textfiles/messages/BACKWATER/bw860819.txt

Note: This is a special disk. It marks the start of the sequence that leads 
to the destruction of the Inn (see the Innkeeper story). Nine months later
the Inn (BWMS) is destroyed, and the new BWMS-II is brought on line. 
The reason behind this was the the increasing problems with users which
required a more secure system to manage the problem children. To do this,
it was decided to build a new system using one of my old Sanyo computers
running MSDOS. The new system was originally intended to go on-line in a 
few months, but various problems delayed the startup until May 1987. 


1 If you are in need of help, you need but ask....
2 ************************* INSTALLED: 19 AUG 86 ************************
3 Welcome to BWMS (BackWater Message System)  Mike Day System operator
4 ************************************************************
5 GENERAL DISCLAIMER: BWMS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INFORMATION
6                     PLACED ON THIS SYSTEM.
7 BWMS was created as an electronic bill board. BWMS is a privately owned
8 and operated system which is currently open for use by the general public.
9 no restrictions are placed on the use of the system. As the system is
10 privately owned, I retain the right to remove any and all messages which
11 I may find offensive. Because of the limited size of the system, it will be
12 periodically purged of messages. (only 629 lines of data can be saved)
13 to leave a message, type 'ENTER' and use ctrl/C or break to get out of the
14 ENTER mode. The message is automatically stored. If after entering the
15 message you find you made a mistake, use the replace command to replace
16 the line. To exit from the system, type 'OFF' then hang up.
17 type 'HELP' to see other commands that are available on the system.
18  ***********************************************************
19 
20 :::::O O::::08/19::::bottom to top! (or Bottom's Up?)::voyeur:::20:31::::O O:::
21 +++++++++++++++Closebutnotcloseenough++++++++++++Darbon+++++++++++++++++++++++++
22 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZoom...
23 Third from the top ain't too bad...
24 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZoom...
25 Fisrt time.    ever.
26 .-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.I logon, therefore I am.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.Emu
27 The meanest deer in the forest:			Bambo
28 
29 {shiva<<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>>{
30      Walking out onto the street I could feel the warmth of the sun beating
31 down onto my already tanned skin.  I reached into my pocket, grabbed my sun
32 glasses and with the same smooth gesture, flipped them open and rested them
33 over my eyes to limit the overpowering glare of the sidewalk. As I passed by
34 Godfry's house, I looked up to say "Hi" but as I looked up I noticed she
35 wasn't out. "That's really weird." I thought, "She's always out sunning herself
36 on her porch."  Continuing on my way, an empty feeling started to creep over me
37 as I realized how quiet it was.  In the past I had always been met by the
38 bands of children jumping into backyard pools to cool off as I walked to
39 Dave's. "Wonder where the kids are this morning?" I questioned myself.
40      Before I had a chance to ponder the mystery, I found myself quickly
41 levitating.  I was rising above my body and I didn't know why.  I looked down,
42 watching it walking and slowly fading away. As the last traces of my body faded
43 away, all that I could see vanished and all that I could perceive was a flash
44  an expanse of bright, white light in which I seemed to be bathed.  Filled
45 with a curious warmth, I thought to myself "this must be where all the kids
46 are..."
47 <>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>><<<>>>shiva}
48 __________::::::::::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::__________::::::::::
49 MiG? You there? Requesting physical contact location. Please?
50 __________::::::::::__________::::::::::______ TJ///         _________::::::::::
51 ########################################################################
52      It wavers at the edge of visibility, striving to hold to reality. 
53 Through the mist could be seen a small box with a mirid of runners 
54 leaving it. Tendirles growing off in all directions. Many of them dead, 
55 and many more dying. A few survive gathering what nurishment they can. 
56 The image before me seems to draw on the living strength, gathing and 
57 deriving its own exsistance from the power therein.
58      One vine dead by surface appearances shivers, then glows and comes 
59 to life. As if on que, the image stablized and gained substance. Perhaps 
60 gathering what strength it could find from this source.
