(2:27 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
[ Tue Nov 16, 2010 - about noon ]
*** X Ray ***
X Ray. X-Ray. Hmmm. Take your pick.
Electromagnetic radiation. See through radiation. Sickness radiation. Nanometers.
Doc wanted to x-ray my foot.
Dude had x ray eyes.
Mary was indeed OK if a good bit shaken up. She was a tough cookie with a tough life behind her but she had learned early in life how to overcome.
"This is not going to end here guys," she said. "He will not let it end like this. He will be coming for us. Hard. We have to be prepared."
"I don't think we should wait around for him to come for us," said Baldy, "We need to take the war to him. Catch him off guard if we can."
"Baldy is right," said Killer. "We need to move quickly."
And so they turned around and headed west, leaving the driver and the woman tied up in the trunk of the car and having messed up the engine and hidden the battery.
[ Tue Nov 16, 2010 - about one thirty ]
When they got to the corner store it was fully ablaze and they could hear the sirens of fire engines in the distance.
Buster wanted to try and get in to see if he could see the shop keeper but Mary and Killer told him not to risk it.
"OK, then, Killer, leave a detail here to watch things and follow after me to the docks as soon as you can. Buster, Zevelyn, take a team ahead to watch for the shop keeper there. If you see him, don't let him see you until I get there. Keep me posted of his movements via radio if he tries to go anywhere. Killer, on second thought, don't follow me. Take another team and take Mary home and keep her safe. Stay in touch by radio," said Baldy.
(2:49 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010) 40769
(3:23 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
Just as he was leaving, the team from the house out west showed up.
"What are you guys doing here?" asked Baldy. "Weren't you supposed to be searching the house and grounds of the shop keeper?"
"Yes but we searched and searched and didn't find anything new and then we heard on the radio that you had found Mary so we figured it was no good to keep searching for her out there so we came back."
"Makes sense but it is too bad you made that call. I need you to go back out that way and keep an eye on things until I get there," said Baldy.
So the one team headed right back west, this time with Zevelyn in the lead while Baldy took his team to the docks and Killer took Mary home with another team. The last team waited to see what would happen with the burning corner store.
(3:33 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
*** Voyage ***
Voyage. Trip. On water. Voyager. Tripper. On water. One who trips. On water. I have heard of slipping on water. Tripping on water is a little more rare. Now, Solid water can get tall enough to trip on but water itself. A little more difficult that one. Voyage. A long journey. As opposed to a longed for journey. It is possible to long for a long journey though so don't let that confuse you gentle reader.
(4:16 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
As Baldy and his team got in sight of the dock flames were reaching for the sky and once again they heard the sirens of approaching fire engines responding to the fire.
"This does not look good," said Baldy. "I think the shop keeper is getting rid of all the evidence and planning to disappear with our stuff. We need to get him before he goes to ground. If we don't we will be looking over our shoulders for a long time and I have a feeling Mary will stay in too much danger."
A call came in on the radio, "Hey," said Zevelyn, "it looks like there is a fire out this way too. The house is far gone but the garage is not burning well yet."
"Try to put it out if you can," radioed Baldy. "And keep a sharp eye out for the shop keeper, we need to catch him."
By the time Baldy made it out west, the house was burned to the ground and the garage was far gone. Too far gone to have any hope of saving it.
"What happened with the garage?" asked Baldy. "I thought you were going to be able to save it."
"Let's get away from these fire engines and the noise so we can talk," said Zevelyn.
They walked down by the lake and say in a gazebo at the end of a small dock.
"I thought so too but just as we started to try and fight it there was an explosion and the flames really took hold quickly after that. There was nothing we could do."
"He has burned down everything in one day," said Baldy, "that seems over the top. Way too drastic. What could he have going on to make him do that? And more importantly for us, where can he be?"
"It has to be something big," replied Zevelyn, "otherwise I can't see him torching everything like this. No one has even caught a glimpse of him lately though. Maybe I should take a team up east and we should secure the other two. Maybe one of them could tell us where he might be hiding out."
"Good idea," said Baldy, "go quickly, bring them to Mary's place and I will meet you there after seeing if anything interesting has happened at the docks or the corner store."
(4:57 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
[ Tue Nov 16, 2010 - about four thirty ]
Baldy went first to the docks and rounded up the team there. No one had anything interesting to report. The warehouse was reduced to rubble and a twisted shell. Smoke still rising feebly here and there among the destruction. The fire engines were gone but a guard detail had been posted by the authorities for the night.
