Last Updated Jan 4th, 2002

Acknowledgements:
Thanks to Enola Jones for helpful editorial comments.
Thanks to various people in the writer's group for helpful suggestions.
Thanks to Joanna Novey for her insightful suggestions.
Thanks to David and Dawn Wyatt-Rose for many helpful suggestions.
Thanks to email buddy known as "Tall and Smart" for constructive 
criticism.
Thanks to Kathleen Rose for help in spellchecking.
And most of all, I give thanks to Lee Raymond and Paula Rumble for their very 
comprehensive editorial comments and suggestions.

Please send constructive criticisms to kermit@polaris.net


If you like the story, and should wish to send a donation, send it to

Kermit Rose
1914 Rosedale Drive
Tallahassee, Florida
32303




                      Coming into Power

Chapter 1

     Helen pressed her leg lightly against Joe to get his attention. But just 
her musical voice always caught Joe's attention.  "Joe, can I change the radio 
station?  It's not that I don't love classical music.  I do. But I need to hear 
about the astronauts leaving the moon." She felt energized while sandwiched 
between her best friends Bob and Joe. Joe split his attention between driving 
them to their concert performance in his white camper truck, and answering 
Helen's question.
     "Sure can.  I even give you permission."  He turned his head slightly so he 
could alternately see the road and her reaction.
    Helen laughed.  "I'm sorry I told you about my 5th grade English teacher and 
her 'may I' game."  She pushed the station change key on the truck radio.
    "...waiting for the signal to liftoff.  It's t minus 2 minutes and counting.   
Brad, while we're waiting, tell our listeners about the name 'Grayjay'."
    After a short period of static, Brad's monotonic voice began. "We named 
Grayjay after the Canadian grayjay.  The grayjay, a cold weather bird, adapted 
itself to the cold weather in Canada and along the Rocky Mountains in the 
northwestern United States.  One of our astronauts lives in Canada, and we 
decided to name the lunar module after a Canadian bird. The fact that the 
grayjay also nests along the Rocky Mountains and this lunar expedition will 
explore mountains on the far side of the moon strikes me as an interesting 
coincidence."
    "Sorry to interrupt, Brad.  It's 15 seconds to liftoff. Countdown will begin 
right away." 
    "10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1..."

    "...Grayjay failed to lift off. Grayjay failed to lift off." The announcer's 
voice held the clear tones of tight emotional control.  "We know at this time 
only that the main engines ignited and then immediately shut down.  Mission 
Control requests that we cut communication until they learn more. This station 
will make special alerts as we receive them." 
    "What!" cried Helen.  "Something went wrong.  Oh, I hope they're okay."
    Bob shrugged his shoulders.  "Well... you can't do anything about it. You 
should relax. Don't worry about it."
    Joe laughed.  "Bob, we all cope with anxiety differently. Helen worries.  
Not everyone can be as rational as you." 
    Bob replied, "I don't want her to worry.  I'm trying to explain why she 
shouldn't worry."  He shifted into his objective mode voice.  "Look.  Either the 
astronauts are okay, or they are not okay.  If they are okay, then we don't need 
to worry. If they are not okay then we can't do anything about it, so why worry 
about it?  We should worry only if it will help us solve the problem we are 
worried about. So, why don't you distract yourself for now?  Besides, I believe 
everyone can and should be completely rational."
    Joe shook his head. "My friend, you do not understand emotions yet. Emotions 
come first.  After we become aware of our emotions we can choose how we are to 
respond to them."
    Bob meditated silently for a moment.  "People can and should learn rational 
emotions. Your emo..."
     Helen interrupted, "Joe, you two will never settle that discussion. So 
don't argue with him now.  Instead, tell me what you think happened on the 
moon."
    "Think I can figure it out huh?  Well I can't. Not really.  We only know 
liftoff failed.  That implies something went wrong with either the liftoff 
engines, or with the fuel.  Perhaps Bob does have a point this time.  Let's 
think of other things for a while."

    Helen glared at him for just a second, then laughed.  "We can at least check 
the news when the band takes a break.  I want to hear it.  It's been 30 years 
since the last moon landing. I know, Bob, you'll just say it's so I can decide 
what I should feel. Well... I can't help it.  I have to know!"  She paused for a 
moment of reflection to center herself, "Okay...  I'm ready to think about our 
concert. And there's the concert hall already."  She pointed straight ahead 
through the window.

     Minutes later, Helen slowly pushed open the heavy door of the large concert 
hall. Looking around the room, she pulled a small black box from her pocket and 
pointed it at the far walls.  Bob, following her in, put their beloved 
instruments on the floor next to her. "How does it look?"
    "It looks good, Bob. We'll have great acoustics."
     Bob nodded and pointed to his right. "There's their stage. It's just the 
right size for our equipment.  Where's Joe?"
     "Right here.  It's not easy to keep up when I'm lugging this heavy archaic 
sound equipment, and you guys only have to carry one double oh eighteen guitar 
and my fiddle. After we get rich, I'll buy some ultra light quality modern 
equipment.  Its fun showing off this hundred year old stuff that I inherited 
from my ancestors, but not so much fun carrying it in.  I'm only keeping it now 
for sentimental reasons. Besides, it's better quality than anything we can 
afford." 
     "Well Joe, you are the tallest and strongest of us.  I thought it made 
sense for you to carry the heavy stuff."  She smiled at him.

     Joe looked directly into her brown eyes. "Is zat so? Well, I may be strong, 
and a head taller than both of you, but I'm no Superman. Which reminds me, I 
have in my truck the Superman comic collection you loaned me.  Ask me after the 
concert about it."
     Bob laughed.  "Joe, you too?  I know that Helen gushes over Superman, but I 
didn't know you cared.  Did you try to fly when you were a kid too?"
     "Huh! Well...  Before kindergarten, I jumped over a log trying to levitate.  
Because of that, I got a grass reed stuck in my throat a fraction of an inch 
from my windpipe."
     "Bob, don't you ever dream of flying?"  Somebody needed to defend Joe and 
herself!
     "Sure.  One time I dreamed I built my own airplane and flew it all over 
town, and people looked up and said, 'Look up in the sky. It's a plane!' "  Bob 
grinned in spite of his intention to look serious.
     She smiled in return.  "I never said I thought I really could fly.  It's 
just that when I'm asleep I forget it's impossible."
     Helen saw a table near the stage, and moved it to the entrance, placing on 
it a donation jar and several flyers advertising their availability for future 
gigs. Next she set chairs in neat rows in front of the stage.  She then helped 
Bob and Joe set up the sound system.  Next Bob played his guitar as Helen walked 
around the room, signaling to Joe how he needed to adjust the sound. 
      During this testing period people began entering the hall.  Some sat down 
immediately while others congregated in small groups in the back of the hall.    

     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, 
the guitar player is Bob Mercury, and our lovely singer is Helen Troy.  Today is 
Saturday, July 1st, 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."  Joe 
grinned as he added,  "And no fair asking Bob his age!"
     Helen winked at Bob.  They had literally run into each other on their first 
day of classes.  She fondly remembered being helped up by Joe as she and Bob 
untangled themselves in the doorway of the music appreciation class.  Calling 
them "The Three Musketeers" expresses only weakly the extent of their 
friendship.

     After the concert, the trio took their bow with grace, accepting the 
audience's enthusiastic applause.  Helen 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.  "I'd like... Yow!".  
Helen crumpled to the stage floor as a monstrous blue spark of light leaped from 
the microphone stand to her fingers.
     When she opened her eyes many faces crowded her view. Darkness still 
obscured her vision. "She's awake!" someone shouted.  "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 sat in a chair backstage. No wonder she couldn't 
see very clearly!  She began to feel a bit better.  "I'll be fine in a minute.  
Have you got a glass of water?"


	Chapter 2

     The sunlight reflected glaringly off the beach sand. The trio enjoyed their 
Sunday morning stroll down the beach.  They walked north, Helen in the middle, 
Joe on her right, nearer the ocean, and Bob on her left.   "Look at those 
seagulls wading in the surf", Helen's voice showed her excitement.
     The trio continued to walk down the beach as they talked while enjoying the 
ocean breeze.  Suddenly, Helen turned, walked uphill a little ways, and stood 
still in the loose dry sand.
     Joe turned toward her.  He admired her beauty, and took a moment to just 
stare.  Helen had shoulder length straight black hair, brown eyes, nicely shaped 
ears, cute nose, and bronze to brownish skin.  And of course, her fantastic 
skintight bathing suit deserved his stare. Finally Joe found his voice.  "What 
is it?  Why did you stop?"
     She gave him a blank look. "I'm just trying to figure something out."  Then 
on impulse, she kicked the sand, and a quarter flew out landing at Joe's feet.
     "Wow", Joe bent over and scooped up the quarter.  "How did you know to kick 
the quarter?"
     Helen stared at her friends.  "I didn't."

      Bob noticed the approaching beach-walkers first.  "Looks like we've got 
company," he laughed.  "Hey, Helen, any quarters in their path?"
      Helen followed Bob's gaze.  Her voice took on an odd, far-away quality.  
"A man and a woman... we don't know them... The man has red-orange hair and is 
smoking a cigarette... He's wearing white shorts and ... a light green tshirt... 
with Maxwell's physics equations on it... She has short blond hair and is 
wearing flower patterned... matching skimpy bikini bottom and top."
      Bob and Joe looked at each other, then at her.  "All that and no 
quarters?" Bob joked uneasily.
      Helen looked confused.  "Huh?  I'm not joking.  I can see them clearly."
       Joe and Bob exchanged glances again.  "Helen, are you claiming to have 
super vision now?" Joe cracked.
      "I didn't think they were so far away.  Anyway, let's move upwind of them 
so we won't smell the cigarette smoke."
      Bob shrugged.  "The wind's coming from the ocean.  We'll have a good 
excuse to go swimming and wait until they reach us.  Then we'll see if you are 
just making this up."

      Helen immediately began to wade out into the waves up to her waist.  Bob 
and Joe followed her.
      As the two beach strollers came alongside them, Bob confirmed her unlikely 
description.  "Gee Helen, for decades now, only 2 percent of the population have 
been smokers.  And those Maxwell equations!  What did you see to guess that?"

      Helen watched them pass.  "Doesn't he know it's against the law for people 
to smoke on the beach. I wish I could make him put that cigarette out."
      As she spoke, a huge wave formed immediately in front of her.  The wave 
reached chest level on Bob and Joe as it sped to the beach. The strolling couple 
turned their heads toward the ocean just as the wave reached them and doused 
them.
      "Wow!" Joe said, unable to think of anything else to say.
      "Well, you got your wish, Helen," Bob laughed.  "That cigarette is 
definitely out now."

      All three friends rushed through the receding waters to the beach to see 
what help the soaked couple would need.  As she easily passed the other two, 
Helen briefly wondered why they struggled so hard to wade through the water.
     She reached the couple first.  She observed the man lying on his back, with 
his eyes closed, and the woman kneeling by his side, with her hands covering her 
face.
     As Joe and Bob came up behind her, Helen asked, "Are you okay?"
     The man opened his eyes. "I tried to stop a tidal wave. I think I have a 
broken wrist."
     Helen said, "Can we get you to a hospital?"
     The woman, who had uncovered her face and looked at them wonderingly when 
Helen first spoke, now smiled and asked, "Would you do that for us?" 
     Bob answered, "Of course.  We'll be glad to.  We can all fit in my car. By 
the way, my name is Bob and my two friends here are Helen and Joe."
    The woman pushed herself up and shook hands with him. "Thank you.  I'm 
Angela, and this is my husband Victor."
     Joe, impressed with Victor's bright red-orange hair, exclaimed "I've never 
seen anyone before with your color hair. How many carrots do you eat every day?"
     Victor glanced at Joe, nodded an acknowledgement, but did not say anything.
     Angela continued, "I'm so glad you stopped to help us.  I can't drive, and 
he can't drive either with his injured hand.  Let's go by our truck first so I 
can pick up my regular clothes."

    As they walked to their car, Helen talked with Angela. "We're musicians.  
I'm their singer, and Bob and Joe play guitar and fiddle."
    Angela smiled as she replied, "I'm an accountant at the university union 
store.  Actually I'm part of the accountant team there.  I mainly keep track of 
inventory and re-order when things get low."
    Helen felt the need to do Angela and Victor a favor.  "Angela, would you 
like me to teach you how to drive?"
    Angela smiled her delight.  "That would be wonderful.  Give me your 
telephone number and I'll call you when we can get together." 


     As Bob started his car, the car radio came on.  "Grayjay is still stranded.  
So far we have no confirmation as to why.  We only have hints that the fuel 
tanks were damaged.  Tune in the 6:00 news report for more."
     Victor leaned back, carefully resting his injured wrist against his 
stomach.  "It's too bad about those astronauts. I'm guessing rocks from space 
punctured some of their fuel tanks either before or after they landed on the 
moon.  It looks like they are truly stranded on the moon."
     "Not good! Do they have extra fuel available?" Helen sounded worried.
     Victor replied, "I don't know.  Even if they did, they would have to fix 
the leak in their empty tanks before refueling them."
     Bob said "Perhaps we have a spare rocket ready to rescue them."

     Joe chimed in, "Bob, I think it's only in fiction that there are spare 
rescue rockets. This is only the 21st century, for a little while longer anyway.  
I think the rockets cost so much that they can't do more than one at a time."

     When they arrived at the hospital, Bob pulled the car up to the front door 
of the emergency room.   "Victor, you and Angela go on in.  We'll find a parking 
place."

     Helen spotted a possible parking space, and a problem.  The car in the 
adjacent space straddled the line taking up too much of the parking space they 
wanted.

     Then she had a wild idea.  "Hey Bob, I bet the three of us could move that 
car over a little bit."
     Bob laughed, "Helen, you should know that's impossible."  Then he did a 
double take as he caught Joe winking his 'Lets play a trick on Helen' at him. He 
then realized the perfect setup she had just provided.  Bob smiled at her.  
"Okay Helen, if you say so.  Let's try it."
     Bob stopped his car just short of the two spaces.  Then led by Helen, the 
three of them stood, with bent knees, under the back bumper of the other car, 
with Helen in the middle. "Now at the count of three, lift and shift to your 
right. One, two ...   three."  
     As Joe and Bob grunted, pretending to lift the car, the car rose and slowly 
moved about a foot to the right. Bob and Joe looked at each other in 
astonishment.  Helen had done all the work!
     Helen ran around to the front of the car.  "Hey, come on you guys, don't 
stand there all day admiring your work.  Come help me lift this end of the car."


                     Chapter 3

     Later that night Helen dreamed she flew through the air.  She flew about 20 
feet above and along a highway.  She looked down at all the cars and took pride 
in being able to soar above the crowd.
    She wondered briefly what made her different.  At that instant she noticed a 
frozen blue spark of electricity flying along besides her.  She instantly 
perceived the intelligence of this spark.  "Who are you?" she inquired.
      In answer the spark grew brighter and came closer to her.  When it 
approached to within a few inches from her, a voice formed in her head. "I'm an 
explorer from another world. I followed your trail.  I ate you. We are now one 
person. You fly above the crowd only for this reason."
      "What do you mean? What is your name?"
      "I am what I am.  What I am is my name."
      "Do you mean you have no name?" She placed her hand above the cool blue 
spark. "I pronounce you 'Sparky'."
      Then she saw her house below her and dove down to fly into the window.  
She saw the blue spark follow her in.  As she alighted on her bed, it hovered 
around her. "Sparky, what are you doing here?"
     The blue spark silently answered "I live here now."
     Helen opened her eyes and sat up in bed.  She turned and looked at the 
clock.  2:35 A.M.   "Oh brother", she thought.  Then she lay back down and 
closed her eyes, waiting to go back to sleep.
     "What did that dream mean?" She meditated on her brief dream. Did that 
electric shock have some permanent effect on her?
     "Not in the way you think."  The silent voice surprised her.
     "Omigosh", she exclaimed, "I'm talking to myself. That electric shock gave 
me a split personality."
     "No", said the voice. "You are my split personality."
     "Hey.  I'm the original! How could I be your split personality?"
     "When I absorbed you, I became you. You are now part of me, but split off 
from the rest of me.  You'll continue exactly as you normally would. I know 
everything you know.  I feel everything you feel.  I see and hear everything you 
see and hear.  But you know of me only what I let you know."
     "Does this mean I've lost my mind?"
      "Of course not.  You still have your sense of free will.  You still make 
choices independently of my thoughts.  I have modified your body in order to 
observe your mind, but not direct your mind.  We can talk to each other as 
independent persons."
     "You changed me! You made me into a different person?"
     "There's no cause for regret.  We are both much greater than we were before 
we merged. I'm grateful to you. Before you, I could barely see your world.  
Through you I can know everything about your world."
     Helen thought to herself, "So this is what's meant by a lucid dream.  I 
know that I'm dreaming because what's happening is clearly impossible."
                 
Chapter 4

   Melody Armstrong, standing on the moon's surface, watched the dials of the 
oxygen extractor.  They had lost essential oxygen when the liftoff failed.  This 
oxygen extractor had been one of the new devices they were to test.  Now their 
lives depended on it working well.
     The oxygen extractor operated very simply. Melody would put moon rocks into 
the machine.  Then Hydrogen reacted with oxygen compounds in the moon rocks, 
producing water.  Then an electric current split water into oxygen and hydrogen.  
Unfortunately, not all the water and hydrogen could be recovered. First some of 
the water stuck to the walls of the machine and to the remains of the moonrocks. 
Second, Hydrogen reacted with other compounds in the moon rocks. And some of the 
hydrogen simply leaked through the supposedly air tight joints of the machine. 
      Her suitphone rang.  Melody smiled when she saw first the Earthlink 
signal, and then Grant's face on her phone monitor.  "Hello Gaunt", Melody said 
as she opened the connection.
     "Hello Melody."  Grant did not comment on Melody's use of his nickname 
instead of his proper name.  Grant had gotten used to people first calling him 
gaunt Grant, and then eventually, just Gaunt.
     Melody guessed what Grant wanted to know.  "The oxygen extractor is working 
well.  We should have enough oxygen for liftoff in a couple of days."
     "Great!  How is the hydrogen holding up?"  
     Melody expressed her worry.  "I'm only losing one part in a thousand of the 
hydrogen for each cycle of the oxygen extraction. It looks like we'll have 
enough hydrogen left for liftoff but just barely."  
     "Hmmm   It would be good if you found some rocks rich with water.  Then you 
could obtain more hydrogen and make sure you had more than enough hydrogen for 
liftoff.  I think that the survey showed some water bearing rocks about a mile 
from you."
     Melody laughed.  "I think that I could donate my quota of water for the day 
and get more hydrogen than I could from any amount of moonrock."
     Grant reconsidered.  "Yes, of course, you're right.  The only way you will 
get significant amounts of water would be if an ice comet struck the moon right 
now."
     Grant continued, "And of course, even if all 5 of you donated your day's 
ration of water on the day of liftoff, it would add only a tiny bit of hydrogen 
to your fuel.  Still, it might be necessary if we lose too much hydrogen."
     Melody agreed.  "Yes.  Lucky for us that we can recycle our water supplies.  
We could stay here almost indefinitely except that we will run out of food in 
about 5 days."

     Grant changed the subject. "Did you discover why the Oxygen tank failed at 
liftoff?"
     "Sure did.  But the oxygen tank didn't fail.  The hydrogen tank is the one 
that failed.  The hydrogen tanks had been designed to cut off if the airflow 
exceeded the safe amount. But the hydrogen tanks still had settings calibrated 
for Earth.  On the airless moon, because the air flows more quickly, we needed 
to re-calibrate.  We've fixed the problem now."
     "Then why did you lose oxygen?"
     "Because the oxygen continued to flow into the reaction chamber until the 
computer system responsible for monitoring the reaction shut off the oxygen 
tank."
     "I see." Grant said it in a way that made him sound like an expert on the 
moon rocket.  
     Melody grinned.  Grant may not be a rocket scientist, but he definitely 
knew his electronics.  Melody exclaimed, "Hey Gaunt, you haven't asked me about 
your invisible alien detectors!"
     Grant gave one of his rare smiles. "That's right. I haven't.  That's 
because I can see from my instruments that you've already deployed them.  I can 
assure you that no invisible aliens have landed on the moon anywhere near you."
     Melody laughed again.  "You know that I don't believe in your invisible 
aliens.  Unlike you, I never saw a saucer flying toward the full moon suddenly 
vanish. I'm surprised that you convinced the boss to let us bring your detectors 
to the moon.  How are they supposed to work anyway?"
     "They continuously emit low intensity radio waves to get a radar picture of 
the surroundings.  They monitor the distance between themselves and points on 
the moon."
     Melody said,  "I still don't get it.  How will knowing the distance between 
the detector and places on the moon tell you if there are invisible aliens?"
     Grant replied, "The way an alien would make itself invisible would be to 
make any light or, in this case, radio waves, go around it.  The radar signals 
would suddenly go a longer distance to reach their target.  It would be as if 
the background target suddenly moved farther away.  Yet there would not be any 
corresponding Doppler shift."
     Melody said, "Now I get it.  You check to see if everything stays in the 
same place.  If something appears to move, but doesn't really move, you know an 
invisible alien has intercepted your radar signal."
     Grant agreed.  "Yes.  I will let you know if any aliens, visible or 
invisible, have landed in your neighborhood."
     "Okay, Grant.  It's a deal. See you when I get back home."  Melody smiled 
as she cut the connection.  She wondered how such a brilliant person like Gaunt 
could believe in such nonsense as invisible aliens.  She remembered again that 
many times Gaunt had sold intercom systems to Supermarket chains at cost in 
order to get his designs spread across the country.  Were any of them alien 
detectors?
 
Chapter 5

     Helen strode into the campus lunchroom to meet her friends.
     Bob looked up as she entered.  "Hello Helen, we'll wait while 
you get your lunch."
     She replied, "I'm not hungry."
     Joe teased, "Are you sure it's not just that you don't want to go down the 
line because everyone will notice this?"  Joe brushed his hand lightly upward 
against Helen's mismatched solid yellow shorts and red blouse.
     She glanced down at her clothes and smiled.  "No, of course not." Then she 
frowned as she remembered.  "I'm still a bit riled from getting this speeding 
ticket on my way over here."  She tossed a yellow slip of paper down onto the 
orange tabletop.
     Joe laughed. "I didn't know you had a car."
     Helen smiled ruefully.  "I don't, unless you count when I drive Bob's car.  
The traffic cop stopped my jogging to give me this ticket."
     Bob picked up the ticket and looked closely at her.  "You look serious. 
Surely you're joking. Why did he give you the ticket?"
     She replied, "I think he got mad when I told him he should get his 
speedometer fixed."
    Joe looked wondering at her.  "And why did you tell him he should get his 
speedometer fixed?"
    Helen grated out her answer.  "His speedometer showed me as running 45 miles 
per hour along the sidewalk." 

