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Cover Artwork is copyrighted by the author, who

for some odd reason seems to feel the undying needto create his own illustrations and designs.

2012. All rights reserved.

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T.O.A.D.Volume 1

The Fall

By Keegan Hennis

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I love my family.

My sweet wife supports me,My smart son and daughter inspire me,

On to excellence.

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This book is part of a series, written inchronological order. Pick them up out of order andyou may become confused or frustrated by thestory.

T.O.A.D.

The FallThe RiseThe RunThe PushThe ReachThe GraspThe Pull

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There are many other series and singlebooks by Keegan Hennis.

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1Lenny woke before his alarm would have

sounded. Casually he read the time: 5:13 am. He

reached over and clicked the small switch to the offposition to keep it from waking his father. Their

rooms were adjacent to each other, and the walls did

little to abate sound passage. The last thing Lenny

wanted to do at that moment was to wake his father

early on a school day.

Silently he went to his dresser and gathered

his clothes for the day. He filled his knapsack,

collected a few other odd trinkets from around his

room and made his way out into the hall. Silent as

the grave he left his house and made his way onbicycle through the empty streets. Today would be

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like no other. But then, every day was new and

different.

The street signs passed him as the soft

ticking of his bike's gears filled the cool early

morning air. To say that he lived at home would be

deceptive. He only slept at home, and he would

only do that for a few more years before he legally

moved away from the indignity of his fathers

house.

Right on time, Lenny's lonely bike commute

became not so lonely. Another young bicyclist

following a different route turned from another

street to ride parallel to Lenny, their respective

paths merging. The usual morning banter ensued,

"Morning, Josh."The other rider spoke up after a yawn,

"Morning, Lenny."

And that was it until they would reach their

mutual destination. The gathering sunlight played

off parked car windshields and house windows as

the two boys rode on in relative silence. Here and

there a shiny lawn ornament flashed one or both of

them in the eye, but it quickly passed them as they

made good time.

Finally the two turned into a parking lot in aminimally commercialized zone of their small town

and dismounted their bikes. One boy walked up to

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the door and typed the unnecessarily long code into

the keypad next to the locked door, and it clicked

open. The boys walked their bikes inside a door

near the side of the building, which had no signs

advertising its purpose. The bikes leaned against

the side of a hall, the boys continued walking into

the structure. They passed doors in the hall, and

cabinets on either side. Some of the cabinet doors

were secured with padlocks, others weren't.

The two boys walked nonchalantly into a

sort of dormitory setting with couches and a few

vending machines along one wall, a television on

the other. There they parted, going into two

separate rooms, the doors of which sported labels

with their names on them.Lenny walked past an unused bed and

disrobed in a small bathroom. He showered quickly

and then redressed himself in the clothes he'd

brought from home, or the place his father called

home. He brushed his teeth and then stared at

himself in the mirror above the sink for a minute.

Every day he stared at his face in the mirror,

thinking of how he'd finally tell his father he was

moving out, never quite knowing how he'd say it.

But he still had time, two years and two months tobe exact. He'd soon turn 16 and his father would

forget his birthday. Again.

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Josh wasn't quite ready for school yet, but

he'd make it on time, as usual. Lenny, named

Leonardo at birth by his traditional Italian mother,

left his dorm room into the common area the two

boys shared with a grown man. Lenny found him in

his usual spot on the green sofa, reading from some

extra-thick hardcover book. "Morning, Hank," said

Lenny as he made his way back toward his bike for

the ride to school.

"Good morning, boss," said Hank, who kept

reading as if he'd never been interrupted.

Lenny and Josh had found Hank a few years

back in an area of the county called the Bone Yard.

It was owned by a train company and used to store

old rusting and broken train engines and box cars.Hank had hitched a ride from somewhere else in the

country, he never said where, and was trying to

camp in the wreckage. The boys were doing some

exploring and shopping for heavy metal parts when

they came across his limp body. He had cut himself

on something and was almost septic with infection.

They took him to the emergency room of the nearby

larger town's hospital just in time to save his life.

Hank had no ID on him and he refused to give the

staff any information on himself. As soon as hewas healthy enough, they released him.

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But Josh and Lenny were both curious about

why he was trying to live in the Bone Yard in the

first place, and under a deadline to have a new

manager named. They followed and cornered him

in an alley. He wouldn't say much, but they needed

him anyway. They had hired him to be their adult

face to other adults.

The position had originally been only

temporary, until they could find someone else to fill

it for the long term. But things worked out with

Hank, and they kept working out. After a few

months, they decided to keep him until he decided

to leave the company, whenever that would be.

When Lenny's maternal grandfather was

younger, he invented an airplane part for themilitary. They still used it in all their aircraft and

by contract they paid usage fees to the company that

Lenny's grandfather had started. But when Lenny's

mother had died in child-birth, and Lenny's father

had turned to drowning his sorrows in liquor,

Lenny's grandfather decided to put the company

into a trust for an inheritance for Lenny. When

Lenny was twelve, and mature for his age, his

grandfather took ill. Knowing he had little time

left, he told Lenny about the trust and company andlegally transferred it into the boy's name before he

died. It was technically owned by Lenny, but

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would have to be managed by a legal adult of his

choosing until Lenny turned 18 and could run the

company himself.

Lenny's father hadn't heard of it, and the

boys decided to keep it that way. But in order to

run the company name, and continue receiving the

payments from the military, the company had to

have an adult manager. The boys were

contemplating on this when they found Hank and

made a quick decision. Hank accepted the job,

knowing the boys had saved his life, and had been

living at the shop in the dorm area ever since. He

never spoke about his past, and the two boys

allowed him his secrets because he kept theirs.

Hank was ever respectful of them, treated them asequal adults. He never stole anything, never did

anything to betray their trust. And so the three kept

their arrangement how it was, because it worked.

Technically the company, Technology

Opens All Doors, Inc. or TOAD, Inc. for short, had

three direct salaried employees. These were the two

boys and Hank. The company paid taxes and

provided health insurance and looked in every way

to the outside world as any other company. But the

inner workings were very different. The boys did asthey pleased, designing and learning and inventing

whatever they thought they could. And since the

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government paid them far more than they thought

they could ever spend, they were limited by only

their imaginations.

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2Lenny and Josh had been friends since the

second grade. Joshs family had moved to Red

Level when his father got a job at a carpetmanufacturer in Andalusia, a nearby larger town.

The land and housing was cheaper in Red Level, so

despite the longer travel to work, they chose to live

in the rural area.

The two boys had hit it off almost

immediately, as if the young budding genius in each

of them gravitated toward similar intelligence.

From the first day, they had been close, almost as

much so as brothers born of different parents.

They were often seen sitting together atrecess, and their desks were next to each other

whenever they got the chance. They were good

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students and didnt play around when they werent

supposed to, so most of the time their teachers

didnt mind that they sat next to each other.

They completed book reports on similar

texts, and science projects in similar fields, even

though they worked separately when required.

There were never any suspicions that they cheated

off each others work.

It was commonly yet silently accepted

between the two boys that Lenny was the smarter of

the pair, but as any good friend, Lenny would rather

be silent than dwell on what would appear from the

outside as his honorificabilitudinitatibus.

But even in the early times, when he was

still young, Lenny came to understand that althoughhis father provided for his needs, and kept food in

the fridge, he would have very little else to do with

Lennys growth. He appeared to make no extra

attempts to attend school plays, or fairs or carnivals.

He never bought any of their fund-raiser products,

or showed up to the semiannual parent-teacher

conferences.

At first, Lenny felt sad, left out. And then as

he grew, he simply came to expect little interest

from his father in his life. He knew that his dadworked as a mechanic at a local garage, but Lenny

had never visited him at work. He knew that his

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dad worked hard for the money he earned, but he

grew up feeling like the provisions and rare trinkets

from his hands were delivered to Lenny more out of

obligation than desire. But as many things do, it

became normal to him.

