May 06, 2009
In This Issue:
ARTICLE
NEWS
BOOK REVIEW
ADVENTURE STORY: THE CAVE DWELLERS
ADVENTURE STORY: THE GALLANT MYSTERY
ARTICLE
The Importance Of Thinking
Thinking is an incredible activity. We do it all the time automatically. Scientists say that we never stop thinking. Even when we are asleep a flow of words is streaming through our minds. In fact, while human beings can speak at the rate of 150 to 200 words a minute, we think at the rate of 1300 to 1800 words a minute [and we read from 200 to 400 words a minute on average]. This helps to explain why our mind sometimes wanders when we are listening to someone [or their mind wanders when we are speaking!]. Our thoughts - our thinking patterns - are the single most important physical item in determining our destiny. How we think will dictate how we feel and how we react to situations in life. That, in turn, will determine our success or failure. What is thinking? Thinking is basically our mind talking to ourselves. Every human being is constantly talking to themselves - they just don't usually do it out loud. Everyone has both negative and positive fleeting thoughts. You know the kind. They just seem to come into our mind from nowhere. These are not the thoughts that will effect our destiny. If it is just in and out there is no lasting impression, but if we choose to spend time thinking about the thought then it becomes a part of who we are and will impact our lives for better or worse. Our mind has the ability to evaluate facts and decide what is true or false. It make make a wrong decision based on incomplete or inaccurate data, but it will evaluate information. We can then decide what to think about.Our emotions are the opposite. They cannot evaluate facts. They simply react to what the mind tells them is true. For example, imagine you are back in school. Unexpectedly you are called to the Principal's office. Your mind evaluates the information and tells your emotions - "You are in trouble now." Instantly, the butterflies in stomach start, your legs move slower, fear wells up in your heart. When you get to the principal's office you find out he just wanted to thank you for some volunteer work you had done. What happened? Your mind fed your emotions misinformation and your emotions simply reacted.
Since our thoughts are programming our lives at the rate of 1300 to 1800 words a minutes, 24 hours a day, it is extremely important what kind of thoughts we allow in our minds. It is important what kind of TV we watch, what kind of music we listen to, and what kind of friends we have. If we are constantly getting negative input, our programming is going to be largely negative, which, in turn, will hinder our ability to live happy, healthy lives.
It is especially important what kind of language we use with children. Their minds are in the process of developing the ability to evaluate facts. While they are in the process, they tend to believe everything they hear. If someone tells them they are stupid, or lazy, or will never amount to anything, they will tend to accept it as fact. Even when they mature they find it hard to overcome that kind of thinking. Yes, children [and adults, too] have to be corrected when they are wrong, but it should never be in a way which devalues them as a person or introduces negative thinking into their minds.
How does this apply to reading? Many times children are labeled as having a learning disability simply because they have struggles in some areas. All of us are different. All of us struggle in some areas. In the case of reading, often the problem is more with ineffective methods of teaching reading than with the child. Because of hearing it so often, the child begins to think of himself or herself as learning disabled. They, then, don't believe that they can ever learn. What a crime.
Now, I recognize that some people have genuine physical, mental, or spiritual issues which hinder their ability to learn. In extreme cases it may prevent them from learning. But, in most cases, amazing progress is possible if a person will simply believe in themselves with the right kind of thinking.
Check out those 1300 to 1800 words that are streaming through your mind every minute. Are they building your life...or tearing it down?
NEWS
Congratulations Seth and Kayden! Lesson 5 finished. Excellent work.Wow! Austin, great work on completing Lesson 7.
BOOK REVIEW
See You At The Top by Zig Ziglar is a great book for checking out and correcting your 1300 - 1800 words a minute brain. Through many humorous illustrations and down-home stories, Mr. Ziglar reveals how to eliminate "stinkin thinkin" from your life. One step at a time Mr. Ziglar guides up of the stairs of Self-Image, Relationships, Goals, Attitude, Work, and Desire until we reach the top. "You can get everything you want out of life if you help enough other people get what they want." Zig ZiglarWe trust we will see you here next month.