    Joe reached across the table, and took the ticket from Bob.  "Wow.  Hey!  
This isn't really a speeding ticket.  It's only a warning ticket.  It says that 
if you are a public nuisance again, you will be subject to a fine. May I keep 
this ticket for my 'Helen Archives'?"
     She smiled at him.  "Of course you may. Thank you."
     Joe continued, "Did you find any quarters while you were 
outrunning a racehorse?"
     She grinned at him.  "Quit teasing me. Of course not.  
However, I did have a strange dream last night."
     At their inquisitive looks, she continued, "I dreamed I talked to the 
electric spark that knocked me out the other day."
     Bob grinned. "Now I get it.  I bet the spark said it gave you super 
powers."
     Helen shivered.  "What an idea! I thought you didn't read fantasy.  What 
made you think of it?"
    Bob replied, "Well... I guessed you were very concerned about the astronauts 
on the moon, and the spark giving you super powers would be a wish fulfillment 
dream that you could rescue them."
    She shrugged.  "I don't have wish fulfillment dreams.  Freud's dream theory 
is just another Freudian mistake."
    "Helen!" Joe exclaimed, "You made a pun!"
     Bob changed the subject.  "Helen, don't you have some other news for us?"

     "Indeed I do.  Remember that guy we met on the beach and took to the 
hospital? " She paused as she looked at them to see their reaction.  At Bob's 
smile and Joe's inquisitive look, Helen continued, "Victor owns a recording 
studio, and he's asked us to be recorded on a disc, free!"
     "What!" Joe exclaimed, "How can you be so lucky?"
     Bob answered for Helen. "This illustrates how women run the world behind 
the scenes.  Angela convinced Victor he should do us a favor."  Bob smiled his 
teasing smile.
     "Sure! " Joe glanced at Helen and smiled as he said,  "But I bet that 
Victor jumped at the chance to meet Helen again.  So, when do we get to do this 
recording?" 
     Bob answered for her. "Right after our last class, at 2:45. "We are to meet 
him at his home.  He's setting things up, even as we speak."
     Joe stared at Bob.  "You sly dog.  You knew all the time, and 
didn't even tell me!
      Bob smiled, then looked at his watch.  "Time to get to class 
you guys."
      The three friends hurried to class.  Helen found herself daydreaming about 
the recording she would be doing after the class instead of paying attention to 
the lecture.  Still, she felt she understood everything the teacher said, in 
spite of not paying attention.  Everything she heard him say sounded familiar.
     After Class Helen met Joe and Bob in the parking lot.  Bob already sat in 
the camper truck on the passenger's side. Joe held the driver's side door open 
for Helen so she could slide in to sit between them.
     The trio arrived at Victor's exactly on time.  "Hello folks.  Glad you 
could make it.  Come in."  Victor held the door open for them with his left 
hand.
     "Let me show you my equipment."  Victor led them into a small room whose 
walls were covered with glass cabinets holding electronic equipment.  "I 
designed the door and walls to make this room soundproof."
    "You will perform there." Victor pointed to three small stools in the center 
of the room.  Taking care to not bump their instruments, Bob and Joe each 
perched on a stool, and Helen stood between them.
    "We will be ready in exactly twenty seconds."  Victor flipped a switch, then 
pulled a cigarette package from his shirt pocket.
    Helen interrupted.  "Victor...  I'm allergic to cigarette smoke."
    Victor looked at her in surprise, then turned to flip a switch to his right.  
He then looked at the cigarettes in his hand, and slowly put them back into his 
shirt pocket. "Are you really allergic to cigarette smoke?"
    "Actually", she admitted, "everyone's allergic to cigarette smoke. It's just 
that some people don't know it."
     Victor stood silently a few seconds.   "I wondered about that.  Well, shall 
we resume the countdown?"  He flipped some more switches. "Twenty, nineteen..." 
At ten he stopped counting and used his fingers to show the number of remaining 
seconds.
     Joe and Bob, at the same time, began to play.  Helen's lovely voice 
harmonized immediately with their playing. Victor smiled as he listened to them 
play. Such beautiful playing and singing.  Surely this would make the top 
hundred.
     With the recording completed, Victor bounced over to them. "It's a very 
good recording. Thank you all.   Now I need to record your answers to a couple 
of questions. Then I can submit everything to my producer.  If he likes it, then 
we all might be a bit richer."
     Victor led them into another room obviously designed for photography.  
Victor instructed them to sit on a long couch and look expectantly into the 
video recording camera.  
     After they were seated, Victor said, "Now I will ask two questions, and 
each of you will answer the question in turn."
     "The first question is: 'Why did you become a musician'?"
    Bob answered first.  "I knew that I could be good at it.  I wanted to
show off to people how very good I could be at something."
    Helen glanced at Bob in surprise. Then she said, "I've always loved Music. 
My mother sang professionally, and she sang to me all my life, even just before 
my birth. That may be why I have a natural perception of intervals.  It would 
not have made sense for me to go into any other field of study."
   Joe grinned at Helen before taking his turn.  "I had a high school 
sweetheart, a beautiful girl in the Church choir.  I wanted to impress her.  So 
I began to study the fiddle.  But she moved to Sweden."  
   Then Joe smiled as he added, " But now I know how to play the fiddle."  
   Victor returned his smile.  "Good. "  Then he asked his second
question.  "What do you want to be doing one year from now?"

     Bob answered first. "I haven't thought about this yet.  I
will be out of school.  Perhaps the three of us would continue to play as
a band, and support ourselves by playing at various special events."
     Next Helen answered.  "I see myself as joining some opera group.  I
had expected that when I finished school, I would become an opera star.
If that doesn't work out, I can always support myself by teaching music."
     Finally, Joe answered.  "I have my eye on being an instructor in
the school of music here at the university."

     After the interview, Victor gave Joe the first disc already made by his 
recording equipment. "Here's your copy of the recording of the music and 
interview."
     Joe replied, "Thank you, carrot top.  We appreciate your faith in our 
music."
     Victor looked serious. "I wanted to do you guys a favor for helping me out 
yesterday.  And it looks like I'm doing myself a favor also.  Thank you again."
     Bob turned to Helen, "Are you ready to go?"
     "You and Joe go ahead.  I promised to give Angela some driving lessons."
    Bob smiled as Angela suddenly appeared in the doorway. "And here she is.  
She must have known we were done.  Helen, you are just too good for your own 
good. See you later at Joe's place for our regular practice session?"
    "Sure.  See you in a couple of hours."  She gave them goodbye 
hugs. Both Joe and Bob, unusually energized by her hugs, skipped rather than 
walked back to the truck. 
    As the guys skipped away, she asked Angela, "Did you have any particular 
place in mind for test driving?"
    As Angela hesitated, Victor said, "Why don't you practice at the junior 
college parking lot?"
     "That's a good idea.  Let's go Angela. 
Angela picked up her round baggy white purse and led Helen out the door to 
Victor's dark green pickup truck.
    Helen noticed a large cardboard box in the back of the truck.  "Is it okay 
if we leave that box in the truck?"
    "Sure. That's only an empty box Vigor, I mean Victor planned to take to the 
recycling place later." 
     Angela's face flushed red as she apologized. "I sometimes forget and
use my pet name for vigor,... oops, there.  I did it again!" 
    Helen smiled her understanding.  "I like it!" 
    They both climbed into the cab of Victor's truck.
     As Helen seated herself behind the steering wheel, she asked, "Angela, did 
this couch seat come with your truck originally?"
    Angela replied, "I don't know.  We bought it second hand.  The couch seat 
and the three seat belts were in it when we bought it."
    When they arrived at the almost empty parking lot at the junior college, 
Angela asked, "Now what?  Tell me what I should practice doing."
    Helen laughed and showed Angela how to find each of the gears using the 
stick shift. "Now remember to ease the clutch in and out every time you change 
gears."
    "Now lets do the brakes test."  Helen got out of the parked truck and 
removed the large empty packing box from the back of the truck.  She placed this 
in the middle of a parking space.
    "Now Angela, drive around the parking lot twice.  On the third time around, 
stop at the box."
    The first time Angela stopped at the box with a noticeable jerk.  Over the 
successive tries her stops become smoother.  Finally, Angela said, "I've got 
it".  
    Helen replied, "Indeed, you do." She smiled at Angela. "How come this truck 
runs so quietly at idle?"
    "You noticed that?" Angela showed her vicarious pride, "Vigor takes very 
good care of his truck."
     "And now since we're in a parking lot, let's practice pulling into parking 
spaces."
    "Okay", Angela agreed.  "Remember, you promised to not criticize my 
mistakes."
    "Of course.  I'll merely have you repeat until you get it right." Helen 
smiled to show her friendly intent.
    Angela consistently parked over a line, putting half the truck in the 
adjacent parking space.  After four such tries, Helen asked Angela, "Angela, how 
are you deciding when to turn the wheel?"
    Angela replied, "I turn the wheel when I see the first boundary line go 
past."
    "I see.  "Angela, next time I want you to try this. Pick a parking space. 
Try to see both the first and second boundary lines at the same time.  Turn the 
wheel when it will put the truck exactly midway between the boundaries.  Drive 
as slowly as you need to do this."
    After ten more tries, Angela felt confident. "Hey, I've got it.  Thanks 
Helen."
    After the practice, Angela began the familiar drive back home.  After only a 
few blocks, Angela saw a man trying to hitch a ride.  Her previous practice 
still sharp in her mind, Angela shifted her right foot from the gas pedal to the 
brake pedal.  The truck slowed and stopped. Helen rolled down her window, and 
asked the man, "Where are you going?"
     The man leaned over to peer into the cab.  Then he straightened up and 
addressed Helen.  "Just throw me your purse."  As he pulled out a wicked looking 
gun he added, "And be quick about it."
     As Angela floored the accelerator, Helen saw the gear shift lever move by 
itself and heard a silent voice in her mind saying, "It's okay now."  At the 
same time the man apparently threw the gun at her.  She flinched, but the gun 
had already vanished.
    "Good going Angela!"  Helen looked back toward the man as the truck 
continued to accelerate away.  The man just stood there staring at the truck.
     After a few blocks Angela slowed the truck, pulled over to the side of the 
road, and stopped.  White-faced, she turned toward Helen.  "I think I need to 
lie down for a moment.  He might have shot us."
     Helen opened her door as she faced Angela, "slide over and lie down while I 
drive us back."
     As she walked around the truck to the driver's side, she wondered about 
their escape.  It had been impossibly easy.  "That's because I took his gun away 
from him and ate it."  Helen stopped in mid-stride. Then thinking the silent 
voice to be just her imagination, she resumed walking.
     "I am real.  Think of some tests to prove it to yourself."  Helen smiled at 
this.  How sophisticated could her imagination get?
	As they drove back home, Angela recovered her spirits.  "Helen, could you 
stop at the Vanity Shop?  I'd like to buy a replacement for a mirror I broke 
last week."
      Helen glanced over at Angela. Angela smiled as she sat up and fastened her 
seat belt around her.  Helen replied, "Just tell me where to find the Vanity 
Shop."
     Angela pointed through the windshield.  Just turn left at the light, and go 
about a block to the shopping center on your right.
     Helen looked ahead to the traffic light.  It looked strange. She saw the 
red arrow left turn signal but also saw as if in a tunnel a sequence of red 
arrows that at the end of the tunnel changed to green.  Helen did not stop the 
truck as she should have.  The tunnel vision distracted her, and she drove right 
into the intersection just as the left turn lane signal changed to green left 
arrow.
	Approaching the intersection on the cross road, Mike Long and Dan Austin 
discussed the traffic signal.  Mike said, "Dan, you'd better slow down.  That 
light is about to change to red."
       Dan speeded up, and asked, "How do you know?"
       Mike pointed to their left at a line of cars on the cross street, waiting 
for the light to change.  "With that many cars lined up, I know the light has 
been red for them for a long time. It will change to red for us any second."
       The light changed to yellow as he spoke.  Dan looked over at Mike. "Son 
of a gun.  You were right."  Dan looked forward, preparing to stop, but by this 
time, they were too close to the intersection to stop.  The light changed to 
red, and Dan speeded up again.
       Dan and Helen entered the intersection at the same time.  Angela screamed 
"No! No! No!" as she saw the car headed right toward them.  Dan belatedly 
pressed the brake pedal as hard as he could. His car began to swerve.
        Mike watched the action as if in slow motion.  He saw two women in the 
green truck and watched the driver put her left hand through the window as if 
she could stop Dan's car with it.
        Mike stared at Helen, fearful that the next second would see her hand 
crushed.  Instead, at the moment of expected impact, Dan's car rotated around so 
that Mike sat almost eye to eye with Helen. Mike grimaced, and weakly waved to 
Helen.  Both car and truck shot off as if they were tied together, making the 
left turn that Helen had planned.  The vehicles coasted halfway to the shopping 
center before stopping. 
        With the vehicles stopped, Dan saw that they needed to clear the 
highway.  He put his car in gear and started his engine.  But unexpectedly, when 
he drove his car forward, the truck came along, as if glued to his own car.  
Surprised, Dan lifted his foot from the gas pedal.  The truck slowed to match. 
Dan glanced to his right in the direction of the truck.  Mike and the women in 
the truck engaged in a staring contest.  What to do?  Need to clear the Highway. 
Dan drove his car forward, dragging the truck with him, until he could park both 
vehicles in the parking lot of the shopping center.
	Dan got out to inspect the damage.  Amazingly he saw not even one dent on 
his car. The woman that had been in the passenger seat of the truck had already 
jumped out and examined it for dents.  Mike and the woman driver remained 
staring at each other.  In fact, the vehicles remained too close for either of 
them to open their doors.
       Dan walked up to the front of the vehicles, and addressed Helen.  "Are 
you alright?"
       Helen broke off her stare with Mike, and looked at Dan.  "We're fine.  
Both of us are fine.  We were all extremely lucky this time.  Take it as a 
lesson for yourself for next time."
       Angela came up.  "You drove very recklessly!  We could have all been 
killed!  It's a miracle that we're not all dead!"  Turning to again inspect her 
car she said, "I don't understand why Vigor's truck doesn't even have a dent."
       Dan said, "Perhaps because they never hit each other.  My car started to 
swerve during the accident.  As incredible as it seems, it must have swerved 
just enough to pull both of us out of the intersection to safety."
        Mike added his comments.  "I don't believe it.  There must be some other 
explanation, but danged if I can figure it out."
	Helen wondered too.  What really happened?  Then she heard or imagined she 
heard a small voice within her say, "I stopped the vehicles from colliding." She 
snapped her head sideways to get rid of the voice, and looked around for a way 
to get out of the truck.
        Mike edged his way past the steering wheel and got out of the car.  
Helen did the same, getting out of the truck by the passenger door.  All four of 
them now stood in front of the two vehicles.
        Mike addressed Helen and Angela. "We might as well introduce ourselves. 
I'm Mike Long, and my companion is Dan Austin. Dan is the chief CEO for the 
Tobacco company and I'm his right hand man, responsible for public relations and 
shooting any trouble that arises.  We came a week early to vacation before the 
big event."
        Helen frowned, but politely asked, "What big event?"
        But Angela, excited, answered.  "Oh, you must mean the big Shoppe Faire 
next Monday at the fairgrounds.  Almost everyone who has anything to sell will 
be there advertising their wares.  I myself will be there representing the 
Campus Union store.  Helen, you should come to my booth at the Faire."
	Helen shook her head.  "First I've heard of it.  I guess that sort of 
thing just doesn't get talked about among music students.  But I don't think 
I'll see you at the faire."
       Angela turned toward Helen.  "You won't be free that day?"
	 Helen replied, "Oh, I'll come see you, Angela.  But I have no intention 
of seeing these two gentlemen ever again."
	Mike responded, "I understand. We almost killed you.  I'm sorry. I don't 
blame you for never wanting to see us again."
	Helen shook her head.  "No.  That's not it at all.  I hate tobacco and 
cigs.  I won't have anything to do with people selling the cigs.  If I had the 
power to stop you, I would."




Chapter 6
 
     Later when she met Bob and Joe for their music practice she described her 
earlier adventures with Angela. "And I daydreamed Sparky talked to me again."
     Bob laughed at this.  "And what did you daydream about Sparky?"
     "It said we should do some tests to prove it exists."
     Joe followed up with, "Well, perhaps your subconscious wants to exorcise 
this Sparky from your dreams.  Have you thought of any tests to prove or 
disprove that Sparky is real?"
     Bob interrupted, "I know some tests.  They won't prove anything for sure, 
but they'll gives us a probability measure of Sparky's existence."
     Bob continued, "Helen, will you cooperate with us in these tests?"
     At her nod, Bob said, "Okay, what I want you to do is pretend you know 
Sparky is real, and you can talk directly with Sparky. I'll ask Sparky some 
questions, and you tell us its answers."
     She nodded assent.  Bob asked, "Sparky, can you do arithmetical 
calculations faster than Helen?"
     She said, "Yes, I can."  Helen looked surprised at her own words.
     Bob echoed her surprise.  He paused a moment. "Tell me what's eight to the 
eighth power."
    "Sixteen million, seven hundred seventy seven thousand, two 
hundred and sixteen."
     Joe grabbed a pen and his notebook.  He wrote down a number at random and 
showed it to Bob.  "Ask her to factor this number."
     Bob looked at the number and took the pen and notebook from him.  "Sparky, 
tell me the prime factors of 9823862349264."
      "Sixteen divides it. The odd prime factors are three, twenty three, and 
lastly, eight billion, eight hundred ninety eight million, four hundred twenty 
six thousand, and forty one."
     Bob, pen still in hand wrote down the numbers as Helen spoke. Then
both of them  looked at Helen in awe.  Bob said "Joe, will you have your 
calculator confirm these numbers?"
     Joe picked up his pocket calculator from his work desk, punched in 
9823862349264, and then pressed the factor button.  The calculator confirmed 
Helen's answer.
    Joe turned off his calculator, and turned to her. "Well super lady, which is 
it?  Are you a super fast calculator, or does Sparky really exist?"  
     Helen frowned.  "Neither of those feel possible.  I don't know."
     Bob said, "Well I'm out of ideas for the moment.  Joe do you have any 
suggestions?"
     Joe replied, "This is a toughie... Wait, I have it.  Let's ask Sparky to 
prove itself."
     Bob turned to her, "Okay Sparky, what can you do that would prove to us you 
exist?"
     In answer, Helen yelled as she began to float toward the ceiling.
     Bob just stared at her as she floated upward.  When she reached the 
ceiling, Joe found his voice.  "Helen, how did you do this?"
     She yelled down, "I'm not doing this!  Hold on a minute."  
For a long while they watched Helen floating near the ceiling with her 
eyes closed and an expression of total amazement on her face.
      Finally, she floated back down to stand between them. "Sparky really is a 
person.  Sparky can control gravito-inertial and electro-magnetic fields.  I 
understand everything now.  I am Sparky!  Sparky is me! Yet, Sparky is more than 
me."
     Bob raised his eyebrows.  "And why did Sparky evolve this particular 
ability?"
     Helen looked forward without seeing.  "Sparky's family lived in a neutron 
star. Their metabolism is based on sub-atomic particle interactions."
    Bob said, "I see...   Just kidding.  Is Sparky male or female?"
    She replied, "Sparky doesn't have sex.  However Sparky does feel feminine to 
me.  But of course, she should.  Sparky is me!"
    After a pause, Bob said, "Well...   Either I'm dreaming this remarkably 
lucid dream, or we have a very interesting time ahead of ourselves."
    Helen laughed.  "How can it be your dream.  It must be my dream."
    Bob replied, "If it is your dream, then I'm your dream image. Would you 
bother to argue with a dream image?"
    The three friends stared at each other for a few seconds.
    Finally, Joe broke the silence.  "Well Helen, we need to find out what other 
super powers Sparky has."
    Bob added, "And whether or not you have access to those powers."
    Helen again looked into abstract space.  "But I am Sparky. Whatever I want, 
Sparky wants also."
    Joe said "Could you make us rich by crushing coal to diamond?"
    She paused a moment with the blank look in her eye.  Then she opened her 
hand out toward him palm up.  A very large diamond immediately took shape in her 
open hand.  In a few seconds she tossed the diamond toward him.
    Joe almost missed the catch.  He lifted the diamond close to his eye and 
studied it carefully. "Tomorrow we'll take this to the jewelers for evaluation!" 
He put the diamond in his pants pocket.
   Bob said with evident tension, "We see you can levitate and make things from 
nothing.  Sparky told you he could manipulate electricity and magnetism.  Can 
you, for example, make Joe's phone ring?"
   Joe's cell phone rang.  Joe looked at Bob, shrugged his shoulders and pulled 
his phone from his pocket, and placed it to his ear without bothering to look at 
his caller ID.  "Hello..."
    "Hello", said Helen's voice on the phone.  Joe spun around and stared at 
her.
   "This is fun", said Helen and the phone voice at the same time.
    He stared at her a moment longer, then sighed and turned off his phone.
    Helen continued.  "Thanks guys.  Earlier I had hoped you would help me 
forget about Sparky.  I didn't expect you to prove to me that Sparky not only 
exists but also has become one with me.  Thank you again for helping me." She 
smiled her gratitude.
    Bob stared at her for a few more moments.  Then he turned to Joe.  "This is 
too much for me. I need a rest. I'm going home. Our practice session tonight is 
canceled.  Please call me tomorrow morning.  Helen, do you want to stay awhile, 
or do you want me to give you a ride home?"
    She smiled.  "Maybe I'll just fly home."
    Bob's laugh showed his tension.  "You do that...  On second thought, maybe 
you'd better learn how to be invisible first."
    Helen said, "Invisible."  Then she began to turn transparent and fade from 
view.
    "No! This can't be happening." Bob yelled as he clenched his fists.  He spun 
around and walked out of the house without saying another word.
    Joe, although excited, spoke more calmly. "Helen!  Are you making the light 
go through you?"
    She reappeared.  "No.  Sparky said the light goes around us."
    Then Joe and Helen walked out to his porch, just in time to see Bob drive 
away.
   Helen sighed as she said, "Well... I know how Bob feels."  She turned to look 
at him.  "See you tomorrow morning."  Then she fell upward into the sky and 
faded out of sight in seconds.  Only a slight breeze signaled her departure.


                            Chapter 7

     Melody watched the group assemble into the chamber of the moon rocket.  
Abner, the team leader, looked worried.  Melody wondered what could possibly 
worry Abner.  She had thought Abner never worried.  The other three astronauts 
took their places.  Carol sat directly across from her, next to Abner.  Calvin 
sitting on her left showed his impatience by shifting his weight almost 
constantly.  Jonathan, sitting on her right, simply looked forward directly at 
Abner.  Melody imagined that anyone but Abner would have felt nervous at 
Jonathan's stare.
     Abner cleared his throat.  "I've just received an update from Earth.  They 
want us to lift off a day early."  Abner held up his hand to ward off the 
expected questions. "I know that you think this isn't possible.  But it is, 
provided we change our flight plan. We will take a coasting orbit back to earth.  
Instead of taking a direct path back, we'll simply reach moon escape velocity, 
and fall into orbit around Earth.  Then it will be a simple matter to refuel the 
Grayjay from the Earth orbiting space station."
     Calvin jumped to his feet so quickly that he had to grab a support to avoid 
floating to the ceiling. "But why?  We would not get to Earth any sooner.  If we 
waited until we had more fuel, we could go faster.  We might even get there 
quicker if we waited."  Calvin looked toward Melody as he said this last.
     Melody nodded slightly to indicate that Calvin had the right of it.  Then 
she asked Abner, "What's the real reason we are asked to leave a day early."     
     Abner's face turned slightly pink. After a few moments, he sighed, and 
said, "The president wants to make an independence day speech as we lift off.  
He wants to use our liftoff as part of his speech."
     Melody turned to look at her neighbors.  Jonathan scowled his feelings.  
Calvin looked pensive.  Carol seemed about to ask a question, and Abner looked 
more concerned than worried now.  Melody easily read the "Is everything all 
right?" question on his face.
     When Abner turned toward Carol, she blurted out," But why?  We'll have to 
coast 3 days in this small craft just so the president can make a nice speech!"
     Abner nodded.  "Consider this to be only a request.  The final decision is 
up to all of us.  Think it over.  Let me know later what you decide."  

