CHAPTER 13

The election went as predicted. Landslide victory for Clay Puppington. Forghetty was in his former office early in the morning clearing out his things while Clay was sleeping in. much to his sadness Clay was awakened earlier than he wanted to be via telephone by the nagging voices of Ms. Censordoll and reverend Putty. They spared no moment, for them it was time to get Moralton back on track, and Clay was needed for the busy work.

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Clay upon entering city hall was met with Dolly, the mayor's intern introduced herself. "Why hello mister mayor Puppington, my name is Dolly. I'll be your intern, I do your coffee errands and move paperwork from place to place usually." Clay was admittedly put off by her straight forward introduction, Clay had hoped to slip by undetected.

"Uh..nice to meet you...uh could you point me to..." Clay sighed: "My office?"

"Of course! Right this way." Dolly led Clay up to the second floor and to a grand hall, Clay observed various newspaper cutouts, and pictures of past mayor's accomplishments. Clay was wishing that his name and face would be nowhere in sight in the future. Dolly opened to the office, It was a long stretched out office bigger than his whole apartment space. Past mayor's had stone face busts across the walls and in the center of it all was a giant desk and chair. "This is the office, if you have any questions or anything I'm just a speed dial away on the phone here."

"Thanks...I'll take it from here I'm waiting for Ms. Censordoll anyway." Dolly gave a look at Clay who sat at his new desk.

"So its true that you are working with the reverend and...her?" Clay just looked off into the blank eyes of one of the face busts.

"That's how I got here..."

"Do you think they have the best interests of the town in mind?"

"The heck if I know. Does it even matter in the end?"

"Well you are the mayor, its what you were elected to do." Clay turned around in his swivel chair, he actually found the chair amusing, he'd never had a swivel chair.

"From what I've seen, I'm the 'popular vote' so of course I must be the man of the people. Fair assumption?"

"I mean yes in a way..." Just then the doors to the office opened once more to reveal Ms. Censordoll. Dolly cringed inwardly and took it as her cue to go, before going she said her goodbyes to Clay, Censordoll hardly paid her any attention walking past her with no expression or acknowledgement. Clay was having a little fun spinning around in his chair until he realized Censordoll had snuck up on him. He stopped in his tracks and offered an awkward smile.

"Enjoying the fruits of our labor Mr. Puppington?" Censordoll glared at Clay for seemingly having a little fun in his chair.

"Aheh, trying to..?" Clay blushed.

"We have to right the ship of this damned town, Mr. Puppington."

"Alright, whats first?" Clay genuinely curious what this new job entailed.

"Since the plan of the financial future of the town have been rectified I'll need you to sign off on several forms." She handed Clay a bunch of papers to sign.

"And what does that mean?"

"You do not really need to know. Less stress on your mind." In truth the papers were to give Ms. Censordoll her much needed compensation to do the dirty work of protests to ensure the town's subservience. Of course there were various other agreements that needed to be made. Mayor Forghetty was placing all his faith in attracting new businesses and citizens. The very thing Ms. Censordoll didn't need, the less people and different beliefs the better.

"Uh...thanks?" Clay sheepishly said, not un-entirely ungrateful but still a curious as to what she was keeping from him...

"I'll need you to meet with a 'new' resident of Moralton, I foresee they will have a part to play in the next coming years. I've put their address on the following form."

"Who?"

"Junior Christein. He is of the Jewish faith and we need to ensure his complacency as well as their aid. They know who I am so I cannot do it myself."

"They know you? How and why?"

"Once again Mr. Puppington, its best you not know. Just review this form and give them the general details." Censordoll handed him the form and Clay glanced over the bold worded details. It appeared that the Christeins had an important role in the Moralton media in the past and the contract was essentially to give that role back to his family in good faith that nothing legally arose between the mayor's office, Ms. Censordoll and the Christeins family. "I'll leave it at that, might as well keep it simple for your first day. Though you'd be smart to introduce yourself to some of the more important facilities, such as the police and fire department."

"Fine. I'll get right on it..."

"Very good. Do be sure to get that paperwork back to Mr. Puppington." Clay sighed and looked off to the morning sky, it was too early for all this he thought. Clay signed off on the various forms and rang in Dolly to send them off. Then came the matter of this Junior Christein. Clay never heard of the Christeins, the Puppington family was usually "off gird" at the judgment of Arthur Puppington. Really the only time they showed their faces in town was during church, and when Angela had passed on Arthur kept Clay out of sight for the most part.

Clay made his way to what happened to be Junior Christeins residence, Clay never really gave other religion and their followers much thought. It neither bothered nor appealed to him to learn more about those types. This would be the first time he'd ever interacted with someone of another flock. Clay knocked at the door and was met with Junior himself.

"Um, hello, my name is Clay Puppington!"

"You- you're the new mayor right?"

"That's me! But don't tell anybody." Clay attempted to joke but more so didn't want people to know.

"To what do I owe the honor?"

"I actually had something I wanted you to sign off on..."

"I trust you of all people know us, Christeins don't sign off anything without a lawyer present?"

"Well if you need to, but I think this document is very much in your favor."

"let me see it." Clay handed off the paper to Junior and indeed the document was mostly in favor for his family. "Why now, Mr. Puppington?" Clay had to come up with a lie, he really had no idea to be fair, but he knew he couldn't point the finger at Ms. Censordoll.

"Because I see you more as an ally than enemy."

"Is that so?"

"Of course! You Christeins have a knack for media distribution in Moralton, you're better than that Figurelli to be trusted in the department. "

"Its just this is all so sudden I thought I'd have to work a little harder to get back on top."

"I have word from the previous mayor you were heading back to Moralton, and he made a good case for your 'pardon' of all the past stuff."

"I'll need to review all this and get back to you."

"Fine. I'll be in touch Mr. Christien. Get back to me soon."

"I will, Mr. Puppington."

Clay grumbled at Junior's reluctance, Ms. Censordoll would most likely be unimpressed. Clay also opted to not show his face much out in town, he told his secretary he was done for the day and said his goodbyes to Dolly. He had enough for today.