He knew not to expect his father to ask to

see his report cards. He knew that Alan Hatching

would rather work overtime, cutting his hands on

greasy broken metal fragments, than show his face

at a PTA meeting. Lenny came to know that the

bottles of foul-smelling colored liquors in the fridge

were primarily responsible for his fathers

unresponsive naps in his recliner.

Lenny tried sometimes to engage his father

in his life, but the usual reply would soundsomething like, Not now, boy or Beat it, Im

tired.

Only three times did he remember his father

showing up to any kind of school event. Once was

a fund-raiser where they auctioned off a few things,

like a hunting rifle and a blade-style tree-stand,

when Lenny was in the fifth grade. Once was a

Christmas party, when he had shown up very

obviously drunk. But he didnt make any kind of

public scene that time, to Lennys relief.The third time Lennys father showed up to

his school was to sign the release for his son to start

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drivers education classes. Lenny felt like he was

only doing it to help him along in getting out of his

house. Either way, that was the last time he and his

father had spoken anything more than an awkward

salutation in the narrow hall of their small house.

Since the days of his solitary childhood,

Lenny hadnt cared to invite his father to anything.

He knew that if he waited expectantly for him to

arrive, hed be let down. Again.

But Joshs family was lots more interested

in their childs schooling. And to help out the

situation, they also put some interest in Lennys

schooling also. They would sometimes try to

excuse Lennys fathers behavior claiming he was

tired from working long hours. Or they would offerto buy Lennys carnival tickets from him, citing that

his father would want them to.

But Lenny always knew better. He knew

that although he never said as much, his father had

blamed him for his mothers death, and that Alan

Hatching would someday drink himself to death.

And whenever Lenny thought about that possibility,

he had mixed feelings. He loved his father, but they

were really no more than roommates by that time.

They may just as well have been as unrelated as HisHoliness, the Pope and His Highness, the King of

Saudi Arabia.

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3Lenny rode his bike to school and parked it

in his customary place: third slot from the end in the

front bike racks. He locked it to the heavy pipe andthen casually walked into the building where he

attended as a sophomore.

The long halls of Red Level High School, In

Red Level, Alabama, bustled with students and

teachers. The sound of slamming lockers over the

din of voices filled in the background noise while

Lenny considered what project he would start to

work on next after school. Hed already finished

modifying his music player a week ahead of

schedule and the fast completion had taken him bysurprise. He would usually have had a few more

days to think about what to build next before the

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project would have been completed. But the

firmware coding had been much easier than hed

planned and the initial prototype tests had all passed

with flying colors. For once, it seemed finishing

early had brought with it ill consequences.

Josh had presented an idea to Lenny about

creating a new codec for the player. It would be

based on old technology, but in a new application.

It turned out the entire firmware would have to be

rewritten as well. Each song file was analyzed on

their servers and broken up into its base sounds. A

continuously growing library of the base sounds

would be stored on the boys servers and would

update their players wirelessly periodically. Each

song file would then be rewritten using referencesto the base sounds in the library index, allowing the

song files themselves to be quite small. Of course

some sounds couldnt be quantified in the index and

so would be inserted directly into the song file

which would play seamlessly from either the index

or the sounds themselves. The vocal tracks would

be played at the same time, giving the illusion that

all the music was from one file.

The boys had effectively multiplied the song

storage on their players by a minimum factor oftwenty, depending on the songs they had loaded.

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Several hours after school started, and after

the end of his math class, Lenny went outside for

lunch. He met his business partner and best friend,

Josh, in their usual spot. The green buds on the

trees in the schoolyard were forming nicely into

leaves making denser shade every day on the lawn.

Josh waited with his lunch sack under the

big oak by the football field entrance. Though they

were both worth more financially than the average

adult, they had mutually decided to keep up

appearances by acting like teens around others.

When Lenny stepped into range, Josh asked, Any

ideas on what were going to work on next?

Not really, answered Lenny as he sat on

the ground near Josh. He continued, I keepthinking about what granddad told me that last

day.

Something about how youre an accidental

genius? asked Josh just before a bite of sandwich.

No, not accidental, Lenny respectfully

corrected, casual. He said I was a casual genius, as

if Im not even trying. He said that things work out

strangely well when I shoot from the hip. Like he

thought Im inordinately lucky or something.

Well, said Josh just before he took a drinkfrom his milk bottle. When hed lowered it again

he continued, Hes kind of right, you know.

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Things do seem to work better for you when you

have less time to plan and prepare. So I can see

where he was coming from.

Lenny nodded contemplatively as he

crunched bits of carrot sticks. He glanced up at the

sign above the football field entrance, Roddaburke

Field.

The boys school had held a fund-raiser a

while back to repave the running track around the

perimeter of the football field. The bake sales and

cake auctions came up less than half the lowest bid

from the contractors. The school had nearly

decided to simply bury the running track and

abandon it when Josh had his idea. They went to

Hank and asked him to go to the school and make acash donation from the company. He did, and

against Hanks better judgment, the school named

the field after him when he supplied more than

enough money to finance the highest contractor bid.

So the bleachers were repainted as well with

the leftover funds. And a sign designed and colored

by the art department honored the generous Henry

Roddaburke for his donation. The boys silently

chuckle about it whenever they read the sign. It

was more fun for them that no one knew how theywere the real benefactors for the new track. As

Lennys grandfather used to say in broken English,

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It is better to give gifts in secret, to keep others

from wanting for more.

But reading the sign didnt do much for

Lennys planning, so he looked away to the waving

grass in the football field. The wind playing its own

game on the field looked almost hypnotic. From

this distance he could clearly see the contiguous

waves that each gust of wind produced. It was as if

there were an invisible blanket flopping around

being tugged this way and that.

As he sat contemplating the waves, Lenny

felt a spark in his mind. The waves were speaking

to him, but the message wasnt about wind or grass.

Were going to build something to do with radio

waves, he reported to Josh just before the schoolsounded a chime telling them lunch break had

ended.

Josh perked up, Oh yeah. Bring it on.

The rest of the school day both boys worked

on ideas of how they would revolutionize radio.

They each wrote their ideas down in a small spiral

notepad they carried in their pockets. It was their

way of keeping ideas when they came.

When the time came to leave school, the

race began. Lenny and Josh were both moderatelyfit in physical form, but their daily bicycle races

from school to their shop were as exciting as they

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were dangerous. The small town police department

knew their names well, and the officers were on the

watch for them as often as they could be. It seemed

no obstacle had the power to make them use their

brakes.

They jumped ramps and missed pedestrians

and dodged cars and trucks as if the devil himself

were hunting them. Several times cars screeched

their tires to keep from killing the racers. But the

boys were teenagers, and they knew they were

invincible. They tested the limits of their mortality

on nearly a daily bases.

Reaching the shop they casually dismounted

their trusty steeds. A few sly glances at each other

and they jumped into a sprint toward the door.Lenny made it first and blocked the keypad with his

hand, trying to keep Josh from entering his code.

But Josh wouldnt be so easily dissuaded and he

enacted one of the few things that would make even

grown adults draw back in from their prize in

revulsion. He licked Lenny's arm from elbow

forward, slowly making his way toward his wrist.

But he'd only wet a few inches of Lenny's

arm before Josh saw him yank it away with a

shocked expression and a grunt of disapproval.Josh wasted no time in putting his own

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unnecessarily long code into the keypad, unlocking

the heavy security door.

The boys walked their bikes inside, letting

their wheel bearings cool in the shade in the

hallway just inside the door. They casually walked

down the hall, Josh's disgusting tactic quickly

forgotten, passing Hank in his seat on the green

sofa, reading the same volume of some obscure text.

They walked into their workshop and approached

their planning table.

The precision drawing tools and lighted

magnifying lens were left in their places for this

session as each retrieved his notebook and prepared

to wow the other with his ideas.

