speaking to my clan. We are a family, and every voice should be heard."
The Chairman smiled then. "Your family is important to you, isn't it?"
"My family is everything," Nayeli said firmly, turning when she felt the familiar weight of her father's hand on her shoulder.
"As it should be," The Chairman said. He straightened in his seat, "The gargoyles have given us much to think about, and as they are able to make their wants and needs known, we will take that into consideration. I thank you all for your time," He said to the gargoyles. "We will give you more notice when we reconvene on this matter in the future." He turned to the stenographer who was still diligently keeping record and his assistant. "Are there any further matters in the schedule that needs addressing?"
"No sir," the assistant answered.
"No sir," the stenographer answered.
"Well then," he leaned closer to the microphone so that his booming voice could be heard by all. "It is my recommendation that we close this assembly and reconvene at a future date. I hereby declare this meeting of the General Assembly to be closed."
With that, he brought his gavel down with a firm and definite bang that echoed in the closed walls of the large room.
As the echo faded, the hall was filled with voices, chairs scraping back as people rose to their feet and the shuffling of papers.
"You did well," Goliath told Nayeli, pride showing in his eyes.
"I think she's after your job, Goliath," Brooklyn chuckled.
Nayeli shook her head. "No. Not now, anyway. Maybe in the future… the faaaaaar future," she drew out. "For now, I want dad to be in charge for a long time, and you to be his second."
"Aw, shucks, kid," Brooklyn said with one of his patented smirks.
The gargoyles, being large and intimidating to those who had not had previous interactions with them before, remained in the isles so that they would be able to leave without the crush of people leaving at the same time.
Thankful for the consideration, Nayeli shared smiles and waves as they made their way to the doors.
As they were exiting the assembly hall, they entered the almost bland outer hallways that would lead to the outer doors in one direction, and further into the building where offices were located.
They turned towards the large glass fronted entry when Nayeli paused.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, seeking the sound. "It sounds like… a clicking? Maybe a beeping?"
The others froze, their ears straining.
"I hear it as well," Goliath said, looking side to side, trying to locate the cause of the sound.
"Uh, Goliath," Brooklyn said, pointing to the doors, "Call me crazy, but I don't remember that being there when we were coming in."
Everyone followed Brooklyn's direction and spotted the black box that had been attached to the door by a length of chain that had been woven through the handles from the outside.
"Father?" Nayeli asked, uncertainty in the voice that had just addressed hundreds of people with such conviction.
"Back to the hall," Goliath demanded. "We must stop the others from leaving."
"Should I call Mom?" Nayeli asked.
"Yes," Goliath said. He turned to his daughter, "Nayeli, go. Have the Chairman stop everyone. You're the smallest, and can get through the crowd easily."
Nayeli bobbed her head once, then turned to run with the others behind her.