Yours in life building,
Glenn and Diane Davis
Learn To Read Prince George and the World
Held Fast For England
HELD FAST FOR ENGLANDBy G.A. Henty
Chapter 9
THE ANTELOPE [Part 2]
When dinner was finished, Bob said:
"Don't you think, Carrie, I am looking pale? What with the heat, and what with my sticking in and working so many hours a day, I begin to feel that it is too much for me."
"But if you have a holiday, Bob, what will you do with yourself?" "I don't think I shall get any better here, Carrie. I think I want change of air." "Nonsense, Bob! You can't be as bad as all that; and you never said anything about it, before.
"If he is not well, you must ask Teddy Burke to come up to see him, Gerald. Besides, how can he have change of air? The only place he could go to would be Tetuan, and it would be hotter there than it is here." "I think, Carrie," Captain O'Halloran said, "I can prescribe for him without calling Teddy Burke in. I fancy the very thing that would get Bob set up would be a sea voyage." "A sea voyage!" his wife repeated. "Do you mean that he should go back to England? I don't see anything serious the matter with him. Surely there cannot be anything serious enough for that." "No, not so serious as that, Carrie. Just a cruise for a bit--on board the Antelope, for example." Mrs. O'Halloran looked from one to the other; and then, catching a twinkle in Bob's eye, the truth flashed across her. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Gerald," she said, laughing in spite of herself. "You have quite frightened me. I see now. Captain Locket has invited Bob to go for a cruise with him, and all this about his being ill is nonsense, from beginning to end. You don't mean to say that you have been encouraging Bob in this ridiculous idea!" "I don't know about encouraging, Carrie; but when he put it to me that he had been working very steadily, for the last six months; and that he had got into no scrapes; and that he had really earned a holiday, and that this would be a very jolly one; I did not see any particular reason why he shouldn't have it." "No particular reason! Why, the Antelope is a privateer; and if she is going to cruise about, that means that she is going to fight, and he may get shot." "So he may here, Carrie, if a ball happens to come the right way.
"I think Bob certainly deserves a reward for the way he has stuck to his lessons. You know you never expected he would do as he has done; and I am sure his uncle would be delighted, if he heard how well he speaks Spanish.
"As to his health, the boy is well enough; but there is no denying that this hot weather we are having takes it out of us all, and that it would be a mighty good thing if every soul on the Rock had the chance of a month's cruise at sea, to set him up.
"But seriously, Carrie, I don't see any reason, whatever, why he should not go. We didn't bring the boy out here to make a mollycoddle of him. He has got to settle down, some day, in a musty old office; and it seems to me that he ought to have his share in any fun and diversion that he has a chance of getting at, now. As to danger, sure you are a soldier's wife; and why shouldn't he have a share of it, just the same as if he had gone into the navy? You wouldn't have made any hullabaloo about it, if he had done that.
"This is Bob's good time, let him enjoy it. You are not going to keep a lad of his age tied to your apron strings. He has just got the chance of having two or three years of fighting, and adventure. It will be something for him to talk about, all his life; and my opinion is, that you had best let him go his own way. There are hundreds and hundreds of lads his age knocking about the world, and running all sorts of risks, without having elder sisters worrying over them." "Very well, Gerald, if you and Bob have made up your minds about it, it is no use my saying no. I am sure I don't want to make a mollycoddle, as you call it, of him. Of course, uncle will blame me, if any harm comes of it." "No, he won't, Carrie. Your uncle wants the boy to be a gentleman, and a man of the world. If you had said that a year ago, I would have agreed with you; but we know him better, now, and I will be bound he will like him to see as much life as he can, during this time. He has sent him out into the world.
"I will write to your uncle, myself, and tell him it is my doing entirely; and that I think it is a good thing Bob should take every chance he gets, and that I will answer for it that he won't be any the less ready, when the time comes, for buckling to at business." "Well, if you really think that, Gerald, I have nothing more to say. You know I should like Bob to enjoy himself, as much as he can; only I seem to have the responsibility of him." "I don't see why you worry about that, Carrie. If he had gone out to Cadiz or Oporto, as your uncle intended, you don't suppose the people there would have troubled themselves about him. He would just have gone his own way. You went your own way, didn't you? And it is mighty little you troubled yourself about what your uncle was likely to say, when you took up with an Irishman in a marching regiment; and I don't see why you should trouble now.
