Helen saw a small table near the stage, and dragged it
to the entrance. Using both hands, she picked up the donation
jar from her basket and placed it on the table. Next she
arranged the flyers that advertised their availability for
future gigs. She paused a moment to pick up one of their
flyers to admire it. Bob did a really good job when he
designed this one. Their name, "Vocal Strings", almost seemed
to jump out. She liked the way he used musical notes to make
up the letters. Below their band name were pictures of the
three of them. Joe, being the blond handsome guy, stood
slightly behind and between them. She ran her fingers over
the three figures in the picture, tracing out Joe's wavy
blond hair, Bob's curly black hair, and her own long straight
light brown hair. Sighing, she put the flyer down. She needed
to set up the chairs.

"I see you've fixed your broken strings."

"What?" She turned around to see a young man pointing
at the flyer. "Oh, you mean our name change. Yes, we are no
longer the "Broken Strings." Every few months we change our
band name. We'll probably change it again soon."

She walked across the room to get the concert hall's
chairs to set in front of the stage. The young man followed
her, and together they set the chairs in neat staggered rows
in front of the stage. When they had finished, she thanked
the young man. "Thank you very much. Could you do me another
favor?"

He responded by looking questioningly at her.

"Could you point out the donation jar to new people
coming in?"

The young man smiled. "Of course. I'll be glad to do it."

Next, she helped Bob and Joe set up the sound system.
While Bob played his guitar, She walked through the rows of
chairs, signaling to Joe how to adjust the sound.

During this testing period more people began entering
the hall. Some sat down immediately while others congregated
in small groups in the back of the hall. She looked to Joe to
see if he needed any additional sound checks. Joe signaled
the all clear. But unexpectedly, instead of sitting down to
play, he followed his all clear signal by an exaggerated
pointing at the entrance to the Hall.

She turned her head to look. Two tall men, dressed in
very formal suits, had just entered the hall. One of the two
wore an unusually bright red vest, while the other
distinguished himself by his top hat and fancy sash belt tied
to his side.

She quelled the impulse to tell them that they did
not need to have such formal dress for this concert. It would
probably only embarrass them. As she drew nearer Red Vest
smiled and waved to her. She reached them just as Top Hat,
addressing his friendly companion, complained. "Cato, they
don't even have an entrance fee! It's just a donation. What
kind of concert is this?"

She stood speechless for a moment, wondering what
she could say to such an insult.

Cato's smooth mellow voice showed his agreement with
her feelings. "Will, I think having a donation jar is an
excellent idea." He extended his hand to her. "I'm Senator
Cato Irving. My irritating companion is Senator Will Bellum.
I'm sure we'll both enjoy your performance."

Her eyes opened wide. She had almost insulted an
U.S. Senator! Even she had heard of the Senator Cato Irving
of the ethics committee. Why were they here? Surely they were
not here just to critique her performance? As she shook
Cato's hand, she noticed the time on his expensive looking
watch. Smiling at Cato, she apologized. "Thanks. I don't mean
to be short, but now I have to run. It's time for us to
start." As she turned away, she had a second thought. She
turned to face Cato. "I'll introduce you after the concert."

As she jumped up onto the low stage, Joe's watch
chimed to signal beginning time. He took the microphone.
"As senior member of our group, I get to make the
introductions. I'm Joe Athens. Sometimes we call the guitar
player Bob, sometimes we call him Bam, and sometimes we refer
to him as 'just the best guitar player on the planet'." Joe
pointed to Helen. "Helen, our lovely singer, the most
beautiful lady in the world, also answers to the name 'Hat'
Can you guess why?"

Joe paused, then smiled at the audience. "I will
give you this hint. Her last name begins with the letter T."

Joe took a firmer hold of the microphone. "Today is
Saturday, July first, 2090. Why am I reminding you of this?
It's so that when I tell you that today is both Bob's and
Helen's birthday,you will remember it. Of course, I'm not
permitted to tell you what year she came into the world."

She winked at Bob. They had literally run into each
other in the doorway of the music appreciation computer lab.
She fondly remembered being helped up by Joe as she and Bob
untangled themselves in the doorway. Calling them "The Three
Musketeers" expressed only weakly the extent to which their
friendship had since developed.

Helen strode forward and took the microphone from
Joe. "Before I begin my songs, I want to explain why we
have a donation jar instead of preset prices." She waved her
left hand toward Joe and Bob. "We all decided that we wanted
to give everyone, regardless of their money situation,
oportunity to hear our music. At the same time, we felt that
our listeners were the best judge of how valuable our music
was to them. That's why we left a donation jar at the
entrance, and left it there during the performance in case
any of you preferred to pay your donation after the
performance rather than before."

