Mrs. Goodwater nodded, held up her hands, and there was silence.
Elmira held tight to Tom's hand. Tom kept his eyes shut, wincing.
"Ladies," Elmira said, "I sympathize with you. I know what you've been through these last ten years. I know why you voted for Mrs. Goodwater here. You've got boys, girls, and men to feed. You've got budgets to follow. You couldn't afford to have your milk sour, your bread fall, or your cakes as flat as wheels. You didn't want mumps, chicken pox, and whooping cough in your house all in three weeks. You didn't want your husband crashing his car or electrocuting himself on the high-tension wires outside town. But now all of that's over. You can come out in the open now. No more heartburns or backaches, because I've brought the good word and we're going to exorcise this witch we've got here!"
Everybody looked around but didn't see any witch.
"I mean your president!" cried Elmira.
"Me!" Mrs. Goodwater waved at everyone.
"Today," breathed Elmira, holding onto the desk for support, "I went to the library. I looked up counteractions. How to get rid of people who take advantage of others, how to make witches leave off and go. And I found a way to fight for all our rights. I can feel the power growing. I got the magic of all kinds of good roots and chemicals in me. I got ..." She paused and swayed. She blinked once. "I got cream of tartar and ... I got ... white hawkweed and milk soured in the light of the moon and ..." She stopped and thought for a moment. She shut her mouth and a tiny sound came from deep inside her and worked up through to come out the corners of her lips. She closed her eyes for a moment to see where the strength was.
"Mrs. Brown, you feelin' all right?" asked Mrs. Goodwater.
"Feelin' fine!" said Mrs. Brown slowly. "I put in some pulverized carrots and parsley root, cut fine; juniper berry ..."
Again she paused as if a voice had said STOP to her and she looked out across all those faces.
The room, she noticed, was beginning to turn slowly, first from left to right, then right to left.
"Rosemary roots and crowfoot flower ..." she said rather dimly. She let go of Tom's hand. Tom opened one eye and looked at her.
"Bay leaves, nasturtium petals ..." she said.
"Maybe you better sit down," said Mrs. Goodwater.
One lady at the side went and opened a window.
"Dry betel nuts, lavender and crab-apple seed," said Mrs. Brown and stopped. "Quick now, let's have the election. Got to have the votes. I'll tabulate."
"No hurry, Elmira," said Mrs. Goodwater.
"Yes, there is." Elmira took a deep trembling breath. "Remember, ladies, no more fear. Do like you always wanted to do. Vote for me, and ..." The room was moving again, up and down. "Honesty in government. All those in favor of Mrs. Goodwater for president say 'Aye.'"
"Aye," said the whole room.
"All those in favor of Mrs. Elmira Brown?" said Elmira in a faint voice.
She swallowed.
After a moment she spoke, alone.
"Aye," she said.
She stood stunned on the rostrum.
A silence filled the room from wall to wall. In that silence Mrs. Elmira Brown made a croaking sound. She put her hand on her throat. She turned and looked dimly at Mrs. Goodwater, who now very casually drew forth from her purse a small wax doll in which were a number of rusted thumbtacks.
"Tom," said Elmira, "show me the way to the ladies' room."
"Yes'm."
They began to walk and then hurry and then run. Elmira ran on ahead, through the crowd, down the aisle.... She reached the door and started left.
"No, Elmira, right, right!" cried Mrs. Goodwater.
Elmira turned left and vanished.