"The old gentleman means well with the boy but, after all, he is not either his father or his mother. You are his nearest relation and, though you are a married woman, you are not old enough, yet, to expect that a boy of Bob's age is going to treat you as if you were his mother, instead of his sister. There is not one boy in fifty would have minded us as he has done." "Well, Bob, there is nothing more for me to say, after that," Carrie said, half laughing--though there were tears in her eyes. "No, no, Carrie; I won't go, if you don't like," Bob said, impetuously. "Yes, you shall go, Bob. Gerald is quite right. It is better you should begin to think for yourself; and I am sure I should like you to see things, and to enjoy yourself as much as you can. I don't know why I should fidget about you, for you showed you had much more good sense than I credited you with, when you gave up your chance of going to sea and went into uncle's office.
"I am sure I am the last person who ought to lecture you, after choosing to run about all over the world, and to take the risk of being starved here," and she smiled at her husband. "You do as you like, Bob," she went on. "I won't worry about you, in future--only if you have to go back to England without a leg, or an arm, don't blame me; and be sure you tell uncle that I made as good a fight against it as I could." And so it was settled. "By the way," Bob exclaimed, presently, "I have got a letter from uncle to you, in my pocket; and one for myself, also. Captain Lockett gave them to me this morning, but I forgot all about them." "Well, you are a boy!" his sister exclaimed. "This is a nice sample, Gerald, of Bob's thoughtfulness.
"Well, give me the letter. Perhaps he writes saying you had better be sent home, by the first chance that offers itself." Bob's face fell. He had, indeed, himself had some misgiving, ever since the troubles began, that his uncle might be writing to that effect. "Well, look here, Carrie," he said, "here is the letter; but I think you had better not open it, till I have started on this cruise. Of course, if he says I must go back, I must; but I may as well have this trip, first." Carrie laughed. "What do you think, Gerald, shall I leave it till Bob has gone?" "No, open it at once, Carrie. If he does say, 'send Bob on by the first vessel,' there is not likely to be one before he goes in the Antelope. Besides, that is all the more reason why he should go for a cruise, before he starts back for that grimy old place in Philpot Lane. We may as well see what the old gentleman says." "I won't open mine till you have read yours, Carrie," Bob said. "I mean to go the cruise, anyhow; but if he says I must go after that, I will go. If he had been the old bear I used to think him, I would not mind it a snap; but he has been so kind that I shall certainly do what he wants." Bob sat, with his hands deep in his pockets, watching his sister's face with the deepest anxiety as she glanced through the letter; Gerald standing by, and looking over her shoulder.  "The old gentleman is a brick!" Gerald, who was the first to arrive at the end, exclaimed. "I wish I had had such a sensible old relative, myself, but--barring an aunt who kept three parrots and a cat, and who put more store on the smallest of them than she did on me--never a relative did I have, in the world." "Oh, tell me that afterwards!" Bob broke in. "Do tell me what uncle says, Carrie." His sister turned to the beginning again and read aloud:
"My dear niece--" "Where does he write from?" Bob interrupted. "Is it from Philpot Lane, or from somewhere else?" "He writes from Matlock, Derbyshire." "That is all right," Bob said. "I thought, by what Gerald said, he could not have written from Philpot Lane." "My dear niece," Carrie began again, "I duly received your letter, saying that Bob had arrived out safely; and also his more lengthy epistle, giving an account of the incidents of the voyage. I should be glad if you would impress upon him the necessity of being more particular in his punctuation, as also in the crossing of his t's and the dotting of his i's. I have also received your letter bearing date June 1st; and note, with great satisfaction, your statement that he has been most assiduous in his studies, and that he is already able to converse with some fluency in Spanish.
"Since that time the state of affairs between the two countries has much occupied my attention--both from its commercial aspect, which is serious, and in connection with Bob. As the issue of a declaration of war is hourly expected, as I write, the period of uncertainty may be considered as over, and the two countries may be looked upon as at war. I have reason to congratulate myself upon having followed the advice of my correspondent, and of having laid in a very large supply of Spanish wine; from which I shall, under the circumstances, reap considerable profits. I have naturally been debating, with myself, whether to send for Bob to return to England; or to proceed to Lisbon, and thence to Oporto, to the care of my correspondent there. I have consulted in this matter my junior partner, Mr. Medlin, who is staying with me here for a few days; and I am glad to say that his opinion coincides with that at which I had finally arrived--namely, to allow him to remain with you.