Chapter 8

    Early the next morning, Helen, sitting on the roof of Joe's apartment, 
waited patiently for him to wake up.  At last he stirred, opened his eyes, 
rolled out of bed and dressed.  Only then did she float down through the ceiling 
into Joe's bedroom.
    "Wow", said Joe as he noticed her floating down.  "So, now you can go 
through things."
    Helen's feet touched the floor. "Not exactly.  Sparky says we eat the things 
we go through, then afterward restore them as they were.
    Joe pulled the diamond out of his pants pocket.  "I've had second thoughts 
about trying to sell this diamond.  The clerk would want to know where it came 
from."  He handed the diamond back to her.  "Here. Take it back."
    She took the diamond in her hand. After a moment, the diamond vanished.
    "So... How come you're here so early? If you had come any sooner, I would 
have still been in bed."
    She smiled, but did not mention her waiting for Joe to wake up. "I didn't go 
home.  First I visited the campus union store.  Some people will be a little 
disappointed that now the store's out of cigarettes."  Helen grinned. "Then I 
flew to the memorial hospital and cured everyone in immediate danger of dying."
    "Wow!  And how long did that take?  Did you do any surgery? I wonder how 
much money the store lost on the cigarettes. "
    "I converted the cigarettes to 'Helen's super nutritious chocolate covered 
peanut butter patties'. I also converted the display cases to accurate plastic 
representations of healthy and unhealthy lungs. The store did not lose any 
money.  I made enough of the peanut butter patties to exactly pay for the cigs I 
took away."
    "Gee, Helen.  Don't you know there's no such thing as super nutritious 
chocolate covered peanut butter patties?"
    She grinned, "Not until I invented them."

     Helen continued her story. "At the hospital, none of the serious patients 
were in need of surgery. Besides, with today's technology, if surgery were the 
answer, they would not be in danger of dying.  I gave the patients the 
particular nutrients they needed to make all their body cells healthy.  After 
taking a few minutes to cure the serious patients, I helped the other less 
serious patients."
      Helen paused, then on impulse, ran up to Joe and, with tears in her eyes, 
hugged him.  "Oh Joe, two of the patients would have died of emphysema. Cig 
smoking caused their emphysema.  I don't want anyone else to die from emphysema 
like my uncle Ed did."
      Joe wrapped his arms around Helen and held her until he felt her move to 
disengage.  As she separated from Joe, Helen smiled and looked him in the eye.  
"I've made a present for you." 
       Helen held out her hands palm up.  Joe watched in amazement as several 
tiny copies of musical instruments grew in her hands.  After a few seconds, 
Helen handed them over to Joe.  "I remembered your wishful look when we looked 
at instruments like these last month."  
       Joe smiled his biggest most sincere smile.  "Thank you Helen.  But please 
don't make a habit of granting my every wish.  I could get spoiled that way."
       Helen laughed.  "Oops.  Perhaps when my powers are not such a novelty, 
I'll be more careful.  But hey, weren't you supposed to call Bob this morning?"
    
    When Joe made the call, Bob answered on the second ring. "Hey Joe.  I'm 
sorry I didn't make it out to your place last night.  I must have forgotten.  
Well...   I didn't totally forget.  I had one heck of a dream about being at 
your place!"
    Joe echoed, "A dream?"  
   Bob answered, "Yah.  I picked up on Helen's dream.  I dreamed she had gained 
all sorts of super powers.  Can you imagine?  I never dreamed impossible things 
like that before."
    Joe paused, wondering what he could say. "Eh Bob, did you know you left your 
guitar at my house?"
   Bob responded, "I don't think so.  I think its here."  He looked on the shelf 
where he usually put his guitar.  "It's not here!"
    Joe replied.  "That's because it's here."
    Bob responded, "Thanks for letting me know.  Don't yet remember when I left 
it.  Why else did you call me?"
    Joe replied, "You are not awake yet, are you?  Today's our 4th of July gig.  
Do you want to meet us over here, or should we come pick you up?"
    Bob remained silent a few moments. "Might as well come pick me up.  I'll be 
finished with breakfast by the time you get here."
    Joe replied, "Okay.  See you in about twenty minutes."

    When Joe and Helen reached Bob's home, they saw him studying his guitar 
books and swinging on his front porch swing.  Bob jumped up and gathered his 
books when he saw them.  He then dashed out to the white camper truck. She 
opened the door for him, and he leaped into the cab.
     "I've figured out some possible songs for us to do."  Bob named his 
candidates and asked them their opinions about it.
     Helen said, "Well those are all good classical 4th of July songs.  I like 
the lyrics of some of them.  And I want to start off with a few songs I wrote."  
She handed Bob some music sheets.  "And here are the music sheets for them."

    He took the sheets and put them in his folder while still looking at her.  
Helen continued "But, which would you rather I do: Change the lyrics of a song I 
don't like, or not sing it?"
    Bob replied, "I would rather you not sing it of course.  If you change the 
lyrics, then you should change the tune also. And of course you should sing your 
own songs first.  Which of my songs do you like the lyrics to?"
    She told him, and he moved those songs to just below her music sheets.  
After he did this, he asked, "Joe, do you agree with her about the choice of 
songs."
    He answered, "Sure do.  I agree with almost everything Helen does of 
course."  He smiled at both of them.
    As Bob closed his folder of music sheets he looked out the window.  "Here we 
are at the park already.  I wonder if the stage will be out by the lake like 
last year."
    Joe turned onto the one lane driveway that entered the park.  "We'll know in 
a couple of minutes."  They followed the driveway down and around the park until 
they reached the parking lot by the lake.
    "Well, will you look at that!  They didn't put the stage by the lake, but on 
the lake!  How are we supposed to get out to it?"  
Joe didn't answer his rhetorical question.  The arrival of a busload of park 
service employees to the lake dock answered his question for him. Joe shook his 
head once in a "come this way" gesture, and led the way down to the dock.

    As they came to the dock, the park service employees begin to prepare the 
ferryboat for use.  After about fifteen minutes, one man started the ferryboat's 
engine, and all but six of the employees left the dock to prepare the rest of 
the park for the holiday programs.
    The remaining six employees stepped onto the ferry, and found seats for 
themselves.  One of them took the pilot's seat.
   Immediately after boarding Bob moved to the front of the ferryboat where he 
supported himself by one of the metal bars connecting floor and ceiling. He 
stared in the direction of the floating stage in the middle of the lake.  

Joe called out to him, "Hey Bob, are you in a hurry to get to the stage.  We are 
early you know.  Besides, nothing will happen until we get there."  
    Bob turned to watch his two friends walk up to him.  "I'm just thinking 
about their set up."  He pointed to the stage.  "It looks as if they set up the 
sound equipment yesterday.  One advantage of a big gig like this is we don't 
have to bring any of our own sound equipment.  Of course the disadvantage of a 
big gig like this is we are not allowed to use our own more familiar sound 
equipment."  Bob grinned.
    Helen laughed.  "Maybe I should personally inspect their sound equipment to 
make sure it is up to par."

    Joe added, "We will have plenty of time to do that.  We are scheduled to 
begin in about 40 minutes.  Although I suspect we should just stay out of the 
way while some other guys run the sound checks."
    Bob replied, "You are right of course.  That's why they are all carrying 
phones."
    Helen nodded her agreement.  "The gig hasn't started yet, and already I'm 
impatient for it to be over.  I have things I need to do. What about you two?"
    Joe knew what she had to do.  "I didn't have any plans for myself.  I 
presume you are leaving immediately after the gig to play guardian angel."
    She smiled.  "Yes.  I have my transportation already arranged of course, so 
you are free to stay here all day or not as you please.  I'll be back sometime 
next week and we can talk then about the astronauts' safe arrival back on 
earth."
    Bob looked strangely at her, but said nothing.  Helen noticed Bob's 
expression and felt a twinge of guilt.  She'd have to talk to Bob soon.
     Joe also noticed Bob's discomfort. "Hey Bob, what's bothering you?"
    Bob shook his head, started to say something, then shook his head again.  He 
looked toward them and saw that both were looking expectantly in his direction.  
After a few moments, Bob said, "Helen, are you..." His voice trailed off as he 
found it impossible to continue.
    "Bob, you didn't just dream about Sparky giving me superpowers.  Sparky 
really does exist." 
     Bob shook his head negatively.  "That's impossible!"
     Helen smiled, and pulled her friends into a three-way hug.  
"Let me show you Sparky's story."
     An image begin forming in both Joe's and Bob's mind at the same time.  
Musical food in the form of light and motion swirled all around them.  Helen's 
silent voice-over carried the information they needed to interpret the images. 
     I'm on the neutron star that's my original home. But the star is doomed.  
Everyone knows that it will soon collapse into a black hole.  It's necessary to 
leave.  We'll all go in different directions.  
     The image shifted.  Suddenly the neutron star is below me and stars are 
whizzing by.  A dim star appears directly in front.  I plunged directly into it.  
The food here is not as rich as at home, but it will do. I slowly travel all the 
way through the star.  As I exit the star, I hear a music that reminds me of 
home.  This is impossible.  There is nothing alive in this section of the 
galaxy.  
     I follow the music trail.  There is a slightly thicker cloud of matter at 
its source. Helen's thought explained that they were looking at the Earth. 
     I plunge into the cloud that contains the source.  It's just ahead of me. 
The music stops.  No matter, I've located the source.  Now to absorb it so I can 
examine it.
     The images faded from Bob and Joe's mind.  Helen smiled at them as they 
looked groggily at her.  "Sparky traced the source of the music to me."
     Bob studied Helen carefully.  "You look the same as always. This is still 
so incredible.  Are you sure you haven't changed?"
     She returned the smile.  "I've changed a lot, but basically I'm still the 
same old Helen.  The only difference is that now I can do anything I can 
imagine. I refused to believe it myself until you and Joe proved Sparky to me.  
Then I had to believe. Now I understand. I am Sparky.  Sparky is me. Now I can 
fly to the moon to make sure the astronauts are ok."

Chapter 9

    Just before beginning her first song, Helen looked out to the land where 
already a large number of people were gathered.  She smiled as she took the mike 
and spoke into it.  "This first song I dedicate to all friends everywhere.  One 
year ago making a new friend inspired me to write it."
     Helen signaled to her friends, and they begin to play.  She 
sang.

    "Friendship is not glass.
     But if you worry
     about it breaking,
     it may be you cause
     it all to shatter.

     It's not a football,
     so please don't be rough,
     so please be gentle.
     It would not be good
     to lose it by wear.

     Friendship is a gift.
     So permit yourself
     to feel its beauty
     and let it reside
     in your heart always."


    After the end of the song, she again spoke into the mike.  "Who here has 
never been insulted?"  When no one responded, she said, "Who here has been 
insulted recently?"  Lots of people waved their arms, or yelled a response.  
Helen smiled.  "And who has unintentionally insulted a friend recently?"  There 
were fewer people who were willing to admit to this. Helen continued.  "How many 
here have deliberately insulted their friends?"  One person in the back row
jumped up and waved his arms.

Helen acknowledged the person, and then said,   "Isn't it interesting that more 
people have been insulted than have done the insulting?  Ever wonder how that is 
possible?"
     "This next song is dedicated to everyone who has insulted friends or been 
insulted by friends."  She began to sing.

"Insults are not true.
So if one you hear,
either you misheard
or else the other misspoke.

Insults are not true.
So if one you hear,
think to ask questions
to accurately  show
what the other intended.

Insults are not true.
So if one you hear,
it's not important.
But seek for the truth 
that lies underneath.

Insults are not true.
So if one you hear,
turn it inside out,
the better to see,
the part that is false,
and what part is true."


     After they finished the songs, and said goodbye to the audience, Helen, Joe 
and Bob exited the stage to the back. Helen smiled to both of them as she said, 
"Watch carefully, Bob, as I turn invisible."
     Then invisibly, she fell into the sky.  Three hours later, still invisible, 
she touched down lightly on the moon.
    The moon lander stood directly in front of her.  Helen walked over to it, 
and stood adjacent to it for a few moments in order to see the interior.  They 
were getting ready to launch!  She got here just in time.

      Chapter 10

     The Grayjay had launched successfully.  They were now coasting through 
space, falling into orbit about Earth.  It will take 2 1/2 days to complete the 
fall.
    Melody released her restraints and prepared to float around the cabin in 
zero gravity.  She had prepared for this moment. From the storage bin next to 
her bunk she pulled cloth and metal wings that she had made the previous day.  
Attaching the wings and looking upward, she launched herself toward the ceiling. 
Seconds later she bumped against the ceiling.  Using the wings to push against 
the air, she swam into the center of the room, and pivoted. She had placed 
herself exactly where she wanted, over six feet away from any wall.
    For a while, Melody just enjoyed spinning and moving through space using the 
makeshift wings.  She looked down.  In the absence of gravity, down meant in the 
direction of the floor.  She saw Calvin walking across the room using the 
magnetic shoes to keep himself on the floor.  Abner, Carol, and Jonathan were 
seated at their workstations.
    Melody heard her phone ring.  She had left it on her bunk. So she called 
out,  "Calvin, could you toss me my phone?"
     Calvin grinned, changed his direction to walk over to Carol's bunk, 
carefully picked up Carol's phone, and pitched it to her with an expert baseball 
like pitch.  It landed exactly into the palm of Melody's outstretched right 
hand. 
     Melody pressed the receive button.  Grant's image formed on the cell phone 
monitor.  "Hello Gaunt, What's up?"
    Grant said, "I'd like you to do me a favor.  Pull the TV monitor out of the 
wall and open the back panel.  Find a red toggle switch and flip it."
    Melody immediately flipped the loudspeaker switch on her phone for the 
benefit of the others in the cabin, and then replied,  "I will, after you tell 
me why."
    Grant sighed.  "Ok. The red toggle switch will activate the invisible alien 
detector inside the Grayjay.  I did not expect it to ever be used, so I put the 
switch for it in the back."
    Melody laughed. "I shouldn't have been surprised.  Ok, I can toggle your 
switch, but tell me anyway why you put the invisible alien detector circuit in 
there in the first place?"
    Grant said, "I can explain that part easily.  I use a prototype circuit for 
all my devices.  Long ago I constructed a general circuit that does almost 
everything that I would like a monitor system to do.  Naturally I incorporated 
some of my alien detectors into it.  Whenever I need to design a new monitor 
system, I start with my prototype circuit, and make minor adjustments to 
customize it."
     Melody started to end the call, then remembered she had another question. 
"Why do you want to turn on the invisible alien detector inside the Grayjay?"
     Grant paused.  Then he said, "Just before the Grayjay launched, my 
instruments, the ones you deployed earlier on the moon, observed an invisible 
alien land on the moon, and approach the Grayjay. I could not detect it at 
launch or after launch.  I'm considering the possibility that you have an alien 
stowaway on board."
     Melody laughed again. "I guess I didn't really need to ask.  Ok, I'm on my 
way."  She ended the call, placed the phone on her belt hook, and looked for the 
closest wall. Propelling herself to the nearest wall, she lazily landed feet 
first, then used the brace of the wall to propel herself speedily back to her 
bunk.  There she put the wings back in the storage bin.  She would have fun with 
those later.
     Slipping on her magnetic shoes, Melody went to the TV monitor, disengaged 
it from the wall, turned it around, and found the red toggle switch.  She 
flipped it, and the put the TV monitor back in its wall space.
     The word "scanning" showed briefly on the monitor.  Then a picture of the 
inside of the cabin showed from the point of view of the monitor.  Consequently, 
the monitor looked like a mirror.
     Only now the monitor showed a pink globe about 2 meters in diameter 
floating near the ceiling right next to where Melody had been playing in midair.  
By now the others had noticed Melody's antics and were staring at the monitor.
     Calvin looked at the monitor, looked up at where the pink globe supposedly 
floated, and saw nothing unusual.  He nodded at Melody, and then removed his 
phone from his belt and casually pitched it in the direction of the pink globe 
as shown on the monitor.
     The pink globe image on the monitor easily evaded the corresponding image 
of the thrown phone.  Calvin's phone bounced off the ceiling, struck a wall, 
bounced off the floor, and returned to within his reach.  He retrieved his phone 
and stuck it back in his belt.
     Calvin looked at the others.  "Anybody else have any ideas?"  Everyone 
except Carol just stood there staring.  Carol shook her head in the negative. 
For a few more seconds everyone stared at the space above. 
    Then a vibrant feminine musical voice startled everyone.  "I have decided to 
speak with you.  I did not at first intend that you know my presence. Now I must 
reveal myself more than you have already seen. Know that my intents are 
peaceful. Perhaps you can pretend I'm not here."
     Nobody moved.  They all waited to see what would come next. After about 
another 10 seconds the image of the pink globe on the monitor moved into and 
through their communication equipment. The musical voice continued. "I apologize 
that all communication between you and Earth is now filtered through me."  
     And then they saw a ghostly form of a young lady, standing on the floor 
near the center of the cabin, slowly become more and more solid. Finally Helen 
stood fully visible before them.
     Helen smiled and said, "It's because I did not want you to worry that I let 
you see me.  Originally I thought I could just ride along invisibly until you 
landed safely back on Earth."
     Helen continued, "I know you are wondering how I came here.  I'm sorry that 
I will not answer that.  Feel free to ask any other questions you wish.  If I 
find the question suitable, I will answer it."
     Calvin spoke first.  "It's impossible for you to be here.  Tell me why it's 
possible for you to be here."
     Helen smiled.  "That's right.  It does seem impossible for me to be here. 
Why don't we leave it at that."
     Calvin, his face a portrait of frustration, slowly nodded affirmative.
     Melody spoke her question quickly. "Are you one of Gaunt's invisible 
aliens?"
     Helen laughed.  "I considered pretending to be one.  It would have been a 
distraction for Grant. But I don't wish Grant or anyone else to be looking for 
me.  I seek your friendship to ensure that."
     Jonathan spoke up.  "Isn't that kind of risky.  What's to stop us from 
speaking about you when we reach Earth?"
     Helen turned to face Jonathan. "I hope that you will choose to not speak 
about me.  It will be easier on me if you chose to not speak.  I hope it will 
not be hard on you.  But whatever happens it will be your choice.  I request you 
to be silent about me.  I will do no more than ask."
     Jonathan smiled, and extended his hand.  "You have my promise.  I will not 
tell."  When Helen extended her hand, and gave him a firm but gentle handshake, 
Jonathan expressed his surprise.  "I do believe you are just what you seem to 
be, a quite human young lady."
     Calvin spoke up.  "Do you have access to alien technology?"
     Helen paused. "In a way. But not in the way you think. There are no alien 
spaceships on Earth.  There have never been alien spaceships on Earth."

     Then Carol spoke, "You said you intended to ride invisibly until we were 
safe on Earth.  Did you doubt that we would make it back?"
     Helen smiled.  "I did not know your risks until I got here.  I prepared 
myself for almost everything except Grant's monitor showing my presence. Then I 
decided that it would be better for you to know a little bit about me than for 
you to be worried sick over invisible aliens."
    Then Abner voiced his concern.  "What story are we to tell on Earth? Grant 
has his recording of an invisible alien aboard our vessel. Do you want us to 
deny his recording? What do you want us to say?"
    Helen looked at Abner, and then at each of the others before answering.  
Then she spoke slowly and carefully. "I will not ask you to outright lie.  I ask 
only that you refrain from telling what you see and hear from me right now.  
Grant is mistaken.  I'm not an alien.  I don't want Grant to think I'm an 
invisible alien. I don't even want him to know of my existence. I give you a 
dilemma that only you can resolve."
     Calvin unhooked his phone and pitched it toward Helen.  Helen instinctively 
caught it and then smiling, pitched it back in perfect imitation of Calvin's 
pitch.  Calvin smiled, and then said, "You passed the test.  Do you still wish 
to ride with us until we reach Earth?"
     Helen's smile widened. "Yes, of course I do.  What test did I pass?"
     Calvin tapped his phone.  "When I threw the phone at you, you didn't duck. 
And you tossed it back to me just as if we were two kids playing baseball.  I'd 
say that pretty much shows your humanity, or at least your friendliness."
     Helen smiled. "Thanks.  How about the rest of you? Will it be ok with you?"  
As she saw answering nods and smiles, she added, 'Great! Show me where all your 
recording devices are. I apologize that I need to erase any evidence of my being 
here.  I don't want to be a public curiosity."


                       Chapter 11

     Angela anxiously gazed at her frustrated supervisor.  Standing in front of 
Angela's desk, her supervisor held in her left hand a plastic replica of a 
blackened lung, and a food wrapping with the words  "Helen's super nutritious 
peanut butter patties" dangled from her right hand.  She said,  "Angela, are you 
telling me that neither you nor any of your co-workers know how these got into 
the store?"
    Angela felt her heart beat rapidly.  She looked her supervisor in the eye 
and said, "It's as if someone broke into the store and put them there during the 
holiday."
    The supervisor nodded her head affirmative. "Yes, that's the way I figured 
it also.  I've already alerted the campus security.  They will put guards around 
the store for a few days and nights after our next order of cigarette packages 
arrive next week."
    The supervisor turned around to leave. She took one step away, but then she 
turned to face Angela again.  "Oh, one more thing.  Have you calculated how much 
we lost from this episode?"
     Angela relaxed.  "Yes.  The amount we lost is exactly equal to the peanut 
butter patties that the Staff ate.  It can be paid for from the pretty cash 
reservoir."
   The supervisor grinned.  "Amazing.  Perhaps I don't need to worry about this 
thief after all."  She turned and left the office.
     Angela thought, "I need to talk to someone about this."  She opened her 
computer phone program, and dialed Helen's number.  Almost immediately the "on 
vacation" message flashed and gave the options to either leave a message or 
listen to Helen's message.
     Angela paused. Glancing at the clock she saw that she had about half an 
hour left before closing time.  Did she want to leave a message? Sure, why not. 
Angela spoke for 20 minutes telling her story about the amazing theft of the 
cigarettes from the store and the equally amazing compensation the thief left in 
the store.  When she finished, she selected end message, and then send message.
     Just as Angela started to close the phone program, the computer announced, 
"Incoming phone message from Helen."  Surprised, she clicked the accept option. 
She supposed that Helen must have been checking her phone messages only moments 
earlier.
     Helen's voice came through very clearly.  "Hi Angela.  Thanks for your 
message.  I'll be back in town Friday or Saturday.  I'll give you a call when I 
get back so we can get together and talk about it."
     Angela sat back in her chair and pondered a moment.  She really did not 
have anything else she could tell Helen when they met.  Did Helen have any ideas 
about it? Helen tries hard to support me. But how can Helen help me with this? 
Suddenly Angela connected "Helen's super nutritious peanut butter patties" with 
Helen.  Could it be?  No, it's only a coincidence.  It must be only a 
coincidence!  Lots of people are named Helen.  Besides, if she did it, why would 
she have used her real name?
     Suddenly the computer announced, "Incoming text message."  Angela opened 
the message, and read:
      To: Clint@cig.Eastside.FL.US.com
      CC:  Angela@Eastside.USEFL.us.edu
      From: Aunt.Izciguf.Ana.Tic@Eastside.USEFL.us.edu


     You have a problem.
     I'm responsible for your problem.
     Your problem is that you will not deliver any more Cigarettes to
Eastside Campus.
     Since I'm responsible for your problem, I offer you some alternative 
solutions.
     