"My first song dates back to the time when almost a third
of our population actually smoked cigarettes."


Oh where do you wish to live?
Wish you to live in fresh air?
What are you willing to give,
what are you willing to dare,
For abundant life to live?

Greatly love Sally did Fred.
"I would like to be your friend."
Sally thus considered Fred.
"We will be able to blend,
if your cigs I need not dread."

One day Fred met with his Aunt.
"I would like to with you be."
How Fred was viewed by his Aunt:
"Your cigs I must never see.
On your visit, smoke you can't."

Different type work wished Fred.
"I'd like to work in Sales."
His boss nixed the plan of Fred.
"Any salesman who smokes, fails.
For smokers do our clients dread."

Came the day Fred's health did fail.
"Now what do I need to do?"
The doctor could not avail.
"There is nothing you can do.
Death is standing at your door."

Helen pulled the microphone slightly closer. "This next
song is a bit more serious."

Blessed are they who seek wisdom rather than
power for they shall not fear nor cause fear.
Blessed are they who seek good both for themselves
and for their neighbors, for they shall have peace.

Blessed are they who seek cooperation in solving problems,
for they shall know the joys of working together.

Blessed are the trustworthy, for they shall inspire trust.

Blessed are they who ask questions rather than only
give answers, for they shall learn and be wise.

Blessed are they who respect the needs of
others, for they shall have no enemies.

Blessed are they who are open to alternative
solutions, for their burden shall be light.

Blessed are they who understand when apparent disagreements
are really agreements disguised by different use
of language, for their quarrels shall be few.

Blessed are they who prefer several good answers over
the one perfect answer, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are they who seek what is right for all rather than
only what is right for themselves, for they will have many
friends.

Blessed are they who do not insist on their own way, but seek
first truth and wisdom, for they will find many good ways.

Blessed are the kind and gentle, for they shall reap what
they sow.

Blessed are they who love for they shall love life.

Blessed are they who are free from expectations
for they shall be free indeed.

Blessed are they who accept others unconditionally,
for they shall be called angels.

Twice blessed are they who enjoy life,
for they know what is good.

Her remaining songs were positive affirmations of her
conviction that through your work, and through the friends
you love, true happiness will come.

After the concert, the trio took their bow with grace,
accepting the audience's enthusiastic applause. She felt warm
with pride in her singing today. She glanced over at Bob, and
caught his appreciative nod; he'd felt it too.

She reached for the microphone stand with one hand.
"Now I'd like to intro. . . Yow!" She crumpled to the stage
floor as a monstrous blue spark of light leaped from the
direction of the microphone stand to her fingers.

When she opened her eyes many faces crowded her view.
She lay on some soft mat and darkness still obscured her
vision. A commanding mellow voice filled her awareness.
"She's awake! Give her room!"

She felt her head with her hands. "What happened?"

"Some kind of electrical fault knocked you out." Bob,
looking worried and concerned, took her hand. "You scared us
a lot by passing out like that. How do you feel?"

She looked around. She found herself backstage behind
a heavy curtain which blocked most of the light. No wonder
she couldn't see very clearly! She began to feel a bit
better. "I'll be fine in a minute. May I have a glass of
water?"

Joe addressed the crowd around him. "Thanks for your
concern, folks. But now we need to pack up our gear and clear
the hall."

Except for the young man who had helped her place
the chairs, the crowd dispersed. He stood, head slightly
bowed, looking at them as if to ask permission to speak. When
Joe nodded his head slightly, he spoke. "That electric spark
didn't come from the microphone. I saw it come through the
window. It flew in a straight line past the microphone stand
right into her hand."

When he saw that their only responses were looks of
astonishment, he turned, walked slowly away, pulled apart the
heavy curtain, and left the hall.

Meanwhile, Senator Bellum and his companion had walked
through the exit door on the opposite side of the hall.
Senator Bellum spoke quietly to his companion. "She promised
to introduce us. She didn't keep her promise."

His companion smiled. "You know, Will, you can be
such a jerk."

Will heard the smile in his friend's voice. "Yes. We
make a good investigative team for the ethics committee. I
jerk the people around, and you look for guilty responses.
We've caught more wrongdoers than anyone else has."

"True, but tonight's singer is not under investigation.
We came only to enjoy her singing."

"You are right. However, we do need to maintain our
reputation."

Helen heard their remarks as a silent voice in her
head. She figured the voices must be only her imagination.
"Those guy dressed in formal dress were U.S. senators. Why do
you suppose they came to our concert?"

Joe grinned. "Because I invited them."