He did not want to oppose his lawyer, but Clive knew the lawsuit loss was decisive. And he was not about to throw good money after bad. There would be no appeal. He had wanted the property for his factory. It would have been a glorious, green facility. It would have employed hundreds of locals. It would have been good for the economy. But alas. The site was too close to the estuary. Too close to the preserve. At least according to the local brand of conservationists. They protected what they called nature at all costs.

Clive was concerned about nature and ecology too. He was a steward of the land. He always had been. But the lawsuit was not about conservation or stewardship. Not really. It had been about power and prestige and money. But the conservationists were wrong about Clive. He would not use his power and prestige and money for a new pitched battle to test their resolve as they suggested in their closing argument. Instead, he would find a new site where he could integrate his factory into the land and benefit the people. He would find a place where true stewardship could be practiced.