Episode 16

Chapter 44

Tiffany

Personal log (voice), Tiffany French, Captain of the Flying Dutchman, 9:35am, October 31^st, 2006

I'd like to say the class was interesting. I would, but it would be a lie. The fact is I did not give a damn about the recent deaths of Arafat and Sharon.

It's true that I was sitting in current events class. Current events to me involves rock singers and television. That and medical science.

The teacher was going on. "Those of us with relatives in the Middle East may be more aware of recent events."

"You mean they cared more." One of the class clowns called out.

"Tommy, we should all care. Since you spoke out, can you give us a short rundown on what happened there since 2003."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. You spoke out. So you must know enough not to need to listen. Help out your classmates."

There was a brief bit of laughter at that.

"As you wish. The years 2003 and 2004 were marked by a new form of diplomacy. President Twiggery decided in the wake of 9-11 that he was not going to waste time with futile diplomacy. He started a war with Iraq. Many opposed this war. Despite their mistaken beliefs, our President was right when he refused to wait for international approval. We won the war easily."

"But what about the endless loss of life after he said the war was over?" a student asked.

"Plus what about all the lies that got the Congress to support the war?" another student asked.

"That would have happened anyway. But the attacks would have happened here in America. Because the terrorists centralized their assaults in Iraq, we have been safer here. As far as the supposed lies go, they don't matter. What matters is we did what we needed to do."

The second student continued his objection. "But if he was proven wrong. So why didn't he admit it?"

"Why should he? The right thing happened."

"The ends justify the means?"

Tommy ignored that. "These things became major issues in the 2004 election. After the liberal defeatists did their best to sabotage our security with their candidate, they lost by three and a half million votes. God saved us. Shortly after that, our beloved President made a speech in which he effectively told those who objected to how he ran things to shove it."

"Luckily," the second student added, "he was not allowed to act that way for long. Funny how the party of values had so many scandals in such a short period."

Tommy glared. "I will not say anything on that."

"Then I will. The President had made his speech saying roughly, we will do it my way. He acted as if there was no other choice. And until January 2005, he was right. His party got a majority of ten in the Senate and twenty-something in the House of Representatives. Then a whole host of scandals broke out. Campaign ethics issues broke out all over the country. Finance rules were broken by lots of elected officials. And since the President refused to accept and acknowledge the concerns of his opponents, they had no hesitation in acting. Fifteen Republican Senators lost their seats, and forty three Representatives. Since Democrats took the seats, the President's attitude ran face first into reality."

"You mean those traitors forced him to do the wrong things."

"Exactly the attitude that caused the problems. Either you agreed with the Republican platform, or at best you were a borderline traitor."

Tommy spoke up. "That explains the mess we are in. The Kyoto accord ratified. Our troops supporting terrorists in Palestine. Iraq reduced to a see-saw of power blocks since we turned control of it and Afghanistan operations over to the United Nations. National security weakened by the insistence on civil rights and the outright repeal of every law the President put on the books but refused to show how we could fund them. Good accounting is NOT more important than our President's vision."

"In other words the President and you agree that responsible, ethical government is fated to doom us all?"

Chapter 45

Elder French

9:49am

My slut daughter is doomed to Hell. Anybody who has any grasp of Religion knows this.

But this did not mean there was no hope. Hell is meant to correct sinners though Pain and Regret. It is true that those God has Punished, he eventually forgives.

With luck, life in my household will reduce her time in Hell.

Her claim that life with me is just another Hell is a Sin in itself. Maybe, if I set her up with nice smart boy Tommy, she'll learn what a love life should be.

And her foolish mother will not get to corrupt her another minute.

The Church will prosecute her for attacking my people when they rushed in to rescue Tiffany from the Den of Depravity her mother calls a home. We also pray for those officers who refused to go in the house without a warrant. As if any legal paper is needed once God's Will was made known.

I went with the police officer to my sinning daughter's classroom. I had been looking around the hallways as we had been walking through them. I saw no evidence of concern for God and His Wishes. This school was nothing more than another den of depravity.