"His conduct when with me, and the perseverance with which--as you report--he is pursuing his studies, has shown me that he will not be found wanting in business qualities, when he enters the firm. I am, therefore, all the more willing that he should use the intervening time in qualifying himself, generally, for a good position in the city of London; especially for that of the head of a firm in the wine trade, in which an acquaintance with the world, and the manners of a gentleman, if not of a man of fashion--a matter in which my firm has been very deficient, heretofore--are specially valuable. It is probable, from what I hear, that Gibraltar will be besieged; and the event is likely to be a memorable one. It will be of advantage to him, and give him a certain standing, to have been present on such an occasion.
"And if he evinces any desire to place any services he is able to render, either as a volunteer or otherwise, at the disposal of the military authorities--and I learn, from Mr. Medlin, that it is by no means unusual for the civil inhabitants of a besieged town to be called upon, to aid in its defence--I should recommend that you should place no obstacle in his way. As a lad of spirit, he would naturally be glad of any opportunity to distinguish himself. I gathered, from him, that one of his schoolfellows was serving as a midshipman in a ship of war that would, not improbably, be stationed at Gibraltar; and Bob would naturally dislike remaining inactive, when his schoolfellow, and many other lads of the same age, were playing men's parts in an historical event of such importance. Therefore you will fully understand that you have my sanction, beforehand, to agree with any desire he should express in this direction, if it seems reasonable and proper to you and Captain O'Halloran.
"As it is probable that the prices of food, and other articles, will be extremely high during the siege, I have written, by this mail, to Messieurs James and William Johnston, merchants of Gibraltar--with whom I have had several transactions--authorizing them to honour drafts duly drawn by Captain O'Halloran, upon me, to the extent of 500 pounds; such sum being, of course, additional to the allowance agreed upon between us for the maintenance and education of your brother.
"I remain, my dear niece, your affectionate uncle, John Bale." "Now I call that being a jewel of an uncle," Captain O'Halloran said, while Bob was loud in his exclamations of pleasure. "Now you see what you brought on yourself, Bob, by your forgetfulness. Here we have had all the trouble in life to get Carrie to agree to your going while, had she read this letter first, she would not have had a leg to stand upon--at least, metaphorically speaking; practically, no one would doubt it, for a minute." "Practically, you are a goose, Gerald; metaphorically, uncle is an angel. But I am very, very glad. That has relieved me from the responsibility, altogether; and you know, at heart, I am just as willing that Bob should enjoy himself as you are.
"Now, what does your uncle say to you, Bob?" Bob opened and read his uncle's letter, and then handed it to his sister. "It is just the same sort of thing, Carrie. I can see Mr. Medlin's hand in it, everywhere. He says that, for the time, I must regard my connection with the firm as of secondary importance; and take any opportunity that offers to show the spirit of an English gentleman, by doing all in my power to uphold the dignity of the British flag; and taking any becoming part that may offer, in the defence of the town. Of course he says he has heard, with pleasure, of my progress in Spanish; and that he and his junior partner look forward, with satisfaction, to the time when I shall enter the firm.' "My dear Carrie," Captain O'Halloran said, "I will get a bottle of champagne from the mess; and this evening, at supper, we will drink your excellent uncle's health, with all the honours. I will ask Teddy Burke to come up and join us." "Then I think, Gerald," his wife said, smiling, "that as Captain Lockett will be here, too, one bottle of champagne will not go very far." "I put it tentatively, my dear; We will say two bottles, and we will make the first inroad on our poultry yard. We had twenty eggs, this morning; and the woman downstairs reports that two of the hens want to sit, though how they explained the matter to her is more than I know; anyhow, we can afford a couple of chickens." It was a very jovial supper, especially as it was known that the news of the proclamation of war had been brought in, by the ship that had arrived that morning. "By the way, Mrs. O'Halloran," Captain Lockett said, "I have a consignment for you. I will land it, the first thing in the morning, for I shall sail in the evening. We are to get our letters of marque, authorizing the capture of Spanish vessels, at ten o'clock in the morning." "What is the consignment, captain?" "It is from Mr. Bale, madam. I saw him in town, a week before I sailed, and told him I