Josh began, because Lenny had started firstthe time before. Radio-borne electricity, with

ranges larger than fifty feet.

Lenny wrote the idea down on the sheet

retrieved from the top of a stack of printer paper in

the corner of the work table. Josh continued,

Radio pain pistol with a hundred-foot range.

Could be used for non-lethal riot control by the

police.

Good one, said Lenny as he scribed it all

down.

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Josh read his last entry, Alternate materials

for radio drivers. Id like to test out what a change

in material density does to radio range.

We could get better range just by switching

out the antenna alone. Good idea to test.

Josh folded the cover down on his notepad

and said, Thats all I got. Your turn.

Radio Hallucination. It could be used for

virtual reality or simulating environments.

Cool theory, tripping out without the

chemical catalysts said Josh as he took his turn to

be scribe.

Radio ignition. Like for a survival tool or

for camping. Youd point the tool at the pile of

wood and itd burst into flames.Sounds dangerous, said Josh with smirk as

he wrote it down on the paper.

Radio Edge Supplementation. A knife

could be dull until you turn it on and then it acts

razor sharp. We could try pulsing sympathetic

frequencies to simulate a serrated edge.

Again, awesome. Making new dangerous

applications of old science is so cool.

Josh took the time to draw small images for

each possibility to make sure they remembered towhat their ideas related. Lenny closed his notebook

and casually put it on the desk.

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The next step would usually entail them

inventing a method for disqualifying or postponing

some of the ideas from the list. Sometimes they

would throw darts at a dartboard, and sometimes

they would throw lawn darts. Sometimes they

would play a rousing, yet sometimes confusing,

round of Rock-Paper-Scissors-Laser-Steamshovel,

and then rarely they would randomly call people

from the phonebook to ask them their opinions.

The calling method seldom gave them concrete

results, thus the reason they didnt try it often.

On that day, it was decided that they would

ask Hank what he thought.

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4Josh and Lenny approached their adult

employee. As was their custom, they sat on a sofa

opposite his, and respectfully waited for him tofinish the sentence he was reading. After no more

than a minute, Hank put his volume down on the

table between the two sofas and then put his reading

glasses next to it. He looked up to the boys and

said, Yes, gentlemen. How can I help you?

Josh began, We have some ideas for our

next project. Wed like your opinion.

Standard consulting fees apply here,

added Lenny.

Oh, you know Ill just donate it back to thevending machine fund, replied Hank as he reached

for the handful of white pages Josh held.

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Hank took the papers and carefully read

through the descriptions and studied the sketched

diagrams. He went through the stack at least twice

in total, jumping back through the list when he

pleased to make sure there were no missed entries.

Once he chuckled, no more than a slight breath, but

the boys had no way of knowing which idea had

seemed funny.

At long last Hank set the stapled papers

down on the table next to his book. He eyed the

boys carefully, knowing that no matter what he said,

they were still teenagers. Theyd do whatever they

wanted no matter his comments. But he

underestimated the weight of his opinion. He

carefully answered, while pointing to an entry,This one reminds me of the guts of a microwave

oven. Nothing new there, referring to the fire-

starter tool. And this one here, he was pointing to

the pain gun, looks to be hard to test out for effect.

Realistically were you planning on trying it out on

each other or me?

The boys chuckled this time. Hank

continued, And I think this one, referring to the

hallucination idea, could be very dangerous also.

Imagine accidentally cooking someones brain. Tryexplaining that one in a Workmans Comp. claim.

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Again the boys chuckled nervously. He was

bringing up good points that they hadnt considered.

But then again, they were only random ideas. Hank

put the papers on the side of the table closest to the

boys and spoke to them directly, Gentlemen, I

seem to recall someone telling me that some of the

most interesting advancements in science were

accidental. Things like Teflon coatings and post-it

notes were invented on the way toward different

ideas altogether. Try starting with something small

and see where it leads you.

The boys sat back in unison thinking about

what he had said. Hank picked up his glasses and

volume and began to read where hed left off. And

though he never mentioned it to them, he wassurprised almost daily by their level of maturity for

their respective ages.

After a few minutes of quiet introspection

the clock chimed four which roused the boys. They

left Hank to his learning and walked back into the

shop. Josh put the pages on the work table and they

stared at them quietly for almost a minute before

Lenny broke the trance. Lets each work on one.

Ill take the blade edge simulation one and you

work on the antenna density one.Sounds like a plan, agreed Josh.

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Well need a radio workstation with a

powerful array on it. We should use something that

we can actively adjust easily.

Josh picked up the idea and continued, We

could use the spare repeater we bought when we

built our own cell towers and put the Good Luck

Chicken Network into service. Its digital and the

computer interface is easy to navigate.

Lenny started walking to one unused table in

the large shop area. He grabbed a laptop computer

from a wheeled cart as he passed it and set it on the

table he reached. The system started up fast and

Lenny logged in to their network and started the

installation process for the radio repeater software

from its place on the server.Josh appeared after a short time with a stack

of crates on a pallet-jack. It dropped near the table

they were preparing for their experiments. Of the

many labels on the crates, the ones most interesting

at that moment were the shock-sensitive stickers.

They were still in their factory state, letting the boys

know the contents of the crate were not damaged by

bumping in transit.

You start working up a protocol for

programming the interface, said Josh, while I getto assemble the repeater.

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Let me know if you need help lifting,

offered Lenny. I seem to remember last time one

section was really bulky.

The boys then proceeded in relative silence,

each working on areas of his specific and respective

inclination. Lenny had higher-than-average skill in

software and theory, and Josh felt more at home

turning wrenches and working with physical parts.

They worked well together where they could, but

sometimes they worked better by dovetailing.

When Josh found the crate with the heaviest

contraption, he glanced over to see Lenny coding at

full steam in a programming environment. Not

wanting to interrupt a flowing thought train, Josh

went to the area of the shop where they stored theirheavier tools and unlocked the wheels of their

hydraulic hoist. It weighed about five hundred

pounds on its own and would easily lift the contents

from the crate.

Lenny made no sign that hed noticed the

action. But that was normal. When he became

engrossed with something complicated, not much

could distract him. Josh didnt mind. This was part

of how they had defined their relationship with each

other, and so they worked it out how they usuallydid best.

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When the crates were emptied and their

various contents were gently laid in a loose

arrangement on the shop floor, Josh reevaluated

whether the table would be a good place for the

completed radio repeater, or if it would be best to

leave it assembled on the floor next to it. Lenny

noticed Josh standing and staring at the strewn parts

and asked casually, Penny for your thoughts?

Oh, not this time, said Josh absent-

mindedly. These thoughts are worth at least a

dollar each; but Ill give you the friend discount. I

was just thinking about the best place to start

putting the radio together. As big as it is, and with

the fact that were going to be using it as a tool in

several experiments, I was thinking I might justleave it on the floor and wire it to whatever were

designing.

Lenny looked away from the computer

screen for a few seconds to view the options. His

young eyes did him well, seeing the parts on the

floor and judging the rough size of the completed

product of his friends assembly work. Youre

probably right, answered Lenny. The floors the

best place for that monster. Unless you think we

should build a bigger table.Josh considered the options opening to him.

In the end, he voiced his vote, Or I could just weld

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up a frame to stand it on next to the table at table-

height. That would make it close enough to allow

for a direct-mount apparatus, as well as freeing up

table room.

Good show. Theres a done thing.

Josh chuckled at Lennys use of older slang

and then went to the drafting table to draw up some

figures to follow. He liked to draw his schematics

by hand, leaving the computer work to Lenny. Josh

had long trusted that his hand-drawn sketches were

made faster than with the CAD program, and easier

for him.

The pencil became an extension of his arm

as his ideas were flowing through the HB graphite

onto the clean white paper. The design cametogether rather quickly for its size. It would have

three legs for maximum stability and minimum

fabrication time, as well as fewer places to adjust

when leveling and loading the repeater into its

cradle. Small triangular plates for gussets would go

at each joint to ensure sturdy structure and little

deflection.