61      A figure can be seen in the distance approaching a small foot 
62 bridge who's very existance itself appears in doubt. But it is solid 
63 enough, and the visitor, cloak wrapped tight, swiftly moved across and 
64 on towards the building just ahead. 
65      A bedregaled tree stands near the entrance. It is hard to tell what 
66 it is, there is little left to show. Yet the visitor knows full well its 
67 design and purpose. A Rowan tree. Like all mystical things, it thrives 
68 on belief and care. Reaching out as if to touch a broken branch that 
69 hangs there, the visitor pauses. Pain obvious in the stance, in empathy 
70 with the pain eminating from the tree. So strong is the feeling that 
71 even one who is not adept could feel it. To one who knows the pain is 
72 almost overpowering. 
73      Finally, the hand drops, the shoulders slump, and with a much 
74 slower gait moves towards the scared and patched door.  On the walls on 
75 either side can be seen many coatings of paint, most of them peeling and 
76 chipped. An occasional message can be seen scrawled in almost illedgable 
77 script. One shutter hangs by a single hinge banging against the wall as 
78 it is caught by a stray draft of wind.  Opening the door a stale gust of 
79 air filled with dust and a faint sharp bitter smell rushes out. The door 
80 complains loudly as it is opened, so long has it remained shut. 
81      Stepping inside, there is a chill feeling to the place. A layer of 
82 dust undisturbed for sometime lays upon the floor. Heading towards the 
83 side where the bar stands, the visitor moves behind it and then through 
84 a curtain beyond to a private room. Had anyone been present, they would 
85 have known by now who the visitor was. For only the Innkeeper could 
86 enter that room unscathed by the protective spells that suround it.
87      Taking off his cloak and hanging it on a hook by the entrance, He 
88 picks up an apron and ties it on. returning to the main room, the first 
89 thing done is to build a fire to fight the cold. The next is to open the 
90 shutters to let some light in. And finally proping the front and back 
91 doors open to let in the fresh air. Then with a broom he begins to clean 
92 the accumulated dust from the floor. Stopping at a curtain covered 
93 alcove, he pulls the ragged curtain aside. But instead of moving to the 
94 side it falls off in his hands, a disintegrating cloth from the past. 
95      Expecting the small little room ment for private conversations, he 
96 is startled to find a harsh metalic wall facing him instead. A bit 
97 shocked, and more then a little bit frightened, he steps backwards until 
98 a table stops him. Finally after a moment, he moves towards another side 
99 room, enters it, and returns with a new cloth which he hangs to cover 
100 the doorway. Not knowing what else to do, he goes about his cleaning 
101 chores. If something is to happen it will. But the low rumbling sound, 
102 and the faint beat of metal striking metal that comes from the direction 
103 of the now covered door is worrisome. 
104      At least the other parts of the Inn seem unaffected yet, the rooms 
105 upstairs remain unchanged, the wine cellar, and of course his private 
106 room in the back with its own entrance to the rear court. Tired of the 
107 great deal of work done even though he had just started, the Innkeeper 
108 moves a comfortable chair towards the fire, but keeps it facing the now 
109 covered but supicious doorway. "What is going on there?" he wonders, but 
110 for now it seems quiet. 
111      Finally he relaxes a bit, and a shimering glass of warm ail emiting 
112 a slight cinimon smell that escapes with the steam from the rim appears 
113 in his hand. And a quiet echoing elfin laugh can be heard amongst the 
114 course beams that support the high ceiling.
115      "What is that noise, and more important, what is that door about?"
116 On impulse, he gets up and steps outside. Moving over to the Rowan, he 
117 kneals down and with a quick salute, pours half the cup of ail at the 
118 tree's base. "You never know," he wispers as he steps back into the 
119 warmth and comfort of the Inn, "you never know..."    