was likely to come on here, direct; and he sent off at once three cases of champagne, and six dozen of port, directed to you; and an eighteen gallon cask of Irish whisky, for Captain O'Halloran." "My dear," Captain O'Halloran said solemnly, "I believe that you expressed, today, the opinion that your uncle was, metaphorically, an angel. I beg that the word metaphorically be omitted. If there was ever an angel in a pigtail, and a stiff cravat, that angel is Mr. John Bale, of Philpot Lane." "It is very good of him," Carrie agreed. "We could have done very well without the whisky, but the port wine and the champagne may be very useful, if this siege is going to be the terrible thing you all seem to fancy." "A drop of the craytur is not to be despised, Mrs. O'Halloran," Dr. Burke said; "taken with plenty of water it is a fine digestive and, when we run short of wine and beer, you will not be despising it, yourself." "I did not know, Teddy Burke, that you had any experience, whatever, of whisky mixed with plenty of water." "You are too hard on me, altogether," the doctor laughed. "There is no soberer man in the regiment than your humble servant." "Well, it will do you all good, if you get on short allowance of wine, for a time. I can't think why men want to sit, after dinner, and drink bottle after bottle of port wine. It is all very well to say that everyone does it, but that is a very poor excuse. Why should they do it? Women don't do it, and I don't see why men should. I hope the time will come when it is considered just as disgraceful, for a man to drink, as it is for a woman.
"And now, Captain Lockett, about Bob. What time must he be on board?" "He must be on board before gunfire, Mrs. O'Halloran, unless you get a special order from the town major. I was obliged to get one, myself, for this evening. The orders are strict, now; all the gates are closed at gunfire." "Yes, and mighty strict they are," Captain O'Halloran said. "There was Major Corcoran, of the 72nd, and the doctor of the regiment were out fishing yesterday; and the wind fell, and the gun went just as they were landing, and divil a bit could they get in. The major is a peppery little man, and I would have given anything to have seen him. One of the Hanoverian regiments furnished the guard, at the water batteries; and the sentry told him, if he came a foot nearer in the boat they would fire and, in the end, he and the doctor had to cover themselves up with a sail, and lie there all night. I hear the major went to lodge a complaint, when he landed; but of course the men were only doing their duty, and I hear Eliott gave him a wigging, for endeavouring to make them disobey orders." "I will be on board before gunfire, Captain Lockett. There is no fear of my missing it." "How long do you expect to be away, Captain Lockett?" Mrs. O'Halloran asked. "That depends on how we get on. If we are lucky, and pick up a number of prizes, we may bring them in in a week; if not we may be three weeks, especially if this calm weather lasts." "I am sure I hope you won't be too lucky, at first, captain," Bob put in. "I don't want the cruise to finish in a week." "Oh, I sha'n't consider the cruise is finished, merely because we come in, Bob!" the captain said. "We shall be going out again, and only put in here to bring in our prizes. The cruise will last as long as Captain O'Halloran and your sister will allow you to remain on board.
"I expect that I shall be able to make you very useful. I shall put you down in the ship's books as third mate. You won't be able to draw prize money, as an officer, because the number of officers entitled to prize money was entered when the crew signed articles; but if I put you down as supercargo you will share, with the men, in any prizes we take while you are away with us." "That will be jolly, captain; not because of the money, you know, but because it will give one more interest in the cruise. Besides, I shall like something to do." "Oh, I will give you something to do! I shall put you in Joe's watch, and then you will learn something. It is always as well to pick up knowledge, when you get a chance; and if we do take any prizes it will be your duty, as supercargo, to take an inventory of what they have on board." The next morning Bob packed his trunks, the first thing; then he went round to the professor's, and told him that he was going away, for a fortnight or so, for a cruise; then he went down to the port, and met Joe Lockett when he landed, and brought him up to breakfast, as had been arranged with the captain the night before. After that, he went with him up the Rock to look at the Spaniards--whose tents were a good deal more numerous than they had been, and who were still at work, arming the forts. "If I were the general," Joe said, "I would go out at night, with two or three regiments, and spike all those guns, and blow up the forts. The Dons wouldn't be expecting it; and it would be a good beginning, and would put the men in high spirits.