When Josh finished his drawings, he took

them to Lenny who would red-line them. This was

also their habit. Where one boy created, the otherchecked for errors. There were seldom any because

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5The parts cut apart and the main skeleton

braced into shape, Josh steadied his hand and pulled

his welding hood down. Sparks flew out and abrilliant light flashed from the arc welders hand

tool, sometimes called a stinger, lighting up half the

shop. Shadows played off the walls cast by both

Joshs body and the other shapes around him.

Lenny continued working on the computer side of

the project as Joshs idea for a support frame came

together fast.

True to form, Joshs estimate closely

resembled reality as a little over an hour later the

standing cradle for the repeater stood ready toreceive its passenger. Josh looked proudly at it,

knowing he had done his best in building it, and that

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it would last a long time. Absent-mindedly he spoke

to the frame, I should probably paint you up, but

Im not sure youre going to be used that much

anyway.

Lenny spoke from across the work area,

Well, its still 5:35. Bobby-Jaynes is still open.

We can send it over and have them work on that

while were at school tomorrow.

Ill make the call, said Josh.

Lenny continued to work with the computer

code displayed on his screen while Josh spoke on

the shop phone to his left. At least he thought it

was to his left. Truthfully he wasnt sure, which

way the phone was in relation to his new work area.

They moved around quite a bit, so things were oftennot where people thought they could be. But as

easy and pointless as it would be to actually look up

from his work to see where the shop phone sat in

relation to his position, Lenny decided it wasnt

worth losing his momentum in typing and clicking

his mouse.

As he worked, he suddenly became aware

that Josh seemed to be staring at him from across

the room. He thought he saw out the corner of his

eye Josh glancing at his watch a few times in just ashort interval, and this distracted him from his

coding. It wasnt like Josh to count the seconds as

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he was. But then, he realized, it could have

signaled an impending event that he had scheduled,

which was indeed something he did all too often. In

short order, he discovered what Josh had been

waiting for when his monitor flashed a horrifying

image while it screamed as a damsel in a scary

movie. This all made Lenny nearly jump out of his

skin, because he was distracted with two other

things at once.

Josh laughed loudly and jumped a few

times. Lenny, in turn, spoke softly to him, while

still looking at his monitor, "Got me again, buddy."

Josh came back over to the work table and

reported with a chuckle, Theyre sending a driver

over to pick it up. Some new kid named Red. Hellbe here in about fifteen minutes, and then we should

probably head to my place for dinner. Its pizza

night, remember.

Oooh, I love your moms home-made

pizza, said Lenny, for once looking up from the

laptop. What color are they painting the frame?

They said they already have their system

primed with gloss yellow for another customer, and

I said that would be fine for this. We saved a few

bucks of setup fee because the frame will probablynever go outside this shop and we dont care what it

looks like.

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Lets see if Hank would consent to working

after hours to hand over the frame. I want to get

over to your place all-of-a-sudden-like, said Lenny

excitedly.

The boys walked briskly to the common

area of the dorm to find Hank sitting in the same

place, reading the same large volume. Before they

could ask, he spoke, I wouldnt mind at all.

The boys gave crooked expressions to the

older man, but he didnt see them. He did however

sense by their silent response that he should clarify

his statement. Im going to stay in the shop for a

few minutes and hand over the frame Josh built to

the driver from Bobby-Jayne Automotive. The door

to the shop was open and I heard the wholeconversation.

Awesome. Thanks a lot, Hank, said Josh

happily.

Just mark the over-time on your punch

record, said Lenny as they made their way toward

their bikes.

Sure thing, boss, said Hank to himself as

he continued to read. He wouldnt get extra pay for

working late, but he would earn more vacation time

that he could use later.Josh and Lenny rode their bikes through the

moderately well-kept houses that sat in Joshs

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neighborhood. Here and there a car passed them,

but for the most part people were already home

from their daily jobs. A few times they smelled the

unmistakable scent of barbecued meats from behind

houses. The spring weather brought with it the

promise of a playful summer.

Just before six in the evening, the boys

pulled their bikes into the walk-in door on Joshs

familys garage. They wandered through the other

stacks of things and toys that kept the family from

parking their cars inside the garage as they made

their way toward the kitchen door. The alluring

aroma of Mrs. Duvals pizza sauce guided them

onward through the gloomy storage area.

At long last, the door opened and the boysfelt the full brunt of the sensory deluge in the

kitchen. The boiling sauce churning with herbs, the

sizzling pepperonis in a skillet, the still-rising bread

dough in a mixing bowl, the only thing missing was

a milk-maid making cheese from scratch. But that

absence was expected. Who made their own cheese

anymore?

Joshs father broke the food-induced trance,

Welcome home, boys. How was work today?

Oh, it was normal, said Josh. There wasa little drawing, a little welding, a little fiddling on

the computer, nothing new.

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Sounds fun just the same, said Mrs. Duval

as she stirred the sauce with a wooden spoon. She

pulled it to her face and gently smelled the mix.

After mentally sifting the various vapors, her keen

nose told her it needed a dash of some other spice

before it was perfect. She added this and then left it

to continue its simmer.

Lenny again felt awed by her skill in the

kitchen. He considered her to be on the level of

professional chefs, geniuses with ingredients.

Silently he wondered if his own mother would be so

talented, were she still alive. Of course she would

be, she was born to traditional Italian parents

herself. As is often the case in traditional societies,

she had been taught all the family recipes by hermother, the same recipes that had been handed

down from generation to generation since the

beginning of Italian history.

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6Youve outdone yourself again, Mrs.

Duval, said Lenny after finishing his last slice of

pizza.Why thank you, Lenny, said Joshs mom.

So, began Mr. Duval after a drink from his

glass. What are you guys working on at work?

Few people knew of the freedom they

enjoyed at TOAD Inc. But Joshs parents saw no

problem in how they lived. Lenny answered,

Were working on a few new applications for radio

technologies.

Like what applications? Mr. Duval probed

further.

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Josh answered, Dad, that was four months

ago. Try to keep up. Remember I told you that the

tour company didnt feel they would have enough

customers interested in it to justify the running cost.

So now Clarence sits on its trailer in the shop.

Joshs younger sister, Natalie, spoke up,

You named that thing Clarence? That is so

cheesy!

Well, I thought the submarine tours venture

was a good idea, said Mrs. Duval as she cleared

some dishes from the table, even romantic.

Josh saw the look on his fathers face

change a few times in the short seconds following

his wifes comment. Then Mr. Duval took out his

PDA phone and quickly worked some buttons. Heput it back and made sure his wife didnt see the

action. This only somewhat intrigued Josh. He had

a basic idea of what had happened. His parents

wedding anniversary was coming up.

Right on cue, Joshs cell phone buzzed in

his pocket. He kept it on vibrate mode in his locker

while he was at school, and many times forgot to

take it from silent mode upon leaving. This time he

was sure his dad was happy that it didnt make a

noise as he looked relieved. Josh casually checkedhis phone and then put it back in his pocket and

winked at his dad. Then Josh stood from the table

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and announced, Hey, Im going to go ride home

with Lenny, then come back.

Okay, sweetie, said Mrs. Duval. Just be

back before bedtime.

Josh and Lenny left the house and walked

quickly through the garage where their bikes were

waiting. Lenny whispered, Whats up?

Not here, Josh replied back. Wait til we

get a good piece out.

They rode their bikes out of the garage into

the darkening evening. The days were longer than

they were a few months before, but not as long as

they would be in a few months more. When two

streets had passed, Josh spoke up, Hey what do

you think about renting out Clarence? Officiallyfrom TOAD, Inc., I mean.

Lenny thought about it for a few seconds

and then answered, I dont know. It should be

alright. Why?

Josh explained, My dad texted me after

dinner asking if they could take Clarence on a trip.