Baldy and the dock team headed for the corner store.
(6:03 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
*** Teller ***
Teller. A vote counter.
Teller. A bank employee who takes in and pays out money. You know, you stand in a teller's line. It can be quite painful.
Teller. One who tells a story. The narrator. Does that make me a teller gentle reader? I know I am the author. Could I be the teller too?
On arriving, the corner store too was reduced to rubble and smoking ash. The fire engines were gone and a guard was posted here as well.
They gathered up the team from the store and headed for Mary's. Everyone piled into the front yard and many onto the front porch.
The team that had been sent east to secure the driver and the woman arrived last and reported that the car was burned to the ground and no one was in the trunk or around when they got there.
Mary came out with lime aid and biscuits for everyone and asked Baldy to make everyone feel at home. Before long, everyone had staked out a spot and settled down. Mary served with a smile on her face. Seeing Mary smile like that made Baldy smile too. Before long, smiles were breaking out all around.
"What an adventure that was hey Baldy?" asked Mary. Thank you guys so much for coming to my rescue. I don't know what they would have done with me."
"Why did they take you in the first place?" asked Baldy.
"Well, I stopped in to buy a few things on the way home and the store keeper saw the doubloon I was wearing around my neck. I am so sorry Baldy, I know I shouldn't have been wearing it but it was so lovely and I had it hidden in my blouse. I didn't think it would matter."
"But what did it mean to him? Why would he grab you because of some old coin?"asked Baldy.
"I think he must have heard some rumours around town and been looking for them. I don't know why or what he thought was important about them but while he had me and was questioning me he let enough slip that I think he has been interested in them for quite some time," said Mary.
"I'm just glad that you're OK. I can't seem to keep my hands on those coins and gems though. Anyway, we got back what was import and that's what counts," said Baldy.
"Oh, you're so sweet," said Mary, "I missed you too."
(6:58 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
[ Tue Nov 16, 2010 - about seven thirty ]
Mary called for pizza delivery and also for some chicken snack deliveries and some cracked conch snack deliveries too.
At about eight the food started arriving and everyone dug in with a will. By nine, all the food was done and the smiles were broader all around. Some were dozing off from being luggy so Baldy suggested that those from the neighbourhood return home for the night ans offered for the gulls and the owls to use his dilly tree. The gulls took him up on his offer but the owls said that they felt like some nocturnal activity and that they would return in the morning. Except for Zevelyn who decided to stick around.
*** Arcade ***
Arcade. Game.
Arcade. Fun.
Arcade. A broad passage or street, covered with stalls or shops down the sides.
Arcade. Beaumont.
Arcade. Nassau.
Arcade. Prince George.
[ Wed Nov 17, 2010 - morning ]
Mary woke early and made herself some hot chocolate and came out onto the front porch quietly to sit and read the paper. The front page was taken up by stories and pictures of the three fires from yesterday. She read with interest but did not learn anything that she thought would be helpful with their problems.
Mary enjoyed the quiet before anyone woke up in the neighbourhood. She enjoyed the time she had to plan her day but she also found her mind going back to the time in captivity. There was something about how every thing went down that was prickling at the back of her mind below the level of her consciousness. She kept running her mind over various scenes of the time but nothing much came to her. She finished her chocolate and put her mug and the paper down and closed her eyes and drifted off some where.
When she opened her eyes some time later Zevelyn was perched on the porch railing looking at her with his big eyes.
"Hello Mr. Owl," said Mary, "I am so glad you are here and thankful to you and everyone else for coming to my aid yesterday. If you're hungry I can make something for you in a little while."
"I am fine thank you," replied Zevelyn, "I have just got back from a little hunting and am good for now thank you," he continued.
Soon, Baldy woke up and came down and jumped up on Mary's lap and licked her face. "Get down Baldy. You are much too big for a lap dog and you know better. It's been years since I could let you sit in my lap comfortably."
Baldy jumped down and curled up at her feet, contented. Mary took off her slipper and rubbed his back with her foot. Baldy stretched with pleasure.
Mary slipped her slipper back on and got up and went inside calling out as she went, "Let me get you a little something to eat Baldy, I won't be long."
About fifteen minutes later she came back with some fire engine and white rice in a bowl and set it before Baldy who stood up and chowed down. Mary so enjoyed watching him eat things that he loved.