120 ####################### The Innkeper ###################################
121 **********j*********************************************************************
122 2nd Shortest Horror story:
123 
124 The last man on Earth sat in his room.  There was a knock on the door.
125 
126 Shortest Horror story:
127 
128 The last man on Earth sat in his room.  There was a lock on the door.
129 (Think about that one)
130 
131 
132 
133 *****       ***** *   * *****
134 *   *       *   * **  * *
135 *****       *   * * * * ***
136 *           *   * *  ** *
137 *           ***** *   * *****
138 
139 
140 _______________________________________
141 %%%%% You should at least give credit to the author of the above story,
142 Forrest J Ackerman. %%%%%%
143 PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
144 !@*$(_)!*%@_)%*)@_*@)+#|_%(+#%*@+#%*+)&*#+(&|#!(&+#%*&+#!*&)$&*+)_#%*_|(+#$_*&+#*&#
145 Back from a black hole; it really does take almost an infinity (wink wink) to reach its
146 surface. Or at least that's what some jobs seem like: Black Holes. But this pilot, who
147 is no relation to Pirx, isn't done jousting black holes just yet. Actually, a few more
148 weeks of this space duty, and then, perhaps, I'll be able to return to a place that
149 remains dear to the heart. The Inn.
150 
151 I think about some of the patrons, and what they go through in their other lives. Those
152 experiences outside the realm of 300 baud digital communications. We live in a big wide
153 open world, and our system here is just a corner of it. A very important corner mind you,
154 but still just a corner. 
155 
156 People change, move on, mature, grow. Places like Backwater can't always keep up with this
157 change. The past is something to remember, even with a twinge of sadness at good times
158 gone by, but to live there is a mistake. It is up to us to make a history to remember for 
159 the future. What will people think a year from now when they read the archives? They will
160 look upon our writings and ponder what we were thinking of. Will they sing the praises
161 of the past, our present, like we sing of our past, once the present for the old-timers?
162 We all came here to write. This one bond has kept us together for all this time. From
163 humble beginnings years ago, to changes in the works, to plans in the future that have not
164 even been finalized yet. We are all so different, yet we all come here, with our computers
165 and our minds, to share our experiences and our feelings.
166 
167 We have to make our own future. We must use the past as a guide, but not as a ruler. We
168 are not the same people who have trod here before. We change our step to different music.
169 Let us rejoice in our own ability to create and not lament the loss of the past. We can't
170 bring it back. Would we if we could. We can make the best of what we have now. The current
171 crop of users here *can* create! I see it in almost every message. Writers struggle to be
172 heard. The last few disks have had bright spots that make me wish for more. So let's have
173 more! Writers love to read and readers love to write. We can satisfy everyone by creating
174 for ourselves and others. It isn't much to ask. And I think we owe it to Backwater to make
175 our place in its history.
176 %#@()*%@)#(&%)(@#&%@#%@)(#&%)*%_)@%@_& L'homme sans Parity %&#@)(%(&%!_()%*)_*!)%!%&_#)!_
177 
178 Alright. Well spoken! Let me try...
179 
180 _________________________________________________________________________
181  
182 	Engineers cross the cobbled floors, holding their plans to the
183 windows for light.  It streams down to them from the windows so far in the
184 distance and so near the chapel ceiling.  It tints their plans in the 
185 color of their also stained panes.
186 	Ise strides to the one in the red pool of light.  An engineer who
187 never learned to appreciate his own masterpieces.  Silver colors his hair
188 the same color as a spider's web.  His pale eyes bear the red stains of 
189 tired work and not a stained glass.
190 	"Are the passages in their last stages?  Or am I to walk the halls
191 with the loathsome rabble in your service?"  Ise firmly crosses her arms 
192 and raises her brow in inspection of the engineer.
193 	"Pardon their stench, my lady, they are only washed on the
194 sabbath,"  Tiny squeals of his bloated stomach pipe out of his mouth.  His
195 eyes search for a place to lay other than Ise's stern face and finds a 
196 table of food.
197 	"See the passages done this night, and attend to the bathing of
198 these, beasts of labor,"  Ise lets the engineer stare at the food, finding
199 her own interest taken with a young laborer.
200 	"Bishop Pisus is to arrive in a few days, the chapel ought to be
201 finishing as his horses draw to a trot,"  He adjourns himself as if on 
202 matters of royal import and finds his way to the table.  His stomach 
203 belches in return for the gluttony.
204 	Ise takes her time to cross the floor.  A page dashes across her
205 path.  She hails him, and he returns to her side, gasping for breath.