   (1) Leave in the warehouse the cigarettes that you would have sent to 
Eastside Campus.  I will buy them from you at Cost.  This would be only a 
temporary solution.  

   (2) Shut down your production of Cigarettes and start up a different more 
useful business to people.  I will help you get started.

   (3) Close your business.  I will individually help you and each of your 
employees get other jobs at least as personally satisfying as the current job.

   (4) If you have any other suggestions for how I may help you in light of my 
preventing you from delivering Cigarettes to Eastside, I am listening.


 Aunt.Izciguf.Ana.Tic
        

     Angela read the text message over twice.  She still found it incredible.  
She pressed the print option, stood over the printer as it printed the message, 
and then ran with the printed copy to her supervisor's office.
     She dashed directly to her supervisor's desk, handed her the paper and 
gasped, "You've got to read this!"
     The supervisor suspended her emotional reaction until she could read the 
paper.  As she scanned the paper, she pressed the speaker option on her desk 
telephone and punched in a phone code.  When the person on the other end of the 
line picked up, she said, "Clint!  Please check your email immediately.  Our 
mysterious thief just sent you an incredible message."
     Clint replied," Ok.  I had just closed my email program, but it'll take 
only a few moments to re-open it.  It must be really something to get you this 
excited."
     After about a minute, Clint continued, "Ah, here it is."  Clint paused as 
he read the message. Then he said, grim humor evident in his voice. "Well Betty, 
I don't think any insanely arrogant fanatic will stop me doing business with 
you.  I'll turn this over to my legal advisors.  We will be ready in case this 
fanatic tries to intercept our delivery to you Monday.  Thanks for alerting me."

Chapter 12

     The fall into Earth orbit went as smoothly as expected.  And their orbit 
nearly paralleled the orbit of their replacement fuel, which now could be seen 
on their outside monitor.  About 7 hours earlier, the shuttle that carried it 
launched by automatic pilot from the nearest Earth orbit space station.  
   They planned a simple and foolproof procedure for retrieving the new fuel 
tanks from the nearby rocket.  Calvin and Melody would go outside.  Calvin would 
jump to the carrier rocket, extract the fuel tanks and toss them to Melody.  
Then Calvin would jump back and help Melody place the fuel tanks where they were 
needed.
     When Calvin and Melody were back inside, Helen said to them, "Very good.  I 
would have helped you if it were necessary.  You did everything with no 
problems?"
     Calvin caught the question tone in Helen's last statement, and he laughed. 
"No, Ms. impossible lady, we did not need your help.  Earlier you were quite 
vague about how you can do the things you can do.  What can you tell me?  Should 
I believe in magic now?"
     Helen looked at Calvin in Alarm.  "Please don't. There is a natural 
explanation for how I do things.  I'm just not sure I should tell you yet."
     "Could you teach other people to do what you do?"
      Helen frowned. "That's not possible."
      Calvin looked puzzled. "You said it's not quite accurate that you have 
access to alien technology.  You say you can't teach anyone else.  This suggests 
that it's not technology at all. Yet it's not magic.  What is it?"
      Helen nodded her head affirmatively.  "You have almost figured it out. 
Sorry that I'm leaving you puzzled.  I'm very tempted to show you now, but ." 
Her voice trailed off.
      Calvin sighed.  "Very well, I guess I won't get any more information.  I'm 
glad that at least you affirm that there is a scientific explanation."
     Calvin continued, " In about two minutes, the rest of us need to be 
strapped down.  I hope that it's unnecessary for you because we don't have the 
extra bunk for you." Then Calvin grinned as another thought came to mind.  
"Although I suppose that you could snuggle in with one of us if you wished."
     Helen grinned back.  "Nope, I don't have that excuse for snuggling. It 
won't be necessary for me to be tied down during your splashdown."
     The splashdown went according to plan.  Helen prepared to leave because she 
did not wish anyone else to know she had been there.
     As Helen made her farewells to the group, Melody asked, "Will you be able 
to come to our astronaut's open house on July 22?"
     Helen smiled, "Yes.  May I bring my friends?"
     Jonathan and Melody both exclaimed, "yes!" at the same time.
     As Helen sank through the floor of the cabin into the water below, she 
said, "It's a date."

     Helen, deep underwater, made a startling discovery about herself. She saw a 
Yellowtail Rockfish  and then realized she knew its name and that it belonged to 
the family Sebastes flavidus. As she made her way  to the surface she amused 
herself by reviewing the species name, family name, and likely habitat of each 
fish she passed.  How did she know these names and facts?  Did she know other 
things like this?  
     How could she test herself?  Joe had kidded her for not taking that 
advanced math class.  Did she know all about that math now?  Nothing came to 
mind right away. Perhaps she needed to ask the right question. What did Joe call 
that course? Calculus.  That's right!  Now she had it. She knew the fundamental 
theorem of Calculus and all about taking derivatives and integrals without 
having to take the course. 
     As she broke the surface of the Ocean, she made herself invisible, and then 
flew toward home.  She needed to set up a meeting with Angela tomorrow so they 
could talk about the campus union store not selling cigarettes anymore.  She 
used her power to call a phone number by thinking it.  
     Angela answered on the second ring.  "Hello Angela, This is Helen. How does 
12:30 at the school cafeteria sound for our meeting tomorrow?"
     Angela responded, "Tomorrow is Saturday. There won't be as many students.  
So, we could meet earlier.  Could you make it 11:30?"
     "Sure.  Ok.   11:30 tomorrow at the cafeteria.  It's a date.  Oh, I almost 
forgot.  Is it ok if I invite Bob and Joe to come along?"
     Angela almost laughed. "Of course.  I expected you to bring them with you."

Chapter 13

     Angela laid the 3 copies of her email from Aunt.Izciguf.Ana.Tic on the 
orange tabletop in front of her.  On each copy she had handwritten Clint's final 
comment about Aunt Ana being an insanely arrogant fanatic. She looked up toward 
the entrance to see if they were here yet.  Nope. Not yet here.  For the fifth 
time that morning she begin to read the email just to distract herself until 
they arrived.
     On the fifth reading she began to make comparisons between the manners of 
Aunt Ana and Helen.  In spite of the impossible claims that Aunt Ana made, she 
read as compassionate as Helen.  If Helen could do the impossible, would she do 
this?  Silly!  Helen can't do the impossible!
     Just as Angela thought this, she looked up to see the trio, arms linked, 
with Helen in the middle, standing just at the opposite edge of the table from 
her.  She smiled, and motioned them to sit down with her.
    As they sat down, Angela eagerly handed the copies of the email to them.  
Helen glanced at it as she took it, and instantly apprehended everything on it.  
Tears came to her eyes as she realized the import of Clint's last words. She 
really had been an arrogant fanatic.
    Neither Bob nor Joe noticed, but Angela did.  She had focused her attention 
on Helen because she especially wanted to know what Helen would think about all 
this.  She noticed that Helen had glanced at the email, and put it aside as if 
already familiar with it. 
   Angela started to say something to Helen about it, but then she saw Bob's 
frown and Joe's smile as they read the emails.  None of them were responding the 
way she expected.  Did they all know something about this that she didn't? 
   Bob spoke before he finished reading.  He asked Helen the question that
Angela had wanted to ask.  "Helen, what do you think about this?"
   Helen replied.  "Clint is right.  Auntie is indeed an insanely arrogant 
fanatic."  
   Joe responded, "Take it easier on your... "  Joe paused, but then continued, 
"on Auntie. She must have had some good reasons for writing this."
   Helen said, "Yes, she had some good reasons, but not good enough.  She should 
have taken a different approach."
  Bob replied, "I'm glad you think so. What do you think Auntie will do?"
  Helen replied, "I haven't decided yet.  Perhaps she should visit Clint in 
person and get his side of the story."
  Joe turned his head slightly to look intently at Helen. "Would Auntie like to 
have her friends come with her?"
  Angela almost yelped in surprise.  Helen had barely glanced at the email, but 
she evidently knew everything in it.  How did she know?  And what did Joe mean? 
How did he know whether or not Auntie had friends helping her, and why did it 
matter?
   Angela spoke her puzzlement. "What do you guys know about all this?"
   Helen understood Angela's puzzlement. "Angela, you deserve to know what's 
going on.  I am Auntie."
   "What!"  Helen's statement shocked Angela. Her suspicions were correct! How 
is this possible?  "Prove it to me!"
    Helen said, " I will prove it by sending you an email from Auntie right 
now."
   Angela's cell phone rang.  When she pressed the respond button on it, the 
phone announced, "incoming text message."  Then it scrolled the text message 
across the tiny screen, "Apologies to all.  Auntie."
   Angela stared at the screen for a few moments.  Then she looked up at Helen. 
"How did you do that?  Did you have a confederate send me this message just now? 
If you want me to believe you, why don't you send me a message that a 
confederate would not know to send."
   Helen pondered a moment.  "OK.  Pick a number between 1 and 100, and tell it 
to me."
   Angela's cell phone rang as she said the number to Helen. Immediately, she 
pressed the respond button.  The phone announced, "Incoming voice message."  
Then Helen's voice came from the phone saying "Your number is 42."
   Angela dropped the phone on the table. In astonishment, she asked,  "Do you 
want to tell me how you did that?"
     Helen smiled, "Angela, magicians are not supposed to reveal their tricks."
     Bob added, "If I had been in your place, I would have thought that we'd 
preprogrammed the computer to send you the voice message.  We could have 
preprogrammed everything except the number.  Then we could have transmitted the 
number to the computer as soon as you told it to us."
    Both Helen and Angela looked at Bob with surprise.  Angela asked, "Is that 
how you did it?"
    Helen shook her head negatively. "Bob is very clever. I'm sorry Angela that 
I have to keep it a mystery."
     Angela thought about it for a few moments.  Then she said, "It's ok. I 
don't really need to know how you did it.  It's enough that you have proven to 
me that you can do it.  I suppose it's also easy for you to break into the 
campus union at night without triggering any alarms."
     Helen's face turned red as she nodded her head affirmatively.
     Angela felt troubled. "Helen, why did you do it?  Why didn't it seem wrong 
to you? Why...?"
     Helen responded before Angela could finish her questions. "I wondered the 
same thing myself.  In the future I will think things through before I act."
     Angela smiled.  "Good. I'm glad you said that. I worried about whether or 
not I could trust you.  I guess if I knew how to do the things you evidently can 
do, I would have been overcome by the temptations also."

Chapter 14

     Helen, Joe and Bob were ushered into Clint's office by the petite blond 
secretary.  Clint rose, and reached over his desk to shake hands with each of 
them.  "How may I help you?"
     Before Bob could give his prepared speech, Helen blurted out, "I'm the 
insanely arrogant fanatic that planned to stop you from delivering your 
cigarettes to the campus union store."
     Clint laughed in surprise. "That planned? Are you no longer planning it?"
     Helen replied, while looking directly into his eyes, "I saw that you were 
right."
     Helen smiled as she added, " And I don't wish to be insanely arrogant.  
That's why we are here now. We want to hear your side.  Why are you selling 
cigs?"
     Clint opened his mouth to reply, but unable to say anything, he closed his 
mouth after a few seconds. Then he shook his head negatively, and sank back into 
his chair closing his eyes.
     A few seconds later, he opened his eyes to look at the three of them seated 
in the soft red velvet high-backed chairs that his secretary had provided.  Then 
he said, "My grandpappy managed this business. My dad worked here. I inherited 
this business on my 25th birthday. I never expected to do anything else."
     Joe said in a soft manner, "Do you think about whether your business is 
helping people or hurting them?"
     Clint turned to Joe, incipient anger visible on his face. "Sometimes. But I 
don't know whether I'm helping people or hurting them.  However, I do know that 
I give people what they want."
     Clint leaned back in his chair, relaxing.  Then he said, "Besides, I don't 
need to apologize to you for what I do."
    Bob caught Joe's eye.  When Joe nodded his head slightly, Bob said, "We 
don't intend to argue with you.  We are here to listen to you."
    Clint sat up straighter, then said, "If that's so, then listen well. I don't 
like you to question my business.  As long as people want to smoke cigarettes, I 
will sell them."
     Helen smiled.  "Suppose too few people wanted to smoke cigarettes. Would 
you quit selling them then?"
     Clint laughed.  "And how would you arrange for that?  Yes.  If not enough 
people bought cigarettes, I would be forced to go into another business."
     Then Clint added, "This is just a hypothetical question, right? Even if you 
somehow persuaded my customers to quit, I could not blame you, for after all, it 
is the customer who chooses to buy or not buy."
     Helen's smile grew.  "Thank you very much.  We may talk again some day. You 
probably feel you never want to see or hear from us again. But, perhaps you 
should save my email address in case you wish to get in touch with me again."
     Clint showed his surprise.  "Is that all?  You don't want to question me 
more? What will you do now?  Are you giving up so easily?"
     Joe grinned.  "No, we haven't given up.  We will just figure out how to 
persuade people to quit buying cigarettes.  Get in touch with us when you notice 
that your sales have dropped."
     Clint laughed again.  "Gee, you sound like you mean it."  Clint reached 
across the desk inviting Joe to shake hands with him. " Ok. May the best side 
win."  
     As Joe and Clint shook hands, Bob concluded, "Yes, the best side will win."
     Then Bob and Helen each shook hands with Client, and everyone smiled as 
they left Clint's office.
     Clint sat back in his chair, satisfied that he'd managed everything very 
well.  He congratulated himself on his public relations skills.  His phone rang.
"Hello, This is Clint."
	"Hello Clint.  This is Angela from the Union campus Store.  My friend 
Helen Troy said she planned to visit you today.  How did the meeting go?"
	"It went very well.  I don't think I need to worry about Ms Troy and her 
friends.  So she is your friend.  What can you tell me about her?"
	Angela suddenly felt that she did not know Helen at all.  What could she 
say about Helen?  "What can I say?  Helen does the unexpected. If she wants you 
to not sell cigs, she may find a way to stop you.  In the short time I've known 
Helen, I've been impressed by her compassion for others. But she is a magician. 
I think you should avoid being on her wrong side."
       Clint felt disquiet.  "I fail to see what she can do.  When she left, she 
and her friends spoke of persuading my customers to quit smoking.  Lots of 
people have tried that and for over a hundred years.  I don't see how she has a 
chance."
       Angela paused.  "Maybe not.  But, watch out for her.  If she gets 
sufficiently frustrated, she may pull one of her magic tricks on you."
        After she completed the conversation with Clint, Angela placed her cell 
phone in its holder on the wall of her Shoppe Faire booth.  She glanced at her 
watch, and waited patiently for Helen.  She did promise to come by.
       "Hey there!"
       Startled, Angela looked up.  She saw Mike Long approaching her Booth.
       "Not many customers yet, eh?  I left Dan to take care of the booth.  Too 
few customers to need both of us."
       Angela frowned.  "So you run into me again.  Were you looking for me, or 
did you just happen to find me?"
       Mike laughed.  "I wanted to find you.  You work at the Union Campus 
Store.  We sell cigs at your store.  I need to make sure I'm not on your bad 
side."
       "It won't be easy.  Almost killing me doesn't make a good start."
       Mike stepped backwards.  "Hey, take it easy.  I want to make amends."
       Angela paused.  "Mike, remember when my friend Helen said that if she had 
the power, she would stop you."
       Mike looked carefully at Angela.  "So?"
       Angela paused.  Should she say anything?  Why not?  "I think she has the 
power.  I think that soon you will be out of business."
       As Mike started to reply, he saw Helen out of the corner of his eye.  "I 
don't think that's very likely.  But here she is now.  I'll ask her myself."
       Angela spun around and looked in the direction Mike was looking.  She 
smiled as Helen walked up.
       Mike addressed Helen.  "Hey.  Your friend thinks you can put us out of 
business.  When do you start?"
       Helen paused before answering.  "I've already started.  Sooner than you 
expect, you'll have to find another line of business."
       Mike laughed.  "Whoa.  Maybe our local man Clint will have to find other 
work, but there's no way you can begin to make a dent in our worldwide 
business."
       Helen nodded her head.  "Well yes.  Clint will be the first to feel our 
impact.  But as I said, it will be sooner than you expect."
       At this moment, Clint was leaning back in his chair waiting for 
inspiration.  After a few minutes he thought since Angela is Helen's friend, I 
should check with Victor to see what he thinks.  Does he support her?  Clint sat 
up and dialed Victor's number.

       Victor answered on the third ring.  "Hello Clint.  No, I don't need any 
more cigs.  Don't bother to send me any more.  I'm quitting."
       Clint replied.  "Wait a minute.  That's not why I called. But why are you 
quitting?"
       Victor paused.  "Why do you need to know?  It doesn't have anything to do 
with you."
       Clint replied, "Does it have anything to do with Helen Troy?"
       Victor replied with a puzzled tone in his voice. "Why yes, it does.  How 
did you know?  I don't think that she knows that I'm quitting."
       Clint answered, "She and her friends came to see me today.  She wants to 
put me out of business and when she left she planned to persuade all my clients 
to quit.  Is your quitting only a co-incidence?"
       Victor considered the question.  "Yes and no.  Last week Helen brought to 
my attention that I'm really killing myself when I smoke.  I knew that.  I 
should have quit long ago. I didn't know that she was actively working to make 
people quit.  She did not tell me to quit.  I chose to quit because she made it 
clear to me why I should."
       Clint replied.  "I see.  Thank you very much Victor." 
       As Clint hung up the phone, he thought out loud, "This Helen Troy may be 
a bigger nuisance than I expected."


Chapter 15

    Helen easily carried the 130 kilogram air refresher while Joe and Bob walked 
closely besides her.  Helen had created the air refresher.  Although about the 
same size as a standard microwave oven, it weighed much more.
    Helen had created the air refresher because she wanted to be sure that Bob 
and Joe were spared the toxic fumes from accumulated cigarette smoke in the 
smoketorium.  The air refresher worked by releasing large volumes of clean air 
from a compressed air source.  At the same time, it cleaned and compressed the 
polluted air around them.  She expected to persuade everyone here today to give 
up smoking.  She would turn the smoketorium into a clean air building.  She 
planned to sell everyone the smokeless cigarettes she had invented."
    Almost every town had a smoketorium.  They were the only public places left 
where people could smoke.  They had become special clubs, and sometimes had 
tobacco shops within them.
     The trio walked up to the back of the smoketorium where a heavy table had 
been pushed against the wall.  Setting the air refresher down on the corner of 
the table, Helen turned and examined the people in the room.
     There were about 5 people around the pool table.  One guy leaned against a 
column in the center of the room watching the other four guys play.  Only one of 
the two ping-pong tables were being used.  Two expert ping-pong players showed 
off their skill.  Most of the people were gathered around the chess tables.  
There were ashtrays built into the edges of the chess tables. Pressing a button 
sent the ashes to a disposal unit.
     Helen addressed everyone in a loudspeaker voice. "May I please have your 
attention.  I'm here to sell you the superior cigarette.  Who would like a free 
sample?"
      One of the chess players who wore a bright button-down red shirt looked 
up.  "Did you say free?"
      Helen nodded her head affirmatively, and then she tossed a pack to him.  
He caught it easily since Helen had aimed it expertly.  As he opened the pack, 
he commented, "They look just like regular cigarettes.  What makes them 
superior?"
     Helen replied, "Try it."
     He took out one of the cigarettes, and put it in his mouth.  He turned on 
his cigarette lighter and raised it to his mouth.  As soon as the flame touched 
the tip of the cigarette, it said "OUCH!"
     The man jerked the cigarette out of his mouth, and yelled at Helen,  "What 
the hell is this?   What kind of joke are you pulling?"
     Helen laughed.  "That is just to remind you that you do not need to light 
these cigarettes.  Puff on them as if they were already lit.  These are 
smokeless cigarettes.  You won't ever need your cigarette lighters again.  And 
you have no ashes to worry about."
     The man replied, "I never worried about ashes anyway."  After a pause, he 
continued, "Why should we bother to change our habit.  Tell us what makes it 
worth the effort to switch to your cigarettes."
     Helen looked to Bob and Joe.  In a clear voice that carried across the 
room, Joe said, "There are three main reasons to switch.  One is that the only 
toxin that these cigarettes carry is nicotine.  They have been designed to taste 
and feel almost like regular cigarettes, but that is only an illusion to 
minimize the effort it takes to switch.  The second reason is that these 
cigarettes will last 10 times longer than a regular cigarette.  As you smoke 
this cigarette it will shorten just like a real cig that burns.  And each time 
you use it, it will deliver the same amount of nicotine that you get from a 
regular cigarette.  When the cigarette reaches the size of the cigarette butt, 
it will stop releasing nicotine.  But put it back in the cigarette pack, and in 
an hour's time it will lengthen to it's regular size.  You will notice that the 
side of the new cigarette has the number 10 written on it.  After one usage, 
that number will change to 9."
     Joe paused, then looked around the room at his audience, as if to gain 
reassurance from them.  He then continued, "Some of you may want to quit the 
smoking habit.  These cigarettes will help you quit. Helen can tell you the 
reasons you should quit."
     Bob then added his remark.  "And if you care about money, remember that 
each of these cigarettes last 10 times as long as a regular cigarette. And the 
cost is exactly the same.  Effectively you pay only one tenth as much for them."
     Joe added, "And when you finish the pack, return the used cigarettes to the 
company in order to get a new pack at half price. So, after the first pack, you 
really pay only one twentieth of the price per pack. Think of it this way.  You 
get a full pack for what you now pay for one cigarette "
     The chessplayer with the red shirt replied, "You give a good argument.  
However, I don't think any of us here are ready to quit our habit."  
     One of the 2 guys playing pool spoke up.  "Speak for yourself, Randy."  He 
then addressed Helen.  "I think it fair to try one pack.  How can I get in touch 
with your company if I decide to switch to your brand?"
     While Helen gave him her card with the email address for 
Aunt.Izciguf.Ana.Tic Bob addressed the room.  "How many other folks wish to try 
one pack for comparison?"
About a dozen people lined up to receive a free sample.  
     After that, Bob observed, "It looks like we're done here."  They had given 
away a few packs, and felt sure that they would go over well.  Next time they 
might even have some customers willing to pay for them.  
    Helen stood still, surveying the room.  She seemed not to have heard Bob's 
comment. Bob understood why.
     Bob addressed the room again.  "How many of you would like to quit, or 
would like to hear why you should quit cigarettes?"
     Only a couple of people signaled that they were interested.  Helen sighed, 
and handed those two people pamphlets explaining the nature of addiction, and 
how to tell which stage of addiction you were in.  Then she addressed the room.  
"I'm leaving pamphlets explaining why it would be a good idea to quit the 
nicotine habit.  I suggest strongly that you take a look at them.  Thank you for 
your attention."
     Helen started to pick up the air refresher.  Then she changed her mind.  
She turned back to face the room, and as she pointed to the air refresher she 
said, "This machine cleans the air.  I'm leaving it here so that you will have 
slightly cleaner air in spite of your smoking.  I will check it occasionally to 
make sure it's working ok."
     As they left the building Helen caused a fresh air wind to stream from her 
in order to protect Joe and Bob from toxins in the room's air.