You know their anniversary is coming up in a few

months, and he thinks shed like it.

Where would they go?

I dont know, down to the Gulf orsomething.

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Well, I guess it shouldnt matter where they

want to go. We could probably ship it wherever

they want. But nothing too exotic, I mean. Not like

Fiji or Australia. But I think we could get a

chartered helicopter to put it on a boat in Mobile.

Then we could ship it to maybe Miami or

California, or even as far as Hawaii.

Yeah, I doubt theyll want to go that far,

but you never know. Thanks for being cool about

this.

Lenny shrugged, Its no big deal, fellah.

Sometimes I wish my dad would take an interest in

what we do. But your familys good enough.

Josh quietly took in the comments of his

friend. He had voiced an actual desire forinteraction with his father, even if it was off-hand.

Josh knew that beneath the mature faade that

Lenny wore as a mask, he was still a teenager who

felt real feelings for his family. Given time and the

proper experiences, Josh was sure Lenny and his

father could grow together again.

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7The alarm sounded but one annoying pulse

in the early gloom of Lennys bedroom. The

teenaged hand still covered the snooze button foralmost a minute after the sound had been cut.

Silently he waited to hear the familiar unfortunate

sounds of his dad waking.

Lenny waited for almost the length of his

clocks snooze timer before moving to keep it

silent. He gingerly switched the alarm function off,

and then back on to make sure it would again sound

the next time 5:20 am would roll by. Only the soft

banter of the television could be heard. Lenny

knew his father liked to watch it in the evenings, butsometimes he fell asleep to it. But before he could

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sigh relief to himself, he would have to make it

outside the house without waking his father.

As silently as the uncountable days before,

he gathered some clothes for the day and put them

into his backpack. Just as quietly he opened and

then closed his bedroom door. The hall to the front

areas hadnt had childrens toys in it for years and

so would be just as quiet.

His back was turned as he passed the kitchen

counter, so he never saw the blinking light on the

answering machine, alerting any who could see it

that there was at least one message waiting to be

heard on the memory of the device. But Lenny

never received calls at his home, so he never

thought to look at it.As he walked through his house toward the

front door, he smelled the familiar odor that no one

liked. Obviously the neighbors dog had killed

another squirrel and stashed it in the crawlspace

under Lenny Hatchings house. He hated the

neighbors dog. Solving the problem of the smell

would be handled by his father soon. It had been a

few months since the dog had put anything under

their floors, and they were cautiously starting to

believe that it had been cured of the habit.The morning bicycle ride through the

growing light gave the boys time to think in a way

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that no other environment could. They had little

distractions, few words to exchange and the unique

mindset that happens just after one is freshly

awakened. Their path took them past Bobby-Jayne

Automotive and both boys glanced at the windows,

unconsciously expecting to see their finished frame

in the dim interior. But the ambient light outside

was too bright to let them see in the darkened

windows so they quietly continued onward toward

the shop.

Their morning routine went as it had for the

past few years. Not much deviation. Morning,

Hank, said the somewhat groggy boys.

Good morning, gentlemen, replied Hank

as he read from his large book.In a nearly shocking break from the norm,

Lenny stopped before going into his room to

shower. He turned back to their employee and

spoke, Dont you ever sleep?

Yes, sir, I do. Im just up before you two

get here.

Ive never seen you sleep, said Lenny as

more a challenge to the statement than one of its

own.

Youve never seen me sleep yet. Doesntmean I dont. Youve also never seen me eat

brussel sprouts, but I do that too on occasion.

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I dont think Ive ever seen you eat

anything, said Lenny.

Hank put his volume and glasses on the

table between the two sofas. He looked calmly up

at his employer. Considered his words for a few

seconds and then spoke, Whats on your mind,

Boss?

Lenny spoke after sitting on the other sofa,

facing Hank. He spoke plainly, unafraid of hurting

feelings of the infinitely patient Henry Roddaburke,

Where did you come from?

Slightly fallen in expression, Hank replied

with a question of his own, Is this something that

needs to be discussed right now?

Not really. We allow you your privacy andsecrets because we trust you. But I just realized on

the way in this morning that if youre hiding from

the law, youre jeopardizing this organization.

Hank looked more assured as he answered

the curiosity, Sir, let me promise you that I am not

wanted by any authorities. If you need proof, we

can go to the police station and have them run my

prints and social security number through their

computers.

Lenny blinked slowly, still somewhat tired.No, he finally answered. I trust you. Tell me

youre not a wanted man, and I believe you. I hope

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I didnt offend you by asking. I was just thinking

about how little we know about you. I mean, you

dont seem like a criminal, but whos to say what

they seem like? Ive never met one before to have a

base standard for comparison.

I understand your concern, said Hank,

slightly less happy than Lenny would have hoped.

I havent really given much in the way of personal

details because I dont like thinking about my past.

The truth is, I am ashamed of things Ive done,

things Ive said. But they were not illegal. They

were just hurtful.

Well, said Lenny as he stood from the

couch, if you dont want to talk about it, I can let it

go. For now.Rest assured, Boss, you will hear my story,

just not this morning.

Lenny walked into his room and shut the

door as Hank picked his volume off the table and

resumed reading it. But the words he read were

nonsense. He read the same sentence a handful of

times before he realized its meaning wasnt sinking

in. Gently Hank put the volume back on the table,

stood from the couch, went to his room and closed

the door. He lay on his bed and simply cried.But Lenny didnt know that Hank cried; he

had no knowledge that he ever did. Hed never

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seen it before. This was how his universe worked.

He knew things because hed seen evidence of their

existence or occurrence, or read of others seeing it.

He assumed nothing where there was no reason to

do so. Certain things could be accepted as common

sense, but relatively not much.

Lenny casually showered and dressed for the

day. He left his room, not noticing that Hanks

place on the couch was empty, just as he hadnt

noticed the light on the answering machine. Both

signs shouting silently that there was a message to

be heard; both messages going unspoken. But as

much as he didnt know these things, he also had no

idea how important the two messages were.

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8Into the third class of the day, Lenny found

himself distracted. He felt like there was something

he was forgetting, but had no idea what it was. Hetried to continue learning and to be quiet, but his

mind was itching. Casually he glanced around the

class room thinking there could have been

something amiss in his current environment.

The faces of young people dutifully learning

seemed right. The number of person-filled desks

hadnt changed. The teacher hadnt replaced

himself with a substitute. Confused, but resolutely

determined to keep up his GPA, Lenny refocused

his mind on the lesson.Lunch time came. Nothing new showed

itself to his perceptive eye. Josh met him in their

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usual spot under the tree. Nothing out of the

ordinary presented itself until he sat staring off into

space, his gaze gradually shifting around the

grounds. A new student sat alone not thirty feet

from the two boys. Lenny studied her face

carefully, what little he could see of it. She was

indeed new. Red Level High School wasnt too

small, but Lenny was very good with faces.

The girl sat reading a teen-girl magazine,

under the next tree over along the schools property

line. She sat alone with a small fabric bag next to

her on the ground. Casually Lenny watched her

reach into the bag, and then pull a tall cylindrical

object from it and set it upright on the ground next

to her. She did this without putting her readingmaterial down. Slightly intrigued, Lenny continued

to watch her carefully, while trying to appear

nonchalant about it.

The girl did something on the base of the

cylinder, something like sliding an electronic

switch. Then she left it alone and continued to read.

The cylinder was obviously hand-assembled from

various parts and pieces. Or at least it looked that

way. What was it for? Was it a thermos with a

drink in it? If so, what was the switch, if it was aswitch?

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Josh noticed Lennys distraction and took up

glancing over at her as well. After a few minutes of

munching on their lunches, the boys saw the girl put

the magazine down across her lap and lift the

cylinder from the ground. She did something with

the switch again, and then she unscrewed what

looked like a lid from the top. The lid had a sort of

wire-whisk on its bottom, which extended down a

good distance into the main mass of the cylinder.