Officer Brown went to the classroom's doorway. He signaled the teacher quietly.

The teacher came over. "Yes?"

"My name is Officer Brown. I'm with the County Social Services. I have an order here to pick up Tiffany French so she can get all her stuff and move it to her father's."

The teacher looked at the note. "Wait here."

He went back into the classroom.

A few minutes later Tiffany came out. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Hell has nothing to do with this," I told her. "God has given you another chance to be saved. The courts have served God this day by giving me custody of you. You may yet one day get into heaven because of their decision."

"Heaven???? Hell is more like it. I'll even bet no afterlife will be as bad as living with you."

A student held the door for us as we left the building.

"Tiffany, people have been Condemned to Eternal Hellfire for less than questioning the Servant of the Righteous Lord. Remember, I am both your father and Servant of the Heavenly Father. The only thing you need to do is unquestionably obey."

Tiffany looked like she wanted to say something. Then she got herself under control. "We have to go by the athletics building."

"Why?"

"Some stuff I need to take home is there."

"Ok. We'll see if it's stuff you'll get to keep or not."

We went towards the stadium.

"In fact, we'll drop by the locker room."

"Why?"

"We're getting your stuff out of there. Cheerleading is a Creation of the Devil. You'll be joining the After School Church Program. There you'll learn about the things you truly need to know. Things school sinfully avoids. The Damned idea of religious separation is going to go if our God Given President has anything to do about it."

"Let's cut through here. It'll be quicker, and the less time I'm seen with you, the less chance I'll die of shame."

"It sounds like this school's a bad influence. Maybe I better take you out, send you to a private church school. What the hell are you doing?"

Tiffany didn't answer. She just ran faster. She weaved in and out of the support beams like a pro.

I chased her as well as I could before giving up and running through to the other end.

Tiffany rushed out. She stopped just before she ran within the Elder's range. She turned and rushed into the woods.

I chased then tried to tackle her.

I missed and landed in some brambles.

Ouch.

By the time I struggled through, I saw her ducking into something. "Tiffany. In the Name of God, I order you to get back here right this minute."

Chapter 46

Valerie Dash

9:30am

"I'm going to kill Fred. I'm going to take my brother's favorite autographed football and shove it down his throat till he chokes to death on it." I muttered.

A quiet job he said. Just watch the barn and what was inside it until he gets back from school. He claimed it would be a way to earn some easy money.

Yeah, right.

Then explain those people in suits and tinted black vans.

I got my cell phone. "Fred, I want to have words with you... No, it has not been nice and quiet... I was just attacked by several people in suits... No, I don't know what they wanted. I'm guessing though it was that weird stuff you asked me to guard... About time you asked if I was ok. I'm fine; thanks to the stuff you gave me access to... what happened was that I got the drop on one inside the barn. Just as I got him talking, he was killed... No, I did not kill him. If I was going to kill him, I wouldn't have wasted time talking to him, now would I? His associates killed him... After that, I raised shields and told them to leave. They told me it wasn't happening, that if I gave up now, they'd make sure I died painlessly. I decided the hell with that. I called the police and sat there while they wasted ammo on the shields. One driver tried to drive through the shields. I can't explain it, but I swear it looked like it both smashed into a brick wall, and was crushed by intense pressure. The police showed up at this point. The trespassers fired at the police as they made their escape. Those too wounded to escape blew themselves up with C4. The police didn't get anybody... Hold on, the police did get the body of the trespasser that died in the barn. I gave it to the sheriff's department along with a report... The police said they'd no room and anyhow this was beyond them..."

Chapter 47

Krissy

10:05am

I walked into my history class and sat down.

Boy, is this chair cold.

"Here you go." Mr. Packard said as he handed me a pillow. "I know the chair's a bit cold to sit on naked."

I took the pillow and sat on it.

Several of the other students were staring at my chest like the answers to the next exam was written there.

I just smiled at them. "Like what you see?"

I got a lot of nods at that.

"Settle down, people. There'll be plenty of time to look at Krissy later."