 Chapter 16

    Helen landed softly on the walkway leading up to Melody's Home.  As she 
landed she released Bob and Joe.  She had had her right arm around Joe, and her 
left arm around Bob as she flew the three of them to the Astronauts' party in 
Houston Texas.   Both Bob and Joe had had their musical instruments in their 
cases strapped across their chest.
     Joe glanced at the beautiful marble walkway and beautifully landscaped 
yard. He started to comment on it, but Helen and Bob had already moved along the 
walkway to the front door.  As Bob stepped on the doorstep, a computer voice 
said, "Please state your name clearly and distinctly."
     Before Bob could respond, Joe rushed forward and said, "We are the 
impossible trio.  You scheduled us to entertain for tonight's party."
     The computer replied, "Response accepted. Please enter."  The door opened, 
and the trio entered the house.
     Melody greeted them as they entered.  "Calvin and the other astronauts are 
already here.  Do you want to keep your names secret?"
     Joe glanced at Helen.  Then he replied,  "No, there's no secret about our 
names.  I'm Joe Athens."  Then indicating Bob and Helen, he gave their names.  
     Melody said, "Thank you.  Let me first show you where you will be 
performing."  She led the way down a long wide hallway with fancy artistic silk 
screened pictures hanging on the walls.
     After walking through the hallway they entered a large room.  The entire 
wall on the other side of the room seemed transparent, for they could see a 
beautiful lake and garden beyond it.
      Melody led them directly across the center of the room to the transparent 
wall.  She observed Joe looking intently at the lake scene through the wall.  
She laughed.  "Do you think this is just a picture window?  Let me show you what 
a real picture window this is."  She held up a remote control, which she handed 
it to Joe. "Press any channel button."
     Puzzled Joe pressed a button at random.  Suddenly the beautiful lake 
disappeared to be replaced by a view of the moonscape as photographed by the 
astronauts in 2060.  
     "Wow" exclaimed Joe as he handed the remote control back to Melody.
     Bob, equally impressed, asked, "How many scenes do you have for this 
window?"
     Melody replied.  "This remote has the capacity for selecting 4095 different 
views.  I think we have about 500 of them programmed."
     Just then Calvin and Jonathan, each smiling and waltzing to inaudible music 
brought light swivel chairs for them to sit in. They set them down next to the 
picture window. They then turned to greet the group. 
      Melody introduced the trio to each others. "Calvin, and Jonathan, this is 
Joe, and Bob.  And of course you remember Helen."  Melody waved her hand briefly 
toward each person as she said the name.  Then she observed, "I'll have to 
introduce you all over again to the latecomers."
     Just then Abner walked up. "Then why don't you wait until they start to 
play to introduce them?  Abner smiled at Helen.  "I'm glad you brought your 
friends." He shook hands with Helen, then Joe and Bob.
     Helen observed, "The only one of your group that we haven't greeted yet is 
Carol."
     Melody replied, "Carol is bringing out the punch bowl."
    Just as Melody said this, they all heard a loud crash and a yell of 
disappointment.
    They looked toward the sound and saw Carol sitting down in the long hallway 
with gallons of punch flowing away from her and shards of broken glass all 
around her.
     Helen ran toward Carol to help her up. As she approached Carol, the punch 
and glass shards in her path vanished. She helped Carol up. Then she said, "Let 
me help you with the rest.  Where did you want the punch bowl set up?"
     Carol replied, 'It's too late.  I broke our only punch bowl and spilled the 
last of our punch mix."
     Helen smiled.  "Show me anyway.  Pretend you never dropped the punch bowl."
     Carol frowned, then remembering that Helen had done the impossible before 
decided to go along, wondering what miracle she might do now.
     With a wave of her hand, Helen absorbed the remaining glass fragments in 
the hallway and followed carol to the refreshment table back in the large room.  
Carol touched the edge of the table and said, "I intended to put it on this 
table."
     Helen replied.  "Ok."  She then stood next to the center part of the table 
and placed her cupped hands over the table.  Soon she had recreated the punch 
bowl and placed it onto the table.  She next held her arm above the open bowl.  
Punch poured out of her arm into the bowl.
     Calvin came up to her.  "Do you know how many different laws of physics you 
just violated?"
     Helen replied, "Actually I haven't violated any laws of physics.  It just 
seems that way."
     Calvin laughed.  "I'm glad to hear that.  So should I think of you as just 
a super stage magician?"
     Helen looked at Calvin in surprise.  "Now that is a good idea.  We could 
spice up our music with a few magic tricks. I'll talk to the guys about it."
     Later when almost all the guests had arrived, Helen signaled to Joe that 
they should begin.  Joe spoke to the audience.  Our first song is called 'Where 
is your life?'  Helen wrote both the lyrics and score for it.  After this song, 
we will take requests from the audience."
      Joe sat down and swiveled to face Bob, already sitting.  They began 
playing and Helen began to sing.  
      Abner, leaning against the wall, prepared to wait out the song. When he 
heard the first line of the song, he stood up and moved slightly closer to hear 
better. At the end of the song, he came up to Helen. "Thank you.  What a 
wonderful song you have there!  It says what a lot of folks need to hear."
       Helen thanked him. She then turned to speak to the audience.  "Ok folks, 
time to challenge us.  What would you like to hear us perform?
       A tall thin man who had just entered spoke up.  "Please sing 'On the 
other side of the moon.'  It's my favorite song."
      Melody gasped in surprise.  "Gaunt!  That's not fair.  That song dropped 
off the charts over 30 years ago.  These kids are too young to know it."
      Helen spoke then.  "It's ok Melody.  We can do it.  We have the sheet 
music for it.  Helen reached into her pocket and pulled out two rolls of framed 
plastic paper.  She handed one to Joe and one to Bob.  
     As Joe took it he whispered to Helen, "Neat trick.  No one would have 
suspected that these rolls of sheet music were made on the spot."
    Helen whispered back, "or that I didn't even know the song existed until he 
requested it."
    The rolls of sheet music unrolled automatically and then grew legs. Bob and 
Joe were not the only ones who gasped in surprise as the rolls of sheet music 
became music stands. After a few moments, each of them began to play while Helen 
sang.      
     After the performance, Grant came up to examine the music stands. Picking 
one up, he carefully bent portions of it and watched it spring back into shape.  
Putting it down, he smiled at Helen.  "That's a very clever application of 
memory wire."
     Helen extended her hand.  "Thank you.  I thought so too."
     As they shook hands Grant said, "You're welcome.  My name is Grant. Your 
group impressed me.  The impossible trio is a good name for your group.  You 
really do seem to do the impossible."
     Bob leaned forward to shake hands with Grant.  "My name is Bob. Glad you 
liked our show."
     Next Joe came forward to greet Grant. "Give us a call sometime, and we can 
impress you again."
    Grant nodded.  "Well, I don't really have occasion to give parties like 
Melody.  But if I ever do, I know I can find you through Melody."
     Grant turned his head to find Melody, and waved for her to come to them.  
As Melody walked up, he asked her, "How did you find this group?"
     Melody paused, uncertain what to answer. Before she could answer Bob 
interjected, "Helen contacted Melody because she, Helen, wanted to know first 
hand what happened on this last moon trip."
     Melody laughed.  "How very well put!  Thank you Bob."
     Grant looked sharply at Melody.  "I hope you didn't tell her about my 
special monitors."
     Melody felt her face turn red.  "Oops.  Sorry.  Helen knows all about your 
invisible alien."
     As Grant looked toward Helen, she grinned and said, "Don't worry.  If 
anyone asks if I believe in invisible aliens, I can honestly say that I don't."
     Grant shook his head.  "It's always the same.  The skeptics don't believe, 
even with proof.  The believers believe, even without proof."
     Abner coming forward just then heard Grant's remark.  "Gaunt!  Haven't you 
known that for a long time now?  You sound as if you can't quite believe it."
     When she heard Grant's remark Helen blushed.  Immediately a buzzing sound 
emanated from a device hidden in Grant's pocket.  Grant took a few steps back 
and pulled from his pocket a small flat silver oval shaped device and pressed a 
button on it.  "Sorry folks.  It must be out of order or something.  I designed 
this to detect any unusual nearby electromagnetic radiation.  Did someone in the 
house just turn on a microwave oven?"  Grant placed the device back into his 
pocket.

     Abner addressed Helen.  "I'm really impressed by your song, 'Where is your 
life'.  What inspired you to write it?"
     Helen glanced at Joe, then Bob.  Seeing their affirmations, she smiled, 
then replied, "I'm on a crusade.  I want to help everyone addicted to cigarettes 
so that cigarettes will not be made any more."
    Abner stepped back a step, astonishment lighting up his face.  "That's a 
pretty big ambition, maybe even for you.  How will you do it?"
    Grant looked at Abner in amazement. "What did he mean by saying 'even for 
her'?" Did Abner know Helen before today? Maybe Melody did, for Helen presumed 
Melody would willingly answer her questions.  Melody even told her about the 
invisible Alien scare. At least he now had proof that the aliens existed. He 
reached into his pocket and fingered his pocket radiation detector. Strange that 
it went off just as he stood closest to Helen.  Grant decided he needed to know 
more about Helen.
    Helen replied, "I've started small.  In my hometown Eastside, Florida, I've 
gone weekly to the local smoketorium and attempted to persuade some smokers to 
switch to the smokeless cigarettes I've invented. I wrote the song so I could 
sing it at the smoketorium."
     Grant leaned forward.  "Helen, I can help you.  How would you like to have 
your performances at the Eastside smoketorium broadcast to all the smoketoriums 
in the world?"
     Helen looked at Grant in surprise. "That would be very good.  How much work 
would it be for you?  It sounds like it would be too much to ask of you."
    Grant paused.  "It's not a trivial task.  But I want to join your crusade.  
Besides, I want to know more about this smokeless cigarette you invented. What 
makes it special?"
    Helen reached into her pocket, and pulled out a package of her smokeless 
cigarettes. "Here's a sample for you to examine.  Open the package, and take one 
out."
     As Grant accepted the package, he remarked, "You seem to have a lot of room 
in that pocket of yours.  How much else is in there."
     Helen smiled. "Just everything I will need for each day." Then as grant 
pulled out one of the smokeless cigarettes from the package, she said, "Notice 
the number 10 on the side of the cig. It shows how many times you may use the 
cig.  Electronic circuits monitor the nicotine dosage that a people get when 
they puff on the cig.  It ensures that they get the same dosage they would if 
they smoked a real cigarette."
     Grant looked skeptical.  He found it incredible that such sophisticated 
electronics could be put in something the size of a cig.  This Helen, if 
sincere, must be a very interesting person indeed.  He replied to Helen,  "So 
this is just a smart nicotine inhaler.  May I take this back to my lab to 
analyze? What's its advantage over the nicotine inhalers already on the market?"
     Helen nodded her head affirmatively. "Of course you may. It's somewhat 
similar to a regular nicotine inhaler.  But it has several main advantages over 
the others.  One is, as you noted, it controls the dosage so that the person 
using it does not get an overdose compared to what they are used to getting from 
a regular cigarette."
    "In addition, it simulates very accurately what a person experiences if they 
actually smoke a cigarette. And there is no smoke to contaminate the air for 
other people.  Finally, it contains enzymes that reverse the effect of the 
nicotine on the brain."
     "But most importantly, I must interact with the people who use these cigs 
because I need to give them reasons to give up dependence on nicotine.  While it 
is an improvement of the situation for people to use my cigs instead of smoking 
actual cigarettes, it would be best if people chose to quit nicotine 
completely."
      Grant looked upward. "I see.  This suggests that we need some way for 
people to ask you questions or make comments to you during the broadcast.  The 
simplest way to set that up would be a web page devoted to the broadcast. We 
could stagger the broadcast throughout the week to different places so you could 
respond more effectively to comments and questions.  You could choose the 
times."
      Helen smiled.  "Wonderful."  She reached into her pocket and pulled out a 
card.  "Here's the email address I use that's dedicated to the antismoke issue."
      Grant looked at the card.  "Aunt.Izciguf.Ana.Tic.  How did you come up 
with this one?"
      Helen laughed. "So it's not so obvious after all.  It's Ant-ti-cig-f-fana-
tic. I threw in some extra letters to complete the syllables, and confused 
things by moving first or last letters of a syllable to an adjacent syllable."
      Grant smiled.  He thought of his lab.  Tonight I'll examine these special 
cigs.  I expect that they will be much too sophisticated to have been produced 
by any lab on Earth.  Maybe I've found a link to the Aliens on Earth!  He said 
to Helen, "If these smokeless cigs are as marvelous as you describe, then I 
definitely will want to work closely with you from now on."

Chapter 17

     Clint hid his mixed feelings about the reports being made at the regional 
conference.  For several months now cigarette sales, world wide, had steadily 
dropped, and this regional conference had been called to coordinate the fight 
against "their enemy."  Clint, although concerned about his livelihood, partly 
hoped the other side would win.
      The current speaker finished his introductory criticism of their enemy's 
unfair tactics.  Clint listened as the speaker continued.
      "We hired a few guys to harass our enemy, Helen Troy, at the broadcast 
site. But she refused to respond to us."
      Suddenly the speaker noticed one of the guys he had hired to harass Helen 
sitting in the front row.  "Hey, Alan, come up here and tell us what happened.  
Tell us how Helen ignored you after you raised a valid complaint."
       Alan shook his head negatively, but with continued prompting from the 
speaker, walked onto the stage. Before speaking a word, Alan took a disc from 
his pocket and inserted it into the video player.
      Alan took the microphone from the speaker.  "She didn't really ignore us.  
Watch this clip to see what really happened."
     Alan took the remote control and started the video.

     From a close-up of Alan, the camera zoomed away to show him sitting at a 
table watching Helen on video.  The video screen split to show Helen on the left 
half, and Alan on the right half.  Alan had a cell phone to his ear while he 
spoke.  "Some of us have a complaint.  Your smokeless cigs do not have that 
rough taste we expect to have in a real cigarette."
     Helen smiled.  "Exactly.  That rough taste of the cig that you refer to 
tells you that the cig is killing you.  No way would I want to duplicate that!  
The purpose of my smokeless cigs is to facilitate your quitting a habit that is 
killing you and those around you when you smoke."
     The video Alan looked surprised.  Then he said, "But suppose we don't want 
to quit.  What good are your smokeless cigs then?"
     Helen frowned.  "If you don't use them, then of course they are no good to 
you at all.  However, if you do use the smokeless cigs, it will be very 
beneficial to your friends, and when you are able to quit cigs completely, the 
smokeless cigs will have been useful to you."
     Video Alan looked pensive for a moment, then said, "Thank you very much." 
The interview over, Alan's side of the video vanished as Helen's image expanded 
to push it off the screen.

Alan used the remote to turn off the video and removed his disc from the player. 
He then addressed the audience. "She listened to our complaint, and politely 
told us why we did not have a valid complaint.  I think she's right.  I think we 
are wrong to fight her.  If I had any say so here, I would say we should join 
her instead.  Remember, if you can't beat them, then join them."
       After some scattered applause, and much booing, Alan returned to his 
seat.
      The speaker stood as if unable to move by what Alan had said.  Finally he 
said, "Now you see what we are up against, when some of our best agents are 
turned against us."  
      His speech cut short, the speaker placed the microphone on the podium and 
left the stage.
     After about a minute of audience noise, another speaker walked to the 
podium.  "My name is Mike Long.  I personally met Helen Troy last year. I heard 
her say that she hated cigs, and that if she had the power she would end our 
business.  Maybe she has found some very powerful friends to help her."
	"Anyway, I and some other guys thought we would intercept the delivery of 
her smokeless cigarettes to her customers at the Austin Texas smoketorium.  We 
were sure that she brought them in the middle of the night because they were 
always there in the morning when the customers came in the door.  We stayed up 
all night inside the building guarding the place. The table where she usually 
leaves them stayed empty all night. The next morning, about 9:00 in the morning, 
one of her customers comes in.  I started to say something about it being too 
bad that his order didn't come in. But before I can say anything I notice he's 
looking at the table, and smiling. I turn around and look.  I see his order on 
the table!"
     Several people shouted questions at once.  Mike raised his hands, and then 
lowered the microphone to speak into it. "Please, just one at a time. Raise one 
hand, and let me recognize you to ask your question."
     The first questioner asked, "How do you know that one of your own people 
didn't put the cigs there while you weren't looking?"
     Mike snorted. "Ha.  I didn't think of that.  It's unthinkable.  None of my 
buddies could do that."
     The first questioner followed up with, "Then is it possible that someone 
else hid in the building?"
     Mike replied. "We thought of that of course.  We searched.  We didn't find 
anyone else in the building. And the only other exit has an alarm set on it."
     The first questioner shrugged his shoulders and sat down.  
     The second questioner asked, "Will you try it again?"
     Mike shook his head.  "There's no point to it.  She left a note with this 
last order that from now on she will deliver the orders directly to the 
customer's homes."
     Mike pointed to a third questioner.  "One more question after this. Then 
I'll be in the lobby if anyone wishes to talk to me individually."
     The third questioner asked, "Didn't you even observe her delivery vehicle 
approaching the smoketorium?"
     Mike threw up his hands in frustration.  "We had lookouts for that of 
course.  We saw no delivery vehicle. We don't know how she got them into the 
building.  Obviously she, or someone working for her must be an expert at 
misdirection"
     Mike pointed to a somewhat rotund man for him to speak. "You have the last 
question."
     The fat man used a bar set high on the side of his chair to pull himself 
up, and then addressed the podium.  "What about the company that's making her 
smokeless cigs.  Can't we do something there to stop her?"
     Mike shook his head.  "A very good question.  And I think our next speaker 
after the break addresses your question.  So, now let's go to lunch.  I'll stay 
in the lobby for a while to talk with anyone else who wishes to ask me questions 
individually."
     After lunch an announcer came to the podium and spoke into the microphone.  
"Good Afternoon!  My name is Carl Samson. The afternoon session will be focused 
on how to deal with our competitor. And we start with Sir Archie Baldwin."  With 
a sweeping gesture, Carl pointed to the first speaker already walking up to the 
stage.
     Archie spoke clearly with a classical British accent. "To effectively fight 
an enemy, you have to locate her.  We know where she lives.  We know her name: 
Helen Troy.  We know she's a music student in Eastside Florida.  We don't know 
where she makes her products. We don't know how she makes her deliveries."
      "We've tried all the obvious things.  We searched the patent office for 
information to lead to the manufacturer. Her smokeless cigs have not been 
patented!  We located the source of the broadcast.  It's based on a web site of 
a very high ranking space engineer.  Discrete investigation around the engineer 
reveals that he has nothing to do with manufacturing or deliveries.  I want to 
hear from all of you now.  Has anyone been able to intercept deliveries, or 
trace a delivery back to its source?"
    The audience remained silence. After about a minute, Clint stood up.  "Why 
don't you just ask Helen Troy? The worst that can happen is that she will refuse 
to tell you."
    More silence.  Then one anonymous voice from the crowd shouted, "She most 
certainly would refuse.  Why bother asking her when we know she would refuse?"
    Archie held up his hands for attention. "Ok folks.  We all know how to 
contact her through the broadcast.  Clint, your idea appeals to some of us, but 
not to everyone.  The obvious compromise is for everyone here who thinks it 
worthwhile, to ask her through her broadcast for a tour of the plant."
     Mike Long walked quickly to the microphone.  "At first I strongly opposed 
asking our enemy anything.  But now I see how it can be very useful..."  Mike 
paused a moment. "PROVIDING WE, ALL OF US, ASK AT THE VERY SAME MOMENT!"
     "From this we may be able to measure the limits of her computer system's 
ability to respond to input.  Perhaps we can set up an ongoing denial of service 
attack on her web site.  If we can block her broadcasts, it may stop her from 
getting additional customers."
     Mike waited through a few seconds of the applause that followed his 
statements.  Then he held up his hands for attention.  "So we need to agree on a 
day and time for the attack.  Can everyone be ready at 12:30 P.M. Central time, 
exactly one week from today? Give me a show of hands?"
     Mike smiled as a clear majority of folks present raised their hands with 
great enthusiasm.  Then he turned to the current speaker on the stage. 
"Apologies for taking your place, Archie, but this couldn't wait."
     "No apology necessary.  I agree 100% with you."
      Then Carl, resuming his role as announcer, addressed the audience.  "Now 
we have a video clip to show you.  It's a preview of a news broadcast we have 
prepared.  It will go out on all the tobacco issue newsgroups and all 17 current 
event newsgroups over the next 3 days."
     The movie screen sized video display lit up.  The audience recognized the 
background of the Jerry Terry Show.  