206 	"What business are you on, page?"  Asks Ise as if the boy was the
207 object of her eye.
208 	"Preparations for the Bishop, my lady,"  Searching his lungs for
209 the power to say more, he speaks, "If there are matters of yours, it is my
210 pleasure to do them,"
211 	"See the man on the beam, the rafter, there?"  Ise tells the page,
212 her back turned to the laborer she describes.  "Tell him an architect asks
213 him to the abbess's chambers,"  Ise smiles and charms the page, who 
214 blushes.
215 	"As you wish, my lady,"  Off the page goes, dashing into the
216 scaffolds and beams the laborers teeter on.  Once he reaches the rafter 
217 the laborer is atop, he whispers the summons, then slithers off and about
218 again.
219 _________________________________________________________________________
220 <o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o>
221 I wish I could talk, say the things I need to say. But 
222 that's been taken away from me. Everything I say, 
223 everything I do becomes food to support her fear. The 
224 more I try the more I lose. Like a ballon that's been 
225 released spewing air, I feel my life spinning away out 
226 of control.  I used to be able to speak openly, speak 
227 the deepest emotions in my mind. Now I cannot, every 
228 word spoken widens the rift to an ever expanding gap. 
229 She won't talk, she won't listen. She just hides 
230 further and further into the deep dark hole she is so 
231 familar with. An offered hand becomes a threat, a 
232 gental touch becomes a vicous attack, soothing words a 
233 snarl. My very being has changed from a comfort to a 
234 threat to her very existance. What has happened? How 
235 has this change occured? I don't understand. How can I 
236 understand, she won't talk, she won't listen, she just 
237 runs away frightened and scared.  The blow is greater 
238 then any physical blow could ever be. What price 
239 freindship? How can you place a value on something 
240 that is priceless? I feel like I've failed completely. 
241 A friendship I've held above all else, and somehow it 
242 has failed and I don't know why. I want to do 
243 something, I want to scream out, but I can't say 
244 anything. I can't do anything. I'm afraid. And my fear 
245 leaves me cold, a winter seeping inside, numbing me to 
246 the very marrow of my bones.
247 <o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o><o>
248 ____08/20/86__________________JD 2446663.5965_________19:18:57_PDT_________
249 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZoom...
250 Looking better...
251 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZoom...
252 }}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
253 {{{{{{{<<<>>><<<>>>
254 Crushed Apples-
255 
256 deep in the gallows of a wild hearts scream
257 lies the spark of a fire that will always be
258 time is no answer for the pain of the yearning
259 life is to short for out time to see
260 why is brought about such intense earnest
261 what is so appealing from you to me
262 perception compared tto a garden of roses
263 carefully set by a young ladies tree
264 chosen from a book of beautiful blossoms
265 drawn by love for us to see
266 should one pick a flower from the bush
267 could one remove it from that great tree
268 <<<>>><<<>>><<<>>}}}}}}
269 ==========================================
270 The quality of Backwater writing has 
271 distinctly improved. Too bad the Grand 
272 Dragon Master isn't around. I bet he'd
273 really get things off the ground.
274 
275            Henderson LaMonte
276 ==========================================
277 Hell...McKane wasn't anything without Wassir. An era has passed. As good as the 
278 current writing is I miss the old days. Sorry, there I go being sentimental. 
279 
280 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
281 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
282    GUTEN TAG, ALLES! GOOD ENTRIES ABOVE, KEEP IT UP, PEOPLE!
283      ICH BIN,  DER "SWAMP THING"
284 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
285  
286 Excellent stuff above. Now this is what Backwater is all about. Thank you.
287 							French Toast
288 ___________________________________________________________________________
289 ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
290                TO KILL
291      OR NOT    TO KILL.
292  THERE IS NO QUESTION.
293 ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
294 
295 Henderson:
296      Never fear, II'm sure the Grand D is lurking about somewhere.
297 No doubt that bounder McKane is close behind.  Now where did that
298 rascal, Wassir, get to?