She set the lid down and then unlocked the lower

section from the rest of the cylinder.

So the top and bottom were attachments, but

for what? The girl took the middle and sipped

carefully from the side. The contents steamed, as

she gently put the cup back down on the ground.And then Lenny realized what it was. The girl had

a home-made contraption designed to mix a fluid

and heat it at the same time, on battery power.

Lenny couldnt help but say softly out loud,

Genius!

I know, right? agreed Josh. She must be

embarrassed by the thought of others seeing her

read that.

Wait, what? asked Lenny confused.

That magazine, the one shes reading, isthis months issue of Popular Science. Shes

hidden it inside the cover of a girly one.

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How can you tell from here? asked Lenny.

That image on the page thats flopped over

her leg. Its the main picture in a story about new

space telescopes that the government is designing.

Wait, what were you saying that shes a genius for,

then?

Because of that invention she just pulled

out and demonstrated. It simultaneously mixes and

heats a drink for the user. And its battery powered.

I really hope she built it herself, and that it wasnt a

gift from her boyfriend.

They watched her gather her things quickly

and then get up from the ground. And then to their

mutual mild surprise, she made her way over to the

two boys. Neither knew what to do or say; theywerent planning for that possibility. And to finish

the experience, she spoke to them, Well, you two

are a perceptive pair arent you?

Josh and Lenny both sat quietly, their

mouths open, their expressions blank. The girl

looked back and forth between them for at least a

minute before she decided to sit on the ground near

them. The boys stares followed her to the ground.

At last, she spoke again, Look, lets just get the

awkward part over with. Im a girl. I read techmagazines, and I build stuff. And even though you

two were able to see these things about me, you

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failed to notice that from that distance I could

plainly hear everything yall said. So now with the

uncomfortable part over, lets get into it. You, she

said while pointing to Josh, happened to have read

the same article with enough interest to recognize a

picture from it sideways and from thirty feet away.

And you, pointing to Lenny, deciphered the

design and function of my cocoa-machine from the

same distance. That means you are somewhat

technically inclined yourself. And with this

information, I can deduce that in your presence I

will be welcome. So yall go out of your way to

make me feel welcome.

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9It was Lenny who spoke up first. Im

Lenny, this is Josh.

Pleased to meet you, said the girl holdingout her hand to shake theirs. After a shake from

both she continued, You can call me Red.

But, began Lenny, your hair isnt red.

Isnt that the usual root for a person to have that

nickname?

"Most common, yeah. But not the only

way," said Red jovially. She seemed to be daring

them to ask her why she went by that name.

But the boys chose to respect her decision

on what she wished to be called. After all, neitherJosh nor Lenny liked their full names. If she

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wanted to be called Thomas Jefferson, that was

okay by them.

So, yall in a club or something? she

asked in a mild southern drawl.

After a fashion, answered Lenny.

And whats that supposed to mean? she

asked with a sly grin on her face.

We work together, said Josh.

At the same job, added Lenny.

I kind of figured that was what he meant by

working together, Red said to Lenny. Where do

yall work?

TOAD, Inc., blurted Josh.

Now thats just silly. Has anyone ever

mentioned that there are a load of funny-namedcompanies in this town? I mean, my momma and I

just got phones on a network that we were told was

called Good Luck Chicken. Are you serious? Red

looked incredulous.

We thought it would be funny, muttered

Lenny to himself.

So youre new here? asked Josh.

Yeah, moved in over on County Road 21.

But well be moving again soon, that place is only

temporary.Why is it temporary? asked Lenny, again

speaking plainly.

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Because no one should have to live with

family forever. I mean, my uncle is a nice guy and

all, gave me a job even, but momma and me need a

place to stretch out.

Ah, I get it, said Lenny. Just figuring out

where you want to go before you make the plunge

into land-ownership.

Something like that, said Red. Say, you

two cats know any good apartments round here?

To tell you the truth, said Josh, I dont

remember seeing any apartments in Red Level. I

live on County Road 107, but I think youd have to

go south, to Andalusia, to find any good apartments.

I know theres a sizable complex off Antioch Road.

But I dont really know. I mean, if youre lookingfor a place to stay, we have a room-

Lenny elbowed Josh, effectively letting him

know that hed spoken out of turn. But Red just

waved off the offer, Nah, thanks though. Well be

wanting our own place.

Just then the bell sounded to bring the

students back inside from the lunch break. Red

jumped up and hefted her satchel. So Ill see you

boys tomorrow?

Probably, said Lenny.After Red was out of earshot, for sure this

time, Lenny spoke to Josh, What the crap was

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that? You almost gave everything away! Are you

insane?

Hey, cool it, defended Josh. I was just

going to mention that my parents have been talking

about renting out the guest room in my house.

Oh, said Lenny somewhat embarrassed.

What, you thought Id offer one of the

dorm rooms at the shop to a stranger? Now its you

whos insane.

The two boys separated for their classes.

Neither one shared any classes with Red, so if they

hadnt met her at lunch, they might never have

noticed her at all.

But notwithstanding the fact that theyd met

the new kid at school, Lenny still had a sneakingsuspicion that there was something eluding his

attention. After the final bell sounded and the boys

were free to race back to the shop, they did so with

gusto.

No one really knew who won the races. No

one kept track. But when they entered the hallway,

they knew something was off. Something wasnt

quite right. It was as if a decoration had been

moved. And then they noticed it. Hank? called

Josh.No response. Then their friend came from

his room. He carried his ever-present book in his

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10At 3:32 pm, a truck honked its horn outside

the shop's roll-up door. Josh spoke up as he walked

toward it, "That's probably the driver dropping offmy repeater cradle frame in all its glorious

yellowness."

The large metal door slowly rolled its way

up the tracks, pulled along by the industrial motor in

its upper workings. As the opening grew, Josh

noticed something about the driver in the truck.

The trailer had been backed up to the door, and

would make it easy to offload the frame. But as

Josh remembered, none of Bobby's drivers could

proficiently back a trailer, so his curiosity began togrow with the opening under the door.

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The driver climbed out of the truck and

walked casually toward the opening. But Josh

wasn't there. He was hidden out of sight because he

had seen the driver before she had seen him. Yes,

the new driver was a female, and one they knew

from a recent meeting. Josh ducked into a shelving

area and hid as best he could from view. Lenny

heard the female voice and did the same once he

recognized it.

"Hello? I have a delivery from Bobby-Jayne

Automotive. Something y'all wanted painted."

But no one could be seen. Red shouted

louder, "Hello? Is there anyone in here? Mr.

Roddaburke?"

Hank entered the shop from the dorm area.He casually glanced around for the boys, but not too

intently. As he walked up to the waiting driver, he

spoke, "Yes, ma'am. I can sign for that."

Taking the clipboard from her, he entered a

few bits of information and scribbled a wispy

signature on the page. As he handed it back, Red

spoke, "Thanks, sir. Say, do you know two boys?

They say they work for your company. One is

named Josh and the other I don't remember."

"Oh, yes. They work here. They should bearound here somewhere. Do you know them?"

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"Sort of. We met at school today and they

seemed nice."

"Yeah, they are," said Hank. And then as he

wheeled the hydraulic hoist over to the opening,

"Now, I seem to remember hearing that Bobby-

Jayne wasnt hiring lately. You pull some strings to

get in there?"

Red answered as she loosened the straps that

held the frame stable on the trailer, "You might say

that. He's my uncle. He's letting momma and me

work for him until we can find a place to stay and

more permanent jobs."

"That's mighty nice of him," said Hank.

From where Josh was hiding, he could

clearly see Hank, staring knowingly back at him.Josh decided to suck it up and stop hiding. He

glanced around him for something he could use. He

took a random bit of galvanized pipe from a shelf to

his left and then casually made his entrance. "Oh,

hey, Red. What's up?"