     Jerry glanced toward the camera, and then turned toward his guest. "Today 
my cameo guest is Senator Heedly.  Senator, you recently made a little known, 
but important amendment to this year's education allocations bill that President 
Carothers signed into law yesterday.  Can you tell me about that amendment?"
     The Senator looked stern. "Yes.  This very important amendment makes it 
illegal to sell products that have not been patented.  We must protect the 
public from frauds and unproven and untested products."
     Jerry looked a little skeptical.  "Just because it doesn't have a patent 
doesn't mean that it's a fraud. But haven't courts protected us with the 
existing laws?  Why do you need this law?  Aren't you worried that it would 
conflict with individual rights ensured by the 10th amendment in the Bill of 
Rights?"
     Surprised, the Senator glared at Jerry.  "Not at all.  The courts will 
understand who I intend the law to apply to."
     "And who do you intend the law to apply to?"
     "An enemy of our economy has come to my attention.  This person sells an 
unpatented product to smokers.  Every time this unpatented product is sold 
instead of a tobacco product, it's a loss to our economy."
     "An important segment of our economy is based on tobacco.  Even though only 
about 2% of the public still smoke, that is still millions of people.  But it's 
not just the people who smoke who depend on tobacco. Consider the plight of the 
farmers who grow the tobacco." The Senator waved his hands in the air.  "I know, 
I know, the farmers are not U.S. Citizens since all the tobacco is grown in 
Indonesia. But consider the plight of the people who produce the fertilizers and 
insecticide needed to grow the tobacco. Many if not all of these people could be 
ruined financially if the tobacco economy fails."
      Jerry shook his head in disbelief. "And what penalty would you give for 
people who violate this law?"
      The Senator paused to reflect before replying. "The amendment did not 
specify specific penalties.  Rather it specified that selling an unpatented 
product is a felony. Whatever punishment is accorded to felonies is the penalty 
that the seller faces."
      Jerry's face showed his concern.  "Aren't you being somewhat harsh? Don't 
we all know that it would be a good thing if people quit smoking? The health 
benefits would outweigh all other disadvantages."
     The Senator laughed.  "You do like to play devil's advocate, don't you.  We 
cannot legislate morals.  We do not infringe on people's right to choose, even 
if they choose badly.  But that is not the issue here.  The issue here is that 
someone is selling an untested product to the public, and must be stopped."
      Jerry paused to marshal his thoughts.  Then he asked, "Wouldn't it have 
been sufficient to have required proof of harmlessness before the product could 
be sold?"
      Senator Heedly snorted.  "Ha!  In this case I don't think that would be 
possible.  On my own initiative I had some chemists analyze these cigarette 
substitutes. They reported to me that these substitutes contain several 
unclassifiable compounds in the amino acid group, and a well known compound that 
acts like heroin in the blood stream."
      The Senator continued, "I went even farther.  I had my office conduct a 
health survey of the people who have been using these cigarette substitutes.  
The survey proved that, on the average, people who use these substitutes are 
less healthy than the normal person."
      Jerry paid no attention to the answer because he needed to quickly come up 
with his next question. "How does the cost of these substitute cigarettes 
compare to ordinary cigarettes?"
     The Senators face showed annoyance. "That's another thing. This company is 
obviously selling far below cost in order to create a monopoly. And you all know 
what monopolies do once they have the power!"
     Jerry, mindful of the time, hurried on with his next question. "What's the 
name of this company?  Who do you bring to court?"
     The Senator frowned.  "We don't know who the owners are. This company is 
operating underground.  We do know two people associated with them. One of them 
is the space engineer who designed their web page. The other is an 
extraordinarily beautiful young lady who they hired to be their spokesperson.  
Well, this young lady will regret working for them when she is arrested for 
selling illegal and probably harmful products."
     Jerry laughed. "What makes you so sure that this young lady is only a 
spokesperson, and not the CEO?"
     The Senator looked surprised. "Surely you don't think that a young woman, 
barely out of her teens could be head of a large devious company like this!"
     Jerry glanced at the clock above him. "We have time for one more question. 
What brought your attention to this issue?"
     The Senator froze. After a few seconds, he relaxed, and said, "Why some of 
my constituents, who happen to be smokers, alerted me to the danger. And I'm 
glad that they did!"
     Jerry stared into the camera.  "And that's all folks.  This is Jerry Terry 
saying Good Night, and may all your troubles be small ones."

    The giant sized video screen went blank.  Carl, still holding the remote 
control in his right hand, spoke into the mike to get the audience's attention.  
"We have two more video clips to show you.  Both of them will be put on all the 
tobacco issue newsgroups.  Here is the first clip."
     Carl pointed the remote toward the giant screen.  

     The first scene shown on the screen featured the words, "What our hidden 
camera showed."  These words stayed on the screen for a full minute, gradually 
growing larger and bolder.
     Then a picture of three people, starting out blurry, gradually became more 
focused. Finally the three people, Helen, Joe and Bob, could be seen clearly. 
Image Helen said, "Bob, do you have a cig?" Bob pointed to a pack of the 
smokeless cigs on a ledge next to Helen. Helen responded, "Not those.  I mean do 
you have a real cig?"
     Three people in the front row began laughing at this scene, and many other 
people in the audience, recognizing the image of Helen from the smoketorium 
broadcasts, echoed their laughter.
     Carl clicked off the video.  "Perhaps this scene is not so credible after 
all.  Let me see a show of hands.  How many of you knew immediately that we 
fabricated this scene, and misled by calling it a view from hidden cameras?"  
     About a third of the audience raised their hands.  Client, among those who 
had laughed at the fake video scene, stood up and said, "Helen shows her 
sincerity in all her broadcasts. Not one person who has seen her would believe 
that scene. You should have required your ad writers to study Helen's 
broadcasts."
     Carl nodded his head.  "Point taken. Perhaps you'll like the next ad 
better."
     Carl switched on the giant video screen.  Words too small to read began to 
form on the screen.  Gradually the words became larger and bolder.  Carl read 
them out loud, "The real thing." The words slid off to the right, leaving a copy 
of themselves behind.  A third and fourth copy formed the same way.  The words 
moved counterclockwise, forming a spiral moving up, and then down.
    Then an over-voice asks, "What's the real thing?"
    A series of pictures flash on the screen, each picture up for a tenth of a 
second or less.  Among the brief scenes are a rodeo cowboy riding a bucking 
horse, a canoe traveling over the rapids, a farmer slaving over a tobacco crop, 
A beautiful lady making a swan dive into a swimming pool, An airplane taking off 
from LAX, an ice skater making a very fast spin, a glorious sunrise, cigarettes 
dropping into a bin for packaging, a middle aged lady giving a piece of apple 
pie to a young man, a seven year old boy tasting a piece of chocolate, A young 
lady reading poetry, the cartons of cigarettes being delivered to a retail 
store, etc.
     Next, the words "A little bit of history" popped up on the screen. The 
words appeared first in outline form, and gradually filled in with red and green 
colors in each letter.  Suddenly the letters disappeared, and scenes from movies 
of long ago flashed across the screen.  Each scene stayed on the screen for 2 
seconds and showed a person smoking a cigarette.  At the end of the succession 
of scenes, the over-voice said, "Cig smoking has had a long and famous history."
     The video screen flashed a blank white screen for a fraction of a second, 
and then went completely black for about 1 second.  Next it showed another 
succession of scenes.  The first scene opened showing a Bellboy at a Hotel in 
the costume last seen over a century ago.  The bellboy cupped his hands to his 
mouth, and yelled, "Call for Philip Morris."  In quick succession, over 30 
different cigarette commercials from the previous century jumped onto the 
screen.  "I'd walk a mile for a camel."  ""You've come a long way baby." "Enjoy 
blissful regressions from vexatious depressions" etc.  Each commercial showed 
appealing graphics but looked as if they had been photographed instead of 
computer generated.
     The screen went blank to indicate another shift in subject matter. Then the 
picture zoomed up to a media announcer holding a microphone.
     The announcer strode up to a young couple. "Here are two young people. Is 
that an engagement ring you have on, young lady?"
     The young lady smiled and proudly held up her hand to the camera. "He 
proposed to me this morning."
     The announcer faced the camera as he smiled.  "Ah, very good.  Tell me your 
names."
     My name is Cindy Lewis, and my boyfriend's name is Dean Olsen."
     "And how did you two meet?"
     "We met at the smoketorium.  I went there because I felt bored, and then he 
showed up."  Cindy turned to Dean as she said this, the smile of love evident in 
her face.
     Dean took Cindy's hand gently into his own.  "And I'm very glad I went to 
the smoketorium. I would never have met Cindy otherwise."
     The announcer took out a pack of cigarettes.  Cindy reached out her hand, 
and took the cigarette as the announcer placed it in her hand. Dean gallantly 
took out his lighter, and as Cindy placed the cigarette in her mouth, Dean lit 
it for her.
     The focus shifted back to the announcer. "And there you have it folks. 
Another success story."
     The screen went black again for a second, then the interior of a 
smoketorium came slowly into focus.  A young man sitting at a table looked 
bored.  Suddenly, two young women walked in together, but separated, and went to 
tables on the opposite sides of the room. The one that went to the man's left 
had dark brown hair and combed it with her fingers as she walked to her table.  
The other lady, walking as if she were proud of her light blond hair, cast an 
appraising eye at the young man.
    The young man looked at each of them in turn, clearly wishing to go to both 
of them but undecided who to go to first.  Then the choice became clear.  The 
blond took out a smokeless cigarette, and began to inhale. She looked around and 
noticed the young man looking at her.  She smiled, and beckoned him with a wave 
of her hand.
   In the meantime, the darker haired lady took out a cigarette, and lit it.  
Smoke curled up around her face.  The young man got up to go to the blond, but 
before he took two steps, he noticed the smoke from the other lady's cigarette.  
In mid-stride he turned and went to the darker haired lady with the smoking 
cigarette.
     The screen went black again for a second. A stream of water began to run 
down the middle of the screen. The stream widened, and became a river. The 
camera's eye followed the river downstream to an area of rapids. Then the screen 
image rotated until the announcer and his interviewee were in the foreground.
    The announcer began, "So you are a pathfinder.  Tell us about the paths you 
have made."
    "Yep.  Been path-finding for years.  Proud of it.  Although, don't know why 
they call it path-finding.  It would be better to call it path inventing."
     "What do you do when you path-invent?"
     "I hack away with this little hatchet you see here."  The pathfinder held 
up his hand to show the hatchet. "I cut away underbrush and sometimes vines to 
make an easy path to walk. It may take me several hours just to clear a good 
path for a short walk.  Before we open up the trail to tourists, we must treat 
the ground.  We must get rid of all those troublesome bugs before we let the 
public walk on the trails."
     "Why did you choose to take a job like this?"
     "I've always liked to blaze my own trails.  It's like cigarette smoking. My 
father did not smoke.  In fact he forbid me to smoke. I decided to decide for 
myself.  So on my tenth birthday, I sneaked in a few cigs with the help of some 
friends.  I still remember the pure pleasure they gave me.  I recommend that 
everyone be bold and blaze their own trails."
     As he said this last, he started to cough, but the camera cut away 
immediately and did not show his coughing fit.
     The screen went black.  Carl placed the video remote control back onto the 
podium.  "Now I want to talk to each of you about what you can do to help."
     "Each of you should be concerned about the availability of tobacco. Make no 
mistake.  We are in real danger here.  Our chief pleasure in life will be taken 
away from us if we don't stop this rival company from taking away our business.  
I suggest strongly that each one of you go back to your hometown, contact 
everyone you know who is in any way connected with the production of cigarettes, 
and enlist their help.  We need ideas. We need you to lobby congress.  We need 
time, talent, and yes, we also need money.  But don't just send us your money.  
Use your money to organize, to lobby, to advertise, and everything you can think 
of to help.  Send your ideas and questions to our central clearing house which 
will be located right here at our conference center."
     "Remember to reach out to other sectors of the economy.  Will truckers want 
to lose the business of delivering our product to the retail stores?  Will the 
retail stores care if they lose the revenue from tobacco sales?  Be sure to 
enlist the help of all the people who work in the field of tobacco production.  
This includes those people who have not yet learned the pleasures of cig 
smoking. Seek support among the people who work in the final production as well 
as among those people who provide support with fertilizer, insecticide, and 
genetic improvements to the tobacco."
     "Make no mistake about it.  If you work in any of these areas related to 
tobacco production, your job and your family's welfare is in danger.  And it is 
not by any fault of yours.  This company has taken advantage of us.  It is not 
playing fair, and it knows it.  Why else would they keep their top management 
secret, and show us only one person as their spokesperson.  And who did they 
pick as spokesperson?  They picked a woman so beautiful that many if not most 
men would be tempted to go along with her.  Will we let them get away with 
this?"
     "Look at the statistics.  Billions of dollars are spent each year because 
of the production of tobacco.  It is not only a family duty to protect your 
current lifestyle, it is your patriotic duty to do so."
    Carl waved his arms as people applauded, and then left the stage.
    Next a short thin man with a classical African hairstyle strode to the 
podium.  "My name is Alphonse Meeter.  I've been spying on their spokesperson 
over the last few months. I have a few clips to show from the police public 
surveillance cameras." He grabbed the remote control, and clicked the screen on.
    From a very high place the audience looked at a tennis court. A woman and 
two guys, one very tall, and the other the same height as the woman played 
tennis.  Alphonse commented, "The woman is Helen Troy.  The tall man is Joe 
Athens, and the other guy is Bob Mercury.  They are our enemies.  Today I'm 
showing you what I've learned about our enemies."
    Helen strode to the far side of the tennis court, and faced Joe and Bob.  
Each of them readied themselves to return a volley from Helen. Holding the 
tennis racket with her right hand, with her left hand Helen reached into her 
front dress pocket and pulled out a tennis ball. She served the ball expertly to 
Bob.  As the ball flew straight toward Bob, she pulled another ball from her 
pocket and served it to Joe.  Bob found it easy to return Helen's serve because 
she always put it well within his reach.  They volleyed back and forth many 
times, Helen sometimes having to jump four feet into the air to return their 
volleys.  Helen always returned the volley and always well within their reach.  
As a result, they rarely missed returning the volley.  Helen never missed.  When 
they did miss, Helen simply pulled another ball from her pocket and continued 
playing.
     The screen went blank, and then began to repeat the scene just played. This 
time Alphonse made comments during the viewing.  "Did you notice that she pulled 
a total of sixteen balls from her pocket. Why didn't they make a bulge in her 
pocket?  It's not easy to be sure from such a high view, but I froze a frame and 
zoomed down to the pocket when she pulled a ball from it.  Watch."  
     Alphonse gestured with the remote, and the screen froze at the point when 
Helen reached for a ball from her pocket.  Then, as Alphonse single stepped the 
frames, the view zoomed down until only Helen's hand and pocket were visible.  
The pocket appeared flat.  Helen's hand inserted into the pocket clearly made a 
small bulge. As she withdrew the ball, the pocket appeared flat again.  Alphonse 
clicked the go button, and the tennis game resumed.
     Alphonse continued, "I studied this scene over and over again.  At last I 
guessed what might explain what's happening.  I think Ms Helen Troy is in 
reality a humanoid robot.  The sixteen tennis balls are not in her pocket, but 
in some interior storage cabinet, perhaps manufactured as needed.  Her being a 
robot also explains her superior playing ability.  Note that the guys programmed 
it to make their game easy on themselves."
     Alphonse paused, and then turned to face directly into the audience. "Would 
you trust a company who uses such devious tactics against you?" 
    The screen went blank and amid thunderous applause, Alphonse left the stage.
     The conference over, people began walking out of the auditorium. Three 
people remained seated in the front row as everyone else left. Finally after the 
theater emptied except for them, Helen removed their disguises, and turned to 
Bob and Joe with a grin.  "Looks like we have some work to do."

Chapter 18

     Joe drove his white camper truck into the loading dock of the Houston 
Datamax company.  The three of them begin to carry equipment from the back of 
his truck toward the back entrance of the computer company.  Helen balanced her 
load on one hand, and waved at a couple of guys standing at the entrance.  They 
politely held the doors open for the trio.
     Inside the manager met them. "Thanks for your call.  We are pleased to 
participate in your experimental upgrade."  The manager grinned. "Especially 
since we don't have to pay anything for it."
     Joe, in the lead, smiled back.  "You win, we win.  Your computing center 
will be able to handle many times the load it could before, and we distribute 
the load that would have come to our site over many substations."  
     Helen directed the installation of the equipment. The manager looked on 
with interest during the half hour it took to install the equipment. "What 
happens if your equipment fails?"
     Helen answered, "It would be as if our equipment were not here. Everything 
is pass through so that the worse that can happen is that your site would run 
exactly as it did before we installed this equipment."
     With the installation completed, Helen asked, "Shall we go to your office 
to make a test of the new installation?"
     The manager led them into a small room, overcrowded with magazines and 
video discs.  He sat down in his chair facing his computer terminal, while Helen 
and her friends searched for space to lean against the wall. Quickly, the 
manager invoked a series of test programs. "Ordinarily I would never run these 
test programs during the daytime because they would interfere with our daily 
production runs.  I'll monitor both their progress and our daily production runs 
for the next five minutes."
     They sat in silence for a few minutes while the manager studied the display 
screens. After a while the manager turned to them.  "Not only did the tests run 
perfectly, but they did so without slowing the daily production runs.  In fact, 
the production runs processed more quickly than usual!  We may have more than 
doubled our computing power.  How long may we keep your equipment?"
     Bob answered for the trio. "We intended you to keep it indefinitely. We 
want our own site to be able to respond to a very large number of customers in a 
very short time.  Your site is on a major pathway to our site.  So everything we 
can do to upgrade your capability will be an upgrade of our own.  We only ask 
that you permit us to add to what we've installed as needed. "
     The manager looked dazed. "Of course, of course."  He looked at each of the 
trio in turn.  As he looked at Helen, he asked, "What's the bandwidth capability 
of the equipment you just installed?"
    Helen smiled.  It is a million times the bandwidth of one of your existing 
phones.  That's why I like to call the entire setup my megaphone."
    Joe laughed.  "That's a good one Helen.  I didn't know you had it in you."  
He paused a moment, looking thoughtful.  "so.., where will we go next?"
   Helen answered,  "Austin.  After Austin, we will have only 16 more places to 
upgrade.  Then we will be assured that no denial of service attack on our web 
site would matter."

Chapter 19

     Jerry Terry nervously looked for the tenth time at the printed email 
confirmation in his hand.  Five minutes till air time and his guest had not yet 
arrived!  Perhaps he should call them to make sure they were on the way.  
Turning away from the doorway, he dialed the number.

    Joe walked in just as he dialed the number.  He immediately guessed that 
Jerry had called their number.  So Joe, not waiting for Bob and Helen, 
immediately walked up to just behind Jerry.  After a couple of rings of the 
distant phone, Joe said "hello" in Jerry's ear just the way he would have said 
it on the telephone.  
    Jerry said into the phone, "Why the hell aren't you here?"
    Then Joe teasingly said, "But I'm here.  Look behind you."
    Jerry spun around, facing Joe, and by this time, Helen and Bob. Seeing 
Helen's glorious smile, Joe's grin, and Bob's look of surprise, he burst out 
laughing.  
     Jerry led the way into the studio. He spoke to Bob and Joe.  "You guys have 
the couch seats. Helen will sit there next to me since she's the main 
attraction.  But don't worry.  We will give you guys a chance to answer some 
questions also."
     Jerry led the trio into the stage wings, and gave brief instructions. 
"First my aide will call me out to the stage. Then I'll call you three to join 
me on stage.  Then all of us will take our interview seats, you first."
    All went exactly as Jerry described. As soon as he sat down, Jerry turned to 
Helen and said, "So tell me the real story. Did you see my interview with 
Senator Heedly?"
     Helen smiled. "Yes I did.  That's why I emailed you to request a follow-up 
interview."
     The grin on Jerry's face increased in intensity. "I remember receiving it.  
Probably, at the time, everyone in the building heard my yell of delight. I'm 
very glad you are here.  I want to give you the chance to tell your side."
     Helen glowed. Although under the bright white lights of the studio nobody 
noticed that Helen gave off more light than fell on her. Even Helen did not 
notice this side effect of her emotions.
  Helen spoke calmly and quietly in spite of her strong feelings. "For as long 
as I can remember I knew that cig smoke harmed everyone exposed to it. A month 
after my fifth birthday my uncle Ed died from cigs. When it became possible for 
me to work to remove cig smoke from the world, I did so."
      Jerry interrupted, "You mean that you began to work at it, not that you've 
already done so?"
     Helen smiled ruefully.  "There are restrictions on what I can do." 
     As she said this, Joe laughed. Jerry turned a quizzical look toward him, 
but Joe waved his arm in dismissal, and said, "Private joke."
    Helen continued, "An engineer friend in the space program set up a broadcast 
web site for me.  I could send my message to all the smoketoriums in the world 
from it.  A small percentage of people responded favorably.  Most people ignored 
it.  However, as time goes on, more and more people respond."
  Jerry pursed his lips as he paused a moment to choose his words. "According to 
Senator Heedly, you are doing more than sending a message.  You are selling 
something called smokeless cigarettes that have not been patented and have not 
been tested for safety."
  Helen responded, "Well, since I saw that broadcast, I have not been selling 
the cigs."  Helen paused a few moments. Then she added, "I've been giving them 
to the customers without charge."
    "Furthermore, I invite any lab that wishes to do so to analyze them for 
safety. I made my own tests.  I know that they are safe. I know they are 
beneficial. I know they work. I know because I designed them myself, and have 
seen the results of their use."
   "My earliest customers have quit smoking. This means that they do not smoke 
cigs nor do they still use my smokeless cigs.  They are cured of their 
addiction."
    Jerry nodded affirmatively. "Very good.  I suppose you can count on those 
customers to support you if it ever came to a court battle?"
    Helen looked surprised. "Perhaps.  I never thought to ask.  I'm primarily 
concerned with helping them cure their addiction."
   Jerry again nodded his head affirmatively.  "I understand. Have you had any 
backsliders.  People who stopped smoking for a while, and then resumed?"
   Helen paused. Then she said, "None of my customers have resumed smoking.  
However, it has only been a year since I started in my small town of Eastside.  
Critics may want me to wait longer before claiming a hundred percent success."
   Jerry's voice raised in surprised.  "A hundred percent success! What's in 
those smokeless cigs?"
   Helen's face echoed the tinted light from the neon bulb behind Jerry. "The 
main ingredient is not in the smokeless cigs.  The main ingredient is my 
message.  I get my customers to think about their life. I ask them how they want 
to enhance their life.  I composed a song to help my customers think about what 
they really want for their life."
   Jerry said, "Wait a moment.  I really want to ask you more about your song, 
but first I need to follow up on the active ingredients in your smokeless cigs.  
How do they work?  What makes them work?"
    Helen sat up straighter as she answered. "The reason people become addicted 
to nicotine or similar drugs is that the drugs act directly on the part of the 
brain responsible for making choices. The drugs cause the brain to respond the 
same way it does when the person does something life enhancing.  With continued 
use, people think that taking the drug helps the body, even if, as in the case 
of cigs, they are actually killing the body."
     Helen continued. "That's the first stage.  The second stage occurs when the 
person taking this drug nicotine realizes that nothing else consistently 
delivers the same reward as the drug.  Hard work, studying, helping friends, etc 
no longer bring the joy they did before the addiction. My smokeless cigs are 
designed to break the pattern. They provide exactly the amount of nicotine that 
the person expects from their smoking, and also provide nutrients to the brain 
so that it can recover its ability to accurately judge what's truly rewarding to 
life.  But the smokeless cigs by themselves, however perfect, would not be 
effective if the person did not wish to think about life choices."
   Jerry smiled. "Very nice. So how do you motivate people to think about their 
life choices?"
   Joe picked up Bob's guitar from the floor and tossed it over to him. "That's 
our clue."  They both played their instruments while Helen sang her song, "Where 
is your life."
   When she had finished, Jerry sat stunned for a few moments.  Finally shaking 
his head, he said, "That's very powerful."
   Jerry continued, "Would you like to answer questions from our audience?"
   Helen agreed, and Jerry signaled to his assistant to allow the questions.
   The first question came from a lady in a black lacy dress. "The Senator said 
that he had done some research that showed that your customers had poorer 
average health than the national norm.  Can you comment on that?"
   Bob responded first. "The Senator really put his foot in his mouth on that 
one.  Of course they had poor average health.  All of our customers had been 
smoking cigarettes for years!  But because they were our customers they have 
either quit or are on the way to quitting. Individually, their health will be 
much improved for it."
    The next question came from a young boy. His red hair bounced as he stepped 
up to the microphone. "You said that your customers use your cigs only for a 
short time.  Won't you be out of business soon? Why would you go into a business 
that would end so soon?"
   Joe laughed. "Son, you have the right of it. We want people to not smoke. As 
soon as there is no one left to need our smokeless cigs, we will very happily go 
out of business."
   A man wearing a red shirt with the top two buttons open walked slowly to the 
microphone.  He paused in front of the microphone and then reached into his 
pocket and pulled out a carton of cigs.  "I'm a smoker.  Been one all my life.  
I have no intention of quitting. And there is no way you can force me to quit."
   Helen stood up as if to see him more clearly. "We have no intention of 
forcing you to quit.  It is our hope that you yourself will freely choose to 
quit.  I agree that we cannot force you.  Only you can decide what you wish to 
do.  If you do choose to quit, we can help you."
   Red shirt nodded as if in agreement.  "That's about what I expected you to 
say. He then stepped aside to be replaced by a tall blond lady carrying a large 
red bag supported by a strap across her chest and shoulder. 
"My question has to do with the production of your smokeless cigs.  Where 
do you make them? How many do you make?"
   Helen answered, "I make them in Eastside Florida.  I make exactly as many as 
needed to fill my customer's orders."
   Red bag lady continued, "How much does it cost you? How much profit do you 
make on your sales?"
   Joe jumped up to respond. "Lady, these are commercial secrets. Although it is 
no secret that since our selling became illegal, we have made no profit at all. 
However, we continue to help people break their addictions."
   The lady scowled at this answer, but turned away, apparently not prepared to 
respond to this answer.  
   The next questioner polished his thick eyeglasses on his shirt before asking 
his question.  "The Senator pointed out last time that if you stop everyone from 
smoking, then a lot of people will lose their jobs.  Do you care what happens to 
those people?"
    Helen leaned forward as if to get a closer look at the questioner. Then she 
said, "Yes.  We do care.  We care very much.  And we can help.  I personally 
will ensure that nobody will be out of work because cigarettes are no longer 
produced."
    The questioner snorted. "You!  What do you know about job search? Are you 
prepared to find jobs for over ten thousand people?"
    Helen smiled. "As a matter of fact, yes! Look on our web site, "the anti cig 
company", for help in finding work.  We have already put job search assistance 
on it, even though it isn't needed yet.  Our job dictionary enables people to 
locate immediately any internet advertised job matching their criteria within 
minutes. Our job trainer program helps people train for new jobs.  In those few 
cases where a person needs to re-train extensively, I will personally take care 
of it."
   The questioner raised his hand as if to make a point, then on second thought 
lowered it, and returned to his seat.
   A man overweight even by standards of the 21th century approached the 
microphone. A sound of static came from the microphone as his soft hands grasped 
it. "I don't believe that cigarette smoking has that much effect on people.  I 
defy you to prove that it does."
   Helen stood up, pulled a flashlight out of her pocket, and shone it on the 
speaker for a few moments. Then she peered at a video display on the side of the 
flashlight. "I see that you smoked one cigarette this morning, but that 
yesterday you smoked two cigarettes, one just after lunch and one just after 
breakfast.  Does my being able to tell you this prove that the cigs have had 
some effect on you?"
   The speaker, stunned, just stood there, staring at Helen.  After a few 
moments, a young lady behind him tapped him on the shoulder. 
    As the young lady stepped up to the microphone to replace the departing 
heavyset man, she brushed strands of her wavy black hair backward off of her 
forehead.  She grasped the microphone firmly and spoke.  "My parents and 
grandparents all died from cigarette smoke.  What can I do to help you in your 
work?"
   Joe responded first. "Thanks. Every time you help a person develop life 
enhancing goals and purposes, you help us.  Search for our web site with the 
title "The anti cig company."  You should recognize it by seeing our smiling 
faces on the title page.  From there you can follow links to see our goals and 
to answer any other questions.  Perhaps you could be a distributor for us when 
we are ready to expand production. And of course please email us if the web page 
itself does not immediately answer your questions.  One way you can help us 
right away is to tell your friends about us, and tell anyone you believe we can 
help."
   Before the next questioner could ask his question, Jerry Terry announced, 
"Folks, we have time for only one or two more questions."
   A man dressed in a old time western style shirt and pants stood before the 
microphone.  Slowly and carefully he took hold of the microphone and brought it 
toward his lips. "Do you ever have an open house at your manufacturing plant?"
   Helen looked toward Bob. At his nod she pointed her hand at Bob and said, "We 
have equipment to make the smokeless cigs in the basement of Bob's home. We can 
give tours of the equipment by appointment.  Check our web site, "The anti cig 
company", to get our address and contact information."
   The last questioner stood before the microphone. She nervously brushed her 
hand over her forehead, revealing brownish black hair underneath fake redish 
blond hair. "Helen, Do you have any extra tennis balls you can give to me?"
   Helen laughed. "You want me to prove I'm not a robot!  As a matter of fact I 
do have some extra tennis balls. I'm quite proud of this invention."  Helen 
reached into her pocket and pulled out a flat disk. She held the disk up to the 
camera.  "Observe carefully as I press the disk on opposite edges where the red 
dots are."  Holding the disk up to the camera in one hand she squeezed the disk 
at the red dots.  The disk immediately inflated into a round tennis ball.  Helen 
tossed the tennis ball to the last questioner. "Send my regards to Alphonse."
    Jerry Terry spoke to the Camera. "That's all folks.  But before we leave, I 
want to appeal to all of you.  Our guests are losing money because of an unfair 
law that forbids them to sell their excellent product.  So to be fair to their 
customers they are giving their product away.  But the law doesn't forbid 
donations!  How about it?  Please send donations to the anti cig company care of 
the Jerry Terry Show.  This is Jerry Terry signing off, and may all your 
troubles be small."

