The Mystery at Maypenny's

finished, the audience began to applaud. Trixie realized that her jaw was clenched and that she was gripping the arms of her chair. She forced herself to relax and folded her hands in her lap.
    “That wasn’t fair, Trixie!” Honey whispered hoarsely.
    Trixie nodded her agreement, her eyes fixed on the stage where Brian’s partner, Mark Nelson, was walking slowly to the lectern. Even from where she was sitting, Trixie could see that the papers in the boy’s hand were shaking. She felt sorry for Mark, having to follow a speech like Todd’s, but at the same time she hoped he’d do well.
    “When my partner began his speech, he told you that he was going to present some facts and figures about Sleepyside. That’s exactly what he did,” Mark began. “The first negative speaker didn’t present any facts and figures. Instead, he presented flights of fancy. He’d have us believe that the expansion of International Pine on ten acres of land would totally take away our access to nature. If you stop and think about that, even for a moment, you’ll realize that it’s simply not the case. It isn’t all of nature. It’s ten acres—ten acres out of thousands. It’s ten acres that can provide two hundred jobs.”
    Trixie suddenly realized that she’d been holding her breath. She let it out in a long, relieved sigh. Mark was doing exactly what he should, she thought. He was getting the debate back on the track. As she listened, Mark talked about the proposed expansion. Like Brian, he had done a lot of research. He knew how many acres of land International Pine wanted. He knew how many jobs they could provide. He knew how much the company would pay to the town of Sleepyside and to the state in taxes each year.
    “In conclusion,” he said, “I want to remind you that these are the facts. And it is fact, not fantasy, that we must use to form an opinion on this issue.”
    Mark turned and walked back to his seat. Trixie began to applaud loudly, and a few other students joined in. But the loudest sound in the auditorium was that of mumbling, and there were a few boos from the back of the room.
    The boos turned to cheers as Jim VerDoorn stood and walked to the lectern. The boy looked embarrassed, Trixie thought. He seemed to know that his fellow students were applauding because they expected another emotional speech like the one his partner had made. But Jim was not a debater. He was a quiet, serious student whose main interest was science, not public speaking. Trixie hoped that the audience wouldn’t turn against him if he couldn’t live up to Todd’s speaking ability.
    Jim cleared his throat nervously. “The second affirmative speaker says that my partner didn’t present the facts about the International Pine issue. I agree. But that does not mean that the facts do not exist.”
    Jim was speaking so quietly that Trixie found herself leaning forward in order to hear what he was saying.
    Jim cleared his throat again. “It is a fact,” he said, “that forty-seven endangered species of plants exist in the area where International Pine proposes to build its expansion. Ten acres may not seem like much land to the affirmative speakers, but if they represent part of the last place on earth where these plants grow, then those ten acres are too much to lose.
    “It is also a fact,” Jim continued, “that the pollution level in Sleepyside has risen five percent since International Pine first built its factory in this area. It is true that the level is still nowhere near that of New York City. But it is higher than it once was, and it will be even higher if the expansion is completed.”
    As Jim VerDoorn continued, listing facts about the increase in crime in industrial areas, the possibility of water pollution, and the health problems of factory workers, Trixie found herself feeling happy and angry at the same time. She was happy because the facts Jim was listing in his quiet, unexpressive voice were the facts that Brian had hoped would come out in the debate. But she was angry because they were coming out so late.
    Brian had presented the facts of the affirmative case right at the beginning. Todd and his partner had had plenty of time to tear them apart. But with the facts of the negative case coming out only now, when the debate was almost over, it would be hard for Brian to effectively rebut them.
    “Those are the facts that oppose the expansion of International Pine Company,” Jim said finally. “It is not a