It had been a long week. He, Carol, and the brothers had planned to talk occasionally on the phone together. They had also wanted to get together everyday. However, Drew and Scott's father had decided that with the time off from school that the boys had, they could use the opportunity to do some necessary yard work. Falling leaves needed raking, hedges pruned back, windows washed, and storm windows put on in anticipation of colder winter days sure to come soon, and firewood to be cut and stacked for the same reason. Carol's mother had the same line of thinking, having her do the last of fall house cleaning, dusting and vacuuming the entire house, putting away the summer things and bringing out the winter stuff. He had no chores, the only things expected of him was to mow the lawn weekly and shovel the snow when it came, and as the grass was now going dormant in the cooler air it didn't need cutting as often, and snow fall was at least a couple of months away, if there was even going to be any. So he did what he always did when he had nothing less to do, he read his books, surfed the Internet, and took a nap, all before dinner, after which he watched TV or read some more until bedtime.
It was on his Internet forays that he found more information on the ability of Vision Masters to be able to be in two places at the same time. It had to do with something called "Bilocation". He found a page on the subject that noted several Christian saints and monks were said to have exhibited bilocation, the most noted in 1774, when St. Alphonsus Liguoriis was said to have gone into a trance while preparing for a Mass. When he came out of the trance he reported that he had visited the bedside of the dying Pope Clement XIV. His presence was reported to have been confirmed by those attending the Pope despite his being four travel days away, and not appearing to have left his original location. On another site, he found that in the witch trials at Bury St. Edmunds, in England, and Salem, Massachusetts, in this country, this sort of thing was used as ‘evidence’ against defendants. On yet another site he read where in Islam senior members of the Azimia order were “reputed to appear, like many of the ancient Sheikhs at different places at one and the same time”. And he also found experiences cited in Judaism and other religions, as well as non-religious citations. Once, during one of their three-way calls that week, he shared all this with the guys. They all found it fascinating, but like Drew said, “I don’t care that it happens, all I want to know is ‘Why’?”
By Thursday, he was bored out of his mind. At one point, he had wished that he, like his friends, had some kind of chore to do to occupy his time. Maybe he should look around the house or yard for something to do. He quickly dismissed the thought. He didn’t want his parents to start expecting him to be so self-starting, ambitious, and “helpful”, even if it meant earning kiss-up points that he could cash in on later; he was content with the status quo, doing whatever they asked without complaint, usually, but never volunteering for anything.
Lying on his bed, he racked his brain trying to think of what he could do to kill time. He didn’t feel like reading. He was tired of his computer. He didn’t want to watch TV. He couldn’t go see his friends (unless he wanted to be put to work, also). Everyone in his family was at work or at school — no source of interaction there. He finally decided he’d practice his gift. Where to go? he wondered. He really wanted to go back to Smith’s, but Gran had forbidden it, she’d been adamant about it. He started to dismiss it for that reason, as well as the fact that she’d caught him trying before and just might again if he tried. Thinking about it, he felt a little rebellious. Why not? Gran isn’t the boss of me, and just because she saw and caught me once doesn’t mean she will again. She can’t be watching me all the time! Maybe she just didn’t want me to go to the Circle Room, for some reason. Okay, I won’t, I’ll just “pop” outside and survey the surroundings, do a little “recon”. He decided that doing it in the daylight was probably too risky; he’d vision there tonight, using the dark as his “cloak of invisibility”.
That night, according to his plan, after dinner his family left to go to his sister’s elementary school’s Open House. He knew he’d have about two hours before they came home. It might not be enough time but, if he was in his room lying on his bed when they came home and looked in on him, they would probably think him asleep and not be any the wiser. He’d already Googled satellite images of Smith’s property and knew where every building and tree was. He was certain that he could envision himself there and be safe. It was seven o’clock and dark. He went to his bed. Lying down and closing his eyes, and he pictured the satellite image in his mind. He saw Smith’s house, the trees surrounding it, the barn-like garage some fifty-or-so feet from the house, and envisioned himself just in front of the garage. Opening his eyes, straining to adjust to the dark, he found himself looking directly at Smith’s house.
In the dark, he could barely make out the house. He’d forgotten how dark it is in the country. In the city the combination of street, car, business and house lights actually casts a luminescent glow to the night sky, not just blocking out the stars but also making everything somewhat more visible than in the country where there are no lights and night is truly black, unless there is a full moon. Looking up, he realized that tonight there was a new moon, which meant no moon, and the light from the stars was therefore more pronounced but still only barely adequate and not really enough to see by. Fortunately, there was a light on in the house, on the ground floor, that cast enough light for him to see through the trees that surrounded the house and to the porch that wrapped around it.
Quickly, but quietly, he began walking towards the house, thankful that the trees he passed through were Scrub Pines, also known as Pitch Pine, stunted and twisted trees with many trunks that are popular to those whose hobby is Bonsai. Their needles had fallen and created a sound-proofing to the unintended heavy treading of his feet.
Reaching the house, he reached up towards the porch railing and thought about pulling himself up. Thinking he might make inadvertent noise directly under the lit window, he decided to follow the porch around to the steps at the front and then come back to the window.