Chapter 20

     Mike Long tossed the newscast printout on his supervisor's desk. "We're 
doomed."  At the supervisor's quizzical look Mike added, "Look at the headings!"
     The supervisor turned the paper over and unfolded it.  He read, "Millions 
support anti-cig company: Congress considering sanctions."
     Mike pointed to the lead article.  "Dan, check out the details. Helen got 
so many donations from her stint on the Jerry Terry Show that she can hire 
hundreds of people to distribute her artificial cigarettes."
     Mike continued, not giving Dan a chance to read for himself, "Not only 
that, but congress is considering passing a law forbidding the United States to 
import tobacco or tobacco products from Indonesia."
     Dan began to suggest, "Perhaps our man Senator Heedly can help us."
     Mike snorted. "Ha! Our Senator jumped ship before anyone else.  He saw 
which way the wind blew."
     Dan still tried to downplay the news.  "This isn't really much worse than 
what we had before.  We have a good chance of blocking the import ban.  Also, 
since Helen has only one production facility, I don't think that we will have 
much more problem with her smokeless cigs than we have now, even if she has lots 
of help in distributing them."
     Mike responded, "Look at the bottom of the article.  Helen has announced 
that in two weeks she can install manufacturing equipment for each of the 
distributors. Furthermore, we haven't been able to block her from using the post 
office to distribute her artificial cigs since her stint on the show."
     Dan looked at the ending of the article and verified the claim. "Hmm..  
Potentially serious all right.  But Helen will have a problem paying the 
utilities for the distributors. Perhaps we can hassle her distributors through 
the utilities somehow."
     Mike laughed.  "Not so easily.  She's way ahead of us. The newspaper didn't 
know, but I checked with some of my other contacts.  Her equipment requires no 
outside source of energy.  I can't imagine how that's possible.  All the 
distributor needs to do is to type in the name of the customer into a computer, 
confirm the answers to some questions about the customer's order, make sure 
there is enough raw materials fed into that infernal machine and take the 
customer's packaged order from it after a few minutes, and make sure the 
customer gets it."
     Dan wondered out loud, "What raw materials does she provide?  Does she have 
her own supply of tobacco?"
     Mike snorted. "She's been using discarded cigarette butts!  How she ever 
gathers them up is a mystery. And before you even ask, the machine compacts the 
unusable parts of the raw material into plastic coated bricks for easy 
disposal."
     Dan sighed, then leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes for a few 
moments.  Then, more relaxed, he said, "Well we still have a chance to block 
that ban about getting our cigs from Indonesia. However, if we don't block that 
ban, we will be sliding down a very slippery slope."
     Dan continued, "But what about the plan to launch a denial of service 
attack?"
     Mike frowned. "It fizzled.  Helen appeared on Jerry Terry's show the night 
before we launched our attack.  Almost ten times the number of people we had 
planned for the denial of service attack linked to her site immediately after 
the show.  Her site had no difficulty responding to all those calls. We never 
had a chance against them.  I don't know what to do."
     From behind his desk, Dan looked up at Mike.  "Relax. Get a grip on 
yourself.  Let's solve one problem at a time.  Round up all your congressional 
contacts and try to kill that proposal to ban our imports."
     Mike looked Dan in the eye. "Righto.  Stiff upper lip and all that. Aye Aye 
sir.  I'll get right on it."  Mike spun around and left the office.  Dan grinned 
as he watched Mike leave.


Chapter 21

    Mike Long again counted the panels on the wall of Senator Heedly's living 
room while he waited for him.  The Senator had promised to appear in a few 
moments after he wrapped up some research in his library room. Finally the 
Senator's head appeared in the doorway from the library.  He opened the door 
just enough to squeeze through, and left the door slightly ajar as he entered 
the living room.  The Senator quickly moved to sit in the comfortable chair 
adjacent to Mike.
    Mike stared intently at Senator Heedly. "There are reasons why you should 
not sponsor the ban on cigs from Indonesia. Now I will tell you some you have 
not heard yet."
    Mike handed the Senator a folder containing 3 booklets.  The Senator looked 
at each of the booklets in turn.  "Why don't you just tell me what you want me 
to know from these booklets."
    Mike wondered briefly if the Senator ever read anything.  Then he looked the 
Senator in the eyes and said, "Sure.  One of those papers explains our plans to 
smuggle cigs into the country should the import ban pass congress.  Don't think 
you can block us.  And don't think we've incriminated ourselves.  The smuggling 
tricks hinted at in this paper are well within the law.  We have other tricks 
that you won't catch us at.  The black market will net us a greater profit 
anyway. But don't expect to benefit from that."
    Mike continued, "The second paper details the change to our donations to the 
senate if the ban is passed.  I think you and several other senators would have 
a hard year ahead while you learn how to spend less money."
     "The third paper explains in detail why 5 federal judges believe the ban is 
not right and would declare it unconstitutional if it were passed. I've added my 
own comments about that at the end of the paper."
     Looking mike directly in the eye, the Senator took the papers. "First, I 
don't care if you smuggle in the cigs.  Second, I don't need your money any 
longer.  Your past donations will keep me in good shape the rest of my natural 
life. Third, I don't care if the law is declared unconstitutional.  The folks 
who matter will know that I tried."
     Mike stared at the Senator while he tried to think of a reply.  After a few 
moments he closed his eyes and tried to invoke inspiration.  Nothing came to 
mind.  He opened his eyes and leaned forward toward the Senator.
     The Senator moved backwards to avoid Mike's forwardness.  Consequently he 
fell off his chair.  Mike jumped up to help the Senator. But Senator Heedly had 
already recovered, and stood up just in time to see Mike rushing toward him.  
Alarmed, he began backing up, and backed into the slightly open door leading to 
the library.
     Mike, still approaching the Senator asked himself, "What's wrong here?  Why 
has the Senator turned against us?"  Mike unconsciously continued to press 
toward the Senator while he tried to think of the right questions to ask.  
Senator Heedly, forced to back up into his library, stopped only when he bumped 
into his computer.  The whole event took only seconds.
     Mike and the Senator found themselves in the library room, and neither 
quite knew how it had happened.  The Senator had backed up as far as he could.  
He had reached his computer console.  Mike suddenly became aware then of how 
little space separated him from the Senator.  He leaned backwards a tiny bit to 
give the Senator more space, and reconsidered.  One question dominated Mike's 
mind.  What changed the way the Senator felt?
      Suddenly Mike became aware of the computer monitor and several pictures 
posted on the walls.  The Senator's computer showed icons of Helen Troy roaming 
across the computer desktop screen. The walls of the room showed at least a 
dozen printed pictures of Helen.
        Mike smiled and relaxed.  Now he knew what to do.  Obviously the Senator 
had fallen in love with Helen.  

Chapter 22

     Joe held the letter up so Helen and Bob could see the letterhead design on 
it.  "Imagine that! We have a personal invitation from Senator Heedly to attend 
an informal hearing to determine whether or not he should push for a ban on 
tobacco imports.  It's really a party where the guests can speak individually to 
the Senator."
     Bob commented, "It looks like we've become vips.  When and where is the 
party?"
    Joe glanced at the letter as he answered.  "It's next month on the 5th, at 
the St Regis Hotel in New York City."
    Helen immediately made the connection. "Hey guys, that hotel is one of the 
places where the tobacco companies regularly hold their conventions. Do you 
think that they sponsored this party?"
    Bob looked toward Helen in surprise.  "How did you know that?"
    Helen answered, "I just knew it.  Ever since I got back from the space trip 
I've noticed that occasionally specialized knowledge valuable to me just pops 
into my head.  I think it's Sparky feeding me information."
    Bob looked pensive while Joe grinned.
    Then Joe considered her question.  "It seems Unlikely that the cig companies 
sponsored... unless they have reason to believe that this conference has a good 
chance of changing several Senators' minds. It's well known that many senators 
look to Senator Heedly for guidance.  It's amazing that he has so much power.  
He could have been President if he had wanted.  Is it possible that the cig 
companies CEO's know that we don't advocate the ban, and that they expect that 
Senator Heedly would actually pay attention to us?"
    Bob looked to Helen. "Do we accept this invitation?"
    Helen smiled.  "Of Course we will.  It's one more chance for us to resolve 
the cig conflict completely.
    Suddenly, Helen became aware of a broadcast signal relevant to them.  "Hey 
guys, you may find this interesting. " Helen turned on the TV.
     They watched a news reporter interview a CEO of a cig company.  "How do you 
feel about the pending ban on importing tobacco products from Indonesia?"
     "It remains to be seen whether or not the ban will pass.  We fully expect 
the majority of the senators to see the light.  I'm fully confident that as long 
as there are tobacco plants to be cured, we will be in business."
      "HA!"  Bob jumped up and pointed to the CEO as the picture faded.  
"That's it!  That's the answer!  Helen, you can fix it so that there are not any 
more tobacco plants to be cured."
      Joe protested, "But Bob, it would not be right to destroy an entire 
species of plant life."
      Bob agreed.  "Yes you are right.  But that's not quite what I had in mind.  
Helen can create a minor mutation that would handicap their processing the 
tobacco into cigs."
      Helen Smiled.  "Thank you Bob.  You really are brilliant. I had already 
thought of that, but worried about the consequences. Let's discuss this.  Maybe 
I will do it."
      Helen continued, "I could make a mutant strain that will foul up their 
tobacco processing and in addition, I could make the tobacco non-addicting in 
case they persist in making cigs.  But would that be fair to the people 
currently depending on the sale of this tobacco?  What about medical uses of 
tobacco that medical science hasn't developed yet?  Would I be interfering with 
that process?"
       Bob grinned. "You just answered your own question.  Make a mutation 
that's both extremely beneficial to medical science and to the money income of 
the tobacco companies and also prevents them making the tobacco into cigs." 
     Joe grinned.  "Way to go!  But before Helen takes off for Indonesia, why 
don't we celebrate by going out for a nice healthy pizza supper?"
      Helen held up her hand.  "Hey you guys.  Wait a minute more before you 
celebrate.  I still object.  I feel that it would be unfair to the other side if 
I did this without their agreement."
	Bob looked at Helen in surprise.  "How could you get their agreement?  You 
throw away a possible solution because you want the other side to agree before 
hand?"
      Helen replied.  "I just don't think it's fair to use my power to force the 
issue.  I'm suppose to win by persuasion."
      Bob reconsidered.  "Ok then.  In that case, the thing to do is to give a 
gift to the tobacco CEO."
      As both Joe and Helen looked at him puzzled, Bob explained.  "Helen, you 
can create a book explaining exactly how to do the mutations we planned.  You 
can add whatever other explanation needed to make it easy to understand. But, I 
strongly advocate that you make it so that they have a limited choice.  Make it 
so that if they are to have the financially beneficial mutation, they must have 
all the others also."
      Helen slowly nodded as she considered the plan.  "That's an acceptable 
compromise. Ok Joe, what's your favorite Pizza?"
      Joe smiled.  "I forgot that you don't need to go out to get pizza. Make it 
pineapple and cheese.  So you don't go to Indonesia, but hang out here eating 
pizza with us while we watch you create the book.  Sounds like a fun afternoon 
to me." 


Chapter 23

     Mike toyed with the paperweight on Dan's desk.  "Our plan is working. Helen 
accepted the Senator's invitation.  I've sent out all my own invitations.  I've 
especially invited Senators Cato and Bile from the ethics committee. I will pay 
them personal visits to make sure they will want to come."  When Cato and Bile 
see Senator Heedly fawn over Helen he will lose respect in the senate.  If we 
are lucky, we will catch Helen trying to take advantage of Heedly's admiration 
for her."
    "Whom did you invite?"
    Mike smiled.  "Ourselves of course, and Clint because he is the contact for 
Eastside where Helen lives. Clint advised that I also invite Helen's friends 
Victor and Angela Septavious because they might have influence on Helen.  I also 
invited their anti-cig web designer, the Space Engineer Grant Richardson and his 
close friends Melody Armstrong and Abner Housier.  I had already asked Senator 
Heedly to invite the most important of his senator friends.
     Dan nodded his head affirmatively. "I've just reviewed statements made by 
the senators attending the memorial of the late Senator Latt.  We may have an 
additional option to discredit our Senator Thurmond Heedly."
     Mike looked a question mark at him.  Dan smiled and continued, "Listen to 
this quote from Heedly. 'I voted for Senator Latt the first time he ran for 
office 36 years ago.  We would have a much better nation now if he'd been 
elected then.'"
     Mike still looked puzzled.  "I don't see the criticism yet?"
     Dan chuckled.  "That's because you haven't researched the history yet. 
Senator Latt lost that first election because he ran on a hawkish campaign.  He 
wised up for the next election and became famous for his proactive peacemaking. 
Maybe we can make Senator Heedly sound like he supports the hawks.  That would 
make big trouble for our Senator.  He might even be asked to resign."
      Mike smiled. "You do have a knack for digging up dirt, don't you."
     Dan smiled his appreciation.  "You seem more chipper than the last time you 
were here.  Shouldn't you be on the lookout for what might go wrong?"
     Mike looked at Dan for a few moments before answering.  "What? Do I hear 
words of discouragement this time? But what could go wrong? It will be easy to 
get those two witch hunters to come to the party. Senator Heedly is sure to make 
a fool of himself when he meets Helen in person.  Maybe we might even catch 
Helen asking a favor from Heedly."


Chapter 24

      Mike Long stood in the lobby of the St Regis Hotel in New York City.  He 
surveyed the entrance, occasionally glancing at the elevators and stairways.  He 
patiently waited for his special guests, Senators Bile and Cato.
      At last he saw two figures approach the entrance.  One tall man, Senator 
Cato, and one average sized man, Senator Bile, who struggled with his suitcase.  
It seemed to not turn properly when the senator walked in a different direction.
     Mike rushed out to help the senator with his suitcase.  When Mike reached 
the Senator, he stopped, and slowly reached for the suitcase, smiling at the 
Senator. "Here, may I help you with that?"
     Senator Bile jerked the suitcase backwards.  "No!  I can handle it myself!  
What rooms are we in?"
     Mike paused a moment, and remembered why he had to forgive the senator for 
his rude behavior.  Then he smiled, and said, "You are on the first floor, room 
104.  Follow me."
     As they entered room 104, Mike pointed out the monitor. "I recommend that 
during the party one of you observe the meeting rooms on the monitor while the 
other goes around and tries to provoke interesting points of view."
     Senator Cato nodded his head affirmatively, while Senator Bile merely 
scowled while he dragged his heavy suitcase to the nearest bed and with a final 
tug popped it onto the bed.
     While the shorter Senator sorted out his clothes, Senator Cato walked over 
to the monitor and turned it on.  Mike stood next to him and explained.  "This 
dial allows you to shift the view between rooms. This other dial here allows you 
to move around within the current room.  The arrow keys provide an alternate way 
of moving the view.  It works just like many popular video games."
      From across the room, Senator Bile retorted, "We're Senators.  We don't 
play video games."
     Senator Cato laughed, "Speak for yourself John." Then to Mike, he said, "I 
sometimes play video games with my grandson, so I know what you are talking 
about."
     "Good!"  Mike's smile showed his pleasure. "Call me on my cell phone 
whenever you have any questions or want to call my attention to something 
happening. But now you can monitor me as I greet the rest of the guests."  
     Senator Bile watched Mike leave the room, then immediately opened a secret 
compartment in his suitcase.  He pulled out several rods, cables and electronic 
gadgets.  Working quickly he assembled a tripod structure from them and set it 
on the floor behind the bed.  
     Cato watched silently.  "Are you satisfied now that we can independently 
gather information to send to the web news-feeds?"
     Bile nodded.  "Yes. This device will over-ride the signals from any bugs 
that Mike had planted in this room. I can receive conversation close to you 
while you wear your lapel flower microphone. Just avoid Mike's recorders when 
you use it."
     Cato smiled.  "Good.  But I will tell you again that I feel that you are 
being just a little bit paranoid."
     Senator Bile grinned.  "Really!  But it doesn't matter does it."  After a 
short pause, he continue. "I'm ready to monitor the rooms now. Why don't you 
start to circulate and provoke comments."
     Just as Mike returned to the Lobby, his Supervisor Dan, and Clint from 
Eastside walked in.  They saw Mike immediately, and increased their pace toward 
Mike.  
      Mike shook hands with both of them.  "Well, Dan, long time, no see."
     Dan grinned.  "Nope, not since last Tuesday.
     Mike turned his attention to Clint.  "Tell me Clint, how are things on the 
home front?"
     Clint paused a moment to gather his words.  "A very strange thing happened 
the other day.  A man came to my office and said that he had met Helen only 
once, and wanted to know more about her.  I found it hard to understand him. He 
kept mumbling something about not being able to hold up a car because he didn't 
have a gun any longer.  I think he ranked low on the IQ scale.  Anyway, I put 
him on the payroll to observe the house where the smokeless cigs are being 
made."
    Mike expressed surprise.  "You knew he had a low IQ, and hired him anyway!  
What do you expect he'll be able to do for you?"
    Clint shrugged.  "I felt sorry for him.  I just wanted to help him out some 
way.  I didn't really need anyone to watch that house, but since he had an 
obsession about Helen, I figured that his watching that house would be a perfect 
excuse to put him on temporary payroll.  I gave him my cell phone number so he 
could call me if he had anything to report."
     Mike shook his head negatively. "Watch out that you don't bankrupt us with 
those bleeding heart expenses of yours."
     Clint acknowledged.  "Don't worry.  It's only a temporary expense."
     Just then Senator Heedly and several other senators entered the lobby.  
Mike caught Senator Heedly's eye, and with a tilt of his head invited the 
Senator to join their group.
      "Hello Mike. You remember Senator Dimes? He has a very interesting point 
to make."  Senator Heedly emphasized the word "interesting" as he spoke.
       Mike's showed his curiosity looking Senator Dimes directly in the eye.  
"Ok, Senator Dimes, I'm all ears."
       Senator Dimes glanced at the other senators, then turned his full 
attention to Mike. "I've studied the question about the cig ban.  I'm convinced 
that it will pass the Senate.  However, I believe that I can get an amendment 
passed that will make the ban ineffective."
       Mike laughed.  "That is subtle.  And why would you want to?"
      Senator Dimes spoke honestly. "We don't really want to put you out of 
business.  We just want it to look like we have the public interest at heart."
      Clint snorted. "Does this mean you don't really care about the public 
interest?" 
       Mike answered for the Senator.  "Actually Clint, he does care.  It's not 
his fault that the public doesn't know what's good for them." Mike thought he 
did well by choosing words that reminded Clint to think before speaking.  At the 
same time his words were designed to smooth over any ruffled feelings Senator 
Dimes may have had from Clint's question.
     Then addressing the Senator, he asked, "What's your amendment?"
     Senator Dimes leaned forward. "My amendment is to exempt the military from 
the ban.  Most of the senators will see it as a reasonable exemption and 
overlook the military connections to all segments of our society. The military 
personal will be a conduit for your cigs to all your customers."
   Mike considered.  "Well, it's not quite what I had expected, but it might be 
ok.  Why are you telling us about this?  What do you want us to do?"
   Just then, Senator Cato walked up.  "Hey Mike.  Do about what?"
   Mike turned to the senator, "Senator Dimes here suggested that he would not 
support the cig ban unless the military were exempt.  What do you think about 
that?"
    Senator Cato reminded himself that he didn't need to debate the merits of 
the cig ban, but did need to search for unethical behavior. For a few moments he 
stood silently.  Then he said, "I shall think about it." 
    Mike looked at Cato in surprise.  Then he noticed the rest of his guests all 
arriving at the same time.  In the lead were Grant Richardson, Melody Armstrong, 
and Abner Housier.  In the middle were Victor and Angela Septavious. And lastly 
came Joe Athens, Helen Troy, and Bob Mercury.
    Cato waved for all of them to join their group.  The others in their close 
knit circle stepped back to widen the circle for the newcomers.  As the new 
larger circle formed, Senator Cato addressed the group with his test question. 
"I want to get some advice from this group.  I own some lakefront property.  
Recently some crook bought the land under my lake.  He sent me, and all my 
neighbors, a letter threatening to build a floating wall in the lake which would 
extend all the way around the lake unless we each pay him $5000.  At first I 
intended to sue the bastard. What do you folks think about that?"
    Abner responded first.  "I think you are right.  The courts should recognize 
that you have the right to view the lake and your rights should be greater than 
the crooks right to build his wall.  However I think you should interest some 
city lawyers to take up your case for you.  Surely it would be in the interest 
of the city to prosecute this guy."
    Bob responded next. "Well, if you sue, you lose money to the courts.  If you 
don't sue, but pay the guy, you lose money to the crook.  I think you should let 
the guy build the wall.  Call his bluff.  Then if he does build the wall, make 
it so that it mysteriously sinks into the mud overnight.  I don't think he would 
dare sue you for sinking his wall."
    Cato grinned.  "You have a very interesting idea son. I like it. "  Senator 
Cato silently made a mental note that one of Helen's team approved possibly 
illegal actions.  They would bear closer scrutiny.  He then pressed a switch on 
his wrist watch which directed the spy cameras to focus on the person in front 
of him, namely Bob.
    Just as Cato opened his mouth to ask another question, a soft siren like 
noise filled the air about them.  Grant quickly pulled a palm sized padded 
cylinder from his vest pocket, and pressed a button. "Sorry folks.  My alarm for 
suspicious electronic activity in the neighborhood just went off.  It looks like 
someone is bugging us."