299                                W. R. Pinkstaff
300 ___________________________________________________________________________
301 Wassir was last seen in Sing Sing after getting caught with his fur down
302 in the small-animal mitten plant in Toledo Ohio. It was a vice-squad bust
303 from a tip given by an anonymous employee at National Egyptian Tours.
304 INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO INFO
305 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZork!
306 
307 French Toast, if I was one of those you thanked, it was a pleasure. _Ise_
308 
309 /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /
310      I must say, although many people have said it before me, but, thank you
311 .  There will be no block graphic characters, no opposing stars, not even
312 any upper case, but I feel that those that write really care about this
313 board, and will observe the congratulations without any tricks.
314 .
315 DJJ:  Sorry, I ran out of disk space, but I was saying that just on one
316 area-water quality it is easy to prove that there would be problems.  If you
317 would like, I could write up the info that I have as evidence, in the form
318 of a persuading-type speech.
319            *** STARPATH ***
320 /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /  /
321 ########################################"#####################
322 Thought for the day: You can lead a horse to water, 
323 but before you push it in, stop and think how a wet horse smells.
324 
325 It was so hot the other day I saw a cow laying
326 on its back giving itself a shower.
327 #################################################"############
328 There was a riot at a theatre last night, that was showing the remake of 
329 "The Fly". Things got so violent that
330 the SWAT team had to be called in.
331 
332 
333 
334 (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..)
335 (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..)
336 Did they have to make a RAID?
337 (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..)
338 (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..) (..)
339 ____08/21/86__________________JD 2446664.5739_________18:46:42_PDT_________
340 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
341 Golly, here I find myself in concurence with French Toast!  Well then,
342 here's my contribution...
343 
344 
345 On second thought, I'll wait till this evening...
346                                                              PEN NAME
347 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
348 """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
349 What?  Is it later already?!?  A story of a man and a machine...
350 
351 
352 
353 A man walked up to the Auto-Eat window and typed in his selection.  He then
354 slipped his CurrencyCard into the slot just above the keyboard and just below
355 the display.  The display, by the way, was proudly displaying his choice, or at
356 least it's image at what his choice should, at least, resemble.
357    The man waited impatiently for his selection to be delivered nice and hot
358 and ready for consumming.  He folded his arms and waited.  Soon, the dispensory
359 slot opened, motors inside whirred, the console said "Thank You!" in a cheerful
360 monotone, and his selection was coughed up.
361      The man scowlel and looked under the cover bearing the words, "TRILLIONS
362 AND TRILLIONS SERVED" in bold emblazend letters, and he scowled deeper.  He
363 faced the console and pressed the "REQUEST" button.  The console's display
364 wiped away it's usual advertising and said, "Is there a problem sir?"  A
365 slightly-less cheerful voice.
366     The man grunted and said, "I ordered a FunFish Delight, and you have given
367 BouncyBeef Delight.  I want it replaced."  The console replyed, "Certainly
368 sir."  And the dispensor slot opened up.  The man placed the selection into the
369 slot and it was whisked away. 
370      The console said, "Sir, analysis shows that |his is indeed the selection
371 you ordered, a FunFish Delight, and not a BouncyBeef Delight.  You must be
372 taken."  The selection was ejected from the console.  
373      The man paused and then looked under the cover again.  He pushed REQUEST
374 and did not wait for a reply before saying, "This is a BouncyBeef, and NOT a
375 FunFish.  I want it replaced." He shoved it back in the slot.  
376     The console paused noticeably and then accepted the selection back.  The
377 man waited.  The conle said, "A second analysis shows that this is indeed a
378 FunFish and NOT a BouncyBeef as you claim.  However, we care about customer
379 satisfaction and therefore would be happy to credit your CurrencyCard the
380 amount you have payed."  Now the slot for the CurrencyCard opened, waiting.
381      The man pushed REQUEST and said, "I do not want my money back, I want a
382 FunFish Delight.  NOW!".  He shoved the selection back in the slot.  The
383 console's screen flashed red and displayed, "POSSIBLE VIOLENCE DETECTED -
384 REQUEST TECHNICIAN"  And the lights on the console went dead.
385      The man pulled the selection back out of the slot, where it had stayed,
386 and opened a packet of SpecialSecretSauce.  He spread it around the console and
387 walked away, carrying his FunFish Delight.
