“Ed,” he said, “hey. Have a seat. What can I do for you?” “Well . . .” “Come up, speak up, man,” the mayor said. “I’ve got things to do, you know.” “Yes, sir. We, uh, have a problem.” “With what?” “Well . . . the river.” “We have a problem with the Mississippi River?” the mayor asked. “Uh, yes, sir,” Pearson, said, “that’s the river I’m talking about.” “Don’t get smart with me, Ed,” the mayor said. “What do you mean, we have a problem?” “Well, it’s raining upriver—hard.” “And what’s that got to do with us?” “It’s affecting the river.” “In what way?” the mayor asked. “Don’t make me drag this out of you, Ed.” “The river is rising—it’s rising fast.”