“The struggle of insecure men to assert strength and superiority of position is tragic and bleak, but would be real comedy if we didn't have to be part of it in real life.”

Captain Lee's succinct explanation stayed in Captain MacMurray's head as the other participants of the “struggle meeting” of the day arrived and oriented themselves around the table … Commissioner Scott went to the head, of course, and Captain Lee had contented himself at the rear … but really, the arrangement indicated the informal arrangement of power on the force. 

 Winfred Scott was chief and commissioner owing to short-handedness in high places caused by purging of corruption initiated by the man at the other end of the table … thus, having set the conditions for the man at the head to be at the head, Captain Lee was content at the rear. 

Captain Oriole of Western precinct had worked alongside Captain Lee in their great January struggle; he sat down at Captain Lee's right hand.  Captain Garrison, who was over Vice, would have sat down at Captain Lee's left, but since Captain MacMurray had taken that spot, he was glad to meet Captain MacMurray and sat down next to him.

Captain Herman of Central came in and sat down by Captain Oriole … he had been won over by Captain Lee because Captain Lee had glorified Homicide and its favorite lieutenant, Lieutenant James Hummel, and Homicide was part of Central.  The way Captain Lee had humbly behaved himself and spread credit all around had changed Captain Herman's mind about Captain Lee's character and intents … and plus, Lieutenant Hummel had been in his ears all week.

A certain number of people weary of the foolishness had arrayed themselves around Commissioner Scott as well … a certain number of captains were as tired as Captain MacMurray was, and they instinctively mirrored their chief's annoyance as they all arrayed themselves at the table around the commissioner.

Thus, those who wanted to start trouble found themselves surrounded by either allies to Captain Lee or colleagues just as tired of them as Captain MacMurray – this was about to go just about the way things had gone in history when the chiefs of the Scottish clans on the highland had gotten together and a goodly portion of them had decided they needed to put some troublemaking chiefs back in order.  But then again, the commissioner's name was Winfred Scott … and, he was an Ulster Scot, to boot.  

Captain MacMurray had been told by his relatives that there were plenty of Scottish and Scotch-Irish traditions alive and well in the South of the United States.  He just hadn't expected to see this in a departmental meeting … so he had to try really hard not to laugh.

The meeting presumably was about reallocation of department resources … several of the captains were “concerned” about the resources allocated to the Blue Ridge precinct in January under the new budgetary conditions … as if the circumstances of the previous two weeks had not constituted an emergency.

Captain Lee had his paperwork in order, and even had it ready for digital presentation … and so proceeded to take over the meeting called to get at him, showing how he had made use of the resources and had been and was making excellent use of them.  The man was nothing if not efficient, and shrewdly pointed up the long-term benefits to the department of how he had made use of its resources.  Captain Oriole backed him up on the side of the day-to-day working of the precinct, and Captains Garrison and Herman backed him up on the side of Special Investigations's assistance to both Vice and Homicide that month.

“Wow, Captain Lee,” Commissioner Scott said.  “I mean I've been reading your reports and your accounting all month, but when you see it laid out visually … I'm so glad we scheduled this meeting, because there was so much to be learned in how much we can work together and run this department so much better with our limited resources.  I really have to hand it to you.”

Captain MacMurray could not even look at the captains who looked like they were going to melt into their seats … he would have burst out laughing.

“I would really appreciate if you would distill this into a model for the department for future implementation,” the commissioner continued.

“Sir, at your request I will gladly do so.”

Commissioner Scott smiled gently.

“Does anyone else have any questions or comments?”

No one said a peep, so the commissioner adjourned the meeting … certain folks left even angrier, frustrated, and powerless than when they came in because now Captain Lee had openly consolidated his power at their expense.  It had been a proverbial bloodbath, and the subtle smile between the commissioner and his favorite captain indicated that indeed, that had been the plan all along.  

“Commissioner Scott is tired of all the complaining,” Captain Lee explained to Captain MacMurray later, “and called this meeting for the purpose of putting it to bed for good.  He thought I could think of something, and I think he is satisfied now.”

“Man, look, you unseamed them from the nave to the chops, to quote that old slander on good King MacBeth that Shakespeare wrote!” Captain MacMurray said.

“I have read the actual life story of King MacBeth, and indeed, Shakespeare did him wrong,” Captain Lee said.  “But that is one of the lines from the play that I do take as a bit of tactical inspiration, from time to time.  Our department is as clannish as anything you might compare it to in your country's history, so I am informed by my own connection to England and Scotland's long histories how I have to operate.”

“Don't tell me you have Highland blood too!”

“The main branch of the Lees-of-the-mountain all derive from Horatio Lee, and his second wife's name was Ainslee MacMurray.  My grandfather Horace is their last surviving son, born in 1932.”

“No wonder!  I knew there was a connection!  Ainslee's big brother Dougal MacMurray decided he just couldn't bear to leave the Highland, but Ainslee wrote him to tell him, the mountains are the highland here.'  So, he moved over, and so did the brother next to him, but not the youngest brother – my great-great-grandfather Angus MacMurray stayed!  But the point is – you all are the 'Highland mountaineer cousins' my grandparents used to joke about!”

“Correct, although the Lees-of-the-mountain are not the true Highland mountaineers, because we are really too English … Mama Ainslee's other relatives are the actual heirs to that title.”

“You're close enough!  The way you handled these people today!  I knew there had to be a Highlander in there somewhere!”

As Captain MacMurray rejoiced, the great-grandchild of Ainslee MacMurray reconsidered his entire life, and smiled … so often he thought about “Light-Horse” Harry Lee, and Sir Henry Lea all the way back to the time of Richard the Lionhearted … but even Darcy Bowler, the killer he had arrested, had told him that there was more to think about than just his Lee resemblances.  There was a lot more to the story … and this rejoicing cousin from Scotland had just reminded him.