"Do you see, the Spanish fleet has drifted away almost out of sight, to the east. I thought what it would be, at sunset yesterday, when I saw that they did not enter the bay; for the current would be sure to drive them away, if the wind didn't spring up.
"Well, I hope we shall get a little, this evening. And now I must be going down, for there is a good deal to do, before we sail." Next Week in Chapter 10 Bob will start A Cruise In A Privateer.
STAR ACTION
Peter and Janet inStar Action
By Glenn Davis
copyright 2009
Chapter 12
Wanted: Dead or Alive
The security man's mouth dropped open and his eyes stared in fear as he saw what was inside the narrow tube he had just opened.
"Don't move!" Rev. Flynn firmly commanded Peter and Janet. All three of them froze as the security man tried to clap the lid back on the tube. It was too late. Out of the tube flew a fat, three inch long, furry insect. It had a single eye in the center of it's head and short, colorless wings, it's body was a striped dull blue and gray. As soon as it was free it stung the security man on the hand. The man's face seemed to glaze over then he tottered and fell, stiff like a board, to the floor. The insect hovered over the dead body for a few moments, turning in every direction, watching for movement. When it spotted the remains of Peter and Janet's supper it flew over to it and settled down. Naturally when the insect had flown to the table it had past out of their sight. Rev. Flynn guessed where it had gone. After waiting a few minutes he pivoted to look. The insect was sitting on the table with its back toward them. Realizing this was probably his best chance, Rev. Flynn put his plan into action. With an unspoken prayer on his lips he began edging toward the security man, always keeping his eyes trained on the insect. When he reached the dead man's body he paused to study the insect. It seemed content. Bending down he unfastened the dead man's gun strap. A small squeal from Janet and a slight buzzing sound warned him the insect was on its way. Drawing on the skills and reflexes which had made him a living legend, Rev. Flynn whipped the gun out and whirled around. The insect was flying a zig-zagged course right for him. No time to aim and only time for one shot. Rev. Flynn fired. The insect completely disappeared with the force of the blast... and so did part of the far wall. Rev. Flynn straightened up and exclaimed, "May El's Name be praised forevermore. He saved us from certain death." "How can you say that? It was you who did it all," said Janet puzzled. "El's hand is always at work using our skills and talents when we let Him." "What was that anyway?" asked Peter. "That was a Stinger Jasger. One sting is fatal and each one has between seven and ten stings." "Then that was really close," Peter said. "Close enough to remove any doubt of your story being true. My first move is going to be to arrest Smith, then I'll send out the search party for Captain Caspian and Dr. Kana. I don't think Smith has anymore use for you so you're probably out of danger. I'll send a guard down, just to be safe, until this whole thing is cleared up." With apparent ease Rev. Flynn picked up the dead man and laid him across his left shoulder. As the door slid open a voice came over the intercom. It was Smith's voice, "I can now prove that Rev. Flynn was the mastermind behind the Captain's murder. He and his two accomplices, Peter and Janet Goodwin, have just murdered another man. They are armed and considered extremely dangerous. By the power invested in me as Security Commander of the U.A.F. Courage I authorize they be taken dead or alive." Rev. Flynn dropped the body. Picking up the gun from where he had set it before, he said, "Quick, follow me. We've got to get to those shuttles fast!" Rev. Flynn rushed out the door. Peter and Janet hesitated a moment in surprise, then ran after him. They followed him down hall after hall. It was a good thing Smith had had them placed in a guest room, in a nearly deserted section of the Courage. The few people they did meet were unarmed and not ready to try and stop them. It was only a few minutes later, though Peter and Janet were out of breath from their fast sprint, when Rev. Flynn reached his objective. It was a door marked: LADDER. Quickly they slipped inside. Rev. Flynn waited for Peter and Janet to catch their breath. Glancing around they saw they were in a poorly lighted tunnel, about ten feet wide and fifteen feet long, going straight up and down. The platform they were standing on went out five feet then stopped, leaving ten feet from it to the far wall, which seemed to be shaped like a mountain side. On a side wall was the ladder. "Why do you have a ladder in a