388 
389 
390 Well...a few problems there...looks like I too far away...have to work on
391 that.  Any suggestions?
392                       (Peice it together for yourselves)  -  PEN NAME
393 """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
394 ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
395 Starpath:  By all means, please do so.  That was the other function of BWMS
396 in the 'olden days', that of forum and information dispensary.  Surely the
397 great artificial inteligence wars have not been forgotten?  Or the dis-
398 cussions of women's rights and feminism?  Time for more.  And this seems to 
399 be an important issue.  All please participate.
400 
401 ()()()()()()()()()()()()()   DJJ   ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
402 ****************************************************************************
403 
404 I walked up to what I vaguely remembered to be a place of refuge.  I saw a 
405 Rowan tree by the door, and some bits of memory struck me.  Pam, a lovely
406 spirit creature, or was she real?  Piper, who with his drone could alter
407 reality, or was it just perception?  An innkeeper who served good ale, and
408 in full measure.
409 
410 That last was real, for at that moment I opened the door and stepped in, 
411 espying the man himself.  "An ale, to cure my ails,", I spoke.  "It has
412 been a long time since I have seen such a welcome face."
413 
414 I drew up a chair as the innkeeper drew my ale.  "Thank you, old friend,
415 this is indeed a welcome respite.  Tell me, if you would be so kind, what
416 has happened in my absence ?  What has become of my other friends ?  I have
417 enough here to by you a measure of this stout, if you would but speak with
418 me a while of the past, present, and future.  I have been trapped for a 
419 very long time in a terrible land called 'Reality' and it is indeed a 
420 frightening place."
421 
422 ********************************************************   Friar   **********
423 
424 THERE IS NO DOUBT ABOUT IT - A WHOLE NEW BALL-GAME IN PROGRESS...JUST THINK OF THE GREAT U
425 USE WE ARE PUTING THIS MICROPROCESSOR TO?  WHY NOT AN ADVENTURE GAME... OR A    PLACE
426 TO GET GOOD OLD FREE SOFTWARE?  YES MY FRENDS STRIKE OUT FOR THE AMERICAN WAY
427 LET US SEEK THAT WHICH WE NEVER PAY FOR.   P.P.S.
428 END
429 #############################################################################
430 Ahh.. a customer, a patron. a friend of old. Come, sit, rest yee bones,
431 bathe your mind in the warmth of the fire. And an ail for you fine sir.
432 Reality... yes, a frightening place indeed. At times one must escape
433 to the inner reaches of the mind to ease such burdens as are received.
434 You ask of those that have been. Alas, the Inn has been empty low these
435 many months, none come to call.Some as you have been caught up in the worls 
436 of reality, others have disapeared altogether. yet still other hide in
437 the gray mists of inbetween, biding their time maybe to leave the lands
438 altogether, or waiting for the winds of change to pull them back.
439 You ask of Pam, she remains in the mists of the in-between. What will she do?
440 I cannot say. I know she is out there hiding someplace, I've seen the spores
441 of her passing on the trails. I fear of late that my tenuous grasp on
442 communications with her has been slowly slipping away. For her own reasons
443 that I cannot comprehend and get no response in regard she speaks little
444 these days. Notes left in places that she passes disappear, but no
445 answer is found. 
446 The plight of the Rowan is a reflection of her own entity here at the Inn,
447 like the Inn itself, it lives on the strength of belief, and without 
448 that belief it becomes ravaged with the currents of reality.
449 Will she return? I cannot say. That is a decision for her to make on
450 own. Obviously she is always welcome, and the Rowan still awaits its
451 restoration. But demands of her existance I cannot make, that is something
452 that only Pam herself can do and be.
453 But tell me, what do you think of the the metalic clamer that comes from
454 the room in the back? It worries me, and I know not what to think.