(7:41 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
*** Superstar ***
Salty superstar.
Super. Above.
Star. Those lights in the sky that twinkle. Said to be made of hot gases. But if the moon is supposed to be made of green cheese, I think the stars might be made of white chocolate flambé with light rum.
Hence superstar - a star above the others in the sky. Just go outside and look directly up. The star at the top is the superstar. Got it? Great.
On the other hand, a substar is a big shot in undersea boats.
The gulls started waking up and the other owls arrived one by one. Then Killer and the other neighbourhood soldiers began arriving. The porch and the yard were getting crowded again.
"What do we want to do today Baldy?" asked Stan. "Should we go search for the shop keeper?"
"I want you to pick a team to handle that, I want to spend some time with Zevelyn and Buster and Mary and do some brainstorming if it is OK with them and if you don't mind heading up the search detail," said Baldy.
It was agreeable with everyone and so after breakfast Stan divided up his team into four and sent them to the four winds to see what they could see. Who they could see. Who they could find in point of fact.
Well gentler reader, Mary, Baldy, Buster, and Zevelyn spent the day on the back porch talking through many things. Mary's captivity experience, Baldy's captivity experience, Mary was surprised to learn that Baldy had been captured, who the store keeper might be, what he might be up to, and later in the day, the map and all that surrounded it.
(8:37 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
Too long
Oolong
Trying to get a move on
Poor poor Mary she's
Trying to get her groove on
Baby oil she's
Trying just to smooth on
----------
I was living a T-shirt life
Kicking back at the shore
I was fishin all day
And dancing all night
Then coming around for more
----------
Where the river of time
Flows into the timeless sea (ocean)
----------
Well, they made no worthwhile progress that they could tell but they did pass a pleasant day together and got some needed rest.
[ Wed Nov 17, 2010 - evening ]
So now what gentle reader? I am about burned out but not near where I wanted to be today even though I am passed where I planned on being each day. Basically, I have passed two thousand words for the day but I wanted to reach three thousand today to get a head start on where I want to be by the end of the weekend.
So I guess it is time for some rambling. For some verbal rocking and rolling. For some alphabetical blues. Who knews?
*** Secrets ***
Secrets. Things hidden. Mysteries. Depths.
So now what? I am not sure I am even up to a good ramble. I felt pretty good today and yet now I feel things getting thick. Slowing down. Desire to veg is rising. Desire to look at the insides of my eye lids grows.
Still, even if I have to plod, I will force these words these palabras into existence. Oh, I would much rather soar in the heights of verbal fancy, words flowing and weaving in episodes of pure joy but if I have to trudge I will. Even if I have to dig and tunnel and grub my way forward, I shall.
(9:12 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
Great, even when I decide to plod on through, what do I do? I get up and go mini-walkabout indoors, yet again finding a way to kill some time.
Do you want to know a secret? Many do. Do you? What would you do to know one?
So how can I find enough words and where and in what order? I must find them. I must continue. And I must not edit. I must keep up the NaNoWriMo plan. Quantity over quality.
The funny this is do words themselves have quality? I mean is car of higher quality than boat? Is run a high quality while fly is of lesser quality? Somehow I don't think so. I will grant that perhaps some words have a lesser quality than others if you are looking at things in a certain way but I would guess that for the vast majority of words they are all pretty much of equal quality. Perhaps not... This could do with some deep thinking on the permutations and wrinkles at some point in the future.
Now, assuming that words are in general of similar quality, what is it that makes the difference in quality? Could it be the order of the words that bestow the quality?
Getting there but very slowly. I am not sure I can make it. I * m u s t * try. What now?
No one knows where the bad man goes
When he's sneaking around
When he's roaming your town.
No one knows how the bad man thinks
But one thing we know is
His thinking stinks
When he's sneaking around
When he's roaming your town.
Soon and very soon gentle reader.
(9:34 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
[ Thu Nov 18, 2010 - morning ]
The core of the teams gathered on Mary's front porch again to set the plans for the day. They decided to give it one more day of efforts along the lines of the day before to see if some breaks might come their way.
[ Thu Nov 18, 2010 - lunchtime ]
Some rumours started to trickle in that the shop keeper had been seen up in Spanish Wells. Then a while later more came in that he had been spotted in Harbour Island.
And that about does it for me for the night gentle reader. Caio.
(9:43 pm Fri Nov 19, 2010)
I sort of like the partial symmetry of that.
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