Not yet the END

 Loose ends to tie up or possible links to future stories.

Q: Who does Helen become romantically inclined toward?

ANS: Helen Maries Joe, but remains romantically inclined toward both her 
friends.

Q: How and when does Gaunt confront Helen about possibly being an alien?

ANS: Gaunt never confronts Helen about it.  However he had figured out the 
next day after meeting her that she was his invisible alien.

Q: Does Helen register on any of Grant's public alien detectors?

ANS: No. Once Helen realized their existence she analyzed the detectors 
and made sure they would not distinguish her from anyone else.

Q: When do Bob and Joe figure out that Helen is essentially immortal?

ANS:  Not until Helen tells them.

Q: Is the trio's first recording made by Victor a success?  Do any 
recording companies seek to enlist Helen after she began her own 
broadcast of her songs?

ANS:  The first recording had a modest sales world wide, but not enough to 
be within the top hundred recordings.  More recording companies noticed 
her after the anti-cig webcasts.  Her popularity slowly increased to 
eventually be among the top hundred.

Q: Does Helen get into the Opera?

ANS:  Maybe.  But that would be another story.

Q: Does Joe stay as instructor at the University?

ANS:  Joe becomes Dean of the school of music.  He writes his own job 
description so that he can skip away whenever duty to Helen requires it.

Q: What career does Bob pursue?

ANS: That will take another story to figure out.

Q: Will the trio stay together forever?  

ANS:  Yes

Q: Do we ever hear more of the personal history of the astronauts Carol, 
Abner, Calvin, Jonathan and Melody?

ANS:  This could also be in another story.

Q: Was Helen's curing of all the people in the hospital that first night 
of her discovery of her super powers noticed by any statistician who was 
analyzing health statistics?

ANS:  Nope.  Such glitches occur all the time.

Q: How does Client show his change of attitude about selling cigs? When 
did he change his mind?

ANS: Clint never did show his change of attitude.  He began to change his 
mind after that first regional conference to combat Helen.

Q: Whatever happened to the air refresher that Helen put into the Eastside 
smoketorium?

ANS:  It's still there.  One guy tried to move it, but could not budge it.

Q: How does Helen's tendency to glow according to her intensity of emotion 
effect her interaction with others?  Is it a potential for a problem?

ANS:  That's a potential new story.

Q: How does Helen make her cig manufacturing machines self powered?

ANS:  She makes a superconducting wire into a battery.  The wire is 
superconducting at the temperature of frozen carbon dioxide. She has also 
invented a very good heat insulator to keep the wire at low temperature.




2. Work on making dialogue more realistic. It often helps to read it out
loud; if it doesn't sound natural, rework the dialogue until it does sound
natural.


***    My response ****

Gee, I thought I already wrote realistic dialogue.   Hmm.  Sounds like extensive rewriting 
since I don't know what dialogue you consider un-realistic.

I'll do my best at this.  Please tell me how well I did.  I'm sure that if I don't get it right 
away, you can give me some good hints.


***


3. 

In the same sense, you want your plot conflicts set up early and
often. In this story, our battle of Good versus Evil involves Helen and her
friends versus Big Tobacco. 

Lay the groundwork for this conflict early on;

show the obstacles thrown in the path of our heroes, 

keeping them from
achieving their inevitable growth (the story must be about the growth of the
heroes as they overcome obstacles and achieve their goals).


***    My response ****

 
I'm adding scenes to introduce Mike Long much earlier in the story.

I somewhat understand the point about starting the conflict early and maintaining it 
throughout the story.   I know I need to think more about this point to understand it better.


 I will try to do this in spite of making Helen seemingly omnipotent.

Even though Helen has the power to force the issue, she will not do so.  Helen tries 
always to be fair.  Her sense of fairness may be viewed as a handicap to accomplishing 
her goals.  But really her goal is to accomplish what she wants in a fair way.



****


5. Although interesting, I'm not sure I see the significance to the story of
the whole space flight scenario. I can see that it introduces Grant's
"invisible alien detector," but what    I S    the significance once an invisible
alien   I S    detected? What do they do with the information? It doesn't seem
integral to the story, a key thread. If it's important, weave the importance
into the rest of the story.

***    My response ****

I've attempted to weave the invisible alien detector into the main story.

*********


9. Chapter 24: This meeting doesn't set right; seems too contrived, and it's
not clear whose side any of the participants   A R E   on. It doesn't make sense,
given that the participants   A R E  logically on opposite sides of the issue,
that Mike would want phone conversations on the speaker phone for all to
hear. The "bugging" and "monitors" aren't clearly defined as to their
necessity, since no one seems to put them to practical use. The return of
the weaponless robber to play a new role    I S    a good tactic, but then his new
role isn't fully developed or utilized. Also, when Helen and the others   A R E 
in the room upstairs, they're preparing meals. In a hotel room? Surely,
there's a restaurant somewhere nearby; it seems artificial, done to show
that Helen can do it. This would be more practical, if you're just
demonstrating Helen's powers, in the astronauts' party earlier.

10. Chapter 25: The ending    I S    too pat. Helen could just as easily have done
exactly the same thing to resolve the conflict far earlier in the story. The
resolution of the conflict shouldn't come from "magic" but from a natural
progression of the events you've laid out in the story.


***    My response ****

Yes.  I was too hurried to end the story.  I'll rewrite chapters 24 and 25 with your 
comments in mind.

**********




11. Technology versus Super Powers: There    I S    discrepancy in the way you
handle Helen's powers/abilities. On the one hand, you have characters
stating that what she    I S    able to do    I S    impossible, and yet, she's doing it
so it can't be impossible. Implausible, yes, but not impossible. When you
craft a world in fiction and people it with your characters, you still have
to maintain what    I S    referred to as "the willing suspension of disbelief."
This refers to the contract of sorts between writer and reader whereby the
reader, while knowing you've created a fiction, willingly suspends his/her
disbelief in the artifice for the sake of living the story. The writer, in
order to hold up his/her end of the contract, must create a world that's
plausible enough to sustain the reader's willingness to suspend disbelief
for the duration of the story. What this means for your story    I S    that you
must make Helen's impossibilities possible. You have to give her the
technology supported by logical scientific principles (even if you create
the logical scientific principles) to do the impossible.

***    My response ****

Agreed.  I'll work on it.

*******************


12. Characterization: We talked about this briefly at the TWA meeting, but I
'm going to reiterate it here so you'll have the written record. Every
character you introduce must have a function in the story, and that function
must be clear to the reader, even if that function doesn't become clear
until the end of the story. For example, Victor and Angela   A R E  introduced
early; that indicates they'll play key roles. But they don't. Victor creates
a recording, but nothing develops from that in the rest of the story. Angela
doesn't know how to drive; Helen teaches her, but then it doesn't play out
further in the story. Angela works in the Campus Union Store, but once her
tie-in there    I S    established, nothing comes of it. Victor and Angela stay out
of the picture until Chapter 24 when they suddenly appear at the meeting but
have no role other than to be there. If they're important to the story, give
them meaning; put them in social situations with Helen and friends; give
them key roles in the development of the overall plan to cause the demise of
Big Tobacco.


****  MY REPONSE ****

Ok.  In other words, I need to consider the consequences of everything that happens in 
the story, especially if I make it the focus of a chapter.  Thanks.  This is important advice.

*******************
 

To give your characters depth, write up detailed biographies of every
character you introduce into the story, regardless of how minor their role
might be. If Helen dreamed as a child of having super powers, why?  W A S  she
picked on by other kids for being scrawny, sickly, weak? Know every detail
about every character's life; these details won't, of course, all end up in
the story, but knowing the details, and including key descriptive elements,
will flesh out your characters and make them real to the reader.

******* My response   *****

Helen, as a child, did not dream of having supper powers.  But she was very self assured 
about her own powers.  

Helen, as a child, felt superior to the other kids because she had a unique singing ability. 
She was the pride of her elementary school theatre instructor.

She may have unknowingly shut some other children away from her, but never on 
purpose.  She always understood the feelings of the kids she knew.

Helen had almost no conflicts to solve as a child.  Her natural adaptability overcame those 
problem situations that could not be changed to her liking.

How come Helen is different?  How did Helen learn to cope so well with the world?  If I 
can answer this question, will I have described Helen sufficiently well?

I've given some general statements as to Helen's character.  Do you advise I show in the 
story those aspects of Helen's character?

What about the other characters, Joe, Bob, Angela, Victor, Mike, Dan, etc?

Joe loves to tease people, especially Helen who he loves deeply.

I want all my characters to be well adjusted people. 
I want all my characters to be people as they should be.
I have a quarrel with the painting of characters like people should not be.
I worry that readers will see these characters and think that those poor people is what 
people are like.

I wish my characters to be models for how people should be.

Therefore I must answer or try to answer the question:

How did they learn to be such good people?



Bob has good self-esteem.
Bob bases his self-esteem on his ability to solve problems.
He would never be jealous because that is only an emotional response, and counter-
productive to solving relationship problems.


Angela has learned to use emotional responses to get her way.  She has learned to think 
with her emotions.

Victor is the engineer extraordinaire.  He and Grant have a lot in common, and they will 
become good friends when they meet.

Mike is the direct practical person.  Tackles any problem head on.  

Dan is the experienced manager.  Depends on the skills of others and sees that they are 
given proper responsibility and power.

Melody is the rocket scientist.  She grew up wanting to be an astronaut, and spent almost 
half of her childhood preparing for it.

Calvin is the practical scientist, quick thinking, and wishing he understood some unifying 
principle that explained the whole universe.



**********************


. Events in the story should somehow tie in with the
Greek mythology, create some kind of parallel. Somehow, you need to be
subtle while making the tie-in unmistakable, At the same time, you have to
do so without it seeming to be contrived. If all that seems far-fetched and
impossible, then maybe you need to rethink their names to avoid the implied
connection.

******  MY RESPONSE  *****

I do intend a connection.   Helen has gained the powers of wisdom and power comparable 
to the ancient Greek Gods.

Maybe you can help me figure out how to elaborate on this connection.

***********

13. Fundamental questions that need resolution:".


B. What    I S    the intended theme / focus of the book? Many portions of the book
focus on very different topics, including:

1. The relationships of three young people
2. The existence and range of powers of extraterrestrial beings
3. A battle with tobacco companies to eradicate smoking
4. A rescue of a moon expedition
5. Responsibilities and opportunities that come with power

(Certainly some topics may be interrelated, but a clear main focus should be
chosen and kept in sight constantly.)


********   My response   *****


Yes.  All of these are the intended themes.  I presume I need to do a better job 
interweaving all these themes.

**************************

14. Areas of weak development:

A. Characterization (touched on to some extent above)-All of the characters
   A R E   flat. At least one main character should be round or dynamic. A dynamic
character should undergo change, or evolve, from the beginning to the end of
the book.

**********  My response  *******

Ah.. I did not know what was meant by flat or rounded before now.  I had thought that flat 
referred to having only one or maybe a few characteristics to identify the character.
But now you make it clear that a rounded character is one that struggles and evolves in 
order to overcome problems.   

It will be a challenge to round out my character Helen in this sense of round.  For I 
intended that Helen solve any technical problem instantly.   Only problems involving the 
desires of other people will be a challenge to Helen.  She must balance her choices by the 
probable consequences to the people she would help.

***************


1. Helen has not only met, and now shares a body with, an alien but has the
capabilities of virtually unlimited power. She seems to have handled this
all too calmly and with so very little conflict. This takes credibility from
her character, as well as makes her less interesting.


***********  My response  ******
I try to explain her merger better.  Hopefully I can make it seem more natural that Helen 
can take it so calmly.  Also, I perhaps I can show more how so very adaptable she was in 
childhood.  

And I did try to show how initially she resisted the idea.  She experienced many unusual 
things before she accepted the explanation.  Should I try to tie this initial resistance to her 
final acceptance?   Do you have suggestions for how I could do this?

************

2. After 25 chapters, the audience still knows very little about Helen, Joe,
and Bob.

***********  My response  ****

I can tell more about their characters.  What do you advise?  Flashbacks?  Intersperse 
more chapters just to show their character?  

************


4 What do Joe and Bob look like?   A R E   they
jealous of Helen's new powers? Of her fame?   A R E   they in competition with
each other for Helen's attention, and does this cause a conflict?

***********  My  Response  *********


Joe is tall, strong, and hansome.

Bob is short, same height as Helen.  Don't know what he looks like yet.

They are not jealous of Helen's powers.  They both know that Helen loves them.
Bob is not jealous because he feels that it is not right to be jealous.
Joe is not jealous because he loves Helen deeply.

They are not in competition with each other for Helen's attention.
Bob yields to Helen's choices between them because it is the logical thing to do.
Joe yields to Helen's choices between them because he loves her deeply.

Helen cannot be a source of conflict between Bob and Joe.

*********************

B. Plot-Much of the plot seems contrived and, therefore, unbelievable.
Conflicts   A R E   few, underdeveloped, and too easily solved. Characters too
often "suddenly understand" because Sparky explained it, or the problem    I S   
immediately fixed because Sparky seems to have a power for everything.

**********  My Response  ***

I request suggestions for how to make this better.  Sparky does have a power for 
everything.  The question is, "When is that power used?"

As I rewrite the story, keeping character development in mind, some of this problem may 
be solved.  



If Sparky    I S    virtually invincible, then perhaps more time should be given to
explore the responsibility necessary to handle this power. Also, more
conflicts should develop as the main character STRUGGLES to arrive at this
balance.


*********  My Response  ********

With respect to human powers, Sparky is virtually invincible.  Therefore I plan to develop 
Helen's sense of responsibility for her choices.

***************


15. Personal favorite areas:

A. Humorous areas (with possibilities for a little more development or more
areas like these):
1. An alien's appearance on a space shuttle
2. Bob's belief he  W A S  dreaming about Helen's powers
3. Helen's speeding ticket while jogging
4. Helen's description of the couple on the beach


*******   My Response   ********

Thanks.     I hope I can dream up more humorous scenes. 

***********************

B. Areas that emphasize the humanities
1. Joe's attraction to Helen
2. Helen's brief struggle over her irresponsibility (when she's called a
fanatic)
3. The electrical accident preceding Sparky's appearance
4. Joe and Bob's devotion to their friend and her mission


**********  My response  *********

I think we need to talk more about this.  Could we review these scenes, and you tell me 
which words I used that helped "emphasize the humanities"?

*************************


Answers to those fundamental questions will provide direction for further
revision of the book. That    I S, some areas should receive more development if
a young-adult audience    I S    the target, and alternate areas should be more
fully developed if the initial aim    I S    to appeal to adults.


*****  My Response  ******

What if I want to appeal to both?

*********************

Article from "Inscriptions" Magazine:

INSCRIPTIONS
**********************

Vol. 5 Issue 30
August 19 - September 1, 2002

COLUMN-

Fiction Craft: Writing Fantasy (Part Two)
By Robert Ferrier (RobertLFerrier@aol.com)

Imagination fuels fantasy. Authors paint worlds that cannot exist,
driven by characters born in dreams.

Although fantasy offers a universe of premises, writers can follow a
template forged over 12 centuries of storytelling. Fantasy characters --
and those of many other genres -- fall under several archetypes:

I. Hero

The hero offers a vehicle for the story, which should begin with a
threat. For example, In Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" Frodo Baggins
must escape riders approaching the Squire in search of the One Ring.

The hero then decides to embark on a quest -- the story goal. Tolkien,
for example, sends Frodo on a perilous journey (spanning three books) as
he tries to return the One Ring to Mount Doom.

II. Mentor

A wise old man or woman advises the hero on the quest. Dramatic
functions of the mentor include -- but   A R E  not limited to -- teaching,
gift-giving and leading the way. In Tolkien's "The Hobbit," the wizard
Gandalf issues a "call to action" to Bilbo Baggins. Gandalf leads Bilbo
and a band of dwarves on a journey to take gold from a mountain guarded
by the dragon, Smaug.

At some point the hero may be separated from the mentor and must
continue the journey alone.

III. Threshold Guardian

As the hero attempts to enter a special world, he will meet a gatekeeper
who blocks the way. For example, in Neil Gaiman's "Neverwhere," Richard
Mayhew must venture beneath London's streets into a shadowy world of
sewers and abandoned subway stations. Yet as he tries to gain entry,
he's threatened by the Lord Rat-speaker -- Gaiman's first threshold
guardian.

Often a previous act of kindness -- for example, Mayhew saving the life
of the Lady Door -- helps the hero pass through the first threshold.

IV. Shadow (Villain)

As with most commercial genres, an enemy opposes the hero's quest. For
example, the Dark Lord Sauron opposes Frodo throughout "The Lord of the
Rings" trilogy.

The Shadow owns overwhelming advantages -- such as the ability to create
magic and chaos. Make the Shadow skilled, crafty and ruthless.

V. Herald (Messenger)

Often in early chapters, the hero struggles through obstacles on sheer
willpower. Then a herald arrives, acting as a catalyst to spark the
story to a new level. This character appears throughout mythology. For
example, Zeus used his son, Hermes, as a messenger.

VI. Shapeshifter

This archetype can change both its physical form and loyalties. He    I S   
the "ally" who betrays trust, the love interest who shifts moods. Thus,
they add suspense by complicating the hero's quest.

Avoid Common Mistakes in Building Characters

Characters drive all stories. Avoid mistakes by remembering to:

1. Create Original Characters

Build a detailed resume for each major character. Work from the inside
out, using your passions, experience and dreams. Construct characters
that only you can create. Especially in fantasy, readers may feel that
they've never met characters like these, yet they should relate to them
at a basic level.

2. Choose a Significant Story Goal

Without something crucial at stake, your story dies in Chapter One. Make
sure the hero's quest falls under at least one of the categories
discussed in Georges Polti's book, "The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations."

3. Build a Back Story

Give each character a back-story that includes reasons for them to act a
certain way under pressure. You may not have to include these milestones
in the story, but you know they exist.

4. Differentiate Characters

Imagine that your readers   A R E   looking at characters through an opaque
pane of glass. Therefore you must tag your story people, physically and
emotionally, so that readers recognize differences. Paint with broad
brush strokes.

For additional insight on writing fantasy I highly recommend a book by
story analyst Christopher Vogler, "The Writer's Journey: Mythic
Structure for Storytellers & Screenwriters."

Summary

In summary, fantasy archetypes appear under various guises in every
genre of commercial fiction. Fantasy authors, however, enjoy greater
latitude in building the archetypes, which can appear in any form as
long as they serve the story. Stretch your imagination beyond "that
which can never be," and have fun.

Suggested Reading:

Campbell, Joseph. "The Hero with a Thousand Faces." Mythos Books.
(Available from various Internet sources, including Amazon.com.)

Polti, Georges. "The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations." Boston: The
Writer, Inc., 1977.

Vogler, Christopher. "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for
Storytellers and Screenwriters." Studio City, CA.: Michael Wiese
Productions, 1992. Second edition (1998) also available.  E-mail order
address: (mwpsales@mwp.com).

Williamson, J. N., ed.  "How to Write Tales of Horror, Fantasy and
Science Fiction." Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, 1991.
Leland F. Raymond
Co-Author "Orion the Skateboard Kid"
CyPress Publications
http://cypress-starpublications.com
mailto:lraymond@nettally.com


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