"Hey there, Josh. I was just dropping off

this contraption."

Lenny also came out of hiding, following his

friend's example. Hank spoke to them, "Say boys,

I've been looking over the payroll and it seems as ifwe have a surplus each month. Do you think we

could use a larger staff?"

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Red only gave a slightly confused look at

them as Hank lifted the yellow frame from the

trailer. The hoist made the work easier. Lenny

asked, "What does your mom do? I mean, does she

have any special skills or training?"

"Yeah, she's a wiz with numbers," answered

Red. "She kept the books at her old job back in

Georgia. Before the economy tanked, that is."

"I could sure use some help working our

books," said Hank. He seemed to be trying to ask

permission without letting Red know that he wasn't

the one on charge.

"Whatever you want to do," said Lenny.

"You're the manager."

Hank then turned to Red, whose mouth wasslightly open. "What kind of pay should we offer to

make the decision easier to come and work for us?"

Tell you what, champs. You promise me

and my momma both a sawbuck an hour and Ill tell

my uncle he can let us go, said Red.

A sawbuck? asked Josh, confused.

Lenny clarified, An archaic vernacular for

a ten dollar bill.

Oh, said Josh, thinking that somehow he

shouldve known that term.You have yourself a deal, Miss, said Hank

as he used the hoist to set the frame down just

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was thinking Red could help you boys out here in

the shop."

"WHAT?" the boys shouted simultaneously.

Until that moment the shop had been their

private domain, their small empire where they sat

enthroned as joint emperors over the happenings

and times of TOAD, Inc. Now it seemed that an

invading army of Amazons had been given free

entrance to the boys fortress of creativity. It was

not an incursion for which they were remotely

prepared.

"Trust me," Hank said, silencing their

jumbled protests. "This'll be good for us. A little

change never hurt anyone."

And with that, Hank left the shop, makinghis way to the seldom-used front office area. He

unlocked an office door and surveyed the furniture.

All the room contained was a desk and a filing

cabinet. She'd need a computer and some small

office tools, like a stapler and scissors and a few

other things he could gather from the supply closet.

Hank then walked to the window in the office and

opened the vertical blinds. Better.

After making a call on the desk phone to

Bobby Gouse, he hung the receiver on the base andsmiled satisfactorily.

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He decided to enter at that moment. Hank

walked around the corner to see two people waiting

patiently for him. Both stood as he approached,

"Hello, I'm Henry Roddaburke, but you can call me

Hank. The boys do."

The woman reached out to shake his hand,

"Hello, Mr. Roddaburke. I'm Michelle Milner, and

this is my daughter, Deidra."

The teenage girl rolled her eyes and winced

upon hearing her full first name. It was obvious

that she didnt prefer it.

"Yes, Red and I have met. Please come with

me. We have just a bit of paperwork to go over."

"Who'll be interviewing first?" asked Ms.

Milner.Hank replied as he led them into the office

he'd prepared, "Oh, I'm sorry. I think there's been

some misunderstanding. There won't be any

interviews today."

Ms. Milner looked a little deflated, but only

until Hank clarified his point as he sat down. "We

work a bit differently in the small town of Red

Level, Alabama. I talked to Bobby Gouse, your

brother. He gave you a shining reference. You

already have the jobs if you want them.Confusion and excitement washed over her

face in sequence. And then she took a pen from her

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handbag, preparing to write. But Hank needed to

make sure all the cards were on the table before

they were asked to sign anything. "You, Ms.

Milner are being offered the position of company

accountant. We need a little straightening help in

our books. And then you'll continue to work them

as we need. It'll be a full-time position, with full

health benefits. The pay is-," Hank pretended to

rifle through some blank papers in a folder and then

he continued, "the pay is fifteen-fifty per hour, with

annual raises."

Ms. Milner reached over the desk and

forcibly shook Hank's hand, "Deal," she said

energetically.

Hank then turned to Red and spoke as if shewere an adult, "And the position we're offering to

you is shop assistant. You'll help the team on

projects and with various duties as needed. Its a

part-time position because of your school. But in

the summers we switch to a full-time four tens

schedule, giving you Friday, Saturday and Sunday

off. You'll be offered full benefits also, but if you

choose, you can simply be listed as a dependant on

your mother's plan. The pay is ten dollars per hour

with annual raises."

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Red looked more shocked than excited, but

she also heartily shook Hanks hand, "Where do we

sign?"

"Just some forms to fill out and we'll see

you two in the morning."

Hank handed the paperwork out and some

pens, and then he spoke as an afterthought, "Ms.

Milner, could I see you for a moment in the hall?"

She stood and made her way after Hank into

the hallway. Once the door was closed, "I've heard

a rumor that you two are looking for a more

permanent place to stay."

Embarrassed, Ms. Milner answered, "Well,

yeah, but we're fine for now."

"Nonsense," said Hank casually, "there's ahouse that just went on the market out east of town.

It's smaller than some, not a lot of land with it, but

since there's just the two of you, it might work. I

can see if they're willing to show it if you'd like."

"Oh, I don't know. I don't think we can

really afford a house in this market."

"Well, I think the bank is going to be very

likely to approve your loan with a ten-year contract

with our company in their equation. They seem to

like to see guaranteed income and we like to showit. Of course the contract will only be for their

benefit, you can leave the company any time you

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like, if you choose. Though we would like it if you

stayed with us."

Ms. Milner hugged Hank and then

remembered her paperwork. She let him go and

went back into the office that would be hers, to

finish preparing to turn a page in her life.

Hank smiled and enjoyed the feeling in his

heart. Though he didnt plan to deceive financial

institutions often, he felt in this case the effort was

worth the execution. He had missed interaction

with new adults though the boys acted mature.

There was just something exciting to him in

knowing their small family was about to grow by

two chairs.

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11Lenny snuck into his fathers house earlier

than normal. The sun was still up, but not by much.

As he gingerly tiptoed through the small rooms, heheard the sound of his fathers window air

conditioner unit running, as it had been for a while.

He carefully made his way to his room. The smell

of the dead squirrel had worsened and he guessed

his father hadnt gotten around to having it removed

yet. In the back of his mind he just knew that if he

wasnt careful, his father would make him go down

into the crawlspace and get it himself.

His room threshold achieved, Lenny listened

at his fathers door for a second. The television wason but the volume was down too far for him to hear

what program was airing over the sound of the

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window cooler. It didnt matter anyway. He snuck

into his bedroom and closed the door quietly. He

habitually stepped over the creaky floorboards on

his way to his bed. He put his phone on its charger,

as well as his music player. His wallet and keys and

other various pocket tools went into the clear spot

on the dresser, and then, once in his pajamas, he

climbed into bed.

Not a moment after he closed his eyes, a

knock came on his houses front door. It was a

strong knock, a firm knock. It commanded

authority. Lenny waited for his father to go open it.

But the sounds in his fathers room remained

constant. Lenny got up from his bed and dressed

himself. He quickly went to the front door andopened it to come face to face with a police officer.

The patrol car in the driveway had a light bar, but

was not flashing.

The officer spoke gently, but Lenny knew he

meant business. Excuse me, young man. I

apologize for the interruption, but one of your

neighbors has asked that we do a welfare check on

this house. No ones seen you or your father for a

few days and they started to worry.

Lenny spoke respectfully back to the officer,They dont see me come and go because I leave as

the sun is rising, and I come home after its set.

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And my dad is fine; hes in his room watching

television.

Do you mind if I have a word with him?

he asked.

No, sir. Ill get him. Please come in. Dad

doesnt like the door left open.

Yeah, said the officer as he entered

casually, he aint paying to cool the whole

outdoors. Im the same way.

Lenny walked back to his fathers door as

the officer followed at a respectable distance.

Lenny knocked once. There came no reply. He

knocked again this time speaking, Dad? Theres a

policeman here to see you.

Still no reply came. The officer approachedcloser, audibly sniffing the air. Whats that

smell? he asked cautiously.