455 The reality of the Inn has been threatened itself this past year, and
456 being as sensitive as it is to the winds of the mind, something of
457 this sort worries me greatly. And a metal door no less, the closest that 
458 metal of that quantity has been allowed before was in the great iron
459 city to the north. What change in the currents of reality have allowed
460 its existance to be here. How does it come to exist, and what is the
461 meaning of the noise that comes from behind?
462 Ahhh with another mind to strengthen the net, perhaps others of like 
463 mind will be drawn to the center of strength again.
464 Of Piper no one knows, his image dwindled slowly until some months prior 
465 it disappeared altogether. His absence has been sorely missed. His presence
466 was a major force in the maintinance of the reality of the Inn. With
467 his absence it began to deteriorate quite rapidly. Such was it that I
468 was unable to keep up with the repairs, and took a vacation from this 
469 reality myself. I came back recently to see what was left and what 
470 could be recovered. It is as you see, much of the magic is gone.
471 It will take much to rebuild the Inn to its former glory if it can 
472 be at all.
473 ######################### The Innkeeper ############################
474 ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
475 
476 Sorry I didn't give credit.  I
477 didn't know who wrote them.  B
478 y the way, a whole disk full 
479 and no note from Triple 5?  Is
480 he sick or what?  
481                 P-One
482 P.S.  Wish I could write like
483 you guys can. Wow!
484 
485 ******************************
486 
487 well here I am again, guys...
488 
489  A B D U L   B R I A N
490 
491 
492 I really don't have too much 
493 to say, except that I'm glad
494 to see that the nasty debate
495 no longer rages on. When I
496 have more time, I will return
497 and tell you one of my stories
498 But, until then, love your
499 enemies, as your friends!!!
500 
501 
502 ******************************
503 The quality and intellegence level (or lack thereof) speaks for itself.
504 =======================================================================
505 Indeed, that goes without saying.
506  
507 A new era? Gee, this is exciting....
508 
509 







































510 "O ne of the safest methods of acquiring attention is to do something which
511 differs from the usual, and few artists have the stamina to escape this 
512 temptation. Z.T.T. have to confess that they belonged to theos who didn't much
513 care aboutoriginality. Z.T.T. say: "We always attempt to produce quite 
514 conventional, but we fail, and it always, against our will, becomes something
515 unusual!"
516 
517 ____08/22/86__________________JD 2446665.7042_________21:54:09_PDT_________
518 PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
519 {+|+}  <519>  860823^0022
520 Yes, you were.
521 							French Toast
522 __________________________________________________________________________
523 
524 *%%%@$$_^&#^*%())$&^($*)&*^%_)*_)*^$_*@%@^)*$_^*^)(%_)(&+($&*%_)**$#^)*$)&*
525 DJJ : Hail, and well met! It has been a long time since you passed this way. The last I heard from you
526 was the sad tale of Dendrite Systems. I know of another who worked for them. This soul has also moved on
527 to bigger and better things, leaving others to indulge in VMS. I also fondly recall political discussions that did not
528 dissolve into name-calling sessions. That, my friend, was a delightful way to spend an electronic afternoon. What say
529 you to another? Have you continued access to this forum? As you have seen, Backwater is going through changes. We
530 have seen vast heights, but more recently, we have experienced some great lows. Not that there have not been bright
531 spots, but the mean of usage has been dragged down. Now the Inn experiences a great metamorphoses. A metal appears
532 in the confines on the Inn. Strange sounds can be heard from behind the door, but no amount of effort can reveal what
533 the doors hides. So strange, but so fitting with everything else that has happened here of late.
534 
535 I remember well the times at MT Bottle and Deli. I also do not forget fun times and good conversation at Waddles.  Gaudy
536 Minkey will probably never return. Machinery is needed for these visits to the Inn - machinery she does not have
537 anymore. I will relay a hello if it is OK with you.
538 
539 So, have you become disenchanted with the meandering platform of the Republican party yet? A doppleganger leadership
540 causing you second thoughts? Troubled times in River City? What ever the case, welcome back DJJ. I look forward to
541 further correspondence with you.
