The harbor town of Marlow had always depended on its fishing fleet, but over the past decade the catch had shrunk steadily. Council members debated whether to invest in a new cold-storage warehouse or to convert the old docks into a tourist promenade. Supporters of the warehouse argued that it would let fishermen hold their catch until prices rose, protecting about two hundred jobs. Opponents replied that fewer fish meant the warehouse would sit half empty, while a promenade could bring cafes, boat tours, and seasonal workers. A consultant hired by the council estimated the warehouse would cost four million coins and the promenade six million, though the promenade might repay itself within eight years. Residents attended three public meetings; at the first, anger dominated, at the second, practical questions about parking and noise, and at the third a surprising compromise emerged. The compromise proposed a smaller warehouse on the north dock and a modest promenade on the south dock, financed partly by a regional grant and partly by a small harbor fee on visiting yachts. The mayor promised a final vote in spring and asked the consultant to publish the assumptions behind every number so that citizens could check them for themselves. Meanwhile the fishermen formed a cooperative to negotiate better prices with restaurants in the nearby city, hoping to prove that the old trade still had a future. Whatever the council decides, most residents agree that Marlow must change soon, and that the decision should be made openly rather than behind closed doors.