starship?" asked Janet in amazement. She had never heard of such a thing. "Later. First let's get started on our journey. Peter, you go ahead." Peter grasped the metal rungs and stared up. "The other way," directed Rev. Flynn. "But aren't the shuttles on the top?" asked Peter as he started down. Janet followed him. Tucking the gun into his pants, Rev. Flynn came last of all. "You're right , Peter. The shuttles are on the top floor, right where all Smith's ambushes are set-up. For Smith to know we weren't killed he must have had your room bugged, maybe even hidden cameras, so we're heading for the Flyers. Let's pray he doesn't think about it before we get there." "Aren't Flyers only one-person fighter ships?" asked Janet. "That's right." "But we don't know how to fly." "It'll be simple. You'll see." Peter and Janet didn't feel very well at the thought of controlling a Flyer for the very first time. There was a long pause in the conservation as they continued down. They tried to keep from looking down because it made them dizzy. Soon their hands and feet began to feel sore, and it was still a good twelve stories or so to the bottom. After a little bit, Rev. Flynn broke the silence, "You were asking why we had ladder in a starship, Janet. There are two reasons. First, our ever-cautious designers decided that if the elevators and their back up systems ever broke down, the emergency crew would need some way to get from floor to floor. Personally, I think if the ship was ever so damaged that both the main power and the back up power to the elevators were cut off, we would be in so much trouble we wouldn't care about getting to another floor. Anyway the second reason is more practical, and quite often used. You'll notice the far wall is shaped like a cliff and that it's far enough away from the platforms and the ladder so as to give plenty of room between them. That is used to train and develop skill in cliff climbing." After a few moments Peter commented, "They must be missing us by now." "Maybe," said Rev. Flynn, "but I have a reputation for being crafty and there are hundreds of ways we could have gone for a shuttle." "Would they really shoot to kill?" asked Janet, "I mean these people are suppose to be on our side." "We like in a dangerous universe, especially those of us of the U.A.F., sometimes killing is necessary. But in this case I think any U.A.F. man would stun since that's all that is really needed. Smith just gave the command so when his men, which he hopes will find us first, shoot us the killing us would be legal." "Will it be, legal that is?" asked Peter. "Yes and no. You may have noticed I have stopped referring to Smith as 'Commander'. In our laws a person stops being in any position of authority the moment before he commits a crime. You could say Smith has been impersonating an officer, ever since he committed his first crime, he just wasn't caught. Since he's not an officer, commands he gives are illegal. Even if he were a commander of security he could only give the Dead or Alive order if we were on War Status 2. The U.A.F. is currently on War Status 1." The descent continued with each lost in their own thoughts. At last they touched the bottom. As they were resting their tired arms and legs Rev. Flynn looked at Peter and Janet with compassion in his eyes, "I know you probably don't want to do this. You just to go home and be safe... and there's nothing I'd like better, but we don't have much choice. The lives of thousands of people will depend on if you can find Captain Caspian or not. I don't say this to make you feel overburdened, but so that you'll realize the importance of the task and do your best, no on can ask for more." "You mean you're not coming down with us?" asked Janet. "I will if I can," Rev. Flynn looked at them both gravely, "But I'll have to stay here to fly you down by remote control. If after I've landed you I'm still able to come I will, if not you'll be on your own." "If you don't escape they'll kill you, won't they?" asked Peter. Rev. Flynn smiled, "That depends on who El choses to find me first." There was a short pause then Rev. Flynn returned to the business at hand, "When we go through this door, you'll see another to the right. Go through it. It leads to the Flyer pit. Climb into the two nearest Flyers, assuming they are anywhere near your size, and put the helmets on. Next buckle yourselves in and flip the switch marked: REMOTE. Then sit back and relax, I'll do the rest. by the way, you should find a spare gun and holster concealed in the armrest, plus other emergency supplies. "Always remember El is with you. Pray to Him and ask for His help, there is no other way."Next week: Chapter 13 - The Sinking Of Two Flyers