Offhandedly Lenny replied, Sometimes the

neighbors dog gets into our crawlspace and stashes

a dead squirrel or rat.

The officer stepped up to the door and

knocked his enforcers knock. Mr. Hatching?

This is Sergeant Dones with the Red Level Police

Department. Can I talk with you for a minute?

Still no reply came, which was odd. Lennyknew his father was a little rude sometimes, but he

respected the law. The officer gently pushed Lenny

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back away from the door and drew his sidearm. He

readied himself for anything and slowly turned the

handle on the door.

Sergeant Dones stood in the doorway,

blocking Lennys view for a few seconds before he

spoke, Son, could you please go out to the front

porch? Stay there until I come to get you, alright?

Lenny felt a little scared, but mostly he

wanted to know what was going on. He was mature

and wanted to be kept in the loop. He owned his

own incorporated company for crying out loud, he

could handle whatever the officer saw.

Son, get outside, said the officer more

forcefully.

This time Lenny obeyed. He walkeddutifully into his room and got his cell phone. Then

he walked straight to the front door and waited

outside.

The officers radio conversation could be

heard through the thin, uninsulated walls, RL12.

Can I get another unit, non-emergency and EMS for

a possible unattended?"

Within a minute, Sergeant Dones came out

the front door. He walked up to Lenny and spoke

candidly, which he appreciated. Whats yourname son?

Lenny, Sir.

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The officer wrote some more. How did

you and he get along when you did see each other?

Sir, I havent spoken to my father in over a

year. I told you, we dont speak. If we do see each

other in the hall, its usually time filled with blank

stares, uncomfortable silence and quick nods.

Thanks, said the officer as he wrote a few

more things on the tablet of yellow paper. And then

to the Duvals, Can he go home with you tonight?

Of course, answered Mrs. Duval. Come

along Lenny.

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12The drive back to the Duvals house was

silent, but unspoken words flew rampant. Lenny

fully understood that because of his unemotionalresponse to the news of his fathers death, he would

be considered as a possible murderer. This was

why the questions had come from the officer. He

was looking to see if Lenny would have a plausible

motive for killing his father. But Lenny knew he

was innocent and that the scene of his fathers death

had not been tampered with. If there was indeed

foul play, they would find it and they would see that

Lenny was in fact innocent. As well, he had

collaborating witnesses that would confirm hisstories about where he was and when he left the

house each day.

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Lenny realized the scent he had been

smelling the past few days wasnt a dead squirrel,

but his fathers body. A sudden sensation in his

throat gave him seconds to say, Stop the car.

He opened the passenger door and vomited

out onto the road as the car slowed and then

stopped. He tried not to imagine the state his father

would have been in, when the officer finally found

him. The hot Alabama days, notwithstanding the

constantly running air conditioner, would have done

much to him.

No, not to his father, to his fathers body.

Lenny knew that it was no longer his father lying in

the heavy black plastic bag being shuttled to the

coroners office. There they would do some type ofinspection and discover the truth of what happened,

whatever that was.

He saw a hand in his view as he leaned still

out the door. It was holding a napkin for him. He

graciously took it and cleaned his mouth. The car

pulled forward a few feet and then stopped.

Distantly Lenny heard a voice, You need to walk

around a bit?

It was Mrs. Duval. He answered as best he

could, Yes, maam.He stepped out of the car and continued

walking slowly. The stars had come out and shone

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down happily on him. The moon was behind a tree,

so it was hard to see what phase it was in. Lenny

thought about his project in the garage of his shop.

He thought about his friend and the new shop

assistant theyd hired. He thought about the

assignments he would be turning in to his teachers

the next morning. He thought about many more

things in the darkening night, everything it seemed

but his fathers death. And he noticed his thoughts

werent on the recent events and wondered why

they were not.

And then another thought occurred to him.

He was alone in the world. His mother had died at

his birth. His father had just been found dead. His

grandparents were also gone. He knew he had afew other relatives in the northwestern US, but not

how to contact them. It was now on him to be the

surviving Hatching. He had to ready the funeral

plans, to decide what to do with his fathers

property, toto pay for the funeral and burial costs.

That was fine, he had a few thousand dollars saved

in his bank.

But how would his father want to be buried?

Or did he want to be cremated? Lenny wondered if

his father had even ever considered how he wantedhis final affairs to be handled. Certainly he hadnt

thought of himself dying at such a young age.

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Or had he? Sadly Lenny considered the

possibility that his father had ended his own life.

But no, he had to push that thought away. There

was another reason; there had to be.

Lenny noticed a hand on his shoulder about

the time he realized he had stopped walking. And

he had been walking forward in a straight line along

the edge of the road, toward his friends house.

Respectfully, the Duvals had allowed him his space,

but they kept themselves near him. Lenny turned

around and saw the face of Mrs. Duval. He knew

her, she was not a stranger. She was safe to talk to.

If she showed up at his school, she would be safe to

ride home with.

Lenny spoke to her, My dad is dead.She spoke respectfully back to Lenny, Yes,

we know.

Lennys vision blurred for a second and then

cleared as a few tears fell from his eyes. He could

only stand and slowly turn his gaze back out across

the field they stood near. He felt as alone in that

moment as was humanly possible.

Lenny pulled himself back to adulthood,

back to mature thinking. He would need all of his

learned skills in the coming days, with the events heknew were coming. Events like a funeral and the

sappy sentimental cards that nearly everyone in

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town would send him. He knew he had to grow up

completely now, and not just act a little older than

he was. He stepped around Mrs. Duval and climbed

into the back seat of their car. Im ready to

continue now.

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13Lenny awoke earlier than his alarm would

have sounded. He rubbed his eyes and felt around

for the clock on the nightstand. He had to switch itoff before it chirped and woke his father.

He clumsily discovered that he couldnt find

his alarm clock. It must have fallen to the floor.

Energetically he hunted the floor for it but then

noticed through groggy eyes that he wasnt in his

bedroom. He glanced around, and then realized

where he was. And then he remembered why he

wasnt at his fathers home. Quietly Lenny dressed

in the same clothes as the day before. He gathered

his things and crept to the door of the guestroom inhis friends house. With the door open, he looked

around for anything, anyone. He saw no one.

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As a ghost he walked silently through his

friends house until he reached the door to the

garage. But before he touched the handle, an adult

voice softly spoke behind him. Would you like

any breakfast before you leave?

Lenny turned to see Mr. Duval sitting in a

chair, drinking from a mug. The morning paper

strewn about the table, Lenny guessed this was

simply part of his morning routine. Softly he spoke

back, No, sir. Thanks, though.

Alright, he said and sipped again from his

mug.

Lenny turned again to the door and was

again addressed by Mr. Duval, It is commonly

understood by adults that you may take the rest ofthis week off from school without any affect on

your grade.

Yes, sir, said Lenny respectfully. But I

need to get some clothes from my room at the

shop.

Ill drive you. Ive got some extra time this

morning, said Mr. Duval. It sounded more like a

statement than an offer.

Thanks, said Lenny, and he walked out

into the garage.The walk-in door was a short trip and then it

was around the front of the house where they

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parked their cars. He decided to wait at the front of

the two, not knowing which they would use, but

also not really caring. After a minute or two Mr.

Duval came out of the house with Josh in tow. Josh

looked tired, but he was never one to complain.

They climbed into the sedan that he had

ridden in the night before and then they were off

toward the boys shop. The trip was considerably

faster than it would have been had they been on

bikes. Lenny noticed this but dismissed it quickly.

They arrived at the shop and Josh directed

his father around to their normal entrance. To their

mild surprise, he stopped the engine and got out

with them. Lenny entered the unnecessarily long

code into the keypad and the door unlocked. Theywent inside and passed the cabinets on their way to

the common room. As normal, Hank sat in his spot

on the green sofa, reading from a thick volume. He

glanced up as the