Chapter 30

Still sore from the 'collision', we were there Wednesday night. Ellora understood that there was to be NO contact between the Austin siblings of tab A and slot B ... although she didn't understand why.

"Common as the dirt on the ground or leaves in the trees. Why should a girl with questions have to ask her girlfriends or schoolmates to give her answers when her 'mates' don't know any more than she does? Isn't it better to have the people she knows and trusts to explain the way of a man with a woman?" She wasn't really asking ... she was telling.

"What about... ?"

"The major problem with America is christianity," she said. "And it doesn't matter what a child decides ... that christian up bringing is with her no matter if she chooses another path. 'Raise up a child in the way he/she should go and they will not depart from it.' It's always in the background.

"Take the word christians used to name the man on the cross. Jesus. If a Buddhist whacks his thumb with a hammer, does he cry, 'Oh Budda!!?' Or Wiccan curse, 'Isis!!?' Even the Jew, 'Yahweh!!?'

"No... 'There is no other name under heaven by which men might be saved' ... Whack yourself with a hammer? 'JESUS!!' Do it again? 'JESUS H CHRIST!!" That's how deep the word goes. And the word is pervasive.

"When the result is joy ... happiness ... pleasure, why shouldn't the people who best know their children be the provider?"

"What about incest?"

"Pharaoh married sister. For a thousand years the bloodline is true."

"Oh."

"Even cattle breeders will slip in a ringer now and then, though. The ban against incest is more political than physical. The politics of the game says spread your genes far and wide ... that's what college is for ... spread the gene pool." Dr. Patil said, "Better roads, faster transportation ... the days when one is born, raised, married and buried within 20 miles of home are over."

"Well ... you seem to be getting the benefit of our lessons."

"You bet ... slide just a trifle to the left. Right ... there ... uh huh ... huh ... huh ... huh..." Then she asked ... while still writhing, "How are you doing on your thesis ... is ... is ... is?"

Grace put down her sketch pad and moved a bit..."for better light." she said ... she said that a lot.

"Lift your head, Sally ... you greedy thing." Grace slid right into the notch, "for better light," she said. "Oh my ... that smells good."

As a mathematician, with a degree and working towards another, I was fully aware, that in most circumstances, two and two make four. There are, however certain situations where one and one make three. The lick of a Graceful tongue was enough to powerfully charge my discharge. The pill is in the future, as I well know, but Ellora was personally acquainted with chemist Frank Carlton who had synthesized the active ingredients of the future pill. With very little persuasion on her part he supplied Dr. Patil with the powders that make up the "pill." She had access to a piller press and made her own.

The "Pill" in its modern form is 9% ineffective ... in the form Ellora was using its ineffectiveness was15%.

At this exact moment ... and in these cir-cum-stances ... the effectiveness fell to zero and I was well on my way to becoming a father ... oh joy. But I was totally unaware and Dr. Patil did have other donors of whom I was unaware.

Thus are the tribulations of teenaged boys made. It is only in retrospect that I write my discovery.

The first of October loomed. Bill called from Omaha.

I answered, "Austin's residence, David speaking."

"Hello, Bill."

"What warm and loving information have you for me today?"

"I know it's my last chance ... haven't you made the bet?"

"I should hope so."

"No, I do not want you to do that. Keep your measly two grand."

"Yes I am sure."

"Say, want to know the winner of next years Derby?"

"Chicken! If you bet tomorrow the odds would be fixed and the payoff enormous."

"You don't say."

"You don't say."

"You don't say."

"You don't say."

"That much?"

"Want another mil?"

"Bill ... with you, there is no gamble."

"Tell you what, invest the ten."

"Yes, sir ... the whole thing."

"Dreams, Bill. Dreams."

"It's not that funny, Bill."

I hung up ... when Bill starts laughing there's no talking to him.

"What?" asked Grace.

"What what?" I responded.

"There were at least four times you were mystified ... has he lost our money?"

"Grace ... you are now among the ranks of the multimillionaires."

"Oh, Goody! Can I buy some new clothes?"

"I suppose ... Annie's Attic?"

"Hell, no! Take me to Paris!"