542 *%#^_$&_))&*^_)*^!_)^&@)&!_^& L'homme sans Parity &%(@%&)#%&&%#)&^@#&^)$&)^(&*$@{}":?>%#$%*@!$&%#$^&&@#(%@&%^*$@^
543 
544 ****************************************
545  A  B  D  U  L      B  R  I  A  N       
546 **********was here***********************************and will return****************S******O******O******N**************
547 ding
548 Did you here that???
549 
550 
551 here it is again
552 ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
553 L'homme - Indeed, I have found much to be dismayed at in the G.O.P.  But
554 the alternative as well leaves me cold.  What would you like to discuss ?
555 I have offered the Hanford depository, but it seems unexciting to all.
556 How about your views on sanctions against South Africa ?
557 
558 ()()()()()()()()()()()   DJJ   ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
559 P.S.  Are the bells necessary for us to hear ?  Must they be here ?
560 ()()()()
561 
562 ||||{|||{|}|||}||{||{||||}|}||||||||{|}|||}|}|}|}||{||{||}|||||
563  
564     "Seth, are you awake?" The stooped old man was quiet, 
565 trying not to wake him up. After all this time learning to be 
566 sincere and to trust, he did not want to trick Seth into 
567 answering his questions.
568  
569     Seth on the other hand was more than willing to trick the 
570 old man, if only he could get a few more minutes of sleep.
571 Unlike the aging Soviet at his bedside, he was raised in 
572 Louisiana and was not used to waking quite so soon in the day.
573  
574     And there was the time difference. At four in the morning 
575 in the North Sea, it is eleven at night in the North quarter of 
576 New Orleans.
577  
578     A tangled mop of hair poked out from the dark green blanket 
579 of the cot. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, and tasting what 
580 his breath was like, Seth was not at his most alert. So he did 
581 not notice the wet suit on the chair across the room, or the 
582 air tanks on the floor.
583  
584     "Of course I'm awake. Furtseva, what are you doing here, 
585 at," Seth found his watch on the steel floor and strapped it to 
586 his wrist. After reading the time, he continued speaking, "At 
587 four in the morning?"
588  
589     "Sonar has found something, it is below us as," The Soviet 
590 thought of the English phrase, "As we speak. We are to find out 
591 what it is." His accent was so harsh it could have chiseled at 
592 stone.
593  
594     "Nothing like drowning in the morning to get you up. So, 
595 Russian, let me get dressed and we can go drown together." Seth 
596 was being rude, and he knew it. Not that he cared about it, he 
597 only knew it. Whether Furtseva wanted to defect for idealism or 
598 whether it was the iceberg, he was never at ease around him.
599  
600     The old man stood and walked to the door, remembering what 
601 a time he had in carrying the gear down. Not a thank you from 
602 the American, only an invitation to leave. Now he had to get 
603 his gear on and risk his life. What a free world, he thought.
604  
605 ||||{|||{|}|||}||{||{||||}|}||||||||{|}|||}|}|}|}||{||{||}|||||
606  
607 Presidential Quote of the Day:
608 
609     "Since Mister LaRouche has chosen the Democratic party to
610 invade.... Play it safe, and vote Republican."
611  
612                                  Our fearless leader,
613                                  Ronald Wilson Reagan
614 
615 /\\//\\//\\/ Darn. Hoping to get to the bottom. Maybe in a few minutes.
616 Would that be a cheat? /\\//\\//\\//\\//\ Saturday, August 23, 1986 \//\\/
617 
618 ***************************************************************************
619 Ahhh!  That is good ale.  I am sorry to hear of Pam's reticence, but glad to
620 hear of her existence.  I was afraid I had imagined her.  I do wish the Piper
621 would return as well.  I lift my glass to them both.  Pam ?  Piper ?  I ask
622 in the name of the god Prose, please return to us.  We have much love for 
623 your writing, and through it, for you.
624 There is no stronger magic than Love, be it true, as yours and mine is for
625 our friends.  And since I am secure in the love of friends, both past and 
626 future, let us examine the wall that so troubles the Inn.
627 
628 I walked over to the place where the private room should be.  What memories
629 it brought back. ********************************************  friar

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