Slowly, deathly afraid the old wooded risers beneath his feet would creak and warn anyone who might hear, he eased himself up against the side of the porch steps. He knew that any creaks were more likely to be made in the center of the step and not on the end by the hand railing. So, he slowly made his way down the porch and around the corner to were the lit window was. Lowering himself down to his knees, he carefully looked into the window. He saw Smith sitting at a desk in the center of the room, obviously an office or den. Smith was on the phone, talking. Putting his ear against the wall, Liam could just barely make out what Smith was saying.
“No, I don’t think so.”
(Listening)
“I said ‘No’. I don’t know yet, but I think it highly unlikely I can ever get him to go with me alone.”
(Listening)
“Yes, I’ll try. I’ll think of something”. Smith suddenly sat up straight in his chair and said to whomever he was speaking to, “I have to go now, I’ll call you back.”
As Smith slowly lowered and put the handset back into its cradle he momentarily stared straight ahead before he turned his head and looked at the window. Liam was beside the window and knew he couldn’t be seen, but that didn’t negate the overwhelming feeling that he was now experiencing. He knew Smith knew someone was there. He’s felt my presence! Fearfully, he quickly ended his vision, found himself back in his room, on his bed. I should have listened to Gran! That was close!
Only one time had they all managed to get together; it was Saturday night over at the brother's. They, and Carol, had, for the most part, satisfactorily finished their chores and their parents were magnanimous enough to allow them some time with their friends, since if the kids would be going to different schools they wouldn't be seeing each other as often as in the past.
When he first arrived at Drew and Scott's, their father had insisted on talking with Liam about their common fami
ly ties. Mr. Gill vaguely remembered Liam's grandmother as a child, but couldn't remember ever being told that they were related. Mr. Gill was not just surprised at the news, he was elated, and told Liam that he was going to arrange a get-together with the two families to know each other better. Liam wasn't so sure how elated Mr. Gill would be to find out about his boy's, Carol’s, and Liam and his family’s" gift". I'll bet he'll be surprised!
Drew managed to pull Liam away from his father, and the four kids went down stairs to the rec room. Carol, ever impatient to get things going, wanted to talk about strategy. What and how they were going to find out about what was going on at school? They had all received their school assignments in the post Friday, as promised by the school; Drew and Scott stayed at their old school and Carol was assigned to the new magnet school. However, Liam's assignment was both.
"How could that be?" asked Carol.
"I called Gran right after I got the letter," Liam said. "She told me that she had Specks arrange it so that I'll be able to see all of you every day, to keep up to date on anything that happens at both schools and to pass on anything each of you might need to know or do. I'll be at the new school in the morning with you, Carol, and then with you guys, Drew, Scott, at the old school. Also, there, I'll be able to stay on the crew team. There really isn't anything I can think of, by way of assignment, for any of us to do right off tomorrow except keep our eyes and ears open, especially if we are around any teachers, or administrators, who might be standing around talking, We might just pick up on something. If you do hear anything you think is odd, even of it seems small or unimportant, let me know about it anyway. You never know what pieces of a jigsaw puzzle might fit together unless you've got them all. Gran told me that Specks will be at the new school, so I'll make a point of seeing him right off in the morning and see how he can help."
The others just nodded their okays and seemed to accept his leadership, which pleased Liam, not because he intended to lord it over them but, because, as with any team, there can only be one leader and both Drew and Carol, being first-borns like him, also tended to want to be leaders and not followers. Since there was nothing more to say, the four of them settled in for the rest of the evening and watched a movie on DVD. Drew and Scott kicked back on a couple of beanbags on the floor while Liam and Carol shared the loveseat. He put his arm around her shoulder and they snuggled together. Before the movie was half over, he noticed Carol had fallen asleep. He leaned his head over and rested it on top of hers, thinking to himself how cozy he felt like this with her. So nice, it felt so natural and he began to wonder what it might be like to be with her forever, as he, too, drifted off.
They woke up, or rather, were woken up, hearing someone calling their names. Looking up they saw the brothers standing in front of them, smiling like Cheshire cats. "Look at these love birds, Drew. Ain't that sweet?" said Scott, grinning.
"A Kodak moment, fer sure!" he answered, laughing.
Liam looked over and saw Carol, and realized they had been asleep in each other's arms. Carol was blushing beet red, and Liam felt sudden warmth in his face as well.
Quickly disengaging from one another awkwardly in their haste, Carol looked at the brothers with a wry smile. "Jealous?"
"What time is it, anyway?" Liam asked, ignoring the friendly banter.
"Its ten o'clock and your parents wanted to know where you are," Scott answered.
"Its beddy-bye time, so you need to go your homes, unless you're sleeping-over at one or the others!" Drew tossed in.
"Very funny, wise guy!" Liam shot back. But that might be fun though, Liam thought to himself. Looking again at Carol, he noticed that she didn't say anything back at Drew, but was turning even redder. Wonder what she's thinking? he mused.
Monday morning couldn't come fast enough for him, and yet he dreaded it as well; he was anxious to get started on finding out what was behind all this school stuff, yet he had a certain angst, an uncomfortable-ness, seeing the guys. Carol, because of the compromising position they'd found themselves in with the brothers Saturday night. He'd not even called Carol the next day, yesterday, because he was so embarrassed, and the brothers, because he didn't want to have to be subject to any more of their playful kidding. Nevertheless, here it was, Monday morning, on his way to school, the new school. He hadn't gone to Carol's to walk with her as he'd left early, hoping to meet up with Specks before classes started.
Entering the school, he looked around. It had originally been a middle school and everything was proportional for kids of that age; the water fountains were a little lower (and so will be the bathroom facilities, he thought). He hoped the desks were full size, but he wouldn't bet on it, he was sure they wouldn't be. He felt transported back two years to when he'd been a middle-schooler, and he suddenly didn't feel so grown up any more. He negotiated his way down the empty, freshly painted institutional-green-with-beige-trim hallways until he found the office. He looked through the small window in the door, and saw a frumpy, red-head-with-freckled-face, forty-ish woman with her back to him behind the counter, typing away on a PC keyboard. As he pushed the door open an electric buzzer sounded, alerting the woman that someone was entering the office. Her head jerked up and around to face him.
"What?" she inquired, her voice shrill and edgy, as if his presence was a major inconvenience. Knowing that whoever she was, or whatever function she played, a friend in the admin office could be very helpful at times. He decided to pull out all his charms.
"Good morning!" he said with his biggest smile. "I didn't know they had student aides working in the office!"
Momentarily taken aback, she stared at him, then, with a roaring laugh said, "Well! Aren't you full of Blarney! And would ye be Irish, too?
"Gael, yes, but more Norse, truth be known," he told her.
"Not everyone can be perfect," she said smiling broadly, getting up and walking up to the counter.
"I'm Liam MacDonald."
"And I'm Mrs. O'Leary. How might I help you?"
"Well, I'm to start school here today and I heard my old English teacher from my last school, Mr. Specks, was transferred here as well. I was hoping to stop in and say 'Hi' before classes start, but I don't know where to find him."
"Hum, let’s see”, as she rummaged through the rat’s nest of papers that obscured the top of her workstation. “Oh, he'll be in room 214. He should be there by now, unless he's in the staff room, just down the hall on your left."
"Thanks, Mrs. O'Leary. Have yourself a good day."
"And ‘top-o-the-morning’ to you, Mr. MacDonald."
He left the office as Mrs. O'Leary went back to her work, humming a tune. I think I just made a friend, he thought to himself, and he turned towards the staff lounge since it was on the way to the stairs to the second floor, and room 214. As he approached its opened door, he could hear Specks talking to someone.
"I tell you, he's a phenom. Never seen or heard of anyone so young being so advanced! And with his father being the chief financial officer of a major contractor’s association, I don’t think we’ll have much of a problem persuading him to see things our way."
The other person replied, "It might be easier if he was separated from his friends."
"I don't think it possible; they've known each other virtually since birth and are extremely close. Most of them are family of some sort, or so I'm hearing. Besides, they've been told to work together and there's no way I can get that changed, at least for now," Specks noted.
Specks — and whoever this other man is — are talking about me...and the guys? Liam wondered. What’s going on? And my father isn't with the government?
"Well, see what you can do. I'll pass this information on to the next ring and see what they want us to do. Finish your coffee; you've got a class starting," the other man told Specks.
Liam hurried backwards down the hall, quickly putting some distance between him and the door. If they were talking about him, a
nd it sure seemed so, it wouldn't be a good thing to be caught eavesdropping. He managed to get about fifteen feet back from the door and, still facing it, waited for Specks to exit. As he saw Specks in the doorway, he slowly began walking forward towards it.
"Good morning, Sir! I was just looking for you."
Specks turned and his face paled, as if he'd seen a ghost. He recovered himself quickly. “Ah, Liam! I was just talking…talking to…a colleague…er…about you, about what a fine student...and all. What can I do for you?"
"I thought maybe we could discuss a few things about our little project, ‘Baker Street’, before school starts,” he said in a hushed voice.
"Um, I see. Yes, well, we must, mustn't we. Maybe later. Sorry, Liam. No time now, we've class, you see."
As Specks hurriedly turned to go, Liam called out, "Sir! Who’s your colleague?"
"Excuse me?"
"The one you were discussing me with?"
Specks hesitated, as if deciding how to best not answer that question. Fortunately, for him, and unfortunately for Liam, at that moment the first class bell rang.
Obviously relieved, he told Liam, "Another time!" as he scurried down the hall towards the stairway.
Liam stared at Speck's back and suddenly thought how peculiar Speck's speaking was. Since he'd first known him last year, Specks had always spoken in a staccato, almost stuttering, manner. Yet, when Liam had heard him speaking with his mysterious "colleague" just now, Specks had spoken quite normally. Things are getting - as Alice said about Wonderland - curiouser and curiouser, he thought. He pulled out his class schedule from his backpack to see what room was his homeroom.
It was 214.
Chapter Fourteen: Class Warfare
“Our American values are not luxuries but necessities…our common vision of a free and just society is our…strength…”